Yes, I know that yesterday was National Margarita Day, but I just couldn’t do it, no way. I’m still in recovery from Mardi Gras and as much as I love MARGARITAS, the thought makes me…urp…not feel well.

I’ve been enjoying some e-mail banter with ROBERT HESS, cocktail guru and keeper of www.drinkboy.com, about new gins. He mentioned there is a new gin out of Oregon called Cricket Club, that packs a cardamom wallop. Cocktail experiments with Cricket Club are on-going, stay tuned. Robert also advised that new-to-the-market, Aviation Gin has already re-formulated and it too is punched with cardamom. Funny how cucumber was the it flavor and now we’re on to cardamom…I also looked into tanqueray’s newest gin entry, Rangpur. This is a very interesting gin because during the final distillation, rangpur limes, ginger and bay leaves are added along with the more traditional gin ingredients like Juniper berries and coriander. It is not a flavored gin, because that would call for adding flavor after distillation. According to one reviewer, Rangpur is ” So smooth, that drinking it straight or on the rocks is highly recommended. Rangpur Gin will make a martini that will convert a vodka martini drinker.” For now, Rangpur is only available in Maryland, Delaware and Washington DC. It’s scheduled for national release in February 2007.

Why is National Sangria Day is in the third week of December rather than more obvious summer months? Maybe at it has to do with Beaujolais Nouveau, which, if it hasn’t been swilled by know, is really great for turning into Sangria. Sangria is a refreshing fruit-spiked wine drink classically made with young, fruity Rioja wines from Spain. But an equally delicious version can be made from just about any wine - red, white, even rose wine. The recipe is easy. Pour a bottle or two of wine into a pitcher, spike with fresh fruit slices like lemons, orange, limes, mangoes and pears; add sugar to your taste and a good half a cup of brandy. Pour the sangria over ice and garnish with the wine-soaked fruit.

It’s also National Fried Shrimp Day. Only one day for fried shrimp? The inceptor of that “day” cannot possibly be from New Orleans, because every day is fried shrimp day.

I am awash in eggnog owing to an event that I’m involved with here in New Orleans that is celebrating eggnog in a variety of ways - as truffles, cupcakes, plated dessert, drinks, ice cream, etc. It seems that there is quite an extensive history of eggnog to uncover and then yesterday I happen to have spoken with a writer from Dallas who is looking into the old-school drink, the Tom and Jerry. The Tom and Jerry is said to be a traditional Christmas cocktail - a type of egg nog spiked with brandy and/or rum and served hot in a mug. Some versions call for stiffly beaten eggwhites, mixed together with with beaten yolks and sugar to which the hot iquid is added. Most cocktail experts agree that the name has nothing to do with the cartoon, but is possibly derived from Professor Jerry Thomas, the author of one of the first bartender’s guides, How to Mix Drinks (1862). Other theories are that the drin name is based on one of the principal characters in the early 19th-century novel, Life in London, or from Damon Runyon’s short story Dancing Dan‚Äôs Christmas:. I’ve tried EMERIL’S EGGNOG and it’s really yummy. It also works beautifully as a flavoring for cupcakes.

Are we tiring of vodkas flavored with raspberries, orange, lemon and vanilla? Are we looking for a little adventure? Look no further, Vodka Artel “Yat” is wowing us with their “‘Lux’ grade grain alcohol” in flavors like HORSERADISH AND GARLIC. Also of note is their other line, “Artelnaya” in delicious, Southern style CORNBREAD FLAVOR or for those who like a really mellow SUNDAY evening with the family, “good Russian vodka” made with St. John’s Wort.

