Of Blenders and Beer Slurpees®

Two days before the opening weekend of Summer and my blender breaks.

Months of frozen drinks spreading out before us and I was blenderless.

Although. It wasn't a complete surprise. My blender has been showing signs of decline for a while. But it's never been the most graceful machine in the kitchen, so I thought maybe it was just developing some new noises and smells to add to its already vast cacophony cache. Sadly, the smell of burning or melting...something...and the grinding ratchetty noises the motor made were sounding more like sawing piercing noises...and the base was getting a lot more hot than usual...a lot faster than usual. When little wisps of smoke starting swirling up and around the blender container I knew things were not, um, good. But when it started leaking and oozing burned goo out and around the base I knew all the little quirks of my blender were turning into signs warning me of dangerous machinery.

It was time to say good-bye.

But it wasn't easy. I grow attached to my appliances. Blame too many viewings of The Brave Little Toaster. They're part of my team. And while I'm handy with mixology, when it comes to creating other types of food I need all the help and expertise I can plug in.

But my blender, "Blendy McMixter," was the most special appliance I've ever owned.

I inherited it from my parents. It's a Hamilton Beach circa 1972. My parents were "we're firing up the grill, come on over!" kind of people. From Memorial Day to Labor Day our back yard was Backyard Party Central with friends and relations dropping by for a drink, a meal or just to "visit." 

The story goes that on a Friday before Memorial Day, my dad came home from work with the blender, a bag of ice and a bottle of rum. He stopped at the hardware store on the way home from work and a woman was doing a blender demonstration. She must have been some kind of fabulous sales person because my dad rarely fell for in-store demonstrations. He arrived home enthusing about all the glorious uses for the blender, and the woman who did the demo at the store handed out recipes for various daiquiris. My mother thought it just meant more work for her. She was not impressed. She immediately banished the blender to the hard to reach bottom shelf in the back of the pantry. My father just as quickly retrieved it and set it up on the counter to show off all the features of the new blender. His argument for the blender was that the ladies who frequented as guests in the summer weren't Scotch and soda or beer types of gals and that it would be nice to offer beverages other than wine for more feminine palates. You know, foo foo drinks. My mother likes a Grasshopper and the occasional Pink Lady, so his argument was not without merit. My dad also vowed that my mother wouldn't have to do a thing, he would take care of all the blender prep, he would make frozen daiquiris and man the blender all summer long.

And that is how my father became known as Master Grill and Chill. He did commandeer the blender and became adept at mixing pitchers of various frozen drinks. It was his contention that almost any drink that doesn't contain Scotch can be a frozen drink. He tried them all. Frozen whiskey sours. Frozen Madrases. Frozen Long Island Iced Teas. Name a drink (that doesn't contain Scotch) and he tried to make a frozen version. He learned that his theory broke down with any drink that requires a carbonated beverage. Rum and cokes, vodka/gin tonics, 7 & 7s all fell flat, literally, when mixed with ice and whirled in the blender. I concur.  Ditto beer. Yes. My dad tried, more than once, to make what were basically beer Slurpees®. There were a few guests who claimed to like to them, which gave my dad encouragement to continue with the frozen beer drink experimentation. Apart from the few guests who liked them, they were considered abominations and my father eventually discontinued his beer in the blender experiments.

The blender was noisy. I mean really noisy. Which was another reason my mother hated it. She says that even brand new it sounded like it was grinding tin cans. She was certain there was something wrong with it and wanted my dad to return it for a refund or at least exchange it for one that didn't make so much noise. My dad wouldn't budge, he saw the demo and the demo blender made all that racket, too. I think, for my dad, the noise was part of the fun, part of the show, part of the mystique. It sounded like a power tool which made it more manly. But to compromise with my mother, he rigged up a little blender bar outside on the patio. This required him to man a couple of stations because he had a special grill area away from the patio (and the house). He tried a few extension cord set-ups, but with kids running around and adults drinking rum, it soon proved safer to have the blender stationed on the patio, close to an outlet. Around 3:00 on Saturdays and Sundays he lugged the blender, buckets of ice and mixers out to the patio. By 4:00 the sound of the blender could be heard echoing all over the neighborhood. The neighbor's beagles used to howl at the sound of my dad's blender. This embarrassed my mother but she preferred the outdoor bar over the kitchen counter.

