SeanMike

Like, it seems, everyone else, I had a great time. Thanks to Mr. & Mrs. goodeats for the ride to and from. The rosemary fizz was awesome. Interesting selection of beers. All the pork - wow. I didn't get hungry again until late Sunday night. The deviled eggs, the frittata, the cheese and salami, oh great, now I'm starving again thinking about it. And best of all were all the really cool people I got to meet. Jake's always fun to hang out with, and then there was Brett, Colleen, Nancy, not-Tom (thanks for the cigar!), Dave, Jackie, uh, other people, darnit, I can never remember names! Now that I've survived the past week - ranging from late night movies to cocktail-themed dinners to bowling to birthdays, restaurant visits, block parties, and the DR picnic - it's time to try to remember where my gym is and let my liver relax a bit. And plan for next year...

Last night: Miller Lite while bowling at BowlAmerica. Hey. Sometimes ya gotta go back to the roots.

I so just don't understand why they add to the laws, rather than just get rid of the offending law. It's probably just lawmaker nature. I guess I should realize that given that I specialized in Virginia government and politics in college... It just does still amaze me.

I definitely think the staff at Proof deserve a huge shout-out for the work they put into this. And that's not to belittle the other mixologists who were involved - it was very smoothly run and a very exciting and tasty event all around! And getting to meet (or re-meet) people like Jake, Heather, Don, and ol ironstomach helped too! (I wonder if those were the shows that the one woman near us insisted on watching on her small TV. Why would you go to an event like that and watch TV the whole time? She told me on the Metro home that it was due to wanting to see the season finales of her two favorite shows, but she couldn't hear them. Seriously? You came because you saw it in the Post, didn't know anything (before or after) about the food or drinks, and basically took up a spot that someone who was more interested might've been able to use while you watched your TV shows? Sorry. Things like that annoy me.) porcupine's already posted the menu so I won't repeat it, but I'll comment on what I liked the most. I'll say that I didn't think anything was bad just some I liked more than others. Cocktail hour cocktails (in order of drinkage): PaRappa the Rapper Punch - I enjoyed this one a lot more than I expected since I'm not a huge strawberry fan. I also dug the name, but hey, I'm a video game critic as my second unpaid job. Lady Randolph's Revenge - This one was good, too, though it was a bit too much something for me. I have a friend of mine who would absolutely love it. I think I would've liked it better with some of the food. Zenzero Apertivo - This was nice. A very good apertif. I managed to avoid impaling my eye, fortunately. Tarragon Gin Fizz - this was the big hit of the cocktail hour for me. I could've drank gallons of it. Very very good. Now to figure out where to find that Georgian soda... Puffin Du Velay - This wasn't bad, but had the misfortune of coming just after the Gin Fizz. D'oh! Dinner: The Dr. Who Cocktail - very good, one of those "oh, I can't make this at home :-( " type drinks for me. It went very well with the seafood cocktail, which was surprisingly good (to me). Hibiscus Fizz - Much like the Tarragon Gin Fizz, I felt like I could've drank a lot of this one. The salmon that came with this was really good, too, and a hefty portion. The combination was delightful. Cereza la Fuma - I liked this one, especially with the lamb, but at least one lady at our table wished for a glass of wine with the lamb, and I couldn't help but wonder how the Lady Randolph's Revenge would've gone with the lamb. It was good but the next drink so bowled me over.... The lamb and risotto was heavenly here. I never wanted that little bowl to end, at least, until I tried the cheese... Medicine Man (aka Sebby Potter and the Teeming Cauldron of Booze) - wow oh wow this was a great drink. It came with four different cheeses which I completely missed as to what they were but all were also extremely good. Had the meal ended up here I would've been in nirvana. I was just - wow. Truffled Amaro Flip - This drink was good, but came on the heels of the previous. Still, I liked it - it was kind of random, having truffle oil in there, but I liked it a lot. I think I could've gotten my parents to really like this one. The dessert itself I wasn't overly impressed with, but I'm not a huge fruit/berry for dessert kind of guy. The shortcake itself was pretty good, and the ice cream wasn't bad, but it was a bit overwhelmed in there. As I've said, I had a great time last night and I can't wait until next year. And the pressure to go to Tales of the Cocktail is getting unbearable! I think we need to get some sponsors for the Den to help send us down there...

