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Why We Celebrate National Beer Day

In 1919, when Prohibition was signed into law, many people assumed that the definition of “intoxicating liquors” would not include low alcohol beer and wine, therefore, making it legal to manufacture and sell. It is likely that if this had been the case, prohibition may have been a more successful endeavor (notice I said MORE Successful, not ENTIRELY successful). However, the general public, and possibly many “dry” supporting politicians, were misled. After the passing of the amendment, the Volstead Act was written, and it defined “intoxicating liquors” as anything higher than .05% alcohol, thus making the standard 3.2% beer illegal. The public was both aghast and disappointed, and President Wilson actually vetoed it, although for separate reasons entirely from making 3.2% beer illegal.

When the depression hit, the people began to push for legalization of 3.2% beer. Many people felt that it was their right to enjoy a drink after a long day of hard labor or looking for jobs. FDR and the democrats used the promise of beer legalization to their advantage in the 1932 election, and were successful. The Cullen-Harrison Act was enacted in Congress on March 21, 1933 and signed by FDR the next day. The act legalized 3.2% abv beer, and wine with similarly low alcohol content. The law went into effect on April 7, 1933. April 7 has henceforth been celebrated as National Beer Day.

April 7, 2015
Happy Repeal Day!

This day in drink history marks the 81st anniversary of the end of the alcohol prohibition in America!

December 5, 2014
The Moscow Mule

What happens when a group of businessmen from complimenting companies sit down for a drink? Well, if it’s 1941 and their companies sell ginger beer and vodka, the Moscow Mule is born.

The story is legendary. Jack Morgan, president of Cock ‘n’ Bull Products and owner of the Hollywood Cock ‘n’ Bull Restaurant, John G. Martin, president of G.F. Heublein Brothers Inc, and Rudolph Kunett, president of Pierre Smirnoff, Heublein’s vodka division, sit down for a drink at Chatham Bar in New York City. As with any good boozing story, the guys were thinking and talking business, and before long Martin and Kunett started to wonder out loud how their vodka would pair up with Morgan’s ginger beer. Ice, mugs, lemon, ginger beer, and vodka were summoned, and, after a five count, the gents took down the mix, and were happy with the result. It needed a name though, and, after four or five rounds, they had a good one – The Moscow Mule.

The highball caught on and made its way to the glamorous Hollywood set, where it would remain a favorite to this day. Since its origin, the lemon has been replaced with lime, and it is now properly served in a copper mug, but other than that, the recipe has remained the same.

Who says a bunch of businessmen can’t come up with good ideas?

The Moscow Mule

Ingredients:

2 oz vodka
1 oz fresh lime juice
4 oz ginger beer

Pour vodka and lime juice into ice-filled copper mug or highball glass. Add ginger beer and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.

June 11, 2014
The Sazerac

Around the 1850s in New Orleans, Louisiana, a Creole apothecary named Antoine Amadie Peychaud often served up a drink to his friends made from his own bitters concoction, french brandy, water, and sugar. Before long, the drink became quite popular and made its home at several local bars, most notably The Merchants Exchange Coffeehouse. Eventually that drink would become the Sazerac.

Sewell Taylor

The proprietor of the Merchants Exchange was Sewell Taylor, a man who, when given the chance, sold his business to become a liquor importer. One of his most popular products was a Cognac called Sazerac-du-Forge et fils. Probably as a tribute to Mr. Sewell and his popular product, the Merchant Exchange was renamed the Sazerac Coffee House by its new owner, Aaron Bird. With the new moniker, and their large bartending staff now using Sazerac-du-Forge et fils to mix Mr. Peychaud’s drink, the Sazerac cocktail was officially named.

Thomas Handy

In 1870, a new owner would once again change up this popular drink. Europe was in the midst of the phyloxxera epidemic, which devastated its wine crop and limited the supply of Cognac and other wines throughout the world. The Sazerac’s new proprietor, Thomas Handy, replaced the Cognac with rye whiskey, due not only to availability but to appease the American taste for good whiskey drinks. A coat of absinthe in the glass was also added, and remained until 1912 when absinthe was officially banned in the United States. As a replacement, locals looked to Herbsaint, a local anise liquor. The recipe has remained the same ever since, and is still served in the Sazerac Bar & Restaurant at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans.

New Orleans official cocktail

In 2008, a bill was introduced in the Louisiana senate to make the Sazerac the official cocktail of the state. Although that bill was defeated, the state legislature recognized that the cocktail is a much beloved enterprise in New Orleans, and on June 28, 2008, it became the city’s official cocktail.

The Sazerac

This recipe comes from the website of Jeffrey Morgenthaler, Head Bartender at Clyde Common in Portland, Oregon. He also has an excellent post on The Dos and Donts of Sazeracs.

