Al Dente

Happy Hour Drink Recipe: Watermelon Lemonade

With the 4th of July just days away and the sun beating down in most locales, my thoughts keep turning to watermelon. And whether you need a midweek refresher or another use for watermelon on the 4th, this drink is sure to quench your summer thirst.

This recipe comes from the July 2000 issue of Bon Appétit. It can be prepared 6 hours ahead and refrigerated. Add ice before serving.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:
7 cups 2-inch pieces peeled seeded watermelon (from about 4 pounds)
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grenadine
1 cup gin
3 cups ice cubes
Optional garnish: lemon twists or watermelon wedges

Directions:
1. Purée watermelon pieces in a food processor. Strain watermelon purée into large pitcher, pressing on solids in strainer to extract as much juice as possible. Discard any solids in strainer.
2. Add simple syrup, lemon juice, and grenadine to pitcher; stir to blend. Stir in gin.
3. Stir 3 cups of ice cubes into watermelon lemonade. Pour into tall glasses. Garnish with lemon twists or watermelon wedges, if desired.

Serves 6.

--KitchenMaus

4th of July Recipes, Day 2: Martha Washington’s Rum Punch

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a liquid salute to the first first lady. It’s especially nice because I found this recipe in the Little Black Book of  Cocktails, by LUPEC Boston. If you don’t know, LUPEC stands for Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails--as it says in this lovely little book, they are “a classic cocktail society dedicated to breeding, raising, and releasing nearly extinct drinks into the world.” I think this is a mission all the founding fathers and mothers (who were fond of their punches, let me assure you) would be proud of. If you have a cocktail-loving bone in your body (or like reading about cocktails, or just like reading entertaining posts written by witty folks, or like a shaken combination of all of the above), you owe it to yourself to make an Independence Day resolution to start reading the LUPEC Boston blog (at http://lupecboston.blogspot.com/) and to picking up the Little Black Book (you’ll find information on how to pick it up on the blog). As a bonus, the proceeds from the book sale go to charity.

Ingredients:
3 lemons, quartered
1 orange, quartered
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks, broken
6 cloves
4 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
4 ounces simple syrup
12 ounces boiling water
Light rum
Orange Curaçao

Directions:
1. In a sturdy container, mash together lemons, orange, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Add the juices and syrup.

2. Pour the boiling water in the container. Let it cool, and then strain out the solids. Heat the juice mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool completely, and refrigerate (overnight is good, but in a pinch, I’ll bet you could use it sooner).

3. In a punch bowl, combine 3 parts of the juice mixture with 1 part light rum and 1/2 part orange curaçao.

4. Serve over ice in punch cups or other revolutionary glassware. Top each glass with a bit more grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

--A.J. Rathbun

Happy Hour Drink Recipe: The Orange Buck

One of my favorites year-round, the Orange Buck is especially nice in summer, as its combination of gin, orange juice, ginger ale, and a touch of lime is awfully refreshing.

--A.J. Rathbun

Al Dente Taste Test: Colas

Colas have come a long way from their humble drug store elixir beginnings. Now at the forefront of the multi-billion dollar beverage industry, colas incite passionate debate over taste, ingredients, marketing, and health.

The Guidelines
This was a blind test with six tasters and six colas. The colas had to contain non-artificial sweeteners (no "diet") and be widely available. We ranked the colas in accordance with the Wine Enthusiast 100-point scale:
<80:  Unacceptable
80 – 83:  Acceptable
83 – 87:  Good
87 – 90:  Very Good
90 – 94:  Excellent
94 – 98:  Superb
98 – 100:  Classic

The Contestants

Brand:  RC Cola
Company:  Cadbury Schweppes
Claims to fame:  great with moon-pies
Sweetener: high-fructose corn syrup
Taste: "tasted flat and sugary, like someone had let it sit out"; "plastic, synthetic aftertaste"
Ranking:  83

Brand:  365 Cola
Company:  Whole Foods
Claims to fame:  all natural; contains kola nut extract
Sweetener: cane sugar
Taste: "was very sweet but not in a fake sugary way"; "actual cola nut taste"; "tasted real"
Ranking:  85