Summer is filled with sensory emotional triggers. The feel of sand on bare feet. The smell of peanuts at a baseball game and charcoal ignited in the grill in the backyard. The taste of a fresh tomato. The bluest blue skies. The sound of lawn mowers and kids squealing as they run through sprinklers. For me that ubiquitous list includes the sound of a blender. It's not summer until the sound of the blender's motor grinding ice and beverages into frozen bliss can be heard throughout the neighborhood.

After every Labor Day, my father gave the blender a thorough cleaning and put it away on the hard to reach bottom shelf in the back of the pantry. It there hibernated until a couple days before Memorial Day when my dad took it out, cleaned it (again) and gave it a lube job.

By the time I got my first apartment my parents (meaning my dad) had upgraded to a food processor (better ice shaving and more thorough/faster mixing). I was given the blender. No longer allowed to hibernate, Blendy McMixter rose to the year round challenges I gave it. For several years, other than a microwave it was the only appliance I owned. Drinks. Fruit smoothies. Applesauce. Salsa. Hummus. Blendy McMixter had the prep of the basic food groups covered. Yes, it was still ridiculously noisy, but I think my dad was onto something. That is part of the blender mystique. All that raw power at your fingertips...it's quite a powerful feeling. Like riding a motorcycle. Okay. Like riding a Vespa.

I've used lots of blenders and food processors other than Blendy. They're a party and bar staple. Most bars have at least one and it's usually old, noisy, and the blades are bent, broken or missing. And the mechanism doesn't work exactly the way it should thanks to maintenance neglect. My dad was right, you really do have to thoroughly clean a blender after each use. Sticky, syrupy goo congeals, and other foods corrode.

A lot of bartenders hate blender drinks and pretend the bar doesn't have a blender or that it's broken. Once the blender comes out and whirs into action, a batender will be blending drinks all night. Why? Because people like frozen drinks.

The Magic Bullet is an infomercial mainstay for two reasons: Baby food and daiquiris/margaritas. Okay, technically that's three reasons. The only time I've ever seen anyone use a Magic Bullet when mixing a frozen cocktail or pulverizing fruit and vegetables into mush for toddlers. I've used one and I have to admit, it's a handy tool for a bartender. The smaller size and container capacity is perfect for mixing single drinks. It's fast, it's small and it's easy to clean. I know. I sound like the infomercial. Believe me, I was skeptical, "pffft, a Waring, Oster, Hamilton Beach...why go with a Johnny Come Lately when there are long lasting pros out there?"  But the thing won me over after a couple uses. It will never compete with a professional grade blender, or even a home blender, not fully, but, for bartending, the Magic Bullet is a great option.

I won a Krups "Midnight Cocktail" as a door prize at a pre-Y2K party. I was the envy of a couple other guests. It's battery operated, which is a great idea, especially for a drink mixer. But. The blade, which spells out "2000" is plastic. Plastic = fragile. And let's face it, no matter how many batteries or how big they are, the only thing that's getting pulverized by a battery powered blender is the plastic blade. It's cute and I've hung onto it through a few moves, it's a fine machine for blending liquids, good for mixing drinks without ice - a plus if you have guests or patrons who like their drinks neat. Another plus: It's great for aerating delicate froths or creams. If you're experimenting with flavoring whipped cream, something like the Krups Midnight Cocktail is the perfect solution. I've used it to whip cream on more than a few occasions while Blendy was busy with other huskier projects.

I had flirtations and even a dalliance or two with a Magic Bullet and food processors and even other blenders, but I always went home to Blendy McMixter.

