What does semi-formal mean?

First off, like most of you reading this blog, you live on the West (Left) Coast. In places where techie’s style has infiltrated our communities. Men are going about their days, mornings, afternoons and nights in their jeans, rugged looking shoes, shirts or sweaters in layers while toting a backpack in preparation for the impromptu hike in the local rain forests.

If you are working downtown, and expected to meet clients, then you will have a more “formal” wardrobe with jackets, ties, slacks and sharp leather shoes; so maybe you’re not too far off understanding the term semi-formal.

Western dress is segmented into levels of formality which is meant to aid in understanding how to make one’s dress match the occasion. Of course, depending on your “center point” within these segments, and the clothes you wear most often, the types of wardrobe components you associate with these levels of formality will differ from others. Let’s try to get everyone on the same page.

Formal wear
Semi-formal
Informal
Business casual
Smart casual
Casual
Active attire

(It will be in a future post that the lower 4 are covered)

Immediately you might have notices from this list that “Business wear” is not there. That’s because a navy power suit with a “I’ll eat you for lunch red tie" is called Informal. I know!?!? Fuck me!

Looking back, if you lived near Toronto in the 60’s and 70’s, like I did, then you saw that a white-collar worker would be dressed informally most of their day. Should my parents be invited out for dinner on a Saturday evening, then it was expected to be Semi-formal, and a backyard barbecue would be Business casual. Today, especially on the west coast, dinner out would warrant only an ironed shirt and…you know what? Wearing a pressed shirt to a barbecue might garner questions such as “how did the interview go?”

Informal today seems to be a “come as you are”. We need this to stop.

Of course, wearing a tie for a dinner of ribs off the grill is not what I’m suggesting. Even though times are different now and the socially acceptable standards are lower/broader, I’m talking about elevating and tightening up our standards. Back to the levels as I see them.

Formal: Seems easy enough. We should equate that to “black tie or tuxedo required”. If you’re a member of a traditional wedding party, or you’re going to a $300 a plate charity dinner, or you’re going to be presented an award with “National” in its title or you’re escorting your date to an event where she is wearing a gown then you need a tux. Since top hats and tails are gone it is the tailless tuxedo that moved up to formal, but once a tux was considered semi-formal. Unless you attend more than two functions like these per year, rent over buying.

Informal: This is where business wear lives. Depending on the season your suit would vary in its colour and shade, but most common still are navy suit, white shirt, and tie. Dressing it down, but staying in the Informal range is to switch to blazer and complimentary slacks, or maybe a light blue shirt instead of boring white. This should be what you wear to a job interview no matter what industry you’re in. If you’re not a banker you won’t have a collection of navy, grey, brown or black suits, so get yourself a solid, well fitted one to anchor your wardrobe.

Semi-formal: This level squeezes in between the two above. Semi-formal is what Barney Stinson means when he says “Suit up boys”. In this range, you could say this is your better (best) suits. No matter the season, darker is better, but watch the weather forecast in case you’re going to be outside in the sun; in which case a serious looking, but lighter colour will work.

Semi-formal would be how to dress for attending a wedding or funeral. (The “old marry’em - bury’em suit"). If you are definitely going to be a one-suit-man then make it this one over the business suit. Buy one in a dark colour with a subtle stripe or check, then have two shirts at least (a white shirt and a minor check shirt), and three ties. This should give you the variety so that people won’t recognize the same look when they see you.

It seems simple…the top three levels contain “formal” in the name and you are suppose to wear a tie. Remember over dressing will get you compliments, while no one will mention your under-dressing, except on their way home. Gentlemen, it's time to Suit up!

Dandy Cocktails - October

Whether you’re into sipping something dark and smooth, or cheery and bubbly the world of cocktails awaits you. Of my many party friends one friend stands out for his desire to find new drinks to expand his horizons from college days of rye and coke. He has inspired to stretch my view of drinking.