Brand:  Coca-Cola Classic
Company:  Coca-Cola Company
Claims to fame: being "it" and "the real thing"
Sweetener: high-fructose corn syrup
Taste: "bland"; "very familiar taste"; "bubbly and sweet"
Ranking:  87

Brand:  Pepsi
Company:  PepsiCo
Claims to fame:  choice of a new generation; winner of the 70's "Pepsi Challenge"
Sweetener: high-fructose corn syrup
Taste: "too sweet"; "horrible"; "some chemical aftertaste"
Ranking:  81

Brand:  Mexican Coca-Cola
Company:  Coca-Cola Company
Claims to fame: no HFCS; can be found at Costco 
Sweetener: cane sugar
Taste: "surprisingly fruity"; "tastes like real sugar instead of chemical crap"
Ranking:  88

Brand:  Big K Cola
Company:  Kroger Foods
Claims to fame: it's cheap 
Sweetener: high-fructose corn syrup
Taste: "really bland"; "passable"; "not much flavor at all"
Ranking:  84

And the Winner is...
While none of the contestants cracked 90, the overall winner was Mexican Coca-Cola, with Coca-Cola Classic coming in a very close second. Sadly, Mexican Coca-Cola is only available a Costco. We all hope that corn prices will outpace sugar prices so that more "real sugar" sodas will come to market. I'm looking at you Dr. Pepper--quit hiding the good stuff in Texas. 

--Spanno

What to Drink this Weekend: The Corpse Reviver

As it’s been one of those weeks (I’m sure you understand what I mean without me having to go into specific details that might get me banned from the Al Dente blog, but one of those weeks where you feel just dead at the end of it), I’m thinking more about the drink I’m having at quitting time then the food I’ll be whipping up over the weekend. If you’ve had a week like that as well, then I think you’ll appreciate the following recipe (from my book Good Spirits) for the classic Corpse Reviver cocktail. It’ll bring you right back to life, and help you leave the job far behind as you prepare for the weekend.

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces brandy
1-1/2 ounces Applejack (or apple brandy)
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

Directions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well.

2. Strain the mix into a cocktail glass. Garnish with nothing but a gesture back towards the office.

--A.J. Rathbun

It’s Cold Beer Season: The New Beertender Lets You Have a Draft at Home

Make no mistake, I love the chilled cocktails, the bubbly highballs, and even many blender’d concoctions on a hot day. But being from a small rural town in the Midwest (Lindsborg, Kansas, specifically), I have a serious soft spot in my heart for taking the edge off a hot summer day with a cold beer. And a cold draft beer when the sweat’s starting? A certain kind of barley heaven. Of course, lugging a whole keg around is a bit of a hassle (without turning the afternoon into a full-on hoe-down), which is why I was excited to try out the new (well, new-ish, as it came out in April) Beertender.

Made by two companies, Krups (who create a wide assortment of small appliances), and Heineken (who, as you probably know, make beer), the Beertender is, as you either know or would expect, a home beer-tap system, designed to work with the Heineken DraughtKegs (the mini kegs). I tested it out a week ago with a few friends, and we found it really easy-to-use (even after the second beer), and amazing at delivering chilly results. We were using the B95 model, which has on its LED control panel a couple of temperature settings (36, 39, and 42 degrees Fahrenheit), and a temperature indicator to show the keg’s actual temperature. In addition, it has a keg volume indicator to show how much is left (which is helpful if your one draft beer turns into a larger party and you need to pick up a backup). Oh, there’s also a “freshness” indicator, that gives you a 30 day countdown, in case you’re a really, really slow drinker.

The B90 version (which I didn’t test, but which I’ve researched) doesn’t have the multiple temperature settings, or the countdown, but does have the volume indicator, which is a good thing, because coming home after a hot day at work (or coming into the garage after a hot day working in the yard) and finding out only through the sad and empty glass that your keg’s dry seems like it would be torture. I’d miss the multiple temperature setting’s though, I believe, on this model, because it was nice to have that kind of control. Also, I hope that they’re going to expand the types of beer you can use in the Beertender. Don’t get my wrong, I like Heineken fine (all Blue Velvet quotes aside), but it’d be terrific to be able to have different brews on occasion.

