Enjoyed: Thursday, October 17, 2024.

Listed on the menu: No. The bartender asked for my preference in spirits, and I asked for a whiskey that was locally crafted.

Ingredients: Rock Town La Harpe Low Rye Arkansas Straight Bourbon Whiskey, simple syrup, bitters, cherries.

The occasion: Our next stop after Memphis was Hot Springs, for three reasons: neither of us had ever been to Arkansas and we wanted to check it off our list; we wanted to visit Hot Springs National Park; and in the mid-twentieth century, Hot Springs was a favored spot of gangsters, gamblers, and celebrities. So, we absolutely needed to get drinks at The Ohio Club, Arkansas’s oldest bar and a former speakeasy and casino. The bar was a favorite of bad guys (like Al Capone, Bugsy Segel, Bugs Moran, and Lucky Luciano) and of many Major League Ball players (like Babe Ruth) who were in Hot Springs for spring training. Al Jolson and Mae West, among others, performed there. Of course we were intrigued!

My rating: **** out of 5. The bourbon’s composition was 75% Arkansas corn, so the sweetness stood out. The cocktail met my expectations and fueIed my imagination. I really enjoyed drinking at the beautiful bar with a mahogany mantel (hand-carved in the late 1880s) which included three horse heads and a topless female torso. I felt the history all around me, and that made the drink go down even easier.

Final thoughts: Besides the great cocktails (Husband had The Al Capone, with Templeton Rye, Grand Marnier, bitters, and soda), we found other delights in Hot Springs. Husband drove a side-by-side through a hilly and rugged adventure park; we hiked on a lovely mountain trail; we sampled beers made with actual water from the hot springs; we dined at the iconic Arlington Hotel; and we splurged on a private hot water soak and couple massage at the historic Quapaw Bathhouse. And naturally, we drank the famous water, which was surprisingly delicious.

Enjoyed: Tuesday, October 15, 2024.

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Peabody Old Fashioned”. The bar–with much pride, as evidenced by the life-sized statue behind my drink–specializes in cocktails made with various types of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

Ingredients: Fresh Orange and Cherry crushed together and served with “Peabody Select” Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, Bitters, and Sugar Cube.

The occasion: We decided, months ago, that since we were going to be in Nashville for our son’s wedding, we needed to extend the road trip. Our first stop was Memphis. We spent two nights at the iconic Peabody Hotel and had front-row seats in the gorgeous lobby for the morning Duck Parade.

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was almost too potent for me. This special edition whiskey is advertised as being anywhere from 125 to 140-proof, bold yet smooth. I agree. I did catch the trademark vanilla and toasted oak flavors, but the drink was a bit too intense.

Final thoughts: Memphis has much to offer tourists, especially those who enjoy music and history. “I’ve reason to believe we both will be received in Graceland,” as the song promised, and indeed we were. We also did a sing-a-long bus tour of the city, toured Sun Studios (the birthplace of rock-n-roll), ate ribs at Rendezvous, listened to the blues on Beale Street, and paid our respects at the National Civil Rights Museum. Sadly, we never saw the ghost of Elvis.

Enjoyed: Saturday, October 12, 2024.

Listed on the menu: No, but the venue’s bartender had all the ingredients available, as we previously requested. (The only cocktails specified on the printed “menu” at the bar were Apricot Manhattan and Lavender Gimlet, both in honor of beloved grandparents.)

Ingredients: Four Roses bourbon, simple syrup, bitters, orange rind.

The occasion: THIS WAS OUR SON’S WEDDING RECEPTION. So much joy and happiness!

My rating: **** out of 5. The drink was delicious and carefully made–the bartender took the extra step of rubbing the orange rind around the rim of the glass. However, I started with the Apricot Manhattan and then the Lavender Gimlet during the cocktail hour, because I simply had to try the bride and groom’s choices. (Ah, the unexpected flavors were subtle but lovely.) Then there was the champagne toast, and only then did I try the Old Fashioned, so I obviously didn’t give the drink my full attention.

Final thoughts: The bride and groom picked a winning venue. The evening was perfect. And it was our pleasure to buy drinks for the happy couple’s closest friends and family! Cheers, and best wishes to our kiddos, A and J!

Enjoyed: Thursday, October 10, 2024.

Listed on the menu: This cocktail bar has no menu. The server chats with each customer about favorite drinks, flavors, and the current mood. The bartender reads the notes taken by the server and then creates a specialized treat. I explained that I wanted a riff on an Old Fashioned, so I was presented with a “McIttrick”.

Ingredients: Elijah Craig bourbon, sherry, chocolate bitters, and a cherry.

The occasion: Our oldest child lives in Nashville, and the family gathered for his wedding! (Finally! We are thrilled!) On this particular Thursday evening, Husband and I took our daughter, her boyfriend, and our younger son out for the first of several pre-wedding celebrations in the East Nashville neighborhood. Each of us had a different cocktail, and each of us was intrigued by the server’s explanations and pleased with our drinks.