In short - had a great time. 10 great cocktails, 5 good dishes plus appetizers, a lot of good conversation and people and a chance to meet a lot of the folks I've been hoping to meet for a while, even the legendary DonRocks. And a swag bag at the end, which I though was cool even if the t-shirt (a black Finlandia vodka t-shirt that said "Bartenders are gods") was only a large - no way I can (acceptably) wear that. I ended up giving it to a cool LAPD officer at Metro Center who said she'd been a bartender before a cop. More details later - I are tired.

I'd really like to attend, but I'm helping to organize our condo complex's block party the day before, so I might be wiped out. If I do I'll bring wings. (Now I need to go back and re-read this whole thread again to confirm the policies on beverages for the park and transportation - am I right in assuming it's not Metro-able?)

We'll definitely have a write-up on our blog but I think we can make sure to talk about it here, too - especially if anyone else on here is going! I may really nerd out and Twitter it (Twitter ID is HighwayStar) but that may be too nerdy even for me. On the other hand, I've found it to be a really useful tool in remember what drinks you had and what was in them.

I just wanted to respond since I hadn't followed up. It ends up, with the way the timing worked out, that we just grilled up some steaks on our little charcoal hibachi in my condo complex. And you know what? It was all good. Now me, I'm still going to hit Ray's before I get pulled outta DHS...

I went to my first game on Sunday with my brother, the parents, and my grandfather. First we hit the taco stand on Half St. Got myself a Julia's Empanada ($5 - Jamaican). Man, that was good, and hit the spot just right. Walked up to our seats in section 227 and was impressed with the choices around us. I grabbed a Miller Lite while waiting because a) the Baseline Brews with Firehouse wasn't open yet and I mis-read what the Cantina had. $7.50 for it. Eh. As the game approached we went to the Nats Dogs stand and got a Ben's Half-Smoke all the way ($6.75) and a Bass (also $7.50). Bass just tastes funny to me a lot of the time anymore. The half smoke was very good and I destroyed it. After the Bass I switched to Stella Artois (again, $7.50) as my other choices in the immediate area appeared to be Bud or Bud Lite in bottles, Miller Lite or MGD on draft, or Fosters or Blue Moon. As the game went on, I got a 1/4 lb. Hebrew National dog (normally $5.50 but the cashier gave me a discount due to some rudeness from another person, so it was the cost of a Nats Dog or $4.50) and some peanuts ($4, and I was impressed with the number of empty shells in my peanut bag). The lines weren't bad. At worst, it took us an inning to get anything, but one time that was because of a group of people all trying to do some kind of special order and using mangled print-out coupons for the Internet and the second time was due to the before-mentioned rudeness (basically, as she tried to fill up our beers, another cashier came over and pushed her out of the way to fill up his beers). My dad got some Five Guys and was very happy with it, but he's only ever had the Richmond branch(es) of Five Guys and therefore might be suspect on how good it was. The fries were fine for me, but then again, I'm never been overly impressed with Five Guys fries. (I know, I know, I'm a heretic.) All in all, though, I thought that the service, convenience, and quality of the food completely blew away RFK, and was even better than FedEx, if a bit expensive. When I'm at a game, though, I hardly notice the price. (I probably should!) And the fact that a lot of the concession stands took credit cards was also a big bonus.

I'm going! Oh...wait...you bought my ticket...

Marshall and I actually had that in NYC the other weekend! Our friend Ed had a bottle from France (his fiancee is from there, or London, or something). I thought it was quite good, though Marshall was a bit unsettled by the whole "blue" part of it.

