Hey people of the internet..I know, it’s been a while… it’s been a pretty shitty start to the year.

My step father passed away a couple of weeks ago and it’s been a horrible, weird, grief filled couple of weeks.  Maybe I’ll talk about it more in time but at the moment….it’s still all a bit too raw. I had written most of this post on the Peter Piper cocktail before all the shit got real.  So, here it is, pretty much unedited because I just want to get something out to resume some semblance of normality….

Don’tcha just love it when two three of your favorite things come together in a perfect storm of awesomeness?  Of course you do!  Which is how I came to find the Peter Piper cocktail.

The original Peter Piper Cocktail comes from a recipe by Georgia Hardstark and Alie Ward.  So, here are some things you need to know about Georgia Hardstark.

1. She can make a mean cocktail
2. She loves vintage clothes
3. Along with Karen Kilgariff she is the host of one of my favorite new podcasts, My Favourite Murder

One of which would be reason enough to like her.  All three combined? OMG….massive girl crush!

Also, here are some things you need to know about the Peter Piper cocktail.  Actually, no just one.

The original recipe requires dry vermouth.  Do not assume that just because you had dry vermouth the last time you made a cocktail, that you will still have dry vermouth.  More specifically, do not wait until you have your vodka on ice in the damn cocktail shaker to realise that the dry vermouth has either disappeared into some Bermuda Trianglesque worm hole surrounding your bar cart or you drank a damn sight more of those Lord Suffolk cocktails on NYE than your memory has so far allowed you to admit. My money’s on the worm hole.  Because you know, a lot of things go missing from that area of the dining room.  And the stuff that is left?  The levels also mysteriously change.  Spooky..

Also, the girls used pepper vodka, I made my own chilli infused vodka and used that.  That is super easy to make – I just chopped up a Bird’s Eye Chilli and put it into a 100ml jar filled with vodka and left it for about a week.  And  there you have it.  Spicy vodka, perfect for mixing with pickle juice, and because you have no dry vermouth, a splash of Fino sherry.   With a kick of heat from the vodka, briny sour from the pickle juice, a hint of sweet and nuttiness from the sherry….the Peter Piper is truly a thing of beauty!  Perfect to drink with some salty chips whilst listening to your favourite podcast!

As far as I am concerned one of the best things to come out of 2016 for me was a new found love for the podcast.  I have always been a big pod listener but l feel that last year raised the bar.  So, whilst we sip our Peter Piper’s I’m going to take you through my Top 5 of the pods I discovered and loved in 2016.

These are vaguely in order of my discovery of them and not necessarily my love of them.  Except the first three are probably also my top three in terms of love too.

1. The Black Tapes

It’s kinda X Files with loads of creepy children, music that will make you die within a year of hearing it, missing wives, and villain who looks like a Sexy James Bond.  Not to mention evil monasteries and people having their faces ripped off.

Start with:  You really need to listen to these in order.  Start with S1, Episode1.

Standout Episode:  The creepy knocking on Alex’s sleep tape gave me chills

2. Tanis

What have I not already said about my love for Tanis.  (Brought to you by Pacific North West Stories who also produce The Black Tapes?).

Oh yeah – Both The Black Tapes and Tanis have been on  hiatus for a while but The Sandy Island episodes which are for Patreon subscribers only?  Totally amazing and made me fall in love with Tanis all over again.  Also see my Tanis inspired cocktail posts:

Here for the Eld Fen Martini

Here for the Navigator

Here for the Sex on The Breach

Start With: As with The Black Tapes you need to listen to this in order

Standout Episode: I really liked S1 E3, The Girl in The High Tower which touched on the death of Elisa Lam.  And anything with Geoff Van Sant.  Or MK.  So all of them.

3 My Favourite Murder

Who thought a podcast about murder could be hilarious?  Well, let Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff change your mind. And just in case you are wondering, never disrespectful about the victims.  They may not be the best researched of all the true crime pods that I will list but they are by far my favourite.  I love these gals!

And OMG, the memes that have come out of this.  From the catch cry “Stay sexy, don’t get murdered” to “You’re in a cult, call your dad” to “Here’s the thing, fuck everyone”

Don’t Start With: The Canadian Greyhound Bus Cannibal.  This one scared the crap out of me.  I was almost too scared to go on public transport for weeks after listening to this one!

Start With:The Alphabet Killer.   This is absolutely what fascinates me about these things.  No spoilers but how did that thing become his thing?  Also the one on Israel Keyes.  He looks like a guy you would see at a beachside pub wearing a polo shirt and boat shoes and talking too loudly to his bros.  Not a serial killer, rapist, bank robber and arsonist.   The Israel Keyes episode also spawned the now famous rules of hiking:

• Go in packs of five
• With knives
• With fucking Rottweilers
• With knives taped to your hands
• And knives taped to your Rottweilers
• And then just tons of guns
• And just start shooting at any sound you hear
• Anyone who fucking approaches you – shoot them

Other: They also have the best fan made merch. I  just ordered one of these “Stay sexy, don’t get murdered rings” off Etsy. I feel it’s my version of the WWJD bangle.

4. Casefile

This is also true crime but from Australia.  And if  MFM is  entirely personality driven, Casefile is the facts ma’am just the facts. The host is even anonymous.  This is not exclusively Australian content but there is a lot of it on here, proving that when it comes to nutters and psychopaths, we can certainly hold our own with the rest of the world!

Start With: Peter Falconio. I remember this case so well.  I also remember how they demonised his poor girlfriend in the media.

Standout Episode: Snowtown.  OMG.  Find out what happens when a group of people who individually were only ever going to be losers and fuck ups meet up.  Spoiler – it ends with bodies in barrels.

In Adelaide.

Of course.

5. The Sofa King Podcast

These guys started following me on Insta so I gave their pod a listen and have not stopped.  It’s a mix of true crime, cults, conspiracies, mysteries, and things that go bump in the night.

Start with: Their take on Dahmer.  Because no one else will tell you that they found a painted preserved penis in his work locker.  For real.

Standout Episode:  The 411.  This is about people going missing in National Parks.  I laughed so hard whilst listening to this that I had to pull my car over to the side of the road because I was no longer capable of driving.  Believe me, you will never see Gary Coleman in the same light!

Peter Piper Cocktail

Print Recipe

A delicious savoury cocktail

• Author: Taryn Fryer

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 125ml chilli / pepper vodka
• 60ml pickle brine
• Splash fino sherry or dry vermouth
• Cornichons, pickled jalapenos, green olive to garnish

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Add the vodka, pickle brine and sherry to a shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake it like a polaroid picture.
3. Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with a sliced cornichon, a green olive and a pickled jalapeno.
4. Enjoy!

Okay, so I have a couple of 1990’s magazines and a 1990’s cookbook on pasta and risotto, all from my personal collection to share with readers.  Point me in the way of your favourite podcasts or let me know if you share my faves and these can be yours!  Leave a comment here, on Facebook or Instagram or tweet me.

Have a wonderful week! And give someone you love a big hug….

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