"I love to drink Martinis,
Two at the very most
After three I'm under the table,
After four I'm under my host."
— Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker was a Long Island-bred American writer, screenwriter and poet. She’s known as a wisecracker with a sharp wit, a trait that landed the best jobs and got her fired from the best jobs. She founded the Algonquin Round Table, was nominated for two Academy Awards and was placed on the Hollywood Blacklist for left-wing politics. She wrote for Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Vogue, Life, McCall’s, Esquire and The New Republic. She lived 73 years, from 1893–1967. We don’t know if her ashes were ever interred but we know that they sat peacefully in her attorney’s file cabinet for 17 years.
Meadow Lark Vodka Martini
Mike Sherwood of Santa Rosa Spirits writes The Muse that he's been experimenting with two infusions from Sub Rosa Spirits. Nothing radical and, that he says, is the point. He likes mixing Elderflower Liqueur with Tarragon Vodka. The Saffron and Cointreau seemed destined as partners, "very lush and warming", he says. Mike adds a hint of fine freshly ground black pepper into a plain Tarragon martini. Grinding in white pepper also works well. The martini is meant to be understated which brings out the delicate flavor of the tarragon.
Combine all ingredients into a martini glass over cold ice - check out Swank Martini Glasses for a nice selection of classic, cool and artsy martini glasses - and shake. The elderflowers bring imagery of a fresh summer meadow at sunrise. The Meadow Lark is Oregon's state bird.
The Marseille Airport Martini
The Marseille Airport Martini may require 1-2 ounces of ginger ale or a juice of your liking. The weekend bartender at Serattos make this one with a little soda water mixed in. Soda cut the sweetness of the orange liqueur but need to play with this one a little more. The Marseille Airport Martini has a pale yellow orange cast to if from the Saffron vodka and Cointreau. The aroma is warm and familiar yet not completely identifiable due to the toasted cumin wafting over the orange liqueur and fresh lime. Think Golden Cosmopolitan minus the juice.
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a long twist of lime.
James Bonds' Medium Dry Martini
The James Bond Medium Dry Martini, also referred to as the Vesper Martini, was made with (gasp!) a healthy portion of vodka mixed with 3 parts gin. Of course, it was still "shaken, not stirred".
The Many Household and Medical Uses of Vodka
Eco-Friendly Vodkas
What is an Eco-Friendly Vodka? If you're Purus or VeeV, it is vodka that is made of 100% organic ingredients. If you're 360 Vodka, it is in the packaging.
McCormick Distilling, the oldest (continuous) distillery in the United States, has just released 360 Vodka to compete in the ultra luxury vodka niche. 360 Vodka is made from regular non-organic grain made in the United States. Other Vodka producers such as Purus and VeeV, on the other hand, use 100% organic ingredients in its vodkas. So, is 360 Vodka the world's first eco-friendly vodka? Hardly, but let's expore their claim further.
How to Make a Martini Dry
When the martini was the drink of choice in our culture yers ago, the only way to make a martini was with gin and dry vermouth.
The gin was iced very cold but not served with ice. Some, like Churchill, preferred their martinis naked, that is, without dry vermouth. A dry martini is a martini with
less dry vermouth. That's right - more dry vermouth makes your martiniless dry.
All ratios below are gin : vermouth.
How to Make Beer Cold Quickly
Did you ever wonder if it was possible to make beer cold quickly instead of trying to jam as many beers as possible into the freezer and waiting for an hour?
Well, it seems all you need to make beer cold in about 3 minutes is a bit of room in your freezer - which won't be a problem because the stuff that's frozen won't thaw in 3 minutes - and alot of salt.
The way to make beer cold quickly - in 3 minutes - is to load a pot with as many beers as you can and pour in enough ice to cover the beer. Then, fill the pot with tap water and add about 2 cups of salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. Then place the bucket full of beers in the freezer for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, your beers will be ice cold.
This trick also applies to anything else in a bottle, container, or can such as soda, wine or a bottle of Vodka or Gin.
So, how does your beer get cold in 3 minutes? For one, it seems that salt water absorbs heat and two, keeping the pot in the freezer allows the ice cubes to keep transferring cold to the beers.
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