by pinback » Tue May 13, 2003 3:43 pm
I got to tell you all this story that happened to me last Saturday. It was so funny!
I was talking with Gerrit, over AIM, trying to plan out the rest of my day. Now, these days I like to take it easy on the alcohol (because I think we all deserve to treat ourselves well, and if you've not got your health, what do you have?) but back then, I was something of a "barfly".
It was about noon, and it was a lovely day, so I asked Gerrit, "Hey, what is a good drink to have on a lovely, sunny, spring afternoon?" We went back and forth on it for awhile, as I gave him hints about what I thought would go into the perfect drink. I mentioned, "tropical", perhaps a little "sweet", but not "too sweet", and a little "tart" and "fruity". Well, my man Gerrit, who NEVER lets me down, says: "How about a Hurricane?"
Well, I was floored! First of all, I love the name, and once I looked up the ingredients, I said, "that's it!" But I was a little concerned. I was sort of the "new guy" at this bar I was about to go to, and I didn't want to make a whole scene, trying to order some weird, exotic drink that the poor bartender would have no idea how to do. I'm a little shy anyway, so even if I WAS a regular, I'd be kind of afraid of ticking off the bartender. So I asked Gerrit (more than once, just to be sure) if this was going to cause problems when I tried to order it, or if it's such a common drink that any bartender would almost have it done by the time you finished ordering it.
He assured me that (and I still believe this) any bartender worth their margarita salt would know how to make a Hurricane, no problem.
Still with more than a little trepidation, I left the apartment and headed out to the bar. When I got there, I was happy to see that nobody else was there, so even if things didn't go smoothly, it wouldn't be a terrible inconvenience for them. I asked plaintively, "Can you whip me up a Hurricane please?"
Of course, my worst fears were instantly realized, when the befuddled barkeep meekly asked, "Uhh.. how do you make... uh... do you know..." Mortified, I quickly tried to come up with a substitute drink. However, I waited just a half-second too long, and she said, "Wait, I'll go find out."
That's exactly NOT what I wanted to happen, to have her have to go into the back and have a powwow with her bartender buddies asking how to make a Hurricane, and no doubt making fun of me the whole time for ordering such a ridiculous drink on a Saturday afternoon.
However, such a powwow was not necessary, as she had her trusty bartender's guide at the ready, which she quickly looked the drink up in, and then just as quickly made me one. And it was delicious!
Now, what's the funny part? Well, here's the funny part. What was the bartender's guide she used, do you think? Mr. Bostons? Some biblical tome of drinks looked upon with awe by even the most experience innkeepers?
No, the tattered, dog-eared book she whipped out was none other than:
"Bartending... For Dummies!"
I got to tell you all this story that happened to me last Saturday. It was so funny!
I was talking with Gerrit, over AIM, trying to plan out the rest of my day. Now, these days I like to take it easy on the alcohol (because I think we all deserve to treat ourselves well, and if you've not got your health, what do you have?) but back then, I was something of a "barfly".
It was about noon, and it was a lovely day, so I asked Gerrit, "Hey, what is a good drink to have on a lovely, sunny, spring afternoon?" We went back and forth on it for awhile, as I gave him hints about what I thought would go into the perfect drink. I mentioned, "tropical", perhaps a little "sweet", but not "too sweet", and a little "tart" and "fruity". Well, my man Gerrit, who NEVER lets me down, says: "How about a Hurricane?"
Well, I was floored! First of all, I love the name, and once I looked up the ingredients, I said, "that's it!" But I was a little concerned. I was sort of the "new guy" at this bar I was about to go to, and I didn't want to make a whole scene, trying to order some weird, exotic drink that the poor bartender would have no idea how to do. I'm a little shy anyway, so even if I WAS a regular, I'd be kind of afraid of ticking off the bartender. So I asked Gerrit (more than once, just to be sure) if this was going to cause problems when I tried to order it, or if it's such a common drink that any bartender would almost have it done by the time you finished ordering it.
He assured me that (and I still believe this) any bartender worth their margarita salt would know how to make a Hurricane, no problem.
Still with more than a little trepidation, I left the apartment and headed out to the bar. When I got there, I was happy to see that nobody else was there, so even if things didn't go smoothly, it wouldn't be a terrible inconvenience for them. I asked plaintively, "Can you whip me up a Hurricane please?"
Of course, my worst fears were instantly realized, when the befuddled barkeep meekly asked, "Uhh.. how do you make... uh... do you know..." Mortified, I quickly tried to come up with a substitute drink. However, I waited just a half-second too long, and she said, "Wait, I'll go find out."
That's exactly NOT what I wanted to happen, to have her have to go into the back and have a powwow with her bartender buddies asking how to make a Hurricane, and no doubt making fun of me the whole time for ordering such a ridiculous drink on a Saturday afternoon.
However, such a powwow was not necessary, as she had her trusty bartender's guide at the ready, which she quickly looked the drink up in, and then just as quickly made me one. And it was delicious!
Now, what's the funny part? Well, here's the funny part. What was the bartender's guide she used, do you think? Mr. Bostons? Some biblical tome of drinks looked upon with awe by even the most experience innkeepers?
No, the tattered, dog-eared book she whipped out was none other than:
[b]"Bartending... For Dummies!"[/b]