In general though, the Beertender was nice to have around (if you like draft beer, that is), and could even be set up outside for a summer party. I think you could use it to make Summer Beer’s, too (though I suppose the folks at Heineken might frown on this, as well as any overly tight beer purist). To make a Summer Beer, which is a refreshing warm weather cool-down, start with a 24-ounce “big girl” glass. Then add 10 ounces beer, straight from the Beertender tap (don’t let it get too foamy). Carefully add 9 ounces lemonade, and then (really, it takes the edges off the beer and lemonade) 1-1/2 ounces vodka. Stir briefly and smoothly, add one more ounce lemonade and garnish with a lemon slice. Kick back in a lawn chair, relax, and enjoy the rest of the day.

--A.J. Rathbun

Midweek Happy Hour: Dark & Stormy

Okay, the weather has been terrible in Seattle. It's depressing, but rather than distract myself with fruity cocktails, I prefer to revel in the moodiness of our ever-present gray skies and mix up a Dark & Stormy. My favorite liquor is rum anyway, and the addition of spicy ginger lends it just enough kick to keep you in the game until the sun shows itself again.

Dark & Stormy

Ingredients
2 ounces Gosling's Black Seal rum (D&S fans insist this is the only rum that'll do)
8 ounces ginger beer (or ginger ale if you're a sissy)
Ice
Slice of lime

Directions
Pour rum over ice, add ginger beer, and stir. Garnish with a slice of lime, glower sulkily out the window, repeat.

--AndreaLeigh

Start Summer in GrandGala Fashion

It seems (out here in Seattle) that summer is having a hard time starting, as the clouds are still thick and low outside my window, and it’s raining (just leave the Seattle rain talk behind by the way, because our summers are usually dreamy). I’ve heard there are parts of the country that have had, and are having, sunny days, but it’s hard to believe. Wherever you are, though, and whether you’re having rain, sun, sleet, snow, or a mixture of all the above that defies convention, let me make a suggestion (a suggestion I’m going to take myself in a few hours): open a bottle of GranGala orange liqueur and jumpstart your summer.

For some reason I’m a little behind in tasting GranGala, which is made in Trieste, Italy, from Mediterranean oranges and Italian VSOP brandy, and have only recently begun experimenting with it. The oranges used to make it are sweeter than some, which might lead you to believe that it would have more of a dessert-y taste, but the brandy gives it a strong sturdy base that keeps the sugar in check in a way that makes it suitable for sipping, and also ideal in a chilled cocktail or highball (the fact that it’s not too sweet means it won’t turn the mix in the wrong direction). All of which is nice, sure, but don't take it to mean that the orange flavor doesn’t rule in glowing fashion. It does, which is why GranGala is such an ideal summer accompaniment (be sure and serve it cold though, to combat rising temperatures). If you’re wondering how to start playing around with GranGala (which, I just found out, won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits competition), try the following recipe for a Golden Orchard. Straining this drink over crushed ice makes it an extra-chilly summertime treat.

Golden Orchard

Ingredients:
2 large mint leaves
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Ice cubes
2 ounces GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur
2 ounces vanilla cognac
Crushed ice
Orange twist, for garnish (optional)
Vanilla bean, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Add the mint, orange juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or long wooden spoon, muddle well.

2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the GranGala and cognac. Shake well.

3. Fill a cocktail glass halfway full with crushed ice. Strain the GranGala mix over the ice. Garnish with the orange twist, vanilla bean, or both.

A Note: Simple syrup, if you don’t already have some, is easy to make. Add 3 cups sugar and 2-1/2 cups water to a medium-sized saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat. Lower the heat a bit, keeping the mixture at the low boil for five minutes. Then turn off the heat, and let the syrup completely cool in the pan. It stays good for up to a month in the fridge.

