6 July
2017
5 July
2017
From the bartender’s corner: Gin #15 – Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin
Everyone is aware of wine from Sonoma, California. Now get this – this gin is made in Sonoma too! If any one of you have ever like Hendrick’s (a favorite of Sharmila’s and mine), you are bound to like this gin.
This gin derives its name from the company’s chairman’s uncle – Uncle Val from back in Italy who had a penchant for great cooking. And the nephew focused on his uncle’s favorite ingredients to create this gin.
The base alcohol is made from gin and is distilled as many as five times. The botanicals used includes juniper, cucumber, lemon, sage and lavender. This gin is difficult to categorize. It is not a traditional London Dry gin in the sense that the juniper is far more understated. In fact, I would say this is closer to the American style gin. But the strength of cucumber leaves a strong hint of Scottish kind of gin (like Hendricks).
The nose is clearly very floral with the citrus making its presence felt a little later. As I said, not much of juniper strength. The palette almost makes it feel like a weak gin. What it is – is that the lack of juniper is made up by the strong floral effects (especially lavender) and the cucumber makes it lot more cool and soothing as it goes down.
Highly recommend to anybody who is looking for a nice and mild gin but can hold its own with some tonic water.
2 July
2017
First run of July
29 June
2017
That 10 mile run completed my sixth 100 mile month this year
28 June
2017
Lifecharts: Spousal Fineness
25 June
2017
A very interesting puzzle
I understand the problem is attributed to Pythagoras. (I am not sure of the veracity of the story). In any case, my friend Prodipto posted this in our school Whatsapp group. Try it…
In a party that had 100 guests, the first guest was given 1% of a large cake. The next guest got 2% of what was left. And the next got 3% of what was left…. on and on… the 99th guest got 99% whatever was left at that time and the 100th guest got the final (100% of) leftover.
Which guest got the largest piece?
…..
Adding the answer here…
…..
25 June
2017
From the bartender’s corner – Archangel
25 June
2017
Father’s Day Gift
Now that all those fabulous pictures of the “daughters-cooked-my-breakfast-slash-lunch-slash-dinner” have somewhat subsided, I felt it might be a good time for me to pipe up with my own Father’s Day gift post. On Sunday, I came down early morning to the kitchen to see that Natasha was already busy with her iPhone. Like she is on every Father’s Day. Or just about any other day, for that matter.
“Dad, I am going to do goat Yoga” today, she said.
Having nary an idea about what a goat Yoga is in God’s green earth, I put forward my ignorance in a verbal form. And was duly explained by her, what it was all about. [Feel free to search it on Youtube and then write to me what you think]
Regarding what I thought, I summoned all my punning capabilities to an otherwise forgettable moment, I said – “That is a baaaaaaad idea”!!
And that is when I received my best Father’s Day gift ever.
“Dad, I know what I am getting you for Father’s Day. I am going to pretend all your jokes today are very funny”.
Admittedly, I cannot take a picture of that. But, boy, is that the best Father’s Day gift ever for me, or what? đŸ™‚
25 June
2017
Small steps at a time…
24 June
2017
This is why grocery shops are not my forte…
Sharmila and Natasha are in Dallas. I stayed back in Atlanta to take care of a few things – including visiting Nikita, who is in a college now for some summer course in North Carolina. Nikita, apparently is running low on some supplies – among which, is potato chips. Sharmila explained to me in great detail how to find out where the chips are in our grocery store and that I was to pick up a large bag if I could find one or a pre-packed box of smaller bags if I could find one.
I had the picture all worked out in my mind how a bag of chips would look like and how a box of chips would look like. There was going to be one of them and I was to pick it.
Of course, the best laid plans of mice and men go pretty much the way Robert Burns had predicted. Moment I entered the grocery shop, I froze. Apparently, “look straight as you enter” is not a definitive instruction. Especially when there are multiple doors to enter and all oriented in different directions.
Eventually, I bumbled my way to the aisle that said “Potato Chips”. And my sharp eyes were looking for either a bag or a box of that particular variety of chips like a hungry hawk would be scouting for a dead rat from point blank range.
Aha! Found the bag!!
Alas, that moment of euphoria was quickly drowned by the next discovery I made.
Wait a minute! There is a box too next to it!!!
Now what do I do? The dratted grocery store had both kinds!! She never told me what to do if I found both. I have no idea how the priority order works for this algorithm.
And it is too early to wake her up in Dallas!!
Hmmmm…. I tell you – a grocery store and I – never have gotten along… and never will…