Georgia – Scarlett O’Hara/Rhett Butler

Posted on March 10, 2020 by Daniel Wilson

Each week, the Sip Advisor will alphabetically travel the United States, discovering the best each state has to offer in a variety of subjects. Today, we find ourselves in Georgia, not to be confused with the European country, which cause many-a-problem while researching this article. Let’s delve into the Peach State to see just how sweet it is:

Motto: “Wisdom, justice, and moderation” – I’m okay with those first two ideals, but I’ve never been one for moderation!

Food: Vidalia Onions are Georgia’s State Vegetable, grown in Vidalia. Uncharacteristically sweet, the onions may work well in Brunswick Stew, which both Georgia and Virginia have made claims to having created.

Drink: Coca-Cola, arguably the world’s most popular soda, was born and bred in Georgia. Originating as Pemberton’s French Wine Coca nerve tonic, in 1885, the beverage was de-alcoholised the following year and renamed Coca-Cola. Today, the Coca-Cola Company is based in Atlanta, where you can also find the World of Coca-Cola attraction (more on that below).

Coca Cola

Site to See: Georgia has seven natural wonders for visitors to choose from, including Amicalola Falls, Okefenokee Swamp, Providence Canyon, Radium Springs, Stone Mountain, Tallulah Gorge, and Warm Springs. Stone Mountain is the state’s most popular attraction, featuring a carving on the mountain of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

Street: Peachtree Street in Atlanta is used for annual parades, for holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas, as well as for special event parades, including the 100^th anniversary of Coca-Cola and the 1995 Wold Series celebration for the Atlanta Braves. This main route should not be confused with the 71 other streets in Atlanta with Peachtree in its name. Frank Sinatra and John Mayer have sung about the street, while Elton John owns a home on it, inspiring his album Peachtree Road.

TV Show: As I write this, an episode of Matlock is playing in the background, so you know I’m a fan. Grandpa Simpson’s favourite show ran for nine seasons and 193 episodes of legal drama. Starring Andy Griffith as the titular southern lawyer, many believe the character was based on real-life litigator, Bobby Lee Cook, called the “dean of Georgia criminal defense attorneys”.

Movie: Gone with the Wind, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, is a historical romance epic, set on a Georgia plantation during the American Civil War. Based on the book by Margaret Mitchell, the 1939 film set records for Oscar nominations and wins, taking eight of the 13 trophies it was up for.

Matlock

Book/Author: The Color Purple by Alice Walker, documents the lives of African-American women in the southern U.S. during the 1930’s. Taking place largely in Georgia, the book won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction. It was adapted into a 1985 movie and nominated for 11 Oscars.

Fictional Character: A number of characters from The Walking Dead universe are from Georgia. This includes Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon, leaders of the group of survivors the graphic comic and TV show follows.

Fictional City: Hazzard County from The Dukes of Hazzard is where the Duke boys and cousin Daisy have their many run-ins with Boss Hogg and Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane, while trying to keep their moonshine business running.

Actor/Actress: ‘America’s Sweetheart’, Julia Roberts, was born in Smyrna. The star of films such as Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding and Erin Brockovich – for which she won a Best Actress Oscar in 2000 – continues to be busy with roles. Roberts has been named People magazine’s most beautiful woman a record five times.

Dukes of Hazzard

Song: There are a number of great songs which reference the state, including Georgia on My Mind (with versions by Ray Charles and James Brown), The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band, Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight & the Pips and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence.

Band/Musician: Georgia has a long history of music, home to legendary artists like Ray Charles, James Brown, Little Richard, Gladys Knight and others. The next wave of stars includes Kanye West, Usher, T.I., Ludacris, and Lil Jon.

People: Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, later becoming the leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. He is best remembered for his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered at the Lincoln Memorial, prior to the 1963 March on Washington. Sadly, King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, dying at the age of 39.

Animal: Noah’s Ark Sanctuary in Locust Grove was home to not one famous animal, but three. Dubbed the BLT trio – for bear Baloo, lion Leo and tiger Shere Khan – the animals were rescued from an Atlanta drug kingpin’s home and happily lived together for years at Noah’s Ark. Sadly, Baloo is the last remaining of the threesome.

BLT Trio

Invention: Sure, the invention of anesthesia has helped countless people, but so has Girl Scout Cookies. The U.S. does things so much better than Canada in this regard, with many more flavours available. These include Tagalongs, Samoas and Do-Si-Dos, among others.

