Bespoke Post: Ginka!

I was going to post this with the previous Bespoke Box post about my furry manbag, but then it just got too long, and my anecdotes were too amazing to just contain in one blogpost.

Bespoke Post is a box I ordered from Groupon at an amazing discount. They still have subscriptions for shorter lengths [1 or 2 months], and I really do recommend checking it out! Bespoke Post has all sorts of cool options to pick from each month, and they introduce three new boxes or you can choose an old box, OR just skip altogether! I love this way of doing a subscription box, and I wish more boxes could provide choice. It's a nice way for them to get rid of old stock, and a nice way for me to decline three pairs of boxers with funk powder or a stabbing knife with a journal and a fancy pen to write about all the shit I stabbed.

The September box I picked was all about gin. But, before I dive more into that, I want to post some pics of when I infused gin earlier this year. I wanted something new in the bar, so I threw some raspberries, lemon peel, and honey into one bottle [my mom's idea!], then rosemary from the yard, dried lavender, and Earl Grey tea into another [see this blog for my inspiration pictures that are classy af]. The former was delicious, sweet, and more of a liqueur, but the latter was gross at first until I realized it went very well in lemonade. Also, I realized you're not supposed to straight up drink gin. Why? Because: gross.

Top left: Earl Grey and Lavender.
All the rest: Lemon peel, raspberry, and mint infused gin. The bottom middle and right pictures show the color the gin turned, and the drained raspberries [almost vampire-esque]. 

September: Distilled

All the supplies to turn vodka into gin, just like baby Jesus turned water into wine.

You know how Ron Burgundy loves scotch? Well, I love gin, but not in an alcoholic sort of way. And not every day. I actually don't think I like gin that much, I just like it moderately.

I didn't drink till after I turned 21[I'm cool, I know], and one of the first drinks I had was a Tom Collins. However, I had it made by a bartender who must have used grenadine and something else because it was pink and delicious. Then, my next time trying gin, I couldn't remember the name of the drink so I asked for something with gin. The bartender's response? "Nothing tastes good with gin." Excuse me! Oh, and I meant "lazy beer pourer", not bartender. He gave me a pint glass filled with gin and pineapple juice. Needless to say, it was DISGUSTING, and I learned my lesson about getting drinks from people who don't know how to make them.

Oh, and after leaving my South Dakota college town and moving to Seattle, I quickly found out that $4 for a pint glass sized mixed drink was not standard. Anyway, then my gin love moved onto gin & tonics, and other bar-created drinks.

Step 1 of infusing gin from vodka: take your giant jug of vodka and add juniper berries, then let sit for 24 hours. I put mine into the pretty glass jar I was given, so that way I could see the transformation.

Secret spices. What are those puckery raisin bombs? No one knows. Maybe Bella knows... she seems almost too interested in what I'm doing.

Step 2 was enjoyable as I watched the color from the special spice mix swirl and settle into the junipery gin; happiness and excitement flickering across my face the way a child's face lights up during an egg surprise Youtube video. The vodka-gin had to sit for 12 more hours with the spices, so I set Bella to work guarding the mixture. Also, I totally love the sediment at the bottom, especially in the right middle picture where it looks like a balloon over some martian planet.

This next part was totally optional because I've had gin, and it tastes like gin. While I've never made gin, I have infused it before [see photographic evidence above] and I wanted to make this one citrusy. So, I added in an orange peel.

Recipe: all of the peel.

I couldn't actually get the orange peel out... I mean uh, that peel looks mighty purdy in there, donnit?

Step 3: once the 12 hours have passed [or another 24 if you're lazy and/or have a job], then strain the liquid and admire its amber colors in the setting sunlight.

How does she sneak into all of my photos??

This is another optional step. In a Darby Smart box several months ago, I received a sticky letter stencil kit. I decided to finally put them to use with my glass etching cream! It turned out quite light, but ah well.

Step 4: drink the ginka! Finally, after my two days of dumping pre-measured contents, shaking and etching the bottle, it was time to consume my creation. I decided to go with the Bee's Knees as my test drink of choice.

Result!

I enjoyed it. This was by far one of my favorite projects I've received in the mail. While I love the websites and customer service for Darby Smart and For the Makers, neither of them offer projects that are as interesting or challenging as I would like. Making and drinking gin? Interesting and fun, and easy as pie. I've already cleared a shelf in the bar for more liquor infusions!

And cats...

She actually used to sleep in there.

Blogging the depths of the abyss, 
[a]

PS: Step aside pumpkin lattes, last night I fell asleep listening to classical Christmas music. My mom will be so proud! She would listen to Christmas music year-round if my dad let her.

McBoyfriend's First Roadtrip

The 4th of July was not terribly exciting, though the week preceding it was. My sister and her boyfriend flew up from California the last Friday in June, and Saturday morning we drove with my boyfriend from near Seattle, Washington to just west of Yellowstone National Park. None of us had ever been to Yellowstone, and the boyfriends had never been on a roadtrip. My own boyfriend had never been east of Las Vegas, though he's been all over Eastern Europe.

Somewhere off I-90 in Montana.

The first night, we stayed in this awesome resort hotel in Montana that had a hot springs pool. Fairmont Hot Springs Resort offered a nice room, four pools--two indoor, two outdoor, each with a 90 degree and 100 degree pool. It was almost too hot at night, and definitely would not have been refreshing during the summer heat of the day. Which was unfortunate, because we all really wanted to go down their enormous slide. I personally don't recommend the food or drinks there--my "blended strawberry margarita" was more of a blended strawberry flavored milky icee that did not seem to be margarita-esque at all.

Sunday, we continued on to Yellowstone. It was quite the drive, and we ended up getting stuck in a queue of cars waiting for a herd of buffalo to decide if they wanted to cross the road. We were all pretty impressed with the park, and I think my favorite areas were the sulfur pits.

Yellowstone sulfur pits and a lone bison.

The trip across I-90 to South Dakota to see my parents went well, despite the enormous suicidal deer in Bighorn National Park Sunday night, and the torrential rain and hail that we followed from Sundance, WY into the Black Hills. Our week was very very busy--McBoyfriend pointed out that it wasn't very relaxing because we always had things to do. BUT the things we had to do included grilling and swimming at a friend's house, floating around Pactola Lake on a pontoon boat [boyfriend received a nice sunburn], playing Deadwood's first night of roulette, and seeing the sites.

Floating around the very flooded Pactola Lake.

The view of a creepy door from our Deadwood, SD hotel room.

Visiting the Homestake Mine in Lead, SD.

Mt Rushmore with my mom and McBoyfriend. Lower right is the creepiest mannequin, found in the Crazy Horse museum.

It was nice going home to see my parents, and I am glad they're finally getting loads of rain, despite the drought on the West Coast. While we did not get to see everything on our list [don't worry, we made it to Taco John's twice], we had a great time and McBoyfriend already wants to go back again.

Blogging the depths of the abyss,
[a]