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.