About Daniel Wilson

I love making drinks for my friends and family, and, of course, sampling my concoctions myself! Finding and playing around with recipes is a favourite past time of mine and I hope to share that passion with all my readers.

January 8 – Scotch on the Rocks

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Potent Quotables

So, I come home from a long day at the office to screaming kids, a messy place and an angry wife… not to mention no dinner on the table. Just kidding, only one of those things was true and that’s only because I do most of the cooking around here at the Sip Advisor offices.

Still, I felt that it was a good day to put away the mixology tools, pour myself a glass of scotch and wax philosophical about some of my favourite alcohol quotes. So, put on your tweed jackets with leather elbow patches and join me for a riveting tour through the human psyche… inebriated edition.

“To alcohol, the cause of… and solution to, all of life’s problems.” – Homer Simpson

I love this quote. It really sums up the whole life story of booze in 12 words and some ellipses or dashes… whichever you prefer. Alcohol can mend fences as quickly as it can burn those fences to the ground, if you’re not careful. Take one sip if it’s caused you a problem. Take two sips if it’s solved an issue. Chug if it has destroyed and fixed the same problem, or vice versa, in succession.

“Alcohol may be man’s worst enemy, but the bible says love your enemy.” – Frank Sinatra

Oh, Frankie… you sure did do it your way! If I’m to take anything from his quote, my enemies also consist of my wife, kitties and blankets.

“Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.” – George Bernard Shaw

Way to be a bit of a killjoy, Mr. Shaw. Although you have given me an idea for any future surgeries I may have to confront. Instead of taking the prescribed anesthesia (when I was 12 and had my kidney removed it looked like apple juice, but brother it sure didn’t taste like apple juice and I still can’t bring myself to drink AJ to this day) I’ll just get loaded to the point of passing out and then the doctors can do their worse to me.

“Alcohol gives you infinite patience for stupidity.” – Sammy Davis, Jr.

Who would have ever thought that The Rat Pack members would be asked their thoughts on alcohol? Hell, you could probably write an entire book on the group’s exploits with and thoughts on liquor. Sammy makes a great point, though… why do you think my wife drinks?!

Oh, Winston, that hand signals means quite a different thing now than it did in your day…

“I have taken more out of alcohol than alcohol has taken out of me.” – Winston Churchill

Atta boy Winston… you show them who’s the man. And we should all be enjoying life to the fullest, taking everything we can out of it. You only get one shot at living and I’ll be damned if I’m going to take it easy on myself in order to extend a life that can be snuffed out by things beyond my control.

“Alcohol is like love. The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you take the girl’s clothes off.” – Raymond Chandler

Sure, you could make an analogy between the start of a relationship and getting drunk for the first times in your life… but have you ever seen a bottle of booze naked… there’s really not much there to enjoy.

“That’s the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen.” – Charles Bukowski

Alcohol is many things to many different people. Some don’t like it, some love it and some don’t care either way. To me, booze should only be drunk in times of good… thankfully, I’m a very happy man!

And now, here’s something we hope you’ll really like (ala Rocky the Flying Squirrel)…

Drink #8: Scotch on the Rocks

2 oz Scotch (I used my Glenfiddich: Milleniumm Vintage)
Add ice as desired
Garnish with whatever meets your fancy

For the occasional scotch drinker, unless you are sipping an 18-year-old scotch, chances are you will feel the need for a bit of ice. Some Scotch connoisseurs may turn their nose up at a bit of ice, but hey it’s your drink and I’m over here getting too drunk to judge (I generally leave that to women and cats… especially cats, those judgmental, but very cute buggers).

I love my bottle of scotch, given to me as a wedding gift. I just find the details of the scotch (part of the new millennium batch and bottled the year I got married) to be so neat and a case of symmetry in my life. It’s almost as if it were fate that all these moving parts came together for me. So, please join me in a toast with whatever you have in your hand:

“To alcohol… because life just isn’t the same without it!” – Daniel Wilson aka The Sip Advisor

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
What can you say about Scotch on the Rocks that hasn’t been said by millions of others over time. It is certainly an acquired taste and one that I’ve been happy to develop in recent years. It will certainly make you feel all warm and fuzzy in little time and the smoky flavour is an enjoyable one for me.