After my dad died I found some sentimental solace in his blender. It was his. He had a lot of fun with it. When I used it I felt like I had a little shared moment with him. At first it made me sad to think of all the summers my dad set up the blender and the grill and became the backyard host, Master Grill and Chill. How was it possible that a blender could outlive my dad? The sadness slowly turned to catharsis and then fond nostalgia. Using the blender my dad used and maintained helped me feel like I still had a tangible part of him.

It has the Insta Blend feature, which was apparently a big selling feature in the demonstration that hooked my dad into buying it. You just press on the Insta Blend button for a few seconds and, well, it instantly blends. Go figure. The other options always, still, make me laugh. Whip, stir, puree, aerate, liquify, chop, pulverize. Pulverize. It has a pulverize button. And you can pulverize on hi or low speed. Someone, somewhere, was paid to come up with every cooking term that could possibly be associated with a whirring blade and associate them to different motor functions. Someone figured out the torque differential between pulverize and liquify. It's all marketing, I'm sure, but pretty nifty concept nonetheless. I've never had a reason to aerate anything, I've never seen a recipe that instructed me to aerate, but, I've slept soundly in the knowledge that if I ever need to aerate something, I can do it.

Lately it's shown signs of wear and age. We've both mixed a lot of drinks. Deep down I've known it was on its last blends, but I didn't want to let go. Letting go means losing a part of my dad. In that respect it's fitting the Blendy quit blending right before Memorial Day. "Sorry kid, I just don't have another summer in me. Wouldn't be right to let you down in the middle of summer. Better to get someone new on the roster before things really heat up outside and you want a frozen drink to cool you down."

So with heavy heart, I got rid of Blendy McMixter. I said a few words, as you do with an old friend. "Farewell, old friend. You served me and my family well. Thanks for all the drinks. No one ever blamed you for the beer Slurpees®. They weren't your fault. *They weren't your fault.*"


There are several Daiquiri mixes on the market and many are very good, easy options for Daiquiri enjoyment. Or, you can make them from scratch.

Easy Frozen Daiquiri
What you'll need:
1 oz. Light Rum (if you can get Cuban rum, that's the best option)
Sour mix
Ice
Cherry or lime for garnish
Rocks or hurricane glass

How you'll blend it:
Fill glass with ice. Empty ice from glass into blender. Add rum. Add sour mix to just below the ice level. Think back to physics and chemistry classes: Displacement. Blend until smooth but not liquid.


Classic Frozen Daiquiri
What you'll need:
1 1/2 oz. Light Rum (if you can get Cuban rum, that's the best option)
3/4 oz. Lime Juice
1/4 oz. Simple Syrup
Ice
Cherry or lime for garnish

Rocks or hurricane glass

How you'll blend it:
Fill glass with ice. Empty ice from glass into blender. Add rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Blend until smooth but not liquid.

Simple syrup is a truly simple bar staple. It's, simply, equal parts water and sugar mixed together in a bottle and vigorously shaken until blended. Some bars add a small amount of vodka (1/4 oz. at most) to extend the longevity of the simple syrup.

Happy Mother's Day

Something's wrong with the Beaver

It's Mother's Day! All hail mothers everywhere! A toast to the ladies who birthed us, changed our diapers, bathed us, clothed us, taught us valuable life skills like the importance of wearing clean underwear and looking both ways before crossing a street. Their font of wisdom is unending. Were it not for mothers who knows how many innovators and their innovations would have been lost to the world because they jumped off a bridge because everyone else was doing it?

I'm sure you're mother is fabulous. But. I have the most perfect mother in the world. Perfect because she's perfect for a kid like me. I'm certain there is not another mother who could have dealt with me with the unwavering patience and support my mother has given me.

Mom always said don't play ball in the house

Some mothers might not approve of imbibing, but, I say there's no one more deserving of a couple rounds of the top shelf goods than mothers. And Mother's Day brunches everywhere will echo that sentiment with Mother's Day/Brunch cocktail staples.