Recipe

Fill an Old-Fashioned glass with ice and water, and set aside to chill. Once cold, drain ice water and rinse with absinthe.

In a 16-oz mixing glass, combine:

1 tsp 2:1 simple syrup
3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
2 oz rye whiskey*

Fill mixing glass with ice and stir contents until well-chilled. Strain into absinthe-rinsed old fashioned glass. Twist lemon peel over drink to express oils, and discard peel. Serve.

*Mr. Morgenthaler suggests you use Buffalo Trace’s Sazerac 6-Year rye.

May 7, 2014
The Original Margarita

The most popular cocktail in the United States, the invention of the Margarita is both controversial and happily celebrated. The taste is timeless and the recipe, simple.

Tracking down the real history of the Margarita is like trying to keep all its different flavors straight. It can be done, but there’s a lot of them to choose from. It is said to have been created for and named after Rita Hayworth (her real name was Margarita Cansino), singer Margaret “Peggy” Lee, and a nice young woman on her wedding day. Maybe it was created when a bartender didn’t know what a Magnolia was and improvised. Or maybe a bartender took a liking to a girl named Margarita and mixed together her favorites to form the splendid cocktail.

Margaret “Margarita” Sames

The most common story, or the most well known story, surrounds a woman named Margaret Sames. In 1948, in Acapulco, Mexico, she was determined to make up her own drink. Her favorite alcohol was tequila, so she decided to mix up a cocktail using it and another favorite of hers, Cointreau. After several unsuccessful attempts, she decided to put the two together with some fresh lime juice.

Being a tequila lover herself, she knew that salt often went with tequila, so she added salt to the rim of the glass, served the combination with some crushed ice, and the famous mix was born. Soon after her invention, her husband purchased some martini glasses with her name, Margarita, etched in the sides, and the name of the drink was solidified.

Sames claimed that the popularity of the cocktail was due to her relationships with several rich and famous people in the hotel and bar industries. Whether this is true or not remains to be seen; however, the drink was only seen in bar books starting in 1953, giving it a good five years to gain popularity and giving credence to her claim that she was the inventor of the drink.

Carlos Herrera

Another popular story of the Margarita’s origins says that Carlos Herrera, owner of the Rancho La Gloria in Tijuana, Mexico created and named the drink for dancer and sometimes actress Marjorie King in the late 1930’s. King was allergic to all liquor except tequila and since she didn’t like the drink straight, Herrera invented the drink for her.

The Original Margarita

No matter what the story, one thing is true of all; the original margarita consisted of three main ingredients: fresh lime juice, cointreau or triple sec, and good tequila, and most of them added a little salt to the rim of the glass.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Tequila (Golden or White)
.5 oz Cointreau or Triple Sec
.5 oz freshly squeezed Lime Juice
Coarse Salt (or margarita salt)

Mix tequila, Cointreau, and Lime Juice with ice in a shaker or blender. Rub rim of a chilled Margarita or Martini glass with a piece of lime. Dip the rim of the glass in a saucer of salt until it is evenly coated. Strain mixture into glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

February 17, 2014
The Rob Roy

Named for the Scottish folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor, the Rob Roy is similar to the Manhattan, but uses a Scotch Whisky rather than Rye or Bourbon.

The Rob Roy gives Scotch drinkers another option from the traditional Scotch and soda. Made with a combination of Scotch Whisky, vermouth and (sometimes) bitters, it is not surprising that it is often referred to as the Scotch Manhattan.

The Rob Roy made its first appearance in the US around 1894 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The introduction was two-fold: the American launch of Dewar’s Scotch Whisky, and an Opera that opened near the Waldorf carrying the drink’s namesake. Once it had made its debut, the new classic was here to stay.

Rob Roy MacGregor

The cocktail gets its name from Rob Roy MacGregor, a Scottish folk hero and outlaw. It’s hard to say exactly why the drink is named for the Scottish Robin Hood, but there are two possible reasons. The first, and most likely, is that because the drink is made with Scotch, the originator of the drink chose a famous Scotsman as its namesake. Also possible is that because the McGregor was known to have red hair, and the Rob Roy has an amber tint, it seemed only natural to name it for the famous Scotsman.

The Rob Roy

1 1/2 oz Scotch
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 Dash of Bitters (optional)

The Rob Roy can be served straight up or on the rocks, depending on the preference of the drinker.

For straight up, combine the ingredients in a mixing glass and stir thoroughly. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

For on the rocks, combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry.

While the Rob Roy is traditionally served sweet, it can be ordered dry by substituting dry vermouth for the sweet, or perfect by pouring equal portions of dry and sweet vermouth. For the best taste, be sure to keep the vermouth at a total of 1/4 oz or less.

Variations

A variation on its own, the Rob Roy is a member of the Manhattan family of cocktails, and has even spurred a variation of itself. Check out some of Rob Roy’s friendly cousins.

Green Briar

The only real variation spurred from the Rob Roy.

1 1/2 oz Scotch
1/4 oz Sweet Vermouth
1/4 oz Cointreau

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry. Can also be served straight up.

Ruby Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Port
1 Dash of Bitters

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a cherry. Can also be served straight up.

The Latin Manhattan

1 1/2 oz Dark Rum
1 1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth
1 1/2 oz Dry Vermouth
1 Dash of Bitters

Combine the ingredients over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge. Can also be served straight up.

February 10, 2014
Jim Beam History and Recipes

From its invention in Kentucky in the late 1700’s to the renaming of the company in 1933, Jim Beam has been a must have in any home bar or drinking establishment.

In 1795, Jacob Beam sold the first barrel of Old Jake Beam Sour Mash bourbon whiskey, beginning the roots of the Jim Beam brand. In 1820, he passed on his bourbon distillery to his son, David. Thirty years later, David M. Beam inherited the business from his father as well. By 1880, Beam’s Old Tub bourbon, due to railroad expansion and the telegraph, had become a national brand.

In 1894, the man best known for Beam brand whiskey, James B. Beam, would take over the distillery and turn the drink into the brand we know it as today. Although he was forced to sell the distillery in 1920 due to the prohibition, he wasted no time after the passing of the Volstead act, rebuilding in 120 days. It is during this time that the name off the whiskey brand officially became Jim Beam Bourbon.

The popularity of the brand has remained through three more generations of the Beam family, and with the addition of Booker’s, Baker’s, Basil Hayden’s and Knob’s Creek small batch bourbons, is the top bourbon distillery in the world.

Agent Orange

Ingredients:

1 oz Jim Beam
1 oz Yukon Jack
1 oz Apple Schnapps
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Light Rum
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Grenadine Syrup
2 oz Orange Juice

Add the ingredients to a shaker. Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass over ice Garnish with a cherry and orange slice and serve.

Kentucky Wildcat

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Jim Beam
1/2 oz Southern Comfort
1/2 oz Yukon Jack
1/2 oz Jack Daniel’s
2 oz Sweet and Sour mix
2 oz Cola

Pour the ingredients over ice in a cocktail glass, and stir gently. Garnish with a twist of lemon, and serve.

Beam Me Up

Ingredients:

1 oz Jim Beam
1 oz Amaretto
6 oz Cola

Combine Jim Beam and Amaretto over ice in a cocktail glass. Add the Cola on the top and stir. Garnish with a cherry and serve.

Sunbeam

Ingredients:

1 oz Midori melon
1 oz Jim Beam
1/2 oz Creme de Bananas
2 oz Mandarin juice
2 oz Pineapple juice
1/4 oz Grenadine

Add all the ingredients but the Grenadine in a shaker. Shake well and strain over ice in a cocktail glass. Add Grenadine. Garnish with a slice of orange or cherry and serve.

Smooth Dreams

Ingredients:

2 oz Jim Beam
3 oz Cola
Splash of Grenadine

Combine the ingredients into a cocktail glass over ice. Garnish with a cherry and serve.

BeeGee OJ

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Jim Beam
3 oz Orange juice
1 splash Grenadine

Pour Jim Beam into an old fashioned glass over ice cubes. Add the orange juice, and a splash of Grenadine. Serve.

February 3, 2014
The rise of the beer can

It’s National Beer Can Appreciation Day, and a celebration is in order! Rising up from its reputation of classlessness, the beer can has made its way into the hearts of minds of the beer elite, proving itself to be the next big thing in craft beer.

Oskar Blues

Most of the craft beer industry has taken a long time to embrace canning beers. The exception to the rule has always been Oskar Blues Brewery in Lyon, Colorado. In 2002, they launched their first packaged beer, Dale’s Pale Ale, in 12 oz cans. From then on, every beer that has come from Oskar Blues has been packaged in cans and kegs, no bottles allowed. They’ve since expanded their can selection, selling some beers in 16 oz tallboys, others in resealable cans with twist-off caps, and most recently a 19.2 oz “stovepipe” can. Their brewpub in Lyon, CO also serves “Crowlers,” which are basically canned growlers.

Benefits of Canning

While no one else takes their canning to this extreme, the trend of canning craft beer has exploded over the last few years. To date, 381 breweries can 1352 beers in the United States. Canning beer has benefits that bottles just don’t offer. They protect beer from light and oxygen, and are airtight and oxygen-free. While dark bottles keep most light out, there is still the potential for light to degrade the taste and scent of the beer, giving it that skunky taste you so often hear about. With bottles, there’s also the potential for oxygen to get under the cap and ruin the taste. With an air tight, properly sealed can, the problem is alleviated.

