Happy Birthday DLDGLG!!!

Thanks to everyone who's been reading.  This experiment has turned into a wonderfully unquenchable habit.  I write for you and there is plenty more to come.  Here's to drunk angels.  Cheers!

"We have had people phoning up asking to get trapped in, but it's kind of boring now and I would like to go home..."

says Mr. Butterworth, chef of Kirkbymoorside in the UK, who was stranded in a bar with four other staff members and two customers because of a debilitating snow storm. 

The Adrian Peterson of Bartending

Once, when I was working at Romano's Macaroni Grill, a manager posted literature in the office ostensibly for the employees to read.  I can't quite conjure the title.  However, the message went something like: think of yourself as an athlete when serving tables.  Essentially, it equated the physical and mental challenges of service with those of sports and athletics. 

Presumably, the grueling hours of serving/bartending are much more endurable if one imagines that he or she is Terrell Owens or Frank Gore.  If I were a psychiatrist, I would probably call it something like projection of athleticism. 

Anyway, an article in the New York Times by Robert Simonson reminded me of this concept.  Simonson focuses on the emergence of mixology injuries.  I can't resist a slight incredulous chuckle at the concept.  But then again, I wish I had thought of the story idea myself.

(hat tip: Josh)

Mixology Monday: Absinthe Drinks, Cont.

Check out the Mixology Monday roundup at Rock & Rye.

What is this?

I don't even...

Mixology Monday: Absinthe Drinks

I must preface this post with a declaration that I took a risk and it is actually a bit of a failure.

For whatever reason, I imagined writing posts for Mixology Monday to go much smoother.  What a chance, I thought, to make delicious cocktails that I otherwise would never have been inclined to attempt.  It soon became clear to me that a simple prompt and deadline can suddenly eradicate my modest attempts at creativity or imagination.  But I suppose that's just part of the challenge.

This month's mission is to breath new life into a forgotten cocktail.  I took a slight obtuse angle on that proposal and focused on absinthe as an ingredient.  There is no shortage of new-found absinthe enthusiasm in the United States since the lifting of its ban.  However, from my perspective, its flavor has not yet penetrated a mainstream application beyond cocktail enthusiasts and fellow intoxicologists.

I spotted an delicious combination of absinthe and St. Germaine for a special cocktail at The Passenger earlier this summer and I thoroughly enjoy a little of the spirit in a well-made Sazerac.  But it's a much different story having absinthe in a much more aggressive format, at least for me.  With no ideas springing instantly to mind, I turned to Dale Degroff's The Craft of the Cocktail.  I chose two absinthe drinks from the book: the standard Absinthe Drip and Absinthe No. 2.  In Dale I trust...

Absinthe Drip

- 2 oz of absinthe
- 1 lump of sugar

Glassware: small rocks glass and an absinthe spoon.

Place absinthe and ice cube into a small rocks glass.  Place absinthe spoon across the top of the glass with a lump of sugar resting on it.  Slowly drip droplets of water onto the sugar cube allowing it to melt into the absinthe.

This little monster is hardly the soothing sipper that its pale green color seems to suggest, I assure you.  Occasionally, in a fit of denial, I attempt to understand and appreciate this spirit in its plainest form.  I suppose I'm just not there yet. 

However, as aforementioned, I have been pleasantly surprised by the introduction of absinthe as a recessive ingredient.  So I moved forward with the absinthe cocktail.

Absinthe No. 2

- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz absinthe
- 2 dashes of orange bitters

Glassware: chilled cocktail/martini glass

Pour gin, absinthe, and bitters into a glass with ice.  Stir until cold and strain into the cocktail glass. 

I found this particular sipper much more tolerable and, thus, applicable to a mainstream drinker's sensibilities.  All things considered, I can't say I enthusiastically enjoyed either attempt and reluctantly deem it a little bit of a failure overall, as I mentioned before.  I suspect the other MxMo participants produced more persuasive candidates for the proverbial comeback tour. 

