A distillate of grapes, pisco is technically a brandy and popped up exactly where you might expect it to: in the winemaking regions of South America. It was originally made as an alternative to brandy from Spain, called orujo, back in the 16th century. Trade wasn’t nearly as quick as it is these days, and the settlers got tired of waiting (and probably paying) for the brandy from the homeland. The alternative, while not the same as the tipple they were used to, was quite good, and became the definitive distillate of the area.

In the early 20th Century, cocktails were enjoying a ...]]> Happy (Peruvian) National Pisco Sour Day! As the “official” cocktail of both Chile and Peru and the only well known cocktail with pisco in it, this cocktail carries a lot of responsibility as ambassador to the cocktail swilling world.

A distillate of grapes, pisco is technically a brandy and popped up exactly where you might expect it to: in the winemaking regions of South America. It was originally made as an alternative to brandy from Spain, called orujo, back in the 16th century. Trade wasn’t nearly as quick as it is these days, and the settlers got tired of waiting (and probably paying) for the brandy from the homeland. The alternative, while not the same as the tipple they were used to, was quite good, and became the definitive distillate of the area.

In the early 20th Century, cocktails were enjoying a worldwide audience and the story goes that one Victor Morris found himself playing with pisco. He was an American living in Lima, with a bar named Morris’ Bar. The Whiskey Sour had become very popular, and Morris capitalized on this by making a version with Pisco, simple as that. There is another story, told by the Chileans, that claims an English sailor by the name of Elliot Stubb landed on (what later became) the Chilean coast. He settled there, opened a bar, and created several cocktails containing pisco, one of which is the famed pisco sour. Who can legitimately lay claim? You decide. In the meantime, let’s make something to celebrate with!

There are several recipes out there, this was found in a Peruvian cookbook bought in Lima. While the use of a blender is frowned upon by many a bartender, in this case, the results are hard to ignore.

Salúd!

Pisco Sour

3 oz pisco
1 oz key lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
½ egg white
ice

Blend all ingredients together in a blender. Dust the top with cinnamon or a couple dashes of Angostura bitters. In Perú, Pisco sours are served in a brandy snifter, but use whatever is handy!

Don’t get me wrong, I had to know how to pour drinks too. I worked day bar for a year and a half, laboriously setting up the bar, taking pour accuracy tests and learning recipes before I caught a break and worked a Saturday night. But I was trained to tend bar, to be the one you see ...]]> I feel lucky I started bartending when a short skirt, easy smile and attitude got you farther than knowing the Savoy Cocktail Book cover to cover, or when suspenders and a flat cap were the uniform. My first regulars loved knowing a fresh pint would be ready before they finished the one in hand, that I knew the name of their husbands, wives and kids, and if the conversation got stagnant I had a repertoire of really bad jokes to break the tension.

Don’t get me wrong, I had to know how to pour drinks too. I worked day bar for a year and a half, laboriously setting up the bar, taking pour accuracy tests and learning recipes before I caught a break and worked a Saturday night. But I was trained to tend bar, to be the one you see in the movies: the host of a party, enigmatic and funny. It was a given that I was also fast, knew my recipes and was in control of my bar top at all times.

Today’s bartender looks a little different. For every new craft cocktail bar we are graced with, we get five new “mixologists”, trying to make a name for themselves. 8-step cocktails, infusions Jerry Thomas couldn’t have conceived of, and obscurely named concoctions. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful: this cocktail revolution has brought back forgotten recipes, put emphasis on quality over quantity, and given an air of sophistication to a profession that didn’t even take itself very seriously. But as with any profession that earns itself more clout, there are always those who take it too far.

12 years ago I sat at Murray Stenson’s bar and ordered a Chocolate Martini. He made one for me with nary as much as a raised eyebrow, knowing that I was a newbie, with no earthly idea of what a good cocktail was. He was gracious, fun to watch, and treated everyone who was in his care respectfully no matter what they drank. This is the guy who knows more cocktails, has waited on more people, and is more beloved than any other bartender out there. I’ve watched people with a fourth of his talent have ten times the attitude, and for what? We are in the service industry. Without those patrons at the bar, you have no job. Why look down your nose when they don’t know what demerara syrup is? Nine times out of ten they don’t give a shit that it took you 6 months and dozens of batches to get your bitters recipe perfected, or if you shook that cocktail when Harry Craddock would have stirred it. They just want a good cocktail, and they want someone who isn’t going to be surly and contemptuous when they order a vodka martini. And if they want to talk to you, it shouldn’t be a burden: a bar, by nature, is a place for people to interact. Quit acting like you have other things to do.

We are all guilty of not understanding when someone doesn’t take as much of an interest in what they drink as we do, myself included. I think I used it as a shield when I felt defensive. You make six figures a year? Well, cosmopolitans are for pussies. His lack of taste and my lack of typical career path do not make either of us good or bad. Drinking is a very personal thing, indicative of our taste and what we like as an individual. Who am I to judge you for what you like to drink? Bottom line is, my job is to make you a cocktail, to serve you an experience. There is a nobility in being a gracious host, one I fear is rapidly being lost.

I recently hung up my apron after 10 years behind the stick. I get to play at home now, for friends and family, and can take 15 minutes to make a drink if I please. I don’t have to be nice, I can make that 8 step cocktail with the obscure name because I want to experiment with all the cool ingredients I have accumulated over the years. Perhaps now I would be classified as a mixologist. But there is nothing like the feeling of walking behind a bar with people as far as the eye can see, slinging drinks as fast as you can, with a smile on your face, jigger be damned.

I prefer ‘bartender.”

