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Brian Petro

SummitUp, A #Socialmedia Confab

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In the 1920’s, radio broadcasters were looking for more. They knew they had a great way to deliver information into the homes of everyone in the country, but how to get sponsors to buy into it? Radio up to that point had been informational; mainly news and politics delivered in factual and dry terms; nothing really compelling to listen to. Advertisers were not seeing much of a return from the money they were investing, and were leery about investing more. Broadcasters needed to create something that would attract a different audience; an audience that was around the house all day, and was going to make the decisions on what household goods to buy. They decided that fresh content should be mainly about families, and how they lived their lives. They wanted this content to appeal to the housewife, as if they were looking into another person’s house without leaving their own. This new content attracted sponsors in the early 1930’s like Proctor and Gamble, who used these shows to help promote their soaps like Oxydol. Thus was born the “soap opera”, turning what once was used to just a platform for delivering information into a money maker. The Golden Age of Radio boomed, and the soap opera, and eventually the sit com and variety show, boomed with it.

Now, being eighty years removed from radio soaps, marketers are all facing the same questions in a new realm that once simply provided information, or a way to connect, and a few small advertisements. How do we get more Facebook “Likes”? What do we need to do to get more Twitter followers? What makes something that is visually compelling on Pinterest, so we can pin it and tweet about it? And how do we get all of these people we are interacting with to go somewhere to buy our product? On top of that, how do we measure all of this so when people in the C-suite start asking questions, we have good answers for them? We are all asking these questions, some of us longer than others. As we all wander, searching for the same answers, we have a few intrepid people that have found some of the edges of this new realm, and brought back new and exciting information to share. The marketing community of Dayton has helped to organize some of these people at Sinclair Community College on October 16th, 2012, for SummitUp, a full day marketing communications, public relations, and digital information conference.

This event is a major undertaking, involving the efforts of not only many of the top talents in the area, but a small army of volunteers. David Bowman, Chief Marketing Strategist for The Ohlmann Group and one of the organizers of SummitUp, states they want it appeal “to early adopters of technology who demand complexity and bleeding edge information while at the same time delivering content that is accessible to newcomers too.” The speaking talent this year is top notch, with major keynote speakers, local brilliant talent, and opportunities to meet all of the top marketing and communication talent in the area. On top of that, the volunteers help to make the event as affordable as possible to the widest number of people, so more people can experience it. “Ultimately, the event has an incredible team of volunteers who work very hard to make sure that those who invest the time and money to attend get value from coming to the event.”, affirms Bowman.

The day begins at 7 AM at breakfast. It is going to be a full day, and you are going to need all the energy you can get. The first keynote speaker of the day will be Todd Henry, creator of the website and podcast The Accidental Creative, as well as the writer of the highly praised book The Accidental Creative, How to be Brilliant on a Moment’s Notice. He is an expert on how to build an environment that encourages the generation of creative ideas. His podcast interviews some of the top creative minds across a wide variety of industries, and offers insights about everything from generating ideas quickly to getting over the dreaded creator’s block.

After his speech, every attendee will be able to attend multiple breakout sessions. There are twelve sessions total, given by some of the best business and social media thinkers in southwest Ohio and Indiana. Each of the sessions is offered twice in back-to-back time frames, so everyone will have a chance to see six of the speakers. Eight of the sessions will happen before lunch, and the final four sessions will happen after lunch. These breakout sessions are designed to give every attendee the greatest chance to bring the right information back to help the social media and communication strategies of your company.

Lunch will be served around noon, and then it will be time for the second keynote of the day. Rohit Bhargava is the a founding member of one of the largest social strategy groups at Oglivy as well as a professor of Global Marketing at Georgetown University. He is a proponent of bringing the human touch back into the marketing world, touting the importance of being likeable as a major factor in success. He is the author of several highly rated and incredibly popular books, Likeonomics (his most recent book) and Personality Not Included. His books are not just something to read; Likeonomics also offers a website full of useful exercises and ideas to help make you and your brand more likeable, and attractive, to future clients.

[dropshadowbox align=”right” effect=”lifted-both” width=”320px” height=”” background_color=”#ffffff” border_width=”1″ border_color=”#dddddd” ]SummitUp
Sinclair Community College, Building 12
October 16th, 7:00am – 4:30pm
Full Day Ticket Member Pricing: $119.00
Full Day Ticket Non – Member Pricing: $159.00
Click for Tickets[/dropshadowbox]

The final keynote of the day is at the end of the last group of four sessions. If you are familiar with the name of the person who is presenting, you have certainly seen his work on multiple websites. His name is Tim Schigel, and he is the chairman and founder of ShareThis, which has their widgets for social media sharing scattered across the Internet. Tim has done innovative work for some of the biggest firms in the country, from Apple to Procter and Gamble. The impetus behind ShareThis was to start measuring how people share the interesting things that they find outside of search engines, and that involves tracking how people use social sites to share. What is getting shared? How is it getting shared? And what is the future of measuring and sharing data?

The transition to social media presents a new set of challenges, much like the first pioneers into radio media faced. Whether you are in traditional media or cultivating pin boards, if you are new to the game or still think fondly of your AOL marketing efforts, SummitUp is a great way to develop your skills in this new realm. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and a bevy of other new platforms are out there for people to use, integrate, and broadcast from. This is a fine opportunity to take advantage of all this brilliance in a local environment, at a great price. Connect with the best talent in Dayton and beyond, and take your marketing efforts to the next level. We all hope to see you on October 16th!

Punching It Up

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Fish House Punch Bowl

Hello fancy!

Our cocktail history is a long and rich one. Starting with the Pilgrims stopping at Plymouth Rock because they were out of beer, up to the current rise of the craft cocktails, we have seen a little bit of everything. One of the longest runs in our cocktail history is one that for the most part has been forgotten, other than remnants of them in some of the cocktails we enjoy today. It was present up right to the end of the 19th century, encouraging people to gather around and spend a few hours with each other, ladling out glasses of potent liquid to cool off in the hot summer months, and to warm up in the cold winter months. The punch was a staple of the growing United States, being present at every bar and gathering in the country, and for some very good reasons.

Punches originated in India, where the British were stationed with little access to the good alcohols they enjoyed at home. And the British sailors did not like to be separated from their ration of one gallon of beer a day. Or a half pint of rum, whichever they preferred. One of the origin stories for why they called it “punch” was a slant on the Indian word panch (five), the number of ingredients the punch was supposed to have. The drink was created with alcohol, lemon, sugar, water, and tea or other native spices. The alcohol became whatever was handy at the time. It began with wine, but rum, brandy, and whiskey punches were also popular in the various areas of the British Empire. It was so popular that a special bowl was even created for it, called a Monteith Bowl. It had a scalloped edge, which eventually became removable, where a ladle could be kept or the stems of wine glasses could be held.

It spread with the empire. Rum houses sprang up all over the United States and Caribbean islands. The earliest recorded punch in the New World is the Bajan (Barbadian) Rum Punch. It was so popular it even had its own rhyme for a recipe: One of sour, two of sweet, three of strong, four of weak. One part lime juice, two parts sweetener (usually sugar), three parts rum, and four parts water. Local spices were also added to the mix, recreating the five part panch.  As the drink spread through the country, regional variances changed the flavors, and in some case the potency, of the tipple. The Schyulkill Fishing Company created the most famous variation, known as the Fish House Punch. Possibly for the gentlemen there to enjoy, possibly something lighter for the ladies to enjoy at a Christmas Party in 1848. Punches of all varieties became a staple of dinners, of meetings, of daily life in the young country. At one dinner in 1785, the host reported that sixty-eight people went through forty-four bowls of punch, as well as eighteen bottles of wine and a large quantity of other rums and brandy. Rum was the staple liquor in the colonies, and in many punches, since it was readily available and cheap. The cheapness of the rum was another reason punches were so popular; in the 18th century, rum was still in its infancy. It was awful. The additional flavors and water added to the punch helped to hide the awfulness of the cheap and nearly raw spirit.

Monteith Bowl

Monteith bowls never go out of style.

Punches started to fall out of favor just before the Civil War. Punches were something to be consumed by a group of people over several hours, and we were starting to roll out across the country. Railroads were being built, gold was being discovered, and acres of land were out there for the taking. This was a growing country, and this was no time to sit and drink. There were more options for drinks as well, and people were looking for something more individualized. They did not want to all have to drink the same thing. They lasted until the beginning of the 20th century as a curiosity, something of a cocktail throwback. They were pushed to the back of recipe books in favor of collins, cobblers, and sours, many of which owe their existence to the recipe of punch. Some of the first tiki style drinks from the 1950’s were also based off of punch recipes. Since then, punch’s non-alcoholic form (which was always around, just not as popular) became a staple at kids’ parties for the same reason it was a staple at dinners; it brings people together around a communal place to drink something refreshing in a social setting.

Punches are still a great way to present something to your guests at a party so they can serve themselves. They can be prepared in advance, and you can make them to taste, taking into consideration the time of year you are serving them. Right now, a nice apple cider punch or something with fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg would be delightful. September 20th is National Punch and Rum Punch Day. Gather some friends together, stir together one part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong and four parts weak, add a few spices to taste, and enjoy an evening around a fire. Cheers!

Barbadian Punch

1 cup lime juice
2 cups simple syrup (Heat one cup of water, then add a cup of sugar. Mix until dissolved, allow to cool)
3 cups of rum
4 cups of water
A few dashes of Angostura bitters
Nutmeg to taste

Stir all of the ingredients into a pitcher or bowl. Ladle into individual cups over ice, add nutmeg to taste.

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
1 (750-ml) bottle Jamaican amber rum
12 oz Cognac (1 1/2 cups)
2 oz peach brandy (1/4 cup)

In a large bowl, stir the sugar into the water until the sugar is dissolved. Then mix in the lemon juice, rum, cognac, and brandy. Put the mixture into the refrigerator for three to four hours until chilled. Serve over a large block of ice for the sake of tradition, or in cups with ice in them. Garnish with wheels of lemon. If you deem this as too strong when tasting it, add more water or black tea.

(Recipe via Epicurious)

 

Distilled Wisdom

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The Century logo

THE Dayton bourbon house.

