DRINK RECIPES FOR EPISODE #60: Peppery Ginger Cider and Cinnamon Bun Hot Buttered Rum

It's been quite chilly over here at TVP HQ, so when cocktail time rolled around, I decided to recommend two hot, boozy treats: Peppery Ginger Cider and Cinnamon Bun Hot Buttered Rum. Both of these drinks require a bit of preparation, but they're so worth it.

Peppery Ginger Cider (according to seriouseats.com)

• 8 oz apple cider
• 4 oz bourbon
• 3 oz ginger liqueur
• Squirt of lemon juice
• 4 cherries
• Dash of cracked black pepper

Cinnamon Bun Hot Buttered Rum (according to seriouseats.com)

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 6 ounces rum
• 16 ounces boiling water

DRINK RECIPES FOR EPISODE #59: Bitter Crush and Fever

When cocktail rolled around, I picked two sexy drinks to play off our naughty review of Nymphomaniac Vol. I & II: Bitter Crush and Fever.

Bitter Crush (according to epicurious.com)

• 1/4 cup Aperol
• 3 tablespoons white rum
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
• Garnish w/ a lemon twist

By heather, Canada [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Fever (according to epicurious.com)

• 6 tablespoons gin
• 2 tablespoons dry vermouth
• 1 teaspoon Dubonnet Rouge
• 1/2 teaspoon anise-flavored liqueur
• Garnish w/ a lemon twist

DRINK RECIPES FOR EPISODE #58: The Lush and The Shush

We had a heavy conversation this week on The Vodka Press podcast; so when it came time to recommend cocktails, I picked one that were fruity and perfect for indulging in (even overindulging in).

The Lush

• 2 oz Red wine
• 1 oz Organic pear juice
• 1 oz Organic blueberry nectar
• Top w/ club soda
• Rim glass w/ sugar
• Garnish w/ slice of pear

By hzeller via Flickr (CC by SA 2.0)

The Shush

• 1 oz Stoli Sticki
• Top w/ white grape juice
• Drizzle of almond flavored syrup

We've Got TVP Fan Mail, Pt. 2

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving - and I hope you're not all too stuffed, because here's that second helping of TVP fan mail as promised.  :)

[First round of this month's TVP fan mail can be found here.]

*****

Q: Would you really not shop at a store just because they're not gay friendly? Like do you boycott Bed, Bath, and Beyond because they were mentioned in that article from the rubdown? - Dennis

A: You mean this article mentioned in this rubdown post? I have no desire to shop from - or consort with - anyone, any place, or anything that discriminates against the LGBTIQA community. So no, I don't shop at BBB. (You shouldn't either, but hey it's your judgment call to make.)

Q: whats your favorite beer? you don't normally drink beer or recommend it during your drink break - kamillian89

A: I'm partial to Trillium, Jack's Abby, and Magic Hat.

Q: Will you do another episode on birth control and sexual health? That was such a great episode and maybe you could get kit to guest appear on it too and I think itd be cool to hear what ashley has to say on such topics since she wasnt with vodka press back then - Pamela P. 

A: We certainly can - and will! - but probably not until season three. This year, and season 2 of The Vodka Press, are quickly drawing to a close, and I don't think we'll have time to fit that episode in. Whenever we do get to that episode, I will try my best to get Kit on - but I can't make any promises, she is a very busy girl. And I agree, it'll be very cool to have that discussion with Ashley.

Q: Can you give us a teaser for this year's End of Year Extravaganza? Please! ;-x - Abram 

A: I'll give a teeny, tiny tease, comparable to a fast flash of ankle... This year's End of Year episode will be BIGGER than last year's. I don't want to spoil it for you fans, but I can tell you that this year's episode won't feature a blooper reel.

Q: I really love The Vodka Press and I wish you released longer or more episodes. I just can't get enough of you ladies. - anonymous

A: We want you folks to enjoy our show and walk away after each episode feeling like you learned something, and had fun while doing so. Some of our episodes are longer than others because that's what those discussions call for, just as some are shorter for that very reason. We always leave the door open, so to speak, to do a redux / revisit on any of our past episodes because we know we could go on, and on, and on, if we let ourselves on these topics.

