Felicia's Speakeasy

Halloween 2009

2009-11-04T13:23:00.016-05:00

Of course the pictures are poor-quality, blurry action shots! I forgot my camera, and you were drunk. It's your fault. Send me better ones if you find some.Felicia's Haunted Cocktail Party extravaganza.

Look out, little girl! Behind you!

Please don't hurt happy Crabby...

Award-winning Jolly Green Giant and his pals.

Dog and dog's best frenemy

Tea bags

The jedi in classic jedi lunge position. Don't hurt your jedi groin.

Dog and Tea bag

Last but not least: Bitchtooth.

Bitchtooth

2009-10-31T19:27:00.007-04:00

Is bitchtooth one word or two? Did anyone figure that out yet? Grumpy root canal girl refused to dress up for the Lounge party this year until I suggested she go as a bitchtooth, and then she spent the entire afternoon building the perfect angry tooth. The pictures say it all. Check back tomorrow for photos of everyone else's great costumes and don't forget to change your clocks. See you at the party shortly...

Mixology Monday: Anti-Vermouth

2009-10-26T10:36:00.013-04:00

This month's Mixology Monday, hosted by Cocktailians, challenges us to post a tasty vermouth cocktail recipe. Vidiot says we can use any aromatic, fortified wine. So being the rebel she is, Leah created a cocktail, um, without vermouth.

Since Leah is in the midst of a three-week root canal with complications, she gets to be a beast and not follow the rules. You've got a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, I tell her. I don't argue with a woman who has a wild look in her eye, who is pacing the hallway like a panther, and who says it feels like someone is splitting her jaw open with a hacksaw. Vicoden is child's play, she tells me, downing a shot of whiskey and popping open a bottle of Brute. That's right, Brute with an "e."

We became acquainted with Ithaca Beer's Brute last week at a lovely beer-tasting dinner at Cornell hosted by Hotel School students and Ithaca Beer's brilliant master distiller, Jeff O'Neil. The Brute proved to be the life of the party: a citrusy sour ale the color of champagne, served in a flute, and paired with some biting cheese.

Okay, it's not even close to fortified wine, but Brute IS brewed with champagne yeast. And with a bouquet reminiscent of a barnyard, Brute certainly could be deemed "aromatic." One taste, and Leah decided Brute would make a great vermouth substitute.

The result? You can call it an Ithaca Negroni. I call it a Brutoni. Leah calls it a Bitchtooth: equal parts gin (we used Plymouth), Campari and Brute. The sour and bitter and gin blend together perfectly, and the cocktail has a tad of sparkle to it, not unlike a Sparkling Negroni that I saw on Rachel Ray's website a few minutes ago. It was an accident. I really don't hang out on Rachel Ray's site. Unless I need to find a good thirty minute meal. Leah says stop talking about Rachel Ray.

Not in Ithaca? You lose. Brute is a beer that goes beyond beer and into the realm of the extraordinary. Get yourself to the Ithaca Beer brewery to try some, or have a friend send you some. Either is a worthwhile endeavor.

Ithaca Negroni

1 ounce Plymouth gin
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce Ithaca Beer's Brute

Stir with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Zaya Rum

2009-10-21T20:36:00.005-04:00

A long, long time ago, long before silly rules existed about bloggers disclosing freebies, specifically August 2009, the folks who promote Zaya Rum sent me a bottle of, um, Zaya Rum.

We opened the Zaya at the Lounge and taste-tested it with the staff on hand, both those who were working hard and those who had stopped in to laze about and sip drinks, as so many of our staff are wont to do. Some of our staff gave this dark, Trinidad-bottled rum a thumbs up (sweet - caramelly - rich - full of flavor) and others weren't so excited about it for the same reasons. I made it into a mojito, with similar results. Love the flavor, too much flavor. Zaya is not your standard wimpy rum.

Then we forgot about it. The bottle sat on my desk with a sticky note that read "do not drink" which if there was space would have read "do not drink until I write a blog about it which I will soon and it's the least I can do since it was a freebie."

Fast forward to this week. Leah has a toothache. She's up every night at 3am or 4am to take Advil and while she's up she reads blogs, obsesses about whether or not the pulp in her tooth is dying permanently or if her nerve is just having a nervous breakdown, and she actually answers some emails so perhaps it's good use of her time though not the best timing. During the day she seeks out nips of hard liquor to dull the pain when she thinks no one is looking. I know, I know, she should see the dentist. She did. Twice. And it traumatized her and left her wondering if the poking, prodding and drilling further irritated the pulp (i.e. tooth innards), so now she is waiting, hoping to wake up one morning and find the pain simply missing.

Today, she found my bottle of Zaya Rum, stuck the "do not drink" sticky note to the bar, and pronounced the bottle her salvation. "Where did this stuff come from?" she asked me, sipping it straight, clearly not remembering our previous tasting in August. "This is good shit. Mmmm. Sweet explosion in my mouth. Kind of smoky, peaty, and full of molasses. I swear my tooth is feeling better."

So there you have it, folks. Zaya tastes great, and it cures toothaches (at least for a few hours).

Happy Anniversary, Felicia!

2009-10-14T15:10:00.005-04:00

In honor of Felicia's Atomic Lounge's fifth birthday, here's an excerpt from my upcoming bar memoir book (still looking for a publisher), which should probably have the title, What the Hell Were We Thinking?

Fortunately, the stars were on our side. Here's to you, Felicia, and to Leah for talking me into doing one of the craziest things I've ever done in my life:

“I have an idea.” Leah’s face was pressed up against the empty tavern window, hands cupping her eyes. “We should open a bar.”

