A Blue Moon Festival: Gonar's Drink of the Month!

Gentle Drinker,

It’s a Drink of the Month Blue Moon Double Header! As per DOM tradition here at Festung Europa, Drink of the Month is released every full moon. As per DOM tradition, there are two drinks for the column which takes place on a blue moon, although this only happens once every two-and-a-half years or so, or once in a blue moon if I may. While it may tempt some to dedicate this month’s column to the Hefeweizen eponymous to this lunar phenomenon, keep in mind that it is also New Year’s Eve, and with only a few hours left in the decade I prefer to call The Noughties, we must raise a toast with a glass of champagne.

Now many self-described know-it-alls will be happy to tell me that real champagne only comes from the Champagne region of France, and it is not just any sparkling wine made with the champagne method. And I suppose they have all their cheddar cheese imported from the Cheddar valley in England instead of the great state of Wisconsin? And they have their hamburgers imported from Hamburg, Germany, instead of cooking them up right in their own backyard? Unlikely. I believe I have made my point.

Now my champagne of preference, after that champagne of beers Miller High Life, is from a California vineyard called Toad Hollow. This vineyard was founded by Todd Williams, brother of Robin “Mork” Williams, who used to call Todd “Toad” when they were kids. It stuck, hence the name Toad Hollow. They do make a lovely Chardonnay called Amplexus, which is the scientific word for the positions frogs and toads assume when mating. But I digress…the champagne that Toad Hollow makes is a lovely “sparkling wine” called Risque, and the label features a dancing toad in traditional French attire. It has a semi-dry taste, much more drinkable than a Brut and not at all too sweet like an Asti Spumante. In fact, it’s quite delicious. A neat feature is the flip-top instead of a cork, which makes it easy to save half a bottle for mimosas the next morning. It also makes the bottle a very handy re-use item which might come in handy someday, so hang onto it.

And the second Drink of the Month? Irish Cream! Let’s face it, it’s winter and nothing keeps a person warmer than several thousand calories and a layer of winter fat. Squirrels do it, bears do it, and we can do it to! The advantage we have over them is that we can be civilized and do it with Irish Cream instead of acorns because we have grocery stores and blenders. Of course you can simply go buy your own bottle such as Bailey’s Irish Cream, or the much more affordable and nearly as good Cask & Cream, or my personal favorite Amarula with its own citrusy overtone. But to really get the Irish Cream experience it is fun to make your own, and here’s how.

Get out your blender. Open a small can of condensed milk and pour it in. Add an equal part (same can) of half-and-half. Add ¾ to one can Irish whiskey. Toss in a couple eggs, and don’t forget to remove the shells first. This should mostly fill the blender. Now here ‘s the fun part – flavoring it. You can add vanilla (half a teaspoon) or maybe a couple teaspoons of chocolate syrup, or caramel syrup, or even a shot of espresso. This is where it is up to you. Get some confectionary syrups like you use for coffee and try hazelnut, or even orange! Blend it up good, real good, and then pour it into a glass and drink it. Say “Oooo, that’s good.” Drink a lot of it, and pour the leftover into that empty Risque bottle I told you to save because it might come in handy for something, and put it in the fridge. It should keep for four to six weeks but it tends to disappear faster than that.

Happy New Year, and I will see you in January!

Gonar