Shaken Not Purred: Kitty Themed Cocktails for Cat Lovers
This week Michelle Fern serves up Cat-tails with “Jay Catsby” (aka Mark Davison), author of the book, Shaken Not Purred: Kitty Themed Cocktails for Cat Lovers. In this book you’ll find over 60 delicious cocktails which range from variations on the classics to new and unusual recipes based on your favorite cat breeds. To enjoy alongside your beverage, there are ideas for feline-themed games, famous kitty trivia, insights into different breeds, and more cat-centric information than you can shake a laser pointer at.
Every cocktail here is infused with a love of kitties, from the timeless Old Furrshioned to the fruity Bengal Bramble and the refreshing Pawsco Sour. Each recipe has step-by-step instructions for mixing and garnishing, accompanied by adorable and amusing cat illustrations to gaze at as you prepare your drink. Tune in! It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!
Listen to Episode #235 Now:
BIO:
“Jay Catsby” (aka Mark Davison) is an award-winning copywriter, creative and narrative designer who has written for food and drink brands such as Aperol, Campari, William Grant & Sons, Lavazza, Aldi, and Waitrose.
Mark splits his time between the cat cafes of London and the mountains of Colorado, where he makes time between writing to explore the trails leading to and from his favorite restaurants.
Transcript:
00:00:01.860 --> 00:00:03.440
Announcer: This is Pet Life Radio.
00:00:03.860 --> 00:00:04.900
Announcer: Let's talk pets.
00:00:25.160 --> 00:00:27.543
Michelle Fern: Hello, cat lovers, welcome to Cattitude.
00:00:27.623 --> 00:00:29.503
Michelle Fern: I'm your show host, Michelle Fern.
00:00:29.983 --> 00:00:33.263
Michelle Fern: So what is it with cats and cocktails?
00:00:33.283 --> 00:00:34.423
Michelle Fern: They kind of go together.
00:00:34.663 --> 00:00:40.503
Michelle Fern: And I've met people that have cat shows, and then they have cat cocktail hours, and this has happened a lot.
00:00:40.863 --> 00:00:44.483
Michelle Fern: But I haven't seen too many of what we have today.
00:00:44.743 --> 00:00:48.263
Michelle Fern: My guest wrote the coolest book about cocktails.
00:00:48.923 --> 00:00:50.143
Michelle Fern: Yes, there's such a thing.
00:00:50.463 --> 00:00:52.503
Michelle Fern: So stay tuned, we'll be right back.
00:00:55.483 --> 00:00:57.423
Announcer: Take a bite out of your competition.
00:00:58.003 --> 00:01:02.443
Announcer: Advertise your business with an ad in Pet Life Radio podcasts and radio shows.
00:01:02.763 --> 00:01:09.683
Announcer: There is no other pet-related media that is as large and reaches more pet parents and pet lovers than Pet Life Radio.
00:01:09.963 --> 00:01:16.643
Announcer: With over seven million monthly listeners, Pet Life Radio podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.
00:01:17.183 --> 00:01:26.163
Announcer: And, our live radio stream goes out to over 250 million subscribers on iHeart Radio, Audacy, TuneIn, and other streaming apps.
00:01:26.303 --> 00:01:35.383
Announcer: For more information on how you can advertise on the number one pet podcast and radio network, visit petliferadio.com/advertise today.
00:01:37.483 --> 00:01:40.583
Announcer: Let's talk pets on petliferadio.com.
00:01:51.411 --> 00:01:52.651
Michelle Fern: Welcome back, everyone.
00:01:52.711 --> 00:02:01.171
Michelle Fern: I'd like to welcome Jay Catsby, aka Mark Davison, who is the author of Shaken Not Purred.
00:02:01.591 --> 00:02:03.551
Michelle Fern: Welcome, Mark, or should I call you Jay?
00:02:03.751 --> 00:02:04.891
Mark Davison: Mark is fantastic.
00:02:04.911 --> 00:02:05.871
Mark Davison: Thank you so much, Michelle.
00:02:05.951 --> 00:02:06.671
Michelle Fern: Mark is fine.
00:02:07.491 --> 00:02:09.411
Michelle Fern: You wrote this really cool book.
00:02:09.591 --> 00:02:17.131
Michelle Fern: It's Cocktail Size, which means it's a small enough size to hide behind your bar, but why would you, because it's a gorgeous cover.
00:02:17.591 --> 00:02:20.611
Michelle Fern: And it's Kitty Themed Cocktails for Cat Lovers.
00:02:21.071 --> 00:02:22.571
Michelle Fern: Why did you write the book?
00:02:22.971 --> 00:02:24.811
Mark Davison: Yeah, that's a great question.
00:02:24.831 --> 00:02:28.891
Mark Davison: I mean, for me, cats has always been, I mean, I love cats.
00:02:29.071 --> 00:02:30.071
Mark Davison: I've had cats.
00:02:30.391 --> 00:02:33.051
Mark Davison: I looked after lots of friends' cats.
