Two Drink Minimum; The After 5 Cocktail Blog

Sam Adams has recently made headlines in the beer-drinking world with their much-publicized Millennium Vintage Ale and the lesser-known Triple Bock and Utopias beers. While any beer aficionado worth their weight in hops knows about the existence of, and has been drinking several varieties of vintage ales and the like throughout the years, this push by Sam Adams to expose the wider beer drinking community to more complex, unique, and rare beers can be nothing but good for the entire beer industry, from your garage-brew all the way up to the big bottling plants. Not to mention the opportunities this presents for the burgeoning connoisseur.

What Is A Vintage Beer?

The definition of ‘vintage’ and its use in both wine and beer making is disputed at best. Some will claim that ‘vintage’ refers to a specific harvest of grapes in a specific year or region; while this does not translate directly to brewing, regional differences in hop varieties do play a large roll in the final flavor and aroma of beer. You can read more about this here. Others will say that ‘vintage’ years are just particularly good, and are named as such after the fact. For our purposes though, and for the purposes of shopping for and tasting vintage beers, let’s say that a vintage beer is any beer that is aged, either in the bottle or the barrel, for an extensive period of time after the initial brewing and fermenting process (the aforementioned Millennium Vintage Ale from Sam Adams was aged for 6 years). Many, but not all, vintage beers are Belgian or brewed in the Belgian tradition or ‘style.’ Most of the drinkers and enthusiasts of vintage beers however are not; at least according to this article. Also, while these ‘vintage’ beers are fun, we’re talking about current, aged beers, not American beers from the 70’s. If you still have any of these lying around, we urge you not to drink them.

What Is A Belgian Style Beer?

For an extensive explanation, as always, ‘you know who’ has the answers, but let’s gloss the subject quickly anyway. For starters, there are two large subcategories of Belgian beer: Trappist beers and Abbey Beers. Trappist beers must be brewed in a Trappist monastery and every step of the process must be supervised by Trappist Monks. Other than these restrictions, Trappist beers do not have a lot in common with each other, especially regarding flavor, which can be greatly varied. Abbey beers are commercially brewed and loosely associated with a monastery by name only. From here, the subcategories and styles expand greatly and are beyond the scope of this entry, but we can take a look at the more common styles.

Belgian Beers

Dubbel: Rich brown color, developed in the 19th century, between 6% and 8% alcohol.

Tripel: Any variety of extra strong ale from Trappist or Abbey breweries, 8% alcohol and up.

Lambic: Dry, fruity, cidery wheat beers, brewed with wild yeasts and aged a few months to a few years, various alcohol content depending on age.

White: Light, crisp, sweet, brewed with wheat, barley and a mix of hops and herbs, 5% to 6% alcohol.

While these styles can help you choose beers based on your preferences, there is still a wide range of variation within each category. As some have proven, you could easily drink a different Belgian or vintage beer for each day of the year.

In general, this writer has found that Belgian beers, as opposed to traditional Irish, English, and American beers, tend to be more fruity, full-nosed, and intensely flavored in general, while still maintaining a very crisp, light finish. This is in contrast with something like an Irish Stout that is most likely nutty, creamy, and rich with a soft finish, or an English Brown Ale that is most likely round, hearty, and slightly sweet. These two varieties would also have a less pronounced nose and a less complex flavor than your typical Belgian style beer. Keep in mind, “less complex” does not mean “not as good.” We’re simply talking about the qualities of the beer in purely descriptive sense. Beer tasting, like wine tasting, or even food for that matter is incredibly subjective. Never let anyone tell you that you have bad taste in beer because you don’t like his or her $68 dollar bottle of Cherry Lambic. Your taste is your own and you should drink what you like.

Shopping Vintage

So, take a Belgian style beer that lends itself to aging, perhaps with some active yeast in the bottles themselves, cellar them for a few years or more, and you have a vintage beer. Some breweries, as mentioned above, do age beers in barrels, or with the addition of wood chips (which, by the loose definition of “contact with wood” during aging, is still considered barrel aged), such as Stone Brewing Co.’s Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale (and, even though it’s not a vintage beer, I have to mention this beer; it is probably the best Belgian style IPA that has passed my lips in a long time).

Barrel Aging

To embark on your vintage beer journey, we suggest you find the liquor store near you with the best beer selection and just start trying (this little gem is actually exclusively available at a small grocery store chain you may have heard of, and can’t be found in any liquor stores). You’ll learn soon enough what you do and don’t like.

Yes, vintage beers can be pricey, but often times you’ll find the money is well worth the rewards to your taste buds. You’ll also find that locally owned, independent liquor stores will have more knowledgeable staff than most chains, and will therefore be excellent sources of information and tasting advice. Once you start buying the good stuff, you’ll find that you get the treatment: recognition upon entering the store, sometimes by name, information on upcoming beers, and maybe a few deals, etc. And, if you run out of beers at your local store, there are indeed entire festivals for vintage beers and barrel aged vintage beers specifically. So go forth, and satisfy your taste buds and your curiosity.

And, as always, everything in moderation; just because a beer costs $20 a bottle, doesn’t mean it won’t get you hammed, in fact, vintage beers, as a result of the aging process, usually have a higher alcohol content than your average brew. Our advice: get your regular six-pack to relax, and pick out one special beer each time you go to the store. You’ll find that you can better appreciate one complex beer better than five, and you’ll prolong the adventure without destroying your bank account.

Father’s Day does indeed have a rather brief history in the United States. According to some sources, it’s only been around for about 100 years and it’s only been official since 1972, a mere 36 years ago. Not surprisingly, Father’s Day was first recommended as a national holiday in 1924 by Calvin Coolidge, the thirtieth President of the United States. And it only took the federal government 48 years to get the ball rolling. Yeah, there were a few wars here and there, something called the Great Depression, whatever that was, and that whole civil rights movement thing, but seriously, Father’s Day. Come on guys, this is important stuff. You know what they do for Father’s Day in Germany? Well they don’t call it Father’s Day, it’s Gentlemen’s Day (Mannertag/Herrentag) and it’s not really Father’s Day in the sense that we think of. They basically go on traditional, men only hikes pulling a wagon of booze and food. You pull it uphill and get trashed and then ride it downhill. Ok, there’s no validity to that last sentence but you know some of them probably do that, or have done it…at least once. That’s what I would do. Now, Father’s Day in the United States is just a shameless consumer romp through the vagaries of electronic nose hair trimmers and mechanical tie racks that are useless, worthless, and mean absolutely nothing to your Dad or you. What are we doing? What’s the point of it all? How can we make Father’s Day mean something again? The answer: The Man Cave.

