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MANDAY: Springtime Beverages

Written on April 16, 2012 by

Spring has sprung. The flowers are in bloom. It’s still early enough in the baseball season for Cubs’ fans to think they have a chance. It is a time of hope and renewed energy. It is also a time for changed habits and exercise regiments. We spend more time outside, taking advantage of one of the rare moderate temperature opportunities Oklahoma affords. As you merge into your spring routine, here are some drink options to compliment your increased Vitamin D intake.

Let’s start with beer. I think warmer weather begs for a more refreshing brew – something quick and crisp on your palette. I always make the move to Pilsner Urquell during the warmer months. Pilsner Urquell is the original golden colored beer (Pilsner Urquell is a genericized trademark, we call other golden beers Pilsners because of this beer). It provides a quick punch on the back of the tongue thanks to the Saaz hops, and it has an incredibly soft mouth feel for a style that has become over-carbonated through the years.

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image via Cigar Aficionado

If you want to stay domestic, or if you require a canned product, I encourage you to revisit some American classics this spring. One of my favorite things to do is blind taste test people on American macro-brews against historic American brands – Stroh’s, Schlitz, Pabst and Hamm’s. Due to their reluctance to enter the light beer market and spend billions of dollars on TV ads, those brands have been relegated in the minds of most Americans to value status. However, a quick taste will reveal a more full-flavored beer, with better hop profile and less forced carbonation. This summer impress your friends by drinking “The beer that made Milwaukee famous” – Schlitz. A couple of years ago they went back to the original recipe and the change is obvious. Plus, since you aren’t underwriting a lot of TV ads and sports sponsorships, it’s usually available at a good price.

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image via PintLog

If you’re more of a wine drinker, we’re now entering rosé season – which is good news by the way. Pink wine, much like classic American beer brands, does not have the best reputation to most people. We’re not talking about White Zinfandel here, we’re talking about a classic Rhone style that is great served cold and offers a summer refuge for the red wine drinker. The Charles and Charles Rosé from Washington is a great option and is readily available. I’ll refer you to their website for more information, and maybe some motivation, too – http://bielerandsmith.com/

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image via Swirl and Savor

Spring also has great potential for the cocktail drinker. The temperature seems to add another level of satisfaction to old standbys like the gin gimlet or margarita. Also, we’re only 3 weeks away from the one excuse we have every year to drink mint juleps – the Kentucky Derby. I would go for a good, but not overly expensive Bourbon – Maker’s Mark is always a good choice. Steep mint leaves in the Bourbon overnight so the flavors have a chance to fuse together. Next, take about 2 ½ oz. of your mint-infused Bourbon and muddle a couple of fresh mint leaves with it. Add 2 oz. of simple syrup and pour it over crushed ice in a silver mint julep cups. I always like to sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the ice and serve it with a straw and a mint sprig. Even if your horse doesn’t come in, you’ll still feel like a winner after a couple of these.

MANDAY SpringDrink02 MANDAY: Springtime Beveragesimage via The Chic Brûlée

And finally, maybe my favorite outside drink of all, Pimm’s Cocktail. Pimm’s No. 1 Cup is a gin-based liqueur from England. It’s relatively low in alcohol and when mixed into a cocktail, it makes for a refreshing drink that won’t get away from you. Start with Pimm’s, and mix it in a pitcher about 50-50 (do this to taste) with a carbonated lemonade – think Squirt or 7-Up. From there, add sliced cucumber and any number of other fruits – lemons, oranges, apples, strawberries, it’s a great way to burn through fruit that my be going bad in the fridge – pour over ice, and you’re done. The Pimm’s Cup, or Pimm’s Cocktail, is the official drink of Wimbledon, and my backyard for the spring. Enjoy it over a good croquet match with friends and enjoy the weather while we have it. We’ll see you back inside in July.

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MANDAY: St. Patrick’s Day is almost here….

