Bloody Marys are what one is supposed to drink when one is feeling a bit damaged, right?
Ryan and Brianne's passes were due to expire. I decided to join them. Before they joined me I elected to put a checkmark next to the Bloody Mary: Belvedere Bloody Mary Vodka, Bloody Mary Mix, Barbecue Bitters, and Dill Pickle Brine garnished with a locally grown Organic Dill Sprig and a dehydrated Horseradish-crusted Tomato Slice.
I wish I had more bloody mary experience to compare this to. Every time I drink one I feel like I'm trying to bully my taste buds into growing up again rather than react with the same bewilderment they possessed in trying V8 or tomato juice as a child.
This version is much kinder to my sensibilities, and packed with plenty of pungency, needing not even a drop of tabasco, which it did not have, and neither Worcestershire sauce. It has enough gusto to smother the awkward flavor of tomato juice. It's strange that I should find tomato juice to be such a strange flavor when the tomato is my second favorite fruit. I oftentimes just eat tomatoes as a hand fruit, especially the Roma variety.
It was a cold day (by Southland standards). I derived guilty pleasure in seeing tourists leave their cars wearing t-shirts and carrying no extra layering, assuming the sunshine boded a warm day, not a wind-chilled afternoon and shivering dusk.
Day drinking with Ryan and Brianne is like an impromptu holiday; and a marathon event.
And no day at the Park with them is complete without warming the soles of our shoes on the patio of Napa Rose. Should you find yourself in said lounge, see if Matt is working. He may be the best bartender in Orange County (with apologies to the excellent and skilled Carthay staff, who haven't as much license to experiment).
Ryan and Brianne will resume having passes in the Fall. Their myrth will be missed.
Happy New Year, drinkskateers!
I'm having Park withdrawals but don't dare venture into the place - assuming there would even be a parking space to be had in all of Anaheim - due to the bedlam of holiday crowds choking off every last molecule of oxygen and square inch of standing room.
Anyway, let's toast to another year of classy inebriation by sampling two seasonal offerings and a variation of the Gin & Tonic.
Holiday Whiskey Punch: Maker's Mark Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, Agave Nectar, and Pineapple, Orange, and fresh Lemon Juices topped with Ginger Ale and Pomegranate and garnished with Lemon Zest.
This one resembles a Pimm's Punch but lacks the cloy aspects; it does not threaten to be too sweet, it threatens to be so drinkable and apparently lacking in booze that you find yourself eventually unable to find your feet. Is it unpleasant? No. But honestly, if James is working, you're much better off getting a Curveball instead.
Random note: I'm tickled to find former deathrockers and club kids are among the Carthay's Cast. I was wearing my old Dickies jacket on my last visit and two of them complimented me on my Siouxsie patch.
And now for the Poinsettia, which I sampled on a later trip with drinking companion Melanie. They tell me it's pronounced poin-set-tuh.
The beverage of dubious spelling contains: Cointeau, Cranberry Juice, and Champagne garnished with a Twist of Orange Zest.
It's sweet. I've been overusing the word "cloy" but it is particularly apropos. It is viscous, not too unpleasant, and festive, hence its placement in the menu's holiday insert, but it's not something I'd feel any need to revisit.
Lastly we sampled the Gin & Tonic: Botanical. Hendrick's Gin, Premium Tonic, Star Anise, Cardamom, and Mint.
The tonic is served in a separate vial so that one can add as much or as little as one prefers. I like that. Or rather, I liked that once I got over the deflated elation caused by momentarily thinking that I'd been served a bonus vial of Hendrick's.
I managed to jot down the ingredients and I managed to get Melanie to model the drink for me...
And then I failed to write any tasting notes.
There were distractions: Melanie was trying to explain Japanese to me, or rather the aspects distinguishing kanji, hiragana and katakana. I would transcribe the characters she wrote distinguishing the three but, well, I can't.
I do know that I liked it, as I made no negative notes about it. I do know that I enjoyed the taste and flavor combination. It's rare that I enjoy anything that evokes the flavor of anise, which I try to pretend is a homonym of anus.
It will be worth sampling again, either before or after trying the other subtle and elegant variations of the gin and tonic.
Cheers.