The Man Cave is the last bastion of true male companionship. Golf requires a little too much etiquette and protocol, watching football is too technical, too statistics driven to be truly manly, and the local bars have been infiltrated with college kids, brass poles, and Chili Bombs. What is a man to do? Well, small pockets of men, resistance fighters for the testosterone underground, have started a grassroots movement across the United States. The goal of this loose organization is to provide an underground railroad of Man Caves where men can hang out and be men. These Caves may be garages, backyards, or shops by day. But at night, the Man Cave Sign is uncovered, the Man Cave Clock is wound up, and the manness commences. Be a part of something and get your Dad the best Father’s Day gift in the history of the world, a membership in the only organization with no sign up process, no interviews, no initiation, and no rules: The Man Cave. Come on, let your man side show.

June 7th is the last day to place orders on items that we have in stock (i.e. no special shipping restrictions as listed on product level pages) and still get your gift to Dad on time. But, we know that you’re all slackers so coupon code FDBL2008 is good until the end of the month. Enjoy, and check back often, we’re going to be updating this blog more frequently and most of the time we won’t be selling stuff. Direct questions can be sent to grayson@surftosummit.com.

We never thought we’d say this, but “Don’t drink your tequila!” Well, ok, you can if you want, but there is a possibility that tequila may become scarce in the near future and that bottle of Jose Cuervo Especial you’ve been saving for a special occasion may be worth something…more. This is just speculation, mind you, but it seems that the biodiversity of the agave plant is being threatened, and we suspect this could pose a problem for tequila production in the near future.

The standard logic regarding biodiversity goes something like this: It is important for a given crop to be diverse (i.e. varied yet similar plants that can serve the same agricultural need). The more diverse a crop is, the less susceptible that crop will be to total destruction in the face of specific diseases or weather conditions. If you narrow the diversity of a crop, that is, homogenize it, you open the window for catastrophic fallout resulting from a specific negative factor.

So where does this leave the famed agave plant and the future of tequila? Well, if the agave plant’s biodiversity is threatened from over-farming, soil erosion, etc., basically leaving us with only a few strains of agave, and one of those gets wiped out…you do the math. Add to that the fact that the hearts of agave plants are traditionally harvested only in their twelfth year, we could end up with a long drought if we had to, in essence, start over. The moral of the story: keep an eye on tequila, and if these trends continue, you may want to start stockpiling, be it for fun or profit.

Sorry we haven’t posted anything in a while, we’ve been under the table. Meanwhile, those geniuses at our sister site personalizedsignshop.com have started making these hilarious shirts. Check ‘em out, and check back soon for more cocktail news and recipes, we promise.

The day is warm and the sun is bright and the sea breeze is light and cool. A Millions hot grains of sand avalance between your toes as you recline and reposition in your beach chair. The suns hot rays beat down on your face. Cool beads of condensation pour off your tall iced glass of Rum…The day is good…

Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses and sugarcane juice by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak and other barrels. The majority of rum production occurs in and around the Caribbean and along the Demerara River, Guyana in South America, though there are rum producers in places such as Australia, Fiji, India, Reunion Island, Mauritius, and elsewhere around the world.

Rum is produced in a variety of styles. Light rums are commonly used in cocktails, while golden and dark rums are appropriate for use in cooking as well as cocktails. Premium brands of rum are also available that are made to be consumed neat or on the rocks.

Rum plays a part in the culture of most islands of the West Indies, and has famous associations with the British Royal Navy and piracy. Rum has also served as a popular medium of exchange that helped to promote slavery along with providing economic instigation for Australia’s Rum Rebellion and the American Revolution

Etymology

The origin of the word rum is unclear. A common claim is that the name was derived from rumbullion meaning “a great tumult or uproar”. Another claim is that the name is from the large drinking glasses used by Dutch seamen known as rummers, from the Dutch word roemer, a drinking glass. Other options include contractions of the words saccharum, Latin for sugar, or arôme, French for aroma. Regardless of the original source, the name was already in common use by May 1657 when the General Court of Massachusetts made illegal the sale of strong liquor “whether known by the name of rumme, strong water, wine, brandy, etc., etc.” In current usage, the name used for a rum is often based on the rum’s place of origin. For rums from Spanish-speaking locales the word ron is used. A ron añejo indicates a rum that has been significantly aged and is often used for premium products. Rhum is the term used for rums from French-speaking locales, while rhum vieux is an aged French rum that meets several other requirements.

Some of the many other names for rum are Nelson’s Blood, Kill-Devil, Demon Water, Pirate’s Drink, Navy Neaters, and Barbados water. A version of rum from Newfoundland is referred to by the name Screech, while some low-grade West Indies rums are called tafia.

Origins

The precursors to rum date back to antiquity. Development of fermented drinks produced from sugarcane juice is believed to have first occurred either in ancient India or China, and spread from there. An example of such an early drink is brum. Produced by the Malay people, brum dates back thousands of years. Marco Polo also recorded a 14th-century account of a “very good wine of sugar” that was offered to him in what is modern-day Iran.The first distillation of rum took place on the sugarcane plantations of the Caribbean in the 17th century. Plantation slaves first discovered that molasses, a by-product of the sugar refining process, can be fermented into alcohol. Later, distillation of these alcoholic by-products concentrated the alcohol and removed impurities, producing the first true rums. Tradition suggests that rum first originated on the island of Barbados. Regardless of its initial source, early Caribbean rums were not known for high quality. A 1651 document from Barbados stated, “The chief fuddling they make in the island is Rumbullion, alias Kill-Divil, and this is made of sugar canes distilled, a hot, hellish, and terrible liquor”.

Colonial America

After rum’s development in the Caribbean, the drink’s popularity spread to Colonial America. To support the demand for the drink, the first rum distillery in the colonies was set up in 1664 on present-day Staten Island. Boston, Massachusetts had a distillery three years later. The manufacture of rum became early Colonial New England’s largest and most prosperous industry. Although New England became a distilling center (due to the superior technical, metalworking and cooperage (barrel making) skills and abundant lumber), the rum produced there was lighter, more like whiskey, and lacked the character and aroma of the West Indies product. Though cheaper, anyone who could afford it much preferred the Carribean product. Rhode Island rum even joined gold as an accepted currency in Europe for a period of time. Estimates of rum consumption in the American colonies before the American Revolutionary War had every man, woman, or child drinking an average of 3 Imperial gallons (13.5 liters) of rum each year. To support this demand for the molasses to produce rum, along with the increasing demand for sugar in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries, a labour source to work the sugar plantations in the Caribbean was needed. A triangular trade was established between Africa, the Caribbean, and the colonies to help support this need. The exchange of slaves, molasses, and rum was quite profitable, and the disruption to the trade caused by the Sugar Act in 1764 may have even helped cause the American Revolution.The popularity of rum continued after the American Revolution with George Washington insisting on a barrel of Barbados rum at his 1789 inauguration. Eventually the restrictions on rum from the British islands of the Caribbean combined with the development of American whiskey led to a decline in the drink’s popularity.