My rating: ***** out of 5. The server told me the sweetness would come from the sherry, so additional sugar was not needed. Correct. I prefer less-sweet Old Fashioneds. The chocolate bitters were a lovely finishing touch. Well done!

Final thoughts: I am so pleased that my adult children have developed such sophisticated palates for both food and drink. My babies are all grown up!

Sunday, October 6, 2024

All three of my children are Practically Perfect in Every Way (tip of the hat here to Mary Poppins). But my oldest child was especially precocious and started identifying letters of the alphabet shortly after his second birthday. (The name of the cocktail is how he’d read one of his books, i.e. “A is for apple, B is for butterfly,” etc.) He was reading aloud Little Bear chapter books by the age of four and devouring books about astronomy from first grade onward. He loved his Lego sets and built them exactly as the instructions specified. He entertained us (and the audience at the elementary school talent shows) with clever riddles and silly jokes. Most importantly, he took on the role of big brother with fervor and dedication. He was a great kid, and his accomplishments multiplied over the years–from a good citizenship award to Eagle Scout to concerto competition winner to Phi Beta Kappa to summa cum laude to a graduate degree from Duke–he’s given me so many opportunities to simply beam with pride.

But I predict that the most vibrant and powerful beam-with-pride is coming up this weekend, as my husband and I escort our son down the aisle on his wedding day. He will be marrying a beautiful, kind, and highly-accomplished woman, and we cannot wait to officially have her become part of our family.

So, I have been sentimental and nostalgic this week. And happy, very happy!

I am the Mother of the Groom!

Pour 1 ounce Żubrówka (Polish bison grass vodka) into a fluted glass. Add 2 ounces sparkling apple juice, and perhaps a pinch of cinnamon. This drink is commonly known as a Szarlotka, which is also the name of a delightful Polish apple tart. 

Sto Lat to the happy couple!

Enjoyed: Wednesday, September 4, 2024

Listed on the menu: Sort of. “Classic Old Fashioned” was on the menu, but the bar was now using a different brand of whiskey.

Ingredients: Muddled orange slices and cherries topped with Evan Williams bourbon, simple syrup, and Angostura Bitters served over ice.

The occasion: For September’s getaway, we chose to visit Buggs Island Lake/Kerr Reservoir (depends on who you ask) in south-central Virginia, right up against the North Carolina border. We hiked in two state parks, enjoyed a fun lake-side brewery, visited the impressive John H. Kerr Dam, and relaxed at a charming bed and breakfast, Cooper’s Landing Inn. We took advantage of the pool, the hot tub, and the crystal decanter of sherry in the room. Happily, the inn had its own restaurant, and the pretty patio was literally a flight of stairs from our room. No need for a Designated Driver!

My rating: *** out of 5. The bourbon was rich with brown sugar and caramel flavors, and the amount of muddled fruit was generous, so the drink was much too sweet for my tastes.

Final thoughts: Husband’s family owned a lake house for many years, and he misses “lake life”, so Clarksville is on the (very long) list of possible places to re-locate. We would have to buy a pontoon boat, I was told, and maybe even take up fishing. Maybe.

Enjoyed: Tuesday, August 6 , 2024

Listed on the menu: No, but the menu informed us that the restaurant had a “wildly talented bar team” so making an Old Fashioned was not a problem.

Ingredients: Bowman Brothers Small Batch Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey, simple syrup, bitters, orange rind.

The occasion: This month’s mini-adventure was an overnight stay (in an oh-so-colonial bed and breakfast) in the historic district of Fredericksburg, Virginia. We hiked along the Rappahannock River, ate crab sandwiches for lunch, popped into a few museums, visited the Fredericksburg National Military Park, and ate an amazing supper at FOODE. We also–finally!– toured the A. Smith Bowman Distillery, the state’s oldest distillery, founded in 1934 on the day after the end of Prohibition.

My rating: **** out of 5. I wanted to try another type of Bowman bourbon, since only one sample was provided on our tour. This drink was smooth and well-balanced, with major vanilla flavor, and exactly what I expected out of a traditional Old Fashioned.

Final thoughts: A free tour with free samples is always appreciated, but we were disappointed in the samples: vodka, port barrel finished bourbon, gin, and caramel bourbon cream. We were hoping for more craft bourbon, since that’s their specialty. (Bowman’s top product was once Virginia Gentleman, but now that’s distilled in Kentucky by Sazerac, the parent company.) The “new” Bowman’s has won several major awards, including “World’s Best Bourbon” but I still prefer Kentucky’s products, to be honest.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

You know the old saying, “Time flies when you’re having fun”? We must be having fun in retirement, because the days are going by so quickly. I am glad my smart watch tells me the day of the week, because–full disclosure–I have had to consult it a few times.

The “highs” are numerous, and wonderful: we will be gaining a lovely daughter-in-law in October; no new medical problems have arisen; we are planning interesting vacations; our children are advancing in their respective careers; the birds are singing outside our windows; and so on.