Crime: Hosting the 1996 Olympics was a boon for Atlanta, but it turned tragic due to a pipe bomb explosion at Centennial Olympic Park. Two people died (one from the blast, another from a heart attack) and 111 were injured, but it could have been so much worse, had it not been for security guard Richard Jewell, who evacuated the area. Jewell became a suspect afterwards, but the attack was perpetrated by Eric Rudolph. Jewell’s hero-to-villain story was the subject of the 2019 film Richard Jewell.

Law: In Georgia, it is illegal to live on a boat for more than 30 days in one calendar year. What about a van down by the river?

Sports Team: Atlanta has been home to teams from all Big 4 leagues, although both the Flames and Thrashers (NHL) were relocated to other cities. The Braves (MLB), Falcons (NFL) and Hawks (NBA) remain. Also, the PGA Masters Tournament is hosted annually at Augusta National Golf Club.

Girl Scout Cookies

Athlete: Amongst other sports stars, I have to choose Jackie Robinson, who broke the colour barrier in baseball, for this category. Robinson was born in Cairo, growing up in Pasadena, California. He battled through racism for years as he pursued his baseball career, opening the door for so many athletes to come after him. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his jersey number (#42) league-wide. The 2013 movie 42 was based on Robinson’s life and accomplishments.

Famous Home: Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home is one of many sites that comprise the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, in Atlanta. Other attractions include the Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both King Sr. and King Jr. were pastors and King Jr. was baptized, and the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

Urban Legend: The deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history occurred at the Winecoff Hotel, in Atlanta, on December 7, 1946. 119 people died, including some who jumped from higher floors, trying to escape the flames and smoke. The Ellis Hotel now sits on the site, with employees reporting ghost sightings and fire alarms going off at 2:48 am, the time the blaze started.

Museum: The World of Coca-Cola is part history museum, with exhibits on the soda’s secret formula and polar bear mascot, and part entertainment attraction, offering visitors the opportunity to taste over 100 different Coca-Cola products from around the world.

Jackie Robinson

Firsts: Georgia definitely helped with the Women’s Rights Movement, being the first state to allow women full property rights, as well as establishing the first college in the world to award women degrees at Wesleyan College, in Macon.

Company: Ted Turner’s extensive media empire, including channels like CNN, TBS, TNT and Turner Classic Movies, is headquartered in Atlanta. Turner also dabbled in the sports world, formerly owning both the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Hawks, as well as World Championship Wrestling.

Events: Georgia was a hub of Civil War activity, highlighted by the 1864 Battle of Atlanta, which resulted in much of the city being burned to the ground, as Union troops hoped to cut off Confederate access to supplies. Atlanta suffered another major fire in 1917, destroying a large chunk of the capital.

Miscellaneous: The Varsity, in Atlanta, is the world’s largest drive-in fast food restaurant. The eatery, established in 1928, takes up two city blocks and offers seating for 800-plus patrons inside, with space for 600 cars outside. The Varsity even has their own lingo for menu ordering.

Scarlett O’Hara

Scarlett O'Hara

2 oz Southern Comfort
Top with Cranberry Juice
Splash of Lime Juice
Garnish with a Lime Wedge

Rhett Butler

2 oz Southern Comfort
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Splash of Lime Juice
Splash of Lemon Juice
Garnish with a Lemon Twist

This is the Sip Advisor’s first double drink of this project, as I had to include the cocktails made in honour of both of the main characters from Gone with the Wind. Apparently, the Scarlett O’Hara made Southern Comfort popular, subbing in for vodka in a recipe similar to a Cosmopolitan. The Rhett Butler is a little stiffer, just like the character. Both were enjoyable beverages.

Mexico – Sea of Cortez

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Daniel Wilson

Lucha Libre Lunacy

Wrestling and especially masked wrestlers are a huge hit in Mexico… perhaps more so than anywhere else in the world. The mask adds a dash of mystery to each character and also provides them a colourful outfit and persona. The fast-paced, high-flying in-ring style of the luchadores is mesmerizing for fans and has been captivating spectators for close to a century. Let’s take a look at some of the personalities and history of the genre:

Mask Manufacturing

Don Antonio Martinez is credited with creating some of the earliest lucha libre masks, moving to the face veneers from a successful leather boot business. As the story goes, Martinez employed a set of 17 facial measurements (a trade secret to this day) to help make the masks feel snug for the grapplers using them. Some of Mexico’s greatest wrestling stars would go on to wear a Martinez mask, taking the sport to unimaginable heights.

The Saint

It takes some dedication to wear your wrestling mask at all times, inside and outside the ring. El Santo became one of Mexico’s cultural icons, appearing in countless movies, comic books, and other media. He only revealed his face to the world late in his life. Appearing on a talk show more than a year after his final match (at the age of 65, no less!), without warning El Santo removed his mask. One week later, the star passed away after suffering a heart attack. The grappler was buried donning his trademark silver disguise. His funeral was one of the biggest in Mexico’s history.