Leah always had ideas. I heard the line come out of her mouth daily. “I have an idea….”, followed by an elaborate plan to start her own business and become rich. Hand-painted t-shirts. Designer cat litter boxes. Carved wooden yoga blocks. A thing that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter and statically draws all the floating dog fur into its jaws.

“You said you never wanted to open a restaurant,” I said, peering in the window beside her.

The tavern was dark and filthy. Floor tiles were missing, and the ceiling had a hole in it where someone had fallen through from the attic. On the front of the bar where your feet would kick, wavy lines of glue were all that remained to inform us that tiles or plywood had been torn down. On top of the dusty bar, a number of gray glasses stood and others lay on their sides. The walls were covered with an almost-black wood paneling. Bob’s Tavern had stood empty for years. Until the trendy coffee shop opened next door, we had no reason to visit this rundown neighborhood.

“A bar is different,” Leah said, sipping her iced latte through the straw. “Less work, higher profit margins. And we’d have our days to ourselves.”

I was not convinced; I was never convinced. Leah told me once that if she was a kite, flying high in the sky, kept aloft by her ideas as if they were the wind, then I was the string, yanking her back to the ground.

“A bar could work,” Leah said again. We walked side-by-side to our car which was packed to the gills with camping gear, gripping our coffees that would fuel us on our eleven hour trip to Maine.

Leah would have ten days in the wilderness with me to convince me, an uptight social worker who didn’t know how to make a gin and tonic, to open a bar.

copyright Amelia Sauter 2009

Photo note: I'm the one with the little boobs. The ones you can't see. Even if Leah wasn't standing in front of me.

Pom versus Pama

2009-10-08T17:23:00.006-04:00

Recently a free box of Pom pomegranate juice arrived on our doorstep. “Taste test our new products and tell us what you think!” the enclosed letter read, meaning, please like it and tell the world you like it because you are awesome and your opinions are so well-respected and we know our sales will increase exponentially as a result of your infamously witty and widely-read blog post.

Coincidentally, I also have a small bottle of Pama Liqueur on the shelf, which I bought before I realized one could successfully grovel for free samples. Dang.

First the Pom. The company sent a bunch of tea flavors as well as some 100% juices. I must admit I am biased. Hands down, I am a 100% juice girl. When something has flavoring and corn syrup added, I’m probably not going to like it. I owned Strawberry Shortcake, Peach Blush and Apple Dumplin’ dolls in 1980 and they maxed out my tolerance for fake fruit flavors, especially peach. Let sleeping dolls lie, I say.

So I found myself pleasantly surprised when I liked the sweetened Pomegranate Lychee Green Tea. I wouldn’t mind drinking it if I was on a road trip and it’s all they sold at the Quik Fill. My first choice of the new flavors, however, is the 100% Kiwi Pomegranate juice. Good stuff. As a purist, I also like plain old Pom.

Pama Liqueur rode the coattails of the “pomegranate is good for you” movement. Though I doubt it has the health benefits of pomegranate juice, heck, it’s got my other favorite vitamin, alcohol. Pama is a great addition to a gin and tonic or to a vodka collins, and because it is more concentrated in flavor than juice, there’s more room for alcohol in the glass. Works for me.

Which do I prefer in a cocktail, Pom or Pama? Both. I think juice tastes better in a cosmo, but I like liqueur added to a mixed drink. A recent taste test of a Countrypolitan proved that both Pom or Pama complement bourbon nicely, so you can confidently use whichever one you happen to have in the house (bar). And they are both more convenient than dealing with those slimy crunchy fresh pomegranate seeds.

Countrypolitan

1 ½ ounce Knob Creek or Woodford Reserve bourbon

½ ounce sweetened lime juice

½ ounce Cointreau

½ ounce Pama or 1 ounce Pom 100% juice

lime wheel

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Road Trip! Adirondacks Again

2009-09-30T14:15:00.005-04:00

Once a year, Leah and I jump off the grid and land in the middle of nowhere in the Adirondacks for a week. The fall is a quiet time up in them there hills, with no screaming mosquitos or buzzing children to bother us.

Our adventures this year brought us into close proximity to merganzers, ruffed grouse (grouses? grice?), an angry pileated woodpecker, red squirrels, old growth pine trees and Lake Placid Ubu Ale. Rich and malty, this dark red beer tasted great with a bleu cheese burger and eggplant parm from the Adirondack Mountain Grill in Indian Lake.

Back at the cabin, we drank a lot of Heron Hill Chardonnay, plus one of Leah's birthday gifts from bartender Melissa, Westmalle Dubbel Belgian Trappist Ale, which paired delightfully with sourdough bread and cheddar cheese.

Ironically, a hike in the Finger Lakes National Forest yesterday brought us into close proximity with a moaning black bear. OK, we didn't see the bear directly and I'm not sure the park ranger believed us, but the only other thing that could have been making that hair-raising noise is a zombie, and I doubt a zombie would want to hang out in the forest since human brains are scarce. What, you don't believe me either? Go to this site on bears and scroll to the last sound clip. If what we heard wasn't a bear, then from what I can tell from my extensive (five minutes of) web research, Bigfoot is hiding out in the Hector's National Forest. You heard it here first.

Speaking of birthdays, Felicia Atomic Lounge turns 5 years old tomorrow. What is that in human years?