Turning my attention into the liquor shelf over the fridge I snapped this photo. In the upcoming series of cocktails posts I’m going to research the web for the possibilities of turning the brown and clear booze in these bottles into delicious drinks to enjoy.

Let’s start with a tough one. Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey.

The back label reads: INIGITE THE NITE. What you have here is a smooth whiskey with a fiery kick of red hot cinnamon. It tastes like heaven, burns like hell. What happens next is up to you.

Now I disagree with the last sentence. What happens next is not up to you. If you drink Fireball like most of the people I have seen do it, then you are blasting back upwards of a 2-ounce shot glass of this true firewater. People squeeze their eyes closed tight, twist their faces and curse like a ten dollar hooker abandoned at a truck stop. Once the burning effects of the cinnamon wear off the 33% alc/vol whiskey begins working, and if your so called friend buy another round of shots then what happens next is up to your distorted subconscious which might fool you to believe you can sing, that you’re damn good looking, or that your friend (ya…the one that just paid) is the greatest human alive.

Here are some palatably diluted versions of a Fireball.

Apple Pie on the Rocks

(Note: I made this one. It is so good that only a scoop of ice cream could make it better)

1 oz. Vanilla Vodka

1 oz. Fireball Whiskey

4 oz . Organic Apple Juice

Pinch of Ground Cinnamon

Brown Sugar for the rim Grind a little finer for more successful sugaring

Optional: Cinnamon Stick for Garnish

Ice

Wet the rim of your rocks glass just a little, and gently sugar the rim with the brown sugar. In a martini shaker, pour the vodka, Fireball, apple juice and ground cinnamon together with a handful of ice cubes. Shake 10 times and pour the contents into the glass without wiping off the sugar rim. Serve chilled and with a cinnamon stick, for garnish.

Recipe courtesy of veganyackattack.com

Cinnamon Old Fashioned

3 oz Fireball Whiskey

1.5 oz maple syrup (real maple syrup)

3 oz fresh orange juice

Juice fresh oranges and make sure that seeds are removed. Mix fireball, maple syrup, and orange juice in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with fresh orange peel.

Recipe courtesy of www.thenativetransplant.com

Fireball Sangria

1 cup orange peach mango juice (Dole makes this)

1 cup Fireball whiskey

1 bottle dry red wine (or sangria wine)

Combine the juice, whiskey and wine in a large pitcher. Add the frozen fruit and allow to chill for 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of gogogogourmet.com

Fire in Ice Apple Cider

4 cups ice cubes

1 cup apple cider

1 cup cinnamon flavored whisky (used: Fireball)

splash ginger beer

apple slices, for garnish (optional)

Add the ice, cider, and whisky to a blender. Blend until smooth and well combined. Divide the drink between glasses. Top with a splash of ginger beer and garnish with an apple slice.

Recipe courtesy of gogogogourmet.com

Fireball Pink Lemonade

1 bottle lemonade (24 oz.)

1 cup Fireball cinnamon whisky

1-2 tbsp. grenadine

2 cups ice

1 lemon, sliced

Pour the lemonade, Fireball and 1 tbsp. grenadine into a large pitcher. Stir and taste, adding grenadine until you reach the desired color/flavor you'd like. Fill mason jars or other glasses with ice. Pour in pink lemonade, and garnish glasses with a slice of lemon.

Recipe courtesy of Delish.com

April Essential – Black Motorcycle Jacket

Is this essential for me? Really?

Back in January, Esquire informed us that a black “moto jacket” is one of the 15 essentials for 2017. Esquire Essentials

I don’t own one due to my continuous pondering if one would really fit in my wardrobe. The lack of logical connection between me and the look of the wild open road is founded in that I’m not wild, nor am I all that open, and though we share the base element of Carbon, I am not a road.

I like the look of the retro leather jacket, as does just about every period in men’s’ fashion in the past 50 years. The bad boy look will not die. Even the attempt in the 80’s and 90’s to give a baggy look or adding brightly tinted patches did not claim the end of the black leather jacket.

