Margaritas and Me

I remember the very first Margarita I ever had.

It was summer time, in Santa Monica, CA, at one of my very favorite restaurants, ever, anywhere, famous for their Mexican food, quality Tequila, and Margaritas.

It was still fairly early in the afternoon, but already the Santa Ana winds, usually a fall phenomena that brings hot dry, dusty air from the dessert and dumps it on the L. A. basin, were in force. My companions all ordered Margaritas, so I thought why not try the house Margarita; made with traditional 1800 Tequila and Cointreau, and lime. I ordered it blended with salt.

It was amazing, and the perfect companion for my meal. I became a Margarita convert.

A year or so later, a friend ordered her Margarita "on the rocks"; she said it tasted entirely different. Intrigued, I did the same. And it was entirely different; I could taste the subtle effect of the Cointreau, for one thing. Over the years, I tried variants of the traditional Margarita, using various qualities of Tequila, and alternating between Triple Sec, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier.

I discovered the hideously ugly dark underbelly of the Margarita trade: boxed Margaritas, a beverage and concept so vile that I shudder even as I type. But later, at a small Mexican restaurant just outside SeaTac, I discovered that there are even worse things; the resevoir Margarita. It wasn't until I'd ordered, and received, a glass of what looked like Gatorade on ice, with a salt crust, that I realized that the mysterious green bubbling cooler by the cash register was the source of my Margarita. I tasted it, and wished that it had been Gatorade; instead, it was vaguely like watery lime jello with Ethanol.

There are a number of ways to make a good, traditional Margarita. I've found I prefer a mid-range or higher quality Tequila, (100% agave), and either Cointreau or Grand Marnier, fresh lime juice, on the rocks, with salt.

Margaritas are inextricably tied to summer for me, now; and I'm looking forward to June.

Iguana Mack’s in Chandler - Bumping Nightclub!

Little would one think that a quiet and serene city like Chandler, Arizona, would have a state-of-the-art and rather large nightclub to offer its residents. However, just head north on Alma School Road, past Ray Road, and you will find two of the largest, finest and only nightclubs in the state: Iguana Mack’s – which is in the same complex and lays directly adjacent to Dos Gringos – see previous entry for information on the other club next door. This club is very large and has an awesome exterior and interior décor going on. You will have to wait in line to get inside on most weekend nights, however, they do not charge a cover and generally they are pretty quick about getting patrons inside so they can do some serious drinking. Iguana Mack’s has a full menu and kitchen, with some to die for Mexican food, featuring plenty of signature dishes for all to enjoy. They also have a full bar, and an array of signature mix drinks. Drink specials are the norm here, so make sure that you ask what is on special that evening if you are out drinking on a budget. When you first enter the place you will notice a decent sized stage, which generally has a cover band of sorts entertaining the crowd during the weekends. There is a decent sized dance floor in front of the stage as well, for those who are truly moved by the music. They have Live Music Most Nights of the Week The cool thing about this club is that unlike many other nightclubs, which are typically only open for business during the weekends, this club is open seven days per week. They also serve a great lunch, and have ample items that you can order from their menu. And they offer a happy hour during the weeknights where you can enjoy really low prices and great deals on eats and drinks. If you plan on heading out to this place during a Friday or a Saturday night, make sure that you get there early enough, or you may not have a place to sit once you get inside. The Patio is Where the Partying Happens When I was last here, I noticed that many of the patrons tend to conglomerate around the patio area outside. It offers seating for a few hundred people and is nicely decorated. You can also smoke on this patio, which is probably the main draw to the patio. If you get here early enough you can find a seat. Arrive too late, and you will end up standing for a majority of the night. This club is just very popular, so the earlier you can arrive, the more guaranteed you are of getting a seat, and gaining entrance into this place. My Opinion This is a freaking bumping joint that has much to offer. Good drinks. Good food. Nice atmosphere, plenty of people milling about. Good music. And it’s located right next to another huge nightclub, Dos Gringos. So if you get bored, all you need to do is stroll next door and let the party continue. See the Party for Yourself: A Band Performs on New Year's Eve 2008 at Iguana Mack's

