tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51043176936656691402024-02-07T20:21:54.529-08:00EatMKEEatMKEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389213523921071824noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-20480660599348737092013-05-13T12:21:00.002-07:002013-05-13T12:21:33.649-07:00Sacrilege! (But it's Still a Good Idea...)<br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">As you know, I bartend in Wisconsin. </span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">To my local readers, what I'm about to write may initially seem like sacrilege. Even if you don't live here, I bet you're familiar with my State's reputation. We lead the nation... in binge drinking. We never quit drinking, we just switch to beer. As distasteful as it is to consider, we may be the inventors of the Puke-n-Rally. </span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Blame it on our ancestors: the State was settled by the Germans and the Irish, both cultures clearly associated with drinking. We drink to celebrate, we drink to commiserate. We drink in remembrance, and we drink to forget. When I launched the Great Sconnie Sip-Off last year, I wanted a cocktail competition that would focus on the flavors of our locally produced spirits and other ingredients -- not just a Race to Get Wasted.</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">I have long been a proponent of the subtle effects of alcohol, having seen (and experienced) the deleterious effects of overindulgence. So when I was contacted last week by </span><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="http://www.alcoholprofessor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Alcohol Professor</span></a> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">to write an article on Low-ABV cocktails, it seemed like the perfect synergy of my message and their platform. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">As I was creating recipes with a lighter alcohol-to-total volume ratio, I was necessarily trying them out as I went along. The thing I noticed and enjoyed the most was how easy it was to stay clear-headed. There are lots of good health-and-safety reasons to give this a try, but the reason I liked the best was how it kept me in control of my buzz, instead of rushing me toward intoxication. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">Here are a few recipes to try, and there will be more on Wednesday over at </span><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><a href="http://www.alcoholprofessor.com/" target="_blank">Alcohol Professor</a> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">for you to see and share. Here's to long afternoons of safe summer drinking!</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VFDYMb89zwI/UZE5C_JTbEI/AAAAAAAAAow/MRdsdwH9__Y/s1600/DSC_3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VFDYMb89zwI/UZE5C_JTbEI/AAAAAAAAAow/MRdsdwH9__Y/s200/DSC_3863.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><u>Spicy Melon Cooler (3.46 ABV)</u></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1.5 oz. Martini Bianco Vermouth</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">3 oz. Watermelon Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1 oz. Lime Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">4 Cucumber Wheels</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"> .25" Habanero Slice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Salt half the rim of a Coupe or Cocktail glass. Muddle the Cucumber Wheels (and Habanero, if desired). Add all other ingredients and shake vigorously for a slow count of ten. Double strain into prepared glass and serve.</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><u>Ginger Bombshell (4.6% Total ABV)</u></span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9uJi2_VwliQ/UZE6-F3kZTI/AAAAAAAAAo8/1bpaeAL0xxM/s1600/DSC_3879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9uJi2_VwliQ/UZE6-F3kZTI/AAAAAAAAAo8/1bpaeAL0xxM/s200/DSC_3879.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1 oz. Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">.5 oz. Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">3 oz. Orange Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">.02 oz. Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">2 dashes Angostura bitters</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Rinse a Coupe or Cocktail glass with Absinthe and discard any excess. Combine Ginger and Orange Liqueurs and Bitters and shake vigorously for a slow count of ten. Strain into prepared glass and top with Orange Juice.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y36DUkfSPUo/UZE7oszOQmI/AAAAAAAAApE/0AE59G58M2g/s1600/low+abv+apple+ginger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Y36DUkfSPUo/UZE7oszOQmI/AAAAAAAAApE/0AE59G58M2g/s200/low+abv+apple+ginger.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><u>Pie for Dessert (3.31 Total ABV)</u></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1 oz. Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">.5 oz. Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1 Dash Angostura Bitters</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">3 oz. Apple Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">1 oz. Lemon Juice</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Combine Apple Pie and Ginger Liqueurs with Bitters and Lemon Juice. Shake vigorously for a slow count of ten. Add Apple Juice and roll. Strain into a tumbler filled with crushed ice. Lemon twist garnish, if desired.</span><br />
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-60469884778035048682013-04-25T19:22:00.001-07:002013-04-25T19:22:13.346-07:00Drinking Field Trip<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">"You've got to try the Rombauer Cab,"</b><b><span style="font-size: large;">he said, "It's really good." Based on looks alone, he would never be mistaken for a wine aficionado - protein shakes, sure. But wine? He was telling me about a tap wine (<i>vini alla Spina</i>) bar in Wauwatosa that he and his fiancee went to the night before in such glowing terms that when I learned the venue was having an upcoming tasting event, I slipped her the details.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">If you drink with me, you already know I am not a wine drinker. I don't even really like beer. I like spirit. Wine and Beer don't go through the distillation process, so they seem somehow undercooked to me. I've lately decided to try to branch out a little. I work in a </span><a href="http://www.delafield-brewhaus.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">brewhaus</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> so I'm trying every beer that comes my way and I am learning. For example I know I like an Imperial Pale Ale more than an India Pale Ale, and a Porter more than an Amber. Wine seems no less complex, no more accessible. Lucky for me, so many people know so much more than me that knowledge comes from all over. Case in point: the musclebound oenophile who directed me to Wisconsin's </span><i style="color: #e06666;">vini alla spina</i><span style="color: #e06666;"> bar: the </span><a href="http://www.therubytap.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ruby Tap</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;">.</span></span></b><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BLyQp0CX5Q8/UXl680v3tyI/AAAAAAAAAoM/KRvTyM4sMt8/s1600/event+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BLyQp0CX5Q8/UXl680v3tyI/AAAAAAAAAoM/KRvTyM4sMt8/s200/event+pic+2.jpg" width="148" /></a><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">At the Ruby Tap, you choose from 70 bottles for home use or pay for corkage and enjoy the bottle in their open-concept, cozy space. The magi</span></b></span><b style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;">c of the spot, though, is the wall of wine. The family that owns the Ruby tap has had a wine-on-tap system installed that lets you try 1, 1.5, 3 or 6 ounces of 32 different wines. </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Traditional wine bars are nothing new, but they do have their limits. They are not the ideal distribution medium for wine. Wine routinely goes bad if it's sold by the glass, and if it's not it can be a crapshoot for the guest. You may not care for the wine, but you are now stuck with the bottle. The system at Ruby Tap is a problem-solver for many of the traditional problems. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><b style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are other benefits to this system. You know I like a small environmental footprint and it can hardly get smaller than this (unless your family owns a vineyard, and if it does then call me!). </span></b><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Wines on tap are stored in refillable stainless kegs. The average bottle holds 4 glasses; the average keg holds 130. Fewer glass bottles cuts the weight of the wine being shipped, less fuel gets burned and the world stays cleaner.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The issue of freshness also is improved by a wine-on-tap system. The wine gets pushed out of the keg by nitrogen or argon, which provides a blanket against oxidation. </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e06666;">The Ruby Tap is more than just self-serve wine in a casual atmosphere. Find Wisconsin beers and cheeses, desserts and charcuterie. It is a warm, friendly little bar with nightly specials and the two sisters you may already have met will soon be three. The night I popped in, the Ruby Tap family was hosting a wine tasting including cheese pairing. I'd like to give a special shout out to the excellent hospitality, the </span><a href="http://www.carrvalleycheese.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Carr Valley</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> bleu cheese... and the </span><a href="http://www.rombauer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Rombauer</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> cabernet.</span></span></b><br />
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-47012103113269434982013-04-02T20:11:00.001-07:002013-04-02T20:11:31.269-07:00Put Me on Your Calendar!<br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="font-size: xx-large;">I'm the type of girl... </b><span style="font-size: large;">who loves to have something on the calendar to look forward to, something fun on the horizon. I've got two things coming up that are going to be great fun, and I'd love you to join me.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now, you know how it is: you hear something tragic, you think, "Somebody should..." and then you get on about the business of being you and before you know it, the tragedy is out of your consciousness and you are dealing with your own problems. Or, you hear about somebody doing something about that tragedy and it inspires you to get involved. That's just how it happened.</span><br />
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<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMyLPC5S8LGita_W0ckv94t_BtDR5BO8BEMnUDUo0xrqDwa4nAoo7PVwpSESjo5LhSWZ0gCxsQGaju0yxsrjkYaaf0nIZyw-MVp9wqa2hNr3oQ939zUXuAWFXDuV0g2rpZR-v-okCd4E/s1600/event+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMyLPC5S8LGita_W0ckv94t_BtDR5BO8BEMnUDUo0xrqDwa4nAoo7PVwpSESjo5LhSWZ0gCxsQGaju0yxsrjkYaaf0nIZyw-MVp9wqa2hNr3oQ939zUXuAWFXDuV0g2rpZR-v-okCd4E/s1600/event+pic+2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean water AND an ice ball</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The "somebody" is Doc Hendley and the "something" is Wine to Water. According to CNN, countless families worldwide, and me, he's a Hero. CNN named him a Hero of the Year, about six years after he started working on the problem of water-borne illness. Back in 2003, his consciousness was awakened to the problem and by August of the following year, he was living in Darfur, Sudan, helping the locals get clean water.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Seriously? Darfur? I wouldn't even want to visit. To demonstrate my amazing power over understatement, I will say that it is dangerous. How dangerous? His team was there for a year and two of them got killed. Instead of abandoning the project, he continues to this day, to travel to underdeveloped, war-ravaged countries. </span><br />
<span style="color: #f6b26b; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Why? You're probably better off asking me than him. He could tell you things that would break your heart. I can tell you that every 20 seconds, a child dies from water-borne disease. There are 7 billion people living on Earth, and 1 billion of us lack access to clean water. His 501(c)(3) charity, Wine to Water, currently has projects in Haiti, India, Peru, Cambodia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan. There are lots of ways to</span><span style="color: #e06666;"> <a href="http://winetowater.org/donate" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">get involved</span></a>, </span><span style="color: #f6b26b;">and no amount of money is too small to give. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">But if you know me at all, you know I've got something in mind. Next Monday, April 8, I'll be working at the </span><a href="http://www.delafield-brewhaus.com/specials.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Delafield Brewhaus</span></a><span style="color: #f6b26b;">. I'll be mixing drinks and tapping beer and running food just like always, but here's what's different: I'll be giving all my tips to Doc Hendley's Wine to Water. Every dollar. We're going to save lives together. If even one less family watches their little one die, we will have done something great. Please come out; I'll do my best to show you a good time!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></span>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-ynZlLvK3V_kHSDMesGuCL0tLfjEa-3AqJloy4DML7ggEs7MpJK7WMR0VgRHBbUlLC3HYTYtUNZDySZ7mrlBY3ns-AIdSktG810WFyTAyhCj04wttKcyTRSULC61GCtqTMSspo3OkB0/s1600/event+pic+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-ynZlLvK3V_kHSDMesGuCL0tLfjEa-3AqJloy4DML7ggEs7MpJK7WMR0VgRHBbUlLC3HYTYtUNZDySZ7mrlBY3ns-AIdSktG810WFyTAyhCj04wttKcyTRSULC61GCtqTMSspo3OkB0/s1600/event+pic+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm reading it right now...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The other fun thing on my calendar</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is a book signing at another job, the </span></span><a href="http://www.greatlakesdistillery.com/" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">Great Lakes Distillery</a><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;">. I am not normally so stoked about a book signing, but this particular book is so interesting; I can't turn a page without learning something strange and new and wonderful that opens my mind to the miracles of life all around us. The book is called </span><a href="http://www.drunkenbotanist.com/" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">The Drunken Botanist</span></a><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;">, and its subject matter is the flora that go into beverage alcohol. I have so far learned which organism was the first to be domesticated by humans, the gift we gave France that ended up wiping out its wine industry (and the resultant impact that decimation had on brandy and absinthe), where Belgian lambic brewers think the best yeast comes from and I could go on and on and on. The author, Amy Stewart, will be at the Distillery on April 10th. The rest of the tour's schedule is </span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amystewart.com/events/" style="color: #e06666;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #f6b26b;">, in case you won't be in Milwaukee on the 10th.</span></span><span style="color: #f6b26b; font-size: large;"> If you're anywhere near as geeky as me, you will not be disappointed. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">I love to see you in person, so put me on your calendar and we can change the world or learn new stuff (or both!); you choose. See you soon!</span></span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-18387563179980565572013-02-27T12:09:00.002-08:002013-02-27T12:09:51.141-08:00Tip Of The Week: Well Done! Oh NO!!!!!!!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?index=4&list=PLA1B99FBEF642CDDD" width="425"></iframe><br />
EatMKEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389213523921071824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-54512157887091208552013-02-27T12:09:00.000-08:002013-02-27T12:09:14.427-08:00State of Eat MKE 3 (wow 3 years... )<br />
Hey Friends of Eat MKE! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I know Dy Mixes has been posting on this blog since I went MIA, and all I
can say is THANKS DY! <br />
<br />
Where have I been? Ok well one I got married. Yup I met the perfect girl and
I put a ring on it. So that happened. And then... I stopped posting. Why? Part
I was lazy, and two well this blog doesn't exactly make me money. <br />
<br />
Please bear with me. If I go to a restaurant and pay to eat there and then
pull out a camera and take pictures of the food, that costs me money and pretty
much makes going out to eat with my wife a job. Which would be fine if we got
paid... but we do not sadly.... <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
If I spend time contacting restaurants and getting to hang out with their
chef and take photos that costs me a night at work and some restaurants don't
really understand what I'm doing ( giving them fucking free fucking advertising
Fuck!) so that kind of sucks.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I'm trying to figure out a way that this blog doesn't cost me money so I can
get back at it. Which is why I stopped paying for Eatmke.com. Which is why my
website is gone. Which is fine, the website only ever pointed web traffic to
this blog so... no big deal.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I originally wanted to use this blog as a way for restaurants in and around
Milwaukee to showcase what they do well. I am still going to try to make that
happen.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
I now wait tables at a well-known steakhouse. It's been great and I've been
able to leave my job at the French bistro I have worked at for the past 5
years. So I have more time on my hands... so of course this leads to a semi
drunk blog update... and a promise of more Eat MKE updates. <br />
<br />
So if you read this blog please shoot me an email at <a href="mailto:eatmke@gmail.com"><span style="color: #777777;">eatmke@gmail.com</span></a> let me know what’s on your
mind. Ideas people?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Otherwise enjoy this video.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sDEm3t3vro&list=PLA1B99FBEF642CDDD">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sDEm3t3vro&list=PLA1B99FBEF642CDDD</a><br />
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EatMKEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389213523921071824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-40751443032552195412013-02-15T12:08:00.002-08:002013-02-15T12:08:57.476-08:00Just One Shift<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-ArLQMXaYAYSSnYcylaN2cu_oGNrbJKpmX9LLrEmuIBwqcmYrS2w63FgIgh5taAUARUwWHVoguK_yIe2DV1kJGIjJM7n268c7c65Olkcoj7n0edofnnHsbXdIRuQJ3NSDsqkahaHmK8/s1600/water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-ArLQMXaYAYSSnYcylaN2cu_oGNrbJKpmX9LLrEmuIBwqcmYrS2w63FgIgh5taAUARUwWHVoguK_yIe2DV1kJGIjJM7n268c7c65Olkcoj7n0edofnnHsbXdIRuQJ3NSDsqkahaHmK8/s1600/water.jpg" uea="true" /></a><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>Everybody loves drinking... </strong></span><span style="font-size: large;">especially thirsty people. Right now, in the 21st century, nea</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">rly one billion people of Earth's people lack access to clean water. They are families all over the globe. Just about every 20 seconds, like a grim metronome, a child dies from a water-borne illness. Every 20 seconds, a family watches helplessly while a little one struggles for one last breath... the last breath. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Enter a hero. In 2009, CNN selected Doc Hendley as one of its Heroes of the Year for his work to solve this crisis. His charity, <a href="http://www.winetowater.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Wine to Water</span></a>, has been raising funds since 2004 to dig wells where clean water can be had, and to distribute filteration systems where it cannot. Doc is one man, but he does not work alone. He is getting assistance from Gary "Gaz" Regan, who is well-known in mixology circles.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Hendley and Regan are calling on us all to help save the lives of people whose only crime was being born in the wrong place at the wrong time. They are asking us to do a simple thing, a small thing -- for some of you, he is asking only that you go about your business as you normally would with no deviation at all. They are asking bartenders to donate <a href="http://winetowater.org/justoneshift" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">Just One Shift</span></a>, and I am asking you to join me in answering the call.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Just One Shift is a program where bartenders donate their tips from one night's work to the Wine to Water, a 501(c)(3) organization. The program runs during the second week of April, and I have chosen to donate the <a href="http://justoneshift.com/shift-list-milwaukee-wisconsin/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">first night of the event</span></a>. Please come to the Delafield Brewhaus after 5p.m. and give generously; 100% of my tips will go to this worthy cause, and 100% of all money donated to Wine to Water will be used to provide clean water worldwide, wherever it is needed most. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">If you cannot attend, consider making a donation <a href="http://winetowater.org/donate" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">here</span></a>. Any amount is welcome, and as little as $30 can provide clean water for a family of ten for up to five years. If you are a bartender and would like to get involved or host an event, click <a href="http://winetowater.org/get-involved" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f6b26b;">here</span></a>. People cannot go without water to drink, and we are all so blessed by comparison. Thank your lucky stars that you are on the giving end of this proposition, and please do what you can.</span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-50442837680784189092013-01-12T13:33:00.001-08:002013-01-12T13:33:10.495-08:00A Valentine Gift for the Spirit Lover<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">For the longest time, the <a href="http://www.glencairnwhiskyglass.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Glencairn glass</span></a> was the gold standard for tasting spirit. <span style="font-size: large;">Comfortable in the hand, its small pedestal gave way to a voluptuous tulip shape that concentrated the aroma of (originally) whisky. This aromatic prelude seduced the nose and eyes, preparing the palate for its own experience. The Glencairn company owns the intellectual property rights to the shape of the glass and for many years, that was the end of the story. Their company's name is laser-etched onto the bottom of the glass and in before your eyes as you drain the last drop onto your waiting tongue..</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Arsilica, Inc.'s design claims to improve on this time-honoroed design, basing its glass on the science of nosing. Nosing Science has to do with the specific weight of different molecules, which is certainly salient to our work because it is the magic behind distillation. There is a long explanation <a href="http://www.theneatglass.com/NosingScience.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">here</span></a>, but the short version goes something like this: ethanol is lighter than many molecules and so is first to go up the chimney of the Glencairn glass. This concentration of ethanol produces a burning sensation in the sinuses, making it difficult for the body to process the heavier molecules as they lift off the surface of the liquid in the glass.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The flavors you're really trying to nose, the smoke and grass, lavender and honey, leather and grain -- these go largely unappreciated. There are a few low-tech ways to game this problem. One is to cover the glass for a few minutes and wait for something called evaporation equilibrium, where as many molecules evaporate as re-enter the liquid. This will help you smell everything in the glass. Alternatively, you can add a dash of water to increase the overall surface tension of the liquid, decreasing the percentage of ethanol that gets into your face as you nose the liquid.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">But if you want to bypass the ethanol, and you want a glass to do the work, you need a short vessel with a wide mouth that will let the alcohol lift off quickly. Then you can better detect the subtle aromas that everybody is talking about, and move yourself along the path to your own enjoyment. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">On a slightly-unrelated note, the jury has returned on the question of the advisability of Whiskey Stones. (You know, those stone cubes you keep in the freezer until you put them in the glass?) I have long been suspicious of them for fear of damaging the teeth, but as it turns out, they have other flaws that relegate them to the realm of novelty, and far from being a necessity.</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-56270288476694017662012-12-30T23:02:00.003-08:002012-12-30T23:02:54.525-08:00Try This Before Somebody Decides It's Uncool...<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">I have a confession to make: I am not interested in being cool. But there <span style="font-size: large;">I was, standing with a co-worker during a lull in a big event at my job and the subject of Fernet came up. Not just any Fernet -- there are many Fernets on the market -- but Fernet Branca. I had half a bottle of this particular amaro at home and was lamenting not having brought it with me because this particular crew of bartenders would have cleared that space on my shelf in a matter of minutes. Which got me thinking....</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fernet Branca has become so popular that suggesting its powers are less than magical will make the popular crowd think less of you. </span><a href="http://www.streetbonersandtvcarnage.com/blog/know-thy-enemy-fernet-branca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">John Barclay</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> says this, "...[i]<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">t is a class signifier, a secret handshake shared by Mixologists, Artisans, Urban Homesteaders...to gain entry into their smug underworld." Its popularity began on the West Coast, in San Francisco, where it has taken root so securely that they are alleged to drink more Fernet than any other city on earth. Its reach stretched across America and settled in the East and has touched down in a certain type of bar, all across the country. Fashionable Bartenders are ordering up rounds for friends and neophytes alike, talking about their time in San Francisco (or Argentina!), letting everyone in earshot know that they are cooler than you. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">But I can't imagine why this spirit has become the gatekeeper of the Cool Club. Don't get me wrong; it's good enough. I'm sipping some right now. Fernet has a purpose; it is useful to settle the stomach. It is the color of coffee, with a complex bitter-herb profile with a mint-forward flavor and a great deal of saffron. In fact, Fernet Branca controls 75% of the world's saffron. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The formulation is, of course, proprietary, but in addition to the saffron, the recipe includes -- but is definitely not limited to -- chamomile and myrrh, aloe, rhubarb and peppermint oil, all in a base of grape spirit. It tastes like Jagermeister, but not so syrupy. In fact, the "Fernet Face" is a meme so popular I swear I remember a social media campaign centered on it. Bartenders say it affords a burst of energy similar to a double espresso, which is why they can be seen sipping it before a shift or shooting it in the wee hours for a pick-me-up. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">In the age of ubiquitous coffeehouses and such a range of easily-purchased energy drinks (some actually already behind the bar - what could be more convenient?), to claim you drink Fernet for its energetic effects is as unconvincing to me as claiming to drink it for its flavor. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">It is not impossible that guys like Barclay are right, that bartenders are just drinking Fernet to be cool. The Bartender, like the Chef, is susceptible to trends; trends flow through our business.. New products, concepts, designs, recipes, all these things keep us interesting to our guests, ourselves and each other. Some things, like the invention of the still, are great ideas. Other things, like <a href="http://www.vodka360.com/brandsflavors/360-buttered-popcorn.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">this</span></a>, well, we can probably live without. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEpNJ2B7If3G5277OhFV3lFm-bA3n3yvQQtL8xGAK2RaR2i8_h7918OzYWJNtfV5zOpojtPPREvBCJHMDVnTWbxzoQKA_EJ_GrTuVMuJjFEQHmNit9b98_oCtuybWK5z1gIizWr9_3Oo/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDEpNJ2B7If3G5277OhFV3lFm-bA3n3yvQQtL8xGAK2RaR2i8_h7918OzYWJNtfV5zOpojtPPREvBCJHMDVnTWbxzoQKA_EJ_GrTuVMuJjFEQHmNit9b98_oCtuybWK5z1gIizWr9_3Oo/s1600/event+pic.jpg" eea="true" /></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">But I'd like to think we're better than that. </span><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'd like to think that we are not the shallow creatures who would choke down shots of something better sipped after dinner, at a leisurely pace, because we think it makes us look cool. While I am sure there are some who have that motive, I have another theory.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">In our business, we are constantly tasting. We taste new products, new recipes, we uncover old recipes. Our palates get a workout. It may be that the bartender's palate is rather more elastic than a civilian's. I would go even further than that, though. I would venture to suggest that, like a child watching televised violence and becoming inured to those images. a bartender is immune to "Karamel" vodka and lusts after the truly authentic, no matter how shocking it might be.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">So when you have the chance, raise a glass of <a href="http://www.binnys.com/spirits/Fernet_Branca_220503.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Fernet Branca</span></a>. You might not love it, but it is real and true. There will be big, strange flavors, but they will not be from the Big, Strange Flavor Factory. Even if it should go out of fashion soon, and in a way I hope it does, the fact remains that you are drinking something that has been in production for over 150 years. If only for that reason, you owe yourself this experience. Sip it and decide for yourself what the fuss is about.</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-51706087014489430852012-12-26T21:32:00.001-08:002012-12-26T21:32:46.856-08:00If You Only Try One New Flavor in 2013...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saffron has a gorgeous color, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">a subtle <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">flavor and a long history....</span> Seriously long - how's 50,000 years sound? If you know anything about what makes me tick, you know I am geeked up about the cultural ties that connect us to our ancestors in prehistory. 50,000 years ago, artists in present-day Iran used saffron-based pigments to make paintings in caves. If that doesn't stop you mid-paragraph, nothing will. Now, they were using saffron that long ago, but once our forebears figured out the basics of selection, they stopped settling for collecting saffron and began cultivating it. Our ancestors began cultivating saffron about three thousand years ago. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Think about that: 3000 years ago, foodies -- geeks just like ourselves -- valued saffron so much that they chose specific plants (the ones with the longest threads), protected and bred these carefully selected plants with each other. The picture below is of a Bronze Age (3500-1200 BCE) fresco, and it's called <em>The Saffron Gatherers.</em> It shows two women harvesting the threads by hand, just as they are gathered today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">We know that ancient artists valued saffron for its pigment, but it came to be used for many different purposes. Saffron remained important as a colorant, and came to be used as a deodorizer, medicine, and as a flavoring agent. As a fabric dye, it can be used to impart hues from luminous yellow to rich red. These colors do fade over time, but become no less lovely. Because this usage requires so much saffron, robes dyed in this way were reserved for the upper echelons of ancient society. Alexander the Great used saffron-infused baths to treat battle wounds, and Cleopatra took the baths because she believed they made lovemaking more pleasurable. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">You know that saffron is indigenous to the region near present-day Iran and India, but it can grow on any continent except Antarctica, including our own. Having said that, most saffron is still produced in that same region, gathered by hand and as a result is the world's most expensive spice, made more rare and expensive by the presence of Muslim terrorists in the area of its cultivation. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">It has long been prized by chefs for its color and flavor. If you've been following along, you know that the bar follows the kitchen in most matters. Saffron is used in some famous spirits, including the Italian herbal liqueur, Strega and the French Chartreuse. In modern times, Royal Saffron liqueur represents this spice.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Saffron's flavor has been likened to hay or straw, with metallic honey notes. I have been experimenting with it, and encourage you to so the same to create a complex, unique and luxurious cocktail for yourself and the ones you love.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;"><u>Saffron Cocktail #1</u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1.5 oz. Saffron-infused Great Lakes Distillery's Peach Brandy</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1 oz. Honey Syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1 oz. Lemon Juice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1 oz. Orange Juice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Lemon Twist</span></div>
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<em><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">(I made this slightly sweet, refreshing drink for a friend who exclaimed, "This tastes like a great breakfast drink!")</span></em></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-2376161537221158742012-12-07T08:57:00.003-08:002012-12-07T08:58:37.436-08:00Does This Man Have Your Dream Job?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">John Harrison is the kind of guy you could stand behind in the grocery store and never know you're inches away from a beer-making rock star. <span style="font-size: large;">Beneath the unassuming exterior is an applied intellect that delights palates both personal and professional, and he has created a devoted fan base in a State that knows beer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">If you want to impress beer drinkers in Wisconsin, you better bring your A-Game. Harrison began making beer about thirty years ago, but his hobby didn't stay a hobby for long. Something about it took root in him and before long, he says, "I couldn't see myself working a Joe job for the rest of my life.... I wanted to make beer." </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwxU1ja0g88/UMFyYFwZl8I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/u-2cKW7Bu8M/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwxU1ja0g88/UMFyYFwZl8I/AAAAAAAAAjQ/u-2cKW7Bu8M/s320/event+pic.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="212" /></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I met Harrison at the Delafield Brewhaus last week for the first in a series of conversations about beer. He has come a long way from his home setup, including lots of professional brewing, his graduation from the Siebel Institute of Technology. He has designed more than 250 styles of beer, and won some very prestigious awards along the way.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">If you don't know, the Siebel Institute was founded in 1872 as America's first brewing school. Graduation from its World Brewing Academy is enough to confer "expert" status, but to give you an idea of the seriousness of the subject matter, consider some of its course titles: Bier Sommelier, Raw Materials and Wort Production, Sensory Analysis for Flavor Production and Control. It is a beer geek's paradise.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">His experience and education came in handy when the <a href="http://www.delafieldbrewhaus.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Delafield Brewhaus</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span>came calling. Harrison had just experienced a career setback in the form of back-to-back floods at his previous location. Just when things seemed the bleakest, fate lent a hand with the opportunity of a lifetime.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4YjJTyPPV5c/UMF5pjrst3I/AAAAAAAAAj4/_OOmB8Z9fUw/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" nea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4YjJTyPPV5c/UMF5pjrst3I/AAAAAAAAAj4/_OOmB8Z9fUw/s320/event+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Imagine, for a moment, the great passion of your life. Now imagine that you are free to pursue it, full-time. In fact, you will be paid to pursue your greatest passion precisely as you wish - the project will be your own, down to the last detail. "I started this project clearing the land... I was the first one they brought on board," Harrison said. He is the architect of the brewery, from its exterior grain silo that feeds the grist mill in the basement, to the taps behind the bar and everything in between. He even planted the Cascade hops around the Biergarden outside, which he naturally uses in the course of his work.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Harrison's technical expertise, genuine passion and three decades of experience coalesce to make a brewmaster as skilled as he is humble. Yes, if you ask him, he will tell you incredible stories about the time his beer beat some very well-known brands at a major competition, and how he took 6 beers to the World Beer Championships and came home with 6 medals. For me, the cool thing about John Harrison is, his numerous accolades are not what drives him to pursue excellence. "The people who come in time after time are a better medal than any you could put on a wall," he says.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I have met some of his fans. The ones who are excited to see a new beer on the line, the Mug Club loyalty members, folks who walk in with empty growlers and walk out with their favorite or excited about a new style. They are mostly men, but Harrison's products definitely appeal to both genders -- certain beers, particularly those involving fruits and berries are especially girl-friendly (in my observation). </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The Delafield Brewhaus hosts Beer-and-Food pairing dinners, and if you have a taste for great beer and delicious food, matched by experts, this is a great event. If you're out of range, check back here for the next in this series. </span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-56882332703982210222012-11-26T09:20:00.000-08:002012-11-26T09:20:01.744-08:00Hey, Naughty! Get on the Nice List.
