5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. It's a New Year. Maybe you're giving up booze – maybe you're not. If the latter is your tippling decision and you're sticking to it, at least shake last year's repertoire up with Woodfire Grill Bar Manager Blake Morley. Five Ways to Break Out of Your Cocktail Comfort Zone: Blake Morley 1. Because you never knew just how good rye whiskey tasted “Here in the South, a.k.a. Bourbon Country, rye always had the reputation for only being consumed by outlaws and, well, Canadians. It was seen as being inferior to bourbon and therefore was condemned to a long dusty sentence hidden in the back bar. With the re-emergence of the American cocktail culture, rye once again has begun to whet the palates of many 'reformed' cocktailers. The spicy and minty notes of a good rye whiskey make even the most basic of cocktails something new and interesting.” 2. Because “this ain’t your granddaddy’s gin” “The new American gin market has broken the London dry mold most are familiar with. Genevere and Old Tom styles as well as damson and sloe gins are allowing bartenders and cocktailers alike the opportunity to venture back into the days of old as well as create new and inventive creations to appease the curiosity of the willing.” 3. In a word, well, two words, egg white “Raw egg is a classic ingredient for those cocktails from the Golden Age, most common, of course, are eggnog , flips, sours , the Ramos Gin Fizz , the Clover Club , and the famed Pisco Sour . If you have ever tried one of these cocktails without the addition of a raw egg, you haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy the real thing. The sole purpose of adding the egg white or the yolk, in some cases both, is to add texture and volume to a cocktail. Think of it in pastry terms: remember the delight and enjoyment of that lighter-than-air meringue on top of your favorite pie ? The result is the same in a cocktail. An egg white, when properly shaken, acts as a binder melding the flavors of the cocktail and helping them coat your palate while adding a light airy note to the weight. Want to have some real fun at your next party? Add an egg white to a cocktail that doesn’t call for it. That’s right, a Negroni .” 4. Forget tequila; hello mezcal “Mezcal, tequila’s 'brother from another mother,' has long been associated with plastic bottles and floating worms. The fact of the matter is the differences between the two nectars of the agave plant is what makes mezcal my typical go-to on my back bar: Tequila has to be from the Weber blue species of Agave, mezcal can come from a variety of species but most commonly Espadin agave; for tequila, the plants are steamed, for mezcal they are smoked) . The smokey sweetness, as well as an impressive smoothness from a high-quality craft mezcal, will shake off any bad college memory and open the door to a wide array of cocktail possibilities that would otherwise be shut with tequila. Grab a bottle (I'm a big fan of Ilegal Reposado ) and impress your party guests with a play on the classic Manhattan, only this time, replace the whiskey with mezcal. Something different? How about something I affectionately refer to as a 'Mexican Jewel': 3 parts mezcal, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part green Chartreuse, few dashes of orange bitters – throw in an egg white, why not? Remember, it’s about stepping outside of your cocktail comfort zone.” 5. Because Jeffrey Morganthaler says so “I pinpoint Mr. Morganthaler, the famed barman from Oregon, because about three years back after years of slinging drinks in various bars, I was beginning to hear whispers of what other bartenders were doing about this so-called 'cocktail revolution' taking place. What I found on his blog was a whole world of wonderment about what was emerging. I suddenly found myself freed from the monotony of the neon colored 'Sex & the City' martini. From Morganthaler’s blog, I began to spread out to the other pioneers, barmen like David Wondrich , Ted Haigh , the immortal Dale DeGroff and Derek Brown in D.C to name a few. Thus, began my metaphysical bar transformation – I, in essence, began to step outside my own cocktail comfort zone.” Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down.

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5@5 – Break out of your cocktail comfort zone

Manwin Licensing, the manager of the Playboy sites, and Digital Playground are suing Icann over the introduction of the .xxx suffix.

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Porn sites sue internet regulator

Former world heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier is in hospice care with liver cancer, his manager reveals.