This month is a big month for The Century, located on Jefferson Street downtown. It is National Bourbon Month, and for the premier bourbon bar in Dayton, this is an opportunity to really show this community what a gem of a place they have hidden in the city (View all of the different bourbon tastings/events at Century Bar here). They have an incredible line up of events, from blind bourbon tasting this Saturday to a representative from whiskey distilleries later in the month. They kick it all off tonight with a midnight toast to get Bourbon Month into high gear, and will salute the passing of the month in the same way.

While the outside my not grab the eye as you are driving down the street, once you get in you cannot help but notice the grand, dark wood bar that dominates the main room. It has a wide collection of bottles, most of which are whiskeys in some way or form. The lights in the bar are dim, and some of the lights that exist are flooding over bourbon bottles filled with grains.  It is comfortable, warm, and intimate. The people behind the bar know their whiskeys. They are tested on a monthly basis by the general manager of The Century, Joe Head, because he knows he cannot always be there. He wants to make sure his bartenders, Tim, Jared, Heather, and Josh, know what they are talking about. Joe took some time this week to sit down with me to talk about the bar and its history.

Some of the old customers come in, and remember the old bar. They have commented that the bar had diminished in their other liquors since their focus shifted to bourbon. “We have not got rid of another thing,” he states quite plainly. “We still have vodka, we still have gin. That’s part of being in the business. We know that bourbon drinkers have friends that don’t drink bourbon. I imagine the Dublin Pub has a Bud Light.” Joe is very knowledgeable about not only bourbon (he has probably forgotten more than most people know), but about his customers and the industry. He is incredibly friendly and easy to chat with. He respects all whiskeys and bourbons, knowing they have a place on the taste buds of all his different customers. “Jim Beam white label is certainly not the greatest Jim Beam, but even Porsche makes a crappy Porsche.”

Classic Menu

A few of these were found in the walls while remodeling the kitchen. The original menu.

1. How long has The Century been around?

It has been here since early 1900’s as the Frank Steffen Company. It has been The Century Bar since 1942. It was originally a lunch and Chaminade Julienne hangout. It was the number one place to eat downtown when Dayton had more business people looking for lunch.

2. Why is it named “The Century”?

It was changed in 1942 to The Century. I don’t know what significance was to them. Some of that history was lost. Things look similar as they did in the 70’s. It was a restaurant during day, and a bar at night. No food was served past 4 PM. When I first started here there were low top tables and chairs. All we did in the last year is strip the décor back so the bar is the focus. No more Jagermeister machines, no more Budweiser neon signs. The bar speaks for itself. All of our lights out there are bourbon bottles and they’re filled with grain that makes the recipe for each of the bourbons.  All of our tables, we made them ourselves, buying the barrels from a cooperage in Louisville. We bought the furniture tops from a local place.

3. How long have you been with the place?

Since February 1, 1998. Diane Spitzig owns the bar, but I run the business for her. I wanted to do this for a few years. I did not plan on being here for fifteen years. We’ve always carried twenty bourbons, because I am a bourbon guy. In New York, San Francisco and Chicago, this is what they are doing. They are getting away from the beer. You want to drink less and drink better. For us, it felt like the way to go with it.

4. What made you become a fan of bourbon?

You know, I would love to say I sat on my grandpa’s lap when I was a kid. But honestly, when I was a kid my friends and I were Hank Williams Jr. fans. When we got old enough to think about drinking, we heard about Jim Beam. Today I still drink Jim Beam. I wish there was a more romantic story. There’s not. It’s the truth.

5. What was the impetus to mold The Century into a bourbon bar? How successful has it been?

I always thought that this was possible. You can be one spirit specific. You can see it more and more in the magazines. We have representatives from Jim Beam come here and say “You guys are way ahead of the curve. What you are doing here, they are doing in the big cities.” I spent fourteen days in Louisville, KY, visiting every bourbon bar I could go to, and I never left like we were not doing it right. The only thing we are limited by is Ohio’s regulations. They have to get it so we can get it. It is quite the process. We were in the Jockey Silks in the Galt House, a legendary bourbon bar, and another couple was sitting next to us. The bartender was talking with me for fifteen minutes, asking me about my opinion on bourbon. They asked the bartender a question, and he gestured to me and said “I don’t know, but I bet this guy could answer your question.” We laughed. I went there to be wowed, and left feeling good that what we are doing here with our staff is right. Bourbon is a passion for us; it is something we believe in.

Vintage decanters

A small preview of vintage bourbon decanters you can see during Urban Nights.

6. Where did the idea for a blind bourbon tasting come from?

I had read and talked about bourbon tastings. The biggest hurdle we have with bourbon is label prejudice. People say “I do not like Jim Beam” or “I do not like Wild Turkey”. That is not necessarily true. They make a lot of bourbons, they just don’t make one. We want to strip away everything but what is in the glass. We had seventeen people at first one in October. The next one we had thirty five, and we haven’t had fewer than forty five since. All forty five people at the last one liked number six. It was Wild Turkey 101. If they knew, they would have told you they did not like it. When all they judged is what their taste buds told them, the whole room loved it. We are not trying to trick people. We are just trying to show them not to get caught up on what is on the front of the bottle; what is in the bottle is what is important.

You try to separate yourself from everyone else. We are on an island here by ourselves. We are a downtown bar; a destination. Part of our deal is to get away from the dive bar. It becomes negative. Most people that work here are in their 30’s. You have to see the market and separate yourself. It gives people quality option to come to downtown Dayton. The bourbon tasting we did earlier tonight, we tied also in with Olive. Those women are getting the whole downtown experience.

7. What is the “Bourbon Rocks” event for the Downtown Dayton Festival about?

We’re trying to tie into the Downtown Dayton Revival event and promote it as well. We will feature some appropriate bourbon that weekend. When we did our March tasting, we did two distilleries versus each other, to tie in with the March Madness play in game. We are just trying to promote from another angle what downtown is doing.

8. Why should more people be drinking bourbon?

I think things cycle, like clothing. In the 60’ and 70’s, people wanted to get away from what their mom and dad drank and went to the vodkas and gins. It was the opposite of Ozzie and Harriet, like dad had a glass of whiskey after work.  We get a lot of twenty-somethings that want to drink what their grandparent’s drank, or their great grandparents drank. All things come around. When you sip on it, you’re not just shooting it at a party. We have 242 people in signed up in our bourbon club, half of them are women. Half of tickets for Saturday’s tasting are for women. We don’t believe bourbon is for everyone, but it is for enough people. We have sixty eight bourbons and one hundred and twenty total whiskeys. Bourbon is our focus.

9. What do you think of the trend of flavored bourbons, like American Honey by Wild Turkey, Tennessee Honey by Jack Daniels, and Red Stag by Jim Beam?

As a traditional bourbon drinker, it is not for me. But they don’t want me to drink it. They are trying to get past that “whiskey” thing. There are people who absolutely love it. We embrace it. Whatever grows the industry is good for us. They make good Manhattans. We mix it with lemonade and sweet tea and Coke. People ask me “What is the best way to enjoy whiskey?” Drink it any way you want, it’s yours. The best part of bourbon is there is no right or wrong way to enjoy it. This party that was in earlier said they would never have guessed they would enjoy sitting and drinking bourbon that much. That is what we are looking for.

Joe Head

The soul of the bar and bourbon enthusiast, Joe Head.

10. What is your favorite bourbon?

What day of the week is it? George T Stagg and W.L. Weller are two of my favorite bourbons. Stagg only comes out once a year. It is a 141 proof from Buffalo Trace. It comes out every October. This 1792 is an everyday drinker for me. It is in my bourbon flight.

11. How long have you been doing bourbon flights?

December was our relaunch, so we started the flights in December. Each of the guys that work here has their favorite four, and when you reach the fifty whiskey mark in the club you also get to pick your favorite four. We feature that for a few months. We also do one that’s called Aged. I show people how white corn whiskey is and then increment the age so they can see how whiskey matures. The flights are very popular.

12. Do you need a beard to enjoy bourbon more?

No! Tim and I both, obviously, have facial hair. We thought it would be a nice night (September 22nd) to tie beards in with bourbon. Come in and wear fake beards. Draw in a handle bar moustache.

Joe also left me with a few final words: “We did not want to get ahead of ourselves. We did not want to sit down and have this conversation until we were ready as a business. We are up and running. All of our staff had to be taught, and they did really well with it. You can buy all the good bourbon you want, but your staff needs to make it a good experience. We are passionate about it and understand it. We look forward to coming into work.”

We look forward to coming to The Century all month to celebrate. If you are someone who loves bourbon, or have just been curious about it for a long time and want to try it, now is the time, and this is the place to educate yourself on the finer points of America’s spirit. Happy National Bourbon Month! Cheers!

Brew it yourself!

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Belmont Party Supply

Belmont Party Supply was the original home of BrewTensils.

How are you enjoying Dayton Beer Week so far? The wide variety of beers, beer dinners, and other special events should be heaven for any beer lover in the area. Some people are not satisfied with just going out and enjoying. Some people need to create it on their own. For those people, there is BrewTensils. They have been open for just a few years, but have a much longer history than that. Darren Link, the manager at BrewTensils, took some valuable time out of his schedule to answer a few questions for us here at Dayton Most Metro. He spoke a little about the growing Dayton craft beer scene, how he started home brewing, and how you can join the ranks of home brewers in the area.

How did you get into home brewing? How long have you been doing it?

I got into it the same way almost everybody else does, a friend said “Let’s make some beer.” And I had the typical reaction “You can do that?” We made a few awful batches, I ‘borrowed’ some of his equipment to do my own beers. I got the bug and have been doing it for 4 years now.

What is your favorite style of beer to brew?

I kind of jump around with the styles I brew, so I don’t think I have a favorite style to brew. I enjoy brewing IPA’s; you will never have a fresher IPA than one you brew yourself. I also enjoy brewing English styles, Belgian Sours, and recently finished my second lager a Munich Dunkel.

What made it a good time in Dayton to open a home brewing store?

