A little pre-dinner!

209 gin martini with asian tuna tartar make a great start to any evening. The tuna is courtesy of Le Bernadin, one of my favorite NY restaurants. Carol and I spent, or over-spent many a wonderful evening there.

Drazil Fazenda Ambiental Fortaleza "FAF"

After a mountain bike ride up around Alpine Lake Carol and I were putting our bikes back on the car and a guy came over an asked us if we liked coffee. He was selling coffee he has roasted that morning. He was very excited by the beans he had just gotten from "FAF", a coffee plantation in Brazil. We bought a bag and waited a day as he instructed. Freshly ground and put through the drip maker the coffee has a naturally sweet aroma. The taste medium and very smooth without even a hint of bitterness. It's both nutty and sweet. I have no idea how to get more of it. We always park there but I have never seen the guy before.

209 Gin

Ok, I like Gin Martini's. My dry vermouth ratio is 5:1 and I prefer mine vigorously shaken then served up in a frozen glass with two olives that have not been pitted. I was never especially partial to a particular premium gin until I had locally made No. 209. It's a revelation! Here's what the bottle says: "In 1882 in Napa Valley the 209th distillery began creating award-winning spirits. This new 209 gin recipe, created with a Napa winemakers passionate attention to detail, is crafted with all-natural botanicals, rare ingredients, and is distilled 5 times. The lower quality heads and tails of each distilation are discarded & only the finest "heart" of each small, handcrafted batch is bottled." Most good Bay Area restaurants are now carrying it.

Fever-Tree Tonic Water

If you like Mt. Gay and tonic please find and try Fever-Tree Tonic Water. I found it at BevMo where it is sold in four packs. It's lighter and dryer than other tonics and makes my Mt. Gay and tonic even more refreshing. When you build the drink, squeeze the lime on the ice cubes then add the Mt. Gay followed by the Fever Tree. The first sip is the best.