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Brian Petro

The Ultimate Gift Guide for Drinking Dads on Father’s Day

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It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. – Johann Friedrich von Schiller

A father is not always related by flesh and blood. They can be the person that comes into your life later as a mentor during school or work. They can be someone that a parent starts to see or someone that lives in the neighborhood that looks over everyone and lends a hand when a hand is needed. Fathers are there, sometimes silently, to help support the people they care about, whether or not those people are their children or people that need the encouragement.

The approach for looking for gifts for Father’s Day was the same as we took for Mother’s Day. In fact, if you want to take a look at the article we published for that day, there are some suggestions that dad might also appreciate. You’ll find some great tools here for dad, some food and drink for him to enjoy, and a few other odds and ends. Let’s dive right in!

Essential at home mixology kit

DIY For DAD

Essential At-Home Mixology Kit – $73.99 – Most beginner kits for home bartenders are the tools they need to make cocktails. Jiggers, strainers, shakers, the works. And those are out there. But this will help create and store infusions of spirits, simple syrups, or other kitchen staples—a next-level set for the home bartender.

Cocktail bitters kit

Cocktail Bitters Making Kit – $79.99 – There is a wide array of bitters on the market. From the ubiquitous Angostura brand to more customized and niche flavors. The Man Crates bitters making kit has the bottles, ingredients, and recipes needed for dad to make the bitters he wants for his favorite cocktails.

The New Craft of the Cocktail – $35.00 – King Cocktail, Dale DeGroff, is the father of the modern cocktail movement. One of his first books, The Craft of the Cocktail, was given a refresh in 2020 and re-released with new cocktails, new techniques, and a decade of experience with classic cocktails. A must-have for any bartender’s shelf.

A Taste of Arriba Tequila – $41.37 – Having premium spirits in your house, at least a small selection of them, is a joy. But finding the right ones can be a challenge. Enter The Spirit Co. tasting boxes. They offer spirits from all over the world and across the flavor spectrum, from gin to whiskey to, you guessed it, tequila.

The Cocktail Box. Co. Margarita Cocktail Kit – $22.99 – If they have to travel, make sure they travel with a good cocktail! These kits from The Cocktail Box Co. have everything you need but the liquor to make quality drinks anywhere. Put them in your bag as you walk out the door rest assured that you have at least one good drink waiting for you on the journey.

Baseball bat decanter

Tools Of The Trade

Baseball liquor decanter – $139.95 – Every bar needs a conversational piece. Having this bat can start an array of conversations, from talking about the liquor in the vessel to the status of their favorite team. You could add some glasses from their favorite baseball team to complete the look!

Clear Ice Mold – 2″ cube – $35.00 – The pinnacle of ice in the bartending world is clear ice. It is something that bar programs worldwide strive to add to their drinks, not just for their clarity but for their chilling properties. This box will help them make it in their freezer for entertainment or a nice night at home.

Thor’s Hammer Bottle Opener – $12.99 – Dad can lift this hammer. And then he can use it to smash open his beer or pop! For the comics fan out there, this is a fun little addition to their bar area. And can be set in the middle of a table to see if anyone but Thor CAN lift it if the party gets a little slow.

Vinloq Wine Preservation System – $89.00 – Keeping a bottle of wine fresh once opened has challenged people through the ages. An anesthesiologist and wine lover had created a system that still allows the wine to breathe slowly, preserving the taste longer. No vacuum seals or other complex contraptions are required!

Deep 6 Cocktail bowl and box

Deep Six Communal Bowl – $74.99 – Tropical cocktails can add a hint of warm weather all year round. This bowl from Cocktail Kingdom is a perfect way to serve them. Large enough to serve two or three people, this is another excellent conversational piece for when they and their friends get together.

Swamp Dragon The Dragon Clutch

Something Completely Different

Swamp Dragon Hot Sauce The Dragon Clutch – $15.99 – The hot sauce aisle can be intimidating if they are a fan of heat and flavor on their food. Swamp Dragon has a unique approach to hot sauce: they took out the vinegar and added liquor! Their Dragon Clutch gives a small sample of each sauce so they can find the one that works for them.

Couch Cup Holder – $25 – There is not a father out there that does not like something to drink while they are watching television or reading a book on the couch. This holder clings to the armrest at the end of any couch, allowing them to put bottles, cans, and even wine glasses in it and be confident they will stay put.

Coleman Stainless Steel Growler – $44.99 – They can take this with them camping or just have it for the house! This 64 oz./1,892 mL growler will keep beverages cold for several days in its vacuum double-walled insulation and easy-to-use flip top. No matter how they use it, their drink’s temperature will be just right.

Big Bourbon Beard Box

Big Bourbon Beard Box – $60.00 – Dad always wants his beard looking well-groomed and presentable. This set from the Duke Cannon Supply Company helps them care for their beard and leaves them smelling like bourbon. If you need more reasons to support this company, a portion of their proceeds goes to veterans’ causes!

There is so much more out there for fathers. This is an excellent place to start looking, but you can go all over your town or the internet to discover what they want. If they have a special place in your life for what they have done, make sure you take time to show that to your father. They can always use a little extra appreciation. Happy Father’s Day!

This article was first published on AlcoholProfessor.com

 

Celebrating the Classic Negroni

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With the COVID-19’s global spread continuing and resulting in ongoing and widespread bar and restaurant closures, and with countries and communities implementing different sets of rules and restrictions, Negroni Week 2020 has shifted its focus accordingly.

This year, Negroni Week (September 14-20) will be a digital-only event and will not be taking place in bars and restaurants. Negroni Week’s festivities will be taking place virtually so that everyone can celebrate safely at at home, and  Negroni Week’s fundraising goals are also shifting, focusing solely on raising money for organizations and initiatives that are providing relief to the hospitality industry, which has suffered immeasurable losses as a result of the global pandemic.

NegroniWeek.com will continue as a hub for the initiative this year, with a focus on these fundraising efforts, and for the first time, we will be accepting donations from consumers. Donations will be open on NegroniWeek.com on September 1, and will remain open throughout the month of September. We will also be celebrating throughout Negroni Week from September 14-20 via Imbibe and Campari’s social media channels (@imbibe, @campariofficial, and @campariUSA) and, of course, through the #NegroniWeek hashtag.

Our hope is that 2021 will bring better days, and that we will be able to return Negroni Week to its more familiar format of years past. In the meantime, our goal is to do our very best to give back to the industry that has contributed so much to this initiative over the years. We hope that you will join us in celebrating this year, as safely as possible.

We asked our resident mixologist for some insights to the Negroni and here’s what he shared:

For many a bartender, there is a certain allure to the Negroni. It could be the of the simplicity of the recipe: one part gin, one part sweet vermouth, and one part the bitter Italian liqueur Campari. These basic proportions make the cocktail ripe for experimentation. Which means that the gin can be replaced with bourbon or champagne. The Campari can be replaced with any wide variety of bitters, from Aperol to Zucca. Every time you change one of the ingredients, you change the overall flavor profile. While the Negroni will always stand on its own among the classic cocktails, the variations it has inspired have covered the flavor and color spectrum.