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Who has time for holiday baking? </strong><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps more importantly, who has time and the necessary skill set to turn out a variety of beautiful, delicious cookies that will make your friends and family taste the love in every bite? You do.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">This is not a pep talk, this is a call to action. A call to action that is going to make you look and feel good. You'll love the expressions on your friends' and family's faces when you present them with a gorgeous display of delightful confection, and you'll feel even better when you remember that every penny you spent went straight to an organization that is fighting childrens' cancer.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The MKEfoodies have been together for a few years now, and their members all love food. They are self-professed "food geeks," and if I know one thing about geeks it's this: if you want something done right, get somebody who is as passionate as they are knowledgeable --in short: get a geek. They have teamed up with <a href="http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/Default.asp" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Cookies for Kids' Cancer</span></a> to host a bake sale, dreaming of a day when a child's diagnosis of cancer is a manageable inconvenience instead of a bottomless terror. You can help.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">It bears repeating: You can help. Come to the bake sale. Buy your holiday cookies this year. OXO, makers of fine kitchen utensils, will match every dollar you spend. The Glad Corporation will donate $1 for every cookie sold. Get yourself on the nice list, and build a better world.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The event will be held Saturday, December 8 from 12-4pm at the Historic Pabst Brewery, located at 901 W. Juneau Avenue in Milwaukee. For more information, <a href="http://www.mkefoodies.com/2012/10/2012-mkefoodies-holiday-bake-sale.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ea9999;">click here</span></a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Let's make this holiday season warmer, knowing we're helping children lead better and longer lives and let us fill each moment with love and gratitude. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Thank you all!</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-46097904381964525742012-11-15T19:08:00.001-08:002012-11-15T19:08:56.757-08:00I Hope It Isn't True...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Please, let this be a ploy to sell coasters, <span style="font-size: large;">I thought. There I was at the gym, reading Cosmoplitan as innocently as it is possible to read a magazine whose cover is plastered with 25 Ways to Kiss Your Man and 8 New Sexual Positions. I turned the page and saw the word "bartender."</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">When you're a bartender and somebody says "bartender," you turn toward the word. For me, it's the same with the word in print. I stopped to read an article that is so despicable it is probably true, even though I hope with all my heart it isn't.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Apparently, there is an increasing incidence of bartenders who, for a cash fee, will drug female bar patrons so that their dates can more easily sexually assault them. Take a minute and let that sink in, because it turned my blood cold. One of the bartenders quoted said he was offered $30 to slip drugs into a woman's drink, accepted the money as though he were playing along, then told her what had happened, gave her the money and had her date ejected. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Or is it? I cannot find any mention of any particular case involving a rape victim who was drugged by any bartender as a service to his or her guest. I don't want to diminish the suffering of any woman who has been victimized in this way, but at the same time I know as well as you do that anecdotes are not evidence. It bears repeating that I do not in any way wish to diminish the suffering of any woman who has been victimized in this way, because what I'm about to say may seem like the converse. But it isn't.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">What short-sighted bartender would risk their reputation for such a paltry sum? What rotten human being would be an accomplice to rape? <span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Of course it is possible that this actually happens; there are scoundrels in every profession. Yet, t</span>here is no record of any bartender having done this, no proof of the existence of this crime except the anecdotal victims' conclusion that "[i]t must have been the bartender because no one else handled my drink," though by all accounts it is possible to commit this crime in less time than it takes to look at a text or visually scan the room. The article quotes a representative from <span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><a href="http://www.projectghb.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Project GHB</span></a></span><span style="color: #e06666;">, yet nothing on their website suggests that the danger of a Rape Accomplice is of any concern to them. So, what are we to deduce?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Of course we should deduce that the world can be a dangerous place and that drinking is always better done with your close friends. Certainly all females should remain in control of their cocktails and their intoxication. If you want to get bombed, stay home. I don't care who you are, if you're wasted, I don't want to see you. And even if you don't get G'd, there's still the sticky wicket of getting home in one piece.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">I made another observation, however, in researching this article. There are things for sale that are designed to protect women from the cads who would conspire to make us think less of men. Many things. How better to generate interest in your product than to amplify the need for it? Israeli scientists have developed a device that looks like a straw and is imbued with chemicals that will react to some, though not all, of the sedatives rapists prefer. This product is still in development, but the presence of bad drugs causes a red light to illuminate their presence. The guys in Tel Aviv are sure investors are coming soon. <span style="color: #ffe599;"> <a href="http://www.drinksafetech.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #ffe599;">Drink Safe Tech</span></a></span><span style="color: #ffe599;"> </span><span style="color: #e06666;">is selling a coaster that operates on the same premise, only in this case, droplets of a cocktail will change the appearance of the test area of the coeaster. You can also buy a lipgloss that comes with test strips, and many other products. According to another <span style="color: #ffe599;"><a href="http://www.watchyourdrink.com/" target="_blank">website</a></span>, "Date Rape Drugs (are) now being used in business, hotels, parties, restaurants, bars and college campuses everywhere." I'm not saying they ARE using fear to drive sales, but I'm certainly not saying they aren't. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Are these products necessary? Probably in some circumstances. Is it possible to avoid every danger? Unfortunately, no. In truth, probably one drink in million or more is adulterated, but when it happens, it is life-changing... I know.</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-87088844968871990542012-11-04T15:29:00.000-08:002012-11-04T15:29:44.834-08:00More on the Future, Behind the Bar<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Last week, we talked about the future of cocktails, <span style="font-size: large;">and this week we will continue this topic. For last week's column, I consulted reports by experts in our industry to see what they think is coming down the line. </span></span><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">You've been reading Fun Behind Bars, and you're read me say it so much you can probably say it with me: The Bar Follows the Kitchen. You know this means that the trends in food show up in the bar. It follows that if we study what's next for food, we can predict our own future. So this week I'm reporting on trends for the kitchen, because you know that we'll be seeing them soon. I'll be borrowing a few predictions, based on an article about the future of food from the 25th anniversary edition on <a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Cooking Light</span></a> magazine.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNUn0HxtxNQ/UJbho3FkPPI/AAAAAAAAAhU/k2pik9FkoTo/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" qea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNUn0HxtxNQ/UJbho3FkPPI/AAAAAAAAAhU/k2pik9FkoTo/s320/event+pic.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"> </span><a href="http://www.cookinglight.com/food/golden-age-american-food-00412000078771/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Welcome to the Golden Age of American Food</span></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">, they say, and the article describes things that are already happening in your mouth, and if they aren't -- they will soon!. Okay, excessively salacious, but they <em>are</em> happening on farms and in retailers... aaaaaand in your mouth. According to their research, popular opinion and science-in-general, the American diet is an abomination of chemicals, pretty produce that lacks nutrition, and high frustose corn syrup. What's to come, however, is fresher, better-raised and more delicious. What does that mean for the bar? We will choose our ingredients more thoughtfully, and so will our suppliers. Here are some <a href="http://deliciousliving.com/beverage/8-organic-alcohol-brands-stock" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">organic spirits</span></a> to try, plus an organic tonic.. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">One trend we're watching, and supporting, is going lighter. This means lighter with calories and easier on the alcohol - sometimes this means we drink better, not more. Sometimes this means we drink lighter-proof beverages like Bethenny Frankel's <a href="http://www.skinnygirlcocktails.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Skinnygirl line</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">of beverage alcohol.</span> Sometimes we keep the APV, but use lower-calorie mixers like zero-calorie water-additive powders like <a href="http://www.kraftbrands.com/crystallight" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Crystal Light</span></a> to fake a margarita on the deck while the kids play and the men barbecue.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The author of the Cooking Light piece describes a surreal experience in the grocery, stunned by the variety and <span style="color: #f9cb9c;">the </span>seemingly-incomprehensible claims on the packaging. Sound familiar? To paraphrase a famous quotation, if you're not baffled, you're not paying attention. There are probably even more crazy flavors of vodka in a decent-sized liquor store than there are sugary cereals on Aisle 6. It's not just wine's terroir anymore - it's the terroir of the <a href="http://www.sconniebeer.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">hops, yeast and water.</span></a> It;'s not just filtered, it's <a href="http://www.crystalheadvodka.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">filtered through diamonds.</span></a> It's important for the marketers to have a message that hasn't been played to death by other companies, so every new product comes with a novel narrative. One that plays the best, these days, is that everything comes from right where we are. <span style="color: #e06666;"> </span><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Cooking Light's food-trend article really focuses on the importance of eating local. I've talked about this before, in relation to drinking local, and even staged a <a href="http://onmilwaukee.com/bars/articles/sconniesipoff.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">cocktail contest</span></a> to highlight the many products Wisconsin's entrepreneurs are making for us, so what we're going to see is really just a continuation of our present trajectory. Wisconsin is known as a beer-producer, but <a href="http://www.greatlakesdistillery.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Great Lakes Distillery</span></a><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">changed the game and now leads the way for brands like Rokker, 44th Parallel, Pie Liqueurs and more. We're even in the wine game, and not just in Door County; <a href="http://www.pieperporchwines.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e06666;">Pieper Porch Winery</span></a> in Mukwonago is producing award-winning wines right in the heart of the state.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">What did we learn? We learned that there really is no shocking trend to brace for; what's next is an expansion of what we're already doing. Find new ways to use what's local, and as always, enjoy beverage alcohol safely so you can enjoy it for years to come!</span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-51472711815697619782012-10-24T09:49:00.001-07:002012-10-24T09:49:42.005-07:00Welcome to the Future<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">I find inspiration everywhere,<span style="font-size: large;"> but one of my favorite places to look is the future. I seek out the opinions of people whose business it is to know what's next, and today's post is all about what's on deck for 2013. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">(Disclaimer: in the American midwest, you will be unusually cutting-edge if you proceed. These predictions are made for the UK, which you know is a bit ahead of our location, though not necessarily ourselves.) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Bacardi Brown Forman has a vested interest in being ahead of the curve, and their trendspotters see big, sexy garnish, like the one to the left. Garnish can account for 25% of a cocktail's cost, but generally operators do not include this cost in the price of the drink. Consequently, swanky hotel bars are leading the charge on this particular trend, but there are more cost-effective ways to make a big impact. The key is to invest in the proper tools, study technique and be creative. The video below shows what is possible for the creative professional.</span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/couJF3m0fOI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Which brings us to <span style="font-size: large;">another hot trend for 2013: Youtube. We are as likely to learn from a bartender in Japan as we are from our next-door neighbor. Whether we are learning the history of the Old-Fashioned, how to make an ice ball</span></span> <span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">or virtually any other cocktail-related knowledge - it's all there. If it isn't, make you own instructional video and join the revolution. One world of caution, however - some sources are better than others, so use your judgment before employing the tactics you learn online.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">There are two trends that apply specifically to the people behind the drinks, and each of them is a welcome change. In recent years, bartenders have become more serious. It is unavoidable that we should have gone through this phase, as we have all learned so much, so fast. Educating our guests in an endeavor we find so fascinating has been irresistible. However, in 2013, we're bringing the fun back. We are still cocktail professionals, and usually the most knowledgeable people in the bar, when it comes to our craft, but there is a time and place for education, and not every guest is a student. So bring back your knowledge of sports, current events, jokes and whatever else entertains your guests because fun is back in season! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The second trend for bar staff is the rise of the female bartender. We are not new to the game - one of the oldest literary works known to humankind (Gilgamesh) features the Hero getting advice from one of us. For some inexplicable reason, however, for far too long the men have gotten the ink and the limelight, similar to the way the great chefs were expected to be male for decades. </span> <span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The times, they are a-changin', and women are taking our spots, front and center. If you don't know who Julie Reiner and Audrey Saunders are, you're on notice: your education is incomplete.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Lost in Catering provides the most comprehensive list of trends I think we'll see in Wisconsin, especially as Summer 2013 approaches. Hallelujah for the skinny cocktail, and I don't mean vodka and Diet Coke. I mean interesting cocktails with less sugar but all the flavor. At some point we choose between liquor and dessert, and by the time we get to that crossroads, we've had plenty of dessert. An easy way to "skinny" a cocktail and improve its flavor all at once is to use fresh-pressed fruit instead of premade mixes. I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners, preferring to use agave and honey syrups to sweeten drinks when necessary. Also, I'm personally trending away from sweetness, and more likely to enjoy a tart or bitter profile.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Another of their trends is the use of tea in cocktails, as well as the texture of fizziness. Here's a recipe that combines these elements, and can be served year-round as it does not rely on fresh mint:</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Bourbon Mo-TEA-to</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Maker's Mark bourbon</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">1 oz strong Mint Tea syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Ginger Beer</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><em>To make mint tea syrup, steep 3 teabags in 10 oz. </em></span><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><em>hot water </em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><em>until strong. Sweeten with 4 tbls honey.</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Combine bourbon and syrup and shake gently, pour over fresh ice in a tub glass and top with Ginger Beer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Wisconsin is not known for being cutting-edge, but our reputation as a leader in cocktail culture is well-earned and growing. The last trend I'll mention today is artisan spirit. Made by aficionados, not multinational corporations, these relatively small-batch offerings provide an interesting alternative for cocktails and help support the local economy. In Wisconsin, we are lucky to have companies to Great Lakes Distillery, Travis Hasse's Pie Liqueurs, Death's Door Spirits and a host of others giving us options, and putting us at the forefront of a trend worth following.</span></div>
