The Hurricane Andrea

It seems like forever, but I'm finally traveling again, this time to the shores of South Florida. Insert obligatory Will Smith reference here.

Yes, I am traveling for work, but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy myself. In fact, I have reason to believe that this trip will be very, very worth it, and not just for the "invaluable experience I will get by seeing how people use our software in a day to day setting." (Aside: the health care industry's transition to digital would go so much smoother if they could teach their employees to touch type. They could probably see about 12 more patients if they didn't hunt and peck.

Anyways, I digress. The trip was kicked off well when I got upgraded to first class on my flight. Only once before, on my flight from Chicago to Munich on Lufthansa, did I receive such great treatment. Now that Seinfeld episode finally makes sense. All the Glenlivet I could drink, a complimentary blue cheese and barbecue chicken salad, and chairs with so much leg room you don't even have to move an inch to let the person *singular* out into the aisle.

Today, I worked for about 11 hours, then went to dinner at a place called Sugarcane Raw Bar and Grill. Right now it is "Miami Spice" where you can get a prix fixe menu at many posh restaurants for $35 on weeknights. This place was listed on there, but I soon found out that the prix fixe was not the way to go. Sugarcane is a tapas place/raw bar. You order things one by one and get a variety of dishes. If you are ever near there I highly recommend the place. 1) Bacon wrapped dates. Incredibly delicious, a bit sweet and very savory, it was recommended by my server as their most popular dish and with good reason. 2) it is a very sexy place. All the patrons and even the staff are extremely good looking. Not a fugly person in the place, although that could just be that part of Miami 3) the Hurricane Andrea, emphasis on the second syllable.

This warrants further explanation. So my buddy Erik spends some time in the US Virgin Islands, since his dad lives there part time, and is always talking about Cruzan Rum. I have often thought about visiting him, but never made it and as a lover of booze, thought many times about this Cruzan stuff. So, now, in Miami they have it everywhere and the bar at Sugarcane had several cocktails with Cruzan in it. Part two: my favorite drink at my favorite bar is the Genna's Jameson Jack Kerouac. Ice, ginger beer, Jameson, bitters, lime. When Gosling's rum is substituted it is known as the Dark and Stormy, so I thought I might try a Cruzan "lightless and tempestuous" (the name "dark and stormy" is actually owned by Gosling's). However, Sugarcane does not have ginger beer at its bar. What it does have though, is a drink called the Ishikari, which features Sapporo beer muddled with fresh ginger, so I let Andrea, my bartender and server, use that instead and make me a drink with Cruzan. Later we discussed how well it had turned out when she suggested that some simple syrup might help take the place of the sweetness of "ginger beer" and it could also be made with Cruzan dark rum instead of light. I had to try it. Turns out, it is excellent. Basically, it is a Dark and stormy made from scratch, with Cruzan Rum. I came up with the brilliant idea of naming it a "Hurricane Andrea". For those of you who did not live in Florida in the early/mid '90s, allow me to explain why this name works on so many levels.
I. A hurricane is "Dark and stormy"
II. I was drinking this in Miami and
IIa. my bartender's name was Andrea. Again, emphasis on the second syllable.

Back to the history lesson: Hurricane Andrew was, in economic terms, the most devastating hurricane in the United States before Katrina (and still to this day the most devastating in Florida). At least Andrea appreciated it. Now all we have to do is find a restaurant to sell our drink to. So, I present the "Hurricane Andrea"

1. Muddle ginger with Cruzan Dark rum and simple syrup in a tall Sapporo glass.
2. Add ice and Sapporo beer
3. Add dash of bitters and garnish with two lime wedges.
4. Stir.