Brighton Rock (Cocktail)

I'm blogging again about our last holiday in Brighton. During our stay here, we went to a pizzeria named Pinocchio. But I'm not going to blog about their pizza (this will be for another post). I wanted to blog about a cocktail my wife drank there. My wife seldom drinks alcohol, even on holiday. When she does, she goes for sugary cocktails, like this one. It's called a Brighton rock, in honour of the confectionery of the same name. It has gin, blue Curaçao (no surprise there) and... A chunk of Brighton rock. Verdict? It tastes disgusting. My wife didn't like it, I had a sip and didn't like it. I'm not surprised: it looks radioactive. But hey, it looks pretty in a glass. Anyway, now that you have the recipe for it, you can try it if you are brave.

Tombola

There was a school fayre this afternoon at Wolfie's school, I went there right after work, for the last thirty minutes or so. I had time to enter a tombola: you buy tickets and you could buy a bottle of wine, of beer or of whatever drink, alcoholic or not. It was £2.00 for five tickets. At first, I only found a pound, so I asked: "Can I have two tickets and a half?" I think it deserves to be a great unknown line. Not my best, but it's been a while since I shared one funny line. Anyway, I found another pound in my pocket, so I got my five tickets, then I bought some more. In the end, we got a bottle of red wine, a soft drink and a bottle of non alcoholic coktail. Not bad.

Cuba Libre VS Rum&Coke

I discovered something recently and I feel really silly. I used to think that the Cuba Libre cocktail was just a Rum and Coke with a fancier name. They even have the same Wikipedia entry. Well, not quite. There is a difference: the Cuba Libre has to have lime in it, from what I understand either a slice or a bit of its juice. So a Rum and Coke is not a full on Cuba Libre, in fact it is the Coba Libre's poorer brother. I feel like such a Philistine. I seldom order cocktails, last time I ordered a Rum and Coke was in 2018. Probably because there was no beer I liked at the pub. So anyway, next time I will make sure I order the right thing and say a Cuba Libre.

Shirley Temple

No, no, I'm not talking about the actress. I mean the drink. Last Sunday, we took a family walk just for fun and stopped at one of the local hotels, where we had some drinks. Again, just for fun. They had a few cocktails and mocktails, Wolfie wanted a mocktail to be fancy and it struck me... They didn't offer any Shirley Temple. Whatever happened to this classic kids' cocktail? My brothers and I loved it when we were children, mostly because we thought the grenadine was cool and exotic. And we felt so posh drinking it. Not grownups, but like fancy. Maybe glamorous would be the right word. I think Wolfie would like it, but sadly there was no Shirley Temple on the menu. I wonder when was the last time I saw Shirley Temple available, on any drink menu. I will keep my eyes out for it.

Free cocktails to take away

This weekend, we went for a quick stop (that ended up being not so quick, but I digress) before dinner. It was in the pub where I used to go about 15 years ago, back when we were renting. It used to be a run-down pub full of old people, but it was the nearest pub from the flat and I came to like the variety of drinks there. I think the last time I went there must have been ten years, if not more. Well, since then it got new owners and it has been completely revamped and gentrified. It also has a Chinese take away/restaurant attached to it, but that is the topic of another post. Let's just say for now that it was one of the reasons why we stopped there.

The advantage true advantage of this pub it that the guy in charge of cocktails and one of managers is also the father of one of Wolfie's friends. We actually sometimes get the girl to and back from school with us. So when we were waiting for our Chinese meal to be ready, my wife was pondering if she should take a cocktail, but she was driving. So I suggested we asked if wecould buy a cocktail and take it away. Daddy manager and cocktail maker said not only it was possible, but he would give it to us for free. A Christmas martini (don't ask) worth I believe £10.50. It was served in a plastic pint, not full but almost, with all the forth and everything, covered with a big sandwich bag. By some miracles, we got it home intact and not a drop of it was lost on the way home. It took my wife three evenings to drink it all. Moral of the story, it's great to be connected.

James Bond and his martini

I was reminded thanks to the official Facebook page of Ian Fleming that today is his birthday. It was also, back in April, the 70th anniversary of the publication of of Casino Royal. The first adventure of James Bond. To celebrate, I share a picture from the FB page, which includes a quote from the novel, giving you the recipe for Bond's classic martini.

Ghastly Cosmopolitan

My wife ordered some food online a few weeks ago, can't remember which company it was right now, but anyway she got freebies with it. The freebies were two pre-made cocktails in some kind of pocket plastic bag, enough to fill a glass. One of them was a cosmopolitan. My wife is not a big drinker, in fact in general she does not enjoy alcohol beyond a sip or two, so the cocktails remained in the fridge for about two months, until I suggested that I'd prepare one for her. So I mixed it in a latte glass and gave it to her. She had one sip and didn't like it one bit. I was asked to finish it. So far, nothing out of the ordinary: I'm used to it, this is generally what happens, whether she likes the drink or not. But I had a sip and... Well, it tasted ghastly. Seriously, it tastes like mouthwash. I am not the biggest cocktail drinker, but this was absolutely vile. I wonder if it's because it was a cheapo version of a cosmo, or if the cocktail really tastes that repulsive. I tend to think it's the latter.

