A Grandiose Blog - Cocktails, Gadgets & More

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I didn’t quite know what to make of the puppies (industry slang for mini-bottles) when they arrived. They surrounded me - all three of them, with their squat, broad shoulders and studded collars. The smokey grey/purple bottle made it somewhat difficult to see what these pups were made of and only seemed to add to the mystery. Hands down these are some really handsome puppies.

Bulldog Gin is an ultra-premium, quadruple distilled London dry gin, infused with exotic botanicals such as Poppy and Dragon Eye - a native Chinese fruit that’s used to increase sexual stamina and skin vitality.

I poured some neat at room temperature and was surprised by the soft, delicate aromas. I was in for an even bigger surprise when I tasted it - is this gin? Where’s the strong aftertaste, that heavy juniper presence, the burn on the way down … then I remembered that this is quadruple distilled to an Ultra-premium state - this gin is so smooth ….

$29.99, www.bulldoggin.com

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Want a stylish world timer watch to keep track of your business investments in Istanbuand Bangkok but don’t feel like dropping 40 large on a Patek? Or perhaps after a couple of “Do you REALIZE what time it is over here?!” in not so friendly tones from your long distance acquaintances - you need an easy way to keep track of time internationally. The Seiko Sportura World Timer gives you the best of both worlds - with a dual analog and digital dial that can display the time, day and date in any one of 28 cities across the world. Just press a button to select a new city and its corresponding time.

Was $595.00, Now $446.25 - Buy it here
. Read the rest »

If Ella Fitzgerald were alive today, what kind of cognac do you think she would fancy?

                    After one whole quart of brandy
                    Like a daisy, I’m awake
                   With no Bromo-Seltzer handy
                   I don’t even shake

Opening verse from Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered - Ella Fitzgerald. I couldn’t find a video of the First Lady of Jazz, but I did find this excellent cover by Silje Nergaard. Click here to listen.

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 Read the rest »

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. Read the rest »

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 ….