The best legend of the creation of the Negroni starts with an Italian nobleman fleeing to America after having a child out of wedlock. Count Camillo Negroni spent some time in the American West, becoming a cowboy and enjoying the lifestyle of a rancher. When everything was a little calmer, he returned to his native country to settle back into his old lifestyle. He sauntered into town one day, looking for a stiff drink. Thinking the popular Americano (1 oz. sweet vermouth and 1 oz. Campari, topped with soda water) was not going to satisfy his thirst, he asked the bartender to substitute the soda water for gin. It was at that point a legend in the cocktail world was born. And like many other cocktails of the era it was mostly lost after Prohibition, showing up once bartenders started to discover the old recipes.

The one ingredient that takes some getting used to.

What is a classic Negroni, you may ask?

Negroni

1 oz. gin
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari

Glass: Cocktail or Rocks
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange peel

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until the mixture is chilled, then strain into the glass. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail, then drop it in and serve.

If you are a fan of gin and all of its herbal glory, this is an amazing cocktail. The bitter Campari is an acquired taste, but it is blunted by the gin and the sweet vermouth. Start here, and work your way forward…

Not a fan of gin? Bourbon fits just as nicely in this cocktail.

Old Pal

1 oz. bourbon
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Campari

Glass: Cocktail
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange peel

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until the mixture is chilled, then strain into the cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail, then drop it in and serve.

For those of you that enjoy whiskey more than gin, here is the Negroni variation for you. Swap the herbal gin for the smooth bourbon, and it is like you have an entirely different cocktail. If rye is not your thing, exchange that for bourbon and make yourself a Boulevardier. Either one is fantastic.

Negroni Sbagliato

1.5 oz. sparkling wine (stay in Italy and hit the Prosecco)
1.5 oz. sweet vermouth
1.5 oz. Campari

Negroni Sbagliato

Bubbles make everything better, right?

Glass: Champagne flute
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange peel

Pour the Campari and sweet vermouth into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until chilled, then strain into the champagne flute. Then top off with the champagne and GENTLY stir. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail and drop in.

It is said that while making a Negroni, a hapless bartender accidentally grabbed an open bottle of champagne instead of the gin and poured it in. Instead of dumping it, he served it to his customer and this star was born. I want to see the bar set up that has the gin ANYWHERE close to the champagne. It seems like a stretch. However, the word sbagliato in Italian means “bungled” or “mistaken”, so there could be an

Unusual Negroni (by Charlotte Voisey)

1 oz. Hendrick’s Gin
1 oz. Lillet Blanc
1 oz. Aperol

Glass: Cocktail
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange peel or Grapefruit peel

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until the mixture is chilled, then strain into the cocktail glass. Twist the orange (or grapefruit) peel over the cocktail, then drop it in and serve.

If the boldness of the original Negroni is too much for you, Ms Voisey developed a cocktail that dials back all of the intensity. Henrick’s is an amazingly light gin, more cucumber and rose petal than juniper. The Lillet is not very vermouthy, and the Aperol, while bitter and orange, is not as intense as the Campari.

Dark and Smooth Cocktail

A little sweeter, but still with some herbal zing.

Dark and Smooth

1 oz. dark rum
1 oz. sweet vermouth
1 oz. Jägermeister

Glass: Rocks
Ice: None
Garnish: Orange peel

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir until the mixture is chilled, then strain into the cocktail glass. Twist the orange peel over the cocktail, then drop it in and serve.

 

For even more variations and Negroni recipes, click here. 

For the Love of Beer and Community – An Interview with Mike Schwartz

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Update: Mike has sold Belmont Party Supply and posted this photo and message on his  Facebook page:

“Thanks for the Memories!

May the Schwartz Beer Be With You Always”

Please enjoy this repost of this interview with Mike from 2013.

Belmont Party Supply Logo

Belmont Party Supply: the epicenter of great beer knowledge in Dayton.

The craft beer business has been booming for the last two decades. Since the late 1980’s, craft beer has been slowly nibbling at the edges of the big name beers that people knew well and enjoyed. Sam Adams led the charge at a time when there were roughly 90 breweries in the United States. That number has grown to over 2,500 in 2013, and it looks like there is no slowing down. Dayton has multiple breweries and brew pubs opening in the area, adding to the seventy that already dot the state of Ohio. As this beer explosion was happening, there was a business that was quietly growing with it. Belmont Party Supply, owned by community supporter and beer advocate Mike Schwartz, will be celebrating 30 years of business next year. They also have been named by several websites and magazines as one of the best beer stores in the world. While beer lovers see Mike as a cornerstone of the Dayton beer scene, it was something that may not have come to pass if events played out differently.

“I actually quit drinking beer, because I am not a fan of carbonation, and I don’t like cold beer,” Schwartz said, sipping a Bell’s Expedition Stout at the Trolley Stop. “I didn’t know anything about drinking a warm beer like English ale. I was so slow at drinking my beer it would turn warm, and obviously we all know what an American major tastes like when it turns warm.” He quit drinking beer around the same time he bought the Belmont Party Supply in January of 1984. It was two years before the craft beer movement was even truly born, and he bought Belmont as it was going out of business. Mike had been sidelined by illness from his day job as an electrician, ultimately bought the failing shop for one reason. “I was bored!”

Mike_and_I

Author Brian Petro and Mike Schwartz after beer tasting at Trolley Stop

The explosion of craft beer in the late 1980’s helped his business, and his knowledge of beer, grow. That growth eventually led to some problems in the middle of the 1990’s. “They were putting a lot of crap on the shelves. Very expensive crap. I started to see breweries putting money on their labels and not in their beers. The consumers stood strong. I had to react by tasting beers before I put them on the shelf. At one time I had distributors bringing me beers to evaluate before they carried them. It was that bad.” Mike developed a reputation in the area as the guy that knew beer. “I used to have my beer manager collect the samples. She would sit down and pour the beer on Friday afternoon. Then she would tell me what to evaluate it as. I would evaluate it. She would not tell me the price. I would evaluate it by how much money I thought they put into it and how it fed into the style.” He had good taste even then. He was selling North Coast and Avery beers before they were widely popular.

Mike Schwartz with pink hair

Isn’t he a good sport? And pretty in pink?

He gained some of his vast knowledge of beer the same way most of us do: trial and error, tasting many different beers, and learning about their flavors through experience. He also went the extra step and became certified. “First of all I took the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). If you are a brewer, that will teach you how to brew. It will teach you all the physics, the science behind all the beers. What they are supposed to be, how they are supposed to taste, and what makes them taste that way. Yes, you have certain ingredients, but it’s how your treat that certain ingredient to get the flavor you want.” There is another program, the Cicerone program, which is for beer handlers. Mike suggests that if you are a beer lover, either of those programs would be beneficial for your knowledge of beer. He also networked to learn more behind the scenes information about the beers and the programs he loves. He has met such beer luminaries as Gordon Strong, one of the creators of the BJCP and a master brewer in his own right; Randy Mosher, 27 year veteran of home brewing, author, and part owner of Five Rabbit Brewery in Chicago; and Fred Karm, brewer at the increasingly popular Hopppin’ Frog brewery in Akron, OH. Some of the luminaries in the beer world he had the pleasure to interview, and those interviews are posted on the Belmont Party Supply’s website for all of our benefit. Mike’s reputation grew as his business grew, and soon he was not just known through the state or the region, but the world.