While gazing at a lengthy row of gin bottles, one stood out because the liquid within was the palest of pale yellow. Intrigued, I ordered a martini (with vermouth of course, because as the amazing Alberta Staub says, “Without vernouth it’s just cold alcohol.”). The flavor of the gin was delicious owing to a nicely balanced blend of juniper, citrus peel and then exotic spices, maybe a little nutmeg. It’s very soft and pleasant, with a clean, dry finish and frankly, I’m in love. The color remained a mystery and there was one flavor that I recognized but couldn’t finger. This is what I’ve since discovered:

“Cadenhead’s Old Raj Gin is distinctive in that it contains a measure of saffron, the rare and costly spice derived from the crocus flower. In addition to a slightly spicy flavor, this also imparts a pale yellow color to Old Raj. The addition of the saffron is undertaken personally by the Company Chairman, in order to ensure a consistency in flavor and color each time Old Raj is bottled.”

There you have it. This is a must-try gin. Fair warning, it can be a bit pricey and I wouldn’t use it with mixers - it deserves to be center stage.

At a small sushi bar in New Orleans, the chef presented me with a glass of wine to enjoy with my Chirashi-Zush (basically sashimi and composed salads on a bed of sushi rice). Not sake, as I thought it might be, but a wine made from grapes. Oroya, a wine from Tierra de Castilla, Spain, is made specifically to be paired with sushi. Made by a Japanese winemaker, Yoko Sato, Oroya is a blend of 60% Airén, 30% Macabeo and 10% Muscat grapes. Light-bodied and low in alcohol, Oroya beautifully matched the sharpness of vinegared sushi rice, fresh fish and even the heat of wasabi and the sal tof soy sauce. There is very little complexity which is likely why it paired well with all those flavors. The slight lemoy edge on the wine was nice sipped with simple, no frills (no comdiments) sashimi too.

A good friend and fellow drinker clued me in to a recent posting on e-gullet about a guy who makes “Weeniecello,” hotdog infused vodka that he uses in a “Weenie-Tini” - weenie vodka, dry vermouth, and sauerkraut juice. The inventor of this cocktail has said that his drink possesses, “…a richness and subtle beefiness not to be found in traditional vegetarian cocktails.” Blechhhh. In addition to the “Weenie-Tini,” another e-gullet member directed readers to a webpage (http://www.echonyc.com/~jkarpf/home/martini.html) with an exploration of pork (”from sausage to spam”) as a cocktail ingredient. Anyone for a porktail, straight up?

Have you gotten into sake yet? No? Oh, you must, you must. The styles, the flavors, the aromas, the bottle designs, it’s all so beautiful! After reading Beau Timken’s new book on Sake, I’m more juiced than ever about this highly nuanced potable. Today, Beau, owner of True Sake in San Francisco has offered “10 Sakes You Must Try Before You Die - The Official ‘Unofficial’ List.” From his newsletter and the website (www.truesake.com), here is the list:

Koshi no Kanbai Brewery (Perceived to be the “best” in Japan)
Urakasumi Brewery (Balance personified - created a special yeast)
Sato no Homare - Sudo Honke Brewery (Oldest brewery in Japan)
Daishichi Minowamon (These brewers are into perfection! This DG is Perfect)
Mukune (Great example of Osaka sake - Made by Philip Harper the Pioneer!)
Juyondai (Aged sake that speaks to the language of “fat” flavors and feelings)
Masumi Brewery (Founders of one of the most important brewing yeasts)
Tsukinokatsura Junmai Dai Ginjo Nigori (Amazing brewery and best Nigori)
Kotsuzumi Brewery (One of those “Biblical breweries”)
Kokuryu Brewery (Another of those “Biblical breweries”)

Those are drinking Sakes. Here’s a great recipe to use with that odd bottle that’s been tucked into the recesses of your fridge since the beginning of time…
SAKE MARINATED SHRIMP WITH A CUCUMBER AND MANGO SALAD

Yesterday during a sushi-craving lunch, the chef/owner presented me with a chilled bottle of sake. He said this was different and to “please try.” After popping the top, I poured out a small glass-full of bubbly clear liquid. Bubbles? Intriguing. The sake was slightly sweet, smooth, ever-so-gently bubbly and refreshingly delicious. Gekkekan Zipang Sake is easy drinking for those who can’t (or won’t) do the over-alcoholed, hot sake - like me. Naturally carbonated, Zipang is great on it’s own or crafted into a clever cocktail. Check it out. Widely available in stores on on the web.