Tag: Toast Tuesday

Hibernation Libation

~ Meg ~ 49 Comments

Week 50 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously. Glühwein and Glögg.

Wow, week 50! Just two more adventures to go and the year is done. That was fast…

This time of year, when the weather turns cold, a lovely way to warm up from the inside is with a mulled wine, warmed, fortified and flavored with spices. Many a holiday shopper in the Christmas markets of Europe, especially Germany, may enjoy a cup of cheer as they battle the chill. In the United States, most mulled wines are a half hearted imitation of the glühwein (glow wine) ladled out in the open air huts of the markets. That’s what happens when a nation is founded by a bunch of tee-totaling Puritans…

A traditional mulled wine done right includes a base red wine, cinnamon, sugar, spices like anise and clove, a dash of citrus –either orange or lemon– and for even more fortification, a shot of brandy or rum. The Scandinavian version of glühwein is called glögg and differs from the German mulled wine in that it uses port as a base and is fortified with akvavit or vodka rather than brandy or rum. Other additions may include raisins and almonds. I decided to experiment and make my own glühwein.

I started with an inexpensive domestic merlot -so much other flavor will be added, it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot on the wine. Then I tried two variations: one with the cognac, the other with the Kill Devil Hills Rum I brought back from the Outer Banks this fall. I figured the pecan and honey would make a nice flavor addition to the glühwein. (I was right!) Since the candied ginger had sugar and the rum had honey, I didn’t add any extra sweetening to that cup.

Here is the way I made mine: in a small saucepan, I heated six ounces of the wine with a shot of the rum, tossed in three slices of the ginger, a thick slice of lemon, dash of ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Do not boil! You will evaporate the alcohol and what fun is that? In the cognac variation, I added a spoonful of dark brown sugar to the mix. I used my tea strainer when I poured the glow wine into the cup. Both of these variations were delicious and fortifying, indeed.

Now, if we would just get some snow. The Mid-Atlantic region is missing out on all the fun. Wow, Lula, only two more adventures left. Where did the time go?

 

It was a dark and stormy night…

~ Meg ~ 57 Comments

Week 48 in The Year of Drinking Adventurously. Ginger beer.

Right about now you’re asking yourself what business ginger beer has being part of a drinking adventure. Ginger beer, as well as ginger ale is a non-alcholic beverage. Right? Right? Well, it so happens, ginger beer is a product of fermentation and as such does contain a trace amount of alcohol -less than 0.5%, the legal threshold for marketing something as non-alcoholic. And in fact, ’twas not always the case. Ginger beer, when it originated, was a much more potent potable than its modern day counterparts. Today’s ginger beers are heated to kill off the fermenting yeast and to boil off the majority of the alcohol, leaving a scant remnant behind.

51fffcpqPZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_According to our guide, several ginger beer brewers have returned to their roots and rather than halt the fermentation process, are allowing the yeast to work its magic and produce more alcohol. I was unable to sample the products recommended, however, but I’ll list them here in case you want to give them a try: Crabbie’s, Ginger Grouse, Hollows & Fentimans -all companies in the United Kingdom. Maybe Lula had better luck…

I do occasionally indulge in a cocktail that makes use of the ‘non-alcoholic’ ginger beer, however, and this is the connection to Snoopy if you hadn’t figured it out…

The Dark and Stormy: dark spiced rum (I like the Captain Morgan Black Rum) over ice mixed with ginger beer. Basically it’s a Cuba Libre with ginger beer instead of Coke. And it’s definitely better in the summertime by the pool. But why not sip as you sit in front of the typewriter,  composing your noir thriller.

And an update from a couple weeks ago… Remember the pickle back? A shot of whiskey or other spirit followed by a shot of pickle juice? Well, in an attempt to be a good sport, I tried it. I had a shot of Woodford reserve bourbon followed by a shot of Klaussen’s kosher dill pickle juice. And…. it wasn’t awful. I can’t quite grasp the point of covering over the flavor and warmth of a nice whiskey with the brine of pickle, though. At least I can say I’ve tried it. Cheers!

Image (of course) from Peanuts by Charles Schulz

Drinking Adventurously – Writer’s Edition

~ Meg ~ 42 Comments

Week 47 in the Year of Drinking Adventurously. Sweet potato beer. (FAIL)

I didn’t find this locally –although truth be told, I didn’t look too hard. I saw sweet potato beer and thought: pumpkin beer, which falls under the category of ‘enough with the pumpkin already’ in my world. The chapter of our guide started with ‘Japan’ and meandered to ‘gluten free’ and my eyes crossed and I gave up. (No offense Jeff, this is still an awesome book. Buy it y’all.)51fffcpqPZL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_

And besides, I’ve been stressed enough this month trying to pen a novel in 30 days. So instead, because I’m consumed with writing, I thought we’d explore that age old bit of wisdom wrongly attributed to Ernest Hemingway: Write drunk, edit sober. (That’s right, Fictional Kevin, Ernie never said that.) I’ve also tried this approach: write sober, get drunk, edit with a hangover. Or write with a hangover, edit whilst drunk again. Of course, I’m kidding… Sort of. It actually works brilliantly with poetry. My poetry anyway.

Apparently (according to Google -that infallible source of all things everything) the quote is more likely from novelist, Peter De Vries. In his book, “Reuben, Reuben” published in 1964, the main character is based on a famous drunkard -the poet, Dylan Thomas. On page 242 the character says this: “Sometimes I write drunk and revise sober, and sometimes I write sober and revise drunk. But you have to have both elements in creation — the Apollonian and the Dionysian, or spontaneity and restraint, emotion and discipline.”

Well, whoever said it, its the second bit that’s brilliant -the part about having both elements of creation in your writing – emotion and discipline…  The trick is finding the balance. Lowering the inhibitions or finding that altered state, may prompt you to put down on paper (or screen) words that you may have have thought twice about in a more restrained condition. Some of my most inspired writing comes to me at 3:00 am when my eyes slam open with an idea fully formed during the fog of sleep. I have to creep from bed, find my notebook and scribble it all down before it’s lost to the next round of sleep, or daylight whichever comes first. 

There is a fine line between intoxication and inspiration. What I mean is, a little liquid prime to the creative pump is a good idea, but flooding the engine just stalls it out. So don’t write drunk and  edit sober. Write inspired and edit minimally.

Sorry for the fail Lula!