You know, it’s not all fun and video games at my house. Sometimes, it’s summer fun sitting on the porch with a good drink, good music, and a good smoke. So, for the beginning of summer, I give you 5 things I’m digging on right now:

Whiskey and ginger ale
I know what you’re thinking, “Abraxas, you handsome devil, I didn’t know you liked whiskey!” And, that is true, I am a handsome devil and I like whiskey. My label is Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey. Despite the name, Bulleit is whiskey and not bourbon. Mostly because Bulleit is not distilled in Bourbon county, Kentucky. What did you think the difference between bourbon and whiskey was, anyway? I’ll let you figure out the difference between bourbon and scotch on your own. Now, I could go on about the 6 year aging process, the high rye content and a bunch of unimportant yet interesting things. But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I am going to tell you:

i.Be at least 21.
ii.Get a tumbler glass full of crushed ice.
iii.Fill it with two fingers of Bulleit.
iv.Top it off with ginger ale and a lemon peel.
v.Drink slowly; enjoy the flavor of the whiskey without the killer alcohol burn.
vi.Be responsible. It is a 90 proof drink, after all.

Now, I’m not a habitual smoker, nor do I recommend it as a hobby. With that said, I do enjoy a good cigar from time to time. And, one of the best I’ve found is the 5 Vegas Gold cigars. The Gold series is a mild and mellow cigar, which is perfect for an occasional smoker like me. It also blends well with the whiskey and ginger ale. Oh, and if you’ve never smoked cigars before there is a key difference between them and cigarettes: do not inhale the smoke. That would be.bad. Just swirl it in your mouth for a bit, and then exhale it out. It’s not meant to go in your lungs. So, hang out and enjoy the time spent- a good cigar should take you about an hour to finish.

Next up- something to listen to. Everything That Will Happen, Will Happen Today, is a collaboration between David Byrne of Talking Heads fame and Brian Eno of producing many bad-ass albums fame. Is Everything a cd that will challenge you musically and emotionally? No. Is it a brilliant piece of work that’s perfect to listen to while sitting on your porch smoking a good cigar and sipping a drink on a warm summer night in the company of good friends? Yes.

Jalapeño and Cheddar cheese bratwursts- only in Texas could you get and amalgam of Mexican peppers, English cheese, and German sausage and have it been damn good. If you’re lucky like me, your local butcher has these for sale. Grab a few for the weekend; prep them with some beer boiling and grill’em up! Tasty good times.

Not-so-Random Fact: Despite what the marketing departments would have you believe, a chipotle is not a unique pepper from the jalapeno. A chipotle is a smoked and dried red jalapeño which is typically less spicy than the normal green peppers.

And, since it is Memorial Day weekend, I’m digging on all the Veterans out there. I come from a long line of men that served in the Armed Forces, and I am apart of that tradition myself. I appreciate the time and sacrifice you made for your country. In my Un-Humble Opinion© you rock in all the ways rocking can mean. If you’re not a vet, well, call one you know and let them know you appreciate their service to the country.

There you have it, the 5 things I’m digging on right now. As always, you can hit me up at abraxas@cybermonkeydeathsquad.com to tell me how awesome I am.