September 8– Double Jeopardy

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Come on Down

Not surprisingly, today’s drink turns my mind towards game shows. I’ve always been a fan of game shows… at least until they became what they are today, involving little talent or skill, where all you have to do is select a briefcase or have your car repossessed (actually, I really like Repo Games!). Here are some of my favourites in a two-day tour from childhood to present day!:

The Price is Right

My favourite show when I was younger and I was home from school when feeling ill or I was enthralled with all the joys of summer. Bob Barker is a friggin’ legend and Happy Gilmore knows all about messing with Barker’s beauties! Games like Plinko, Mountain Climber, and Hole-in-One (or Two), were among my favourites. To have your name called at the show would be a sure highlight and spinning the big wheel would be even better!

Family Feud

Good lord some of the people the producers ask to answer their polls are stupid… and some contestants are even dumber. No game show gets me shouting at the TV screen more than Family Feud, except perhaps Jeopardy, but in that case I’m calmly and educationately (yeah, I know it’s not a real word) answering queries. Mrs. Sip and I even bought a home edition of the game to give it a shot… I lost!

Kidstreet

I actually know two different people who appeared on this Canadian game show as youngsters. It was similar in fashion to the Newlywed Game, although you were teamed with your sibling and the final round was Classic Concentration-like with a rebus puzzle to be solved. The greatest draw for any child watching was the prize wall they teased the contestants with. Winners got their pick of all these toys and gadgets, which left a young Sip Advisor drooling.

Jeopardy!

While I prefer the Saturday Night Live Celebrity Jeopardy clips over the real show, it isn’t that bad on its own. I feel that I’d be a decent Jeopardy contestant, as I usually do well playing from home, but I’m really not the brightest bulb due to my lack of desire for reading and learning important information, so I probably wouldn’t be able to pull off a Ken Jennings-type run of 74 consecutive victories.

Fun House

I remember bits and pieces of this show from my childhood. I think every kid wanted to take a trip through the “Fun House,” grabbing tags that would correspond with various prizes. It always looked like kids on the show were having fun thanks to the outlandish games played. There was also an adult version of the show, titled College Mad House that would have put to shame any frat house kegger!

American Gladiators

Staying up late as a youngster is very memorable. I remember sleepover birthdays at the age of 24 (just kidding, I was probably 7 or 8 – we are talking about the original Gladiator series and not the revival, although I enjoyed that version, too) where we’d watch American Gladiators. The mini-games played on the show were eye-opening and I would have loved to get tossed around by any of the muscle-bound Gladiators or tackled the feared Eliminator obstacle course!

Guts

American Gladiators for kids (although they actually had that as well – Gladiators 2000), which climaxed with a trip up the Aggro Crag, a fake mountain, which challenged kids with lighting and smoke effects as they had to hit a series of checkpoints, while racing to glory. Even if you finished last, you walked away with a bronze medal. Too bad there wasn’t a home edition of the Aggro Crag handed out as a consolation prize, as well!

Beat the Geeks

Putting nerds in their proper place as stars! This show pitted contestants against “geeks” in a certain field (TV, movie, music) as well as a guest geeks from popular culture of the time, including South Park, wrestling, Friends, and even the ‘Nudity in Movies’ geek. I swear I could have been the Wrestling Geek on this show… sadly I’ll never know, unless he’s up for a good ol’ fashion mat duel. The fact there even was a wrestling geek was cool enough, as it is.

Drink #251: Double Jeopardy

1 oz Frangelico
1 oz Black Sambuca
Splash of Milk
Blend with Ice
Garnish with Peanuts

I loved it when Mrs. Sip’s parents had a satellite dish and we were able to watch the Game Show Network together. Seeing all the new shows mixed in with some classic footage was one of the reasons I stayed with her as long as I did!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
This drink wasn’t all that bad. I was curious about how the Sambuca would taste with all the other ingredients. Vanilla Ice Cream is supposed to be part of the recipe, but sadly, ours had gone kind of fuzzy and funky, so I just went with ice to get the frozen cocktail done. Galliano may have made a nice alternative in a pinch!

August 31 – Brain Freeze

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Roasted

During Frozen Cocktail Week, I subbed Jell-O shots in as the Super Saturday Shot Day post, rather than create a frozen shot… for I believed a frozen shot to be an utterly insane and useless creation. Here we are two weeks later and I have in fact created a frozen shot, inside a frozen shot glass, no less. Mrs. Sip insisted it be done and here it is… now you all have her to blame for your ice cream headaches!

