17 April 2009

The Friday Belt - G&T for Lilly P

Lilly P trousers and a yellow braided belt

No idea where I picked up that belt. Found a green belt like it at a Paul Stuart sale in the Hancock years ago. Real gator - - I'm pretty sure this one isn't but it works with these Lilly P trousers and that's no small feat. Check out those belt loops. Scary big. You could wrangle a rodeo belt through those.


May be jumping the gun on Summer but NYC is gonna hit 70 today. Man, it's been a long time coming. Now I know there are critics of the "Go to Hell" pant but I've always had a soft spot for these. My first post ever featured these pants. Not too fey and with a blazer --very Palm Beach and right at home on the terrace at Renato's. "Oh, waiter....make mine a G&T please."

Plymouth Gin and Schweppe's Tonic


There is something so wonderful about a good Gin and Tonic. Refreshing. Tart. Brisk. Makes me wanna smack my lips just thinking about 'em. Problem with G&Ts (my problem) is they go down too fast. On a hot day I can easily hoover three in a half hour and that ain't good. Tart and brisk become lethargic and numb. Not so cool being in the bag at that fancy Worth Avenue restaurant before you your entree arrives. Here's a fix-- Plymouth Gin has the lowest alcohol content of any gin (that I know of) on the market. 41.2% compared to Beefeater at 47%. Less alcohol. Tastes great. I should write ad copy.



Here's another pointer about the G&T. Make them by the pitcher. Here's how: Juice five limes and set the juice aside. Take the lime skin and cut them into slivers. It's messy but this is worth it. Now, dump a cup of gin into a pitcher and add the slivers of lime. Then mull this with a wooden spoon. I saw this recipe in the NY Times four or five years ago and it's the mulling that's key. The smell of the limes and gin is something I can't describe. You may be tempted to put a drop or two behind each ear. After mulling for five minutes let it rest for five minutes more. Add four to five cups of tonic. I like Schweppes. Fill some glasses with ice and fill 'em up. A word of caution. Moderation - - less you end up sounding like this chap.


20 comments:

Charles said...

Never met Rowley Birken before. A new fan. You've linked to this Fast Show before I believe. I better check into it.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll need to figure out how to mull. I know how to mull over, but ...

Don't know about the belt but I dig the trousers. I bought some plaid trousers last summer and wore them once. Nice to know about the gin because when I wear loud clothing I always drink twice as fast.

ADG said...

As our friend over at An Affordable Wardrobe said one time...."huge nad strong" trousers. Good on you for expediting the switch to fun summer clothes. I've got on white bucks and yellow socks today. It's gonna be 74 in DC today. I'm cuttin' outta work at noon.

The Sardonicist said...

first of all, my heartfelt thanks for including clips of "brilliant" on your post. quite possibly one of the best british imports since...well, gin.

which brings me to my second point; i learned a long time ago that g&t's do not have me speaking like the gentleman above. rather, my speech is plainly discernable, quite loud...boisterous even, and unfortunately, while it might be considered the queen's english, it is most certainly anglo-saxon(ahem).

lastly, as much as i admire the whimsical pants, i don't think, for safety reasons, they should be worn anywhere near a rodeo.

tintin said...

longwing- You're a lot funnier than Chops. The Fast Show is a favorite of mine and was all the rage in London. Intelligent and sophiticated it was destined to be cancelled.

ADG- White bucks before Memorial Day? You better hope Kathleen Turner doesn't see you. Spent some time with Mark at Flusser yesterday. Great fun and thank you for the introduction.

Anonymous said...

I do enjoy vintage Lilly pants. Somehow the new patterns are not the same for me. Too much pink and green and baby blue, and not enough safari animals. Yours are great.

I will have to check out Plymouth gin. I have seen people on different websites claiming you should make your own Tonic. Somehow, sending away for exotic herbs seems like far too much trouble, but it is an interesting concept.

Tom Buchanan

tintin said...

skorpeo- Go figure you can't find the Fast Show on DVD but you can get every episode of Gomer Pyle. And nothing better demonstrates the importance of the right place for clothing than your observation of Lilly P trousers at a rodeo. Well done, sir.

tintin said...

Tom- Always good to see you. I think yours was one of the first comments The Trad had. I agree that last seasons trousers were pretty bad. They seem to have toned it down this year and there's a lot of one color "Batik" like prints. I should stop now before my father disowns me.

Anonymous said...

Tin-
I must know what kind of work you do as your "day job." Can't imagine how great it must be to wear garden party clothes to work and still be taken seriously. You must be in a creative field -- Fashion? Arts? Entertainment? I find that my credibility is compromised when I veer toward the whimsical with my workday wordrobe. Clearly not a problem in your line of work. Lucky you!

Anonymous said...

tintin ~
Love the word "fey." Find very few occasions to use it. Such a light sounding word for such a dark meaning... doomed, fated to die. So Waldo Lydecker. Yet I don't understand your use of it in describing trousers that are the opposite...lively, fun-seeking. Maybe they foreshadow death from too much gin-digestion?
~ Confused

tintin said...

Anon- Commercial Insurance

Anon- Fey also means too dear or precious. Like twee but Fey had a better meter here.

David V said...

It will be quite warm in the Western suburbs (cooler near the lake, as you may recall.)The bar has been stocked and the wife is eager to begin the G&T season.

Anonymous said...

Love,love,love the Lilly P.'s!
No,no,no to the G&T for me
and you remember why.... ME

tintin said...

David- "Cooler near the lake." How I miss hearing that.

ME- Yes, I do. Do you remember the state trooper pulling me over after you burned rubber leaving a college dance?

Anonymous said...

I was referring to "round one" at the ATM and being "six foot tall and bulletproof"....ring a bell?

Toad said...

It seems a bit early for the trousers but WTH? Warm weather can't get here soon enough. I like em.

Might I suggest Tanq's Rangpur Gin. The hint of lime adds a nice touch to a G&T.

M.Lane said...

"Tart and brisk becomes lethargic and numb". Love it. Been there.

And the link is fantastic. Where I am, as soon as The Masters is on TV anything goes...bring on the Nantucket Reds and G&Ts!!

I may well put a dab behind each ear a'la Jackie Gleason.

ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Pitchers of Gintonix. Of course! Hadn't thought about pitchers of cocktails since I fell off a barstool after Long Island Iced Teas by the pitcher (Georgetown, 1984?) The trick is to share them with friends...

Agree with Toad about the Rangpur, but muddling limes works just as well.

Anonymous said...

The stars were high above them and the moon was in the east
The sun was settin' on them when they reached ol' Palm Beach
They got a suite in The Breakers and a quart of Bombay Gin
The road goes on forever and the party never ends....

(Apologies to Robert Earl Keen, jg)

foolio_iglesias said...

Those pants are crazy,in a good way.I wouldn't wear them in the city,but on vacation?Scandalous!

Tin-tin's phred/dad said...

Tin-tin's phred/dad said
Ref: Toad's cmt. Rangpur is a favorite because it has flavor. Most High$ gins don't after being refined several times. Thus my liking for Dutch or Polish gins with flavor (aka paint remover).