Showing posts with label Matador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matador. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Matador

Today we're drinking the Matador cocktail, a drink with three simple ingredients: gold tequila, pineapple juice, and fresh lime juice. 


The Ultimate Bar Book, page 289

Matador

1 1/2 oz gold tequila
3 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Shake the ingredients vigorously with ice.  Strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.


This is an ideal cocktail for pineapple juice lovers.  The pineapple juice is not subtle, it dominates the drink.  In fact, in certain sips, I couldn't taste the tequila.  I certainly couldn't detect the lime juice.

Here's the thing about such a drink though:  Invariably at one point in your life you likely purchased a large bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial Gold tequila, and you've probably consumed less than half of it.  It now sits on the back of a shelf, collecting piles of dust.  Now is your chance to use the rest of the bottle. 

Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of Jose Cuervo Especial Gold.  It tastes cheap to me.  Nicer, more refined tequilas have a depth of flavor that is missing with Cuervo Especial Gold's hard punch to the gut taste.  Cuervo makes good tequila, no doubt, but their mainstay Especial Gold bottling is not my favorite.


The Matador though, is highly drinkable, and, with its 1.5oz contribution of the Cuervo Especial Gold in each serving, you'll be finished with your old bottle in no time!  And, since you're post-college, or soon will be, you can probably afford to step up your game, and buy some better quality agave-based liquor.

I'd recommend the Matador for any summer occasion.  It's served over ice, has a fair amount of liquid content making it a little more suitable for larger sips, and it's got a strong fruit juice component.  Serving it at a BBQ would of course make sense, but why not make one when you're just sitting around in the afternoon reading a good book?  I'd do it. 

This Friday, we drink the Aviation - one of my favorite cocktails.  Until then, cheers!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

What We're Drinking This Week

I had a great weekend, hope you did as well, celebrating our nation's independence.

This week, we'll get to take in the remainder of the World Cup (Netherlands v. Uruguay this afternoon), watch the NBA free agent market come together,  the summer baseball season rolls along, and British Open tune-ups begin.  It has been, and continues to be, an amazing sports summer.

Similarly amazing?  What we're drinking this week.  But first!...

Soundtrack of the WeekRobyn "Body Talk Pt. 1"  I know this outside the realm of music I am likely to recommend.  It's dance club music.  But, tell me you don't feel something, however small, when you watch Robyn in the "Dancing on my Own" video.  Here is a link to the video.  In this day and age of singles and iTunes, you could simply buy that song and call it a day.  Buy the album, and mix it into the rest of your collection. 


Book of the Week: Stieg Larsson's "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"  If you're not in on this book yet, do yourself a favor, and jump in with both feet - the water is warm, I assure you.  Larsson's first novel is a rather long thriller set in his native Sweden.  The characters are nicely developed, and the pacing is superb.  This book is popular, arguably the most popular fiction book out at the moment, but make no mistake - this is a terribly well written effort.  In other words, it's not some crappily-written beach-novel a la The DaVinci Code.

Larsson's story is an interesting one.  He was a magazine editor, who somehow found the time to compose this novel without much fanfare.  He didn't seek his novels' publication until shortly before his untimely passing.  He passed away at a rather young age from a heart attack, with 3 completed, but unpublished novels - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo being the first.  If you're in need of a book this summer, this is a wonderful book with which to consume your time.

What We're Drinking This Week

Tomorrow (Wednesday): Matador - Tequila and pineapple juice.  Delicious.

Friday: Aviation - Gin, maraschino cherry liqueur and lemon juice.  One of my favorite orders when I happen upon a place that serves them.


Looking forward to this week's drinks (and not this week's heat).  Stay cool out there - we'll see you tomorrow!
 
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