August 24 – Warm Fuzzies

Posted on August 24, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Warmth Spreading

There are those certain times in your day which bring the greatest of pleasurable feelings, as a sea of warmth spreads over your body and a sensation of true bliss brings a smile to your face. I call this time sex… na, just kidding. You don’t have to be in the throes of passion to feel all warm and fuzzy. Here are my favourite things that bring about the heat for me:

Waking Up with Time before Your Alarm

I prefer to wake up naturally and hate using an alarm clock. Of course, if you want to avoid consistent unemployment, an alarm clock really comes in handy. It has to be one of the greatest feelings in the world when you wake up, check the time and your alarm isn’t set to go off for a while… the longer the better. Even if all you have left is 10 minutes and you may not be able to get back to dream world, it’s nice to know your blankets and bed will keep you comfortable for just a little longer.

The Smell of Barbecue

I don’t really care what type of meat is on the barbie, so long as it’s filling the atmosphere with its sweet meaty smells. The only time this sucks is when you’re extremely hungry and the scent of cooking food is driving you to a non-desirable mental state. It makes you want to hunt down the barbecue, trespass on property, steal said meat, and break another couple criminal codes, as you also pilfer the place’s liquor collection and side dishes.

Kitties Purring

Cats sometimes seem so nonchalant, as if they don’t have a care in the world. So, when one snuggles up to you for a little rest and begins purring their little head off, then you know you have an unbreakable connection. My little buddy, Furious B, even rewards our family with hunted rodents and birds. That’s just his way of saying: “Thanks for the lap, the nap, the blanket, and the kibble!”

Giving Presents

I love giving gifts to my closest friends and family. I put a lot of time and effort into figuring out the right present and then tracking that item down. Sometimes it can be frustrating, especially since I don’t like shopping and all too often I can’t find what I’m looking for easily, but the reaction you get when that present is finally delivered and opened makes the whole process totally worth it!

Making Drinks

I’m really in my element when I’m mixing drinks for friends and family. I love when I can bring some small amount of enjoyment to them with a delicious cocktail. Receiving rave reviews isn’t rare and even if they’re just being nice, I’ll take it! I like being the one that plays bartender and makes the drinks everyone is talking about. It’s nice to be the center of drinking attention and also gets this introvert out of the all-out party assault when he needs a little breather.

Shared Nostalgia

I love that time in the evening of a drink-a-thon when everyone starts thinking about the awesome things from their childhood or teenage years. Mrs. Sip and I will discuss at length the lessons we learned from Saved by the Bell or how Cousin Sip had such a crush of Kit Cloudkicker from Tail Spin (sorry to out you there, but you probably weren’t alone!). I can remember (fuzzy memories still count) countless hours spent reminiscing about favourite candies, toys, shows, movies, etc. and it really doesn’t get much better to share that with the ones you love!

Drink #236: Warm Fuzzies (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

0.5 oz Sand Berry Liqueur (I used Gutshof Sanddorn Likor)
1 oz Cloudberry Liqueur
Garnish with an Orange Wedge

What are your favourite warm fuzzy moments? If you simply agree with my list and how awesome I am, that will continue the warm fuzzy vibe we got going on here… don’t screw it up!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
This delicious shot earned its name thanks to the warm fuzzy feeling it gave my entire body as it worked its way down my throat and into my stomach, providing the same feeling soon after to my head .I created this recipe on a whim when Mrs. Sip suggested we do a shot before going for a walk… she’s such a clever lady! Unfortunately, the liqours were purchased in Germany and Estonia so I realize this shot may be a bit more difficult to re-create if you are on the wrong side of the pond.

August 23 – Mosquito Bite

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Summertime Blues

Today, I’m going to go against typecast and play the role of Debbie Downer. Summer is an awesome time, but like most things in life, it isn’t perfect. Here are the things that sadly suck about the summer season:

Mosquito Bites

I came up with this list after awaking to some awful itches that are driving me insane as I type this article. The worst thing about mosquitos is that you know they’re around, buzzing by your ear and hunting you down. Sadly, they are good at what they do and if you’re not careful, you’ll wind up bitten to pieces. Poor Mrs. Sip is a mozzie magnet which is usually how I walk away unscathed.