Legendary Lineage

Another hugely popular lucha libre fixture was Mil Mascaras. Hell, the guy even appeared on three different Mexican stamps. Mascaras competed all around the world and is considered one of the most influential wrestlers of all-time. A ban on masked wrestlers appearing at Madison Square Gardens was even lifted specifically so Mascaras could work for the then World Wrestling Federation. His legend lives on today through his nephew and current WWE superstar Alberto Del Rio. While Mascaras has never been unmasked during his lengthy career, Del Rio wrestles sans cover.

Dancing with the Demon

Blue Demon rounds out lucha libres first “Big Three” group of stars (also including El Santo and Mil Mascaras). Much like his fellow “Big Three” alums, Demon starred in numerous feature films, even leading a group of masked wrestlers on the big screen. Together they were dubbed The Champions of Justice and gave other legendary super groups such as the Justice League and Avengers a run for their money. Okay, I made that part up, but they were definitely more proficient when it came to cartwheels and somersaults!

I guess the “big three” were kind of like the Rat Pack… yup, Frank, Dean and Sammy were replaced by El Santo, Mil Mascaras and Blue Demon!

For Sale

I nearly every market around Mexico, a traveler can find wrestling masks of varying quality to be purchased. The disguises include replicas for some of the biggest stars of Mexico, as well as those for competitors who have gained popularity abroad. You can even pick up the odd comic superhero façade, such as Spider-Man and Captain America.

Something to Lose

It is humiliating for a wrestler to be unmasked and therefore one of the most exciting and highly-anticipated contests in Mexico is the Mask Match (aka Luchas de Apuestas, which translates to “gambling fights”), where the loser has to reveal their face to the viewing audience. If the masked wrestler’s opponent doesn’t wear a mask, they often put their hair on the line in return. When a wrestler loses and is unmasked, it is common for his personal information to finally be recognized and published. That star is often no longer allowed to compete as that character, a further humiliation heaped on top of the original loss.

Big Time

In 1994, Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) joined forces with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) to co-promote a pay-per-view event entitled When Worlds Collide. The show launched the careers of many Mexico-based stars, including Rey Mysterio, Jr., La Parka, Eddie Guerrero, and Konnan. Thanks to this platform, the grapplers started being signed to contracts with bigger American promotions like Extreme Championship Wrestling and the aforementioned WCW.

No Respect

Throughout the mid to late 1990’s, more and more wrestlers from Mexico exploded onto the scene in the U.S., exciting fans with their speed, agility, and aerial offense. Things started off pretty well for the imports, but soon turned sour as the roster became flooded with foreign talent, most of whom weren’t featured much and found themselves buried underneath the bigger American grapplers. A number of stars were stripped of their mask in matches that had little to no meaning. Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerra, and Psicosis all found themselves without their familiar covering and despite revealing themselves to fans, saw little improvement to their position in the pecking order.

Return to Glory

In 2002, pint-sized phenom Rey Mysterio (nee Jr.) debuted with the world’s largest wrestling company WWE, returning to wearing the mask that once brought him such great popularity. Bursting onto the scene by defeating some of WWE’s top stars, a renaissance of masked competitors seemed on the horizon. Sure enough, in 2006, Mysterio captured the World Heavyweight Title. No small feat (pun intended) for the 5’6” ultimate underdog!

Mexico: Sea of Cortez

Rim glass with Salt, Sugar and Chili Flakes
1 oz Tequila
0.5 oz Chipotle Spirit
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Top with Grapefruit Soda
Splash of Sweet & Sour Mix
Garnish with a Lime Wedge

The luchadores comprise the Sip Advisor’s favourite style of wrestling. I just love seeing these smaller guys steal the show from the larger, hulking bodies with their crazy, high-risk action-packed contests. Perhaps it’s the cruiserweight in me or maybe it’s just the thrill of watching people fly through the air with complete disregard to their own safety. Either way, I thank them for their contributions to my entertainment.

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (5 Sips out of 5):
This recipe provided one of my first chances to use the Chipotle Spirit I picked up a couple months back at Rogue Distillery in Portland, Oregon. On that trip, myself and Ma and Pa Sip ate at Gustav’s Pub, where I found this recipe. My favourite aspect is the rim, complete with Chili Flakes, which take a margarita recipe and make it that much better. I went with Grapefruit Soda instead of Juice and may have found a new mixer to advocate for. I love my drinks that have a bit of a bite to them and this was certainly no different!