With that in mind, let’s take a few moments together to roast Mrs. Sip. She may be the best thing that ever happened to me, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune from a little Sip justice!

Stuck in Rome

Mrs. Sip and I love Rome, particularly the Trevi Fountain, which we have visited multiple times during the day and at night. On our last trip there in 2007, we had already stopped by during the day with our tour group, before we went off on our own for a romantic dinner. When our meal was complete, night had fallen and Mrs. Sip insisted on returning to the fountain for a twilight viewing. Off we went, snapped a couple photos, watched a drunk guy jump in, and tossed a penny into the attraction (usually a penny for a wish to return to Rome, but since the drunk guy may have been collecting them, let’s just call it charity). When we made our way back to the subway, we were met by a locked gate. Keep in mind it was only 9 pm on a Friday night… there was no way the line could be closed.

Frantically we searched for another entrance with no luck. The place our group was staying was 40 minutes outside the city by transport, so taking a cab was clearly not an option for us poor students. We tried figuring out a bus route that might get us to the train line we needed to take, but ultimately ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere in the middle of nowhere. Looking for a safe place to stay until the trains started running again at 5am, we ended up inside an American-themed hot dog and waffle joint that was open late. The Italian waitress, who spoke no English, and one beyond-drunk customer were our only company. As Mrs. Sip napped on our little table, the drunk dude tried in loud Italian, which I don’t speak, and violent hand gestures to communicate with me. When he noticed that I clearly didn’t understand he spoke even louder (because that does the trick, obviously) Finally I got across that he knew a guy who could rent us a room..by the hour…right.

Night turned into morning and we left our little slice of salvation en route back to the train station… with our still drunk, helpful, Italian associate in tow. Fear not, little sippers, he ended up coming in handy. When we reached the station we caught the first train of the day and were off. But our day pass transit tickets had now technically expired and we had spent the last of our cash on waffles on a stick. Enter our drunk Italian friend (yes, he was our friend now) who explained to the ticket collector our struggle and situation and the nice man allowed us to continue on our journey uninterrupted. We finally made it back to our campsite at 6:30am, with enough time for an hour-long nap, before we were back aboard the bus and onto our next destination.

Lost in Monaco

Here’s another tale from that same circuit tour of Europe… we had some sketchy luck during that vacation. Mrs. Sip and I had just spent an amazing evening in Monaco, walking to the city’s famous palace and enjoying the luxury casinos in the heart of the metropolis. As our tour group reconvened and headed back to the bus for the journey back to our humble (and I really mean that) abode. Along the way, Mrs. Sip stopped to take some photos and joined one of our fellow traveler in his. I kept with the group, theorizing that I could at least grab us some seats together on the bus.

When I boarded the bus, I quickly grabbed us a spot and watched the rest of the group pour one-by-one back onto the coach. With each passing person, I grew more anxious. Then, the once steady stream stopped and nobody else seemed to be coming. I looked around the entire bus, thinking perhaps she had boarded and didn’t see me and vice versa… no such luck. I began to panic a little as our tour guide asked if anyone was missing. Mrs. Sip and one other passenger were not with the group. The minutes seemed like hours as I waited. The bus couldn’t wait around all night, as the drivers have very strict rules as to how long they can be driving and how much time off they need before journeys.

It was time to go and I had to hurriedly hustle off the coach, so as not to leave Mrs. Sip behind (wherever she might be). For some reason, I had Mrs. Sip’s passport, wallet, and credit card on me and Mrs. Sip had just our camera…and the only map of Monaco we had. Fantastic. Thankfully, I went no further than a few steps when I spotted Mrs. Sip hauling ass towards the bus. She and the other missing passenger had taken a wrong turn trying to catch up to the group after their photo and had run back and forth through an underground tunnel vainly trying to find us. We flagged down our bus, quickly boarded and were off again with only 90% of the bus giving the future Mrs. Sip disapproving looks.

Karate Kid

Mrs. Sip can be a funny specimen when she’s inebriated, although I guess we all can. During her university days, Mrs. Sip lived with a bunch of roommates who were very tight, being in the same sorority and some of them having been friends even before living together. After the girls went out for their end-of-the-year dinner, a bunch of their respective guys came up to join the party. When I arrived, Mrs. Sip and I went into her room so I could drop off my things and get settled in and she can change from her cocktail dress to something more comfy. As I sat in her computer chair, she started doing a karate-like interpretive dance and said that she could perform a roundhouse kick over my head.