For those of you not in know, Belmont Party Supply is known well beyond the confines of Dayton. Mike spoke about one of the incidents that illustrated how widely known this local beer store is. “My wife went out to San Diego last year for a family wedding and people that grew up next door to us flew in as well. They had just come back from Belgium. They were doing a brewery tour, and they asked they tour guide if they ship to the United States. The tour guide asked ‘Where are you?’, and our friends said in Ohio, right by Dayton. He responded by saying ‘Do you know Mike Schwartz over at Belmont Party Supply? He carries our beer. That to me is an impressive thing.” BeerAdvocate has rated it as one of the best in the country, and RateBeer has it ranked as one of the top beer places in the world. After being in the business for thirty years, Mike knows what it takes to create a successful business. “I did not do that all alone. I am the guy at the top but it took great people working for me, and the customers that requested beers. We worked hard with the distributors. I could not have done it without the distributors. We carry some of their slow moving items, and when we do that, they feel the need to pay us back.” And pay him back they have. One of the beers he was paid back with was the ultra rare and highly desired Westvleteren 12. “It came in through Shelton Brothers Importing, through a distributor of course. We carry all of Shelton Brothers beers, and they have showed us appreciation by giving us some one offs.” It is smart business practices like this that allow Belmont to carry beers no one else has, and end up with beers that everyone will want.

Brewtensils interior

This is utopia for beer brewers in the Dayton community.

Mike Schwartz’s beer expertise is not just in tasting in and selling it, but brewing it as well. Brewtensils started as shop within Belmont Party Supply, helping local brewers make their own beers at home. It eventually grew into its own shop right next door, offering not only brewing supplies but brewing classes and contests as well. His favorite style to brew is imperial stouts. “It is very English, it tastes better the warmer it gets. I have had bartenders pour me a glass and put it in the microwave for ten to fifteen seconds to knock that chill off.” The classes not only give Mr. Schwartz a chance to help local brewers pursue their craft, they also give him a little insight into what brewers are starting to explore. Many big beer trends start in kitchens of amateur brewers, so this becomes a little lab for him to observe. What is he seeing on the horizon? “I really think you are going to see more herbs going into beers. People are more conscious of nature. Some of the people herbs are using for flavor and bitterness are phenomenal. Your saisons are increasing now. You can play all kinds of games with saisons with herbs, ginger, lemongrass, all kinds of stuff. I see that coming around the corner, I really do.”

Beer brewing classes and tastings around town are just a few ways Mike stays in touch with the community. And he is a big supporter of this community. He is part of the brain trust that is bringing Big Beers and Barley Wines back for its fifth year at the Roundhouse on October 5.  For the connoisseurs of craft beer and looking for more local flavor, this is one of the last big beer festivals of the year. The list of beers for this year’s festival is impressive. Revolution Brewing’s Very Mad Cow stout is almost worth the price of admission on its own. Mike has other reasons other than supporting local breweries and beer lovers. “This organization (the Resident Home Association) came to me and asked me to do a beer tasting for them. I said ‘No, I want to do a festival. I want to do a knockout festival.’ I told them they would have to handle all the money, but I will not accept any users or advisors fees. No one will make a penny off of this. This is the fifth one, and now we’re typically putting in $8000 to $10,000 a year in profit.” He gives back quite a bit to the community that supports him, not just locally, but nationally. He has done charity work for others as well, like our veterans. “Probably the neatest thing I have ever done in this trade was helping my sister down in Columbia, SC, home of Ft. Jackson. She belonged to an Elks Club, and she asked me to come down and do a beer tasting for the Wounded Warrior Walk. It is the hospice for wounded warriors. We raised quite a bit of money. I got to meet some high ranking officials down there. One high ranking officer invited me out to the firing range to fire some of the big guns. I wasn’t able to go because I was flying out the next day.”

Big Beers and Barley Wines

You have a date with some great beer for a good cause on October 5.

The wisdom Mike has about beer and his willingness to share it is obvious to anyone who speaks with him for any length of time. It makes Mike a quiet but influential figure in the beer community, and he knows there is plenty of room for everyone. “I think the breweries have a great chance in Dayton, especially with Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Kentucky not too far away.” And he thinks Dayton has just started to hit its stride. “I don’t know what happened to Dayton. It has one of the world’s best water supplies. It is very comparable to English water. It is beautiful ale water, and there is plenty of it here.” When asked if he thought that the Miami Valley was getting too many breweries and brew pubs too soon, his answer was a very quick “Absolutely not.” He even sees some lessons that the “fizzy yellow beer” producers can teach all of these new brewers. “Back in the late 1800’s, Anheuser Busch was making a European style lager. They almost went belly up until they decided to lighten the beer up by using rice. Anheuser Busch actually listened to the consumer, adjusted, and hit a home run. Americans were looking for a lighter, drier finish. I don’t have a problem with yellow, fizzy beer. There is a beer for everybody, and we all need to accept that and honor someone’s beer. If that’s what they like, that’s what they like. If everyone is drinking that beer, they leave my imperial stout alone!”

Mike Schwartz is not just a lover of beer; he is a lover of the industry and the community that supports him. He gives that love right back in a way that raises all the people around him. He does what he can to make sure everyone gets the help they need. His view of success sums it all up quite nicely: “If you work hard all your life and you take all the proceeds and experience and keep it to yourself, you really haven’t gained anything. But if you can share it with other people and do good for unfortunate people, which makes me feel good. That’s success right there. You can live in your mansions, but if you can’t share it, you haven’t succeeded at life.” I would gladly raise a glass to that sentiment.

A Video Series for Making Cocktails At Home – UPDATED

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(This post, and schedule, can also be found on the website Smart Guy in a Tie)

Coffee CocktailsMost people would be surprised by the number of cocktail ingredients they have in their kitchen. Fruits, vegetables, prepackaged drinks, and many other ingredients are the same ones used in bars around the world. Everywhere from James Beard Award-winning bars to the neighborhood bar where the beer is always cold, and you can usually find a friend there. The only thing you need to add is liquor. When I started Kitchen Cocktails two months ago, the goal was to show people what they can do with a couple of bottles and ingredients in the house. If you could purchase it at the grocery store or the liquor store, you could make it at home. People seem to be enjoying it, and with so many topics to cover, I thought it would help if you knew the rest of the month in advance.

Every one of these events is scheduled on my Facebook page so that you can note them on your calendar. The events are also where I will be adding the ingredients or other materials you will need if you want to make the cocktails along with me, or later that night. Mondays are #MakeItMonday, where I will be showing you a new technique or talking about materials you need for a home bar. Wednesdays, I will focus on bottles of liquor or cocktails people watching have at home they want to explore. You can respond to the pinned post on my Facebook page if you’re going to add something to the list. On Friday, we look at a themed type of cocktail or category of cocktail to explore. One you can experiment with at home!

