GARTENDING: BLAME IT ON RIO
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.” –Albert Einstein
I wanted to lead off this week’s adventure with this quote from the Beekman Boys Facebook page. If you didn’t know, The Beekman 1802 Boys just won the Amazing Race on television. I don’t normally watch flashy reality shows but this one was much different. The characters were everyone types from all over the country except for one couple. The Beekman Boys. My friends, Brent and Josh.
I started writing for them after they did a book signing at Williams-Sonoma in Short Hills, NJ. I introduced myself as a cocktail mixologist/author and they asked me if I’d like to write for them.
The rest is lovely histories for myself and of course my alter-ego/gnome, Klaus, the Soused Gnome.
Perhaps you’ve seen his fan page on Facebook?
He’s a good little guy who brings a smile to most. And this brings me back to the initial quote, “You have to learn the rules of the game.” I’ve discovered that if I can make just one person smile and share in the passion that is Klaus, then I’m truly a success. Certainly within Klaus’s tiny ceramic heart he is living a dream.
I often wonder what his life was like before I acquired him? I wonder if his former owners brought him around the world?
We’ve been to many places together in the past few months, Oregon, France, Ohio-twice, the Kentucky Derby, Charleston and of course New York. It’s been busy for the little guy. Even with all this traveling, he still stays very thirsty.
Klaus loves New York City and he loves going to new and exciting cocktail bars. One of these is named Milk & Honey. It used to be way downtown. Now- the coming weeks are ahead of us and with the rush to the New Year, Milk & Honey will soon be open. The new address is 30 East 23rd Street in NYC. It’s no longer in a tough neighborhood- you will feel comfortable visiting this new temple to the cocktailian arts because it’s located in a fabulous shopping district of Manhattan!
Avuá Cachaça invited Klaus to the soon-to-be-reopened Milk & Honey for the pre-launch of their expressive liquors. Klaus was very thirsty for some delicious cocktails that spoke clearly of the passion of Brazil.
What Klaus would do for the chance to visit Rio in the winter? I shudder to imagine. It’s summer in Brazil and the drink of choice is Cachaça mixed with lime and sugar.
Klaus should be so lucky.
Summer in Rio Cocktail (will smash even the most robust drinker)
(Each recipe makes two drinks)
Ingredients:
Avuá Cachaça
Blood Orange rounds
Victoria’s Kitchen Almond/Coconut Water
Hand cut ice
Fresh lime juice
Simple Syrup
Instructions:
To a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with ice add:
4 oz. Avuá Cachaça
6 oz. Victoria’s Kitchen Almond/Coconut Water
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
1 oz. or to taste Simple Syrup
1 oz. Blood Orange juice
Shake Shake Shake Shake Shake
Strain into a short rocks glass with one cube of hand cut ice
Garnish with Blood Orange ½ rounds
Prepare for a plane ticket to Rio!
