We did a fairly large amount of drinking at the old boy MAGfest this year and while I actually don't drink that often and when I do, it is usually a beer or two of a craft beer that I am interested in or an old favourite, MAGfest is different and I definately drink there to get drunk and have a good time.
Normally I just do this by drinking large amounts of good beer and this year was no exception with me trying out a sampler from New England based craft brewery Magic Hat as well as my only old stand by I could find in American grocery stores, Smithwicks.
However the real star of the show was the Gibson, a drink recommended by the former literary agent of Bruce Campbell and now author of fake almanacs and minor television personality, John Hodgman. A Gibson for those of you who are not alcoholics or otherwise in the know in terms of classy drinks, is quite simply a normal martini garnished with a cocktail onion rather than with the traditional olive or lemon twist. It really is quite delightful and the oniony flavour is suprisingly present. I find this to be a superior drink for 4 reasons:
1. It has a tasty onion, gin and vermouth flavour
2. Being entirely gin and vermouth, they gets you hammered without beating around the bush to much if that is your goal.
3. They are classy seeming while at the same time shielding you from being thought of as a poser like what would probably happen if you were just having martinis. If anyone says something like, "Nice drink, Hawkeye. Where's Trapper and BJ?" You can simply explain that the occupents of "The Swamp" drank martinis, not Gibsons and then explain the difference, making you seem validly classy and distinguished.
4. Even though they are not a martini, you are still holding a martini glass and can therefore constantly reference the punch line of Homer Simpson's delightful jest, "...so then I stepped out of my wet clothes and into a dry martini." followed by the jolly gaffawing of you and your confederates.
