Well, actually I’m leaving on a jet plane so that I can leave on a cruise ship. Tonight Mrs. Dood, her family, and I all depart not-so-sunny (today) Southern California for Florida and the promise of a relaxing 7 day cruise. Just what the doctor ordered. Well, actually, my doctor told me to watch my weight, get plenty of exercise, and don’t stress my still-healing right arm…but I’m sure that a cruise fits in to that somehow. I mean, I’ll be watching my weight (go up), get plenty of exercise (of the elbows as I tip back a few cocktails) and I won’t stress myself or my right elbow (I’ll drink with the left).
I figured before I departed for a week that I’d do a little bit of a “round-up” of what’s going on out there so that my loyal readers can catch up on all the stuff that I’ve been reading while I’m gone. I debated the title of the post…”Rummy Roundup”, “Badass Bagasse”, “Stuff”, “Odd & Ends” again…I dunno…I feel like I should have a theme for these kinds of posts.
Scott is running an entire series on his rum blog about Rum & Ginger – one of my favorite drinks. He discusses the various options for ginger ale or ginger beer out there, does his usual diligence in his criticism of High Fructose Corn Syrup, and gives you some great reviews of different rums paired with different ginger brews. You can pretty much just start from his review of “a bunch of ginger ales” and then work your way forward, chronologically. Or, because I love you all so, here are the links to the rest of his series (so far): Rum & Ginger 1, Rum & Ginger 2, Rum & Ginger 3, Ginger Ales & HFCS.
Darcy, over at Art of the Drink, has a nice couple of entries on Rum & Coke that has him also starting to delve in to pure cane sugar versus HFCS. Darcy’s always a fascinating read, and if you’re a fan of Cuba Libres or even a sorry, sodded, “Captain & Coke” man, it’s worth checking out (Note to Sorry, Sodded Captain & Coke People: There is hope…I was once like you…just come towards the light!): Rum & Coke, Rum & Coke Taste Test. His new series on HFCS is just getting under way: Part 1.
Dr. Bamboo has what looks like a very delicious entree – I mean entry – as part of of MxMo for this month: The Del Coronado (the drink, not the hotel in San Diego). I haven’t yet tried this cocktail, but I need to. I need to in a bad way. Prior to falling for the Demon Rum, my spiritual calling was gin. I still have a few bottles of gin in my liquor cabinet, gathering dust behind my wife’s collection of liqueurs. This drink looks like it could very well combine my two liquor loves: Rum & Gin.
Finally, I received an incredible treat in the mail recently: Temptryst Mesquite. That’s right, Dan Watson continues to try and buy me off with fine rums…and it will continue to work so long as the rum continues to flow. I don’t recall why, exactly, I’m being bought off…but I can’t seem to manage to care. Yes, I have opened it. Yes, I have tasted its sweet nectar. Yes, there will be a review. No, you can’t have my bottle…but you can read about one of Temptryst’s other flavors over at RnD Rum Reviews: Temptryst Vanilla Bean (spoiler: It’s good).