00:02:33.091 --> 00:02:41.711
Mark Davison: And as when I was growing up, it was always, there's something just about having like, I guess, a really weird guy in your house, just doing crazy stuff.
00:02:41.731 --> 00:02:43.291
Mark Davison: And it's very highly entertaining.
00:02:43.311 --> 00:02:52.171
Mark Davison: I have also worked previously as a writer in the drinks industry and in advertising.
00:02:52.411 --> 00:02:55.171
Mark Davison: And I guess this was an opportunity for me to combine.
00:02:55.191 --> 00:03:03.311
Mark Davison: I don't want to say two of my biggest passions because that makes me sound a little bit like I might have an issue when it comes to cocktails, but definitely two things that I really love.
00:03:03.571 --> 00:03:05.931
Mark Davison: And the third being great puns as well.
00:03:06.331 --> 00:03:19.871
Michelle Fern: I mean, do you think there's truth is, I think there's something with cats and cocktails because I've never seen a book with dogs and cocktails or a book that talks about, you know, let's have dog happy hour, right?
00:03:19.931 --> 00:03:23.631
Michelle Fern: Have you ever, I've never seen that, but I've seen cats and cocktails.
00:03:23.671 --> 00:03:27.231
Michelle Fern: Not a lot, but a few times to where I think it's a thing.
00:03:27.651 --> 00:03:30.091
Mark Davison: Yeah, no, I 100% agree with you.
00:03:30.131 --> 00:03:38.451
Mark Davison: I think maybe it's something about the people who love cats, the people who just get it, you know, when it comes to cats.
00:03:38.711 --> 00:03:41.811
Mark Davison: If you're a cat lover, I think it's a big part of personality.
00:03:41.831 --> 00:03:43.371
Mark Davison: You're looking for them to go together.
00:03:43.411 --> 00:03:56.691
Mark Davison: Maybe it's also something about just like that idea of chilling at home with your furry friends, or just something about that idea of just being relaxed and vibing and having a nice time, which makes it work so well together.
00:03:57.151 --> 00:04:02.751
Michelle Fern: Yeah, and other than the elephant in the room, people would have cats, we need to have a lot of drinks.
00:04:02.751 --> 00:04:10.731
Michelle Fern: So because we don't understand our cats because they are perplexing in the best possible way.
00:04:10.831 --> 00:04:12.611
Michelle Fern: No, I know it doesn't mean anything like that.
00:04:12.631 --> 00:04:28.291
Michelle Fern: So, okay, so let's talk about, you know, you said you wrote in the industry before, and you have a lot of different and as you call them, cat-tails, and we're going to get into the book, but what makes you an expert in cat-tails?
00:04:28.691 --> 00:04:30.111
Mark Davison: Oh, gosh, that's a good question.
00:04:30.151 --> 00:04:37.911
Mark Davison: I mean, I guess I wouldn't want to claim any sort of like, cocktail knowledge, like cocktail expertise.
00:04:37.931 --> 00:04:43.631
Mark Davison: There's a lot of people who are a lot more knowledgeable when it comes to like, cocktails.
00:04:43.651 --> 00:04:55.191
Mark Davison: And I drew from a lot of kind of great recipes and examples and knowledge from amazing other kind of bartenders and mixologists when I was creating these recipes.
00:04:55.731 --> 00:05:10.231
Mark Davison: You know, I've been lucky enough to work with some great brands in my experience, work with people like Hendrix Gittren and Discarded and Aperol, Capari, and some beer and some other different types of booze brands.
00:05:10.291 --> 00:05:18.471
Mark Davison: So I feel like, you know, while also being a bit of a connoisseur is maybe a bit of a strong word, but you know, a lover of different types of cocktails.
00:05:18.471 --> 00:05:29.191
Mark Davison: And so I think that that when combined with just, you know, a deep appreciations for all things like Slightly Mad and Furry made me, you know, made me put me in a great position to be able to write the book.
00:05:29.591 --> 00:05:30.391
Michelle Fern: Okay, thanks.
00:05:30.631 --> 00:05:31.931
Michelle Fern: I was talking about the book.
00:05:32.251 --> 00:05:35.331
Michelle Fern: So, it's not just for all of our listeners.
00:05:35.351 --> 00:05:46.531
Michelle Fern: It's not just a book that talks about different cat tales, such as some are similar names to stuff that already exists out there like Meowtini.
00:05:46.771 --> 00:05:51.371
Michelle Fern: But then there's some that have their own names like RNG's White Angel.
00:05:51.731 --> 00:05:53.631
Michelle Fern: And then there's a lot of trivia too.
00:05:53.971 --> 00:05:55.491
Michelle Fern: So it's a great book to have.
00:05:55.491 --> 00:06:08.951
Michelle Fern: And it's a great book for any cat lover or a gift for cat lover or if you like drinks and you want to have a cat, but you don't have one yet, or if even if you don't have a cat, but you're listening to Cattitude anyways and you want to have a cocktail.
