Metuchen is a great food town. There are cafes, pizzerias, a fantastic ice cream shop, restaurants of every nationality you can think of, and then there’s Hailey’s Harp and Pub. Of course the food has to be good, but when it comes to pubs, the first thing I’m looking for is actually the atmosphere. Does…
Tag: Whiskey
Restaurant Review: Ichiban 18 (East Brunswick, NJ)
We stopped at Ichiban for some late night drinks and snacks with friends a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I had been in the place since it was Shogun years earlier. It looked exactly the same. The sushi bar and tables in the front, a circular bar, and hibachi grills in…
Travel Guide PA: Booze Notes on this Current Trip
Years ago, my friend Jeff said the only two things more expensive in Pennsylvania are gas and alcohol. So far, he’s been right. I always visit the liquor stores just to see if they have anything I cannot find in New Jersey, but more often than not, I walk out empty-handed. For example, Johnnie Walker…
Travel Guide CT: Flashback to Hartford’s 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Hartford is a weird city because it can be so loud yet quiet at the same time. When visiting there last spring, I almost never knew there was a St. Patrick’s Day parade happening in the first place. Would have missed it entirely if not for sheer coincidence. While eating breakfast at Sunberry Cafe and…
One of My New Favorite Whiskey Cocktails
It’s a Frankenstein concoction. A bunch of ingredients together which you probably would not normally mix. But when you’re bored and have time to experiment, why not throw it all together and see how it tastes? This drink is going to feature Canadian Mist. Not a great sipping whiskey, but excellent for mixing. It’s a…
Product Review: Old Tom Horan Irish Whiskey
I like Bushmills better than Jameson when it comes to Irish Whiskey. This scandalous notion was somewhat validated for me a few months ago when my friend who is as Irish as a shamrock agreed with me. Having seen something called Old Tom Horan being Bottle King in Middletown’s featured whiskey for a long time…
Another History of Liquor Lecture
On March 2nd, I will be giving a lecture on the history of liquor at Brookdale Community College for the third time. To my happiness, it has been very well received so far, even calls for a sequel. I try to cover as much as I can. Such an extensive topic can not be condensed into…
Travel Guide PA: King of Prussia and the Surrounding Area
King of Prussia is one of those places I have driven past my entire life en route to Lancaster. I knew there was a mall—a big mall—but that was about it. A day-trip this weekend turned into a one night’s stay, so here are some quick hits for the Travel Guide.
The Night 10 Bottles of Glenlivet Showed Up at an Indian Restaurant
It was a last-second decision. Before we left for Bollywood Tadka in East Brunswick, I grabbed a bottle of Glenlivet 12. As stated earlier on this blog, usually I go with Johnnie Red when it comes to Indian food. Or, if I think I am about to be reamed by some ultra-spicy food, I’ll take a…
Christmas 2016 Product Review: Torani Bacon Syrup
There is bacon everything on the market. I love the smokey pork product as much as anyone, but how much is too much? Months ago, I was introduced to something called Bacon Syrup. While I was very skeptical at first, an initial whiff of the liquid produced by Torani had me going,”Wow!”. It truly smelled…
Christmas 2016: Four Kinds of Egg Nog at “Nog Fest”
At our historical society’s Christmas party this weekend, we held a mini “Nog Fest”. Joanne had been raving about Mr. Boston for months, while I wanted to submit my favorite, Pennsylvania Dutch. However, when it came time to shop for this party, my go-to was out of stock. So, I had to settle for Zackariah Harris,…
A Bottle of Bell’s Scotch from the 1970’s and the Shock of a Lifetime
My friend wanted to give me a gift because I was going to help her at an estate sale she was running (the same one I snagged this ash tray at). She presented me with this beautiful decanter—a bell—which she had assumed could only be used for decorative purposes. It was heavy, and you could…
