The A-Roid Cocktail: It Had To Happen and Here

The A-Roid Cocktail at Bonfire

The A-Roid cocktail is a shot of El Mejor tequila served with a syringe filled with a spicy, smoky tomato juice (hehe, juice, get it?) made from house smoked tomatoes, tomato juice, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and jalapenos. Yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds and I’m here to bring you the world exclusive first review of Bonfire’s A-Roid cocktail!

Let me start off by thanking the excellent staff for making this cocktail for me, as they are NOT currently selling it (April 6 is its official debut). The staff went above and beyond the call of duty, not just by making the A-Roid cocktail but also in recommending a superb dinner (choice of four tacos for $12, the spicy tuna tartar taco is a must try) and all around doing everything possible to ensure we had a good time. Thank you for making my first trip to Bonfire a pure delight. You will see my face there again!

The A-Roid cocktail will make its official appearance on Red Sox opening day, April 6, 2009. However, as my former sales manager at Vector Marketing would put it, I used “the ol Pieniazek charm” to coerce gently persuade the staff to pour me a sneak preview, which basically boiled down to me shooting off my sad puppy dog eyes at the bartender. Nevertheless, you can’t argue with results and simply put you cannot pass up this drink if you’re a Red Sox fan. Heck, if you’re a fan of any baseball team, besides the New York Yankees, you owe it to yourself to try this drink.

Hmmm, cheap, delicious tacos

Technically, the drink I had was not quite the A-Roid cocktail as they do not yet have the El Mejor tequila in stock (so don’t ask until April 6!) but a substitute premium tequila was used and did not affect the presentation at all. Besides, the tequila is simply not the major attraction here. That’s right, an alcoholic beverage where the actual alcohol comes second. This cocktail is all about the experience and the souvenir syringe filled with juice. I know what you’re all really here to read about, and that’s the juice.

The smoky tomatoes and supplemental spicy ingredients complement the tequila perfectly. You can drink this cocktail anyway you wish, but I chose a traditional process, putting a pinch of salt on my tongue, shooting the tequila, sucking the lime, followed by injecting the delicious tomato juice into my mouth (careful not to get it in your eyes, it is hot and will burn). Normally, I’m not a huge fan of tequila, but the tomato juice so cleanly chased the tequila that I became a quick convert.

After downing the shot and injecting the juice, I felt on top of the world and ready to conquer all. Minutes later, I felt my iPhone vibrating and after a quick conversation, was offered a contract to play for the New York Yankees. Of course, as a lifelong, born and raised, Bostonian and Red Sox fan I succinctly declined, with the obligatory Yankees Suck, Let’s Go Red Sox thrown in for good measure. Sorry, I’d rather continue my career as a struggling writer than join the ranks of A-Rod and the rest of the evil empire. Besides, pinstripes make me look too skinny.

In the interest of avoiding a libel suit from the evil empire, let me note that the entire preceding paragraph was false (aside from the Yankees Suck and pinstripes bit).

I then proceeded to go outside and hit 500 foot dingers while a crowd gathered around me in awe.

For fans wishing to only drink Red Sox beverages, rather than anti-Yankees drinks, there’s also the Matsusake, which is TyKu junmai ginjo sake, shiso, cucumber & sour mix served with crushed ice. My buddy and I agreed, it was a very tasty drink. The cucumbers match the smooth rice wine well and if you’re not careful this concoction can get downed quickly.

The Bonfire's Matsusake

There will also be a Red Sox food menu, developed by Executive Chef Robert Bean, which will include: Francona’s Franks, Pedroia Sized Buffalo Chicken Bites, Truffled Papel-Corn, and Guinness “Big Frapi.” Sounds yummy!

My final verdict?

The A-Roid cocktail’s fine tequila, spicy tomato injection, and overall presentation deserve and get a 11/10, A++, a game ending grand slam. This type of alcoholic ingenuity is a big part of why I love the City of Boston. It’s literally the best theme drink, ever. Period. End of argument. Way to be Bonfire!

Put it on your calendar, April 6, 2009, opening day for the Boston Red Sox and the official launch of the A-Roid cocktail. Join me at Bonfire for A-Roid cocktails and hopefully a big Red Sox win. If you stop in, make sure you let Heather, the exceptionally creative bartender responsible for the genius A-Roid cocktail, know that Adam P referred you! Oh, and if you have a dog and would like to treat him or her, check out Heather’s The Collared Canine site to order a comfortable yet classy collar for your pup!

P.S. Make sure you sign up for Only The Internet’s Best Reviews’ post feed (or head to OTIBR.com to sign up for e-mail updates) for the latest reviews, including a comprehensive review of Bonfire’s drinks and food (coming soon).

Let’s end this review with a resounding:

Let’s go Red Sox! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Let’s go Red Sox! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap. Let’s go Red Sox! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

Aaarrgh this suck this sucks, this fracking sucks

For once, I did not feel the same way. In fact aside from being slightly cold I did not feel much at all. As I’m sure at least some of my readers are aware, the Boston Red Sox lost yesterday to the Tampa Bay Rays, who just one year after denouncing the Devil (from their name) find themselves in the World Series. Though I’m a Bostonian born and raised, I’m quite OK with it. If we had not won the World Series in 2004, I’d probably be devastated right now, but the truth is baseball was simply not even on my list of priorities this year.

The world series win in ’04 literally freed a lot of us from our own fanaticism. That’s all any of us ever really wanted, just one world series in our lifetime. Heck, the Sox were still working off their five year championship grace period when they went and extended the grace period by winning another one last year, which was such a non-event I did not even blog about it!

