Midori Avalanche

Happy New Year everyone.
Here we are once again, ready for another exciting year of drinking. Well I guess I haven't been blogging for a year yet but oh well. Today is a hot day. My goodness, I have been out gardening in this 30+ degrees in the full sun. I decided that I need to have a cool drink and found this one. It looks awesome.

30ml Blue Curacao
put in the bottom of the glass
Blend the following with ice and pour over the top
30ml Midori
15ml Triple Sec
60ml Pineapple Juice

Since you don't mix this you get that awesome taste of the Midori with the hints of the other stuff. The Pineapple Juice sweetens it out a bit. It is nice and cold from the Ice, just what I needed from being in the hot sun. The thing is that even though this is most of the drink you eventually get past that to the pure Blue Curacao. With it's lolly sweetness it is almost a contrast to the refreshing taste of the top half. Not saying it's bad but not that freshness taste that you want to finish with on such a warm day.
New Year huh? I always love the proposition of a new year. The idea that errors of the past can be overcome by the change of a day. The idea that for the next 12 month live will take a turn for the better and the new goals will be benifitual for ever. I myself have thought about a change, one of the most classic resolutions that skip accross the minds of many people through out the world. The Idea that this new year will help in the loss of the winter storage, so to speak. I am not a huge man, but I am big. I think those BMIs would say I am bordering on the obese side of over wait.
My biggest problem is I love food. I am a sweet tooth. Plus I like to have a drink. Shocked aren't you?
So will this year provided me the will to cut down on the stuffing and increase on the bodily movements or will it be like any other year.
Only Time will tell. In the mean time, enjoy a drink and I will catch you next time.

Hot Eggnog

The second in my Christmas Holiday Drinks. This is the classic, the one when you suggest a Christmas Drink is at the top off the thought bubble. I am sure there are many different types of Eggnogs out there, some with grog, some without. I have two different types within my few books. This is the one I will share:

15mls Dark Rum
15mls Brandy
7mls Sugar syrup
1 egg
Hot Milk
Blend and top with hot milk.

First off I need to state that I drink soy milk. This isn't because I will implode if a dairy cow walks within ten metres of me. Quite the contrary. Milk chocolate I prefer over dark. But for some reason over 10 years ago me and my then girl friend (now misses) thought "hey lets give this non baby cow breast milk a go". We go hooked and now the taste of normal milk taste weird to me. I love to try, being the operative word, and gross people buy pointing out that milk is breast milk designed for baby bovine. I add a bunch of other argumentative stuff about our bodies aren't meant for this and ingesting cow dna that but no one seems to by it.
So I used soy in my drink. The egg is the one thing that defines this drink, hence the egg part in the word. But it doesn't come forth as a flavour as such but more like a silk blanket encasing the drink itself. It seems to line your mouth with a red carpet to allow the celebrities to pass then rolls itself up again in the end. But it leaves its lasting imprint in your mouth well after the drink is gone.
The other parts are your standard flavours, rum and brandy both have have their flavours, they wave at you from the carpet as the real crowed "milks" it's way pushing them forward. And that is the bulk of the drink. It is the majority of the drink and proves to be the most dominant. But if you like milk then this is all good.
Anyway, This is Christmas Eve night. The children are asleep finally after threatening them with calling Santa not to come visit. A game of cards has been played and as usual I am the victim of the God of Lucks back hand. This particular card game is one of the only things I can not win. No matter, with my luck in rolling d6's (sorry for the non nerd inclined, a normal die) I am happy to let her turn a blind eye to my card's of misfortunes.
To everyone who reads my blog, yes both of you. A very Merry Christmas. Do not drink to much but I won't hold it against you if you do.

Glühwein

The first of my Christmas specials. Glühwein. I had to copy/paste it because I have no idea on how to put the two dots over the U. Glühwein is more commonly knowns as, wait, that's not right. It's German so it should be more commonly known as Glühwein. In any case us in the English speaking world may know this as Mulled Wine.
One Bottle of Red Wine
Cinnamon stick
4 cloves
Two slices of Orange
Two slices of Lemon
2 tbps of Sugar

Heat in a pan without boiling until very hot.

