My Big New Years Eve – The Drinks
I’m probably setting you up for a letdown. With this post’s title and that it’s three weeks late, the logical conclusion is that we had some epic New Year’s Eve party with A-listers like Jay-Z, Clooney, and Gwyneth.
hotbollywoodactresspics.com
Sorry to disappoint you. We couldn’t even score Rip Taylor, who I last saw do a cameo at the conclusion of Jackass 3.
worldofstage.com
No, we had a simple gathering at the home of the Sicilian – about 10 people, no kids, just enjoying good conversation. But we did eat and drink like rock stars. So why the “Big” in the title? Patience, Grasshopper, patience…
What we drank
- The Last Word – The night got off to a great start with a cocktail The Architect brought called “The Last Word”. It’s an old school concoction that was created at the Detroit Athletic Center during Prohibition and it’s turned up lately as the latest hipster cocktail across the country. Now it’s the namesake of a local live music club that recently changed hands.
- ¾ oz gin
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¾ oz Green Chartreuse
- ¾ oz maraschino liqueur
- 2005 Domaine Charvin Chateauneuf du Pape
- 2008 Domaine de l’Espigouette Vacqueyras
- 2004 Ondarre Reserva Rioja
Doesn’t sound like much, but here’s where the “big” comes in. I used this opportunity to clear out the cellar a little bit.
Prosecco, 2004 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Carlo Rossi Paisano
The standard bottle of wine is 750 mL. Did you know that the bigger bottles of wine have names for the different sizes? Here are the sizes of the names (from http://www.wineloverspage.com)
CHAMPAGNE
Magnum: 1.5 liters (two bottles) – The Prosecco
Jeroboam: 3 liters (four bottles)
Rehoboam: 4.5 liters (six bottles)
Methuselah: 6 liters (eight bottles)
Salmanazar: 9 liters (12 bottles)
Balthazar: 12 liters (16 bottles)
Nebuchadnezzar: 15 liters (20 bottles)
Even larger sizes are occasionally seen, although they are very rare:
Solomon: 20 liters (28 bottles)
Primat: 27 liters (36 bottles)
BORDEAUX
Magnum: 1.5 liters (two bottles) – The Franciscan
Marie-Jeanne: 2.25 liters (three bottles)
Double Magnum: 3 liters (four bottles)
Jeroboam: 4.5 liters (six bottles)
Impèriale: 6 liters (eight bottles)
I noticed that this above excluded the 1-Gallon size (the Carlo Rossi), so we’ll call it the “Wino Special”.
Let’s clear something up right away – that Gallo wasn’t in my cellar. I actually had to go out, pluck that baby from the bottom shelf of Kroger, and drop a Hamilton (that’s $10 US) on it. Nothing but the best for my friends.
Actually, the cheap-o wine did have a purpose – Fire Tongue Punch. Boom Boom’s parents are German immigrants and this is something of a holiday tradition where they’re from. The in-laws brought back the special punch bowl from Germany and we haven’t made it since we set our living room carpet on fire years ago. Since we were at a friend’s house, we couldn’t think of a better opportunity.
Yes, you read that right – we set our carpet on fire. It’s a warm, spiced wine with sweetness courtesy of melted sugar. It’s delicious, but it’s the preparation and process that makes it a holiday tradition.
- Pour half a gallon of a dry, fruity wine into the bowl.
- Add a halved orange, two cinnamon sticks, and 6 cloves. Gently heat to a simmer.
- Put the bowl on the stand with a lit can of Sterno to keep it warm.
- Place the special cone made of solid sugar on the slotted metal tray above the wine.
- Pour a cup of 151-proof rum on the sugar cone and light it up!
The rum helps set the cone on fire and the sugar melts into the wine to sweeten it. Meanwhile, the blue flames light up the room and the hearts of fellow partygoers. I’m not sure where you can get this equipment here in the States, but I’m sure it’s online somewhere. In case you can’t find or don’t want to invest in the equipment, I did find this little clip on how it was done way back when
Prior to serving, cross swords on top of pot and place sugar cube on it…
Sweet!!! I gotta try that next time.
As for the food, stay tuned…
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9 comments on “My Big New Years Eve – The Drinks”
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wine century
Doppel Member, Baby!
I do love me a good punch bowl!
Totally jealous of your wine selection.
I have to say I have a soft spot for the Carlo Rossi. Not the classiest, but budget drinking at its finest.
I’m not going to pass too much judgement because our college budget wine of choice was Nighttrain. 20% alcohol wine for $1.99. But the really bad choice was putting it in a beer bong and slamming it. In our graduation robes.
Haha, great post + I learned something!
You’re funny!
It sounds like a grand time to be had with all those lovely punches!!! I must try one or two of them. Saving this.
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