Drink Matron

Month: January 2011

  • The man behind Old No. 7

    America’s most famous distiller, Jack Daniel made a name for himself by bringing a new kind of American whiskey to the forefront.

    Born in Lynchburg, Tennessee sometime in September (recorded as the 5th) possibly in the year 1850, or maybe 1846, depending on the source, Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel was one of 13 kids born to Calaway and Lucinda Daniel.

    Becoming a legend

    As a young boy, Jack left home and went to live with a family friend, Lutheran minister Dan Call.  Call also ran a local store and had a stillhouse on his property right outside of Lynchburg. It was through Call that Jack learned the art of distilling whiskey.

    In 1863, after receiving pressure from his wife and congregation to decide between his ministry and the distillery, Call decided to devote his life to the church and sold the distillery to Jack. In 1866 Jack registered the distillery, making it the oldest register distillery in the US, as it is so clearly stated on every bottle of Old No. 7.

    Old No. 7

    The stories of how Jack Daniels came to be labeled Old No. 7 are vast and include everything from lucky number 7, to the barrel shipping number, to the possibility that it was the seventh recipe. The world will never know, he took that secret to the grave.

    A family business

    Daniel never married, although he is rumored to have had seven girlfriends (not sure if this was at the same time or throughout his life). Because he had no children, he took his nephew, Lem Motlow as his apprentice, teaching him the ins and outs of the whiskey industry.

    An accident leads to death

    While it was clear that Motlow would take over the distillery eventually, Jack stayed in charge until his death in 1911. Known to forget the combination on his safe, he became angry one morning after not being able to remember it, and kicked the safe, breaking his toe. The break became infected and eventually led to blood poisoning, eventually leading to his death.

    It’s hard to imagine what American whiskey would be without the contributions of Mr. Jack, but it’s safe to say it’s better off because of him.

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  • Booze of the Week – Jack Daniels

    JACK DANIEL’S

    This week, we sit back with some Lynchburg Lemonade and wax poetic about Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.

    This iconic spirit is firmly planted in the American mythos and is one of the best selling liquors in the world. So join us in celebrating this tasty piece of Americana.

  • Found on the Internet: Sangrita Recipe – The Perfect Tequila Chaser

    Timothy Dzurilla of Suite101 has a great alternative to the lime and salt chaser when drinking Tequila. Check it out!

    This is a great alternative to the lime, tequila, salt trio common for drinking tequila. This spicy, citrusy drink should definitely be next to your next shot of tequila.

    Read more at Suite101: Sangrita Recipe: The Perfect Tequila Chaser http://www.suite101.com/content/sangrita-a19166#ixzz1CNenTD35

  • The myth of the Tequila worm

    A popular misconception about Tequila is that it contains a worm in the bottom of the bottle. In reality, it is not Tequila that contains a worm, but its southern cousin, Mezcal.

    Though Mezcal includes all spirits made from agave (including Tequila), recently it has come to describe the booze from the Oaxaca region of Mexico that is made from the heart (known as the piña) of the maguey. Tequila is made from the blue agave only in the area of Tequila, Mexico.

    Con Gusano

    Bottles of Mezcal containing the “worm” (con gusano) first appeared in the 1940’s when Jacobo Lozano Paez had a bit of marketing genius. He discovered that when the moth larva of the Hypopta Agavis, a common moth that feeds on the agave plant, were present, it gave the Mezcal its distinctive flavor. He decided to add the worm to the bottle to both ensure the correct flavor and proof of his liquor, but mainly as a marketing ploy. Included with the bottle was a small sack of salt, seasoned with the same larva.

    Paez’s plan was so successful that people began to equate all liquors from Mexico with the worm, including Tequila, which remains to this day. The misconception has become a problem for many Tequila and higher end Mezcal distillers because the presence of the larva on agave plants indicates an infestation, and is usually only included in cheaper Mezcals, bringing down the image of Mexican liquors as a whole.

    Ban the Worm?

    More recently, there has been some campaigning to ban the worm completely due to the possibility that it may diminish the alcohol by releasing fat into the liquor. Oaxaca distillers have disregarded this worry, saying that since they pickle the worm prior to adding it, it should have no effect on the spirit at all.

