Thursday, November 22, 2007

Glug

Five things about me, alcohol and bars.

When I was still at school, I used to go a lot of birthday parties at the Mexican Bar in Roslin (of Da Vinci Code fame). There was absolutely nothing Mexican about it. At that time my drink of choice was Martini and lemonade, or sometimes lager and blackcurrant. I can still taste the cloying sweetness that would build up in my mouth over the evening.

I was sick into a wastepaper basket in a friend's bedroom after one of those parties.

The only alcoholic drink I would ever refuse is a French apéritif called Suze. It is bitter and revolting.

A couple of weeks ago in Spain, we discovered the joys of vino de verano (summer wine). We did that "we'll have a jug of what those authentic looking Spanish people at the next table are having" thing in a restaurant and discovered that "summer wine" is much more refreshing than sangria.

The only alcoholic drink I have ever been unable to finish was one of those massive margaritas they serve you in the USA. We were in Durango, Colorado and it came in a glass the size of a punch bowl with two straws - more like an oversize sorbet than liquid alcohol. The best margarita I have ever had was served in New Mexico in a village that sold "holy chili" because the dirt in the church had magical properties. (America is a country of great contrasts, I tell you).

P and I once spent a long weekend in Istanbul. It was freezing cold and we repaired to the bar of the Pera Palace Hotel earlier and earlier every evening. We wallowed in the opulent, threadbare furnishings and warmed our insides with technicolour cocktails.

I borrowed this meme from Yogamum and I'm tagging you all. Yes, all of you.

9 comments:

BeefKing said...

Martini and lemonade? Yuck.

Suze? Solidarity sister.

Summer wine sounds great. What is it?

I'm not going to dispute that you may have been unable to finish a party-bucket of margarita. I may dispute the fact that it's the only alcoholic drink you've been unable to finish.

While at the pera palace, did you drink raki? (Sorry can't type the dotless 'i')

spentrails said...

Two posts in a day AND Scrabble-meister. I can't keep up.

Spookily, though, I've already posted some things about me this week. Admittedly it's not about alcohol and bars so I'll have to start again.

Anonymous said...

"P and I once spent a long weekend in Istanbul. It was freezing cold and we repaired to the bar of the Pera Palace Hotel earlier and earlier every evening. We wallowed in the opulent, threadbare furnishings and warmed our insides with technicolour cocktails."

This wins the Man Booker prize for the most evocative paragraph of the year. I'm off to Istanbul ...

Mo said...

I've also got distant memories of teenage parties and dry martini and lemonade! It couldn't have been very strong though as I could never drink enough to get drunk. But it didn't take many cider and babychams to do the trick. Lethal combination. That dates me!

Lesley said...

Beefking: The Pera Palace was too posh for raki, bu we had plenty elsewhere. It's one of those drinks that just doesn't taste the same if you take it out of its country of origin.

Spentrails: Yes, excelling myself, amn't I?

Deborah: I think the Pera Palace might be closed for renovation at the mo. It's quite nice to see a list of all of the other people who have frequented it though, mostly en route on the Orient Express. Giscard d'Estaing, Agatha Christie etc.

Mo, Babycham and cider in the same glass or separately?

Mo said...

>Babycham and cider in the same glass or separately?

Mixed in the one glass! It was all the rage in the late 70s, early 80s - in Glasgow anyway.

Antipodeesse said...

May I contribute Advokaat (snot in a glass)as the most revolting liquor?

Oh sorry, were you eating?

Rosie said...

I have done a bit of research myself on this subject. Most memorable was chili vodka in Moscow, especially since the only way to relieve the hangover was to drink fizzy bottled mineral water that smelt of rotten eggs. I sometimes think that the wine was a deciding factor when we moved to France...

Yogamum said...

New Mexico margaritas are the best! Were you in Chimayo?

Confinement

Being confined indoors most of the day, just the four of us, is reminding me of the days when my children were wee and most of our weekends ...