Bitters Make it Better

2009-09-17T23:10:00.010-04:00

Leah delved into making her own bitters earlier this summer. Her orange bitters are now available at the Lounge, most often added to Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. Her lavender bitters totally kick butt, and they made it immediately - and successfully - into a parade of delicious gin and tonics. Usually I don't like lavender in my beverages because I feel like I'm drinking massage oil or lotion, but the lavender gin and tonic is divine to imbibe, as is Felicia's non-bitter lavender lemonade. (Regarding a chocolate bar with lavender in it, I would prefer it if you melted it and rubbed it all over my back, thank you.)

The coffee bitters smell like fresh roasted coffee, but they definitely are not for the faint of heart. When I tasted them, I wanted to add sugar, cream and Monin toffee nut syrup. So far, we haven't gotten past the urge to turn the coffee bitters into a latte.

Anyone have suggestions for what kind of drink to make with coffee bitters?

Review: Finger Lakes Distilling

2009-09-09T13:45:00.011-04:00

First - get it on you calendar - Felicia's is hosting a tasting of Finger Lakes Distilling's products at the Lounge this Thursday, September 10, 2009 from 7pm-8:30pm. Prez Brian McKenzie will be there to pour the goods, and you get to meet the Master Distiller, Thomas McKenzie, who is an entertaining, story-filled deep south Alabaman with the accent to prove it.

Now let's talk booze.

Here's what we're carrying at Felicia's and some of our thoughts about tasting and mixing with Finger Lakes Distilling liquors:Vintner's Vodka - The cool thing about this vodka is that it's made from local grapes. What you'll notice when you taste it is that it is fruity and floral, almost but not quite sweet, making it great for a martini with a twist of lemon or if you're a wussy, you might like it with cranberry juice. Olive juice with this vodka is a no-no.Seneca Drums Gin - The gin has been a big seller at the Lounge. Also made from grapes, it has a bunch of subtle herbal notes that shine through any mixer. We like it with tonic, lavender lemonade, in a mojito (in place of the rum, silly, not in addition to it) or as a stand-alone sipper.Glen Thunder Corn Whiskey - Drink it as a shot. Try it in an old fashioned. Or be like Felicia and substitute it for cachaca in a caipirinha. Earthy and potent, this hooch tastes like Hector would taste if a backwoods town could turn into a liquor.Vintner's Wild Berry Vodka - Tastes like exactly what it is: vodka mashed up with local blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Also rocks out with lavender lemonade, plus we like it in a cosmopolitan.
Felicia's is also carrying Finger Lakes Distilling's liqueurs: blueberry, raspberry, cassis and maplejack. My personal favorite, berry whore that I am, is the raspberry. I could drink it straight.Hector has long been known as the land of making hooch, and this time it's legal. Finger Lakes Distilling has gotten some great press, not only because it's unique to have liquor on the wine trail, but because they got some good hooch going on over there. Hope to see you Thursday, and if you can't make it, you'll just have to visit the distillery yourself.

Saving Basil

2009-09-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that it went to down to 43 degrees on Monday night. At midnight, when the thermometer hit 45 degrees, I snuck out to the garden with a lantern to harvest some basil for fear that there would be damage.

The good news is that I needed to harvest some anyway, and the even better news is that the morning revealed that the damage was minimal. Literally only a couple of leaves turned brown.

Since the basil only started producing prolifically a few weeks ago due to our cold, wet summer, I'm glad we're going to have a few more weeks of life with it.

I wonder when it's going to frost this year? Usually we have a hard frost the third week of September, but last year it was well into October before there was any significant frost. By then, we were so tired of mojitos that it was good to see the mint go.

OK, big fat LIE. The mint, hardy as ever, lived until January. But we were damn tired of muddling so we took mojitos off the menu.

For now, though, while it's still kinda sorta summer, feel free to pig out on mojitos and basil-infused vodka.

AlleyArt: Sustainable Mobiles

2009-09-01T12:58:00.009-04:00

Felicia's Atomic Lounge's September AlleyArt show is Sustainable Mobiles by Laura Robert. The opening reception (featuring Felicia bean burgers for one night only!) is Tuesday, September 1 from 5:30pm-7pm. The show will be up through the end of September.

Laura Robert was born in 1953, the oldest of nine children in an Air Force family. Her father retired when she was fifteen and the family moved to New Orleans. Laura has lived in or near Ithaca for almost 30 years.

Laura describes her inspiration, "I love the deep green of the trees, and the water which is heard before it is seen. My art is largely articulated by the materials at hand, and the environment in which it is created. I like to make the objects crowded so that they make music on their own."

Laura started making mobiles when a friend visited her on the Cape in the early 90's, creating the first one with dental floss. The Felicia show was created in the first three weeks of August 2009 while Laura was vacationing on Cape Cod.

"The campground 'pick-up' lady saves interesting stuff for me," says Laura. "Everything else is found on the beach, or just plain looking down."

Laura's mobiles are available for purchase and each will be awarded to the highest bidder. Sale proceeds will go to the Advocacy Center. The mobiles are numbered on the back; look for the bidding container in Felicia's Alley.

Felicia is currently accepting submissions for fall and spring AlleyArt. Guidelines can be read here.

Peach Basil Cocktail

2009-08-26T15:05:00.006-04:00

Peaches are one of my favorite local summer fruits. Bourbon is one of my favorite liquids of all time. Basil is one of the best herbs on the planet. Shit. Might as well whirl them all up together and stick 'em in a beverage:

Peach-Basil Cocktail

1 1/2 ounces Woodford Reserve bourbon
3 ounces peach-basil puree (see below)
splash of club soda
basil leaf

Shake bourbon and peach-basil puree with ice. Serve unstrained on the rocks with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a basil leaf.