Naval rum

Rum’s association with piracy began with English privateers trading on the valuable commodity. As some of the privateers became pirates and buccaneers, their fondness for rum remained, the association between the two only being strengthened by literary works such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. The association of rum with the British Royal Navy began in 1655 when the British fleet captured the island of Jamaica. With the availability of domestically produced rum, the British changed the daily ration of liquor given to seamen from French brandy to rum. While the ration was originally given neat, or mixed with lime juice, the practice of watering down the rum began around 1740. To help minimize the effect of the alcohol on his sailors, Admiral Edward Vernon directed that the rum ration be watered down before being issued, a mixture which became known as grog. While it is widely believed that the term grog was coined at this time in honor of the grogram cloak Admiral Vernon wore in rough weather, the term has been demonstrated to predate his famous orders with probable origins in the West Indies, perhaps of African etymology (see Grog). The Royal Navy continued to give its sailors a daily rum ration, known as a “tot,” until the practice was abolished after July 31, 1970. A story involving naval rum is that following his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson’s body was preserved in a cask of rum to allow transport back to England. Upon arrival, however, the cask was opened and found to be empty of rum. The pickled body was removed and, upon inspection, it was discovered that the sailors had drilled a hole in the bottom of the cask and drunk all the rum, in the process drinking Nelson’s blood. Thus, this tale serves as a basis for the term Nelson’s Blood being used to describe rum. It also serves as the basis for the term “Tapping the Admiral” being used to describe drinking the daily rum ration. The details of the story are disputed, with some historians claiming the term originated instead from a toast to Admiral Nelson.

Colonial Australia

See Also: Rum Rebellion

Rum became an important trade good in the early period of the colony of New South Wales. The value of rum was based upon the lack of coinage among the population of the colony, and due to the drink’s ability to allow its consumer to temporarily forget about the lack of creature comforts available in the new colony. The value of rum was such that convict settlers could be induced to work the lands owned by officers of the New South Wales Corps. Due to rum’s popularity among the settlers, the colony gained a reputation for drunkenness even though their alcohol consumption was less than levels commonly consumed in England at the time.When William Bligh became governor of the colony in 1806, he attempted to remedy the perceived problem with drunkenness by outlawing the use of rum as a medium of exchange. In response to this action, and several others, the New South Wales Corps marched, with fixed bayonets, to Government House and placed Bligh under arrest. The mutineers continued to control the colony until the arrival of Governor Lachlan Macquarie in 1810.

Caribbean light rum

Until the second half of the 19th century all rums were heavy or dark rums that were considered appropriate for the working poor, unlike the refined double-distilled spirits of Europe. In order to expand the market for rum, the Spanish Royal Development Board offered a prize to anyone who could improve the rum making process. This resulted in many refinements in the process which greatly improved the quality of rum. One of the most important figures in this development process was Don Facundo Bacardi Masso, who moved from Spain to Santiago de Cuba in 1843. Don Facundo’s experiments with distillation techniques, charcoal filtering, cultivating of specialized yeast strains, and aging with American oak casks helped to produce a smoother and mellower drink typical of modern light rums. It was with this new rum that Don Facundo founded Bacardí y Compañía in 1862.

Categorization

Dividing rum into meaningful groupings is complicated by the fact that there is no single standard for what constitutes rum. Instead rum is defined by the varying rules and laws of the nations that produce the spirit. The differences in definitions include issues such as spirit proof, minimum aging, and even naming standards.

Examples of the differences in proof is Colombia, requiring their rum possess a minimum alcohol content of 50 ABV, while Chile and Venezuela require only a minimum of 40 ABV. Mexico requires rum be aged a minimum of 8 months; the Dominican Republic, Panama and Venezuela require two years. Naming standards also vary, Argentina defining rums as white, gold, light, and extra light. Barbados uses the terms white, overproof, and matured, while the United States defines rum, rum liqueur, and flavored rum.[22] In Australia Rum is divided into Dark Rum (Under Proof known as UP, Over Proof known as OP, and triple distilled) and White Rum.

Despite these differences in standards and nomenclature, the following divisions are provided to help show the wide variety of rums that are produced.

Regional Variations

Within the Caribbean, each island or production area has a unique style. For the most part, these styles can be grouped by the language that is traditionally spoken. Due to the overwhelming influence of Puerto Rican rum, most rum consumed in the United States is produced in the Spanish-speaking style.

* Spanish-speaking islands traditionally produce light rums with a fairly clean taste. Rums from Cuba, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Venezuela are typical of this style.

* English-speaking islands and countries are known for darker rums with a fuller taste that retains a greater amount of the underlying molasses flavor. Rums from Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, the Demerara region of Guyana, Jamaica and also Panama are typical of this style. Some English-Speaking islands, such as Trinidad and Grenada, whose inhabitants boast more complex palates for both the dark and light enjoy puncheon rum, which is 75% and higher-proof, very expensive rum made from sugar cane juice.

* French-speaking islands are best known for their agricultural rums (rhum agricole). These rums, being produced exclusively from sugar cane juice, retain a greater amount of the original flavor of the sugar cane and are generally more expensive than molasses-based rums. Rums from Guadeloupe, Haïti, Marie-Galante and Martinique are typical of this style. Hence, their influence is seen in rums from English-speaking islands with French influences in their histories such as Trinidad and Grenada produce rums made from sugar cane juice rather than molasses, known as puncheon rum. The flavor of light agricultural rums is significantly different than that of other rums; Panama also produces this type of rum.

Cachaça is a spirit similar to rum that is produced in Brazil. Seco, from Panama, is also a spirit similar to rum, but also similar to vodka, since it is triple distilled. The Indonesian spirit Batavia Arrack, or Arrak, is a spirit similar to rum that includes rice in its production. Mexico produces a number of brands of light and dark rum, as well as other less expensive flavored and unflavored sugar cane based liquors, such as aguardiente de caña and charanda. In some cases cane liquor is flavored with mezcal to produce a pseudo-tequila-like drink.

A spirit known as Aguardiente, distilled from molasses infused with anise, with additional sugarcane juice added after distillation, is produced in Central America and northern South America.
Within Europe, a similar spirit made from sugar beet is known as tuzemák (from tuzemský rum, domestic rum) in the Czech Republic and Kobba Libre on the Åland Islands.
In Germany, a cheap substitute of dark rum is called Rum-Verschnitt (literally: cut rum). This distilled beverage is made of genuine dark rum (often from Jamaica), rectified spirit, and water. Very often, caramel coloring is used, too. The relative amount of genuine rum it contains can be quite low since the legal minimum is at only 5 percent, but the taste of Rumverschnitt is still very similar to genuine dark rum. In Austria, a similar rum called Inländerrum or domestic rum is available.

