The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

[Rich_T]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

As a barman myself, I like your kind. Come to my pub any time.

I guess we are both at similar stages in our lives, graduates in the middle of a recession. I'm finding it pretty hard to stay positive about the whole thing and have become kind of bitter about the university and degree process, have you found yourself wondering whether you should have done it at all? Maybe not, maybe it is different for more academic subjects like physics.

[Rich_T]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Oh, and would you be so kind as to share some of your favourite drinks recipies for me to try out at work this evening?

[ratherdashing]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Which of the following three manly men do you most identify with, and why?

1. Joe Montana

2. Sean Connery

3. Chuck Norris

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

As a barman myself, I like your kind. Come to my pub any time.

I guess we are both at similar stages in our lives, graduates in the middle of a recession. I'm finding it pretty hard to stay positive about the whole thing and have become kind of bitter about the university and degree process, have you found yourself wondering whether you should have done it at all? Maybe not, maybe it is different for more academic subjects like physics.

I don't regret choosing the degree I did. Part of the trouble with it is that the "normal" avenues for employment require an MS or PhD, and at this point I'm not convinced I want a higher degree in physics. I'm leaning towards an MBA or education degree. Right now there's a huge demand for teachers from the STEM disciplines, so I could effectively have my masters paid for and be guaranteed a job after. It's an idea I'm toying with presently but am not yet sure it's the path for me.

On the whole, the recession blows. To date I've applied to something like 350 jobs (most of them basic retail/restaurant gigs since the wheels turn more slowly for a *real* job) and had 3 interviews from that pool. I feel like part of the trouble I'm having is people see my CV and the Education: BS Physics line and realize I'd just be taking their job as a paycheck for the interim. There's also an intimidation factor...there's a bit of heft with that degree and I've gotten the impression a lot of HR people are apprehensive about talking to me because they know before we've even sat down that I'm smarter than they... Oh well...

I'm coming around to the idea of doing some sort of consulting work...the question, though, is "What kind of consulting work?" I'm largely drawn to the idea of working on a project-by-project basis where things aren't as static as they can be in the stereotypical 9 to 5 scene. At this point, I'm 22, have a BS degree and now am trying to figure out just what it is I want to do with my life. I've been narrowing it down from one end, knowing that I don't like sales at all or pure research/academia...but what I actually want to do is something I've not yet figured out. I just know what I don't want to do.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Oh, and would you be so kind as to share some of your favourite drinks recipies for me to try out at work this evening?

Absolutely! First, I'll say that I'm a slap-dash bartender. I "feel" the proportions out as much as I do actually measure. When I was tending in a bar, we were on a freepour system, so I learned to count my pours and that is how I prefer to mix.

So, if you're using a jigger...
1 count ~ 1/4 oz

My pours typically come out just a shade long because I don't make the swiftest cuts. If I'm doing a four count, 1 2 and 3 come evenly, count 4 is more like 3/4 a single count, and the cut is about 1/3-1/2 count.

That's as best I can explain it... I've never had a complaint about my mixes. If I'm at home or mixing for a friend, the flavor of the alcohol will be present (I like the taste of booze, and generally don't believe in masking it) but I try very hard to balance it with the other flavors in the drink.

I also try to keep drinks served "up" to about 4oz. Here in America we have some very large cocktail glasses (usually about 7-8oz IIRC) but I believe in both portion control and keeping with the traditional size of a proper drink...

Alas, before I nerd out too terribly much more...

Manhattan:
Long six count of Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon (the proper way is with rye. It's hard to find decent rye though, and I prefer the taste of bourbon anyway)
Three count of sweet (red) vermouth. This three IS cut short... the measure is probably close to a two and a half to two-and-two-thirds count.
2-3 dashes angostura bitters

In a shaker, combine above ingredients and shake well. Bruise* the hell out of it. It's bourbon. Beat it up and make it your little... well, you get the idea. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass over a maraschino cherry. Eating the cherry upon finishing the drink is encouraged.

Variation: Firefighter's Manhattan (mentioned above). Mix the bourbon, vermouth and bitters as before. Instead of the cherry, swirl a splash of single malt scotch round in the glass, dumping excess (trust me). I like to use The Glenlivet 18. I've tried it with blended scotch and it was not good at all (I don't like blended scotch in the first place). I did not like Laphroaig 10 when we tried it. I think I would most recommend something at least 15 years old and either Speyside or Highland.


*Note: Bruising is when the ice chips while shaking, clouding the drink a bit. Generally undesirable with clear drinks like a martini, if you're a purist.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Mojito
Okay. This one is labor intensive. Before you go out and buy the other ingredients, make sure you have a muddler. Got one? Okay, here we go... (Note: the recipe below is a double.)

(Note: I take this drink very seriously)

You will need
6 ripe Mexican limes (yes, 6. Yes, Mexican Limes. No sweetened lime juice. No Indian limes. No plastic squeeze limes. These ones are a similar shade of green to key limes and a little larger than a golf ball.) Cut each in half, quarter each half lime.

8-12 sprigs of fresh. Pull the leaves from each stem. Discard stems. Yes, this is a lot of mint. Yes, it's way more than most any other recipe you'll come across. Throw out any bad leaves. I mean it.

3-4 heaped tablespoons of cane sugar. I prefer cane, you can use granulated. I don't much care for superfine bar sugar.

In a (sizable) shaker, combine all ingredients (I like to layer them a bit) and muddle well. Don't worry so much about if the muddler tears your mint leaves, you're trying to get as much juice out of the limes right now as possible. You're muddling the limes instead of juicing them so that you: release the aromatic oils of the mint leaves by crushing them AND introduce the flavor of the lime via the oils in the peel. This way, it tastes like LIME and not just sour/bitter with some sugar added.