Now, as to releasing more episodes/content, Karly, Ashley, and I would love to do that. *SPOILER* We were thinking that'd be a fun perk/reward for anyone who donates to TVP's (future) Patreon - what do you think, TVP fans?

Q: What was the hadrest episode to record Zoe? - Tyler

A: Hardest in terms of technical issues: the episode with the lovely ladies of The Vagina Chronicles. Hardest in terms of the topic(s): tomorrow's episode on *SPOILER* the Ferguson Grand Jury decision and the 12 yr. old shot in Cleveland.

Q: why don't you always do a wicked find and top five for every episode? - Hannah S.

A: It all depends on the episode's length after preliminary editing. For example: if an episode is 60+ minutes long, I will accommodate for and prepare more than 2 breaks. I also like to go with what's relevant - so if we're doing a 'dating episode', I may count down dating tips or recommend a dating website, etc.

Q: Who handles the vodka press twitter on what days? Cuz it's not just you anymore right, Zo? - anonymous

A: Correct. I manage TVP's Twitter on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Karly does Fridays and Sundays; Ashley handles it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Q: Is Tech & Geek Tuesday coming back ever??? And what happened to the other themed posting days? - Greg C.

A: Yes. *SPOILER* I have one for this Tuesday coming. As for the other themed posting days... we had to switch back to "Ashley posts on X day, Karly posts on Y, etc." because that works better for my cohorts. Having the freedom to write about what you want on your own posting day is kinda liberating - sometimes vexing, but we make it work. :)

Q: zoe why does your voice sometimes sound different in episodes? - anonymous

A: When I edit our recordings, I have to first change my voice's pitch because it is deep and therefore sometimes inaudible, *and* then I have to filter out a ton of background noise because (sadly) we don't have a soundproof recording studio for TVP. That's why occasionally I might sound like I have a stuffy nose and/or lisp, and other times I might sound like Peter Brady at puberty.

Q: so are you girls not doing a kickstarter? i remember you teased a little about maybe doing one a while ago. - amber

A: We did talk a little about the possibility of launching a Kickstarter campaign, but after doing more research we decided that Patreon may be a better fit for TVP's wants/needs when it comes to funding. We're still working out the details, so it may be a while before our Patreon goes live. But when it does, we will blast it all over social media, the blog(s), our show, etc.

Speaking of Patreon, folks who support TVP will get rewards for doing so (similar to Kickstarter). We've got ideas for our future Patreon campaign, but we'd love to hear what you all would want out of it. What changes, upgrades, etc. would you like to see/hear made at TVP? What perk(s) would you like to receive each month/time you support TVP via Patreon? Let me know in the comments down below or tweet them to me @zoegrimmtvp.

Tweets by @ZoeGrimmTVP

We've Got TVP Fan Mail, Pt. 1

Thank you to all the fans who wrote in questions/comments for the month of November! We actually received too many to fit in one post, so I'm going to spread my reponse(s) out over two posts. Below is part one; part two will be released on Thursday. :)

*****

Q: Zoe, if you could make one change to TVP, what would it be? - Danielle S.

A: I think TVP is pretty awesome as is. I respect both my cohorts and really love working with them; I feel like, as a team, we put out great material. But if I had to change one thing...I'd want to produce and release more audio (and possibly video) for our fans. *SPOILER* And that will become a reality in the (hopefully not too distant) future. Karly, Ashley, and I are working hard to improve and expand TVP. 

Q: When will you be having guests on again? - Connor

A: *SPOILER* We have one in the works for sometime in December. I'd also like to have some past guests come back on, like Michele Rivera (amazing LGBT YA romance author / my fave Twitter buddy) and Tim of the Rec Room Show (my fave podcast peep). 

Oh, and speaking of the Rec Room Show... I'll be making another appearance on Tim's show on December 9th, folks. So make sure to tune in; you can listen to Rec Room via All Radio X. 

