The Syndicate

Question:

Champagne from my wedding - can I still drink it? Or at least bake with it?

How old?

S~V~S wrote:How old?

2 years, 2 months

If it has been stored in a cool dry place away from light, I would say yes.

Soooo does the fridge count?

Mongoose wrote:Soooo does the fridge count?

As long as the door hasn't been open so much that the little light has been shining on it the whole time.

Mongoose wrote:What's the Finnish version of 911?

112.

I've been repeatedly diagnosed with hypochondria and I fear it might be deadly.

Beer is good. So is Scotch. Bourbon is too sweet, I usually prefer rye.

Portland beer report:

Having a small bebay seriously infringes on your drinking time, but we managed to squeeze some in anyway. Our friend's wedding was at McMenamins Edgefield, which is basically a complex that is nicer than college dorms, but designed for events. They have 17 bars/distilleries on site, some not bigger then a closet. McMenamins beer served all places and they have lots of pubs all around Portland too. Our favorites were their Porter and Stout, probably because those are our favorite types of beer. However, when we tasted each other's we noticed there was not a huge difference between these two beers. So...

Other place we enjoyed was Hopworks Urban Brewery. Had their flight of 10 types and yes they really do like hops. They were intensely hoppy overall, but my favorite was their 7 grain stout. Too much coffee flavor for the husband though. But I dont drink coffee, so I actually enjoy a bit of coffee flavor in my beer and ice cream. Plus, this has got to be super healthy beer for you right? It's organic and has whole grains!!
http://hopworksbeer.com/organic-beer/survival-stout

Had the best time at the Outer Backs Brewing Station this evening. If you ever find yourself in Nags Head, they have an awesome fenced outdoor area with picnic tables, corn hole, and a wooden pirate ship playground. It is seriously awesome for kids and their parents. We all had the Abracadabra Brown Ale, which was fine, but not anything to write home about.

We had my going away party at the Sea Dog Brewery up the road in Clearwater. I had the orange, blueberry, and apricot beers. The blueberry Sea Dog is objectively the world's tastiest beer.

I had the unusual hankering for a cocktail on the sweeter side, so I am acquainting myself with the lovely Billionaire. It is sweet, slightly bitter, and light in body. It is better than my day, which was bitchy, defiant, and had faint notes of blame-shifting and ass-covering.

Epignosis wrote:I had the unusual hankering for a cocktail on the sweeter side, so I am acquainting myself with the lovely Billionaire. It is sweet, slightly bitter, and light in body. It is better than my day, which was bitchy, defiant, and had faint notes of blame-shifting and ass-covering.

I know that feel.

In the past two days I've had to have the hard talk with a new employee explaining that he's got one foot out the door if he doesn't start following attendance policies and then have a right and serious be angry with my management staff for general slacking.

Ok - not general slacking. Right pissing me off.

See - we have these evaluations 4 times a year. We had our first one a couple of months ago. Back during that one we were eligible for the highest grade. It's just like school - 100-90 = A etc. (you know, using the easy grade scale not that wonked one where a 94 is a B) - first time around we missed our A (which comes with a nice little cash bonus btw) bye 8 points.

Next round of evaluations started today. Dude hit 4 stores all over the city. I walked into work where my AM and my shift runner (part time manager/part time driver) are both working. TWO members of my management staff on the clock. Do a surprise self inspection on them because I want the baseline of what is happening when I'm not there right? We are eligable for a 97. That means if we do everything right the day he walks into the store - we will get a 97. I have 7 points of wiggle room. That's like 2 stupid things OR 1 bad pizza.

Between my two MANAGERS. - The people who set the example - I lost all my "image" points. One wasn't shaven and one didn't bother to tuck in his shirt. (see? stoopid crap cost me 3 points.) One remake of a pizza. Missdated food. Not enough dough proofed and ready to go to handle the sales volume (which ticked me off not only for the evaluation points but also because it meant my night was hosed because I wasn't set to run shift correctly)

Then all the stuff we always loose points on - (some of it is literally unconrtolable. We try as hard as we can, but we are a corner lot in a not great area. I can clean the windows 3 times a day and sure as you can bet, he'll come in 10 seconds after there's a hand print on the door.)

In one quick second, we went from a potential 97 to the 65 I ended up scoring us at.

So not happy. So SO not happy.

If I could get away with O/Cing for the next several weeks, I srrsly would. I'm skerred of what's going on when I'm not there.

In any event, I took my last 10 dollars and spent it on cheep booze because being a grown up sucks it.

wow. God - that brought down the party fast. - Most of that should have been in the journal.

Now I copy paste!


Sorry guys! Um...Yay!! cheep booze!!!