Dos Gringos in Chandler - Best Nightclub in the City

As the workweek drags on, you know the usual hustle and bustle that is presented to all of us as we anxiously await the invigoration of the weekend to come, many people make fond plans for their nights out on the town during the busy rush of Friday and Saturday night—when the nightclubs come alive and people from over the place can be found eating drinking and partying their butts off. Now this notion is rather difficult to achieve when you live a soccer mom city like Chandler, Arizona. However, if you take a short trip to Alma School Road, just north of Ray road, on the East side of the street, you will happen upon one of the only and also one of the best nightclubs in the entire state of Arizona: Dos Gringos. The club is rather large, and upon estimation, I would have to guess that it is at least six thousand square feet inside, probably larger, maybe a tad smaller. The capacity I would estimate to be about 1000 persons. Dos Gringos has a huge stage inside that will feature live bands from time to time, generally cover bands playing music for the crowds to dance to. There is a large bar area with plenty of seating, and tons of other tables scattered around the joint. Since smoking inside businesses is banned in Chandler, they have a rather large patio area that patrons can catch a cigarette break on outside. And if you head here on a Friday or a Saturday night, be prepared to wait in line for a bit to get in. Although I have never seen them charge a cover, from time to time I have heard that they do. One of the Best Nightclubs in Chandler Dos Gringos offers fine Mexican food, has tons of beers on draft and bottled, and has a large selection of signature mix drinks that you can order and enjoy. They also have a dance floor and the place is always hopping on the weekends. Guys can enjoy having ample amounts of attractive young women to meet. And girls can enjoy the same; plenty fishes in this sea for both sexes. Things are Always Hopping at Dos Gringos I have never been to Dos Gringos on the weekend where they weren’t packed out of the doors. So if you are looking for place in Chandler that really kicks things up a notch during the weekends, the place you want to be at is Dos Gringos, where you can eat and drink and have a great time all night long – they are open until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. My Opinion Not only is this the best nightclub in Chandler, its one of the best and also one of the largest and best run clubs in the entire state of Arizona. For those looking for a great time, great eats and decently priced drinks, there is only one stop they have to make when in Chandler: Dos Gringos.

Two Zero-Guilt Mix Drinks Cocktails Revealed (No More Beer Gut)

All of us men know that when you drink too much beer, especially as you near your late twenties, that you will ultimately put on some extra pounds around your tummy and your love handles area. This is a common dilemma for most men. We love beer so much that we cannot stop drinking it. And at the same time, we notice that spare tire growing ever so stoutly around our inner tummy. After a while, we have a nice and noticeable beer gut for our efforts. But the good news about this is that if you are able to break away from the beer drinking purges and binges that many men crave, you can substitute your beer fondness for mixed drinks that have far less calories, taste great, and will get you buzzed after just a few. Also, it is important to note that these mix drinks will cost far less than beer after you purchase the main supplies, and they will get your mind buzzing a heck of a lot more because they have far more alcohol contained within them. So without further ado, here are two, low-calorie, mixer drinks revealed that taste amazing, will get you really buzzed and have far less calories and guilt attached to them than any glass of beer ever will offer! Cherry Jack Bomber You will need several supplies to make this beauty of a cocktail. Get a standard bottle of Jack Daniel’s sour mash whiskey. You will need a shot glass for measuring and a tall, thin, 12-ounce glass. You will also need cubed ice, jarred and candied cherries and a bottle of Diet Cherry and Vanilla Dr. Pepper, and two toothpicks. How to make it: fill the glass to the top with cubed ice. Layer cherries throughout the ice as you fill the glass. Pour one ounce of cherry juice over the ice when finished. Measure and pour two shots of whiskey over the ice. Fill the rest of the glass with Diet Cherry and Vanilla Dr. Pepper. Garnish with cherries on toothpicks on the top of the glass. Pineapple Bacardi Orange Twist You will need several items to make this cocktail. A bottle of new Bacardi 100-proof rum, cubed ice, a shot glass for measuring, sliced oranges, sliced pineapples, pineapple juice, and orange juice. You will also need a slim, 12-ounce glass and two toothpicks.   How to make it: fill the glass with ice to the top. Layer small slices of pineapple and oranges in between the ice. Measure and pour two shots of rum over the ice. Then fill the rest of the glass with half orange juice and pour the pineapple juice on top of the orange juice to fill the rest of the glass up. Garnish with pineapple and orange slices. A few of these great tasting, low calorie mix drinks and you will be well on your to becoming happily buzzed and quite inebriated. Remember never drink and drive and always drink responsibly. More drink recipes to come in later posts, so stay tuned.

Yard House, Scottsdale – Over 100 Beers on Tap, Enough Said!

Ah yes, beautiful and quite often uppity Scottsdale, Arizona. Of which the most significant landmark is the astute and lofty, high price brandishing and upper classy Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping mall. A prominent indoor mall that boasts three levels, over four million square feet of space, a few hundreds stores—many of them high class and signature stores—and of course, home to the illustrious, and signature, Yard House restaurant and bar. If you plan on wining and dining at the Yard House, be prepared to shell out some serious calms. To the tune of seven to ten bucks per drink, and $30-$50 per plate, depending on what you order, excluding appetizers of course; case and point, I ate their with my brother and one other person, and we all had steaks, the bill was nearly $200, and we only ordered two drinks each, and that was before tip. Why the Yard House will Always Rock! The Yard House is truly a one of a kind restaurant and bar the centers on the notion: always have the most unique selections of beers – more beers than you could find at any other place, period. All in all, most Yard House locations that you will stumble upon will have more than one hundred draft beers to offer, and they change out their signature brews nearly every day. So when it comes to the best beers on draft, simply put: you will not find more selection at nearly any other place in the world. Seriously. Watch out for Certain Items on the Menu Most of the food on their menu is well prepared and tasty, and excellently presented. But veer clear away from what they claim is sushi, because it is not sushi at all. They serve a tuna roll that is one step away from throw-up disgusting. It comes on a plate, one roll that is huge, and made from raw fish, so gross I took one bite and nearly hacked. That aside, however, they serve excellent steaks and fish dinners, and nearly everything else on their menu kicks some serious butt. No sushi, though. And, if you want something similar to sushi you can always opt for the seared Ahi tuna – served mostly raw and decadently presented and delicious. But, don’t expect such great eats for cheap – your wallet will hate you afterwards. Over 100 Beers on Tap! The largest attraction to this joint is their oversized glasses and their signature more than a hundred beers on tap, as is shown in this picture to the left. They offer a window that passing patrons can peer into which shows their numerous kegs attached in the back room. They seemingly go on forever. Its like keg heaven in there. So if you are looking for a place that offers the best draft beer selection on the planet earth, you have found such a venue in the hearty innards of the Yard House. As long as you don’t order the sushi, you should have a smashing good time!