Tonic TastingHere is the schedule for the rest of June. Every episode is at 5 PM EDT:

June 8: Infinity bottle

Have some spare whiskey or rum in the house? This bottle could be an excellent way to create a unique blend.

June 10: Iced Tea

Summer is a week and a half away, and we all love a good glass of cold tea on the patio. Adding something to it never hurts.

June 12: Old Fashioned

Every bar has their version of the Old Fashioned, and they are all sworn to be the original. I will go through the basics for you.

June 15: Tools of the trade have a variety of tools laying in front of me for every cocktail I make. But what ones do you need to start a home bar?

June 17: Chartreuse

Which came first, the color or the liqueur? This herbal product of France slides deliciously into many cocktails.

June 19: Nathan “Nearest” Green

Mint infused RumJack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey is one of the most well known global whiskey brands. For years, the history of the person who taught Jack how to distill was unknown, until a woman tracked it down and brought it to life.

June 22: Infusions

For the fourth Make It Monday of the month, we are going to explore how to infuse your favorite spirits with different flavors.

June 24: Cachaça

The national spirit of Brazil, this earthy, fruity cousin of rum, has a flavor all its own. Grab a bottle and see how you can use it!

June 26: Negroni

One of the classics. Three ingredients, all in equal measure. Like the Old Fashioned, it is a cocktail that has inspired endless variations.

June 29: Batching

Pitcher of cocktailsWhether you are planning on having a few socially distanced friends over or just want something simple to drink after work, there is always room for a bottle of cocktails!

July 1: St. Germain

Made with elderflowers, this lightly floral and sweet liqueur adds a little extra depth to many cocktails.

Thank you all for your support! I am always open to other ideas for episodes, so let me know what you want to see through Facebook, and I will do what I can to accommodate it.

The Great Pumpkin Beer Comparison

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October. When all things fall ramp-up. Shelves are covered with Halloween candy, nature has changed from shades of green to shades of gold and rust, and college football teams are starting to play ranked contenders. Oktoberfest beers are going to disappear from the shelves slowly, our love of the German festival waning as September ends. Fear not, because there is one style of beer that is going to be in season late into fall. Pumpkin ales started hitting the shelves in early September, but they do not really hit their stride until we transition into fall. People start looking towards those warming flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice to get through the crisper days.

The beer options on the shelves can be overwhelming. While places like Belmont Party Supply and The Barrel House offer single cans, or even beers on tap, for you to enjoy, there is still a decent selection for you to consider. In service to our readers, we decided to do a small taste test of the beers that are out in the wild right now. A selection was acquired from Belmont Party Supply, and we sat around playing games and tasting beers. All of the beers we tried were generally commercially available; we did not go after any whales or other unique beers. They were also as standard as we could get. We avoided anything barrel-aged or a limited version of another beer. Each beer was sampled considering how it was balanced, the presence of pumpkin flavor, and the pumpkin spiciness in the bottle.

These are, of course, our opinions. Yours will differ, based on your taste buds and love of pumpkin spice. 

Ichabod – New Holland Brewing – 4.5% ABV – Holland, MI

This one was primed for us to enjoy. Dark, delicious, good pumpkin and spice nose, everything we wanted in a pumpkin beer. Then we took a sip.

Of all the beers we tried, this was the only one that everyone poured out. It was unbalanced, with the spice being unbalanced and not at all what we were expecting. If there was any pumpkin flavor in it at all, it was buried under layers of spice and hops. Not much to it that we enjoyed, especially with the bitter finish we all detected.

Johnny Rails – Erie Brewing Company – 6.5% ABV – Erie, PA

When we poured this and took a whiff, we were expecting big things. I personally expected good things, as one of our vacation breweries of choice when we are in northwestern Pennsylvania is Erie Brewing. We were, sadly, sorely disappointed.

It is a good beer. We all enjoyed it and expected it to be exceptional based on the aroma alone. But the flavor did not deliver. There was some sweetness of the pumpkin, and some of the spice came through, but it was faint. It is a great fall beer, but not one we would reach for if we needed pumpkin in our lives.

Spooky Tooth – Fat Heads Brewing – 9% ABV – North Olmsted, OH

This one elicited the most diverse discussion from the table. The debate was not over the quality of the beer; we all agreed it was one of the better brews of the night. There were two camps at the table. One felt that it is balanced, with the sweetness of the pumpkin playing a flavorful foil to the spice of the beer. The other opinion was that the pumpkin was not that present, but the spices were still balanced and enjoyable. Either way, this is one to snag before the end of the season.

Imperial Pumpkin Ale – Weyerbacher Brewing – 8% ABV – Easton, PA

This beer was one of the more balanced ones that we tried during the evening. The spices were the more dominant component of the beer, with the sweetness of the pumpkin taking a back seat. You could tell it was going to have a good spice flavor from the first pour, and that part did not disappoint. It was easy drinking enough that someone described it as “the summer shandy of pumpkin beers.” But at 8% ABV, you should not be drinking this half as hard.

The Fear – Flying Dog Brewing – 9% ABV – Frederick, PA

Of course The Fear is going to pour dark. It has to be scary, right? There was a light pumpkin spice nose to it. Combining that with the dark color made the dark beer drinkers at the table pretty excited. The excitement was justified. Led by cinnamon, the pumpkin spice flavor comes through nicely. It was dark and rich and luxurious, lingering on the palate for much longer than most of the other beers. The spice, and the bite it provided, made this beer one of the favorites of the tasting.

Pumpkinville Latte – Ellicottville Brewing Company – 6.5% ABV – Ellicottville, NY

The sweetness in this one was telegraphed right from the beginning. There was a distinct cake aroma to the beer, undeniably sweet, which blended nicely with the spice notes. It certainly was creamier and sweeter in taste than the other beers were, but that did not cut out the spice. It smelled, and tasted, like pumpkin pie with a dollop of whip cream. The coffee was in the background, offering a slightly bitter balance to the sweetness of the beer. All of the richness makes this entry a good end of the night beer.

 

The King of all Pumpkin Beers

Pumking – Southern Tier Brewing – 8.6% ABV – Lakewood, NY

Certainly in the argument for one of the best pumpkin beers on the market. The balance of the sweet pumpkin and the bite of the spice is perfect, from the time you catch the aromas coming from the bottle to the time the lovely liquid rolls over your tongue. The finish was smooth, and this was “really pumpkin pie in a glass” according to one taster. In the realm of flavored beers, it is hard to find one that Southern Tier does not do well. This was the hands-down favorite of the tasting.

Pumpkin beers are enjoyed throughout autumn, right up to the point that the first Christmas beers start to show up on the shelves. But while they are out there, they are a warming delight in the chilly days of fall. All of that spice a perfect balance for s’mores and Halloween candy. There are plenty more than the ones we sampled, which we would love to hear about. What are your favorite pumpkin beers? Let us know in the comments. Welcome to fall!

