Per the lolz of @needscoffee (the founder of the parent thread) and the request of @BippityBoppityBoo, here’s the What’s for Dinner Tonight companion thread!
To all our honored drinkers, booze enthusiasts, wine snobs, and people who just like to get your drink on, here’s why you ca regale us all with this evenings fine beverages. Or less than fine, or just plain weird.
I drink in moderation, but tonight absolutely calls for something to drink, for reasons both fair and foul. I have recently been enjoying the higher ABV hard ciders by Schilling.
So I have a few of these chilling in the fridge tonight, which I’ll be having with a lovely Toad-in-the-Hole made with Fat Tire infused beer brats!
At 8.4% ABV, I think I’ll be able to relax and kick back!
All true about me too. I love hard ciders but haven’t done the higher ABV ones. My doctors have me moderating down to about one or two drinks a month so I use that on the tippity-top best locally brewed craft ciders, an occasional summertime dark rum or botanical gin mixed drink or celebration champagne toasts.
And thanks for getting it rolling. Betcha it’s gonna be fun.
Pinging @LSLGuy, he should have been in the first group invited.
I post because I have been summoned! We had our annual St. Patrick’s dinner at my church tonight. My church is (duh! ) St. Patrick’s Episcopal. I had two Harps beers. No Guiness because I am not a fan of stouts.
My two main go to cocktails are gin and tonic with a twist of lime (to ward off scurvy and malaria) and a very cold dry martini. Sometimes I go nuts and make a dirty martini. I like gin. I would have done well in eighteenth century England.
I’m cutting back on my beloved IPAs until I drop 5 - 10 lbs. In the meantime, my doc has recommended tonic water for muscle cramping relief*. While I know that the nearly homeopathic amount of quinine in it isn’t likely to do any good, I’ve been enjoying mixing sugar-free tonic water with a little sparking water and a squeeze of lemon juice. It hits the same taste buds as a bitter IPA or mixed drink.
*Doctor: Try tonic water for your muscle cramps.
Me: But I already know that the amount of quinine in it is microscopic.
Doctor: But placebos are goid!
Me: But I already know it’s a placebo!
If your system can tolerate a few carbs as an occasional treat, try Fever Tree Light tonic water. 30 cals a bottle instead of 70 and oh so tasty and crisp.
I missed supper tonight so just finished off a board of cheese, crackers, and pâté, accompanied by a couple of cups of Pelee Cabernet Shiraz.
Pelee is a winery in southern Ontario, on Pelee Point. Pelee Island, south of Pelee Point in Lake Ontario, is the southernmost point in Canada, on latitude with northern California.
Years ago, my cousin Neil was playing Trivial Pursuit with some buddies, and they got the question, “what is the southernmost point in Canada?” None of them got it, even though they were in the Ontario Peninsula.
So Neil said, “Next summer, we should have a picnic on Pelee Island.” And so they did, and played a game of Trivial Pursuit on the southern beach of the southern-most point in Canada.
I’m insulted at being left out, as I consider myself this board’s reigning champion alcoholic consumer of fine beverages, and a wine snob to boot.
However, I don’t think it’s necessary for me to hang out here as I can simply have a standing post reading as follows:
Had a Caesar. Found it tasty, so had another. Found it filling so switched to Caesars without Caesar mix, aka vodka martinis. Had dinner, likely with an Ontario VQA Cabernet Franc. Had Havana Club Cuban rum. Found it tasty, so had another or three. Passed out.
Now that warmer weather is upon us, the above can occasionally be modified to add: “Sat out on the front porch with a glass of Havana Club and a Montecristo Cuban cigar. Went back in the house and had another Havana Club or three.”
For the curious, I will add that in matters of all things vodka, my preferred choice is Absolut, from Sweden. I do believe there are subtle differences between vodkas, and certainly quality differences, but I don’t subscribe to the notion that “premium” vodkas like Grey Goose are remotely worth the price.
At my recent well-baby visit my PCP admonished me that a man my age should average no more than 1-ish per day, and on any given day no more than two. I nodded politely.
Next day I met a guy pal at 3:30pm for happy hour at a Mexican joint. One Cabernet Sauvignon to start, trying to be good to preserve capacity for the next planned event. Oops, once the margaritas were on sale I had two.
Then it was home to change clothes, then head back out to meet GF for nice dinner. Due to the vagaries of traffic (we’re coming from sorta opposite directions and meeting in the middle) I got there about 15 minutes before she, so enjoyed a Sapphire martini while waiting. A Sancerre matched the appetizer, but a Barolo was a much better fit for the entrée. After much yakking and whatnot we repaired to the bar and I had a nice Angel’s Envy on a big rock. And decaf espresso.
All told, seven drinks from 3:30 to midnight:30, so 9 hours. I don’t do that daily, but either the dinner or the happy hour usually goes like that. It’s rare to do both in one day. Probably a good thing.
It’s time for me to hit the liquor store this afternoon and pick up some more Boulevard Irish Ale before it goes away after St. Pat’s, and also some rye and sweet vermouth since I’ve been craving Manhattans lately.
Kaptchuk says placebos won’t work for every medical situation—for example, they can’t lower cholesterol or cure cancer. But they can work for conditions that are defined by “self-observation” symptoms like pain, nausea, or fatigue.
Unfortunately, in my case the etiology doesn’t fall into the 2nd category.
So the cold weather is rolling back in to remind Coloradans that it isn’t Spring yet, despite several days of very Spring (nay, even early summer, given climate changes) highs. And I’ve been stressed for the last few weeks. So, time to treat myself to something hot and alcoholic!
Sadly, I’m out of moderately priced spiced gold rums at the moment (plenty of good dark stuff, and enough silver rums, and some reserved spice, but not going to mix THOSE with this drink) so I’ll just have to use some scrumptious applejack!
(okay, these days it’s an apple brandy blended with neutral spirits, not a true applejack, but at least it’s a booze from a non-red state which makes me feel slightly better!)
That was delicious, but after I looked up the applejack, the apples are grown in Virginia which is also the location of the Distillery. I mean, it’s not as bad as a deep south beverage, but I can’t claim much socio-political high ground in my beverage tonight.
I drink almost nothin but water and lots of tea these days, but today was a real doozy at work so I’m finishing off the very last pour out of a 1987 L’Encantada Armagnac. Cask 14 from Domaine Del Cassou. Prices on these L’Encantada bottling seem to have shot through the roof, so I am guessing this is my last bottle. Not a real heartbreaker though and I figure this is maybe only the second or third time I’ve had a drink at home since Christmas. Not into it as much these days.
Tonight I am finding that an Ecliptic Orange Giant Barley Wine ale is just the thing to wash down a couple of honey ham and Muenster with banana catsup wraps.
