Saturday, April 21, 2012

Cheers, Mother Earth!

There is much debate about which alcoholic beverages are the most  - and least - eco-friendly. Beer? Wine? Spirits? What's the best choice for an environmentally-conscious imbiber?

Though I'm not LEED certified, in my life outside of the cocktail world I have done quite a bit of work that has taught more than passing knowledge of environmental impact standards and sustainable practices.

I'm not going to get into organic processes and agriculture - that's a topic onto itself - but it is certainly a factor in eco-friendly imbibing. Just look for the certified organic logo on the label. A lot of microbrews are certified organic, as are many wines, especially California wines. Italy and France are coming around to the organic farm wagon. I notice a marked increase in organic wines from Italy, lately. Juniper Green and Organic Nation organic gins are solid choices for gin drinkers looking for an organically grown beverage. Vodka drinkers looking for an organically grown plant of origin may want to try Square One, Crop and Ocean brand vodkas. I have friends in Hawai'i (where Ocean vodka is produced) who gifted me with a couple bottles of Ocean, and I was impressed with it. It's not only certified organic, it's GMO-free which is sweet music to my ears. The fewer GMOs in my body and on the planet, the happier I am.  Benromach is a certified organic Speyside single malt whisky you might want to try. It may not be easy to find outside of metropolitan areas in the US but I have seen and tasted it in the Chicago area, so it's not impossible to find it in the US. And for you tequila drinkers, when you mix a margarita, try 4 Copas brand tequila. It's certified organic. They are environmentally conscious enough to offer a Sea Turtle themed bottle with proceeds of sales donated to www.seaturtle.org. Certified organic and helping turtles and a margarita? Win-win-win. Rum drinkers might want to try Crusoe organic rum. (Their site has some yummy rum drink recipes!)

There are many (many) factors in ascertaining a product's environmental impact and its sustainability, but for the sake of this discussion we'll stick to the basic main factors to be considered in assessing environmental impact.

  • Toxins/pollutants produced in the growing, materials collection, refining (in this case distilling) process, manufacturing, packaging and distributing the product. Air, water, soil and noise (yes, noise can negatively impact the environment and sustainability) are the four main areas of consideration.
  • Environmental impact of harvesting crops - this is a huge factor for alcohol. Think: Hops and barley for beer, grapes for wine, juniper berries for gin, potatoes for vodka...if it grows before it's distilled, the crops have a huge environmental impact. Thanks to advances in agricultural education and soil management, over-harvesting isn't the catastrophic problem that it once was, but, the fertilizers and GMOs added to the plants and soil to grow bumper crops of grains and fruits that will one day be beer, wine and spirits negatively impact the soil and air as well as the affiliated plant, insect and pollination process. More fertilizer may mean more barley, but it also means more chemical pollution in the soil and air. Also think: pesticides. Nasty, nasty pesticides. This is where the organic certification is a big factor. Ditto GMOs.
  • How much waste is produced and dumped in the manufacturing process? And what is that waste? Beer gets my vote for most wasteful alcoholic beverage manufacturing process. I've heard varying statistics on how much water is used in the beer manufacturing process. The ratio I hear most is that breweries use 10 times more water than what leaves as finished beer product. Which means one bottle of beer results in 10 more bottles of waste water. (Which is ironic because that's what happens when I drink a bottle of beer, too.) That's a lot of wasted water. In fairness to the beer industry, many (most global brands) manufacturers are making real, concerted efforts to reduce the waste, especially water, in their manufacturing processes. And speaking of waste, Scotland has brewed up a way to convert the leftover sludge from whisky production into biofuel. Which means technically a car could be drinking and driving.
  • How much and what type of energy is used in growing, manufacturing and packaging the product? Think about ingredients and how they're grown/harvested or produced. Water is a huge issue in alcohol production. The brewing and distilling processes use a lot of water. Ditto sugar and sugar cane. Think about the farms where the grains and fruits of your favorite beverages are grown. What's involved in growing and harvesting those grains and fruits? Tractors, threshers, combines...all that farm equipment uses a lot of fuel and emits a lot of pollutants. And those plants need water to grow, if it's a dry growing season, factor in the hydration equipment (and the water used to hydrate the plants). 
  • Speaking of packaging...glass? can? tetra package? straight from the keg or cask? What about cartons? Labels? Label adhesive? Ink/paint on cans? Depending on where you live, glass and aluminum cans that can be easily recycled are a good option. Most wine and spirit bottles are exempt from the mandatory bottle deposit/return recycle laws in states participating in bottle return deposit programs, so recycling them takes a little more effort on the part of the consumer. If your town doesn't have a recycling program (or you do not participate), then tetra packaging is a great way to go. Increasingly more wines are available in tetra packaging. Serious wine enthusiasts argue that flavor is compromised in tetra packaging, but for the casual wine consumer, most of the wines available in tetra packaging get high marks for their price range. Beer, wine, whiskey...any beverage aged in wood barrels means the same forestry eco-issues prevalent in any wood-based industry are to be considered. Check to see if your favorite barrel-aged beverage is aging in a recycled barrel. Some vineyards are using stainless steel casks. I've tried a couple "stainless wines" and so far, so good.* The printing industry was one of the earliest industries to come under enormous environmental/sustainable scrutiny. Consequently, it's one of the industries that led the way in innovating environmentally conscious solutions. If your favorite beverage manufacturer is using sustainable inks, paper and adhesives, they'll probably mention it on their website. As you look at the 4" x 6" label on your wine or spirit bottle, it may seem like a minor consideration, but, consider all the bottles of that beverage in a case...in 12  cases...it starts adding up to a lot of paper, ink and adhesive. Using recycled paper, bioinks and adhesives are steps beverage manufacturers can make to make considerable headway in Earth stewardship.
  • How much and what type of transportation is used in getting the raw materials to the manufacturing facility; then, how much and what type of transportation is used in the the distribution of the finished product? Love your Canadian import Molson or Guinness from Ireland? Wine from France, gin from England, whisky from Scotland? Yeah, me, too. But. Transporting those imports requires a lot of trucking, shipping, and more trucking, in some cases flying, and those trucks, freight ships and cargo planes use a lot of fuel and emit a lot of pollution. Locally produced beverages not only help reduce the transportation costs affiliated with distributing, but also support local, often independent businesses and their employees. 
*Stainless cask aged wines obviously lack the oak and other wood-based notes, but for those who like fruity, zesty wines, they're a great green option. It's like vinyl records v. digital audio files. Records have literal depth of sound, a physical tonal element that digital recordings lack, however digital files are clear and bright. Some types of music, techno and industrial, for instance, lend themselves to digital recording, but full symphonic or wall-of-guitars recordings lend themselves to vinyl. Personal preference. I like happen to like zesty, light, fruity wines, so stainless barrels don't impair my wine enjoyment.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