On a more positive note, I would be very interested in tweaking the ingredients and proportions of the Absinthe No. 2 for an alternative approach sometime in the future.  In that sense, I feel pleased with maintaining the essence of Mixology Monday.

Until next month...  Cheers!

"If [Champagne expert Richard Juhlin]'s right, I have just consumed about 10,000 euros of Champagne in a few minutes. I’m not sure even Keith Richards has managed that,"

said Richard Vines, chief food critic for Bloomberg News who was invited to consume a glass of champagne that was nearly 200 years old.   

Curing What Ails You

Alexis Madrigal of The Atlantic has written about a topic that I've been sort of channeling the past four weeks: patent medicine.  Oils, cures, tonics, bitters.  I, for one, follow Alexis for his discussions of technology (he is, after all, the technology editor).  But having just participated in a course detailing the universe of bitters, it felt serendipitous. 

The antiquated look and charm of these products from that era can be seen in our time, as Alexis explains.  From what I can see, our society has evolved to the point that it repackages the historical.  Consumers are looking for the "authentic."  Some sell their goods as an authentic experience, and its very profitable (see Joseph Pine's discussion of this at TED).  Home-made bitters in a bar that specializes in hand-crafted cocktails is an example of that.  Some businesses just apply this idea farther than others.

Interestingly, the owners of Tonic (where I am employed) seem to fancy that Vaudevillian, side-show, snake-oil salesman motif.  Bottles of patent medicines can be found decorating the building.  It is a successful concept.  They did own and operated one of the district's beloved freak shows, Palace of Wonders, which I wrote about earlier this year.  I find it interesting, though, that the owners of Tonic do not accentuate their menu to this theme or draw off the consumer's desire for that authentic, patent medicine-related product.  Imagine the possibilities with cocktails.  From my vantage point, this appears to be a missed opportunity.

The Columbia Room: Bitters Class Part II

We returned to The Columbia Room for the second part of Derek Brown's bitters class.  In the last session, we discussed the basic composition and process for building a bitters baseline.  The topic of the evolution bitters in the first class was followed up by a discussion in the second class about the turning point for bitters.  That turning point was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. 

It seems the implementation of this legislation, as well as the Volstead Act fourteen years later, in many ways rendered most of the bitters business unsustainable.  Naturally, as time progressed, the ingredient lost prominence among bartenders.

Until recently...

Anyway, as with our last session, cocktails were prepared to exemplify the many applications of bitters.  Derek's associate, JP Fetherston, prepared the second session's refreshments.  As he prepared, it was noted that Fetherston spends a noble amount of time experimenting and advancing the craft of the bar.  The first tipple that he presented us was The 4th Regiment Cocktail.

The 4th Regiment Cocktail 

- 1 oz rye whiskey
- 1 oz of sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters
- 1 dash of orange bitters
- 1 dash of celery bitters

Glassware: chilled cocktail glass or rocks glass

Combine ingredients in a glass with ice and stir. Pour into a chilled glass.  Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy.

What makes The 4th Regiment Cocktail a great volunteer for the class is how the drinker is left having to peel back the different layers of flavor.  And the most notorious flavor in the bunch seems to have been delivered in some part by the celery flavored bitters.  The uniqueness of the celery bitters with the robustness of the sweet vermouth is very clever. 

We discussed the flavor profile of the 100 proof vodka used for the maceration process after sampling it.  Derek never resists involving his audience in any degustative experience.  This inclination is a hint about the world in which Brown lives.  Everything must be examined.  Take nothing simply at face-value.

As an intermission, Fetherston prepared to demonstrate an aspect of the so-called molecular gastronomy using nothing more than an iSi whip cream dispenser.  If you are very familiar with these devices, I ask you: is there any trick this tool cannot perform?  Any person who knows the method by which Jose Andres creates his spherification masterpiece, the mojito, will understand why I ask.