Call For Nominations: 2019 Wilson A. Charbonneaux Award

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Engineers Club SealThis award, named for Mr. Wilson Charbonneaux, a longtime member of the Engineers Club of Dayton where he reenergized the Club’s Barn Gang and served on many of the Club’s committees. During his career, he established three successful companies and was personally granted 17 patents. He directed a great deal of energy to make science and technology understandable and accessible to the general public.

 

It is given to individual(s)/organization(s) for their innovative approaches to increasing the public’s understanding of science and technology. The quality of their outreach will be assessed. A demonstrated commitment to advancing and defining the role of science and technology in all aspects of society must be shown. Volunteer/not for profit activities will have preference over Government/Industry funded activities.

Past winners have included Dayton aviation writers, Howard R. DuFour, Fred Fisk and Marlin Todd, Melba Hunt and Mary Ann Johnson, a founding member of Aviation Trail, Ralph Dull Homestead, Dr. and Mrs. James Stewart, Mr. Walter Hoy and Mr. Stephen Frey. Organizations that have been honored are The Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program in the Dayton Area, the Affiliate Societies of Dayton for TechFest, the Wright “B” Flyer organization, Team Ohio Rocket Club, Air Camp, Mound Science and Energy Museum Association and the Dayton Regional STEM Center’s Science Saturday.
Wilson Charbonneaux AwardThe nomination should include the name(s) of the individual(s) or organization, statements addressing the above criteria, and contact information. The award will be presented at the Engineers Club’s Annual Meeting Dinner in June, 2019.

 

Nominations should be sent to the Engineers Club of Dayton, 110 E. Monument Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45402 by May 15, 2019
For more information or to submit a nomination via e-mail, please contact Ms. Darbie Kincaid at (937) 228-2148, dkincaid@engineersclub.org or the following link on the club website at http://www.engineersclub.org. Please include in the subject line of any e-mail “Charbonneaux Award”

The Engineers Club mission is to foster the advancement of business, education, engineering and science, and to promote the professional development of its members. The Engineers Club offers individual memberships, including special memberships for students and non-residents, as well as corporate and group memberships. More information is available at http://www.engineersclub.org/.

Where Do We Go Now?

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Columbus Alive this week featured an article detailing the sexual assault of one of our local craft beer mavens. The community rallied around her, supporting a woman that showed incredible courage confronting a known and prevalent issue in the alcohol and hospitality community. Over the last year and a half, what was once an issue that was only shared privately has become a public topic of conversation. Behaviors that were dismissed as “boys being boys,” or that were simply ignored, now are being addressed and dealt with. And it has been a long time coming.

The problem of sexual harassment and mistreatment of women and other minorities is not new in the industry. A report that was done in 2014 shows that roughly 90% of women that work in restaurants have been sexually harassed, with half of them being harassed on a weekly basis. It is thought to be just as bad in the alcohol industry, but no studies have been done. This is years before the allegations against Harvey Weinstein emerged, bringing the much-needed conversation about sexual harassment into the public. After that New York Times article came out, a steady flow of articles addressing the issue in the industry emerged.

Many of the women that work in the industry have, over the years, just accepted the harassment as part of the environment. The unwanted comments, touches, and innuendos were something that was endured to be part of the industry. Until the cocktail boom hit in the 2000’s, bartending and hospitality were seen as a transient job choice. Something that you did while waiting for a “real job.” The growth of specialty cocktails, craft beer booming into over 7,000 breweries, and distilleries sprouting up all over the country have turned what was once something temporary into a career choice. It is easier to ignore the sleaziness you have to go through to do your job when you can tell yourself it is a temporary condition. What happens when it becomes the place where you want to plant your flag?

You have to start cleaning it up. There are few mechanisms in the industry to address sexual harassment. Some have popped up, like the efforts made by Collective Actions for Safe Spaces to build Safe Bars training about sexual harassment, but they are difficult to find. Only five states require training for harassment in the workplace. It is a monumental task to address, especially in an industry where males hold most of the positions of power and confronting them could impact your career. An unbalanced power dynamic is not unique to this industry, but it is in the early stages of being addressed. Small steps are being made as women rise up and show they are not going to accept a workplace where they are under the constant threat of sexual assault. Or when that threat becomes a reality.

It is too easy to write off, as many have, that this is a result of the free flow of alcohol through every corner of the business. As reported in a story by SevenFifty Daily, San Franciso lawyer Richard Curiale commented that “60 percent of the complaints I get wouldn’t have happened if there hadn’t been drinking.” This is a convenient excuse, but not an acceptable one. Cleaning up the industry also requires cleaning up the constant party atmosphere that surrounds it. Many bartenders and hospitality professionals have been focusing on taking what has been a generally toxic environment for workers and turning it into a healthier, safer one. This focus on a more positive environment is starting to include how women and minorities are treated in the business.

Where do we go from here? The hospitality that establishments provide to customers that walk through the door has to extend to the people that work there. Creating that safe environment for all of the people they interact with, from sales representatives to bartenders, is critical to building an inclusive, diverse industry. The generally permissive, male-dominated culture that has existed in hospitality for decades needs to change. It is going to be a slow change, requiring the efforts of everyone in it to make that shift. Women are going to have to be bold and stand up for what is right, and men are going to have to support those women in any way they can. It is going to take a long time and incredible effort. But if the support that has happened in Dayton can happen more often in other cities, the future for women in the industry looks brighter and safer.

Engineers Club Teaches Merit Badges to Local Scouts

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Boy Scout Merit Badge Work

Talking about science in the English Room.

Once again the Engineers Club of Dayton has taught technical Merit Badges to 12 different troops from Montgomery, Greene and Clark Counties represented by 27 Scouts BSA members. Since 2012 we have taught such subjects as Astronomy, Aviation, Composite Materials, Digital Technology, Electronics, Electricity, Energy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Inventing, Nuclear Science, Space Exploration, and Sustainability along with Geology, Robotics, Radio, and Weather which have been taught in previous years.  All in all, we have taught over 150 scouts and they have earned nearly 300 merit badges. We are proud of the fact that in previous years we have had scouts from Kentucky and West Virginia to earn Merit Badges here because they were not offered at their troop’s location.

Engineers Club Boy Scout Rocket Merit Badge

Working on the Space Exploration Badge with a view of Dayton.

While the Club typically teaches in the building at 110 East Monument Avenue, we have gone to various sites around the Dayton Area such as the local Rocket Club’s site on a farm in Greene County for a rocket launch required by Space Exploration Merit Badge, the National Museum of the Air Force for the Aviation Merit Badge.  We typically teach over 6 weeks starting in late October and ending the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We have worked with the Miami Valley Council BSA, representing the Sunwatch and Wright Brothers districts, north and south of Dayton.  The Council has notified the troops of our ability to teach the technical merit badges.  Our Merit Badge leader is Dr. Charles Bleckmann who has had many meetings and conversations with the Council making sure we meet all the Scouts requirement for teaching the merit badges as well as having interactions with the scouts.

Sunday Brunch at the Engineers Club!

