#cos this is right off the back of Whiskey Peak (he was doubted) and Little Garden (he felt weak)

[potatopassenger]

I like this transition because look how forced Luffy is in the first shot. He's desperate to try and make Nami feel better even if it's just by making her laugh and he's also desperate to see the new island (and the possibility of a cure) but feels like he can't leave her cos it's his responsibility as captain to look after his crew

And then Zoro comes in instantly understands what's going on and says I've got her and Luffy trusts him so completely he can go just enjoy the excitement of the new island

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

The Angel’s Share - Ch. 2

Chapter: 2 of ?

Rating: PG-13

Summary: We are introduced to the female lead in the story, Katherine Adams, AKA Kate, who runs into Sir Thomas Sharpe.

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Co-written with the ever-amazing @yespolkadotkitty! She’s a rock star!

“You owe me a drink for this. The good stuff, not the bottom of the barrel well booze that you give Frank when he’s three sheets to the wind.”

“Well, maybe it’ll be Crimson Peak, if you give it a good review. Thanks so much, Kate. I can always count on you!” Eddy sang her praises into the phone, punctuating his statement with a cough that sounded more canine than human.

“Please don’t mention it,” she grumbled snarkily, ending the call with her boss, the owner of The Dapper Tap, and sliding her phone into the ridiculously tiny clutch that she had dug out from the recesses of her less-than-tidy closet. She felt almost naked without her standard large black purse slung over her arm, holding all of the essentials and then some, but that wasn’t proper for the launch of a new line of whiskey.

Proper could kiss her arse.

She passed the cabbie a handsome tip as she got out of the cab as gracefully as she could manage. Thankfully the event wasn’t held in the heat of the summer day, and her flowy red dress would provide a bit of a breeze as it brushed against the tops of her knees with each quick step toward the building.

“Name, please?”

Her feet, clad comfortably in black sandals because she was not being paid enough to wear heels, had taken her right up to the entrance to the historic-looking red brick building without her noticing. She startled and lifted her distracted gaze up from where it had been trained on the lush green grass, taking in the attendant standing guard at the entrance. Dressed in a suit that had to be far too hot, he looked about as pleased as she did to be there.

“Katherine Adams, representing ‘The Dapper Tap’,” she stated clearly, brushing her caramel colored hair out of her face as she stifled a sigh.

The young man, he was practically a boy, checked a clipboard he had pulled out from behind his back before waving her through. “You’ll find everything straight on through the hallway and out the other side.”

“Thanks,” she nodded once, skirting past him, noticing he wore an earpiece. This was clearly an event with proper security. 

Whoever had thrown the event, Eddy hadn’t mentioned it amid his coughing fit, had pulled out all the stops. Coming out onto the lawn that had been indicated to her, the spectacle was quite a sight to see. Music from a small band set-up on a wooden stage drifted to her ears, bouncing off of vine-covered walls and only faintly muffled by the guests already in attendance. Small, but tall tables with wrought iron and wood stools were scattered around at regular intervals, offering a place to rest a glass while exchanging handshakes and business cards. The occasional waiter parted the crowd, carrying finger foods to dull the effects of what would most likely be too much whiskey passed around amongst those in attendance.

Best get on with it. Pasting on her best customer-service face - a small smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes - she thrust herself into the small, obviously curated group of attendees, searching for a familiar face amongst the crowd as she made her way to the bar where the liquor in question was served. She plucked a napkin from one of the various small stacks dotting the bar, glancing quickly at the finely printed script on its soft surface.

Crimson Peak, the finest barrel-aged whiskey produced by the Sharpe estate.

“Straight, please,” she told the waiting bartender, preferring to taste the varying flavors of the alcohol without the diluting effects of ice or mixers, although that would surely help the heat concentrated on the back of her neck from her thick mane of hair.

Cupping the glass and placing a few bills pulled from her bag into the tip jar - as a former bartender, she knew the importance of tipping - she turned around and headed to an empty table, chewing idly on her bottom lip as she slowly inhaled the bouquet of the amber-colored liquid.

It wasn’t unpleasant, with layers of oak and smoke that tickled her nose. Pulling a sip into her berry-stained lips, she allowed her gaze to roam the grounds, searching for the man responsible for the expensive sales pitch in question. His unforgettable face, all high cheekbones, guileless blue eyes and a poet’s mouth, had been plastered over tabloids several times over recent years, his nights spent on the arms of beautiful society girls in the doorways of exclusive clubs in Mayfair and West India Quay serving as pressing news for countless sycophants everywhere.

