Last week, my wife and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate her niece’s 21st birthday. Vegas is a town I’ve spent a lot of time in over the years, mostly to attend trade shows like Comdex and CES. But I’ve also done my share of partying there, too.

Papa Smurf

Walking the strip, there was a ton of people, including those dressed up in various costumes. We saw Batman, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Michael Jackson and this awesome Papa Smurf.

Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip

Of course, a visit to the Hard Rock is always in order. I don’t hold a candle to Dave2 from Blogography for number of visits, but I still consider each location an important stop in my travels.

Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino

One of the newer hotel/casinos on the Strip is the Cosmopolitan. I was very impressed with this place. So elegant inside. Definitely a place I would like to stay at for a few days.

I hit the jackpot

Of course it helped that I won a jackpot on one of their slot machines. It’s wasn’t huge, but for $103 on a 75 cents bet, I was happy that I won for a change. [not to mention major buzzed from lots of drinks]

Blue Martini

After walking the strip, we met up with others for dinner at a local mexican eatery. Then all of us headed to the Blue Martini to REALLY celebrate Tonia turning 21.

The official Blue Martini

The signature martini was blue and glowing. It was a bit sweet, even for this liquor maven. I switched to dirty martinis after just one of these.

Jaide, Tonia’s sister, smiling with drink in hand

This bar was large and actually very spread out. It is located in the Town Square shopping area just off the west end of the Strip. The cover band that played was a bit loud, but we made up for it with our own good time of drinking and chatting together.

My wife and I at Blue Martini

After a few half priced happy hour drinks, we were buzzed and happy.

Tonia doing birthday shot with waitress

Tonia did a birthday shot with the waitress and manager [they actually bought her shot AND did a shot with her... unheard of in Utah] – the shot was a Washington Apple, which is Crown Royal and cranberry juice – Yummy!

Excalibur Hotel and Casino

After drinking, we got a ride back to the Excalibur. This was Tonia’s first time gambling, which was so much fun watching someone play the slots for the first time. My wife, who is an expert at the slot machines, taught her niece how to play.

Tonia putting money into the machine

Being slot instructed by Reba

Pressing the button, placing her bet

“Did I win or lose?”

After a fun night in Vegas, we got up the next morning to head into California to visit LEGOLand. Stay tuned for the next post, which covers my first visit to this LEGO-themed theme park.

On my last visit to the Pacific Northwest, I stopped by the Fred Meyer to pick up some Mike’s Harder Lemonades. It’s 8% alcohol content and everyone that’s a regular reader here knows I love these higher-content alcoholic beverages.

So finding two new flavors, of course I had to try them. I expected the Blueberry Lemonade to be much sweeter, but it turned out to be very smooth. There was no after taste or oddness. It went down very well and it may become a regular purchase the next time I find myself in Oregon or Washington again.

And a new Limeade flavor, too

Now Limeade is one of my favorite flavors for non-soda like drinks. Cherry Limeades at the Sonic Drive-In are very good and most limeades I’ve had are always refreshing. Well, add some alcohol and you have a really great drink in this version. I really, really like this flavor. It’s shooting up to the number one position for all of the Mike’s Harder brand of canned malt beverages. Refreshing, tasty and a nice way to get the party started.

It really sucks they do not sell these in Utah. When’s that next road trip again?

For those of you that do not imbibe, try this link here.

Now for the rest of you, watch and learn.

YouTube version

Vimeo version

Mtn Dew Pitch Black with Vodka from Marty Mankins on Vimeo.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. And what better way to celebrate than to talk about booze.

One of the first posts on this blog was about Tilt. Then about six months later, I posted more about how Tilt changed their formula. I’ve not hidden my like for these malt beverages with higher alcoholic content with another post in 2009. Then I found something better and posted about how much “Harder” it was vs. Tilt.

So this last weekend, I was out of state [since Utah doesn't carry these higher content canned drinks] and found the above Tilt redesign – which now contains 12% alcohol content.

I bought two cans of this stuff (at $1.79 a can) and tried one tonight. Wow, did this pack more of a “party starter” punch than the previous 8% formulas. It took me a good hour to finish the 16 oz can. And once I was done, I had a nice buzz.

