The hubby and I simply adore Maker’s Mark. What can I say, we are Bourbon people and not rolling in the dough. Makers Mark is a solid product at a good price. If we were super rich I would seriously consider getting my sweetie the Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Experience for Christmas from the always ridiculous Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. For $7,500 you get a private tour of the Louisville distillery with the Master Distiller Kevin Smith. As a parting gift you receive two bottles of bourbon etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax (instead of the standard red). To top things off you’ll eat dinner with head honcho Bill Samuels Jr., almost certainly whilst drinking some reserve Makers Mark.

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Unless you’re a bartender or cradle robber, you probably know better than to ask a woman’s age. Today I’m going to offer you another tip: if you find it essential to give a woman’s age out, NEVER round up. It seems so obvious, doesn’t it? And yet yesterday my husband told someone I’m almost 30. I’m actually 27. *ahem*

The Trunk Club is a combination stylist and personal shopping service available, which promises that you will never have to set foot in a retail store again. Sign up for the services of TC and through a series of online consultations determine your wardrobe needs. TC then sends along clothing through the mail, you try on the clothes and return what you don’t want. They even provide a fit consultation via webcam. The service is free, with no obligation to buy, clothing is sold at retail prices. I’ve not tried the service myself, but it seems like a good option for the style impaired and retail-phobic. Feedback has been pretty great from the reviews I’ve checked out online.

Thomas Pink will release a new tie this fall designed to accommodate a hidden iPod, perfect for your daily commute. Personally, I have worries about how this will actually look when worn, but it is a terribly intriguing idea. I’m kind of jealous that I am not a man, because seriously it would be kind of awesome to go not have to worry about where to stash my iPod. I look forward to testing this out on my hubby this fall.

You know you’ve always wanted an excuse to stare for three hours at a beautiful half naked girl without having to actually go to a strip club. I’ve found the perfect solution: Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School! Grab yourself a cocktail and a sketch pad and spend a lazy Saturday admiring the curves on your buxom model. I, for one, cannot wait to checkout this alternative art program. For a $10 fee, you can join a bevy of eager artists sketching away at your own sketchy fantasy while sipping a Manhattan. And when you get home, you get to answer the “Honey, what have you been up to all day?” with “Oh, I was taking an art class.” You are so cultured.

Dr. Sketchy’s was founded in 2005 in Brooklyn by one of my favorite modern pin-up girl artists, Molly Crabapple. Today, there are more than 50 drawing schools spread throughout the World. You can check out their website to see if there is one in you neighborhood.

Images from DrSketchy.com

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Watching my husband try to kill houseflies is both amusing and alarming. I fear for my delicate chotchkies and my husband’s personal safety as he balances precariously on the edge of our stairwell swatting at a pesky fly with a kitchen towel or t-shirt. I’ve never invested in a fly swatter, because frankly, I wasn’t sure it would make much difference. Finally, I’ve found a gadget that will make killing houseflies (and mosquito and many other bugs) fun and fast…the Fly-Goodbye Bug Vacuum Gun. At $29.99 I sure hope it delivers, because this seems like a gadget that could look like a great idea, but not actually get the job done in real life. Anyone out there tested this beauty out?

I’m proud to say that all the heavy lifting has been completed on the Charming Dandy website redesign. There is a bit of a kink in the archive pagination (about 8 pages in) and I am still working on reformatting each article for wordpress. But, otherwise I’m done! If you subscribe by RSS you should stop by and check it out! Let me know what you think of the new look. If you find anything broken please shoot me an email at charming.dandy at gmail.com. Thanks for your help!

Cyberoptix Tie Lab sells products on etsy under then name toybreaker. They manufacturer some awesome silk screened neckties, which I’ve featured on Charming Dandy before. I’m writing about the shop again because I’ve discovered their wedding packages, which I think are a great idea. I love the idea of getting a matched set for the groomsmen in black, with a contrasting color for the groom…all in the same pattern.

Absinthe Obsession

While traipsing through Europe during my undergraduate days, I had an extended stay in Prague because of a rail worker strike, leaving me plenty of time indulge my Absinthe fixation. Back in those days (not so long ago, actually) absinthe was illegal in the United States due to (erroneous) concerns over the hallucinogenic effects of wormwood. The cheesy tourist bars I frequented put on quite a show for the naive young tourists, complete with flaming sugar cubes. As it happens, traditionally absinthe soaked sugar cubes are not set on fire and mixed into absinthe. The flaming practice was probably introduced in the 1990s to cover the taste of cheap faux absinthe (which I most likely consumed in Prague).

An Authentic Absinthe Experience–How to Drink Absinthe

A few weeks ago I had my first authentic absinthe experience at the aptly named Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in San Francisco.  My  absinthe arrived in a small glass with a flat slotted “absinthe spoon,” a sugar cube and a small carafe of water. I poured the water over the sugar cube into the glass. The amount of water added and the amount of sugar added is entirely at the customer’s discretion. I added all the sugar and most of the water…that stuff is STRONG!

As I poured water into the absinthe I noticed that it turned a milky white.  Some of the components of absinthe are poorly soluble in water, so they precipitate out of the water/alcohol solution and cause the color change (and a flavor change). I recommend trying little sips of your absinthe beverage at regular intervals as you add water, this will allow you to determine what ratio you like best for next time.

Absinthe is strongly licorice (anise) flavored. As I added water the licorice flavor became less overwhelming and I could taste some of the other flavors in my drink. Even after adding all the water and sugar I still thought the drink was still very strong, and I have a very high tolerance for the taste of alcohol. I am not actually a licorice fan, so I probably will not be ordering much absinthe in the future. But, it is worth trying at least once!

Serving Absinthe at Home

Absinthe is a wonderful addition to any home bar, IF it is high quality. Serving Absinthe before a meal (always before-it is an aperitif) with all the accoutrement is a wonderful conversation starter. Absinthe also makes a nice addition to mixed drinks (I’ve added a few recipes at the end of this article). In terms of brands- Pernod absinthe is always a safe bet, the Pernod brand was the most popular before absinthe was banned and Pernod still makes a great product. Vieux Pontarlier is another great choice for your home bar, as is Marteau Absinthe de la Bell Epoque.

If you are going to splash out on a bottle of absinthe, you should indulge in having the appropriate bar ware. Websites specializing in absinthe accessories are just a Google search away, but I recommend checking out eBay as well (search: absinthe bar ware). Minimally, I think a traditional flat slotted absinthe spoon is required to serve absinthe at home. A traditional pontarlier glass will make pouring a cinch, and add a final bit of flair. Of course, you need sugar cubes from your local grocer too. Unless you are starting your own bar, I think anything  else is really unnecessary.

Absinthe Cocktail Recipes

	Death in the Afternoon Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly. -Ernst Hemmingway
	Sacred Heart 1½ oz La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila ¾ oz Kübler absinthe ½ oz Pallini limoncello ¼ oz lemon juice Shake and double strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. -Absinthe Brasserie and Bar

You can use Absinthe for a Vermouth replacement in most things. For more drinks, and some food pairings check out Top 5 Absinthe Cocktails on Epicurious.

Images from Epicurious, Sloshed, Moulin Rouge, Wikipedia, The Mixology Lab and Marteau