Category Archives: Mixer Mania

Mixer Mania #3 – It Does a Body Good

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Got milk? The slogan became a pop culture phenomenon in the late 90s and early 2000s, thanks to the line of ‘milk mustache’ ads, featuring a who’s who list of celebrities during the time. Here’s a look at some of the best posters from the campaign (or at least the ones I felt like lampooning):

Kermit the Frog

Why a Muppet would need milk, I’ll never figure out… aren’t they more energy drink folk? Kermit does look quite dapper in this ad, which also included the tagline: “Milk isn’t just for tadpoles.”

got-milk-kermit

Austin Powers

Capitalizing on the popularity of Mike Myers’ secret agent character, the ad featured the spectacled one lounging on a couch, decked out in a silk blue robe (likely post-shag) with hairy chest that simply can’t be contained. Oh yeah, and martini glass of milk in hand wraps things up.

Steven Tyler

Typically the only white substance under the Aerosmith frontman’s nose is cocaine (aka booger sugar). Tyler’s mouth is iconic, while the caption “Make your bones rock hard” could certainly be misconstrued.

Garfield

The ad featured everyone’s favourite wisecracking cat with plate of lasagna. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my pasta with a nice glass of wine.

got-milk-garfield

Lindsay Lohan

I find it ironic that Lohan’s poster featured the tagline “The height of fame,” especially given the fall from grace her career and life would suffer in the years that followed.

Alex Trebek

The Jeopardy quiz master has one of the most iconic mustaches to ever exist – with or without milk. Add in the caption “Your bones may be in jeopardy” and that is one clever, if not intimidating ad.

Mixer Mania #3: The Sombrero

The Sombrero.JPG

  • 1.5 oz Kahlua Chili Chocolate
  • Top with Milk
  • Garnish with a Chocolate

Mrs. Sip actually collected these posters and magazine ads for a time and had her bedroom adorned with them. It was fun to have them in one place and see all the stars who had participated in the campaign.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I prefer to use recipes that are a little more complex than this, but it provided the perfect opportunity to open my new Kahlua Chili Chocolate bottle. That liqueur packs a punch and I’m happy to say it comes as advertised. I wish I had thicker milk for this cocktail, but Skim is what Mrs. Sip prefers and it worked decently here, helping to cool the spicy Kahlua.

Mixer Mania #2 – Orange Crush

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As the Sip Advisor recently watched Rambo (aka First Blood Part II) the other day, I began thinking of other fictional Vietnam War veterans. Taking advantage of today’s feature mixer being orange juice and the involvement of Agent Orange in that war, here are some of the greatest fictional Vietnam vets:

John Rambo

Speaking of the former special forces soldier, Rambo was captured by North Vietnamese forces and held and tortured in a POW camp for months before escaping. The horrors of the war scarred Rambo and his return home didn’t go any better, given all the anti-war sentiment across the U.S. The second Rambo movie sees the character return to Vietnam to rescue some American prisoners of war and when things don’t go as planned, Rambo goes on a rampage until the mission is accomplished.

rambo-fly-in-room

Thomas Magnum

Flanked by his buddies and fellow veterans Rick and T.C. (both marines), Magnum fought in Vietnam as a Navy SEAL. After the war, Magnum gets hooked up with a pretty sweet gig, watching the Hawaiian home of wealthy friend/author Robin Masters. While situated there, Magnum takes a up a career as a private investigator, which placed him in a number of hairy situations (I intentionally use the word ‘hairy’ for all the shots we got of a shirtless Magnum, as he patrolled the beaches and waters of Hawaii).

Principal Skinner

Back when he was a punk teen, known as Armin Tamzarian, the future principal of Springfield Elementary was shipped off to Vietnam to fight as a Green Beret. There, he met Sgt. Seymour Skinner, who turned the angry orphan around. When the real Skinner was apparently killed in action, Tamzarian returned to Springfield to deliver the news to Skinner’s mother… only he couldn’t break her heart and ended up spending the rest of his life taking his mentor’s identity.

principal-skinner-no-future

The A-Team

Consisting of Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, Lt. Templeton “Face” Peck, Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, and muscle Sgt. B.A. “Bad Attitude” Baracus, this special forces team is court-martialed for a crime they are falsely accused of committing and are forced to escape military prison. On the run, they become mercenaries, travelling the world, helping those they meet along the way. The show was turned into a feature film in 2010 and a rebooted TV series is in development.