Do chicks actually dig this look when worn by obviously “not so bad boys”? The real question I ask is: does there exist the appropriate style of black leather jacket for us “bad accountant” types?

This past week marks the 16^th year since the death of the leather jacket legend Joey Ramone.

A “Ramon-ee” I am not, but if black leather is in my future I going to look for cleaner styles. This one on James Franco is sleek and sharp. It has a cut of a moto style, again fit is crucial, without all the zippers that lead to nowhere. I’d avoid attempting to dress it up like Downey does below, as the cleaner version is not a dramatic enough divergence from the shirt and tie to create any irony.

Of course, Esquire realizes I am not in the minority of men when contemplating leather. Last fall, 7 expense options were laid out here. Esquire Moto Jackets

Another uber-decadent option is the leather top coat. This style simultaneously says “look at me”, “don’t fuck with me” and “yes, I might be a Nazi”.

Style Lessons We Can All Learn from Daniel Craig

Straight up re-direct link to esquire magazine.

TIMBERRRR!!!

While watching Peter York’s Hipster Handbook on the Passionate Eye last night, I was introduced to the term “Lumbosexual” which they used to refer to the style of dress within the hipster sub-culture where the beard is excessive and the clothing worn is woodsy.

Searching the term turned me to the other grammatical version of the work “Lumbersexual”. The most pleasing to the mind definition I found is…

Lumbersexual: a man who has adopted style traits typical of a traditional lumberjack, namely a beard, plaid shirt, and/or scruffy hair, substituting otherwise clean-cut and fashionable style choices.

The term appears to be a round since 2014, and its roots come from the modern transformation and distancing men’s style is taking from Metrosexual where suits were modern and trim, ties skinny and shoes polished.

In the hipster world the beard is ubiquitous. The plaid shirt, best made from flannel, is everywhere. It is a staple of teenage girls and boys today. There certainly is a difference in the way the Lumbersexual dresses from the Slacker even though the essentials pieces are the same are the Taking the style to a place above the slacker. The easiest, but not cheapest is to wear expensive denim. But that denim better have a story behind it. One where the cotton is the purest, the dye the organic-est, and the labour to sew it the free-est.

Lumbersexuals will likely hold many of the metrosexual characteristics that shine through their rugged wrapper.

“…[he’s] the type of guy who is spending thousands of dollars to look like he’s in a back-country camping ad, but he doesn’t camp. He just looks like he can chop wood, and build a fire, but in fact he’ll probably cry if you show him a picture of a cute puppy.”

About the beard:

Generally, speaking the beard of a hipster roots in needing to be nonconformist to the last main conformist trend. The beard is a statement of manhood and manliness akin to the last time a person was called a real lumberjack. A time in the past of axes, picks and saws and not the million dollar clear-cutting machines that sweep across the wooded hills of today. 

I’d challenge that the beard grown now is an attempt to look and feel masculine when your occupation is not a “manly job”. I certainly felt that way about my mustache. Cutting programmer’s code or selling stocks might make a male feel a long way from the man who worked pounding hot steel in the sweaty garage that was once housed in the same location where this modern man’s coffee shop sits selling with a $10 latte. So grow that beard long young man to keep your Yuppiehood at bay!

Lumbersexual everyday

The style definitely has its benefits; after all you are starting with jeans and probably a nice pair. Stripping off the plaid, and replacing with a fitted retro logo’d t-shirt and boots makes for a solid walk the dog, or meet the mates for the game. Throw whatever gear you have for your weekend hobbies into a canvas backpack, tighten up the beard and head out.

Balance and authenticity

Be yourself or at least the woodsman you are inside. If you want a casual beard let it grow. If you want (or need) to be office ready trim it back or keep it in shape. Wear the right fit for your shape and size. If you want to moisturize then don’t put the Dove for Men down. After all, the fair maiden likes her men dashing and strong….and smooth to the touch.