January 7 – Whipped White Russian

Posted on January 7, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Just Pucking Around

I hear ya, boys!

With the NHL lockout coming to an end early yesterday, hockey has been on my mind. Coincidentally, I had the Whipped White Russian on my schedule for today, although given Russia’s recent victory over Canada at the World Junior Hockey Tournament – stopping Canada’s streak of bringing home a medal at the competition at 14 years in a row – perhaps it should be called a Whipped White Canadian! Wouldn’t that be Howie Mandel, though?

I’m pumped to have hockey coming back, even if I didn’t necessarily miss it while it was gone. There have been many nights where the inclusion of a hockey game (be it Hockey Night in Canada or another broadcast) would have been a stellar addition to my drinking exploits. Best of all, this saves me from having to find another sport to really get into, although I had hopes that roller derby would return to TV. No, really, the best thing about the lockout ending is that all the pundits will have to talk about something else and we can all finally move on from terms like HRR, decertification, disclaimers of interest and Gary Bettman.

I’m just happy to hear it will be returning to a rink near me very soon and now it’s onto the celebration. Cue up Kool and the Gang!

Drink #7: Whipped White Russian

Rim glass with chocolate sprinkles
1 oz Chocolate Whipped Vodka or other vodka
1 oz Kahlua
Top with milk

So, to all my friends out there that have a passion for puck – I said puck… and it wasn’t a typo – enjoy the season ahead and make sure to get cozy on the couch with one of these bad boys! GO CANUCKS GO!!!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I like White Russians, but this is the first time I ever used Chocolate Whipped Vodka in one and that made the experience that much better. A Chocolate Sprinkle rim and this dessert drink just got that much better!

January 6 – The Cosmopolitan

Posted on January 6, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Cosmo’s Aren’t Just for the Ladies

Don't be so shocked, Skeletor, dudes be drinknig Cosmos, too!

Don’t be so shocked, Skeletor, dudes be drinking Cosmos too!

When I was 12 I had one of my kidneys removed, leaving me with a wicked scar that surprisingly worked well with the ladies. I like to think I know how studs like Ryan Reynolds and Matthew McConaughey feel with people everywhere ogling their midsection… only problem, I don’t have a ripped abdominal core… I’m on the freak side of the awe and attention. But that’s not the point of this story.

Prior to the operation I met with a dietary physician or something like that – basically someone who tells you what to eat and drink and what not to indulge in. I was told to reduce my salt intake (never really happened… seasoning salt, I put that shit on everything), drink alcohol in small doses when I became of legal age (you think I listened to that advice… I’m doing this blog, aren’t I) and to drink cranberry juice (lame… gross… hated the vile substance). That is, until recently, when I tried a Cosmo on my honeymoon cruise – hell, it was handed out to me for free – and found that cranberry juice wasn’t so bad after all… providing vodka, triple sec and lime juice are large portions of the mix.

Now, the Cosmo is likely one of the most ordered “Girls Night Out” drinks, but I’m going to team up with the drink and bring equality to the cocktail world. Together, we will change this perception that the Cosmo is only for the ladies. Like the You Can Play campaign in the hockey/sport universe, I vow that You Can Drink a Cosmo, or any other martini, and not feel ashamed to be doing so.

There’s nothing wrong with a man holding a pink drink. A few months back, I even had a Cotton Candy Collins at Society in Vancouver. The restaurant being empty that particular afternoon might have helped, but it was worth the risk to enjoy this creative cocktail, which, of course, came with a healthy dose of pink cotton candy on the top of the drink and has inspired me to do a future Candy Drink Week.

Back to the Cosmo… I began to make them more regularly and before I knew it, a bottle of juice that I thought would sit in my fridge untouched for years was nearly empty. As you’ve seen in previous entries, I often don’t play by the rules in my cocktail construction, and for the Cosmo, this is no different. I personally prefer to drink a Cosmo on ice and in a rocks glass (as I first enjoyed it on the cruise), but for the purposes of this entry, I’ve presented the drink in a martini glass, as that is the traditional method. Just put all the ingredients into a shaker and strain.