Dehydration

I believe I was the victim of dehydration a couple weeks back, which is a little odd because I work diligently to keep myself and others hydrated with not only booze, but water, as well. I guess I just wasn’t on my game that day and a little too much time poolside was giving me flu-like feelings. A half-dozen glasses of cold water and I was feeling myself again… the club can’t handle me, yo!

Intolerable Night Heat

Nothing is more frustrating than trying to sleep during the heights of summer heat. I myself, like to be covered by a blanket when snoozing, but in the summer, I constantly have to throw my legs on top of our comforter or completely toss the covering off. Many sleepless nights are spent trying to acclimatize to the heat and get comfortable. Mrs. Sip encroaching on my side of the bed with her furnace-like temperature doesn’t help matters.

Sun Burns

Speaking of Mrs. Sip, she’s currently nursing a pretty nasty burn thanks to a little too much time in the sun. There is an upside to all this though, because guess who works some pretty decent magic with a bottle of Aloe Vera… that’s right, the Sip Advisor! You have to be diligent with healing a sun burn, so as not to enter the peeling stage, which is beyond gross.

Forest Fires

While a sun burn is like a forest fire for a person’s body, these incidents are capable of leaving a scorched earth that takes years to recover. That’s not even factoring the loss of homes, wildlife, and in the most tragic cases, human life. We’ve had a pretty dry summer in these here parts, but I haven’t heard too much about forest fire issues. Perhaps the cigarette butt-tossing folk have finally learned their lesson.

Drink #235: Mosquito Bite (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

1 oz Vodka (I used Smirnoff)
1 oz Fireball Whiskey
Top with Milk
Garnish with Cinnamon Powder and Stir

Upon making this list, one quickly realizes that these minor inconveniences of summer are totally worth it for such an amazing period of the year. I hope everyone out there enjoys what is left of their summertime fun!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (2.5 Sips out of 5):
This cocktail was a bit of a miss. It just didn’t come together as expected, but it wasn’t horrible either. I was disappointed not to find a drink called Mosquito Bite, but a couple simply called Mosquito… I refused to have any of that and changed the name to the way I liked it (renegade style!). The bites of Cinnamon are like the stings of a mosquito and the white Milky flesh provides a perfect canvas for the little buggers to do their damage, dotting the work with Cinnamon Powder.

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 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.

July 12 – Chocolate Milk Mojito

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Back In My Day…

As it is with every generational gap, there are a number of things my children will never get to experience and when I sit them down and tell them about my numerous adventures and quests, they will be forced to ask (as they are gripped by the power of my tales), “Daddy, what’s that?” I will shed a brief tear as I detail a treasure we’ve all lost and an experience point they will never gain (or even need). Love it or hate it, this is the way of our world.

Going to the Video Store

I wasn’t a big video store patron growing up, but we always joke that Mrs. Sip’s dad largely funded his local store with his renting activities, in all likelihood, keeping them in business a couple months more than they had any right to be. I do have to say that there was always a thrill when you’d be taken out to rent a flick. What would you grab for your evening entertainment? What would be available? Would your favourite flick be waiting on the shelf or would it be heartbreakingly gone? And just think of the snacks that flowed as you snuggle up and enjoy your movie. It’s a party…until you have to rush the Video/DVD back by noon the next day or risk the late fines!

Tapes, CDs, DVDs

Every generation loses an item that was previously used to record music or pictures. Growing up, I saw the phasing out of records, tapes, and video cassettes. My kids will likely come into a world where there are absolutely no products to be purchased in order to enjoy entertainment. Everything is becoming downloadable and streamable. Services like iTunes and Netflix are rendering stores like Best Buy, HMV, and Future Shop useless and the evolution continues.

Chalkboards and Overhead Projectors

This one may all be for the better. White boards are infinitely superior to gross, dusty chalkboards, while PowerPoint presentations surely top annoying, impractical overhead projectors. I dreaded being picked in school to either write on the chalkboard or projector, knowing my writing style would result in smudged chalk or pen. Things are just so much more sterilized these days and I bet even if chalkboards were still the norm, half the kids in the school wouldn’t be able to use them due to the discovery of chalk allergy. Might as well wrap them up in bubbles…

Trans-Fats

With this overwhelming move to healthier lifestyles in recent years (which I am in favour of), we’re losing a lot of wonderful junk food items. We must remember that snacks are okay in moderation. It’s a person’s own choice how much restraint they actually enact. Just because some fatty wants to stuff a few more Oreos in their gullet shouldn’t affect my ability to have a Tollhouse Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich with all its glorious trans-fats still in place. Sadly, my children won’t get to experience such an occasional treat as this.

