Trying a new cocktail tonight. It's holiday week; don't judge me.

[Aristus]

Enjoying a Montana. Brandy, ruby port, and dry vermouth. No shaking necessary; pour over ice into an Old Fashioned glass, and stir.

It’s okay. Probably won’t have one again. But it’s a check mark in my bar book with 1,100 cocktail recipes. Getting closer…

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas…

See you all right here tomorrow night.

[texasfiddler]

1. I would never judge you about your drink of choice. You are OK with people asking you anything.

LOL

[Aristus]

2. Hello.

I don’t remember us meeting before.

I was born and raised in San Antonio, but have lived my entire adult life in the Pacific Northwest.

[texasfiddler]

3. I have asked you a couple of friday night questions. I don't post often. I live about an hour south of San Antonio.

Funny, I plan to move to Oregon in a few years. I have an uncle in Corvallis (retired Oregon State University Professor) who got me interested in the area.

[leftieNanner]

4. Maybe consider Tacoma Washington as well

Not as hot and smoky in the summer.

[Aristus]

6. Definitely!

I love my Two-Five-Three! The town too tough to die.

[leftieNanner]

7. We're fairly new to 253

But we love it here. I can see the Sound and Mt Rainier every morning when I walk my dog. Beautiful!

[Aristus]

8. I'm so glad you like it here.

My supervising physician called me a while back (he was a new arrival from western New York State), and happened to mention that “the mountain is out”. I told him: “Hey! You’re picking up the local lingo!”

[calimary]

44. We see Mount Hood when we're out driving.

Our view at home angles “between the mountains”, but gee whiz, all those gorgeous TREES!!! Really does my heart good every time I look around!

[Aristus]

5. I apologize.

It’s possible I was a little tiddly at the time…

I strongly endorse emigration to the Northwest. It’s beautiful here. And very blue. Provided you stay west of the Cascade Mountains.

[True Dough]

9. Don't take it personally

One cannot consume as many drinks as Aristus and not have a fuzzy memory from time to time. And a fuzzy navel!

[Aristus]

11. Nope. No fuzzy navel.

When I take a shower, it’s thorough…

[Trueblue Texan]

36. I was born and raised in Galveston County; I have a daughter in the Pacific Northwest....

...who will never move back, and who the f could blame her? I would move there with her, but I need the warmth of the beaches in Texas. Maybe when I'm too old to go to the beach, I will consider living in Port Angeles or Seattle.

[Aristus]

37. Our beaches aren't necessarily warm. But they are lovely and enchanting.

It's not uncommon for Northwesterners to get bundled up against the cold, and go walking along the beach in wintertime.

If you do move up here, I would recommend Seattle over Port Angeles. Port Angeles is a quick ferry ride from Canada, and is home to one of the best bars and bartenders on the West Coast. But for everything else, Seattle is your best bet.

[Trueblue Texan]

40. I've been to those COLD-ASSED BEACHES!

Second Beach...Jesus CHRIST! Cold as F!!!! in AUGUST! Yes, they are lovely, but I just cannot abide!

Alki(sp?) cold, but not as miserable as Second. Still. Nothing like the Gulf waters. I'll have to be old enough where I don't even consider going to beaches. Having been raised on Galveston Bay, I seem to actually need these warm waters and the soft, most velvety sand I've ever walked on...it's a good 2 hour drive from my current location, but I need to be able to put my feet in the warm sand of a Gulf beach. Never found a tropical beach anywhere that would sub for it.

Today I had a powerful craving for oysters--hubby found some small ones--my faves--at HEB. I fried them up and was satisfied. (Jesus! $24/pound!) I haven't had them fried at home for several years. Oysters from the Pacific NW are enormous...not like the precious tiny ones from the Gulf. So many things from PNW I long for. So many things from home I need. Coming from generations of commercial fishermen probably ruined me for other locations.

[efhmc]

53. This Texan agrees. After my husband was killed in an auto accident. One of the things I wanted most was to go the

coast. I needed that.

[efhmc]

54. When my daughter moved from Texas to the Bay area, I stuck my toes in that water and ran away.

Pretty but nothing I would ever want to put my body in. Makes me shake just thinking about it.

[True Dough]

10. Your OP prompts my question:

Of the 1,100 cocktail recipes in your bar book, how many have you sampled so far?

[Aristus]

12. Maybe a couple hundred.

A lot of them call for components I don’t keep on hand.

Saki, grapefruit juice, Campari, absinthe-substitutes, etc.

I don’t expect I’ll try them all. But I’ll come close.

[Trueblue Texan]

19. Screw Saki, but Compari, is worth it.nt

[Trueblue Texan]

20. what recipe do you have that needs absinthe? I've got a bottle I've had for years...

...still unsealed. I'd love to experience it.

[Aristus]

25. Oh, shoot. My bar book is downstairs, and I don't feel like going down to get it right now.

But since they don't sell absinthe in the States, the book does recommend a number of possible substitutes. I don't have any of those, either.

[Trueblue Texan]

28. When you get down there...

..I totally understand. I wouldn't do stairs right now, either!

[Aristus]

32. I'm in my library, dressed in my bathrobe, and surrounded by my bookshelves. My favorite place in the Universe.

My only regret is that I didn't bring a snifter of brandy up with me...

Anyway, I'm pretty much immobile at the moment.

[Trueblue Texan]

34. LOL! I feel ya!

[surfered]

13. And New Years Eve is coming. ...Cheers! 🍷

[Aristus]

14. And to you!

[Trueblue Texan]

30. Hell, maybe we won't even remember the next four years, and the misery will teach the dumb

fucks without our help. We can hope. I've got another bottle of sparking cooling in the fridge.

