16 April 2010

For Tessa : The Friday Belt Returns

Schweppes Slimline Indian Tonic Water


The Strategy

When Tessa Scoffs tells me she wants something - - I jump. So, for Tessa, the Friday Belt returns.

Except for one or two falls off the Conestoga -- the Lent sacrifice went well while 15 pounds disappeared. I know that weight can come back in a heart beat so the focus is on sugarless drinks. It's a helluva motivator to look at the scale in the morning and watch it tick down. I want to take that and use it as an incentive before I have to give all my medium sized shirts to ADG.

Schweppes "Slimline Indian" Tonic is off the boat from the UK. Much better than their diet tonic in the states and with half a squeezed lime it makes a pretty darned good G&T. I don't where the hell you're gonna find Slimline Indian but I get mine at Myer's of Keswick (they also have Schweppes Bitter Lemon) in the West Village. It seems to me a perfect time for the G&T. The idea of drinking brown Scotch or a Bordeaux just seems wrong.

And so does wearing my brown Sling Belt. I stick pretty close to the rules when it comes to white bucks and seersucker but who says you can't break out a Madras belt before Labor Day? I ordered this one for spit last Winter. Earlier this week, ADG and I were shooting the crap with Jay Kos and we all agreed that when J Crew is offering tons of patch madras it's time to look for alternatives. But the Madras patch belt is a subtle little flash of 1965 college wear. And subtle, as Tessa will tell you, is key.

15 comments:

  1. Thanks Tintin. I knew I could count on you. The belt's nice too.

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  2. That sounds so good...wish I had one in hand, sitting on my back porch.

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  3. A welcome return of TFB. Ah, the power of a [drinking] woman...

    ML
    mlanesepic.blogspot.com

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  4. mmmmmm I am all about the G&T's.
    Nothing can compare to Hendricks with muddled cucumber, but lemme share a recent delicioso purchase :
    Tanqueray Rangpur.
    Rangpur is a naturally occurring hybrid between lemon and mandarin orange.
    Very subtly ups the ante in your traditional gin+tonic+lime.
    Adds in just a hint of other citrus essence for summertime.
    yum.


    -s

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  5. I liked this series, good to see it again. Great looking belts. Finding a good 'diet' tonic is not easy.

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  6. I bought a bottle of Swordsman London Dry Gin and a bottle of Pipers Clan Blended Scotch.

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  7. Beefeater is wonderful gin for G & T, but don't spoil it by using Slimline tonic. That nasty saccharine after taste ruins it. Real Schweppes is the only mixer and to hell with the calories!

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  8. Hoorah the belt is back, The no booze lenten diet has been my prep for spring for years....
    Extra hard this year we had a second daughter during lent, so we celebrated the pachal lamb with quarts if pink champers!
    Vodka Soda Lime is the official drink of the booze hound looking to keeop his girlish figure, but it is nasty...

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  9. Thanks for all the G&T suggestions and the welcome back. I've tried a number of these gins but am looking for diet tonic alternatives.

    I too love regular tonic and a muddled pitcher filled with lime skins for the ultimate G&T but do want a tasty alternative. There's been a malaria outbreak in midtown so many G&Ts will be required.

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  10. Fifteen pounds, lost? Fantastic, Tintin. Here's what you can do for fun: Next time you're at the grocery store, find a couple of detergent bottles that equal about 15 pounds and just stand there holding them up at chest level for awhile. When you start to get an idea of it, it'll be reward enough.

    Well, that and a gin and tonic.

    -DB

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  11. Tintin et al -

    You have to try Q Tonic. I'll quote from the packaging in my fridge :

    " 60% fewer calories than other tonic waters
    Lightly sweetened with organic agave
    Handpicked Peruvian quinine
    All natural ingredients
    85% lower glycemic index rating
    No high fructose corn syrup"

    It's very tasty - Kicks the shit out of Schweppes

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  12. Anon.,

    After my wife had our first child, she used to go around holding up ten pound sacks of potatoes saying" By God, can you believe I had this much kid in me two weeks ago."

    A sobering thought indeed.

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  13. Throw some bitters in next time and make it an Uncle Frank. Cheers!

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  14. Hallelujah.

    I was worried about your lack of hooch intake and was even going to suggest "guest belts" while you worked this monkish abstention out.

    Highly interested in this "slimline" tonic! The reg stuff is way too syrupy, which motivates me to make 60/40 gin to tonic. Garden party sayonara...

    Also: Bitter Lemon. What the hell is that stuff used for? My grandfather hoarded it. Never saw him use it. Must be an aphrodisiac.

    Hopefully JCrew isn't pushing patchwork madras slacks, too. I'd hate to have to retire my ancient BBros clown pants.

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