We have sold homebrewing supplies for the past 25+ years. The supplies used to be in the back of the beer store next door, Belmont Party Supply. A small shelf and items were constantly out of stock. Both BrewTensils & Belmont Party Supply are owned by Mike Schwartz. He noticed the demand increasing in the area and after the dry cleaner went out of business that used to occupy this space, established the current BrewTensils roughly 3 years ago. We’ve been consistently growing ever since.

Bulk Grain

Brew all the grains! Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

How have you seen tastes in beers change?

There’s almost an evolution in craft beer drinkers tastes. They have one craft beer or a couple beers that change their prospective. They get curious about what else is out there; they typically get into IPA’s and the hoppier styles. Then higher gravity (higher alcohol) and finally start appreciating the styles that are difficult to brew. As far a craft in general, it’s up 14% this year when beer sales in general have declined.

Do you see home brewers influencing national trends, or vice versa?

I think it’s a two way street. Brewers like to see how close they can get to brewing their favorite commercial beers. There are literally millions of clone recipes on the internet; New Belgium Fat Tire, Bell’s Two Hearted, and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald being very popular ones. On the other side of it, homebrewers have helped to save some less popular beer styles. I feel that traditional Belgian Lambics have been an example. Almost going extinct in Belgium in the 60’s & 70’s, the popularity amongst homebrewers, professional brewers & beer connoisseurs have helped to keep them alive.

IPAs look like they are all the rage right now. What do you think the next beer trend is going to be?

I think IPA’s will always be the rage. I think session beers are increasing in popularity. A session beer being defined as a beer you can drink large quantities of without getting sloshed and typically has an alcohol percentage between 4 & 5.6 or lower. People want to try several different beers in one sitting, maybe even venturing outside of their comfort zone. On the other side of that there’s ‘extreme’ beers which can clock in at 10, 12 even 18 or 20 percent, which you can have one of and be rocked.

When does your next round of classes start? What do you like most about teaching them?

I don’t have dates set for those yet but I’m looking at having a round of classes before the holidays, so October/ November time frame. Our largest attended class is right after the holidays in January. The past 2 years we’ve had 70 people attend Brewing 101.

I like seeing their excitement of getting started, getting hooked and then bringing their first or second beer in for me to taste to see what I think of it. Kind of living vicariously through my customers reminding me of how excited I was when I started.

Darren

Would you buy a home brewing kit from this man? Photo courtesy of Mike Lang

What is the:

                -best beer you have tasted brewed by one of your customers?

The one that’s in front of me. No seriously, I am always pleasantly surprised by the high quality of beers that my customers brew.

-the worst beer?  (or a beer that people seem to have the hardest time brewing)

There’s an ancient beer style that used a whole uncooked chicken thrown into the fermenter. He soaked the entire chicken in white wine to ‘sanitize’ it, put it in the secondary for about 2 weeks, and loosely filtered it. I thought I was going to get salmonella from drinking it but the white wine added more character than the chicken.

-a beer you thought sounded awful but ended up tasting really good?

It didn’t sound awful; I was more intrigued by the idea of using homegrown garden herbs and spices in a beer. I have a couple of those I’ve done with great success. Honey basil ale is a really popular summer seasonal. Several customers have brewed it also with rave reviews. Another one that came out well is Thai basil & lemongrass wheat. But not all experimentation beers have turned out well, I’m still trying to perfect a baklava inspired beer with honey, pistachios, and philo dough.

Dayton Beer Company just opened, and Toxic Brew Company, Fifth Street Brewpub, Vitruvian Brew, Yellow Springs Brewery and Dayton History are poised to open breweries in the near future. Plenty of restaurants already have a wide selection of craft beers in the area, like Boston’s, South Park Tavern, Chappy’s, and a few others. Do you think Dayton is close to a saturation point on breweries and craft beer?

Not even close, we’ve only just begun. I had a theory before the new resurgence of breweries. I think Dayton was the largest craft thirsty market in the US that didn’t have an operating brewery. Look at the numbers Fifth Street Brewpub got for their charter member drive. Their original goal was 300 they got 830, in one month. I feel that Dayton and surrounding areas could support a double digit number of breweries. Grand Rapids, Michigan and Ashville, North Carolina split the Beer City USA title this year. Those aren’t huge markets but beer tourism drives some of that. Don’t be surprised to see some beer tourism in Dayton a couple years from now.

What is your advice to someone that wants to start brewing? What is a good “beginning style” to start with?

My advice for new brewers is to do some reading first. Read Jon Palmer’s “How to Brew”. Either pick up a copy or read it online at howtobrew.com. He writes it in a way so you can avoid mistakes and have a successful beer they will enjoy and be proud of the first time they brew. Other than that, start small, pick up a Brewer’s Best Deluxe Equipment Kit and a small bottle of Star San sanitizer. Cleaning and sanitization are very important and are two separate actions. The Brewer’s Best English Brown Ale is by far the best selling first time brewer recipe kit, it comes out like a Newcastle. The nice thing about the recipe kits is they only require a 2 ½ gallon boil so it can be done on the stove

Belmont Party Supply, BrewTensils, and Stacker’s Subs and Grub are all located on Smithville Road, near Watervliet Avenue. You can call BrewTensils at (937) 252-4724, and become their fan on Facebook. Cheers!

 

Hooray Beer!

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Dayton Beer Week

Dayton Beer Week 2012! August 18th - 24th! Our Festivus!

Next Saturday, August 25th, Dayton will mark the 14th time AleFest has been celebrated, and it has been picking up steam every year. Three hundred and fifty breweries are participating in the event taking place at Carillon Historical Park. It is the main event in an escalating series of beer celebrations around town that makes up Dayton Beer Week, August 18th – 24th. This is the week that every craft beer aficionado should be going out and looking to expand their palate. It would be harder for you this week to find a place that is NOT offering some sort of beer event.

There are going to be beer tastings, dinners, tappings, specials, and education all week long in the widest variety of venues. Places better known for wine or other spirits will be getting into the act, like the Century Bar, Thai 9, A Taste of Wine, Buckin’ Donkey BBQ, and Bruning’s Wine Shop. Beer dinners will be offered all around town to help improve your food and beer pairings at Rue Dumaine, Jay’s Seafood Restaurant, Dorothy Lane Market, Spinoza’s Pizza & Salads, Meadowlark, The Melting Pot, and Jimmie’s Ladder 11. Representatives from Samuel Adams, Stone Brewing Company, Duvel USA, Brewkettle, New Holland, Magic Hat, 21st Amendment, Goose Island, Sierra Nevada Brewery, and Unibroue will be in town to talk about their beers as well as show off some of their new products. All of the dates and times for these tastings are available on our event calendar under beer.

The festivities for the week officially begin on Sunday evening, August 19th, with the Beer Pride Parade, starting at the Dublin Pub. Line up through the Oregon District and show your craft beer pride!  The over 800 owners of the new Fifth Street Brewpub Co-op are invited to a pre-parade event and will walk in the parade en masse.  The first eighty bicycle riders to Biking for The Beer Of It in Miamisburg can participate in a nice ten mile ride on Tuesday, August 21st, sponsored by Goose Island. There will be some refreshments at the mid way point, and a little bit of swag for all of the participants. Five chefs and six beers will be featured on Wednesday, August 22nd, at the Dayton Art Institute’s Brewer’s Art dinner. Space is limited for this event, so you are going to want to make your reservations soon! Of course, the final event, the culmination of a week’s worth of fun and tasting and exploring is AleFest.

Dayton AleFest

For fourteen years, this has been THE beer event in Dayton.

While you are out exploring Dayton, there are a few things you should remember as you are out doing your tastings:

  • When you taste, it is very similar to tasting wine. You want a little foam on the top. You also want to look at and sniff the beer before you taste it, to see what aromas are coming off of it.
  • Do not hold the beer in direct light when you look at it. You get the best idea of color when you look at it in indirect light.
  • Give it a little bit of a swirl in your glass. This stirs up the carbonation a little, allowing more of the aromas to be released. Don’t underestimate the importance of scent when tasting your beer!
  • Hold the beer in your mouth a little bit, allowing it to roam all over your tongue. Enjoy the flavors that come out as it is in your mouth. Take a mental note on how thick the beer is. This is known as mouthfeel.
  • Allow the beer to warm up SLIGHTLY before you drink it. As with wine, a little bit of extra warmth unveils deeper flavors that may not be otherwise obvious.

And while you are going to Beer Week events:

  • Car pool. Parking is going to be very limited for some of these events, and the citizens are going to be out in force. Getting more people in one car is going to be helpful for everyone.
  • Get there early. You want to make sure you get there in enough time to get seats, be able to talk to the guest of honor, etc. Some events may even have limited seating. Make sure you call the venue and check out the details.
  • Drink plenty of water. This is going to serve a twofold purpose. First, water will help cleanse the palate between each beer, giving you a better idea of how each beer tastes. Secondly, it will help you avoid a worse hangover than you might normally have.
  • Do not eat spicy foods before you go to an event. You do not want your taste buds to be still burning from the Nuclear Hot wings you just ate. Eat a little something; just tone it down.
  • Go to the dark side. If you are not at a pre-set beer tasting, start off with some of the lighter beers, and go to the darker ones. The darker beers tend to have heavier flavors and be thicker, which can linger a little longer.
  • Designate a driver. No explanation needed.

Next week is going to be an exciting romp through the world of craft beer. Check out the list and plan you week carefully, participate in a few a events, and try out a few beers you have never thought about before, or may not get a chance to again. I am sure Max Spang (who helped me quite a bit with advice and research on this article) and I will see you out at some point around town. Cheers!

Highland Fling

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Scotch being poured into a glass

Doesn't that look stunning?

The first true royal and celebrity to fall in love with Scotch was Scotland’s greatest king, James IV. He kicked off the popularity of the strong spirit, and it has been growing ever since. The English parliament tried to tax it heavily at the beginning of the 18th century, and it went underground. People still had no problem getting it (and not paying the tax on it). After one hundred and fifty years, the British came to their senses and realized that they were losing tons of revenue. They lifted the tax and charged for a more modest license. It was a timely move. A few decades later, the phylloxera beetle destroyed the grapes in France, nearly wiping out the wine and brandy industries. During that time Scotch rose back to the palate of the nobility and elite, who were looking for something new to fill their liquor closets with.