One of the things about Christmas is that the triditions are all created in the northern hemisphere. Like Holloween (I will cover my grip about that if a few months) have a different season to create them. Can you imagine what Santa would look like if he first appeared in the Out Back. I have a Aussie Christmas book that would about sum him up. Sunnies, Tropical shirt, Corked hat, Thongs, sitting in a old ute pulled by Kangaroos.
I saw a Santa today in the shopping centre with the full suit on. Here is the poor fella sweating like a teenage boy in a women's dressing room with a fan blowing his beard backwards. I know Santa comes from the north pole which should rest my case more. What are the Poms like when they get a heat wave of 18 degrees. Good old Santa would think a heat wave is -5!
So too is this drink. It is served warm. It is very nice though. My misses got this case of wine. They aren't to bad but we definately had better. So I used one of them, a Shiraz. Well now I think I could drinking it like water. It is very nice. The smell of the cinnamon gets at you first. Then when you have a taste its the fruit that comes out. The sugar just makes it smooth. I always thought that is was spicy having never had it before but I would say the fruit is the most prominent part of the drink, besides the wine its self.
If your boss gives you a bottle wine for Chirstmas and you want to experiment give some *paste* Glühwein a go.

Rocket Fuel

My tongue is still riving. This is a a doozy. Growing up I heard about this drink, I thought of it as some type of Holy Grail, you know, that thing that seem so unobtainable that it was like a myth. This drink I imagine is quite varied to the different people who try to make it. I guess why I though it as the Grail because I always imagined it as a drink that constantly changes. Forever changing like my Apple Crumble recipe, I always have the same ingredients by the amounts change because I don't measure.
I was suprised to find it in my cocktail book. Easy pesy. Right there in black and white.
15ml Rum
15ml Dry Gin
15ml Vodka
60ml Lemonade
15ml Tequila
Build over Ice

This is a 50/50 mix. I have had a glass and I don't think I should drive anywhere. The Lemonade does help with the ease of getting this potent drink down, but it's like an afterthought. It's like the person at a party that isn't in there cutting a rug but putting the food on the table and cleaning up the used plates. The rest is defiantly the party goers. I think some of them a crashers too. Each of them fighting each other to show themselves off. "Hi there, I'm Tequila. Do ya wanna dance?" "Don't listen to that, I am the one you want to strut with. Call me Gin." "Get out of my way, this one is mine. I Rum, and your coming with me!"
Meanwhile Vodka stares at you with piercing eyes. Almost Daring you to look away. This drink tares at your soul forcing you to keep going because in the end your not going to remember it anyway.

Sitting on the beach drinkin' Rocket Fuel, Oh yeah.
Spent the all night breakin' all the rules, oh yeah.

Pop quiz, what song is this from and why preformed it.

image from forcechange.com

Blue Bayou

Blue Bayou is as it's name points too, is blue. The thing is its that really cool blue like you imagine a tropical island with a fresh water lagoon in the middle. Maybe phosphorescence glittering around making it glow a lovely colour. All you want to do is dive from the rocks need the waterfall and swim forever. Ahh ....... POP! oh there goes that dream bubble.



15ml Galliano
15ml Dry Vermoth
30ml Gin
15ml Blue curacao
Top with Lemonade

Shake over ice and pore.

This tastes really nice too. You have part of what makes a Martini in it plus Galliano for that vanilla goodness. After shaking and you pour it to the glass is has this awesome cloudy blue colour. Then it thins out once you start adding the lemonade. Ofcourse you taste alot of lemonade in this, I guess I could have eased back on it but oh well.

Every time I think of this drink I keep singing the song "Born on a Bayou" which in turn makes me think of the movie Water Boy. My m  m momma said that Alligator are ongry 'cause they have all them teeth and no tooth brush.
Silly movie and a little awesome I will admit. Now the song, I have the sound track to the movie and its the first track on the cd if I remember correctly. You know how you tend to hear the first few tracks of an album more then the later. My theory is that you put it on mainly from the start, pay attention for the first few songs, then either get distracted or have to turn it off for some reason or another. How often do you play a cd from the end to start. Never. Because you would have to program it in and that is a pain to worry about. So the first song must be Born on a Bayou because that is ingrained into my head. The beat and some of the lyrics and such.
The other thing this reminds me of is Blue Lagoon. The movie that made Brook Shields famous. She was something like 14 when she made that. Maybe over exaggerating which I tend to do, like a million times, but I was younger then her when she made this so thinking she looked good does that make it weird?
So, if we mix the song "Born on a Bayou" with "Blue Lagoon" do we get "Blue Bayou"? that is for you to judge.

image vivatravelguides.com

Blow Job

Why is it that they decided to name many shooters rude things? Blow Job, really?
I don't know how comparable this drink is to the action but lets just stick to the drink shall we?