If you're scared when you are not there, you need to replace the people who scare you with ones who don't. NOT use it as an opportunity to spend more time there then you already do, cause, you know, no one does it right but you.

I know you. If you don't feel comfortable delegating to those that you have, find a way to find those to whom you feel comfortable delegating.

S~V~S wrote:If you're scared when you are not there, you need to replace the people who scare you with ones who don't. NOT use it as an opportunity to spend more time there then you already do, cause, you know, no one does it right but you.

I know you. If you don't feel comfortable delegating to those that you have, find a way to find those to whom you feel comfortable delegating.

I know you know me. And I'm doing that - I've moved the one I don't trust to working shifts where he does the least damage. But you also know me well enough to know the very fact that I have a "Lost Puppy." kills me. I keep wanting for that to change.

I keep wanting for him to be on the team. I know I have to accept the fact that he probably never will be, but it hurts. It hurts to loose a puppy.

I'm not a big drinker, but I LOVE to have a cocktail (or even two) at brunch. Last week, they had a special blood orange mimosa and I drank the crap out of that.

Followed by:

"Madison Maple Cafe:
Madison maple bourbon, Lucky Goat cold brew coffee, milk"

I had my mint julep after the Kentucky Derby last night. I'm thinking a whiskey sour tonight.

I've been knocking back boilermakers. English pale ale with a shot of bourbon dropped right in, glass and all.

Good for you!! Have one for me!

Bourbon: If we're talking sheer volume consumed, then by far it's Mr. Beam. But if we're talking pleasure of Consumption, it's Evan Williams and Elmer T.

Scotch: Macallan 12 year. I've had the 15, 18, and a bunch of the Canadian and European varieties that don't have a year on them. Not rich enough for the 25. The 12, with its mellow flavor and buttery texture is my favorite. This one wins by volume and flavor.

Beer: Tough one. By volume, three way tie between Fat Tire, Erdinger Hefeweisen, und Yuengling. By flavor, I have no idea. I just love beer. But German and, to a lesser extent, Belgians are my favorites. I also really like stouts. The Guinness we get here in the US, and so are most stouts that aren't "imperials," but you know a good stout when you get one because you don't want anything else. I really like beer.

notsawyer540 wrote:Bourbon: If we're talking sheer volume consumed, then by far it's Mr. Beam. But if we're talking pleasure of Consumption, it's Evan Williams and Elmer T.

Scotch: Macallan 12 year. I've had the 15, 18, and a bunch of the Canadian and European varieties that don't have a year on them. Not rich enough for the 25. The 12, with its mellow flavor and buttery texture is my favorite. This one wins by volume and flavor.

Beer: Tough one. By volume, three way tie between Fat Tire, Erdinger Hefeweisen, und Yuengling. By flavor, I have no idea. I just love beer. But German and, to a lesser extent, Belgians are my favorites. I also really like stouts. The Guinness we get here in the US, and so are most stouts that aren't "imperials," but you know a good stout when you get one because you don't want anything else. I really like beer.

I like the way you think.

Zero surprise Trev foudn this thread. <3

Dom wrote:Zero surprise Trev foudn this thread. <3

I told you guys, I'm not that Trev dude. He's pretty awesome, but I feel like I was pretty clear on that.

I originally confused the tea drinkers thread for the alcohol drinkers thread. I do that a lot because reading's really boring and I tend to skip words.

Protip: Garnish a Moscow Mule with a slice of cucumber in addition to the lime garnish. Cocktail elevated.

15 years ago I started buying an occasional bottle of cellar able wine to age. Drank my first one a few nights ago, a 2003 Bordeaux red... I've never tasted anything like it, every flavour integrated and balanced together. Amazing.

I'm drinking Smithwick's tonight because it's St. Patrick's Day but Guinness is unpleasant. Happy Ireland.

I'm drinking a DeClaw's The Devil Made Me Do It golden sour with dinner. It's adequate but I realize that I have no understanding of how to rate beer. I don't dislike it but it's not a must-repeat either.

PS- 5.5% abv and I have a good buzz going. I am such a lightweight!

This thread needs to be resurrected.

Our local grocery store (part of a regional chain) now sells beer. They do a mix 6 option where you get to pick six individual bottles from a special section. It’s a tad overpriced, but it gets me some variety. I’m trying to figure out what ‘good beer’ is, so I’ll be mix 6-ing it for a while to broaden my horizons. Here’s what I’ve had so far:

Really Good:
-Yuengling Black & Tan (porter & pilsner blend)

Good:
-Stella Artois (pilsner)
-Mike’s Hard Pomegranate Blueberry Lemonade (not beer)

Okay:
-Lagunitas’ Hop Stoopid (ale)


My two remaining from this mix 6 are a strawberry blonde and a vanilla accented porter.