It became a mark of distinction to enjoy a good scotch, and we have seen that in our stars and culture. Prohibition was good to the Scotch community. Since bourbon was no longer available in America, people looked across the pond to find good whisky to drink. Scotch, while usually watered down, was a perfect replacement for it, and relatively safe compared to some of the other “liquor” that was available. Hollywood rose not long after, and many of the stars at the time commented on the benefits of, and how much they enjoyed drinking, Scotch. George Burns once remarked “I love to sing, and I love to drink scotch. Most people would rather hear me drink Scotch.” Humphrey Bogart and W.C. Fields also commented on the delights of drinking Scotch. It has been mentioned most recently on sitcoms like “How I Met Your Mother” (Barney loves it), by comedians like Ron White, and of course is the favorite on air drink of Ron Burgundy. Mr. Burgundy told us that is why he started National Scotch Day on July 27th. (It is as good of a reason as I have found yet…)

He said July 27th is National Scotch Day. We won't argue.

One of the reasons it became so popular is its complexity. There is a wide variety to Scotch, which makes it one of the more varied members of the whisky family. To begin with, there are two major types of Scotch, single malt and blended. Single malt Scotch is created with malted barley from a single distillery, made only in copper pot stills. They are blended together from different casks to create the distinct flavor of the Scotch. The youngest Scotch used in the blend is the age you find on the front of the bottle. Single malts you may be familiar with are Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Talisker, The Macallan, Glenfiddich, and The Glenlivet. Blended Scotch can be created through the combination of malted whisky from barley, as well as grain whisky. The blends have an advantage of creating a distinct flavor you cannot get from only malted barley. They are usually a little smoother, and are the bulk of what people drink when they have Scotch. Blends you may be familiar with are Dewars, Johnnie Walker, Chivas Regal, and J&B. Other categories of Scotches exist, such as blended malt (blended malt from separate distilleries), single grain (grain whiskey and malt whiskey from the same distillery), and single cask (all from one cask, 100 to 120 proof), but are very hard to find.

Scotches are also identified by the area they are from. Traditionally, there have been four areas that Scotch production has been broken into, but now number five. The Highlands have a wide variety of Scotches in it, but that is because it encompasses over half of the area of Scotland. You may also see a Scotch refer to itself as Island or Isle of Man. That too is part of the Highlands. Lowland, where there are only three distilleries creating sinlge malts, are usually triple distilled and have a lighter flavor than other Scotches. Speyside, which was once considered part of the Highlands, has nearly half the total distilleries in Scotland. With such a high number, it is very hard to categorize on defining characteristic. It is a safe bet that most of the Scotches you have heard of come from this region. Islay Scotches are the advanced class of Scotch; they have a heavy smoky, peated flavor to them, and tend to put off new Scotch drinkers. The smallest is Campbeltown, with only three active distilleries. It used to be the largest producer of whisky in the world, but collapsed through overproduction, then finished off by Prohibition and the Great Depression.

Copper pot stills where scotch is made

Scotch has rules, like most all other alcohols today. The latest incarnation of these rules, the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, lay out what it takes to be called a Scotch. First, it must be produced in Scotland, of barley and other whole cereal grains. Second, when it is turned into mash, only yeast may be used to convert the sugar into alcohol. Third, it has to be matured in Scotland, in oak casks, for a period of no less than three years (though most Scotches are matured for five or more). And finally, nothing other than water or plan caramel color can be added to the final product. As of November of this year, the rules will also state that single malts will have to be bottled and labeled in Scotland. You will also see many Scotches with a year on them. Blends can still be bottled anywhere in the world.

If you are looking for a good place to try out some Scotch in Dayton, The Pub at the Greene has a good selection of Scotches, as well as flights to try them in. Side Bar also has a lovely selection of Scotch for you to try out, but no flights. For those of you just starting your Scotch journey, let the bartender know what your tastes are, and they can recommend the right one for you. You will want to begin with some of the sweeter, maltier Scotches, moving through the various complexities of the spirit until you begin to enjoy the peaty richness of the Islays. Scotch is not used in very many cocktails, but the two you will find most often mentioned most at bars are the Rob Roy (a variation on the Manhattan) and Rusty Nail (Scotch with a hint of sweet Drambuie).

If Scotch whisky is good enough for Humphrey Bogart, George Burns, and Ron Burgundy, it should be something that you try a few times in your life. Tonight is a great time to sit back and relax with a fine dram of Scotch and good friends, and just chat the night away. Preferably on a patio. Cheers!

Tequila. Straight.

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July 24th - National Tequila Day. No limes required.

Most people have one of two reactions when they think about tequila. The first reaction is “You mean that delicious nectar that is grown and distilled in Mexico? Bring me a shot of it on the rocks, my good bartender!” The second reaction is a feeling of nausea, a tentative look towards the restroom, and blurry memories of a night on the town. The last thing you remember is someone shouting “Hey, let’s shoot some tequila!”

Tequila is the first distilled spirit on the North American continent, and we have the Spaniards to thank for that. When the conquistadors invaded Mexico in the 16th century, they had more pressing problems than making nice with the natives and establishing a place to stay: it is a long trip across the Atlantic, and they needed something to drink. The stuff the natives had, called pulque (the name the Spaniards gave it, roughly “spoiled wine”), tasted awful. The Spaniards applied some distilling techniques they used to create brandy and turned the stuff drinkable, developing what we roughly know as mescal.

Mescal is the broader liquor category that tequila falls into. Think sparkling wine and champagne. Tequila, however, has some pretty strict standards that must be adhered to before the liquid inside can be called tequila. First, the agave used to make the tequila must be the Weber’s blue agave, a plant that can get over 6 feet high.  Since it was so big, tough, and covered in spikes, Aztecs would also use it as defenses around their smaller towns. Secondly, that plant must be grown in the Jalisco state in Western Mexico. Third, at least 51% of the liquor in the bottle has to come from the agave; the rest can be from other plants. The best tequilas are 100% blue agave, and most will announce that on the label. All of this is regulated and inspected by the Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM), which controls whether or not the bottle you buy is full of tequila or mescal. If you do not see NOM on the label, usually with a number near it, you do not have real tequila. These are all standards that are enforced by international law.

And before we move along, let us address the worm. The worm is never, ever, ever in tequila. If you find a worm in your bottle, you have a mescal, and a poor one at that. Some distilleries will add the worm (a larval form of a moth), to the bottle as a gimmick, but generally it is a bad sign if it slips into your bottle unannounced. Fortunately, they do not drink much while they are in there, and if you choose to eat it, you add some protein to your diet.

You want some tequila? Come and get it...

Back to Weber’s blue agave. They are watched closely by jimadores, men who closely watch and trim the plant as it grows. If it flowers too soon, it will not grow large enough or develop enough sugars to ferment. Cutting off the larger parts, more dangerous leaves of the plant leaves you something called a pina, or head, which can weigh up to two hundred and forty pounds. Then they rough it up. They are roasted so the head softens up, then pressed and shredded to get out all of the agave juice, or aguamiel. The leftovers can be so tough they can be used in many other industrial products, including bricks. That juice is placed into either wood or stainless steel vats so it can go through fermentation. It will then be distilled a twice to make it into tequila. Some companies will distill it a third time, but most connoisseurs feel that it removes too much of the flavor that makes tequila unique. Once the tequila has been distilled, the distillery ages it to make a variety of types:

  • Silver (blanco) – if it is aged at all, it is for two months in steel or neutral oak barrels. Typically, it is bottled right after distillation.
  • Gold (oro) – sometimes known as joven (young), it is a blend of blanco and reposado tequilas.
  • Rested (reposado) – aged a minimum of two months, a maximum of one year, in oak barrels.
  • Aged (anejo) – aged a minimum of one year, but less than three years, in small oak barrels.
  • Extra Aged (extra anejo) – aged a minimum of three years in oak barrels.

Most bars carry blanco, oro, and reposado for your drinking pleasure. The more aged the tequila, the more the agave taste becomes mellowed by the contact with the wood. You will only find anejo and up in better Mexican restaurants and tequilarias in general.

When you mention sipping tequila on the rocks, as I prefer to do, most people will make a horrible face and look at you oddly. Because we all know how to drink tequila: you lick your hand between the thumb and forefinger, put some salt on it, lick the salt, shoot the tequila, and slam a lime wedge (or a lemon wedge, depending on where you are from). Most of us, when we began drinking it, were trying to kill the awful taste of cheap tequila. But over the last few decades tequila has really matured. Brands like Patron, Cabo Wabo, 1800, Don Julio, and Jose Cuervo among many others have brought the reputation of tequila up from a hard party drink to a casual sipping drink. Other lesser known (and well rated) brands include el Espolon, Avion, Herradura, and Partida. Finding them in restaurants may be more difficult, but well worth the search. Many tequilas have also been experimenting with flavors, ranging from the fruity to the savory. Tequilas have more recently (starting around 2009) been found with infusions of coconut, pomegranate, jalapenos or coffee.

Sure, this is an option today. There are others!

In honor of National Tequila Day, held every year on July 24th, here are a few non-margarita recipes for you to enjoy.

Chapala

1.5 oz. silver tequila
.5 oz. orange juice
.5 oz. lemon juice
Dash (.25 oz.) of grenadine
Dash (.25 oz.) of orange liqueur

Combine the liquids into a shaker over ice. Shake vigorously, and pour into an old fashioned glass over ice. Use an orange slice to garnish.
The cocktail is named after the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, Lake Chapala. Not coincidentally, it is located in Jalisco.

Brave Bull

1.5 oz. silver tequila
1 oz. coffee liqueur

Pour the tequila and the coffee liqueur into an ice filled glass and stir briefly.

Yes, it is a Black Russian with tequila instead of vodka. The flavors of the coffee liqueur (another product of Mexico) and tequila blend nicely, enhancing both of them.

If you are not a tequila drinker, you may want to give it another whirl. Tequila has come a long way, and with the number of fine tequila drinks and creative bartenders out there, you’ll find a cocktail you adore. You could also check out our Cinco de Mayo article for other tequila options. It is a tough liquor to make. This could be the day to give it a second chance. Salud!

The Old Man and the Daiquiri

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Wait...what is that? I thought this was about daiquiris.

