Rails & Cocktails

I rolled into Portland last night on the 5:30 pm train with Dayne, fellow LUPEC lady Lauren & her hubby Paul. I've taken trains all over Europe but this was my first Amtrak ride to Portland & it was fun, fun, fun!

Granted I had packed a picnic of sorts with baguette, olives, 2 kinds of cheeses & some salami. Paul had brought along a Tupperware of pre-batched martinis, ice, shaker, cocktail glasses & lemon twists. There was enough for 3 1/2 rounds! Let me just say that martinis make the time pass quickly.

So although your not technically allowed to bring booze onboard in the coach section we kept it on the down low and no one said boo. Now if we had started hand carving ice balls a la Rob Roy it may have not gone as well :)

Looking forward to tonights meet up, some of the Portland LUPEC girls are joining us also!

Cheers!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:SW Washington St,Portland,United States

Taking This Show on the Road!

Just to mix things up a bit (pun intended) this month the LUPEC ladies are headed down to Portland, Oregon and the well know, well loved Teardrop Lounge. Owners Daniel Shoemaker and Ted Charak opened their bar about 3 years ago and have been impressing customers ever since. Fanatical about quality products you'll find syrups, bitters, tonic, infusions and the like all made in house. They have an impressive cocktail menu of interesting original drinks as well as the classics.

Our meeting (just like the date and the location) will be a bit different this time in that it will start at 8:00pm on Saturday May 29 and we will have a reserved section until 9:30pm. Very nice of Teardrop to host us on a busy Saturday night! Cocktails range in price from $9-$12 and the bar offers some very nice food also. As in the past please RSVP if you are planning on attending so we can give the guys a head count and bring cash for easier settling of tabs.

Additionally Blair Reynolds aka Trader Tiki will be behind the stick at Thatch that same night. Blair has told me that there may or may not be pineapples and awesome tiki drinks awaiting if anyone chooses to head over after our meeting! Guaranteed you'll find me with a tiki drink in hand sometime after 10pm. If you haven't met Blair or had a tiki drink crafted by him you are missing out!

And now that we are talking about Portland, aren't we lucky to live so close to another great food and drink city? I'm sure we'll get around and get to trying other places as well. I'd love for you all to report back after our meeting on other places you sussed out quality cocktails (or were expecting to but were disappointed). So where else are you planning to go? Clyde Common? Beaker and Flask? Others?

See you next Saturday night!! Cheers!

10 Q's for a LUPEC Lady- Stevi Deter

CORRECTION!! Please see below for the real answer to Stevi's first question. What can I say? I had been imbibing during this interview ;)

This month's installment of 10 questions goes to Stevi:

1) what is your name, your LUPEC cocktail name & why did you pick that?

Stevi Deter, Mayflower. The Mayflower is very tasty & effervescent. Not like me at all :)

( Mayflower Cocktail
   2 dashes.  orange bitters
   1 1/2 oz.  sweet vermouth
   1/2 oz.  brandy
   1/2 oz.  dry vermouth
   1 tsp.  Cointreau orange liqueur
   1 tsp.  Pernod licorice liqueur

Procedure/Directions:

   Pour the vermouth, brandy, Pernod, Cointreau and bitters into a mixing glass half-filled with ice cubes. Stir well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.)

The real answer is the May Blossom (which makes much more sense considering the effervescence that was mentioned) And the May Blossom Fizz is indeed on Stevi's blog. But the Mayflower still sounds good too!

http://www.twoatthemost.com/may-blossom-fizz/ 

Sorry about that Stevi! 

2) what is your profession?

I write code

3) What was your favorite cocktail before you new any better?

Midori Sour 

4) What's the worst cocktail ever and where did you drink it?
A Gin & Tonic which was undrinkable. The bar gave me a glass of gin with just enough tonic to make it glow in their black-light

5) If you could ban 1 drink what would it be?
Vodka Soda. It says "I just want to get drunk", it doesn't taste like anything!

6) If you could have a drink with anyone, living/dead, who would it be and why?
Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita) because he is someone who oozes intelligence.

7) What are your favorite non cocktail activities/hobbies/interests?
I ride Peruvian horses, blog about spirits and cocktails and read a lot of foreign literature

8) How did you first hear about LUPEC?
I started following the LUPEC Boston blog about 2 years ago.

9) What is your go to drink or spirit?
Gin & Tonic. Voyager gin at home, Beefeater out.

10) What is your favorite cocktail bar and/or bartender right now?
Andrew Bohrer at Mistral Kitchen


Be sure to check out Stevi's blog (which strangely doesn't have the Mayflower in it!)  You can also follow her on Twitter @smd