The worm myth has been debunked and José isn’t the only guy at the party anymore, so why the fear? A flood of delicious tequila has been streaming over the border for years now at an exponentially increasing rate, and yet it’s one of the most neglected spirits in the cocktail world. We recently re-tasted all of the delicious Herradura tequilas (blanco, reposado, and ...]]> Too many people are scared of tequila. For some the name alone elicits a face-contorting reaction, and trying to sell a tequila drink to an unseasoned drinker usually ends with a “oh no, that’s way too harsh for me!” That same person will then order Jack Daniels or something equally debasing, and shoot it straight. How do people arrive at a shot of whiskey being less harsh than a tequila cocktail? Something has gone horribly wrong here.

The worm myth has been debunked and José isn’t the only guy at the party anymore, so why the fear? A flood of delicious tequila has been streaming over the border for years now at an exponentially increasing rate, and yet it’s one of the most neglected spirits in the cocktail world. We recently re-tasted all of the delicious Herradura tequilas (blanco, reposado, and añejo, respectively) and it got us thinking. Everyone will drink a margarita, right? It’s the tequila gateway drug, a glass of salty, limey deliciousness. Why stop there? It’s okay to stray from vodka, it will always be there for you to jump back into bed with if you get too scared, we promise. Try a little tequila with us… you can tell vodka you were going through an “experimental” phase.

Below are some classics we stirred up, substituting tequila for the base liquor. For quality assurance, we taste tested each and every one (and enjoyed every minute of it!) A purist might turn up his nose at a cocktail that wasn’t created with the spirit in mind, but we found these cocktails to be differently delicious with their substitutions.

If you find your own classic that you want to share, let us know! We are always interested in new ways to drink the agave spirit. If these don’t have you running for the hills, try any of the Herradura tequilas straight: we suggest the añejo over a bit of ice. Lovely.

Tequila Manhattan
The only tweak is the orange bitters. We liked it better than Angostura in this case.

3 oz Herradura Añejo
3/4 oz Dolin Rouge
3 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass.

Cadáver Reanimador Numero Dos
(Corpse Reviver #2)

1 oz Herradura Blanco
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz Cocchi Americano (or Lillet, if that’s on hand)
1 oz Cointreau
3 drops of absinthe

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into cocktail glass. Garnish with a de-stemmed cherry.

Jimador Punch
(Planter’s Punch)

2 oz Herradura Reposado
1 tsp sugar (we used Demerara, because we like it better)
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz orange juice
1 splash of grenadine

Shake all ingredients with crushed ice and pour un-strained into a pint glass (or similar). Garnish with a slice of lemon, lime and orange.

Cheers!

Want to know more about tequila? We know a little, read this.

He was born Michael King Jr. on January 15th, 1929, and every year millions of people get a long holiday weekend in the dead of winter when it’s too cold to BBQ, and the only logical thing is to cozy up indoors. In honor of the occasion, we gathered up some classic cocktails to commemorate and celebrate his life.  Is this a classic drinking holiday? No. But why not find reasons to celebrate every day of life? ...]]> Monday is Martin Luther King Day, a day when many reflect on how far this country has come in the fight for civil rights. Many of us think we still have a ways to go, but it’s worth a moment to think about the good Doctor, and all he stood for. Without him, it’s hard to say where we would be as a society.

He was born Michael King Jr. on January 15th, 1929, and every year millions of people get a long holiday weekend in the dead of winter when it’s too cold to BBQ, and the only logical thing is to cozy up indoors. In honor of the occasion, we gathered up some classic cocktails to commemorate and celebrate his life.  Is this a classic drinking holiday? No. But why not find reasons to celebrate every day of life? In the words of Dr. King… we have a dream.

Kings Jubilee
Invented by Harry Craddock of Savoy Cocktail Bar. If you can’t find Daiquiri Rum, don’t fret: it’s Cuban. We used an aged Puerto Rican Rum and enjoyed the result.

3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz Maraschino
1 1/2 oz Daiquiri Rum

Shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass

Dream Cocktail
Found in the Savoy Cocktail Book, though the version in Esquire Drinks by David Wondrich has orange bitters, this one does not. Feel free to add it if you wish. After all, you have to drink it, not us.

2 oz Brandy
1 oz orange curacao
1 dash of Absinthe

Shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass

Doctor Cocktail
This one is the Trader Vic variation of the Frank Meier (of the Ritz Bar in Paris) recipe, circa 1936. We found this variation in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails (Ted Haigh), although we prefer it with just a little less lime juice, depending on how citrusy your Punsch is.

2 oz Jamaican Rum
1 oz Swedish Punch (might be hard to find! See below)
1 oz fresh lime juice

Shake over ice and strain into cocktail glass, garnish with a lime twist.

Cheers!

____

Well, Swedish Punsch is one of those things that is just starting to appear in the U.S., as importer Haus Alpenz has started bringing it stateside. Esquire featured it in the 2011 Bottles you will want to try, which is sure to help prompt more retailers to carry it. Here in Washington, we are in a huge state of flux with the passage of 1183 (privatization) so there is no telling who will have what when the dust settles, but for now we haven’t located any. (If you find a bottle, tell us!) If you are feeling crafty, you can make it yourself with the recipe below courtesy of Savoy Stomp. You are going to need to locate a bottle of Batavia Arrack, but it is much more readily available.

Swedish Punsch – Tales Version

2 750ml Bottles of El Dorado 5 Year Demarara Rum
1 750ml Bottle Batavia Arrack van Oosten.
8 lemons, sliced thin and seeded.
750ml Water.
8 teaspoons Yunnan Fancy China Black Tea.
2 crushed cardamom pods.
4 cups Washed Raw Sugar.

