Sep 8, 2019 | food, Indonesia, rum
Unfortunately, vacations are not limitless. It’s always a fine line between seeing “all the things” and finding time to relax. When you add a destination that is halfway around the world, you feel like you’d better see what you can. Although we... 
Sep 6, 2019 | cocktails, food, Indonesia, lists, tequila
Brian planned a trip to Indonesia for my 40th birthday. Our first stop was in Ubud, which is in the uplands of Bali. It’s quieter than other parts of the island, although plenty of tourists visit, and it is said to be the cultural capital of Bali. I had a... 
Aug 25, 2019 | Chattanooga, food, mezcal, whiskey
I traveled to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the first time three and half years ago. I had been to Nashville and Memphis before, but I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Ranked fourth for population, behind Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, Chattanooga has a great... 
Aug 18, 2019 | books, lists
I’m an avid reader and like to set an annual goal for myself. This year, I am trying to read 50 books, last year I read 47. I am a huge fan of tracking all my books on Goodreads. This lets me file away recommendations from people as I hear them, and know what I’ve... 
Aug 11, 2019 | food, gin, mezcal, North Carolina, rum
Along with my bitters research, I also made time for a few good meals, and a couple more drinks while in North Carolina. Raleigh is an easily walkable city with plenty to see and do. I spent most of my time indoors working, but here’s where to dine in Raleigh,... 
Aug 9, 2019 | cocktails, North Carolina, recipe, whiskey
I’ve been making craft cocktails at home for a while. Over the past few years, I have acquired all the tools and ingredients needed to create a variety of libations. However, I’ve been stumped about how to properly use cocktail bitters. I figured it was a good... 
Aug 4, 2019 | food, Kansas City, mezcal, rum, tequila
Kansas City has been a BBQ town since the early 1900’s when Henry Perry arrived from Memphis and started smoking meat in a trolley barn near 18th & Vine. The BBQ in KC is characterized by three things: the wide variety of meats (even fish) that are used; the... 
Jul 30, 2019 | packing, travel tips
I enjoy the challenge of getting everything I need into carry-on bags. Not only do I save time at the baggage carousel, and avoid lost bags, I save money. It also makes it easier to get around. Hopping into a Lyft or onto a train is so much better when you can hold... 
Jul 18, 2019 | champagne, cocktails, fernet, food, mezcal, pisco, San Francisco, whiskey
Traveling to new places can be daunting, especially when you are looking for a place to eat or drink. I have found Yelp to be fairly reliable, depending on the location, but it can still present too many choices. One way to narrow things down is to look for local... 
Jul 12, 2019 | cocktails, lists, recipe, tequila
Years ago, I memorized a few standard drink names. This gave me a way to have an answer at the ready when I went to a bar without a cocktail menu in sight. In my quest to discover cocktails, I had to figure out what I liked (tough!) and how to navigate ordering new...