Grades
Example of dark, spiced, and light rums.

The grades and variations used to describe rum depend on the location that a rum was produced. Despite these variations the following terms are frequently used to describe various types of rum:

* Light Rums, also referred to as light, silver, and white rums. In general, light rum has very little flavor aside from a general sweetness, and serves accordingly as a base for cocktails. Light rums are sometimes filtered after aging to remove any color.

* Gold Rums, also called amber rums, are medium-bodied rums which are generally aged. These gain their dark color from aging in wooden barrels (usually the charred white oak barrels that are the byproduct of Bourbon Whiskey).

* Spiced Rum: These rums obtain their flavor through addition of spices and, sometimes, caramel. Most are darker in color, and based on gold rums. Some are significantly darker, while many cheaper brands are made from inexpensive white rums and darkened with artificial caramel color.

* Dark Rum, also known as black rum, classes as a grade darker than gold rum. It is generally aged longer, in heavily charred barrels. Dark rum has a much stronger flavor than either light or gold rum, and hints of spices can be detected, along with a strong molasses or caramel overtone. It is used to provide substance in rum drinks, as well as color. In addition to uses in mixed drinks, dark rum is the type of rum most commonly used in cooking.

* Flavored Rum: Some manufacturers have begun to sell rums which they have infused with flavors of fruits such as mango, orange, citrus, coconut, and limke which is a lime rum found in Sweden. These serve to flavor similarly themed tropical drinks which generally comprise less than 40% alcohol, and are also often drunk neat or on the rocks.

* Overproof Rum is rum which is much higher than the standard 40% alcohol. Most of these rums bear greater than 75%, in fact, and preparations of 151 to 160 proof occur commonly.

* Premium Rum: As with other sipping spirits, such as Cognac and Scotch, a market exists for premium and super-premium rums. These are generally boutique brands which sell very aged and carefully produced rums. They have more character and flavor than their “mixing” counterparts, and are generally consumed without the addition of other ingredients.

Production methodology

Unlike some other spirits, such as Cognac and Scotch, rum has no defined production methods. Instead, rum production is based on traditional styles that vary between locations and distillers.

Fermentation
Sugarcane is harvested to make sugarcane juice and molasses.

Most rum produced is made from molasses. Within the Caribbean, much of this molasses is from Brazil. A notable exception is the French-speaking islands where sugarcane juice is the preferred base ingredient.

Yeast and water are added to the base ingredient to start the fermentation process. While some rum producers allow wild yeast to perform the fermentation, most use specific strains of yeast to help provide a consistent taste and predictable fermentation time. Dunder, the yeast-rich foam from previous fermentations, is the traditional yeast source in Jamaica.”The yeast employed will determine the final taste and aroma profile,” says Jamaican master blender Joy Spence. Distillers that make lighter rums, such as Bacardi, prefer to use faster-working yeasts. Use of slower-working yeasts causes more esters to accumulate during fermentation, allowing for a fuller-tasting rum.

Distillation

As with all other aspects of rum production, there is no standard method used for distillation. While some producers work in batches using pot stills, most rum production is done using column still distillation. Pot still output contains more congeners than the output from column stills and thus produces a fuller-tasting rum.

Aging and blending

Many countries require that rum be aged for at least one year. This aging is commonly performed in used bourbon casks, but may also be performed in stainless steel tanks or other types of wooden casks. Due to the tropical climate common to most rum-producing areas, rum matures at a much faster rate than is typical for Scotch or Cognac. An indication of this faster rate is the angel’s share, or amount of product lost to evaporation. While products aged in France or Scotland see about 2% loss each year, rum producers may see as much as 10%. After aging, rum is normally blended to ensure a consistent flavor. As part of this blending process, light rums may be filtered to remove any color gained during aging. For darker rums, caramel may be added to the rum to adjust the color of the final product.

In cuisine
Rum

Besides rum punch, cocktails such as the Cuba Libre and Daiquiri have well-known stories of their invention in the Caribbean. Tiki culture in the US helped expand rum’s horizons with inventions such as the Mai Tai and Zombie. Other well-known cocktails containing rum include the Piña Colada, a drink made popular by Rupert Holmes’ song “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)”, and the Mojito. Cold-weather drinks made with rum include the Rum toddy and Hot Buttered Rum. In addition to these well-known cocktails, a number of local specialties utilize rum. Examples of these local drinks include Bermuda’s Dark and Stormy (Gosling’s Black Seal rum with ginger beer), and the Painkiller from the British Virgin Islands.

Rum may also be used as a base in the manufacture of liqueurs. Spiced Rum is made by infusing rum with a combination of spices. Another combination is jagertee, a mixture of rum and black tea.

Rum may also be used in a number of cooked dishes. It may be used as a flavoring agent in items such as rum balls or rum cakes. Rum is commonly used to macerate fruit used in fruitcakes and is also used in marinades for some Caribbean dishes. Rum is also used in the preparation of Bananas Foster and some hard sauces.

Ti Punch is short for “petit punch”, little punch. This is a very traditional drink in the French-speaking region of the Caribbean.

Brands

* 10 Cane
* Angostura
* Appleton Estate
* Bacardi
* Bambu Rum
* Barcelo
* Bayu
* Barbancourt
* Beenleigh
* Bermudez
* Black Seal
* Bounty Rum
* Braddah Kimo’s Maui Rum
* Brinley Gold Rum
* Brugal
* Bundaberg
* Cockspur
* Cacique
* Caney
* Captain Morgan
* Carupano
* Cavalier
* Coronation Khukuri XXX Rum
* Cortez, Ron Cortez, Panam

* Coruba
* Cruzan
* Don Lorenzo
* Don Q
* El Dorado
* English Harbour Rum
* Estelar
* Flor de Caña
* Ghostship
* Goodwill
* Gosling’s
* Green Island
* Havana Club
* Honey Rum
* Jolly Roger
* Lemon Hart
* Lambs Rum
* Macuro
* Malibu Rum
* Matusalem
* McDowell’s No.1 Celebration Rum
* Mitjans
* Mount Gay
* Montilla
* Myers
* Newfoundland Screech
* New Grove Oak Aged Rum
* New Grove Plantation Rum
* Ocumare
* Old Monk
* Old Sam’s
* One Barrell
* Panama Jack Spiced Rum
* Pampero
* Pusser’s
* Pyrat
* RedRum
* Ronrico
* Ron Cortez
* Ron Diaz
* Ron Viejo de Caldas
* Ron Zacapa Centenario
* Royal Reserve
* Santa Teresa
* Santiago De Cuba
* Sailor Jerry
* Silver Kiss Rum
* Stroh
* Tanduay
* Varela Rum,151 proof, Panam?
* VooDoo Spiced Rum
* Wray and Nephews
* Zaya

Everyone remembers Cheers. The place every body knew your name…an iconic bar scene made of Dark mahogany table tops, the lone pool table with the one light above it covered in the standard hunter green lamp shade. And of course, the bar signs…. I say bar signs are under rated I mean they are the whole reason you even know it’s a bar in the first place and not just some random long counter. So below I pay homage to the bar sign.

