From: Woodchuck
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 12:06:53 -0400 (EDT)
On Thu, 20 Jul 2000, alpha decay wrote:
>
> Matt Cramer wrote:
> > That works for some people, but it isn't the only factor. Some people
> > drink water before bed and end up vomitting all night. Witnessing that
> > stopped me from recommending the "n glasses of water + aspiriin" hangover
> > prevention.
>
> I've hardly had the most experience with alcohol, but I always try to
> drink at least one glass of (uncooled) water between alcoholic
> beverages. The more frequent trips to the trough are a bit of a pain
Your instincts are correct. In a bar, order a pitcher of water.
> in the arse, though not only do I wake up feeling well, but much
> better than usual.
>
> It's also not often easy to do this at a pub, or at Joe Bloggs' party.
I believe I have outlined "How to drink Scotch" at least once here, but
(Editor's note: see How to Drink)
in light of the upcoming con, I will provide again, as a public service,
the Method:
Supplies: (enough for 2)
1 bottle single malt Scotch, or a *good* blend.
1 gallon very good spring water.
1 bucket high quality ice, preferably made from the preceding.
1 pitcher, like that used for beer
2 glasses per person, preferably tumblers. (Highball glasses).
Setting:
table with white linen table cloth. Cigars. etc. Padded
straight back chairs. (No over-stuffed upholstery. Sit at
a table for this.)
Fill pitcher with water and ice, lowering temperature to around
40F (ice should melt) cooler in summer. 32F is too cold, it
will dull your palate. If you want aching sinuses, go to
a 7-11 and get a Slurpy and slop some cheap vodka in it. Come
back when you're ready for adult booze.
Whisky has already been brought to about 60F.
Pour whisky, 2" into one tumbler, fill other with water.
Alternate drinking. The water is not to wash down the
whisky, it is to clear the palate before the next whisky
sip.
Water may be added to the whisky as equal parts, but not ice.
No, this is no sin, it changes the flavor of the whisky,
emphasizing different aspects of the boquet and finish.
(Try this with a nice peaty/smoky Scotch like Cardhu).
A large quantity of whisky may be downed in this fashion.
Other methods of drinking Scotch are evil, particularly the
pernicious practice of using soda water.
Those of strict American taste may substitute a bourbon whiskey,
I recommend Wild Turkey.
If my ship ever comes in and I have ConCash, there *will* be a whisky
tasting. Maybe with mint juleps for those not initiated to Scotch.
Dave
--
The thought of unsupervised vegetables makes me feel uneasy.
From: Woodchuck
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 08:10:58 -0400 (EDT)
>
> It's different than http://reeza.com/c00kb00k/misc0003.cfm
> Adding this one to the list for the next update,,,
>
> > Supplies: (enough for 2)
> > 1 bottle single malt Scotch, or a *good* blend.
Some dispute that there is such a thing as good blended Scotch.
I disagree. But blends are usually very mild in flavor.
> > 1 gallon very good spring water.
The kind of water that, when you drink it, you say, "That's good
water." Avoid heavy mineral-style water. Distilled water can be used,
if you aerate it thoroughly to give it some taste. (Pour back and forth
from one pitcher to another, allowing the water to fall a distance of
several feet. This is what the Arab waiter is doing with mint tea,
aerating it, when they pour it this way.)
> > 1 bucket high quality ice, preferably made from the preceding.
> > 1 pitcher, like that used for beer
> > 2 glasses per person, preferably tumblers. (Highball glasses).
> >
> > Setting:
> > table with white linen table cloth. Cigars. etc. Padded
> > straight back chairs. (No over-stuffed upholstery. Sit at
> > a table for this.)
Drinking Scotch is a serious business. No slouching.
> >
> > Fill pitcher with water and ice, lowering temperature to around
> > 40F (ice should melt) cooler in summer. 32F is too cold, it
> > will dull your palate. If you want aching sinuses, go to
> > a 7-11 and get a Slurpy and slop some cheap vodka in it. Come
> > back when you're ready for adult booze.
> >
> > Whisky has already been brought to about 60F.
> >
> > Pour whisky, 2" into one tumbler, fill other with water.
> > Alternate drinking. The water is not to wash down the
> > whisky, it is to clear the palate before the next whisky
> > sip.
> >
> > Water may be added to the whisky as equal parts, but not ice.
> > No, this is no sin, it changes the flavor of the whisky,
> > emphasizing different aspects of the boquet and finish.
> > (Try this with a nice peaty/smoky Scotch like Cardhu).
> >
> >A large quantity of whisky may be downed in this fashion.
> >Other methods of drinking Scotch are evil, particularly the
> >pernicious practice of using soda water.
> >
> >Those of strict American taste may substitute a bourbon whiskey,
> >I recommend Wild Turkey.
The resulting drink is called "Bourbon and branch".
> >If my ship ever comes in and I have ConCash, there *will* be a whisky
> >tasting. Maybe with mint juleps for those not initiated to Scotch.
>
> Mint Juleps???
>
> I found this, while browsing the other day,,,
> (from http://www.civilwarhome.com/mintjulep.htm)
>
I agree about mint julep recipe -- I have seen them prepared in
exactly that way. Approach with reverence, but no ostentation,
much like a Japanese tea ceremony. If you've never had one, you
should. On a blistering hot, humid day, they really are exquisite
and civilized, almost, but not quite, a Slurpy. You need good whiskey
for this, preferably 100 proof. Avoid sour mash, unless everyone has
an acquired taste for it. Wild Turkey is my fave for a usually available
whiskey. The mint and sugar will not "ruin" the whiskey, but bad
water will. No chlorinated, fluorinated weak solutions of iron
sulfide, please!
Recall that in the Old South, ice in July was a luxury. It was
shipped from New England, where it was cut in large blocks from
frozen lakes and special ponds (I had one on my circa 1865 proppity
in Maryland) in winter, and kept in heavily insulated ice houses.
The Roman emperors had ice in summer, too, similar methods... shipped
in sawdust-insulated wagons from the Alps. Italian sherbets are
quite ancient, probably introduced from Persia, of course.
Some modern recipes use powdered sugar. NAY! powdered sugar
contains starch (to keep it from clumping), and this *tastes*, and
will cloud the booze. Ultrafine granulated is what you want.
Chilling the glasses in a deep-freeze before hand is OK. I often
wonder what the original sugar used was. My intuition says that
it was rock candy, crushed with a mallet. Definitely not any kind
of brown or raw sugar. It may even have been a lump or two of rock
sugar, place in the bottom of the glass. The resulting julep is
*not* sweet -- this is not some sort of mint liqueur, made on the
spot. You need the sugar to bring out the mint flavor, and that
is all. The mint aroma is particularly refreshing.
Mint has to be fresh-picked, not some sort of "extract".
Mint may be kept preserved in sugar. Pick, remove leaves, wash,
let dry. Pack in granuated sugar.
In my opinion, mint is under-rated in US. It is also, IMO, the
correct garnish for a gin and tonic, not lime.
Dave
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