DIY Ginger Beer

Back in May I wrote about how I made my own lime cordial for making gimlets. I mentioned how I found the recipe on the New York Times Magazine website, and while reading some of that author's archives, I came across his recipe for ginger beer. It can be found in his article entitled "Case Study: Cloudy with a Chance of Ginger."

Now, I have never been a huge ginger fan, though I do like ginger ale. The Dark & Stormy is always a popular summer drink, and having tried it with some store-bought ginger beer, I was not really impressed. However, I decided that maybe if I could make my own, I would like it better. So, I followed the author's recipe and gave it a shot.

It's really a pretty simple recipe. It involves grating ginger, juicing a couple of lemons, and making some simple syrup. All of these ingredients are combined, along with some yeast and filtered water, in a bottle, and put in a dark place to ferment. All of the amounts can be adjusted to your individual taste, so that it you'd like it a little sweeter or spicier, or a little less sweet or spicy, you can change it.

I originally had a bit of a problem in that it seems that the yeast didn't properly ferment the first time. After a couple of days I mixed up a little more yeast, this time letting in bloom in a bit of warm water before adding it to the bottle. It's important to keep an eye on the bottle for a few days in that the CO2 generated by the yeast will eventually cause the bottle to swell. If left unmonitored, it could burst, but this shouldn't be a huge problem.

After letting it ferment for a good 24 hours, I put it in the fridge to stop the fermentation process and, after straining it, moved it to a glass bottle. It ends up being slightly carbonated, which is nice. I mixed it with some dark rum, a squeeze of fresh lime, and the resulting drink was delicious. If you're a fan of ginger, or of Dark & Stormies, I'd highly recommend giving this one a shot.

Gingham: The Pattern of Warm Weather

While seersucker and madras get a lot of love when warm weather hits (and for good reason), they are, after all, fabrics and not patterns. When it comes to my favorite warm weather pattern, gingham takes the cake. It already kind of resembles a picnic tablecloth (particularly red gingham), so the associations with warm afternoons in the sun come easy.

Gingham comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors, and in a variety fabrics, though some variation of cotton is most typical. While it is usually worn in more casual settings, and the larger prints usually look best for this context, it can also be dressed up, usually with mini- or micro-checks and in a broadcloth-type of material. The photo below shows my own collection of gingham shirts.

From left to right:

-Brooks Brothers non-iron, navy

-LL Bean non-iron, "Aegean blue"

-Jos A Bank non-iron (now washed enough to no longer be non-iron--awesome), navy

-LL Bean non-iron, orange

-Old Brooks Brothers, dark green

-Brooks Brothers short-sleeve seersucker, navy

The two LL Bean shirts are actually new acquisitions, courtesy of my brother for my birthday. LL Bean has a great selection right now (here and here), with long sleeve shirts for $40. However, I think that I may prefer Lands End's offerings, which are currently on sale for $35 for long-sleeve non-iron shirts. Also, they are offering the shirts in exactly neck/sleeve sizes, which are always preferable to the S/M/L sizing that LL Bean offers. While LL Bean currently offers a pink gingham in their micro-check, I really like the fact that Lands End offers pink gingham in a larger check:

I also like their red version:

Lands End also chalks up another win with the pair of gingham shorts that they're currently offering (only in 9" inseam, but they can easily be hemmed to a decent length). They're also only $35:

While shirts and shorts are great, in my opinion, the king of gingham clothing is the gingham sportcoat. While I would settle for a regular navy gingham sportcoat, this multi-color gingham from Brooks Brothers is also a nice option:

Moral of the story, gingham is a great fabric for the summer. It's versatile, easy to find, and available in a large number of styles. Additionally, darker colors can even be extended into the fall. It's an easy choice for any closet.

Southern Staple: White bucs

While I have had this post in mind for a while, I haven't gotten around to it, but wanted to get it in before Labor Day, the official end of White Buc(k) season.



The white buc has been around for the better part of a century and has quite a storied past, particularly in the South. It is even featured in the Official Preppy Handbook (and if that isn't a good pedigree, I don't know what is). The shoe, however, seems to have waned in popularity in recent decades, especially compared to its tan cousin. Perhaps it is the the fact that they stand out so much, or perhaps because the fastidious have a hard time keeping them perfectly clean (as you can see from mine, this is not something I lose any sleep over). Even in the South, they are a fairly rare sight. I would have even expected a bit of a rise in popularity given the endorsement from this article in the New York Times this summer, but I have seen little effect.