Q: Have any of your opinions changed on topics from past episodes? - Marianne M.

A: Absolutely; I do post-show research on most (if not all) of the topics we discuss, and I often find my views change, whether they simply become more solid or shift completely. That's the beauty of TVP's cultural conversations - they don't end for us simply because the episode has. 

Q: blond, brunette, or redhead? - joel

Gage Skidmore [CC SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A: Are you asking what color my hair is? Or what color hair I prefer on a romantic and/or sexual partner? I'm currently a redhead, and I prefer (really good-looking) redheads or brunettes. ...Which is ironic given that my beloved Mr. Grimm is a blonde. 

Q: So Zoe are you still with your boyfriend? You referred to yourself as 'single' on the recroom show when you were on. - Isaac K.

A: I'm glad to hear you tuned in for that. :) That being said: I will always refer to myself as 'single' as I am unmarried and never, ever, EVER getting married. And don't worry fans that Mr. Grimm is off sobbing somewhere because I publicly denounce marriage - he is fully aware of my position and respects it. 

Q: zoe why do you hate cats??? - anonymous

A: I do not hate cats; I simply dislike my cat because she's a feral c*nt. However, I will never give her up because I happen to love her (despite her heinous, bitchy, high maintenance attitude). 

Q: How can we get you to answer our questions on the show? - anonymous

A: Well, you really can't get me to do anything I don't want to do; I'm a Scorpio. ;) Seriously though, I pick out the questions from our fan mail. Your question does have a more likely chance of being answered on the air if A) it's addressed/applicable to all three of us and/or B) you indicate that you'd like the question to be asked on the show. (i.e. "Hey Zoe, I have a question for the podcast...")

Q: What do you think of the show Constantine? Aren't you a Hellblazer fan Zoe? - Tom

image via amazon.com

A: I am indeed a Hellblazer fan; I also love Justice League Dark. To answer the first part of your question: I've watched the show, and I'm neutral when it comes to how I feel about it. The cast itself is fine (Matt Ryan, in particular, is fiiiiine), but the poor dialogue and poorer plot development (in each episode) turn me off. I find myself wanting more from the show, and it's just not happening - according to entertainment news, it's never happening. What do you think of the show, Tom?

Q: Can you do more movie reviews on the show? - Alexis

A: Yes. *SPOILER* We're doing one for episode #59. 

Q: zoe will you do another book review blog post? its veen a while since you did one - Hayden L.

A: I shall. If you or any other TVP fan has a particular book you'd like me to review, let me know in the comments down below or tweet to me @zoegrimmtvp. 

Tweets by @ZoeGrimmTVP

Q: thoughts on 5 nights at freddy's 2? you played it yet z? - anonymous

A: I'm more weirded out by the mini "games" than the actual gameplay itself. As long as you keep that music box going, it's fairly easy to beat nights 1 through 6; the mask and additional power/light cancel out the lack of doors and air duct attacks. Some of the custom nights are actually fun to play, but I have yet to beat the "Golden Freddy" setting (because it's INSANE). 

Q: will you do a redux for the mommy episode because i liked it a lot - helene

A: I liked that one, too - so yes. :)

Q: Are teasers coming back? Please?!!!!? :'-( - Kevin 

A: They are - starting with this week! There were some technical issues re: the site I post TVP's audio to, but those have been resolved so we're good to go.

*****

Feel free to leave us more love, questions, comments, or hate - but hopefully not too much hate - in the comments section below. Reminder: part 2 of this month's TVP fan mail will be released on Thursday. 

DRINK RECIPES FOR EPISODE #57: Juan Collins and Brave Bull

Tequila, anyone? That's what we're indulging in this week over here at TVP HQ.

Juan Collins (according to about.com)

• 1.5 oz silver tequila
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz agave nectar
• Top w/ club soda
• Garnish w/ lime wedge

By Dano Veal [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Brave Bull (according to about.com)

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 1 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur