November 10, 2021
gem
food, mixology
catoctin creek, distillery, gem, mixology, romey, scott and becky
It was an interesting evening…a fundraiser for the USO at the best local distillery (well, the best legal local distillery anyway). The dress instructions were vague and a bit confusing. Something about casual something or other with red and black. LOL.
So anyway, we wore this.
Our dear friends Donnie and Geri came and we scored the head table with our excellent hosts and good friends Scott and Becky. Scott and Becky are the powerful couple behind Catoctin Creek.
Scott pinged me and we did the kilt thing!
I love wearing my kilt, and I especially love it when my buddies wear theirs too. More kilts is what we need to solve global warming.
The kilts and the stills
Romey was resplendent in her red shoes.
The food was good. The company was interesting. And the 1908 Rye? Well, you only get to try that once or twice in one 2021 life.
We ran the proof in the back.
Fred Minnick was the MC
Fred did a great job keeping things moving and imparting wisdom about the booze we were drinking.
Geri in the house
More fred
There was cake.
All the hosts at once.
A Paper Plane nightcap back at the home bar ended the evening.
February 15, 2020
gem
art, mixology, nature, ocean, who knows
alexandria, american visionary art musem, aquarion, baltimore, bell ringing, boots, catoctin creek, gigantic champagne, greta, homeslyce pizza, jellyfish, last word, majestic, maryland proton treatment center, old town, parking angel, proton tuesday, radioactive valentines, spool, spoolia, the national aquarium
As usual, it started with zapping
But it was a special day! The last day of treatment! Which means bell ringing time. Pizza was devoured. Bells were rung.
Feels good to be done.
A happy spool
There was little time left for Baltimore’s museum collection. We headed directly to the American Visionary Art Museum.
AVAM
Das boots (slightly radioactive)
After purchasing some items, many of which were plastic, we headed to the aquarium, driving like lost tourists.
The parking angel (really does something indescribably to the Audi)
The National Aquarium was mobbed on a Valentines Day night.
\
And then it was back down to Old Town for a very late dinner indeed at the Majestic. Super fun at the bar (happy Catoctin Creek day!), and a delicious dinner.
A VERY VERY LARGE BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE. VERY LARGE.
The bar at the Majestic
Scallops. If you can’t watch them in an aquarium, by all means eat them.
Last word
I will dearly miss Proton Tuesdays (and Radioactive Valentines), but I hope they never happen again.
February 12, 2020
gem
mixology, who knows
cate, cate blanchett, cocktails, columbia room, corduroy, gem, happy birthday, hirschhorn, manifesto, ot chocolate, photography, proton tuesday, spoolia, video
For the penultimate Proton Tuesday, we celebrated at the Columbia Room (which is turning 10 not too long from now). Craft cocktails are curative. There was also Manifesto before zapping.
Hirshhorn
The best museum hot chocolate evah
Manifesto
Entranced and entrancing
ZAP
Corduroy (on a whim)
The Columbia Room
Happy Birthday Columbia Room
Course one from the days of yore
Yay!
Popcorn with truffle
Chartreuse (green and definitely good for you)
scallop
The fog
You have no idea how good this duck BBQ is. OMG.
Happy Birthday!
Proton Tuesday Alive
Other Proton Tuesdays included: the Portrait Museum and Fiola Mare as well as the Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy, car buying, and Jojo Rabbit. Love you Spool.
December 24, 2018
gem
mixology, nature, party, photography
fire, full moon, music, party, solstice, solstice fire, solstice party, turn the sun, video, violin sword fight
The weather cooperated spectacularly for the 2018 solstice party. The rain cleared for a day or two. The moon was full. It was a crisp cold night with a beautiful sky.
Our ritual of gathering good friends from all walks of life every six months took place again without a hitch. Thanks to all who came to help us turn the sun.
Sunset before the party
This year, the fire lighting was cheered on by a rising full moon. The fire caught quickly and burned hard and fast.
Full moon and unlit pile
Lighting (time to run away)
Lots of people arrived for the lighting this year
Every solstice party is different in interesting ways. This year lots of people showed up for the lighting at 5:45. Then the BOILO got the party rocking. The lighting is always a sight to see.
The fire gets going
2018 solstice fire
The moon was incredible and lent a silver tinge to everything.
The barn was alight in party mode
This year the unplanned potluck food supply was great with chilli, meatballs, sloppy joes, fried chicken, and even krispy kreme donuts. The barn bar took a licking. Gonna need some serious restocking before summer!
Sorry about the terrible Christmas music in the barn. That’s just how it goes. At least there is a disco ball.
Marco. BOILO! There’s nothing quite like extremely local product.
A violin burns
Possibly the most ridiculous and surprising part of the evening was the violin sword fight instigated by Josh Henry (my trusty and talented violin and bow repair guy). Unbeknownst to everyone, Josh brought three dead rental violins to the party. So when we got them out and started sword fighting vigorously with them and then threw their remains into the fire, the 20 somethings who were already wondering just what those old people across the fire were all about, freaked out. They thought just for the smallest moment that I was destroying my actual violin.
LOL! Got you.