Amused and curious to see where this might lead, I allowed her to make her challenge. Then, without warning, she backed up and went to fire her leg over my head… only her leg never got anywhere near me and instead, all that I heard as I closed my eyes was a sickening thud of flesh against desk. She had slammed her poor little foot, full force, right into the side of her desk and was now hopping around, howling. I’ve rarely seen Mrs. Sip cry… she’s cold as ice… but she was mighty close this time. The moans she was making had everyone in the nearby kitchen and living room thinking that the Sip Advisor was getting his swerve on. The other guys were cheering me on and congratulated me when I popped out of the room until I told them that I think she had broken her foot. The next day when I took her for x-rays, doctor’s, and hospital we had to explain over and over again that she had “kicked a desk” while I endured sidelong dubious glances from medical professionals. Ah well, I guess even Mrs. Sip is allowed a drunk faux pas every once in a while! (yes french pun intended)

Marrying the Sip Advisor

Perhaps the biggest mistake she’ll ever make! *rimshot*

Drink #243: Brain Freeze (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

0.5 oz Kraken Black Spiced Rum
0.5 oz 1800 Reposado Tequila
0.5 oz Crowberry Frost Liqueur
Blend with Ice
Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Mrs. Sip knows the stress she often puts me through with her misadventures… at least we’ve earned some good stories out of our mistakes!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
This is the perfect dare shot. It is not the easiest to drink (brain freeze, sensitive teeth, stomach freeze, etc.), but it’s incredibly fun and unique. The Tequila taste came out the strongest with a lingering Spiced Rum finish. I liked adding some Maraschino Cherry Juice to make it look like the frozen brain was bleeding! Give it a try sometime!

August 16 – Mexican Bulldog

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Freebie Frenzy

On my twice daily trips to the liquor store, I love seeing the little freebies that are often attached to a bottle of alcohol. They can sometimes provide the tipping point in what I choose to spend my allowance on. Here are some of the more unique items I’ve seen:

Glass Clip and Rimming Salt – Corona Beer

In homage of today’s frozen cocktail, Corona released a set that included a case of beers, a Margarita-style glass, rimming salt and a clipping device that would allow you to pop a beer bottle into your drink with little fuss or mess. Sadly, I didn’t pick up the set and am kicking myself over it ever since.

Rimming Salt – Sauza Tequila

Much like the above entry, rimming salt and Tequila go hand-in-hand. Legend has it that they were separated at birth and have been destined to walk the earth searching for one another, reuniting solely in Margaritas, Palomas, and Tequila Shooters. It is a quest worth completing.

Playing Cards – Bacardi Rum

What does every boozehound need to have on their person at all times? A deck of playing cards, of course. When the Rum is flowing and fun is needed to be had, is there a better way to find it then shuffling up some cards? You can play a myriad of games, from Strip Poker to King’s Cup and everything in between.

Coaster – Wiser’s Whiskey

The Wiser’s Whiskey advertising campaign celebrating the Society of Uncompromising Men is one of my favourites. Well, what better way to be a classy drinker than to have a travelling coaster with you at all times. The only thing that sucks about giveaways like this are you’d have to buy four bottles to have a complete set of coasters. I’m up for the challenge, though!

Phone Case – Bacardi Oakheart Spiced Rum

I’ve never actually had a phone skin or protective case. It’s called looking after your shit and not damaging it with reckless disregard. That said, if you want to sport the Bacardi Oakheart logo on your phone, all the power to you. It is a pretty wicked logo and at least now, you won’t be cracking your screen the next time you’re plastered!

Speaker – Smirnoff Vodka

I suppose the theory behind this pairing was that you could take your bottle of Vodka and speaker and create a one-man party! With no one else around, playing garbage music and ruining your funk, the good times would keep on rolling all through the night… until you blacked out in a glorious bender, that is.

Socks – Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

You may be thinking that socks are an odd item for a liquor company to be attaching to their product. And you might be right. It wasn’t even Christmas or anything. I do, however, believe there is a method to the madness here. The Captain Morgan company is simply making sure that their customers don’t get cold feet after passing out.

