Buzz o' the Week

I was going to pick a good, moderately priced red wine for this week. But Sean phoned-in a request, and since he's a new father, I figured I would indulge him. This week's buzz will be provided by The Dirty Gin Martini.

Normally, I'm a vodka martini kind of guy (don't worry - the classic Bond drink will be featured at a later date and time). A couple weeks ago, I tried The Dirty Gin Martini for the first time. I'm not a big fan of gin, but my Dad has perfected the recipe, and that is what I bring you today.

Ingredients:
4 oz. Hendricks Gin
2 oz. Olive juice
Dry Vermouth

With most mixed drinks, you can go with a mid-level liquor. However, with martinis, which rely heavily on the quality of the vodka or gin being used, you don't want to skimp. So, spend the extra money and you won't be sorry. Martinis are potent, and if you drink more than one of these bad boys, make sure you have a DD.

The Process:
- If you're serving the drink "up" (no ice, in a traditional martini glass), fill the martini glass with ice and water. The purpose is to chill the glass. You can just as easily keep martini glasses in the freezer, but I find the ice water method is less complicated and reduces the chances of accidently breaking a glass when you're going for the ice cream.
- Combine the gin and olive juice in a shaker with ice. Daddo recommends shaking the olive juice jar prior to measuring in order to get some olive chunks in the mix.
- Shaken, not stirred.
- If you like your Martini on the rocks, fill the cocktail glass with chipped ice and wave the vermouth over the glass. You want nothing more than a hint of the dry vermouth.
- If you martini is being served up, empty the ice water out of the martini glass. Pour no more than 1 tablespoon of the dry vermouth into the glass and swirl it around. Then dump the vermouth.
- Strain the martini into the glass, garnish with three olives (stuffed with blue cheese for me), and serve.

A point of ettiqutte - when serving or ordering a martini, be prepared to answer or provide the following options:
- "Up" or "on the rocks." "Up" is not to be confused with "neat." "Up" applies only to mixed drinks while "neat" applies to liquor only. A martini or cosmo is served "up." Scotch is served "neat."
- "Dirty"
- If you're at a bar, specify the type of gin or vodka to be used.
- Some people prefer onions over olives as garnish.

As always, I welcome suggestions for next week's Buzz. Enjoy, but be responsible!

Buzz o' the Week

And it's time for Buzz o' the Week. I hope everyone enjoyed the most excellent Mojito recipe from last week. If you missed the post, click here to check it out. This week, I bring you the Champagne of Beers: Miller High Life.

For those of you who know me well, you might be surprised to read that I would recommend such a beer, but hear me out. And I promise in future installments of Buzz o' the Week to review and recommend some awesome craft brews.

In keeping with the summer drink menu, Miller High Life is, in my humble opinion, a great summer beer to enjoy after a hard day of yard work or any other strenuous outdoor activity. The High Life has more flavor than it's light beer competition. It's on the cheaper end of all beer - a definite plus considering the economy and gas prices, and let's be honest - with a name like The Champagne of Beers, how can you go wrong?

So, this Saturday (or Sunday) after mowing the lawn, weeding the flower bed, and whatever else is on your honey-do list, crack open the High Life and relax. You'll thank me for it.

Buzz o' the Week

I'm proud to introduce a new feature here on D&F - Buzz o' the Week. Each week, I will bring you one adult beverage that I think you should try. And if you have a recommendation or would like for me to design the perfect version of a cocktail for you, let me know.

For the inaugural post (and because it's summer), I'm going to go with the Mojito. First, a little history - the Mojito is Cuban. And that concludes the history lesson.

Just to let you know - this drink recipe and most of the mixed drink recipes I will feature are the result of my wife and I trying the drink at a restaurant, and then either trying to make it better because we didn't like it or replicate the recipe because we did. The Mojito is a case of the former.

Katie despises sugary drinks, so that translates to not using pre-made mixes. It also means there's a trial and error process to get the proportions right, and sometimes that can get ugly (maybe at a later date and time, I will tell everyone about the night Bobby and Katie consumed an entire fifth of rum...by themselves).

Anyway, the ultimate result of not using pre-made mixes is a fresher tasting cocktail that highlights the natural flavors of the ingredients, rather than the Kool-aid type fruit flavor of the mix. It should be noted that the cocktail is to be enjoyed for it's taste and slight social lubrication qualities. In no way does D&F condone excessive drinking....except on St. Patrick's Day.

Enough with the commentary. Let's get down to business. While it's not required, I highly recommend securing a muddler. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon as a substitute, but I'm a stickler for using the right tool for the job.

The Ingredients:
- 3 slices of lime
- 8-10 mint leaves (for more mint taste, use more mint leaves)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 shots light Rum (1 shot = 1.5 oz)
- Club soda

The Process:
- Place mint leaves into a pint glass; then the lime, and finally the sugar. It's important to go in this order to reduce random tiny mint pieces in the final product
- Muddle (aka - squish the limes and mix with the sugar)
- Add rum and stir
- Add enough ice so the glass is almost full with ice
- Fill with club soda and stir
- Serve.

If you do it right, you should produce a refreshing drink to sip on the back porch with your significant other. If you're single, you now have a surprisingly potent drink to hopefully turn the hot girl into your significant other. Not that I encourage that sort of thing....