My dad and grandfather taught me about Scotch, and for that I'm grateful. But. My mother taught me most of what I know about Port. And how much to spike the punch when both the in-laws and friends from church are going to be together at the same party.* And champagne. Thanks to my mother I tasted and compared champagne to sparkling wine and learned to discern the difference. She also taught me how to make champagne cocktails, Kir Royales, French 75s...and Mimosas.

Ahhhh, Mimosas. The staple of brunches everywhere. Especially Mother's Day brunches. And for good reason. Champagne is the penultimate celebratory beverage. And mothers deserve nothing but the penultimate. If you're toasting your mother, or any mother, it better be with champagne, or at least a premium sparkling wine.

When making Mimosas it's not imperative that you use champagne. Because orange juice is heavy and syrupy, the delicate flavors of champagne get lost and somewhat wasted in a Mimosa. That's not to say you can skimp with a cheap bottle of sparkling wine when making Mimosas, but, as long as the Mimosa is poured and served shortly after corking, a nicely chilled mid-range sparkling wine is fine when making Mimosas. A strawberry garnish is traditional, but an orange slice is okay, too. If you choose to go traditional with a strawberry, make sure it's a large, fresh, juicy strawberry that you'd want to eat. In a Mimosa, the strawberry garnish isn't just for fancy looks. It imparts a slight hint of berry which tempers the orange juice and perfectly compliments the sparkling wine. So. Choose strawberries wisely and do a taste test before plunking one in the Mimosa.

Mimosa
What you'll need:
Sparkling Wine, chilled
Orange Juice, chilled
Strawberries for garnish
Champagne flute

How you'll build it:
Pour sparkling wine into champagne flute, fill to about half full, or approximately an ounce or ounce and a half. Fill remainder of glass with orange juice. Garnish with a strawberry.

• A float of triple sec or curacao will add a little extra kick and punch up the orange flavor.
• A sprig of basil or mint with the garnish adds a nice aromatic lift.  A cute garnish idea: Hollow out the center of strawberry about 1/4 of the way into the berry; tuck a basil sprig or a couple mint leaves into the hole; slice the berry about halfway up from the pointy end and slide onto rim of glass.

Let's talk Bellini.

In America, Bellinis are often made with champagne/sparkling wine and peach schnapps or peach nectar. Which is an acceptable brunch beverage, but it's not a Bellini. Regardless of what you may have enjoyed at an Italian-themed chain restaurant, Bellinis are a traditional Italian cocktail. And like many Italian recipes, they require traditional ingredients; and there is a traditional process.

A traditional Bellini is made with marinated, puréed white peaches and Prosecco. Maybe a swirl of cherry juice depending on the region of Italy. That's it. That's a Bellini.

Just as there's a difference between champagne and sparkling wine, there's a difference between Prosecco and sparkling wine. Prosecco is champagne's Italian country cousin. Whereas champagne can only be called champagne if the grapes hail from the Champagne region of France, Prosecco is a type of grape which makes a unique type of wine, and Prosecco can only be called Prosecco if it's made from Prosecco grapes. (Prosecco and Glera are the same grape, so if you see "Glera" on the label, it's Prosecco.) Yes, it's white, yes, it's sparkling, yes, it's dry. But. It has a distinct flavor that separates it from the crowd of generic "sparkling wines." I've seen bottles of Prosecco from countries other than Italy, but I haven't ventured a taste. Italian Prosecco is affordable and offers a reliable taste and I have not found a reason to venture to another country's Prosecco offering.


Bellini 
What you'll need:
4 - 5 medium White peaches
Prosecco (or Italian sparkling wine)
Champagne flute
Peach slice for garnish

How you'll build it:
Skin and slice peaches. Marinate skinned peaches in Prosecco for 2 - 4 hours. If you can't find Prosecco, an Italian sparkling wine will work. Purée marinated peaches in a food processor or blender until smooth and liquid. Pour two ounces of marinated peach purée in a champagne flute. Top with Prosecco (or sparkling wine). Do not stir! Garnish with peach slice. 

