Celebrated a friends’ birthday with a little bubbly… the Sofia Coppola in a can, comes with its own pink straw… big surprise! it’s wonderful… definitely the best champagne in a can I’ve ever sipped…

Ordered it at Cafe Society, at $7 a pop… that’s a $42 six-pack!

Definitely the highlight of my dining experience there… the waiter brought me pork chops instead of the trout I had ordered. He made up for it by bringing me a half a cup of tomato soup so I would have something in front of me while everyone else ate…

Back to the bubbly… what’s the nicest liquid surprise you’ve had lately? (A great buy? or, a new varietal?)

My brother is working as a bartender in Maui and last time I talked to him (on The King’s birthday… he’s an Elvis-phile), I asked what were the most popular drinks ordered in paradise.

No big surprises: mojitos (muddled mint mixed with rum and lime juice), a Key Lime martini and, now, this is what I would order… a fresh mango margarita! Sounds practically healthy, doesn’t it?

Got me wondering, who shakes up the best margarita in/around Memphis? I am not talking about a lame drink that has standard bar sour as its backbone. Give me something fresh-squeezed please.

OK, it might not exactly be margarita weather… but it is somewhere in the world. By the way, I just checked the airfare to Hawaii (it’s my brother’s 40th Sunday and I thought about surprising him…), and it’s $2000, plus change!! Guess I won’t be going to Maui for any mango margaritas this weekend.

This guy just happened to walk into my attempt at an “artsy” shot of some of the neon on Bourbon Street. He’s holding one of the coolest new drinks… The hand grenade just blows away those tired old hurricanes. I asked one young lady what was in these powerful cocktails.

I don’t know, she said, but it sure tastes good.

Went to the roof party at The Madison Hotel on Thursday. It’s an amazing venue and the view alone is worth the $7 cover charge. They also put out a weak selection of munchies — veggies and dip, chips and salsa, wings.

But what burned me and some of the gal pals I was out with was the price of a drink… $6 for a beer? A $7 martini? When someone bumped into one of our group and spilled a good two ounces of her mojito, I couldn’t help but observe in a slightly raised voice: “There goes about $5 of your drink.” Guess what? He bought her another. Now, that’s classy!

By the way, I paid $2 for a beer at the B.B. King concert. (And $6 for a rack of lousy ribs that were inedible… in fact, I took them back to the guy and said: I’m from Memphis, what are you trying to sell me here!) But I digress.

What’s the best priced beer/wine/cocktail bar in Memphis? Let’s give them a little business…

I poured myself a glass of wine last night and had to spit it out.

It wasn’t that the wine was off. The glass just hadn’t been properly rinsed out and there was still some soap. Nothing worse than having your palate primed for one taste and experiencing something entirely unpleasant.

I used to make fun of Robert Parker, Jr., the ultimate wine geek, who recommended rinsing glasses with distilled water before filling them with wine. (Or, filling them half way because Bob would never fill it to the rim. No sir-eee.) But I’m starting to come around on that logic. Especially if you’re pouring something special.

Which brings me to the question of the day: Where do you find the best wine accessories (corkscrews, glasses, wine racks) in Memphis?

Tried bubble tea for the first time at Pho Pasteur on Cleveland. Raise your hands if you know what the heck I’m talking about. Yeah, it’s pretty obscure stuff.

It’s a sweet drink — can order it in a bunch of different flavors from coconut to mango to Thai iced tea. But the bubble part of the drink are pebble-size tapioca balls that have a gummy quality. Not everyone’s cup tea!

Can you think of any other drink that has a chewy texture? Crunching on the ice on your bloody Mary does not count!

By the way, I liked the pho at this place. This Vietnamese rice noodle soup had an intense beefy flavor that gets an exotic kick from star anise. And it was incredibly cheap. Four bucks buys you a big bowl, even though they call it a “small.”

And, how was St. Patrick’s Day? Here’s a pic of a sassy little leprachaun I met at Silky O’Sullivan’s last night. He and the Mrs. had already made the rounds to Dan McGuinness, where he was bestowing his blessing on the young lasses.

Things were still pretty quiet when I ordered my first Black and Tan at Silky’s. I immediately offended the bartender by asking for a real glass, not a plastic cup. He was further put out when I wanted to ask him why he made my B and T with Bass Ale instead of Harp Lager. I’ve always thought that a Black and Tan was Harp with Guinness floated on top. (Am I wrong? Please set me straight.) When you use Bass Ale, it’s really more of a Black and Brown.

I only attempted to ask him… Sir, can I ask you a question? He ignored me from that moment on. What’s the deal? I know it was a busy day, but that was the flat-out worst service I’ve had here in Memphis.

Instead of getting my Irish up, I gave into the spirit of the holiday.

Anybody want to share post-St. Paddy’s Day tales of too many drams or offer up stories about corned beef and cabbage?

During the week, I drink on the cheap. Typically it’s something around $10-$15. Maybe a Cotes du Rhone or a Northwest sauvignon blanc or semillon. (Two of the most underappreciated varietals around.) This week, I sipped an Oregon pinot gris from Erath, which was like a splash of cold water after a day at the beach. That bracing quality — the acidity balanced with fruit — was just the right condiment for a rich filet of escolar with a sweet onion marmalade I tried at Erling Jensen.

Though not exactly a bargain, it was one of the most affordable choices on that restaurant’s wine list.

But this weekend, I’ve got company coming to town and I’m ready to break into the really good stuff. Maybe a little champagne or something dusty from the cellar. Only problem is that my old wine is still in storage, while we wait to move into our new house.

Are there any wine shops in Memphis that carry “library” collections of older vintages?

Heard from a couple of unhappy readers who couldn’t find the Samuel Adams chocolate bock I wrote about in Wednesday’s Cheers column in The Commercial Appeal. Guess there wasn’t much that showed up in this market and it diappeared as soon as it hit the shelves.

My bad.

But let’s push forward. If you’re looking to try a bock, head over to Boscos in Midtown, where they have their house-brewed weizenbock on tap as part of the special seasonal selections. Haven’t tried it yet, but the menu describes this rich wheat beer as slightly spicy.

One of the few brewpubs in Memphis, Boscos will soon be rolling out its tribute to St. Patrick’s Day. (No, not green beer!) The Irish Cream Ale is being made with a strain of yeast from Ireland.