Including the ALCS and the few games I attended, I probably saw less than 15 games this year (if not even fewer) which is an almost impossible number for a Bostonian resident. Sure I’m still and forever will be a Red Sox fan, but it’s just a game now. Thanks to the Sox for making the transition into the miserable cold winter slightly more bearable and entertaining. Damn it actually feels good, the Sox just lost a chance to get to the World Series and I honestly don’t care. Such words would not have ever been uttered by a Bostonian just a mere 4 years ago.

So Red Sox players, fans and organization members, do not pay attention to the ridiculous Boston media. It’s actually OK. You fought damn hard to repeat and made a very respectable comeback attempt in defense of your championship. For once, we can be proud of our loser baseball team!

You know what, usually we only do this after victories but screw it! Cue the music!

I’m gonna tell you a story
I’m gonna tell you about my town
I’m gonna tell you a big bad story, baby
Aww, it’s all about my town

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that’s what’s happenin’ baby)
That’s where you’ll find me
Along with lovers, fuggers, and thieves (aw, but they’re cool people)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, you’re the Number One place)
Frustrated women (I mean they’re frustrated)
Have to be in by twelve o’clock (oh, that’s a shame)
But I’m wishin’ and a-hopin, oh
That just once those doors weren’t locked (I like to save time for
my baby to walk around)
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, yeah)

Because I love that dirty water
Oh, oh, Boston, you’re my home (oh, yeah)

Well, I love that dirty water (I love it, baby)
I love that dirty water (I love Baw-stun)
I love that dirty water (Have you heard about the Strangler?)
I love that dirty water (I’m the man, I’m the man)
I love that dirty water (Owww!)
I love that dirty water (Come on, come on)

Lyrics to Dirty Water by The Standells

Damn it feels good to be an ex-champion.

I took some pictures at the game of our dynamite seats, and they came out surprisingly well for a 2 mega-pixel camera (though it desperately needs a flash and motion stability). The funniest comment of the night came when I asked a young Red Sox fan to take a few pictures of our group with my iPhone.

What the hell, is this thing from the future

Guess not everyone has been lambasted with commercials and blog posts about the iPhone! Anyway here are some pics from the game.

What a great view, eh?

Real close to right field.

D’oh!

Those are some sacred numbers…makes sense that this section is the rowdiest part of Fenway Park.

We all still had fun…who won again?

I’ve always wondered what would happen if baseball and tennis were combined…OK not really, but still that video is awesome, though I’m skeptical if it’s real. If it is, those kids got Tiger Woods beat by a long shot.

Image courtesy of Boston.com.

“Today in your state capital, proposals for legislation are being drafted that claim to support an open market for buying and selling concert or sporting event tickets. But these proposals also include a variety of controls that will govern how you can buy or sell, what you can charge, or who can sell the ticket for you.

Some of these proposals would even allow corporations like Ticketmaster to decide how and when you can resell your ticket. They support “venue authorization” which would allow Ticketmaster and the venue to decide whether or not to allow the ticket to be resold. Free market advocates vigorously oppose this idea because it allows corporate interests (instead of fans and small businesses) to control the secondary market.

The truth is that these proposals all lead to a market that drives down supply and prices up–and that hurts consumers and sellers alike. Most other states allow ticket free trade, which benefits both fans and small ticket businesses by giving them access to more tickets at lower prices.

If you’d like to see more tickets to your favorite sporting events and concerts, please write your state elected representatives today. Urge them to support an open market that allows YOU to decide how and when to sell or buy a ticket.”

Seems that eBay is opposed to the anti-scalping laws the state of Massachusetts is attempting to get passed. I personally don’t think eBay has anything to worry about as we’ve heard this type of posturing from the Massachusetts legislature before. Massachusetts law already prohibits selling tickets above face value (or for face value plus a $2 fee), yet anyone who goes to a Red Sox game will tell you scalping is alive and well. There’s literally a group of scalpers down the street from Fenway Park hawking tickets mere yards from police officers.

It’s nearly impossible to buy tickets legitimately to a Red Sox game anymore thanks to all the scalpers, but at least I can bid on tickets on eBay and have a chance at getting a fair deal. The Massachusetts legislature should focus on enforcing existing laws rather than posturing for the public. Enforcing the current laws may get more of the scalpers off the streets and onto the internet, thereby increasing supply and competition and hopefully bringing prices down for the end-user. Sure, in a perfect world there would be no scalping and we could all buy tickets at face value and plentifully; unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world and neither the Massachusetts legislature nor eBay can bring ticket prices to high-demand events, such as Boston Red Sox games, down to an affordable level for the average fan, while ticket scalpers are allowed to flaunt their highly marked up prices.

The comments at Tracy’s blog and her post point out that it would have been a bad move for MLB as it would have alienated a whole lot of their fans who don’t have access to DirectTV. I have to agree with Tracy and her readers; a lot of Red Sox Nation is spread out all over the country and would be quite upset without access to their Sox! I’ve met Red Sox fans everywhere, I’ve traveled to and we’re a very devout bunch. Luckily, the MLB and DirectTV agreed to allow cable subscribers to purchase the Extra Innings package too.

Can you imagine if the NFL limited access to out of market games to people who had a certain provider? Imagine the outrage when NFL fans flipped to the Game of the Week only to be greeted with a giant lock symbol. One day, we’ll be able to pick which games we want to watch no matter where we live, even without a sports package. Until then though, I hope the four major sports keep exclusivity out of deals with providers.

I’m still peeved that the NFL gave a exclusive contract to EA Sports and thus ruined Sega’s football video games. To this day, the last football video game Sega put out, NFL 2K5, is the best on the market. Of course I still watch NFL games on TV but I have not and most likely will not buy any more football video games. So whether you’re the MLB, NFL, Apple or even a non-profit organization, remember, alienating your fans is a very, very bad idea.