tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-443701716338875202009-12-01T12:14:51.542-08:00Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-14730745205773068212009-10-21T11:59:00.000-07:002009-10-21T12:28:31.538-07:00

Ignoring good judgment, the fine folks at BarNoneDrinks.com continue to allow me to take up valuable space in their monthly newsletter with my words & pictures. October's column has been posted here, and is a must-read if you have an irrational fear of Piranhas (and who doesn't, really?)If that's not enough booze-centric musing for you, all my previous columns can be seen here. I also strongly

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-20630827287565068972009-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:002009-10-12T10:52:58.214-07:00

Continuing my exploration into Things I Am Profoundly Unqualified To Do, (in this case, discussing the relative merits of specific liquor brands), I put five more spiced rums under the microscope. Join me, won't you?- Kilo Kai Spiced Rum -Pirate, Boat, Map or Scroll on the Label?: No (But it does have a Jolly Roger-esque emblem, so it gets an honorary mention)Overall Packaging Coolness: Medium/

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-10895835202880600112009-09-16T17:02:00.000-07:002009-09-23T10:30:18.833-07:00

Why spiced rum?1) Because rum snobs and cocktail geeks hate the stuff. And as we've already established, I have a perverse compulsion to embrace liquor that everybody else writes off. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of the people who publicly sneer at spiced rum are closet consumers. I mean, someone's buying all that Captain Morgan.2) Because some of it is perfectly decent, and I'm

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-84079426948008790462009-09-14T11:33:00.000-07:002009-09-14T11:55:27.542-07:00

I've been falling down on the job. From time to time, I'm apparently supposed to use this space to alert visitors to other places they can go see my stuff. Many of my hooch-soaked colleagues do this, and it's high time I got on the stick too.Here's a couple other places you can go see some more of my booze-centric words & pictures:Brains from outer space need quality cocktails too.Since late '07,

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-14291254246203243922009-09-02T13:33:00.000-07:002009-09-02T14:00:23.980-07:00

If you haven't already seen a slew of other boozeblogs alerting us to the fact that tomorrow night (9/3) we celebrate the one-year anniversary of Thursday Drink Night, then here's the highlights:~ TDN has been going on for a year, and we're celebrating!~ There'll be a bunch of prizes awarded in a number of categories!~ Jeff Berry and Martin Cate will stop by!~ It's open to everyone, so don't

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-44620531151007569092009-08-19T11:09:00.000-07:002009-08-19T11:26:41.561-07:00

Same great taste...new and improved!If you talk to enough booze nerds, certain patterns emerge. Cocktail enthusiasts tend to share an affinity for a lot of the same things (i.e. bitters, Hawaiian shirts), and you'll begin to hear specific names get dropped frequently if you hang out with these folks long enough.There are certain people, products and publications that are perennial favorites-

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-81587398336894821302009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:002009-08-10T20:34:17.080-07:00

I realized at some point over the last couple years of boozeblogging that there is a key difference between myself and the majority of my fellow drink geeks: I almost never find myself in bars.It's not that I actively avoid bars...it's just that I never seem to patronize them with any real frequency. Odd, considering I adore bars. I think they're absolutely fascinating places. I love dives

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-5595703082902249762009-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:002009-08-03T14:29:23.183-07:00

Recently a fine, enterprising group of booze nerds formally known as the Cocktail & Spirits Online Writers Group descended upon New Orleans and held its first official conference. Waving a giant banner bearing Stan Jones' likeness, they invaded a fairly sedate stretch of Rampart street and set up a base of operations from which both cocktails and cocktail knowledge would issue forth.The 2-day

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-8426181842264895302009-06-15T18:13:00.000-07:002009-06-15T18:40:03.156-07:00

Here in the Liquor Lab we endeavor to do the best we can when making drinks. If we're making a classic, established cocktail, we attempt to do the necessary research so as to have at least a cursory idea of what it is we're doing. Bar guides are perused, online resources are tapped and fellow booze nerds are consulted.If we're trying our hand at coming up with an original drink, the process is

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-60566604433235388232009-05-18T18:07:00.000-07:002009-05-18T18:18:30.183-07:00

Blimps over Bangkok1 oz. Mekhong1 oz. London dry gin.5 oz. Aperol.5 oz. Cynar.5 oz. simple syrup1-2 dashes Fee’s mint bittersShake all ingredients with ice and strain into chilled cocktail glass. Float a very thin lime wheel on surface of drink.I don’t travel much. But I do have a healthy wanderlust, and I satisfy it vicariously through TV shows, books, magazine articles, and travelogues on the

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-85962938032480209062009-05-04T13:51:00.000-07:002009-05-04T14:04:26.696-07:00

According to the ads in the local free weekly paper, I’m supposed to be celebrating Cinco de Mayo somewhere that offers both Tequila and Mexican beer in colossal quantities for very reasonable prices. As appealing as I find stock photos of bikini-clad women with sombreros Photoshopped on them, I decided to ignore them and the ads they populate in favor of other diversions.Diversion #1 was

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-50996044441392898352009-04-27T19:07:00.000-07:002009-04-27T19:41:06.957-07:00

Tequila is the base spirit I reach for least often. It’s not because I dislike it, it’s just that Tequila’s flavor is something I rarely feel myself wanting. The other reason I rarely drink it is a bit more complex. For me, the smell & taste of Tequila has become inextricably linked with a specific time and place. And when I’m having Tequila outside that specific time and place, it just seems

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-9619163766560793782009-04-02T13:59:00.000-07:002009-04-02T14:05:02.979-07:00

Go here to find out!

