Apple users scare me a little.
I mean, I understand brand loyalty and all and I think it's great that MacIntosh users have had such a good experiences with their laptops, but....
Well, it just seems like some Apple users are SO enthusiastic about their computers that they come across a little... I don't know... - sort of like Up With People cast with Scientologists.
I was making a presentation at a teachers' conference in Rhode Island last year and casually mentioned that I was thinking of switching over to a Mac, and three people literally jumped to their feet in excitement to tell me what a good idea this was.
A couple years ago, I was at another conference, in a room with a couple hundred other teachers and other assorted professionals. The presenter, who was using a MacBook was having a little difficulty connecting to a projector and after a few minutes, someone in the crowd called up, "Would you like to borrow a PC?"
A good percentage of the people in the room were seriously offended - not in the Oh-grow-up kind of way that most people usually are when someone talks smack to them, but in a That's-so hurtful-I-thought-I-KNEW-you! kind of way that left no doubt that they would remember this little incident and nurse their resentment of it for years to come.
I understand passion and enthusiasm; I, for instance, feel very strongly about thin-crust pizza, but I don't generally get angry at people from Chicago on principal.
With all that said though, I've decided to switch sides.
It's time to buy a new laptop and the MacBookPro seems like the best machine for me. On top of that, most of the people who are really creative and good at the things I do seem to use MacIntoshes.
So... um... yeah..
Anyway, this has all been on my mind a lot lately and it seems appropriate that the second drink in the Rum section of the Mr. Boston guide is something called the Apple Pie Number One. (Interestingly enough, there doesn't seem to be an Apple Pie Number Two.) It's made with apple brandy, light rum, lemon juice, grenadine and sweet vermouth. It is shaken over ice and served in a martini glass.
Tasting Notes:
This isn't bad - especially right after it's been chilled to within an inch of its life. I filled the martini glass with crushed ice before I made started making the drink to chill the glass properly and having this baby ice cold was a definite plus. On the other hand, it doesn't taste like much of anything in particular; the apple brandy doesn't have a strong flavor to begin with and this recipe uses such a tiny amount of it, that this drink isn't particularly "apple pie-y". The predominant flavor is the vermouth, which is okay, but not mind-bendingly good or anything.
I don't think I'll be making this again in a hurry.
Overall Grade - B minus