Gin and such

So here is the link to the article in the Washington Post. To sum up it's talking about Dutch gin (genever), the differences in taste and how hard it is to get in this country. The gin that I had at pounds and pence last week was one of the few Dutch genevers you can get in this country. The article is interesting if you are you know obsessed with gin and spirits as I am. The author also recounts his trip to Amsterdam to pick up some more genever. Any man that would travel 7 hours over an ocean to pick up some booze is marriage material in my book. My sad sad book.

In other news, went to The Hideaway in Fort Greene. The bartender (sorry mixologist) is a friend of a friend and the drinks were superb. People who know me know that I love food that tastes like perfume (anything with rose, lavender, or orange blossom), so the first drink I had The Poisoned rose hit the spot. Rose flavored simple syrup, hendricks gin, citrus juices and some other stuff (sorry, reports on bars are not going to be as lucid). The bartender put a little wooden block in front of me, on top of said block he put the empty martini glass, next to the box was a glass of rose buds and a container of some kind of herb. He poured my drink in the glass and garnished it with a rose petal and some herbs. The presentation was a bit much but the drink was heaven. I followed that with something called an American beauty which is bourbon muddled with raspberries and blackberries. So tasty and i feel like a good whiskey drink for people who don't like whiskey. The bar is basically a converted three car garage, no sign just a bouncer with an eye patch (yes an eye patch) sitting outside. They are going for a Milk and Honey vibe in Brooklyn it seems (isn't everyone going for that now a days, while i appreciate the speakeasy vibe, sometimes i just want to know where the bar is). It's really cute, the cocktails are a bit pricey ($12-16 a pop), so this is more a special occasion place rather than a i'll be here all the time place.

In mostly unrelated news Drew Barrymore was just on Oprah giving a million dollars to the World Food Programme. Obviously she should be commended for such a generous donation to a cause that people often forget about (I always find it sad that causes get press because a celebrity is involved, i mean people were starving before Drew Barrymore wrote that giant check). In the midst of all the good causes that vie for our philanthropic dollars, it is easy to forget that so many people in the world have nothing to eat. In many ways it seems frivolous for me to be sitting here with a fridge full of food dissecting the food and service at restaurants when so many don't have this basic necessity. This maybe why am so interested in food and how things relate to it, seeing how basic sustenance can be elevated to high art, instantly bring comfort, or insight into other culture is just fascinating to me. I also like to eat. That may have something to do with it. If youre interested in donating to the World Food Programme click here.