One Small Step
December 1, 2018
So it begins. I find that often the hardest part of any creative project is the beginning. Deciding what to do, when, how, and where to start is an undertaking itself. Whether committing to a hobby, a work out, or a diet, the first step is daunting.
At this point, we haven’t even created the blog yet. I’ve never made a website. I hope that goes well… We’ve made an Instagram account and I’ve popped open a fresh page in OneNote. Here we go.
I am writing at the dining room table of my tiny apartment, surrounded by beautiful birds, a beautiful wife, who caught me trying to sneak a first picture for our blog and broke into a giddy giggle, and accompanied with a Blue Moon Winter Wheat and a blank canvas.
What are we doing and why am I writing? Well, to answer briefly and concisely, we’ve been inspired. We will be blogging about our adventure in re-creating the cocktails of the Aviary book released in November of 2018.
Allen and Sarah Hemberger wrote a blog, creating all of the recipes from Alinea’s cookbook. They called it The Alinea Project. Alinea is a top-notch, world-class restaurant in Chicago, and it took them 5 years to complete the project. The blog is incredible, Alinea is incredible, and the creativity of Chef Grant Achatz is incredible. I will talk about them more in the future, but if you haven’t heard of them, check it out. I’ll include links if I figure out how.
Ideally, right here. -> https://www.allenhemberger.com/alinea/
The Aviary is a restaurant that focuses on drinks as the entrée. There is more to it than that, but I will continue to blog about it, and Alinea, as we go on this adventure. Grant Achatz and Micah Melton lead the Aviary, and the cocktails are next-level interesting. Truly drinks as art.
Check out their website here: https://www.theaviary.com/
I have to get this off my chest before we get started. Why am I writing? Admittedly, I feel conflicted about this project. I love cocktails, and I love creating. I’m a Music Performance graduate from UNI emphasizing in voice. In short, I sing opera/classical music. I’m the general manager of a classy Italian restaurant where the waiters sing and we create a unique, entertaining environment. I live in, and have always lived in restaurants.
However, the question I’ve kept asking myself is why am I writing? I can’t help but wonder if this blog and project would offend Allen and Sarah. Are we copying them? Are we using them and their creation for ourselves to reach some personal gain? What exactly is the point of this project?
As we read through the Alinea project blog, we had one particular entry that really resonated with us. In the post, Allen brought up something that his friend said. According to Allen, he said “It’s kinda true though; it doesn’t really matter what they do, as long as they do the shit out of it. Good things always seem to come from that.” This quote answered my question. I love working with my wife. I love making cool cocktails and creating art is fantastic. This is us, doing the shit out of something we love.
I’m writing for myself. I’m writing for Angela, my wife. I’m writing to create, to learn, and to grow. We are not looking for some incentive, neither financials or fame. We are just looking for adventure, and we are inspired by Allen and Sarah. Maybe we will have readers, maybe not. Angie has to get ready for bed, she teaches in the morning. Hansen, my Indian Ring neck, wants attention. This has been the preface to our project and blog. Our first, small step.
Note to future me. As you read this blog after either the accomplishment or failure of completing the Aviary book, I want to take a moment to thank you. I hope you’ve grown and learned. I hope the frustrating biffs are entertaining and the challenges are satisfying. I have no idea what I got you into, but I hope that going back and reading this you find that it was worth it. Good luck, me, cheers to our future.
Bradley and Angela Boyd
The Boyds and the birds