April 21 is Record Store Day! And 2012 is the fifth anniversary of a day dedicated to the unique joy and treasures that can only be found at a bona fide record store. Head out to your local record store and spend time browsing through the bins. Oh come on, you know there's a record, cd or some bit of musical nostalgia from your childhood you'd love to find. Go on, get out there and support record stores. 

I've been trying to sort out the "best" drinks for Record Store Day. Lots of types of music are sold in record stores, but spending an afternoon riffling through record bins = rock and roll a la High Fidelity. In my mind, rock and roll drinks are straight up, well, rock and roll. Jack Daniels, maybe a Jack and Coke. Vodka and/or tequila shots. Jägermeister. Everclear. Absynthe for the Hendrixesque crowd. And the staple of dingy live clubs around the world: really crappy, cheap beer. In plastic cups.

The softer, gentler side of Keith Moon.
I find it difficult to imagine the Keiths (Richards and Moon) drinking anything other than straight, hard liquor. I'm guessing in his day Keith Moon would drink anything, but, somehow I struggle to conjure an image of him sipping a mint julep.

Sadly, rock and roll is closely associated with overindulgence. As much as much as I love trying all the interesting spirits of the world, as a conscientious human being and bartender, I do not condone drinking to the point of loss of motor skills. It's a rock and roll way to go, but, truly, there's nothing cool about drowning in a pool of vomit.

*I ❤ you, Kurt.*
Sometimes I am conflicted about alcohol. It can ruin lives. That point can be argued with, "Alcohol doesn't ruin lives, people make choices that ruin their lives." And I agree with that. I am certainly not in favor of prohibition. We are all responsible for ourselves and our choices. But. Still. Do I want to be the one to aid and abet someone who is demonized by or abusing alcohol? Not really. I don't think about this very often, but when I do it's usually when the subject of a dead rocker is being discussed. Because alcohol is a factor in a lot of rockers' deaths. I am a huge Nirvana fan. It saddens me that alcohol played a role in Kurt Cobain's death. The spirits I find infinitely interesting to explore for their taste have a sinister underbelly when exploring tastes in libations turns into seeking emotional solace in a bottle. But that's a blog for another day. The reality is that if I could time travel back to pre-1994 and be a bartender and were Kurt Cobain to sit down at my bar, I would serve him whatever he wanted and offer to mix him up something special, too.

