Endangered and extinct alcohol species
Observations of a Middle-aged Dragon with a tattoo:
Endangered and extinct alcoholic species
If you are a child of the 70s, 80s and even the 90s some of the alcohol you used to drink is no longer available or very scarce or considered bad-form to order and far worse to drink.
Aspersions will be cast on your character, if you're seen in public quaffing these drinks: but hey, for some of us that's nothing new!
I thought I would take you back in time, perhaps some of you may relive those simpler times when we drove drunk, in overcrowded cars with no GPS or mobile phones and we are still alive to tell the tale.
However, I'm also most likely taking you back to those; not so good mornings and days of hang-overs - where, when you woke up, your mouth did indeed feel and taste like the bottom of a cocky's cage!
I’m not providing recipes as Google has everything you need to revisit the making of these drinks especially if you want to revisit younger times or rediscover old ones. Arhh Good times....
EXTINCT or so close they are ENDANGERED:
Cherry Brandy and Advocaat:
Two dogs:
Two Dogs was a ready-to-drink beverage that was first introduced in Australia in 1993 and went on to become available throughout the world. It was a lemon flavoured alcoholic beverage that is widely considered to have been the "world’s first brewed alcoholic lemonade"[1]
(despite the pre-existence of traditional drinks like Zima), paving the way for similar products such as Hooper's Hooch and Mike's Hard Lemonade. Source Wikipedia. There is only so much longevity in the drinking public's like of souped-up lemonade.
West Coast Cooler:
West Coast Cooler is the original ready-to-drink from the 80s that has stood the test of time (well almost). Enjoy the exotic fruit flavours that complemented each giving a balanced, crisp refreshing drink. Real morning-after cocky cage stuff.... soooo sweet.
Claytons:
The drink you had when you weren't having a drink. Such a successful ad campaign that the 'whole' Claytons personna took over social commentary and became a catch-cry for something ineffective or not the 'real' deal. Like he's a Claytons boyfriend... the boyfriend you have when you're not having a boyfriend.
Cold Duck:
Kaiser Stuhl is now reduced to a range of seven wine casks and one bottle product, Black Forest Moselle.
The period 1956 to 1975 were the the golden years of Kaiser Stuhl not only a wine story but an inspiring management story. Source Wikipedia.
Blue Nun: It's hard to keep a good woman down and she's back and more Golden!!
Blue Nun is a German wine brand launched by the company H. Sichel Söhne (Mainz) in 1923 with the 1921 vintage, and which between the 1950s and 1980s was a very popular international brand. For most of its existence, Blue Nun was a single German wine, which until the late 1990s was classified as a Liebfraumilch. 
Blue Nun can be said to have been the first wine to have been produced and effectively marketed with an international mass market in mind. Source Wikipedia
Goon and the Flagon: almost extinct, or gone the way of the Dodo…
Usually and preferably filled with cheap sweet nasty wine!! And then there's that clothes line game with the bladders of goon.
Making a comeback because of the “Wheel of Goon” or is that “Goon of Fortune”
Only in Australia..... because for starters you need a Hills Hoist!
Rules of Goon of Fortune: Spin the line. Wherever the bladder lands, the adjacent person must tip their head back and take a drink. Repeat this until the last person is left standing; they are the winner! You are disqualified if you leave or refuse to take a drink.
Let's get specific:
The 70's: Those now Retro drinks:
Dust off those bottles of Crème de cacao, Creme de menthe, and Giuliano:
Remember drinking a Grasshopper, it was like dessert and a drink in one. Most notable because it has both Crème de cacao and Creme de menthe in it. But it has made a pop culture return in the popular ‘Big Bang Theory’ when one of the main characters (Raj)
was found to only be able to speak to women if he was drinking Alcohol.
Low and behold The Grasshopper was the drink that unlocked his tied tongue!
Brandy Alexander and other
heavy dessert-like drinks like a White Russian
The 80s: more than big hair and bigger shoulder pads...
Cinzano: Bianco, Vermouth and much, much more
Cinzano vermouths date back to 1757 and the Turin herbal shop of two brothers, Giovanni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano Cinzano, who created a new "vermouth rosso" (red vermouth) using "aromatic plants from the Italian Alps in a [still-secret] recipe combining 35 ingredients (including marjoram, thyme, and yarrow)". What became known as the "vermouth of Turin" proved popular with the bourgeoisie of Turin and, later, Casanova. Source Wikipedia.
Experience what were thought to be such witty and funny ads.... Oh how they've aged, good thing Joan Collins has aged far better than the inane humour on show here. Oh the shame!! Watch the cringe unfold here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkjidE0WnAI
White Zinfandel:
It's actually pink and is said to be making a comeback!!
Whether adored or despised,
White Zinfandel is like Donald Trump: inescapable.
Blue Lagoon:
More than the cringe-worthy movie of the same name whose cringe-worthy-ness was lead by Brooke Shields…..
Sometimes drinks from the 80s JUST need to die... like Swan Gold:
Then Swan Premium came along, it was to compete with the top of the class, cream of the crop, best of the hops... Crown Lager.
