Well, folks, it’s been a real slice. Thank you to everybody for reading my blog. I might take this up again in the future, but for now I am going to work on my website. Alco-warriors, be strong! Drink up! And remember:
“Here’s to you and here’s to me,
Friends may we always be!
But, if by chance we disagree,
Up yours! Here’s to me!”
As I have mentioned before, I have a collection of shot glasses. I have one from almost everywhere I have been to, and I cherish them all. A couple have broke in my travels, but I still hold on to them in the hopes of repairing them one day.
My love of the comic Saga began when I lived in London. I had never seen art like that before.
Saga is a space opera that revolves around two people from opposing planets who conceive a child, despite all odds. They have to escape galactic forces to protect their child, who is seen as an abomination.
The author, Brian K. Vaughan, and the illustrator, Fiona Staples, have created a bright, violent, space romance that entices readers with its consistent storytelling and wistful characters.
So I’m here, thinking about my collection of shot glasses and my collection of Saga, and wondering when I’ll next have a chance to get a new shot glass. It would be awesome if I could get into a giant tree spaceship (spoiler) but alas, I don’t think we are that advanced yet.
You can find Saga in the Image section of your local comic store. And if you can’t, try somewhere else! It’s simply that good.
“Violence is stupid. Even as a last resort, it only ever begets more of the same.”
– Brian K. Vaughan, Saga, Vol.1
As I sit here drinking my glass of Malbec (in a plastic Star Wars cup because I am so classy) I think about the amount of wine I have had in my life. I have travelled to many countries and have had wine in every one. I’ve had very good wine, but I’ve had very bad wine as well.
I have spilled wine on carpets, couches, beds, myself, other people, in pools, on grass, and in my food…just to name a few. Sometimes those stains just don’t come out. I’m not 100% sure on how to get a wine stain out of grass. I’ll get back to you on that.
One of worst things I’ve ever done is spill wine on a comic.
When I was in London, I worked at a shop that often had galleries and artist signings. I would bartend and afterwards we would hang out and drink whatever was left over.
One of the other girls and I were sword fighting with some posters that were meant for the trash, when I spun and lo and behold – my wine went flying into a brand new stack of Locke & Key.
I was mortified.
Luckily, the owner of this store is one of the coolest people I know, and he let it go. I secretly bought another stack to repay him but I thought it was incredibly nice of him to be so understanding.
So, for future reference, I think it is much easier to get wine out of grass rather than a stack of comics.
Alco-warriors, don’t drink wine and sword fight.
No, this is not a story about barbecue sauce, nor a story about a toy horse.
It’s not about darts, nor archery.
This is a story about whiskey.
Whiskey is such a broad term. People like to clarify the types that they love most. Bourbon lovers will adamantly declare the differences of mashes in separate regions.
Scotch drinkers will always say, when trying anything other than scotch, “Oh, I drink scotch. I don’t drink whiskey.”
Rye drinkers…well, for some reason rye doesn’t have the same following as scotch or bourbon. Maybe it’s a Canadian thing.
There is Irish and Japanese whiskey as well. Oddly enough, they don’t have their own name, like scotch, bourbon, and rye.
All of these liquors are classified as whiskey, but some are looked at with disdain.
Personally, I will try everything the world of liquor has to offer. I will not turn my nose down at a homemade moonshine nor think I’m not good enough for 60-year-old scotch.
Tonight, I decided to sip on one of my favourites – Maker’s Mark.
I prefer it on ice, but it also delicious in a sour, or as an old fashioned.
The moral of the story is, don’t be stuck up. Try the things that your friends think are good. If you don’t like something, that’s okay. But don’t dislike something just on principle.
Alco-warriors, be strong!
I have a collection of empty wine bottles. Some people like to do this because they have had an especial bottle of wine. Something that has been aged for 100 years.
I am not that fancy.
I am also not that fancy when it comes to comics. I like to read them fast and hard.
There is a certain catharsis when you read a story after waiting for what seems like eons.
You know the background. You know the story. You know what’s going to happen.
That’s just like Kitty Wine.
It comes in every shade, just like the Hulk.
It’s a Gewurztraminer – sweeter, but only because of its low acidity.
I have had every bottle of Kitty Wine – at least I think so. I’ve yet to have the Kitty Page bottle, so when that happens, I’ll let you know.
The thing I love about this wine is not its shape nor its taste. It’s the fact that you can bring this to any party and somebody is going to be amazed at the fact that you brought Kitty Wine.
For those of you who do not know what Kitty Wine is, I do apologize for the lack of explanation.
It is a sweet wine as explained above but it is sold in bottles that are shaped like cats.
I have several different shades (blue, green, red, pink, etc.) of Kitty Wine. If you can come up with a better name, please let me know!
P.S. Would a sparkly Kitty Wine be named Kitty Shine?
P.P.S. If Marvel ever developed a Kitty Page liquor I would buy it.
One of my favourite drinks (when I’m feeling fancy) is a martini.