Peach-Basil Puree

2 fresh ripe peaches (or try nectarines!)
8 fresh basil leaves, torn up
1/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup (half sugar, half water)

Puree ingredients in the blender. Drink it straight, drink it with club soda, drink it with whiskey. Drink it.

We aren't just locavores, we're loca-whores. We can't get enough.

Review: Michael Collins Irish Whiskey

2009-08-23T13:12:00.006-04:00

The companies that send you free liquor as a marketing ploy are typically the underdogs. I don't expect anyone to show up asking me if I want to taste-test Jameson. Something about the popular kids draws excessive attention from fans and wanna-bes. Are the popular kids pretty? Do they have more money, better clothes, their own cars? Do they have sex with everyone?

Behind the popular crowd are the less recognized but often just as talented kids. Michael Collins Irish Whiskey is in this latter group. Some people - the aware ones - say, "Oh, sure, he's a pretty good guy." They know who he is even if they don't hang out with him much. The self-centered ones stare blankly. "Michael who? Is he that quiet dude in my gym class?"

What the other kids don't know is that Michael Collins is pretty smart. He's going to grow up to be a damn good Irish Whiskey, while the popular girl drops out of school pregnant, works at Dunkin' Donuts, and marries the football star who goes bald prematurely and gets really fat.

Yes, Michael Collins has something.

After we drank most of the bottle a sip at a time, Leah made good on her promise to actually create a cocktail, where Michael Collins gets to mingle with a very nice girl:

Michael and Rosemary

2 1/4 ounces Michael Collins Irish Whiskey
1 ounce rosemary-maple syrup (see recipe below)
1 orange wheel (1/4 inch thick)
3 dashes Angostura bitters
sprig of rosemary

Muddle all ingredients, using only 1/2 orange wheel. Add ice. Garnish with rosemary spring and other half of the orange wheel.

Rosemary Maple Syrup

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup water
6 inch spring rosemary

Put maple syrup and water into a saucepan. Remove rosemary leaves from sprig and discard stem. Break leaves into pieces, and add to maple syrup mixture. Bring to a quick boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain.

Give us a week or two, and we'll have some Michael Collins stocked at the Lounge for you to try in some cocktails.

AlleyArt: Drunken Fishbowl

2009-08-17T22:45:00.013-04:00

Felicia's latest AlleyArt installation at the Lounge will convince you that trash CAN be converted to treasures. The Drunken Fishbowl by Emily Benning is an "underwater" installation of fish constructed with 99% recycled materials. Look closely and you can identify Gimme Coffee bags, bottle caps, Christmas tree ornaments, newspapers, bottles, beer cans and bubble wrap. The show is up until August 31. Here are some pics in case you are not local folk:

Mixology Monday XLI: Vodka Is Your Friend

2009-08-11T21:29:00.045-04:00

Guess I hit a nerve with this one. Blood pressures are soaring on blogs everywhere! Most of those posting a blog on this month's Mixology Monday topic, "Vodka is your Friend," took this opportunity to vent their distaste for vodka, with a "yeah, but" recipe added after their cathartic venting session. That will be $90 for your cocktail therapy. Now pass the vodka.
Thank you to everyone who participated in MxMo XLI! Before I get to the round up, as I sit and type at my friend's lake house, I have no reservations about sharing with you that I am sipping a Grey Goose orange and tonic as I write. I love the stuff. I also love bourbon. And gin. And cachaca. And scotch. Since I have been drinking, eating and swimming for three days, credit for my own Mixology Monday cocktail goes to my partner Leah Houghtaling, who created the State Street 75 a few years ago, and our bartender Lil' Claire who added some blueberries to one yesterday and modeled her drink for the photo op.

Blueberry State Street 75
1.5 ounces citrus vodka
1/4 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce lemon juice
8 blueberries
champagne or sparkling wine (we used Cava)

Muddle the blueberries.
Add vodka, simple syrup and lemon juice.
Top with champagne and a few more blueberries.

And now for the ROUND UP of all the excellent MIXOLOGY MONDAY vodka posts:

Chris at Urbane, Not Cosmopolitan is our first contestant on “Vodka is your Friend.” Come on down, Chris! Chris overcame his anti-vodka, anti-cosmo manifesto with a trip to his local hooch manufacturer, the Great Lakes Distillery, where Chris discovered Rehorst Citrus and Honey Vodka. He created Milwaukee Lemonade and the Fiery Citrus Cocktail. His experimentations left him humbly admitting that vodka may have earned a place in his spirit world.
MxMo newbie Daniel of Gin, Not Vodka has another "this-not-that" website name that lets you know his feelings on the “vile spirit." Lucky for him, kissing the butt of the MxMo host is not a requirement for inclusion in the Mixology Monday club. Daniel uses lapsang souchong-infused scotch with vodka to create two unique drinks, Smoke on the Water and the Lazy Cocktail.

Also new to Mixology Monday - though not so new to the pain of vodka – Herr Grau has great plans to get rich, like the rest of us cocktail bloggers already have, from his Look Alive Contest blog. He writes, “All alcohol is your friend.” He then proceeds to give the funniest explanation EVER of why vodka, in particular, is your pal. I laughed my a** off. This is my new favorite blog!
Wodka ist unser freund! Jorg (imagine two dots over the "o") at DrinkMix earns cocktail points with me for arguing that while vodka may be relatively flavorless, it can still be quality. A man after my own glass. His Legends Cocktail with elderflower liqueur, cranberry, citrus fruits and citrus vodka is a refreshing interpretation of one of Dale DeGroff's concoctions. Click “weiterlesen” for an English translation of his post.
Jon of ednbrg offers another cocktail with an elderflower-citrus theme. Almost as good as his drink recipe is his MxMo description, "Mixology Monday is billed as the monthly online cocktail party, where our host chooses a theme and we rock up a couple of hours late, stinking of cheap wine and muttering something about “consumption”."