Ok first off, I do not like coffee. I have never liked it and I believe I never will. The fact that this drink is 2/3 Khalua make is a little hard for me to like.

30ml Khalua
15ml Bailey's Irish Cream

Layered.
I love the look, it's like a little glass of Guiness. The Bailey's is always nice and I have had Khalua in lots of things now and the taste of coffee tends to disappear within the other flavours. This though, it is to much for me. Again the coffee isn't strong but it's there and I can stand the taste or smell of that horrid brewed bean.

I remember years ago, it was Christmas then too, there used to be a Santa Claus that would ride the streets of my old home town on the back of the Fire Truck. He would throw lollies out to kids and ring his bell. It was so much fun seeing him coming and you would stand on the curb and wave and try to catch the lollies as he threw them in the yard. Lollipops and eclairs and such would rain down onto the grass and you would frantically try and get them before any of the other kids could. Then hastely you would open the lollies and start sucking on them. Except, when I found one of the eclairs tasted like coffee. Thanks Santa you jerk. I got jipped that year didn't I. I hope he delivers better presents then he does lollies.
No doubt though by the Christmas following I would have forgotten all about that evil lolly when that ding of the bell came around again. What a sucker.
Christmas is nearly here again but unfortunately I will not be seeing any Santa on any rescue vehicles. Gone are the days of strange people in red cossies pelting hapless children with coffee poisoned eclairs from on high moving platforms.Hmmm, maybe, just maybe I could be that crazy man with my hands full of lollies trying to cause fights between sibling.Ok kids, be warned, never except candy from a fat man in a red suit riding the back of a fire truck with a hand full of sugared ammunition for he might be taking vengeance on his own childhood and giving tainted treats. He might be me!

Martini

"Ah, Moneypenny, you look ravishing."

The Classic Martini, made famous by the well know British spy, Austin Powers..... no wait, it was that other bloke. What ever his name is. This drink was traditionally stirred but as we all know it can be shaken. It is very easy to make too.

45ml Gin
20ml Dry Vermouth

So the first way to make it is combine over ice and stir. Strain into a glass and put an olive on a stick in it. Secondly it to do the same but shake, obviously, instead of stir. I had them both ways and there is a different, well my brain was telling me there was a difference. When it was stirred, it seemed less dry then I expected. You could taste the Vermouth more too. When I shook it, the drink seemed lighter but more harsh. The two spirits mixed well and created a dry tasty drink. The jury is still out on which is nicer, but at the moment it might be in favour of stirred.
I know I know, I will never make an international spy now. I might as well hand in my badge and walk mournfully into the sunset. A tumble weed blows by, sad music starts to play.
Ah bugger him, at least I am not being shot at. Besides have you every seen a blond James Bond? oh, you have. I actually like Daniel Craig as Bond. He's bring a total different style to the character then the others.
One of my all time favourite Bond films was Goldeneye. I thought it was awesome. Not only that but the Nintendo 64 game of the same name will live on as one of the best games of history. I watched Goldeneye again recently, wow it is crap. I still think Pierce Brosnan was a great bond, but the story and acting was terrible. Alan Cumming was funny and who couldn't love Xenia Onatopp played by the chick that became Jean Grey. Other then that...... I still own the DVD by the way.
Well, lets all enjoy the famous drink loved by all, or at least one. "Shaken, not stirred!"


image from israelity.com

Chilli Shot

"Feeling low and cold? Haven't found that right drink to make you feel like your alive? Well then try new Chilli Shot! It will warm you heart and lips and mouth and everything it touches. Oh and don't for get the ring of fire the next day."
This is a very easy drink to make. Ready for the list? here it comes:
45ml Vodka
Slice of Chilli
Did you catch that? I just in case you didn't here it is again.
45ml Vodka
Slice of Chilli