Ernest Hemingway is well known as an author, widely considered as one of the greatest writers in American history. He wrote heavily for over thirty years, everything from sweeping works of fiction to hard hitting journalism. He won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954 for his work, and his strong, understated style has influenced writers for decades. His books talked about such manly events as war, fishing, bullfighting, and African safaris. He was not only a heavy writer, he was a heavy drinker. As Prohibition was in its death throes, he went to Cuba to do some writing and escape some of his celebrity (and his wife at the time). It was there, while he was living in a hotel, he discovered the El Floridita bar, and the drink he would become best associated with, the daiquiri.

When you think about manly, strong drinks, the daiquiri is not the one that springs immediately to mind. You picture something with a fruity flavor, topped with whipped cream and fruit, resembling a slushie, not a drink a war journalist like Hemingway would drink. When Jennings Cox, an American miner working in Cuba, “created” the drink around 1905, it was a potent drink. It was rum, a squirt of lime juice, a little bit of sugar, all mixed and served over a new luxury, crushed ice. He was throwing a big party for his friends, and had run out of gin for the punch he was making. What he did have was an abundance of the local Cuban spirit, rum. He simply switched the six cups of gin in the punch with rum, and served it to his guests. They loved it. When they asked what the drink was named, Cox was stumped. They all decided to name it for the village that the mine was closest to, Daiquiri.

Many liquor historians, however, will dispute that this is actually an original drink. The British had been serving that particular mixture of rum, lime, and sugar since the 1740’s, mainly to cut the rum so that the sailors would not get drunk while on the ship. The only difference being that ice was not readily available, so water was added to the mix. Cox either lucked upon the recipe, or had heard about it in his travels and knew it would work. His creation was brought to the United States by Admiral Lucius Johnson, where he introduced it everywhere he went, but most notably the Army-Navy Club in Washington, D.C. It became so popular there in its original form that they designated July 19th of every year as National Daiquiri Day. While Hemingway was the cocktails most famous imbiber (rumored to have drank sixteen double daiquiris in one sitting), the first literary mention of it was in 1920 by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the book This Side of Paradise. The El Floridita in Cuba became THE place to get your daiquiris, and for a while this recipe held sway.

You have to drink a lot to get your own bronze statue.

It was not until 1937, when the Waring Blender came out, that the daiquiri took the form we recognize now. The blender gave bartenders the ability to not just crush the ice, but to do it amazingly quickly. Constante Ribailagua, bartender at the El Floridita, made a special version of it for Hemingway, called the Papa Doble, which doubled the rum, removed the sugar, and added grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur. He then blended the cocktail with ice, and strained out the ice before serving it. That step was lost in translation as it moved here, and so the drink became thick with the crushed ice. That is the way it has remained, with the original cocktail being lost to old recipe books and nerdy bartenders who love the classic drinks. It has been revived in this golden age of cocktails.

Jennings Cox’s Punch

6 cups of light rum
6 juiced limes
6 tsp sugar
2 small cups of water
Crushed ice

Mix all of the ingredients in a punch bowl. Add the ice just before serving, to keep the punch cold but not too diluted.

The Original Daiquiri

2 oz. white rum
1 oz. fresh lime juice
.5 oz. simple syrup

Combine all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Shake well, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. If you want to make a frozen version, combine the ingredients with 1 cup of crushed ice into a blender. If you want a fruit flavor, add some of the fruit of your choice (a small handful of berries or slices of orange or banana) before you blend it, and remove the lime juice. Blend until smooth, and serve in a cocktail glass. Either version is garnished with a lime slice.

Papa Doble (Hemingway’s version)

4 oz. white rum
The juice of two limes
.5 oz of sweet grapefruit juice
.5 oz of maraschino liqueur

Hemingway did not like sugar, so Constante Ribailagua made a version just for him that got rid of sugar. Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing glass over ice. Stir, then strain into a cocktail glass.

Hemingway enjoyed the punch that the original cocktail had; we enjoy the punch-like flavors it has now. Either way you choose to enjoy a daiquiri, it is a perfect way to relax and cool off during the middle of the summer, when we celebrate this classic cocktail. Dust off a copy of Farewell to Arms or The Sun Also Rises, find a patio with a nice cool breeze, and celebrate the day. Cheers!

Drinkable Honey

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Sweet and delicious inspiration

Liquor, like all good things that have come down to us over the millennia, was created by accident. Someone left something that could be fermented in a cool, dry place with plenty of water, someone boldly drank the water that was there, and the party started. When you think of the classic drinks, beer and wine are the ones that should come to the top of mind. Beer in the northern areas, where the seasons were rough and grain was plentiful. Warmer climates offered a bounty of grapes to grow and crush, making wine the drink of choice around the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Further south in Africa, something different was happening. It was also happening in China, but not in the same pure form it was in Africa. Honey was the dominant target of sugary treat to be fermented, and the fermentation of honey becomes mead. Mead was being created in Africa for hundreds of years before wine and beer were being made. Mead, once it was brought forth from Africa, became a staple all over the world.

Mead is liquor fermented from honey. It is incredibly simple to make, so simple nature makes it all by itself. In Africa, it was discovered in hollow tree stumps filled with water after the rainy season. Bees made their hives in there, and when the rains came they wisely abandoned them. The honey was processed by the bees until it was so dense that airborne yeast would not get trapped and ferment in it (bees are teetotalers), but trapped it was. The yeast helped to ferment the honey as it broke down in the water. That left whatever honey was there, sitting in the rain water until someone found it sometime later. As people migrated north, they took the secrets of mead creation with them. It spread through Europe, and people loved it.

This is a little more intimidating than picking grapes.

The love people had for mead made it legendary. Most European mythology has mead as a drink of the gods, and bees as messengers to the gods. Nectar was what the Greek gods drank to maintain their immortality, and the Norse mixed the blood of the god Kvasir with honey to make the Mead of Poetry. Mead was in the epic poem Beowulf, and mentioned by the Spanish in their poems as well. Mead was drank by royalty through Europe. It became so popular that one of the wedding gifts expected to be provided was a month’s worth of the sweet drink. The supply lasted from one full moon to the next, giving us the post-nuptial term “honeymoon”. Bees do not like to give up their honey very easily, and they only will produce so much in a season. As the population of Europe grew, mead became more and more precious. It lost its popularity through two major events on the continent. Marco Polo brought sugar cane back from his trips from China, which offered a cheaper and easier way to make wine and beer, increasing their popularity through Europe. About a century and a half later, Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in England (which made a considerable amount of alcohol in general), pushing mead underground completely. Over the centuries it became something that was made individually in homes, and such a part of English tradition they brought bees over to the New World with them.

Mead has many varieties, all of them regional, and all of them unique. In Ethiopia, each house has its own recipe of a drink they call tej. They flavor it with a bitter bark from the gesho tree and are very serious about keeping each family recipe secret. The Finns have a special version for their May Day celebrations called sima, to which lemon is added to balance the sweetness of the honey. Raisins are then added to show when the fermentation is done; when the raisins float, the drink is ready. Ireland and England consider it a traditional drink, and many people drink it along with stout and Irish whisky on St. Patrick’s Day. You can drink mead chilled like you would a white wine, or add mulling spices to it and drink it warm. Much like where and how grapes are grown can affect the taste of wine, where honey is gathered can alter the taste of mead. People have also added spices, berries, special yeasts, malts, apples, and anything else that has sugar and can add to the flavor of the mead. Mead can handle it all.

How can you say no to good, local mead?

Of course, by this point you would love to try a glass of it yourself, but where in the Miami Valley can you get some? Miami Valley Wine and Spirits has the occasional tasting of mead, as well as selling some of the flavored meads. The ever eclectic Belmont Party Supply offers a selection of mead that leans to the more traditional honey flavors. Our friends at Arrow Wine and Spirits also have a broad selection of meads. Local wine producers Valley Vineyards make excellent mead, and they also sell it as a split if you just want to try it before committing to a bottle. B Nektar has much more fun with their meads, offering a wide variety of flavors for you to explore. Chaucer Mead is sold with a few packs of mulling spices, offering you the option of drinking it warmed or chilled. If you are looking to make your own, You can find some of the tools for it right next door to Belmont party supply. You can also get the honey locally from Bee Honey Healthy or look at local farmer’s markets in Centerville or downtown.

While you may not find poetic inspiration or divine vision while drinking mead, you are sure to find some pleasant surprises while exploring it. Bring it in as a dessert wine for the next party you go to, or have a mead tasting of your own. Have you had a mead you would like to recommend? Add it in the comments section. Cheers!

A Hint of France

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The Sidecar. Simple, elegant, and delicious.

Cognac is a drink that conveys class. It is rich, deep, and complex in flavor, and only produced in a small territory in France. As a society, we see it as something that rich old men sit around in smoke filled rooms and enjoy while making business deals. It enjoyed immense popularity in Europe, and the popularity was brought over to the United States. After a fairly steep fall near the end of the 19th century, it was revived in the 1980’s by an emerging Chinese taste in the drink, and then in the 1990’s by the rap community. It has returned to some small prominence, enough to have it in bars, but not a wide selection.

When people think of cognac, the one thing they usually do not think of is a mixed drink. Cognac has been in mixed drinks for a very long time, and has created some very iconic drinks. Cocktails that have lasted for decades, and have inspired the creation of others.  If you have heard of one, it is most likely the Sidecar.

Sidecar

1.5 oz. cognac
.75 oz. Cointreau
.75 oz. lemon juice
Sugar, for frosting the rim of the glass
Lemon wedge for a garnish

Run a lemon wedge around the edge of a cocktail glass. Lightly run the damp rim through the sugar to lightly coat it. Combine the cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice in a glass with ice and shake. Strain the drink into the prepared glass, and garnish with the lemon.

Prohibition was not kind to the United States. Any drinks that came out of this era generally were created to hide the taste of the liquor, which was awful. Except for the Sidecar. This is a well balanced drink, emphasizing the sweetness of the congac through the Cointreau (an orange liqueur), but balancing it with the tartness of the lemon juice.

Between the Sheets

1 oz. white rum (Bacardi or Appleton Reserve)
1 oz. Cointreau
.5 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. cognac

Chill a cocktail glass. Combine the rum, Cointreau, lemon juice, and cognac in a glass with ice and shake. Strain the drink into the chilled glass.