The white buc is most commonly worn with a seersucker suit or trousers, but I think that paired with plain khakis, the shoe really shines. The khakis tone down the whole look and may make the wearer feel less like the ice cream man, though for a true southern gentleman, this has never really been a problem. I think it also works well with khakis shorts, sans socks, of course.

Speaking of socks, this is the only area where I have had difficulty with this shoe. I feel like I always have a hard time figuring out what socks to wear with them, especially when wearing my seersucker suit. I typically reach for navy, though sometimes I feel the contrast is too harsh. I have a pair of light yellow socks that I sometimes wear, but I still feel those aren't quite right. Typically I end up going sockless, as the hair on my ankles seems to be the best match for this summertime staple.

The pair that I own were a house brand purchased at Mobley & Sons in Birmingham (my favorite mens store in the city) a couple of years ago. They were around $150 and made in Brazil, but are very comfortable and have held up well. Now that summer is ending, you may be able to find them on sale pretty soon, and I suggest picking up a pair to wear next spring.

Mixology: Summer Beer

This past Wednesday night I attended a community group cookout from the church I've been going to this summer and it was there that I first tried this delicious beverage (hey, we're Presbyterian, what can I say?). Its maker, Ruthanne, was kind enough to provide me with the recipe so that I might provide it to you, dear reader, so be sure to get check out her blog. So, without future ado, from her email:

here's the recipe for the summer beer. this makes 2 quarts

48 oz (1.4 L) light beer (i've found corona or landshark type beers work best)
1.5 pints (750 ml) of vodka (no need to buy the pricey brands)
3 cans of frozen limeade concentrate (i get the store brand of this - cheaper and tastes exactly the same)

Combine in a pitcher and chill before serving. Can be served over ice. i've also served this from the freezer and it had a slushy consistancy which was quite good also.

I really can't get over how good this drink was. The limeade adds sweetness and tang, the beer adds some fizz and keeps the sweetness in check, and the vodka just adds trouble. I suggest whipping up a batch for your Labor Day activities this weekend and celebrating the end of summer with a toast.

M. Ward for President!

Photo credit here. Unfortunately, photos were strictly prohibited last night, so I have none of my own.

Last night I headed up to the 40 Watt Club in Athens with both "R's" from the R&R Review to see M. Ward perform. While I have been a fan of his music for a while (OK, probably only a year and a half, but long enough), I had not seen him perform. As it turned out, the three of us, all the hipsters in the 40 Watt, were in for a treat.

Doors opened at 9:00 and after a delicious pizza dinner at Little Italy Pizzeria in downtown Athens ($1 for 12-oz. Terrapin Rye draught?? What??) we headed over to the 40 Watt. As we were walking, a small guy escorted by three girls started walking in front of us, and ever the astute observer, Chris Robinson pointed out to BA Roof and myself that the guy about 10 feet in front of us was, in fact, M. Ward himself. This seemed to be a good omen.

We got to the 40 Watt around 9:30, went in, and Chris Robinson armed all of us with 24 oz. cans of PBR and we waited for the opening band, the Moaners to go on. They finally started playing around 9:45 and was made up of just two girls in what might be considered an all-female White Stripes set up with just a guitar and drum kit. They were really pretty terrible, and were hopefully picked to serve as a foil for M. Ward and to make his performance seem even more incredible (not that he needed it).

