Author: Craig

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Back to the Journal

I suppose this is as a good place as any – I don’t want to send my truths to be displayed via an algorithm. Even if it brings engagement, can that computer curated engagement be sustained? What is the driver?

Or, more excuses to explain my loneliness with anything other than lack of personal effort? If I need to try harder, why am I so damned tired of trying?

Feels more appropriate than LJ at this point. Maybe I’ll tell others, maybe I’ll lock down private stuff. Right now I just need to write. I can’t keep trying to cram everything into my conscious mind.

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Quick peek

Martin, an old friend from San Francisco, visited this past weekend and we did a wild tour of Porland area Bars and Restaurants while he was here.

Here’s a peek at the carboys that Clear Creek Distillery uses

Carboys at Clear Creek

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Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

I’m clearing out a private/public space. This space, now renamed “Polyamnesia,” is private, for my friends – a replacement for the LJ account I axed. I’m going to get all the past LJ posts retro-actively stuck in here for fun.

Publicly, I’ve take Tiki Drinks & Indigo Firmaments to another URL. This will be my *gasp* actual blog. I’m using the term now, somebody shoot me. And when I say shoot me, I mean “serve me a shot of Rye.”

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Xmas Drink #1: The Snowball

The Snowball is a highball of Advocaat and lemon-lime soda, sometimes with a splash of lemon and/or lime juice.

Snowball

1½ oz. Advocaat
3 oz. Lemon-Lime soda
Splash Lemon and/or Lime juice

Add cubed ice to a highball or double rocks glass. Add Advocaat, citrus, and top with lemon-lime soda. Stir carefully to mix. Garnish with lemon wheel.

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I need to get some Advocaat, which is made from egg yolks, brandy, and vanilla. Heather used to call it “egg nog liqueur,” which isn’t that far from the truth. I’m guessing it will be a dandy base for any number of creamy Christmas bevvies. I’m guessing Ginger snaps, Egg Nog variations, nutty drinks, &c. There is a Mexican cousin of Advocaat that goes by the name of Rompope.

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Making Spirits Bright

Last year for Christmas, I made a new drink named “The Pomander,” whose scents I associate with Yuletide. This year, Blair and I decided to construct a selection of Christmas cocktails to provide to our thirsty friends.

To this aim, I’ve plan to:

  • Brainstorm flavours and scents reminiscent of Yule, Christmas, Winter &c.
  • Collect and document Seasonal cocktails for testing and analysis
  • Stick it all here in TD&IF.

So while it may be quite early for Xmas, I’m starting early so we can have some amazing tipples to tease your taste buds.

And don’t worry, Hallowe’en lovers – I’ve drinks in store for you as well. I’ve just published my first one for the Autumn: My version of the Apple Bang!

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My own “Apple Bang!”

I adjusted this Apple Bang! Recipe for the Housewarming party of My friends Noel and Kim Henneman:

Craig’s Apple Bang!

1½ oz Laird’s AppleJack Apple Brandy
1 oz Apple Juice
1 oz Apple Schnapps (NOT Sour Pucker or Green Apple)
¼ oz Mulling Syrup*

Shake well with cracked ice and pour into chilled cocktail glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar.

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* Mulling Syrup:

2 Tbsp Freshly ground Allspice
1 Tbsp Freshly ground Ceylon Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Freshly grated/pulverized Cassia Cinnamon
1 Tsp Freshly grated Nutmeg
½ tsp Powdered Ginger
2 Whole Cloves
¼ Cup 151-proof Rum
1 Cup Water
2 Cups Sugar

Add all spices to Rum in a sealable container (I use mason jars). Shake and leave to extract/steep for at least one day. Prepare a simple syrup and add to spice/151 mixture and let steep for at least one day. Strain twice: Once through wire mesh, once through double layer of cheesecloth to remove particulate.

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Music

I recently finished digitizing all of our CD collection to MP3 format. I have yet to finish pruning, cleaning, and correcting the ID3 tags or the file/folder structure. However at this stage our collection comes in at:

 14,724 tracks : 37 Days of music : 67.62 GiB

And this is almost all directly ripped from CD. I’d say fewer than 5% of the music is from alternate/online sources.

This project helped shine light on holes in our personal collection I wanted to fill, so Sunday H and I purchased a nice handful of music at Music Millennium. How did I survive in this town before visiting MM? Everyday Music is great for used, but the sheer selection at MM (not to mention supporting a local business) no longer has me wanting for Virgin Megastore. I know everything I would want could be available online, but the act of browsing through a deep selection is a visceral endeavour I take quite kindly to.

Here’s the list of our acquisitions:

A few of these are CD masters of LPs that we have on usual rotation on our Hi-Fi in the living room. I love the sound colour of the vinyl on tube amp, but I also love the clear, clean sound of the re-masters for digital use.

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Drinkie Navy Groggie

Lately, I’ve been fixated on the Navy Grog. Namely, Jeff ‘beachbum‘ Berry’s version of Donn’s Navy Grog.

I use the version in the Grog Log and add ½ oz of my ‘lazy’ pimento dram.

Craig’s lazy Pimento dram:

  • ¼ cup good quality allspice berries
  • ¼ cup Lemon Hart 151
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • Metal Strainer and Cheesecloth

Grind allspice berries with either mortar & pestle or as I do with a coffee grinder until you achieve a small crushed size. Steep ground allspice in 151 for at least 1 day. Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add aged allspice/151 mixture. Let this mixture sit for at least 1 day. Strain first through metal sevie strainer to remove large particulate, then through a single layer of cheesecloth to remove the finer particulate.

My Navy Grog is as follows:

  • ¾ oz Grapefruit Juice
  • ¾ oz Lime Juice
  • ¾ oz Honey Syrup
  • ½ oz ‘lazy’ Pimento Dram
  • 1 oz Coruba Dark
  • 1 oz Lemon Hart (not 151) demerara
  • 1 oz Appleton White
  • 1 oz White soda (7-up, sprite, club if you must)

Fill one double rocks glass with small crushed ice. Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass. Start with the honey, then add the citrus to dissolve the honey syrup nicely. Finish with the soda and be gentle to save the carbonation. Pour into double rocks glass and stir to frost the exterior: Ideally you would use a rock-candy swizzle to stir.

Delicious, I assure you.