news
Snappy Answers: Swingers Sex and Sexy Drinks
Snappy Answers runs every Saturday afternoon. Send your questions, be they tough or trivial, to [email protected].
At work the other day a co-worker stated he was off to Club Wicked. Can you tell me how they get away with “sex” in that club? I understand he stated it was because it is registered as a “private club” but would like to know more.
I’m sure one of your “roving reporters” would love to take this on!
—SL
Dear SL,
They get away with it, quite simply, because it’s legal. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled that since consensual sex in a private club does no harm to Canadian society, it should not be considered criminal. (Your wife, however, may feel differently.)
If you’d like to know more about the actual “sex” in this “private club” (which, incidentally, is Ontario’s only on-premise swingers establishment), we suggest you do your own “roving.” If you’re a single guy, you’ll have to bring a female date—preferably not a first date, as that might end in a very early goodnight slap.
I’d like to know where I can get mint juleps besides at the Dakota.
—Rachel
Normally, we’d tell you to avoid any resto-bar as obnoxiously titled as Kultura (169 King Street East), but we hear their signature cocktail is a luscious twist on the classic julep: bourbon and bubbly, mint and lime. Worth the $11 price tag? You tell us.
Head west on King, and you’ll find any number of slinkily clad drink-slingers who are more than happy to overcharge you for special requests at their well-polished bars. Same goes for Yorkville, town of a thousand lounges. The Hazelton Hotel (134 Yorkville Ave) is home to chef-to-the-condo-crowd Mark McEwan’s One Restaurant, where mint juleps are the perfect accompaniment to people-watching on the expansive patio. (On a summer heat-wave afternoon, that is, which is really the ideal time for this southern libation anyway.)
If our recommendations don’t appeal to your taste, our favourite recipe will. To make this classic, Kentucky-style mint julep, you’ll need premium bourbon, 86 to 90 proof, finely shaved or crushed ice, a little confectioner’s sugar, sparkling water, and the freshest mint leaves you can find.
In a chilled old-fashioned glass, crush five or six mint leaves with a teaspoon of sugar and an ounce of sparkling water. This is called muddling and is best done with the rounded end of a good butter knife. After a minute or two, a thick, luscious paste will form; add half a cup of crushed ice and muddle for a minute longer. Fill the glass to three-quarters with more ice, keeping it firmly packed, then pour in three ounces of bourbon (or four, if it’s that kind of Tuesday). Garnish with mint and sip through a straw. Enjoy!