7 May 2020

From the bartender’s corner – Monte Carlo

A Monte Carlo is basically a variation of a Manhattan and dates back to 1948. It uses Rye Whisky (I used Templeton) and bitters (I used Angostura). And instead of vermouth, it uses Benedictine. Being a brandy based liqueur with something like 56 herbs and spices (that includes saffron), it brings a very different flavor and finish to the sips.

5 May 2020

A new square puzzle

Take any square. Take any random point within the square. Draw straight lines from that point to the midpoints of every side of the square. You will get four quadrilaterals. Three of them have areas of 40 units, 60 units and 80 units. What is the size of the total square?

This is an interesting problem and requires a little visualization and some basic memory of geometry.