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– ryan & gub

we are enjoying mint juleps before the kentucky derby! we went with a recipe from the original bartender’s guide by trader vic from 1947 and used rittenhouse rye. they are quite tasty for sure!

rittenhouse is the latest rye whiskey i tried out. i had read a lot about them, including how they won the 2006 north american whiskey of the year award, but had yet to try out their rye. at only $18.99, it is definitely the most economical option for a solid tasting rye out there. the bottle design is nothing to write home about, however it packs a punch at 100 proof and is a great addition to one’s bar.

i would probably stick with mixing rittenhouse in cocktails like juleps, manhattans or an old-fashioned over just sipping the whiskey. it has a little more bite than bulleit or redemption, but for the price, it’s still tasty and great in mixed drinks.

rittenhouse is bottled in bond, which means it was the product of one distillation season by one distiller at one distillery, was aged in a federally bonded warehouse under us government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. pretty strict standards for such an economical rye!

check our my previous posts on bulleit, 13th colony and redemption rye.

– ryan

georgia mint julep recipe:

ingredients:
1 tsp sugar syrup
4 springs fresh mint
2 oz. brandy (we substituted rye)
2 oz. apricot brandy (we substituted more rye)
shaved ice

directions:
– crush mint with sugar syrup in large class and fill with crushed ice
– add liquor and stir gently until glass frosts
– serve with straws and garnish with more mint

i recently went curling with a couple of friends at the atlanta curling club. they host open sessions at the marietta ice center where you can learn to curl or play full games if you are experienced.

i went for a basic learning session and had a blast! i learned how to keep score, how to balance and deliver a stone with a curl, and how to sweep a stone into the house. they also went over the basic rules & terms, as well as the positions of a curling team. i can’t wait to head back and play an actual game!

– ryan

atlanta curling club

4880 lower roswell road
marietta, ga 30068
404-483-1545

i had a nice birthday this year. gub and i went to the grant park six feet under for some seafood and cocktails. we ate on their upstairs patio overlooking historic oakland cemetery. it’s definitely one of the better patio views in the city!

after eating, we went for a stroll through oakland cemetery. somehow neither one of us had been to this beautiful atlanta landmark. as we went leave though, we discovered we were locked inside. fortunately we were able to find our way out, otherwise we would have been scaling a fence!

i also hit up the grand slam golf & baseball on my birthday. as the name implies, they have both batting cages (baseball & softball) and a double decker driving range. it was some good ole’ fashioned fun!

– ryan

six feet under grant park

437 memorial drive se
atlanta, ga 30312
404-523-6664

historic oakland cemetery

248 oakland avenue se
atlanta, ga 30312
404-249-5000

grand slam golf & baseball

3352 north druid hills road
decatur, ga 30033
404-636-0406

clementine had a sports day at school, so she rocked her redskins headband!

– ryan

my dad and i were able to score tickets to the ncaa men’s basketball championship game this year in atlanta! it was last minute, but well worth the effort. the key was buying tickets from fans who were disappointed their team lost in the elite 8. and even though there wasn’t any booze available, it was still a ton of fun!

i have to admit, the ticketless flash seats process was the smoothest large event i’ve ever attended. with over 75,000 people in attendance, we didn’t have to wait in any sort of line while entering the arena. they just swiped your credit card at the door and you were good to go, your ticket was printed right then and there for you. you could also resell your tickets fairly easily through their website.

be sure to check out the louisville fan sporting a cardinals hat and glove while texting!

– ryan

have you ever noticed the skatepark right next to the masquerade on north ave? it has a sweet view of the city and an above ground pool with a slide, although the barbed-wire fence prevented me from getting a photo of the pool.

there was also a mural by atlanta artist hense, which is pretty awesome!

– ryan

there was an amazing handmade sign on our way into holden beach for a pro-wrestling event at the civietown fire department. we can only imagine the awesomeness we missed out on!

pro-wrestling
civietown fire depart.
sat. july 14 7pm
tickets $8
children 10 under free

– ryan & gub

before there was rei and bass pro, there was l.l. bean. it was the go to place for all things outdoor/hiking/camping/fishing/etc, and everything had a lifetime guarantee. it’s still around, but it’s mostly an online/catalogue company with a handful of actual stores in the new england area.

during our maine adventures, we often visit the ginormous flagship l.l. bean in freeport. in fact, ryan has been visiting this store with his family since he was a little boy; his mom love’s their canvas bags.

there’s lots to do and see in the massive 100 year old flagship l.l. bean. from aquariums with live fish and running streams to a cafe & coffee shop, you can find yourself wandering the store for awhile. it’s also open 24 hours 365 days a year, so there’s plenty of time to squeeze a visit into your trip. and even though rei and bass pro have spoiled some of the novelty, it’s still quite an impressive place!

by the way, the l.l. bean kids department was super fun! they had lots of great books, including local maine selections, and an amazing faux-forest where the kids could run around. we loved the design of leaf mobiles hanging above the tree stumps in this room.

– ryan & gub

flagship l.l. bean

95 main street
freeport, me 04032
877-755-2326

there are talks of closing the candler park golf course, which is the historical nine-hole public course a mile and a half from our house. it’s nice having an inexpensive ($10 for adults & free for kids), laid back (no collars required) option for playing golf, it would be a shame to see it close. here is a petition where you can show your support.

– ryan

candler park golf course

585 candler park drive ne
atlanta, ga 30307
404-371-1260