"click link for cuff links"

Over the past few years, I have been shopping off of ebay for assorted items from parts for my old trucks to Christmas gifts for an Anime fan to padding the wardrobe with menswear. Based on fiding good prices and interesting items I completely vouch for the strategy of shopping on-line; kind of a Digital Dandy.

It is possible to challenge the sensibility of buying clothing or just about anything from a stranger. Going digital removes your opportunity to handle or try on a piece of clothing that we know is so important to deciding if the piece is right for you.

Early on in my shopping I definitely experienced some missed expectation and some downright failures. The most memorable purchase that started looking so good involves a pair a black wingtips I ordered. The ebay ad displayed multiple photos of shoes that were in great condition possessing only slightly worn rubber soles. Once in my hands I determined that the shoes were of good quality and fit just about perfect. The first night I got out with them on my feet we were off to a wedding. I had on my “Marry’em and Burry’em” grey suit. That evening we had fun drinking and dancing up a storm in my new comfy shoes.

Once it was time to leave, I walked to the car with Mrs on my arm when suddenly I had the sensation of something was stuck to the sole of my right shoe just under the toe. Each step increased the pronounced feeling to where I stopped to complete an inspection. My instinct was accurate. The rubber sole of the shoe had separated slightly. I touch pissed off I marched another 30 steps while experiencing the entire sole separating to became caught up under my foot accompanied by a clear flap-flap sound. Once we were in the car, I had to pull the sole and shoe apart so I could use the accelerator pedal.

Being completely dissatisfied with the purchase, I wrote the seller explaining that the shoes I had paid $50 for were now costing me an additional $20 to repair. My request for damages received no response from the seller. It then came as no surprise that the next time I wore the shoes the left sole separated. The negative experience has doomed me from ever putting the shoes on again

That was not my last ebay purchase, but I did decide to take a break for a few months. The new style resolution (and this blog) have turned me back to the web as the best source for finding pieces at a budget friendly price.

I do watch ebay routinely, just in case I find a low risk purchase with a good price; such as my black merino wool sweater. Instead of ebay I have turned to on-line stores of brands I can trust. The Gap Canada and Nordstrom’s Rack are sites which have collected all my most recent spending.

Here are my On-line shopping tips that come from some great buys and some shitty ones:

Commit to your search
Not everyone will have this problem, but I certainly did. When I am physically in a store at the mall my shopping is as focused as a Navy Seal watching their target through a gun scope. If my shopping list says “Black slacks” I discard all other distractions so that I see and stop for only black slacks.

On the web, I am a victim of my ADHD; which can be trigger at the sight of the variety of options you find out there. Click….click….click, click, click and I start to fill my “cart” with shirts, socks, underwear!?!?

My tip is: If you’re after jeans then buy jeans! If you are looking to spend $300 then spend $300! In either case straying too far from the initial objective can cost you big.

Find a fit and stick with it
Sticking with real sizing has helped me with getting the right sizes the first time. Dress shirts are the easiest since the sizing 16-32 should be the same no matter the brand you buy.

“Slim fit” is recent description of a fit and it is becoming more common on ebay, and in stores. By missing the difference between regular and slim has caused me to own poorly fitting pieces.

Going into a store’s location is the best way to understand their sizes. Go to their retail, or factory outlet location; try on an armful of shirts to understand what feels and looks the best. Go with that size whenever you are on-line.

My best example is discovering Levis 508 jeans, which are not available in Canada. I found this cut/model at the factory outlet store in Nashville. It is a “boys cut” and they fit me great. I now order them from ebay for about $25 a pair; that is 70% off the price of Levis 511 available at home

Once you like a style or store use it, but remember you need variety

Shopping at an online store like the Gap, or Brooks Brothers because you trust the sizing is great, but you might become a walking advertisement when you have on their jeans, shirt and jacket.

I notice that in Esquire magazine the well dressed models are in a combination of clothing brands, and styles are mixed for impact purposes. When I get better at the fashion experience to understand how to assemble edgier looks I’ll have the confidence to pull together different brands. For now I make sure, I have more than Polo ponies on my chest.

