As I type, I am imbibing my fruit of the week. Luckily for me, earlier today, I realized my store of hard spirits was lacking, as in down to just a few ounces of cherry flavored Bourbon (don't get wise with me, it was a gift). Thus I visited my local mom and pop liquor store right after hitting the ATM at the bank. I got myself a 2 liter bottle of potato vodka (a staple) and got the wife (and me) a couple of bottles of red wine. I would have gotten a bottle of rum or Irish, maybe even both, in addition to the vodka was I not on a bit of a budget because I am headed to FL for a week next week and because I just spent last weekend up in NH. The vodka will do nicely for me until I leave next week.
Getting back to the fruit of the week - tonight I mixed two pineapple spears, one large banana, two tangerines, a lemon (not just the juice) and a rather large home grown jalapeño pepper in the blender with about 1/2 a cup of apple juice and 9 ice cubes. It is different from my usual sweet fruit of the week drink. The bitterness of the jalapeño mixed with the sweetness of the exotics fruits and tartness of the lemon makes my drink bitter-sweet with a tangy bite that leaves a bit of a stinging burning sensation in my throat. After it has gone down and you would think it is all over, it ain't over yet. My throat has a slight fire going on at the back of it right now. Feebly smoldering embers of wilder times just passed are giving me a bit of a burning itch, an enticing sensation that needs to be satisfied, not squelched, and the only way for me to satisfy it is to have another swig of it and there it goes all over again - those embers have flared up anew. The darned thing is like life. This is the drink that just about sums up living my life to date; it's been like life in a Bogart movie. Whatever character Bogart played - those characters could never get enough of living the way they did; there was always that itch they had to scratch, the flame they had to fan, they were never satisfied that what they had done to date was enough. Somehow, for them, as for me, the embers of adventure, riches, intrigue, danger and romance always flared up again.
Man, this is one hell of a great drink, don't ya think? Well, I do anyway. I may have to name it in his honor - consider it done,. It is The Bogart (adjustment of ingredients may or may not occur at a future date but it has to leave those embers just waiting to be satisfied with more fuel).
All the best,
Glenn B