00:06:09.251 --> 00:06:15.811
Michelle Fern: So you talk about the intro and you talk about how to use the book, which is you can go to sections or what have you.
00:06:16.111 --> 00:06:25.611
Michelle Fern: And you also bring up equipment, glassware, some key ingredients that you should have and then some pro tips.
00:06:26.411 --> 00:06:35.251
Michelle Fern: So, what was your point in getting all of this, you know, rather than just start with drinks, why did you put up the various sections?
00:06:35.291 --> 00:06:44.991
Michelle Fern: I mean, it's almost like it reminds me of kind of a cookbook because in cookbooks, good cookbooks, they'll usually say these are the ingredients you have, this was what you should have on hand.
00:06:45.011 --> 00:06:46.831
Michelle Fern: These are the basics for your pantry.
00:06:47.251 --> 00:06:50.231
Michelle Fern: Was it that kind of the direction you were going in?
00:06:50.251 --> 00:06:56.931
Mark Davison: Yeah, I think for a lot of people, there's two things that I really was thinking about when I was writing those sections.
00:06:57.511 --> 00:07:05.991
Mark Davison: I mean, I guess I wanted to be able to unlock and allow anyone with any sort of experience to enjoy the recipes.
00:07:06.311 --> 00:07:22.771
Mark Davison: I think there's this kind of misconceptions or fears around this idea that cocktails are either for something that you have at a bar with an expert who's got 400 different bottles of liqueurs and types of spirits and mixes and things.
00:07:23.211 --> 00:07:25.951
Mark Davison: And you have to have that to get started, and that's just not true.
00:07:26.731 --> 00:07:33.051
Mark Davison: Like anything, there are people who are going to want to collect a massive collection of different types of drinks, one drink, anything.
00:07:33.071 --> 00:07:45.551
Mark Davison: But actually, if you have a taste for something and say you're a martini lover or a margarita lover or even a whiskey lover, you love an old fashion, then there's definitely easy ways to get started.
00:07:46.031 --> 00:07:56.351
Mark Davison: I also just wanted to unlock some of the, I guess, best tips and best advice for people that I hoped would make their life a little bit simpler and a little bit easier when they were making these.
00:07:56.371 --> 00:07:59.391
Mark Davison: And that was kind of the thought behind some of those pro tips.
00:07:59.571 --> 00:08:06.071
Mark Davison: I guess there's a lot of unwritten rules or maybe written rules when it comes to making drinks.
00:08:06.091 --> 00:08:20.011
Mark Davison: And I guess the point that I was trying to make here is that while certain different types of glassware or certain different types of ice are going to affect the drink that you're making, the reality is that as long as you're enjoying it, you're doing it right.
00:08:20.451 --> 00:08:23.231
Mark Davison: And ideally, if you've got a cat with you, then you're doing it even better.
00:08:23.551 --> 00:08:25.171
Michelle Fern: The pro tips are pretty good.
00:08:25.251 --> 00:08:30.451
Michelle Fern: Some are more obvious than others, but two of them that I think are really interesting.
00:08:30.471 --> 00:08:43.371
Michelle Fern: And one, I think unless you've spent some time working in a restaurant, waiting for the bartender to make your drink, maybe a cocktail or a server, and I have done that way back.
00:08:43.711 --> 00:08:44.691
Mark Davison: Yeah, that's a lie.
00:08:45.231 --> 00:08:51.671
Michelle Fern: Right, so because with the one that you talk about layering cocktails, that's really cool to watch.
00:08:51.951 --> 00:09:01.771
Michelle Fern: And the fact that you explained it, you know, because they do, they use a spoon and it just goes over the spoon and it goes by the we're going to get into chemistry here, which is not my thing.
00:09:01.791 --> 00:09:07.591
Michelle Fern: But yeah, it goes with the, you know, the weight of the ingredients of the exactly.
00:09:30.431 --> 00:09:36.111
Michelle Fern: And then the other one that I like, because this is what I do that coming and stuck the cocktail shaker, sometimes sticks together and you put it here.
00:09:36.131 --> 00:09:36.671
Michelle Fern: Don't bang it again.
00:09:37.491 --> 00:09:40.591
Michelle Fern: See, that's what I do with my mouse when my computer doesn't work, which I've gotten better.
00:09:42.251 --> 00:09:43.251
Michelle Fern: There's a lot of good tips.
00:09:47.751 --> 00:09:48.291
Michelle Fern: I mean, he's a classic.
00:09:49.611 --> 00:09:52.611
Michelle Fern: Um, and I believe he's since passed on.
00:09:52.631 --> 00:09:57.851
Michelle Fern: Yeah, unfortunately, unfortunately, yes, but you have, you know, a drink named after him.
00:09:57.871 --> 00:10:03.051
Michelle Fern: I like the one that is under Tittles because who knew?
00:10:03.071 --> 00:10:07.511
Michelle Fern: So you were talked about like Navy strength rum.