Between the Sheets is another cocktail that comes out of Prohibition. It is a brother to the Sidecar, just with addition of the rum. It takes away some of the smoothness of the drink, but adds some kick that the Prohibition set was looking for. If you are drinking on the sly, you want cocktails that have the biggest kick in the shortest time, and this one fit the bill.

These guys knew how to create a government...and drink. Probably at the same time.

Fish House Punch (single serving)

1.5 to 2 oz. of superfine sugar (depends on your taste)
2 oz. water
1 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. dark rum
1 oz. cognac
.125 oz. peach brandy

First dissolve the sugar in just enough water to do the trick. Once it is dissolved, stir the lemon juice in. Stir the rest of the ingredients into the water, and serve over ice.

This was good enough for the Founding Fathers, and it had better be good enough for us. It is said to have been created in Philadelphia in 1732, and present through the Revolutionary War and most of the wrangling of the Constitution. It is refreshing and tasty in the warm summer months, yet has oomph. There are recipes where you can make larger batches for parties. Fourth of July is coming. What would be more patriotic than a drink that the signers of the Declaration of Independence enjoyed?

Incredible Hulk

1.5 oz. cognac
1.5 oz. Hpnotiq

Combine the ingredients into a glass with ice and stir. Strain the drink into an old fashioned glass over ice.

The Avengers movie is doing so well; it seemed good to mention one of them. (Come on hundreds of millions!) Hpnotiq, a vodka based liqueur with fruit juices and cognac blended in, was introduced at a launch event. The people who organized the event noticed that the women loved the bright blue drink, but the men were not too enthused by it. One of the bartenders, Victor Alvarez, mixed some Hennessy into the Hpnotiq to cut the fruity and bump up the strength, and it was a hit.

Some people like him better when he is greener.

French Connection

1.5 oz. cognac
.75 oz. amaretto (or Grand Marnier)

Combine ingredients into an old fashioned glass over ice.

The standard version involves amaretto, but you can substitute Grand Marnier an orangier flavor. Both add sweetness to the cognac which makes it a perfect after dinner drink or night cap. You can even add it all to coffee for a warm dessert drink.

June 4th is National Cognac Day, and it is perfectly fine to enjoy this exquisite liquor on its own in a snifter. However, there are a plenty of classic cocktails you can experience that have cognac as part of them. These are just a few. If you are looking for some suggestions and more information about cognac itself, this article will help you find what you are looking for. I highly suggest you try the Sidecar. It is delightful. Cheers!

Wine – Its Own Event

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We will be tasting both types. White and red.

Wine is complex. From the selection of which type of wine to the individual brands, even the cost of the wine, all of it can be intimidating if you are trying to expand your knowledge. When you hear people talking about wines, you hear them using words like tannic or dry to talk about how it tastes. Or they will mention it tastes like chocolate, berries, herbs, vanilla, earth (!) or tobacco (!!), and they will say the last two as if that is a POSITIVE thing. They will sniff and swirl and do all manner of odd rituals before they even taste it. After they taste it, there is a fairly good chance they may spit it out! Isn’t that some kind of party foul?

Much like anything else, once you start getting into the subtleties of wine, you will start to see that there is a method to all of the madness. Part of the enjoyment of wine is its layers and complexity while it is washing around in your mouth. All of the swirling and sniffing and staring is done for a reason. So is the spitting.

To start off, pour yourself a glass of either red or white wine. Do not fill the glass all the way (never do that), but just a few ounces to wet the whistle. White wines lean to the sweeter, fruitier side of the flavor spectrum, while reds tend to be more savory or spicy. When you taste the wine, do more observation than judging. Focus on what you are experiencing through your senses, as opposed to what think you should be seeing, smelling or tasting. Everyone has different senses, and that is part of the enjoyment of the wine. You can also ignore the cost of the bottle. Many articles have been written about the correlation of the cost of a bottle of wine to its taste, and the general consensus is that price does not affect the taste of wine. Your belief that it tastes better does. Just kick your mind back and enjoy the journey.

Tilting the glass a bit gives you a better view.

Now that you have the glass, look through the wine that is partially filling it. It is best to do this against something as white as possible, as to not tint the color of the wine with other background colors. Red wines can range in color from brick red to a brilliant ruby. White wines will not have the wide range that reds have, but you may see some pale yellows, greens, or browns in your glass. Tilt the glass away from you to get the full effect, also noticing how the color changes from the center to the edges. While you are peering like an expert at your wine, make note if it is crystal clear, or is it somewhat cloudy. A little duller may mean your wine is just unfiltered, and this is quite fine. If it is murky or cloudy, there may be bigger issues. Wine can evolve in the bottle if not preserved correctly, and over time can turn sour or develop other impurities.

Once you have looked at the stationary wine, swirl the wine around the glass a little to coat the edges. You really want to take some time when you do this. This causes a couple of thing to happen simultaneously. First, it can give you an idea of how thick the wine is by the formation of “legs” on the side of the glass. The legs are drops of wine that are taking their sweet time getting back to the rest of the liquid. The slower they move down, the thicker the wine is going to feel in your mouth. It also throws off some of the alcohol so the deeper scents and flavors of the wine can be released. The combination of oxygen, subtle heat, and movement is enough to release those aromas.

You should take two different sniffs of the wine. The first sniff should be quick, just to get some hints of what is in the glass. It gives your brain some time to place the scents and prepares you for a second, deeper smell. When you smell the wine, it is really important to ignore what other people are saying and focus on what you are experiencing. Does it smell like strawberries? Apricots? Butterscotch? Tobacco? Make mental notes of what your initial reactions. Everyone has different senses of smell, and while you may come up with similar notes as other people, don’t allow their perception influence yours. When you have processed the first sniff, put your nose in the glass for a little deeper exploration. Does it still smell the same? Notice anything new? Again, make note of what you are experiencing. Smell has an influence on what you taste, so it is important to be faithful to your own sense.

Swirling the wine releases aromas and flavors.

Now you can take a sip, but only a sip. The alcohol and basic impressions are going to hit first. You may get a dry sensation in your mouth, which is more common in tannic or acidic red wines. If trying a white wine, it will more often be sweet to dry. If you mouth goes dry and stays dry, that is a tannic wine. If your mouth goes dry and you start to salivate, that is acidic wine. The saliva is trying to counter the acids in the wine. Keep holding the wine in your mouth, and swish it around a little. Like mouthwash, but you want it to flow, not crash. This is where the tongue starts to do the real work. Some people will even take a bit of air in through their mouth, which can help release more flavor. Reds tend to be savory or spicy, offering up pepper, cinnamon, or oak; possibly berry, plum or fig on the fruitier side. Sometimes even chocolate. White wines will offer more honey, butter, and toffee flavors, with their own fruity apple or citrus notes. In no way is that all you could taste. There are plenty of flavors for you to explore. Reds may have a little honey in them, and whites can be a little oaky. You are just going to have to train your palate to tell the difference. NOW you can swallow it or spit it into a bucket. If you are going to taste a great deal of wine, you may need to spit some out. Little sips here and there add up.

The last part of the taste is how long does it linger? Does it hang out pleasantly for a while on your lips and tongue, or is it gone as soon at the wine leaves your mouth? What flavors are left? Was it light and crisp, or weighty and smooth? And did you like it? All of these final questions determine whether you are going to want a full glass or if you are going to find something more to your liking. Again, you ultimately decide which wines you like and do not like! The cost or name on the bottle does not matter if it is something you love.

You are going to need some practice at this. This weekend at Fluers et Vin would be a wonderful time to start your journey, with hundreds of different wines and food offered. If that is too intimidating, you can go to Arrow Wine & Spirits most weekends. They also bring in experts during the week from different wineries to educate you more on wine. Dorothy Lane Market also has wine tastings most weekends. Rumbleseat Wine also has wine available to taste, and a slew of other tastings and live shows. Keep an eye out on our event calendar for other tastings around the Miami Valley, as they are becoming more and more common. And if you know a good wine for other readers to experience, leave it in the comments below, or any of the other comment areas we post to. Cheers!

 

Tapping In!

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Like a beer lover’s Christmas…for a week!

You may not be aware of it, but we live in a Golden Age of beer. Outside of the major players in the beer game, there are just fewer than 2,000 craft breweries in the United States. It is estimated that majority of Americans live within ten miles of one of them. In the not too distant future, that will be true of Dayton as well, with the opening of the Toxic Brew Company. That number has come a long way since the 1970’s, when there were around forty breweries in the United States, and the dominant beer was the German style lager in the tradition of Budweiser. If you were looking for anything outside of that, you would have to find an expensive import. That is why the week of 14th to the 20th of May has been declared American Craft Beer Week by the Brewer’s Association. It is a time to celebrate craft brewing in all of its small batch glory.

There are three major criteria for what the Brewer’s Association considers a craft beer brewery.  The brewery in question has to be small, producing six million barrels of beer or less. To give you some idea of that size, Anheuser-Busch InBev sold 17.7 million barrels of Budweiser in 2011. Almost 18 million barrels of just one beer. Sam Adams, in comparison, sold 2.5 million barrels of all their fifty four beers released in 2011 combined.  The brewery has to be independent, meaning that less than 25% of the brewery can be owned by a member of the alcohol industry. Goose Island ceased to be a craft brewer when it became part of the Anheuser-Busch InBev Empire. Even if the holding company does nothing to the beer, it is not independent. It should also be traditional, having its flagship beer be all malt, or at least half of all its beers being malt-based. They also look for innovation, making sure that brewers are always pushing the edges of the styles to improve the product. And most craft brewers, since they depend on locaholics to spread the word of their product, tend to be very heavily involved in their community. This blend of distinct characteristics (small, independent, traditional, and passionate) creates a blueprint for a typical craft brewery.