This makes a bit more than 3 litres.

Put sliced lemon in a resealable non-reactive container(s). Pour Rum and Batavia Arrack over lemons. Cover and steep for 6 hours.

Heat water and steep tea and cardamom in it for the usual 6 minutes. Pour through cheesecloth to remove tea leaves and cardamom pods.

Dissolve sugar in hot tea and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate.

After 6 hours, pour rum off of sliced citrus, without squeezing fruit.

Combine tea syrup and flavored rum. Filter and bottle in a clean sealable container(s). Age at least overnight and enjoy where Swedish Punch is called for.

Things were starting to make sense. From the island of Martinique, Clément Créole Shrubb is a delicious liqueur d’orange made with Rhum Agricole, from the distinguished line of Clément. The recipe is said to be a Créole one (hence the name), a few hundred years old. A blend of white and aged rum is infused with macerated orange peel ...]]> If someone says “shrub” to us, the obvious visual is something leafy and green. Even after sampling Clément Créole Shrubb for the first time, we were still confused at the use of the word to describe it. Shrubb? A degree in English was failing us. And yet, when faithful friend Google was consulted we discovered, “shrub” can also be  “a beverage made from fruit juice, sugar, and a liquor such as rum or brandy”, derived from  the Arabic urb, meaning a drink.

Things were starting to make sense. From the island of Martinique, Clément Créole Shrubb is a delicious liqueur d’orange made with Rhum Agricole, from the distinguished line of Clément. The recipe is said to be a Créole one (hence the name), a few hundred years old. A blend of white and aged rum is infused with macerated orange peel and spices, and voila, a delicious liqueur is born.

Why Rhum Agricole? This particular type of Rhum is made primarily in the French West Indies, and is distilled with sugarcane juice instead of molasses. It has more vegetal, earthy characteristics than its cousins, literally translated as agricultural (agricole) rum (rhum). This style was born out a surplus of sugar cane in the late 1800′s in the West Indies. Europeans had started making sugar from sugar beets, making the increasingly expensive sugar cane from the islands obsolete. Sugarcane factories were soon underwater financially, and distillers found that they could make rhum without the sugar production process by simply pressing the cane and distilling the juice.

These days, it is a more expensive way to distill. There is a rather small, two month window in which rhum agricole can be made because the sugarcane must be pressed when the cane is fresh and at the peak of maturity. These rums also carry their own A.O.C., or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, a controlled designation of origin from the French government, and a sign of quality to those keeping track.

Clément has blended two French traditions with their Shrubb: rhum and orange. The result is a mixable, sip-able treat that is both sweet and spicy, and one that has earned 92 points from the Beverage Tasting Institute. You can use it in the place of Grand Marnier for a more complex taste, or get a little more creative with it in your cocktail creation, but it is a tasty experiment no matter what you do with it.

With a plethora of recipes to choose from, we decided to share one of our favorite winter drinks. Cheers!

Blueberry Tea
1 oz Clément Créole Shrubb
1 oz Amaretto
Earl Grey Tea

Steep the tea according to the directions, discard tea bag. Add ingredients, stir gently. Garnish with an orange twist.

Our first question, of course, is does it work? A quick Google search reveals that several folks out ...]]> With New Year’s eve nearly upon us, it sounded like a Christmas miracle in my inbox: a patch that you slap on prior to tying one on, so you may wake up the next day less bleary eyed and remorseful. No, it’s not Ortho-Evra, (although a case could be made for that) it’s Bytox, a patch that claims to not be a hangover cure, but a hangover preventor. Like an insurance policy for a night of drinking, it sells a night of all of the fun, none of the consequences. Provided your beer goggles don’t lead you into bed with a troll, that is. And at $2.99, we imagine that frat boys are snapping these up faster than Trojans for the coming weekend.

Our first question, of course, is does it work? A quick Google search reveals that several folks out there have tried it with variable results. Some say it worked great, others that maybe it took the edge off, but they weren’t “cured” of anything really. Others found the hangover to still be in full effect. We found various claims from the company spokesman, Dr. Leonard Grossman, the most interesting being that to test the product he took “12 shots of tequila”  at a party, and woke up with no effects.

Does anyone else find this creepy? While the basic principle is simple – the patch replenishes the vitamins that get stripped out when you get smashed – you are putting a sticky piece of plastic on yourself that well, hasn’t been approved by the FDA and claims to be nothing but good stuff flowing through your skin. Bytox maintains that it is all about safe and healthy drinking habits, but the basic premise is that you can drink more with no effect. And if it really does give you the ability to have 12 shots of anything with no effects, that’s downright unnatural AND hardly the kind of drinking that anyone but someone on a mission to forget the evening will be doing.

Everything we need to know about Grossman himself we found on his website. While he claims that you can drink absurd amounts of alcohol with no effect, and insists that the product is safe, he’s a plastic surgeon in NYC that specializes in procedures like Brazilian Buttocks Lift and Fill and Labiaplasty (it’s exactly what you think it is). Internal health might not be his forte? At least we have a clue where the name comes from… rhymes with Botox? But we digress.

As for trying Bytox out, we’ll pass. If we drink 12 shots of tequila, that’s an earned hangover and a liver asking for a reprieve. And we refuse to pay for something  we could pop a few B vitamins, slam a gatorade, and probably have the same effect. Just sayin’.