Cocktail Shaker – Dr. McGillicuddy’s Peach Schnapps

The last time I bought a bottle of Peach Schnapps, it came with a miniature cocktail shaker, which allowed you to make one drink at a time. Sure, it’s not a full-sized shaker, but the intent is to get you interested in mixology and playing around with Peach Schnapps, in particular. That is exactly what I did!

Bottle Light – Absolut Vodka

It’s been a dream of mine for some time now to have a full-sized man cave bar, complete with backlit shelves to highlight all the wonderful liquor I’ve purchased over the years. This device allows you to at least light up one of your bottles, letting it gleam a mesmerizing glow throughout your life, surrounding you with liquid sunshine and warmth.

Drink #228: Mexican Bulldog

Rim glass with Strawberry Sugar
2 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
2 oz Triple Sec
Splash of Lime Juice
Blend with Ice
1 Bottle of Coronita Beer
Garnish with Lime Wheel

If you’re interested in checking out my previous post on the subject of liquor freebies, you’ll find that here. Do you have a suggestion for a third post on this topic? As always, I’m waiting with bated breath!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4.5 Sips out of 5):
It’s pretty awesome to combine a delicious Margarita (the PAMA Rita is perhaps one of the best I’ve ever had) with a fresh, crisp beer! Coronita Beers were made especially for building the Mexican Bulldogs and they’re a cute little bottle of beer to have around. You have to be cautious with dunking the beer into your drink. Once we had it nestled into the drink, there was no mess to worry about, but first getting the brew in there caused some issues, particularly overflowing.

August 15 – Wicked Watermelon

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Fanatics

There are a number of ways that fans show support for their teams. Some ways make sense while others can be downright bizarre. That’s just another wrinkle in why sports are so awesome. Here are some of best fan traditions from around the globe:

What Not to Wear

Whether sporting a watermelon helmet is done to keep your head cool, for protection in the case of a brawl, or simply to have something to snack on in the middle of the game, it is by far one of the most unique fan traditions in all of sports. Of course, it takes the crazy die-hard Canadian Football League fans of Saskatchewan to pull something like this off. Known as ‘Melonheads,’ there are varying stories about how the tradition started, but I’ll let this clip try to clarify things as much as possible.

In other parts of the world, you can find the intimidating ‘Raider Nation’ backing their Oakland NFL team, the ‘C of Red’ and ‘White Out’ supporting the NHL’s Flames and Winnipeg Jets respectively, and perhaps most hilariously, ‘The Hogettes’ in Washington, D.C. These dudes-dressed-as-ladies with pig noses all began when Joe Bugel, an offensive line coach with the Washington Redskins referred to his squad as hogs in the 1980’s. From that point on, Michael Torbert and company became a fixture at Redskins games and have also raised over $100 million for charities.

Hockey Toss

It seems hockey fans love throwing items onto the ice surface. One of the longest supporter traditions sees Detroit Red Wings fans toss an octopus onto the ice. It was started in 1952 when Pete and Jerry Cusimano (owners of a Detroit fish shop) hurled one onto the ice at the start of the team’s playoff run. The eight tentacles symbolized the eight wins needed to capture the Stanley Cup at that time.

In a similar tradition, Florida Panthers fans would toss rubber rats onto the ice, following a story about player Scott Mellanby killing one in the team’s dressing room before scoring two goals that night. Due to the delays it caused, the rat toss was soon banned. Sticking with the ice, there has also been a rubber bat toss started by Buffalo Sabres fans after forward Jim Lorentz knocked a bat out of the air with his hockey stick during the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals. Lastly, the hockey-wide tradition of throwing hats on the ice following three goals by the same player (a hat trick) must be mentioned.

Wave it Proud

My hometown Vancouver Canucks has, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest traditions in the sports world. The white towel waving began when coach Roger Neilson, frustrated with the lop-sided officiating in an early 1982 playoff game, took a white towel and put it at the end of a hockey stick, signifying that he and the team had given up and surrendered to the refs control. The team and fans united around this symbol and the underdog team fought their way to the Stanley Cup Finals. The ‘Towel Power’ tradition still exists to this day.

The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL have their own towel gimmick, known as Terrible Towels. The difference between the two teams is that the Steelers have actually had championship success with the help of their cloths.

Sing Me a Song

While my EPL team of choice is Manchester United, videos of the Liverpool FC faithful singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” together in unison is awe-inspiring stuff. On this side of the pond, the Seventh Inning Stretch, featuring “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” has to be the most recognized sports song on the entire continent. Perhaps most famously done by legendary voice of the Chicago Cubs, Harry Caray, but enjoyed at every baseball park around North America, even non-sports fans recognize the tune.