00:10:08.051 --> 00:10:08.891
Mark Davison: Yeah.
00:10:08.911 --> 00:10:22.811
Mark Davison: So the idea was actually, I mean, what are the great things about writing this book or gunning getting to do any serious project like this is that actually you, you get a fantastic opportunity to educate yourself about all these topics and learn, you know, so many things that I didn't know.
00:10:23.171 --> 00:10:39.271
Mark Davison: And Navy strength rum actually comes from back in, shall we say, the kind of more colonial days of the British Empire when part of the ration that the sailors would get as part of their pay was actually a mandatory rum allowance every day, surprise allowing.
00:10:39.731 --> 00:10:46.511
Mark Davison: And the rum, because it was such a kind of prized asset, was stored with the gunpowder in the vessels in the boats.
00:10:47.511 --> 00:10:55.771
Mark Davison: And obviously, what the problem there is that if you get into a fight and someone has spilt rum all over your gunpowder and doesn't work, you're in a little bit of a pickle.
00:10:55.811 --> 00:11:00.411
Mark Davison: And so actually Navy strength rum basically means that rum is a certain proof.
00:11:00.431 --> 00:11:01.851
Mark Davison: So it's over 54 ADV.
00:11:02.051 --> 00:11:11.611
Mark Davison: And what that means is that if it is spilled over gunpowder, the gunpowder will actually still light on fire when you're lighting it, which is a really fun fact I learned.
00:11:11.631 --> 00:11:13.151
Mark Davison: I didn't know about rum before writing the book.
00:11:13.671 --> 00:11:16.091
Mark Davison: And that inspired the cocktail Tiddles, as you mentioned.
00:11:16.151 --> 00:11:24.591
Mark Davison: Tiddles is actually named after a lot of the cats that were and still are on the Royal Navy aircraft carriers.
00:11:24.871 --> 00:11:42.411
Mark Davison: And you know, the Royal Navy has had a pretty long standing history with cats, because mice and rats are such an issue at sea, you want to keep your stocks and so cats provided a really valuable service of helping to keep those less wanted pests at bay, shall we say.
00:11:42.851 --> 00:11:51.291
Michelle Fern: Yep, and that's a lot of the reasons why where cats were brought over to places where they were brought, you know, from the UK coming to the US, there were mousers.
00:11:51.511 --> 00:11:51.811
Mark Davison: Yeah.
00:11:52.011 --> 00:11:53.991
Michelle Fern: So that's really interesting.
00:11:54.271 --> 00:11:56.551
Michelle Fern: Let's see, we're almost up for a break here.
00:11:56.571 --> 00:11:57.551
Michelle Fern: So let's take a break.
00:11:57.571 --> 00:12:05.491
Michelle Fern: And we're going to talk more about how some drinks match to cats, and how some breeds match to drinks, because I think that's really interesting.
00:12:05.751 --> 00:12:07.511
Michelle Fern: We'll be right back after this break.
00:12:11.431 --> 00:12:17.651
Announcer: Hey, Pet Parents, ever wondered how to safely bring the great outdoors inside and connect your indoor pets with nature?
00:12:18.071 --> 00:12:24.851
Announcer: Meet Pet Greens, the pioneers in organic live cat grass, catnip and treats powered with green nutrition.
00:12:25.431 --> 00:12:31.731
Announcer: Discover the healing properties of wheatgrass, packed with nutrients and gentle green fiber to support digestive health.
00:12:31.971 --> 00:12:34.791
Announcer: Pet Greens helps your pets truly thrive inside.
00:12:35.291 --> 00:12:40.091
Announcer: Check out our full range of live cat grass, catnip and treats at petgreens.com.
00:12:40.511 --> 00:12:42.011
Announcer: That's petgreens.com.
00:13:04.648 --> 00:13:08.068
Michelle Fern: We're talking to Mark Davison, the author of Shaken, Not Purred.
00:13:08.657 --> 00:13:16.997
Michelle Fern: And it's about cocktails, cocktails, and there's some mocktails in there too, and a lot of great trivia and information.
00:13:17.217 --> 00:13:21.437
Michelle Fern: So Mark, you have the book set up so that it's by different sections.
00:13:21.457 --> 00:13:26.117
Michelle Fern: So you have classic cocktails, some fizzy ones, some sourpuss ones.
00:13:26.357 --> 00:13:35.297
Michelle Fern: Then you have some that are more dedicated to breeds, like long hair variety, and you have the like Meowawita.
00:13:35.517 --> 00:13:38.197
Michelle Fern: And there's actually some exotic breeds.
00:13:38.377 --> 00:13:43.637
Michelle Fern: How did you like Winter and Maine Coon, a Scottish fold Cleocatra?
00:13:43.957 --> 00:13:54.257
Michelle Fern: How did you decide, did you have a vision when you were looking at the pictures say of Maine Coon that, okay, they would look like this drink?