[Aristus]

35. My 2016 bottle of Hillary For President champagne stayed in my fridge for four years.

Until I finally had a chance to pop the cork in November, 2020. Such joy back then; believing that TFG was gone for good.

Oh shit; I can feel the need for numbness coming on...

[calimary]

45. I know how you feel, Aristus. I thought the same thing.

Dammit. It’s hard to believe we’re gonna have that bastard back for four more years.

I keep hearing the various talking heads saying he’ll just do these next four years. I don’t believe them. I fear he’s gonna make a run for PERMANENT “kingship” of some sort. I can’t help suspecting that he’ll be busy trying to weasel his way into lifetime rulership. He won’t go quietly.

[Aristus]

48. He can't live forever.

And he’s too narcissistic to think of setting up a succession. Not that anyone else bearing the Trump name could be a viable successor. No one else has the weird, creepy, corrosive, unhinged charisma he seems to have. His death grip on the simple-minded losers of the world.

If Trump dies in office, JD Vance will finish out the term, and then disappear into America’s political memory hole.

[efhmc]

55. Sadly, his evil will go on for a very long time.

[highplainsdem]

15. I would never judge you. I had three slices of cheesecake (three different flavors) after dinner yesterday.

Doing penance with a large salad for a late dinner tonight (thought TBH I like salad).

[Aristus]

16. That's what holidays are for. Sounds delicious!

[highplainsdem]

17. It was. Cranberry swirl, pecan pie and tuxedo cheesecake.

[calimary]

46. Yum!

All the best treats come visiting for the holidays!

[Trueblue Texan]

31. To hell with penance! Have another slice! nt

[Trueblue Texan]

18. Can you take a pic of the recipe?

My go to, is Paul Masson Peach brandy poured over frozen orange slices, cranberries, and limes, followed by cheap Cook's sparkling wine. It's pretty decent out on the patio with jazz playing. Also Roy Buchanan, who defies genre.Get the music right, the quality of the booze follows, no matter how little it cost.

[LudwigPastorius]

21. Yikes!

I'll have to say, though, that sounds better than a "Hannah Montana"...which is brandy, ruby port, vermouth, and Kool-Aid.

[Trueblue Texan]

27. Oh, Jezzzusss! for certain!nt

[notKeith]

22. My go-to winter drink is a B-52

I know, named after the bomber - irrespective, I like the band.
B-52 is a layered drink:
• Kahlua on the bottom
• Next layer is Baileys
• Top layer is Grand Marnier

Pour the Kahlua in first, then CAREFULLY drizzle the Baileys over that layer with an inverted spoon. This layer goes fairly easily. Then pour the Grand Marnier over the Baileys. This layer is the hardest, as the specific gravity of Baileys and Grand Marnier are fairly close (1.05 vs 1.03).
Give this a try - it's excellent when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose.

[Trueblue Texan]

24. That looks EXTREMELY naughty!

Like an eggnog sort of decadence! I can't wait!

I think I've got everything I need...but I have to wait until tomorrow night...too much indulgence on this night.

[Aristus]

26. I love the B-52!

I've only had it a couple of times. All of the ingredients are standards in my bar.

It takes a steady hand to prepare it properly.

[LudwigPastorius]

38. I like a variation of that called the "After 8".

Kahlua, creme de menthe, and Bailey's

[calimary]

47. Art in a glass!

Drinkable art!

Demands a steady hand, though.

[Trueblue Texan]

23. I'm making 2 loaves of sourdough tomorrow.

Feeding the starters now...The entire next week(s) will be packed with getting rid of excess crap and discovering new ways to numb. Open to suggestions, folks!

[Aristus]

29. My go-to when numbness is called for is just straight vodka.

Vodka plus empty stomach equals numbness.

Boy, oh boy, do I love sourdough bread! Another staple in my pantry that I do not allow to run out. Any recipe that calls for bread can support a sourdough substitution.

[Trueblue Texan]

33. I'll send you a starter when you're ready...nt

[splat]

39. I actually have those ingredients

I'm sorry you don't recommend them together. I'm not experienced with combinations, and would love to find something I like besides a Manhattan.

[wendyb-NC]

41. You're fine, Aristus

You have a fascinating repertoire of cocktails. They sound quite interesting and unusual. Where do your recipes come from. Do you have a Bartender's Guide, or google interesting cocktails? I'm just curious.

[Aristus]

49. The Ultimate Bar Book, by Mittie Hillmich.

Bought it around five years ago. When the lockdowns started, I still had to go to work, but not being able to go anywhere for leisure activities pretty much meant staying home and trying new cocktail recipes.

[wendyb-NC]

50. Thank you

[woodsprite]

42. I received 3 bottles to add to our cabinet as gifts yesterday

Gifford Pamplemousse, a bottle of Stoli unflavored vodka, and a bottle of Vanilla Vodka.

Been checking out recipes. Hubby knows I love Paloma’s and Grapefruit Crush drinks so that’s how he came up with the idea for Pamplemousse. I had seen a Key Lime Pie drink that used the vanilla vodka, but I’ll have to go out and get a few other ingredients before I can try that one.

[Squeaky41]

43. Am a bit sad

Current anti-ulcer med forbids alcohol. Protomix generic.

[Groundhawg]

51. I'm just a fan of quality rye whiskey.

[Aristus]

52. I'll use rye occasionally as a mixer.

But I can’t drink it neat. It’s too harsh.