Tiare joins us from under A Mountain of Crushed Ice to tout the Bloody Mary. Her own New Orleans-style recipe reminds us that vodka is great for breakfast. Look at this picture – it makes me want to lick the glass (and drink, of course).
Can you be classy AND drink flavored vodka? Alpha Cook says yes. While I happen to know her drink of choice is bourbon with an expensive cigar back, she is not ashamed to admit she likes a vodka collins with Blueberry Stoli and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Ask her about the infamous Nat's Peach Fuzz Bubbly, too, next time you see her. Nat, I miss you. When are you coming home? I'm out of cigars.
The Cocktail Virgin, er, Slut, gives a recipe for a Sputnik: Russian vodka with Fernet Branca and lemon juice. I have not tried it yet, but it sounds like a perfect playmate for my lake house antics and this hot weather.
Pantagruel also used vodka to tame the wild Fernet Branca, in a cocktail called the Vilnius Nastavnic. At no extra cost to you, Pantagruel threw in a second cocktail, the Surrender Monkey, because who doesn’t love a monkey?
Beers in the Shower blogger Kevin offers his Piece de Resistance: vodka, Cointreau, Benedictine and orange bitters.

The Cocktail Chronicles posted a cocktail recipe that used Benedictine as well, plus vodka and Angostura bitters. It was a big day yesterday at the Cocktail Chronicles: August 10, 2009, MxMo XLI, will now be forever remembered as the day Paul added a -gasp- vodka category to his blog.
Similarly, Stevi at Two At The Most gave us a version of the Mike Romanoff Cocktail: vodka, Cointreau, bitters and apricot liqueur. I actually have all these ingredients in my liquor cabinet and I can pronounce them. Good deal.
Let's pause for a minute to mention the vodka blog posts that, in fact, contained no vodka. Michael at My Aching Head rebelled with a Russian Pirate, a White Russian with rum replacing vodka. The Dude might not approve, though The Dood probably would.

After renouncing “vodka is your friend” as a diabolical theme, DrinkSnob at Liquor is Quicker laments that she has no vodka in the house and a bad case of F.O.M.O (Fear Of Missing Out) on MxMo. She concocts the “highly informative and well-reasoned” Churchill Martini which contains no vodka.

John the Bastard also left the vodka out. No, I’m not calling him a bastard because he has decidedly proclaimed vodka is his enemy; that’s the name of his blog. And John hates vodka. He posted a few cocktail recipes based on both rum and gin.
Speaking of The Dude, Scomorokh at ScienceOfDrink posted multiple variations of both White and Black Russians.
And speaking of The Dood, Rum Dood graciously accepted that vodka has a place in our liquor cabinets beside (behind) the rum, and posted an amazing recipe for a Coriander Kiss, which contains vodka infused with cilantro, honey and peppercorns.
Kevin from the Dallas Drinks Examiner says that while vodka is “devoid of flavor” it lets other ingredients shine. His spiffy Tuxedo Cocktail contains vermouth, absinthe, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters alongside vodka.
At Food On The Brain, Jessamyn complains that she can't work out her relationship with vodka, even with some Pernod and an orange twist, raising the universal question: why can’t we all just get along? Jessamyn gets an "A" for effort.
Vidiot at Cocktailians almost spilled a drink on the computer when the CAPTCHA for posting a MxMo comment was “Palin.” I had nothing to do with it, Vidiot, unless the other word in the CAPTCHA was “Good-bye.” Inspired by good ol' Trader Joe’s, Vidiot created a green-tea-meets-cranberry-lillet concoction.
An appreciation of vodka came from the Spirits Review blog post titled “In Praise of Vodka”, which sounds like the name of a morning-has-broken poem or an inspired symphony. Their advice? Just chill it and drink it. A second post on Spirits Review was more elaborate, making a sour drink using Bee Vodka (honey-based) from Hidden Marsh Distillery, right near me in Seneca Falls, NY. Why haven't I been there yet?
Steve and Paul at Cocktail Buzz also have nice things to say about their buddy, vodka, aka "water with a kick." The Universe cocktail includes Midori, pistachio liqueur and pineapple juice. I think I need a pink sundress and a straw hat to sip this one.
And pink can be found at Bubbly Girl. Maria mixed up a Rose Guava Pinky for this month's MxMo, a floral herbal fruity drink made with Pinky Vodka. This cocktail sounds right up my alley since I like the flavors of the garden.
Thinking of drinking? Head on over to Thinking of Drinking for a garden-based caipiroska with cucumber, lime and fresh oregano. Sonja is not ashamed to say, "Vodka still rules." I adore this cocktail.

Andrew at Cask Strength does not love vodka per se, rather he sees vodka as a teaching tool with an ulterior motive. Specifically, he recommends giving someone a bag of lemons and a zester so they can practice zesting. The rind goes into a bottle of vodka (which he has no use for otherwise), and viola! Limoncello, and you are now a zester pro.
Over on eGullet Spirits and Cocktail forum, the discussion this week centered on beets and sheets. Chris Amirault's Borsch Belt reminds us that if you can grow it, you can drink it.
eGullet alchemist Toby wins the prize for the drink with the most ingredients. His Navy Sheets has 11 separate ingredients, including berries, aperol, Lillet blond and St. Germaine.

