A week of Gulf Coast tiki -

Latitude 29, New Orleans. Two days, six drinks. Met The Bum and got him to sign his new book for me. Nice guy!


Tiki Tolteca, also New Orleans. Two nights. Drank the entire menu. Great bartenders, great music, which we carried on about for hours.


Lei Low, Houston, TX. Hopping, regular crowd. Again, GREAT, super nice bartenders, and fast for such complicated drinks.


My first drink, back home, and first try at the Port Light. Bottled passionfruit syrup on short notice, but not too bad at all...


Related Watch Tax featuring SMPc I wore on the trip and Demerara 151 Rum swizzle

 

Long Island iced tea and Pizza

 

Had a few too many of them. The Seamaster is in the pic.

 

Champagne

 

Staff lunch today, so wine of course
Mumm grand cru Magnum, good but not worth $450 (second time I’ve had this, both times merely very good)

Clos du Tue Boeuf Cheverny Pinot Gamay- funky and fruit intense, very, very good... nutty but not completely crazy, could benefit from an exorcism, maybe electroshock therapy ... but then I might not like it as much.

Coriole Mclaren Vale Nero- sublime balance, structure, perfume and fruit

Rolf Binder Barossa Shiraz Mataro, at its peak (2006 vintage) very good

Duval Plexus gsm (former maker of Penfolds Grange) good, solid but sensible pants boring... if you religiously iron your slacks, this could be the wine for you

Lindner Barossa Sangiovese, big, blocky and good but unexciting, like having a quality accountant who doesn’t overcharge, and somehow unamusing, like a lumberjack who is committed to planking

Lino Ramble Mclaren Vale Pee Wee rose, great structure and fruit

Mr Riggs Mclaren Vale Shiraz, massive, like trying to ballroom dance with a gorilla, a lot of fun but not easy and always the feeling you could have your arms ripped off at a moments notice

Adelina Clare Valley Shiraz Mataro- shy on opening yet with excellent structure and fruit emerging with air

Australia Felix- complete bollocks

Yalumba Sparkling Cabernet (approx 20 years old) well past its best

Manser Block 4 Adelaide Hills Shiraz- very good fruit but overoaked

 

I always get a kick out of the wine vocabulary...

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Sounds more like smoking joints laced with PCP than drinking wine...

 

Thats a day in Adelaide in a nutshell

 

Yes, I've been to Adelaide many times!

 

By way of metaphor?

 

Live and in person...

 

Well there ya go, give me a shout when you are next in town, first beer, or wine, or kombucha is on me

 

Between Tournon and Avignon, watching Denmark v Australia on the big screen in the lounge, and drinking a cold Grimbergen.

 

Nearing the end of a weeks caravanning break.
Cold Cornish lager Korev in the sun.
I discovered this lager a few years back, it’s tremendous.

 

Thanks - working on the planning now for another trip down under. My wife has family in Mt. Gambier so we will be heading that way from the other family in Ballarat. We often take trips from the Mount to Adelaide (I have an artist friend in Adelaide also), so it will likely be on the itinerary. I will certainly reach out when we have our plans finalized.

And in South Australia, wine is always my first choice.

Cheers, Al

 

Excellent, sounds like a plan

Suspect I may be able to lay hands on a wine or 2

 

seems to be about as common as VB in France but not nearly as grim

 

My fav, a well made Manhattan.

 

A fellow Tiki Enthusiast! Looks like it was a great trip -- can't believe you met the Bum, I'm jealous. I recently did the same in the Bay Area (Smuggler's Cove, Pagan Idol, and Forbidden Island) and I had a fantastic time. Didn't get to meet Martin Cate though.

 

Hibiki in the glass, one Connie on wrist..