 

And Mr. Fetherston himself is indeed impressive.  He treated the class to a demonstration of instant or rapid-fusion; a concept borrowed from Cooking Issues and mentioned here.  Within minutes,a few ounces of neutral grain spirit had the rich citrus-orange flavor as though it had been there from the very beginning.

When the time finally came, the host and his assistant prepared the bitter and aromatic ingredients for the students to begin the task of creating their own bitters.  Derek encouraged each person to strike his or her own preferred balance by adding more of the former or the latter from their respective pitchers.  Regardless of the amounts, the idea seemed to be control - greater control over the process by initially maintaining two seperate bodies of flavor.

Most of us seemed to pour equal amounts from the aromatic pitcher and the bitter pitcher.  Then, the various extracts and syrups were passed around for possible inclusion into the mixture.  I went with tamarind.

Satisfied with the tamarind flavor, I escalated the water content to dilute the concoction and brighten it up slightly.  As a proof of concept, it worked. 

Derek concluded his lesson and each student took with him or her a customized jar of bitters.  While everyone drifted away, I lingered with the two mixologists on a tangent and was tempted to bait them into extending the hour.  Instead, I knew I'd have another chance and saved any wandering inquiry for another appointment. 

In the coming weeks, I hope to venture into the cola bitters process.  If successful, I'll experiment with a malty cousin to the cola and beer beverages.  This soft drink has such a vexing flavor that I have not had the courage to bring it anyone's taste buds as a cocktail.  Stay tuned.

Thanks again to Derek Brown, Angie Salame, JP Fetherston, Katie Nelson, and Adriana Salame-Aspiazu for flawlessly executing an educational (and entertaining) set of classes.   

Next Song for the Jukebox

Sleepy Time

The common cold has rendered me unwell and coiled up like a mink.  Here's a delicious hot drink I have been using to shake this wretched cough.  It has no name but it does have a decent little buzz.

- 1 1/2 oz Laird's Apple Jack
- honey
- lemon wedge
- Celestial Seasoning Sleepytime Herbal Tea
- hot water

Glassware: toddy mug or coffee mug

Mix lemon juice, honey, and apple jack in a mug.  Add tea and hot water.  Stir well.  Enjoy.

Jigger What?

More mixology dissent from Karl Kozel who isn't particularly fond of the jigger.

Not All of Us Can Be Superstar Cocktailian Bartenders

Gary Regan offers some dissent regarding the mixologist movement which seems to be producing some pretty bad bartenders.

(hat tip: Jacob Grier) 

16% of bartenders have a bachelor's degree

And I cannot help feeling like this argument is missing a perspective.  I am unsure additional education can be anything less than enriching and elevating, even if it's for custodial work.  Not only that, there's just something absent or hollow when discussing "marginal and average returns" from college.  Perhaps I am muddying the waters since I myself have a Bachelor of Arts in English and, yet I maintain a bar shift.

(hat tip: Sully)

The Columbia Room: Bitters Class Part I

In the summer of 2010, I missed several opportunities to secure a spot in one of Derek Brown's classes in the Columbia Room. The class was a tutorial on everything bitters. A wait-list was available which I joined. And in September, Derek revealed the dates for the fall/winter bitters classes (there are two sessions to fulfill the entire lesson). I eagerly signed up and prepared to absorb as much as possible about one of the most mysterious items in American taverns, even to many barkeeps themselves.

Bitters once occupied a realm in society that is somewhat recognizable to the contemporary imbiber: snake oils, tonics, curatives, et cetera. In other words, they supposedly supplied a remedy by which human beings could affect their "humors" and, by consequence, their constitution. An assertion, Derek noted, that has since been discredited.

But what about the bar?

Like the Archaeopteryx to rest of the dinosaurs, bitters sits perched on the bar shelf like some transitional fossil from the cretaceous epoch. Never truly concluded on whether it is a spirit or some kind of condiment, some bartenders pretend it's not even a part of their cache of ingredients. I guess some could say bitters became lost.
        

