Archive for July, 2007

Okay so by now you already know The Top 10 ways to beat the Casino and you're ready to let 'em have it ... but first let's master a couple of additional basics ...

Did you know that the game of craps originated in France? If the first toss of the dice resulted in a 7 or 11 (a natural) - you won, but a lost if a 2,3 or 12 (craps) was rolled. If any other number came up, that number (the point) must be repeated before a 7 shows up. Note how the 7 changes from a natural win on the first roll to a loser on all subsequent rolls.

In a casino, the player with the dice throws the first roll - the"come out roll". If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the first roll, the house loses and anyone with money on the "pass line" wins. If the player rolls craps, the house wins and players with money on the pass line lose. The player continues to shoot any number apart from a 7 or 11. After a point (more...)

Do you sometimes dream about cocktails in your sleep? I did last night ....

Mixology Mondays: Hello and thanks for taking part in Mixology Mondays. The theme this month is "Blog Love" and this is dedicated to all the other cocktail blogs out there in the mixosphere. Today we're going to talk about any drink of your choice, where you heard about it and why you started this blog. So without further ado ....

A Grandiose Blog: Hey you're not Jessica Alba! Anyway thanks for the opportunity to become a part of a really great event. Your timing couldn't have been better.

Mixology Mondays: How's that?

A Grandiose Blog: Well I've been itching to make the Clover Club (gin, lemon juice, grenadine, egg white) for some time now ever since I read about it at the Cocktail Chronicles blog.

Mixology Mondays: Really?

A Grandiose Blog: Yes. For one, I was intrigued by the fact that the recipe calls for raw egg whites as one of the ingredients. What the heck are raw egg whites doing in cocktails? Eggs should be scrambled hard in a skillet, not in a martini glass - but the gin and lemon juice in the cocktail recipe made it seem like it was off to a good start. (more...)

What do you feel about flair bartending? The first time I experienced this was sometime last year at Bed Supperclub, Bangkok (those guys were really good I must admit) and more recently a few weeks ago at a bar in Baltimore. The bartender actually spilled more liquor on the floor than in the drinks he made, and he kept splashing liqour all over the patrons at the bar. That's when it went from mildly amusing to quite annoying.

Just pour my damn drink already.

If this is your sort of thing, or you know someone who's really good at it - you'll definitely want to check out the Nations Flair Challenge this July 29-31 in Vegas.

What are your thoughts on flair bartending? Hit or Miss? Comment about it below.

Here's a video of some flair bartenders in action from across the pond ....

1. Arguing with a bartender. Just don't - this is one battle you won't win. It's quite possible that a bartender screwed up your cocktail and garnished that Gibson with a cherry. You might also know 10x as much as the bartender does about cocktails. I'll share a secret with you, bartenders by nature have very big egos and want to be the alpha dogs at the bar. Recognize this fact and you'll have them eating out of the palm of your hand. If they ask you how that Gibson with the cherry garnish tastes - just smile and say fantastic. Next time don't go back. Any bar that garnishes their Gibson with cherries isn't a bar worth going to.

2. Not knowing what you or your friends want to drink BEFORE you get to the bar - especially at a crowded bar. The bartender is there to serve everyone at a bar, not just you. Don't waste the time of other people waiting behind you who already know what they want to drink, and most of all don't waste the bartenders time.

3. Splitting up your drink orders. If you will be ordering a couple of the same drinks, tell the bartender at once - it will be easier on the bartender. Easier for the bartenders means happier bar experience for you. Don't wait until the bartender makes a round of drinks including a Manhattan before you decide you want another Manhattan. (more...)

Before we proceed any further with cocktail recipes, we feel it necessary that you know what a cocktail is and what a cocktail is not.

A dictionary definition of a cocktail is:

1. any of various short mixed drinks, consisting typically of gin, whiskey, rum, vodka, or brandy, with different admixtures, as vermouth, fruit juices, or flavorings, usually chilled and frequently sweetened.

By now you should already know what a cocktail consists of. The dictionary definition above is okay as a working definition - but you should know that it lacks one crucial thing - and that's proportions. The dictionary will tell you what but not how. But then again that's what dictionaries are for right?

Perhaps like you, whenever I'm hanging out and want a strong, mixed drink - that means always ordering (everything but the kitchen sink type drinks) a Long Island iced tea, a Zombie, or a (more...)

In the 1970's, a Nigerian musician named Fela Anikulapo-Kuti created Afrobeat - a fusion of West African highlife music with western jazz and funk music in a big band format with lots of horn players, singers and percussionists. Fela was also an outspoken critic of the rampant corruption in Nigeria, and paid for this dearly at the hands of the Nigerian government given his frequent beatings, arrests and jailings. Fela died of Aids in 1997.

But his music lives on through his son, Femi Kuti....

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