The craft beer movement really did not begin until the 1980’s. In colonial times and up to the late 19th century, all breweries were local. They may have spread a little further than their own county, but with the limited technology of the day, they did not keep well and they did not travel quickly. It was not until the birth of the railroad and the advent of the refrigerated car that a beer was able to jump up and take over the country. Adolphus Busch was the man that made this leap (as well as a few others), and created a beer that was the same from New York to San Francisco. The big breweries, like Miller, Coors, Pabst, and others, grew from this point, crowding out all of the smaller competition. This downward spiral, aided by Prohibition, killed small breweries until 1965, when Fritz Maytag revived the Anchor Steam Brewing Company. Ken Grossman started to cobble together (literally) the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, using his passion for brewing and his knowledge of chemistry and engineering to create his beer. It was not until 1980 that the world saw its first drinkable batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Six years after that, the Boston Brewing Company was born, and Samuel Adams became part of a wave of breweries that swept the nation. That wave has been building over the last fifteen years, and does not show any sign of stopping. It has grown so  big there are even social sites where people can share the beers they love, one of the bigger ones being Untappd, where you can check in to each beer, rate it, tweet it, and even include where you are enjoying it so others may try it.

Can you pick the most delicious beer from this line up?

Of course, you are going to want to celebrate this week. Before you start celebrating, you should write down that Ohio Brew Week is June 22-30 in Athens, OH and our own Dayton Beer Week is August 18-25. For this coming week, there are plenty of great places to check out craft brews in Dayton. Downtown, the Trolley Stop has a wonderful selection of craft beers, as well as a beer tasting on the first Wednesday of every month. If they seem a little full, you can walk down the street a little and check out Lucky’s  Tap Room. They have eighteen beers on tap, and a hand book they give you to make sure you have an idea of what each one tastes like. Blind Bob’s also has a marvelous selection of craft beers  and food, and is also within stumbling distance in the Oregon District. If you are looking for something a little further afield, the South Park Tavern has an amazing selection of craft beers on tap and by the bottle, as well as a fairly extensive selection in bottles and live music most days of the week. Traveling further south and closer to the Dayton Mall brings you to Chappy’s Tap Room and Grille. While Lucky’s has a good sized book of beers, Chappy’s has a novel. They also have some beer clubs you can join, so you can benefit from trying their rotating beer taps and work your way onto their Beer Wall of Fame. If you are looking to travel a little north of the city, there is Boston’s Bistro, “where bier tasting is an art.” They have an extensive and always rotating list of bottle and draught beers, as well as food specials every night of the week. If you are looking to just bring some beers home to try, Belmont Party Supply is the place to go. They offer a wide variety of six packs and single bottles of beer, and they are the ones that run the beer tasting for the Trolley Stop. So they really know their brews.

You can even go out next week and have fine craft beers for a good cause!  The Big Brews and Blues Festival will be going on Friday, May 18th to benefit Dayton Diabetes.  There will be over thirty craft beers for you to sample, as well as good food and live blues music to listen to. It is a great way to end the work week and support local charity. You can even get the heads of this esteemed website serving beer to you! Celebrity bartending at its finest.  With all of these options for the week of the American Craft Beer week, what is going to stop you from broadening your beer palate? And if you have a beer you think people should be trying next week, leave a note in the comments. Cheers!

 

The Mexican Connection

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No, really, this is how everyone dresses.

Cinco de Mayo is upon us! It is going to be a fun weekend of partying on Saturday, and recovering on Sunday. Cinco de Mayo is the day where we celebrate the heritage of Mexico, and their contributions to the culture of the United States, mainly through Corona and tequila.  We have been celebrating this holiday…well, in California…since the 1860’s. It did not really catch on as a holiday in most of the rest of the country until the 1940’s and 50’s. It really kicked into high gear in the 1980’s when beer and liquor companies discovered that there was a holiday their product could be integral in celebrating. The momentum has been growing ever since. In 2005 Congress (who it would appears loves a good party) wrote a resolution calling on the President to ask the people of the United States to celebrate the holiday. It had been going on for a long time before that, but now we had the blessing of the government to party.

Why on earth are we celebrating this holiday anyway? What is so special about the fifth of May? By the end of the 1850’s Mexico was flat broke. So broke, the president at the time, Benito Juarez, declared they country was not going to pay any foreign debt for two years. France, Spain, and England did not look too kindly on this, and sent their respective militaries to let the Mexicans know this. England and Spain sailed home after negotiating deals, but the French saw an opportunity to make a huge land grab in a destitute country. The Mexicans brought together a poorly trained army to face the well trained French one in a little town called Puebla de Los Angeles on May 5, 1862. The Mexicans were able to drive off the French in a battle that lasted all day. It was more of a symbolic victory; France brought more troops and ran roughshod over the country until the United States helped to drive the French out. Some historians feel that this little battle also helped to distract France from throwing their weight behind the Confederacy in the Civil War, who they had considered backing.

We celebrate this day like champs. There are festivals and parades in over 120 cities, and most people spend all day eating Mexican dishes and drinking Mexican beers and tequila. The Mexicans, however, do not really celebrate it outside of Puebla, where there are military parades and reenactments of the battle. Some places outside of Puebla enjoy some festivities, but not on the scale that we do in the United States.

So delicious looking...

Most people are going to go after a small number of drinks on this day. They will hit the Coronas, or maybe Dos Eqius, have a few shots of tequila, or maybe indulge in some margaritas. However, there is a much wider world of cocktails that are out there that use tequila. And other beers more popular than Corona. If we are going to celebrate Mexican heritage, let us take a look at what Mexican like to drink:

The Paloma

We all may be fans of the margarita when we go for authentic Mexican, but in Mexico their popular cocktail of choice is this one. And why not? It is made with simple and commonly found ingredients, and does not require any complicated preparations.

2 oz. tequila
.5 oz. lime juice
6 oz. Grapefruit soda (go with Jarritos for the holiday)

In a tall glass, combine the tequila and lime juice. Add your ice, then top it off with the grapefruit soda. Jarritos is available at Kroger, so finding it should not be difficult. Some recipes call for a pinch of salt as well, or a salt rimmed glass. If you want to do something a little fresher, just use grapefruit juice and top it off with some soda. Still fizzy and tart!

Sangrita

Nothing alcoholic, but something that Mexicans will drink as a chaser to their tequila. It is made with either orange juice (which it was made with originally) or tomatoes, and has a recipe that is not too far off from bloody mary mix. To enjoy it properly, you would take a sip of the tequila, then a sip of the sangrita to stop the burning. It is sold commercially, but here is a recipe you can make on your own, courtesy of Food & Wine:

2 medium cucumbers, each about 1 1/2 inches in diameter
1/2 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

  1. Cut two 3 1/2-inch lengths from each of the cucumbers to use as cups. Peel the pieces, leaving a 1 1/2-inch band of peel at one end of each. Using a melon baller, scoop out the seeds, stopping just before reaching the bottom. Refrigerate the cups for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the ancho chile over moderate heat until it begins to blister, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the ancho to a work surface to cool.
  3. In a blender, combine the orange, tomato and lime juices with the onion and Worcestershire sauce; crumble in the toasted ancho and puree. Strain through a coarse sieve. Season the sangrita with salt and pepper and chill for 20 minutes.
  4. Pour the sangrita into the cucumber cups and serve.

Something tasty to wash it all down

Dulche de tequila

I found this one while doing my research, and it was too good to pass up. It contains a little bit of the history of the day, all in one delicious cocktail. It is a little bit French (Cointreau and cognac) and a little bit Mexican (tequila, agave nectar, and lime) all at the same time. How do you turn down something named “tequila candy” or “sweet tequila”?

2 oz. tequila (reposado or better)
1 oz. cognac
1 oz. Cointreau (or other orange liqueur)
.5 oz. of lime juice
1 tbsp agave nectar (you can purchase it at Arrow Wine)
Sugar for rimming
Lemon wedge (garnish)

Wet the edge of the glass with the lemon and rim the glass with sugar. Pour all of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake well, and then strain into the glass. Use the lemon wedge for a garnish

Michelada

Beer drinkers, this one is for you. It is for you only if you like a little adventure in your beer, and some heat. Some places will fill the glass a quarter of the way full with tomato juice or orange juice, and then add the beer. You can always add more of the beer when you drink it down a bit. And darker beer, like Negro Mondelo, is highly recommended.

12 oz. beer (Mexican, of course)
1 lemon’s worth of juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash of soy sauce
1 dash of Tobasco sauce
1 pinch of black pepper
Salt (for the glass)

Rim the glass with the salt. If you want some more kick, mix the salt with crushed pepper. Mix all of the ingredients in a tall glass with ice. Pour the beer over top of it, stir gently, and serve.

Go out and enjoy the day! Try some different Mexican beers, like Negra Mondelo, Pacifico, or Tecate, have some tequila, and relax. If you are looking for some places to go and celebrate, our own event guru Lisa Grigsby penned an article about where to go celebrate the day around our fair city. Salud!

 

 

 

 

Mint Tradition

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The pageantry. The tradition. The hats. This weekend represents the first major event in horse racing, The Kentucky Derby. Not only is it a huge event in the horse racing season, it is the first jewel in the Triple Crown. People come from far and wide to Louisville, KY to see the “most exciting two minutes in sports”. And while they are there, they consume 120,000 of what is considered the drink of the Kentucky Derby, and the south in general, the mint julep.

While the mint julep has been associated with the Derby since 1938, the history of the drink goes back further than that. The word “julep” comes from the Persian word “golab”, which is a sweetened rose water, sometimes used as a health tonic. There are some mentions of it in books at the beginning of the 19th century, and Oxford University  has been celebrating a Mint Julep Day, around the first of June, since 1845. The ingredients of the cocktail have also morphed over the years, starting as a brandy based drink, and then switching to rye whiskey before finally arriving at the spirit of Kentucky, bourbon. It is the bourbon version of it that we will all be sipping on this weekend.

In the hot and muggy south, there is no question how this drink became so popular. It is served well chilled, not only with crushed ice instead of ice cubes, but in a chilled metal glass. The glass is also designed to be held around the base, so body heat does not leach any of the chill from the beverage. The mint, which is present but not overwhelming, adds to the frosty feel on your palate. And of course, the star of the show is the bourbon, sweet and delicious. If you want to truly make the official cocktail of the Kentucky Derby, you will be using Early Times (which is actually a Kentucky whisky) or Woodford Reserve. If you want to go all out, serve it in a gold cup with a silver straw, and charge $1000 for it. Yes, that happens.