But there are some “lows” as well: we are realizing that we are aging; some of our “bucket list” adventures will never happen because of our physical limitations; we ponder whether we have contributed enough to our society; we worry about outliving our savings; global warming is increasingly impacting us; and so on.

Yet with age comes wisdom, right? And we grow wiser by the day, or at least wise enough to forge a blend of the highs and the lows, with an emphasis on the hope-filled highs!

In a stemmed glass, combine 1 1/2 ounces gin (I used a home-crafted butterfly pea blossom gin–it’s blue!– inspired by Empress 1908), 1 ounce chilled hibiscus simple syrup (store bought), and 3/4 ounce lime juice. Stir gently, and slowly top with chilled ginger beer. Add a lime slice to float on top.

1. A huge box of plastic forks.
2. A huge bag of plastic knives.
3. Many half-used boxes of plastic spoons.
4. A dozen quart-sized bags, each containing miscellaneous plastic forks, knives, and spoons, in seemingly every color that is available at the Dollar Tree (because I once was a fancy room mother and felt the need to color-coordinate every event at the school).
5. Two packages of 100 tealight candles from IKEA (from my decorate-every-room-with-candles phase).
6. Paper sno-cone cups (left over from when the kids were quite young–like twenty years ago).
7. Red, white, and blue dessert plates (from an Eagle Scout ceremony a decade ago).
8. Graduation-themed plates and napkins (probably only five years old).
9. Bathroom mini-cups (a pandemic leftover).
10. A sleeve of plastic cups (a post-pandemic leftover from my classroom for students who forgot water bottles).
11. Red Solo cups.
12. Off-brand black plastic cups.
13. Candy canes.
14. Popsicle sticks. (Should I put these in the craft box?)
15. Lollipop sticks. (Could I use these to make cocktail garnishes?)
16. Peanut butter.
17. Almond butter.
18. Sunflower butter.
19. Apple butter.
20. Peach butter.
21. Plum butter. (Seriously, I have to stop going to Amish markets.)
22. Orange marmalade.
23. Red raspberry preserves.
24. Mixed fruit jelly. (Or I need to have scones for breakfast every day.)
25. Five different colors of sanding sugar.
26. Christmas-themed sprinkles.
27. Valentine-themed sprinkles.
28. Mardi Gras-themed sprinkles.
29. Easter-themed sprinkles.
30. Halloween-themed sprinkles. (Gah! When’s the last time I made a cupcake?)
31. Birthday-themed cupcake liner papers. (Yeah, OK, I haven’t baked cupcakes in years.)
32. Christmas-themed cupcake liner papers. (Maybe this is the year to bake cupcakes for the holidays.)
33. Christmas-themed MINI cupcake liner papers. (OMG, just OMG.)
34. An open tube of blue Betty Crocker decorating icing. (When is blue food ever a good idea?)
35. An open tube of red Betty Crocker decorating icing. (Red works for several holidays, right?)
36. Two open tubes of yellow Betty Crocker decorating icing. (And I don’t even like yellow.)
37. An open tube of green Betty Crocker decorating icing. (I can’t find expiration dates on any of these. Hmmm, chuck or keep?)
38. An open tube of black Betty Crocker decorating icing. (I chucked them.)
39. Five bottles of assorted whiskey. (Not chucking those.)

Enjoyed: Tuesday, July 9, 2024

Listed on the menu: No, but our server assured us that the bartender makes a great Old Fashioned.

Ingredients: Towpath Bourbon, demerara simple syrup, bitters, Luxardo cherry, orange slice.

The occasion: We have driven through Ohio so many times (mostly on our trips to Indiana), but this time, north-central Ohio was our final destination. On Saturday and Sunday, we watched Indy cars race at the Mid-Ohio Sportscar Course. On Monday, we toured the Ohio State Reformatory, now famous as a filming location for The Shawshank Redemption. (We spent three and a half hours there! Fascinating!) Later that afternoon, we arrived at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Admittedly, we doubted the appeal of a park located between the industrial hubs of Cleveland and Akron, but the park exceeded our expectations. Over the next days, we hiked to a covered bridge, to a glorious waterfall, and through dramatic rocky cliffs and ledges. We rode a vintage train and walked along the former Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath. And we learned how the Beaver Marsh area and the Cuyahoga River (which no longer catches on fire and is actually quite pretty) became driving forces leading to the Clean Water Act and other environmental protection laws.

My rating: **** out of 5. No frills or exotic extras here–the cocktail ingredients and presentation were classic, and I was pleased. The brand name of the spirits was perfectly chosen, since the national park next door was created around the towpath that once linked Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Cincinnati. The whiskey was 21% rye, so I tasted a clove-like “bite” at the start, followed by vanilla and a hint of pecan.

Final thoughts: Although Cuyahoga Valley officially became a national park in 2000, the 33,000 acres were designated a national recreation area back in 1974 by President Nixon, as part of the “Parks to the People” policy. That was a great idea! How wonderful that this peaceful park exists so close to such a large urban area.