Fun with Christmas cocktails
Friday November 30, 2007
Categories: Culture
If it's the Christmas season, it's time to drink Manhattans and Rob Roys. So say I. This year, I'm going to try something new: the Metropolitan, which is pretty much a Manhattan made with brandy instead of whiskey. But mostly...
Filed Under: Christmas cocktails
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About Crunchy Con
Rod Dreher is an editorial columnist for the Dallas Morning News, and author of "Crunchy Cons" (Crown Forum), a nonfiction book about conservatives, most of them religious, whose faith and political convictions sometimes put them at odds with mainstream conservatives. The views expressed in this blog are his own.
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Ya mean it's no longer a SIN to drink alcohol? Wait'll I tell my (VERY conservative) former Pastor!
;{O)
As a fellow Manhattan man, what's your bourbon of choice? Maker's Mark? Booker's? Knob Creek?
The Nativity Fast is a bit tough to get used to, isn't it? Particularly with Thanksgiving coming so soon after it starts--personally, I'd be fine with the Old Calendar; it would solve that problem.
Richard
I prefer Knob Creek -- NOT a Poulos fave -- but usually stock Maker's, which is more reasonably priced. But I have fallen on hard times re: bourbon. A few years ago, I noticed that drinking whiskey -- either scotch or bourbon -- gave me a serious headache. I'm not talking drinking lots of whiskey; as little as one drink would do it. Clear spirits (vodka, gin) don't have that effect on me. I can't bear to go through the holiday season without a Rob Roy or a Manhattan by the fireside, so I pop a prophylactic four Advils before I take the first sip. That usually takes the edge off, though heaven knows what it all does to me liver.
You have my sympathies, Rod; alcohol's one of my migraine triggers (as I used to say in college, all the joys of the hangover with none of the fun of drinking to excess). Do be careful with the Advil, though; the manufacturer warns that drinking alcohol while taking Advil increases the risk of stomach bleeding, as does taking more than 800 milligrams per dose.
Four Advils? Wow.
All I can say is, I'm glad my wife doesn't have that problem. Maker's Mark Manhattans (to say nothing of Bombay Sapphire martinis and various varieties of single-malt scotch) were among my primary wooing tools during our courtship, lacking looks, charm, and wealth as I do.
Richard
Good red wine - and plenty of it - is my holiday beverage of choice. Eggnog can be festive, too, but only in moderation...
Ex-Pentecostal, you might remind your former pastor that Our Lord, himself, turned water into wine....:)
Oh I've certainly done that. My ex-pastor also had a pretty disdainful reply when I dared to inquire as to why going to see a play by Shakespeare in a legitimate theatre was likewise a sin (as opposed to the 'real' sin of going to the movies - to see a filmed version of one of Shakespeare's plays, natch).
I hear they've also changed their minds about divorce and re-marriage, but are still hung up on dancing.
Does that make him 'crunchy' or crisp? Just wonderin' ;{O)
Rod - May I join my voice to the cautionary chorus about mixing ibuprofen with alcohol. Mixing these together could be quite dangerous to your digestive tract. The drinks can't be worth it. A holiday season in the ER due to internal bleeding will not give your kids a happy memory. You aren't 25 anymore, pal.
Good to have you back Rod!
I can't remember if I gave you my Manhattan recipe, but here it is anyways:
1. Four parts Bulleit whisky to one part sweet vermouth plus two dashes of orange bitters (Fee Brothers is my favorite). Shake vigourously for about a minute and serve straight up.
2. Here's the important part: DO NOT USE store-bought maraschino cherries. When combined with ibuprofen and alcohol you will simply die. Your stomach will congeal, forever preserved but not very useful to digestion.
Instead take one can of dark bing cherries from Oregon (like these: http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Fruit-Pitted-Cherries-15-Ounce/dp/B000I612BM - let me know if you want me to mail you a can), pour out the syrup, and cover with brandy. Drop one of these in your Manhattan, put on Sufjan Steven's Christmas album (or Nat King Cole if you're feeling like an old soul) and let the therapy begin.
If it makes you feel any better, Rod, the Lady of Scurvy Oaks is with child -- thanks be to God! -- so I have been a teetotaller for some time now out of solidarity. Nine months will be a real fast!
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