Place:<\/strong> The pool bar @ Cambridge Beaches, Sandys Parish, Bermuda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background, Part 2:<\/strong> \u00a0We loved Cambridge Beaches so much that we returned less than a year later.\u00a0 Somewhere between the conclusion of our honeymoon, and our flight back to that wonderful Island, and having been \u201ccocktail shamed\u201d on our stay by Ellen, I was determined to expand my ap\u00e9ritif \u00a0horizon beyond Bloody Mary\u2019s.\u00a0 Luckily a magazine advert came to my rescue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Instrument of My Seduction:<\/strong>\u00a0 Air travel \u201cback in the day\u201d did not come with video or music enhancements.\u00a0 Rather, flight attendants would walk the aisles offering a selection of magazines to read.\u00a0 I chose a Newsweek<\/em> (or Time<\/em>).\u00a0 Browsing thru the articles my attention paused at a full page advertisement for Beefeater\u2019s Gin. \u00a0Most of the space was given to a photograph of a bottle of Beefeater\u2019s on a patio table. \u00a0Azure & emerald waters were pictured in the distance with a brilliant blue sky overhead.\u00a0 Next to the bottle was (presumably) a Martini on the rocks<\/em> with two plump olives as a garnish, and a Martini up<\/em> with a lemon twist.\u00a0 Both glasses featured condensation droplets attesting to the cold of the liquid contents, in contrast to the warmth of a mid-afternoon sun.\u00a0 To complete the picture, the advertiser included a scratch \u2018n\u2019 sniff<\/em> strip (typically used for perfumes & etc.), which acted to \u201cseal the deal\u201d.\u00a0 I gazed at the picture, I scratched, I sniffed.\u00a0 Wonderfully clean and fresh with an alluring citrus scent! Done!\u00a0 QED, I had my cocktail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the Pool, at Lunch, on a Chaise\u2026 Nothing But Incapacitated:<\/strong>\u00a0 I will admit that I was anxious to put my cocktail discovery into play at first chance.\u00a0 And that opportunity arrived at lunch on our first day back at Cambridge Beaches.\u00a0 After an early swim at Morning Beach, we staked a claim to two chaises at the pool for lunch.\u00a0 Ellen ordered some rum concoction, and I ordered my very first Beefeater Martini, on the rocks with a twist.\u00a0 My first sip left me thoroughly devastated.\u00a0 I gagged. It was a supremely unpleasant.\u00a0 The lemon twist could barely disguise how yucky it tasted.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n To make matters worse, there was Ellen happily consuming her Planters\u2019 Punch (or whatever), perusing the lunch menu. I hid my displeasure by nonchalantly reviewing the lunch options. Then, a second attempt at the drink. Yes, I had been duped by some stupid advertisement! And there was Ellen, to my left, oblivious to my discontent, sipping a frosty Rum Swizzle. But, on the second go \u2018round the Martini was less brutal. Maybe I could make my way thru it before switching to a Bloody Mary? There I was: a small side table with an umbrella that provided shade to the noon day sun, and also home to a Martini on the rocks that had only been diminished by 2 sips. Call it Kismet, but thankfully the heat of the day worked to undo some of the lethality of the drink, so that by my third taste the Martini had been diluted enough to provide a nearly<\/em> desirable taste! Fresh and clean! Just like in the Ad! I think you see where this is going. By sip #4, I was won over, and my seduction was complete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When our server returned to take our lunch order, Ellen ordered another Tequila Sunrise and I pushed ahead full steam & ordered my second Beefeater Martini. I relished each and every sip! Although my enjoyment came at a price. When our lunch was placed on the side table between us, even though my sandwich was not 18\u201d from my hand, I was in no shape to reach it. I couldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ellen warned me not to go swimming for an hour. Swimming? I was worried that if I moved a muscle I would roll off the chaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coda:<\/strong>\u00a0 At some point between Martini #2 and the present day, I switched from Beefeater\u2019s to Tanqueray.\u00a0 I\u2019ve enjoyed other brands on a selective basis, but Tanqueray has been my \u201cgo to\u201d for some time.\u00a0 I\u2019d say something on the order for 12,500 (give or take 100). \u00a0But at this point, is counting really necessary?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The details\u2026 Time: 1973, circa. AprilPlace: The pool bar @ Cambridge Beaches, Sandys Parish, Bermuda. Background, Part 1: Ellen and I honeymooned at Cambridge Beaches the previous June 4.\u00a0 And discounting my collegiate experience with Boone\u2019s Farm Apple Wine (an … Continue reading
Background, Part 1:<\/strong> Ellen and I honeymooned at Cambridge Beaches the previous June 4.\u00a0 And discounting my collegiate experience with Boone\u2019s Farm Apple Wine (an elaboration that need not detain us here), our honeymoon launched me into the world of the serious cocktail\u2026 an activity pursued poolside at lunch, and at the Port \u20180 Call Bar before dinner.\u00a0 Sadly, my beverage choice during our honeymoon, regardless of the time of day, was limited to Bloody Mary\u2019s.\u00a0 Bloody Mary, after Bloody Mary, after Bloody Mary.\u00a0 Meanwhile Ellen indulged in a variety of libations\u2026 Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Rum Swizzles, Planters\u2019 Punches, Pina Coladas & the like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/summerofjim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/martini-rotated.jpg\")
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