The Eight of Clubs -The Boxcar

I went into the office this week and will be going in next week as well.   I don't really understand why.   I can do my job from my desk at home and most of the building is closed.    I'm not going to argue though, I have a job.



The Boxcar

This recipe calls for 2 oz of Gin, 1/2 oz of orange liqueur, 1/2 oz lime juice and an egg white.  Shake with cracked ice and serve in a cocktail glass rimmed with sugar.


I'm beginning the think the guy wrote these drink recipes never tried them.    The shaking makes the drink much too cold and dulls the taste of the ingredients.   After it warmed up to was more favorable but I couldn't taste much flavor.     I might also need to upgrade my ingredients from bottom self to mid level at least.



Next time- The Boomerang. 
(It has nothing to do with New Jersey)

The Seven of Hearts or Gin Ricky

The drink for today was the Gin Ricky.   

1 1/4 oz of Gin

1/4 oz of Lime Juice

Club Soda

Pour the Gin and Lime over ice in a highball glass and fill with club soda.  It's ok. The  gin and lime are very diluted, making the flavor much more subtle then I want in a cocktail.   Maybe I need an actual highball glass for measurement or a Gin with a bolder flavor.

I don't know if I try it again.

The Six of Hearts-The Dry Martini

The Dry Martini, the classic drink.  Simple and elegant yet misunderstood.

The original was the Martinez cocktail from 1887 that evolved in to the three note drink of today.   I prefer them bone dry, that is little to no vermouth, and stirred because if its too cold you don't get the full favor.

But today I used the recipe on the card.   1 1/3 oz of gin and 1/3 oz of vermouth.   Shaken and garnished with an olive or lemon twist.   It's not my thing, the vermouth overwhelms the gin and I am not able to make a lemon twist.   I'll finish it but I won't use these ratios for my next cocktail

Variations: To make a sweet martini substitute sweet vermouth for the dry  To make a vodka martini substitute vodka for the gin. To make a Gibson substitute a cocktail onion for the olive


Oh and while we're on the subject of martinis, just because its served in a cocktail glass does not mean its a martini or -tini.    You're drinking a cocktail be it apple, ginger, or mint chocolates.  There are not in anyway related to the martini.

Cocktail Project-5 of Hearts, New Orleans Buck

The last week has rocked the US with strife.  Protests across the nation, some turning into riots and looting. As a white male, I will never fully understand what African Americans are going through.

Black lives matter.  Don't let anyone dilute this with all lives matter, or anything like that.

I can understand is their anger and thirst for justice.  Most of the protests are peaceful but some valid reports of agitators disturb me.  I pray for everyone to stay safe, and for a peace and justice to come out of this. 

Enough about that, on the the cocktail.

5 of Hearts- New Orleans Buck

A buck is the same family as the trendy Moscow Mule. This one is made with light rum, orange juice,  lime juice and bitters.  It's shaken and served over ice and mixed with ginger ale.

This is a good looking and tasty drink.    My only criticism is I would like more of a ginger flavor.   I can easily correct that with another brand of ginger ale. I will drink this again.

The exact recipe that I used is available by request.

The 4 of hearts: the Jockey club cocktail and the coming of TROGDOR!!!

This week has been interesting, I've had a recruiter call me and I have to go into work on Monday. Like physically into an office...how bizarre.

I'm waiting for the recruiter to call me back but I'm also not holding my breath. It's another call center job oh, this time in Jersey but with higher pay.  It has something to do with mortgages, so my work at the Title Agency is a plus. 

(BTW- Shout out to the folks at Sterling Title Agency  They are good folks that will do you right.)

Yesterday, I was left a voice mail by my manager asking for a call back.  In this economy this worried me.   She advised me that the email group had to be in the office.   I haven't been there since the third week in March.  I need to get conformable wearing a mask for hours.  I'm making that into  a weekend chore.




Today's cocktail is the Jockey Club

Made with gin, triple sec, bitters, lemon juice and amaretto.   This version is shaken and served with an old fashioned glass with cracked ice. 

It tasted, how should I put it?  It tastes dated, like something old timey but not retro. Maybe i'll try it again at a bar but I won't  make it again,

As for the origins, I'm guessing that this one is either English or French.  Both have Jockey Clubs but the French one is also a club for gentlemen.   If I was to bet on it, I'd bet for France








You read all of that for Trogdor, didn't you?    Well, I am now the proud owner of Trogdor the Boardgame. Yes, Trogdor comes in the mail! (Really it was FedEx but that doesn't matter)

Two of Hearts-Blackeye Martini

Things seem to be opening up here in the Delaware Valley region, with New Jersey permitting small gatherings and Bucks County set to go into the yellow phase of reopening.    It gives me a little hope that we can start to return to some state of normal, but I am also aware of the possibility of a second wave of the virus hitting the US harder then before.

As I was cleaning my barware today, I noticed the water was not hot. Then, I went to look at the heater and found was on a 85 degree angle.   So we called our HVAC company who declared it DOA. The bottom line, no hot water til Tuesday.  Anyway, on to the drink!



Two of Hearts-Blackeye Martini

Made with vodka, dry vermouth, and a black olive; stirred and served in a chilled glass.  It's a Vodka Martini with a black olive.  If that's your thing great, for me it was just meh.

I also don't understand why it was stirred.  You stir a martini because if it gets too cold the gin looses flavor but a vodka martini doesn't have that problem.   I also have a problem with drinks with a '-tini'
suffix but I will save that for another post.

Cocktail Project - Three of Hearts- Planter's Punch

About a month ago I found out how bad my company is.    The CEO did an interview saying things are "Brutal" and out of 700 or so employees only 110 are left.  I'm lucky to have a job and privileged to work from home.

That being said, I am looking for a new job.   Its not just because of the layoffs. Before that we were furloughed one day every other week.  I can take PTO time to fill in the gaps but that should be for me.  But enough about that on to...

Today's drink, Planter's Punch. 

It's a traditional drink dating back to 1878.   This version has rum, orange juice, lemon juice, grenadine and sugar.  Shaken with and served with fine ice.  It's a bit more sour then sweet and tasty.
I think if it was a warmer day it would be even better.

It would be even better I didn't have to make it three times.   The first time my shaker fell into the sink.   The second, I poured it into a glass that had water in it, diluting by about 1/3.

Oh, and I didn't forget about the two of hearts.   I don't have one of the ingredients, so I'm keeping it up my sleeve until I get it.