Whoow, now this puts hairs on your chest. Or if you don't want hairs on your chest then pour some of this on it. I tried this one twice. The reason being is that it recommended putting the shot into the fridge for 24 hours (48 hours for me). So I tried one just after making then just had the second one a moment ago. I would definitely put it in the fridge. One thing I found was that I didn't get the Chilli Flavour from the fruit. It pulled out the hotness indeed. It actually went down really nice.
See, I like hot stuff. If it wasn't for the kids I think I would have chilli and Tabasco in everything. Oh, imagine what chilli ice cream would be like. mmm, I will note that down. I got some chocolate from the chemist the other day. It was chilli and cinnamon dark chocolate. Being from the chemist it was one of those sugarless things. I think the cinnamon ruined it though. I like cinnamon but not in this.
I tried to grow a chilli plant from seeds. They died. Damn this perpetually winter we've been having, oh and my red thumb. If a plant can't look after itself then it is doomed. The strawberry plants look great though. Oh and there is cherries on the tree and the making of some apples. Then the herbs are growing well too. Other then that I cant grow a thing, well maybe that bush at the front that we can't seem to kill, stupid bush.
See these things look after themselves. Plus there has been lots of rain. Ok now, everyone (that sounded more grand then "you 3") dust the vodka bottle off and slice some chilli up, I used the little red ones. put them together and leave for a day. Shoot then burn. Great stuff. Enjoy.

image from melaindiancuisine.com

Coathanger

My first shot review. Whoo hoo. I think shots are a little tricky to review. You shoot them down quickly that there isn't much time to take in the tastes of the drink. Saying that, you still get a good flavour and this one is no exception.
15ml Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
10 ml Tequila
dash of Grendine
drop of milk

This one is interesting because once you shoot it, you cup your hand over the glass then put a straw in and inhale. I think that knocked me more then the drink itself. Ok, well it taste like orangey berry I would say. The milk looks funny when you put it in but sort of sits at the top in a bunch. Once I got the straw in it though, now I still have a cough that has lingered for months, it did bring of a spree of coughs. It was nice though.
Why do they call it coathanger? Well I don't think it puts you on a hook in the cupboard; I think they mean that it is more like being hit by a wrestler. It sort of winds you.
Speaking of wrestlers, I used to be a fan of WWF now WWE. Back when Andre the Giant and Hulk Hogan and Ravishing Rick Rude. There was a fun battle going on with Rick Rude and Jake the Snake Roberts. Rick had been making passes at Jakes wife and Jake got the shits and ran up and Dacked him, as in pants down then swung him around (by the pants not.... ) the ring. His bits were flying everywhere. It was funny.
I don't see the Wrestling any more. It went to pay TV and that was the end for me.
Pay TV, isn't that a rort. They still put ads in and repeat crap over and over. I thought the idea was to pay so ads don't go in, pure uninterrupted television. I watch too much as it is, well actually I don't but don't want another excuse to sit in front of the TV. Lets cheer for FREE TO AIR.
Cointreau is a Triple Sec, which is an orange flavour. The thing is is that it is pricey. I just used Vox triple sec. It's cheaper and taste fine. I will have to make a list of liqueurs and their cheaper substitutes.
Enjoy the Coathanger. You really only taste the Triple Sec and Grendine and have that tequila after taste. Fine with me.