The ads were slick and sophisticated. 'They said you'd never make it.' They hit right at the Aussie core. Unfortunately everyone in the ads (great achieving Australians: Greg Norman, Darryl Somers, Brad Hardie .. who?) seemed to fizzle as soon as they took a sip and appeared in the ads. Then eventually so did the beer... fizzled that is.
But then there was the America's Cup and that's worth looking at again as it was inspirational viewing.
Non-Alcoholic and or close extinct:
Tang: selling point Astronaut's used to drink it in space! 
Tab: The Ad with 'The Body' herself, alas even Elle Macpherson couldn't save it!
Classed as one of, if not the first, 'Diet' soda, alas.... gone the way of 'New Coke'... Dead.
Right!! Can you imagine any red-blooded Australian woman hugging her man after he's lusted after Elle Macpherson just because he's drinking a diet cola... MMMmm ads have certainly changed or is it we've got a little more sophisticated?
This is really only the tip of the iceberg! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the memories, maybe partake in some!
Dare you to…
Uber needs more Ride types: Let me explain the speed thing…
Observations of a Middle-aged Dragon with a tattoo:
Uber needs more Ride types: Let me explain the speed thing…
They have UberX: the least expensive Uber service. Then UberXL right up to UberBLACK etc etc etc.
My head nearly exploded when I had Elma Fudd as my Uber driver, taking me to the airport on a very, very tortuous and SLOW route. My 'restrained' atomic explosion of frustration being barely held back as he took every slow route and made every possible SLOW decision when stringing his way through the traffic to the airport. Like he was using his stringing to make a Macramé hanging pot holder, all those knots and twists. When all I wanted was straight and direct, like an arrow.
Right there - between internal explosions, knots and twists in my stomach and using his stringing-along for a noose, to put myself out of my misery - I decided Uber should offer more options than the type of car.
They should offer DRIVER options. All based on speed, talent and cleverness of the driver around his ability to drive and move around traffic.
The UBER driver list: Drivers rated on their speed of delivery:
The SLOWEST
When you have all the time in the world and want a nice chat with your Uber driver and enjoy a good macramé twisted pot holder - you need slow and chatty. You need the...
Grandad with a hat category: Slow and chatty
Increasing in speed from here:
Grandad no hat
Sunday Church Goer
Sunday Driver
Mum with a Minivan full of kids because she will drive safe but nudge the speed limit because invariably; she's late.
And then there's the SOCCER MUM... late for practice:
Bank Heist getaway DRIVER; just beats out soccer mum.
And the FASTEST OF ALL...
The Formula One driver category: Fast and Sexy (as opposed to Slow and Chatty)
What a joy to look at...
Mmmmm now they're going to make you forget...hang on where were you even going? As for frustration...what? That might be a whole different type of frustration... the GOOD kind... I mean just look at them they are insanely handsome... of course they'd have to be driving a fine, fine car... and then the speed will truly kick in.
I'm sure there are many more categories that could slide in between those mentioned, but you get the idea.
Either way, forget the type of car Uber offer, the one that gets you from A to B the most economical way.
Say hello to type of driver Uber offer and shake hands with less frustration and the speed you want.
Uber take notice: provide the full service with the extra categories as above.
Speed up your life into the fast lane and drop that BAD frustration...
Dare you to...
Signs of our times from the world
Observations of a Middle-Aged Dragon with a Tattoo:
Signs of our time
From all over the world
From Paris with love
No tulips….in Amsterdam
Better luck in Fremantle
From Moscow with ‘how the mighty have fallen’ love…
For the last word I’ll leave it to Melbourne.
Mark your own mark. Dare you to….
Happy Easter Dare you to....
Observations of a Middle-Aged Dragon with a Tattoo:
Happy Easter to everyone!
For the Geeks and Scientists:
For the Mums and Dads:
For the Crime Buffs:
A laugh for the disappointed:
For everyone at the end of Easter:
For those who’d like to have a Happy Easter and skip the chocolate;
Dare you to….
How Did We Survive?
Observations of a Middle-Age Dragon with a Tattoo:
How did we survive?
CONGRATULATIONS to people born in the 60s, 70s, 80s and early 1990s.
You SURVIVED!! Actually you THRIVED … Even when
Our MOTHERs:
- Drank while they carried us
- Took Aspirin
- Ate Blue Cheese, Salami, Tuna, Salmon and salads older than 24 hours.
AFTER BEING BORN:
- We were vaccinated (and never suffered from measles, mumps, and polio and never suffered from any terrible conspiracy except being HEALTHY).
- Were given Brandy to help get rid of any wind.
- Ate and played in dirt (we had less allergies).
- Played with hand-me-down toys, slept in cots that didn’t have any Government safety standard seal of approval.
AS CHILDREN WE:
- Played in kitchens with no child proof locks on cabinet doors, drawers, and medicine bottles.
- Rode bikes with NO HELMETs.
- Drank Water straight from TAPs and HOSES.
- Shared water bottles.
- SHARED one soft drink with four other friends.
- We ate meat that had been cooked after being defrosted all day at room temperature from a fully frozen state.