There was lots of music this year. It started early and went late. Thanks music makers! We love playing with you all.
Late night the music continues
Ember glow
I know, lets do it again this summer!!
Moonglow (picture by Amy Barley)
December 13, 2018
gem
cooking, mixology, who knows
amer picon, christa, experiment three, mixology, video
We’re there I think. Our third shot at homemade Amer Picon is in the jar. Next comes siphoning.
This time we adjusted the recipe only slightly with the addition of some bark infusion. Hopefully that will not kill us.
The key to all this is make sure the oranges are green and burn the heck out of the caramel.
BASE RECIPE HERE.
Strain the infusions (three this time)
Mix in a big old jar.
Looking good. Once the material settles, we’ll extract our Picon. We need a centrifuge!
Thanks to Christa for the raw materials and the inspiration!
December 15, 2017
gem
mixology
boilo, daily beast, david wondrich, local product, mixology, shine
Ever since we made a batch, we’ve been running around yelling “Marco” “Boilo!” which after enough boilo is highly amusing. But I digress. What IS boilo anyway??
There is nowhere with more authority to turn to than David Wondrich, who wrote this Daily Beast article. Thanks for cluing us in!
After reading the article (you should read it) we were bummed to find that there was no associated recipe.
Twitter to the rescue! David provided this pointer.
An unofficial boilo recipe. Realize that boilo is an individual thing. Make it your own.
Of course we had to make some…
We made some adjustments to the recipe…abandoning raspberry ginger ale for black cherry selzter and ginger beer. We also added Star Anise and Mace which we just so happened to have sitting around. This is upscale boilo by god!
We boiled for a good 15-20 minutes, letting the spices infuse. But then we let the liquid cool down so that none of our alcohol would evaporate when we added it.
Since we have very good access to local shine, why, we used that. the gallon that we used clocked in not too hot at 107.4 proof. Believe me, the shine from around here is an outstanding product, and it clocks in higher than that with some regularity.
At first we were thinking 2 quarts. But then, what the hell…
The warm boilo was pretty good, but it was WAY better this morning after some more steeping time.
Final product came out just shy of two gallons. We imagine it’s somewhere between 60 and 80 proof. Can’t bubble it since there is so much crap in the liquid.
Anyway, thanks David!
Marco!
Boilo!
November 19, 2017
gem
humor, mixology, photography, travel, who knows
catoctin creek, cocktails, gary, humor, kimpton, lorein, photography, science, steph, tasting, travel, whiskey
Visited the Lorien Hotel (a Kimpton) in Alexandria for an evening where friends of ours from different lands and lives unknowingly were working on the same project – a tasting of Catoctin Creek’s locally distilled and bottled rye and brandy’s paired with Chef’s choice hors d’oeuvres from the Lorein. Our friends Becky and Scott Harris have created a high level distillery in Purcellville, VA and Steph Vogel, another amazing person-friend runs the Lorien. The perfect cocktail storm.
Serious mixing and choosing
Yes, that one.
All enjoy.
Good Stuff.
Becky explains the science.
“The barrels are this big! ” Scott
November 4, 2017
gem
food, mixology, photography, travel, who knows
bar, beer, jackie, nyc, photography, proletariat, travel
January 5, 2017
gem
mixology, who knows
amer picon, cocktail, cocktail recipe, demerara sugar, gentian, infusion, moonshine, Neroli-Petitgrain, quina, white dog
Because of the Liberal, that’s why. It all started as a hack of Torani Amer and Regan’s Orange bitters #6. But that was before Amer Picon from France. Now there is always Amer Picon in the house, a band called the Bitter Liberals, and a house cocktail.
Then came a Thanksgiving, Christa, and talk of Neroli-Petitgrain oranges growing in East Tennessee.
So yes, Amer Picon. Lets make it. Using ultra local super hot white dog. Lets make it.
December 15
https://twitter.com/noplasticshower/status/809576359056015361
December 19
SOLSTICE
Christmas Eve
And then the big day: January 5, 2017
The final ingredient mix
Orange peel infusion jar
Straining the peel infusion with a coffee filter
Measuring the proof
A drop from 165 to 110
*** 110 proof orange peel infusion
Straining the orange leaf infusion
*** Orange leaf infusion
Caramelized orange juice with brown sugar and butter
*** Caramelized orange juice
Gentian
*** Gentian
Quina
*** Quina
Very close but needs some sugar, so simple syrup of demerara.
Demarara
Blend, taste, adjust, work. (Two half batches combined was our methodology.)
Notes and the final recipe.
Proof is in the Liberal.
A Liberal with homemade Amer Picon
Success!
July 31, 2016
gem
farm, food, mixology
cocktail recipe, margerita, pineapple
Somehow an actual pineapple grew here in Virginia. It came due today.
Ripe Pineapple
Around here, when you get ripe you may well end up in a cocktail.
Put the lime in the pineapple
Pineapple + jalapeño mergerita
2 oz liquified mix of 1/2 jalapeño and a tiny cored pineapple
2 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz blue agave tequila
2 t blue agave syrup
Stir down. Strain into cocktail glass.
YOWZA, that jalapeño is hot
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