Cheers m'dears!

[anteros_lmc]

In the midst of all the crazy work crazeeness, nodbear and I have managed to sneak some time to work on the presentation we're doing at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in May. nodbear arrived here on Thursday and we have been diligently beavering away on our Indyboys ever since. So to speak ;)

It hasn't been all work and no play though, last night we went out to a splendid gin tasting with my BFF from school days. It was a fascinating event, we learned a lot of interesting facts about the history of gin, tasted six different spirits and may have been slightly squiffy when we left :} One of the things we learned was that after falling out of favour in the late eighteenth century, gin became fashionable again in the mid nineteenth century. While sailors continued to drink rum, naval officers drank gin as a mark of their class. On entering a port ship would hoist a green and white flag to indicate that they welcomed other officers on board. What a splendid idea!

Before leaving the spirit merchant that was hosting the gin tasting we obviously had to pick up one or two things to take home with us. It would have been rude not to! nodbear purchased a swanky French rhubarb liqueur, so tonight we sampled it with fizz and invented Rhubarb Royale! Sounds daft I know, but it was actually very tasty :)

Comments

[vespican.livejournal.com]

I'm obviously not an officer as I cracked open a bottle of rum this afternoon. Didn't have any Coke or Pepsi to mix with it, so tried Dr. Pepper. Doesn't work too well. Drank the second as two water grog. Never have been one for gin.
Dave

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Rum is just as fine as gin in my book! In fact I've nearly reached the bottom of my bottle Sailor Jerry, must remember to get some more...

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I like gin. I like it with tonic water. Actually I often just drink tonic water by itself. Not club soda-- but the kind with the yellow label and the quinine. Yum. I think I used to get it as a kid. My parents drank cocktails every night before supper. Usually they had bourbon and water ('bourbon and branch.') But they gave me plain club soda.

Anyway, I imagine Dr Clive would approve of the rhubarb liqueur. He seems the sort to be preoccupied with bowels!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Cocktails before supper? How civilised!

I imagine Dr Clive would approve of the rhubarb liqueur
Not just Dr Clive! Pellew recommended rhubarb too in that splendid letter to his son Pownoll...

"If you are seized with a flux take directly a large dose of Rhubarb and apply directly to your Surgeon. Always wear a piece of White paper inside your hat."

What can I say? Sage advice indeed! XD

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

Rhubarb is an underrated quantity!

Hic!

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

The rhubarb liqueur is French of course. Now there is a nation that knows how to appreciate their rhubarb!

[kittycallum.livejournal.com]

Oh! I have had that, but I didn't realise there was a name for it! :) There's a distillery in Lunenburg that makes wonderful liqueurs, including cranberry, raspberry, and arctic kiwi. They make 'rhubarb esprit' which is like a lighter liqueur, and goes marvellously well with bubbly!

That sounds like a very informative and wonderfully enjoyable event, I love the idea of that flag signal.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Oh! I have had that, but I didn't realise there was a name for it!
Erm...we may have made the name up ;) Raspberry liqueur sounds lovely, I must look out for that! The gin shop were also selling violet and pear liqueur made by the same French distillers that made the rhubarb one. The violet liqueur was the most amazing shade of blue! I think I might have to go back to buy some... :}