Beer cans are also ideal for storing. A standard six-pack of 12 oz cans takes up less room than a six-pack of bottles. More room = more beer, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Beer Can Takeover?

It seems unlikely that all craft brewers will completely switch from bottles to cans, but it’s clear that many breweries will add cans to their line ups in some way. This could potentially bring craft beer to people it’s never touched before, and maybe even bring the beer elite and the Big-Three loving masses together.

January 24, 2014
The Story Behind the 18th Amendment

Today marks the 94th anniversary of the 18th Amendment. So much of how Americans think about drinking today stems from the prohibition, so it’s important to not only celebrate its repeal, but learn about what caused the country to add the amendment in the first place.

A Plague of Drunkenness

For nearly a decade prior to the 18th amendment, much of the country was plagued by drunkenness. I don’t mean good old fashioned Friday night cocktails where someone has to take a cab home and passes out on the floor in the kitchen. I mean men getting paid on Friday and heading to the saloon (where women were not allowed, by the way) and drinking away every single penny of their earnings. To make matters worse, the men who made it home (many often ended up in gutters or alleyways), often beat or berated their wives and children. The concept of divorce, marital rape, and help for battered women hadn’t even crossed anyone’s mind yet, so you can imagine what sort of things went on that no one ever talked about.

Women Take Up a Cause

That is until the temperance movement came along. The movement was started by many of the women who were most negatively affected by the plague of drunkenness, and they did a great job convincing lots of municipalities, saloon owners, and other regular people – men and women – to take up moderate drinking or Total abstinence from alcohol. In fact, it is from the latter that the term Teetotaler stems (capital-T Total abstinence turned to teetotaler).

The Anti-Saloon League

The fight to get rid of the saloons and drinking went through plenty of phases throughout the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the Anti-Saloon league showed up on the scene in 1893 that it really started to make a real difference. The reason? The Anti-Saloon League was run by men, and men could vote. It also didn’t hurt that they were powerful guys who had no problem making deals and hurting anyone who got in their way.

Making an Amendment

Mostly a state issue throughout the early 20th century, the temperance movement went into action after the start of World War I. Since many American brewers were German, the Anti-Saloon league took advantage of anti-German sentiments and went to work on the U.S. Congress. The 18th Amendment passed in December 1917 with many progressives believing it would not receive the state ratification (three-fourths) it needed in the time allotted – six years. It took only one.

Ratified on January 16, 1919 and officially put in affect on January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment banned “the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages in the United States and its possessions.” It did not make owning or purchasing alcohol illegal, and individuals could keep any booze already in their possession.

A misnomer of the 18th Amendment is the Volstead Act. The Volstead Act was actually a separate law detailing the enforcement of the 18th Amendment.

In the end, despite a solid original goal of ridding the country of drunkenness and the family-hurting saloon, the 18th Amendment was a disaster, causing more organized crime, corruption, and hypocrisy than the U.S. had seen to that point. It was repealed on December 5, 1933 by the 21st Amendment.

January 17, 2014
The History of the Bloody Mary

I have never met a “classic” cocktail without some sort of questionable history. Someone, somewhere claims to have invented a combination of one thing and another, and then, a year or so later, another person comes out with a revolutionary new drink. The Bloody Mary is no different, and at times, a little more confusing.

Once upon a time in 1926 France, American (or sometimes French) bartender, Fernand Petiot was working at Harry’s New York Bar in France. He mixed up a drink of equal parts vodka and tomato juice. (Supposedly) one of his American ex-patriot customers said the drink reminded him of a waitress from a bar back in Chicago called The Bucket of Blood Club, and suggested he call it “Bloody Mary.” In 1934, good old “Pete,” as his friends called him, returned to the US, and brought his creation to the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis in New York City. It was redubbed, “The Red Snapper” due to the vulgarity of its original name (hmmmm, really, red snapper is less offensive?), but the new name didn’t stick. It was at the St. Regis that Pete started spicing up the drink, making it the pallet enticer it is today.

But wait just a gol’darn tootin minute! Way back in 1927 (or 1939, or 195something), good old comedian George Jessel was trying to make his mind less cluttery one morning, and combined the nutrient rich breakfast favorite tomato juice with another breakfast staple, vodka. I guess he had a lady friend named Mary over, and she spilled some on her shirt, cuz the legend says she gleefully exclaimed “Now, you can call me Bloody Mary, George!”

The Jessel story is supported by the fact that he appeared in multiple Smirnoff ads claiming the Bloody Mary as his invention; however, apparently Jessel tended to be a bit of a story teller, so it’s possible he was just riding the bandwagon to get a good payday.

But then, Petiot himself gives credence to both stories. In 1964, he is quoted in the New Yorker saying, “I initiated the Bloody Mary of today. George Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour.”

I think Petey was just being nice.

June 13, 2012