But as Bob Dylan once said: the times they are a-changin'. Clientele are becoming more aware of a whole market of bitters brands besides the ubiquitous Angostura. They are being exposed now to mixologists who specialize in different iterations of bitters. Among the more unconventional examples, successful flavors include tobacco, leather, cola, and cannabis. That’s right… cannabis.
             

Students took their seats to place-setting of raw materials. From the top left, down: bitter orange peel, anise, caraway, cinnamon. From the top right, down: gentian root, dandelion, quassia bark, wormwood. Together, Derek told us, these elements constituted the greatest commonality between the various bitters.

The class was a whirlwind of information for booze lovers. All the while, the two darling assistants, Katie Nelson and Adriana Salame-Aspiazu, fashioned the students a bourbon-based drink called the Seelbach:

The Seelbach

- 1 oz bourbon whiskey

- 1/2 oz curacao

- 7 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

- 7 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Shake with ice. Strain into a chilled champagne flute. Top with sparkling white wine. Garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy.

      

 A Manhattan cocktail without bitters is kind of like the Manhattan island without skyscrapers: flat. Derek demonstrated this feeling perfectly serving his class two Manhattans, one with and one without bitters. Any student could have distinguished the richness of the beverage by studying the color alone. The Manhattan with bitters possessed a robust amber pigment while the one without appeared pale and sickly (but still consumable... it is whiskey after all).

Amazingly, the drink sans the spice tasted neutered and absent of the savory flavor that makes the Manhattan sui generis. The point was made and the significance of bitters began to take root, so to speak.
 

 

The final cocktail of the evening (at least as far as this bitters class was concerned) rested on a full 1 1/2 oz of Angostura Sour.  While that amount was quite the declension from the typical amount of bitters used, I was captivated by the concept.  The volume of the Angostura and the inclusion of a small egg white, among the other ingredients, demonstrated a pleasantly unique taste. 

"Let's taste them all together," Derek concluded as he passed around each bottle in his menagerie of bitters. He encouraged everyone to dribble a few drops of the ink-like liquid onto their hands to try. Impressive as Derek is at crafting a drink, his incredible generosity and curiosity far outshines the talent or the attention to detail he so obviously possesses.  He also has to be one of the tidiest bartenders I have ever met. 

Sadly, the class was running close to its allotted time. Each bittering agent was added to vodka (a neutral grain spirit) for maceration. In two weeks, when we return to the Columbia Room, Derek will resume the final half of the lesson with home-made bitters.  Look for Part II of this post in the weeks ahead.

I am really hoping the lesson will include a detailed unit on that cannabis bitters.  Maybe, just maybe, if I wish hard enough…

Congratulations to Churchkey

Express Night Out listed Churchkey in their Best of 2010 beer list.  Congratulations to my friend Erik Bergman, the general manager of Churchkey, and his staff for the well-deserved recognition.

Willy Wonka Cocktailing, Cont

Once again, Dave Arnold and the folks at the French Culinary Institute are producing some mirific beverages. 

Centrifugation.  Rotary evaporation.  Rapid infusion.  This is some amazing shit.

"Rum emerges as the cause - and supposed cure - for many illnesses and injuries at sea."

"On the same voyage, a scorpion sting nearly paralysed a sailor. He was revived by 'application of rum to the part'. Another man bitten by a tarantula received some 'rum and oil'."

Fascinating. 

Next Song for the Jukebox

Homeless Rob, the (part-time) Director of Hip-Hop Operations, has spoken.

Current Events: California Beer & Beverage Distributors v. California Proposition 19

True story.

Question: Is it shocking to see opposition from the California Beer & Beverage Distributors?  What's the significance of the support from microbrew companies?  What does the cigarette industry think about the possibility of a new kid on the block? 

Mixology Monday: Lime in the Coconut, Cont.

Check out the MxMo round-up at The Pegu Blog. 

Delicious. Lime. Drinks.