Chanting Up a Storm

Upon compiling my research, I realized a lot of these famous chants are New York-based. From Rangers fans screaming “Potvin Sucks,” decades after the Hall of Fame defenseman retired to Jets fans and their unmistakable “J-E-T-S” tradition, there’s a lot of bluster going around the Big Apple. The Yankees have an entire section of fans known as The Bleacher Creatures, who perform a roll call of the team’s line-up, demanding recognition from each player before going on to the next one.

The last chant that has to be mentioned comes from one of the most unlikely places: the golf course. It seems every time a player putts or even starts a hole with his or her drive, you have some guy(s) screaming “Get in the hole!” The funniest thing is that this rarely works, especially in the form of a hole-in-one, but I’ve seldom seen the feat accomplished on the green, as the golfer looks to finish up the hole. Perhaps it’s more of a jinx than anything else.

Miscellaneous Magic

At the 2010 World Cup of Soccer, fans around the world were introduced to the vuvuzela horn, which made watching the matches seem like you were living in a bee’s nest. Some loved the horns, while most couldn’t stand them. There were even folks that looked to ban the noisemaker, but come on, it was all in good fun and part of the unique party.

While the Lambeau Leap, performed by Green Bay Packers players after a touchdown is more of an athlete started tradition, it takes a sea of adoring fans to embrace the leaper and therefore they play a significant role in the tradition. Two more similar fan-based celebrations of note are the Tomahawk Chop of the Atlanta Braves and the Shark Chomp of the San Jose Sharks.

Drink #227: Wicked Watermelon (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

1.5 oz Parrot Bay Pineapple Rum
Blended Watermelon
Blended Ice
Garnish with Watermelon Ball

I should note that there were so many great options for this article, that I was forced to drop everything from college sport and focus on professional team traditions, just to narrow it down. Perhaps, I will do a follow-up post dealing specifically with the college and amateur side of things in the future.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
This drink is quite delicious and not too sweet, which is always a worry with frozen cocktails. It could probably use a little more alcohol, so you might want to up that proportion from 1.5 oz to at least 2, or use a heavier spirit… it does work well enough with the current measurement though and is quite the refreshing summer day drink!

August 14 – Death by Chocolate

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Culinary Scene Investigation

I think most people out there are lovers of food and a lot of pleasure can be gained through culinary delights. That said, that which sustains us can also kill (and I’m not even talking about the world of foodborne illness outbreaks, such as E. coli, salmonella or food poisoning). Here are some of the more interesting deaths by eats:

Chocolate Chaos

This has has to be one of the better ways to go, but it’s tragic nonetheless. Vincent Smith, Jr., an employee at the Lyons and Sons Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania fell into a vat of boiling chocolate and then met his end courtesy of one of the mixing propellers. Augustus Gloop would be so proud! Perhaps most ironic is that this incident led to the discovery that the chocolate company did not have proper licensing in place and was distributing its products illegally.

Fugu Follies

I like to consider myself immune to poison (don’t we all), but this guy took it a little too far, challenging the limitations of the human body. Acclaimed Kabuki (that’s Kabuki, not bukkake) actor Bandō Mitsugorō VIII perished in 1975 after demanding four fugu liver orders. He insisted that he was impervious to the pufferfish’s poison, but turns out, not so much. He died after seven hours of paralysis and convulsions. Fugu was featured in The Simpsons episode One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish.

Molasses Mania

The saying “slow as molasses” took a different turn during Boston’s 1919 Molasses Disaster (I’m surprised it hasn’t been made into a summer blockbuster movie yet). The usually slow-moving syrup killed 21 and injured 150 when a tank holding 2 million gallons of the substance exploded. The great ball of molasses death was estimated to have been travelling upwards of 35 miles per hour.

Hot Dogs for Haiti

Poor Noah Akers… the 12-year-old died after choking on a wiener during a hot dog eating competition that was supposed to benefit victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. This is precisely why I advise people not to do any charitable work. What’s even more bizarre is that the organizers, The Boys and Girls Club, chose to hold an eating competition to raise money for people that desperately needed food supplies.

Banquet Blunder

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden ate himself to death, following a feast that included caviar, smoked herring, lobster, kippers, sauerkraut, champagne, and 14 servings of dessert (and here I feel like a glutton after two small cookies!). I guess if you’re going to leave this world, you might as well have one hell of a last meal. His has a lasting legacy, which can’t be said for other monarchs.