Ireland – The Emerald

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Daniel Wilson

Pot of Gold

The leprechaun has long been associated with Ireland and is an important figure of Irish folklore. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be portrayed in the best of lights elsewhere. Here are some of the famous leprechauns we can learn from:

Lucky the Leprechaun – Lucky Charms

Also known as Sir Charms and L.C. Leprechaun (monikers he invented to avoid creditors who were after his Lucky Charms!), this imp was introduced in the 1960’s, shortly after the cereal hit store shelves. Originally, the breakfast option only contained four different marshmallow shapes, but over time that number grew to eight permanent charms. Lucky was briefly replaced by Waldo the Wizard in 1975, but it wasn’t long before the leprechaun was back with the brand. Some say he bought his way back into the picture with his pot o’ gold riches!

O’Reilly – The Simpsons

This little hellraiser appears in a number of Simpsons episodes, most notably one of the Treehouse of Horror segments where Homer has drawn the ire of a gypsy and has been cursed. Looking to reverse his fortune, he traps a leprechaun (using Lucky Charms as bait), but O’Reilly just causes havoc in the Simpson home. When Homer takes the leprechaun to battle the gypsy, the two fall in love and are married in a ceremony performed by Yoda of Star Wars fame. O’Reilly is also an imaginary vision for Ralph Wiggum, telling the youngster to burn things.

Braun the Leprechaun – World Championship Wrestling

Leave it to professional wrestling to have a leprechaun running around the ring and causing havoc. Braun briefly appeared with the Dungeon of Doom stable, a group of dark and sometimes mythological characters, including The Yeti (although he was dressed like a mummy… no, seriously) and Loch Ness (a 600-plus pound monster of a man, billed from the Scottish Highlands). Portrayed by the grappler (real name DeWayne Bruce) that would eventually become perennial loser Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, he is most recognized for his work training future stars, particularly Bill Goldberg.

Hornswoggle – World Wrestling Entertainment

Sticking with professional wrestling, years after Braun, another shot was taken at the character, this time using a little person. Originally named Little Bastard, the character soon evolved into Hornswoggle (which means to cheat, swindle, hoodwink, or hoax), helping Irish bruiser Finlay score a number of underhanded victories. Hornswoggle has gone on to become a fan favourite, while enjoying high-profile roles such as joining D-Generation X as their mascot, being the illegitimate son of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, winning the Cruiserweight Title, and holding the position of anonymous General Manager of Monday Night Raw.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish/Boston Celtics Leprechauns

These famous logos and mascots have helped define both squads. For Notre Dame, the team had gone through a number of nicknames (Catholics, Hoosiers, Rockmen, Bulldogs) before settling on the Fighting Irish. This was done because a leprechaun joined the cheerleading squad and has remained on the team’s sideline ever since. As for the Celtics, their mascot Lucky was designed by the brother of legendary coach Red Auerbach. Complete with shillelagh and shamrock-adorned attire, it just doesn’t get much more Irish… although Lucky lacks the red locks we usually associate with leprechauns.

The Leprechaun – Leprechaun Movies

Played by little person Warwick Davis (of Willow and Harry Potter fame), The Leprechaun horror movie franchise has spawned six films and is due for a reboot with the aforementioned Hornswoggle (real name Dylan Postl) taking over the lead role. Falling in line with recent movie trends, the new film will be an origin story. Back to the original series, premises ranged from The Leprechaun tracking down his stolen gold, to searching for a bride, and even rampages through Las Vegas, space, and Compton, California (in the ghetto!). The first installment even featured a young and unknown Jennifer Aniston… she ended up doing pretty well for herself!

Seriously, they did not one, but two Leprechaun films set in “Tha Hood”!

Brian Connors – Darby O’Gill and the Little People

This Disney live action movie features a horde of leprechauns led by Brian Connors, the ‘King of the Leprechauns’. Connors and O’Gill are friendly adversaries, each trying to outsmart the other. O’Gill, an elderly groundskeeper is trying to capture Connors and be granted three wishes, hoping to set his daughter up for a happy life. Conners was played by Jimmy O’Dea, an Irish comedian and songwriter. Sean Connery is also in the film and he even sings! Legend has it that his role as Michael McBride, the daughter’s eventual love interest, led to him being cast as James Bond.

Shado – Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law

Known as Shado the Brain Thief because he possesses telepathic abilities, this leprechaun lawyer uses his powers to mess with opposing counsel and juries and manipulate them for his own gains. If Mrs. Sip (also a lawyer) was capable of telepathy, she’d be even more of a legend than she already is… which is due largely in part to her association with the Sip Advisor. Anyhoo, Shado is voiced by Toby Huss, who provided the dialogue for a number of characters on King of the Hill, including Cotton Hill, Kahn Souphanousinphone, Joe Jack, and M.F. Thatherton.

Ireland: The Emerald

2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
Dashes of Orange Bitters
Garnish with Orange Zest

I hope everyone finds their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow… that is, unless you have to battle a deranged leprechaun to get at your cash money. My advice is to wait until the little guys tucker themselves out before achieving your treasure. Kind of like I do with my desire to high-five monkeys!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (3 Sips out of 5):
This is basically a Manhattan variation and it was decent. Whenever I make a drink with Orange Bitters, I go a little crazy with the dashes and that’s not a bad thing. I thought the Orange Zest bits looked pretty darn good, if I don’t say so myself. Party on!

November 13 – Warp Pipe

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Daniel Wilson

Game Genie

Today we continue our look into the Sip Advisor’s favourite vidya games. This isn’t an article about the greatest games of all-time, just my top picks from childhood to adulthood, where that inner-child just never really went away. I’m not a massive video game guy, but I’ve always played this or that along the way!

Super Mario Bros.

This is one of the games that really boosted the video game industry and made Nintendo a household name. I’d say my favourite Mario game was Super Mario World (SNES), but I have also enjoyed all the original NES titles, as well as releases for Gameboy, N64, and Wii. The Wii version was great because you could play along with your friends all at the same time, although it usually ended up with us “accidentally” killing each other. One thing is certain: the games were far superior to the ill-advised movie!

Wrestling Games

As I’ve admitted before, I was a huge wrestling fan in my pre-teen and teenage years. Some of the best wrestling classics came out during this period, especially the games made by THQ in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. The company had the WCW license first and then switched over to WWE, putting out one amazing offering after another. My friends and I spent countless hours fighting our issues out in battle royals. The best part was, if you were eliminated, you had another chance with the next entering character.

GoldenEye 007

Similar to the wrestling games, thousands of hours were wasted maiming each other in this N64 classic. Even those who weren’t gamers in the slightest knew about GoldenEye and had probably played at some point. While the single player missions were spectacular, the multiplayer killfests were even better. Our group would play where any damage killed you and would alternate between remote mines and rocket launchers being the feature weapon.

Plants vs. Zombies

While I’m not the biggest fan of tower defense games, this entry, which has you defending your home against an invading horde of zombies, using plants with their own special powers is a total delight. A sequel has been released, but as of yet, it’s only available to losers with iPhones (sorry, I’m a little bitter it’s not available on computers like the original or even for Android users… that misses a lot of the market). I’m sure it will eventually be in my possession, but the waiting is the hardest part (thanks, Tom Petty!).

Donkey Kong Country

Oh man, I love these games so much, particularly the Super Nintendo trilogy. The re-launch of the series on the Wii was also a spectacular offering for the eyes and the ears (the fingers not so much, as they had to do all the work!). The thing that’s so amazing about these games is that they’re so visually beautiful with rich colours and the music is fantastic. Combine that with smooth gameplay and wonderful level layouts and this is one of the best 2-D side-scrollers to ever exist.

Rollercoaster Tycoon

I love amusement parks and all the rides they contain. Therefore, when these games were released, I was an early adopter. It was so much fun to build your own parks and achieve whatever tasks were outlined. I didn’t play around too much with rollercoaster design except to launch unsuspecting riders off of a dangerously built ride and send them flying through the air to a fiery death!

Tetris

There’s just something about Tetris that is so addicting. I especially enjoyed the N64 edition (The New Tetris), which Broski Sip, Cousin Sip, and I used to play a lot, challenging each other to see who could last the longest without dying. The more lines you made, the faster you were able to build the world’s greatest landmarks. Much like Donkey Kong Country, the music in this franchise has always been top notch and keeps you wanting to play the game.

Drink #317: Warp Pipe

0.75 oz Blue Curacao
0.5 oz Melon Liqueur
Top with Mike’s Hard Limeade
Garnish with Lime Wedges

That wraps up our look at my favourite video games of all-time. What are some of your favourite electronic pastimes? Perhaps you’ll steer me towards a new addiction, you pusher!

Sip Advisor Bar Notes (4 Sips out of 5):
Once again, we go to The Drunken Moogle for this recipe, as they seem to have the market cornered on awesome video game-themed drinks. I used the split-sized glasses to help accentuate that image of the pipes in Super Mario Bros. This backfired on me a little when I went to split them up for Mrs. Sip and myself and she decided to nap instead, leaving me with two cocktails to down. Luckily, they were pretty light and tasty and I enjoyed the double treat!

Sip Advisor

The Good, The Bad & The Bubbly

Tag Archives: WCW