Red Is Life

Hangover Advice #8

Red Is Life's eighth "Advice" posting on "Hangover" avoidance -

# 1 - Drink Water !!!

There are a slew of pills -

• GoodbyeHangovers @ 49.99 plus freight (one month supply)
• Chaser @ 6.59 plus freight (10 caplets)
• HangoverStopper @ 6.95 plus freight (24 pills)
• RU-21 @ 7.99 plus freight (20 pills)
• Cydrate Hangover Prevention @ 29.95 plus freight (30 pills)
• Alcohol X @ 39.99 plus insurance plus freight (30 pills)
• Uncle Rummies Hangover Relief @ 29.99 plus insurance plus freight (60 capsules)

Translation - you're on your own -

Amending the personal advice posted in last year's - Drink Water -

• Eat BEFORE you drink -
• Don't mix drinks -
• Don't drink mixed drinks -
• Don't drink to get drunk
• Don't drive -
• Drink water BEFORE you go to bed -
• Drink MORE water -
• Remember - there is a tomorrow -

Enjoy

Thanks In Advance

First sip - thanked the "bringer" - this was going to be a treat -

Maybe a Rutherford Cabernet - several votes for Bordeaux - bit of classic barnyard nose - alc as high as 14% ?? - had age - perhaps 1980 or 1985 - nice fruit - kept coming out with every swirl of the glass - construction too French to be New World -

Finally revealed - Dominus - St. Helena - 1990 - 13% alc - 83% Cabernet Sauvignon - 8% Merlot - 7% Cabernet Franc - 2% Petit Verdot - produced by Christian Moueix with focus on the vineyard's unique terroir - i.e. - French wine made with American grapes -

George T. Stagg Rocks

New Year's round with Peter - finishing off a bottle of George T. Stagg - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey - "Uncut" - "Unfiltered" - cask strength - this particular bottle was 70.3% alcohol - i.e. - 140.6 Proof !!!

Bourbon - by law - must be aged for a minimum of 2 years in charcoal barrels - Stagg is aged "15 years" - this bottle hit the market in 2006 -

....found on the eighth floor of Warehouse I. It was distilled back in the spring of 1990 and weighs in at a healthy 140.6 proof! This whiskey is bold with the character of sweet dark chocolate...

Stagg - MUST BE CUT - unless one wants to do serious damage to one's esophagus -

Adding filtered water - the whiskey opens up - calms down - subtle - refined - polished - a hint of baryard-country rustic hay - the corn gives the required touch of sweetness - rounding off every edge - you'd have to be taste-blind to image this coming any place other than the top top shelf -

Its a great drinking "experience" -   

Enjoy -

St. Charles Streetcar Returns

A victim of Katrina - down since September 2005 - New Orlean's St. Charles Avenue Streetcar returned to  service - over its entire route - Canal Street to Riverbend - December 23, 2007 -

Beyond its significance as a symbol of recovery - this is one of the most beautiful - scenic - romantic - rides on a public transportation system - you can take -

XMas Sweet

Traditional Christmas Eve Supper - cocktails and apps - supper and Italian reds - pecan pie and Chappelet - Moelleaux Chenin Blanc - 1998

Nothing subtle about this one - a bit too sweet - too heavy - dessert wine on steroids - full fruit - lots of pineapple -

I usually come back for a second glass - held to one with a craving for carbonated beverage to clean the pallet - which is not to say this Chenin Blanc was not a winner - particularly with the younger set at the table -

Matteo

Matteo showed up with his date - 11:00 Thanksgiving evening - having just finished cooking the gazillionth Thanksgiving Dinner serving at PJ's -

The un-seasonably warm night found us sitting outside - polishing off a bottle of Sazerac - winding down -

Pulled a plate together for the just arrived Chef - Carrot Soup - BBQ Turkey - Dressing and all the Sides - he was quickly up to speed -

A spectacular bottle of Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Special Select 1994 was opened - new guests - new wine - a touch of cognac - more wine - the evening had gotten its second life -

I crashed at 2:00 AM - my understanding was that Mateo and a few other latecomers kept going until about 3:30 or 4:00 - a night we were to reminisce on - for years to come -

Matthew "Matteo" Riccardella
1970-2007

 

USB Wine

The universality of wine transcends -  nationalities - languages - even technology -

Coming to a computer near you - USB Wine - (best when viewed in French)

Enjoy -

Emmacello

Created in 2007 - sweet - smooth - painless - surprising lethal - soon to take its place next to the Sidecar - Cosmopolitain - Margarita -

Emmacello -

Equal parts -

• Cointreau
• Vodka - Stoli
• Peach Schnapps

Combine all in a cocktail shaker with ice - shake - then shake again - strain to Martini glass - serve -

Beyond The Regular

Set out the "regular" party stuff - something for everyone - Bourbon - Vodka - White - Red - Diet Coke - hope someone or many someones show - need the opportunity to go beyond the "regular" top shelf starters - no fun going there alone -

Talbot

Friend stopped by - "got anything open" - rifled through the racks - "what the hell" - Chateau Talbot - Saint Julien - 2003 - he practically inhaled the bottle - 

Smooth as silk - 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot - large amount of fruit - not as much earth as expected - could have been bigger - still - so very bordeaux -