Carrot Juice Conundrum

Basil Brown, one of those crazy health nuts, died in 1974, at the age of 48, after ingesting 10 gallons of carrot juice over a 10-day span. That doesn’t sound too bad (actually it sounds horrible) until you realize that’s 10,000 times the recommended daily dose of vitamin A. I’m not sure what point ol’ Basil was trying to make by downing so much carrot juice. Perhaps he was trying to find a decent carrot juice cocktail, with no luck.

Cola Killer

Natasha Harris, a 30-year-old mother of eight died of a heart attack in New Zealand in 2010. After dying at such a young age, an inquiry took place and it was discovered that Harris drank upwards of two gallons of soda each day (hopefully some was used for rum and cokes!), ingesting two pounds of sugar and 970 milligrams of caffeine. Without pop, Harris suffered withdrawal-like symptoms. She also ate poorly and smoked heavily, all of which contributed to her early demise.

Buggy Blues

Edward Archbold entered a bug eating contest in West Palm Beach, Florida, hoping to win the free python grand prize. Archbold won the competition after consuming a quantity of meal worms, horn worms, and roaches, before he began vomiting and collapsed. The 32-year-old died of “asphyxia due to choking and aspiration of gastric contents”. All the man wanted was a python… wait, why would anyone want a python!?

Water Boarding

In yet another contest gone wrong, Jennifer Strange died of water intoxication after drinking a hefty amount of the liquid, trying to win a Nintendo Wii video game console. The competition, held by a Sacramento, California radio station had volunteers drink the H20 and then try to not pee (Hold Your Wee for a Wii) for the longest amount of time. Strange’s family sued for wrongful death and were rewarded over $16 million in damages. Oddly, Strange was found to have not contributed to her own death, but then who drank all that water trying to win a Wii?

Drink #226: Death by Chocolate

1 oz Irish Crème
0.5 oz Crème de Cacao
0.5 oz Vodka (I used Absolut Raspberri)
1 Scoop of Chocolate Ice Cream (I used Wunderbar)
Blend with Ice
Garnish with Chocolate Syrup, Peanut Butter Cup Chunks, and Graham Cracker Crumbs

I personally would prefer to die in a potato chip-related asphyxiation incident. At least that way, I’d be going out with some style and while enjoying one of my favourite treats. How would you preferably spend your end of days?

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
I took the Death by Chocolate recipe and adapted it to suit the ingredients I had and wanted to use. I wanted to call it orgasm by chocolate, an homage to chocolate-obsessed women everywhere, but we went with this moniker instead.

August 13 – The Wave

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Chain Gang

Mrs. Sip and I are always looking to try new restaurants. We travel often enough that it’s always good to have some ideas of places to hit in locations we aren’t accustomed to. That said, here are some chains I want to visit for the first time:

Carl’s Jr.

Watching TV the other day, I saw a new commercial for Carl’s Jr. that featured the Epic Meal Time guys presenting the burger joint’s new offering: the Super Bacon Burger. While this sandwich would have previously been unobtainable to me, save for a jaunt down to the United States, a Carl’s Jr. just opened up in my neighbourhood.

She seems to like it!

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Chipotle is another chain that recently crossed the border and opened a location mere blocks from my home and work. Sadly, I have yet to visit, despite hearing good things. The restaurant’s food spiciness has been lampooned on South Park before, thanks to Cartman’s often disgusting eating habits.

Sonic Drive-In

I’ve enjoyed a number of commercials from this outlet and it would be totally nostalgic to visit one of these drive-in locations, complete with roller skating carhops. In recent years, the brand has also opened two Sonic Beach locations, which offer outdoor seating and serve beer and wine!

In-N-Out Burger

The draw of In-N-Out Burger is their “secret menu,” which features options like Animal Style Fries (fries with two slices of melted cheese, sauce, and grilled onions). The chain remains quite popular with customers because of this and other moves, such as paying employees well above the minimum wage in the areas they operate.

Chick-Fil-A

Despite the owner’s checkered history with public relations, I’ve heard great things about the food at Chick-Fil-A and would like to give it a shot. I love chicken burgers and any place that claims “We didn’t invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich,” deserves a chance to prove their mettle, in my books.

