September 17 – Bushwacker

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Blendz

Rum has greatly benefitted from the explosion of flavoured spirits, with perhaps vodka being the only alcohol that has enjoyed the expansion more. There are certainly some interesting rum-based selections out there. Here are some worth looking out for:

Cajun-Spiced Rum

Mrs. Sip picked this up for me while she was recently in New Orleans and today’s drink has inspired me to finally crack the bottle open and give it a shot. The Cajun Spiced Rum hails from the Old New Orleans Rum Distillery, which Mrs. Sip got to enjoy a tour of. We’ve all heard of spiced rums, but Cajun-spiced? Well, that’s a whole different story. If the spices do for my drink what they do for chicken, seafood, and other eats, then I think we’re in for some fun!

Captain Morgan: Tattoo/Bite

The Tattoo blend of blackberries, jalapenos, and black pepper is delicious and gets my endorsement for a cheaper but delicious rum. There are mixed reviews, but Mrs. Sip and I grabbed a bottle for our room in Las Vegas recently and made short work of the liquor. As for Bite, Ma and Pa Sip brought this back from one of their travels and put it out for a party shortly thereafter. It didn’t last very long once folks got a taste of the lime-infused spirit.

Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum

Recently, I picked up a bottle of Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum, which was quite delicious with its chocolate overtone. As a bonus, attached to the bottle was a sample size of Bacardi Dragonberry Rum (soon to be presented on The Sip Advisor). I can’t wait to try this spirit, which is said to be a mix of strawberry and dragon berry fruit. I’ll keep you little sippers updated!

Malibu Fresh/Red

I’m looking forward to trying both of these Malibu offerings. Fresh combines coconut rum with mint and I think this would be perfect for mojitos, while Red adds tequila to the coconut rum the company is best known for. I like how Malibu is working hard to try different flavours and I hope they continue to pursue this route in the future.

Ron Miel Honey Rum

As a fan of honey whiskey, I can only assume that honey rum would also fare well with my palate. That lingering sweetness that honey-flavoured alcohols offer is the perfect finish to a cocktail sip and works nicely to dull the sometimes harsher tones of the liquor (whiskey or rum) itself. The added essence also makes them fun to play with in the mixology world.

Whistling Andy Hibiscus-Coconut Rum

I’m not entirely sure who Whistling Andy is, but I like his gamble of putting hibiscus and coconut together. Mrs. Sip brought back with her some hibiscus leaves from Egypt a number of years back, which we used to make juice. Now I’m thinking we should use what’s still left of the shrubbery to blend our own infused rums! Things are about to get messy!

Anyone else notice the perfectly placed bikini butt in the background!

Redrum

This brand infuses the liquor with mango, pineapple, coconut, and berries, which must hit the tongue from a number of different directions. I’m very curious as to how it all comes together, so if anyone wants to send me a bottle for a through taste analysis, you know where to find me. Seriously, just because it’s murder spelled backwards doesn’t scare this hombre.

Sweet Georgia Belle

This product offers an interesting blend of peach and mango, as part of a rum liqueur. Perhaps it is meant to mimic the taste of a debutant, but that sounds like the company would be bordering on some serious legal implications. Let’s just assume they got wild and crazy and threw the two fruits together hoping for the best. I hope for that, too!

Drink #260: Bushwacker

1 oz Rum (I used Cajun Spiced)
0.75 oz Kahlua
0.75 oz Crème de Cacao
Top with half Coconut Cream and half Milk
Garnish with Coconut Shavings and Chocolate Sprinkles

What rum blends out there have you tried and thoroughly enjoyed or have come across and want to try, willing to give up your first born child to taste the beautiful elixir? Don’t worry, you’re far from alone!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
The Cajun Spiced Rum is quite tasty with a slight twist on the usual spiced rum concept. Between all the ingredients, you get hints of chocolate, coconut, coffee and spiced rum, all combining to make a very nice drink.

September 16 – Bahama Mama

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Rum Jams

Music and rum seem to be a match made in heaven. There are so many rum songs out there, particularly from Caribbean nations. Here are some good tracks I was able to dig up:

Rum and Coca-Cola – The Andrews Sisters

I love this tune. It will be played repeatedly when I’m on a rum bender… and that happens with awesome regularity. I’m shocked I had never heard this song before. With Ma and Pa’s passion for rum and cokes, combined with their love for tropical settings and everything that goes along with it, I don’t know why it’s never been played in their backyard on any of our glorious swimming days or at any of their family parties. Perhaps I have now been able to pass something along to them for future celebrations.