00:13:55.437 --> 00:13:56.457
Mark Davison: How did that come about?
00:13:56.477 --> 00:14:02.597
Mark Davison: The different kind of drinks and the sections come from a kind of combination of things.
00:14:02.597 --> 00:14:08.437
Mark Davison: The book is structured basically to make it as easy as possible for people to find the types of drink that they like.
00:14:08.537 --> 00:14:32.057
Mark Davison: And also in terms of the structure, we work from, I guess, the simplest drinks to make, the classic cat-tails, which are basically all variations on an old fashioned and different types of that through to your short haired ones, your short cocktails, your sour cocktails, or your sour pusses, which are cocktails that are made with citrus.
00:14:32.357 --> 00:14:34.437
Mark Davison: And then you've got your long hair.
00:14:34.457 --> 00:14:53.757
Mark Davison: So your longer cocktails, your Long Island Mice Teas, your Bianca Ritas, sorry, not Bianca Ritas, your, I'm having a brain fart here, your feline colladas, your different drinks that are a little bit longer.
00:14:54.077 --> 00:15:01.737
Mark Davison: And then I generally try to structure it so that as you read on the cocktails, get a little bit more complicated and a little bit more challenging to make.
00:15:01.737 --> 00:15:28.557
Mark Davison: So depending on your level or your experience or your desire to, you know, whether you wanted something simple, easy and quick, or whether you wanted something that required a little bit more prep, like one of my personal favorites, the Spicy Aztec, which requires, which requires basically steeping some different types of chilies in triple sec in order to get that kind of spicy margarita flavor.
00:15:28.577 --> 00:15:34.277
Mark Davison: Depending on your aspirations for that, there were different types of cocktails that would suit different people.
00:15:34.557 --> 00:15:36.497
Michelle Fern: So which one was your favorite again?
00:15:36.737 --> 00:15:41.717
Mark Davison: I mean, I'm not sure I have a favorite, but Spicy Aztec is definitely one of my favorites.
00:15:42.217 --> 00:15:44.737
Mark Davison: I am a big citrus lover.
00:15:44.837 --> 00:15:51.377
Mark Davison: So anything with margarita, Grumpy Cat, the Paul Loma is another one that I adore.
00:15:51.597 --> 00:15:53.057
Mark Davison: Those are some of my personal favorites.
00:15:53.537 --> 00:16:07.517
Mark Davison: If I'm looking for something more like an after dinner drink or an aperitif, then something like Negrumi, which is obviously a not too complicated version of the Negroni, a very classic cocktail, is also fantastic as well, depending on what you like.
00:16:07.537 --> 00:16:12.097
Mark Davison: But hopefully, there's different versions of different drinks in there for everyone.
00:16:12.337 --> 00:16:14.477
Mark Davison: And a lot of them are really fun if you like something more.
00:16:14.817 --> 00:16:26.037
Mark Davison: I've tried to separate it so that if you are a whiskey lover, gin lover, tequila lover, there'll be a variation in each of the sections that hopefully you'll enjoy.
00:16:26.337 --> 00:16:31.617
Mark Davison: That was part of how I was trying to choose which drinks made it into the final version of the book.
00:16:31.637 --> 00:16:35.977
Mark Davison: Because once you get started with cat puns, there turns out there's a lot.
00:16:36.457 --> 00:16:37.217
Michelle Fern: Could be endless.
00:16:37.397 --> 00:16:39.497
Michelle Fern: You also have a great index in the back.
00:16:39.517 --> 00:16:48.117
Michelle Fern: So if people just want a certain type of drink or they're looking up, not all cat breeds are here, but there's quite a few of them.
00:16:48.797 --> 00:16:51.957
Michelle Fern: And you could actually look it up and say, okay, I'm going to have this.
00:16:52.477 --> 00:16:53.777
Michelle Fern: Oh, you even have one.
00:16:53.997 --> 00:16:55.257
Michelle Fern: How did I miss this one?
00:16:55.457 --> 00:16:58.397
Michelle Fern: Called Smelly Cat, which kind of funny.
00:16:58.837 --> 00:17:01.437
Mark Davison: Yeah, Smelly Cat is a version of Dirty Martini.
00:17:01.677 --> 00:17:10.397
Mark Davison: I think obviously when I was writing, I wanted to do, you had a question about where the different breeds came from and where the different drinks came from.
00:17:10.417 --> 00:17:28.817
Mark Davison: And I've tried to do a variety of drinks that are based on like some of the common or well-known cat breeds, but also ones that are based on kind of interesting cat trivia, interesting cats that exist in culture, be that Grumpy Cat or some of Taylor Swift's cats make it into the podcast as well.
00:17:29.157 --> 00:17:35.717
Mark Davison: So there's a variety of different types of like cats that are, we wanted to make sure that the famous, famous moggy's got a shout out as well.
00:17:36.017 --> 00:17:37.717
Michelle Fern: Right, like Gin Felix.