Other attention-grabbers on eGullet include the Vice (chili-infused vodka), Gilded Cage, and Smoking Martini (vodka, Laphroig, absinthe, strawberries, and more).
My Life On The Rocks blogger Lance came in a close second with 8 intriguing ingredients in his Kingyo No Funi, such as cocoa infused vodka and Scrappy’s chocolate bitters. What the heck does Kingyo No Funi mean?

The Opinionated Alchemist has an opinion: If you want to showcase vodka, you should be able to do it without using a flavored vodka and without infusing it. The Alchemist's solution? The Nihonshu Martini, a vodka-sake martini with a dash of bitters. As sake continues to surge in popularity, interest will keep increasing in sake cocktails.
The Bar Blog/Barkeep Mister Matt G. answers the question "Is vodka your friend?" with a resounding, "Yes it is." His drink of the week is a cooler with vodka, gingerale and acai blackberry syrup.

Christian of Cocktailwelten wrote to me, "Vodka is not my friend but Cosmopolitans are OK." I’m not sure what the rest of the blog post says 'cause it’s in German, but I'll bet his drink recipe contains vodka.
Chuck at Looka!, self-proclaimed God Emperor of Procrastination, sent a late entry so as not to ruin his reputation. He implies vodka is just a phase that we’ve all gone through. However, it sounds like he is addicted to a Polish bison-grass vodka with which he made two cocktails. He wrote a wicked long blog entry, which is probably why he had to submit it late. An all-nighter and a half.
Jacob of Liquidity Preference also posted late. He took the most beautiful picture of his hibiscus tea and ginger liqueur cocktail, and while not technically a procrastinator, could be dubbed the God Emperor of Forgetfulness for posting but forgetting to let me know. Hey, I have that same coaster set.
Last but certainly not least, let us not forget to appreciate the simple vodka martini: Undertaking the Bar recommends chilled vodka with onion-stuffed olives and freshly ground black pepper. The excellent flavor of a good vodka is sure to shine through with this Peppertini.
Editor's Note 8/14/09: Late MxMo entry! A competitor for the God Emperor of Forgetfulness title, In Search of a Cocktail found a sweet drink for his girlfriend with Pinky Vodka, homemade grenadine and strawberries.
That's all, folks! Hope you were not too traumatized by this month's vodka theme. Stretching is good for you, and if you can't quite reach the vodka, there is always yoga. Everything is blurring together for me right about now, so if I missed anyone's posts, pictures or links, please let me know and I will correct it. Thanks for participating in Mixology Monday and we'll see you next month! In the in-between time, let's all follow each other on Twitter and subscribe to each others' blogs.

Now...I'm going swimming.

-amelia sauter aka Felicia

MxMo Update

2009-08-10T09:59:00.006-04:00

Mixology Monday blog posts have rolled in, theme being "Vodka is your Friend." I'm excited to review and taste-test the recipes, some of which, in rebellious MxMo fasion, don't even include any vodka.

We are unexpectedly housesitting all week for some friends who live on Cayuga Lake. It's hard work to be kicking back so intensely, but in between beers and swimming, I will work on the round up of all your great posts.

Check back here tonight to see everyone's vodka creations, including mine, which I can get away with posting incredibly late, since I am in charge. Buwahahahaha! (evil laugh). I vow to not be corrupted by all this power.

Bunny Mojitos

2009-08-05T08:48:00.007-04:00

The mint grew wildly this summer. Because it only rained once in the Northeast, a downpour that lasted about two months, the voracious four-lined plant bug used the mint leaves as umbrellas rather than dinner. We have consistently been able to harvest two pounds of mint a week for the Lounge mojitos.

But why did nothing else in the garden seem to be growing? Besides the obvious lack of sunshine, Eesah the Lounge Dog discovered the culprit while we were picking mint one day and I heard him pick up a squeaky toy. At least I thought it was a squeaky toy, until I realized that baby bunnies squeal just like squeaky toys upon finding themselves in a dog's mouth. And there it was, in the thick of the mint bed: A rabbit nest.

Because it only takes a couple of weeks for rabbits to mature into hypersexualized teenagers, a Teen Mama Bunny was small enough to get through the garden fence. She had found the perfect place to raise a family, inside a protected area full of bunny food, safe from the dog (except when we picked mint) and other hungry four-footed creatures.

Eesah uncovered two more rabbit nests this summer, one under a bush and one in the lemon balm, which has resulted in an extensive graveyard at the edge of the yard; we've buried six babies to date. I didn't have the heart to disturb the rest of the babies and even went so far as to erect a fence around one nest to keep the dog out.

Destructive, yes, but baby bunnies are so damn cute and fuzzy, even in the garden.

Upcoming Mixology Monday: Vodka Is Your Friend

2009-07-31T14:31:00.006-04:00

After an intensive recovery period from the drunken debauchery at Tales of the Cocktail, August finds us back on track with Mixology Monday, carousing with our old friend, vodka.

The theme of August 10th’s Mixology Monday is “Vodka is Your Friend.” The recent high profile bashings of vodka interspersed with a few weak “yeah, buts…” left me wondering, is vodka the axis of evil, our most dangerous enemy? While it may not be the life of the party, experts agree: Vodka’s obituary does not have to be written just yet.

A lot of people have rules when it comes to drinking cocktails. Some (underprivileged, unfashionable, unconscious) folks don’t like bourbon. Others can’t handle gin. I can’t stomach rum, thanks to my Bacardi-Rum-151-meets-roller-skating incident when I was 14. Vodka can be a “safer” spirit for those who can’t be convinced to take risks.

