Barrett's Mixology

By Barrett Thornhill ‘01 | Thursday, November 9, 2006

Kinmen’s Defense
3 Parts Rice Wine
1 Part Absynthe
Ice

Serve until standing no longer seems important.

Wind-Lion gods stand tall, speckled all over the island of Kinmen. In folklore, the lion’s mystique wards off evils and secures the land. Laying a good swim from mainland China, this seems as good a place as any. You see, Kinmen is no ordinary island; it stands as Taiwan’s first line of defense against its former brothers, oh, and the U.S. 3rd Fleet. Visiting Taiwan on a recent diplomatic junket, I made my way to Kinmen for a bit of R&R. Snaking my way through large, steel, anti-assault platforms implanted in the gritty sand and purported mine fields, I found the warm waters of Xiamen Bay quite pleasant. The beach at sunset was empty, odd, but I had brought along a good friend and his pail of kaoling in an icy bucket. You see, Kinmen’s defense forces continue in the local production of this wonderful liquor from sorghum and wheat. Aged for up to five years in quaint bomb shelters, this strong, clear brew cauterizes the throat and delivers a subtle, aromatic afterbite. It’s generally consumed at every meal, repetitively, in a miniaturized shot glass—50+ percent alcohol—and always saluted with a slam onto the table and a “Gambay!” Pick up a bottle, and consider world affairs.

Barrett's Mixology

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