M. Ward took the stage around 10:45 and opened with a solo performance of "Never Had Nobody Like You." I was immediately impressed by how fantastic his vocals were. They smooth and spot on, and sounded just like on the albums. Considering his stature, it was fairly impressive that that voice came from him. After the first song, his band joined him with nary a word and they got to work. They played a back-to-back-to-back set and only paused long enough between songs to switch/tune instruments before they started the next song. They only played until midnight (about an hour and 15 minutes), but managed to perform an impressive 19 songs. The setlist, obtained from this blog was as follows:

–Never Had Nobody Like You

–Fuel for Fire

–Post War

–Hold Time

–Poor Boy, Minor Key

–Poison Cup

–Stars of Leo

–To Save me

–One Hundred Million Years

–Fool Says

–Big Boat

–Guitar intro/Fisher of Men

–To Go Home

–Requiem

–Chinese Translation

–Rave On

–Roll Over Beethoven

–Magic Trick (encore)

–Vincent O’Brien (encore)

Aside from M. Ward's impressive vocals, I think I was even more surprised by just how talented of a guitar player he is. It was really awesome watching him play, and his bandmates were quite good as well. Overall, it was a really fun concert. After the few quiet songs towards the beginning of the set, the rest was just rock 'n' roll, and the audience loved it. I have to say that it may be the most fun concert that I have been to, and "fun" is not usually a word that I use to describe concerts, no matter how much I like them.

On one critical note, while discussing the concert on the way back to Atlanta, the R's and I concluded that the two encores were really a bit over the top and bordered on pretentious. Plus, in all of the time that was wasted with pretending to take a bow (twice) and going backstage and whatnot, they could have played at least one more song, which I think the audience would have appreciated even more. However, it was a pretty fantastic show and definitely worth the late night last night.

**Note: I would like to thank Christopher Robinson for generously giving me the extra ticket he had. I owe him one after that show. Also, speaking of R&R, I would like to promote the beef that they are attempting to start with Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman. Mr. Gleiberman asserts that anyone who found the movie Bruno to be disgusting or offensive is nothing more than a homophobe, and the R's (and myself, for that matter), believe this to be false. Check it out here.

The Recovery Room, Charleston, SC

For the past seven weeks after church I have visited the Recovery Room in Charleston for brunch. I suspect that my friends are getting annoyed about how much I talk about this place, but frankly, it is pretty fantastic.



Located on upper King Street, practically beneath the Crosstown Connector, it isn't exactly in a great part of town, but it certainly adds to the bar's unique character. Inside, it is a windowless dive bar with plenty of neon and kitschy decor. The food is greasy brunch fare (along with yogurt and granola, for those trying to be healthy) and includes egg sandwiches, massive omelets, biscuits with chicken fingers covered in your choice of honey or gravy (or, if you are like me, you might accidentally get both), and "hash browns," which are better known as "tater tots." Another highlight are the $2.50 mimosas which are hard to pass up.



The place is run by Chris Boston who came from Moe's Crosstown. I must admit that he was so friendly and hilarious as our server the first day we went there, that my affinity for the place is probably due in large part to his personality. My only complaint is that it can take a while to get your food after you have ordered, so it would be great if they could work on that. However, each of the tables have Trivial Pursuit cards (Genus Edition; the only real version as far as I'm concerned) and there is a game of Connect 4 that floats around somewhere in the bar to keep you entertained while waiting.



I have not visited this place any time other than for brunch on Sundays, but it is open as a bar during the week and, apparently, serves breakfast food all day. If you're having rough morning after a late night out in Charleston, I highly recommend finding your cure at the Recovery Room.

685 King St., Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 727-0999
There is plenty of parking located across the street in the gravel/dirt lot.

Pictures from Sullivan's Island

Pictures taken at the beach.

Pictures from Charleston

Some pictures that I have taken since being in Charleston.

Summer drink: Po'mosa

I was not familiar with the beverage known as the "po'mosa" until a week or so ago. Fortunately, some new friends in Charleston were able to enlighten me and introduce me to this nice little concoction.

Ingredients:
1 bottle of Miller High Life (the champagne of beers, after all)
Orange juice

Directions:
Open up your bottle of High Life and drink about two or three ounces. Next, pour orange juice directly into the bottle until it reaches the top (you can drink more beer initially if you would like more orange juice mixed in). Next, kick back and enjoy.

A Charleston/Sullivan's Island muxtape

After espousing the merits of muxtape recently, I finally put my own mix together. It is inspired by my experience spending the summer in Charleston/Sullivan's Island. I have tried to capture the mixture of Southern culture with beach/maritime culture that seems to exist down here. I'm not sure how well it was accomplished, though: you be the judge.

