Legends of the Cabinet

Do you have any memories growing up of your parents liquor cabinet from childhood?

It's a typical piece of everyday furniture that sits idly by until you turn fourteen or fifteen - when it's transformed into an Alladin's Cave of contraband and possibility.

I'm sure many of ya's have fond recollections of the moonshining days when we skimmed minute quantities off each bottle and mixed them into a rank new beast. A beast responsible for many swaying teen moments and nasty hangovers!

But think more closely to what was really lurking in there. No wonder we all got sick! Stale and half empty liqueur bottles from the 80's, cheap Scotch and random spirits that your folks would never drink like tequila, and nasty obscure rum. The Gordon's is the only thing that seemed to enjoy a regular workout!

Shelved into this sorry collection however, were a few products which never really got their time to shine! I guess it's fair enough that most parents wouldn't know where to start using 'em - but it suck that things like Grand Marnier, Drambuie, Stones Green Ginger Wine and Benedictine always seemed to get overlooked.

Enough lamentations however. Now that most of us are of the current generation to get their breed on - we can effect change into this vicious cycle of stomach corrosion. If we all maintain tasteful liquor cabinets with shrewdly chosen bottles, we can break the family tradition of bad moonshining!

When my kids are ripping me off as teenagers - they'll be drinking only the best, and hey, maybe I'll get my own back by grouping bottles together strategically! Imagine the look of disgust on a teenagers face when he grabs gin, Campari and sweet vermouth (yeah I'm gonna keep my vermouth in the cupboard, so what?? It's an un-cracked unit!) and "accidentaly" mixes a Negroni! Boo-ya.

Who's gonna have the last laugh then!? Yep, it's gonna be me.

Mwa ha ha ha haaaaa

Don't Call it a Comeback

Just like the O.G Howlin' Wolf, Im right on the beat. WIth a shiny new internet connection and laptop, I'm happy to be able to sit at my desk and break the bloggy drought.

What I'm gonna' write about today, is passion.

Passion is a vastly underused tool. It is a rarely cultivated resource, and many of us forego it for many reasons. One great speaker recently said that we too often replace our passions for apathy, because it comfortably helps us pass through the World, but I do know this:

Out of all the people who're into food and drink (I've gotta keep things a touch relevant!), the ones that stand out; the interesting ones, the crazy ones, the inspiring ones, the controversial ones, the dedicated ones - they're all incredibly passionate! Is it enough for us to pass our time without nurturing, developing and firing-up what we really care about?

I don't think so. Thus, a small treatise to any readers tonight. I'm sending out the call for us to stop worrying about what other folk are up to, what people are talking about and the meaningless crap that we kill time with, and instead find what we're passionate about - so we can spend more considered time investing in it, and each other.

I'd rather be perceived as crazy than mundane!

A parting drink, and an old favourite. Let's bring back the Mac. I'm down for two parts whisky to one part green ginger wine with a lemon peel (because it works). Pick a whisky and raise your glasses to the North.

Bon chance.