Martini Groove

Where the hell was this last May? Peter's Planters Punch is a delightful mix of all the things that you get to sip when you're hanging out at the island bar.  You know, the bar that you worked at right after your stint as a big-time flair bartender in New York but then your best friend betrayed you by sleeping with the girl you were dating and kept walking around spouting off "laws" that he made up but it's okay because you met a really cute, sweet girl who liked you a lot and when you get back to New York you find out that she's rich and having your baby. Also, you have to add the rum, but it has everything else in it. Right now, you can only get the stuff in South Florida, which just doesn't make sense to me.  The rest of us NEED this stuff for our mental sojourns to the islands.  These people have a responsibility to the rest of the world! via BottleWatch

Some of the new Martini flavors are downright tasty and now they're in single-serve packages, you know, so you can sneak them in to the ballpark.  Nothing says "America" like baseball and vermouth! Look for these little guys to be hitting the shelves soon for around US$2.99 a bottle. Martini

This is a great story. It starts out with an anecdote about some wanna-be connoisseur who order a high-end vodka then proceeded to dump a powdered Cosmo mix in it and then called it a "Real Cosmopolitan." Just like the guy who orders a Red Bull and Grey Goose because he thinks he can taste the difference. Bonehead. Grand Marnier, Triple Sec, and Countreau are all vital to mixing certain drinks and shouldn't be substituted with non-alcoholic mixers or powders. Yes, this includes "Stirrings" that everyone seems to be buying at Cost Plus and BevMo. Just say No. Keep it real. There's plenty of fish in the ocean. It looks like the upper hand is on the other foot, etc, etc. Read about these important orange liqueurs and some you haven't heard of in this Washington Post article. Splurges you can't afford to skip

When I got a few bottles from Martini of their latest stuff, I wasn't in that big of a hurry to try it out. Sure, the bottles looked new, and snazzy, and much, much bigger, but no big deal, right? I was completely surprised when I opened up the bottle of Rosso. Sure, the stuff has been around since 1863 (it was the original vermouth), but I hadn't had much occasion to taste it by itself, except maybe in a Manhattan. The rich flavors and taste of caramel made it an instant hit with everyone in the house at the time (that is to say, 4 people and several stuffed animals who claimed they were old enough to drink). Make sure you have some of this in your bar. It's the best US$6.99 you can spend on your bar. Martini Rosso

"That's not a baby, that's a Mr. Potato Head!" Listen, 90% of most drinks is some sort of mixer, so if you're drinking the good stuff when it comes to the alcohol, then why not make sure you have the good stuff when it comes to the mixers? Fever-Tree is founded by Charles Rolls, the guy who brought Plymouth Gin back from the dead and contains only the finest of the finest. The flavors come in Indian Tonic Water, Club Soda, Ginger Ale, and Bitter Lemon. I got all of them but the Club Soda, which is fine because I never wanted their stupid Club Soda anyway. Jerks. "Oh, my. Now, how did that happen? There must be a ghost in here." I've had the Tonic Water at Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco, as well as the Bitter Lemon, but the one I've never had occasion to delight myself upon is the ginger ale, so I thought I'd go after it. All of the bottles come in perfect little 6oz size and are clear so you can see that the goods are legit. When I o...

Let's face it. Some drinks are a pain in the butt to make. Sure, they may taste tons better if you hand muddle ever single Mojito or make a Bloody Mary from your Grandma's Tomatoe Puree, but c'mon, who wants to do that stuff all the time? What are you? Mother Theresa? Now THERE was a girl who could hold her liquor! Freshies take all that hassle out of mixing things and does it while still being all natural (Yes, just like your girlfriend). It allows you to get all the flavor of your drink and let's you get to the important part: Drinkin! The popular (in CA) Whole Foods carries them now and you can get the yummy flavors of Margarita, Mojito, Bloody Mary (with 3 kinds of hotness), and Sweet and Sour. Perfect for your big party. Freshies

Ever grab for a beer out of an ice chest and wish it was a martini instead? Me neither, but that's only because I didn't KNOW about Metropolitan Martini's! These babies come in packs of two, just in case of the off-chance that you might want to share a drink rather than just sit down to two martini's by yourself. They come in flavors of vodka martini (of course), Cosmopolitan (shown), Apple Martini, and Chocolate Martini. Something for the fellas and the ladies. They sell for US$11.99-$13.00 for a pack of two. So you just throw it in the fridge, peel off the lid when you're ready, and drink away. Peel open a cold one! Metropolitan Martini's