This personalized home bar sign defiantly has personality. It states- Come early , Stay late at the bottom and Bring All You Can Drink and Drink All You Bring on either side of the toasting beer glasses. Not many of our bar signs state these rule more eloquently. On top of that we personalize the home bar sign with your name up to 15 characters. Our personalized wood bar signs are based upon late 19th century designs when use of text oriented pub and trade signs were at their height. While the signs are brand new, they conform in shape and lettering style to that of old time signs. To complete the look, all of the personalized signs are given a hand rubbed stain to “age” the sign appropriately. Our Personalized sign have silk-screened artwork on durable wood, with a hole in back for wall-hanging.

Ever since Sam Malone opened his place in Boston, you’ve dreamed of owning your own martini bar. Where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you… well, served free drinks and cleaned up after everyone. Still, the dream’s alive, and it’s very attainable with our personalized neighborhood pub sign. Simply give us your name - and bang, you’re open for business. Meticulous detail goes into each of our personalized pub signs.

Good Times- Good Friends- Cold Beer- this tavern sign says it all. Meticulous detail goes into each of our personalized bar signs. Silk-screened artwork on durable wood, with a hole in back for wall-hanging. Sign measures 16″ x 11″. Simply give us your name - and bang, you’re open for business.

Personalized Irish Pub Sign Ever since Sam Malone opened his place in Boston, you’ve dreamed of owning your own bar. Where everybody knows your name. And they’re always glad you… well, served free drinks and cleaned up after everyone. Still, the dream’s alive, and it’s very attainable with our custom-made Old Irish Pub Sign. Simply give us your name - and bang, you’re Irish Pub is open for business.

You’ve always wanted to have your own lounge and now’s your chance. Where the glasses are clean, and the martinis are dirty! Oh, and getting naked is always an option. Your own bar sign personalized with your name on it letting everyone know what the rules are. Simply give us your name -we personalize it - and bang, you’re open for busines

In Celebration of the upcoming holiday!!

Tasting Irish Whiskey
with Colum Egan Master Distiller of Bushmills Irish Whiskey

“To taste whiskey you will need your senses of sight, smell and taste. Plus a little guidance and an open mind. Taste is a personal experience so there is no right or wrong.” - Colum Egan

Step 1: Prepare for the Tasting
The tasting room should be free of extraneous smells and should have good lighting. The right size and shape of the glass is vital and makes a huge difference in the ability to nose effectively. Do not use traditional whiskey tumblers. Instead use a snifter, which allows you to swirl the spirit and gather the aromas around the rim.

Step 2: Note Appearance
Pour about an ounce of whiskey. Hold the glass to the light, or against a white napkin, and take note of its color, depth and clarity. The whiskey’s appearance should be a guide to how it has been matured and how long it has been aged.

Step 3: Add Water
Almost all whiskeys benefit from the addition of water, which will open up the spirit in most cases. It’s always best to add water a little at a time. Older whiskeys (more than 20 years) or whiskeys aged in sherry can be damaged by the addition of too much water; the aromas break up and the flavor becomes flat. The water used to dilute the strength of your dram should be still and not too high in minerals. At professional tastings, distilled water is normally used.

Step 4: Nose the Whiskey
The aroma of a whiskey is called the “nose.” To determine the nose, tilt the glass, swirl the whiskey and inhale slowly. Do not sniff too intensely or too often because the alcohol can inhibit your sense of smell. The aromas are often complex and multi-layered. With a little practice, you will learn to break smells down and identify what they are.

Step 5: Taste the Whiskey
Take a sip large enough to fill your mouth, then roll it over your tongue. It is important when tasting, to hold the liquid in the mouth and to make sure it coats the tongue thoroughly to help determine mouth-feel. First register the texture and smoothness of the whiskey. Then try to identify the primary tastes — the immediate flavors your tongue collects. The finish, or aftertaste, refers to the sensation experienced after swallowing, as well as the flavors that linger in your mouth.

Tiramisu
Ingredients: (Serves 2)
- 1/4 cup espresso
- 4 oz Baileys Original Irish Cream
- 1/3 cup mascarpone
- 2 scoops vanilla, chocolate or coffee ice cream
- 2 to 4 ice cubes
- 2 soft ladyfinger cookies sliced lengthwise or shortbread wafers
- Chocolate-hazelnut spread
- Chocolate syrup

Blend together espresso, Irish Cream, ice cream, mascarpone, ice cream and ice until smooth. Drizzle chocolate syrup along inside edges of over-sized martini glasses. Pour mixture from blender into glasses. Spread a layer of chocolate-layzelnut spread in between the ladyfingers or sandwich between two shortbread cookies. Pass the cookies to dip in the cocktails. (Variation: Rim glass with chocolate syrup by dipping glass in a plate with chocolate syrup)

Dublin Dream
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Irish Mist Liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz Carolan’s Irish Cream
- 1 1/2 oz SKYY Vodka
- 1 oz Chambord Liqueur
- 1 oz fresh cream
Garnish: mint sprig

Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled rocks glass or martini glass. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Irish Snakebite
Ingredients:
- equal part dark Irish beer
- equal part hard cider
- shot of blackcurrant syrup

Fill pint glass with equal amounts of dark Irish beer and hard cider, leaving about 1/3 inch space at top. Add a shot of blackcurrant syrup and stir gently to mix.

Blackcurrant syrup: In saucer, bring one cup sugar and two cups blackcurrant juice to boil. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until mixture appears thicker. Cool in ice bath and pour into final storage container, adding 1 oz vodka as preservative. (Cocktail created by: Gwen Kaiser Sutherland, Master Mixologist, Cocktail Times)

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Beer pong (also called Beirut, Ruit, Lob pong and other names) is a drinking game in which players throw a ping pong ball across a table with the intent of landing the ball in one of several cups of beer on the other end. The game typically consists of two two-player teams, one on each side of a table, and a number of cups set up on each side. There are no official rules, so rules may vary widely, though usually there are six, ten or 15 plastic cups arranged in a triangle on each side. The number of players on a team can vary as well, from one to three or more.
When a ball lands in a cup, the defending team must consume that cup’s beer. The game is won by eliminating all the other team’s cups before one’s own cups are eliminated. The losing team must then consume all the beer remaining in the winning team’s cups. The order of play varies – both players on one team shoot followed by both players on the other team, or players on opposite teams can alternate back and forth.