Fill shaker with ice and add, oh I don't know... several ounces of rum. Let's call it... umm... 4oz, I guess? Maybe 5-6oz. Somewhere in the 4-5 range though, I imagine. I typically eyeballed these. I would be asked "How much rum is in this?" and the response would be "Oh...enough."

I like to use a good aged/dark rum. Pyrat XO here in the states is phenomenal, and a bit sweet/citrusy. I also like silver rhum agricole, which is a drier rum. Just using something that tastes decent to sip instead of Bacardi trash. You've already gone to so much effort with those limes and mint, right?

Shake it up. Well. You still have to dissolve some sugar that the limes didn't get. You did add the sugar, didn't you? My roommate had a bad habit of not doing so. The drink sucks if you make it this way. Avoid this.

Strain into a highball (no ice). Top with club soda and stir. Quite honestly, it should look like a morning piss with bits of mint floating in it. Garnish with the top of a mint sprig or if you're fancy, sugar cane. It should be a good balance of sweet and sour (I do like mine a little sweet). If it tastes terrible, you probably need to add a bit more sugar. Just stir it in. Or you used Bacardi. In which case, *sigh*


Margarita
I'm including this one not because I love it so much myself as my friends rave about the way I make them. It is good though... (with all that dang tequila it had better be)

1.5 oz Patron Silver
1 oz Patron Reposado
1 oz Patron Añejo
1 oz Cointreau
4-6oz (I honestly don't know how much...) Fresh limeade (like lemonade, but with limes. I buy mine pre-made. DON'T use a sour mix made from the syrup crap...it's terrible)

Shake all ingredients, pour into margarita glass. Rim with salt before pouring if you're into that. I'm not. Garnish with a lime wheel if you're feeling festive.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Strawberry Daiquiri

Note: This WILL murder you. This is not a prissy strawberry daq. This is a man's strawberry daiquiri. Hold the glass with pride (for as long as you can) and if anyone jeers at you, offer them a taste. They will then understand why it was acceptable for a man such as yourself to order a drink garnished with an umbrella. It's an amazing buzz though because of all the fruit/sugar. I drank one 23oz glass of one of these and had a decent afternoon. I would recommend clearing your schedule first though. There are no ice cubes in this to water it down.

Blender: I have a vintage Oster blender my aunt found at a garage sale. It could probably blend leather. If your blender cannot handle ice (will be explained), I don't know what to tell you...buy one of those "Will it Blend" blenders or something that can chew up an aluminum can like it's a midafternoon snack.

You will need 2 pints of strawberries (well, a pint and a half...the cartons are by the pint though). Buy them at peak freshness even if you aren't making the daiquiries right away.

Cut the tops off all the berries and freeze them overnight. If you can do it on a sheet pan, do. The juice would tend to freeze them together. If you have a knife that can handle it, you CAN cut them frozen. Just be really friggin careful.

Okay, in your blender pitcher add (in this order):
One squeezy plastic lime juice (I think these are like 2/3 a cup to a full cup).
Half pint of strawberries
Two serving spoonfuls of cane sugar (A big spoon. Like you would use to serve a casserole. The REALLY big kind. Like THIS.)
Fill blender with strawberries
Another spoonful of sugar


Now fill the pitcher with rum. This should be close to half a bottle. I like to use Appleton Estate V/X (again, a dark rum).

Blend and enjoy



For a Piña Colada, I use a similar approach. Replace the sugar and lime juice with a can of coconut cream. Frozen pineapple for frozen strawberries, and I like to use equal parts coconut, pineapple and regular rum.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Which of the following three manly men do you most identify with, and why?

1. Joe Montana

2. Sean Connery

3. Chuck Norris

Sean Connery just on pure class alone.

[ratherdashing]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

You are asked to plan a party on a summer evening for about 100 people. Your budget is $10,000. There are no other restrictions, and you are given free reign on all decisions.

Describe this party in as much detail as you can muster.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Oh sweet Jesus man...


I don't even know where to begin... give me a bit



Okay, Ninja Monkey, if I could listen to only one artist/group's music, it would probably have to be The Beatles. It's kind of a cop out, but...yeah. So many cool songs with so many different sounds.

[Rich_T]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Fantastic. I had to make do with some Mount Gay reserve for the rum in the mojito, but that was rather enjoyable, I must say.

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Mount Gay is good! Especially for the price (here in the states, at least).

I've ordered mojitos at a few different places and always been disappointed. Most of the time it tastes like rum and sugar that someone spritzed with a lime. Granted my recipe is time and materials intensive, and to make them that way to sell would be very expensive, but you simply can't be shy about the lime and mint in that drink.

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

On a scale from threeve to twelveteen, exactly how badass are you and please detail how you became to be this cool.

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Actually, in all seriousness...

You mentioned in Rainmakers 'Cologne' thread that you were never into it, but a ladyfriend you were courting at the time was trying to turn you. Did that ever work?

[Ken]

Re: The Well LXXIX: Ken - Life After Barbie

Actually, in all seriousness...

You mentioned in Rainmakers 'Cologne' thread that you were never into it, but a ladyfriend you were courting at the time was trying to turn you. Did that ever work?

I've since found two that I do like. I don't wear them that often presently because my job has me sweating a lot, so there's not much point. Anyway, for day to day I like Polo Black, and for going out at night I like Armani Code. I try to keep it fairly subtle, and it always goes on underneath my clothes. Anyone who smells it, it's either very faint or they're very close (and probably have me at least partly undressed...)

So yeah...I've changed my mind on that considerably. But don't expect to smell it very strongly on me.