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New Site Setup (and cocktails)
16 years ago
The new site setup is mostly complete. All the pages are uniform, with the exception of the catalog page. This will take some extra time and will likely be ready tomorrow night. There are a few other things worth mentioning.
I've basically reduced the amount of upkeep I have to do on the site to a minimum. This means the gallery link goes directly to FA, which is the most extensive archive of the stuff I post freely. The Work In Progress page is also gone. Instead, I will be posting things about the project I'm currently working on in the News section (which is my Livejournal page, reflected on the JayNaylor.com's site's main index).
Speaking of work in progress, I'm thinking of revisiting and finishing off the Haukaiu the Hero series before plunging into anything new next year. I would be doing it in the new comic format, so there'd be more pictures, less text. I hate to just leave a story hanging like that, and a lot of people seem to like the little Lutrai fellow.
In other news, I spent the evening trying out various martini recipes of the traditional gin-vermouth variety. I found I really like martinis and the lovely and gracious Mahrkale got me a cocktail mixer and four martini glasses for my birthday. With some leftover vermouth, a gigantic bottle of Bombay Sapphire, and some olives, I played around all evening until I could barely feel my fingertips. I found I enjoyed a 4-to-1 gin to vermouth blend, shaken, over the various other combinations I tried. Enjoying mixed drinks where every ingredient is an alcoholic beverage, must mean one is getting old.
I've basically reduced the amount of upkeep I have to do on the site to a minimum. This means the gallery link goes directly to FA, which is the most extensive archive of the stuff I post freely. The Work In Progress page is also gone. Instead, I will be posting things about the project I'm currently working on in the News section (which is my Livejournal page, reflected on the JayNaylor.com's site's main index).
Speaking of work in progress, I'm thinking of revisiting and finishing off the Haukaiu the Hero series before plunging into anything new next year. I would be doing it in the new comic format, so there'd be more pictures, less text. I hate to just leave a story hanging like that, and a lot of people seem to like the little Lutrai fellow.
In other news, I spent the evening trying out various martini recipes of the traditional gin-vermouth variety. I found I really like martinis and the lovely and gracious Mahrkale got me a cocktail mixer and four martini glasses for my birthday. With some leftover vermouth, a gigantic bottle of Bombay Sapphire, and some olives, I played around all evening until I could barely feel my fingertips. I found I enjoyed a 4-to-1 gin to vermouth blend, shaken, over the various other combinations I tried. Enjoying mixed drinks where every ingredient is an alcoholic beverage, must mean one is getting old.
Nah, not really. Just means you want to try and appreciate the craftsmanship that they put into the liquor.
That and fruity mixed drinks can get old really fast.
Stirred takes slightly longer, and takes a bit more edge off of the martini.
And dear God yes, another Haukaiu would be an excellent next project. Love that little otter (and of course his... *ahem* exploits).
1 oz coconut rum
1/4 oz Maui® Blue Hawaiian schnapps
3/4 oz 7-Up® soda
Pour the Maui blue hawaiian schnapps into a chilled cocktail glass. Add 7-up, top with coconut rum, and serve.
The Casino Royale "Vesper" is really good as well
3 measures gin
1 measure vodka
1/2 (1 works better in my opinion) measure Kina Lillet Blanc
I rather like it...the Kina makes it slightly sweeter than a normal martini would be, but it works well.
yum! Martini testing! I wanna help! ;3
*does a Borat voice*
ah-very nice... how much? how much?
*kissing noises*
I was always taught (through family and various bar books) that a "proper" martini is made with one shot of vermouth, shaken with ice...then drained of vermouth. Add gin, shake (or stir), and then add to chilled martini glass along with olive (or, if you're using Hendrick's, slice of cucumber).
Of course, there are special cocktail shakers designed specifically for martinis -- to keep the temperature and so on -- and about 17 different varieties of martini that don't include the girlitinis which are fruity and not martini-like at all...so I think a "proper" martini depends entirely on who you ask.
Also, which varietal of vermouth? Sweet or dry? Did you go for a dirty martini with some olive juice?
Shaking more thoroughly chills the drink, which can delay some of the aromatics that come along with gin. This is negated if the drink sits for a little bit, which is usually does with me, since I'm always doing something else at the same time. It also more smoothly blends the ingredients, probably due to the increased contact with the ice and melt-off from it. This is what I've noticed. "Bruised" gin strikes me as some myth or another that purists cite to sound authoritative, when you're really dealing with something that's purely preferential. Stirring brings out the flavor of the gin more so because it's less blended, less cold initially, and has had less contact with the ice.
I've run into this same kind of bullshit self-appointed authority attitude in just about every hobby and leisure activity that's open to subjective preference. And it's just that.
Please don't come here with that attitude, throwing around your assertions and talking about "supposed to". It's not something I tolerate from people who tell me what guns I should use, what computers I should buy, what car I should drive, and I'm sure as hell am not going to tolerate it from someone who tells me how I should prep what I like to drink.
And technically the pickled onions make it a gibson rather than a martini, so I guess we're both technically in trouble. NYAH! ;P
You put as much ice in the mixer as you need, then pour in half a shot of vermouth and pour off the liquid, then add as much gin as you want, (stir, don't shake, disregard James Bond) and make it a gibsosn rather than a martini. Unless of course you're really into your olives.
I love olives. :3
You dirty, dirty cat.