As a note regarding the use of muxtape, I will simply state that I hope that they add support for MP4 files soon, as it was a bit of a hassle to convert all of my MP4 (Itunes) files into MP3 before I could upload them. Also, if you have music that was purchased via Itunes (as opposed to ripped onto Itunes from a CD), it is most likely a secured MP4 file (an M4P file, to be exact) and can only be converted to an MP3 with a significant amount of work.

Wicked watch tan

I'm not sure when I decided to take pride in having a serious watch tan every summer, I believe it was probably some time back in college, but it is now one of my favorite annual traditions. It is also a tradition that makes my college roommate roll his eyes (he was the one who recently described my watch tan as "wicked"), but nevertheless, I look at it as a sign that summer is here and it serves as evidence that I have been trying to enjoy it. I also like to think of it as a tanning barometer; whenever I feel like I am not as dark as I would like to be, I am able to take my watch off and say "Hey, at least I not that white anymore." As you can likely see, at least as far as my forearms are concerned, I've got a nice bit of darkening going on, although it is going to take a few more days at the beach before I get everything else to be that color.

A Bottle Full of Trouble

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka.



(I couldn't find a good image of the bottle, so I "Photoshopped" this image to get the point across)

I am not sure how many people have tried this product, but after having yesterday, I can't seem to say enough good things about it. Basically, it is a tea infused vodka that is made right here in Charleston. While I am certainly one of the first to be skeptical of flavor-infused liquors, and of vodka in general, I must say that this stuff is fantastic. I tried it yesterday mixed with lemonade and it was great. That is, great in that troublesome way that you can't even taste the alcohol. And, coming in at a quite respectable 70 proof, after two or three of those drinks, things are likely to start becoming a little blurry.

The bad news is that, according to an article I read, it is currently only available in South Carolina, Nevada, Colorado and New York. However, it is supposed to be shipping more widely later on. Just because you live in one of those states, though, doesn't mean that you are going to be able to get your hands on a bottle right away. I just got back from the liquor store and the guy told me that he got six cases in on Friday and that they were already gone. He's getting six more cases in tomorrow, I will definitely be stopping by on the way back from work. Also, I am suspecting that it will be a frequent guest at many Clemson football games this fall.

Summer in Charleston

After four months of rejection from 31 companies, I finally nailed down an internship for the summer. Obviously this is a bad time to be trying to find a job in the real estate development sector, but I never imagined that it would be as bad as it was. I will be down Charleston (Mt. Pleasant, technically) working for a company called Avtex Commercial. It should be fun and I'm looking forward to getting down there this week.

Here are some photos from around the Charleston area that I took when we were down there for a class trip back in May. Hope you enjoy.

A view down the beach at Kiawah Island


A view of the Charleston peninsula from the old town part of Mt. Pleasant


A view of the marsh at I'on


A view of the old plantation house (which has been restored) at The Ponds development in Summerville


A dock on the marsh at the Beresford Hall development

The To-Do List

Now that most of my classmates have left town for the summer, I feel that I have been granted a reprieve from endless cans of Natty Light and Bud Light and now have an opportunity to explore my cocktail options. I have been keeping a list of drinks that I would like to try that I would like to share with you; any tips or notes on these drinks would be appreciated.

Americano:

• 1/2 Sweet Vermouth
• 1/2 Campari
• splash of club soda
• Garnish: orange slice

Pour over ice into a collins glass.

Sidecar:

• One part cognac
• One part orange liqueur
• One part lemon juice

The Vesper- many will recognize this as James Bond's cocktail from the novels, as well as in Casino Royale

• 3 measures of Gordon’s gin
• 1 measure of vodka
• 1/2 a measure of Lillet

Shake until ice cold and serve in a deep champagne goblet with a large thin slice of lemon peel

Brown Derby- recipe from this blog

• 1 1/2 oz. bourbon
• 3/4 oz. grapefruit juice (not ruby red)
• 1 tsp. good honey

Lillet with soda and orange slice- not so much a cocktail, but a way to enjoy Lillet, which is already delicious

Brandy Alexander- perhaps out of season, but inspired by the Feist song of the same name

• 1 1/2 oz Brandy
• 1 oz Dark Crème de Cacao
• 1 oz Half-and-half or Heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp grated Nutmeg

I think I've got a lot of work ahead of me...