Dead Man’s Chest – Various

The rum playlist goes two for two with this pirate shanty. Playing this song will have you and your mates swinging your arms and your mugs of libations around and having a great time of it all. You might even start some swashbuckling adventures thanks to the theme. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! This song originally comes from the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and has been featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise. Yar!

Bundaberg Rum – Bill Scott

Bundaberg Rum has a reputation of being consumed by loud and troublemaking folk. You know, the kinds of jerks at the bar you don’t want to be around. In Australia, they’re referred to as yobbos, which is a great term. Four bars in Brisbane banned the rum in 2005 because of the disruptive nature it caused for some. Apparently, this is exactly what the Bundaberg company wanted, as its ads were geared towards the yobbos. As for the song, it’s alright, but not as good as the other two.

Little Drummer Boy – Various

Rum pum pum pum… I guess this doesn’t really belong. Let’s get drunk!

Drink #259: Bahama Mama

1 oz Dark Rum (I used Captain Morgan)
0.25 oz Coconut Rum
0.25 oz Kahlua
Top with Pineapple Juice
Splash of Lemon Juice
Garnish with a Maraschino Cherry and Cocktail Umbrella

What’s your favourite rum anthem? Make sure it’s loaded up the next time you crack a bottle of Bundaberg Rum and go on a rampage!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I really enjoyed this drink, despite its use of many ingredients I find to be hit or miss. This time, items like Pineapple and Lemon Juice were indeed hits. There are other Bahama Mama recipes out there, but I completely recommend the one I settled on.

September 3 – Unicorn

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Animal Crackers

Recently, a big deal in social media was made over Scotland’s national animal (to be revealed very shortly). That got me thinking about the rest of the world and which creatures have had the honour of proudly and respectfully representing a country. No nation will be off limits, as I am definitely going to skewer my home country. Here are some of the best selections:

Unicorn – Scotland

For some reason, a mythological animal for Scotland actually makes sense given they’re a mythological country! I’m just messin’ with ya Scots. Don’t forget, we here in Canada still have strong ties to the U.K. despite our distance from the motherland. The unicorn was actually a symbol of the Scottish royal family. The more you know *rainbow swipe*!

Beaver – Canada

Speaking of my part of the world, we chose an animal which just begs for other citizens to make double entendres about how much we love it! Bring on the jokes, we can take them! The beaver is a very industrious animal, building their dams for shelter. They are also good recyclers, using trees that nobody needs anymore. Stupid oxygen-enabling trees!

Lion – Belgium/Bulgaria/Luxembourg/Netherlands/U.K.

Are there even lions in most of these countries (that aren’t caged in a zoo)? Did they just choose a bad ass animal to look cool among the international community, not realizing how many other countries also claimed the feline? A place like Ethiopia or Kenya having the lion as their national animal makes sense…since, you know, lions actually live there.

King Cobra – India

This is an intimidating choice, warning us all that the Indian population can be subdued with hypnotic music, but at the same time are deadly predators that can strike in an instant and cause accelerated death. If that’s really the case though, why does it take me so long to get a live person when I call for customer service?

See, cobras can be cute and cuddly!

Gallic Rooster – France

It kind of makes sense that France would relate themselves to a bunch of cocks, am I right!? I’m sure most French people are actually quite nice, but Parisians take the cake on being dicks. We once had a cab driver who refused to acknowledge our request to go to the Eiffel Tower until we flipped it and said “Tour Eiffel”… Va te faire foutre!!

Persian Cat – Iran

While most would view the Iranians with some fear and hostility, how can you do that when they picked a freakin’ fluffy cat as one of their national animals! Ma and Pa Sip have a Persian-ish cat at home and she’s a darling…unless you try to move her off the bed. Not very friendly to her fellow felines either now that I come to think about…

Dolphin – Greece

Of course the Greeks would pick the most sexual of creatures when selecting their national animal. They did, after all, invent a great deal of the carnal moves and positions in existence, rivaling the Indians and their Karma Sutra. Apparently, dolphins also play a role in Greek mythology, as helpers of mankind. Aquaman must be jealous!

