The Return of Absinthe

Lucid Absinthe & World's End Girlfriend







Lucid Absinthe Cocktail

*Lucid Absinthe
*Chilled Water
*Sugar Cube
*Absinthe Spoon
*Small Snifter or Absinthe Glass









To Prepare a traditional, Rimbaud-era Absinthe Cocktail—Pour 1.5 oz of Lucid into an Absinthe Glass or Small Snifter. Place a sugar cube atop a flat, perforated spoon that rests on the rim of the glass. Slowly drip 4.5 oz of ice cold water on top of the sugar cube, which slowly dissolves into the Absinthe. Absinthe is strong; you want about a 1:3 ratio of Absinthe to Water— And stop drinking if you meet the green fairy!




Traditional Absinthe is illegal here in the U.S. and has been for quite a long time. The first wormwood-derived absinthe imported (legally, that is) into the U.S. in 95 years is the new "Lucid." Lucid is formulated by world renowned absinthe expert T.A. Breaux, and is distilled in strict accordance to traditional French methods. Lucid is crafted in the historic Combier distillery, founded in 1834 and designed by Gustave Eiffel in the fabled Loire Valley of France. Each bottle of Lucid is carefully prepared by skilled craftsmen, using ancient copper absinthe alembics. Unlike most contemporary imitators, Lucid is distilled entirely from spirits and European herbs, and uses no artificial additives, oils, or dyes. Lucid recalls the rich tradition of absinthe, and is crafted using a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Green Anise, Sweet Fennel, and other fine European herbs traditionally used in making fine Belle Epoque absinthe.








Here's a Link to "The Real Absinthe Blog" ---> Click Me!







Music For Lucid Absinthe:


Worlds End Girlfriend (ワールズ・エンド・ガールフレンド) is an unusual ongoing musical project of Japanese composer Katsuhiko Maeda. Placing the solo musician's music into one well-defined genre is difficult, as it blends elements of electronica and post-rock to create a unique style. Fascinated by his father’s classical music collection as a youth, Maeda was composing on keyboards, guitar, tape recorders and computers by age thirteen. He also experimented with various other instruments and recording techniques, and is said to have hundreds of songs recorded but not released. His music tends to revolve around atmospheric soundscapes, often dark or moody. While possessing a certain human grit, Maeda’s music also often has a bizarreness that suggests a fantasy world. In December 2002, Maeda released the mini-album "dream’s end come true," which moves in a somewhat cinematic direction, featuring a mix of quirky electronics and arranged violins and cellos.

Here It Is! The Music Download Linkfor World's End Girlfriend: Dreams End Come True

Samus Aran & 2 Autechre EPs!

Here is yet another cocktail recipe using the Quirky and Unique Hendrick's Gin. What can I say? I'm an oddball. And since summer's almost gone I thought I'd share a recipe for a cool & refreshing twist on an old summer favorite: The Gin & Tonic. Inspired by a drink called the "Butte to Butte" Served at (the most excellent) Starlight Lounge (between 8th & 9th on Olive st. in Eugene Oregon.) Starlight has quite a few quirky cocktails on it's menu, many of them using spirits distilled locally. Also very friendly staff & excellent atmosphere.


Samus Aran & Autechre



Samus Aran:

*Hendrick's Gin
*Tonic Water
*Muddled Cucumber
*Shaved Lemon Peel
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Tom Collins Glass



The Samus Aran consists of 2 Muddled Cucumber Slices (skin removed) placed underneath Ice in the bottom of a Tom Collins Glass. A mixture of equal parts Hendrick's Gin and Tonic Water is added, Stirred vigorously, and garnished on top with a touch of Shaved Lemon Peel. Enjoy!




Samus Aran is also the badass fictional protagonist of the Metroid video game series. First introduced in the 1986 video game "Metroid," Samus is a female bounty hunter armed with a cybernetic power suit with a number of advanced technologies built into it. She hunts the aliens called the "Space Pirates" and energy-draining alien parasites called "Metroids," while attempting to complete missions given by the Galactic Federation. Hot.


Music For This Cocktail:


Here's 2 EPs to bump while drinking the Samus Aran Cocktail: Autechre's Anvil Vapre & Anti EPs.




Download them BOTH By Clicking Here. Phase On!



Autechre is the paragon of IDM and one of the driving forces behind its development, though they are ambivalent in relating their sound to established genres. In response to comments about their unique sound, Autechre argue that given the incredible range of tools available to modern composers, especially in the electronic genres, it is incomprehensible that any band should "sound like" any other band. Thanks to nodatta.blogspot.com for turning me on to them & so many other talented artists. You can link to nodatta.blogspot.com through my "Respect" section.