--A.J. Rathbun

Midweek Happy Hour: Cuba Libre

Someday I hope to legally take my wife to Cuba's Varadero beach resort for an anniversary and sip on Cuba Libres. In the meantime, I'll have to settle with making them myself.

First you need some real Coca-Cola. Not the HFCS stuff--the Coca-Cola made with real sugar (from Mexico) that you can sometimes find at Costco. I picked up a kilo case of Mexican Coke there last weekend. The last crucial ingredient is Cuban rum. Good luck finding that in your local liquor store, gringos. Curse you, trade embargo!

Cuba Libre

Ingredients:
2 ounces light rum (Havana Club, if you're a real baller)
Lime juice (about half of a lime will do)
Mexican Coca-Cola

Directions:
1. Squeeze lime juice into glass; add ice.
2. Pour rum over ice.
3. Fill with Coke.

--Excmo. Spanno

Midweek Happy Hour: Meyer Lemon Sidecar

Second to a perfectly smooth frozen margarita, my favorite drink to order is the sidecar. Rarely do I make these at home, but I recently tried this tasty treat from GreatGrub and thought I'd share. The reader feedback on GreatGrub's recipe is right on--the meyer lemon offers a very nice touch. Thanks Mr. WIlson!

Ingredients:
2 ounce Brandy or Cognac
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce Meyer lemon juice
Fine sugar

Directions:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a chilled shaker with a handful of ice.
2. Shake for no more than 30 seconds, then strain into martini glass rimmed with fine sugar.

--Sous-Chef on the Run

Starbucks Called 'Slutbucks' Over Retro Logo

Mark "Clay" Dice, founder of the San Diegan Christian group "The Resistance", hates Starbucks' retro logo and has called for a boycott. And it totally would have worked had he not called for it after Starbucks' same-store sales went south.

According to Mr. Dice, the new image "has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute. Need I say more? It's extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks."

Two thoughts:
1. Mark seems to know a lot about prostitute procedures.
2. "Slutbucks"? Seriously? That's not very creative. "Seattle's Breast" works much better.

--Spanno

My Plea for Stretching Out World Cocktail Week for an Extra Week

Okay, I realize that World Cocktail Week ended on Tuesday, May 13th, but in my mind (and I hope you agree) I think it’s a dandy idea to stretch out this, the tastiest holiday week, for another week. Or even for the rest of the month, for that matter. World Cocktail Week was created by the fine, fine folks at the Museum of the American Cocktail to “celebrate the rich history of the cocktail and recognize the craftsmanship and skill of the bartenders who have been mixing them for over 200 years,” and that’s the kind of celebration that should go on, and on, and on in my mind. Though, after hearing about the many amazing events that already happened  (you can read about a lot of them on the Museum’s friendly and fun blog), I can understand that a few revelers might need a little catch-up time. Here’s a thought: if you haven’t already raised a few glasses in honor of WCW, then don’t feel bad about having a little late party in honor of those cocktails and cocktailians you love; if you’ve already celebrated, then just think nice thoughts about cocktails until you’re up to consuming again. But either way, if you love cocktails and drinks and hanging out in bars (both licensed and home bars), then the one thing you have to do is get yourself a membership to the Museum, which is a non-profit organization--and the only organization--dedicated the legacy, and the future, of the cocktail. Cheers.

--A.J. Rathbun

Al Dente Taste Test: Perfect Water

Touted as "the ultimate fluid to empower your body and mind", Perfect Water makes some lofty scientific claims. These include purification, re-mineralization, ionization, oxygenation,  and something called "microstructuring". Even their website is mum as to what that means. It reminds me of Brawndo: The Thirst Mutilator from the movie Idiocracy, but without all the over-the-top advertising.

As a straight "taste" test, Perfect Water excels in that it tastes like nothing. In a blind test between this and plain water we couldn't tell the difference. There's a slight mouth feel difference (thicker?) to Perfect Water, but after a few swigs it's not noticeable. There was also the way we felt after drinking it. Everyone got a slight oxygen buzz.

