Today is “Wright Brothers Day” so something aviation oriented is in order. The primary option is an after dinner drink that I first heard about was when going to dinner with Greg Switlik during trade shows.

When going out with Greg there was always the decision of who would pay for pre-dinner drinks, dinner and finally after-dinner drinks. Pre-dinner tended to be the least expensive option followed by dinner. After-dinner drinks were the tab you didn’t want to get stuck with.

Option #1
B-52 An ounce each of Kahula, Baileys and Grand Marnier. Add all three liquors together in a cocktail shaker, than shake her up. The mixture is perfect for two, oversized shots.

Option #2
Blue Kamikaze. Add 2oz. of vodka, 0.75 oz. of blue curacao, and 0.75 oz. of fresh lime juice to a mixing tin with ice. Shake to chill and mix the flavors together, then strain into a martini glass.

Option #3
Anything poured from a 50ml “Airline Bottle”.

• How many rounds of B-52’s were consumed in a normal night with Greg? Numerous!
• Is blue Curacao in my bar? No but it’s in François-Paul’s.

Another day, another birthday. Today it is Werner Krampl’s day to be a year older. Being a Canadian one’s first thought might be towards Canadian whiskey but that is not what I have seen Werner drink. To keep up the birthday tradition we must have two choices.

Option #1
SCOTCH, with just a bit of water to “open it up”. Ice is optional.

Option #2
Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic

• My choice? G&T, I’m no longer a Scotch drinker. Had to consume way to much on the Victoria to Coos Bay yacht race.
• Does one drink their Scotch before dinner or after? My guess is both!
• How many bottles of each does Werner take on a week long bicycle ride? It’s a state secret.

We did get Werner a present. Nothing but the finest new bicycle saddle. The grey color is the hard new trend, wait, that was supposed to be hot new trend. Lightweight, for a rock but I haven’t figured out how to mount it.

Don’t worry, we have a few more birthdays this month to celebrate!

Today we celebrate a funeral. Nineteen years after his death, Napoleon received a state funeral in Paris. I don’t think we should follow Napoleon’s drinking habits, he added water to his wine.

Burgundy was his wine of choice. In a pinch it would be acceptable to substitute an American Pinot Noir.

• Do I drink Burgundy? Of course, but Bordeaux is more to my liking.
• What does Burgundy pair well with? Game, beef, escargot- this is a versatile wine.
• Where do the best Burgundy’s come from? François Paul’s cellar of course!

Today the Electoral College Votes!

Today is all about America so something truly American is in order. It must be simple to prepare and able to be consumed in large quantities. Unlike Alice, we don’t want to be sick again, so no sugar in this cocktail. Actually I am not sure it rates as a cocktail since it doesn’t have three ingredients.

BOURBON STRAIGHT UP

All you need is a good bottle of Bourbon and a glass. In reality the glass is optional should you wish to pass the bottle around (not a really smart idea in this COVID-19 era).

• Bourbon pairs well with red meat.
• Straight Bourbon or Sour Mash? Straight Bourbon is my choice. Both work well in this recipe.
• Can you add water or ice? Sure, the prime goal is to celebrate!

It’s Sunday, no bad luck today. What would we be lucky to have in our glass?

Option #1:
Pappy Van Winkle 23 Years – only $3999.00 (plus shipping)

Option #2:
CAOL ILA 50 YEAR OLD “PRIVATE COLLECTION” VINTAGE 1968 SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY BY GORDON & MACPHAIL – a steal at $14,000.00

Option #3:
Remy Martin Black Pearl Louis XIII – $165,000.00 and we are only getting started

Further options:
An article on the most expensive bottles ever sold

• Ever seen any of these? Sure, online while writing this!
• Worth it? Who knows but it does provide the opportunity for more stories.

In the early 70’s I went on a sailboat race from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. It started Friday afternoon and finished sometime on Saturday. At the start it was blowing hard on the city front. We were on Starboard tack and had right of way but someone tried to cut in front of us on Port tack. We couldn’t miss him and ended up tearing the stern off of his boat. Back to the dock to sort things out and then we sailed to Santa Cruz.

Sunday morning we started home and ended up anchoring in Half Moon Bay for the night. The owner brought out a bottle of brandy that was very, very old. Bottled sometime in the late 1800’s. We all got a little taste, I don’t know how good it was but it was sure a special occasion.





Moving forward to July 12, 1998. The French win the World Cup (real football) on home soil. François-Paul is home alone and after watching the match suggested dinner, meaning we would cook. He provided a bottle of red wine and invited Mark Haley to join us. All we had to drink was the one bottle of wine. Nothing prior to dinner and after finishing the bottle, nobody asked for anything else, it was so good.