Written on March 12, 2012 by

Every St. Patrick’s Day millions of people celebrate their Irish ancestry. Patrick was a Scotsman. He is credited with not only converting the island to Christianity, but also ridding it of its snakes. Until recently, March 17th was a holy day in Ireland, many of the pubs were closed and the celebrating was mostly done in the more touristy areas of Dublin. Here in the States however, it has always been a day to celebrate. Almost 20% of our country can trace part of their ancestry to Ireland, and March 17th is the day we pay tribute, and unfortunately for some, over indulge in our Irishness.

No matter how or where you celebrate, I recommend a pint of Guinness and a bowl of lamb or seafood stew as a base line. Also, you’ll want to wear green so as not to upset the little people. Obviously, a green t-shirt is the easiest solution. However, I think one should invest in their St. Patrick’s Day wardrobe – having some good green pieces allows you to celebrate all year long.

I would start with some green shoes. I personally own some green drivers that always get compliments, but I think these green boat shoes from Quoddy in Maine would be a great addition to any wardrobe. They’ll prevent pinching this Saturday and kill it at the pool this summer.

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image via Mr. Porter

 then these pants from Orvis should be in your wheelhouse.

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image via Orvis 

That should cover the more low hanging fruit. If you want some real Irish gear, then go no further than Donegal tweed. Magee’s of Donegal, which sits right on the main street through town, has been selling handmade Irish tweed for almost 150 years. Donegal tweed, compared to some of its sister fabrics from Scotland, is generally brighter and more colorful. It still looks like tweed, but instead of the subdued reds and mustards you would fine in Harris tweeds, it is specked with sea foam, lime green, purple, and pink. The fabrics are gorgeous and they’re made in a place where tweed is still made to protect you from the elements of the Atlantic – not just to help you fit in at the coffee house. You can order direct from Magee’s on their website, but I recommend going in person – Northwest Ireland is one of the world’s most beautiful places plus you can get yourself a made to measure tweed jacket (and the Guinness taste pretty good, too).

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image via Magee

Finally, next time you need a gift for the Irishman in your life, look to Rory Conner’s handmade knives from County Cork. I first discovered them through Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and they were further romtanticized by Matt and Ted Lee in an article for Travel and Leisure. The knives themselves are works of art and function wonderfully. Here’s one of the cheeseknives available from the guys at Zingerman’s, but they make a full range of kitchen and field knives.

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MANDAY: Dark Nights Beckon a Dark Beer

Written on January 23, 2012 by

Just as summer begs one to reach for the cold, refreshing flavors of Pilsner, winter drives one into the comforting arms of porter. Porter, or a pint of the dark stuff, is the perfect companion for a fireside book. It’s the beer of comfort, like drinking a hug.

Porter, in short, is a variation of a pale ale that uses roasted malt. The roasting is important to remember, especially if you shy away from the dark stuff – dark beer is dark for the same reason that coffee is dark – the ingredients have been roasted. And in that, a good portion of the flavor is derived from that roasting process.

Porter gets its name from the porters in England. There are a few different creation stories for porter, but my favorite has always been this: A farmer brought his barley to the Covent Garden Market in London. The night before the market day a fire raged through the neighborhood and all of his barley was burnt. A brewer friend took pity and bought the lot of burnt barley at a reduced price. And since he had so little in the raw material, the brewer sold the beer cheaply to the porters in the market. Soon, the black beer was in high demand as the porters asked for more and more of it – a beer craze was born.

One of the best examples of the original style is Fuller’s London Porter (In fact, it’s often called the World’s Best Porter). Fuller’s is the only independent brewer left in the city of London, and they brew some of Britain’s best traditional ales. It’s a mild beer and moderate in alcohol content, which makes it a great place to start your porter education.

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image via PintLog

Here in middle America, we’re lucky to have a few wonderful porters of our own. First, from our friends at Marshall Brewing Company, is Big Jamoke Porter. The Big Jamoke is a “bigger”  beer than the Fuller’s, with more intense flavors and a higher hop content. But, if you’re a more experienced beer drinker, this great local beer will satisfy all of your porter needs. It’s widely available on draft throughout the winter, so go out for one while it’s still there.