And then he’d dropped off the face of the World. Or so it had seemed.

Why he had reappeared now, hawking his wares, was anybody’s guess. It wasn’t her prerogative to question the comings and goings of people born with silver spoons in their mouths. She had a living to earn; a life to live. And it didn’t include hobnobbing with the upper classes in venues that cost more than a month’s worth of her wages.

Her mission was simple: meet the man so she could prove to Eddy that she’d showed up, sit through what would surely be a presentation full of hot air (him) and eye rolls (her), take the sample bottle that would probably be offered, and hop in a cab home in time to watch her favourite late-night detective drama before bed. It was rare that she had a Friday night off, and she wasn’t going to squander it staring up the noses of the gaggle of holier-than-thou guests milling about on the lawn, likely talking about croquet and the best way to roast a pheasant in your Aga these days.

There.

Stuck in what was surely a dull conversation with a portly man with the ruddy face of a man who seemed to know his liquor, and a tittering socialite whose smile stretched too wide over her heavily made-up face, stood a fallen angel in a masterfully cut suit.

His midnight-black hair framed his face, a riot of waves and curls that looked soft enough to sink her fingers into. His blue eyes met hers across the expanse of lush green lawn, his irises the striking colour of the ocean at dawn. His sharp features, softened by a mouth made for sweet nothings and sin, could have graced any number of magazines. His tall frame was draped in what was surely Armani, the tailored navy fabric skimming his long limbs, the crisp white shirt flirting with a carefully revealed triangle of his flat chest.

Sir Thomas Sharpe. The socialite’s date of choice some years ago.

His gaze held hers and he glanced down at the ruddy-faced man. “Excuse me. I’ve seen someone I must catch up with.” His beautifully enunciated words carried to her across the stretch between them, and he headed towards her, a friendly smile tipping up the corner of his mouth. Serious, he was handsome, but the smile elevated him into downright stunning.

Shame this was one tall drink of water that she’d never sip from. Even if he had been her type, which he most definitely wasn’t - far too posh - she wasn’t his, her curves a little too pronounced and soft in comparison to the athletic, ultra-toned models he was used to cavorting with about town.

“I owe you one,” he murmured as he approached Kate. “Thanks for saving me from being quite literally bored to death.”

Kate looked up at him, unimpressed. She cocked her head slightly, genuinely curious. “What percentage of the time does that line work? Fifty? As much as seventy, maybe?”

He frowned. “I beg your pardon-”

A glass being clinked over the PA system interrupted whatever he had been about to say. ‘A glorious pearl of wisdom, no doubt’, Kate thought with an internal eye roll.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Please take your seats in the drawing room where Sir Thomas Sharpe will give a short presentation on his single estate whiskey, Crimson Peak.”

“Looks like you’re up, Sir,” she said, her distaste for the title dripping from her words much like the condensation on the outside of the glass she held carefully in front of her. She gave a slight mock bow at the waist, gesturing for him to go ahead of her into the grand stone archway of the - hopefully air-conditioned - building.

“Miss,” he began, in that James-Bond-dipped-in-chocolate voice, but she shook her head. “I truly didn’t-”

“Good talk, GQ. See you in there.”

And she strode away without a second glance, lifting the glass to her lips for a sip. The rush of oak and woodsmoke on her tongue faded away to the dance of an aftertaste, heady, with a hint of sweetness, like a half-remembered song.

Funny, she’d expected it to be awful. Not soulful.

It made her wonder.

[glencairnchronicles-blog]

USBG Savannah January Meeting + St. Augustine Distillery - Florida Port Finished Bourbon Review

The Savannah Chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild met this past Monday to kick off 2017. While we’re only a pending chapter right now, we’re definitely gaining momentum, which is exciting. The USBG offers some fantastic opportunities for service industry folks, especially bartenders. Besides the guild only events that are held throughout the month, there are closed master classes, where some pretty fantastic folks from around the world visit Savannah to teach us their ways!