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  • Tequila PSA

  • Nah nah na nah nah na na, Tequila!

    By Erica Dent, our very own shoeless tequila drinker

    Do not try this at home. Ever. You will die. Probably.

    It was a night out with coworkers Thanksgiving Eve 2007 that I always expected to be my “I was so drunk” story. It consisted of ridiculously strong Vodka cranberries made with Hawkeye Vodka. Hawkeye is made in the great state of Iowa, in a town known for scores of illegal immigrants, pork packing plant, and meth production. One of our dearest co-workers had been killed 4 days before, we’d just come from working at Sesame Street Live, and we were doing our best to celebrate life and each other. I went from laughing, to hurling all over our table, and spending the next 45 minutes on the floor of the bowling alley bathroom while my three male coworkers tried to convince me to get up and go home. It had all the necessary elements; a solid pre-story, an audience, cheap booze, and a holiday. I figured I was set; however, Tequila, not to be outdone by Vodka, decided to one-up it.

    The night was supposed to be filled with music, beverages, and forgetting about the miserable elements of my life. I had booked a two room suite for my boyfriend and me at a hotel on the river within walking distance of the venue. We’d spent the afternoon at the mall, had a pregame dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, and gone back to the hotel for a drink in the room and a stop at the hotel bar. Everything was perfect. The night was brisk, the city was emanating a bit of class, and I was with the one person in the world who matters most. Still thinking about it makes me smile.

    Arriving at the venue, People’s Court in Des Moines, Iowa, we checked our coats, ordered our drinks and began to take in the scene. The place was filled with corn-fed Iowa girls doing their best Paris Hilton impressions, guys who know the difference between Guernseys and Holsteins dressed like Dracula’s cousin, and middle aged men and women spending their welfare checks trying to hold onto their youth in whatever sad way they can. Oh, and did I mention my ex-husband was there? Living in the same city we have never run into each other unless it was an arranged meeting. I travel four hours, shell out big bucks for a night out on the town to see my favorite band and he’s there.

    At this point I’m one rum, two tequila drinks and one shot of Jagermeister in. The next move was to head across the street for a breather and another Tequila drink. James, my boyfriend, best friend, and savior, and I decided to return to the concert in time to catch my favorite band and see what the night held from there. (Three tequila drinks, one rum, and a shot of Jager).

    Back at the venue I manage to avoid the ex, enjoy my band, and indulge in the company. (Five tequila drinks, one rum, and a shot of Jager) Then things were fairly boring. Of course there was drinking with intermittent talking, shots, mingling, and music.

    Things are little fuzzy here but I think the count is eight tequila drinks, one rum, a shot of Jager, an Irish Carbomb, and a Liquid Cocaine. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hotel at 7:30 am with no pants, and my feet, knees, behind, and nose all hurting.

    Allegedly, we retrieved our coats, and began the trek back to the hotel. After a few wrong turns I still insisted I knew the way back. My state, combined with the unkempt sidewalks lead to losing my shoes and a few falls. The location of the bruises indicated multiple tumbles on multiple body parts. At least one of these falls was on my face, leading to a mark under my nose that can only be likened to the kind of wound a child gets after that first dive over the handlebars of his bike. Roadrash. I also removed my socks for an unknown reason.

    After an extended period of time outside, warming up in a building where the janitor found us, and a ride to the hotel from someone who most likely wasn’t a cab driver, I’m just thankful to be alive.

    The next morning consisted of piecing the night together, gorging on the hotel’s mediocre breakfast, and vowing that tequila would no longer fuel my escapades. On the drive home I had the ultimate walk-of-shame. I meandered, in my stocking feet, through a strange Wal-Mart, picked out the cheapest shoes I could find, and wore them to the cash register, handing the cashier the tag and packaging.

    That wasn’t even the lowest part of the day; that would be the ER visit where I had to explain to two nurses and a physician’s assistant just why I would have been outside without shoes long enough to get frostbite on both feet.

    As much as I’d like a tasty Margarita I think I’m going to bow out on Tequila for a while and hang my head as I ask for a nice Stroh’s, Labatt, or even a Milwaukee’s Best. You’ve won Tequila, well played.

