A Week in Washington – Part 1

For several years now, we've travelled with a group of friends to various locales in the Northeast – Montreal, New York City, Chicago, Québec City, Boston – sampling the food and drink, taking in a ball game, and touring cultural and historic attractions. This year it was the turn of the Washington, D.C. area.

We have stayed in downtown hotels, but that tends to be expensive in the major cities in the summertime. So, we're always on the lookout for a property that that can accommodate eight people. Vacation rental sites like VRBO.com have sometimes come through for us, but there is another alternative: the suburban "suites" hotel.

We chose the Homewood Suites by Hilton in Columbia, MD. Like the Summerfield Suites (a Hyatt chain) we stayed at in Waltham, MA last summer, this property is located in a suburban setting close to major highway access, business parks, and big box retail. It caters to long-stay business travellers and families looking for more space. Our suites each had two bedrooms with their own baths and shared a common kitchen and sitting area. Not only did we have a place to socialize, but splitting the cost of the suites saved us some money. Wireless internet, buffet breakfast, and parking were all included; there's even a complimentary buffet in the evening (Mon. – Thurs.) which is substantial enough to qualify as dinner. There was a pool and spa, and though the furnishings in our suite were dated (the hotel was undergoing renovations while we were there), everything was clean and in good working order.

Most "suites" hotels do not have two-bedroom units (there were only two on the Maryland side of D.C. that I could find, the other being a Summerfield Suites in Gaithersburg), and those that do, don't have many, so you might have to do some hunting and book early.

We stayed in Columbia because it was located roughly equidistant from Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis. A few minutes' drive got us to the interstate, and in twenty minutes we were at the Greenbelt Metro (subway) station. From there, it took about twenty-five minutes to reach destinations in downtown Washington. The Metro is clean, safe, and reliable, and is comprised of 86 stations and over 170 km. of track in a hub and spoke pattern centred on downtown, radiating outward toward the suburbs beyond the Beltway. Expansion is underway which will take it to Dulles airport in the next few years.

Baltimore was even closer, with the trip to Camden Yards (home of the Orioles) and the nearby Baltimore Harbour taking about twenty minutes by car. The Maryland state capital, Annapolis, a small, well-preserved eighteenth century seaport and home to the United States Naval Academy, took about thirty-five minutes.

All in all, we found the Homewood Suites in Columbia a good fit for our needs. In Part 2, I'll describe some of the highlights of our visits to Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis.

Pineapple Cocktails

We continue our fruit-themed series of summer cocktails with pineapple drinks. Pineapple's sweet-tart flavour pairs beautifully with rum. Close your eyes, and you'll think you're on a tropical vacation.

Another thing I really like about using pineapple juice, is that, when used in a shaken cocktail, it creates a layer of foam that settles on the top of the drink, an especially lovely effect if you've coloured the drink with a liqueur like blue Curaçao. I named one of last summer's cocktails, the Aphrodite, after the Greek goddess of love, who was born of the sea foam, because of this effect. Try one, and you'll see what I mean.

Unless you have a juicer that can handle fresh pineapples, I recommend using PC 100% Pure Pressed Pineapple Juice, available in the refrigerated juice aisle wherever President's Choice products are sold.

I'm going to give you three recipes – one that's very basic, and two that require a few more ingredients.

Hawaiian Margarita

You'll need 1½ oz. tequila (preferably gold), 1 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. pineapple juice. Combine over ice in a Margarita glass, or blend with ½ cup of crushed ice for a frozen Margarita.

Green Goddess

If you have some green melon liqueur lurking in the back of your liquor cabinet, here's the perfect way to use it. To a cocktail shaker half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of white rum, ½ oz. of green melon liqueur, 1 tsp. of lemon juice, and 3 oz. of pineapple juice. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. If you really want to impress, garnish with cubes of honeydew melon and pineapple on a small skewer.

Hurricane

Similar to the Bahama Mama, which I featured a few weeks ago, the Hurricane was the signature drink of New Orleans even before Katrina, and there are many versions out there. It's usually served in a tall, curvy glass that resembles the globe of a hurricane lantern. If you don't have any Hurricane glasses, any tall glass will do. Combine 1 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of dark rum, 2 oz. of orange juice, 2 oz. of pineapple juice, and ½ oz. of Grenadine in a mixing glass. Pour over crushed ice in a Hurricane glass. Best enjoyed sipped through a straw.

As we head into August, there's still plenty of summer left and still lots of fruit we haven't turned into cocktails. Stay tuned.

Watermelon Daiquiri – Natural Viagra?

Well, as last week's post demonstrated, sex sells: the number of visits to the blog was among the highest ever. So at the risk of being labelled the Rupert Murdoch of cocktail blogging, I'll continue the theme for one more week. But while this week's fruity elixir lacks a suggestive name, it may actually deliver the goods.

It seems scientists have discovered that watermelon contains high levels of citruline, an amino acid which the body converts into arginine, a precursor for nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, the same way the little blue pill works its magic.