As New Year’s Eve is upon us again however, the subject of champagne is bound to come up. After all, it is the holiday where bubbly is king. The coupe, while certainly having the appearance of being modeled after a woman’s anatomy, was invented in 1663 by the English specifically for champagne, long after Marie Antoinette was a footnote in history. It has a tendency to encourage champagne to go flat rather quickly, which would explain the appearance of the champagne flute in ...]]> Years ago we heard a rumor that the original champagne glass, the coupe, was molded after narcissistic French Queen Marie Antoinette’s breast, so her admirers could drink to her health in them. While this story is a fun one to ponder at dinner parties or perhaps while preparing for the midnight ball drop , it is indeed false.

As New Year’s Eve is upon us again however, the subject of champagne is bound to come up. After all, it is the holiday where bubbly is king. The coupe, while certainly having the appearance of being modeled after a woman’s anatomy, was invented in 1663 by the English specifically for champagne, long after Marie Antoinette was a footnote in history. It has a tendency to encourage champagne to go flat rather quickly, which would explain the appearance of the champagne flute in the 1930′s, designed specifically to show off the bubbles as they escape from their boozy prison. It is also shaped rather anatomically, albeit not of anything female.

Today you can find a resurgence in the use of the coupe glass, most commonly found in bars dedicated to the current cocktail renaissance. We thought in honor of the coming of 2012 we would put those glasses to good use, with a few champagne cocktails to ring in the New Year!

French 75
The rumor is that is was created in 1925 in Paris by a man named Harry MacElthone, although he credits Macgarry of Buck’s Club in London. The 75 was the name of the weapon used by the French in WWI.

¾ oz gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
Top with champagne or sparkling wine

Shake gin, lemon juice and syrup in a shaker and strain into champagne flute. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Death in the Afternoon
This cocktail, created by Hemingway himself, shares the name of one of his novels. He apparently created it while struggling with some boat trouble. His instructions included the prescription strength at “4 or 5″ of these.

1 ½ oz absinthe
4 oz very, very cold champagne

Pour absinthe into champagne flute, top with champagne slowly until the absinthe clouds up.

Kir Royale
This is a version of the Kir, the more popular one. Almost never will you find bars that serve a Kir with white wine.

¼ oz creme de cassis
fill with champagne

Pour both ingredients into champagne glass, stir gently.

Bellini
The Bellini was invented around 1943, in Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. The half peach is often substituted by peach puree, although this is the original recipe.

1 peach half
2 oz champagne
¼ oz simple syrup

Muddle the peach in a champagne glass with simple syrup and fill with champagne.

Absolutely Fabulous
Created in 1999 in Monte’s Club in London, and named after the Absolutely Fabulous TV series.

1 ½ oz Stolichnaya vodka
3 oz Cranberry Juice
Top with Bollinger Champagne

Shake vodka and cranberry juice in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass. Top with Champagne. Garnish with a strawberry on the rim of the glass.

Black Velvet
A fancier take on the infamous Black and Tan

½ Guinness Stout
½ Champagne

Pour Champagne in a champagne flute, float Guinness on top using a spoon.

Happy New Year!

What beer has over wine is that it is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, and the third most popular drink behind water and tea. It is brewed all over the world, from the smallest brewery to several multinational companies. In 2006, 294.5 billion dollars were generated in the global economy ...]]> Beer, like wine, is one of, if not THE oldest fermented beverages. Also like wine, no one is sure exactly when beer was “discovered” or “invented”, it just seems to have been around for as long as human beings have. Historians have estimated the roots of beer may go back as far as the early Neolithic or 9000 BC. Like wine, beer can be found in Egyptian and Mesopotamian writings. Some experts disagree about which came first, wine or beer, but it would seem that both are very, very old.

What beer has over wine is that it is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage, and the third most popular drink behind water and tea. It is brewed all over the world, from the smallest brewery to several multinational companies. In 2006, 294.5 billion dollars were generated in the global economy from the production, distribution and sale of beer. We admit to not knowing everything there is to know about this tasty beverage, but we are here to give you an overview and some resources to learn more.

The Basics
Beer is made up of four ingredients, water, barley, yeast and hops. Sometimes other starch sources are substituted or augment the barley, but beyond that, those ingredients are all you need to make beer.

Since beer is 90% water, it’s no wonder that it’s a big deal to beer connoisseurs which water is used in their beer. Different regions have different minerals in the water; some are naturally suited for making beer, and more specifically different kinds of beer. Dublin has hard water, which is well suited to make stout and is where we get Guinness. Soft water is ideal for producing pilsners, and water containing gypsum make the best pale ales.

Malt can be made from a number of different grains. Wheat, rye, corn and oats are all common choices. However, barley is the most common type of grain used in making beer. This is partly because it has a fibrous husk that contains amylase, which is a digestive enzyme that aids in the conversion of starch into sugars. The husks are also important for the sparging stage, when water is washed over the grains to form the wort.

By malting the grain, enzymes are produced that convert starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Grain is malted by first soaking it in water for two to three days so it begins to germinate. Next, it is spread out onto what is called a malting floor, where it can germinate for up to five days. Finally, it is dried in a kiln before the germination is complete. Roasting the malt is a part of the craftsmanship of the beer; different roasting times and temperatures will alter the flavor, texture and color of the beer. The most commonly used malt is pale roasted because it can be used in most types of beer, but there are a wide variety of roasts, from chocolate brown to red to the palest pale.