I hope to get more of these next time I’m in Washington State and will enjoy a couple while camping or hanging outside in the warm summer night at home.

Bombay Sapphire

My first choice in gin

Some years ago [at least ten] I decided to branch out of my Bacardi Rum staple and add a clear alcohol to my mixed drink arsenal. Rum and Coke was my drink of choice almost every time, but I wanted to see what all the fuss about gin was. I was in Vegas and when the drink order was taken, I found myself blurting out “I’ll have a gin and tonic” The restaurant was a bit nicer than your average casual dining type so when I was asked if I had a gin preference, I replied, “What do you suggest?” Bombay Sapphire was recommended. And ever since that day in January, I’ve not looked back [and have rarely ordered a Rum and Coke].

There are two types of Bombay. The Sapphire is in the clear blue bottle, as pictured above. The non-Sapphire version is in a clear bottle. While I’ve picked the standard Bombay a few times, I much prefer the Sapphire for it’s smooth taste and how well it mixes with tonic and a squeeze of lime.

The only major downfall to Sapphire is it’s price. It’s a good 25% more than other gins. But so worth the extra cost for a drink you will enjoy.

Less Is Sometimes Good

Comparable to the Sapphire for this gin guy

Even though I just proclaimed my love for the Sapphire, I do admit that it’s nice to have a more reasonable gin on hand. For those times when you want a good gin when you plan to have multiple drinks. And for that, I have found that New Amsterdam doesn’t disappoint. It’s smooth like Sapphire, but at a good 40% less at most liquor stores [around $26 for a 1.5l vs. $47 for the Bombay Sapphire bottle of the same size]. And to others that appreciate gin, they have all complimented this brand with equal admiration.

Equal choices in my opinion and taste.

Now, I’ll try Tanqueray here and there and it’s really not a bad gin. And I will have Beefeater if it’s a choice between that brand and a generic well gin. But all preferences point towards the above two gins for my regular consumption of adult beverages.

Any particular brand of alcohol that you prefer over others?

There’s a new drink in town, well not really since I live in Utah and they don’t carry these cool malt-flavored beverages in the grocery stores anymore. Actually, they never carried the 8% variety that I like.

Do you remember back when I started this blog, how I praised my love of Tilt 8%? [which I always had to purchase outside the Beehive State] Then thanks to the uptight teetotalers outside Utah, they changed the formula for Tilt, which made it less desirable. Well now there is a great-tasting replacement – Mike’s Harder Lemonade.

8% is what it’s all about

In fact, I’m drinking one right now as I draft up this blog post. I picked some up recently and they are very tasty. It’s not an energy beer, so those worry-worts won’t take issue with them. It’s got a nice, smooth taste. And it’s got the “get the party started” 8% alcohol content that makes one 16 oz. can work wonders. And it comes in regular lemonade flavor, too, for those that want to keep it natural. [without extra flavoring]

If you live in a state that treats adults like adults – or one you can easily travel to – I recommend you try one of these. Not too sweet, but packs a nice buzz-inducing punch… err… burst of lemonade goodness.

Happy 4th of July to all those that celebrate it.

Enjoy good food, exciting fireworks, good times with friends and/or family and if you imbibe, please enjoy responsibly.

One of my favorite chain restaurants is closing a location, after 20 years in business. T.G.I. Friday’s, via their owner Slaymaker, made the decision to shutter the first Utah location of this popular eating establishment.

Starting in 1989, I’ve been going to this location and enjoying a good meal. As the years progressed, I’ve taken ex-spouses, my daughter, friends, dates and my current spouse to this location. Sure, I’ve visited the other Friday’s locations here in Utah, but this particular location was always a favorite.

One last visit

Hearing of it’s closing brought some sadness. I told my wife that we needed to go pay one last visit this past Saturday [which was their final day in business]. The two of us had been there at least 60 times in the last seven years, obviously a favorite place for us to eat. For myself, I can say I had logged over 300 visits, collecting and redeeming thousands of points that we used mostly for free appetizers – not to mention the many wonderful drinks I’ve enjoyed being served.