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Engineers Club Dining RoomOnce a quarter, the Engineers Club of Dayton offers an all-you-can eat brunch in their dining room that is open to the public. For the first part of 2019, that date is February 3! Start your Sunday with a delicious meal in our century-old, historic building right next to Riverscape.  Chef Laura and the staff serve brunch from 11 AM to 2 PM, preparing an amazing meal for all of our members, guests, and potential members. 

The buffet-style meal features an omelet station, country ham, bacon, hash brown casserole, biscuits & gravy, seasoned beef, seared salmon, wild rice pilaf, roasted vegetables, and salad bar. With such a large selection of food and drink, everyone can find something they will enjoy on our menu!  Brunch runs $15.95/member and non-members can enjoy for $17.95. 

Engineers Club of Dayton

(937) 228-2148
110 E. Monument Ave.
Dayton, OH  45402

 

Sierra Nevada’s Fundraising IPA Hitting Local Breweries

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Brewed for a special cause by brewers all over the country.

The Camp Fire wildfire started on November 8, with a combination of high winds and dry grasses. These two events, combined with the initial difficult to reach location of the fire, turned a small incident into one of the deadliest fires in United States history. It covered 239 square miles, destroyed over 18,000 structures, and caused an estimated $8 billion dollars in damages. Families were displaced, businesses were destroyed, and Paradise, CA has rebuilding to do.

One of the businesses affected by this fire was the Sierra Nevada Brewery. One of the grand old breweries of the craft beer scene, they are located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains and fifteen minutes from where it began. Sixty employees, including founder Ken Grossman, were evacuated from the area. Fifty of those employees ended up losing their homes. Their brewery was spared, but Ken Grossman, founder and owner of Sierra Nevada, knew they had to something to help the community that has supported them for decades.

The need went well beyond what this brewery could handle, so Ken went beyond the walls of his brewery for a solution. A brewery they have a good relationship with, Russian River Brewing, worked with other local brewers to raise funds for a fire that hit their community. After a brief conversation with Russian River, Ken contacted friends in the craft beer community and asked them to help. 

And help they did.

After the initial social media and email push, 200 breweries had signed up to brew Resilience Butte County IPA. Through word of mouth and the power of social media, that number currently sits just shy of 1,500 brewers. The planned amount of beer brewed will add up to 4.2 million pints, possibly raising over $15 million dollars. Suppliers donated malt and hops, brewers donated labor and fermenter space, and retailers offered to put it on their shelves. They did it all to help Butte County recover; 100% of the proceeds earned will go to a special fund started by Sierra Nevada. It is an overwhelming effort that was started on Giving Tuesday (November 27) and will culminate over the next few weeks in breweries around the country.

Resilience is based on another of their popular beers you can find this time of year, Celebration. Resilience utilizes the same Chinook, Cascade, and Centennial hops that Celebration does, but without the dry hopping and extra conditioning of its big brother. It was described as “a fresher form of Celebration.” We all know how IPA fans love a fresh hopped IPA, and this one has the added benefit of helping their community rebuild from the Camp Fire blaze.

Local Dayton breweries are donating their time and efforts to help Sierra Nevada in their quest to help the Chico/Paradise area recover. Community-owned Fifth Street Brewpub is one of the brewers lending their fermenters and labor to brew this special IPA. Keep an eye on their website and social media to see when it will be tapped. The other local brewery to put this on their tap is Crooked Handle Brewing Company in Springboro. They have it listed in their fermenter and plan on releasing it sometime during the week of January 7. Don’t want to wait that long? Sierra Nevada is sending out a limited run of cans all over the country. Those twelve packs should be hitting local stores during the week of Christmas.

Sierra Nevada designated December 20 as Resilience Night, when many brewers tapped Resilience IPA in their tap houses. Some breweries added it to their menu as early as December 15, and they tapping will go on through the month of January. You can find all of the places that will be serving it through Sierra Nevada’s website. You can even earn a special badge for trying this beer out through Untappd. With every pint and can you responsibly enjoy, know that you have made a donation by enjoying a West Coast style IPA that is helping a community recovering from a devastating natural event. Cheers!

Destressing About Delisting

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Ohio Liquor Control LogoMuch ado has been made about the news that the state of Ohio is getting rid of over 700 liquors and spirits from the state liquor list. The state has the power to do so since they control liquor sales in the state through the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.  The state having a say on what can and cannot be sold has a long tradition. It was not until 2016, four decades into the growth of craft beer, that we lifted the archaic 12% ABV limit placed on beer brewed and sold in the Buckeye State. In 2016, the state identified over 1,000 items that were just not selling or were no longer produced. In fact, according to the report, they accounted for less than 4% of the liquor sales.

This was happening at the same time they were looking to condense the number of warehouses in the state from four to two. These stores over the years have begun to look like the end scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, with stacks and stacks of liquor awaiting shipment. Instead of moving vast amounts of slow-selling product, they decided they were going to get rid of it. 

A high number of the liquors on this massive list are a product of the flavoring craze that hit the industry in the last decade. Some of those flavors are no longer available, like Pinnacle King Cake or Three Olives Dude. There are vodkas with really odd flavors, too. When did you last reach for UV Salty Watermelon? These flavors, while briefly popular, were not in high demand after their fleeting glory waned.

Sailor Jerry Rum

This will still be on the shelves!

In addition to the ephemeral flavors, there are well-known names delisted in this effort. Those listings, however, are specific sizes of the liquor in question. Disaronno was on the list, but only the smaller 375 mL size. The more substantial sizes will still be available for purchase in your favorite store. For Sailor Jerry, it was the 200 mL a half pint removed from the list. To make room for more bottles in their warehouses, they are getting rid of the merchandise that is not selling.

Over the last year, the state has been doing some heavy lifting to update the system they use to get the product to restaurants and liquor stores. In the beginning, it was a severe issue for distillers and bars, with shipments being delayed or missing for weeks on end. They have worked out all of the kinks, and are even advocating for the opening of more stores in the state to quench our thirst.

This purge is one of the last updates that will help improve what is being offered to Ohioans on the shelves of their local liquor store and help ease the rate at which they can purchase it. This is the best Ohio can hope for until they dismantle the antiquated control system. That will be a while since JobsOhio relies on the incredibly profitable liquor business in to fund their program. In 2016, liquor sales soared over $1 billion. That is a considerable amount of funding for a state program. There is still twenty years on the deal they signed with the state. Any efforts to break up that happy partnership would require a way to replace that income.

It remains to be seen what the state will do with all of the freed up shelf space they will have. Bringing in more delightful whiskeys from around the world would be lovely. Or enhancing the number of other spirits the bar community in this state are starting to enjoy, like mezcal and amari, would be fantastic. This is an opportunity for liquor control to listen to advocates and experts in the hospitality industry to bring in the product that will boost Ohio’s economy. Let’s hope they make the best of it for a new year.

 

Cardboard Crowns Sets an Opening Date!

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Cardboard Crowns LogoFor a few months now, the buzz around a new gaming cafe in Dayton has been building. Cardboard Crowns (147 N. Springboro Pike Dayton OH United States 45449) will be offering food, craft beer, and hundreds of games to be played. And we finally have an opening date! This grand new space near the Dayton Mall will be opening on November 6th for the public.