- Washed dishes up in a sink with a dish cloth that wasn’t infused with anti-bacterials (Oh the horror) and simple dishwashing detergent.
- AND NO ONE DIED from any of this!
- ATE cakes made with real sugar and real butter. They were home made; on kitchen tops not sanitised to within an inch of their lives. The cakes didn’t have to look like something out of a Hollywood set. But they tasted so good.
- We weren’t VEGANs or had parents on the Keto diet.
- Despite all of this WE WEREN’T OVERWEIGHT or suffered from severe ALLERGIES.
- BECAUSE we were always outside getting dirty and playing, morning to dusk or until the street lights came on (if we lived in a place with street lights).
- If we had the chance we were outside running, and playing games like; COPs and ROBBERs, COWBOYs and INDIANs. With toy guns…. And we didn’t grow into bigoted, gun toting maniacs.
- We climbed trees, swung in trees from a tyre and rope, rolled down grassy hills (again not being allergic), ran, stubbed our toes, rode bikes at break neck speed with no helmets, played in mud, and puddles.
- In short we GOT DIRTY.
- We built things out of discarded boxes etc, we found around home, go-carts, boats, came to life. WE USED IMAGINATION and it didn’t come out of a box and wasn’t always brand spanking new.
- We; God forbid; invented games with sticks and balls and although we knew about it, no one EVER lost an eye!
- We broke bones, got scratches, gravel rashes and had bodies that could function without straining something doing something normal kids should be able to do like climb across a jungle gym without falling.
- We had co-ordination and no rubber mats under our play equipment.
- If we did get hurt, we didn’t blame anyone else. There were no lawsuits where people sued someone else. HOW DID WE SURVIVE!
- Because we played, we fell-down, ran into trees and bushes, we got hurt. Our parents told us it served us right for acting like an idiot. WE WERE ALLOWED to make mistakes.
- WE learnt THAT DOING STUPID THINGS HAD CONSEQUENCES. It limited the number of dumb and dumber things we did when we got older.
AS TEENAGERS:
- If we said we were bored…. Well we didn’t get bored because we could always find something to entertain us. WE COULD ENTERTAIN OURSELVES.
- We even read real books, that we could take anywhere, and they didn’t need WiFi or batteries for a screen!
- If by some chance we were still bored we were conscripted into helping Mum clean the house, especially the toilets. A reason why we weren’t ever bored.
- We did odd jobs to make money:
- Our parents didn’t have to be in contact with us 24/7 but somehow, they knew where we were.
- We had TVs but only 2 or maybe 4 channels.. How DID WE SURVIVE. TVs weren’t something we got lured to sitting in front of all day because we had better ways to entertain ourselves.
- We didn’t need to take photos of everything we were involved with like our food, and we certainly didn’t take photos of ourselves ever minute of the day.
- We didn’t have social media, internet, chat rooms, texts, FaceTime, Skype, Instagram, Facebook and snapchat. If you wanted to talk to someone or meet someone you went outside and found them.
What can you remember you “survived” was it really fun? Dare you to…
Another New Year: Another list of 'how long will they last' 2019 resolutions
Observations of a Middle-aged Dragon with a tattoo:
Can we make "OUR" New Year resolutions last?
I don’t have answers and I don’t give advice. I have suggestions and hope to have you laugh and enjoy your day. For me it’s more like this:
Another New Year. 'Another bunch of the how long will they last' resolutions?
And as for 2019 resolutions:
Design your own life
Don’t just desire it.
Throw caution to the wind, laugh and consider life:
it’s yours after all..
BE YOU: Let yourself go
DREAM BIG: Whatever they are:
SPEND Time with Yourself:
When DISAPPOINTMENT raises its ugly head:
FIND A WAY to rise above other people's judgement:
Spend time with priceless people not cheap pretenders: Life's too short.
Devote time to these friends. Dare you to....
Reflecting on 2018
Observations of a Middle-Aged Dragon with a Tattoo:
Observations and Reflections of 2018:
How many times did this happen?
And we so hoped…
At the end of the day when energy was defeated and Uber eats was
a whole lot of appealing we did use …
MIND: Alas the agony,
BODY: Oh ! The ageing
SOUL: Being able to laugh at ourselves:
The results of 2018 goal-setting:
Life was meant to be interesting and it is enriched by the more challenging the journey;
not the destination.
In the end when reflecting on the year; true friends are our riches and a REAL indication of our self-worth.
Go out and celebrate with the people who make you feel the most valuable. Dare you to….
A Christmas Survival Recipe to Get you Through!
Observations of a Middle-aged Dragon with a tattoo:
So this is Christmas…
Never fear I have a recipe to help you make it through. Read On…
There are a number of ways you can go.
You can do this:
OR you can do this:
Both have merit and there is no judgement either way. Because Christmas is individual, and I must admit I like the creativity of the latter.
Sometimes little Christmas treats like this happen,
While we all wait on the big guy to show up
We all need to remember this recipe.
I understand it also works well with champagne,
wine (both red and white), rum, vodka, gin, scotch and brandy
(any alcohol) although not mixed altogether. You
need to drink responsibly after all.
Enjoy Christmas, anyway that's the best for YOU! Dare you to…
