05. December 2006 · Comments Off on Happy Repeal Day! · Categories: General · Tags: , ,

In an earlier comment, AE alerted us to something so important it warrants its own post: today is Repeal Day. I would have posted this much earlier, but I just read her comment and had no idea this fabulous holiday existed until now.

Repeal Day - December 5th

As has been said before, sometimes there’s a man… I won’t say a hero, ’cause, what’s a hero? Sometimes, there’s a man. And I’m talkin’ about Jeffrey Morgenthaler here – the man who realized that prohibition was repealed on December 5th, 1933 and decided it was an event worth drinking to.

Here’s to you, 21st amendment.

PS: Why I miss living in London.

02. December 2006 · Comments Off on Happy Birthday from my Mother · Categories: Me, Me, Me, Me · Tags: , , , , ,

My mother makes wonderful homemade cards. This one arrived today featuring somewhat younger versions of my sister and I. That kid on the right totally didn’t expect to be enrolled in an MBA program on his 30th birthday.

Birthday card from Mom

A package arrived yesterday with the following label. I was pretty sure what it was, and anything with that text is going to be good:

Alcohol Delivery Label

I had recently ordered a bottle of some of the finest bourbon around: George T. Stagg. It only comes out once (sometimes twice) a year, and my bottle from fall 2004 was almost empty. Once I heard that the 2006 bottling was released (a bit over a month ago), I started hunting around for a bottle. It took a while. Southern California may know a lot about wine, but people here don’t know the first thing about spirits (tequila aside). I keep hoping I’m going to find some store or club or something where civilized folk can pick up a drink, but so far no luck. I struck out totally in San Diego, but ended up finding a place in LA that carried the Stagg. Hi-Time Wine, of course a wine shop, also happens to have an interesting selection of spirits. They carried some of the Stagg, and as a result I opened the box yesterday to see a magnificent sight. George T. Stagg (bottle)

Now, the George T. Stagg is an amazing bourbon for a lot of reasons, and really should be tried if you’re a bourbon fan. I’m no expert, but a few highlights:

  • It’s unfiltered. This means that it can develop a cloudy haze, especially in colder temperatures or when water is added. As a result a lot of whiskey manufacturers have cold filtered for years under the belief that people will much prefer a perfectly clear drink. Unfortunately, this filtration process removes a lot of the particulates which impart a much different flavor to the alcohol. I tend to think the unfiltered whiskeys have a bit more body, a sensation which is hard to describe but nice to drink.
  • It’s cask strength. This means it’s not watered down, or at least less watered down, from the strength it is when it comes out of the cask. Most whiskeys have water added to them, bringing the alcohol content down to closer to 40%. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it tends to open the alcohol up and reduce some of the burn. My previous bottle was 65.45% alcohol, which is crazy. This year’s bottling is an even stronger 70.3%. That is a lot of alcohol.

    George T. Stagg (label)

  • Drinking George T. Stagg isn’t just drinking another bourbon. One of my friends described drinking the Stagg as liquid smoke. Christy’s description was, “it’s like a party in my mouth and they just won’t go home!” Drinking the Stagg is an intense, wonderful experience. It tingles up front, and then the heat roars up through your mouth, down your throat and nestles warmly in your stomach.

Since I have a review section, I’ll throw a rating in so it qualifies. The 2004 edition is one of my favorite bourbons, although you do have to be in the mood. If you’re looking for other great bourbons with more reasonable alcohol content you might want to look at Five Roses or Elijah Craig 18 year.

Rating: *****

(I use the spelling “whiskey” throughout this post, which is technically correct since American and Irish whiskeys are spelled this way. Scottish (so tasty), Japanese and Canadian whiskies are spelled “whisky.” I tend to just type “whiskey”, so in this case I lucked out and got it right)

28. November 2006 · Comments Off on It’s officially winter · Categories: General

It’s been a tough evening here in San Diego. For one thing, we closed our windows for the first time since we moved in. That’s right: it’s cold outside. By cold, I mean an expected low of 51(F) but for around here, it’s cold. Going back to Ohio for the holidays is going to be brutal.

In addition, we have confirmed that Christy is allergic to Quorn, and I’m studying for a final tomorrow that I’m really not looking forward to. Life is pretty good when this represents a low spot.

Oh, and for those keeping track, our Rainy-Day-Count is up to 4 (as of yesterday). San Diego rocks.

28. November 2006 · Comments Off on In space, no one can you hear you -clank!- · Categories: Linky

Cool Science Facts: Metal in Space

Is this true? Because I was one of those kids who always wanted to be an astronaut until I got glasses in like the 5th grade and all such dreams slid away. I went to Space Camp and did my 6th grade research project on rocketry and never heard about this. Not to mention all the science fiction I read. These are all top research activities, so I am dubious.

If it’s true, it’s the coolest thing ever. Which means it’s probably crap, but I’m leaving it here until I can find some evidence one way or the other. Alas, it was a neat image.

Update – Looks like it’s theoretically possible, but that the surfaces would have to be super clean and smooth. There are some details on Wikipedia.

27. November 2006 · Comments Off on It’s like reality TV but on the web! · Categories: WordPress

Since I’ll be trying to turn comments on for some posts, I installed ΛορδΧηαος’s Challenge Plugin. If you leave a comment, you’ll need to do some basic math. It’s good for the brain, and hopefully slows down some of the comment spam. We’ll see how it goes…

Having recently picked up a half-priced(!) bottle of Plymouth Gin at BevMo, I am once more enjoying Pink Gins. Now, I tend to have a fair amount of gin in my possession at all times, but a Pink Gin is one of the few drinks where it really must be made with only one brand of gin.

Pink Gin

  • Plymouth Gin
  • 3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

In a cocktail shaker, pour gin over ice and add bitters. Technically you should stir until cold, although shaking is also ok. Pour into a cocktail (martini) glass and enjoy.

Some people drink it with the gin warm, the thought of which always makes my skin crawl. Also, it’s common to prepare by coating the glass (sometimes shot glass) in bitters and dumping out the extra instead of adding it directly in. Just a little variation makes a noticeable difference, so it’s worth the delight of experimenting to find your optimal proportions.

The Pink Gin has a proud history. I’ve read various accounts, all of which seem to match Wikipedia’s note: “Pink gin is a typically English way of enjoying gin. It was made popular worldwide by members of the Royal Navy, where it rose to prominence because the Angostura bitters were a cure for seasickness.”

Incidentally, does anyone know of a good place to buy spirits in San Diego? BevMo is ok, but they’re sometimes too much of a chain to carry the really good stuff.

27. November 2006 · Comments Off on Das Bloggin · Categories: Me, Me, Me, Me

I recently created a flickr account for the dual purpose of letting me add tags to my photos (I love me the tags) and letting folks back in Ohio have some idea of what I do out here. Now I’m moving closer to making this weblog public, and I’m not quite sure why. I think it has to do with spending a billion hours a day researching and talking about business and wanting to give something back. Also because all this MBA focus is pulling me out of daily interaction with technology, which is getting to me. Most likely I’m just looking for another excuse to procrastinate.

Anyhow, welcome to my weblog. I’m not sure what else to say.