Forrest Gump

A fair portion of Forrest Gump’s story plays out in the jungles of Vietnam, where Gump meets fellow recruit Benjamin Buford “Bubba” Blue and Lt. Dan Taylor, both of whom have a profound impact on his life. Gump and Lt. Dan eventually team up and enter the shrimping game, in honour of Bubba, who never made it home from the war. Their success eventually leads to both men being financially set for life, thanks to Lt. Dan investing in Apple, a small, but rising company at the time.

Mixer Mania #2: Blood and Sand

blood-and-sand

  • 0.75 oz Blended Scotch
  • 0.75 oz Sweet Vermouth
  • 0.75 oz Cherry Liqueur
  • Top with Orange Juice
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

Honourable mentions go to Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver), Angus MacGyver (MacGyver), Martin Riggs (Lethal Weapon), Tommy Vercetti (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City) and even Saved by the Bell’s Mr. Belding.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4.25 Sips out of 5):
I thought I had created this classic cocktail some time ago, but a quick search revealed it was still on my liquor bucket list. I only wish I had made it earlier, as it’s a pretty good drink. I liked how there was some strength to the alcohol content, but not an overwhelming amount.

Mixer Mania #1 – The Good Doctor

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One of my favourite pops – or sodas for the American audience – is Dr. Pepper. With that in mind, today, we look at those folks out there who are better known as doctors, despite having never earned a doctorate.

Doc Holliday

Although he left his career as a dentist for the wild, wild west, the nickname stuck and John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday became a legend. Holliday is most famous for his role in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, where he joined with lawman Wyatt Earp and company to battle a group of outlaws in Tombstone, Arizona.

doc-holliday-wyatt-earp

Dr. Death

Professional wrestling is full of great nicknames and one of the best went to Steve Williams. The name came from William’s high school wrestling days, when he was forced to wrestle in a hockey goalie mask and his coach dubbed him with the moniker. Sadly, Williams died in 2009, following a battle with throat cancer.

Dr. J

Also known by his real name, Julius Erving, the Basketball Hall of Fame member was known for being a trailblazer in the art of slam dunks. The Doctor was a nickname given to Erving by a high school friend who he called The Professor. Other names, such as ‘The Claw’ and ‘Black Moses’ just didn’t stick as well as Dr. J.

julius-erving-doctor

Dr. Seuss

Born Theodor Geisel, he used the pen name Dr. Seuss, dating back to his college days. Among his most popular titles are How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who!, and The Lorax, all of which have been adapted into films. Seuss won a special Pulitzer Prize in 1984 for his life’s work.

Dr. Dre

The rap icon, with hits like California Love, Still D.R.E., and Forgot About Dre to his credit, cut his first name, Andre, in half and added the Dr. portion at the front. Today, Dre is still kicking it, with his popular ‘Beats by Dr. Dre’ headphones. His son has followed in his footsteps, adopting the rap nickname Hood Surgeon.

Mixer Mania #1: The Mud Pie

the-mud-pie

  • 1.5 oz Root Beer Schnapps
  • 1 oz Dark Rum
  • 3 oz Hot Chocolate Mix
  • Top with Dr. Pepper
  • Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry

That wraps up the first Mixer Mania. Join us every Monday for 2017, as we delve into the mayhem of 52 different drink mixers. Should be a lot of fun!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
I was really curious to see how hot chocolate mix would pair with a fizzy drink. While the taste was good, mixing the hot chocolate powder and Dr. Pepper created a volcano effect that was hard to turn around and the only way to drink the cocktail was through a straw. Perhaps pre-mixing the hot chocolate, prior to adding the other ingredients would work better, but this looked cool.