This week: Tony Award-winning rocker Stew ponders art vs. reality… we take a historic bike trip into an alternate reality… and Brendan sneaks into the most exclusive culinary shop in the world.
Audio Extra
Stew talks about Spike Lee, poor white boys with baseball bats, and the beautiful downer called life in this extended cut of our interview.
Drink Recipe: “The LSD-25”
In 1938, Dr. Albert Hoffman synthesized a bunch of compounds based on the fungus “ergot.” His hope: to stimulate the human circulatory system. The 25th compound – LSD-25 – didn’t seem to have much effect on lab animals, so he chucked it. But 5 years later, gripped by what he called a “peculiar presentiment,” Hofmann decided to make another batch. On April 19th, 1943, he ingested .25 ml of the stuff… and we commemorate the ensuing bike trip with this drink laced with entirely legal acid and fungi.
The LSD-25, as invented for the DPD by Daniel Hyatt, bar manager at Alembic in San Francisco:
Into champage flute, place:
- 4 drops white balsamic vinegar
- 1 drop truffle oil
Then slowly pour in the following — over the back of a spoon — to create separate layers:
- ¾ oz. crème de Cassis
- ½ oz. Campari
- ½ oz. Absinthe
Finally, slowly pour in:
- 3 oz. chilled sparkling wine (Gruet demi-sec, or slightly off-dry Prosecco)
Trip out on the colors as the liquors mix. Toss in a twist of lemon peel. Sip. Wait at least an hour before attempting to operate a bicycle.
After Dinner Mint
notes on this week’s show
The film version of Stew’s musical “Passing Strange” – capturing the show’s final Broadway performances – screens next weekend at the TriBeCa film festival in NYC. Stew, collaborator Heidi Rodewald and Spike Lee will all be around to take questions afterwards.
Brendan managed to wheedle his way into the appointment-only foodie boutique “Le Sanctuaire”. But it turns out he didn’t need to blow cash on a delivery-boy disguise — they’ve got a convienient online shop. Now you can learn all about, for instance, their exclusive $6,000 stainless-steel Gastro-Vac from the comfort of your own pathetic kitchen.
In this week’s Icebreaker joke, Jeremy Barnes (of wondrous gypsy-folk band A Hawk & A Hacksaw) name-drops jazz drummers Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich. For those who’ve never heard of them — this video should tell you all you need to know.
In his interview with Stew, Rico name-drops the band Gwar. For those who’ve never heard of them, this picture should tell you all you need to know.