Today is Chuck Granoski’s birthday. How should we celebrate? Perhaps and adult beverage is in order, after all he is over 21. Hmmmm… something fun?

It seems you need 3 people to properly celebrate and we had to go all the way to New Zealand to get these martini shot glasses. Wait a second, these are shot glasses so we need a cocktail with 3 components, not 3 people. I must put my thinking cap on to figure this one out. I think we need two options!

Option #1
The COSMOPOLITAN
Vodka, triple sec and cranberry juice are the 3 measured ingredients but you also need lime juice.

Option #2
The NEGRONI
Gin, sweet vermouth and Campari

• Why these 2 cocktails? Check out the color.
• Which is my choice? The Negroni!
• What do they pair well with? A hangover.
• But what about something for Chuck?

Option #3
The Margarita – Chuck is a Jimmy Buffet fan so what else could we choose?

On this day in 1395:
John “Eleanor” Rykener, a male cross-dressing prostitute, is brought to court in London for “committing that detestable unmentionable and ignominious vice” in late medieval England’s only recorded case on same-sex intercourse (verdict unknown).

Too good to pass up but we must move on.

Sorry, can’t move on. On This Day for today is bizarre, a King abdicating, the first penis transplant, a Senator calling for trump to resign- the list goes on and on.

Sounds like today should be about bizarre beverages.

Option #1:
Screwball – peanut butter whiskey

Option #2:
Worm Bucket – Pour rum into bucket with ice, add pineapple juice, then grenadine. Top with Sprite. A Mardi Gras favorite.

Option #3:
Blue Sewer – I am sure it has many names but pour whatever you and your buddies have into a bowl, mix and drink.

• Screwball? Amazing what Safeway carries. Peanut butter whiskey, wrong! Note that it is 70 proof.
• What about Worm Bucket? I am a fan. On a float during a Mardi Gras parade what more could one ask for? Maybe beads to throw.
• Blue Sewers: Don’t remember any and that is probably for the best.

Nobel Prize Day today. Does anyone in this group have a relative who won a Noble Prize?

If you guessed no, you would be incorrect. Aristide Briand shared the Nobel Peace prize in 1926. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1926/briand/facts/

The only option:
Calvados– made from apples, check out the bottle. Per FP when asked what Aristide Briand drank, “As a true Norman: Calvados!”.

• Do I like Calvados? Damn right!
• Calvados pairs well with? After dinner.
• Do I have backup for this almost empty bottle? By time you read this yes, at this time no.
• How many glasses of Calvados are enough? Can’t count that high.
• Is Karen a Calvados fan? Not really, she prefers Pear William (see below).

John Lennon died on this day so we must celebrate his life.

Option #1:
Brandy Alexander – “the cocktail is known to have been John Lennon’s favorite drink. He was introduced to the drink on March 12, 1974 by Harry Nilsson, in the midst of Lennon’s so-called “lost weekend.” The pair began heckling the Smothers Brothers, and whilst being ejected Lennon allegedly assaulted a waitress. Lennon later said the drinks “tasted like milkshakes”.

Option #2:
Put the lime in the coconut, you drank ’em bot’ up

• Option 1 makes sense but option 2? Have to listen to Nilsson, that’s all I have to say.
• Lennon or Nilsson? Listening to them by themselves I would favor Nilsson but the Beatles trounce him every day.
• Beatles or Stones? Stones!

For more on the Smothers Brothers. I don’t remember all that went on nor did we watch them. In 1969 I was in boarding school and TV was not something we had access to. If you read this summers Ride Around Washington report you know that the Vietnam War was something that did touch my school. If you need to catch up.

My first thought for today was 007 but it really is an important day in our history and we need to pay homage to the men and women who sacrificed during the war.

American Option:
TORPEDO JUICE– (from Wikipedia) American slang for an alcoholic beverage first mixed in World War II, made from pineapple juice and the 180 proof grain alcohol fuel used in US torpedo motors. For our recipe just use Everclear.

Japanese Option:
SAKE

• Ever tired Torpedo Juice? Don’t remember.
• Favorite Sake? Right now I like the cold, unfiltered offerings.
• What pairs well with Torpedo Juice? I imagine nothing.
• What pairs well with Sake? Fish

Option #3:
VODKA MARTINI, SHAKEN NOT STIRRED– best served with your favorite Bond movie!

Raise your glass for Sean Connery.