Optional:

• Grenadine float.
• Cherry juice added after the peach purée, before the Prosecco.
• Three or four fresh blueberries on top make a nice garnish that nicely compliment the peaches.  

Cheers, bubala.

An old school champagne cocktail I learned from my mother is a French 75. I once read it's called a French 75 because that was the slang term for a gun the French used in WWI. I have no idea if this is true, but it makes sense because the cocktail originated around that time. Until I learn a more definitive origin, I'm sticking with that legend. My mother makes them with gin, so that's how I learned to make them. However, they are also made with cognac in place of the gin. The first time I had a cognac French 75 I wasn't sure what to make of it, but, it grew on me and now I like them both ways. I'm not sure which is definitively correct, but chances are you have easier access to gin than cognac, so it's an easy introduction to this champagne cocktail.

French 75
What you'll need:
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Gin or Cognac
1/2 oz Cointreau
Champagne - yes, champagne.
Ice cubes
Lemon Twist for garnish
Champagne flute
Cocktail shaker

How you'll build it:
Add lemon juice, gin/cognac, Cointreau and ice in cocktail shaker. Martini shake. Strain shaker contents into chilled champagne flute. Slowly add champagne to fill remainder of glass. Garnish with lemon twist. The mixers in this drink are not as heavy or syrupy as in a Mimosa or Bellini. You will taste the champagne, so it's a good idea to use actual champagne. Or at the very least a French sparkling wine. (Unless you're in a mood to offend France, in which case choose a California sparkling wine. You will compromise the flavor integrity of the drink (which sounds like a very French thing to say) but you won't be bowing down to the French wine conventionality.)

Some mothers are known for their pie. Other mothers are known for their cookies. Some mothers capture glory from their potato salad or even meat loaf. My mother does a good job in all of those categories. But what she's really known for is her punch. This is a very versatile concoction that is refreshing on a hot summer day and zesty on a New Year's Eve. It's perfect for brunches, teas, bridal and baby showers, but it can hold its own at a cocktail party, too. My bartending roots can be traced to this punch. When I was about 7 years old I was deemed old enough to take on punch mixing duties. When the first guest arrived I was to begin mixing the punch in the punch bowl. I mixed everything except the booze. Once I had all the ingredients in the bowl, I was to summon one of my parents to "finish the job" by adding the booze. Typically we made two bowls of punch, one spiked, one "child-safe." It's good with or without booze, so, it's a nice option for a baby shower. 

Okay, here we go. This is my mother's punch recipe. Yield: One punch bowl full.
What you'll need:
All ingredients should be chilled before mixing. Punch should be mixed as guests are arriving, no sooner.
Three Cups Grapefruit Juice
1/2 Cup Sugar
32 oz. bottle of Ginger Ale
32 oz. bottle of Club Soda
32 oz. bottle of Collins Mix or, if you can't acquire Collins Mix, Fresca/Sprite/Grapefruit Soda
Champagne/sparkling wine or vodka or gin to taste
Maraschino Cherries + juice
Punch bowl. Yes, you'll need a punch bowl. Or at the very least a couple of containers or pitchers large enough to hold 100 ounces of liquid. 

How you'll build it:

Any excuse to break out the punch bowl!

Mix grapefruit juice and sugar in a pitcher. Pour into punch bowl. Add the bottles of mixers. Add spirit of choice, to taste. If using champagne or sparkling wine, pour in the entire bottle. If using gin or vodka, think of it as pouring a large drink. For punches, you generally want a 1:4 ratio, 1 oz. of liquor to 4 ozs. of punch. But you know your guests and their tastes and tolerances, so add booze accordingly. Add about two dozen Maraschino cherries and a couple tablespoons of the cherry juice. If you're serving the punch to guests, garnish with a cherry. If guests are serving themselves, let them decide if they want to garnish their drink or not.

If you want a very strong punch, add gin, vodka, rum and tequila for a fruity punch version of a Long Island Iced Tea.