Below is A recipe for the mint julep. You can search the web far and wide, and you will find variations of it all over. This variation was the most common, and the simplest to prepare.

The Mint Julep

2 sprigs of mint, preferably spearmint
.75 oz. simple syrup (recipe included)
2.5 oz. bourbon (Early Times whisky or Woodford Reserve for the official version)

Muddle one sprigful of mint leaves at the bottom of a mixing glass in the simple syrup, crushing the leaves but not tearing them. You are just looking to release the oil in the leaves. Add your bourbon, swirl it a few times, then strain the contents into a frosted glass filled with crushed ice. The thinner the glass, the better it will frost over. Stir the contents, and then add more crushed ice to top it off. Hold the glass at the bottom, to make sure the glass and contents stay properly cold.

Simple Syrup

1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar

Combine the water and sugar a pan, and mix over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. You can make smaller quantities in a similar 1:1 ratio. See, simple.

(Original publish date: 5/7/2011)

Founding Oenophile

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T. Jefferson: Patriot, statesman, wine lover

Today, April 13th, is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. Jefferson was the third president of the United States, best known for doubling the size of the country by taking some land off the hands of Napoleon III in the Louisiana Purchase. He also sent Lewis and Clark to explore it. He is also known for writing one of the defining documents in American history, the Declaration of Independence. He did a little of everything for the United States, as a minister and diplomat to France, innovator, architect, and creator of the first lottery. He was the first Secretary of State and the second Vice President. He was even the first wine connoisseur in the United States.

There were plenty of options for drinking in the colonies. Rum and whiskey were the popular hard liquors of the time, and beer and cider was plentiful as well. Punches were incredibly popular, especially in the warmer months. Madeira and port were also available in taverns and bars, but what was sought after by affluent and discerning colonists was European wine. Jefferson came to develop a taste for it while he was a law apprentice for George Wythe. He started his own wine cellar at home, and grew it over the years of his political and revolutionary career. When he took over Benjamin Franklin’s job as Minister to France after the Revolutionary War, his education in wine truly started. He took several tours of the wine regions of France and Germany, taking extensive notes in the regions he travelled and learning all of the subtleties in the production of wines from each region. His peers looked to him as a wine connoisseur, and he advised George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe as to what wines to buy for formal events and what ones to put in the presidential cellar. Jefferson himself spent quite lavishly while he was president on wines for formal dinners, but also felt he got the best deals on wine since he knew the people who owned the vineyards from all of his travels through Europe.

“No nation is drunken where wine is cheap; and none sober, where the dearness of wine substitutes ardent spirits as the common beverage.” Jefferson was quite a consumer and believer in wine. He kept a large stock of it in his home, and his house hold consumed an average of 400 bottles of it a year. This is when a time that people were highly distrustful of water, leading Franklin to quip “In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.” While he was flush with money, he would buy wines without regard to price, once telling his contact on a particular wine “let the price be what it may, always however considering quality more than price.” As his fortunes waned, so did his dedication to importing expensive wines. It also grew his commitment to making wines at home.

The cellar where he kept his private stock

“We could, in the United States, make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kinds, but doubtless as good.” Jefferson loved to import and wines, but his true dream was to open a vineyard in the United States to create wines that would rival the wines of Europe. He was very serious about it as well, joining forces with Phillip Mazzei, an Italian physician turned merchant, while he was touring America. He spoke with Jefferson about developing the Virginia countryside into a wine making region, purchasing the land around Monticello for Jefferson and his workers to cultivate the grapes that were grown on it. He we able to convince his allies from the war and politics, Washington included, to help him create the Virginia Wine Company. Based on historical records, Jefferson was never able to enjoy a drop of wine made from his vineyards, even with Mazzei’s expertise. Diseases that the grapes did not have to deal with in France, like black rot and phylorexia, killed many of the grapes, as did bad weather and neglect from Jefferson’s long absences. In his diaries he did mention making vinegar, but never anything about wine. It was not until 200 years later and the development of pesticides that wines were able to be made in the United States and Virginia in particular.

Jefferson would be amazed at where the wine culture of the United States is today. California is a major player in the international wine industry, and every state has a winery of some sort. Ohio itself has over a hundred, clustered around every major city. Before Prohibition destroyed most of the alcohol making industries, Cincinnati was the heart of wine country. The semi-sweet Catawba wine produced in the region was in very high demand all over the country from the 1830’s to that fateful period.  Heinke Winery in Cincinnati was called one of the top urban wineries in America by Food Republic, potentially bringing back some focus of the wine community to Ohio wines.

If you want to develop your own palate, check out wine tastings at Dorothy Lane Market and Arrow Wine every weekend, or try wine flights at The Wine Gallery downtown and The Wine Loft at the Greene. If you know of another good place for wines in Dayton (like Rumbleseat or the new Deaf Monty’s), add it in the comments below. Thanks to the vision of the Thomas Jefferson, not only do we have an amazing country, we have a thriving wine culture. Have a glass tonight for the birthday boy! Cheers!

Care and Feeding of Your Bartender

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My inspiration

I have been in the restaurant and service industry for quite a while. And over that time, I have seen a ton of things. I have seen a short Hispanic man in a frog thong dancing on stage. I have seen Chris Rock tear apart a room. I have been told I was the worst server my customer had ever had, and I have been told I was the best server they ever had. From the delightful to the horrible, you see a great deal things while you are helping people have a relaxing evening out. During my day job, if I have clients or managers roughing me up a bit, they never seem to do it with the vigor of someone who is missing their martini that they ordered “a half hour ago”. It is always a fascinating exercise in human nature to see how we are treated as bartenders.

Majority of the people in the service industry want you to have a great time while they are serving you. It is rare among the staff that I have worked with that they did not like people. Even after nights that we have run all over creation and walked out with little more than we started with, we still come back the next day to do it all over, with a certain undulled enthusiasm about making a killer tip. Or having a great night. It is fun to the point it is almost addicting. Steve Dublanica in his outstanding book Waiter Rant compared it to an addicted gambler; we always feel we are one day, one shift, one table away from a huge tip. And that comes back to why we are willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you have a great night.

I want to build a great relationship with you for that evening. Hopefully the next evening you go out as well. If you want to get the best experience you can with me (and other bartenders), here are some tips to help make this relationship work.

1. Get the bartender’s attention in a polite way. Eye contact and a smile works great. Maybe even a little wave if I seem incredibly busy. Under no circumstances should you snap or whistle at us. I am not a pet, and will come when I am called. In fact, I can find a cleaning project or two after being snapped at. Another good way to be ignored is to make sarcastic comments about how long the wait is. And calling me “Buddy” works wonders as well.

2. Be patient. I guarantee I am getting to you as soon as I am able. I will at least acknowledge your presence with a nod or a comment. On a busy night, I have dozens of drinks, customer orders, and server drinks to take care of, as well as making sure I am not running out of supplies by the time I get to your rounds. And I am hustling. While you are waiting, you can do this…

3. Figure out what you want. Do NOT, under any circumstances, start deciding what you want when I get to you, especially after a wait. You have had ample opportunity to choose. If you have a question on particular liquor, I would love to answer it. If you do not like the answer, have a back up drink. Hemming and hawing at this point is going to irritate us to no end. And maybe the rest of your party. And the people who are after your party.

Okay, I have this. All at the same time.

4. Order all of your drinks at once. You have my attention. I have a damn good memory. You do not have to order a drink, wait for me to finish it, and then order the next drink. I can combine steps and make drinks faster if I know all the drinks I need to make at once. Most bartenders have been around for a while, and can hold a few thoughts at the same time.

5. Put your cell phone away. With the explosion of the cocktail culture, there are millions of drinks out there. Not only that, there can be variations on those drinks. So while the Mixologist app might lead you to a tasty sounding drink like the 40 Volume Lemonade, you may want to wait until you are the only person at the bar so you can show me the phone, and we have a chance to look it over. If you can see I am incredibly busy on a Friday night, order a classic, or something that the house specializes in. Not something we have to learn to make on the fly. I want to make you a drink you are going to remember for how good it is and not one that tastes like I just dumped my spill mat into a glass (which is known as an L.A. Freeway).

6. Your drink has enough liquor. The standard drink in any recipe book or restaurant is between 1.5 and 2 ounces, depending on the drink. That is what I am pouring. Like food, cocktail recipes are designed to create a specific taste. If you want to taste the liquor, you can order a double. If you do not want that much liquor, ask for your drink short or with just a splash of mixer. That will bring the flavor of the liquor forward. And by no means expect a heavy liquor taste in mixed drinks like Long Island Ice Teas or Mai Tais. Cocktails of that nature were created to smooth out the roughness of the alcohol, not ramp it up. Trust us; you will feel it, even if you do not taste it. That being said…

7. Tell us if there is something wrong. It annoys me to no end if you tell me after the fact that the drink was wrong. It was too sour, did not taste right, maybe even something as small as looking like the wrong color can turn you off. If there is a legitimate issue, no matter how busy I am, I want to fix it. Many times the fix is fairly simple. I am human(ish). I make mistakes. Again, I want you to have a good night. Bad drinks do not make a good night. Or repeat business.

8. Tip. Early and often. Even if it just pop or water, leave a little something for the person who brought it for you. We remember, and it will ensure when there is a crowd of people clamoring for a drink, your drinks may get out a little quicker. Maybe a little stronger. It is also part of the cost of doing business. Going out in this country calls for tipping the people who take care of you. Budget that into your night. And never say something like “I would tip you, but the drinks are too expensive.” We hear that you would tip us, but you are too cheap.

9. We are servERS, not servANTS. The best way to make the night enjoyable for everyone is to realize that we are human. I have worked as hard becoming a good bartender as you did at becoming good at your current career. Studied and everything. Please be courteous and treat me as another person working hard for a living, not some sort of inferior. If I ask you “How are you doing?”, please answer it with a decent response. “I’ll have a Captain and Coke” is not a proper response. Not even in the right ball park of decent responses. See point four about memory…

I am just as invested as you are in having a good night out, getting your drinks to quickly and made correctly. I look forward to seeing you out this weekend and making you something tasty to drink. I would love for this to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Cheers!