Drink #6: The Cosmo

1.5 oz vodka (I used raspberry vodka just to girl it up a little more!)
1 oz Cointreau or other triple sec
Top with cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice
Garnish with lime wedge

All that’s left is to get cozy in a fuzzy robe and slippers (picture coming soon), throw on your favourite chick flick (mine’s Debbie Does Dallas – that counts right?!) and sip the night away!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
It may be a girly drink, but it’s a good one. The Cosmo was one of the first drinks that allowed me to enjoy Cranberry Juice and for that, I have to thank it. I have to admit though, my favourite ingredient is the splash of Lime Juice.

January 5 – Silk Panties with Lace

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Dirty Names

Is this what you were thinking when you searched the term that brought you to this site?

I’ve always found it funny that many shots have dirty names. Some would say the dirtier the better. Who are we kidding, I would normally say the dirtier the better! And what better day to post these shots than Saturday: the best day of the week, where you can sleep in, stay up late, enjoy a shot or 6, and not worry about the head shattering consequences until the next day. It’s a special I like to call, Super Saturday Shot Day!

As this blog is built, a major hurdle is apparently attracting viewers using “keywords” or “tags” or whatever you call these words that I highlight in different colours and my wife keeps bugging me to hyperlink. So… with posting shot names such as “silk panties” (and that’s one of the tamer names out there) I figure that I’ll naturally draw in those who really know how to appreciate the art and composition that is a fine shot when they are sitting alone in their room on a Saturday night (right? because that’s what guys sitting alone in their room search for on the internet).

I even tried the search, myself… you know, in the name of research. God bless Victoria’s Secret!

Anyhoo, without further ado, my first super shot is the “Silk Panties with Lace”, because who doesn’t enjoy indulging in a fine pair of panties or two on a Saturday night?

Shot #1: Silk Panties with Lace

Rim glass with sugar
3/4oz Raspberry Vodka or another vodka (plain or flavoured)
3/4oz Peach Schnapps
Garnish with lemon wedge

I’m guessing the sugar rim is the lace waistband at the top of the shot, while the liquors in the glass, particularly the silky peach schnapps would be the panties. I have no clue where the lemon fits into the whole analogy… well, I have a couple ideas, but I don’t want this post to be classified as erotic fiction.

If you’re enjoying this site so far, please sign-up to follow the page. Each post will then be delivered straight to your e-mail and you can keep up-to-date on my Sip Advisor activities and adventures.

If you have any drink suggestions you would like to see featured on Sip Advisor, leave me a comment or send me an e-mail. I will be doing a full week of suggested drinks in the very near future.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
While I’d prefer to have the lingerie, the shot version of this title was enjoyable, too. Peach Schnapps and Raspberry Vodka seem like a wonderful match and a Sugar Rim is like having a spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down!

January 4 – Blue Razz Buzz

Posted on January 4, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

What Exactly is a Blue Raspberry?

Will the real blue raspberry please stand up?

It’s Friday, you have friends coming over soon and you have nothing prepared, nothing to offer. What do you do, hotshot? WHAT DO YOU DO!?!

Well, I can’t really help you in the food, decoration or entertainment departments, but I do know a great cocktail you can quickly make and offer your guests.

First, though, who ever thought of the concept of blue raspberry? There are sports drinks, candy, syrups, yogurt and snack foods that all rely heavily on blue raspberry flavouring and colouring. However, the last time I checked, raspberries aren’t blue, and as much as I like to think that blue raspberries are found in some special natural orchard secretly harvested by Smurfs, my wife tells me that I’m wrong (she has also shot down my idea that blue raspberry is actually made from Smurfs themselves… I think she just hates Smurfs… or is working with them… but I’ll save my Smurf conspiracy theory for another day).

Aha! I knew it!

Upon researching the concept, there is surprisingly an actual real live “Blue Raspberry”! Disappointingly, the blue raspberry more commonly appears black and its inside fruit is not of the bright blue colour (often known as brilliant blue) we’ve come to expect from the term blue raspberry (so yet another aptly named food, rather like pineapples, which certainly don’t grow on pine trees and whoever thought they looked like a pinecone must have been indulging in a little too much Caribbean rum – another favourite drink of mine and will be the topic of future posts, but I digress).

As shocking as it may seem, the brilliant blue we know and consume today is not some closely kept Smurf secret, but actually achieved with food colouring in a variety of products. I know, right?!