White Castle

If it was good enough for Harold and Kumar, then it’s good enough for me! It would be interesting to see how many of their famous sliders I could force down my gullet. I’m no competitive eater, but if these treats are as good as advertised, I’d love to take a crack at demolishing a stack of them.

Dave & Buster’s

This is like the adult version of Chuck E. Cheese’s combining video games, booze, food, and fun! If I was near any location, I would most certainly have my birthday there and redeem game tickets for penny candy, bouncy balls, and squirt guns! Come on, little sippers, let’s make this dream come true!!!

Drink #225: The Wave (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

1 oz Cherry Lemonade Vodka
1 oz Captain Morgan Bite Rum
0.5 oz Blue Curacao
Top with Club Soda or Lemon-Lime Soda
Blend with Ice
Garnish with Maraschino Cherries and a Cocktail Umbrella

Do you have any suggestions of chains I should try as Mrs. Sip and I travel the world? Obviously, you don’t know where we been and what we’ve tried, but if there’s a restaurant you treasure and you’d like to share that with us, feel free to throw it out there.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
This recipe was created by Mrs. Sip and Cousin Sip and used some very interesting spirit choices, creating a tasty blend. Depending on how sweet you want the cocktail, you can use either Club Soda or Lemon-Lime Soda as a mixer. For added presentation points, the girls added a light-up ice cube to the frozen concoction, giving it an alluring glow!

August 12 – Wildberry Daiquiri

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Missing Meals

Over the span of my life, I’ve seen restaurants come and go. Some I couldn’t care less for and others left a little mark on this boozehound’s soul. I’m prone to the odd moment of nostalgia. While some of these chains still exist, their locations that were closest to me have ceased operations, leaving me le sad. Here are the restaurants I miss:

Godfather’s Pizza

The pizza you can’t refuse! The Godfather’s outlet that was near our house growing up was filled with video games and played host to a number of wind-ups for sports teams I belonged to. It was perfect for parents. Stuff your child full of pizza and pop and let them run around and blow a stack of quarters on games. Surely, they slept well that night!

Bonanza Steakhouse

This will start an interesting trifecta of restaurants that just couldn’t catch on in the same location. I don’t remember too much about this joint because I was quite young, but I believe Ma and Pa Sip were fans because I was cognizant of its existence. The chain went through bankruptcy in 2008 (a somewhat common theme in the industry), but emerged and still has locations in the U.S. When Bonanza left my area and went back to the Ponderosa, in its place came…

Sizzler

As a fussy eater when I was young, I used to love salad bars, where I could just grab a few items here and there and not be bugged to struggle with food I didn’t much care for. I guess it’s kind of ironic that I liked salad and veggies as a young’un, while most kids hate the healthy stuff. In the interest of full disclosure, I was in it for the croutons and bread sticks! Sizzler left the area when I was still quite young, to be replaced by…

Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon

As a little sipper, I attended a number of birthday parties at the one Lone Star location that came to my neck of the woods. It was a novelty to go to a country-western themed eatery, with cow-folk servers and permission to throw your complimentary peanut shells on the floor. The chain didn’t last long enough for me to attend as a Sip Advisor. Interestingly, the Lone Star chain has no restaurants in the Lone Star State of Texas. I guess it just wouldn’t be unique there.

Izzy’s Buffet

This was the meal stop for many shopping trips across the border with family. It provided a nice mix of culinary options that could suit all the tastes and cravings of a large group. I remember their dessert table being specifically fantastic, with a self-serve ice cream sundae bar and other confectionary delights. The Bellingham, Washington Izzy’s location closed many years ago, replaced by a sex shop of all things

Rainforest Café

When the local Metrotown Mall underwent abundant upgrades many moons ago, one of their newest additions was the Rainforest Café, complete with animatronic jungle animals and an expansive aquarium. It didn’t last long, though, eventually being replaced by an Old Navy store. The only Rainforest Café’s I’m able to visit anymore are in Downtown Disneyland in Anaheim, California and at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, if I can get Mrs. Sip to tag along.

T.G.I. Friday’s

Mrs. Sip and I enjoyed an early date at T.G.I. Friday’s, but it may have been the one and only time we ever ate there together. Sadly, it was also before we could legally drink, so we never got to enjoy that element of the chain. Perhaps we’ll have to track down a location in the U.S. and give it another shot now that our tastes have evolved beyond chicken strips and fries orders.