Sour Monkey Apple

I didn't even know a drink like this existed. I normally walk down the beer isle or the wine and glance over a the spot, hoping and wishing that I could go to that isle, where the liquors and spirits are. It seem such an exclusive club like the ones where a big Maori bounce looks you up and down and gives you that grin the says "Not if you were the king of England!"
Haa haa, well up yours bouncer, I snuck in the back way. I didn't get this myself. A friend bought it for me, I think mainly because it had a cool pen on the bottle. First time I had it was as a shot but this one can be drunk easlily from a glass, as a mixer or what ever.
Remember Mega Warheads. We this is like an alcoholic, watery one of them. Sour Green Apple. Actually, do you remember when Mega Warheads came out. I believe I was living in Rockhampton then though I could be wrong. But there was one flavour which eludes me now, but it was hot, not sour. They made a few more hot ones then went to sour. Now I like hot food, ever had Chilli hot chocolate? It is hard to find but that bite to it is awesome. I once made a home brew beer and put chilli in the bottles. My mate John had one sip and it brought tears to his eyes.
I never really got into the whole sour thing. I think I am coming around though. I love those sour worms lollies and such but I really like this drink also. It is only 10% alcohol so you can use it as your nights drink too. If I recall, peering over the bouncers shoulder that it isn't that expensive either. They do make another sour drink too berry I think; I imagine that would taste quite nice also. No I didn't quite make the face of monkey on the label but I may have had that twitch appear in my eye.
You can drink it with crushed ice or with a soft drink, I think lemonade would work well or shots. I am just having it straight because I am to lazy to crush ice. Give it a whirl and pucker up.

Pink Panther

"Du dum du dum, du dum" yes you know the tune. I am sure we have all seen the movies, though I doubt that Inspector Clouseau would be one to drink this one. Ever in search of the elusive Pink Panther.

The Pink Panther is and interesting drink in that it isn't sweet like the look would suggest. Mainly because of the amounts of Vodka and Bourbon.

22mls Bourbon
30mls Vodka
15mls Malibu
40mls Cream
Dash of Granidien
Shake over Ice.

 The combinations make it rough but I think the Malibu and cream are there to help smooth it out. It reminds me of an Iced Vovo for some reason but with alcohol and no biscuit. I probably wouldn't have this a lot though I find it drinkable. It does get easier after a while once you mouth gets used to it. Now this is the first cocktail I have made in a shaker. I was very excited to use it. It feels good to shake shake shake and pour.

Did you like the remake of Pink Panther with Steve Martin? I did, though I am a Steve Martin fan.Hmmm I could almost be up to watch in it now except that I just saw the first of "Sherlock" and am really keen to see more. Oh and the new "The Walking Dead" series. I have heard that the comic is awesome (I have them and have yet to read it :( ) and there is some good talk about it when it premiered in the US.

It is a shame I didn't get this one done last month. I could have some how tied it into Breast Cancer Awareness month. Never mind and apparently you are still a man if you have pink. This drink will still show you are a man but if your still afraid get it in a opaque mug.

Johnnie Walker Red Label

I am not a spirits drinker. I have mentioned in the past that I started in my youth on Tequila but I never got into drinking spirits. Now that I have a selection of different drinks I am trying them out.
This brings me to J.W. This isn't the first Scotch Whisky I have drunk. There is another I have be having a bit lately but I will talk about that another time, lets just say it set the bench mark high. Red Label is a blended scotch whisky, what ever that means. Ok, give me a sec and I will look it up..... good old Wiki, that will never stray you wrong.
Accoding to that Blended or Vatted whisky is a blend of single malted whiskies of different distilleries. Ok with that note you would think that it would be better then single malt, but apparently not. I just had a look at a whisky appreciation site and the way that I did it is all wrong. They say ice is a bit of a no no. Keep the ice to a minimum. I put in 3 mainly because I wanted it to melt. Now adding water is a good thing. It 'releases' the flavour. That is good to know because I also find scotch harsh and like to water it down, now I know I am doing good to it :D
With very little experience to go with I will try and review this drink. At first it taste ok there is a slight sweetness to it. Quickly though the drink starts to get a hotness and leaves a harsh taste in you mouth. I don't know how to describe it but like a a harsh alcohol taste. Over all it is ok, I have been having a few over the past couple of nights and it tends to go down ok with the melted ice.
My brother got married 2 years ago and I was on the bridal party. As a gift I got a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Now I haven't open it yet, I was planning that on his 10th anniversary I would rock up with it and we can drink it together. Though I don't know if scotch ages in the bottle or not but we will see. I might be a whisky expert in 8 years time so I can review how a 10 year old bottle of Black Label compares.
Anyway try some J.W. Red Label and let me know what you think. To fix my opening statement, I was not a spirits drinker.

