You’re not really a drunk until you’ve tried Baijiu. Oh sure, you’ve tasted some peaty scotches and poisonous gins in your time, and you may have taken the occasional pull of 151 from a bottle in a paper bag, but it’s not until the acrid flavor of China’s best export hits your tongue that you really enter lush-hood.
Category Archives: clear liquor
Haus Alpenz Presents
Monday, December 8, 2008
While picking up a bottle of Creme de Violette for the esteemed Iconoplast (of HAVE A BREW. DON’T COST NOTHIN fame), my eye was caught by a number of liqueurs on the same shelf. As it turns out, Haus Alpenz imports a variety of interesting spirits. Trying not to get carried away, I picked up […]
BourBonCon 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
This this is real and is happening. And it’s happening at my house. Updates have been sparse, but there’s been far more action behind the scenes. Namely, our very first BourBonCon held in the City of Chicago, County of Cook, State of Illinois in the foul year of Our Patron Saint 2008. This very weekend, […]
the vicar or whatever – a response
Saturday, February 16, 2008
The preceding is a pretty piece of writing, but I expected better from an accomplished mixologist like Ouroboros. Maybe a little of the real history to go with it? And I’ll be blunt: that recipe needs work. Look, I’ve been to Scotland, I’ve drunk the Vicar or whatever in its birthplace.
Plum Infusion – Early Returns
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
A little less than a week ago, I set about to infusing vodka with plums, mostly because I had a bunch of plums and no real interest in eating them. Therefore I took… 750 mL of Ketel One vodka three black plums, sliced …threw them together in a jar, stuck it in the fridge, and […]
the open house at House Spirits
Saturday, December 15, 2007
House Spirits is a distillery in the inner SE industrial district of Portland that produces a vodka, a gin, and whatever else captures the fancy of the distillers. They share space and equipment with Ransom Sprits, producer of grappa and port, and Sub Rosa Spirits, producer of infused vodka. Our tasting party began with brunch, […]
Mixology Monday! our favorite liquor!
Monday, November 12, 2007
A little over a year ago, NABC fellow Roninspoon and I found occassion to meet for a drink. Circumstances dictated a cigar bar, just off the piazza in Italy, or Las Vegas’ simulacrum of the same1. It was near closing time, the AOR band was seemingly enjoying themselves, and the bartender came out to take […]
quick shots
Thursday, October 11, 2007
This past weekend we threw a tremendous party at the Prince of Cups’ residence. To call it a “weekend” is a misnomer, as we began last Thursday and ended last night. Don Red, contributor to this blog, issued a challenge to me, which was delivered verbally by QXZ, another contributor: to live-blog from the bar. […]
Second Class on the Overnight to Drunkistan, or The Boozy Foreigners – Part 1
Monday, September 3, 2007
Being the first tale in the adventures of three travelers learning the international language of liquor Catalunya was on fire. No train was going to make it through to Barcelona for at least a day, so in Perpignan we were packed onto a tourbus with all the kids south of Paris, goddamn, it looked like. […]
First Taste: Tanqueray Rangpur Gin
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Gin seems to have taken a back seat to vodka in recent times. One needs only visit their local package store to see this. The vodka section takes up the whole aisle: vodkas infused with every conceivable berry, fruit, or spice; unheard-of brands in bizarrely shaped bottles, trying in vain to jump on the “premium” […]
