MySideOfTheBar

During the last year I have received dozens of questions from my loyal followers. Here are the best of the best (Well most of them) and my answers. Q. What was the last drink you had? A. Well I am drinking a Bloody Mary as I type does that count? Q. If you could pick four bottles to start your home bar with what would they be? A. I have been asked this question the most so here are my big four and why. 1. Four Rose Yellow Bourbon – A great Bourbon and inexpensive so it is good for your Usual Suspects that like it neat and also inexpensive enough to use in a Manhattan or with someone who likes Bourbon and 7 or cola (God forbid). Plus it is the official Bourbon of MySideOfTheBar. 2. Svedka or Fris Vodka - Both are inexpensive and work equally as well in both Vodka Martini’s and as a mixed drink such as a Vodka and Tonic. 3. A good Gin – I realize that Tanquery is probably one of the most popular or Bombay and this question is one of the most debated drinking questions at MyS...

Recently I had the idea to have a blind Bourbon tasting using six of the usual suspects at one of my favorite watering holes. I am not disclosing the name of the establishment as I am not sure what took place was 100 percent legal as I actually brought in two of the six spirits to be tasted and rated. The six samples were: Evan Williams Black – I requested this Bourbon be part of the tasting as I drink it regularly and discovered it at a similar tasting years ago where the majority of the tasters choose this over many higher end Bourbons Cedar Ridge Distillery Iowa Bourbon - I have blogged and tweeted about this Whiskey in the past and while I know technically it is not Bourbon I had to see how the tasters would react as it is one of my new favorites. Four Roses – My Personal favorite and the official Bourbon of MySideOfTheBar Bernheim Wheat Whiskey - Again not officially a Bourbon, however I had to throw at least one curve to the tasters and I enjoy this Whiskey from ti...

Sitting at MySideOfTheBar last weekend and chatting with fellow imbibers, the talk of the winter was in the air. This led to a chat on hunting and reminded me of this story of my youth. The Muskrat With still ten minutes left in the day, I could not wait for school to dismiss so I could go hunting. I never knew for sure if it was the hunting I relished so much or just the fact I was out of school and outdoors. It was a rare occasion indeed when I actually brought home any game. When I did manage to shoot a rabbit or pheasant I kept telling myself that it was because my Dad really enjoyed eating the wild game. Deep down inside I also knew that being able to carry a gun and to go hunting was also a right of passage into adulthood. By going hunting I could prove to myself that I was a man even if it would be several more years until the rest of the world would acknowledge the fact. This was a particularly warm late fall afternoon as the final bell rang I sprinted for the door of the...