READ IT (AGAIN): Pair A Venetian Spritz On Boneta’s Wee Patio With “Death In Venice”

by Marcus Kaulback | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’re checking Thomas Mann’s 1912 novella, “Death In Venice”.

Why You Should Read It Again: An elderly German writer vacations in Venice as a guilty reward for a lifetime of ascetic diligence, and falls into obsession over a young and beautiful boy. Despite it being a very philosophical look at wisdom versus beauty, at restraint versus lust, and is correspondingly dry and long-winded at points, it’s an engrossing and beautifully written work. It remains a powerful look at the potency of desire – an emotion all of us encounter every day – and at what it can push us to do.

Pair It With: Von Aschenbach, the abstinent Spartan that he is, doesn’t drink, and so gives us no hints as to what to sip while following his self-loathing journey. But the Venetian Spritz – an aperitif cocktail of white wine, sparkling mineral water, and either Aperol, Campari, or Cynar – is a refreshing choice, and one that will help you transport yourself to the Lido beach in your mind (content and thankful that yours isn’t the mind of that tortured and lascivious German writer). Hunker down on Boneta’s patio and indulge.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair Capote’s “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” With A Gin Sour At 900 West

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Truman Capote’s Breakfast At Tiffany’s.

“A girl doesn’t read this sort of thing without her lipstick” – yup, Holly Golightly speaks the truth. Most of the time. If you loved the movie you’ll dig the book. Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a testament to the writer’s relationship with the women in his life. Written in 1950 – with a slew of girls claiming to be the inspiration behind the quirky and glamorous playgirl, Holly Golightly – the story follows Fred and Holly in their year-long friendship.

Why you should read it again: It’s a story about that person who appears to have their shit together but on the inside they have just as many insecurities and worries as the rest of us. The effort they put into keeping up appearances is a symptom of their insecurity. That’s Holly Golightly. The novel demystifies the movie and helps buffs to better understand where and under what circumstances the film was created. “It was the most miscast film I’ve ever seen,” said Capote. “Holly Golightly was real – a tough character, not an Audrey Hepburn type at all. The film became a mawkish valentine to New York City and Holly, and, as a result, was thin and pretty, whereas it should have been rich and ugly.” Who knew!?

Pair it with: Truman Capote’s story calls for what he refers to as a White Angel: one half vodka, one half gin and no vermouth. Well, since Holly Golightly is not one to play by the rules I’m going to go ahead and change things up a bit and suggest a different gin cocktail, a Gin Sour. That’s gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and no vermouth. Sip yours and read a chapter in a cozy seat at the 900 West Lounge (in the Hotel Vancouver, just across the Burrard St. from Tiffany’s).

(If you have seventeen minutes of free time, listen to Truman Capote reading from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. One of my favourite parts is 3:35; Holly’s thoughts on Hemingway’s age. It’s a treat.)

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird” With A Cocktail At Chambar

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Harper Lee’s 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. 

Why You Should Read It Again: Two words. Atticus Finch. Also, it serves as one of the most beloved novels ever written, and one of the first to ever tackle the theme of tolerance. The story is told through the eyes of a young, appropriately named girl called Scout who – together with brother Jem and friend Dill – finds herself for the first time witnessing social injustice as her father, the great Atticus Finch, defends a man wrongly accused of rape. It’s a solid, uplifting reminder that there are still some pretty rad people in the world who fight for what’s right, and a welcome change from all the novels that leave us drained and heartbroken.

Pair it With: The main characters in this book are either too younger to drink or they type to happily pass. So we’ll give you a couple of options here. First, the perfect drink to sip on while stalking Boo Radley from the front porch in the sticky heat of Southern summer is a Spanish Fly from Chambar (orange-infused vermouth, Campari, sherry, house made cherry syrup, and whiskey bitters). Second, Atticus Finch seems like the kind of man to never let a day go by without a good cup of coffee. We therefore suggest a visit to the beautiful Matchstick Coffee Roasters over on Fraser Street. Grab one of their delicious coffees, a croissant, and a chair and get to reading.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair “A Farewell To Arms” With Some Quality Whisky At The Shebeen

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Ernest Hemingway’s 1929 novel, A Farewell To Arms.

Why You Should Read It (Again) | Hemingway gives us everything he’s got in this bestseller. It’s a classic of love and war with just the right dose of both. The story follows Frederic “Tenente” Henry, an American serving in the Italian Red Cross in World War I, and his affections for a nurse named Catherine Barkley. Parts of it are obviously autobiographical, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Pair It With | There were 40 occasions in which someone takes a drink in this book, of either grappa, brandy, whisky, Cognac, vermouth, gin or wine. While they’re all tempting choices, we’re thinking a quiet corner in The Shebeen would suit these pages perfectly. Choose a sipper from their ridiculously extensive whisky list and ease into it…

‘What are you thinking, darling?’
‘About whiskey.’
‘What about whiskey?’
‘About how nice it is.’
Catherine made a face. ‘All right,’ she said.