Flaming Lips

The Flaming Lips Bloody Mary






Bloody Mary:

*Mazama Pepper Infused Vodka
*A Thick Natural Bloody Mary Mix
*Salt & Pepper
*Lemon
*Worcestershire Sauce
*Horseradish
*Green Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives
*Celery
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Bloody Mary Glass
*Stainless Steel Martini Shaker



Mix Equal Parts Mazama Pepper Vodka & Bloody Mary Mix ( May I Suggest RedEye or Freshies ) in a Martini Shaker. Add a dollop of Horseradish and two or three splashes Worcestershire. Stir. Double Strain. Garnish with Lemon, Celery, Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives, Salt & Pepper. Serve to a hung-over loved one.





Bendistillery is among the oldest small-batch distilleries. Since 1996 they have been reviving the tradition of premium handcrafted American distilled spirits. Located in the high desert of Oregon, they use only pure Cascade Mountain water to distill their gins and vodkas. Named after Mt. Mazama, the volcano that erupted to become Crater Lake, Mazama Hot Pepper Vodka is handcrafted using only fresh natural ingredients. Starting with the same spirit they make their award-winning Crater Lake Vodka from, they infuse a blend of six different sweet and hot peppers.




Bloody Marys, and the non-alcoholic Virgin Mary, are frequently served in the morning (as are Mimosas and Screwdrivers), although they are a popular drink later in the day as well. (Traditionally, a Bloody Mary should not be served after six PM.)While there is not much complexity in mixing vodka and tomato juice, more elaborate versions of the drink have become trademarks of the bartenders who make them. The epithet "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical and fictional women, most notably Queen Mary I of England.

In folklore and children's street culture, "Bloody Mary" is the name of a children's game in which a ghost of the same name (or sometimes other names, such as "Mary Worth") is said to appear in a mirror when summoned. One of the more common ways participants attempt to make her appear is to stand before a mirror in the dark (most commonly in a bathroom) and repeat her name three times, though there are many variations. The combination of dizziness, rapid movement and flickering lighting could easily fool the eye into seeing someone, especially when the idea has already been implanted. The participant may think that they have seen a spirit, it is, however, most likely a trick of the eye brought upon by the combination of darkness and fear.



Music for Flaming Lips Bloody Mary: The Flaming Lips-At War With The Mystics



Download --> The Flaming Lips and Enjoy.

Chartini & Landing

Chartini & Landing





Chartini

*Hendrick's Gin
*Dry Vermouth
*Sprig of Mint
*Chartreuse
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Martini Glass
*Stainless Steel Martini Shaker



Fill Shaker with Cubed Ice. Mix 1 part Chartreuse with 1 part Dry Vermouth with 4 parts Hendrick's Gin. Shake Mixture very cold. Strain into a frosted Martini Glass. Garnish with Mint Sprig. Toast to good Health!




Chartreuse is an herbal liqueur made by the monastery Monks near Grenoble, France. According to legend, the formula for Chartreuse was invented by a 16th century alchemist as an attempt to create aqua vitae (the waters of life.) This formula of 130 herbs was bequeathed to the monks who have kept it secret for nearly 400 years. Today, only three brothers of that monastery know how to make Chartreuse. Chartreuse has traditionally existed in three varieties of descending potency; the medicinal elixir variety, the green variety, and the yellow variety. The elixir is no longer available in the USA, but the green variety is potent enough to satisfy anyone at 110 proof. Though the precise herbs in Chartreuse are not publicly known, there is a small quantity of thujone, the active chemical in wormwood (and consequently, absinthe.) This considered, it is no surprise that the intoxication caused by Chartreuse is both stronger than it's alcohol content would otherwise indicate, and slightly different because of thujone's psychoactive qualities. Though Chartreuse is very sweet, it's strong alcohol content and fierce herbal flavor is an acquired taste for some... it packs a wallop. Green Chartreuse is particularly loved in the NYC gothic community because of it's efficiency; a very small quantity can maintain a buzz for most of an evening, and a larger quantity can take the sharp edges off of everything. Chartreuse is the only liqueur to have a color named after it. Wikipedia: According to tradition, in 1605 a marshal of artillery to French king Henri IV, François Hannibal d'Estrées, presented the Carthusian monks at Vauvert, near Paris, with an alchemical manuscript that contained a recipe for an "elixir of long life". The recipe eventually reached the religious order's headquarters at the Grande Chartreuse monastery, in Voiron, near Grenoble. It has since then been used to produce the "Elixir Végétal de la Grande Chartreuse". The formula is said to call for 130 herbs, flowers, and secret ingredients combined in a wine alcohol base. The monks intended their liqueur to be used as medicine. The recipe was further enhanced in 1737 by Brother Gérome Maubec. The beverage became popular quickly, and in 1764 the monks adapted the elixir recipe to make what is now called Green Chartreuse. In 1793, the monks were expelled from France and this resulted in the interruption of the manufacture of Chartreuse. Several years later they were allowed to return to their monastery. In 1838, the monks developed a sweeter, 40% alcoholic (80° proof) liqueur, colored with saffron and sold as Yellow Chartreuse. The monks were again expelled from the monastery by French law in 1903, and their real property, including the distillery, was confiscated by the government. The monks, however, spirited away the recipe for Chartreuse. Finding refuge in Tarragona, Spain, they began producing the liqueur in that location, with the same label, but with an additional label added which said Liqueur fabriquée à Tarragone par les Pères Chartreux ("liquor manufactured in Tarragona by the Carthusian Fathers").