Walking to School

It seems kids get driven everywhere nowadays. Or if, in the rare case, they actually walk to school, they are accompanied by a parent from door-to-door. Gone are the days when your group of children would gather in a cul-de-sac and traverse the mean streets together. I believe that eventually legs will become redundant and humans will turn into a race of non-walkers. It’s already happening at the world’s biggest theme parks and will be coming to a town near you soon!

Pennies and Paper Money

Penny for your thoughts? Ha, not anymore. Pennies are being eradicated from the earth and finding lose change on the street (a childhood thrill) will soon be a figment of the past with more and more folks from my generation refusing to carry anything but plastic. My kids will also never have to worry about washing their clothes with money in their pocket, thanks to Canada’s new polymer bills. While this is good in that I won’t have to worry about their allowance being destroyed, it won’t teach them to keep track of their belongings and value their gifts.

Drink #193: Chocolate Milk Mojito (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Muddled Mint Leaves and Limes
1.5 oz White Rum (I used Bacardi)
0.5 oz Peppermint Schnapps
Top with Chocolate Milk
Garnish with Chocolate Straw and Lime Wedge

I think for one week every year, we should force our children to live the way we did, giving them a chance to reflect on how good they have it – and also how awesome our lives have been. We could call it: A Blast from the Past, and while our kids beg us to return to normalcy, we shall refuse, for we are having too much fun!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (2 Sips out of 5):
This had potential, but I might have misfired in some areas. I would remove the Lime and Peppermint Schnapps from future servings, as the Mint Liqueur is unnecessary and the Lime doesn’t play nice with the Chocolate Milk. Failure is not having the courage to try!

July 6 – Bert and Ernie

Posted on July 6, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

All Grown Up

No matter my age, I will always love cartoons. Of course, there is a large selection of animated comedies for an adult audience (The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, Archer, among them), but there is also a special cross section of shows meant for children that have subtle adult themes and so can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Here are some of the best:

Fillmore

This is a very clever show that spoofs the 1980’s crime shows and movies like Miami Vice and the Lethal Weapon franchise. Instead of episodes involving drug trafficking, the case may be about tartar sauce smuggling, while stolen cars are replaced by scooter theft. Unfortunately, Fillmore’s crime solving only lasted a couple seasons and now the creator does work for The Walking Dead. Yeah, kids show to zombie apocalypse drama… that seems like a totally obvious creative jump!

Recess

I watched a lot of Recess during my college years, as it had a nice timeslot around the time I was back home from classes and prepping for the odd nap. The series provided a great reminder of years gone by and the fun enjoyed during elementary school, running around with your buddies and getting up to trouble during recess and lunch breaks. I still get up to trouble on my work lunches, but without any recess, the number of sticky situations I’m involved in has drastically dropped.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I vowed to never watch any TMNT revival show. I mean, how could it ever compare to the legendary original while I was growing up? As Mrs. Sip and I lazily got ready for a day in Las Vegas (aka as Mrs. Sip refused to get out of bed until her hangover subsided), we stumbled upon a Saturday morning cartoon block and ended up half watching an episode of the newest relaunch series. It actually had a few laughs and earned a second episode opportunity (that or we were being really, um…slothful), which was also enjoyable.

SpongeBob SquarePants

I’ve only seen a few episodes of this surreal series, but I can see why both kids and adults could appreciate SpongeBob SquarePants together, at significantly different levels. I don’t even think you have to be stoned (if you’re an adult, of course) to enjoy many of the themes and jokes each episode contains.

Looney Tunes

I have always been a fan of Looney Tunes, since I was a little sipper all the way up to being a Sip Advisor. With all the delicious and gratuitous cartoon violence, it’s hard to fathom that these shows have a target audience of young children. The same can be said for Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and any other series that involves the Looney Tunes franchise characters.

