More warm weather, means more cocktails and cigars on the deck. As I was perusing the virtual stack of drink recipes I’ve gathered over time, I came across one for a Grenadine Old Fashioned that sounded interesting.The recipe calls for 2 ounce of wheat…

March 1 marked the first day of “meteorological spring.” The actual start of spring is still three weeks off, but the days are getting longer and warmer. The bulbs are sprouting in the garden, and the birds in the trees are active. And it’s pleasant en…

All the social media things reminded me that Tuesday, February 27 was “National Cigar Day.” On February 27th, 1883 Oscar Hammerstein I recieved a patent for an automated cigar rolling machine. While our preference is for hand-rolled cigars, …

Today, February 27, is the Feast Day of St. Gabriel Possenti.

Legend holds that Gabriel Possenti was a Catholic seminarian in Isola del Gran Sasso, Italy. In 1860 he is said to have used his skills with the pistol to drive off a band of marauding sold…

An Irishman moves into a tiny hamlet in County Kerry, walks into the pub and promptly orders three beers.The bartender raises his eyebrows, but serves the man three beers, which he drinks quietly at a table, alone.An hour later, the man has finished t…

It’s a constant theme around here of late — will there remain a bit of sunshine to enjoy at the end of the work day? On a recent cool evening while the sun set, a new cigar, the Amendola West Side Story, provided a pleasant opportunity to enjoy the su…

The days are getting longer. Ever so slowly, but it’s beginning to be noticeable. It’s nice to start the evening smoke with a bit of sunlight still available. I kicked off the weekend with a Rocky Patel Disciple paired with some Old Forester 1910 Old F…

Sometimes we need a simple reminder.Collected online, from where or when I remember not.
[ This content originated at Musings Over a Barrel ]

Today, February 10, is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint José Sánchez del Río. On this date in 1928, this 14 year old boy was killed by Mexican troops for refusing to renounce his Catholic faith during the Cristero War. The story of this period…

A sunny afternoon and moderately warm temperature allowed for an unexpected return to our tradition of Sunday afternoon cocktails on the deck. I decided to mix up a slight variation on the Cranberry Citrus Cocktail we enjoyed over the holidays. We did…