Before that, they will be doing a series of soft opening events for local charities as the space continues to come to life. Tickets for each of the events are $25 per person, with $20 going to the charity being supported. These events begin this Sunday, and will benefit:

In addition to the above events, from 10 AM on Saturday, November 4th to 10 AM on Sunday, November 5th Cardboard Crowns will be hosting the Extra Life Tabletop Marathon, with all proceeds from library fees benefitting Dayton Children’s Hospital. You can show your support for the Cardboard Crowns team here, or build your own team to compete for a great cause!

The space is coming along for Ben and his team, and they look forward to seeing many of their fellow Daytonians over the next week, learning new games with friends, enjoying delightful beers, and supporting local causes.

Cardboard Crowns Ben Adams

The owner, Ben Adams, cutting the sound panel fabric.

Cardboard Crowns Space

The space is starting to look like it is ready for gamers!

Cardboard Crowns Booths

The sound panels rising…

Cardboard Crowns Bar

The front bar, ready for thirsty patrons.

Cardboard Crowns Shelves

What gaming space would be complete without Kallax shelves?

 

Cardboard Crowns Kickstarter Event!

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Cardboard Crowns Logo

Opening in October 2017…

The intersection of board games and beverages is not a new phenomenon. For those that have been enjoying coffee shops since the late 90’s, there has always been a few well-loved board games on the shelves of our favorite place to grab a cappuccino to start the day. It was not until 2010 that two enterprising Canadians opened Snakes and Lattes, the first café to offer games as a reason to get some coffee with friends, not just as an added benefit. In the seven years they have been open, they have witnessed an explosion of venues that offers drinks and light snacks while gamers enjoy some beverages and explore new games. While many started with coffee drinks, there has been an evolution into craft beer and craft cocktails. Coming soon, a new venue in the Dayton area will offer a space to explore gaming with good friends. Cardboard Crowns will be opening up this fall at 147 N. Springboro Pike, and they want you to be part of the fun with a Kickstarter Launch Party this Saturday, September 16 from 12 PM to 5 PM at Warped Wing Brewery!

Head to the brewery to learn about the Kickstarter, play new games and enjoy great craft beer. At this event, you have the opportunity to meet the owner and manager of Cardboard Crowns and hear about everything they have planned for the cafe. They will be introducing the support levels for their Kickstarter at the event, but you can prepare with this handy list:

  • $5 – Show your support for Cardboard Crowns and get your name inlaid in a wooden hex in the cafe’s bar top.
  • $15 – Donate a seat for one of our guests with your name on it! (Plus Bar Hex)
  • $25 – Help us grow the cafe’s library by backing a new game for the cafe’s collection, adding your name to the game’s inside box lid for all to see! (Plus Bar Hex)
  • $50 – Donate a section of shelving that will bear your name for all to see! (Plus Bar Hex)
  • Cardboard Crowns In Progress

    All his space for gaming in progress!

    $75 – You helped us purchase a table for the cafe that will forever bear your name! (Plus Bar Hex)

  • $100 – Two tickets to the cafe’s grand opening party, a private event open only to Kickstarter supporters! Each ticket includes drinks, food, your name in one of the cafe’s games, and a bar hex.
  • $300 – You’re donating the coolest seating option the cafe has to offer.  Our 6-seater booths will make you feel like you’re a VIP for the night.  As part of this reward, you’ll get to pick the board game that will be framed and used to theme one of our booths; your name will go on a plaque in the booth, you’ll get two tickets to the grand opening party and a hex on the bar top.
  • $350 –  The ultimate party experience.  You and seven friends get the cafe’s party booth for the night!  The package includes two drinks per person, two food items per person and a dedicated board game teacher to help make sure your group has a night they won’t forget!
  • $1000 – The cafe will only have one 8-seater party booth, and you’re going to help us theme it and put your name on it!  As part of this reward, you’ll get to pick the board game that will be framed and used to theme the cafe’s party booth; your name will go on a plaque in the party booth, you’ll get two tickets to the grand opening party and a monster sized hex on the bar top.
  • $2000 – The back of the cafe will feature a relaxed social corner for folks to sit down in and play social/party games.  Back at this level and you’ll get your name on a plaque letting folks know who made the area possible.  Additionally, you’ll get two tickets to the grand opening party and a mammoth sized hex on the bar top.
Cardboard Crowns game collection

So many games to play!

All of this support is going into a gaming café that has been planned out and well researched by Ben Adams, the owner of the venue. Ben has visited many other of these cafes across the country and has worked hard to address the most common issues he found in each location. To cut down on the noise of many games going on at once, soundproofing materials will be used on the walls and in booth separators to quiet down the space. Access to the cafe and its collection of over 700 games will be just a $5 library fee per person, and if you are looking to play in a private booth, an extra ten dollars for the party can provide that privacy. As mentioned above, there will also be a larger space for party games and party booth for private events.

They have developed a rating system for each one of the games, so those that are just getting into the hobby have an idea of the involvement of the game. Green labels are less involved games, where a quick explanation of the rules by one of the cafe’s game masters should be enough to get a group started. Yellow labels are more complex, and there will be staff on hand to help answer questions as you play. Red labels will be very intricate, heavy strategy games which may require more explanation than the team can provide. And with over 700 games in the collection, not every staff member will know all the games.  Booths and tables will have tablets available that will provide videos to explain the rules of almost any game in the cafe’s collection.

This Saturday, September 16th from 12 to 5 PM, is the big launch party! You will have the opportunity to support this new venture while playing some games with the owner and enjoying craft beers by Warped Wing. There are even some hints about game giveaways that day. Ben and the Cardboard Crowns team look forward to seeing all of you this weekend!

 

Dayton Bar Stars – Jerrod Claytor

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Dayton Bar Stars The Century Bar

The staff at The Century with their 2017 Summer cocktail menu.

The list of reasons that the Century Bar is one of the best bourbon bars in the country is a long one. It starts with the well-curated whiskey collection, brought together by the staff over the years. Everything from daily sippers to rare bottles saved for special occasions. Once that was assembled, they began a cocktail program that is one of the best in the city. Not only are they making specialty cocktails, they are making the syrups, shrubs, and bitters that go in it. They are doing the research to revive some of the classic, lesser known libations and creating some modern delights. They use local ingredients and spirits when they are able, building an impressive library of recipes. Even the atmosphere feels like you have stepped out of Dayton and into a little pocket where time stopped just before Prohibition. The back bar is over 150 years old, and has been sitting in that building for the last eighty years.

The most important differentiator, however, is the staff. Joe Head, co-owner of this fine establishment, has established a system that makes sure the bartenders employed there know more about liquor and cocktails than anyone walking through that door. They can tell you the history of any of the bottles they grab off that elegant back bar, right down to the best way to enjoy it. It is possible they can discuss the actual tree the barrel was made from. One of these bartenders, Jerrod Claytor, knows as much as anyone else about what is going on behind that bar.