My granddad is coming in from WV weekend after next. The 'rents will be coming in, too. He's staying with my brother and I in East Falls Church, and we want to take him out for steak - maybe Friday night, depending on when he comes in, but more likely Saturday. He tends to eat early, but we've got an event going through lunchtime, so right now I don't know what time we're looking at. That all being said, he hates (with a passion) chicken but loves steak. So my brother and I want to take him out somewhere really good for steak, but I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. I think Ray's The Steaks would probably be good, just not sure about timing on getting there. Any other suggestions? He hasn't been to DC in a long time, so I want to take him somewhere memorable. Thanks!

I'll second the ones that Owen makes at Bourbon/Adams Morgan. When we went there for the rhum tasting his Sazeracs were fan-fugu-tastic. After I finish recovering from our trip to NYC I'll have to try Palena and Dino's. Mmmmm, Sazerac... (still resisting the urge to make Sazerac jello shots for my kickball team. just to teach them for asking me to make jello shots.)

I've actually had the Glenmorangie port wood finish a few times - not been a huge fan of it. But that's just me.

If I'm not putting it into an Irish coffee, I'll drink it straight, or perhaps on the rocks. Or at least I did, before ye olde diet...

I don't plan on necessarily buying it in VA; I just saw that it was on sale there. I do plan on pricechecking between DC and VA, however. When I bought the 15 year old, I bought it at Schneider's, thinking I was getting a bargain. I don't regret the price, per se, but it was cheaper in VA (and was on sale that month too, goshdarnitalltoheck!). I keep a spreadsheet with prices between VA, Schneider's, Sam's Wine (out of Chicago), and Ace Beverage (the latter is sparse in the sheet since Joe doesn't have an online price list - I'm filling it out slowly ). I don't necessarily buy from the cheapest place. Even if Sam's is the cheapest place, for instance, I'd buy locally first as long as it was available and/or wasn't ruinously expensive locally. And I'll support people who rock in the customer service area (such as Ace with Joe) well before some anonymous Internet storefront or a random store where I don't know anybody. (Schneider's has given me some good advice on whiskeys over the months, but honestly most of the time I feel like I'm being hurried in and out of there. I love talking with Joe, even if Marshall does most of the talking usually, over at Ace a lot, so I'll usually buy there first unless it's something I need urgently, like Cointreau on a Sunday.) Oh, and quick price comparison so far: Schneider's has the 18 for $80. VA ABC has it for $68-69 right now (on sale, $73 normally). Sam's doesn't carry it it. The 15: $40 at Sam's. $52 at Schneider's. $50 at VA ABC. Mmmmm, scotch...should I have some of that next or some Rittenhouse 21 year old...decisions, decisions...

And to reply to myself, the drink I came up with and need a name for (other than "Blackberry Smash") - I'll be using this recipe in MxMo this month, and entering it into a contest as well. Blackberry Smash 1 1/2 ounces Apple Brandy (I used Captain Apple Jack BIB) 3/4 ounce Cointreau 3/4 ounce Massenez Creme de Mure (blackberry liqueur) 1/2 ounce lemon juice Lightly muddle four blackberries in the bottom of the mixing glass. Add the other ingredients, ice, and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with one-two blackberries (they'll sink, yes) and a sprig of mint floating on top. Mmmmmm. Yummy. (If any of y'all try it out let me know what you think)

So, I always liked the 12 year old Glenfiddich. One day on a whim I bought a bottle of the 15 year old and it blew me out of the water compared to the 12. I saw 18 year old at the VA ABC store near my house, and it's not THAT much more expensive. Can anyone give me any advice as to how it compares to the 12 and 15? Is it worth it, or is it different enough that I should buy a taste of it somewhere first? Thanks!

