And still more drinks
Now I have a friend to help me get drunk. We’re trying #1. Her view is that it’s axle-grease. My view is that it’s very bright red. Neither of us think that this should be served at Conflux. We have an opinion on the history – modern tastebuds look for a little more sweetness and creaminess to balance the astringency. After the first mouthful and with proper blending, it improves, but it’s still a shock to the mouth. Donna says that it needs people who have no tastebuds and that these people will appreciate its finer qualities. She’s making a fabulous face, but has drunk it all. I’m only three sips in. We’re dropping it.
#7 is lovely. All mint and sugar and we-can-pretend-there’s-no-alcohol. There’s a very slight afterburn, but it will appeal to many people. Donna described it as refreshing and light, good as a palate cleanser. We’re assigning this one (tentatively) to the Banquet.
This is when I had a good long break. Dinner and some sobriety. Family intervened, as family does. Then I had my brainwave. A very considerate friend has let me borrow her House of Eliot DVDs. Why not test the next two (and last for the day) in front of a TV series set in the 1920s? Go out in style, so to speak?
I’ve looked at the list again to try to decide what those last two should be, and I found myself shuddering. They all look perfectly potable … in theory. In practice, though, I’m not sure I can face two more drinks tonight. I’ll drink one more only, and then watch the DVD with only water by my side. The rest can wait. I’ll report back on the last one tomorrow, when I try to demolish more of my little list. Thank you to all the people helping me test, because even the diminished list I have is almost too much*.
* In an ideal world I would taste a drink a day for ten days, but I have meetings and things over the weekend and reviews that must be started and articles that must be finished and teaching next week. From today till Friday is all the time I have.
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