Yeast is the microorganism that is responsible for turning the wort made from the barley into beer. It metabolizes the sugars in the barley malt and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation isn’t the only role of the yeast as it also influences the flavor and style of the beer. Before brewers understood the role of yeast in the brewing process, wild or airborne yeast made it’s way into the beer and voila! We have alcohol. This process was attributed to God’s intervention, and it wasn’t until 1871 when Louis Pasteur started to study the processes of the yeast that the role yeast plays in brewing was understood. Now that we know what yeast does and how, specific cultured yeast and blends of yeasts are used instead of leaving it up to Mother Nature. The exception being the lambic brewers of Belgium, who still prefer to use wild yeast which can sometimes create a sour but very distinctive flavor.

Hops are mainly used for flavoring in the brewing process. As far as we know, the monks introduced hops in the 8th century, and they weren’t commonly used in England until 1400. They contribute a bitterness that balances out the sweetness of the barley malt and adds floral, citrus and herbal flavors. Hops have a secondary purpose as well, which is a natural preservative and aid in the promotion of brewers yeast over other microorganisms.

The final common ingredient used in the production of beer is a clarifying agent. Historically this agent could have been made from swim bladders of fish or seaweed. These days however, gelatin is used as a cheaper and more readily available source. When used, a clarifying agent will make the beer look clean and free of sediment. Clarifying agents are commonly used in lagers and certain ales, but are rarely used in styles like stout or hefewiezen, which is why they usually have a cloudy appearance.

Sometimes, depending on the quality of the beer, there are additional ingredients. Sometimes cheaper alternatives to malted barley are used, like sugar, corn syrup, rice, corn and malt extracts. There are some brewers that use different flavorings (that aren’t considered cheap or “cheating”) like herbs, spices, orange and lemon peel, honey and heather (a Scottish tradition).

History
As previously mentioned, no one really knows when beer was first brewed. As near as historians can tell, it probably originated in Egypt and the Middle East. Evidence of beer brewing in the style we recognize dates back 5000 years ago by the Sumerians. They had recorded several different types of beer, all used in different parts of daily life. While for most of us, the main selling point of beer is it’s flavor and intoxicating effects, for the Sumerians it had nutritional properties, as drinking beer was usually safer than drinking their untreated water.

The Egyptians soon caught on and eventually figured out how to make beer on a large scale. During the same time period it seems they refined the process of malting. Beer became a part of the daily routine of being an Egyptian soldier, and soon had spread from the Middle East into Europe.

It’s a good thing it did. The rise of Islam in the 7th and 8th centuries meant a sharp decline in beer production, and even now the beer and wine industries that once flourished in the region now struggle under the teachings of the Qur’an, which prohibits the consumption of alcohol.

No matter! The monks were already in full swing, producing beer throughout Europe. They grew their own barley, sold the excess, produced their own beer and are largely responsible for many advancements in brewing. They kept the tradition of brewing alive through tumultuous times in our history, and have provided the model for brewing beer as it is done today.

For a long time, all beers were top-fermented, which means the yeast floats on the surface of the beer while the beer ferments. In 1530, Bavarian monks got the crazy idea to put the fermenting beers in underground cellars, which means they could ferment longer and cooler than conventional beers. A side effect of the cooler temperatures made the yeast sink in to the beer and ferment at a slower rate. The process was called lagering, which is derived from the German word for storage. The word lager is now used to identify a style of beer, one that it stored cold and uses the lager yeast, which seems to have been a spontaneous mutation of yeast that first appeared in Germany.

Beer that wasn’t brewed in a monastery was usually made small scale in local houses. Modern refrigeration wasn’t available, so beer was made and consumed locally. The local production and sale of beer was made in public houses, or pubs for short. The popularity of beer gave rise to pubs, many of which can still be found, particularly in the U.K. and Ireland. By the 14th century, some of these families had perfected the brewing process and had begun selling it outside the pub. Thus, the first commercial breweries were born.

Once railroads started connecting cities and towns together in the middle of the 19th century, beer could be distributed in significant quantities. Around the same time, advancements in technology automated the brewing process and transformed beer into a major industry.

In 1842, the last of the major milestones in brewing was achieved. A brewer in the Czech Republic, using paler malts, cold fermenting, and the soft water of Plzen created the first Pilsner style lager, which was clear and golden in color. Because so many of is predecessors were murky or cloudy and were reddish or brown, this was a major breakthrough. Bohemia, at the time, was also known for it’s new glassware (as opposed to stone, metal or earthenware mugs) and the clear, bright beer was perfect for showing it off. The combination made a sensation, and beer glasses made specifically for different beers are still a topic for beer aficionados.

Mechanical refrigeration was introduced in the 1870’s, which just furthered the distance beer could travel and be kept fresh. This put beer on track to where it is today, a thriving global industry.

How it’s Made
The process by which beer is made is called brewing. Brewing begins with the malt, which is made simply by soaking the grains for two to three days until they start to germinate. Then the water is removed, and they are spread out onto a malting floor and allowed to germinate for up to 5 days. Germination is halted when the malt is placed in a kiln and roasted to desired color.

The malt is then made into mash by boiling it until it creates a slurry that looks like oatmeal. From there, the sugars are extracted by one of two methods. The sugars are either left on their own to dissolve, or the liquid is drawn off in small amounts and then added back in controlled stages, using different temperatures to pull out the most sugar possible.

Once mashing is complete, the remaining liquid (called sweet wort) is transferred to a brewing kettle, where it is boiled for several hours, with hops added either to add bitterness (at the beginning of the process) or to impart aroma (added at the end). The used hops are extracted from the wort and then cooled and transferred to fermenting tanks.

Fermentation begins immediately when the yeast is added. The initial phase of fermentation happens quickly, and produces “green beer” which is then fermented a second time, usually at lower temperatures, before it is finished.