Bananarama

"Only you can set me free, 'cause I'm guilt, guilt, guilt as a girl can be."
"I want you back, gotta get it through to you I want back!"
"She got it, yeah baby she's got it, I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, your desire."
Ah, the 80's when a group of 3 girls came along with some of the "wonderful" songs. I must admit as I was re-listening to these old song I bopped along. Yes, I am admiring I listened to pop music, pop pop pop music and I could still recall some of the lyrics of these song. What came first though, the band or the drink? Does drinking Bananarama inspire you to listen to the band or does their music promote drinking of this drink?

Either way, the Bananarama is smooth drink, well it sort of has to be because it is more like a Smoothie then a Cocktail.
1 Banana
Vodka 30ml
Kahlua 30ml
Baileys Irish Cream 15ml
Cream 60ml
Ice
Blend it all together.

You can taste some of the alcohol every now and then but mostly its the creamy Banana stealing the show. Its thick too, sort of glugs out of the blender into the glass.
Funny enough I had a Banana smoothie that morning too. I had been looking for something to put Bailey's in but I couldn't go past something with it and Kahlua, what a score.
"I heard a romour, I heard a rumor, they say you gotta broken heart, Ah hoo."

Black Russian

Black Russian

Just typical, as soon as I create this blog I get sick. No, not the sick of drinking but a nasty fever that keeps me from my drinking duty.
Finally I feel fine enough despite having a cough that has lingered for 2 months and hay fever I went and got some Kahlua. Flipping through my cocktail book I like the look of the Black Russian.
short glass
30ml Kahlua
30ml Vodka
build over ice
I was hoping to provide photo's of the drink I made but I am having the worst luck with cameras currently so I might borrow some picks. Let me say It looks cool because the Kahlua sits on the bottom layered with the vodka. Now if you know Kahlua with its chocolaty taste that is pretty much what you taste. Maybe it is "diluted" from the vodka. I wasn't sure if it should have been stirred since vodka is a bit like watery metho, but I did and wow. The book says its good after dinner which is when I had it; I guess its as good a time as any to be having it.
My misses is funny, see I could probably count the number of cocktails I have had on my extremities but she is there saying "Oh I used to have that all the time."
Some people have all the luck. She said that a few more time as I flipped through the book too. I have had a number of different beers and wines but the other stuff not so much. Hmmm, drink more I think.
Give the Black Russian a go, I hope you like it.

 image from: polkadotbride.com

Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise

Well I thought I might kick this off with one of my favourite cocktails. Tequila Sunrise. Back in the day, turning 18 everyone had to have their spirit of choice. Being courageous I made mine Tequila. Bloody hell, it's a harsh drink that one but the best thing though is its most common mixer for it is orange juice. Throw a bit of Grenadine and it looks awesome.
30ml Tequila
Top with Orange Juice
Dash of Grenadine
Hi-ball Glass


Tastes good, I don't really taste any of the grenadine but mostly orange juice with that hint of alcohol. If you like orange juice I would say give this a go. It looks good and is not bad. Don't like orange juice, shoot the tequila then you might have wished you had orange juice with it.
I don't know about sunrises, I don't get up early enough to view one but sunsets on the other hand. Living in Darwin for a short time I got to see some good sunsets. Mindil Beach markets, you would go and get a feed then everyone seems to head onto the beach to watch the sun set over the ocean.
What about the awesome sunsets after it rains. So many colours. Right now though it is just different shades of blue then a small line of dull orange. Oh well.

Welcome

Hello, I'm Hocky, and I am not an Alcoholic.
But with the help of this blog I might at the very least have a better appreciation for all thing boozy.  I am hoping I can put up some fun things about different drinks, cocktails, shots, spirits, wine and Beer.

Me, you ask? oh you didn't. Well I will tell you anyway, Mid thirties, a couple of kids, Aussie born and bred. I like to drink but am not a big drinkers. I hate the feeling of going to bed and the room keeps spinning. A glass or two is enough for me. Moral is Drink often just not alot.

I am not a connoisseur of drinking, I will be muddling along this as much as you.... no not you, you! Please try some of the drinks with me.

CHEERS!

Title Reference:- Thanks to Mental as Anything for creating the most fitting song for any drinker.