Vodka also offers a Zen-like simplicity. Because it is relatively flavorless, using vodka as a base of a cocktail means you get to start with a blank chalkboard. Beginner’s mind. What flavor would you like to be today?

I just glanced at our Lounge cocktail menu and realized that more than – yikes - half of our house cocktails are based on vodka. You won’t find a lot of fancy pants drinks on our menu, but you will find concoctions on our specials boards bursting with fresh, local fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. Vodka is an excellent neutral base for our locavore infusion experimentations.

The Wall Street Journal might say vodka is passé, but the New York times counters that it ain’t dead yet. Vodka is still your friend. So what do YOU like about vodka? Why do you keep that bottle of Grey Goose on your shelf? What do your customers beg you to make with vodka? What vodka-based drink has stayed in your personal book of beloved cocktails? ‘Fess up.

Here’s how Mixology Monday works:

Find or create a cocktail that contains vodka as one of its ingredients.

Post your recipe and reasonings on your blog along with a drink photo. Make sure to include a link to Felicia’s Speakeasy (this blog) and Mixology Monday, as well as the MxMo logo.

Email me a link to your post before midnight on Monday, August 10 (amelia AT atomicloungeithaca DOT com) –or- post a link to your blog as a comment on this post.

I will post a wrap up on my blog with all of the cocktails and photos on late Tuesday or Wednesday. Za Vas!

Editor's note: It is OK to use flavored vodka, as long as your final cocktail tastes good!

Dalmore and Mount Gay

2009-07-27T17:35:00.009-04:00

Ask and the booze gods shall giveth. In a June blog post, I included Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III ($200) and Mount Gay Rum Extra Old ($45) in my Father's Day gift list and lamented that my sexy marketing pal, Sarah, did not include samples when she sent me info on these liquors. Well, Sarah just happens to be one of the three people who read my blog (my mom is the second and the third is some guy who lives in Sweden). Sarah heard my thirsty cries, and guess what I got in the mail a week later?

Let's get a few things straight about the Dalmore. Even if I did get a whole bottle of the good stuff, I probably would not share it with you. I discovered that there is a huge difference between expensive scotch and cheap scotch, and I'm keeping the good stuff for myself. But I will tell you what you are missing:

Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III is sweet and rich like butterscotch. It has a lightly toasted vanilla caramel flavor that skates smoothly across a wood undertone. Leah says that if scotch were a hard candy, she would want it to taste like Dalmore 1263. It made me - and this never happens to me - it made me want a cigar. I don't have $200 to spend today, but if I did...Oh, if I did. Mine all mine.

And in the other glass, Mount Gay Rum Extra Old. The website is annoying to navigate (Sarah, why are liquor websites so extravagantly complicated?) but Mount Gay is a damn good fruity rum swollen with the flavors of ripe banana and molasses...Hey, wait a minute, haven't we served Mount Gay at the Lounge? Why, yes we have. Time to get more on the shelf. Sorry to not remember this sooner but I have a little rum issue. My aversion to rum hearkens back to an incident at age 14 that involved a roller skating rink and Bacardi Rum 151. Oh, the 1980's. My parents punished my by making me go to work the next day, and god punished me when at work, ends up I had to serve rum cake to everybody. Thinking back on it, my mouth is watering. In a bad way. Rum, it's me, it's not you. You're OK, and I know the right person for you is out there reading this.

One last note about Mount Gay: If you come into the Lounge and think it is cool to pronounce Mount Gay with an overly dramatic French accent, like, "Can I please have some "Mow Geh" and coke?", we will laugh at you and make fun of you, unless you are actually French.

AlleyArt in the News

2009-07-22T13:44:00.009-04:00

"Already a muse for its patrons, Felicia's Atomic Lounge is blending creativity with
passion for sustainable and responsible living." Ithaca Times, July 22, 2009

Felicia's Atomic Lounge's sustainable AlleyArt got a nice write up in the Ithaca Times this week. The article highlighted owners Leah and Amelia's quiet persistence that we all need to get off our butts to recycle, reuse and reinvent resources. Felicia's composts, purchases alternative wind energy, and buys produce locally. That means drinking at Felicia's reduces your carbon footprint. Cool deal.

The photos on this blogpost feature the FarmArt of our July artist, Charlie Elrod. Felicia's August AlleyArt show will exhibit the Drunken Fishbowl shenanigans of artist Emily Benning. Her work can be seen at http://ebenning.carbonmade.com. Got art you want to show at Felicia's? Read the submission guidelines here.

Here's the link to the full Ithaca Times article:
http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=64&ArticleID=9551

Boilermaker

2009-07-08T09:02:00.002-04:00

Hopefully by the time you read this, the sun will be shining in Ithaca. If not, we will just have to accept the latest fashion trend: Rain is the new sun.

Over the past few months, umbrellas have been accidentally and shamelessly abandoned at Felicia’s Atomic Lounge; most of them are shiny black or navy blue, with the occasional hot pink, red polka dot or blue striped umbrella intermingling with the drab. While inspiring fashionable raincoats and designer umbrellas, the rain has not been inspirational in the creation of sunny summer cocktails.

We fall back instead on one of our old standbys, the Boilermaker. A Boilermaker is a simple concept: a shot of whiskey with a beer on the side. A tradition maintained by our grandfathers and their grandfathers before them, the Boilermaker is the perfect drink to blend your mood in with the drizzly landscape.