“Uh… you need to change this sign”

The closing of this location was brought on by the 2008 demolition of the Cottonwood Mall. This Friday’s location was supposed to remain open throughout the entire project, sticking around for the rebuild, to be completed in 2011. But obviously, the lack of regular mall visitors took it’s toll on those who visited Friday’s. Slaymaker, the owner of the Utah T.G.I. Friday’s locations, made a business decision to close this location.

As we walked into the restaurant, the manager was greeting all of the customers. We told him how long we had been coming to this location, mentioning my twenty-years of visiting and how sad we were to see it close. After all, this was the one of the first Utah restaurants to have a full service ball. [yes, Utah can be a bit behind the times when it comes to alcohol]

We were seated and our waiter took our order [both drinks and food] and we enjoyed a couple drinks [berry mojito for me, top shelf margarita for my wife] and two great meals [I had the pork chops, my wife has a sirloin steak]

As we finished our meals, the manager came up to us and mentioned that the news was there and would we mind being on camera. Of course we agreed.

On The News

With the camera pointed at me, then at my wife, we were asked how long we had been coming to this location, how sad were we that it was closing and then some general follow up questions.

Below is the video clip. This was the Top Story on the 10pm news on Saturday night [March 28, 2009]. It was part of a larger story about how many businesses were affected by the delay during the mall rebuilding project.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Click here for a link to the written story: “TGI Friday’s in Hollday closing“

NOTE: To those that read the story before, my last name was misspelled. It has since been corrected in the text story, but in the video clip, it’s still spelled wrong.

15 Seconds of Fame

It was cool to see my wife and I on the news. People talk about their 15 minutes of fame. Well, this was our “15 seconds of fame” [for each of us], but still exciting, none the less.

Psst… the service at the Southtowne location is better than the Foothill location. Just sayin.

As for those who are curious, we will still frequent other Friday’s locations here in the state [they are building a new location this August at another mall], but will always use this location as a barometer for great food, awesome drinks and a memorable atmosphere.

Still no scooter… *sob* I miss it a lot
 
Quiet Out Here

I know it’s been quiet out here on BL. I meant to work on another blog post mid-week, but for some reason, every time I did, I got distracted or interrupted and had to press ‘Save’ and close it down. I promise next week will have more activity out here.

Club 48

Since last October, there is a bar that has become one of my favorites here in town. It’s called Club 48. I’ve sent many a Twitter from there about it and I can’t say enough great things about it. It’s not fancy by any means, but it’s also not a dive bar, either. They have great drink prices, a very diverse crowd. And they have karaoke on Friday nights.

♫ Women to the left and right of me, and Doritos to the back… ♫

Whenever someone quits the company I work for, we go there to have one last sendoff. We had my going away party there when I quit last October [only to go back to work for them in February of this year]. And we were there in April when my boss left. This week it was Amber leaving, who had been with the company for a while. We will all miss her. Good luck Amber.

“Grrr! Who the hell is this drunk motherfucker next to me??”
 
Park City

Saturday night, we get a phone call from my step daughter, who is in Park City attending a wedding. Her and her boyfriend got a room and wanted us to come up to watch Ayla (Reba’s granddaughter) while they continued their wedding fun. So being the nice parents we are, we head up the mountain to go babysit and hang out. We like Park City a lot, and have time share there [in fact, right next door to where we were staying ] and enjoy the cooler temperatures in the summer time. Plus, the scenery is really nice.

The Canyons… just a small part of it.
 
That’s all for now

Thanks for stopping by. Will post again soon… real soon.

I’ve lived in Utah for 20 years now. Previous to that, I lived in California, specifically Garden Grove. In that state, liquor has always been sold at the local grocery stores, corner markets and superstores. Some of those superstores sell only alcohol. Others have multiple aisles with every known liquor brand you can think of.

 
Welcome To Utah

“What you say, LeVar… is this considered a main alcohol or a flavoring?”

Contrast that with Utah, where any distilled spirits (rum, vodka, gin, etc) are sold at State-owned and operated outlets. These outlets are only open 6 days a week, closed on every Sunday, holiday, election day and any other day they can muster up an excuse to shut their doors. Selections and brands that are stocked are at the discretion of a sole person that works at the Utah DABC. There may be others that offer up suggestions, but a single person is employed to order hard liquor for the entire state.