Today, beer pong is played at a multitude of North American colleges and universities and elsewhere. The game is also played by high school students, despite the fact that furnishing alcohol to persons under the age of 21 is illegal in the United States.
Although the preceding guidelines are common, the rules may be subject to a wide variety of modifications and additions that often vary based on the area of the country, the state, or even the house in which a particular game is played.

Origin
The game is a spin-off of a similar game, also called pong, which uses ping pong paddles and was said to have been created at Dartmouth College.
The most common modern version of the game is played without paddles and has a murkier beginning. The Daily Princetonian, the student newspaper of Princeton University, attributed the naming of the paddle-less game where balls are thrown into cups to the early 1980s at Bucknell University or Lehigh University.[7] Many students at Lafayette College, rivals of Lehigh, insist modern, paddle-less Beirut was invented at their school, but The Lafayette, the college’s student newspaper, says there is no proof to back up the assertion.

Nomenclature
The meaning of the terms Beer pong and Beirut may vary depending on where the game is played. Beer pong is the more common name of the game, with a CollegeHumor survey showing that 77% of respondents called it “Beer pong,” versus 23% for “Beirut”. However, Beirut is unambiguously accepted to be the version of the game in which players throw the balls, while in some locations beer pong can mean either the same game as Beirut, or the version with paddles.
The naming of “Beirut” is disputed. The Daily Princetonian suggests that the name was coined at Bucknell or Lehigh around the time of the Lebanese Civil War, Beirut being the capital of Lebanon and scene of much fighting.

Setup

Players and teams
Beer pong is usually played with two teams of two persons each. Each team begins the game standing at either end of the table behind their rack of cups.

According to the World Series of Beer Pong, the regulation table size is 8 × 2 feet (2.44 × 0.61 meters), and it stands 27.5 inches (69.8 centimeters) above the ground.
The most common place to play beer pong is on a ping pong table, however the game can be played on any flat surface with enough space to hold the two formations of cups, such as a board or a door taken from its hinges. A folding banquet table is also a common playing surface.

Beer pong enthusiasts may create a personalized table for use by friends and visitors. In general, this will be a plywood board cut to proper size, painted with sports, school or fraternity symbols, and then given a liquid-proof coating.

Cups

The most common and preferred cups used are Solo or Dixie 16 ounce cups. These cups have ridge-lines which can be used precisely to measure the amount of beer to be poured.

On each side of the table, teams assemble equilateral triangles, with the convergence point focusing on the other team. Games typically use either six or ten cups, but any higher number may be used. The cups forming the base of the triangle are aligned with the edge of the table, unless the tabletop has a bevel which would make such an arrangement unstable. In this case, the thumb is used as an impromptu measuring device, with the cups set back from the edge of the table the distance from the tip of the thumb to its first knuckle.

Also on each side are one or two cups filled with water used to rinse balls which have fallen on the floor, often called a “rinse”, “courtesy cup”, “douche cup” or “water cup”.

In one variation, for sanitary reasons each cup may be filled with water instead of alcohol, with participants drinking from their own beer when a ball is sunk. This prevents players from sharing cups and from germs or dirt getting into the beer they drink.

Balls

38 mm or 40 mm table tennis balls are used. At some universities, a quarter is instead used for game play. If a quarter is being used then it’s no longer beer pong, but rather the game called “quarters”.

Alcohol

Usually an inexpensive pale lager or light beer of 3.2-5% abv (for example, Bud Light, Keystone Light, Coors Light) is used since large quantities may be consumed during the course of several games. Typically, approximately 4 ounces of beer is poured into each cup in the formation, which is equivalent to the first or second ridgeline up from the bottom in a 16 ounce cup. This works out to be two 12 ounce cans of beer per team in a regular six cup game. However, more or less liquid can be used. Sometimes, teams may decide to fill one cup of their choice to the brim, which is called the “Money Cup”, “Death Cup”, or “The Punisher”. Also, strong ale may be used by one team and not the other as a means of handicapping. The game is not limited to beer. Hard alcohol mixes, shots, or wine can be substituted by choice or when beer is not available.

Game play

There are very few universal beer pong rules, and specific rules should be agreed upon before play begins. Typically, players abide by a uniform set of “house rules”, which are often consistent within one university or region of the country (e.g., “Ivy League rules” or “West Coast rules”), or may vary on a house-by-house basis. Number of cups, bouncing, amount of alcohol, the distance shots must be taken from, etc, all may vary. The following rules should all be considered general and may or may not apply to specific games.

Initial possession

The team who won the previous game is often given possession of both balls first, enabling that team to set a scoring precedent.

In tournaments, where no upper hand is established prior to a matchup, many other techniques are often employed in determining the initial possession. Among these are shooting normally to see who can make a cup first, alternating possession, making shots from a long distance, playing rock, paper, scissors or doing a face off, which is done when a player from each team holds eye contact (known as “eye to eye”) with each other and will simultaneously shoot the ball with their opponent. The player who shoots the ball into the cup closest to the front of the formation wins possession for his team. If both players either miss or make it on the same shot, the face off repeats with the other players. As a variation on initial possession, rather than giving the initial team two balls to start, the disadvantaged team will sometimes receive a single ball to shoot with and begin the game.

Shot techniques

There are four major ways to shoot in beer pong:

* Arc – The most common throwing technique is to grasp the ping pong ball with the tips of the thumb and forefinger of the player’s dominant hand, and hold the arm at an angle with the ball upwards, then throw by using gentle elbow motion, holding the upper arm parallel with the table. The arc motion allows one to put enough force on the ball to get it to the other side of the table, while conserving velocity and slowing it down so that it is not as likely to bounce off the rim of the cup but gently roll into the cup.
* Fastball – Some players throw “fastball” style, also known as “throwing darts”, “laser beam,” or other names, which uses more of a hard chopping motion to send the ball in a more direct line to the intended target cup. This can be done with the hand in the usual “pistol grip” orientation or in an overhand “slam-dunk” orientation. The fastball is especially favored by taller players, as it is easier to throw from a higher position. Due to the straighter path the ball will follow, the player may feel more confident in hitting using the fastball. Fastballs are also much more likely to knock down a cup, which may have positive or negative consequences depending on house rules. As noted above, the higher horizontal velocity of the ball will also cause less-precise shots to bounce off the rim rather than gently bounce into a cup. In some house rules, the fastball shot is not allowed.
* Bounce – A bounce is performed by bouncing the ball toward the cups. Since the other team has the opportunity to swat away a bounced ball, a bounce is usually worth two cups. The “muck” bounce is a low trajectory shot achieved by bouncing the ball in a sideways motion as opposed to overhand. This shot is particularly effective because in addition to being difficult to block, it leaves the opportunity for the other team to knock cups over. The “popfly” bounce is a hard bounce near the shooting team that flies high and looks like a normal shot, which can confuse people who are not paying attention into thinking it is a normal shot and failing to swat it away. In some house rules, the bounce shot is not allowed.
* Underhand – This technique is best when there are still many cups left on the table, because it is hard to control the left to right movement, but is very good for achieving the desired distance. Use of this technique is often against house rules.