Jerrod Claytor The Century Bar

Jerrod Claytor of The Century Bar

Jerrod, like many bartenders, followed a wandering path to get to be in one of the more coveted bartender gigs in Dayton. He started off working towards a job in the finance sector, filled with its own unique perils. When he discovered that was not the right fit for him, he started to explore other career options in the Miami Valley. When the Century made its transition from a dive bar to a bourbon house, Jerrod was one of the first people they brought in to help with their expanded hours and new direction. He has been part of this new chapter since almost day one, and it looks like he is going to be there for a long time.

How did you get into bartending?

I started serving and bartending 15 years ago after college. Frankly, it gave me an opportunity to meet lots of people, make fair money, and have the freedom to pursue other endeavors. It wasn’t, yet, a career choice. The more experienced I gained (at one point I worked at four locations) and more responsibilities I was given, I realized this path was apt for me and my personality. I now feel both incredibly fortunate and comfortable to be working alongside such professional people who’ve walked this path with me. Not too many people can say they work with their family and best friends in a nationally recognized bar.

What is your favorite drink to make?

Well-executed classics are great. I am always happy making a simple old-fashioned. It’s a no-fail and for some, a gateway to bourbon and whiskey (my love). I make Manhattans mostly at home.

Which drink makes you internally cringe?

I honestly love cocktails and drink just about anything myself, so I don’t discriminate. I suppose I may internally roll my eyes when folks still order chilled shots or shot backs. Just seems unnecessary.

Jerrod Claytor Century Bar

In his favorite environment with his favorite spirits.

Do you have a favorite spirit you like to work with?

Aside from bourbon and whiskey, I really find cognacs, brandies, and their variations highly versatile and tasty.

When you go out for a drink in Dayton, where is your favorite place to go?

Breweries, restaurants, etc. I really enjoy quiet afternoons on days off at small family bars.

Who is the most famous person you have served?

I served Arlo Guthrie once. I thought that was pretty cool. I had a room full of astronauts including every one of the first moon-landers. I still get goosebumps when I think of that. Surprisingly, the nicest celebrities I’ve served were Donahue and Arnold Palmer.

What do you do when you are not bartending?

Relaxing, cooking, backpacking, cycling, pseudo art projects, and of course, drinking.

What are your favorite trends from the last year?

The emergence of more high-end rums, mezcals, and the continuing validity of handmade or fresh ingredients in bars and restaurants.

Sometimes he travels outside of the bar…

What trends do you see coming to Dayton over the next six months?

More availability of unique whiskey blend and finishes, along with Eurasian malts (Americans curiosity is swiftly fueling these).

What advice do you want to give bartenders just getting into the business?

Be patient, pay your dues, and work hard. Never sit on your hands, keep your mind open and continually learn. Of course, take pride in your work. Oh, don’t make it snooty either.

What do you love most about Dayton?

Dayton is culturally my kind of city – historically and philosophically. It fits my personality. I transplanted here over 20 years ago and it’s always felt like home.

How you normally see Jerrod; a blur and a cocktail in front of you.

Most interesting thing you have seen from behind the bar?

Nakedness.

How has bartending changed in the time you have been in the industry?

Generally, the refocus on quality spirits and ingredients as opposed to synthetic and faux martinis. I think it’s mostly an extension of this generation’s ability to eat better. They also want to drink better!

What do you wish customers knew that helped you do your job?

There’s really no need to start a tab for one drink.

If you were not a bartender, what career would you be pursuing?

Something with plants. Maybe I’d have a greenhouse or something. Don’t really know. I never liked jobs.

Tropical Escape

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The first Hilton outside the U.S….and home of the original pina colada.

In 1979 the song “Escape” was written by a man named Rupert Holmes. He wrote in on a lark, about a man who is unhappy with his marriage, and goes seeking a woman through the personal ads in his local paper. After some correspondence, they agree to meet at a local bar. To the man’s surprise, the woman that he meets is his wife that he is so unhappy with. They realize that they have more in common than they thought, and live happily ever after. The song also lived happily ever after, being one of the most popular songs in the 1970’s, and one of the first number one songs of the 1980’s. It is the only song to be a number one hit on Billboard in two different decades. The writer of the song was proud of the fame and money that the song brought to him, but horrified that it was the only song he is known for. It was renamed shortly after it came out (with his reluctant permission) as “Escape (The Pina Colada Song).” July 10th is National Pina Colada Day, and while you may want to enjoy the song over and over on your iDevice, I suggest you try the drink that made the song such a hit.

Pina coladas (in Spanish, “strained pineapple”) are one of the few cocktails we have a solid date as to when it was introduced. On August 16, 1954 the pina colada was introduced to the world by a bartender named Ramón “Monchito” Marrero at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He was tasked to create a signature cocktail that would service the high end clientele that was coming to hotel on a regular basis. The hotel already had a drink that involved coconut juice, Bacardi rum, and the newly introduced Coco Lopez, served in a coconut. The coconut workers went on strike about that time, and so they had run out of coconuts. Instead, the decision was made to serve the drink in the husk of a pineapple, adding the final flavor and giving birth to a new drink. They also substituted the traditional Bacardi for Don Q Gold rum. It was by most accounts originally shaken and strained over cracked ice. In 1978 the drink was named the national drink of Puerto Rico.

A taste of the tropics.

That is not the only story, but it is the most popular and consistent one. It is rumored that a pirate named Roberto Cofresí invented a similar drink at the beginning of the 19th century that he shared with his crew.  He did not write it down or tell anyone the recipe, so the drink died with him in 1825. The name of the drink was also mentioned in the magazine TRAVEL in 1922, without the coconut but adding some lime juice. Restaurant Barrachina, also in San Juan, claims to be the birth place of the modern pina colada. Bartender Ramon Portas Mingot added heavy cream to the mix and blended it with ice, creating the frozen libation we all know and love today. That was in 1963, and the restaurant has a plaque on the outside on the restaurant to commemorate the event.

When you order it today, it comes out frozen in a fancy glass, possibly with whip cream on top of it. Most places follow the same recipe, and there are very few variations on the drink. They do exist, like the Miami Vice (strawberry daiquiri layered on top of a pina colada), the Chi Chi (substitute the rum for vodka), or the Kahula colada (substitutes the rum for coffee liqueur).  If you want to make one at home, here is the recipe:

Pina Colada

2 oz. of light rum
2 oz. Coco Lopez (or other cream of coconut)
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 cup of ice
Maraschino cherry and pineapple wedge for a garnish

Add the rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and ice into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane or other tall glass, and garnish with the pineapple wedge and cherry. If you want to make it a little sweeter, add .5 oz. of heavy cream. There are also recipes with some Angostura bitters for some extra spice. To make the non-frozen version, put all of the liquid ingredients into a glass over ice, and shake well. Then strain the cocktail over ice into the hurricane glass. You can even take out the rum entirely if you want to.

Rupert Holmes may have regrets about his pina colada adventure, but a well made one is delicious and refreshing in the summer months. It is also a lovely reminder of warm Puerto Rican beaches and cool breezes coming off the Caribbean. Find a patio on July 10th, order one up, and relax. Salud!