She talked me into rummaging through the bins at the local “antique mall” today – as she was after some vintage vinyl to add to the collection. I, of course, indulged her – as we tend to do that for each other when it comes to our own little obsessio…. err… hobbies.

After a lovely lunch at our local German-style brewery/biergarten (Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, if you’re interested) we toddled off to the antique mall. I’d been there once before, but never paid any attention to the records on offer.

She made out pretty well, we both had a good time and I managed to score a really solid copy of Elvis Costello’s “The Best of Elvis Costello and the Attractions”.  So, that’s the record we put on when we got home, as it was now her turn to indulge me. I love Elvis Costello.

Elvis is, obviously, British and I remembered recently reading an article from Hayes and Jarvis about the UK’s favorite cocktails, and the most popular whiskey cocktail to make their list was the venerable whiskey sour. So, that’s what we’re drinking.

This one is easy folks, so the recipe is short and sweet:

2 oz of whiskey (we used Rough Rider Distillery’s rye whiskey – I like the spice backbone of rye in this cocktail)
2/3 oz of fresh lemon juice (about the amount you get from a half of a decent sized lemon)
1 tsp of super fine sugar

Combine all of the above in a shaker full of ice and shake well. Strain into your preferred glassware – we don’t have sour glasses, so we went with coupes – garnish with a cherry, orange slice, both or neither.

Now sit back and enjoy this working man’s cocktail with your favorite blue-collar music.

Cheers!

-Him

First of all, he is absolutely correct – we do tend to indulge each other’s interests, which is not always the most responsible behavior, but we sure do have a good time. As for today’s finds, I am pretty happy with the score. Granted, Paul Young and John Waite may not exactly be hot items, but I was a fan back in the day and for $2 in near mint condition, how could I go wrong? Even the husband had to admit that the Donna Summer was a pretty fantastic find. My love for Giorgio Moroder productions continues to grow, and both the Donna Summer and the Flashdance albums add to that particular obsession. Last, but not least, the near mint Lena Horne might be what I’m most proud of. There is something pretty special about owning a 1958 album that looks like it was untouched, and my brief test play confirmed just how beautiful this record is going to be. I can’t help myself but to wonder who owned it before me, that might be one of my favorite parts of picking up vintage vinyl.

After some fairly easy cleanup, every one of these made today’s antique mall visit worthwhile – god knows that place is nearly equivalent to the sensory overload of IKEA. I’m glad the hubby was able to find something to enjoy – and I’m equally pleased that I reaped the benefits of his cocktail inspiration tonight. I guarantee this won’t be his last vinyl find, nor will it be the last whiskey we share.

-Her