I'm throwing a little soiré for Record Store Day. After hitting a few favorite local music emporiums there's a small group convening at my place to share the joy of the musical treasures we find. I'm not big on over-the-top theme decor, but a few thematic touches here and there do add to the festive air of any party or bar. There are some "cute" arts and crafts projects you can make from old records. Coasters made from 45s seem to be a popular staple with the etsy crowd. But to me that's tantamount to wearing a sweater made from baby seal fur. (There's a visual lesson on YouTube *shudder* I can't bear to watch.) For those of us who worship at the altar of rock and roll, records are venerated objects. (Okay, the Grand Funk wrist cuffs are kinda funny/cool.) No matter how crappy the band or song, all records matter. Somewhere out there is fan or collector who's looking for a good condition The Night Chicago Died 45. We're not here to judge, we're here to share in our love and passion for music, unified in our steadfast belief that there's salvation in music and that record stores hallowed sanctuaries.

Right, so, back to the task at hand, what to serve my guests on Record Store Day? Rock and roll themed drinks? Well, there are a few.

Purple Haze 
This is a fairly common drink, but the recipes vary.  Most variations contain Chambord®.

The easiest Purple Haze recipe is a shot/shooter:
1 1/4 oz. Vodka
3/4 oz. Chambord
Splash of 7-Up or Sprite 
Ice

How you'll build it:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Martini shake. Strain into a shot glass.  

The next variation is from the Long Island Iced Tea drink genre
What you'll need:

1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2 oz. Rum
1/2 oz. Vodka
1/2 oz. Gin
1/2 oz. Chambord®
1 oz. Sweet and Sour Mix
7-Up or Sprite
Ice
Lemon or orange twist or cherry for garnish
Collins glass

How you'll build it:
Fill glass with ice. Add liquors to an ice-filled Collins glass. Add sour mix, top with 7-up, garnish.


Songs about drinking
Supersuckers: Good Night for My Drinkin'
Replacements: Here Comes a Regular & Beer for Breakfast
Social Distortion: Ball and Chain
John Lee Hooker's version of: One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
Wilco: Passenger Side
Dean Martin: Little Ol' Wine Drinker, (Me)
The Champs: Tequila
Pretenders: Tequila
Tom Waits: The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me)
Violent Femmes: Don't Get Me Started on the Liquor
Pogues: Streams of Whiskey
UB40: Red, Red Wine
Eagles: Tequila Sunrise
The Kinks: Alcohol
George Thorogood: I Drink Alone


Drinking Shots
Elvis
TCB. I'm guessing that's a Gimlet. With mutton chop chaser.
Janis Joplin
Texas blues. Southern Comfort.
The Beatles
Let it be(er). What a sad looking bar. What a sad looking John Lennon.
Ray Davies
Where have all the good times gone?
Keith Richards, Tina Turner, David Bowie
BYOB, apparently. Keith Richards. Tina Turner. David Bowie.
Sid Vicious & Nancy Spungen
 Nancy and Sid. Pretty. Vacant.


Boy.
Bono and The Edge
I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight. 
Bono
Wow. Who knew? This whole "photos of Bono drinking" thing is kind of fun! He looks like a James Bond villain.
Bono and The Edge
Bonus Bono: Huh. Without glasses Bono looks uncannily like Robin Williams. 

Jimmy Page
Now my body is starting to quiver
And the palms of my hands getting wet
I've got no reason to doubt you baby,
It's all a terrible mess. Easy, there, Jimmy,
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
Iggy Pop
Blah, blah, blah. Kate Moss, Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop.

Van Halen
Colt 45? Ain't talkin' 'bout love.

Beastie Boys
You gotta fight for your right to party, or whatever this is.

Metallica
Whiskey in a jar...beer in a bottle.
The Clash
Backstage Clash. Beer and Pepsi.
The Replacements
Replacement men. All I wanna do is drink beer for breakfast.
Violent Femmes
Don't get me started on the liquor.

Kim Deal no longer drinks alcohol (respect) but back in the day...
Give me Novocaine. Or beer.


