I'm Going to Rehab

No , not that kind. Sorry to disappoint my critics. I'm happy with my current level of alcohol consumption. I am having to go to another kind of rehab for a occupational hazard.As a inveterate collector,sampler and reviewer of all things alcoholic I bring back a fair amount on my trips to just about anywhere.Unfortunately it weighs a lot, and I'll be damned if I am going to hand it over to the airlines to steal or smash any of my souvenirs.It seems I tore my shoulder out lugging my carry on baggage. It seemed OK for a few weeks afterward but after a while I couldn't hold a Martini in my right hand for more than 5 minutes.That was the breaking point, I was forced to admit I had a problem and that it was taking over my life- I was powerless to stop it.I had to believe in a higher power - that being rehab and therapy-not spiritual but physical, at times very physical.
So far it seems to be working I can hold a Martini glass again but I can't shake a cocktail shaker with that over the shoulder shake - yet.With time and money I hope to get back in form.

THE MINT JULEP

I found rare treatise on the Mint Julep and want to share it with everyone else who is interested. It is out of print and old enough to be out of copyright-But if you are going to use this somewhere please give me a credit for typing the whole thing up for the web, Thanks!-Chris

THE MINT JULEP
The Very Dream of Drinks
FROM THE OLD RECEIPT
OF SOULE SMITH, DOWN
IN LEXINGTON, KY
THE GRAVESEND PRESS
1949



PREFACE
The mint julep has aroused almost as much argument as the war between the states. The controversy over the correct receipt for making the famous drink has raged back and forth between Kentucky and Maryland, Louisiana and Georgia and heated discussions, to sat nothing of wagers, are likely to accompany the mere mention of the drink. In Georgia mint juleps have been made with corn whiskey, sweetened with molasses, while depraved New Yorkers have gulped down juleps concocted with such bizarre ingredients as Creme de Menthe and maraschino cherries. It is no wonder that the late Irvin Cobb declared the outsiders “pretenders and upstarts” and that no one but a Kentuckian knew how to make a mint julep.
The classic receipt for the Kentucky mint julep was published over half a century ago in Kentucky Whiskies. It was written by Soule Smith, lawyer, journalist, and superb raconteur of considerable local fame. In this famous receipt, the making of a mint julep becomes a ceremony. In loving and mellifluent language, the subtle blending of cold spring water with fragrant mint and good Bourbon whiskey and cracked ice somehow evokes the whole charm of the Blue Grass countryside. Here, then, is the famous receipt printed once again in a small illustrated edition for the delight of good Kentuckians everywhere.











THE MINT JULEP
But in the Blue Grass land there is a softer sentiment---a gentler soul. There is where the wind makes waves of the wheat and scents itself with the aroma of new-mown hay, there is no contest with the world outside. On summer days when, from his throne, the great sun dictates his commands, one may look forth across broad acres where the long grass falls and rises as the winds may blow it. He can see the billowy slopes far off, each heaving as the zephyrs touch it with a caressing hand. Sigh of the earth with never a sob, the wind comes to the Blue Grass. A sweet sigh, a loving one; a tender sigh, a loverÂ’s touch, she gives the favored land. And the moon smiles at her caressing and the sun gives benediction to the lovers. Nature and earth are one---married by the wind and sun whispering leaflets on the happy tree.
Then comes the zenith of manÂ’s pleasure. Then comes the julep---the mint julep. Who has not tasted one has lived in vain. The honey of Hymettus brought no such solace to the soul; the nectar of the Gods is tame beside it. It is the very dream of drinks, the vision of sweet quaffings. The Bourbon and the mint are lovers. In the same land they live, on the same food they are fostered. The mint dips its infant leaf into the same stream that makes the bourbon what it is. The corn grows in the level lands through which small streams meander. By the brook-side the mint grows. As the little wavelets pass, they glide up to kiss the feet of the growing mint, the mint bends to salute them. Gracious and kind it is, living only for the sake of others. The crushing of it only makes its sweetness more apparent. Like a womanÂ’s heart, it gives its sweetest aroma when bruised. Among the first to greet the spring, it comes. Beside the gurgling brooks that make music in the pastures it lives and thrives. When the Blue Grass begins to shoot its gentle sprays toward the sun, mint comes, and its sweetest soul drinks at the crystal brook. It is virgin then. But soon it must be married to Old Bourbon. His great heart, his warmth of temperament, and that affinity which no one understands, demand the wedding. How shall it be? Take from the cold spring some water, pure as angels are; mix it with sugar until it seems like oil. Then take a glass and crush you mint within it with a spoon---crush it around the borders of the glass and leave no place untouched. Then throw the mint away---it is a sacrifice.
Fill with cracked ice the glass; pour in the quantity of Bourbon which you want. It trickles slowly through the ice. Let it have time to col, then pour your sugared water over it. No spoon is needed, no stirring is allowed---just let it stand a moment. Then around the brim place sprigs of mint, so that the one who drinks may find a taste and odor at one draught.
When it is made, sip it slowly. August suns are shining, the breath of the south wind is upon you. It is fragrant, cold and sweet---it is seductive. No maidenÂ’s touch could be more passionate. Sip it and dream, it is a dream itself. No other land can give so sweet a solace for your cares; no other liquor soothes you so in melancholy days. Sip it and say there is no solace for the soul, no tonic for the body like Old Bourbon whiskey.