The ROOT Toddy

Recently my dear friend, Virginia Lee, noted on Harness Your Kim Chee that Google Analytics had revealed a treasure of information about the visitors of her blog.  Among it all, users had been touring the literature for her own kim chee recipe.  She hadn't quite come to that conclusion when formulating the name of the site and posting recipes.

In February, I began writing about ROOT liqueur.  And at Tonic, I serve a cocktail that we call The Rusty ROOT.  Well thanks to Google Analytics, it seems that users have drifted to DLDGLG in hopes of discovering other ROOT liqueur cocktails.  Some have even been looking for combinations of ROOT and cherry bitters, which I found very interesting.  I'm guessing somebody had a ROOT cocktail with that combination at a bar somewhere. 

But I wanted to carry ROOT in a different trajectory.  According to Art in the Age:

ROOT traces its heritage all the way back to the 1700s when colonists were first introduced to the Root Tea that Native Americans would drink as an herbal remedy. Brewed from sassafras, sarsaparilla, wintergreen birch bark, and other roots and herbs, Root Tea was used to cure a variety of ailments. As colonial settlers passed the recipe down form generation to generation, the drink grew in potency and complexity. This was especially true in the Pennsylvania hinterlands where the ingredients naturally grew in abundance. These homemade, extra-strong Root Teas were a favorite in colonial homes and public houses all over the northeastern colonies.

Borrowing from the warm heritage of ROOT, I looked to the Hot Toddy as a vehicle for these flavors.  There's dozens of variations that I'm certain can be composed from this concept.  But this recipe is my initial attempt at an original delicious fall/winter beverage.   

The ROOT Toddy

- 2 1/2 oz of ROOT liqueur
- 3/4 oz of Gran Marnier
- 1 oz of home-made cinnamon syrup
- 1 orange rind
- hot water

Glassware: mug or toddy glass

Pour cinnamon syrup into the glass.  Throw in the orange rind.  Lightly muddle the rind into the syrup (don't break it as it will be the garnish). 

Add Gran Marnier and ROOT liqueur.  Add hot water and stir.  Enjoy.

The least troublesome manner of introducing the cinnamon (and possibly other spices, like nutmeg) was to create a simple syrup with it.  I anticipate a little more exploration with this drink.  Don't stray for too long, I may slip on a labcoat and take a swing at that ROOT and cherry bitters concoction.

Mixology Monday: Lime in the Coconut

As summer recedes, the last of the tiki drinks and boat drinks are being confected.  Dainty swimming trunks will turn into furry fleece jackets while mojitos will make way for hot toddies. 

When I saw that The Pegu Blog had picked limes as its theme for Mixology Monday I could only think of one drink for my maiden MxMo post.  I opted for simplicity.  However, I risked redundancy of this drink amongst my fellow contributors.  How contemptuous that would be... similar in the way two coworkers mistakenly show up to the office wearing the exact same ensemble. 

But I digress.

The great Gina Chersevani (of PS7s) was my source for this particular recipe - which is delicious.  I ventured the extra mile, heinously chopped open a young coconut and used it as the goblet. 

Lime in the Coconut

- 1 1/2 oz of Bacardi Rum

- 1 oz of fresh squeezed lime juice

- 1 oz of coconut water

- 1/2 oz of ginger syrup

- pinch of cinnamon

- 10 mint leaves

Pour rum, lime juice, coconut water, ginger syrup, cinnamon and 10 whole mint leaves into a glass with ice.  Shake vigorously and strain into a glass (or a coconut) with crushed ice.  Garnish with a lime wheel and a few sprigs of mint.  For extra aromatics, give the mint a slap or two in your hand to release a little bit of the juices in the leaves. 

Refreshing and tropical, its a delightful concoction that invokes that quaint island lifestyle - even if the everyday reality of that life is hardly so picturesque. 

And now, covering the famed "Lime in the Coconut" tune by Harry Nilsson, dear reader... Kermit the Frog.