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image via The Thirsty Beagle

From Oklahoma City, is COOP Ale Works Territorial Reserve Oak Aged Imperial Stout. Stout, you ask? I thought we were talking about porter?! In the 18th century, a number of brewers made a stronger version of porter, extra-stout porter as it came to be known. Eventually, we dropped the extra descriptors on the name and just called it stout. So, stout is a porter that is higher in alcohol volume (these lines have been blurred some in recent years, so always check your ABV’s). There was a special stout made for shipping long distances which was even higher in alcohol – Imperial Stout. It is said that Catherine the Great was a big fan of Imperial Stouts – if it’s enough to get you through a Russian winter, it should more than suffice for the worst Oklahoma has to offer. COOP’s offering is not for the faint of heart. You can smell a faint trace of alcohol on the nose and the wood gives the beer an aggressive finish. This stout is meant to be sipped and savored, especially since there are less than 1,500 bottles in circulation.

MANDAY: Dark Nights Beckon a Dark Beer

A few more notes about porters and stout: I think it’s best to drink them a little warmer, especially the Imperial Stout. The colder a beer the less you taste of it, and I think these are best around 45-50 F. Also, put the beer in a snifter or red-wine glass. These beers are full of aroma and the more room you give them the better.

MANDAY: Dark Nights Beckon a Dark Beer

image via The Wall Street Journal

And finally, open your bottle like a man (even if you’re a woman). I’ve been really into horn bottle openers lately, especially this one made from springbok horn. Not only do you unleash a little inner-Hemingway when you pop the cap, it also makes for good protection if someone tries to take your beer from you.

MANDAY: Dark Nights Beckon a Dark Beerimage via Giraffe Bone

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Merry Kitschmas

Written on December 12, 2011 by

You think you’ve got Christmas décor figured out. You’ve been reading Prairie Hive every day, letting the lovely ladies guide you through the yuletide transformation of your home. You’ve tablescaped. You’ve carefully crafted your wreath silhouette from hand-selected ornaments. You’ve kept everything in check, creating a refined, well thought out aesthetic worthy of a Martha Stewart photo shoot. But then something happens…you stumble upon Tulsa’s best Christmas décor and realize that self restraint was all for naught.

 

Those best decorations can be found in the warm, windowless depths of the Celebrity Restaurant (also home to Tulsa’s best Caesar salad, but that’s another entry) – where overdone and cheesy turns into a spectacular display of holiday exuberance. Which begs the question, who are we trying to impress? Holiday décor should be about making a space we enjoy, that adds to our celebratory mood. Sometimes this can be accomplished through restraint and making something photo ready, but I for one think we should all take some cues from the Celebrity, and add some well placed kitsch to that Sterile Claus aesthetic.

 

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Image via Tulsa Food Talk 

Let’s talk lights first. Why is everyone so into these LED lights? Sure, they last longer and they’re more energy efficient, but they give off an nauseating hue of light. They make your house look like a Lite-Brite. To combat this trend, you need incandescent lights, preferably multi-colored ones, the bigger the better. Now, more than ever, the Charlie Brown aesthetic says that you know how to party – that you know Christmas is about bright and cheery, not cold and icy. (Or maybe they say you own AEP stock)

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Image via Uptown Magazine

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Image via Opulent Cottage

One of the best things about the Celebrity is the multi-colored, fiber optic Christmas tree. Why don’t more people have these? Does anything make you happier than sipping a hot toddy or some eggnog while the rainbow of colors transmits you through the 12 days of Christmas? Or maybe you’re not into the multi-colored look and would just prefer a bright pink version – glowing in the corner, a constant reminder that taking the holidays too serious, like your Douglas Fir in the other room, is what makes the Holidays so depressing. So your cheer yourself up, and put one of these in the corner:

 

Merry KitschmasImage via AliBaba.com

 

One of our favorite (and cheesiest) Christmas decorations is this guy:

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Via WalMart.com

 

A small TV shaped music box, that sees Hermey the elf and Rudolph dancing in a circle while the Abominable Snowman lurks by the tree. We like it because it reminds us of our youth – the innocence of Christmas past and the unbridled hope that came with them….that’s not true, it’s just a really good decoration, but it is nice to be reminded of your childhood and all the memories that come along with it. Maybe it’s time to put the snowman in our yard:

Merry Kitschmas

Via Sears.com

 

But I digress, let’s talk about what the Celebrity Restaurant does better than anyone: tinsel. We spent an inordinate amount of time at our house looking for the perfect garland this year. It had to have just the right pine-like texture and the perfect imbedded lighting (i.e. no LED). What we should have done? Buy some silver, red, and green metallic tinsel and attach it to every protruding surface we could find. Sure, it has a texture more like one of those fake leis, but it really ties the room together. In fact, I’m going to go get some now – we have a lot of picture frames that look lonely – thanks Celebrity!

 

And finally, all of this decorating is going to make you thirsty. Try moving past the eggnog and hot toddies (although I realize that’s hard to do), and make yourself a Maple Leaf cocktail – 2 oz canadian whiskey, 1/2 oz Grade A maple syrup, and 1/2 oz lemon juice. It’s a great drink for a cold winter’s day, and obviously, it goes great with pancakes – so it’s great for Christmas morning. And nothing says Holidays, or kitsch, like drinking this, or any drink, out of a Griswold moose mug:

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Via Amazon.com

 

Take it by the horns and enjoy your fiber optic tree! (Some music to drink by)

Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey

 

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MANDAY – Warm Up with Whiskey

Written on November 7, 2011 by

The leaves are changing, the days are growing shorter, and there is a chill in the air. It’s time to set the cold beer and iced cocktails aside. It’s whiskey season. And more specifically, neat whiskey – it warms the soul.

If you’re a beginner, start with the Irish stuff – it’s triple distilled and easier to drink. I usually opt for Blackbush – the slightly higher end offering from good people at Bushmills.

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Image via yumsugar

If you’re a more seasoned drinker, I would look to Scotch or Bourbon. The key difference – Scotch derives most of its flavor from the peat smoke that is allowed to seep into the malt, whereas Bourbon is sweeter since it is made mostly from corn, and derives the majority of its flavor from the fresh oak barrels used in the aging process.

One of my favorite Scotches, and a good place to start, is Glenrothes. It’s a small batch whiskey, and has just enough smoke flavor to let you know you’re drinking Scotch but it doesn’t feel like you’re consuming a campfire.

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Image via The Glenrothes

On bourbon, if you’re fortunate enough to find it, Hudson Valley Baby Bourbon is extraordinary. It’s made by Tulhiltown Spirits in upstate New York (a big misunderstanding is that Bourbon must be made in Kentucky, it actually just need be American). But, it’s nearly impossible to find, especially in Oklahoma (unless you’re at my house), so you might turn to the more accessible Blanton’s Bourbon – which is delicious in its own right.

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 Image via Tuthilltown Spirits

It’s not just about the whiskey though, the vessel can be equally as important. A good drinking session can turn epic with the right glassware – drinking whiskey in the right glass can add gravity to an otherwise mundane ritual. I just got these glasses from Best Made in Manhattan. Best Made makes some of the coolest craft products in America. I’ve given one of their axes as a gift before and I’m not sure I’ve ever given anther gift that amazing. Needless to say, nothing feels more manly than drinking a Scotch out of a horn – save maybe doing it in the snow with no shirt on.

 

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 Images via Best Made

If horns are beyond your reach, I recommend sourcing some vintage glasses from a local vintage store or estate sale. I saw some of the best whiskey glasses last year at Black Optical in Tulsa - but they’d been turned into candles!

 

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 Image via flickr

If you see them, I’m looking for them. Or is that owl looking for me?

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Image via Pendleton

And finally, if the whiskey isn’t enough to warm you up, or if you’re stuck on drinking white wine, swing by the Pendleton store in Utica Square and get yourself a commemorative National Parks blanket. I’ve never been into the bright colored Pendleton blankets, but this series has converted me. I for one am really into the 5th Avenue Glacier Park Throw – something about the stripes are really speaking to me.

Cheers.

-Elliot

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