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  • In the Kitchen: Sour Mix

    Let’s face it, you can’t really talk about tequila and not talk about sour mix. It is a key ingredient in the margarita, the most popular tequila cocktail, and even if you don’t like tequila on its own, adding a little sour mix will always give the sandy liquor a more agreeable taste.

    Making your own sour mix, or bar mix as it is commonly called, is a simple and great way to ensure that it’s always on hand, just in case of the last minute margarita munchies.

    To make sour mix, you’ll need:

    • 1.5 cups of granulated sugar
    • 2 cups of water
    • 1 cup of fresh lemon juice (approx. 5 lemons)
    • 1 cup of fresh lime juice (approx. 8 limes)

    Please note that by fresh we mean freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice. Hopefully, you have a juicer. We do not. I had an amazing arm work out the day we made this.

    After you’ve juiced the lemons and limes, combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved completely (you will know that the sugar has dissolved completely when the water is totally clear).

    In a jug, combine the hot sugar water with the lemon and lime juice. Let it cool and then chill.

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  • What’s Better Than Drinking Tequila? Drinking Tequila from a Skull of Course!

    Last year, a brand of tequila called KAH Tequila came into existence and their Day of the Dead tequila is now available in the U.S. But what makes this tequila so special?  The packaging!  Each style of tequila is sold in gorgeous skull-shaped bottles, painted to mimic the distinct calavera mask style used in the celebration of Día de los Muertos.  I don’t typically consider keeping bottles from any liquor I purchase, but I would probably keep these bottles.  I would probably seek them out on the internet.

    KAH brings us four varieties of tequila: blanco, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo.  Each brings its own flavors and aromas to the table.  From the “ultra-smooth” reposado to the “aromas of coffee, chocolate and tobacco” of the añejo, there’s something for everyone in this brand, and for only $50 a bottle it’s not too terribly pricey.

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  • Booze of the Week – Tequila

    It’s Tequila Time this week, and we are ready for some Jose!

    Margaritas, margaritas, margaritas are not all there is to tequila, and we are going to find out what else is out there. From sunrise to sunset, rates, bombs, kisses and shooters will fill our thoughts until we can bring them to you.

  • Why Does Cheap Vodka Give Me Such a Terrible Hangover?

    Since announcing this week’s Booze of the Week is vodka, I was asked by a friend “Why do I get such miserable hangovers from cheap vodka, but not from premium vodka?”  This is a question that has had scientists at each others throats for years.  My first response to this question is that if a person is drinking premium vodka, its because they want to enjoy their drink, so they tend to drink a LOT less.  When you drink cheap vodka, you’re really only looking for one outcome: to get drunk.  So the reason you get worse hangovers from cheap vodka as opposed to premium vodka is because you drank more of it!  But that’s not what you want to hear.  You want to hear about cogeners and fusel oils.

    Cogener is the term used for acetone, acetaldehyde, and tannins produced during the fermentation process.  These impurities, when ingested, can exaggerate the symptoms that present during a hangover.  In other words, they make the hangover worse.  A byproduct of the distillation process is a fun little liquid called fusel oil.

    Fusel oil is present in the first and last few ounces of the distallate and has long been considered to be hangover-inducing at best, toxic at worst. Fusel oil isn’t actually oil, but higher order alcohols produced during fermentation that travel into the distilled liquid.  While it hasn’t been proven that fusel oil is any worse for you than ethyl alcohol, there is also no proof that it isn’t.

    There are many other contributing factors to a hangover, but these two are the only relevant ones to this conversation.

    Cogeners are produced during the fermentation process, but tend to not pass through the distillation process.  If they do, only small amounts will, and generally only through one (maybe two) processes.  Fusel oil, will always pass through the distillation process, but will only be present at the beginning or end of the process.

    Many premium vodka distillers will boast about how many times they distill and filter their vodka.  To cut costs, the cheaper brands of vodka are only distilled once or twice, and may not even be filtered.  The more you distill it, the less impurities will be present. The same goes for filtration.

    So, there you have it. In short, cheap vodka gives you nasty hangovers because it has more impurities that make the hangover worse.

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