Elf’s Drinky Links (IV)

Welcome to the 4th Drinky Link 

Tonight’s cocktail: Tulip Cocktail

• 1 shot / 30 ml / 1 oz Calvados
• 1 shot / 30 ml / 1 oz sweet vermouth
• ½ shot / 15 ml / ½ oz lemon juice juice
• ½ shot / 15 ml / ½ oz apricot brandy

Shake all ingredients with ice and fine-strain in to a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon zest twist.

The Tulip Cocktail is another taken from the pages of The Savoy Cocktail Book. It is a rich and fruity cocktail, with plenty of apple upfront and a long apricot finish. The vermouth provides a floral bitterness that along with the lemon juice provides a counterbalance to the sweetness of the Calvados and apricot brandy. The Tulip has a complexity that I really love in a cocktail, and despite the small amount of apricot brandy used it has a surprisingly strong effect on the drink. Definitely a drink worth exploring – highly recommended…

Apart from being yum, it is my choice in celebration of the Dutch national flower, to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Keukenhof. They are using the anniversary to mark the 400 years since Henry Hudson stepped off a ship owned by Dutch East India Company, purchased the land for the modern equivalent of UD$1,000 from a tribe that didnt own it and proclaimed it New Amsterdam.

Anyhow, when my mum comes to visit at the end of April we are going to visit the Tulips

On with the Linkage

While 99 Designs might not be the best way to get new work and protect your copyright Mashable held a competition to redesign their logo - which one do you like best?

The Guardian’s piece on “The Rise and Rise of Twitter” makes for interesting reading

Wallace and Gromit’s new ad for Npower, more here on Creative Review

Madonna wants to expand her brood, PopSugar reports

Yesterday it was confirmed that Madonna is trying to adopt a little girl from Malawi though there’s already controversy as the process moves forward. The little girl is an orphan named Mercy, and Madonna will appear in court on Monday to take the next steps.

Some thought Madonna got special treatment when she adopted David Banda, and the procedures could be even more complicated this time since she’ll be a single mom and there’s rumors of her personal life getting in the way

While we are on the topic of families, here are three posts from Travelling but not in love who has been hosting his lovely mother, aunt and cousin.  Read these while drinking your cuppa and risk a keyboard full of tea!  He is one funny guy and his mother and he make quite the double act.

Panti explains the Bicycle in homo friendly terms

The Lisa Hannigan video, for Lille, the pop up book was designed by Maeve Clancy of Flatmates fame.

Flatmates is a year old! And to celebrate, the first 10 people to send their postal address to Maeve with ‘Flatmates Poster’ in the subject heading will win signed limited edition posters.

@paddydonnelly ’s fantastic set of Origami Web 2.0 icons

Grandad opens his advice clinic doors, Sunday suit you sir?

Dine to read.ie was this weeks Tuesday Push, looks like a really interesting way to meet new people and share a book and a meal.

Kevin Coleman finished his Guide to Blogging in three easy parts

And finally,

Found this week while the wonderful @fontfiddler was over to visit

Plop Chocolate Pudding