THE END

Bunuel Martini

Bunuel Martini

Another View of the Stadium

 

Sports Arena and Brocante Site

This is a shot of a sports arena ( yes, in the riot zone but during daylight) where there was a Brocante that we went to






Below is an abandoned tunnel we came acroos on our way back ( on foot) through the 13th Arrondissmont

Trip to Paris and Belgium

As a few people know,Joan andI went on a trip to Paris and Belgium for 2 weeks in early November as a late celebration of Joans 50th Birthday.
Yes, during the height of the rioting. No, I was not involved. You know you are getting older when , instead of joining in such things you sit in a corner Cafe reading the British Financial Times and enjoy the news that the Euro has it a new 2 year low BEACUSE of the rioting so your drink now costs about 15% less.
Above is a picture of the market in the Latin Quarter where we stayed. We stayed with a delightful woman named Jaquiline Ponz at her apartment at 16 Rue Descarte near the Pantheon just uphill form Rue de St Germain and near one of our favorite restuarant the Petit Prince Here are a few pictures of where we stayed:
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Bar Tools About Series - Muddlers

Muddlers are used to muddle (read juice,crush,grind and blend) fruits,leaves and other ingredients in drinks similar to a mortar and pestle except in a cocktail glass or shaker to prepare a drink (such as a Old Fashioned,Whisky Sour, Caipriana among others). They are an indispensable tool for a well stocked bar.

They come in various sizes (from single drinks disposables to industrial/commercial) and materials (wood,metal,glass and plastic) depending on a number of factors. I always like to have a number of them on hand as some work better than others for a particular drinks and sometimes you want to include a combination muddler/stir rod in a drink.

A few tips:

1. If you are using wooden muddlers you should coat them with food grade mineral oil as you would a wooden cutting board - to prevent anything else from soaking in.

2. When mixing a drink where you are going to muddle fruit it is usually best to add the sugar first then the fruit,leaves, etc., as the sugar makes a good abrasive to extract more flavor (plus being on the bottom it helps dissolve the sugar)

3. Rinse any muddler off quickly when you are finished using it for the night (or day) and wipe it dry - fruit juices are sticky,corrosive and spoil.You don't want to compromise your drinks next time around.

Martini Article In Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

The following is a link to my Martini Article as published in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Newspaper:

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=10B7A92564FCBC18&p_docnum=3&p_theme=gannett&s_site=democratandchronicle&p_product=RDCB

Martinis

Modern martinis are mostly gin, except, of course, for a vodka martini, so it is very important to choose a good quality gin to start with. The type used in a martini is usually referred to as a London Dry Style, as opposed to Dutch or Genever Gin. Even among these, there are two very different styles or expressions. At one end of the spectrum is Martin Miller's Gin, a good example of a thick, junipery gin and at the other end is Van Gogh Gin, with a wonderful citrusy flavor. There is also Magellan Gin, distilled with iris root that gives it a lovely sapphire blue color.

A critical ingredient in a martini is the vermouth. Many people do not realize that vermouth is a fortified wine that is flavored with herbs and as such, it can (and will) go bad over time and can ruin a martini. To avoid this there are a few simple rules.

1. Always buy a small (375 ml) bottle.

2. Keep it capped and refrigerated after opening.

3. Try to use the rest within one to two months. It can also be used for cooking in recipes that call for white wine.

Personally, I much prefer the French vermouths especially Noilly Prat vermouth (both the white and red varieties) over Italian vermouths such as Martini & Rossi or Stock. The blending of the French vermouth is a bit more subtle and complementary. American wineries, such as Vya and Duckhorn, are starting to produce some interesting vermouths that I recommend as well.

Bitters are another much overlooked (or entirely forgotten) ingredient to a good martini. Bitters were traditionally an integral part of many cocktails, as they greatly assist in the blending of flavors from the different components of a drink. Unfortunately, they have fallen by the wayside in many cocktail recipe books and many bars no longer use or even stock them. There was, at one point, a large number of different companies and types/flavors of bitters available. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Only four types of bitters remain in commercial production today. Angostura Brand Bitters from the West Indies are the best known and widely available, however they no longer contain Angostura Bark - a key ingredient to their original taste. Rochester, however, is fortunate that we have Fee Brothers at 453 Portland Ave. In business since 1863, they are one of the few producers of bar bitters in the world. They produce an Angostura, ( with the real bark), West Indian Orange Bitters, and two virtually extinct bitters, Mint and Peach. A 4 oz bottle cost less than $3 (about half the price of Angostura) and can be bought at their store and museum on Portland Ave.

Ice and the resulting water is another ingredient to be careful about. The best ice is fresh to avoid food odors, using filtered, read non chlorinated, water. You can, of course, buy a bag of Happy Ice at your local store to save time and trouble. If you are truly fanatical, you can get block ice and use an icepick to get the freshest non frosted ice. See Sharon Stone in the movie "Basic Instinct" for technique.

The final finishing component is the garnish. The most common two are an olive(s) or lemon zest (Outer skin of a lemon without the white rind). The main point is to complement the gin you are using. The choice comes down to personal taste/preference that comes with experience and experimentation.

And Finally...

Classic Martini Recipe

4 oz gin

1 oz dry (white) vermouth

1-2 dashes Fee's Angostura or Orange Bitters to taste

Pour the Gin and Vermouth into a shaker half full of ice, add the bitters.

Shake vigorously for 20-30 seconds to mix and chill (will also yield 25% dilution with water)

Strain into chilled martini glass

Add garnish (in the case of lemon zest you may want to twist then rub it around the glass first)

Enjoy

Variations:

Stirred martinis -- produce a more glasslike appearance, stronger proof, with heavier body. This actually the traditional mixing method but a little too strong for some.

1930s style--Use half and half white and red vermouth (1/2 oz each)

Gibson - same recipe but with a cocktail onion for garnish.

Manhattan - use bourbon instead of gin, with a cherry garnish. But that is a whole other story.

Display at De Admiraal ( Amsterdam) A few of the Genevers (aka Dutch Gin) they make

One of the Stills at van Wees (Amsterdam) 

A Small Sample of Van Wees Products at their Proefkalen De Admiraal on Herrengracht (Amsterdam) 