At the same time in Voiron, the French government tried and failed repeatedly to reproduce the recipe. The venture was a disaster. By 1927 the production company was facing bankruptcy, and its shares became nearly worthless. A group of local businessmen in Voiron bought all the shares at this low price, and sent them as a gift to the monks in Tarragona. Being now again in possession of the distillery, the Carthusian brothers returned to the monastery with the tacit approval of the French government, and began to produce Chartreuse once again. Despite the eviction law, when a mudslide destroyed the distillery in 1935, the French government assigned Army engineers to relocate and rebuild it near a location in Voiron where the monks had previously set up a distribution point. After World War II, the government lifted the expulsion order, making the Carthusian brothers once again legal French residents. Today the liqueurs are produced in Voiron using the herbal mixture prepared by three monks at the Grande Chartreuse. Other related alcoholic beverages are manufactured in the same distillery (Génépi). The exact recipes for all forms of Chartreuse remain trade secrets and are known at any given time only to the three monks who prepare the herbal mixture. The herb hyssop is one of the most obvious major constituents of the flavor.


For those of you who have never heard of Hendrick's gin, I'll tell you right up front - it's got cucumbers and rose petals in it. The first thing you notice is that the bottle is squat and brown and distinctive...almost a nod to gin's medicinal roots, because it looks like something you'd buy from an apothecary to align your humors or cure your gout. The second thing you'll notice is that instead of crowing about how their gin is the greatest thing since polio vaccination, the little pamphlet that comes with the bottle almost dares you to try it. With slogans like "It is not for everybody" and "Preferred by 1 out of 1000 gin drinkers," Hendrick's definitely stays away from typical marketing techniques, though it does say Hendrick's is "loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world."



"So what does it taste like? The only adjective we could come up with was "velvety." There were the typical juniper/evergreen tastes, combined with citrus and even a mint undertone. If you're a gin drinker, someone who typically sticks to a Bombay Sapphire or Tanqueray, I highly recommend seeking out Hendrick's and giving it a try. You'll be glad you did. Don't just drink it - savor it, sip it, enjoy it. " -Liquorsnob.com

Hendrick's is distilled in small batches in Ayrshire, Scotland. It's imported by William Grant & Sons, the same fine folks who bring you a few other spirits you might recognize, including The Balvenie single malt whiskies and Sailor Jerry Rum.





Music For The Chartini:


The Perfect Music for the Chartini is Landing's Circuit. Landing is an indie rock outfit from Connecticut, USA. Terms used to describe the music created by Aaron Snow and Adrienne Snow include ambient, shoegaze, slo-core, and space rock. Other members include Dick Baldwin (guitar, bass), Daron Gardner (bass, drums) and more recently, Peter Baumann (not the same musician who was once a member of Tangerine Dream).

Here It Is! Landing-Circuit Download Link

Dirty Unibomber Martini & Pepe Deluxe's Spare Time Machine




Dirty Unibomber

*Aviation Gin
*Simple Syrup
*Maraschino Cherries
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Martini Glass
*Stainless Steel Martini Shaker



Fill Shaker with Cubed Ice. Mix 1 part Muddled Maraschino Cherries & Juice from the Jar with 1 part Simple Syrup with 4 parts Aviation Gin. Shake Mixture very cold. Strain into a frosted Martini Glass. Garnish with one Cherry. Sweetness!



This is an Alteration I made (for my girlfriend Cat) to the Cherry Bomber: Now instead of natural pitted cherries you need to use the sweeter Maraschino cherries. The Key to this Martini Is the balance of the Cherry Sweetness with Aviation's Delicious Gin. In case you didn't know, I LOVE THIS GIN!! In case you missed it, check my previous Blog Entries for "The Cherry Bomber Martini," another ( less sweet ) great cocktail that also uses Portland's most excellent Aviation Gin.





Music For This Martini:


The Perfect Music for the Dirty Unibomber Martini is an album called Spare Time Machine by Pepe Deluxe. The Finnish electronic trio Pepe Deluxe is an eclectic, artistically abstract bunch of musicians. In 2007 Spare Time Machine arrived with spirited retro electro-funk beats, this time blended with a touch of '60s psychedelic and '70s prog rock.

Here It Is! Pepe Deluxe Download Link

Strawberry Monopolemonade & Tomoki Kanda

Strawberry Monopolemonade is a cocktail I invented for my girlfriend. A refreshing patio drink for your sweetheart on a hot summer night.


*MONOPOLOWA Vodka
*Strawberry Puckers
*Pink Lemonade
*Fresh Strawberrys
*Rimming Sugar
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Martini Glass
*Stainless Steel Martini Shaker



Mix Equal Parts Pink Lemonade & MONOPOLOWA Vodka with 1 Shot of Strawberry Puckers in a Martini Shaker. Sugar the Rim of a Frosted Martini Glass. Strain into Glass and Garnish with Fresh Strawberry slices. Serve to a beautiful woman.




Don't let the cheap label fool you! MONOPOLOWA is a distinctive potato vodka, produced of a traditional formula, which was originated in Eastern Europe, by the Baczewski / Gessler family, who were purveyors to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in its day. MONOPOLOWA is a vodka of distinctive intensity, depth of flavor and complexity of character, attributable to a "back-to-basics" tradition of being distilled from potatoes. Unlike the tasteless Vodkas produced stateside, MONOPOLOWA has a bit of flavor to it. (Vodka, which was native to Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, as well as Russia, was popularly assumed to be a spirit made from potatoes. Nowadays it is more likely to be produced from grain in most countries.) There are certain enzymes in the potatoes that help to burn off the congeners and other impurities much more completely during the distillation. For this reason MONOPOLOWA potato vodka is very smooth and fruit juices (like cranberry and orange) mix perfectly with it. In addition it's consumer friendliness extends even to those who have a sensitivity to products made from grain. MONOPOLOWA vodka has two hundred years of experience in every bottle, and often scores in the low 90s with Vodkas like Stoli and Absolut, which are twice as expensive. At our liquor store a 750 ml bottle costs $12.95.





Music for Monopolemonade:

Tomoki Kanda-Landscape of Smaller's Music
This is an album of subtle beauty that strikes a balance between organic electronic pop and a wide-eyed sense of wonder for pure ambient sound.

Download --> This Album and let it carry you away.

Audrey Saunders' French Pearl & Free the Robots





For a French Pearl Martini you will need:


* 2 ounces Plymouth Gin
* 3/4 ounce Lime Juice
* 3/4 ounce Simple Syrup
* 1/4 ounce Pernod
* 1 Mint Sprig
*Cubed Ice
*Frosted Martini Glass
*Stainless Steel Martini Shaker

Muddle, Shake, and double-strain into Frosted Martini Glass. Consume.

The French Pearl Martini is a creation of Audrey Saunders: The Libation Goddess.
She's the former bartender at Bemelmans Bar (New York City), and proprietor of the Pegu Club (New York City), and a prominent mixologist. Audrey Saunders began her career in 1996 after taking a seminar in mixology from Master Mixologist, Dale DeGroff. In 1999, she and DeGroff opened Blackbird on East 49th Street where they worked side by side and Saunders painstakingly proved herself to regulars by mixing DeGroff’s specialties to perfection. Audrey joined The Carlyle in February 2002 where she spent has spend the past three years creating and fine-tuning a world class beverage programme, earning the bar a global reputation for cocktails and a listing in Forbes magazine’s top 20 bars in the world. In the summer of 2005, Audrey Saunders opened the Pegu Club in New York City’s Soho district. Her goal is that the Pegu Club serves as a beacon to those who hold the craft of mixology in high esteem. Audrey has been featured in The New York Times, The Financial Times, Wine & Spirits and The Wall Street Journal. Cocktail afficianados enjoy the Pegu Club not just for the great drinks and atmosphere, but for the way in which proprietor Audrey Saunders takes a keen interest in her customers.Pegu Club (77 West Houston Street, NYC 212-473-7348) is an oasis of style, flavor and class, and brims with unusual concepts. Audrey's goal of establishing a beacon for those who value the craft of the cocktail has been most artfully achieved.

