#85: Apple Polisher

2 oz Southern Comfort
Fill with hot apple cider
Garnish with a cinnamon stick

I'm glad I was able to capture the effervescent bubbles coming off of the cinnamon stick on this drink. It imparted a pleasantly strong cinnamon flavor to the whole drink, which diffused nicely throughout and blended with the hot apple cider for a cozy drink. The Southern Comfort, with its blend of fruits, spices, and whiskey, added a kick at the end of each sip.

Of course, apples and cinnamon go together. Pies, desserts, and now drinks. the first was a bit odd. I think I must have made some sort of face, because my wife commented, asking if everything was all right. It was all right, and the more I sipped, the more I liked it.

The cinnamon stick stopped bubbling after a couple of minutes, which was ok, considering that those bubbles combined with the strong vapors and aroma of the hot apple cider and now warmed Southern Comfort might have caused me to choke up a bit.

In the end, I decided that this would be a great drink for a cool October evening.

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I honor of the opening of the new Star Wars Miniland at the Legoland California Theme Park here in San Diego, I found this awesome photo of 2 guys with what may be one of the best jobs in the world. Can you imagine being paid to build the Millenium Falcon out of Legos?

From their website, I garnered a few items about what went into this latest attraction. They made over 2,000 Star Wars models at the park in Germany, with 8 designers and 2 animation electricians building everything for the 7 interactive exhibits. They started planning a year in advance, and used drawing from Lucasfilms of the figures, spacecraft, vehicles, and landscapes to create their own Lego blueprints. Those special blueprints were gridded out in squares, where each square equalled one Lego knob. Next they calculated how many bricks and which colors they would need. Some of the models had to be prototyped first, before they constructed them with actual Legos. As the final models were built, they glued the pieces together and then coated everything with a special UV coating to help everything last longer.

I can't wait to take my grandson there. I might have more fun than him!

#84: Apple Pie (floater)

3/4 oz Apple Brandy
3/4 oz Cinnamon Schnapps
3/4 oz Irish Cream
Layer the ingredients into the glass in the order listed

I like apple pie. Especially at Thanksgiving. I did not like this drink. The Apple Brandy and the Cinnamon Schnapps did not separate well, and the Irish Cream, although it floated well at the top, actually solidified a bit and became a sort of semi-solid lump. Quite gross, like some sort of sweet oyster floating in apples and cinnamon.

The overall flavors did nothing for me. They weren't distinct enough, and all I could taste was the cinnamon. Everything was too sweet, and it sort of grossed me out. It had quite a bite though. The brandy gave some depth, but I would not recommend this for any occasion.

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Someone has figured out that there are only so many bad guys to go around. I think I work with most of them. See if you can spot people in your life from this cast of characters:

#83: Apple Pie

1 1/2 oz Vodka or Apple Vodka
1/2 oz Apple Cider or Apple Juice
Combine in a mixing glass with ice
Strain into a chilled glass
Sprinkle with cinnamon

Does it get more American than this? Well, yes, this uses Vodka, but apples are American, aren't they?

Anyway, I debated which glass I should use to serve this in, and opted for something other than a standard cocktail glass. Something more American, more middle American.

I wasn't sure if this really tasted like apple pie, but it sure came pretty close. I used Apple Vodka for a more intense apple flavor. Regular vodka might have given this more of a bite, but the cinnamon really put this over the top.

Yummy and easy to drink.

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I like that Target is doing its part to prepare the next generation of scholars…

And Bed Bath & Beyond is even getting in on the act. I guess you need these for all the weight you will gain when you play multiple rounds of beer pong: