a repeat shot but this time with a cherry!

used the 103 proof Kirkland brand bourbon which I'm kind of meh on
shows a bit too much heat for my tastes...

A russian imperial stout from leinenkugels called Big Eddy. It is Seriously good!

Went out and picked a bunch of blood oranges last night and made blood orange margaritas... on the rocks:

Fresh squeezed blood orange juice
Corzo silver
Cointreau
Salt

Amazing!

jaholbrook wrote:Went out and picked a bunch of blood oranges last night and made blood orange margaritas... on the rocks:

Fresh squeezed blood orange juice
Corzo silver
Cointreau
Salt

Amazing!

Do you ship to chicago? I'll take either whole fruit or juice We're just happy to be above freezing and you're sipping freshly squeezed blood orange marg's--why do we live here again???

boudreaulicious wrote:

jaholbrook wrote:Went out and picked a bunch of blood oranges last night and made blood orange margaritas... on the rocks:

Fresh squeezed blood orange juice
Corzo silver
Cointreau
Salt

Amazing!

Do you ship to chicago? I'll take either whole fruit or juice :D We're just happy to be above freezing and you're sipping freshly squeezed blood orange marg's--why do we live here again???

Kind of a once in a lifetime (the FSBOJ) going away celebration... been here for 6 months and heading back to MI next week :cry: I'll be back to SB often!

Sineann 2010 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and 2010 Oregon Pinot Gris

For about five years now I have been loving Sineann's intense red wines. This week, I happened to be in Portland on business and had some time to schedule a tasting at the winery, primarily to try their white wines. Boy was I glad!

The 2010 Marlborough SavBlanc is a wonderful example of the varietal and the region. Mrs. D greatly enjoys the Marlbrough flavor profile and this wine will go into our rotation. Grassy, melony and minerally with a lingering kiwi finish - delicious. $20/bottle.

The 2010 Pinot Gris is a stealth wine. The nose is quite mild but the first taste sends one's taste buds into overdrive with a piercing citrus note of acidity that expands into lemongrass and earthy herbal notes. This wine would be a slam dunk with fish dishes and Thai food, IMO. $18/bottle.

http://www.sineann.com/

Davooda

boudreaulicious wrote: I'll take either whole fruit or juice

Treasure Island on Broadway had blood oranges as of yesterday.

mbh wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote: I'll take either whole fruit or juice

Treasure Island on Broadway had blood oranges as of yesterday.

Stanley's at North & Elston had them earlier this week.

-Dan

thanks for the heads up on the blood oranges--I can find them still--just not what I imagine our CA friend is plucking off the trees

Girls Night In cocktails last night...

Ides of March…Plymouth Gin, dry vermouth, grapefruit bitters, agave syrup, fresh squeezed pink grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, grated ginger, lime zest, garnished with grapefruit and lemongrass.
Argroni: New Amsterdam Gin, Cynar, sweet vermouth, blood orange, Peychauds bitters, blood orange garnish
Printemps: Buckingham Gin, Cherry Herring, pickled blueberry syrup, Meyer lemon juice, Pellegrino sparkling water, fresh and pickled blueberry garnish with Meyer lemon.

boudreaulicious wrote:Girls Night In cocktails last night...


Printemps: Buckingham Gin, Cherry Herring, pickled blueberry syrup, Meyer lemon juice, Pellegrino sparkling water, fresh and pickled blueberry garnish with Meyer lemon.

Kudos to an amazing bartender & one of the best drinks yet, GNI rocks!

mbh wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Girls Night In cocktails last night...


Printemps: Buckingham Gin, Cherry Herring, pickled blueberry syrup, Meyer lemon juice, Pellegrino sparkling water, fresh and pickled blueberry garnish with Meyer lemon.

Kudos to an amazing bartender & one of the best drinks yet, GNI rocks!

thanks for the great ingredients--those blueberries...mmmmm

Did a blind tasting of four 100-proof bourbons this evening...the winner by a hair was Four Roses Single Barrel (also the most expensive of the four, by a good margin). A dusty bottle of Old Fitzgerald (distilled in the early 80's at Stitzel-Weller) came a very close second while a mid-90's Old Forester was third. Heaven Hill Gold (a product I quite enjoy for mixing, but which was outclassed here) was last.

Loving the Zombie Dust on tap at South Loop Binny's.

Kman wrote:Loving the Zombie Dust on tap at South Loop Binny's.

It was ok, I think it would be better in the warmer weather, a definite tropical fruit/mangoish flavor to it.

SSDD

Just got back from an extended weekend of wedding planning, and decided to watch a Bond film to unwind.

