#alcoholrelatedissues

[redundantmidlife]

Drinks with my boss. Is it a bad idea if it might lead to a dangerous affair?

I have recently been approached by my boss to go out for drinks after work. We get on really well and I'm sure if I put some effort in it could lead to more than dinner. A sordid affair maybe. I'm middle-aged, and wondering whether this is just a #midlifecrisis or something more? Yours, JJ Marvin's Answer: Midlife crisis activities can take many forms, but given the dangers an office romance is not the best one to go for. Much as I'm sure you'd like the excitement and rejuvenation of an affair, unfortunately you need to accept that a better path might be buying a new sports car, getting some trendy clothes or going on spa days. Yes, you may miss out on mind-blowing sex, However, at the same time it might be disappointing to both of you as you are now so set in your ways. You don't mention the age of your boss, but assuming she's younger she may not want to watch you fold your socks, read your book or floss prior to engaging in what might for you will probably be muscle-pulling shenanigans. As you might have seen recently, Ronald McDonald said "no" to office romances by sacking their CEO for dating someone junior to him in the business. So unless you too want to make a speedy exit from the company, I'd scrub this affair idea from your bucket list. There's plenty of resources out there that talk of the negative implications, but maybe that's because if anyone published anything saying something positive they'd be lynched, trolled or forced to live in eternal damnation. An imaginery affair

An imaginary affair? Oh, and let's not forget much of it might be in your imagination anyway. The trouble with middle age is that fantasy takes root. For your boss, an affair with you may rank below clearing up after their dog. In fact, she may be asking you out to sack you, or talk about offering you the chance of redundancy. Don't fall into the trap of thinking anyone asking to spend time in your company wants your witty stories and body. I mean, do people really want to listen to your tales of midlife arthritis, whilst looking at your grey hair and bulging waistline over a glass of wine... Need I say more? The best thing to do is find a wing man or woman to accompany you on your night out. This should be someone who finds socialising after work a chore, but lives near you, so that when they get up to go after their one shandy, you'll go with them. Read the full article

[redundantmidlife]

Ice, ice baby. Summer's here and the time is right...for cool cocktails and novelty ice cubes

Summer's here and the time is right.... Lockdown could be coming to an end, the sun is shining, and we're all feeling a little happier. Although the time may not be right for dancing in the street just yet, it is the time for making and shaking some cool cocktails with ice cubes to match. Given we're all about the unusual, we've decided to put together a short list of offbeat cocktails, from Star Wars to Titanic, all of which can be supplemented with some quirky but relevant ice cubes from Moldyfun.com. The cocktails we're going to be looking at are: The Laughing BuddhaTornadoJaw's BreakfastTitanicDeath StarBlow My Skull Off So grab that cocktail shaker, chill those cubes, and sit back in a socially distanced sort of way to enjoy the taste of summer!

Laughing Buddha Cocktail

The Laughing Buddha brings good luck, contentment and abundance. He helps you get lots of whatever you wish for – be it wealth, happiness, satisfaction or, in my case, pubs opening and some decent socialising. Despite looking a little like me following my lockdown diet, the Laughing Buddha cocktail is actually a bit healthy. I'm only saying that as it includes ginger and chilli's, both of which are supposed to be good for you. Ginger for example helps with muscle soreness (post Joe Wicks) and also morning sickness (post lockdown frolicking). Obviously if you are battling morning sickness I don't recommend drinking the cocktail yourself. Laughing Buddha cocktail ingredients 2 oz (30 ml) citron vodka 1 oz (15 ml) lime juice1/2 oz (7 ml) Five Spice Agave Nectar2 oz (30 ml) ginger beer3 pieces ginger3 slices Serrano chilli pepper (to taste) The Laughing Buddha cocktail can be taken to a whole new level by the inclusion of Laughing Buddha ice cubes, so snap up a fun silicone mould to finish the drink off.

Laughing Buddha Silicone Ice Mould Cocktail sourced from: https://punchdrink.com/recipes/laughing-buddha/

Tornado Summer Cocktail

Obviously a tornado can conjure up images of wind and rain, but in this case it's a smooth rum based drink from the Caribbean. As the Caribbean is somewhere I'd like to go when flights resume, this is one for yours and my imagination. Think of the turquoise sea, dark blue sky and white sand. Perfect. Tornado Cocktail Ingredients 2 oz (25 ml) dark rum1 oz (15 ml) light rum1 egg whiteDash of lemon juiceDash of passion fruit juice Obviously I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't recommend some ice cubes, so get one of our silicone mould ice trays and make tornado shaped ice cubes. Brings your cocktail to life.

