Bangkok Assassin

Last night we hosted a Texas Hold Em No Limit Poker Tournament for 44 participants.  I know, I know, INSANE.  It was all good clean fun, lots of trash talk, five velvet upholstered tables, overheated yelling, beers in the bathtub, delivery pizza, and ultimately, three winners -- the elated "Freakus" in third, the astonished "Heater" (subbing for "Ibiza" in the final rounds) in second, and our very own "Slapper" in first.  I, "Bench", got taken out at the same time as "Pom-Pom" by "Gay.com" at our very first table, sadly.  And I can't even blame my feebly nursed Bangkok Assassin -- the house special cocktail made with ginger-lemongrass simple syrup, vodka, and lime.  It's sweet, a little exotic, and totally lethal.

Bangkok Assassin

Boil smashed ginger and lemongrass in some water for five minutes, strain the bits out, add an equal amount of sugar and heat til the sugar dissolves.  Cool completely.  Fill your shaker with ice, 2 oz. vodka, a healthy squirt of syrup and the juice of a lime, shake and pour into a chilled glass.   Garnish with lime.  (In my imagination, it's garnished with tiny ginger cubes which have been candied in the simple syrup and dropped into the bottom of the cocktail glass.)

Last night there was a lot less lime and a lot more syrup; still, you might want to mix and pour over ice, and top it off with some soda -- "Tip Me" had to cut off our friend "The Groom," who got taken out early by a few strong Bangkok Assassins and never made it past the first table.  Instead, he fell face-first into the pile of coats on the bed and passed out for the rest of the evening.  That's what you get when you come to my house.  Next year -- more beer, weaker cocktails, and hopefully an afternoon start.