Dodo – Mauritius

Good job Mauritius (wherever the hell you are) for picking an animal that has long been extinct. Perhaps your fate will be much the same. Seems like you’re asking for a rough future with your choice in animal worship.

Bull – Spain

Nothing like killing your national animal for the entertainment of screaming, blood-thirsty fans! What’s that, you also show it respect by tying up its testicles before you taunt, tease, assault, and slaughter the beast? Hmmm, you Spanish have a funny way of showing affection. At least the bull sometimes gets revenge with a thunderous gore!

Bulldog – U.K.

Scotland’s pick of the unicorn doesn’t look so bad anymore. At least it’s a majestic creature. Meanwhile, England picked one of the foulest mutts in the dog world. With a face only an owner could love and enough drool to flood an apartment, the bulldog seems an unlikely choice for people who a nation of prim and proper tea drinkers.

Drink #246: Unicorn

1 oz Irish Crème
0.5 oz Brandy
0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Vodka
Splash of Cointreau
Dash of Melon Liqueur
Top with Milk
Garnish with a Pink Marshmallow

What do you think of some of these national animals? Is there a country you wish I had targeted with my adept lampooning? I can take the heat, just as much as I can give it out! By the way, here’s a quiz on the subject of national animals (I hope you were taking notes)… enjoy!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I really enjoyed the Melon Liqueur finish. It went really well with the rest of the recipe, highlighted by the Irish Crème. Garnishing the cocktail with a Pink Marshmallow seemed like the perfect addition for a Unicorn-themed drink.

September 2 – Coffee and Donuts

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Dirty Jobs

As we celebrate Labour Day and the average worker out there, I’m just happy to have the day off and not be anywhere near the realm of work (though living it up at the Bellagio in Vegas sure helps). That said, my job ain’t all that bad. On the flipside, here are some vocations that take some special people to get done:

Waste Collector

Affectionately known as a garbage man (or sanitation engineer if you’re being all PC about it), I have the utmost respect for these hardworking folk, Cousin Sip being one of them. I even tagged along with him on a couple occasions while in high school. The job is extremely physical and not without its dangers. Still, it is pretty cool to be riding on the back of one of these behemoth machines and throwing different smash-able items into the compactor.

Fast-Food Server

While I think it is prudent for every person out there to work one crappy job in their lifetime (mine was as a grocery store deli clerk for four years), so they respect every other position they have in the future, I thankfully never had to work at a fast food joint. The minimal pay and sometimes abusive working conditions just don’t seem worth it, but it can provide employees with a great skill set to use in their future.

Gas Station Attendant

Ah, where Mrs. Sip earned her crappy job cred, making minimum wage and having to deal with people trying to buy smokes without I.D. and people raging at the gas prices. Not to mention the ever-present threat of theft and armed robbery. Most stations now make you pay before you pump to cut down on gas and dash incidents. There have been some that ended tragically with usually young employees trying to stop an occurrence and being killed by the vehicle over a god damn fill-up.

Farmer

Most people would more than hesitate as soon as they heard they had to get up so early in the morning and spend their day dealing with backbreaking labour and uncooperative animals/machinery. These dedicated folk provide us with much of the food we need, including fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and meat. For that (and their daughters!), we thank them.

Construction Worker

This can include everything to do with construction, whether that’s building, well, buildings, road work, house repair, and everything else that could fall under that umbrella. Pa Sip was an iron worker for most of my childhood until his back just couldn’t do it anymore. And he’s far from alone as most leave the profession with wrecked bodies. Here’s hoping they have nice beds and couches to retreat to!

Parking Enforcement Officer

The abuse these poor folks take from people who always claim that their meter just expired or they didn’t see various signs or other warnings is totally out of proportion compared to what they get paid. Even people who aren’t being ticketed (and perhaps have never received a citation) target the noble parking violation officer with name calling and dirty looks.

Flight Attendant

We’ve all seen jerks on fligths… now imagine you had to deal with them longer than calling them dirty names under your breath. That is the life of a flight attendant. While I love travelling, I hate travel days, so I would deplore being in a constant cycle of being on the road and never getting to a destination you can enjoy. I salute you, servers of tiny liquor bottles and not enough ice!

