26 February 2017

Some crazy toy trivia

Can you guess the following? You can Google for the answers – you do not need to post them… But first try to guess

1. What is the oldest toy? If you think hard, you might be able to guess this.

2. What is the second oldest toy? For the life of me, I would not have guessed this right.

3. In England, it is against the law to not provide whom or what with toys? You are going to laugh your head off once you find the answer.

4. Speaking of which, in France it is a crime to sell dolls without this. Can you guess?

5. Which toy originated in gym classes in Australia, was banned in Indonesia, also banned by Japan from playing in public and the Russians deemed it to be “symbol of emptiness of American culture”?

6. Finally, can you guess who is the largest distributor of toys? You can get this if you think about it for a second.

Now check the internet for the answers…

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19 February 2017

From the bartender’s corner – Perky Goth

Was wondering what to try out with a orange-nose-led gin like Wint and Lila. Tried some ginger and aniseed with it. Went for a Perky Goth, which is gin, ginger liqueur, absinthe, bitters and orange syrup. The nose was strongly anise and orange. The finish was anise too. The palate was complex with the ginger playing well with the botanicals but keeping the juniper and anise subdued.

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18 February 2017

From the bartender’s corner – Gin #4: Wint and Lila

I was introduced to this gin last year by my good friend John who owns and runs one of my favorite haunts – Zola’s in Milton. I remember having the first taste and exclaiming – Wow! the Oranges!!

For the next two weeks this will be the Spanish gin I will be researching and experimenting different cocktails with.

First the history. The name is derived from one Juan de Wint and Margarita de Lila who had started one of earliest trading companies (with the East and Americas) back in the mid 1600s. The gin was named in their honor by the family of Casalbors who have run the distillery for nearly 200 years. It is situated in the port city of Puerto de Santa Maria in the Cadiz area of Spain.

Next the ingredients and the process: It has 10 botanicals – of course, juniper, coriander, angelica and angelica root and cinnamon which are staple for all gins. But additionally, it has orange peel, lemon peel, lime peel, peppermint and orange blossom. All these are mixed with corn and then distilled – not with direct heat or steam but water bath. This makes for a slow process but the botanicals retain all their richness. And then this is distilled five times over!!

One of the unique features of this gin is the bottle it comes in. The exterior is actually white clay and inside is glass!

The nose is rich with juniper and oranges. The palate continued with the orange and a hint of mint. The finish was distinctly citrusy.

Category: Cocktails | LEAVE A COMMENT