Similarly, who started spelling raspberry as raZZberry? It’s like they are saying, but not saying, that the substance is completely manufactured and does not contain one berry (or Smurf). I smell another conspiracy, but until I’ve polished off a few of these drinks, I just won’t have the desire to dig deeper.

Drink #4: Blue Razz Buzz

1.5 oz Raspberry Vodka
1 oz Rose’s Blue Raspberry Mixer
Top with lemon-lime soda
Garnish with raspberries or lemon/lime wedge

What is YOUR favourite blue raspberry item? Mine, of course, is the beautiful drink you see above, although I’m also a fan of Jolly Ranchers, Airheads and Skittles of this flavour. The best part about the drink, you won’t be walking around with a blue tongue like you will after eating the candy!

P.S.: I realize I’m probably driving my American readers crazy using the English spelling of words like colour and flavour, which appear numerous times in this post. Part of me apologizes and the other part of me wants an apology from you. Let’s call it a wash, providing you continue to visit my site.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4.5 Sips out of 5):
The Blue Raspberry Mixer is, of course, excellent and combines really well with the Lemon-Lime Soda. We haven’t even got to the boozy part of the drink yet and it’s already a smashing success. Add a little Raspberry Vodka and you’re in booze heaven.

January 3 – Manhattan

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

The Rat Pack enjoy a drink and a laugh together. Not a rare sight.

The Manhattan is one of my favourite cocktails. It makes me think about the glory days of The Rat Pack – it was among their preferred drink of choice, after all – and the sort of Golden Age they lived through. Back when you had to have some level of talent to be a star, instead of a boob job, hit YouTube video or trashy reality show. A time of fedora hats, pin-striped suits and crazy, yet mysteriously classy parties. I love the stories of Frank, Dean, Sammy and the gang working long hours filming their movies and partying through the night before heading back to work the next day. These guys oozed swagger and machismo and made it look easy. If these originators of cool loved the Manhattan, that’s good enough for me.

Near the top on my growing bucket list, liquor edition, is have a Manhattan, while in Manhattan. If I happen to be donning a fedora and be decked out in a pin-striped suit, that would be the icing on the cake. Not that I’m saying that I own a fedora and pin-striped suit (but I do). I like to think that I’d be making the boys proud.

The Manhattan recipe is fairly simple, but one of the beauties of it is the interchangeable parts. I like trying different whiskies and bourbons to achieve a different taste. Some of my preferred alcohols to use include Jim Beam Black Cherry Bourbon (suggested to me by an instructor at Fine Art Bartending), Jack Daniel’s Honey Whiskey (suggested by me to that very same instructor) and for the Canadian in all of us, Crown Royal. The Sweet Vermouth can also be subbed out for a variety of different results. Dry Vermouth can be used instead, as can other liqueurs like Maraschino Cherry flavoured, Grand Marnier and many other options. Be playful with your own recipe and see what you come up with.

There are two ways that I like to present the Manhattan. The first is in a martini glass (the traditional way) and the second is on ice in a rocks glass. Both drinks use the same proportions, with the only difference being that for the Manhattan martini, you stir (don’t shake) all the ingredients with ice and strain from a mixer. Both drinks I’ve garnished with a Maraschino cherry, although the cherry in the martini glass just sunk to the bottom to make nice bourbon-soaked treat waiting for you at the finish line!

Drink #3: The Manhattan

3 oz Whiskey or Bourbon of your choice (I used Jim Beam Black Cherry Bourbon)
2 oz Sweet Vemouth
Dashes of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Let me know if you have any whiskey suggestions or any other tweaks to the Manhattan recipe. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I love Manhattans so much that I made two different versions! I’ve always been more of an ‘on the rocks’ type guy, but the Martini version of the cocktail was good, too. I have to give a super thumbs up to my decision to use Black Cherry Bourbon in these recipes and suggest you do, as well.

January 2 – Cool Collins

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Cool Collins to Michael Jackson’s Virginity – 6 Degrees of Separation

How can one person connect the Cool Collins cocktail to Michael Jackson’s virginity in six simple steps? Watch and learn!

