“I exercise strong self-control. I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast.”
W.C. Fields
For more fun Martini quotes check out the appropriately titled “Martini Quotes” page, or click the link: Martini Quotes.
Month: August 2015
Craft Gin, the new trend?!?
It seems that these days there are boutique and small gin distilleries popping up all over. Being a long term gin drinker I can recall the days when my choices at any typical bar were severely limited; Beefeater, Tanqueray, Bombay, and Gordon’s. If I was lucky a bar might have Hendrick’s.
I generally applaud this renewed interest in Gin. It gives me a lot of new flavors, tastes, and aromas to experience. But it did get me thinking, there are a lot of new ‘twists’ on Gins these days and I’m not sure I like where some of them are going.
Barrel Aging! Gin aged in Whiskey barrels? Cognac Barrels? Really? Either of these treatments will certainly add color and different flavors to the Gin. And, most likely, add a certain astringent taste to the Gin – what wine enthusiasts refer to as tannins.
The lack of clarity of these barrel age gins certainly would not appeal to a traditionalist. And the tanninic taste I think will not go well with the fundamental juniper flavor required in all Gins.
But the other flavors that come from barrel aging may, or may not, indeed offer some surprises and pleasures. I haven’t tried these yet, but I’m dubious. I’ll withhold judgement, for now.
But Craft Gin? Did gin becoming a trend? Or, god forbid, a FAD? I sure hope not, I’m about as anti-fad as they come. I’d be really annoyed that some snot nosed runt of a frat boy thinks I just jumped on the Gin bandwagon last week. When I’ve been drinking gin since …. well, you know.
There used to be a certain sophistication and ‘bon vivant’ feeling to ordering a ‘real’ Martini in a crowd of Vodkaphiles. I’m going to miss that.
Happy Birthday Sir Sean Connery
Happy Birthday to Sir Sean Connery, the original, and in many minds, the best James Bond. He is 85 today.
Connery is also the original voice behind my ‘Shaken, not Stirred’ theme on this blog. I can’t speak for everyone else, but when I read these words, it’s Connery’s voice I hear in my head.
Random Martini Quote For The Day
“Do not allow children to mix drinks. It is unseemly and they use too much vermouth.” Steve Allen
For more fun Martini quotes check out the appropriately titled “Martini Quotes” page, or click the link: Martini Quotes.
Looking forward to a Friday Martini
New Page: Martini Jokes
In response to my recent Martini Joke post, I’ve decided to add a new page for various Martini Jokes. This is a bit different than the existing page for Martini Quotes. I hope you enjoy these and get a few laughs.
The various pages are listed above in the green menu line just above this post.
There are more pages ‘in work’ so check back regularly. As always comments and suggestions are welcome.
Something Funny for a Wednesday
A Roman Centurion walks into a bar.
“What can I get you?” says the barman
“I’d like a Martinum please.”
“Do you mean a Martini?”
“If I want a double I’ll ask.”
Martini Anyone?
Thermal Flow Thoughts – Keeping the Martini Cold!
We mentioned thermal flow several times as part of discussions on keeping a drink cold. So I started wondering exactly what are the typical thermal paths for a Martini?
First lets understand that cold doesn’t exist, there is only the absence of heat. Heat flows from warm to cold… or from cold to colder. So to make a Martini cold you pull heat out of the fluid by using something colder; using cold ice when we shake (or stir) the Martini. We sometimes think its the other way around, so some of my comments below may seem backward.
So heat flows to warm your Martini, or other cocktail, in the following ways:
From the air, through the glass bowl, and into the liquid.
From the counter, table, or bar top into the stem and then up into the liquid.
When being held, through the fingers or hand into the glass and then into the drink. (Note that heat flow is inversely proportional to length, i.e., heat flows less, or slower, through a longer path. A tall stem will conduct less heat up through the glass into the Martini that a short squat, bulbous stem.)
So where does most of this drink warming heat come from? Without doing a complete thermodynamic model (I’ve thought about it), it seems pretty clear that it is from the surrounding air.
The thermal path up through the table is limited by a long thin stem. Heat from the hand is temporary, assuming your not holding the stem constantly. (See: “What’s the best way to hold the Martini?” for previous comments on how to hold your Martini.) Which leaves the air which is constantly in contact with the bowl of the Martini, as the significant culprit warming your martini.
So what’s the best solution? Other than moving to the Arctic or Antarctic, drinking in the freezer! Kidding aside, I’m stumped on this one. Surely drinking in an air conditioned bar will keep your drink colder than outside in the sun. But having a nice Martini on a deck over looking the beach is just marvelous.
Here are a couple suggestions to consider:
Hold the stem as little as possible and by the rim or stem of the glass,
Use a coaster; its a thermal insulator and will minimize heat flow up through the stem,
Keep the drink in the shade if you’re outside. No need adding the sun’s warmth to the liquid,
Use a Martini ‘coozie’???
OMG, did I really say that? Sacrilegious! I’ll suffer penance with a cold Martini….
Random Martini Quote For The Day
“A perfect martini should be made by filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy.”
Noël Coward
For more fun Martini quotes check out the appropriately titled “Martini Quotes” page, or click the link: Martini Quotes.