Reracking

Reracking, rearranging or consolidation are terms for the one or two rearrangements of cups into different formations, which is an optional rule. It is normally used in order to keep the game progressing at a steady pace, thus giving other hopeful players an opportunity to play. The various rerack formations have different names depending on house rules. Players may either be required to ask for a rerack at the beginning of a turn; alternatively reracking is done automatically, depending on house rules. Reracks are not allowed during the middle of ones turn and must be announced before the first player shoots the ball. Common reracks are performed when six, four, three, two, or one cup remains to be made. In some places, reracking with five cups is considered a faux pas, despite how disjointed the current pattern may be.

Another variation played in some circles involves leaving all empty cups in their positions on the table. If a player of the opposing team accidentally sinks a ball into an empty cup on one’s side, they have to drink the corresponding cup on their own side. If that cup is empty, another in the same row is used. If none are available, then move back a row, and continue until a cup is found. If there is only a single cup remaining on their side, then the team drinks that cup, and the game is over. At any time, players from either team can request to know which cups are empty/full on the other side of the table.

Roll back

If both players on a team make their shots for a turn, the balls are sent back to that team, called “roll back”, “bring back”, “balls back” and other names. The team is given the opportunity to shoot for another turn. This is analogous to pool, where a successful shot will provide the team with an additional shot, and allows for the possibility of one team eliminating all cups and shutting out an opponent before they are given a chance to play.

If both players make their shots into the same cup on a given turn, one of several things can happen depending on the local rules. Generally, both cups are consumed and the balls are “rolled back.” Other variations include drinking multiple cups or the game ending.

Defense

There are three ways that a team can defend their cups:

* Psychological – A major element of defense is “trash talking” to psyche out the other team. The defending players will hurl insults or use distracting visual cues to disorient the other team. These include waving of the arms, grotesque expressions, or even suggestive gyrations by one or both team members. Such behaviors are especially common when a team is defending their last remaining cup.
* Blowing/fingering – If the ball is spinning inside of a cup, players may either blow into the cup or put a finger in the cup in an attempt to make the ball fly out before it touches the liquid. Once the ball stops spinning, it is considered “dead”, and no further defensive actions will count. Frequently, only females are allowed to blow, while men are allowed to finger in a sexual reference (namely to fellatio and fingering). Note that some rules disallow such actions and count them as goaltending.
* Ball blocking – Players may be allowed to “swat” (bat away with the hand) at balls that the other team has bounced. Generally the ball may be swatted after the first bounce, although some house rules do not allow the swat until the ball has bounced twice. If a ball is swatted back into the cups of the team who bounced it, a severe penalty is called for. However, if a player knocks over his own teams’ cups in an attempt to block or swat, then each cup that was knocked over must be consumed and removed from the game. It is illegal for a defending player to touch a shot ball before it has touched the table or a cup. If the defender breaks this rule, he or she must drink one of his or her own cups as a penalty.

Shutout Rule

A shutout rule is a house rule usually stated before a game or during the game in the midst of a shutout. If the shutout does occur the losing team must do whatever the two teams decided on before the game or during the game. The rule is not a set rule and can change from location to location or from game to game. Some common shutout rules are that the losing team must streak or do a beer bong.

Winning the game

If the opposing team makes the last cup, the other team must make all remaining cups, or the opposing team wins. However, if the team makes both shots in the final cup, the game is over, with no chance for a rebuttal. A second, less common rebuttal method is “shoot ’til you miss”, where the losing team tries to hit all of the opposing team’s cups, until they miss a shot. If a tie occurs, either it cancels out and both teams keep playing or an overtime ensues.

Other rules may result in a win, such as both balls going in the same cup, or a ball getting stuck between cups without going in.

Rebuttal Rule

A team who is on the verge of defeat has a last ditch effort to keep the game going. This is called “Rebuttal.” If both players are successful in their final chance, the game continues and 3 new cups are set up for both sides, extending the game (3-cup overtime). Or both players of the losing team just take turns shooting until they miss. Both players must make their shots for the game to continue.

Drinking speed

In some house rules, players must immediately drink any cup that has been hit. Failure to do so incurs a penalty, such as drinking more beer or losing the game. In most cases this is called “drink before you sink”. In other words, you must finish drinking the cup that has been made before you take your next shot. In other house rules, cups that are hit and unconsumed are “Death Cups” and if a ball is shot into one, the game is over immediately with no redemption.

Legal restrictions

Some municipalities and states have attempted to ban beer pong, either from bars or in general. In Oxford, Ohio, where Miami University is located, the city council tried to ban the game from being played outdoors, and in Arlington, Virginia, bar owners were told to stop allowing the game to be played in their establishments. In some cases, parents have been arrested for allowing the game to be played by underage participants. Also, some schools in North Carolina have tried to ban the game, citing laws that all drinking games are illegal in the state. In the fall of 2007, Georgetown University officially banned all beer pong paraphernalia, such as custom-built tables and the possession of many ping-pong balls. Some writers have mentioned beer pong as contributing to “out of control” college drinking.

Tournaments and leagues

National Beer pong tournaments are held in the United States. Since the drinking age in the United States is currently 21 in all states, entry into most tournaments is restricted to players who meet this age requirement. Some, however, have held tournaments with other liquids legal to minors, such as milk or water.

A more common and decentralized organization of Beer pong games is small leagues. Ordinarily, a group of college students or other pong enthusiasts will create teams (partnerships) and play weekly against each other, such as at the University of California, Santa Barbara, with the “Isla Vista Beer Pong League”, and New York University.

San Diego seems to have taken the league play into the next dimension with the San Diego Beer Pong League. It is a big deal out there. They have been in many of the local papers.

The game also appears in the Nintendo Wii game Game Party.

Bud Pong

Bud Pong was the branded version of beer pong that brewer Anheuser-Busch said involved the drinking of water, not Budweiser or any other beer. In the summer of 2005, the company began marketing “Bud Pong” kits to its distributors. Francine I. Katz, vice president for communications and consumer affairs, was reported in The New York Times as saying that Bud Pong was not intended for underage drinkers because promotions were held in bars, not on campuses. And it did not promote binge drinking, she said, because official rules call for water to be used, not beer.