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Boxing great Frazier has cancer

The Nationals this morning formally announced Davey Johnson as their manager for the 2012 season, exercising an option in his contract and continuing a tenure that began last season amidst upheaval and concluded with one of the most promising stretches since baseball returned to Washington. “It really feels great,” Johnson said. “It’s such a great organization, such a great bunch of kids. We didn’t come close to the ceiling this year. I really feel like I’m kind of their father figure. I think they respect me, and I feel like I’m the guy to steer them along their path.” Read full article > >

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Nationals name Davey Johnson manager for 2012

ST. LOUIS — As the top of the ninth inning rolled around Thursday night, the Texas Rangers ’ plight in the World Series was teetering between grim and hopeless. Down by a run to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2, the Rangers were three outs from falling into a two-game hole in the series. Their once-fearsome offense had vanished, having scored in exactly one of the series’ 17 innings to that point, and their manager, Ron Washington, was losing ground in the chess game with his counterpart with every move. Read full article > >

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2011 World Series Game 2: Texas Rangers rally in the ninth to even series with St. Louis Cardinals

US musician David “Honey-Boy” Edwards, described as the last of the great pre-war bluesmen, dies at his home in Chicago aged 96, his manager says.

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US blues star Edwards dies at 96

Jayson Werth knew he deserved more playing time, and he walked into his manager’s office carrying the evidence. This was the middle of 2007, Werth’s first season with the Philadelphia Phillies — before he became an October hero, before he finished eighth in the Most Valuable Player balloting and before he signed the richest contract in the history of the Washington Nationals . Werth felt he had not gained Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel’s trust — he was not, he said, one of “Charlie’s guys.” He wanted to play more. Manuel wanted him to hit right-handed pitching better. Werth found a different kind of solution. Read full article > >

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Nationals’ Jayson Werth has much to prove in season’s final months

The fiancee of Casey Anthony’s brother gave an emotional testimony in court, saying Anthony had a special bond with Caylee. Later, the manager where her car was towed said he smelled a decomposition odor in the car. (May 27) Read full article > >

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Emotional testimony in Anthony trial

The fiancee of Casey Anthony’s brother gave an emotional testimony in court, saying Anthony had a special bond with Caylee. Later, the manager where her car was towed said he smelled a decomposition odor in the car. (May 27) Read full article > >

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Emotional testimony in Anthony trial

Actor Jeff Conaway, who was in the TV series “Taxi” and the movie “Grease,” died from pneumonia, his manager said.

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Actor Jeff Conaway dead at 60

BALTIMORE — The Washington Nationals scored Friday night for the first time since Monday. Once they started, they could hardly be stopped in a 17-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles to open interleague play. It had been a rough week for the Nationals, what with being shut out in consecutive games, rained out once and having General Manager Mike Rizzo find himself in the middle of a league investigation over an incident with the umpires after a loss to the New York Mets on Thursday . But in recording their first victory by more than four runs this season, the Nationals did their best to put all that previous malaise behind them before an announced crowd of 24,442. They scored the most runs and hit the most home runs (six) in a game since the team moved to Washington, and they set a season high with 19 hits. Read full article > >

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Nationals vs. Orioles: Nats score most runs in a game since team’s move to Washington

PHILADELPHIA — At 3:40 Thursday afternoon, Manager Jim Riggleman and hitting coach Rick Eckstein called every hitter in the Washington Nationals ’ clubhouse into Riggleman’s office. They closed the door. Riggleman and Eckstein spoke first. A few players followed. “All positive,” one player said later. “Usually,” Riggleman said, “you like to have those meetings when you’re facing an emergency starter or something.” Riggleman had called his meeting hours before his team faced Roy Halladay, “the best pitcher “I’ve ever faced,” said Jerry Hairston, who has faced 826 of them. Read full article > >

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Nationals vs. Phillies: John Lannan struggles again vs. Roy Halladay and Philadelphia

Aston Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner says Gerard Houllier’s job is safe despite calls from fans for the manager’s dismissal.

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Villa chief backs Gerard Houllier

Spring training is supposed to be full of hope for baseball, but Dallas Green returned with a heavy heart to the Phillies’ camp Wednesday. The 76-year-old senior advisor to Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was the grandfather of 9-year-old…

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Dallas Green Returns to Phillies

A contractor made the payments to the manager in return for his approving of millions in cost overruns, prosecutors said.

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City Room: Kickback Charge for Con Ed Manager