Go ahead and order two.

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair Some Traditional Egg Nog With Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol.

Why You Should Read It (Again): Chances are high that you’ll see some form of Dicken’s classic novella, “A Christmas Carol” in the days leading up to the twenty-fifth. And with Christmas landing at the end of the calendar year, the books’ many Ghosts (of Christmas Past, Present, Future) help to facilitate the kind of personal reflection that gets muted by the seasons’ rampant consumerism. It’s also a quickie; short and sweet.

Pair It With: Keep it traditional with some a good old fashioned Egg Nog. It’s arguably one of the few things more evocatively “Christmasy” than Dickens’ Scrooge and Tiny Tim. There are several bars around town doing proper ones right now, but there’s no better place than home next to a decorated tree and a fire. To get you started, here’s an Egg Nog recipe from 1888.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair Wilde’s Dorian Gray With An Absinthe Cocktail At “Pourhouse”

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Oscar Wilde’s timeless 1890 novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Why you should Read It (Again): The Picture of Dorian Gray was Wilde’s masterpiece and the only novel published by the Irish poet/playwright. It was widely considered an immoral work in its time, and as such it was subject to criticism, outrage and, ultimately, censorship. It’s simply a Faustian story about a young man whose notions of human nature, beauty, and youth are corrupted by opium hedonism a convincing mentor, with fatal consequences.

Pair it with: An absinthe cocktail at Pourhouse in Gastown, and do it all alone; consumed by a desire to stay young and beautiful. Oscar Wilde was particularly fond of this drink, and we think – after a glass or two – that it would help him feel even more at home in the bar’s Victorian embrace.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair “The Catcher In The Rye” With A Scotch And Soda At The Sylvia

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked J.D. Salinger’s timeless 1951 classic, The Catcher In The Rye.

Why you should Read It (Again): 63 years ago, J.D. Salinger not only let the young but cynical Holden Caulfield loose on New York City, but also allowed him two hundred and fourteen pages to tell us all about it. His misadventures are full of tall tales, profanity, promiscuity and disillusioned opinions on all subjects, which is to say that they appeal directly to the adolescent in all of us. That it continues to be one of the most challenged and oft-censored books in American history is reason enough to pick it up again. Plus it’s Fall, which is the perfect time of year for this book, and we wouldn’t mind hearing people bring back the word “phoney”.

Pair it with: a Scotch & Soda a la Holden whilst wearing your finest red deer hunting hat in an old hotel lobby, ideally The Sylvia (Hotel Vancouver or The Empress will also do).

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair An Old Pal Cocktail With John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice And Men”

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked John Steinbeck’s 1937 classic, Of Mice And Men.

Why You Should Read It Again: Though it’s heavy in content and theme, this 75 year old story is still only a novella no thicker than an iPhone 4S. It traces the fates of George Milton and Lennie Small, two opposites both physically and mentally, who are out looking for work in California during the Great Depression with the shared hope of having a place of their own someday. It’s still required reading for most English classes in North America (and for anyone wanting to understand American aspirationalism), and justly so.

Pair It With: A stiff, classic drink composed of Whiskey, Dry Vermouth and Campari called an Old Pal. It should provide a (false?) sense of security with which you can brace against Fall. The drink was invented in the ’20s and would have been well known during Steinbeck’s long reign of fiction, its popularity contemporary with the misadventures of “old pals” George and Lennie. Any of Vancouver’s better cocktail joints should be able to take care of you with one of these.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair “The Hobbit” With A Wee Hike & Swigs Of Fat Tug India Pale Ale

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked J.R.R. Tolkien’s Jr.’s 1937 masterpiece, The Hobbit.

Why You Should Read It Again: Are you all grown up now and no longer enthralled by dragons, dwarves, elves, wizards and riddles? Perhaps, but you will still love a re-read of The Hobbit. With Fall fast approaching and everyone heading off on their September adventures, what better way to bring in the new season with one of the most epic tales of them all. This is the story of Bilbo Baggins, a homebody Hobbit who finds himself thrown (reluctantly) into the journey of a lifetime together with a benevolent weed-loving wizard and thirteen dwarves who underestimate his worth to their party. It’s the prequel to all things Lord of the Rings and an excellent way to get ready for the December release of Peter Jackson’s long-awaited 3D adaptation (trailer).

What you you should pair it with: A stroll over to the rolling hills of False Creek’s Ron Basford Park with a Fat Tug IPA by B.C.’s Driftwood Brewery in honour of a Hobbit’s love for good brews. Go barefoot with thirteen small children for the sake of authenticity.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair A Boozy Shake At Save On Meats With “Slaughterhouse Five”

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s 1969 anti-war satire, Slaughterhouse Five.