The laws are drawn up by mostly teetotalers non-drinkers that sit on a board, then sent to the elected teetotalers Utah Legislature where most attend the dominant religion (Mormon), which discourages alcohol consumption (amongst other “bad for you” products). So just to sum that up, the laws discourage alcohol consumption because those that don’t drink don’t want others to drink. Got it? Ok… let’s move on.

 
Recent Changes

Up until the first of May, bars, clubs and taverns (also known as private clubs) that serve hard alcohol could only serve a metered 1oz of the main alcohol in mixed drinks. So if you went to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic in a 6oz glass, you got 1oz of gin, ice filled to the top and the rest tonic water. On May 1st, bars are now allowed to serve 1.5oz (metered) of the main alcohol in each mixed drink.

This makes a common mixed drink a bit stronger, but bars can choose to continue to pour 1oz in each drink, which is another way of saying “we didn’t raise the prices of the drinks we serve.” The 1.5oz is just the main alcohol. Other spirits can be added via free pour (straight from the bottle with no meter attached) so long as they are labeled as “FLAVORING”. Such types deemed as flavoring are: schnapps, triple sec, flavored rums, vodkas and gins and amaretto, just to name a few.

 
What about grocery stores?

Going to a bar or the state store for your booze is not your only option to imbibe. You can get beer and wine coolers at the local Albertson’s, Smith’s and 7-Eleven. But there’s a catch. All beer and flavored beer (as they like to call wine coolers) cannot contain more than 3.2% alcohol, per volume. What this means is that you must purchase and consume a lot more alcohol to get that buzz, increasing the revenue for the state (yes, the state moderates all alcohol sold anywhere) and the size of your waistline (a 30 pack of Bud Light can be filling).

But, what the state giveth [in the form another another 1/2 oz of booze in your mixed drink], the state taketh away. Starting October 1st, it will be illegal for grocery stores to sell any 3.2% alcohol that is deemed an “Alcopop” [yes, that's an actual term], or wine cooler/flavored beer, due to the fact that less than 1% of underage kids tried to purchase these at grocery and corner stores. Also, “The Church” and various elected officials have called Alcopops “…a gateway drug.” Never fear, alcopop lovers. The state store will be stocking the higher alcoholic content versions (read: a lot more than the 3.2% sold now) of Bacardi Silver, Smirnoff Ice and Tilt for purchase and consumption.

 
The End Result

With an effort to further prevent drinking, the state of Utah have passed laws and legislation that have:

• increased the amount of alcohol that you can have in a mixed drink

 
and

• increased the amount of alcohol in a wine cooler/flavored beer/alcopop you will be able to soon purchase at the State Store [albeit, not as convenient as visiting your local supermarket]

So there you have it. Today’s lesson on alcohol in the state of Utah. I hope you enjoyed our discussion today.

NOTE: To those reading that are Utah residents that do not consume alcohol and belong to the dominant religion, do not worry. All flavors of ice cream and Diet Coke are not affected by the new laws and are still available for purchase at your local grocery stores.

So how liberal or archaic are the alcohol laws in your locale? Worse? Better? The same? Comment away.

Once we got back, I made a run for food and stopped off at the Smith’s grocery store. In my perusal of the alcohol selections, I found a new flavored beer called Tilt. I had seen Tilt in the stores in Utah, but it was only 3.2% alcohol.  This one was 8%.  And the can was green.

I bought a couple of them, took them back to the room, cracked one open and drank it down.  It was much better than I was expecting, with a citrus taste. Now I must tell you, I am not much of a beer drinker.  I mean, I’ll have a single Bud Light or a microbrew here and there, but only if nothing else is available.  But this Tilt I liked.

So before leaving town, I went back to the store and cleaned them out.  In July 2007, we spent a week in Las Vegas, where I proceeded to visit  the Lucky supermarket and clean them out of Tilt 8%.  And what I didn’t drink, we took home.

Now in Las Vegas again this week, I have visited several stores and can’t find any Tilt 8%.  I am finding the 6.6% version, which instead of being citrus-flavored and bright green, it’s bright orange and berry-flavored.  It’s ok, but I’m hooked on the 8%.  And before leaving for home tomorrow, we will find a store in Vegas or Mesquite and buy however many they have left.