The Muppet Show

Puppets are pretty great and The Muppet Show has provided some of my favourite fabricated-Americans. While Kermit the Frog and the gang lure in the younger audience with slapstick comedy and heartfelt songs, there is also some real zingers flying about, especially when the likes of Statler and Waldorf get their screen time.

Sesame Street

Similar to The Muppet Show, I think the adult appeal with Sesame Street, is all about the characters. Characters we’ve all grown up watching and enjoying. I mean, you have the Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch getting laughs with their love of cookies and trash, respectively, and you also have a Big Bird and a Snuffleupagus, whatever the hell that is. Plus Bert and Ernie’s questionable relationship is groundbreaking. Speaking of the duo…

Drink #187: Bert and Ernie (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

0.5 oz Jagermeister
0.5 oz Creme de Banane
0.5 oz Orange Soda
Pair with a Rubber Ducky

There have been many search attempts for a Bert and Ernie shot, which have led people to this site. Since that drink doesn’t seem to exist in the liquor world, I decided to create one, so these wonderful people won’t go home unhappy any longer!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
For months I searched for a rubber ducky for this shot and on the day I finally found and bought one, I found one at Ma and Pa Sip’s place. The Creme de Banane is the first thing you smell and taste and probably the most predominant flavour, until the Jager almost seemingly hidden under the surface, hits you and gives the shot that little something extra.

April 10 – Milestone

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

A Toast to Us!

This is a big one; we’ve hit the 100^th drink in Sip Advisor history. To celebrate this momentous occasion, I hereby introduce to you the first ever Sip Advisor awards!

Everyone is decked out in his and her best attire, the bubbly is flowing (literally!) and the paparazzo is snapping a ton of pictures… I think they just caught one of my infamous crotch shots. I smell another tabloid settlement! Let’s get on with the award ceremony:

Best Site Searches

It’s so funny seeing the various avenues people take to find this epic site. Some of the most bizarre crossovers seem to bring visitors here and I’m not sure whether I should be flattered or fearful. Nope, I know the answer to that… definitely fearful!

Nominees: babs bunny buster bunny bugs bunny toon sex; how do i get a blow job at new york new york las vegas; sexy frauline lederhosen photo; can get blood clots from getting a purple nurple; babysitteres gone bad; all dogs go to heaven porn

Winner: how do I get a blow job at new york new york las vegas – I knew the Vegas Blowjob shot would get us in trouble! I only hope this lad found his answer… I’m personally still searching!

Best Garnish

In my opinion, garnishing a drink is what completes any recipe. It is only a good drink until you give it some companionship in the form of a wedge, chunk, slice, rim or other non-denominational comrade. As you will see by the nominees below, this award is rim dominated (how kinky!).

Nominees: Crushed Froot Loops, Raspberry Jam, Crème Egg/Sprinkles

Winner: Crème Egg/Sprinkles (used on Crème Egg) – this rim is so fun to lick off the glass afterwards… probably better than the drink itself!

Behind-the-Scenes Biggest Mistake

I’m not perfect (although the ladies beg to differ) and some things don’t go according to plan while I’m at the office trying to come up with wicked cocktails for you, my little sippers. Sure, the end product looks fantastic, but along the way, there has been a couple misses, en route to cocktail glory.

Nominees: Pineapple Juice gone bad, Key Lime Pie recipe missing Galliano, Flatliner foul-ups (I had to make and drink three!)

Winner: Key Lime Pie – Galliano isn’t an ingredient in any of the traditional recipes, but I chose to add it for a special flavour… then I forgot to add it entirely when I first made the drink!

Most Difficult Drink

Not every drink we’ve made for Sip Nation has been easy-peasy. Some have, in fact, been quite difficult and taken a couple attempts to master. Others have been a pain in the butt because of how messy the results were.

Nominees: Groundhog’s Shadow, Pretty Vegas, Flatliner

Winner: Groundhog’s Shadow – it took numerous versions to get one that looked even remotely like a groundhog and we suffered numerous defeats (layers that did not layer, groundhogs that did not stay in the ground or were too hard to see) before we found one that looked somewhat like what we were going for and tasted decent.

Best Photo

This award might as well be presented to Mrs. Sip, who has taken a majority of the pictures that have been nominated. Cheap plug: all you little sippers should check out our Gallery page to see all the good work done by our art department.