I've been meaning to post on here but I've been lazy. For some reason a lazy Sunday makes me less lazy. Or something. I'm not quite sure. Along with Marshall my primary thing (well, other than my dreadfully boring day job) right now is our blog, the Scofflaw's Den. Marshall tends to be more of the historian in the group, I tend to write more - I also write video game reviews, book reviews, the very occasional restaurant review, and keep meaning to write My Novel - and just concentrate on the drinkin' aspect of it. Now that I've done some rearranging I do have more room to experiment with things like infusions and macerating or however the heck you spell that word. I did manage to hit the rhum tasting last Monday which means I got to meet Jake - though I first heard of these boards from Joe Riley over at Ace Beverage, whom I have been donating to for the past few weeks regularly in order to help maintain my obsessive compulsive desire to own everything possible to make any kind of drink I can think of. CHARTREUSE?! GAH I FORGOT THAT... Sorry. I spent a lot of time last summer hitting various restaurants around DC that I'd always wanted to try while going out with a succession of young ladies. Unfortunately that means my memories of many of them are fuzzy thanks to hooch and hormones while my bank account is still recovering. Since then I've been trying to continue to be explorative even if it's more likely I'm going by myself (though next week Marshall and I travel up to NYC to visit an old friend who cooks at Acquavit). For the rest of me - I really got into cooking and the such thanks to said old friend when he was a chef in a few different restaurants in Charlottesville and later Richmond. I spent 10 years in C'ville, mostly at UVA in various guises, and have been in the northern VA area now for about 3 1/2 years. It just feels like longer. Right now my specialty in foods tends to be my wings, which I get lots of compliments on when I make them. For drinks, I tend to go all around the spectrum, though one friend's dad told me that I made the first Manhattan he'd ever had that he didn't need to send back to the bartender. I'm just mostly practicing on my Sazeracs nowadays when I'm not working on Mixology Monday posts for the blog. So, uh, howdy everyone, and I'll stop babbling now. I really should get back to work getting our blog migrated over to the new site, but I've still got to write a review of Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 and of some John Varley books, a preview of Deca Sports, and I've got to make that latter one sound good...

I was glad to see Raven make it to second place, but I would've picked it for first. I just haven't been blown away by the Firehook beers. I did introduce a bunch of guys from Kentucky and California to Raven last August at a horror convention in Hunt Valley, MD - they were really annoyed when they realized they probably couldn't get it at home.

Last night: Started with a Dogfish Head Shelter Pale Ale from the kegerator and a Calvados Cocktail made using the Clear Creek apple brandy. Off to a friend's house, where my fellow scofflaw Marshall made Tonga Punch and Scorpions (winner: Scorpions) by the pitcher. Had a few of those with my Cavalier cigar (only available down at Cavalier Pipe & Tobacco down in Charlottesville; I gotta get some more of them!) and with our appetizers of jerk and Asian wings, plus turkey kielbasa and white cheddar sprinkled with Rendezvous seasonings. Switched to Flying Dog beers after that - had a couple IPAs and pale ales, maybe one or two other ones while we ate our ribs from Rendezvous, some chicken satay with peanut sauce, and some grilled asparagus. For today - hmmm. Gotta figure that out. I might try that unusual negroni mentioned a few pages back (yes, read the whole thread today)... And debating if the weather will hold out long enough for another cigar while I debate what to make for tomorrow's Mixology Monday.

Well, it didn't come in on Saturday, but I just made a mad dash into NW DC and picked up a bottle for myself and one for Marshall - and here in a few minutes, I might try a lemon G&T (using a piece of lemon instead of lime, I guess, given the gin). Yay! New gin!

Joy! And I'd already planned on going there tomorrow!

Y I oughtta... (oughtta what? I dunno.)

I guess by the way howdy - this is my first post on here. When we were ordering from Sam's Wines in Chicago my compatriot Marshall in the blog that we write bought a bottle of Creole Shrubb. I didn't, not really knowing anything about it, and listened to him as he waxed philosophical about how great it is. On our first visit to Ace Beverages, I saw a bottle of it in the close out bin, so I bought it. It was instant love and I was determined to share it with everyone I could. Last night I shared perhaps a bit too much of it and now, alas, the bottle, she is dry. Does anyone know where I can get some of it around here? Since it'd been in the close out bin I'm assuming Joe's no longer stocking it, and I've never seen it in other stores (specifically Schneider's and VA ABC). I'd rather buy it locally than order it, but if I must order, I will... (And this reminds me I need to write up our tasting notes on Cointreau, Grand Marnier, and Creole Shrubb...) Thanks in advance!