00:17:38.077 --> 00:17:39.517
Mark Davison: Yeah, that's a really nice one as well.
00:17:39.797 --> 00:17:49.417
Michelle Fern: As we're talking about this, just as a caveat, I'm pretty sure 99% of everybody listening knows this, these are for humans, these are not for your cats.
00:17:51.157 --> 00:17:54.017
Michelle Fern: Just gotta say that because one never knows.
00:17:54.337 --> 00:17:55.397
Mark Davison: That is very true.
00:17:56.037 --> 00:18:01.157
Mark Davison: Yeah, also please enjoy responsibly and please only enjoy if you are of age.
00:18:01.497 --> 00:18:10.697
Mark Davison: There are some moggattails in the back for those who would like a cat tail but are not able to consume alcohol or don't want to consume alcohol.
00:18:11.297 --> 00:18:16.457
Michelle Fern: Right, now there's something interesting in the back that you also put, Catarina's Dinner.
00:18:16.677 --> 00:18:18.797
Michelle Fern: So cats and cocktails, not Raven.
00:18:18.817 --> 00:18:23.757
Michelle Fern: So Edgar Allan Poe, is he the only author that you mention in this book?
00:18:24.557 --> 00:18:25.697
Mark Davison: No, he's not.
00:18:26.037 --> 00:18:29.137
Mark Davison: There are a lot of famous authors actually who are big cat fans.
00:18:29.217 --> 00:18:36.797
Mark Davison: Hemingway also makes it into the book with Nap in the Afternoon, which is a variation on one of his favorite cocktails, Death in the Afternoon.
00:18:36.817 --> 00:18:39.897
Michelle Fern: Right, so authors that are known to be cat lovers.
00:18:40.237 --> 00:18:40.837
Mark Davison: Exactly, yeah.
00:18:40.977 --> 00:18:53.597
Michelle Fern: Okay, and then I just, there's so much trivia and this is more of a book to go through versus not, you know, as you say in the sections, it's like a cookbook.
00:18:53.617 --> 00:18:59.537
Michelle Fern: It's not necessarily a read from front to back, but you go through and you just find information.
00:18:59.557 --> 00:19:01.377
Michelle Fern: So there's so much interesting trivia.
00:19:01.877 --> 00:19:04.057
Michelle Fern: What is A Night on the Catnip?
00:19:04.317 --> 00:19:06.017
Michelle Fern: There's some drinking games here.
00:19:06.557 --> 00:19:13.837
Mark Davison: Oh, yes, yeah, so I wanted to, you know, make sure that people had a good occasion for drinking these cat tails.
00:19:14.057 --> 00:19:19.317
Mark Davison: And so I created what I think is a pretty entertaining little game for people to play.
00:19:19.337 --> 00:19:26.177
Mark Davison: There's various rules for you to enjoy, shall we say, depending on how you want to play.
00:19:26.197 --> 00:19:37.077
Mark Davison: And so the idea is that if you wanted to invite some friends around, or, you know, a couple of buddies, then this could be something that would accompany a nice evening and, you know, maybe get you a little bit buzzed as well.
00:19:37.857 --> 00:19:39.457
Michelle Fern: I really like the slow blink.
00:19:39.797 --> 00:19:42.677
Michelle Fern: There's different things with the slow blink.
00:19:42.697 --> 00:19:49.537
Michelle Fern: Like people say that's a way to tell your cat, you know, I love you, or hi, and I've tried it.
00:19:49.937 --> 00:19:51.657
Michelle Fern: Sometimes it works, sometimes not.
00:19:51.677 --> 00:19:54.457
Michelle Fern: Basically, you look at your cat and you blink really slowly.
00:19:54.477 --> 00:20:01.837
Michelle Fern: And eventually, you know, after it might take a little bit of practice, but your cat will slow blink along with you.
00:20:02.117 --> 00:20:08.977
Mark Davison: Yeah, the idea being that obviously, you know, cats are predators, but also they're not necessarily the biggest predators.
00:20:08.997 --> 00:20:13.197
Mark Davison: And so like closing your eyes, I guess, is like a sign of vulnerability.
00:20:13.217 --> 00:20:21.657
Mark Davison: And so that's that's what at least what I've heard in terms of why it's a sign of affection or a kind of sign of endearment when you deal with your cats.
00:20:22.077 --> 00:20:28.637
Michelle Fern: But for your drink, it means that it's actually player per player, but that's slow blink.
00:20:28.697 --> 00:20:30.157
Mark Davison: Yeah, exactly.
00:20:30.177 --> 00:20:48.037
Mark Davison: The rule is that if you slow blink at someone and they don't return your affection, they don't make it slow blink at you back, then they should enjoy a sip of their drink because, you know, it's just not very polite, really, especially if you've invited them around to your house or, you know, shared some hospitality with them.
00:20:48.537 --> 00:20:50.837
Michelle Fern: Okay, there are so many drinks on here.
00:20:51.077 --> 00:20:53.237
Michelle Fern: How many different drinks do you have in your book?