Next Song for the Jukebox

Meet Fritz Maytag

Owner of Anchor Brewing Company.

"Cocktail shaking is a violent activity"

Indeed.

I love Cooking Issues. 

"Boardwalk Empire" Gets Inside Prohibition

Martin Scorsese teams up with Terrance Winter (of the Sopranos) to recreate Atlantic City, New Jersey during Prohibition.  Steve Buscemi is a racketeer.  Enough said. 

When I reflect on alcohol history in the United States I think of things before and after Prohibition.  Americans' perception of booze remains altered since that era.  I hope we're treated to a superbly brutal series. 

BTW - Episodes I can't wait to see: the celebration after the Volstead Act is implemented into law.

The Proust Questionnaire: Floyd White III

Ice cubes jingled in the glasses of Oban 14 year old scotch whisky as the bartender sat them onto the table.  Floyd took an eager sip and I made some joke about whisky being an "amber restorative".  He barely let out a chortle before another server called for his managerial assistance.  Our conversation was stitched together in a series of these interruptions, but it's to be expected.  Managers in this industry seldomly (dare I say - never) enjoy a warm meal.

Floyd manages the bar in Tonic at Quigley's Pharmacy and provides the saloon's cult of personality.  Graduated from The Univeristy of Louisiana at Monroe with a degree in pre-law History, Floyd envisioned a future as a professional golfer.  This ambition seems understandable when one recognizes that his father was once drafted as a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs.  Chance ensured injury would keep his father's tenure brief.  But Floyd's namesake altered his profession and became a Federal Marshall.  His mother became a judge. 

Despite the legacy in law enforcement and justice Floyd found professional calling in hospitality and service.  And so, with only a few sips left in our glasses, Floyd graciously provided answers to my Proust Questionnaire. 

The Proust Questionnaire: Floyd White III

What’s your favorite virtue?
"Selflessness.  Nothing more admirable than giving - in any capacity"

What do you believe is your chief characteristic as a person?
"Adaptable personality"

What’s your main fault/shortcoming?
"Patience.  Many times I forget that the rest of the world doesn't view things the way I do"

What do you appreciate the most in your friends?
"Consistency"

What’s your favorite qualities in the same sex?
"A strong communicator, wit, dependability"

What’s your favorite qualities in the opposite sex?
"Selflessness, a nurturing attitude, humor, and rationale"

What’s a natural talent you'd like to be gifted with?
"Photographic memory"

For what fault do you have the most toleration?
"Ignorance.  If you don't know you simply don't know"

For what fault do you have the least toleration?
"Stupidity.  No excuses"

What’s your idea of happiness?
"Family and food"

What’s your idea of misery?
"Incompatibility.  You can't force it"

How would you wish to die?
"Playing golf or having 'sexy time'"

What is your football/baseball/basketball/college/hockey/soccer team?
"LSU football"

What’s your favorite occupation (besides bartending)?
Teaching golf.  Teaching women.  There's also something about being a mentor to kids.

Where would you most like to live?
DC.  Period.

Who’s your favorite actor/actress?
Samuel L Jackson.

Who’s your favorite comedian?
Dave Chappelle.

Who’s your favorite band/musician?
Sam Cooke or Maxwell.

Who’s your favorite art (painting, poem, sculpture, song)?
An unknown painting by T Mutombo.  

What’s your favorite book?
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.

Name your favorite hero/heroine in fiction?
The main character from The Invisible Man.

What was your favorite subject in high school?
P.E.

What was your least favorite subject in high school?
American History.

Name your favorite American president?
Barak Obama.

Name your favorite non-American historical figure?
Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

Name your favorite hero/heroine in real life?
Mom.

The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
The Beatles.

Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi.

Cats or dogs?
Dogs.

What do you believe is your greatest characteristic as a bartender?
Personality and being personable.

What is your main fault/shortcoming as a bartender?
Not being immersed in the systems and dimensions of the bar.