Oh demon alcohol,
Sad memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would say,
Damn it all and blow it all,
Oh demon alcohol,
Memories I cannot recall,
Who thought I would fall a slave to demon alcohol.
-Kinks

Friday, April 6, 2012

Passover

Mistress Mix has been, shall we say, otherwise occupied of late.

Passover is upon us. Alcoholic beverage choices during Passover are often relegated to the safest un-chametz choice: Kosher wine. Which often translates to Maneschewitz. Tradition!

Most bars keep at least one variety of Maneschewitz on hand for kosher patrons. It's regarded as irrefutably kosher and, truly, quite palatable. If you're hosting a party with guests of unknown spiritual preferences in food/beverage, it's a good idea to procure a bottle of Maneschewetz in case you have a kosher guest.

But.

Also.

Even though it can be difficult to navigate booze ingredient listings (you often need an advanced chemistry degree to discern exactly what is in the bottle) the Orthodox Union is trying to make selecting kosher products easier.

Even if you are not concerned about kosher food and beverage, you may have guests, friends or patrons who are. So it's polite and nice to know at least a few basic fundamentals about kosher spirits so that you offer appropriate beverages to your kosher guests/patrons. If you're working behind a bar or hosting a large party, make sure you know which of your beverages are kosher. If you discover you don't have any kosher beverages, get some!

And it's easy. You probably already have several Passover-safe beverages on hand. Look at the labels, usually somewhere close to the ingredients and distribution info. If you see this symbol on the label you have a kosher beverage:
Orthodox Union seal of approval
Not to be confused with the UL (Underwriters Laboratory) approved logo that gives us peace of mind with our electronic household items:

A different kind of peace of mind.
Speaking of household appliances, if you are going to make blender drinks keep your orthodox guests in mind! Your blender has probably blended a dairy product at some point, and possibly, also, a meat product (chicken and beef stock count as meat) thus rendering your blender container and blade unfit for orthodox use. This may seem very strict, presuming you have thoroughly cleaned the blender, but, for strict adherence to the kosher laws do not use any vessel that has contained dairy and meat to mix kosher cocktails. Some vegans are strict about their vessels, as well. I keep a kosher blender container and blade as well as a cocktail shaker handy but secured away from accidental use by unknowing bar helpers. They're all clearly labeled: Kosher/vegan. When in doubt, just ask yourself this: "Has this item come in contact with a food or beverage that comes out of or is part of an animal?" If the answer is yes, err on the side of caution and don't use it to mix drinks for your kosher or vegan guests. Extreme? Yes. But. You don't want to inadvertently make a guest break their religious or ethical code of conduct.

If you think you have to spend a lot of time and money procuring an OU approved beverage, guess again!

I found this site that details the OU nitty gritty of alcoholic beverages. It's a very comprehensive list of what's okay, what's not okay, and what's on a case-by-case basis. It's a handy referral site for batenders and hosts, especially during Passover. (April 6 - 14 in 2012)

In 2006, the Orthodox Union worked with Absolut to distill vodkas that do not contain chametz (or chumetz or chometz). Several (perhaps now all) flavors of Absolut are now Orthodox Union certified.

Not sure if your bottle of Absolut or other beverage is orthodox? Fear not, it's easy to discern!

I happened to have a bottle of Absolut handy and the OU symbol is easy to locate and discern.

Further, Absolut has a Passover drink recipe on their site. I haven't tried it, yet, but it sounds yummy. I would add a few ounces of club soda for a little fizz and to thin the syrupy-ness of the juice and passionfruit liqueur.

Passover Cocktail
What you'll need
1 oz. Absolut® Vodka
2 oz. Passionfruit Liqueur* or Passionfruit Flavored Vodka
6 oz. Grapefruit Juice
Ice
Highball glass

How you'll build it:
Fill glass with ice. Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Gently roll to blend and pour over ice in highball glass.

*I like Passoã®, but without a bottle handy I cannot confirm that it is kosher and their site doesn't list ingredients/manufacturing processes, nor is it listed on kashrut.com. Before serving a drink with Passoã® to a kosher guest, check the ingredients to be sure it's chametz-free. Smirnoff has a passionfruit flavored vodka that is kosher approved, so that's a good choice. I can't vouch for the flavor, but I'm guessing it's not as strong, passionate, as straight passionfruit liqueur.


Passionfruit. Passion of Jesus. This would also make a lovely Easter brunch cocktail, so if you're bartending or hosting a party during Passover and Easter weekend you have the Jewish and Christian bases covered in one drink. And who says religious differences can't be overcome?! All we need is a good drink to find some common ground.
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