00:20:53.617 --> 00:20:54.837
Mark Davison: I have 64 recipes.
00:20:54.897 --> 00:20:56.117
Michelle Fern: That's quite a lot.
00:20:56.577 --> 00:20:59.017
Michelle Fern: I love the illustrations as well.
00:20:59.237 --> 00:21:03.657
Mark Davison: Yeah, the the shout out the illustrator did a fantastic job.
00:21:03.957 --> 00:21:09.237
Mark Davison: She worked really, really, really hard on everything and I really appreciated all of her work.
00:21:10.017 --> 00:21:12.377
Mark Davison: The illustrations just bring the whole thing together.
00:21:13.057 --> 00:21:17.137
Mark Davison: And, you know, she has Instagram, you can have a check out her Instagram.
00:21:17.697 --> 00:21:19.097
Mark Davison: Can I do a quick shout out for her?
00:21:19.117 --> 00:21:19.597
Mark Davison: Is that all right?
00:21:19.877 --> 00:21:21.057
Michelle Fern: Just another comment.
00:21:21.377 --> 00:21:25.277
Michelle Fern: Not only did you mention authors, but you mentioned a lot of different cat lovers.
00:21:25.297 --> 00:21:26.177
Michelle Fern: Like who knew?
00:21:26.237 --> 00:21:29.017
Michelle Fern: I didn't know Albert Einstein was a big cat lover.
00:21:29.997 --> 00:21:31.137
Michelle Fern: I don't know how I missed that.
00:21:31.157 --> 00:21:32.717
Michelle Fern: And all these episodes of Cattitude.
00:21:33.157 --> 00:21:33.977
Michelle Fern: How did I miss that?
00:21:33.997 --> 00:21:41.197
Michelle Fern: I knew Hemingway, you know, maybe because Einstein's, you know, everybody thinks of Einstein physicist and, and all that.
00:21:41.217 --> 00:21:44.977
Michelle Fern: They don't think of him as a cat person, but that was really interesting.
00:21:45.377 --> 00:21:47.737
Michelle Fern: I asked before you have some favorites under Citrus.
00:21:48.297 --> 00:21:52.037
Michelle Fern: Do you have any ideas for an accompany book for cooking?
00:21:52.057 --> 00:21:53.897
Michelle Fern: That's not your thing.
00:21:54.097 --> 00:21:55.457
Mark Davison: No, that's a great question.
00:21:55.637 --> 00:21:59.177
Mark Davison: I think cookbooks are, it would be an amazing project to take on.
00:21:59.237 --> 00:22:00.557
Mark Davison: They're pretty in depth.
00:22:00.577 --> 00:22:04.257
Mark Davison: And obviously I would want to like have to have a look.
00:22:04.337 --> 00:22:09.777
Mark Davison: We have got a lot more cattail recipes that I have that did make it into the book.
00:22:09.957 --> 00:22:15.857
Mark Davison: And so if people enjoy this one and it does well, then potentially there could be a round two.
00:22:16.157 --> 00:22:18.937
Michelle Fern: You know what, maybe a compromise bar snacks.
00:22:19.697 --> 00:22:20.597
Mark Davison: It's an excellent idea.
00:22:20.717 --> 00:22:22.477
Michelle Fern: And then the drinks that didn't make it in.
00:22:22.897 --> 00:22:23.257
Mark Davison: Yeah.
00:22:23.357 --> 00:22:24.357
Michelle Fern: So, all right.
00:22:24.377 --> 00:22:26.137
Michelle Fern: So Mark, I have a question for you.
00:22:26.597 --> 00:22:29.937
Michelle Fern: Why is a mint julep in a copper cup?
00:22:30.197 --> 00:22:32.777
Michelle Fern: If you know that I've always wanted to know what that is.
00:22:33.137 --> 00:22:36.357
Michelle Fern: And then what drink do you think is the most challenging to make?
00:22:36.377 --> 00:22:41.377
Michelle Fern: It doesn't have to be the one with the most ingredients, but just that it's, I don't know, difficult for whatever reason.
00:22:41.397 --> 00:22:44.997
Michelle Fern: Maybe you don't like the smell of the alcohol or the ingredients or something.
00:22:45.417 --> 00:22:48.557
Mark Davison: Yeah, I'm afraid I don't know the answer to your mint julep question.
00:22:48.877 --> 00:22:50.597
Michelle Fern: Okay, I'll keep pondering that.
00:22:50.997 --> 00:22:56.577
Mark Davison: But in terms of the, I mean, there's a couple which are, I would say are a lot more complicated.
00:22:56.597 --> 00:23:01.277
Mark Davison: There's some which require maybe a few kind of slightly exotic ingredients.
00:23:01.457 --> 00:23:06.757
Mark Davison: The Abyssinian, for example, is based off, you know, the cat comes from Ethiopia.
