The Village Idiot

April 26, 2010 – Maumee, OH

With apologies to Samuel Clemens, the rumours of my death are greatly exaggerated (and thankfully so!).  Adapting to a busy travel schedule, however, has been a bit of a challenge, but I think I have it close to figured out.  So, without further adieu, here we go.

I was in Toledo at HQ last week for training.  In addition to learning about the new job and company, I also had the chance to sample a couple of local nightspots.  On Tuesday night I found myself at The Village Idiot  with several of my new colleagues.  1 part sports bar, 1 part pizza parlor, 1 part rock ‘n roll music haven, the Idiot is as eclectic as it gets.  With a basic bar and some good local and regional beers on tap, you won’t go thirsty.  However, the draw is the pizza, and while I didn’t have any (having had a forgettable dinner earlier), it looked and smelled great. 

I’ve always enjoyed a place that has a live band.  You just can’t beat the energy a band generates, and this held true on Tuesday with the Chris Shutter Band on stage.  A Toledo favorite, Chris and his band play a mix of classic rock covers and their own original songs.  They offer an upbeat tempo that got the crowd into the music and moving on the dance floor.  He also draws a very mixed crowd, with the audience running from 20 somethings in jeans and t-shirts to 60 somethings in business casual, and everything in between, all brought together by the great music being played. 

The bottom line?  If you find yourself in Toledo with an evening free, definitely take the short drive out to Maumee and check out The Village Idiot or find out from the locals where the Chris Sutter Band will be playing.  You can’t go wrong with either choice!

Whiskey, Daisies and Eggs

Day 320, Cocktail 323

Another Friday night at the Twilight Lounge (and yes, the lights are low there).  With nothing else planned, Gwen and I went with the tried and true formula of home made pizza, cocktails, and, of course, a James Bond movie.  This weeks’s movie was Goldeneye, Pierce Brosnan’s first appearance as 007.  One of my favorite scenes is when a former Russian KGB officer turned mobster jokingly asks Bond if he wants his martini shaken, not stirred.

As for the cocktail, I was back to egg whites.  I found this recipe on the CocktailDB and thought I’d give it a whirl.

  Whiskey Daisy

• 2 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1/8 oz bar syrup
• 3/4 oz grenadine
• 1/2 egg white

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker and shake to mix.  Add 3-4 ice cubes and shake to chill.  Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

The first flavor across my tongue was the lemon, followed by the fruit of the grenadine and then the rye.  I had used Jim Beam for the rye, which is on the mellower side.  I had also cut down on the lemon from the original recipe, which called for 1-1/2 ounces of lemon juice.  That was just too much and overpowered the drink.  The egg white, in addition to adding a frothy “head” to the drink that is visually appealing also added a slight creaminess to the drink.  Overall, very nice and a nice compliment to the action from 007 on the screen.

Notice that I initially mixed this drink without ice.  I did so to create more of an emulsification with the egg.  Doing so warm creates a better and more airy mixture.  Add the ice after you’ve given this a good hard shake and then shaking gently will maintain that airiness while chilling the cocktail.

Cheers!