Faithful reader (and commenter!) Mark in Manitoba recently came into some money. Not a HUGE amount of money, granted, but enough money that you can buy something decent at the liquor store. Or, at least enough cash to make a significant contribution toward something good at the liquor store!
The amount: $32. How he won it: Casino Rama Baby pool (or so he claims).
Mark has taken the questionable noble approach of ‘sharing the wealth’ and passing his winnings onto the new mom and babe, but in telling me the baby news and the news of his recent windfall, he did ask the following question:
When you have the chance to “splurge” with found money, what would be the indulgent alcoholic treat, that you would never, ever, normally buy because it is too frivolous or such poor value dollar wise for what you receive?
Besides being one of the BEST questions I have ever gotten on my blog, it is also one of the easiest to answer: a beautiful bottle of gin. That is the first thing that popped into my head.
Chez moi, gin is hands-down one of the most consumed spirits, and something that I run out of fairly fast. Because of this, I stick to mid-range, versatile gins that won’t cause me to go broke. I usually pick something from the middle shelf at the LCBO. These days, I’ve been fortunate enough to savour a beautiful bottle of (top shelf) No. 3 Dry Gin that was given to me as a gift. BUT – if I had won that baby pool, I’d be going straight out and buying a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin. Right from the top shelf.
I know that grabbing the cash and heading straight to the liquor store is not setting the best example for the new arrival, but I have ALWAYS wanted a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin! The main appeal being that its cucumber infused. Although I have been too cheap to buy a bottle of my very own, I like to drink it when I am out, especially if I’m at a place where they offer me a selection of gins.
A 750 ml bottle of Hendrick’s will cost you $44.75 at the LCBO ($42.99 in Manitoba). This means that I – er – Mark would have to invest a bit of his own money over and above his $32 baby pool haul to get a bottle.
While we are talking about gin, I’d like to bring your attention to an interesting ‘botanical-forward’ bottle I found on the Hoarding Alert. It is Citadelle Gin, and it is on sale at the LCBO for $29.95. This gin comes under the Baby Pool windfall with enough money left over to buy a lime and a can of tonic.
When it comes to something that is really frivolous, I’d have to abandon the baby pools, take up some serious gambling and win it big at the Black Jack tables at Casino-Rama. My super frivolous choice would then be a bottle of Crème Yvette, which truthfully, I wouldn’t really know what to do with. Check out That Sweet Burn for the story about Yvette, some cocktail recipes and how at $90 a bottle, you have to order it by phone at the LCBO.
So now, I turn the $32 question over to you: what would you splurge on at the liquor store if you came into some money? Oh, and (almost forgot) – does anyone want to go to Casino Rama after work on Friday?
Like it? Share it!
14 Responses to the $32 question
Leave a Reply
Contact Girl With Flask
girlwithflask [@] gmail.com
Subscribe to Girl With Flask
Not that I’m a big-spender by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t really consider $32 a huge amount to splurge at the LCBO. I typically spend that when I go booze shopping.
But if I came upon, say, $100, I’d probably put it towards a bottle of Lagavulin single-malt. My usual whisky is Laphroaig, but ever since Scottish crime writer, Ian Rankin, personally told me to try Lagavulin, it is one of those malts that I love to treat myself to every once and a while.
Cheers!
Hey Ross – what a nice story! I have had Lagavulin before at a Robbie Burns Supper and agree that a bottle of that would definitely be splurge-worthy! I felt pretty lucky that our hosts were willing to share such a nice bottle. Thanks for commenting!
Wow, thanks for using my topic! By the way, Meghan brought in new baby Emma for her first office visit last week – babies who win me money are naturally cuter in my eyes.
Wouldn’t mind trying a glass of Crème Yvette before springing for a bottle. Sounds like an elite version of Blue Curacao.
Sadly, with my most recent windfall (a modest income tax refund), I took the safe road and picked up my usual six of Bud Light with Lime and some Smirnoff Ice Light. They had sample glasses of the new Coors Light Iced Tea at the Manitoba Liquour Commission – uugh!
Thanks for your question! Hope you didn’t burn through all that booze in a weekend-long party! I will do my best to steer clear of that Coors Light Iced Tea. It sounds a bit vile.
Oh crumbs. Called the LCBO, and Creme Yvette still not available. I have an off-label Creme de violette from Philly that we use for Aviations, but I always wanted to get my hands on the real thing. The big splurge? I’m with you, Jen– Gin. Many kinds of expensive and exotic gins. Or maybe that Elderflower you have that I covet so. The Geek (my version of the Jock) would go for Bourbons beyond our means, or the single malts that are suddenly SOOOOO expensive– the price of Dalwhinnie is ridiculous.
Hi Connie – seems like we have enough in common with the gin and elderflower to pool our resources a bit! Maybe you bring the gin, and I’ll supply the elderflower…sounds like the makings of a great cocktail party! Thanks for your comment!
Malibu rum. OK – I know it’s not a super-sophisticated drink, but I love it. I first tasted Malibu when I was 16, staying with a friend in the south of France for the month of July, and now it will forever be pronounced with a french accent, and be associated with summer and the beach. But, I never buy it. I’m more of a beer or wine drinker, and dinner guests just never ask for a drink with malibu rum. …So that would be my splurge.
There is nothing wrong with Malibu rum! I love it in pineapple juice – it makes a quick summer drink no matter where you are, but in your case, you have the added bonus of being reminded of France. Le sigh.
cucumber infused? sounds intriguing!
Yes, it’s delicious!
On the advice of an acquaintance, I tried a Pimms and ginger ale during a past visit in Victoria. It is served with a slab of cucumber. Liked the drink, didn’t like the cucumber. If I want **&^%@@ salad, I’ll order @@%&**@ salad.
Hmmm. Wish I’d read this before I came back across the border from NYC. In a very boring move (I was completely exhausted, OK!)I picked up a bottle of Mango-infused Absolut and a bottle of dark rum. Yawn.
Any liquor brought back across the border is a score in my books! Just be sure to take the savings you ‘earned’ by shopping cross-border and re-invest them into an LCBO splurge!
I got Hendricks as a b-day gift a few years ago and it was lovely. Though I felt that some how I wasn’t honouring it sufficiently in a basic G&T. If I get it again I’ll have to try to find some fancy tonic for it. Something like this: http://www.paleorepublic.com/mixer-of-the-month-q-tonic/
Though, if I had cash to burn these days, I’d probably go with a 40 of Maker’s Mark. So very yummy.