For most commercial beer, once that second fermentation is done, the beer is filtered, pasteurized, bottled and sent out into the market. Some beers are “cask conditioned” or “bottle conditioned” and are sent out into the market with live yeast in them, which means the character and flavor can change right up until it ends up in your glass.

Styles
Generally speaking, beer can fit into three categories: Lager, ale, and stout.

As we stated above, lager comes from the German word lagern meaning “to store”. Lagers, in English, are beers that have been stored cold. The Bavarians (if you remember) first stored their beer in cold cellars during the warm summer months, lengthening the fermentation process and producing a clearer, brighter beer. It was dubbed “lager” and is now the most popular style of beer consumed in the world.

Lager yeast is bottom fermenting, and usually goes through two fermenting stages, the second one cooler than the first. This cooler fermenting inhibits the production of by products (from the yeast) that would change the flavor or characteristics of the beer.

Ales are top-fermented and by comparison to lagers ferment much quicker. This shorter fermenting process gives the beer a sweeter and more full-bodied taste. They are fermented warmer than Lagers as well, between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer fermenting also produce the esters not produced in the cold fermenting of the lager style, and so secondary flavors emerge like pineapple, apple, banana and other fruits.

Ale was synonymous with beer until the introduction of hops in the 15th century. For a time, “ales” were made with unroasted malts and “beer” was what was made with hops. There is no distinction between the two now, but ale (made with hops) is the model by which all beer is produced.

The first recordings of the stout style was in the 1730’s in London, making it the newest style of beer. With the advent of the pale ale however, the popularity of stout decreased everywhere but in Ireland. Incidentally, the hard water in Ireland is perfect for making stouts, so the style flourished there and now Ireland is known almost exclusively for it’s tasty stouts.

Stout is brewed like ale, but is traditionally stronger and uses darkly roasted malt. It is top-fermented and usually fermented between 60 and 70 degrees. Stout has become synonymous with porter, and there are several styles of stout that have emerged including (but not limited to) oatmeal, chocolate, oyster, and milk.

Regions
Beer is the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage in the world, so it follows that it is brewed all over the world. While the beginnings of beer may have been European, The United States is the world largest brewer. We owe most of that to the settlers that brought with them a love of beer and the means to set up breweries in their new home. Because the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, every style of beer is represented, although some more than others. Lager is the dominant style, but in recent years a resurgence of small craft breweries has brought about a rich and varied selection of ales and stouts as well.

The Irish are most well known for their stouts. The hard water of Ireland produces particularly tasty stouts, the most well known of these being Guinness. Ireland also produces a fair amount of ales, but only a few lagers. What they don’t produce, they do drink, coming in at the top five consumers of beer per capita.

The UK can be divided into English and Scottish beers, the latter being the smaller market. For a time, Scottish brewers flourished, and there were a wide variety of Scottish brews. Unfortunately that has not maintained, and now the two main breweries are owned by the British or global conglomerates.

The English have always loved beer, and the monasteries that established the small craft breweries can still be found throughout the country. While most of the beer produced is lager (by large, global brewers) ales have made a comeback and are gaining popularity, along with cask conditioned and bottle conditioned brews.

Canada has some of the most draconian laws governing the production of beer, and therefore a small number of large-scale brewers do most of the production. That has meant a very limited number of craft-style breweries and a huge amount of lager and light beers.

Germany is always among the top consumers and has a proud tradition of brewing, judging and consuming. After all, this is the country that brings us Oktoberfest! German beers are more conservative in style than many other countries. Abiding by Reinheitsgebot (a former law of the land, and now the assertion that beer must be made with only water, barley and hops) has kept German brewers from taking advantage of some of the advancements in beer making. While it is no longer law, it influences the style and reinforces local beer styles, creating beers that are closely associated with their city of origin and can boast being some of the most distinctive in the world.

Neighboring Austria brews in the similar style to Germany, although it doesn’t enjoy the same reputation. To the west, Belgium brews more styles and varieties of beer than any other country in the world. It’s also home to the Trappist beers, which are brewed or supervised by Trappist Monks. Lambic beers are popular here, and the specific style produced are made possible by the unique yeast that only exists west of Brussels. The wild yeast has been used for thousands of years and the style has yet to be duplicated.

France, Spain and Italy, while mainly wine producers, do produce beer that can be found the world over. These beers are mainly of the lager style, and increasing in popularity within the countries due to the appeal to the younger generation. Microbreweries are popping up however, and ales are starting to appear in each of these countries.

The Dutch, while enjoying a top twenty ranking in consumption, has only a handful of breweries. The most famous being Heineken, which is the biggest beer exporter in the Netherlands, the second largest brewing company in the world, as well as the most popular lager worldwide.

The Czech Republic always ranks high among consumption per capita and Czech lager is rated among the best in the world. The region has a rich history of brewing and growing hops, and although the rise and fall of communism has played havoc with the beer industry, it has come back full force and continues to grow.

Latin America and the Caribbean are known for their strong sweet lagers. Brewing didn’t become popular there until after modern refrigeration was discovered, and the market for Mexican beer took off during the Prohibition era in the U.S. Stout is popular in the region as well, and Guinness Foreign Extra Stout has been brewed in Jamaica for 150 years.

Australia and New Zealand, colonized by European settlers, established European style breweries in the late 18th century. The hot climate made traditional styles difficult, and once modern refrigeration came along, lagers became the brew of choice. The increasing popularity of Australian wine has meant a bit of a decrease in beer production, but beer is still hugely popular.