Sometimes I wake up and think, “Today is a Cool Collins day.” After all, that’s my Grumpy Old Man cure, with its citrus charm (I use 7-Up or Sprite, instead of soda) and pleasant presentation (muddled cucumbers, yo!). I love the Grumpy Old Men movies, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, one of the best comedic duos of all-time. Matthau also played one of my favourite drunks (look out for an upcoming post on this amazing selection of characters) Morris Buttermaker in The Bad News Bears. In that movie, Buttermaker enlists the services of his ex-girlfriends daughter, Amanda Whurlitzer, to pitch for the hapless team. That youngster was played by Tatum O’Neal, who is the youngest person to ever win a competitive Oscar, for her role in the movie Paper Moon. And here’s where things get interesting (as if you’re not enthralled by this connect-the-dots puzzle already): she once dated the ‘King of Pop’ Michael Jackson, who has claimed that O’Neal was his first love.

So, there you have it: Cool Collins—Grumpy Old Men—Walter Matthau—Bad News Bears—Tatum O’Neal—Michael Jackson’s Virginity!

The game is even more fun when you’ve already had a couple of these cocktails! So here’s my adaptation of a Tom Collins:

Drink #2: Cool Collins (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Muddle 4-5 thinly sliced cucumber wheels
1.5 oz Hendrick’s or other gin
Top with lemon-lime soda
Garnish with cucumber wheel or lemon/lime wedge

This is an awesome drink in the summer, but can definitely be rocked in the winter months, as well. Let me know what you think and come back tomorrow for another great recipe. Enjoy!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I’m a huge Tom Collins fan and today I tried to change the recipe up a little. The muddled cucumbers along with the Hendricks Gin gives a great taste of cucumber throughout the drink, which while a mild flavour, has also been an enjoyable one for me. My choice of Lemon-Lime Soda over Club Soda is also an excellent decision.

January 1 – Golden Resolution

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

New Year’s Resolutions

Most of us make them, most of us break them, and no, I’m not talking about pottery. For 2012, I made a few resolutions and by my own accounting, I only kept to one of them and even that one didn’t come into effect until April when I finally began hitting the gym regularly.

That said, here are my resolutions for 2013:

1) To start this blog. Over the next year, I will share with you, the loyal reader, a drink recipe every day of 2013. Other features will pop up over time and I hope you will enjoy all the content my mind can create. Some things to look forward to: Around the World in 18 Libations, Alcohol Quotes, Movie Reviews with Alcoholic Characters, Saturday Shot Day, What I Learned on my All-Inclusive Vacation, and so much more!

2) To drink less… ah, who are we kidding, resolution number one basically makes resolution two null and void. When picking three things to drop (chips, chocolate and fast food) for my wedding diet, alcohol was the one thing my wife and I agreed would not be on the table. EVER.

3) Finally, the one thing that is on my list every year, thanks to one of Samuel L. Jackson’s appearances on Saturday Night Live: “To continue to kick ass!”

And now, onto the first drink of the 365-day Mixology Challenge: The aptly titled, Golden Resolution

Drink #1: Golden Resolution (A Sip Adivsor Original Recipe)

A wonderful way to bring in the New Year or celebrate a major milestone!

A wonderful way to ring in the New Year or celebrate a major milestone!

1-1.5 oz of gold leaf schnapps (I used Schonbrunner Gold, but Goldschläger or any other brand does the trick)
Top with champagne

The key here is to then put your champagne flute under a light source and marvel at how the champagne bubbles push the gold leaf around and sparkle under the illumination.

This drink was suggested to us by a Schnapps manufacturer in Austria and I’ll always remember it, as my now wife and I held onto our bottle of Schonbrunner Gold for four years before finally sharing it with the guests at our engagement party. We all enjoyed the spectacle of floating gold leaf, brought to life by the nearby roaring fire pit and it was a wonderful way to close out the party. This drink finishes my bottle of Schonbrunner, so if anyone wants to get me another, you know where to find me.

Now, take your Golden Resolution, drink or goal, and I wish you all the best in 2013!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
This is a very classy drink and if you were judging solely on look and effect it would be a definite 5. I do, however, have to take into account that I’m not a fan of bubbly and therefore not inclined to bubbly-based cocktails. The schnapps is nice because it’s basically flavourless and you have to remember, what glitters is gold!

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