Happy World Cocktail! My suggestion is to celebrate with a Martini, or three!
Which ever way you choose to celebrate, Celebrate Safely.
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“All the charming and beautiful things, from the Song of Songs, to bouillabaisse, and from the nine Beethoven symphonies to the Martini cocktail, have been given to humanity by men who, when the hour came, turned from tap water to something with color in it, and more in it than mere oxygen and hydrogen.”
H. L. Mencken
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Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Wondering what all the ‘fuss’ is about?
Cinco de Mayo honors the Mexican army victory over a greatly outnumbered French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. But it is not Mexico’s Independence day. That occurred over 50 years earlier and is celebrated on September 16. Americans have adopted the holiday and it is now a much greater celebration in the US than in Mexico.
Traditionally Cinco de Mayo is celebrated with a Margarita. While I am certainly an advocate for a Martini, I think today really does deserve a Margarita… I’ll take a “Cadillac” Margarita please.
However you celebrate, be safe. Don’t drink and drive.
World Cocktail Day is May 13 this year. That’s less than two weeks away. What are you planning?
“The proper union of gin & vermouth is a great & sudden glory; it is one of the happiest marriages on earth, and one of the shortest lived.”
DeVoto
If you haven’t check our out “Martini Quotes” page recently you’ll be pleased to know that there have been several updates and additions…. click the link: Martini Quotes.
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The Continental Room is described as the “oldest drinking establishment in the city”, having originally opened in 1925. That’s not even close to the White Horse Tavern in Rhode Island, founded in 1673. And certainly a world away from Sean’s Bar in Athlone, Ireland, founded somewhere around 500. But in this part of the world, 1925 is considered historic.
So what is this historic place like? First, its dark. Very Dark. No, darker! Really. There’s lots of dark wood, dark red Naugahyde booths below darkish yellow walls, and dim red lighting.
Second, its narrow with the (dark wood) Bar along the right wall as you enter and the fore mentioned booths along the left wall. The place appears very small at first but a quick trip to the restrooms and you discover that it goes way back with a dance floor and several back rooms.
Third, it is pretty quiet with mostly local ‘regulars’ sitting at the bar. At least until after 9:00pm when the DJ, or local band, comes in and the place starts filling up with students from the local colleges. Or so I’ve been told. 😉
As for the Martini? Well, it was a bit disappointing, I had hoped for better. While the drink was shaken it was really not very chilled. And the stem wasn’t pre-chilled at all. It was also a bit on the small side, though the Gin/Vermouth proportion was very good.
Overall The Continental Room gets a tipped stem. If you’re in the area its worth a look if you have time, but there are better choices for Martinis in the immediate area.
For Gin Selection The Continental Room gets a C.
Selection Includes Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Ford’s, Nolet’s, Hendricks, and St. George Terroir.
If you’re inclined to research a bit more: www.continentalroomoc.com
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***** Rating Definitions ****
Well, the photos are!!
The photos that have appeared on this blog are now posted on Pinterest. So if you saw something you wanted to copy, or see again, take a look at our Pinterest Board cleverly titled “Martini Photos”. Photos from future blog posting will be added to the board as well.
In addition, any interesting Martini related photos that I take for future blog postings will end up on the board as well. And anyone who would like to offer their Martini Photos for the collection would greatly welcomed.
https://www.pinterest.com/PerfectMartini/
All photos are mine, or friends of mine, and may be freely copied.
The Watermark on Main is located in the historic 1907 Groene building on the corner of East Main and North Chestnut in downtown Ventura. It has been at various stages of its life an Edison office, a Bank, a Jewellery store , a clothes store, an Art Studio, and now a Restaurant and rooftop lounge.
There are two things that strike you when you walk into the Watermark; the ceiling and the bar. The restaurant and bar area are open to the second floor and the ceiling looks like it’s made of beautiful hand carved wooden beams with various paintings. Sort of like a Nordic carved vaulted ceiling but with an early southwest theme. However the ceiling is actually formed, carved, and painted plaster! From a distance its almost impossible to tell that it’s not true wood. Very pretty and shows a lot of handiwork.
The second thing is the bar top: it is made of pale yellow Onyx. As with all agates there are striations of various colors, mostly orange and some brown, running along the bar. It is back-lit and thin enough so the whole bar top looks like its glowing. It is impressive. On the second floor walls are various friezes depicting early Camino Real from 1920s California. There are also numerous Art Deco touches through out, with an almost nautical feel. Most notably the chandeliers, hanging lamps, and sconces.
I know what you’re thinking … “The Martini, get to the martini!” Well they are Very Good! The stem was well chilled in the fridge, shaken with enthusiasm, amply poured, and presented promptly. It was cold, clean, and nearly perfect. The barkeep was very helpful and knowledgeable of the various gins and Martinis.
Additionally the dinner was excellent. The menu would be described as traditional American with an occasional ‘extra’. There is also live music on a regular basis, not only in the downstairs restaurant but also in the third floor rooftop lounge.
I do recommend Watermark on Main, not only for their Martini but the food, history, ambiance, and overall experience. As for a Martini Rating, Watermark gets one stem. The criteria for two stems has always been: ‘Would I search out this restaurant based on the Martini alone?’ While Watermark’s Martinis are indeed very good, they’re just not quite good enough to warrant a trip on Martini alone.
For Gin Selection Watermark gets a B+.
Selection Includes Plymouth, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Tanqueray 10, Beefeater, Hendrick’s, Nolet’s, Death Door, and Cutler’s. Cutler’s Gin is a local creation from Santa Barbara, CA. While Watermark ‘only’ has 9 different Gins, I’m giving it a B+ because of the local addition Cutler’s.
For additional information: www.watermarkonmain.com
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***** Rating Definitions ****
“My doctor said eat more fruits & vegetables. An extra strawberry in my daiquiri & olive in my martini should do the trick”
Maxine (John Wagner)
The “Martini Quotes” page is always being updated. If you haven’t checked it in a while you should take a look.
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Time to start planning; National Martini Day is right around the corner! Well 90 days from today, that’s sort of around the corner. 😉