Why You Should Read It Again: “All this happened, more or less…” so Kurt Vonnegut Jr. opens his cult, World War 2 classic. After the famous line it’s just go go go with protagonist Billy Pilgrim. It’s a light read – both physically and mentally – and it’s pretty hilarious, albeit in a really dark, war-seriously-sucks kinda way. And if aliens (ahem, Tralfamadorians) and time travel (to both the past and the future) don’t make you want to pick up the book again – perhaps this link with multiple pages of the novel’s take away phrase “So it goes” tattooed on people will.

Pair It With: The book has no direct mention of any particular drink, so one must get a little more creative. Considering how it’s the end of summer and Slaughterhouse Five blends comedy and tragedy seamlessly, I think it’s only appropriate to take a stool at the long bar of Hasting’s Save-On-Meats and grab yourself a thick and boozy Bacon Bourbon Chocolate Milkshake. If that isn’t a blend of comedy and tragedy, then I really don’t want to know what is.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” With A Glass Of Wine At A Beach

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Albert Camus’ 1942 novel: The Stranger.

Why you should read it again: Take an apathetic anti-hero, throw him into a heat wave, and make him go through a bizarre sequence of ill-fated events. What do you have? Your life last week in Vancouver, you say? Perhaps, but I was thinking about Meursault in “The Stranger.” Written in short, sparse sentences and weighing in at just over one hundred pages, it’s a perfect candidate for a lazy August read. The book gets bonus points for inspiring The Cure’s first single “Killing An Arab” and for turning 70 years old this year. Give yourself bonus points if you can read it in the original French.

Pair with: wine seems to be the drink of choice for Meursault and his friends, and with the novel being set in French Algiers, French wine seems to be the obvious choice. The ladies from House Wine recently compiled a list of their favourite summer wines of 2012, and both French reds and whites are in attendance. As for where you should do the pairing, it’s good to remember that the book is seperated into 2 parts: the first near (or on) a beach (preferably white), and the second inside a small, dark room (ideally read). Vancouver has plenty of both, so take your pick and enjoy.

OTHER CLASSIC PAIRINGS

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair “Madame Bovary” With New Shoes & A Sidecar At L’Abattoir

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, we’ve picked Gustave Flaubert’s 1856 masterpiece: Madame Bovary.

Why you should read it again: Emma Bovary isn’t a typical, provincial French woman from mid-19th century Normandy. She is one of the most twisted, selfish, weak and complex characters in the history of literature – and Flaubert writes her beautifully. The novel is filled with luxurious spending, affairs, lies, romance, passion, lust, debt, greed – all the necessary ingredients for a scandalously good summer read. Parisian public prosecutors tried to get Madame Bovary banned and actually went so far as putting its author on trial for obscenity in 1857 (he was acquitted). It has – unsurprisingly – never been out of print since (it has also been adapted for the screen many times).

Pair with: A fancy new pair of shoes from Rowan Sky and a solo date to L’Abbatoir sitting at the bar complete with a cocktail, preferably the Sidecar, made with brandy, curacao, and lemon juice (curacao is mentioned in the book during one of Mr. and Mrs. Bovary’s first encounters).

READ IT (AGAIN): Pair “The Sun Also Rises” With A Glass Of Red Wine Or A Papa Doble

by George Giannakos and Robyn Yager | Slowing down a little and breaking out a good book is never a bad idea. But what to read? You could walk into any bookstore and roll the dice on a recent release, but here’s another option: pick up a book that you last put down 5, 10, or 20 years ago. For the next book in Scout’s Read It (Again) series, I’ve picked an Ernest Hemingway gem: The Sun Also Rises. It details the halcyonic exploits of a lushy group of American and British expatriates who head from Paris to Pamplona to take in the Festival of San Fermín. Unsurprisingly, it has been continuously in print since it was first published in 1926.

Why You Should Read it Again: It’s never a waste of time to (re)read Hemingway, so why not read the book that started it all: The Sun Also Rises. Set in 1920′s Paris and Spain, Hemingway takes you through several country sides and towns alongside endless glasses of wine and heat that will set the mood perfectly for the summer we’ve all been waiting for. The opening line, “Robert Cohn was once middleweight boxing champion of Princeton”, is the perfect precursor to Vancouver’s upcoming Aprons for Gloves event.

Pair With: A bottle of red wine. Since so much of the story takes place under the influence of this beverage, it would be difficult not to grab one yourself. If wine isn’t your thing, or you’re looking for something cold and refreshing, why not try a drink named after the author? The “Hemingway Daiquiri” or “Papa Doble” (same drink, different name) is the quintessential summer consumable, containing white rum, lime, grapefruit juice, with a dash of maraschino. The Pourhouse in Gastown makes them perfectly and with the 20′s inspired atmosphere it might be as close as you’re going to get – locally – to the spirit of Papa himself.

Next Page »