Amelia’s tasting tip: Whiskey tastes best when drunk out of one of your dad’s old, beat up rocks glasses.

Leah’s tasting tip: Try Dogfish Head's Raison D'Etre mahogany ale with a shot of Glenlivet scotch.

Boilermaker

1 beer
1 shot of whiskey (or tequila or vodka)

Drink. Mope. Hope for sunshine.

Bacon

2009-07-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

No, we have not tried infusing bourbon with bacon yet. Yet. But we are excited to tell you we have added a BLT Panini to our Felicia menu.

Bacon rules. Period. Our BLT's are made with bacon from happy pigs who contentedly roam a nearby farm, oblivious to the fact that they are going to be lovingly slaughtered one day. Our tomatoes and lettuce are also local (and sin-free - they come from the Amish farm). The happy eggs in the aioli are local and free-range, too. The best part: Mandy has been slaving in the kitchen to make homemade foccaccia bread.

The pizza doughs are now also house-made. Our pesto pizza will have a seasonal pesto in the summer; currently it is made with arugula, spinach and basil. While we have nixed the apple walnut and fig tapenade for the time being, we will have occasional seasonal pizza specials depending on what local vegetables are capable of growing with basically no sun and all rain since that's been the weather in Ithaca since 2001.
Being that I kind of pretty much suck in the kitchen, I rolled out some of Mandy's dough too thick and had to bring the doughs home where we cooked (burnt) them on the grill. That's what you see in the picture above. We are oven-less at home, ever since the mice infested the old oven and the new oven broke immediately after the warranty expired. Curse you, Frigidaire!

The Chicken BBQ Phenomenon - Week 9

2009-07-05T13:10:00.002-04:00

Nothing happened on Father's Day weekend. No chicken BBQs. Dads apparently don't need BBQ because they are BBQ embodied.

When I started this Chicken BBQ Phenomenon blog topic, I imagined that I would find a dozen BBQs every weekend because that's what my exaggerated mind remembered from the previous summer: small town chicken BBQs everywhere.

Maybe it's the recession. Maybe it's my memory. Maybe it's the rain. (Fashion note: Rain is the new sun in the Northeast.) At any rate, if I see one chicken BBQ on any given weekend this summer, it's a good weekend.

Despite the chicken BBQ shortage, the Trumansburg Rotary was out barbecuing chicken yesterday for July 4th, but business was slow. It's a grill-at-home-with-the-family holiday. Even I was at home grilling chicken - happy, free-range chicken.

Fourth of July Cocktails

2009-07-04T16:06:00.008-04:00

This blog post is almost stupidly late, since it's Fourth of July already, and who sits inside at the computer and reads blogs on July 4th? Oh, that would be me.

My pal Ellen at Deussen Global Communications contacted me a few weeks ago and said, "Oh, Felicia, you are my hero. If you post some of my cocktail recipes on your blog, I will love you forever, ship you free samples of every booze imaginable and send you naked pictures of me wearing nothing but a Felicia knit cap."

OK, the conversation wasn't exactly like that, but the recipes look pretty darn good so here are a few:

The American Collins

1 ½ oz. Bombay Sapphire
¾ oz. Simple Syrup
½ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
4 Bing Cherries, pitted
8 Blueberries

In a Collins glass, muddle the blueberries and cherries in the lemon juice and simple syrup.
Add Sapphire and ice and stir briefly. Top with club soda. Garnish with a bing cherry and a lemon wheel.

Firecracker

3 ounces Flor de Caña 7 Year Grand Reserve Rum (we don't have this at the lounge. in fact, i've never even tried it. but if i got an email about it, it must be good, right?... right?)
1 ounce Triple Sec
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce simple syrup (boil and cool equal parts water and sugar)
4 watermelon chunks
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whirl all ingredients together and pour into a glass. Garnish with a lime wheel. Oops! The blender is broken. I swear it's true.

Stars and Stripes

1/4oz Lucid Absinthe
1 oz Blueberry Vodka
1/4oz Simple Syrup
Splash of Lemon Juice
Drizzle of Raspberry Liqueur
Gingerbeer
Fresh Blueberries

Muddle fresh blueberries and add syrup, Lucid juice and vodka.
Add ice and shake and pour into highball glass. Drizzle Liqueur and top with Ginger Beer. Garnish with one sugar cube.

Disclaimer: I have actually not had time to try any of these yet since I have been too busy making our latest snack at the lounge, BLT Paninis. If you want one of these drinks, print out the recipe and bring it with you in case you get to the lounge tonight before I do. And bring your own berries cause I'm sure as hell not going berry picking any time soon.

God Bless America, and God Bless Bacon.

xo
Felicia

Strawberry Cocktails

2009-06-24T12:50:00.004-04:00

Drink your strawberries while you can! Back by popular demand, Felicia is going to be serving up Strawberry-Basil Cocktails, starting today and ending really soon since strawberry season just doesn't feel long enough.

Of course, you can always buy strawberries off-season, but they are genetically altered giant mutants (that's a quarter next to the two in the above picture) who will eat your dog while you sleep.

Last week, we smashed strawberries into our mojitos, and we have also been known to sneak strawberries into everything else, too, like our State Street 75 and fresh spiked lemonade.

I can personally attest to how incredible the Strawberry-Basil Cocktail is since I drank five of them last night (Mom and Dad, I did not really drink excessively. Honest. I am exaggerating to amuse my reading audience). Seriously. Best. Drink. Ever.

Oh - one other tip - bourbon lovers should try replacing the vodka with Knob Creek, if you can get your hands on some ever-elusive Knob before the predicted outage.