*Just enough to put people in a good mood, but will go undetected. For a family or light-drinking crowd, a 1:6 ratio is best - 1 ounce of booze/6 ounces of punch.

The Horses are at the Gate

Derby Day!

Okay, so I'm not much of a horse racing fan. But. I like horses. And Mint Juleps. And Kentucky Bourbon.

Some horses are mudders, "they love the slop," and if you like Mint Juleps, you are a mudder, or at least a muddler, too!

Classic Mint Julep
I highly recommend using Kentucky bourbon*, not just for authenticity, but for distinct Kentucky flavor that blends well with mint. Jim Beam imparts the flavor most often associated with Mint Juleps.

What you'll need:
4 Fresh Mint Sprigs
2 1/2 oz. Kentucky Bourbon
1 tsp. Powdered Sugar
2 tsp. Water 
Ice
Collins glass


How you'll mix it:
Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a Collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and pour bourbon over ice. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw and mint leaf garnish

**You'll need a muddler to muddle! A muddler and rocks glass are like a mortar and pestle. The muddler is a blunt wood or stainless baseball bat shaped bar tool. It's often included in barware sets and people often don't know what they are or why it came with their cocktail shaker. It's most often used to make a mash comprised of sugar or bitters with limes, lemons or mint leaves. Place the ingredients to be muddled in the bottom of a rocks glass. Gently mash the ingredients with the rounded end of the muddler just until combined/mixed. The goal is to release the aroma of the fruit or mint and soften it's bite with sugar. Then pour in the liquid ingredients. Voila! Muddled and sipped! 


Overnight Mint Julep (no muddling required)
What you'll need:
1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
8 Fresh Mint Sprigs Finely Chopped  (Use only the leaves, no stems)
1 quart Kentucky Bourbon
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish
Collins glass

How you'll build it:
Combine water, sugar, chopped mint leaves and bourbon in a glass pitcher, stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and let stand 4 -6 hours, or over night.  To serve, strain the bourbon-syrup mixture into a large pitcher, discarding the chopped mint. Fill glasses with cracked ice; add bourbon mixture, and garnish with mint sprigs and a straw.

*Kentucky Bourbon brands:
There are loads of Kentucky Bourbons, some of the small, local distilleries on the Bourbon Trail offer unique flavors that can only originate in Kentucky. Jim Beam is the "easiest" bourbon of choice for Mint Juleps if you live outside the state of Kentucky. It also has the classic flavor most associated with Mint Juleps. 
Jim Beam
Maker's Mark
Four Roses
Wild Turkey
Woodford Reserve

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.

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

TCB. I'm guessing that's a Gimlet. With mutton chop chaser.

Texas blues. Southern Comfort.

Let it be(er). What a sad looking bar. What a sad looking John Lennon.

Where have all the good times gone?

BYOB, apparently. Keith Richards. Tina Turner. David Bowie.

 Nancy and Sid. Pretty. Vacant.

Boy.

I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight. 

Wow. Who knew? This whole "photos of Bono drinking" thing is kind of fun! He looks like a James Bond villain.

Bonus Bono: Huh. Without glasses Bono looks uncannily like Robin Williams. 

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.

Blah, blah, blah. Kate Moss, Johnny Depp, Iggy Pop.

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

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

Whiskey in a jar...beer in a bottle.

Backstage Clash. Beer and Pepsi.

Replacement men. All I wanna do is drink beer for breakfast.

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

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.

On Little Cat Feet

It was foggy in Chicago today. Like pea soup foggy. So, tonight it's time to break out the Trader Vic's bartender guide and shake up a Samoan Fog Cutter.

Trader Vic's Samoan Fog Cutter

2 oz. Light Rum

1/2 oz. Gin

1 oz. Brandy

1 oz. Orange Juice

2 oz Lemon Juice

1/2 oz. Simple Syrup

1/2 oz. Sherry

Mint Leaf for Garnish

Ice

Collins Glass

Fill Collins glass with ice. Add ice and all ingredients except sherry to cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into Collins glass. Garnish with mint leaf.