Miner

How horrible would it be to live most of your life in the dark? Then add on top of that the danger of cave-ins, explosions, and other risks. Being a miner is also one of the dirtiest jobs out there, deep inside a dark dank cave, covered in filth. That stuff probably never completely washes out and you have to find a spouse that doesn’t mind getting a little dirty with you… but isn’t that what we’re all searching for!?

Drink #245: Coffee and Donuts

1.5 oz Glazed Donut Liqueur
1 oz Kahlua
Top with Milk
Garnish with a TimBit

What a perfect drink to celebrate the working Joe’s out there. What jobs do you think are the worst in existence? What is the most horrible job you ever had? Happy Labour Day, everyone!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
This is a wonderful dessert drink. I quickly falling in love with my Glazed Donut Liqueur, even if I think cocktail ideas using it will be limited. The recipe calls for a Maraschino cherry garnish, but I said eff that and went for a donut hole (TimBit) instead. I’m classy like that!

July 24 – California Root Beer

Posted on July 24, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Brewski Tours

I love going on brewery tours, but as far as I’m concerned, the tour portion of the stopover are all largely the same. Once you’ve seen one vat of fermenting hops, you’ve seen them all. Therefore, I will largely base my brewery experience on the intangibles (tastings, other exhibits, etc.) of our visits. Without further ado then, here are some of my favourite breweries that I’ve been able to get to:

Heineken – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dubbed ‘The Heineken Experience’, this brewery tour is so much more than a quick walk through the brewing and bottling plant. They have everything from a station you can record a video at and send to your family and friends, to instruments made out of Heineken supplies, and, of course, a bar with multiple tastings to enjoy. We even made friends with an Aussie traveling on his own, enjoyed some brews together, and ended up all going to dinner at the nearby Hard Rock Café.

Whistler – Whistler, Canada

I liked the Whistler micro-brewery set up. Once the tour was done, you had all the company’s beer to choose from in a bar like setting, complete with board games, good food, and good company. My only note of advice is that the place is a little outside of Whistler Village, so you’ll either need a designated driver to get your crew there or luck out and have your hotel offer a shuttle to and from the outlet.

Holsten – Hamburg, Germany

What could be more fun than a brewery tour? How about one in a language you don’t understand! Ma Sip knows some German, so she was able to fill in any blanks, if necessary, but we were largely there to see, not hear… and eventually taste. When we were trying to book the tour, we were told that only groups were allowed. Ma Sip replied that we were a ‘group of four’ and our visit was on! I’ll always fondly remember the beer and pretzels we were given in the tasting portion of the attraction.

Granville Island – Vancouver, Canada

One of my favourite local micro-breweries, it’s always fun popping into the Granville Island Brewery, which has a great little area for taste tests, a stocked gift shop, and their tour isn’t too bad either… because it’s relatively short! They know people are mostly there for the samples. Granville Island itself is a funky little place to explore. It’s kind of the artsy area of Vancouver with improve shows, good restaurants, and watersports options.

Guinness – Dublin, Ireland

This one haunts me a little because we never actually got inside the palace of stout (Guinness PR people, you can thank me for that one later with a lifetime supply of suds). Our group took transit to the brewery on Friday and even got a picture outside one of the gates. When we were told the wait was two hours to get inside – it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend after all – we elected to save our visit for Monday, as we had to check-in to our hostel shortly. Due to unforeseen god-awful, weather, we had to leave Ireland very early that Monday morning and the Guinness Brewery was not to be enjoyed.

Steam Whistle – Toronto, Canada

I did the tour when Ma and Pa Sip visited me while living in ‘The Big Smoke’ and returned later for free beers (sans tour) with Mrs. Sip, prior to a Toronto Blue Jays game. When you’d enter, you’d get a couple tickets for free beer samples and the generous pours were enough to have you walking wobbly by the time you left the facility, en route to the game for really expensive and lacking-in-quality drinks.

Alexander Keith’s – Halifax, Canada

No visit to Halifax, Nova Scotia would be complete without a stop at the Alexander Keith’s Brewery. Here, you are guided through the history of the beer by period-dressed guides, learning about their trademark brewing practices. Finally, you come to the really good part: beer samples and games to play while boozing. Ma and Pa Sip aren’t fans of suds, so Mrs. Sip and I were the lucky recipients of bonus brews and we left the place with a good buzz and a couple “liberated” Keith’s mugs!

Carlsberg – Copenhagen, Denmark

Our most recent brewery visit was a lot of fun, despite being exhausted from travel and sleepless night. That’s what’s awesome about your fabled Sip Advisor, he knows when to man up for the sake of liquor. The Carlsberg Brewery has a stable of Jutland horses, had a neat exhibit on bottles of beer from around the world, and tons of history on the Carlsberg legacy and brewing techniques.

Drink #205: California Root Beer

1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Galliano
Top with half Cola and half Beer (I used GIB Lager)
Garnish with Lemon Wedge

Later this summer, Mrs. Sip, myself and members of the Sip Alliance have a tour booked that will stop at a handful of local breweries that we’re all looking very forward to visiting. I better make my post early that day because by the time I get back home, I’ll probably be too blasted to work a computer!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4.5 Sips out of 5):
This beer cocktail is simply delicious. You get hints of Galliano and Kahlua to go along with the Cola and Beer flavours. I heavily adapted this recipe to suit my needs and I’m glad I did so!

July 15 – Lay Back and Relax

Posted on July 15, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Panic Attack

We’ve all been there… these incidents come up in our lives and although they are relatively routine, our anxiety level rises, we begin to perspire, and all the crazy worst-case scenarios we can ponder rush through our mind. Then, when it’s all over we let out a light chuckle and wonder why we got so worried in the first place…

Gas Light Comes On

You’ve been watching your gas meter for most of the drive, noticing it incrementally drop as you make your trek. You get your first moment of panic as it drops under the 1/8th notch and continues to fall sharply. Then, the little orange light flashes on and you’re a mess, thinking your car will break down right then and there. Until you find a gas station, especially if you’re in unfamiliar territory, you’re a nervous wreck. When you find a station you race into it, nearly hitting a pedestrian or two (don’t worry, they don’t matter) and you fill your car up like breathing oxygen into a breathless human. All’s well that ends well!

Meeting a Celebrity

Not that I’ve met many in my life, but the few I have (in a non-working, journalistic capacity) have caused me to get super shy and tongue-tied. Broski Sip and I once went to a nearby Walmart to meet wrestler Bret Hart and have him sign his autobiography, which was to be my Christmas gift that year from Broski. As we approached his table, all I could utter was a quick thank you, before we shuffled off. A few months later, I conducted a 15-minute interview over the phone with the grappling legend, without a single star-struck moment.

Splitting the Bill/Calculating Tips

You’re out with friends for dinner or drinks and the bill comes. How should it be split? Who ordered what? How’s everyone paying? I think it’s just all the questions that come up after a bill has been presented that can raise anxiety. I don’t know why tipping gets me a little nervous. I’m a good tipper and many places now give you suggested percentages to tip. If you’re paying electronically, you can let science do all the calculations. We all just need to relax a little.

Getting ID’d

I’ve been legal age in Canada for more than a decade and even in the U.S., for quite some time. I don’t get as apprehensive about it anymore, but when I was in my mid-20’s I got worried every time I was ID’d. Would they accuse me of having fake identification? Not likely. I still get worried sometimes across the border, because they don’t necessarily know what our IDs look like and we have had some incidents where they insist on a passport over our normally adequate driver’s licenses.

Parallel Parking

I absolutely hate parallel parking to the point where I refuse to do it. This can be an issue sometimes, given I live in a downtown core and am often forced to run errands for Mrs. Sip (hmmm, maybe my problem is Mrs. Sip!?) I’m actually a decent parallel parker if I have to do it, but I’ve rarely been forced into the situation, so why risk it when you can usually find a better and more accessible spot with a little patience?

Border Crossing

This one is very similar to getting ID’d. I think it’s just because you don’t know what to expect from a border guard. Will they be friendly, or a total jerk? What questions will they ask you? Even if you haven’t done anything wrong in your entire life, you feel like a border patrol agent will somehow sniff out your one minor transgression. Then, all they ask you is where you’re going and wave you through without incident!