Get your basics on-line to save money
Originally, my ebay shopping was approached in the same way as I approached shopping for Ford truck parts. I was looking for the unique and pieces not easily found locally. In the end, I owned a number of unique clothing pieces that I rarely wore.








My revised approach has been to build the wardrobe from the ground up and use the web for the essential basics. White button down. Indigo blue “denimy” shirt. Jeans. Knowing that I had the sizing right made it easy to find  good quality basics at great prices.  

Looking for vintage? Remember vintage fit
Vintage fashion can get me the retro look I want sometimes. Who doesn’t want a burgundy silk tuxedo jacket?

Since my general style choice is “modern preppy” all the basics I need can be found brand new in on-line stores. I can now venture out to add the vintage twist.

Watch out though! There is a serious fit risk with buying vintage on-line. Take a look at these photos of how a fashionable suit has fit over the decades. 

Now think about your shape. The shape of a fit person today is very different than in the past. Your shoulders might be swimming or tightly constricted in the jacket you pick based on when it was made. The best way around this is to only buy pieces that the seller includes measurements of the length, or chest. It’s not a guarantee, but if you compare to something in your closet you should find something awesome. 

Returning bad decisions or fit could be important
A major advantage to online stores like Gap Canada, or American Eagle is that they accept returns at their local retail stores. You might find better sales online, and more inventory of your size, but if they are not right then knowing a return for full credit is available at the mall reduces the online risk.

Shipping: Saving time and money  Saving money with shipping is not always the case when buying from ebay in the US. I figure that shipping should max out at $20 if you are buying a couple items; so when I find the seller to be offering $15 shipping for a $20 shirt make sure the total price is still acceptable to your budget. That was the case for my black merino sweater. With shipping, I paid US$60 so it was still in budget and much less than I found here.

A sub-tip is to have a budget before you pick an item to ship, or go deep by buying lots to take advantage of free or flat fee shipping.

Using a US ship to location and then a mule is a serious online shopping advantage. I have found with my frequent trips to the US that free shipping in the US to a friend’s house has saved me lots of money.

Sales and sales alerts

On-line there are plenty of sales. The stores I have checked out literally, update their sales every day. Coupon codes or free shipping will usually be highlighted in homepage banner to entice someone just surfing by. A recent Gap purchase of mine included a 20% off sale priced item, with an online coupon code for 30% more off, plus free shipping AND since my total order was over $100  I received two $25 coupons for my next purchases. Not bad, eh? 

A really cool tip I found researching this post, was a way to use Google alerts to find sales for you. I have not tested it, but have a look here. http://mydapperself.com/how-to-use-google-alerts-to-save-money-shopping/


One more thing

I will add a caveat to my “save time” comment above. Once you are shopping online, you might not shop at the mall very often, so there's no guarantee your total shopping time is reduced when your on-line every day. In fact, over time you might spend more total time shopping as you check sales or search for that perfect pair of pinstriped trousers. But what will happen if you "stick with the search" is you will become better and faster at finding what you want; also all your work will teach you about the market you have came to play in.

As I am still a relative novice to shopping on-line I can’t say I’ve had success with these expert sites. Maybe they will work for you.

§  Grailed

§  StyleForum

§  Ask Andy About Clothes

§  Dappered Threads

Esquire magazine subscription: Am I hip yet?

The first issue of my new magazine subscription arrived. http://archive.esquire.com/issue/20170301

Inside I found articles and visuals to post about later: the art of tipping, minimalism, and smut literature. And some that you won't find in my dandy blog: camo clothing, and penis transplants.

Cheers!

Acting Grown-up: Thank you cards written by men

Trying an idea for a new series, and it’s about being better at acting my age.