Last but not least, Asia is one of the newest producers of beer. China didn’t even have a brewery until the start of the 20th century, but now has over a thousand. Japan had its first brewery in 1870 and the industry has enjoyed modest success since then.

The Future
Beer, as we have mentioned, holds a strong lead over wine and spirits in the global market. Fads and trends have shaped styles and desirable characteristics, and will most likely continue to do so. As of us writing this, there has been a general resurgence of the small craft brewery, and lots of experimentation with flavors and styles.

Nations that haven’t traditionally produced beer and Asia is a whole new market for the beer conglomerates to explore. There has been a new emphasis in several countries on local, independent breweries. So what will the world look like a few years from now? We are looking forward to finding out.

More Information
We used a myriad of sources for putting this together, and we in no way want you to think that we know everything. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in the world! And we are naught but humble bartenders.

We would like to suggest one of our favorites on the subject: Beers of the world, by David Kenning. There are also tons of sites (www.realbeer.com, www.beeradvocate.com), magazines (All About Beer Magazine) and blogs… you name it, you can find it. If you find something cool that you want to share, let us know!

We shall leave you with a very famous quote:

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

Why we love it: Well, we used to drink Makers Mark and seven (sprite) almost exclusively. For the avoidance of public humiliation, this is no longer the case. We would like to point out though, that bourbon is still quite delicious. And who doesn’t love a Manhattan from time to time? Where to find it (besides the liquor store): Kentucky, USA. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the country, but there are only four distilleries that are not in Kentucky, and about a hundred that are, if that gives you an idea. Also, Kentucky is the only state that is allowed to put its name on the bottle. What it’s made of: Bourbon must be made from at least 51 percent corn, although most of them are more like 75%. The other percentage is made up of other grain ...]]> Country of origin:
The good ‘ole United States

Why we love it:
Well, we used to drink Makers Mark and seven (sprite) almost exclusively. For the avoidance of public humiliation, this is no longer the case. We would like to point out though, that bourbon is still quite delicious. And who doesn’t love a Manhattan from time to time?

Where to find it (besides the liquor store):
Kentucky, USA. Bourbon can be made anywhere in the country, but there are only four distilleries that are not in Kentucky, and about a hundred that are, if that gives you an idea. Also, Kentucky is the only state that is allowed to put its name on the bottle.

What it’s made of:
Bourbon must be made from at least 51 percent corn, although most of them are more like 75%. The other percentage is made up of other grain alcohol. The grain mixture is fermented by “sour mash” process, where yeast from a previous fermentation is used to keep flavor and quality consistent.

Classifications:
In 1964, Congress decided that bourbon needed to be recognized as a distinct product of the United States. That also meant that Congress got to lay down some rules for Bourbon production. So, Bourbon MUST be:

1 -    Made of at least 51% corn.

2 -    Distilled at no more than 80% alcohol (160 proof)

3 -    100% natural (nothing other than water added)

4 -    Aged in new, charred oak barrels.

If the bourbon meets the above requirements and has been aged for a minimum of two years, may be called Straight Bourbon, but is not required to be.

Bourbon that is aged for a period of less than four years must be labeled with the duration of it’s aging.

The two most identifiable types of bourbon are small batch and single barrel. Small batch are bottlings from a “batch” of barrels that are mixed together to create a consistent product before bottling. Single barrel are bourbons that are aged in and bottled from one barrel.

History:
While we know that bourbon is an American “invention” distillation of grains was passed down from the countries the first settlers hailed from. There are those who credit Elijah Craig (even has a bourbon named after him), who was a Baptist Minister turned distiller. As per usual with alcohol, no one really knows if it was him or not.

The story we do know is that back in 1774-ish, there was a farmer named Theodore Queenan who was growing corn. There was a point where Mr. Queenan had too much corn that neither he nor his livestock could use, so he began turning the excess into whiskey. Whiskey was already being made back in Europe, so the technology was there, and if he could turn excess corn into product to sell, why not?

Well, Queenan was in what would be Kentucky, and corn had never been used to make whiskey before. The region he farmed in was named Bourbon in 1786 after the French royal family. As counties got smaller and smaller, the name stuck, becoming “Old Bourbon” over time. The Ohio river ran through Old Bourbon, and so the whiskey made there was usually stamped “Old Bourbon” to identify from whence they came before they made it onto boats downriver. Because corn whiskey was a unique product, and they almost exclusively came out of “Old Bourbon”, the name for any corn whiskey became Bourbon.

You may notice, if you take a look at a bottle of bourbon, that there is something mentioned on there as “sour mash”. The sour mash process is accredited to either James Crow or Dr. Jason Amburgey, who were working at the Old Oscar Pepper Distillery, which is now the Woodford Distillery. Simplified, the sour mash process is the conditioning of new fermentation with some amount of spent mash that had already been separated from the alcohol. They had borrowed the idea from the production of sourdough bread, where the same concept is used.

Introducing mash from a previous fermentation introduced a strain of live yeast into the new mash, one that is already established as safe from the previous “sour,” thereby protecting it from other, potentially harmful strains of bacteria and yeast. As of 2005, all straight bourbons use the sour mash method.

Bourbon Today:
Ironically, no bourbon is actually made in Bourbon County today. Also ironic is that most of Kentucky is “dry”, which means that the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited, under all circumstances. And yet, 95 percent of all bourbon is made there. We are SO confused.

Despite all the regulations, almost all bourbons are made from nearly 70 percent corn, can wear the “Straight Bourbon” label, and have been aged for four years. They are also extremely popular around the world. In 2007, the United States spirit exports reached 1 billion dollars for the first time. Nearly all of that is Bourbon. Our country’s native spirit is now sold in over 100 countries, and is identifiable with the United States the way Scotch is identifiable with Scotland.