Nominees: Cosmopolitan, Breakfast of Champions, Crème Egg

Winner: Cosmopolitan – I’m still not sure how this photo came together, but it’s pretty wicked and my personal favourite!

Top Shot

One of my favourite features of the 365-day drink challenge has been Super Saturday Shot Day. It’s been fun switching things up every weekend and putting together a usually delicious shooter to throw back.

Nominees: On the Cusp, Tootsie Roll, Windshield Wiper Fluid

Winner: On the Cusp – like I could pick anything else when this was the shot I, THE Sip Advisor, created for Mrs. Sip’s birthday! (and after all, I don’t want to end up sleeping on the couch!)

Best Drink

This is the big one of the night. Another category that was very hard to narrow down, but using a complex algorithm (just spelling that word seems like it needs its own complex algorithm), I’ve whittled down the choices. In actuality, I went on the basis that these were drinks I quickly made doubles of because I enjoyed them so much.

Nominees: Limestone Breeze, PAMA-Jama, Blue Razz Buzz

Winner: Pama-Jama – all good candidates, but this is a drink I now crave often! Disagree? Let me know!

Drink #100: Milestone (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

0.5 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
0.5 oz Cointreau
Dash of Lemon Juice
Top with Champagne
Garnish with Berries on a Spear

So, there you have it, the first Sip Advisor awards. I’d like to thank the viewers who have visited the site from 72 countries around the world. We will do this again at drink #200, so join us for all the fun and mayhem the next 100 drinks will surely hold!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3.5 Sips out of 5):
This original recipe was pretty good. I enjoyed using PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur again even with the addition of champagne (not one of my favourite alcohols), the overall product was worthy of a milestone post.

February 23 – Berry Delight

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Rim Jobs

One of my favourite ways to complete the aesthetics of a cocktail is to give it a good rimming. Apparently the network isn’t too happy with me terming it that way… don’t really understand why. And, actually, I shouldn’t say it’s how I complete the drink, as it’s usually the starting point… let’s call it a thorough round of foreplay. Oh, now I see the issue!

I like to use anything that will stick to a glass, no holds barred style. With today’s cocktail, I used strawberry pop rocks. In the past, I’ve used anything from salt (perfect for margaritas) to coconut shavings to cinnamon sugar. And over the rest of this blog’s run, I will continue to experiment with other substances: cocaine, cereal, gravel, etc.

For those who are inexperienced rimmers (we can’t all be experts at the rimming arts), there are a few techniques that will help you put together the best looking cocktail. Here are some tips:

First, coat the rim of your glass with something sticky that will hold whatever you want to stick to it. You can use lemon or lime juice or different syrups (simple syrup in particular is handy).

Most rimming sets have you dunk your glass upside down into whatever liquid you’ve chosen to use and then into whatever rim you want to achieve.

Some people will only rim the outside of a glass, so as not to disturb the drink inside. You can accomplish this by dipping you glass at a 45-degree angle into the liquid, spinning so only the outside of the glass is coated. Then do the same with the rim ingredient. For this, you might want to use small plates, rather than a rimming set.

Note: Those are not the Sip Advisor’s hands… mine are sexier!

Make sure that your rimming material isn’t so heavy that it will not hold. I’ve had issues with rock salt and crushed candy cane bits before. The lighter the item, the more likely it will adhere to the rim coating.

Once the rim is complete, you can use a moist paper towel to clean up the edges and remove anything that has fallen into the glass, if you want a clean cut look. Be careful adding any garnish to the glass, so as not to disturb your work of art.

If serving to friends, you could choose to only rim half the glass in case guests don’t want to taste the rim contents with each sip. Otherwise, they can man (or woman) up, take the first sip with the rim and drink every subsequent sip in the same spot… wussies.

Now let’s feel the snap, crackle and pop of today’s rimming. Satisfaction ALWAYS guaranteed.

Drink #54: Berry Delight (A Sip Advisor Original Recipe)

Rim glass with Strawberry Pop Rocks
1 oz Raspberry Vodka
0.5 oz Cranberry Ginger Ale

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
This was a relatively plain shot, so I took it upon myself to add the Pop Rock rim, which was fun to eat even after the liquor was already down the hatch.

Sip Advisor

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Tag Archives: original recipe