An update without a drink picture? That’s unpossible.

Well the free time was cutting into my rum reserves anyway.

The new house and the new (2nd) job has been cutting into my drinking time. I’ve only made Last Words and quick Donn-like long tiki drinks. I didn’t even take pictures. Heres a quick outline of what I do when I just throw something together

Quick’n’Loose ‘Donn’ Style Double Drink

• 2-3 oz citrus (e.g. 1oz each lime, orange, grapefruit)
• Up to 1.5 oz of spiced syrups and or sweetener (e.g. 1/4 pimento dram, 1/4 vanilla syrup, 1 oz honey mix)
• 2-3 oz rums in matching flavor to your modifiers above (e.g. 1 oz Jamaica Dark, 1 oz Demarara, 1 oz Virgin Islands gold)
• 6 drops Herbsaint
• Dash bitters
• Plenty of cracked ice

Add ingredients to mixing glass, top with cracked ice. Shake and pour into double rocks glass.

As my whims move me and what I see first is what drives the flavors – Cinnamon, Honey, Grapefruit. Orange, Vanilla, Pimento Dram. I’ll usually guide the rums after that.

So what kept me so busy? The new job at Thatch. I have my official schedule now. I’ll be there Wednesday and Thursday nights. But, don’t be surprised to not see me behind the bar.

I have an extended training program there – since I’m a newbie, and even though I have the knowledge and skills, I need to prove myself. The actual working group and lead ‘tenders want me to move my way up before I’m lone man behind the bar. And you know what? I totally agree with them. I’m not that young upstart who thinks he knows everything. I have knowledge that I’d love to share and use to help make Thatch a better place; But here’s the catch: I have no real experience of knowing when or where to apply it for their business. That will come in good time, and I’m patient. There’s plenty of work to do there, helping to make thatch the best thatch that it can be. I’m happy to have the opportunity to be an agent for positive change.

And you know what else? I love it. I freaking love it. When it’s hectic and I don’t know exactly what to do and when to do it, I love it. When I feel like I’m asking the 100th stupid question of my co-workers, I love it. The group at thatch are wonderful hardworking folks. It’s very much like a ship, each cog running its course for the whole. I’m just lucky I seem to have a talent for analyzing systems, recognizing how to make them more efficient, and positively affecting (to borrow some corpspeak) that change. It just takes positive attitude, patience and hard work.