"If a Woo Woo Shooter sounds to you like a sign of the apocalypse, you may be a cocktail purist. Like Calvinists, the purists believe we have been cast out of paradise and live in a fallen world. Drinks experts differ on just when paradise ended. Maybe it was the twilit colonial era of Charles Baker. Or the Jazz Age world of Fitzgerald and Hemingway at the Paris Ritz. Audrey says that for her it was the mid-1800s, the time of such heroic drinks as the Blue Blazer and the Tom and Jerry. Whenever the Golden Age of the Cocktail was, though, one thing is certain: It's over. We have dug down into our past to rescue endangered foods like wild rice and quinces, but we haven't revived orange bitters, let alone more recondite bottles like Crème d'Yvette. Instead, we get a new flavor of vodka every 17 minutes. No matter how many times visionaries like Dale DeGroff and Audrey Saunders try to start the Cocktail Revolution, they always end up like the citizens of Paris who stormed the Bastille for liberté, egalité et fraternité and found themselves a few years later watching Napoleon crown himself emperor." -Food & Wine 5-2005 "Mixing it up With a Cocktail Purist" by Pete Wells

"What Saunders and her friend and sometime collaborator Julie Reiner of New York's Flatiron Lounge have brought to mixology is a more culinary approach. They pay far greater attention to ingredients and the proportions in which they're combined than traditional bartenders. That's no mean accomplishment in drinks, which too often tend to be thrown together. Even today, with a cocktail revival in full swing, Saunders laments the trend toward oversweet concoctions made from pre-mixed ingredients. Such drinks erase the character of the liquors and forego the fresh fruits and herbs that should be the joys of a well-constructed cocktail. Vanilla martinis? Not at Bemelmans. Sour mix dispensed from a "gun" behind the bar? Saunders would sooner shoot herself. Instead, Saunders ransacks such 1940s bibles as David Embury's The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks or Charles Baker's The Gentleman's Companion to learn how to balance sweet, sour, and strong ingredients, or bittersweet and strong ones. "Once you know the basic ingredients, it's easy to pull out one and put something else in," she says. For a base, Saunders most often uses gin, thanks to the range of flavors provided by various brands. She has been among those lobbying to revive long-overlooked rye whiskey, for its powerful spiciness. But she thinks America's most popular spirit, vodka, is overused: "Why would I want to use vodka when there are so many other interesting spirits out there? Vodka's a no-brainer. Put juice with it and you've got a fruit smoothie, not a real cocktail." Saunders argues it's more important to explore unjustly neglected spirits and aperitifs -- names like Chartreuse, Punt e Mes, Fernet Branca Menta, Crème d'Yvette -- that elicit blank stares from many bartenders today. Rather than look to the distillers for innovation, Saunders invents her own new tastes by infusing (or steeping) into spirits exotic ingredients that might be overwhelmed if simply mixed in -- say, Earl Grey Tea for the famous Earl Grey "MarTEAni" she created two years ago for a Thanksgiving celebration at the Ritz Hotel London. Visitors to Saunders' apartment describe it as a riot of infusion experiments -- coffees, juices, herbs, spices, whatever. "Audrey's a bit of a mad scientist," says DeGroff. Once she has uncovered an interesting flavor combination, Saunders will tinker with it endlessly until the proportions are just right. "Her attention to detail amazes me," says her friend Reiner. "I'll do 15 or 20 versions of a cocktail, but she'll do 100" before settling on the best. The results can be startling. Saunders' most audacious concoction, the Dreamy Dorini, is named for a whiskey-drinking friend, Dori. Though martinis had been created using blended scotch whisky instead of vermouth, Saunders went further, using a peaty single-malt whisky called Laphroaig. Its smoky taste would have overwhelmed its companion, Grey Goose vodka, except for Saunders' inspired idea of adding a few drops of Pernod as "the lion tamer." It's not clear why that should work, but it does." -Business Week article by Gerry Khermouch




Music For The French Pearl:

Free The Robots! From Elsewhere comes Free the Robots, A balance of everything that is music. The Robot sound pays homage to the past with a drive for the future blending elements of Jazz, Electronica, Bossanova, Experimental, Hip-Hop, Soul, Psychedelic, Rock, Noise etc..

Free those Robots By Clicking Here.