Tornado Ice Cubes, for Stormy Times Original recipe taken from: http://recipes.hellomagazine.com/cocktails/tag/the-tornado/

Jaw's Breakfast Cocktail

If you fancy something with a bit more bite, then this one could be for you. It conjures up images of sand, sea and... and sharks. It's a cool cocktail with colour. 2 oz (30 ml) Tequila 1 oz (15 ml) Grand Marnier1 oz (15 ml) Blue Curacao1/2 oz (7.5 ml) lemon juiceDash of orange bittersSlice of lemon If you like a floater in your cocktail then these ice fin novelty cubes are perfect to finish the drink off.

Shark Fin Ice Cubes Cocktail recipe sourced from: https://thedrinkblog.com/jaws-breakfast/ As they said in the film, "You're gonna need a bigger boat," so the next cool cocktail plays on that idea.

Titanic Cocktail

Continuing the nautical theme, and I guess disaster movies, along comes the Titanic cocktail. Sailing a ship into an iceberg would probably be more explainable if you'd had a few of these. Titanic Cocktail Ingredients 2 oz (30ml) Vodka0.5 oz. (7.5 ml) Martini bianco (dry)0.5 oz (7.5 ml) Galliano0.5 oz (7.5 ml) Blue Curaçao So for novelty ice cubes, this time we actually have a (small) replica of the Titanic made using a silicone ice cube mould. So this time the ship is made of ice, rather than being sunk by it.

Down she goes. The ship that is, with a Titanic ice cube Original recipe sourced from: https://www.cocktail.uk.com/cocktails/titanic

The Death Star Cocktail

I admit it's not the jolliest sounding cocktail, but as there are plenty of Star Wars cocktails about I thought we'd be a bit different. Plus I like a good whisky sour, so this is one for the garden with mates. Death Star Cocktail Ingredients 1 oz (15 ml) Jägermeister 1 oz (15 ml) Whiskey1 oz (15 ml) Vodka1 oz (15 ml) Triple sec2 oz (15 ml) Sour mix2 oz (15 ml) Coca-Cola Obviously this is a little on the dark side...but all you need to do is put the ingredients together and shake and prepare for your vary own Star Wars. The just add a Death Star Ice Cube to finish off your Star Wars themed drink.

Death Star Ice Cube Mould Recipe sourced from: https://www.liquor.com/recipes/death-star-2/

Blow My Skull Cocktail

I like a bit of history so thought I'd mention this one as my final choice. It even has an entry on Wikipedia. I have to admit I've not made it, but can feel some fun coming on when we're finally allowed to get close to each other. A few of these and there'll be some hugging of something or someone for sure. Blow My Skull is an alcoholic punch (so not strictly a cocktail) that originated in mid-19th century in Australia. As originally described in The English and Australian Cookery Book by Edward Abbott, it calls for two pints of boiling water, mixed with sugar loaf, lime or lemon juice, one pint of ale (dark), one pint of rum, and half a pint of brandy. Some people call the drink Blow My Skull Off, which may also refer to a historical version made with ingredients unlikely to be in your store cupboard. Turkish opium anyone? Blow My Skull Off Ingredients Two pints boiling waterSugarLime or lemon juicePint of Ale or PorterPint of Rum Half a Pint of Brandy (!) Method: Dissolve 165g (3/4 cup) of brown cane sugar into a litre of boiling water in a large bowl to dissolve. Then add the juice of six limes (about 180 ml), and 500 ml each of porter and navy-style rum (57% alcohol content) and 250 ml of strong brandy, stir and refrigerate until chilled. Serve in half pint glasses. Again, I'd suggest adding in some novelty ice cubes to complete the drink... Not the cheeriest ones to end on but at least these are reusable for Halloween...

Skull Ice Cubes to Blow Your Mind Recipe sourced from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_My_Skull_Off

Cool Cocktails Conclusion

There you have it. Some cool cocktails that are off the beaten track. Now summer's here and we're no longer clapping in the street, don't forget to raise a glass of your cool cocktails to the carers and NHS staff who have got us here. I'm also celebrating being hip, well having a new one at least (have I told you my story?), a new job and summer in general, so I'm off to give them a go (again). Ice Cube Mould Tip: When making novelty cubes, boil the water first and let it cool. It's a way to ensure they come out crystal clear, rather than cloud... See the Moldyfun range of novelty ice cube moulds here Read the full article