Gene Tunney! Who's that?

Well apparently he's a guy who had a terrible drink named after him.

Gene Tunney at Wikipedia
"James Joseph "Gene" Tunney (May 25, 1897 – November 7, 1978) was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight. Tunney retired as an undefeated heavyweight after his victory over Tom Heeney in 1928."

So that's who Gene Tunney was and the drink...

Gene Tunney
1/4 oz Orange Juice
Dash of Lemon Juice
3/4 oz dry Vermouth
1 oz Gin

So you can see from the recipe that it includes Gin. I've had other drinks with Gin and enjoyed them, so I don't think that it's the Gin that I'm disliking so much.  I'll have to try some other Gin drinks to make sure though.  Do you like Gin?  What's your favorite Gin drink?  The American Bar has approximately 85 drinks with Gin in them.  I could go for a Long Island Ice Tea but that's not that adventureous.

It didn't take me long to buy the Gin once I'd decided on the next drink.  Too bad the drink ended up tasting terrible.  So I think I bought good Gin.  NO pine taste.  I bought Tanqueray.  Why did I choose Tanqueray?  Well, I have fond memories of a bike ride through a hurricane with approximately 2,800 other bicyclists.  Interest peeked?  Tanqueray sponsors "AIDS Ride" events and when I lived in Boston I completed the Boston to New York City AIDS Ride.  This was the year 1999 and the year of the Hurrican Floyd.  When I'd trained for the ride from Boston to New York I had prepared for an adventure.  Well, I'd had no idea!  The 'ride' began with several hours of waiting in the cold rain, a 4 hour bus ride in a bus that had defective wind shield wipers, and a stop off at a Truck Stop with 40 other bicyclists (mostly gay men) wearing spandex and helmets decorated with various near pornagraphic images.  Imagine what the truck drivers had to say when we showed up.  HA!

I'm thinking a little more about the Still suggestion.   Sounds interesting, but I can't help thinking that making my own booze might lead to blindness.  Of course the guys in M.A.S.H. did it, so why not me?

A good question to ask yourself, "Is it the Buzz talking?"

We'll have to skip the White Russian for now.  Tonight I managed to go out with a friend from work, THANKS JO!  I even managed it with the boy along.  Imagine that!  So while out at Jerry's I had a Grey Goose Lemon Drop Martini and I had a celebrity siting.  Of course I couldn't place the actor while I was sitting at the restuarant trying to prevent my 14 month old from clobbering the person in the booth next to me with the macroni and cheese dish, but figured it out with a little google help once I got home.  What did I google? "Curly haired actor" The result...James Frain.  Okay, so I have no idea what he actually ate, but since I had Pastrami, just imagine the man below and...a faint scent of ...meat. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Grey Goose Lemon Drop Martini

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

1/4 - 3/4 oz Sugar Syrup

1 1/2 oz Grey Goose

1/2 oz TripleSec

Shake with Ice Cubes

What a nice way to end this crazy day at work.  I'm lucky because I'm now only working 20 hours a week, but as my colleagues have said, "Now, you seem like you're on turbo at work."  Apparently there is a joke at work that if you're caught in the hallaway as I'm coming your way.  You're sure to be flattened as I steamroll down the hallway.  I'm still working out how to balance the whole family thing with the work thing.  I have full-time responsibilities with only 20 hours to do it.  I was frequently called a "workaholic" before the boy came along and now I just try to fit everything into a smaller amount of time + the Grey Goose :)

Oh, I found a site that readers of this blog might be interested in.  Check out this website if you're a mom and want a degree in bartending.

http://www.momsreturntoschool.com/bartending/

Ok, I must make plans for more recipes.  The To Buy List includes Gin.  That is "good" Gin as my husband says, because we definitely do not want Gin that tastes like pine.  I guess I'm just happy if it doesn't taste like paint thinner, but what do I know.

The American Bar says, "A Bar without Gin is like an Italian kitchen without pasta."  So off to the store to buy some good Gin.  Also, I've been advised that I should have my own Still.  What do you all think?  It would fit on the balconey with the Worm Factory.  Would it bother the neighbors below us?  Would it cancel out the smell of the worms?  Do the neighbors even know that I have a worm composter with thousands of worms living just above them?  Let's hope not.  So a Still? 

Ah well, off to bed.

Bartending for a New Mom? Appalling!

Wait it's not that bad. Think about it. You can no longer go out like you used to and you still want to hang with your friends. Oh and don't forget, YOU NEED A DRINK, from time to time. So my advice, as a new mom, and a woman that has enjoyed a drink or two, is buy yourself the American Bar by Charles Schumann and have at it.

I've not been a mixed drinker in the past except for a few standards. I have been adventurous in my life with other things, but not with booze, which now that I think of it is a good thing.  In fact, I must admit that I'm quite ingorant when it comes to mixed drinks. I don't know what's in the drinks I like and I've been of the opinion that it must be quite difficult and complicated to make a good drink. That's why the big tip for the bartender, right?

I'm turning over a new leaf though. As part of my "therapy" and as a way to improve my mind (HA!), I'm starting with my standard drinks and moving through the book so that I'll one, really know what I like, two, I'll be able to order with confidence when I actually ever get a chance to out again, and three, I'll be able to make my own damn drink when I need--I'm mean want one. How many drink recipes are there in the American Bar? I haven't counted them up yet, but I'm going to find out.

Drink #1 Margarita
Good Heavens! I never imagined that the Margarita was sooo very simple.

3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz Cointreau (or triple sec)
1 1/2 oz tequila

That's it?!

So what's in Margarita Mix? I headed off to the grocery recently to find out and the ingredients read lemon juice, triple sec, and tequila. That's it?! No mysterious ingredients that I don't know what it is or where to find it.  Well if the drinks are going to be this easy, well...what an idiot I've been. The first drink was a success!

So what's next? On to the White Russian, though I'll have to do a little shopping. WE NEED KALHUA! The booze stash in the house may seem extensive to some, but its ancient. It currently includes Tequilla, Vodka, Congac, Saki, Amaretto, and Citron. The tequilla we used for the Margarita's was at least 5 years old and may even have been 8 years old. I just can't remember when I bought it. It definitely moved with us into our current condo and we moved here in fall 2006. I have a lot of vodka in the house though for the most part they are unopened bottles collected at various times with the intent to make a screw driver, but never actually opened. Its a little scary, but I think we actually have 3 bottles of vodka. I can however remember when I bought the Amaretto. I bought it to make a Peach Amaretto Sorbet in 2002. Does Amaretto go bad? Maybe I'll be dumping it.

Okay so a little shopping for more booze is needed and perhaps a little investment in some actual bartending equipment. You are supposed to "shake" the ingredients for a Margarita and I do not have a shaker. Note to else and anyone else that's interested. Using a coffee travel mug does the job, but its not very elegant and who wants to make a drink for a friend when its not an elegant process. So off we go. Are you ready for the adventure?