Alcohol: It's Still Legal!

Careful followers of the news may have seen recently that YouTube has been classifying many videos as "restricted," and therefore not available in restricted mode, which can chosen as an option by individual users. That's all well and good and I'd never dream of telling another person what they should be allowing their kids to watch. However, they're lumping drugs and alcohol in together as a taboo category and that bugs me. It's not that I want underage kids watching our content (and I'd argue that underage kids have zero interest in us), but I get so tired of a martini after a long day being equated with a heroin binge. For one thing, alcohol is legal and has been since 1933. Possibly you can stop by the heroin or crack store on the way home, but I would have no idea how. Addiction is addiction and that obviously isn't good. But illegal drugs and alcohol, while both potentially addictive, just aren't the same. One is LEGAL and the other is not. You know, it's possible to become addicted to food, gambling and shopping, too, but those aren't restricted.

Okay, rant over. Let's have some fun with this, courtesy of 1950's Bar Guide, Published by TRUE, The Men's Magazine. One may or may not approve, but this cocktail doesn't care!

We firmly believe that drinking at home, in moderation, is the best way to stay out of trouble (and, if you plan to drink away from home, I have one word: UBER). However, if you're wondering whether or not you might be blotto (hint: you are), Bar Guide has some guidelines for determining your status:

Drink in moderation, don't drive and make sure you have restricted mode turned off, so you don't miss any of our episodes! :D

Happy Repeal Day!

December 5, 1933 was the happy day when the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, repealing Prohibition, the "noble experiment" gone wrong. That calls for a drink! Click here for two easy recipes that celebrate booze in honor of this auspicious occasion. Happy Repeal Day!

Out of the Tub cocktail

You Know I'm Bad

I've noticed a disturbing trend lately, which is that some folks think our show is naughty or "adult content," since we make cocktails. I agree 100% that we shouldn't target our content to kids, which is why all of our marketing is to people over the age of 30. Kids aren't interested in us, anyway. But in case anyone hadn't noticed, Prohibition ended in 1933 and liquor is legal for those over the age of 21. We don't advocate drinking and driving, which is why we're showing how to make cocktails at home in almost all cases, and we've spoken at length about not being a jerk when you drink. Still, from some of the flagging our posts and ad buys get, you'd think we were doing porn* or showing folks how to make meth. It bothers me because we're not doing anything wrong, yet some entities treat us like we're just a little sleazy. So, just in case it wasn't clear to anyone:

• Don't drink and drive
• Don't be a jerk when you drink
• Don't serve anyone who may become a jerk when drinking
• Don't drink at work, unless it's your job

Finally, enjoy yourself! It's later than you think.

We're so subversive.

*If we were doing porn we'd be making a lot more money.

Door Knock Cocktails

Does anyone else remember the TV show Door Knock Dinners, where Gordon Elliott and a chef would show up at some unsuspecting person's home and the chef would make dinner using only ingredients that the homeowner had on hand? I loved that show! It was such an inspiration, not only for taking a second look at your pantry, but for seeing the items you already have in a whole new way. There are many lists available online for suggested pantry ingredients to keep on hand although, sadly, Door Knock Dinners is no more. Gordon Elliott and the chef du jour may not show up at your house ready to whip up a meal, but a well-stocked pantry means that you'll always be prepared to throw dinner together.

However, what about your liquor pantry? Suppose you've invited a few friends for drinks, but one requests a Martini and you have no gin? You don't need dozens of bottles of hooch to offer a wide selection of lovely libations! By keeping these items stocked you'll be prepared to make many of the classics and you can expand your collection as you discover new liquors that strike your fancy!

The Basics

Gin 

A blended whiskey

Brandy

A light or amber rum

A silver or gold tequila

Vodka

Mixers

Fresh limes

Dry vermouth 

A nice orange liqueur

Simple syrup

Club soda

With the above you can make Martinis, Sidecars, Daiquiris, Margaritas and all kinds of sours and highballs! Add wine and you'll have sangrias and spritzers in your arsenal as well, not to mention the many variations on the French 75 if you have champagne! And, the more juices you keep on hand, the more you can play! As you add new liquors and liqueurs to your collection you'll find that your choices grow exponentially! But, with just these items available, you'll have plenty of choices to please just about any visitor to your home and keep yourself in lovely libations for quite a while! Bottoms up!

The world of liquor is your oyster!

Drink 'Em While You Can

Among the many ways we've been enlightened by the news this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently announced that one drink a day for women is considered "excessive" (click here if you don't believe me). They even consider what most of us would call "one drink" more than one drink in some cases! Now, while I myself am against excessive drinking, my definition of such is a little different from theirs. If your lovely libations are negatively impacting your life or your health, that's excessive. If cocktails give you the urge to hop into the car and go for a ride, that's just a terrible idea, period. If a little drinkie (or five) makes you cranky or violent, by all means, put down the bottle! But let's stop vilifying one of life's little pleasures which, when enjoyed by responsible adults, can make a bad day better and make a celebration just a little more celebratory. Fun fact: We could all stop now and never touch a drop again and we're all goners, anyway. No one lives forever, so I want to enjoy my life while I still can.

Or, to quote a friend from the past, "Don't drink and drive - just drink!" It's later than you think.

They probably lived to be 80, unless mobsters got them first.