Getting a Haircut

Every time I get a haircut, there’s always a few moments at the start of the job, when you look in the mirror and look so totally ridiculous that thoughts start running through your head about how your luck has finally run out and this will be an awful haircut. I always think, if all else fails I could shave my head (a little ace in the hole for the male sex). Of course, the haircut always turns out well in the end, but for those few moments when you can’t see that the end result will be fine, you’re sweating bullets.

Drink #196: Lay Back and Relax

1 oz Kahlua
1 oz Amaretto
0.5 oz Chambord
Splash of Grand Marnier
Top with Milk
Garnish with Strawberry and Palm Tree Stir Stick

I know I’m not the only one that has a small panic during these moments. Join me in exercising your demons and perhaps you won’t feel so bad about these tasks in the future. Have I missed anything that really makes you anxious? Like Frasier Crane, I’m listening!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I figured this drink would be good and I wasn’t disappointed. It might be a little sweet for some, but that can be solved by dropping the increments of some of the spirits and upping the milk content. A perfect cocktail for dessert.

June 29 – Seven Deadly Sins

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Sin-tillating

The Seven Deadly Sins have always fascinated me. I have one problem with them though. Looking back, I know I’ve broken each and every one of them and I’m still kicking ass. Here’s how I’ve broken all the rules (and lived to tell about it)!

Lust

Have you seen Mrs. Sip? How could you NOT lust over this gorgeous creature? Perhaps I haven’t been busted for this sin because my advances are often rebuffed. It kind of makes sense. She can’t just give it away for free… or so I’ve been told. Similarly, sometimes I pass by a mirror and catch a glimpse of myself. Unlike Narcissus, I’m able to pull myself away from this godly image for happy hours!

Greed

If I wasn’t so lazy, I’d have more time to be greedy. That said, I do find great pleasure in my possessions, notably my prized muddler, cocktail shaker and jigger. Some of my favoruite characters are the type who have everything and would be hard to buy gifts for, including Scrooge McDuck, Iron Man, and the Million Dollar Man, Ted DiBiase.

Envy

I get jealous every time I walk into a bar and see their liquor collection. While my cabinet is nothing short of amazing, I would love to have all the different flavours at my disposal that most lounges have. I’ll get there one day, but it seems every time I add a couple bottles, I run out of other spirits. It’s a constant vicious circle which I plan to eventually conquer.

Gluttony

I am prone to the occasional feast, usually centered on chips and cookies as main courses! Then, in reverse order, we follow up with starters of pulled pork, hot dogs, burgers, and a menagerie of side dishes. Dessert still finishes the meal and is comprised of a complete ice cream sundae bar, with a million toppings, like crushed chocolate bars, cookie bits, syrups and, of course, sprinkles!

Sloth

Let’s look at my daily schedule: wake up, watch TV, drink, take a nap, drink some more, order food to be delivered, watch more TV, go to bed. Yup, seems like I can check off this sin, as well. It gets a little sad when you end up making an indentation in your favourite couch spot. This is as close to marking your territory as a human should get though, so we should all let it slide.

Wrath

Hell hath no fury like the Sip Advisor scorned… in general, I’m like the Ned Flanders of the liquor world, letting folks walk all over me. But just like when ol’ Neddy finally hit his breaking point and snapped in epic proportions, I’ve been known to spontaneously combust and when that occurs, look out. Richter scale readings have been registered when I boil over and go boom.

Pride

I can be a very boastful person… you have to be when you’re a blog entrepreneur. I have no problem annoying Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets with my posts and advertising this wonderful site that has brought so much pleasure to me and perhaps even to one or two others. If you have a problem with this, I’d like to see you stop me!

Drink #180: Seven Deadly Sins

0.25 oz Southern Comfort
0.25 oz Bailey’s Irish Crème
0.25 oz Sambuca
0.25 oz Blue Curacao
0.25 oz Kahlua
0.25 oz Grenadine

As it says in my mixology app, the seventh sin is drinking the shot… well, consider that done!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
Layer the ingredients in order from the bottom to the top. I thought this shot tasted really good, with a slight burn, but nothing too extreme. The layering of spirits worked out reasonably well, although some of the colours blended together, like the Kahlua and Blue Curacao. You can’t win ’em all!

