Happy St. Patrick’s Day to one and all.
Enjoy an “Irish” Martini …. one with green garnish and decoration. But please leave the drink clean clear and pure.
My thanks to PortGirl for the photo!
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Time to start planning; World Gin Day is right around the corner! Well 90 days from now, more or less, that’s sort of around the corner. 😉
I hope to do another round of Gin Tastings, similar to last years. IF anyone has a gin they’d like tested & tasted, please let me know by commenting on this post.
If you want to check out last year’s tastings, you can find it here: World Gin Day Sampling Results & Opinions
March 17th and St. Patrick’s Day are just around the corner. How are you planning on celebrating? Does a green Martini sound right?
I’ve railed railed about ‘tinis in the past: Appletini, Mintini, Chocotini, and on and on. The purist in me certainly would avail against such candy drinks but I think that for this occasion that perhaps a little tolerance is in order.
So enjoy the green martini concoction of your choice next week.
“My doctor said eat more fruits & vegetables. An extra strawberry in my daiquiri & olive in my martini should do the trick”
Maxine (John Wagner)
If you haven’t check out our “Martini Quotes” page in a while you’ll be pleasantly surprised by some new additions.
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Yes, I know this is a Martini blog, but who says you can’t celebrate National Margarita day with a Martini? LOL
Have a great and safe holiday with whatever libation you choose.
While at my favorite watering hole recently, I noticed that they had a ‘new’ Gin on the shelf: Sipsmith VJOP. I thought I would have a go and I’m very glad I did. This Gin is excellent!
So what does VJOP mean? Well, I’ll break it down starting with “VJ” or Very Junipery! Emphasis on VERY. There are other flavors that surround and compliment the Juniper, but there’s no mistaking what the headliner is here.
With so many craft Gins popping up these days it seems that often the Juniper gets lost as Gin distillers rush to add more exotic and unusual flavors to their Gins. I can just picture the distiller looking over his/her most recent creation, checking off the ingredients . “Yes, there’s the pomegranate, the cinnamon, the radish, the bat’s wing, the newt’s eye, …. what is missing? OH! Right this is supposed to be gin!” Then he/she gets one juniper berry and throws it in the 100 gallon vat.
Not this VJOP! I believe that on the receiving dock at Sipsmith you’ll find someone dragging in a whole Juniper tree; berry, bark, stem, and pins. They just throw it in the vat and then toss a couple of other flavors in to smooth out the Juniper.
So if you’re like me and enjoy that pine forest scent and flavor of Juniper, this is a Gin you have to try. Personally I had it as a very dry Martini but I really think it will be great as a G&T with the Juniper complimenting the tonic. I’ll be trying that soon.
Oh, the OP? Over Proof! As in 57.7 ABV! A couple of VJOP Martinis and you’d better have a designated driver available. Or Uber it. This is one potent Gin.
“There is no sugar in a martini; no egg whites, no black and white rums, no shaved almonds, no fruit juice, no chocolate, and no spices…. It is a clear, clean, cold, pure, honest drink …”
Donald G. Smith, Wall Street Journal
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“The Cat” as locals call it, is a hidden gem in this quite bedroom community in North Orange County. It has been here hidden in the hills since 1979, but its root go back even further. It is part of the family run and operated El Cholo chain which was founded in 1923. But this is not your typical Mexican restaurant, or even your atypical one.
The structure and interior are English Tudor style with lots of dark wood trim and beams, and a huge Kitchen Hearth in the middle of the restaurant, though it didn’t look like they used it very often. But there are also Southwest elements to the decor. The menu is typical Cal-continental with a few unusual items such as Red Deer.
I stopped in the other day on my travels to try out their Martini. It was excellent. The stems are pre-chilled in a dedicated cooler which is always a pleasant sign for me. Their Martini was stirred, not shaken as is my preference but it was served quite cold. It was amply and promptly served by a very attentive barkeep.
I also observed something novel, at least to me. If the stem out of their cooler is not ‘cold enough’ they keep a basin of chipped ice in a drawer in a freezer just for chilling the stem. They do not use this ice for mixing drinks as there is another larger basin of cubed ice for that. The simple fact that they keep a separate container of cold chip ice for chilling your Martini glass is a great idea and contributes to their rating of two stems: 
For selection The Cat gets a “B+”.
Their selection includes the “Big Five” as I now call them: Bombay, Bombay Sapphire, Tanqueray, Tanqueray Ten, and Hendrick’s. Not necessarily because these are the best 5 gins, but because they are ubiquitous. Additionally The Cat stocks Oxley, Leopold, Hayman’s Old Tom, and Beefeater.
http://www.catandcustardcup.com/
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***** Rating Definitions ****
World Cocktail Day; May 13, 2016 is Coming in just 90 days. Are you ready?
“I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink scotch.”
George Burns
If you haven’t check out our “Martini Quotes” page in a while you’ll be pleasantly surprised by some new additions.
Also, If you like these posts and want to be notified by email when they come in, please subscribe to the blog…. over on the left column. 😉