Vesper:

3oz Junipero
1oz Stoli 100
1/2oz Cocchi Americano
Regan's Orange Bitters

I think this is a pretty good riff on a dry martini. I think if I tried it again I'd drop the vodka and up the Americano to an ounce.

A funny little drink I whipped up to kill a bottle of Apry (it's been taking up space in the cabinet with an ounce left in it for too long).

3 oz Old Pogue Bourbon
1 oz Marie Brizard Apry
1/4 oz Lime-Habanero Tincture/Bitters (not sure what to call this stuff...started out as a friend's attempt to make Baker's Hellfire Bitters, but went off the tracks)
Barspoon Simple
2 Dashes Angostura

Stirred and strained over big ice & topped with a couple drops of Bittercube Bolivar bitters.

Spicy, fruity goodness lightly modeled after Michael Rubel's Harlan County. It's slightly more irascible, so I'll call it the Ellison.

headcase wrote:

Kman wrote:Loving the Zombie Dust on tap at South Loop Binny's.

It was ok, I think it would be better in the warmer weather, a definite tropical fruit/mangoish flavor to it.

SSDD

Just had some myself on Thursday night and i would agree with this assessment!

Chefcon wrote:

headcase wrote:

Kman wrote:Loving the Zombie Dust on tap at South Loop Binny's.

It was ok, I think it would be better in the warmer weather, a definite tropical fruit/mangoish flavor to it.

SSDD

Just had some myself on Thursday night and i would agree with this assessment!

Not sure what else one would be expecting from a beer that only uses Citra hops? I'm pretty ambivalent about allowing the weather to dictate my tastes in beers - tastes just as good in this crappy Is-this-really-opening-week-of-baseball? weather as I expect it will this summer. I do wonder, though, once they begin bottling/distributing it how much backlash they might run into.

Chefcon wrote:
Not sure what else one would be expecting from a beer that only uses Citra hops? I'm pretty ambivalent about allowing the weather to dictate my tastes in beers - tastes just as good in this crappy Is-this-really-opening-week-of-baseball? weather as I expect it will this summer.

While I am an admitted lover of beer, I am not a full on beer geek. While I know there are different varieties of hops that lend different characteristics to beer, I don't know, or care to know, their names/what flavors they bring.

As far as seasonality and beers goes, I'm right there with you for the most point, but in this particular case I just can see it working better on a warmer day. On the other hand, I've had it once and will probably not seek it out again, so someone else will have to let me know.

SSDD

speaking of warm weather beer...

The just released 2011 Bells Oberon

not my favorite beer for a 35˚ day... might have to wait till it
warms up a bit to really enjoy this ale made with wheat

picked up a mixed 12 pack while at the Dells
This one is my favorite.
nice session beer with maybe a bit too much hops for some...

Bulleit Rye. It's new and it's pretty great for its price, but still I prefer Rittenhouse. I'm a huge Rittenhouse fan but I still haven't found a rye that can match its raw character and spiciness. I really long for the days when Sam's carried it for 12.99 a bottle. Wish I would have bought more.

That being said Bulleit is really pretty great, it has a much softer and more refined character than Rittenhouse and I think would be great for making non-stirred cocktails with. I'm already dreaming of a cinnamon syrup shaking cocktail with it. It has a very nice cinnamon note right at the end.

Spent some time at Bangers & Lace tonight:

Three Floyds Krunk Monk

Great Divide Grand Cru

Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch

BrewDog Stone Bashah

Not a miss in the bunch ... The Monk was very good. The Grand Cru was similar, but borderline great. The Geek Brunch was very good for the style, not as viscus as BCS with a subtle coffee taste; The Bashah was very well blended for a collaboration, but I do wonder what it would have been like earlier in the evening.

SSDD

Bell's Two Hearted Batch 10276 March 25, 2011

Very fresh and very delicious.

I opened a Guinness when I got home, but the temps spiked so rapidly I switched to the Oberon I'm now drinking.

For the second night in a row, I made myself a Jimmie Roosevelt. I was heard to remark, "That might just be my new favorite cocktail."

Fill a Champagne glass with cracked ice.
Place a lump of sugar in the center and saturate it with Angostura bitters.
Pour over a jigger of Cognac.
Fill the glass with Champagne.
Drizzle two bar spoons of Green Chartreuse on top.

Now, if only my wife would open a bottle of sparkling wine more often...

Smith & Cross daiquiris at Prairie Grass Cafe in Northbrook.

=R=

Goose Island's Big John...one of the best executed chocolate-forward beers I've had the pleasure to consume. Easily trumps Young's or Rogue's, and with a more full chocolate flavor and better beer base than Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout.