Happy Friday one and all! That’s right, I’m still leaning into the London theme after a couple weeks away from the topic. Solidifying weekend plans in the city for my upcoming work trip will include a stop at the famous American Bar at The Savoy. I mean how could I not right? Anyway, this week I chose from that book because of course I would. The Hakam cocktail is one that sounded intriguing to me, especially since I haven’t heard of it before, and thought it would be a good one to try. Especially since it contains ingredients I almost* always have at the bar.
Hakam
1 Dash Orange Bitters
2 Dashes Curacao
1/2 Dry Gin (1.5 oz.)
1/2 Italian Vermouth (1.5 oz.)
Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.
*I swapped Curacao for Triple Sec. Both orange liqueurs so both will work
There is a notably sweet aroma up front, almost no gin notes come through.
Contrary to the aromas, the orange flavor leads the way. Though I’m suspect as to the accuracy of my attempt here. Dashing Curacao, or in my case triple sec, is a rather tall order since dashing a bottle like that is hard and I think I added a bit too much. However I will say it isn’t detrimental to the overall flavors though. Getting past the orange up front, the vermouth and gin start coming out and provide a nice mixed flavor and helps offset the intense orange from the bitters and the curaco/triple sec.
Speaking of orange, the bitters shines through more than I thought it would. Not so much the orange aspect, I think that gets lost in the liqueur, but it really punches through with the vermouth and the gin. The bitter flavors really round out the flavor palate, and provide a somewhat surprising flavor boost, especially at the end. The bitter flavor continues after the sip for a bit, which is a bit of a surprise. I would not have expected the bitters to come through that much, and last as long as it does through the sip, and all the way through to the end and then some.
Overall, I like this. It’s like a more bitter manhattan, or a very light negroni. At least that’s what my mind goes to with the bittersweet vermouth. I like this. But I don’t know how often I’d go to the well and make this one. I think it the dashing of the liqueurs that is throwing me off of being excited to make this again. It just seems too variable and too hard to make consistently. Maybe I’d be more inclined to if I really wanted to go with something orange heavy and somewhat obscure.
(Banner image courtesy Matthew Tetrault Photography)
picked up such great bbq a hour later I can still smell the smokiness
Shoutout to the NFL Network’s “The Insiders”-none of Rapoport, Garafalo or Pelissero had the slightest clue that Sauce would be traded to the Colts-THEY DIDN’T EVEN KNOW HE WAS ON THE TRADING BLOCK!
/they seem like stooges eager to collect a pay cheque, seems to me
Ok, so Twitter isn’t all bad.
Nancy Reagan is trending because of the “Trump blew Bill Clinton” thing.
they would be even angrier if he blew Hillary
.
All I’m saying is has anyone seen Donald Trump and Linda Tripp at the same place at the same time? I’m just asking questions here.
Fat Man orders #ShamePizza, but orders it to be ready at 7:30p so he doesn’t screw up his sleep cycle even worse (and JV NFL will start). White knuckle time indeed.
/Youngest Skull Fracture Boy says that he’s bringing some pizza’s home
Me: “Cool, I didn’t feel like cooking.”
YSFB: [walks in the door with two medium Roasted Chicken with BBQ sauce pies]
Me: “You’re not my son.”
YSFB: “What?”
/I’m not a BBQ sauce on pizza guy from the get-go but this sauce is infused with that liquid smoke fake smoke that is not my thing.
BROTHER!!!!
Speaking of Tawny Kitaen, do I get her in my dreams? No, I get stuff like this. I had to write this down when I woke up.
I dreamt that I was at Aldi. My wife had to run home with the car for some reason so I did the shopping. I had finished shopping and ran into a couple we knew, but not anyone we really knew, like it is in dreams. So they offered to run me home, and I let them even though the missus was already on her way to get me.
So the lady was driving and her husband was going on about this double-barreled shotgun he had in his hands. He was unloading it and showing off the shells and going on about how lethal these 00 buckshot shells he had were, blah blah blah. I’m going, “Uh huh,” and texting to my wife that I’m stuck in a car with a lunatic, because while he’s talking about the shotgun he’s waving it around in the car and pointing it out the passenger-side window.
Now we’re on the north side of I-270, which is not on the way to where we live but we do in this dream I guess. And we ran over these two little Asian girls that were running the wrong way right down the middle of our lane on the interstate! The lady driving didn’t even touch the brakes, just flattened those girls. *bump bump* That got lady driver’s attention, and we were all suitably freaked out. We stopped and backed up. And hit them again. I think one girl was still moving, but not after that. Thanks for that imagery, brain. Appreciate it.
So we get pulled over and I wander off a little ways and start trying to call 911. But my phone is doing crazy shit and dialing the suicide hotline, 311 info, anything but 911. I finally get it dialed and it starts ringing. After about 20 rings it gets picked up by some guy who obviously was not a normal dispatcher. I tell him where we’re at on the interstate, on mile marker 250 (which is not a real I-270 mile marker, IRL they run from 0 to 53 I think).
So I text my wife about this, and tell her we’re on the north side of I-270, over by Dublin, and walk back to where we had stopped. Now there was a crowd gathered at the scene and an EMT squad ambulance (that was fast!) hauling the lady driver away. In shock I guess. The girls’ parents were there, distraught. And my wife was there too (also fast!) and she had a cookie pan full of rice crispy treats, that had already been about 1/3 eaten by the bystanders.
Then I woke up, WTF that was about, I don’t know. The shotgun was from some Quora shit I read last night, but the rest was straight out of nowhere. Maybe it was that boring ass NYJ-NE game. No horny dreams for me I guess. I’d even settle for one of my old standbys where I’m in college and am going to a final, but don’t remember where the classroom is.
Whatever you had for dinner last night I would cross off the menu forever.
[quietly jots down the name “Horatio Cornblower on enemies list] – Coach Reid
(finally! A chance to put a psych degree to work!)
I dreamt that I was at Aldi.
You’re subconscious is telling you to stop being a cheap bastard.
So they offered to run me home, and I let them
Still regretting that devil’s threesome back in college.
He was unloading it and showing off the shells and going on about how lethal these 00 buckshot shells he had were
Guys are constantly trying to show you their penis?
And we ran over these two little Asian girls that were running the wrong way
You have grown as a person, but you still wanna make Asian driver jokes.
We stopped and backed up. And hit them again.
“This guy gets it.” – Bill Parcells
But my phone is doing crazy shit and dialing the suicide hotline, 311 info
Amber is the color of your energy.
After about 20 rings it gets picked up by some guy who obviously was not a normal dispatcher.
And WCS makes an appearance!
And my wife was there too (also fast!) and she had a cookie pan full of rice crispy treats
Your sex life is fulfilling but you wish it would last longer.
Was ‘the devil’s threesome in college’ describing when I would switch hands and pick up a stroke? A mere twosome was like a solar eclipse for me back then.
And Occam’s Razor says that I want rice crispy treats. I might have to make them myself because the missus doesn’t want to make them.
The rest, I guess maybe you did stay up in class.
Especially the Bill Parcells part.
BIG NEWS. David Coverdale is retiring. “Why now? Why not 20 years ago?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNTRgkd4gB0&list=RDGNTRgkd4gB0&start_radio=1
Here He Gone Again
RIP Tawny Kitaen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybJ55IuBz8
20?! His career died 30 ago, and his original skin 15 years before that!
Ian Gillan or GTFO.
Oh? Did Robert Plant announce his retirement two days ago?
OHMYGOD the 17-year-old girl Matt Gaetz was allegedly having sex with turns out to have been homeless and saving money up so she could get braces.
I’m gonna need about sixteen of the drinks referenced above, 11 of which I am going to pour into my eyes.
“Did somebody say ‘snaggle-toothed drifter’?” – Jim Tomsula, poking his head out of a boxcar
/but seriously, these people are some the most lowlife scum to ever walk the earth
Just the absolute worst.
But the snaggle-tooth comment brought me back to WWTDD and his irrational hatred for Kirsten Dunst and now I’m laughing my ass off.
“Wait, 17? Why, that’s barely (il)legal! You should be glad he’s not into 7yr olds!”
-Megyn Kelly, while being frog-walked to the guillotine
She’s really pushing to be at the front of the line.
Makes sense to me; she’s got a pretty thin neck so she’s less likely the dull the blade or have it get stuck. It’s just more efficient to get the easy ones done first.
Welp, I’ll just delete my comment about going before the blade is dull.
It’s funny in this song, much less so in real life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_PyiVW0Ylw&list=RDX_PyiVW0Ylw&start_radio=1&pp=ygUuYmxvb2Rob3VuZCBnYW5nIHRoZSBsYXAgZGFuY2UgaXMgYWx3YXlzIGJldHRlcqAHAQ%3D%3D
A friend of mine dated a stripper for a while. Shockingly it did not work out, but we did hang out enough to learn that the dancers loved this song.
“Name was Russell”
Interesting. I may offer this to the Dr. Mrs. and see if she’s interested – she like negronis so it might be right up her alley.
Presumably, she’ll Hoover it right up.
Wait, but you’re from suburban Connecticut and she likes…
Oh, negronis.
Never mind.