Wine Tasting in Roman Cave, France 

Cellar aging Room Van Wees, Amsterdam 

Me at Van wees Distillery, Amsterdam 

Mondovino The Movie

We went to see "Mondovino" a couple of days ago and I have to say it is a must see movie about wine and globalization of wine or maybe more to the point the world hegemony of wine driven by Robert Parker.
As I have stated before, I am not a fan of his or Wine Spectator (who is also featured in the movie).
While I like some of the wine he likes, I like a lot more wine that he does not like and I respect and honor the differences between different wines and terroir.
unfortunately the wine world (or at least the buying public) have increasingly been showing traits that are normally attributed to Lemmings rather than higher mammals.
Alarming numbers of the producers and buying public are flocking a singular type or model of wine, that singular type being a anointed Robert Parker wine ( a wine given a high score by Robert Parker).
Most of these wines have been micro managed, doped up, and blended beyond all recognition as to their original type and origin to fit a model of wine championed by Mr Parker. In many instance (in my opinion) these wines are manipulated in such a way as to mimic long aging in a short period of time and t remove terrior or any local variation. I refer to it as the McDonald's model of winemaking, fast, global, insidious, and lacking a soul. In any case back to the movie...
It is a wonderful compare and contrast between traditional winemakers and people like Mondavi, Parker, and Rolland.
It chronicles the struggles (and occasional victories) of the traditional winemakers and terroir, against the global homogenization of wine as represented by the above.

Cognac is Brandy, But Brandy is not Cognac

In another installment of the Zen Riddles of Booze. Cognac is a brandy but not necessarily the reverse. Brandy come from the term gebrandtwien or burned wine ( Dutch/German origin).
In the middle ages wine began to be distilled in order to evade customs duties ( based on volume and further to reduce shipping volume and make it less likely to spoil in transit. When it arrived at its final destination it was watered back down to more or less its original strength. Many people found however that they liked distilled down. Brandy is an umbrella or generic term for a distilled spirit made from a fruit (as opposed to a grain). Here are some rough definitions:
Cognac is a form of grape brandy, produced under strict guidelines from certain varieties of grapes.
Armagnac is produced in a different area of France, and is quite different from Cognac.
Marc (French) is a form of unaged brandy similar to Grappa ( Italian) or Pisco (South America) all of which can run the range from lighter fluid to sublime depending on the distiller.
Aquadiente is the Portuguese version of grape brandy which may or may not be aged.
Calvados is apple an brandy produced in Northern France.

Breakfast Of Champions - Scorpion Laced Mescal

I'm back after a couple weeks enforced sabbatical due to some highly unpleasant dental surgery.
In order to catch up I started in with 4 bottles of Scorpion laced mescal this morning. What the hell I thought, might as well get that one over with. Plus I promised the company I would try it before May 5th. No promises on what I thought about it of course, but it would be done and written up.
I have to say I had my doubts looking at it.
But I have to say it was a very pleasant surprise. Damn fine stuff. Still not crazy about the scorpions but very well made, eye opening stuff (no pun intended).

Is it Grappa, Marc,Baguciera,or Vodka ?

A recent controversy has been what is vodka. Or, what are the allowable ingredients for vodka.
Pressure from more or less traditional vodka countries within the EU to make a ruling that everything except grapes (see above for some of the names of those clear alcohol spirits) could be used to make vodka. Spirit made from grapes had to be called something else - usually a name with zero recognition beyond the country of origin and even within those countries the names had generally negative connotations. This was obviously a attempt at protectionism. This rule was recently shot down after a fight by the Gin and Vodka Association in England.

Tequila is a mescal but mescal is not a Tequila

Mezcal is a distilled product of the agave plant family. There are over 30 varieties of agave that can be used. Tequila uses a specific one, the weber blue agave. It also comes from a specific area in Mexico. Mezcal can be made from several different species of agave and is usually made in the Oaxaca area of Mexico. Tequila is a form of mezcal that is rather specialized and is distingushed from other mezcals for the most part because of the unsavory reputation mezcal had for years.
A basic analogy is the differences between cognac and armagnac. Mezcal is the country cousin, much less well known, earthier and in it's case much more traditional in its preparation than tequila ( which again is a form of mezcal).
The 'worm' by the way is actually a butterfly larvae (read catapillar) and is not present in Tequila.
Also a new trend is to replace the 'worm' with a scorpion. Look for my upcoming reviews or mescals at spiritsreview.com