In addition to scientific claims, they make performance claims that can be demonstrated with three simple tests. We conducted two--the flexibility and strength tests. First was a simple toe-touch. We all got a baseline for how far we could touch our toes. After just one ounce of Perfect Water and a few seconds to let the oxygen distribute through our bodies, there was a slight improvement--an inch or two. Not a miracle, but a decent improvement. Second was the tip test, which is explained and shown here. This definitely worked as advertised. I'm not sure how it works, but it's pretty cool.

Bottom Line:
Perfect Water will probably make a good workout drink. Not only is it water, it might have some performance benefits. As with any product that makes performance claims, results will vary. With the extra oxygen, you might feel a little extra energy--I hit the gym for an hour after drinking half a bottle and I definitely felt livelier--a little more flexible, and possibly stronger since the more oxygen you can get to your muscles, the better they perform.

You can buy Perfect Water only from select retailers.

--Spanno

Mother's Day Recipes, Day 3, Part 2: The Pimm’s Cup

All of these lovely food recipes in honor of mom are delightful (and making me hungry throughout the work day), but we know that what mom wants is a nice, refreshing drink made just for her. I suggest a Pimm’s Cup, especially if the part-of-the-country your mom lives in has started to hit those higher late spring temperatures, because it’s such a swell cool down. I also suggest it because it’s a drink my mom’s really fond of, and one she introduced me to when we were visiting the United Kingdom when I was 14 (which means that it really started me on my love of cocktails and highballs and other beverages in their family).

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 ounces Pimm’s No. 1 Cup (“made to James Pimm’s original recipe, a closely guarded secret known only to 6 people”).
Chilled ginger ale
Cucumber slice for garnish

Directions:
1. Fill a large Collins glass three quarters up with ice cubes. Add the Pimm’s No. 1 Cup.

2. Top the glass off with ginger ale. Garnish with the cucumber slice.

A Note: Pimm’s is a gin-based, slight fruity, liqueur that’s readily available in liquor stores and online.

--A.J. Rathbun

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Watermelon-Cucumber Margarita

While I do enjoy a really good classic Margarita, I also love to try out unique and fruity variations found on some bar menus, or mix up something interesting at home. Tonight I'm hoping to toast Cinco de Mayo with one of these Watermelon-Cucumber Margaritas, featured in the July 2007 issue of Bon Appétit. Olé!

Watermelon-Cucumber Margaritas

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups 1-inch chunks of watermelon (without rind)
6 (1/8-inch-thick) slices English hothouse cucumber
15 large fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup 100% blue agave silver tequila
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons Simple Syrup (see note below)
1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange liqueur
2 cups ice cubes, divided
2 small watermelon triangles, each skewered with 1 cucumber round (for garnish)
2 fresh mint sprigs (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Place first three ingredients in a medium bowl. Press firmly on solids with a muddler or the back of wooden spoon until mashed. Mix in tequila, lime juice, Simple Syrup, and Cointreau, then 1 cup ice. Stir to blend well.
2. Strain into a large glass measuring cup. Divide remaining ice between two tall glasses. Pour Margarita mixture over. Garnish with watermelon skewers and mint sprigs.

Serves 2.

Note: To make your own Simple Syrup, stir together one cup sugar and one cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about three minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using.

--KitchenMaus

Get Ready for Limoncello Season with Limoncé

Late spring and summer afternoons and evenings are idyllic moments, with sun slipping down in the blue sky, and the light sticking around long enough that you can almost forget winter was ever a season. And if you’re spending this time with a group of pals, or with that special beau or belle, well, it’s even better. And if you’re drinking limoncello, the king of summer liqueurs, that’s best of all.

If you’re already a limoncello fan, then you know what I mean, and if you haven’t had limoncello, well, you have some nice days and nights ahead of you (it’s an Italian lemon-based liqueur if you’re unsure). It can be had (always chilled) after dinner by itself, or mixed into cocktails and imbibed on the porch accompanied by some salty snacks.