Not only do folks fly in, but we have some really talented members living in Savannah. Cody Henson, for instance, is the Bar Manager at The Grey in downtown Savannah. Cody is heading to the National Finals for the USBG Legacy Cocktail Showcase Competition sponsored by Bacardi. Way to go dude! I think one can say without a doubt that the cocktail scene in Savannah is growing at an incredible pace.

Alley Cat Lounge, a brilliant underground cocktail bar just opened. The Artillery, Cocktail Co., The Grey, 22 Square at the Andaz, and Five Oaks Taproom in the Hotel Indigo are all great places to find cocktails downtown. The Starland District has The Atlantic, The Florence, and Cotton and Rye (kinda). And the Midtown/Southside/Islands side of Savannah is getting some winners like The Wyld, and BowTie Barbecue (Shameless plug...but we do have fantastic cocktails and over 100 whiskies!). It’s safe to say we’re part of something cool. This is why Savannah having it’s own chapter of the USBG is so important!

As I mentioned earlier, every meeting a different spirit, wine, or beer representative comes to town to talk a little about their brand. This past week Cesar Diaz from St. Augustine Distillery came by to talk about their Vodka, Gin, and a soon-to-be-released Port Barrel Finished Bourbon.

(Photo Credit goes to Allison Nunis Firth, 2017)

St. Augustine Distillery was founded in early 2014, and opened in an old ice plant. A lot went into the restoration and creation of their space, including trips to Staten Island and various other areas to pick up period piece fixtures and parts. The space features a museum, tasting room, event space, and distillery. They strive to use local ingredients like corn, wheat, and cane sugar. As you can see: they really care about their product. A lot of time has obviously been put into the creation of this brand. It works for them. Check out their website for a ton of great information regarding their creation and their spirits.

Cesar brought by their year round offerings, and we tried them first: Vodka and Gin. Both were distilled from a cane sugar fermentation, and you can tell. They are sweeter liquors. This really lends them to sipping, which is the way I prefer most of my spirits. The vodka is actually flavorful but still “neutral” enough to be used in some great cocktails. The Gin was distilled with citrus and botanicals, but what really shines through is lavender.

Cesar then produced a tiny bottle with a beautiful ruby red whiskey inside: The Florida Port Finished Bourbon. A little more background on the distillery side of the business: Former Master Distiller from Maker’s Mark Dave Pickerell has been very busy these past few years. Along with helping out up in Vermont with WhistlePig Rye Whiskey, he came down to St. Augustine to help set up their production facility and aid in the blending of their bourbons. I’ve always been a big fan of Maker’s Mark. It was one of the first bourbons I ever tried, and the only whiskey at our wedding. I digress.

St. Augustine Distillery has a Double Cask Bourbon that Pickerell aided in the blending (the mashbill was created by Stanahan’s Colorado Whiskey Founding Distiller Jake Norris). It clocks in at 18-26 months, so it is a young whiskey, and you can taste the greenness of it. Still, very flavorful, with hints of caramel, malted barely, and a little grass. The Port Finished takes this Double Cask as it’s base and uses port barrels from San Sebastian Winery (also in St. Augustine) to essentially create a triple cask bourbon. Boy howdy does it pay off.

Serving: .5 oz in a rocks glass.

Whiskey Type: Triple Cask Bourbon Whiskey

Proof: 102 (51 abv)

Age: 18-26 month blend ages for an as of yet undisclosed amount of extra time in port barrels.

Cost: N/A (The Double Cask clocks in at about 50, so I assume somewhere near there)

Color: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Raspberry jam up front, followed by caramel and a hint of spices. The port barrels have really added something nice. The grass peaks through at the end, which brings you back to how young it us, but not in a negative way.

Palate: Chocolate Covered Raisins. It was unanimously decided by our group. It was thicker from the higher proof, and coated the mouth quite nicely. The chocolate was present, and the raspberries also came through just a hint.  

Finish: The berries came back in the finish, with a hint of dried fruit. It lingers nicely, with a tinge of sweetness.

End of the Day: I can’t wait to pick up a bottle. They’ve really got something delicious on their hands there! I will be picking up a bottle, and getting one for BowTie as well.

Overall, it was a very successful first meeting of the Savannah Chapter of the USBG. Look for more news and information about them and St. Augustine Distillery at later dates. Cheers!

(Photo Credit goes to Tiffani Williams...and her tiny selfie stick, 2017)