Bennigan’s

The only thing I really know about this chain is that Butters on South Park absolutely adored it. I would love to try it myself, but the company went into bankruptcy in 2008 and closed a number of locations, as a result. 31 Bennigan’s restaurants in the U.S. and 44 abroad still remain, so I may get to try the Irish pub-themed joint eventually. I’ll do it for Butters!

Drink #224: Wildberry Daiquiri (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

1.5 oz White Rum (I used Bacardi)
Top with Wildberry Juice
Splash of Lime Juice
Blend with Ice
Garnish with Blueberries

Which restaurants do you wish still existed and why? I’m curious about this because nostalgia can often be a great thing, but sad in many ways, as well, as we think about all the things we once enjoyed that are no longer an option. Now I need to have a little cry!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
The berry taste comes through nicely at the end of each sip, but it’s a pretty tame cocktail overall. Perhaps the flavour can be jacked up a little more with alcohols and liqueurs that go with the mixer.

August 11 – Dirty Colada

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Come With Me and Escape

When thinking about this drink, one thing is sure to pop into every person’s mind: the Piña Colada Song. The one hit wonder (actually titled Escape, but long since known as the Piña Colada Song), by Rupert Holmes, features an anonymous personal ad that asks a number of interesting questions that I have decided I should answer. Let’s see if I would make a good match! (If you need a refresher of the song, the video is posted below and lyrics can be found here).

If You Like Piña Coladas

Yeah, they’re okay, but to be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of frozen drinks, in general. This week dedicated to them is really only done on my charitable time (others might call it community service) to give ideas to all my little sippers who want sweet and icy drinks as they enjoy the rest of their summer. After you’ve had a couple giant frozen drinks in Las Vegas, you just don’t feel like dealing with the brain freeze anymore.

And Getting Caught in the Rain

Um, no. While visions of getting caught in a tropical rain storm, clothing plastered to hot bodies, shearing steamy kisses is all very nice for those of us lucky to live somewhere like Hawaii, as a resident of “Raincity”, let me tell you how rain works. It’s cold, it’s wet, and I usually end up getting caught with no umbrella en route to or from work and getting drenched in clothes I have to wear all day. Welcome to reality.

If You’re Not Into Yoga

Okay, we definitely have a match here. I am not into yoga in the slightest. Granted, I’ve only done it once before, but all I wanted to do was crack jokes about the various poses, especially their names. I like to think of myself as a reasonably flexible guy, so I do have to give credit to yoga fanatics as some of those stretches were difficult (particularly in the balance realm), but if I’m going to have a true workout, it’s not going to be through stretching.

If You Have Half a Brain

Sorry, Rupert, you lost me again. The most I can give myself credit for having brain wise is a quarter to a third. If having half a brain is a prerequisite, then you will wind up disappointed. Don’t cry for me though. I’ve done this on purpose, so that when the zombie apocalypse arrives, I won’t be an attractive target and will be able to live out my days in peace and harmony as the owner and proprietor of a bar that caters to the undead.

If You’d Like Making Love at Midnight…In the Dunes of the Cape

I’m ready and raring to go at all hours of the day. Mrs. Sip hates me for that, but it is soooooo good to be hated. Unfortunately I’m right on board until the next line, in the dunes of the cape? Seriously? Remember, I’ve already written about places not to be amorous and my distaste for sand and beaches would certainly preclude this added condition.

So, in the end, I don’t think I’d reply to this personal ad. We really only match up on the anti-yoga thing and if the only way I’m going to get laid is by going to the beach at midnight… I’m sorry, I’m just not that into you. I do wish you all the best in your future endeavours, however.

Drink #223: Dirty Colada (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Rim glass with Pineapple Sugar
2 oz Rum (I used Krakan Black Spiced Rum)
Top with half Coconut Cream and half Pineapple Juice

The ironic thing about this song is that both the singer and ‘his lady’ are basically writing and responding to a personal ad, looking to cheat on and leave the other. Then when they get together and realize they had actually been writing and responding to each other, they laugh it off like nothing happened. No wonder this dude was a one hit wonder!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
In a pinch, you could use Piña Colada mix, instead of the juices or fresh fruit, but I like to bring my best to this site. Most Piña Coladas come out white in colour, but my use of Kraken Black Spiced Rum made this cocktail a little more dirty, hence the name. While I normally don’t like Pina Coladas, this was enjoyable. It must be said that the Pineapple Sugar Rim was a total pain in the ass to produce.

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Category Archives: Frozen Cocktails