Foggy Ridge Dispatch: November 25, 2024
Podcasts. The Perfect Perfect Martini recipe. Groundline Studio.
Here are the things of note from last week (November 18-24).
I was a guest on a podcast for the first time ever, and you guys - it was SO FUN. I think I finally understand what all the hype is about. The episode drops this week but I can’t tell you what it is just yet - don’t wanna ruin the surprise. I’ll share a link when it’s public, though. Let’s just say that if you’re in the art or craft community and you don’t mind curse words, you’ll probably love it!
Here’s a photo of me testing my video setup to make sure I didn’t look totally dumb before logging into the Zencastr platform. And yes…those are pool noodles back by my curtain. They’re tools for painting + shipping artwork. More on that later, maybe.
Also of note: Greg and I hosted a martini party specifically so we could share my Perfect Perfect Martini™️ recipe with a neighbor of ours who’s a martini fanatic. The recipe (shared below) isn’t actually mine, per se - I picked it up when I was a bartender during the craft cocktail boom of the early 2010s. I *think* I got it from the legendary Dale DeGroff while bartending with him at the Bulleit distillery in 2013? It’s been ages, so who really knows? Anyway…here’s a candid snapshot from our neighbor:
I hope you can forgive the use of a disposable plastic measuring cup; we had some very nice Japanese jiggers from Cocktail Kingdom but they seem to have gotten lost in our last move…and I just can’t bring myself to pay the shipping price from CK. I’ll have to pick up a set on my next trip to New York!
Now for the recipe. If you try it, let me know what you think!
The Perfect Perfect Martini™️
3/4 oz Dolin Blanc Vermouth de Chambery (pictured left)
3/4 oz Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambery (pictured right)
1 1/2 oz St. George Terroir Gin
Lemon peel with pith
1. Stir all liquid ingredients with ice in a sturdy mixing glass. Give it a good 30 seconds - you want the flavor to round out and meld together.
2. Strain the drink into a glass of your choice.
3. Then, slice a piece of lemon peel with pith about the size of a quarter (or a bit larger). It’s very important to NOT get any lemon pulp - you don’t want any lemon juice to get into your martini. What you’re going for here is just the yellow outer zest and the white pith layer just under the outer yellow skin of the lemon.
4. Now - hold the slice of peel zest side down over your drink and firmly, quickly pinch it shut. If you got a good sturdy piece of peel, you should see a fine mist of lemon oil atomize over the surface of your drink.
And voilá - The Perfect Perfect Martini™️. Enjoy!
(And if you think I should post a video of this process, just let me know in the comments. I know the lemon part can be a bit confusing if you can’t see it.)
Finally, the most important development of the week (and really of the past month): Greg finally found a studio for his architecture firm, Groundline Studio. That’s right, folks - we’re a 2x entrepreneur household. It just goes to show that it’s never too late; I’m 37 and Greg is 55 and frankly, there’s no version of me before this one that would have been ready to run WorkPlay LXD. So if you’ve been thinking of starting your own business in 2025, I say GO FOR IT.
But, back to the office - because it is SO COOL. It looks like an old timey detective’s office from a movie. It’s a nifty spot on the 2nd floor of the old St. Johnsbury Art League building, the longtime home of Moose River Lake & Lodge Store. They just don’t make ‘em like this anymore (unfortunately).
We have quite a bit of work to do on it but when it’s done, it’ll be WOW. Here’s a before photo:
I snapped this photo yesterday evening and we’ve already made decent progress since then. There’s a lot of tedious work to do - scraping and deglossing old paint, taping off windows, etc…but I love that kind of stuff. The more tedious, the better! Give me an audiobook and turn me loose; I’ll be happy as a clam. But the biggest changes will be less tedious work: new lighting, fresh paint, refinishing the floors, adding window treatments, and installing furniture.
I’m so excited to see it all finished, and to see all of the amazing architecture that will be born from this space. (And I’ll be sure to share the after photos, of course.)
That’s all for this week’s edition of Foggy Ridge Dispatch, friends. Thank you so much for reading, and please circle back tomorrow for the first-ever real-live interview segment of To Be a Good Vermonter.
Warmly,
Jack