Welcome! I've saved you a barstool.

I'm not a doctor, but I play one behind the bar. Actually, in that sense, I'm more like a nurse.

I'd like to take a moment to greet all the new readers who have found my little blog, either through the Cincinnati Magazine article in the April 2007 edition, or the very nice mention in CiN Weekly. Welcome! May I pour you a cool, refreshing, delicious cocktail?

It's been my Golden Rule Of Blogging that quality is more important than quantity, so this isn't by any stretch a daily blog. I'm in the business of telling stories, and they make themselves apparent in a way in which I can't control; therein lies the beauty, the unexpected, amazing tale from a stranger. In fact, sometimes when things around the bar are really slow, it's not even a weekly blog.

Some posts are more memorable than others, so I've linked to a few of them below. They're either posts I've received many nice emails or links about, or more "controversial" posts, often related to the tipping habits of patrons, which inspired a flurry of action in the Comments section. :-) There's so much more in the archives, but at the very least, these posts will give new readers a little taste of what they're in for!

The Ten Minute Gimlet

A Creamy Orange Martini for a Warm Spring Evening (includes a link to some of my more popular drink recipes)

On The Rocks

The White Russian Bible

A Whore Named Katrina

"May I speak to the bartender?"

Semi-Famous Radio Gasbags Behave Poorly In Public, Too.

2006 Food Blog Awards

Rude

The One Where the Owner's Daughter Gets Hit On

Am I a glorified beggar?

The Snowy Seven Hills

Bronson Arroyo Is Hot All Over Again

Ice Storm

You ask "Can we transfer the bar tab to our table?"

In closing, I hope you've enjoyed yourself in my little corner of the blogosphere, well-represented by Cincinnatians. I hope you'll take a moment to read through the Tavern Wench Archives, and, if you're local, please be certain to click on the excellent Ohio and Northern Kentucky blogs linked-to under "I'm callin' you from somewhere deep in Ohio." And, here's a special shout-out to Cincinnati Magazine's Brent Donaldson. He's a gem!

I'll leave you with Three Tavern Wench Rules: Always be nice to the bartender; never, ever, ever transfer your tab to your table; and be sure to end each post with a song lyric. :-)

Cheers! I'm happy you're here. Please come back again soon.

I like a good beer buzz early in the morning
And Billy likes to peel the labels from his bottles of Bud
He shreds them on the bar, and he lights every match in an oversized pack
Lettin' each one burn
Down to his thick fingers before blowing and cursing them out
And he's watching the bottles of Bud as they spin on the floor
And a happy couple enters the bar
Dangerously close to one another
The bartender looks up from his her want ads
But all I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I'm not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

- Sheryl Crow, "All I Wanna Do"

Technorati Tags: Cincinnati, Drink Recipes, Bartending

A Toast To Local Bloggers

I apologize for the dearth of posts lately; I took a little break, and nothing terribly interesting has been happening in the pub world. March Madness and St. Patrick's Day are on their way over, however, and things should brighten up after the traditional post-Valentine's lull.

CiN Weekly has a nice cover story this week featuring some of Cincinnati's brightest blogs and the people behind them, and it was a real joy to discover two blog-friends, Mike of The Naked Vine and Dave of Radio Free Newport had received such warm and well-deserved write-ups. It always makes me happy when good things happen to cool people!

I wasn't as familiar with the four other blogs featured in the story, but they're very good and I'll be visiting often; anyone who enjoys this blog would enjoy them, and especially the intriguing stories behind the people who write them. Some people may tire of the sometimes hyped coverage of blogs, but it's still where you can find some of the best, and certainly the most unique and niche, writing anywhere. It's a pleasure to find that the Cincinnati area offers such diversity and talent to blog-land. I've always felt this city had a small-town feel, and you're always running into somebody who knows somebody you know, so it surprised me that I hadn't visited many of these blogs in my daily, borderline-obsessive surfing. You really do learn something new every day.

I have to add that The Last Ten Days isn't just a great local blog/journal... it transcends the category. It's stunning, visually gorgeous, perfectly designed. There's so much content within the site that you could get lost for hours. That's my favorite kind of site, the one that sucks you in and devours your time.

It was very nice of CiN Weekly to fill my tip jar with a nice comment about my own little blog, along with six seven other local and excellent offerings, so a round of drinks goes out not just to Cincy bloggers everywhere, but especially to the staff of CiN Weekly for such a friendly nod to the Cincinnati blogosphere.

Now, I'm normally not a Mojito fan, mainly because they're a pain in the ass to mix in volume, but in preparation for the National Drinking Holiday known as St. Patrick's Day, I offer this appropriately colorful, Mojito-esque alternative to the dreaded green beer. It's a little complicated, but a snap after you make one or three.

Monsieur Yoshi

Fresh lime wedge
8-10 Mint Leaves
Splash of Rose's Lime Juice
1 teaspoon cooled symple syrup
1 1/2 ounce Grey Goose vodka
1/2 ounce Midori melon liqueur
Club Soda

Scoop out the pulp of a lime wedge and reserve. Rub the rind of the lime wedge into the lower third of a pint glass and discard. Add the mint leaves, lime pulp, Rose's Lime and simple syrup. Muddle the ingredients until the leaves have fully released their aroma. Add one level bar scoop of ice, followed by the the Grey Goose vodka and Midori melon liqueur. Add more ice if necessary. Shake the contents with a tin, and pour into a large highball glass, just below the rim. Float the club soda on top, and stir gently, trying not to disrupt the fizz.

Have a safe and happy time Saturday, and may the luck of the Irish be with you all. I'd be foolish to miss this opportunity to quote a U2 song, one which happens to have been in my head all day long. Cheers!

If I could through myself
Set your spirit free
I'd lead your heart away
See you break, break away
Into the light, and to the day
To let it go
And so to fade away
To let it go
And so fade away
I'm wide awake
I'm wide awake
Wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh no, no no

- U2, "Bad"

Technorati Tags: Cincinnati, Drink Recipes, Bartending