Valentine’s Day has just past so I was like many people in the card story in search of the perfect combination of beautiful graphics enclosing poignant Hallmark wisdom written by strangers to describe your feels towards someone so special to you. It was inside one card I did not chose that said an important phase “Thank you”. I say it all the time. I said it after I was handed the salt at dinner. I said it to a colleague who once again answered a question I have asked many time before. And when I received it, I said “no problem” which is not the way I really felt about what I had done, since it REALLY was a problem that I was interrupted to help out the requester.

I do not write Thank you cards. When I think about it, it seems so easy to do, so why the F*ck does it feel so impossible to do. To the Internet for guidance and support! I did research on Art of Manliness, Career Rocketeer, and Men’s Journal to come up with the best insight into doing it right.

Maybe you haven’t written, I mean hand written, a Thank you card since you received $20 from your Grandma on your 10^th birthday. Back then, you might have complained to your parents for days about being forced to do it , so that the next year your parents accepted you just calling Grandma. Even though I am going to explain all the wondrous reasons to write cards, we must accept that the custom is long outdated, and unnecessary since we all accept that everyone we know is too busy to take the time, so we assume that they are grateful or just maybe they will remember to mention it when we see them again. But these are exactly the reason we, as those of us seeking dandyism, should stand out from the crowd by bringing pen to paper.

To begin, we need to assess the best reasons why a card needs to be written.

• The simplest to understand case is when you receive a gift; just like the $20 from Granny.
• If you receive a favour, which is a type of a gift. This one I thought about and wondered if I would have to establish a threshold which the favour must exceed in order to initiate my search for a pen. Before I become an automatic card writer I figure that the favour must be above and beyond “just being neighbourly”. This should apply to friends, co-workers, and of course neighbours.
• Free accommodations with friends has long been the case when I have been lulled into believing a hug and offer of reciprocation is enough. I am wrong. You sleeping on your mate’s couch after a long night of drinking might be the exception from card writing, but when you and your kids finally clear out of your college friend’s apartment then that definitely warrants sending a card. If they showed you around town as well, a gift could be included in the card
•  Career Rocketeer was big on the post-interview Thank you card. I’d have to add that this also applies to very important business meetings that (could) have helped you reach your goals for promotion or financial gains.
•  If what the person did made you feel special or especially loved, then don’t hold back; tell them!

How you go about the activities of Thank you cards will come with some rules or guidance for your message and the process.

• I am a proponent for hand written although Men’s Journal was pretty clear that not everyone needs to be thanked, and not every Thank you needs to be hand written. If you do go with setting your limits then come up with what works for you. I’m going with hand written.
• Use a card or better yet use stationary. If you choose to buy a package of cards for your desk to make it easier and quicker to get the card out then do so with a style and look to suit you. Be choosey.
• Don’t wait. The importance a person can feel from your appreciation should not be delayed. Etiquette experts give acceptable periods when the Thank you is related to wedding gifts or condolences, but I’d say get the message out within the week following. Remember you’ll need to add a day or two to find a stamp.
• Try not to follow a formula in your message. Remember that after you thank a person they will understand you appreciate it and they will do more for you more often. 
• Don’t gush. Be professional. Be enthusiastic. 
• Be clear and concise.  Keep it under three sentences. If you feel you need to say more then you might be trying to say more than just Thank you. You might be in need of writing a letter about yourself more than making this about the other person and what they did for you.
• Your opener is simple: “Thank you very much for ______________.” If the gift was money, use a euphemism for it. Instead of “thank you for the dough,” say “thank you for your kindness/generosity/gift/business.”
• For closing: If the exchange (gift or favour) was at an event, write, “It was great to see you at ______”. Then say, “I hope we can get together again at ______”. Bringing up the possibilities in the future is important even when you do not see the person often.
• As for the Valediction (word for the day!) you will need to choose one that best conveys the meaning of your relationship. “Love” or even “Sincerely” does not work for the person who shoveled the sidewalk in front of your house. Consider these options: Yours Truly, Kindest Regards, Respectfully, or Best Regards.