Not bad, eh?

Why we love it: Brandy is a derivative of wine, and it can be quite delicious. We not only enjoy the more traditional types of European brandy, but after a trip to Peru, love the Pisco something fierce as well.

Where to find it (besides the liquor store): France, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and even the good ole’ U.S. Grape brandies that are different from traditional brandies but still fall under the same umbrella can also be found in Mexico, Germany, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Pakistan, Cyprus, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Greece. What it’s made of: Brandy is classified as a wine distillate in Europe, and brandy is by definition a spirit made from ...]]> Country of origin:
The Netherlands! The Dutch are credited with the invention of Brandy in its modern form, even though Spain and Italy were making a version of it in the 13th century.

Why we love it:
Brandy is a derivative of wine, and it can be quite delicious. We not only enjoy the more traditional types of European brandy, but after a trip to Peru, love the Pisco something fierce as well.

Where to find it (besides the liquor store):
France, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and even the good ole’ U.S. Grape brandies that are different from traditional brandies but still fall under the same umbrella can also be found in Mexico, Germany, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Pakistan, Cyprus, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Greece.

What it’s made of:
Brandy is classified as a wine distillate in Europe, and brandy is by definition a spirit made from fermented wine or fruit juice. Therefore, it is by and large made with grapes. But there are several types of brandy made from other fruits, which we will cover later.

Classifications:

Grape Brandy:
American Grape Brandy at this point is synonymous with California, which makes sense as the wine industry in centered mostly in California. However, the Pacific Northwest is also trying its hand. Stay tuned.

Armagnac is made exclusively in France in the Armagnac region. It was the first distilled spirit in France, is still produced in a copper still, and is aged in oak casks from Gascony or Limousin.

Cognac is also made in France, from the, you guessed it, Cognac region. It is distilled twice, in copper stills, and aged in oak for at least three years.

Lourinha is a Portuguese brandy, from the Estremadura region. Only this region, along with Cognac and Armagnac, have appellation status.

South African brandies are made just like Cognac. Interestingly, this is because laws were passed restricting production. Double distilled, and aged in oak for three years, these brandies are of high quality.

Pisco the official spirit of Peru and of Chile (which seems like a strange thing to us) and is a grape brandy. This is a spirit that is dear to us, and it deserves more attention than a side note in the brandy section, so keep your eye out for pisco in our features section!

Other in much the same way pisco is a version of the traditional European brandy, there are other types produced in other countries. Briefly, those countries are: Mexico, Portugal (aguardente), Germany (weinbrand), Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, Pakistan, Cyprus and Italy (grappa).

Fruit Brandy
These can be delicious libations to be sure. They can be made from any fruit, although there are some that are more common than others. Some of the most common are: Calvados, a French apple brandy; Schnaps (German) or Schnapps; Palinka (Hungarian); Slivovice or Slivovitz, which is plum brandy; and Tuica (Romanian).

Pomace brandy
Pomace is specifically produced by the fermentation and distillation of grape seeds, stems and skins. These are the remains of the grapes after they are used to make wine. An excellent example is grappa, which in our humble opinion tastes a little like lighter fluid. However, the Italians love it, and similar styles are French marc, Bugarian grozdova, and Georgian chacha.

There is a rating system for brandy, although is doesn’t apply to Fruit or Pomace brandy. Generally speaking, the labels are not required to have ratings on the bottle, but the finer ones will, and they are as follows:

A.C. – Ages two years in wood.

V.S. – “Very Special” or 3-star, aged at least three years in wood.

V.S.O.P. – “Very Special Old Pale” or 5-star, aged at least five years in wood.

X.O. – “Extra Old”, Napoleon, aged at least four years, or Vieille Reserve, aged at least six years.

Vintage – Stored in the cask until the time it is bottled with the label showing the vintage date.

Hors D’age – They are too old to determine the age, although ten years plus is typical, and are usually of great quality.

History:
The name brandy is a shortened version of brandywine, or brandewijn, meaning “burnt wine.”   As the named suggests, brandy is a wine distillate. The story goes that as long as wine has been transported, a form of brandy has existed.

See, early shippers of brandy came up with the idea that because wine is largely water, they would take the water out of it, and then add it back in when it reached it’s destination. (Think of those cans of weird orange stuff that you add water to make a pitcher of O.J.). Also, taxes in some areas of the world were assessed by volume, so the concentration of the wine served two purposes.

As you might imagine, the only mode of transportation for liquids in those days were wooden casks. When they reached their destination and opened the casks, what they found wasn’t wine at all… the color, aroma and taste had all been altered. To their delight, it wasn’t half bad either. And thus, brandy was born.

Like most of the other distillation going on in the world, brandy production started in the 12th century, we think. The areas that produced it first (and still do) are wine producing regions, which would explain why the finest brandies come from France, Portugal, South Africa and even the U.S. It appears, however, that wherever wine is made, so is brandy.

Throughout the last few hundred years, different countries have taken the lead on brandy production. At the end of the 19th century, French and Spanish brandies were the most coveted, but in the early 20th, Armenian and Georgian brandies were taking center stage. Russia also has played a large role in both brandy production and consumption, and there are rumors of huge rooms full of brandy in St. Petersburg.

Brandy Today:
Brandy is made in a variety of ways by a variety of countries. While it has not enjoyed the commercial success of, lets say, vodka, it still does well. Brandy is considered something of a luxury item, and therefore more emphasis on the “special” varieties is being made.