For whatever reason I’ve been extra harsh on citrus season for no particular reason and now I’m embracing it and relearning to really love it. Not sure why I ever was a hater in the first place…I think maybe because the season was so damn long and arduous last year and became rather boring. A long five months between 2022 and 2023 due to massive amounts of rain, extreme cold (yes, I know you’re playing the world’s smallest violin for California), and the apprehension of having to wait for stone fruit, which were delayed.

I cut up some kumquats a couple of days ago and I think I forgot how much I love them. For one, there’s a small amount of pith, so zero waste. Big bonus. Yes, you can use pith to make stuff (Denise does it all the time) but it takes a certain imagination to use all of it which, now that I’m saying this and remembering, we’ll have to try and do during the coming months. We’re looking at you, pomelo, and grapefruit.

Kumquats and vanilla create magical moments in inebriation when combined with sugar, lime, and of course, rum. Yeah! Let’s go the other way this month. To hell with dry January and let’s go full blast into tikidom. Rum! Let it roll off your tongue. Yes! You can do it! Ruuuuuuuuuuummm! Roll the R! Get fancy!

The whole kumquat vanilla thingy came from the Ranfer himself back in the day. An old cocktail called The Rum Diary.

Rum Diary

2 oz. Santa Teresa Rum

.75 oz. Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz. Creme de Violette

.25 oz. Kumquat Vanilla Shrub

I’m pretty sure this was the recipe but the sands of time make everything a bit fuzzy. I think there may have been a dash of something…

I think it’s time to re-up the Rum Diary. Hmmmmm. The only thing making it better would be dairy. Yeah. And maybe we can squeeze another allergy in there somewhere. Nuts. How would I do this differently today? Yeesh. I think it would be great if we plugged in some Beelzebubba specs into it. Shit, maybe that caracello would be a cool addition…

I did lay it down on blood oranges yesterday in front of some regs. Sorry guys but you’re still lacking in flavor despite your beauty (the oranges not the regs). All show and no go but the punters love you so.

The big giddy feeling I’m getting about all the housemade ‘cellos and this year, Meyer lemons, is giving me some hope. Now is the time to increase your personal larder by making your own creme de pamplemousse if you choose to do so, because it’s pretty so-so but it makes a damn fine Pamperol. Huh?

Pardon the scatterbrain mania. Lots going on at the building this morning. The North gate spring snapped and I had to go down there and manually lift the puppy up so people could get in and out. I went up to #303 to cinche down a toilet seat for two people that claimed the housekeeper snapped it in half. The trash chute clogged again because some idiots keeps throwing their pizza boxes down it. In other words, when it rains, it pours. Oh yeah, and someone is bitching to me about having to pay a late fee on their rent even though I reminded them and gave them ample opportunity to pay.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, everytime you see an orange in the Godfather, someone dies.