There are a number of limoncello brands available, but I’ve been (hey, even though summer’s isn’t officially here, I’m getting ready) drinking Limoncé limoncello lately. It’s a brand I first had in Italy, which isn’t so surprising since it’s the number one selling brand there, and it has a nice light body that works well in cocktails (but still has the underlying limoncello strength that’s so reassuring).

Since I’ve been consuming Limoncé, I decided to research it a bit (this is what us cocktail-and-liqueur-lovers do), and found out that it’s made in Trieste, Italy, from Mediterranean lemons that have lived their whole lives in that beautiful beach sunshine (Trieste is a port city), leaving a mingling of sweet and tang that you’ll adore. I suggest keeping a bottle in the freezer, both for the straight sipping and for mixing, at least though August. If you do decide to mix it up, the Princess is a nice easy refreshing combo. To make a Princess, fill a Collins glass three quarters full with ice cubes, add 1-1/2 or 2 ounces Limoncé lemoncello, 5 or 6 fresh raspberries, and then fill the glass to about 1 inch from the top with chilled club soda. Stir well, using a long spoon, and working to try and break the raspberries up a little (so you get just a touch of that flavorful raspberry juice socializing with the Limoncé). Just thinking about having one this weekend is making my day better.

--A.J. Rathbun

Midweek Happy Hour: Bibi Cocktails

Since this is unofficial BibiCaffè week, I thought I'd share some potentially delicious BibiCaffè cocktails. I say "potentially" because no one from TSR Imports has sent me any free samples to experiment with (yet). Here are a couple gems. They're all quite simple. The full list can be found here.

Urban Camper

Ingredients:
3/4 ounce vodka
3/4 ounce Baileys
BibiCaffè

Directions:
1. Pour over ice
2. Mix
3. Enjoy

Bibi Alexis

Ingredients:
3/4 ounce Brandy
3/4 ounce Baileys
BibiCaffè

Directions:
1. Pour over ice
2. Mix
3. Enjoy

--Spanno

Food Lust: BibiCaffè

While sitting in my favorite Italian restaurant for lunch on Sunday, I decided to try something new (to me). BibiCaffè, a sparkling espresso drink, has been around since 1941 but I had never given it a second thought. "Sparkling" and "espresso" just didn't sound very good.

I was waaaay wrong.

Turns out it's pretty darn tasty. It's sweet, sparkly, and has a nice kick. My wife likened it to "chocolaty root beer". It's exactly what you'd expect Coke Blak to be if it were good. BibiCaffè is all-natural and has no HFCS.

It's hard to find in the U.S.--only a few states have it. You can also find it online here.

--Spanno

Having a Drink in Church

At Pennel, in North Wales, a church may soon not only provide religion to its parishioners, but also, at least on occasion, a little liquid pick-me-up. According to an article on the BBC website, the Reverend Geraint ap Iorwerth, from St Peter ad Vincula Church, is going to the courts to apply for a license to sell and serve spirits, as well as beer and wine, in church. Naturally, the first reason is for events such as weddings, but the forward-looking reverend is also thinking about opening a bar in the church café for more regular sipping. The idea is that more people who aren’t coming to church will come to spend time relaxing and socializing and then stay for services. Dr. Barry Morgan, the Archbishop of Wales, says of the plan, "Indeed, sharing bread and wine is an essential part of the Christian ministry." And, "we see alcohol, taken in moderation and used responsibly, as something to enjoy with others." As someone who believes drinking with friends is one of life’s true pleasures, I say "amen" to that.

--A.J. Rathbun

Midweek Happy Hour: Banana Monkey

In Playa del Carmen, Head Chef and I enjoyed this tasty frozen concoction. A slight twist on the Piña Colada, this tropical treat is mighty refreshing.

Ingredients:
8 ounces piña colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1 fluid ounce Kahlua
1 fluid ounce vodka
1/3 banana
Ice

Directions:

Add ingredients into blender and blend, adding ice until desired consistency.

--Sous-Chef on the Run

Midweek Happy Hour: Piña Colada

Although the Piña Colada is known as the official beverage of Puerto Rico, the delicious blend of pineapple juice, rum, and coconut is also one of the most popular drinks in Hawaii. Seeing as I'm heading there in a few days for vacation, I figured I'd get my palate ready early. This drink also comes in handy if you happen to live in a city famous for rain and late-starting summers (ahem), and need something to remind you of sunnier days to come.

Ingredients:
4 ounces fresh pineapple juice
3 ounces rum
2 ounces coconut cream
2 cups crushed ice

Directions:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend briefly at high speed.
3. Strain into a glass.
4. Garnish with a slice of fresh pineapple and a cherry.

--AndreaLeigh

Midweek Happy Hour: Basil Vodka Gimlets

Go ahead, let in a little bit of spring, even if it's still cold in your neck of the woods. This tart and herby take on a gimlet should help! Make the basil-lemon syrup ahead of time, and enjoy the cocktail through the weekend. You'll have extra syrup, so pour it over sorbet, let it soak into some fresh pound cake, or add it to any number of other cocktails. The recipe comes from the July 2007 issue of Gourmet.

Basil Vodka Gimlets

Ingredients:
4 cups packed fresh basil sprigs (top 4 inches; from a 1/2-pound bunch)
4 cups water
2 cups sugar
9 (4- by 1-inch) strips lemon zest
3/4 cup vodka
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup ice cubes

For garnish: Fresh basil sprigs; lemon zest strips

Directions:
1. Make the basil-lemon simple syrup: Bring basil, water, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Let stand at room temperature, covered, 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Strain syrup through a sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on it and then discarding solids.
2. In a pitcher, stir together 1 cup of cold basil-lemon simple syrup, the vodka, the lemon juice, and the ice cubes. Strain into 8- to 10-ounce glasses half filled with ice. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and strips of lemon zest.

Makes 6 drinks.

--KitchenMaus

Happy Hour Drink Special: The Oriental Cocktail

The Oriental Cocktail’s balanced mix of rye, sweet vermouth, orange curaçao, and fresh lime juice is the ideal antidote to April’s cruelty (well, at least the part that involves doing taxes).

--A.J. Rathbun

Curtailing the Barbershop Beer

I can admit it--I used to have a scraggly ponytail kind-of-a-thing going. A really unattractive hairdo (though I feel I’m slagging the word “hairdo” by associating it with what I had at the time) which I wore mostly because I was working at a bar more than going to school, this was during undergrad days, and thought that an extra 5 minutes of sleep was more important than stopping off to get a haircut. I also had a Castro-esque beard for the same reason, but the hair, and that nasty, wanna-be-English-major ponytail, are center stage here. My manager at the bar hated it (it scared customers, too), and told me he’d pay be $10 to go across the street to our neighborhood barber and get a haircut. Finally, to get him off my back as much as to fancy up, I did go over after an afternoon shift to Roy’s Barbershop, which was a traditional one-seat shop, a place where older and younger folks would hang out and talk before getting their hair cut, maybe read a magazine or two, tell jokes, and generally form a community. Of course Roy (who I’d poured a drink for many times) was excited to rid me of the offending hair, and of course my manager followed me over to make sure the pony tail actually went by the wayside. Between us, I hadn’t been to get a haircut in a while, and having someone there watching over the cutting made me a little nervous. But Roy, following the lineage of many great barbers, handed me a Miller High Life when I sat down, handed one to my manager, started off with a “man walks into a bar” joke, and brought the room together. Walking out, I not only looked better, but felt better. I also realized when looking in the mirror that my hair had been an affront to nature, and I’ve had short hair since. Then, today, I read an article on Mlive.com that the attorney general of Michigan recently wrote a five-page ruling to stop Jude’s Barbershop in Grand Rapids from giving a beer to of age customers. I’m sure somewhere the owner of Supercuts is chuckling, but me, it just made me sad. First, doesn’t the attorney general of Michigan have better things to spend his time on? And second, why is it that a PG movie can teach kids 20 ways of bloodletting, but a barbershop can’t hand out a beer? What’s next? Is someone going to bust a doctor for handing out lollipops?

--A.J. Rathbun