Buck's Fizz with a twist

This may be my last Christmas post until next year (and I may add: at the end of 2022). So anyway, you may know about Buck's Fizz, the Briths cocktail made of orange juice and champagne, or fizzy wine. Two parts champagne, one part orange juice. My wife is quite fond of it, especially during the Christmas holidays. Well, M&S made one for the Season, with clementine and cranberry instead of orange juice. It is much, much sweeter, so much so that you don't really taste the alcohol. I find it quite treacherous and not that great, but it does have a festive colour. It has been my wife's poison during the whole Christmas holidays. But, as she is not a big drinker (a few sips and she is done), I had to finish her cups. I can't say I was very enthusiastic. It is truly too sweet.

Fedora, the cocktail

Well, I knew about the hat, which I have been wanting to buy for a while, but I have learned recently that the fedora is also a cocktail. Never mind how I know for now. I checked on Google and the recipes seem to vary a fair bit: some have whiskey, some have Bourbon, etc. I guess the cocktail itself is a tad obscure, or maybe I am wrong. I don't know how the original, "proper" fedora should be made of, but in this blog post it gives you a recipe dating back from 1888. Have you drank a fedora, in one form or another? Not that I am really into cocktails (I prefer beer and I drink my spirits straight), but I am curious about this one.

Black Velvet

So it is Saint Paddy's Day very soon, so I bought some Guinness for the 17th. But in the meantime, I thought I would try something new, at least new to me, and see if I liked it. I don't know if you have ever heard of the Black Velvet. It is a cocktail made of campagne (or another fizzy wine) and Guinness. A very improbable mix, come to think of it. But I have been curious about ot since I have known of its existence, so I bought some Prosecco and yesterday mixed it with a Guinness. I am not sure if I had the right proportions, so I did a 50/50 ratio. It does taste unusual, like a sparkling Guinness, if that makes sense. But it does taste nice. That said, for Saint Paddy's, I will stick to the iconic stout.

Blueberry Martini

I learned on their facebook page that one of our local pubs makes a blueberry martini. I knew there were lots of variations on the classic martini, I even drank one of its variants, but I didn't know there was a blueberry martini. I have no intention to go in a pub any time soon, but one day I hope to try it. I suspect it will be too sweet for me, but the blueberry being the emblematic berry of the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean where I am from, I feel like it is my duty to give it a go. At least it'll have antioxidants. I guess I could try to make one myself, as I found a few recipes online.

"Social traître" (cocktail)

Mon frère Andrew a inventé un cocktail, qu'il a appelé "social traître", allez savoir pourquoi. Il l'a fait pour le lundi, ce qui ne serait pas dans mes habitudes (je ne bois pas les soirs de semaines). À caue de cela, je voulais bloguer la recette lundi, mais finalement je n'ai pas eu le temps. La voici:

"Cocktail bourgeois du lundredi:
1 once (ou deux) de vodka
1 cuillère à soupe de crème de cassis
Le jus d'un quartier de lime
3-4 glaçons
1/2 canne de soda
J'appelle ça un social traître."

Je ne sais pas si j'aimerais ça, mais je suis curieux d'essayer. Dans tous les cas, la recette et le nom, ainsi que l'allusion au "lundredi", tout cela mérite d'homologuer la citation plus haut en nouvelle grande réplique inconnue.

Buck's Fizz VS Mimosa

Today, out of pure chance, I finally learned the difference between two cocktails that seem exactly similar: the Buck's Fizz, a British classic I discovered here in England, and the Mimosa, which I knew from before, but never quite got into. Both are made of champagne and orange juice. The only difference is the quantity: the Mimosa has half parts of each beverage, while the Busk's Fizz is two parts champagne and one part orange juice. No wonder I always preferred Buck's Fizz. Mystery solved.

"Dry January"

Many of you probably know the concept of Dry January, a campaign that exists here in the UK and elsewhere, sometimes under different names, encouraging people to avoid alcohol for the whole month of January. I am not very fond of these kinds of campaigns, I don't like being preached to and see no point of being a teetotaler if you are not an alcoholic and enjoy alcohol in moderation. In other words, drink responsibly, or else quit drinking altogether. So I was quite amused when I saw very amused when I saw this picture on social media. A friend of mine shared it. I don't know where this pub is, but they got it right, and it's the kind of Dry January I can enjoy.

Gin Cocktail Tasting Evening

Nice piece of news from the International Anthony Burgess Foundation: in association with Tanqueray, they are organising a night of gin-based cocktail drinking. You can read the details here. My favourite writer was not only an avid gin drinker, he also created his own cocktails. All three cocktails in the event are based on Burgess' recipes. Sounds like a lot of fun. I have never been much of a gin drinker, except for the odd gin and tonic provided by my former housemate back when I lived in Liverpool. Experiencing a night of consuming spirits would be a nice call back if nothing else, and of course literature will be involved, as well apparently as information about the history of gin. It will be on the first of March, not so far off then, but I just can't go to Manchester with my family life. And I can't really drag my wife and Wolfie there. It's all right, I'll live and my liver will be grateful, although I do have a pang of regret as this is the kind of special event I'd love to experience.

