Hello and welcome to yet another Monthly Cocktail Doodle Review! This is a rather important one because a full year has gone by since I started this newsletter.
Thanks for keeping up with me along the way, and a huge thank you to the paid subscribers! Especially those of you early readers that re-upped for the coming year. It means a lot to me.
As of last week, I have the keys to the new Cocktail Doodle Headquarters. That’s right! A little office all to myself, a quick walk from home. More on this below.
Seeing that I am a year in, I will be making a few changes:
First
I am dropping the price of paid subscriptions to the lowest possible that Substack allows. I am doing this for a few reasons:
I believe in what I write, and I believe that it should be available for cheaper than a fancy cocktail out at a bar—way cheaper. The lowest I can make a subscription according to the rules of Substack is $5/month and $30/year. That means an annual paid subscription averages out to $2.50 a month.
This newsletter is free to read, but I will be trying to do a few more paid subscriber only posts this year.
I don’t have any paid sponsors. If I am talking about a product, it is because I like it personally or…well, I don’t. Either way, that will be apparent. That being said, sometimes the links I post are to different online purveyors that send me back a small percentage of affiliate sales.
Second
More posts and more stories!
Part of why I got an office was to not only get away from two dogs and the noisy construction next door, but to set aside time for this newsletter. Until now, this has always been a back burner project and I know that is apparent with the parts of it I have had to pull back on like the podcast, Nightcap Show, and regular Instagram posts. Having time and space (and rent) allotted to this project makes it very real, and that means you can expect to see more writing…and hopefully the second season of The Nightcap Show.
Another thing I have neglected are the short stories I used to write. I have to be in the mood to do them and going an entire year without any real inspiration from dining and drinking out caused them to fizzle. I’m working on it. I miss them too.
I will also be writing more personal stuff (not necessarily booze related) here.
Third
Slightly tweaked formatting!
I am using a new writing tool called Ulysses to help me stay organized, and I like the way the exported formatting looks. I will be messing with a few things here and there to get it just right for easy reading. Again, I am always open for feedback.
Last
I am hoping for a little more collaboration. I work much better as a team and I think that makes sense due to my many years tending bar, it was always better with another person. Honestly, I don’t know what this means exactly, but I am looking for someone to be a part of Cocktail Doodle, could that be you? Shoot me an email and let’s talk!
Ready? Blast off!
The Cocktail Doodle Review
Drinks From July
This month seemed to fly by. Summer usually goes that way. My evenings have been spent with a cigar smoldering, the radio crackling baseball plays, and pours of whiskey over ice, all while swatting at the hoards of mosquitoes that seem to enjoy blood that is near the legal limit.
The problem with staying up late and doing all the aforementioned things is it can make for a sluggish Sunday morning, but that is where the Michelada comes into play!
The Michelada is an old beer “cocktail” if you will, and a rather good one. It is related to the Bloody Mary in that it more or less includes all the same ingredients. Now one ingredient, Clamato, you may not find in a Bloody, but you would certainly find in its northern cousin the Caesar. All three of these drinks are known for their restorative properties, but the Michelada takes the gold in terms of refreshment.
I don’t measure anything when I make a Michelada, usually due to lack of patience and stamina, but I’ll write out how it goes down.
Michelada
In a Pint Glass
Rim with Tajín Clásico
Fill with ice
Juice of half a lime
A few heavy dashes of Worcestershire
A few splashes of Bragg Liquid Aminos or Maggi
A couple of dashes of Tabasco
1 dash Fish Sauce
Pinch of salt
Freshly cracked pepper
Half a small can of Clamato
Top with cheap yellow fizzy beer
Jostle
Drink
Top off with beer as necessary
Repeat as necessary
Optional: Advil
If that doesn’t get you where you need to be, try a bowl of Menudo. If THAT doesn’t work, take two Advil and go to bed. Note: I am not a doctor.
The Cocktail Doodle Headquarters
Every so often I have to stop and think about what I am doing. Like now, for example. My brain is telling me you should be getting work done, but that is what this is. I write about booze. Every keystroke is a little bit of work, and that is what this office is for—writing about the service industry, alcohol, new cocktails, and preferably the old ones.
So, it seems funny when my second order of business (desk was number one) is setting up a little bar cabinet in the corner. You may think it is easy to curate a selection of bottles that will not only keep me lubricated but also anyone that stops by, like a client, a friend, or my wife, but the space comes with some restrictions:
Problems
No ice
No refrigerator
No shaking
No sink
No bottles (yet!)
So with these restrictions, what is the best method of putting together a minuscule cocktail program in my office that still accomplishes the goal of hospitality?
Goal: Anyone who visits should leave better than when they arrived.
Problem #1 and #2 Ice and Refrigeration
Ice, being the essential ingredient for making cocktails, will be tough. I could borrow a cupful from the coffee shop downstairs, but they keep coffee shop hours that don't align with cocktail hours.
I found a small mini-fridge that has an ice compartment that, I hope, will solve this issue. It won't fit my favorite ice molds, but that is okay. It will at least hold a few smaller ones, though, and now it seems like I am cooking with ice. Also, a retro ice bucket will come in handy (I found one with a mallard on it). I guess all ice buckets are retro at this point...
The non frozen area leaves room for small bottles of soda, tonic, still water, and vermouth. Perhaps even a bottle or two of Coca-Cola, just in case. I bet I could even fit two cocktail glasses in there. If not, I should have plenty of ice to chill a drink adequately.
I plugged it in today.
Solved
Problem #3 Shaken or Stirred
My office is the smallest one on the floor, and the other occupants do important things. There is a psychiatrist, a CPA, and a photographer, among others. Apparently, there used to be a psychic too but I heard she left because the wi-fi was too strong (not joking). Even after hours, I don't know if shaking would be welcomed.
At home, I rarely shake anything unless it is really hot outside, or I am dying for a sour. Agreeing (with myself) not to shake anything also means I won't need to juice anything. Of course, I'll need a lemon and an orange, but only for their peels or perhaps a slice if I find a small enough cutting board. Peels may work just fine; this isn't the Ritz. There is a 7-11 around the corner that should have some citrus lying around.
So, not shaking solves for noise, juice, and, well, not having to keep a shaker around. Easy.
Solved
Problem #4 No Sink
This is a tricky one. The building my office is in is over 100 years old. There is a shared bathroom down the hall, but nobody has plumbing in their office. I will need some sort of discard vessel to dump old ice in and then pour down the sink in the bathroom...probably the next day.
Secondary Ice bucket? I probably won't know how this will work out until I need to get rid of some water!
Unsolved
Problem #5 Bottles
Here we go! This should be pretty easy at this point because I already have other limitations. For me, no shaking means no citrus, and that means no Daiquiris, so that means rum isn't invited to the party, er, work. Yes, you can certainly sip on a rum, but I am not that kind of guy.
Let me just brain dump really quick: Rum out. Gin stays for the Martini, Gin and Tonic/soda, Negroni. That means I also need both vermouths and Campari. Bourbon for an Old Fashioned or Manhattan or all by itself. I'll need Angostura. Blended Scotch for rocks sipping or highballs Peated Scotch for special occasions. Vodka, because people like it…and I do too. A dasher bottle of my Picker Upper Bitters covers dashes of orange and Absinthe bitters. I think I'll just call them Office Bitters from now on.
That may be it.
Bottle List
Gin: Tanqueray
Vodka: Russian Standard
Bourbon: Makers Mark
Blended Scotch: Dewars
Peated Scotch: Laphroaig 10 Year
Campari: The one and only
Dry Vermouth: Noilly Prat
Sweet Vermouth: Cinzano
Angostura Bitters
Office Bitters
Solved
Curious what you would add or take away?
Current Reading
Grand Dishes: Recipes and stories from grandmothers of the world by Iska Lupton and Anastasia Miari.
I got this book for my wife but I have flipped through it a few times. It may be one of the coolest cookbooks I have seen in a while because its all recipes from grandmothers so you know they are good. The stories are great and the photos are wonderful. I can’t wait to get cooking grandma style as soon as grilling season is over.
New Products
Not reporting on new hard seltzers makes this list tiny
Dogfish Head Distilling launches Let’s Get Lost American Single Malt Whiskey
Keeper’s Heart Marks the Debut of a New Style of Whiskey
In Other (Booze News)
Heineken has automated the beer retrieval process
Is alcohol in wine rising? New data released - Decanter
Putin declares only Russian fizz can be sold as 'Champagne'
Meet the Whiskarita, Only the Fifth Cocktail to Be Trademarked
How startups are trying to stand out in the crowded beverage space
Molson Coors discontinues Coors Seltzer in the US: ‘The brand hasn’t performed up to our high expectations’
Is "Breaking the Seal" a Drinking Myth? A Urologist Weighs In.
Angel's Envy unveils first look at plans for downtown Louisville expansion
Rediscovering Ancient French Grape Varieties
Signed, Sealed, Delivered? — Proponents Say Current Conditions are Ripe for Legalizing Alcohol Shipping via US Postal Service — Good Beer Hunting
Deaths Related To Alcohol And Drug Overdoses Are Skyrocketing In State Prisons
Biden to Take on Big Wine | Wine-Searcher News & Features
'Service with a smile' plus tipping leads to sexual harassment for majority of service employees
Costco Surviving And Thriving
Beam Suntory, Boston Beer partner to expand iconic brands
Low Pay, No Benefits, Rude Customers: Restaurant Workers Quit At Record Rate
Toward a Definition of Texas Whiskey
It’s Time to Allow Bourbon in Our Mailboxes
Coca-Cola reveals early learnings from Topo Chico Hard Seltzer launch
SF Bar Coalition Announces Proof of Vaccination Will Be Required to Come Indoors
Danny Meyer: If you want to be unvaccinated, 'you can dine somewhere else'
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Thanks for reading, and thanks for the support.
Have a great month!
2021 Cocktail Doodle Reviews:
Jan Review
Feb Review
Mar Review
Apr Review
May Review
June Review
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Podcast:Apple / Spotify
Email: hi@cocktaildoodle.com
Cute office but it breaks my heart that it will be Sazerac-less. Will your plants survive boozy water if you discard the ice in a watering can?
I would need a gin gimlet