The New York Times quoted a bartender at a club near Clemson University as saying she had worked at several Bud Pong events and had “never seen anyone playing with water. It’s always beer. It’s just like any other beer pong.”

Some expressed incredulity at Anheuser-Busch’s public statements. Henry Wechsler, director of the College Alcohol Study at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: “Why would alcohol companies promote games that involve drinking water? It’s preposterous,” while advertising news site Adjab opined that “someone playing Bud Pong with water is about as likely as a teenage kid using the rolling paper he bought at the convenience store to smoke tobacco.”

On October 19, 2005, the company professed surprise that some players were using beer instead of water, and withdrew the game in response to criticism. Katz stated that “Despite our explicit guidelines, there may have been instances where this promotion was not carried out in the manner it was intended.” However, on many campuses this water rule has been adopted to promote cleanliness. Players then keep a beer in a can or cup and must finish it by the end of the game.

This drink is designated as an
IBA Official Cocktail
Mai Tai
Type: Cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume:

* Rum

Served: “Straight up”; without ice
Standard garnish: pineapple spear, lime peel and mint leaves
Standard drinkware: double rocks glass
IBA specified ingredients†:

* 3cl (6 parts) white rum
* 3cl (6 parts) dark rum
* 1.5cl (3 parts) orange curaçao
* 1.5cl (3 parts) Orgeat syrup
* 1cl (2 parts) fresh lime juice

Preparation: Shake all ingredients except the dark rum together in a mixer with ice. Strain into glass and float the dark rum onto the top. Garnish and serve.

The Mai Tai is a well-known alcoholic cocktail purportedly invented at the Trader Vic’s “Polynesian-style” restaurant in Oakland, California in 1944. Trader Vic’s amicable rival, Don the Beachcomber, claimed to have created it first in 1933 at his own newly opened little bar (later a famous restaurant) in Hollywood. The Beachcomber’s recipe is far more complicated than that of the Trader’s and tastes quite different.

“Maita’i” is the Tahitian word for “good.” The spelling of the drink, however, is two words.[1][2][3]

The Trader Vic story of its invention is that the Trader (Victor J. Bergeron) created it one afternoon for some friends who were visiting from Tahiti. One of them tasted it and cried out: “Maita’i roa!” (Literally “good very!”, figuratively “Out of this world!”) — hence the name.

Mai Tai
Ingredients:
- 2 oz 17yr old J. Wray Nephew Jamaican Rum
- 1/2 oz Curacao
- 1/2 oz Orgeat Syrup
- 1/4 oz Rock Candy Syrup
- Juice of 1 fresh lime

Pour the ingredients over shaved ice in a double old-fashioned glass, shook it well, add one spent lime shell and garnish it with a sprig of fresh mint.

Check out some of this cool Mai Tai related stuff!!

In lieu of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday, I have decided to give you guys the skinny on whiskey. Whiskey seems to be one of those things in life that you either love or hate. Strong, bold and smooth, whiskey remains one of the top alcohols after all these years. So read on and check it out….

Whisky (Scottish Gaelic: uisge-beatha), or whiskey (Irish: uisce beatha or fuisce), refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak).

Different grains are used for different varieties, including: barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize (corn). Whisky derives from the Gaelic word for “water” (uisce or uisge), and is called in full uisge-beatha (in Scotland) or uisce beatha (Ireland), meaning “Water of Life”. It is related to the Latin aqua vitae, also meaning “water of life”. It is always Scotch whisky, and Irish whiskey.

The first written record of whisky comes from 1405 in Ireland, where it was distilled by monks.[1] It is also mentioned in Scotland in 1496. However it is thought that whisky had already been around for at least several hundred years prior. When or where whisky was first distilled is unknown and the local, undocumented beverage production during the period makes identification of the drink’s origin difficult. Additionally, it is possible that different groups discovered processes of distillation completely independently of one another.

Some scholars believe distilled spirits were first produced between the 8th century AD and 9th century AD in the Middle East with the art of distillation being brought to Ireland and Britain by Christian monks. A popular legend is that St. Patrick introduced distillation to Ireland and Britain; however it is likely he lived around the 5th century AD. It is also possible that the distillation process was discovered in Ireland and possibly Britain (either independently or in precursor to Arabian distillation) by farmers as a way of making use of excess grain after harvest.

~ Great Whiskey Cocktails ~

Godfather
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Scotch
- 1 oz Amaretto
Glassware : Old-Fashioned Glass

Black Jack
- 2 oz Scotch
- 1 oz Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 oz Kahlua
- 1 oz Triple Sec
Glassware: Cocktail Glass
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.
Jack Frost Manhattan
Ingredients:
- 2 parts Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
- 1 part Peppermint Schnapps
- 1/4 part sweet vermouth
Garnish: maraschino cherry
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cherry.

Scotch Cooler
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Chivas Regal Scotch Whisky
- 1/2 oz vanilla liqueur
- 2 dashes bitters
Garnish: cherry
Add all ingredients to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a cherry. (Created by Dale DeGroff, New York, NY)

Scotch Old-Fashioned
- 2 oz Scotch
- 1/2 oz Water
- 1/2 tsp Superfine Sugar
- 1 dash Bitters
- Garnish: Lime Wedge
Glassware: Old-Fashioned Glass
Dissolve superfine sugar in scotch. Combine bitters and water, superfine sugar and scotch in an old fashioned glass over crushed ice. Add 151 proof rum and garnish with lime wedge.

B55
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Sebor Absinth
- 1 oz Irish Cream
- 1 oz Kahlua
In a shot glass, carefully layer (in this order) Kahlua, Baileys and Sebor Absinth.

Everybody’s Irish
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Irish Whiskey
- 1 oz Creme de Menthe (green)
- 1 oz Chartreuse (green)
- Garnish: Cocktail Olive
Glassware : Cocktail Glass
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive.

Rob Roy
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz Scotch whisky
- 1/4 oz sweet vermouth
- a dash of Angostura bitters
- Garnish: Cherry
Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cherry.

History of Rob Roy:
Rob Roy was created by a bartender at The Waldorf Hotel in New York in 1894. It was first mixed for the opening night of an opera called “Rob Roy.” The recipe first appeared in The Savoy Book, published by The Savoy Hotel of London in 1930. Having Scotch whisky as a base spirit of the cocktail, the book carried a note indicating that the cocktail was already popular among Scots, “particularly for St. Andrew’s day to open the evening for the usual enormous annual gathering of the Clans at the Savoy.”.