Cuba Libre!

Yesterday, we went into a pub that was more like a club/bar, so it had little to know interesting beers, only lagers. After quickly drinking half a pint of some tasteless Spanish beer, it struck me that I might as well have a proper cocktail, something that would be suitable for a hot summer day. So I went for a Cuba Libre. I know it as a Rum and Coke, but I prefer its more exotic and evocative name. I cannot remember the last time I had one, if I ever did have one. It was not even listed among the choice of cocktails in the bar menu, so the barman gave me a price on the spot (five pounds, the others were all between seven and eight). I only asked for one shot of rum, but I think he poured a bit more. What to think of this Rum and Coke? It tasted like a diluted, boozed up Coca Cola. The taste is all right, nothing outstanding, but it is very refreshing. this one was anyway. I might add it to my list of summer drinks.

Time for cocktails?

I had this cocktail, a Porn Star Martini, at York. I cannot remember the name of the pub, but it was a hip, trendy pub, which explains why they were serving such abomination and not proper, good, honest English beers. It goes with a shot of Champagne or Prosecco (in this occasion the latter), which I can enjoy by itself, although with this it is downright bizarre. That said, since it is summertime now, it is the season of cocktails. Seriously, I cannot imagine drinking a cocktail any other time of year. It has to be on a hot summer day. It just has the right colour and taste for the season, although when it's hot the alcohol goes straight to your head and then the taste must mess up your stomach. I have yet to find a cocktail I enjoy, if you have any suggestions, tell me.

A Martini with a twist

I had this drink in one of the pubs of York, which one exactly I cannot remember. It came free with the meal. You can maybe recognize that it is a sort of Martini, although it does not really have the colour of one. In fact, its tropical and summery colours makes it look far more sickening than a traditional Martini would. It is a Porn Star Martini and it tastes as tacky as it looks as it sounds. And it comes with a shot of... Champagne or Prosecco (there it was Prosecco), in case it was not decadent enough. When I was a younger man, I tried to discover cocktails and in the end decided it was not really my thing. When I tried this one, it just confirmed my thought. But it looks very summery, so I thought I'd upload the picture here and bring you a bit of... A bit of tropical sickening cocktail in your day?

Rum and Coca Cola

I found this song four years ago on YouTube, out of total chance, because I had listened to Underneath the Mango Tree. I was looking for summery songs to listen to, I wonder why I did not upload it then. But it feels and looks like summer now, so I have decided to upload it. Of course I have heard of Rum and Coke, or Cuba Libre as it appears to be properly called, before, but I don't think I ever tried that cocktail. Last time I remember having rum was in a cheese fondue, in lieu of kirsch, which I could not find. I rarely have cocktails and spirits anyway, I find them too treacherous. But I love to listen to Rum and Coca Cola on a hot summer day. I often listen to it drinking a Coca Cola, without the rum. I don't even know why I love it. The most famous interpretation is by the Andrews Sisters it seems, so it is this one I uploaded here.

Ne plus avoir vingt ans

Hier, ma femme et moi sommes allés à la fête d'une amie et ancienne collègue à elle. Elle fêtait ses trente ans dans un restaurant/club japonais jeune et funky qui m'a vite tapé sur les nerfs, parce qu'il essayait trop d'être cool, jeune et funky. En fait, elle les aura dans une semaine, mais on la fêtait maintenant. Ca m'a rappelé quand j'ai moi même frappé la trentaine. C'était à Liverpool, j'avais presque senti la trentaine plonger sur moi durant la soirée, quand minuit a sonné. J'étais jeune, je ne l'étais plus tout à fait.

Hier, je me suis à nouveau rendu compte que je n'ai plus vingt ans: je ne peux pas boire autant que je le savais, surtout pas les cocktails (en passant c'est étonnant l'inventivité des restaurants pour inventer des cocktails inédits, surtout des variations inutiles sur des classiques), je n'endure pas la musique trop forte, je n'aime pas manger dans un restaurant qui a des allures de discothèques et je trouve que s'habiller pour sortir en ville est inconfortable, surtout quand il fait froid dehors.

On dit "ne plus avoir vingt ans" et cela veut dire avoir de l'âge. C'est une expression teintée de regrets et de nostalgie. Pourtant, je n'ai pas vraiment la nostalgie de cet aspect-là de mes vingt ans. La vie était plus simple (pas nécessairement plus tranquille), j'y avais moins de responsabilités et de soucis, mais étant d'esprit casanier, je ne m'ennuie pas des longues nuits qui se terminaient aux petites heures du matin. Je suis pourtant un oiseau de nuit. Seulement, si j'aime demeurer réveillé la nuit, je n'aime plus trop sortir tard le soir.