What is your shot of choice?
Any whiskey.

Who is your Obi Wan Kenobi (i.e. Who taught you the most as a bartender)?
A bartender named Don at a bar at Frenchman's Bend golf course in Louisiana.

At which bar did you grow the most?
Frenchman's Bend.

Who was your favorite customer?
A family who use to come into Frenchman's Bend. Sometimes they all came in together and sometimes they came in separately.  Either way, each member of the family was a complete joy to serve. 

Who was your worst customer?
Aside from the typical drunken jerks... a student at Tonic who leaves insulting tips (e.g. 11 cents).

AM or PM bar shifts?
PM

What’s your favorite beer?
Chimay Blue.

What’s your favorite wine?
Any red wine blend.

What’s your favorite spirit?
Jameson Irish Whisky.

What’s your favorite cocktail?
Long Island Ice Tea.
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part rum
- 1 part tequila
- 1 part triple sec
- sour mix
- splash of cola

What is the stupidest cocktail?
The Sour Apple Martini.
- 2 parts vodka
- 1 part sour apple liqueur
- splash of sour mix

 What is your favorite cocktail name?
Margarita.

What bar has the most unique/funny name?
The Full Circle.

If you had to choose only one, would it be beer, wine, cocktail, or spirit?
Spirit.

Who’s your favorite bartender?
Bruck Gurma.  He use to work at Dream Night Club.

What’s your favorite bar/restaurant (in DC)?
Sidebar in Silver Spring, Maryland (basically in DC).

What’s your favorite bar/restaurant (outside of DC)?
Waterfront Grill.  It sits on the bayou in Monroe, Louisiana.

What side-work do you have the most toleration?
Restocking.

What side-work do you have the least toleration?
Cleaning.

Have you ever been fired from a bar job?
Yes. 

"Everyone wants a piece of the big spirits industry pie"

The Atlantic certainly has been detonating some conversations lately.  If Andrew Sullivan is not battling the populist/reality TV politics of Sarah Palin then Jeffery Goldberg is sending pundits bristling over a looming Israeli attack on Iran.  On a less gravitated note, this week Chantal Martineau wrote an the article addressing "The Era of Copyrighted Cocktails".  This topic sent the mixologist community into a Dervish-dance over the concept.

Essentially, the Tales of the Cocktail event featured a seminar concentrating on protecting mixologist intellectual property rights.  

Surely, we are in unsurveyed territory.

Discussion began swirling between advocates and opponents on the wisdom of such an approach.  I am not acquainted with Eben Freeman and I am not totally convinced this is a Howard Beale moment.  However, I do question the doctrine.  As Jacob Grier wrote:

Intellectual property exists to promote progress. Its purpose is not to ensure that no one’s ideas are stolen or that creative people can earn a living, unless those things are needed to promote progress in a field.

In other words, the mixology community is thriving in an open system model.  Why be unnecessarily reactionary or counterrevolutionary? 

I have questioned in good faith my own inventions and confections.  Those of us at the base of the totem should be sensitive to the professionals who are exposing their audiences to original cocktails. 

However, many of the artistic and expressive epochs were battened as a result of the water-shedding of influential ideas.  Lawsuits and litigation risk discouraging just as many amature enthusiasts as it would invariably deter shameless plagiarists.  The whole movement gets grazed in the testicles.  

My own de gustibus on this subject is not complete.  And I can scarcely image the struggle over intangible assests will lose momentum.  So I anticipate exploration of the topic with the mixologists within my access.  I expect to post further on intellectual property rights on cocktails moving forward so stay tuned. 

Whisky = Fuel

I read on the Huffington Post that "Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University produced a type of fuel called butanol using "pot ale" - the liquid residue from copper stills - and "draff," or leftover grain."

Quite possibly the greatest discovery since "Doc" Brown supplanted the plutonium fuel source for a more environmentally-friendly fuel source on his Delorean time machine. 

Indeed, the future is NOW, dear reader.