Start by cutting up a few cups of watermelon (remove any seeds) into cubes and puréeing them in your blender. Then half-fill your cocktail shaker with ice and add 2 oz. of white rum, 1 oz. of triple sec, ½ oz. of lime juice, and 4 oz. of the watermelon purée. Shake sharply for 30 seconds and strain into a Margarita-style glass (that's a stemmed glass with a coupe-shaped bowl). This makes a serving that's large enough for sharing, and that's kinda the point.

While scientists don't know how much watermelon you'd have to ingest to achieve the desired effect, Dr. 500 Words suggests you sip one or two Watermelon Daiquiris a half hour before bedtime. And leave a comment on his blog in the morning.

Sexy Cocktails

Summer is heating up and so is the blog. This week's featured fruit is the orange, but we're bending the rules a little here, because we're using some more unusual, but still readily available liquors. To compensate, I'm giving you three hot, hot, hot cocktails to choose from. So, shoo the kiddies away from the computer and get ready for some adult fun.

Bahama Mama

You'll need 1 oz. of white or amber rum, 1 oz. of coconut rum (such as Malibu), ½ oz. of Grenadine, 2 oz. of orange juice, and 2 oz. of pineapple juice (President's Choice has an excellent fresh, not from concentrate, example in the refrigerated juice section). Stir together in a hurricane glass half filled with ice and sip through a straw. Or, alternatively, blend with a cup of crushed ice and serve in a large wine glass.

Sex on the Beach

To a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. vodka, 1 oz. peach schnapps, 2 oz. orange juice, and 2 oz. cranberry juice. Stir with a straw and sip lazily as you sigh with satisfaction.

Sloe Comfortable Screw

You're probably familiar with the Screwdriver, that classic mixture of vodka and orange juice, but did you know you can make a Virgin Screwdriver by leaving out the vodka? If you'd prefer a Sloe Screw, fill a tall glass half full of ice, add 1½ oz. of sloe gin (not really a gin), and top up with 3 or 4 oz. of orange juice. For a Sloe Comfortable Screw, reduce the sloe gin to ½ oz. and add ½ oz. of Southern Comfort and 1 oz. of vodka. Top off with orange juice and give everything a stir.

That's our first six weeks of summer cocktails and so far we've featured strawberries and lemons, raspberries and limes, mangoes, cranberries, and oranges. Just look on the left side of the blog and click on "June" to see the recipes and to find links to last summer's drinks.

There are still six more weeks of summer and lots more fruit we can drink. Stay tuned.

Non-alcoholic Cocktails

A regular blog reader asks: "Dad, why don't you post some non-alcoholic cocktail recipes?"

Those of you who know me personally can probably guess the answer to that one, but the apple of my eye raises a good point. So for all the designated drivers and moms to be out there, here are some summer cooler suggestions courtesy of Best Start: Ontario's Maternal, Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre (www.beststart.org). Their recipes are followed by my comments and suggestions in brackets.

Blueberry Ice

To a tall glass filled with ice, add 1 oz. blueberry juice and 3 oz. of white cranberry juice. Stir and sip through a straw. (You could also muddle a few tablespoons of fresh or thawed frozen blueberries in the bottom of the glass, add ice and fill with white grape juice, lemon-lime pop, or sparkling water.)

Escarpment Mocktail

Add 2 oz. of orange juice to ice in an old-fashioned glass. Top with 2 oz. of lemon or lime sparkling water. (Perrier and San Pellegrino make flavoured versions of their well-known sparkling mineral waters, and most supermarkets have lower priced house brands. They taste great all by themselves.)

Baby Belle

Mix 2 oz. pineapple juice, 2 oz. orange juice, and 1 tsp. Grenadine in a tall glass with ice. Top with 2 oz. of lemon or lime sparkling water. (Grenadine is a sweet, red syrup used for adding colour and sweetness to cocktails. You can find it in the supermarket beverage aisle. You could omit it and use lemon-lime pop instead of the sparkling water.)

Sunny Lemonade

Fill a tall glass with ice and add 1 oz. of pomegranate juice and 3 oz. of lemonade. Stir and sip through a straw. (You could add another red juice such as cranberry, raspberry, or cherry to get that pink lemonade colour.)

Berry Bramble

In the bottom of a tall glass, muddle two tablespoons of fresh or thawed frozen raspberries. Squeeze in the juice of a lime wedge. Half fill the glass with ice and top with 4 oz. of sparkling water. (Club soda is fine, but many contain a lot of sodium. There are sodium-free club sodas available, a far better choice.)

One final tip: adding garnishes such as orange or strawberry slices, a few blueberries or raspberries, or chunks of pineapple can boost the appeal as well as the nutrition of any of these drinks.

So there you are, five ways to be nice to your non-drinking family, friends, and guests this summer. If you'd like to see June's cocktails, here they are: Strawberry Lemonade, Peony, Mango-rita, and Muskoka Maple Leaf. And for a complete list of last summer's drinks, including Long Island Iced Tea and Sangria, click here: Summer Cocktail Season is Here.

Until next week, Cheers!