MySideOfTheBar

First of all this is a great song by David Frizzell however, over the years Central Patti and I have taken this song to heart as our National Anthem for decorating our abodes. I thought I would share some of are pictures of decorating in this theme. This is an picture we put together a few years back coming home from the K.C. Cigar Fest. Part of the entry was many, many free cigars and other swag. We had this picture frame on the table and when I emptied out my backpack this picture was born. This is a picture of the bar at our old place. Believe it or not (quiet C.O.) that we did ourselves. We begged, bought and stole many wine boxes and tore them apart and attached to the wall around the bar. Another picture of the bar as we were working on it. A decorative shelf we built into the wall. A wine box sans top, which is on the wall somewhere Central Patti then went crazy on the kitchen (I really miss that house0 Yes that is an entire wall decorated with Wine Corks. We did ...

One of the best things about spending a day at MySideOfTheBar (or YourSideOfTheBar) is enjoying the simple things. I had a most enjoyable day without doing much of anything. The weather was most agreeable so I pulled out a chair on the patio and sat in the sun. I put a torch to a fine cigar, poured a glass of Four Roses Bourbon and listened to some find tunes on my Ipod from a group I discovered on Twitter. While relaxing I also took the time to catch up on some reading. If you have not read "The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks" by David Embury, I highly recommend it and if you are an amateur mixoligist like myself this is essential for your cocktail library. As you are reading there is no mystery here. I simply imbibed in a few of the things I do on a regular occasions. The only difference was I took a moment to reflect and appreciate them. It was the perfect storm for relaxation and a simple day. All to often we do not take the time to digest the really simple things and ta...

I thought it only appropriate with Valentine’s Day fast approaching to say a few words on the subject. Valentine’s Day is for wanna be lovers as New Years Eve is to wanna be partiers. Normally Central Patti and I stay in and we used to live by these three simple rules, Wine, Women (insert the gender that applies here) and song. However over the years we changed the rules to Wine, Atmosphere and Song. Wine There are many wines that can are great for Valentine’s Day and it is best to know your partner well. We enjoy a dry red wine so a Pinot Noir or Bordeaux is usually our Wine of choice. Another good choice is a good sparkling Wine and if you wish to get crazy go with a red sparkling Wine. Other options for the Wine category would be a nice classic cocktail such as a Manhattan, an Old Fashion, a Classic Martini or a Cosmo. I have blogged about these before, and the recipes for these classic cocktails are readily available on the web. A few other drinks that I can recommend ...

While sitting at MySideOfTheBar the other day having a Highball the discussion with some of the usual suspects the conversation turned to a topic that has been in the news lately. The ban on flavored Cigars; Here are some links to catch up on the proposed ban. Fox News FDA With all due respect (or maybe not) to these articles I will have to say that I take great exception to this line of thinking. Why? Well for a couple of reasons How are kids obtaining these Cigars? What are their parents doing? Parents should be he watch dogs on what their kids are drinking, smoking or eating, not the government. It goes back to a conversation I have had with a colleague of mine, (C.T.) and a statement he makes often. “When the government takes something away you rarely ever get it back.” Need I remind you of the prohibition era? Put a higher tax on tobacco products? This solution poses many more questions: What will the effect be on small tobacco shops? I believe this will really hinder...