00:23:07.097 --> 00:23:15.537
Mark Davison: And so that uses a ingredient called tige, I'm not sure I'm pronouncing it quite right, but that's basically a sweet honeyed wine.
00:23:15.797 --> 00:23:22.977
Mark Davison: You can get replacements and we list some of them in the book, but that's one where, you know, maybe you might have to go to a slightly funky store to try and find some of that.
00:23:23.717 --> 00:23:31.157
Mark Davison: Probably the one that is more complicated and is every bartender's favorite one is our version of the espresso martini.
00:23:31.297 --> 00:23:40.877
Mark Davison: We make a little bit of a joke, I make a little bit of a joke in the book about going to a bar and ordering six of these and seeing if the bartender, you know, talks to you ever again, because they very well may not.
00:23:41.057 --> 00:23:44.057
Mark Davison: But that is actually based off my own cat, Massimo.
00:23:44.457 --> 00:23:46.757
Mark Davison: And it was inspired by kind of his lovely eyes.
00:23:46.757 --> 00:23:53.597
Mark Davison: So I wanted to make sure I did him justice and gave him a kind of really exciting cocktail at the end of the book to stand out with.
00:23:53.917 --> 00:23:55.317
Michelle Fern: Well, thank you for that.
00:23:55.437 --> 00:24:06.817
Michelle Fern: And yes, I do recall those drinks, especially when you're working in restaurants and then near the end of the night when you said, well, I need a bunch of these and they're looking at you.
00:24:06.837 --> 00:24:11.897
Michelle Fern: Seriously, I washed some of my equipment, we've been slow for an hour and now I have to make all these things.
00:24:12.197 --> 00:24:14.537
Michelle Fern: But I want to commend you, this is a great book.
00:24:14.957 --> 00:24:23.957
Michelle Fern: I've seen at least one of these in all the shows I've done on Cattitude, but it was nowhere near as thorough or as interesting, not even close.
00:24:23.977 --> 00:24:30.297
Michelle Fern: This is a really great book for cat lovers, for anyone, even if you don't drink, because there's mocktails.
00:24:30.317 --> 00:24:32.337
Michelle Fern: So there's a lot of great information.
00:24:32.617 --> 00:24:34.097
Michelle Fern: Mark, where can people find the book?
00:24:34.317 --> 00:24:36.237
Mark Davison: Yeah, the book is available online.
00:24:36.297 --> 00:24:48.297
Mark Davison: You can check out all of your normal local book sellers in available there, or in pretty much most bookstores, in decent sized bookstores, you should be able to ask them and they will be able to get it in if they don't already have it.
00:24:48.597 --> 00:24:55.217
Michelle Fern: All right, and it's called Shaken Not Purred, and Kitty Themed Cocktails for Cat Lovers.
00:24:55.637 --> 00:24:57.977
Michelle Fern: Mark, thank you so much for coming on Cattitude.
00:24:58.337 --> 00:24:58.917
Mark Davison: My pleasure.
00:24:58.937 --> 00:25:01.837
Mark Davison: Thank you very much for having me and letting me talk about Shaken Not Purred.
00:25:02.177 --> 00:25:03.897
Michelle Fern: I hope you all enjoyed this show.
00:25:04.217 --> 00:25:05.817
Michelle Fern: This is a really fun book.
00:25:05.837 --> 00:25:07.917
Michelle Fern: I highly recommend it.
00:25:07.917 --> 00:25:19.377
Michelle Fern: If you like cats, if you have cats, if you know, have a friend that has cats, even if your friend is not crazy about cats, but they like a cocktail now and then, great, great book, Shaken Not Purred.
00:25:19.597 --> 00:25:21.157
Michelle Fern: I want to thank my cat crew.
00:25:21.477 --> 00:25:28.237
Michelle Fern: Of course, they didn't drink with me, but they volleyed around while I was making drinks and gave them some of their cat treats.
00:25:28.637 --> 00:25:32.637
Michelle Fern: So thank you Cat Team, which is Molly, Dennis and Charlotte.
00:25:32.937 --> 00:25:38.797
Michelle Fern: Thank you so much to my Cattitude audience for listening to Cattitude so much.
00:25:38.837 --> 00:25:43.597
Michelle Fern: I so appreciate that we are one of the most popular cat podcasts out there.
00:25:43.937 --> 00:25:44.817
Michelle Fern: So thank you.
00:25:45.157 --> 00:25:47.937
Michelle Fern: Again, thanks to Mark Davison for coming on the show.
00:25:48.357 --> 00:25:54.717
Michelle Fern: And of course, thank you so much to my producer, Mark Winter for working his magic and making me and my guests sound amazing.
00:25:55.057 --> 00:25:58.497
Michelle Fern: And hey, remember, lose the attitude, have Cattitude.
00:25:58.997 --> 00:26:05.017
Announcer: Let's talk pets every week on demand, only on petliferadio.com.
"Cattitude" Theme Song Written & Produced by Mark Winter
© Copyright Such Fun Music (ASCAP)