Vodka. Extra dirty.
And when I say dirty, I mean the filthiest thing you can think of. That dirty.
What does dirty mean, you say?
It’s the amount of olive juice that goes into the martini. I went to the grocery store and completely forgot to pick up olives after I had specifically gone to the liquor store to grab vodka and vermouth.
So I get home, and I am so excited to make my drink. Lo and behold, not an olive in sight.
I grabbed my shaker, I grabbed my ice, my vodka, my vermouth…and a jar of my mother’s homemade pickles.
For all those dill and pickle lovers out there, this drink is for you. It’s part martini, part brine, and 100% delicious.
So here it is! My recipe for an Extra Dilly Martini.
Extra Dilly Martini
1 1/2 ounce vodka (any brand, I used Skyy)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth (I used a little less for personal preference and I used Martini brand)
3/4 ounce dill pickle brine
Fresh dill for garnish
Grab a shaker and fill halfway with ice. Add all liquid ingredients and shake until cold and mixed. Strain into glass and garnish with fresh dill. Enjoy!
This cocktail pairs best with a mystery comic, or perhaps a spy comic. Get your best James Bond groove going and you’ll have a good time no matter what.
“I never go running, it makes me spill my martini.” -George Burns
My friend Victoria and I used to live together.
Her parents are fairly affluent, so when they decided to sell their house and travel the world there was a lot of stuff to get rid of.
Victoria came home one day with two boxes full of wine and another full of liquor.
When we parted ways, she gave me a few bottles to take to my new abode.
So every time I have a sip of St. Stephan’s Crown, I think of my wee Victoria and the times we shared at our apartment.
St. Stephan’s Crown come from the Tokaj-Hegyalja region of Hungary and is a dessert wine. It is medium in colour, and has notes of orange and amber in it. It’s not too sweet, and is way too easy to drink. This bottle was from 2007.
The name itself comes from the Holy Crown of Hungary.
Many kings were crowned with this item, so I certainly hope they drank this wine while they were doing it! I’ve never been to Hungary but I know that I will love it when I go. There are many caves that exist in Hungary where wine is aged and this type of aging gives it a very distinct flavour, or so I’m told.
This next sip is for you, Vicky G.
Much love.
The Hot Toddy.
When you hear that name, it evokes a sense of warmth.
You can imagine yourself sitting by the fire after a long walk home on a blustery winter day.
Simple, yet delicious, this drink is perfect for a post work, pre shower, or really anything that can involve a beverage.
The original hot toddy was not served hot at all. The British took the name ‘toddy’ from the Indian name for a drink made with the juice of fermented palms.
They loved the drink, and word spread.
Other people claim that the hot toddy came from Scotland, where people would drink water out of Tod’s Well in Edinburgh. Considering that the original recipe calls for whiskey…well (no pun intended), this isn’t surprising.
The recipe is quite simple: whiskey, sugar (or honey), hot water, and lemon. Some people believe that cinnamon should belong in the original recipe but back when this drink was created (1700s) cinnamon was not readily available to the average person.
Now that you can get your hands on almost anything these days, there are numerous hot toddy recipes available. I made my own this evening while reading a comic called ‘Limbo’, in honour of this past Halloween.
Here is my take on a hot toddy:
1 oz. Canadian Whiskey (I chose Northern Harvest Crown Royal)
2 tsp. REAL maple syrup (Canada, duh)
1 Earl Grey teabag
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp. lemon juice
Pour the whiskey and maple syrup into a regular sized coffee mug (or whatever receptacle you desire). Add the teabag, then pour the boiling water in the mug. Steep for 2-3 minutes (or desired strength) and add the lemon juice. Stir and enjoy!
My version has a delicious bergamot maple flavour, and doesn’t need any spices added to it because of the tea. If you find it too sweet, you can cut the maple syrup by half.
Or add another shot of whiskey.
If you’re in ‘limbo’ over what drink to choose on a cold day, a hot toddy is always an excellent choice.
P.S. Read Limbo!
P.P.S. I’m making another hot toddy.
A shot glass made by an artist from Vancouver. (Photo credit: Megan Maher)
She is an Irish whiskey, through and through.
She is bitter to all, but not to you.
She swims in silence but brings you heaven.
When did she ask the time…half past eleven?
She is swift and tender, ever so slender!
She is light and sweet, and quick on her feet!
She makes me go slightly ziggy and zaggy.
She is my one true love, my Hell-Cat Maggie.
Tomorrow is Wednesday, and do you know what that means?
That’s when all the new single issues are released at the stores, when all the standing orders are picked up, and the smell of ink and paper is in the air.
It is the biggest day of the week for comic stores. The majority of the week’s sales are made on this day simply because everyone wants to read the newest issues.
For every comic lover, though, that means spending your hard-earned cash on your favourite reads.
The best course of action after that? Head to the pub for a pint but be careful not to spill anything on your new comics!
That is instant death in the comic world, however you imagine it.
COMIC-HOL 