June 8 – B-52

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Numerically Yours

We discover our favourite numbers through a variety of sources. They can be religious in meaning, the numbers of your sports’ idols, a special date, or they could have absolutely no back story whatsoever… you just like the damn digits. Here are some of my favourite numerals:

Lucky #7 has always been my preferred jersey number. It dates back to my favourite hockey player when I was really young, Cliff Ronning. I was a small little guy growing up and Ronning was a bit of an inspiration for me giving his stature in the size-dominated sports world. I even attended Ronning’s hockey school a couple years in a row, which was an early highlight in this amazing life I lead.

I don’t fear this number at all, as I had my best young hockey season (point wise) wearing jersey #13. I’ve always found it interesting that hotels and cruise ships, among other enterprises, don’t have a “13th” floor. Doesn’t that just make floor 14 bad luck? Now you’re spreading the poison and before you know it, all numbers will be infected with evil.

When I joined a beer league hockey team one year, available numbers were scarce. I decided to take #21, hoping that eventually I’d earn an internationally recognized nickname: Blackjack. While that stardom never happened, I did put up decent numbers for the team and given it was a beer league, the ale and lager were regularly flowing, which is what the game is all about!

What red-blooded male doesn’t have a fondness when these digits come together in perfect harmony and symmetry? While not many athletes have sported the filthy little number on their jersey, it should be noted that minor league hockey enforcer Mel ‘The Mangler’ Angelstad donned the #69 while suiting up for the Washington Capitals in two career NHL outings. He recorded two penalty minutes in those games.

666

The devil’s number… it might be a scary sign to some, but I think the darkside should be embraced. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those Satanists or something, I just believe that without bad, we wouldn’t know what good was. Damn, I just had this weird flashback to the Philosophy of Religion course I took many moons ago. I need something to wash that taste out of my mouth.

2012

Not only was this supposed to be the year of the Mayan-predicted “end of time”, but it was also the year I got married to Mrs. Sip… which I thought would surely bring about the apocalypse. I was pretty sure as we exchanged our vows and said our “I dos” that I could hear the faint galloping of the four horsemen… that would have made for some pretty epic wedding photos, am I right!?

6679

The above number looks totally random and while it is, it does hold special meaning for both Mrs. Sip and me. While I can’t divulge why it’s an important number for us, I’m sure that some smart hacker type out there will probably figure it out and ruin our lives. I say bring it on and we will destroy you!

Drink #159: B-52

0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Bailey’s Irish Crème
0.5 oz Grand Marnier

This post has been brought to you by the numbers 19, 22, 25, and 30… if anybody out there in Sip Nation can crack code as to what these numbers mean, drop me a line. We’re talking Da Vinci Code shizzle here!

Sip Advisor’s Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
I thoroughly enjoyed this shot and am now inspired to try other members of the B-[insert number here] family. The Grand Marnier adds a nice orange taste to the Kahlua and Bailey’s, which often team up together for positive results. Layering these ingredients wasn’t nearly as difficult as other shots and cocktails that require the same technique.

May 23 – Orange Tundra

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Vodka Not-To-Playlist

I was looking forward to doing my monthly playlist based on the alcohol of the week, but that enthusiasm was quickly dashed when I could only dig up a few vodka-related songs. Worse yet, I have an inkling that all these tunes will suck harder than a black hole. Shall we have a listen together, for the first ever, in the long history of music, Not-To-Playlist?

VODKA by Korpilklaani

This Euro metal band also has songs about tequila and beer. I can’t understand a word they’re saying and I think that’s only partly because they’re not speaking English. Well, I do understand one word and that would be “vodka”, which they repeat often. The tune isn’t too bad, all things considered and the accordion addition is an interesting touch. Clearly these guy like to drink and I’m down with that.

The Vodka Song by Seamus Moore

I guess you’d call this a folk song!? I have no clue. Again, the song is okay, but I almost long for the days of songs in languages I couldn’t understand… like the one above. Also, why is an Irish dude singing about vodka. Shouldn’t he be concentrating on the Irish traditions of whiskey and stout beer?

Black Vodka by Ja Rule

Oh good, this is the “album version“… I guess that means that it’s better??? If this is a better version of the song, I hope they destroyed all the copies of any other takes of the track. Wow, this tune goes on for five whole minutes. That’s five whole minutes I’ll never get back. Eh, I probably would have wasted the time anyway watching infomercials or opening junk mail.

