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.