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com77tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-27308149089857510942009-03-23T19:28:00.000-07:002009-03-23T19:46:28.893-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a strange fascination with drink ingredients that no one seems to like. I don’t know whether I simply feel sorry for them in an orphaned-puppy kind of way, or if it’s more of a desire to find a way to successfully employ something everyone else has deemed unusable. Probably a bit of both.One ingredient that appears to have been resoundingly written off

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-65756869389837785752009-02-24T06:46:00.000-08:002009-02-24T07:23:01.802-08:00

Around this time last year I did a retrospective-ish list of stuff I'd learned during my first year of using the web to foist my booze-centric thoughts and pictures on an unwitting public. I figure if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.What I’ve Learned in my Second Year of Boozeblogging~ Make your own syrups. It’s easier than you think and totally worth it.~ I’m still surprised (and pleased) when

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-90586013204436661162009-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:002009-02-05T12:58:22.559-08:00

I periodically have to move part of my liquor stash from point A to B. Sometimes it’s just a few bottles, sometimes it’s significantly more (Thursday Drink Night anyone?). In either case, I’ve used several methods to drag heaps of glass & liquid around, with the goal of having it all arrive intact.So I decided to list the ways I’ve lugged booze and try to break down their relative merits and

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-54737477422577319532009-01-23T07:53:00.000-08:002009-01-23T08:09:15.404-08:00

After relentless pressure from some of my fellow cocktail enthusiasts, I’ve finally pulled together my first batch of homemade falernum. Over the past year or so I’ve made many batches of various syrups, but this is my first dance with the Big F.Like many who have gone before me, I decided to use Paul Clarke's venerable "#8" recipe. This particular recipe seems to have become the go-to blueprint

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-73503902717968416202009-01-16T11:52:00.000-08:002009-07-15T09:27:27.978-07:00

I periodically receive samples of liquor in the mail. The purveyors of these fine products kindly package them up, send them on their way, and presumably hope I’ll like them enough to mention them by name.I’m happy to say that in one way or another, I‘ve enjoyed almost everything that has arrived on my doorstep. There’s the occasional clunker, but by and large, my usual reaction is one of

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-78035052417242912742009-01-09T11:02:00.000-08:002009-03-25T11:05:50.550-07:00

As has been noted elsewhere, there’s a great gig that happens every week here in the electronic ether. It’s called Thursday Drink Night, and it attracts all manner of adult beverage enthusiasts. It’s open to everyone, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.What exactly is Thursday Drink Night? I like to think of it as something vaguely akin to the TV show Iron Chef…but with booze. And a lot more

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-34816711951328460902008-12-29T14:23:00.000-08:002008-12-30T09:52:47.691-08:00

Holly Jolly Roger2 oz. Cruzan blackstrap rum2 oz. spiced apple cider½ oz. Torani hazelnut syrup¼ tsp. absinthe (La Fee works well)Combine everything in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.I’m late to the party again. Normally I’d post about a Santa-inspired drink before the 25th of December, but all the holiday prep (and maybe a few

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-87527255809622191262008-12-03T12:44:00.000-08:002008-12-03T12:50:56.646-08:00

Good thing: My father likes Bourbon.Not So Good Thing: He has been drinking one brand exclusively for many, many years.That second one may be on the verge of changing. Recently my father said to me, “You know, I’d really like to have someone line up a bunch of different Bourbons so I could see what the differences in taste are.” The timing of that remark couldn‘t have been better, given that the

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-67125638339247194172008-10-14T13:15:00.000-07:002008-10-15T11:15:29.865-07:00

TV and movies must be trying to tell me something . This is the second consecutive post where something I drink is linked with a film or show. Much like Mad Men (which I referenced in my previous post), the movie The Big Lebowski has an alcoholic component- specifically, one drink: The White Russian.Now I’m sure you’re thinking, “But Dr. B., White Russians are made with vodka, and don’t booze

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-2380095160577840742008-10-09T18:45:00.000-07:002008-10-09T18:51:41.285-07:00

Ever have a drink or two while watching TV? I know I do. Sometimes I’m absentmindedly sipping whatever happens to be handy while channel surfing. Other times I make a point of having a specific drink (or type of drink) that seems appropriate for what I’ll be watching. Certain shows just demand it. Mad Men is one of those shows.To allay any fears, I’ll state right now that I will not be rambling

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-29623279577944604092008-10-02T18:48:00.000-07:002008-10-06T08:33:39.594-07:00

Lion’s Tail2 oz. Bourbon½ oz. St. Elizabeth allspice dram½ oz. Lime juice1 dash Angostura bittersShake with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.- Courtesy of the fine collective that is LUPEC BostonOne of my favorite things about the Web is that it grants people a means to share common, interests. Do you collect strange objects? Are you into obscure history? Have you spent weekends

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44370171633887520.post-86950860211399401582008-09-25T12:03:00.000-07:002008-09-29T13:12:16.477-07:00

Luau Grog3/4 oz. fresh lime juice3/4 oz. grapefruit juice3/4 oz. soda water1 oz. honey mix*1 oz. gold Puerto Rican rum1 oz. dark Jamaican rum1 oz. Demerara rumDash of Angostura bitters2 oz. crushed icePut everything into a blender saving ice for last. Blend at high speed for no more than 5 seconds. Pour into a double old-fashioned glass. Serve with ice cone.*To make honey mix, heat one part honey

Dr. Bamboohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13535181473727482666noreply@blogger.com14