Bongos Grill in Chandler: Americanized Food with a Beach Flare

Try as I might, I was unable to get a photo of Bongos for this review, I know, sigh. However, when I find myself there next, I will be certain to snap a few of the place on my handy cellular phone so that I can show what it looks like. So for lack of having a photograph to present you with let me paint the mental picture for you using words. Bongos is tucked away in a small complex in Chandler, Arizona, just off Ray Road. The bar is rather small inside, and rides off a beach bum theme, you know the bamboo sticks, the surf boards and other trinkets all adorn the walls inside. The place offers about seating for maybe seventy five persons and the service is one of a kind; they really take care of you at Bongos. Perhaps the most interesting part of this place is that they have more than a hundred items on their rather interesting, diverse and unique menu: offering an Americanized, surfer flare, as the interior d

Zipp’s Sports Grill in Chandler: Great Drinks, Eats, and Games!

If you ever find yourself on the East Side of the Arizonan Valley, in the beautiful and quiet, serene and well kept city of Chandler, you will realize several things very quickly; well at least you will realize these things if you are a drinker. Chandler is mostly a soccer-mom town, consisting primarily of middle class, median income families, and a large cultural diversity. What this equates to for those who are fond of bars, pubs and clubs, is that basically speaking, there are not many places to go and suck down a few cold beers at night. Most places close early, and the city itself does not play host to many bars. That being said, I find myself, a newer resident of this city, avidly looking for a place to call home for my beer drinking tendencies. What Makes Zipp’s Rock? Having been a frequent patron to the several Zipp’s locations in Scottsdale, and North Scottsdale, Arizona, I found through my searching a newer Zipp’s location on the north east corner of McClintock Road and Ray Road – in the CVS shopping complex. This new Zipp's, simply put, rocks the socks. The place is rather large and refined inside; not what you would expect from your run of the mill sports bar. Rather, Zipp’s in Chandler offers a high class appeal, great service, plenty of eats and a rather decent draft and bottled beer selection. And yes, they make all the well known mix drinks too. In the main room, which is about 3,000 square feet, you will find ample amounts of brand new, flat screen TVs, all depicting one sporting event or another. The bar is surrounded by several well kept and clean, newer pool tables, offering a game for about seventy five cents. And, like other Zipp’s locations they offer shuffleboard, darts and a few arcade games. How Other Local Sports Grills Stack Up Most other local sports bars are light years behind the notion of Zipp’s. Mostly because Zipp’s is part of a local conglomerate that also hosts an even nicer chain called Goldie’s, mostly found in Scottsdale. Also, because Zipp’s are always placed in really nice locations, they pay their staff well, they serve food until midnight or later and they always have something or another on special. Most of the time you can eat and drink there for fewer than twenty bucks with gratuity. So in short: Zipp’s is an all-around great sports bar that will always have a seat open for you! Why I Love Zipp’s The Famous Zipp’s burger is one of a kind, and can be made in thousands of different ways. They are one of the very few sports bars that serve Stein beers (beers in a two pint mug). And they have incredible service, a large smoking patio, and plenty of beer and food selection at awesome prices. If you are a sports nut, and you love good drinks and eats, check out Zipp’s – you will be glad that you did. And no, Zipp’s did not pay me for this review; I have been a loyal patron for nearly a decade now.

What to Expect at Good Drinking

Welcome to Gooddrinking.com – where you will find great insight to different mix drink recipes, drinking ideas, bar and club reviews, drinking games, horror stories, funny stories, and so much more. At Gooddrinking.com we appreciate the finer things in life, like sucking down some cold suds with your best friends, or finding that unheard of and tucked away dive bar that offers the most exclusive beers on tap to be found. No matter what you have to say or read, if it revolves around drinking and mix drinks, bar hopping or clubbing, or just pounding back a few Jack and cokes with your best mates – we will be writing about it, and we want to hear about it. Life can be drab and dull during the workweek. But when the evenings come around and the sun sets, its time to bust out with your finest suds, your aged malts and liquors, or its time to head down to the local pub and suck back a few. Of course, we aim to make sure that you know where to go to get the best drinks, the best prices, the best service, and just what you should order if you are looking to try a drink that you have never had before. If it involves drinking, then you have come to the right place my friends. Because on this blog, we all love drinking and we all know our drinks rather well. So join the party, pour a cold rum and coke, a black and tan, a sake bomber, or what have you. Take a few sips, and add a few entries. We can’t wait to have a drink with you! Cheers.

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