I intended this post to focus on the Thank you card, I will still mention a part of expressing thanks and gratitude which could be the offering of a gift from you. Ask yourself, what would you like if the situation was reversed? Do you need to send a gift certificate for carpet cleaning after you brought your dog to your ex-girlfriend’s place for the weekend? Does the favour or gift you received exceed a personal limit you have that should in turn generate a gift exchange? For example, was the dinner check your colleague picked up pricey enough that you should leave a bottle of wine for them on Monday? Be aware of the relationship and the sentiment you are attempting to provide.

Finally, it is a common belief that people are not expecting hand-written notes. Email is a great tool for communication, but it is commonplace. I receive 60 to 80 emails per day; if you do too then you are unlikely to receive a Thank you email that stops you from churning though it to get to the next email. The act of touching an envelop, holding the card as you read is such a rare experience that we should give those who we appreciate a special feeling like the one they have given us.

Best Regards,
William A. Sanderson

I've thought of this product, but never dreamed there was a business for it

I was doing some research today, and happened across a post that led me down the internet rabbit hole until I landed here: http://www.kkandjay.com/shop/freetown

Now that you're thinking, "ya they are suspenders", just take a moment and click on the third thumbnail from the left. And boom you get to see exactly what they are: Socks to shirt tail suspenders!

btw - don't let the Mrs see the site. This model dude "is packing!"

Cheers!

A dandy cocktail good enough to make you consider it

For a first time, it’s a lifestyle post from me. This true story came to me while I was comparing business travel tales with a colleague about Portland. Of course, Portland is a really cool and hip city which, at the time, I was not hip nor cool when I traveled there for the first time.

The story on why I was there is not much of an interesting one since it was a week long session of marketing meetings about how well our group had been doing the past year, woven in with hours of sessions on how we were going to do better in the coming year. That is not to say that the time there was all work. Our evenings as a group were plenty of fun as we explored the easy going downtown streets with stops for unique dinners and samples of Oregon beer and wine.

The group of us was very nicely accommodated at the Hotel Vintage right downtown. It is a renovated old stone hotel done in a retro-modern style. Every appointment in the rooms were covered including the complimentary “intimacy kits” next to the soaps and shampoos in the bathroom. Each day after the meetings, our group of twelve met for cocktails in the lobby before heading to dinner.  On the last evening our group was together the lobby bar was offering a cocktail special call the Black Negrino. Myself and a couple others in the group order the drink which I found to be quite intriguing in that it met my taste by being a touch bitter. I had completely forgotten about the drink the next day as I was very hung over from all the drinking that traditionally occurs on “the last night out” with this particular (OK every) group of marketing people.

That night out with them was not my last night as I remained in town for an additional full day of meetings. Still at the same hotel in the city core on a Friday night I decided to explore the area on my own followed by a late dinner. While I was out I came across a haberdashery displaying a SALE sign in the window. In I strolled with an unusual instinct to do some shopping. It wasn’t long before I walked out confidently with two new shirts; pressed and ready to be worn to my dinner alone. I detoured back to my hotel room to change. The shirt I chose was a bird’s eye weave in Persian blue and black. Of the two shirts, it was the one that best suited my dark denim, brown belt and chestnut wingtips.

I was charged up with the confidence that wearing a new outfit will give you. When the elevator doors opened in the lobby, I heard the smooth jazz stylings of a duo of electric keyboards and female vocals. The selection was jazz standards by Sinatra and Bennett, so I slipped onto the end stool at the bar to enjoy some lobby people watching. Before the bartender turned to acknowledge me, I spotted that this lobby bar’s specialty was Negroni cocktails and the small menu sign displayed “today’s special” which as not the Black Negrino. The young, clean cut bartender made eye contact with me while wiping the wet bar top areas around me.

