The Quest for the Perfect Drink

There are so many drinks out there. There are millions and millions of drinks just waiting to enter my mouth, waiting to be savored, waiting to quench my thirst.

Now, when I say drink, I mean, you know, a drink. Not Gatorade or Fresca. I'm talking alcoholic beverage. This is not say that those other drinks aren't drinks. Quite the contrary: they are drinks. But who cares what sodas I like or wanna try? It's a little fem and fruity (hey, that sounds like a great drink name, the Fem and Fruity).

I enjoy the art of the cocktail. I enjoy trying new, exciting, creative, and - sometimes - frightening drinks, like, you know, a pickle juice martini (verdict: not bad). Why? Because there is so much art in it. There's an art in making these drinks, especially in creating them. How does one do it? Why is one compelled to mix ingredients A and B together? Why are some people better at making a drink than another when all you gotta do it follow the instructions?

Who knows. You see, there's so much to it, and it definitely goes beyond the desire to loosen up and get drunk. That's only the by product of the drink, getting drunk. I like everything behind it. I love the appreciation. That might be the word. Appreciation. Because it's one thing to try a drink, another thing to drink it to get drunk, and yet another thing to try it and appreciate it for the beautiful thing that it is.

What got me thinking about this? Well I've been reading this book called Shaken and Stirred, by William L Hamilton, which is about different cocktails. And this man appreciates a good cocktail. It's his living. It's like any other food or beverage - there should be no taboo involved (if you're over 21!). Enjoy it like you would a good steak or something.

And then I stumbled upon this video. David Cross sharing a drink that he likes. Now I want to try it. It sounds great. I am privileged to know about it because, I am sure, one day I will make it and it will hit the spot.



So that's it. Just wanted to share that. Maybe I'll post stuff about drinks as I experience them or hear about them, or -

Oh, OK, here we go. I made a martini last night, and we finally had olives in the house. Green olives, not stuffed with anything - I think that's a crime. And we also had gin. Hmm. I decide to go with a dirty martini. I had tried it once and it was a disaster. Didn't like it. Dumped the whole damned thing in the sink (I know, crazy). But that was a while ago, so I decided to do it up, since I have more experience making drinks now. I made it and boy was this motherfucker tasty. I put two splashes of the brine in the shaker and it added this very subtle taste to the drink, really gave it a little kick, you know? Two splashes of olive brine and you totally transform the drink. I don't know about you, but I think that's cool. It's like a science. This is the closest I will come to being a scientist, making drinks - but it's also much different; there's a lot of feeling in making a drink. I don't like to measure out anything, I just go with my gut. Cuz I think people just have the knack for it. I got the knack. (Note: I think a dirty martini suits gin better than it does vodka. The taste of the brine really compliments that edge that gin has, you know, the one that tastes kinda like Christmas or your grandpa? With vodka I think you're better off going with a cocktail onion, or a twist. A vodka martini with a twist is pretty refreshing.)

So now I've got another drink in the arsenal, something else to enjoy, depending on how I'm feeling. FDR loved his martinis dirty. Now I do too!

But the quest for the best drink will still continue - it has to! If you have a unique drink leave the recipe as a comment. I'll definitely be jazzed and will definitely try it out. Then I'll blog about it! Oh man, how fucking sweet, right?!