Sorry, Cats, you had a great run through the brackets. I was rooting for you last night, but UConn just played a better game. They made their free throws and 3s. Sure, the refs were blind, but when are they not? It was a good run nonetheless. #bbn #barbellenation
2013’s Tale of the Horse winner Alexis Weber (center) with Chef John Varanese (left)
The third annual Tale of the Horse contest takes place tonight at Varanese, 2106 Frankfort Ave., at 5:30 p.m. Stop by for happy hour on your way home! Sponsored by MyDerbyLove.com, the contest challenges area bartenders to create an original post-Derby cocktail intended to be enjoyed the day after Derby — you know, when your head is pounding and you’re not sure where your shoes are. The event is free to attend, and there will be giveaways and drink and dinner specials.
I’ll be judging the fierce competition once again this year and am looking forward to seeing what creative concoctions the bartenders come up with. Last year, Alexis Weber of Sidebar won with her drink named Vivacious Vixen. It was vivacious indeed.
It’s OK, Ronald. Cheer up. I tried the new Taco Bell breakfast and didn’t much care for it. You’ll always be my No. 1 stop for a quick fast-food coffee in the morning.
I usually shy away from organized conventions because the topics just don’t hold my attention enough to give up an entire afternoon. But then I heard about this Cocktail Culture Conference, and my outlook began to change. Organized by U of L and Drake University, the event spans two days and is fairly reasonable — the morning sessions at the Brown Hotel are free, and the afternoon sessions at St. Charles Exchange are $10 and include drink samples. Some of the more interesting topics include “Cocktail Culture, Idealized Feminity and Post-War Cocktail Dress” by Lori Hall-Araujo (independent); “Hangovers, Hairs of the Dog, and the Inevitability of Excess” by Stephen Schneider (U of L); and “Confessions of a Cocktail Nerd” by Sonja Kassebaum of North Shore Distillery.
I’m participating in Saturday afternoon’s panel discussion on Louisville’s own cocktail scene. Mom is proud! My session starts at 2:30 p.m. at St. Charles Exchange and costs $10 — but there will be cocktail samples involved! Woot! The session before mine starts at 1, so you should make an afternoon of it. Here are the details:
April 4-5
Cocktail Culture Conference
Brown Hotel & St. Charles Exchange
cocktailconference.wordpress.com
So, if you don’t have any plans after work, you should join me at Haymarket Whiskey Bar (331 E. Market St.) for a bourbon class with the folks from Maker’s Mark and Jim Beam and free appetizers from the yummy pizza place, LouiLoui’s. I know there will be several bourbon samples and lots of nerding out on all things bourbon. The cost is $15, and you can purchase tickets at leoweekly.com or at the door.
Let’s toast to sunny days ahead!
Last weekend I went to a mall. For real! It was a big mall — attached to Opryland in Nashville. We were walking along, judging people’s wardrobe selection, when we came upon Spencer’s. I thought we had time-traveled back to 1989! I was hoping I could find Debbie Gibson posters and NKOTB bed sheets and lava lamps. Well, we found only lava lamps — but so much more. I guess kids’ tastes are different these days, because there were dildos, chain wallets, a Marilyn Monroe flask, silly shot glasses and T-shirts galore.
I found a flask that I could not live without (picture coming soon) — and when I went to purchase it, the Goth/metal hybrid store clerk notified me there was a sale, and I could get another drink-related item half-off. “Shit the bed!,” I said. “BRB!” So this is what I picked out — a coffee mug that shows who’s the boss around these parts. Naturally I brought it to the office, and nobody really seems all that impressed. Oh well. It makes me happy, and I feel like a cowboy when I drink coffee out of it. I also, oddly, want to shout My name is DJ Quick, so you can fuck the rest! from one of my favorite songs, “Born and Raised in Compton.” Boom.
I wish I had my own Luck Dragon I could ride around on today. “Let’s go get beignets in New Orleans, Luck Dragon!” “Let’s go play some slots in Vegas now!” “Fly me to the moon, Luck Dragon!”
Well, those games didn’t go as I anticipated. But I guess we should be happy that UK has made it so far. Do you agree? I’d rather keep the trophy here in Kentucky than give it to some pansy state like Wisconsin or Florida.
It’s come to this. Tonight, the entire state will erupt in a sea of blue and red as battle lines are drawn. It’s U of L vs. UK for advancement in the NCAA tournament. Why are we playing each other so soon? There is no time for questions. Tonight you’re siding with a bird or a pussy. It’s up to you. Would you rather fly high or get stuck in a tree and need help from a fireman to get you down? That’s what I thought. Also, I’m allergic to Cats. Go Cards!
Who’s ready for Grease 2 Fest? Wouldn’t it be awesome if we really had one? I would totally buy a Pink Ladies jacket and some black skinny jeans. I want a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R! I always had a thing for Michelle Pfeiffer … especially when she climbs that ladder! What if the mystery man on a bike would have been a chick? My tween mind would have been blown.
