Category: The Speakeasy

The Speakeasy #026: Pucker Up, Love in the Most Unexpected Places

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Drink #026: Pucker Up,
Love in the Most Unexpected Places

For our after Valentine’s Day podcast we decided to go with a twist on the normal February topic. While we look at relationships in anime, we examine couples in series where they are not the key focus. There is often romance in all genres of anime and we look at some of our favorites. A bit of warning in the fact that to speak about most of these relationships we have to spoil some of the series we talk about. Therefore be warned that we discuss BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad, Spirited Away, Cardcaptor Sakura, Planetes, Hayate the Combat Butler, Here is Greenwood, Crest of the Stars, and Princess Tutu in part 1. And in Part 2 we discuss Gundam SEED, Eureka Seven, Gundam X, Turn A Gundam, The Vision of Escaflowne, RahXephon, and Macross series. We ask the audience many questions so feel free to answer them in the comments.

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(Listen)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

Drink

  • 1 oz lemon vodka
  • 1 oz lemon juice
  • 1 candy lemonhead
  • 1 tsp sugar

Preparation:

Wet the rim of the 2-oz shot glass with lemon juice and put sugar around the rim. Pour lemon juice in the glass with the vodka. Next drop a Lemonhead candy in and wait a few seconds. Lick the sugar around the rim, shoot the shot down fast. Don`t swallow the Lemonhead, but instead suck on it after swallowing the shot.

The Speakeasy #025: The Flying Penguin, A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

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Drink #025: The Flying Penguin,
A Revolutionary Girl Utena & Mawaru Penguindrum Discussion

Kunihiko Ikuhara is undoubtedly one of our favorite directors so it seemed only fitting for us to devote a podcast to two of his most recognizable masterworks. For each show we brought on a guest to talk with us a bit about the selected show. We started with Clarissa from the Anime World Order podcast to chat about Revolutionary Girl Utena. As she recently did a paper for grad school on the show she seemed the only logical choice for a guest to talk about pink-haired crossdressers. After that we talk with Patz from Insert-Disc about Ikuhara’s recently concluded work, Mawaru Penguindrum. With both titles we do an in-depth analysis of characters and themes and don’t hold anything back on the spoiler side of things. If you have not finished either series be warned that we give away pretty much anything that could possibly be. If you want a review just know that both shows are 100% recommended so you can just watch them and then come back and listen to the podcast.

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(Listen)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drink:

The Flying Penguin

Preparation:

Pour 1.5 ounces each of Vodka, White Rum and Gin into a highball glass over two ice cubes. Add a good spash (approx .25 ounces) of angora bitters and swirl with a metal stirring rod. Add 5 ounces of Pink Grapefruit Juice. Add 1.5 ounces of sugar syrup. Slice a fresh lime into a slice approximately 1/2 of an inch wide. Cut in half, squeezing one half directly into the drink (then drop the squeezed lime half in). Make a small nick 2/3rds of the way up the second halfof lime and use to rim the glass then as a garnish. Include a metal stirring rod.

REPOST – The Speakeasy #002: Heart of Fire, Go Nagai VS. Gurren Lagann

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Drink #002: Heart of Fire,
Go Nagai VS. Gurren Lagann

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This is THE match-up of manly madness made for men who marvel at mechanical monsters. The battle for the hearts and minds for those who love robot designs. A grudge match started in the land of the rising sun but ends in the home of the stars and stripes. In the red corner we have the dreamer from Wajima and the father of the Super robot, Go Nagai and Mazinger Z. In the white corner we have and the kings of boob bounce that are ready to pounce, Gainax and Gurren Lagann.

Actually this is an examination of why  Gurren Lagann is so popular with anime fans in the U.S. and Shin Mazinger only really has a fandom among Go Nagai fans despite seeming like shows that have almost identical appeal. What are the key factors that earn one show such a broad audience but keep people out of the other even though both show are awesome.

(Listen) (Show Notes)

And now your helpful bartenders at The Speakeasy present your drin

Heart of Fire
* 1 to 2 measures Whiskey
* Tabasco sauce to taste 

Serve whiskey of choice in a shot glass, add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, and down in one swallow. Speedy intoxication may be the intended result for this fiery cocktail, but go easy with it, as not only the whiskey but also the capsaicin in the peppers in the Tabasco sauce can have adverse side effects if taken to excess.