Drink #143: Orange Tundra

1.5 oz Vodka (I used Bols)
0.5 oz Kahlua
Top with half Cream Soda and half Orange Juice
Garnish with Orange Wedge

A key note for this cocktail is to not stir any of the ingredients, which results in the awesome look you see above. If anyone out there in Sip Nation can find a GOOD vodka song I wasn’t able to, please pass it along so that future generations will have something to jam to while getting their vodka blitz on!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
This drink was a pleasure to the taste buds and eyes. The Orange Tundra features the coming together of a bunch of different flavours – Kahlua, Cream Soda, Orange Juice – that tastes good and looks great. There was a party in my mouth and everyone was invited!

April 12 – Black Magic

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Magically Delicious

Love them or hate them, illusionists exist… unless their existence is, in fact, an illusion itself. Whoa… mind blown… better get on with the post before they make what’s left of my mind disappear, too! So tip your glass to some of the best real and fictional tricksters!

Harry Houdini

Any list about magicians realistically starts and ends with Harry Houdini. I remember as a kid being fascinated by Houdini, who I read about in a library book. For those that know the ol’ Sip Advisor well, the fact I was reading at all is a modern day miracle. Greatest illusion: The Milk Can Escape – where Houdini would be handcuffed and sealed inside a milk can filled with water. Failure, surely meant death.

His assistants look uber evil!

David Copperfield

The Las Vegas legend is one of the most famous and successful illusionists of all time. His greatest illusion should really be his engagement to Claudia Schiffer (lucky bastard), but I digress! Greatest illusion: Vanishing Statue of Liberty – Thankfully, Copperfield wasn’t considered a terrorist for making this national landmark disappear.

Burt Wonderstone & Anton Marvelton

After years of going through the motions of their act, Burt Wonderstone and Anton Marvelton reunite in a bid to outdo endurance artist and street magician Steve Gray. With the help of the legendary Rance Holloway, they show that Gray’s style of pain “magic” will never overtake their efforts in the classical trickery department. Greatest illusion: Disappearing Audience – in unusual Sip Advisor form, I won’t spoil the details of this illusion.

Penn & Teller

Turning to a real life amazing duo, Penn and Teller’s mix of magic, mayhem and comedy is perfect for all fans of the art. After seeing them live in Las Vegas, where Mrs. Sip became a part of the act, I can totally vouch for them as top rate performers. They’re always changing up and perfecting their show, so you never know what you might see. Greatest illusion: Bullet Catch – I wonder if Teller ever gets to shoot at Penn!?

G.O.B. Bluth

The hapless magician from Arrested Development is searching for his father’s love and respect… and thinks a career as an illusionist will help him accomplish it. G.O.B.’s act (or lack thereof, since he was kicked out of the Magician’s Alliance for divulging the secret to one of his tricks… oh sorry “illusion”) is a lot of smoke and mirrors, but he can be credited with bringing back the Europe hit “Final Countdown”! Greatest Illusion: Disappearing Yacht – okay, so he actually just blew the thing up for insurance money, but the crowd still roared its approval!

David Blaine

An illusionist of the street magician and endurance stunt variety, I’ve always found David Blaine creepy. He just seems too “power of zen” for my liking. Still, the guy has done some crazy stuff. Greatest illusion: Vertigo – the guy stood atop a massive pillar in high winds and cold temperatures for 35 hours straight… I couldn’t even be lazy that long and Mrs. Sip would tell you I’m pretty good at that.

Criss Angel

Ever been mind freaked!? I can’t say that it’s a position I’ve ever tried, but apparently it made this dude popular. Greatest illusion: Walking on Water – for a guy who often purports to be Jesus-like, he might as well give this a shot. Quite frankly I would be more impressed if he could turn that water into wine!

Drink #102: Black Magic

1.5 oz Vodka (I used Absolut Raspberry)
1 oz Kahlua
Splash of Lemon Juice
Garnish with Lemon Twist

This drink is a member of the Black Russian family and was quite enjoyable. Its greatest illusion was giving me a sense of inebriation… that, and super powers.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
I love the Lemon Twist garnish I used for this cocktail. This drink reminded me of the Brave Bull recipe I did earlier this year and both tasted good. The Raspberry Vodka added a nice twist to the concoction and worked well with the Kahlua.

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