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Let’s Play Quest for Glory 4 – Part 13

Lost in the Woods

If you recall from the last two updates Garcon had recently learned Baba Yaga was in Mordavia, a Gnome had come to him without his humor, a talking skull wanted to up its style, and he’d just been giving a rehydration potion from Dr. Cranium.

Perseii spent the rest of the day wandering the wilderness until nightfall. Once the sun had gone done though he started heading towards Erana’s Garden in the valley. We’re not looking to go to the garden but there is something we want on the western edges of it. Along the way Jackson returns into some of the valley’s nightlife:

Quest for Glory Quest for Glory

Not much to see here really. Just the shambling undead. Turns out corpses don’t much appreciate being set ablaze. It also turns out that Danar doesn’t really care what the undead like or don’t like. Continue reading “Let’s Play Quest for Glory 4 – Part 13”

Cocktail of the Week: Penicillin

Penicillin

A friend recently made the comment that most of the cocktails I make seem to be sweet. Looking over my recent posts that is most certainly true! But it wasn’t by design and now that it has been pointed out to me I’ll be sure to mix it up (get it?) a little more here starting with this week’s cocktail, Penicillin. This cocktail was created by New York bartender Sam Ross in 2005 in an effort to dilute the taboo against using single malts in mixed drinks. What he came up with is a delicious blend of the bright, warm tastes of lemon, honey, and ginger with the peaty smokiness of an Islay Scotch. Think of a cool hot toddy and you’re almost there.

Penicillin
The ingredients

Penicillin

  • 2 oz. blended Scotch whisky
  • 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 oz. honey syrup
  • 3 slices of fresh ginger
  • 1/4 oz. Islay single malt Scotch

Muddle the ginger slices in shaker until well mashed. Add blended Scotch, lemon juice, and honey syrup to shaker. Fill shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass. Float the Islay Scotch over the drink by pouring it over the back of a bar spoon onto the drink.

Penicillin

Wow, I was not expecting this! In fact, I was near certain this cocktail would be terrible due to the almost overpowering peaty smokiness of the Laphroaig. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Penicillin is refreshing, smooth, with this wonderfully subtle woody smokiness that plays about the nose. Sorry, Moscow Mule but you may have just been replaced!

Cocktail of the Week: Tequila Sunrise

tequila sunrise

I know, I know that looks nothing like a Tequila Sunrise… I guess my homemade grenadine isn’t think enough? So instead of sinking to the bottom it suffused into the drink? When I first poured it in it looked right, maybe I just waited too long before taking the picture? So, let’s call this a Los Angeles Tequila Sunrise? Nice and muddy looking through all that smog! Anyway, Tequila Sunrises are perfect summer drinks. Also, perfect morning drinks but you didn’t hear that from me! To the cocktail!

tequila sunrise
The ingredients

Tequila Sunrise

  • 3 oz. orange juice
  • 1 1/2 oz. tequila
  • 1/2 oz. grenadine

Pour the orange juice and tequila into an ice filled collins glass. Slowly pour grenadine into mix, the weight of the grenadine (should) make it sink to the bottom leaving some rather lovely red/pink trails through the orange juice. Garnish with a orange wedge.

tequila sunrise

Again, mine doesn’t look quite as it should. But, it did taste lovely. The acidity of the oj, the sweet tartness of the grenadine and the sharp alcoholic taste of tequila. Ah, what a delicious cocktail! As I said at the beginning. Enjoy for breakfast or as an aperitif before dinner! If you have a poolside or ocean side view even better! Enjoy the summer it’s going to get too hot soon!

tequila sunrise

 

EDIT: I think I figured out why my Tequila Sunrise looked so muddy. I transposed the figures for tequila and orange juice… Leaving me with a very boozy but not very bright cocktail.

Cocktail of the Week: Americano

Americano Cocktail

I was going to do the Negroni for this week’s cocktail but while researching the history of the drink I cam upon the Americano. I thought an Americano was just watered down espresso, which it is, it’s also though the direct predecessor of the Negroni. While the Negroni is a mixture of gin, campari, and sweet vermouth the Americano uses club soda instead of gin.

Americano Cocktail
The ingredients

Americano

  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. sweet vermouth
  • splash of soda water

Pour Campari and vermouth over ice in an old fashioned glass, add a splash of soda water. Garnish with an orange slice.

2015-02-15 20.10.49

The Americano is interesting. It’s not sweet, it’s not sour, it has a little bit of savory. The Campari, an herbal liquor, and it’s flavor profile skews heavily to bitter. This is slightly offset by the sweetness of the vermouth but the drink remains bitter. It does take a while to get used to though. Bitter really isn’t a taste that the American palate appreciates or enjoys. I wonder if the gin in a Negroni helps smooth the edges off the Campari at all?

I’ll find out soon! Next week I’ll try the Negroni!

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