Month: July 2012

July 25, 2012

Lab Supplies. Check.

I have attended various events where someone hands me their cocktail blog business card.  I gladly accept these cards with great interest.  And whenever I visit a new bar, I try to pick up a card on the way out.  I knew that at some point I wanted to get business cards for this blog site.  Moreover, I knew that I wanted to use Pike Street Press.  I had read an article a year or so ago about Pike Street Press and their use of vintage letterpress work for printing.  I filed that information away, knowing that I would eventually visit this shop on the Pike Street Hill Climb.  Well folks, the time finally arrived.  I visited with owner Sean Brown, who helped me realize my design for the cards.  A couple weeks later, I was in visual and tactical nirvana, as I held one of my new Libation Laboratory cards in my little hand.  Now, we’re in business.

July 9, 2012

An Ode to Summer, Spain, and Friends

Summer.

Summer in Seattle has finally kicked in.  True to form, this happened right after the 4th of July.  If you believe the meteorologists, at least half of the next 30 days will reach 80 degrees.  This is blowing my mind just a little and my PNW acclimated body is already dreading the ‘heat.’ But I digress…..To me, Summer also means minty cocktails in the sun on the deck.  CR and I were fortunate to recently move to a house with a very healthy mint crop.  This cocktail hobbyist has no complaints about that.  I’ve been enjoying making a myriad of cocktails with mint, Tiki being one of the predominant genres.

Spain. 

Spain just won some big football tournament (notice my Euro-use of the word ‘football’ instead of soccer).  Nicely done Spain.  But also in Spanish news this week, a couple of my friends are currently touring through Spain.  The lucky dynamic duo is probably dancing to Flamenco music, Running with the Bulls, eating paella and Manchego cheese, drinking Sangria, and maybe, just maybe, drinking Licor 43.  This is a liqueur that I have looked at on the store shelf for a long time and contemplated adding to the inventory, but didn’t pull the trigger until recently.  Great timing with my ode to Spain.  Licor 43 has a vanilla, citrus flavor profile made from 43 ingredients.

Summer.

I love Tiki drinks and I’ve been having a lot of fun with my new Beachbum Berry Remixed book by Jeff Berry.  I’m tying Spain and Summer together by mixing the Beachbum’s Own tiki drink.  This is finally a reason for me to crack open my Licor 43 bottle.

The Beachbum Players

Beachbum’s Own

As described in Beachbum Berry Remixed:
0.75 oz lemon juice
0.75 oz pineapple juice
0.75 oz passion fruit syrup
0.75 oz Licor 43
1.25 oz Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum
1.50 oz Mount Gay Special Reserve
 
Shake with crushed ice. Pour everything into Tiki barrel mug.
Add more crushed ice and garnish with cherries and spanked mint.
This tiki is fruity and rummy and quite delicious.  I might up the lemon a little or even add some lime.  But it’s really quite refreshing and perfect to sip on a sunny afternoon.
 

Beachbum’s Own in my own Four Seas Tiki Mug thanks to Bit of Butter!

Friends.

I have a few friends.  I like my friends.  They make me laugh and I hope I make them laugh too.  I would gladly share a minty cocktail in the sun on the deck with my friends.

“But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

A few of my friends on a boozy night at Rob Roy.