“Good evening. What can I get for you?” he asked in a programed tone

I asked if I could get the special cocktail from the night before. He answered my question with a puzzled look as he explained this evening was his first day back after a week off. Previously, I had not asked for the ingredients in the drink I so enjoyed, so I used descriptive words and hand motions to best illustrate the look and flavour of the beverage. He was not deterred by the moments of low value miscommunication we exchanged, but instead was inspired to discover the drink himself. It must have been my week in the company of salesmen that made me persuasive enough for him to act.

Since I was alone at the bar that moment, he excused himself to rush over to the restaurant to ask the bartender there if they could help us out. I enjoyed the music by the duo who had moved forward a few decades to be performing a rendition of Sweet Dreams by the Eurhythmics. They were not very good. Before their tune ended I was willing to drink liquid nitrogen, but to my rescue the bartender returned with the recipe.

“It has Old Tom Gin in it” he remarked and followed that with an explanation that it is a sweeter, less dry, version of a London gin. There were a few moments when his head under the bar, and the sound of rattling glassware ended with all the bottles before him; and then began his description of the drink as he measured. The drink was offered in a rocks glass with a large square block of ice surrounded by the black mixture and a long lemon peel rind. I was disappointed that this evening’s version had so much ice in it when the previous one was well balanced. That made for longer sipping quite enjoyable. I felt that he had put so much effort into the investigation and preparation that I would not complain. I raised the glass in a cheers as thanks, then swiftly drank it before the duo made their way to what was the inevitable ballad version of the Ramones.

My new shirt and I were next out on the town. It took less than twenty steps to find a super happening restaurant with a single remaining seat at the bar for me to grab something to eat. Without any encouragement the young lady on the stool next to mine recommended the house specialty, duck meatballs. She made the right choice for me as the two large meatballs served with a dark, thick, sweet sauce matched perfectly with my masterfully made Old Fashioned cocktail. The young lady’s male dinner companion arrived while I ate, and the three of us exchanged all the must see sights in Portland and Victoria. It wasn’t long before my drinks were getting to my brain, so I headed back to my hotel.

Before I headed to my room, I figured a third drink was needed so I returned to “my seat” at the Vintage lobby bar and was welcomed by the same accommodating bartender.

“You’re back. So is it the beginning of your night or the end?”

It was the end I told him so I placed an order for a White Russian which I find to be a wonderful “go nite-night drink”. When he placed the drink in front of me, I asked if he would do me the favour of writing down the recipe for the Black Negrino. He pulled off a slip of paper from the till printer. I watched as he transferred the ingredients list from his coworkers notes to the slip of paper for me. Besides the Old Tom Gin there were other ingredients I had not heard of. His note read:

Black Negrino

1 oz Old Tom gin

¾ oz Carpano Punt e Mes

½ oz Campari

¼ oz Fernet-Branca

1 long twist of lemon peel

Stir & strain over fresh ice in Old Fashioned glass. Twist and drop lemon peel.

I thanked him for the recipe while I placed it in my wallet. Realizing the time was still early, but I was tired I said good night with a cash tip and headed to the elevator a little after 10pm.

The next day I had an early flight home so I could be back by lunch for what would be some family time the rest of the weekend. That evening after I had shared all the excitement of the week in Portland with Mrs, I was describing the drink and the discussion I had had with the bartender. I told her I wanted to see if I could get the ingredients or adequate substitutes to make the drink for our friends. I retrieved my laptop from my bags and the note from my wallet.

“See honey, I have never heard of these before. What is Fernet-Branca?” I put the paper down on the counter when I began tapping in the words into Google.

“Ah..what’s this?” she asked holding the paper.

“Here, let me see.” I squinted at the messing hand writing. “Ya, Punt e Mas? I don’t know”

“No Bill, look on the other side.”

I turned the small slip of paper over to silently read “Thanks. Call lobby bar @ 11:30. Sean”. I could imagine that the look on my face told her that the hamster that usually runs my brain had fallen of its wheel and lay twitching in the bed of straw. After a silent moment he did recover,

“You know Honey. I don’t know. Maybe it was my new shirt!”

Cheers!