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The ‘Dad Bod’ Trend Is Giving Normal Men Some Hope

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A short time ago I had no absolutely idea what a  ‘dad bod’ was.  The ‘dad bod’ is a new infatuation with bodies that state, “I workout in the gym fromtime to time, but I also drink a lot and like to eat ten pieces of pizza at a time.”

It all began with Clemson University’s The Odyssey, via Mackenzie Pearson‘s piece “Why Girls Love The Dad Bod.” The basic premise is a “physique characterized by undefined muscles beneath a light layer of flab, usually topped off with a beer belly.” That effectively means anyone who played sport in school then started eating pizzas for lunch  – within reason – and has some chance with girls who like this kind of thing.

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The reasons Pearson provided for her attraction to the dad bod were:

It doesn’t intimidate us.
This is always positive, and we’ll take what we can get .

We like being the pretty one.
I  haven’t been called pretty…ever. And we’re OK if that don’t change.

“Better cuddling.”

Well Yep…

You know what you’re getting.

Well ok – BUT – guy with dad bods will pack weight on down the line and maybe hit the morbidly obese benchmark. It’s all relative.
It’s interesting to see this online and  see a bunch of females (and a large percentage of the net) appreciating this reality of life.

Improve Your Gin and Tonic

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A Simple, Easy (but not necessarily cheap) Trick to Improve the humble Gin and Tonic

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For many years, I didn’t think I liked the humble gin and tonic. For quite a while, I thought it was the gin that I detested, but some smarter friends helped me with some really amazing gin-focused cocktails, and I very quickly moved away from the staple of vodka in favor of gin’s truly special aromatic qualities. At that point I figured I just didn’t care for standard tonic water.

The results of this investigation? One, I really like gin. Two, I like tonic. And three, I do like them together. So what was the issue with all those early drinks that sent me into disgust?

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It wasn’t the brand of gin, but actually…the type of tonic water. The syrup-sweetened (and commonly available) Schweppe’s  just doesn’t hit it for me. It’s far too sweet, almost like lemonade.

So, if you wish to instantly improve the gin and tonics, invest in superior tonic water. Or at the very least, try a few brands to determine which you prefer, rather than just go with what you can find at the store. Some tonics to look for: Q Tonic and Fever Tree. Or, if you’re feeling specially ambitious, you could make your own tonic syrup and mix it with plain soda. There are recipes online.

Make Your Own Tonic Water

The point being, a gin and tonic is a truly basic drink with two distinctive elements, So, don’t skimp on the tonic.

 

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To finish the article….I do still find most tonics overly sweet, even the better brands. Try my trick of cutting the tonic with soda water. I like to do equal club soda and tonic and bulk up the aromatics with two dashes of orange or lemon bitters.

Favorite Summertime Gin and Tonic:

  • 2 oz. London dry gin
  • 2 oz. Fever Tree Mediterranean-style tonic water
  • 2 oz. club soda
  • 2 dashes Fee Brothers orange bitters
  • Garnish: lime wedge or cucumber slice