Make Mine a Double

Absinthe contains a considerable amount of alcohol than most other liquors. This can vary between various brands but generally, absinthes are about as twice as strong as whisky, vodka or gin.
In short, one single shot of absinthe is equal to 2 shots of whisky or similar.

Just as guide we have put together a guide to the various alcohol levels.

Average whisky, gin or vodka: 40% alcohol
Absinthe Kubler: 53% alcohol
Pernod Absinthe: 60% alcohol
La Fee Absinthe: 68% alcohol
Hills Absinth: 70% alcohol
King of Spirits Absinth: 70% alcohol

I don’t know about you but this weekend, I will mostly be drinking excessive quantities of Absinthe. Anyone who wants to donate any hangover cures for the Monday morning would be greatly appreciated.

This week I have been re-introduced to the joys of wine - white wine in fact, which I haven’t been drinking for a long time.

My lodger decided to break open a bottle earlier this week and of course, it would have been rude of me to refuse to join him in a celebratory glass.  Then the second bottle was opened - but left unfinished - and this was where the damage was done.

The next night, that half a second bottle was still sat there.. begging to be finished.. so we obliged, and opened a third, but didn’t finish it.  Can you see where this is going?

I think I’m now on the fourth bottle of wine this week, and half a bottle is still sat in my fridge.  This is not good.  I think tonight that half a bottle will have to be finished and I shall resist opening another.  Besides, I think we’re on the last one and I’m not going to go to the shops to buy any more.  Although, I was tempted when Sainsburys announced on the radio a 25% discount on all wines this week…

I found this recipe in a really great cocktail book, aptly named The Book of Cocktails.  It’s more of a cordial drink, with a bit of a kick.

Ingredients:

1 part malibu

1 part blackcurrant cordial

ice

lemonade

coconut - grated or sliced

Pour malibu blackcurrant over the ice in a glass.  Fill with lemonade and stir. Garnish and enjoy with a straw

This is a really sweet cocktail, not one to drink all night but more of an after-meal drink or end of night drink.  It’s more like a dessert really.  Oh, and sin of all sins, it’s non-alcoholic.  Ideal for when you’ve had a few big nights out and you’re going through a ‘I’m never going to drink again’ period

Ingredients:

1 part peppermint cordial

4 parts cream

grated chocolate

2 chocolate sticks

cracked and crushed ice

Put the ice and peppermint and cream in a shaker.  Shake till frosty.  Strain into large wine glass.  Add crushed ice.  Sprinkle with grated chocolate.  Garnish with chocolate sticks.

Following my weekend, it seems only appropriate to remind everyone, for the sake of the public’s health and wellbeing, that you should be sure to eat properly before a night (or in my case afternoon and evening) of drinking.  Especially if you are planning a serious outing.

Some people prefer to eat whilst they are out, but as the saying goes, you should ‘line your stomach’.  Now, if you’re drinking before eating, your stomach will be lined with alcohol and any food added will surely simply swish around in your stomach with said alcohol.

My advice is to eat BEFORE you go out and even better, be sure to have good old carbohydrates as they last longer and fill you up better.  I don’t know how or why this is, but it works and that’s the most important thing.

If you fancy a few garnishes in your drink, to brighten them up for the few seconds before you drink them, then follow these tips:

• Choose firm, bright coloured fruit without blemished skin
• Was the fruit just before use
• Use a spiral to hang over the rim of the glass
• For something different, peel a strip using a vegetable peeler, tie the strip into a knot and drop into the drink
• Use a stainless steel knife as a carbon steel will discolour the flesh
• Use a canelle knife or vegetable peeler to score the fruit in lines before you cut it so the slice looks decorated
• When cutting citrus garnishes, be careful not to cut into the bitter white pith of the fruit when peeling

Now go decorate some drinks!

After we wrote about the Stockport Beer Festival two days ago, today we found a testimonial from someone who followed our tip - although not having read it from our post by all accounts.  Seems we were right - ask for a pint glass and buy half pints and you will get more beer for your money.

The testimonial also seems to prove our point in our article yesterday about ‘why do we do it?’…  We trust Mr Daz enjoyed his hangover, it sounds well earned.

Now, I have my own hangover to consider and so I shall retire to the sofa and consider what cocktail concoctions to write about next week 

Why do people drink alcohol?

It’s bad for us, it’s a waste of money, damages our liver, makes us throw up (sometimes anyway, dependent upon volume obviously) and many people turn into loud monsters when they’ve had a few.

Across Europe, many countries do not drink as the Brits do.  We compete with each other about how much we can drink, we measure our friends on how long they can last on a night out and even have drinking competitions.  We even consider University an education of drinking and have places called ‘beer gardens’.  Where did this culture come from?

And yet we love it, and as the weekend approaches yet again, we rejoice and head to the pub for after-work drinkie with work colleagues followed by late drinks with friends and a hangover Sunday.  Hurrah…

Today, I am reliably informed, starts the Stockport Beer Festival, full of beer, naturally 

For beer lovers, beer festivals are heavenly.  Tonight, men (and women) from miles around will gather to savour the taste of ale.

The question is, should you start with the high percentage beers whilst you can enjoy the taste and get drink quicker or should you start with the lower percentage beers and work your way up so you can last longer but not enjoy the taste as much?  ‘Tis a tough choice

Top tip for those of you heading that way: apparently you should ask for a pint glass and buy drinks in half pints because you will get more beer for your money.  Aha!

You can buy an all in one shaker but professionals prefer a two cone shaker, where the two pieces overlap when put together and they then use a separate strainer to strain the drink.

If you’re a beginner, a three piece shaker should do.

To use a shaker, add the ice and cocktail ingredients, hold the pieces together and shake briskly. When your shaker gets frosty on the outside, you know its sufficiently chilled.

Serve immediately to avoid any melting ice diluting the drink.