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Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-64750422550092942902012-10-18T19:12:00.001-07:002012-10-18T19:12:17.471-07:00The Perfectly Seasonal Pomegranate Sazerac<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;"><strong>I may never know </strong><span style="font-size: large;">when to give a cocktail a new name. Seems like there are a hundreds of thousands of cocktail recipes, and that some of them are only minimally different from each other. For example, the Martini and the Gibson are kissin' cousins, but you'd never know it from their names, which make them sound worlds apart. At what point is a cocktail sufficiently different from its inspiration as to merit a new name altogether?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Modern mixology, as a para-culinary discipline, is relatively new, but it is here to stay. A couple hundred years ago the first proper cocktails were developed and since then the evolution has taken us to a place where all ingredients are fair game, so long as they are digestible. Bartenders, Liquor Chefs, Mixologists, Mixtresses, Intoxicologists - whatever we call ourselves, we are linked together in a long chain of like-minded artisans working to entertain the palates of our grateful audience. However, like our brothers and sisters in the back of the house, we know we don't really own our work. We make recipes; we don't own them. We expect that others will modify our work for their enjoyment, and we are generally flattered when our drink shows up in other bars.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">So the service offered by <a href="http://www.cocktailright.com/orderform.html" target="_blank">CocktailRight</a> seems a little counter-intuitive. For $25, they will register your cocktail and send you a certificate of ownership, suitable for framing. Will it offer legal protection against another venue's serving your creation? This has not yet been tested, and it would be sort of depressing if it were.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">At the same time, I never want to take credit for another person's work. Before announcing a cocktail as my original creation, I search for it online. This only guarantees that I don't find it online. It doesn't guarantee that some gorgeous little bar in Maine or Malibu isn't already serving what I think I created. A Cosmopolitan, a Metropolitan, a Neapolitan: same, but different... different, but the same.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">In any case, I feel a twinge of guilt giving a new name to what is, in essence, a variation. Sometimes what is called for is a variation on a name, for a variation on a drink. In this spirit, I give you the Pomegranate Sazerac. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XkinEXIlQ0/UICxICWrHaI/AAAAAAAAAgg/g_geRDOTXic/s1600/DSC02344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_uid_6kjf52="184" height="320" nea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XkinEXIlQ0/UICxICWrHaI/AAAAAAAAAgg/g_geRDOTXic/s320/DSC02344.JPG" width="240" /></a><strong><u><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Pomegranate Sazerac</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1 oz. Kinnickinnic Whisky</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">1 oz. PAMA pomegranate liqueur</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">5 drops Bittercube Cherry Bark/Vanilla bitters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">3 drops Bittercube Jamaican #2 bitters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">.25 oz. Pernod</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Rinse a cocktail glass with Pernod</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Combine and shake all other ingredients </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">and strain into prepared glass</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">The thing of it is, <span style="font-size: large;">it is sufficiently different from a Sazerac that using Sazerac in the name could be disputed, but similar enough that not to acknowledge its lineage feels dishonest. So I find myself at a crossroads again, with no guidepost but my own conscience. In any case, it is a pretty little thing, and quite delicious!</span></span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-47598165895023207642012-10-09T19:10:00.000-07:002012-10-09T19:10:00.833-07:00I Just Solved Christmas...<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Sometimes, making new drinks is an arduous process </strong><span style="font-size: large;">that begins long before you ever get behind the bar, before you ever pick up a mixing tin. Admittedly, very little of what we do is actually original, we borrow this technique from the past, that ingredient from the kitchen. However, when I'm working on something fresh, I spend time in liquor and grocery stores, in the pages of great mixology books by professionals likeTony Abou-Ganim and gaz regan. I look online for inspiration in other people's work, their recipes and blogs. Sometimes, that's how it goes. Other times, it just hits me like a lightning bolt; the kind of obviously great idea that just clicks into place and I know it's going to be great before I even get started.</span></span><br />
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<u><strong><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: x-large;">Why <em>hasn't </em>anyone made Peanut Butter Irish Cream?</span></strong></u></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I knew it before I even finished the thought: this is going to be delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">A couple of Decembers ago, I had a coworker who made fresh Irish cream and gave it to us as Christmas gifts. It was good. It was so good that when there was an extra one, I quickly volunteered to give it a good home, aaaand drank it all before the New Year. (I shared.) (Grudgingly). I loved her recipe, and for years I tried to get it out of her. Every shift I picked up for her, I asked her for the recipe, to return my favor. Every time Irish Cream came up in conversation. I don't doubt it was tiresome and sadly, I can assure you my efforts to make her want to tell me failed. I eventually gave up, decided she was crazy, let the whole thing go.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">And then this thing occurred to me, and I couldn't get to the interwebs fast enough. I needed a basic recipe for Irish Cream. I am basically lazy, so when I need this sort of thing, I find as many recipe variations as seems reasonable. Then I make a chart of all possible ingredients and mark it up to show which ingredients they mostly have in common. Then I have a skeleton to build onto, tweaking and updating.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I made the following masterpiece using that same springboard, and tried to dial back its fat content without sacrificing its deliciousness.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPaRKDQek5Q/UHTRxfE8GOI/AAAAAAAAAgI/aCqoaGY2Q4E/s1600/event+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPaRKDQek5Q/UHTRxfE8GOI/AAAAAAAAAgI/aCqoaGY2Q4E/s320/event+pic+1.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">You will need...</span></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">3 14-oz cans of Eagle brand Lowfat Sweetened Condensed Milk</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">2 c. Better'n Eggs</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">4 tbls.Hershey's Dark Chocolate Syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">4 tbls. Smucker's Naturals Creamy Peanut Butter</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">4 c. Jameson Irish Whiskey</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">2 tbls. Lavazza Espresso Powder</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">2 tbls. Real Vanilla Extract</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Blend and chill.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">(The only problem? Having it around the house - it's very seductive....)</span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-61884737037109685412012-10-01T11:00:00.000-07:002012-10-01T11:03:19.671-07:00Autumn Cocktails from the Waukesha Chancery<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><strong>It's that time of year again...</strong> a chill in the air, trees turning into fireworks displays of red, purple, orange and yellow, and the time when we generally switch from white liquor to brown. Whether it gets its color and flavor from spice or the barrel, heartier spirits come to the forefront in drinks both warm and cold. This week I rolled out the Autumn Drinks menu, and they are overall a little simpler to prepare than the Summer Cocktails because in these parts, the harvest season is over. No trips to the garden for this menu, but a few surprises nonetheless. We feature two infusions for this menu; one of them is simple, one of them is remarkably simple.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">The first drink to feature an infusion is the Perfect Cherry Beam Manhattan, and it calls for Door County Cherry-infused Jim Beam. This take on bourbon is so fruity and delicious it has become a staple around our bar. You recall it was used in a Limeade this summer, which was published by Cheers Magazine. This time around we temper it with vermouth and mellow it with Bittercube Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters.</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Perfect Cherry Beam Manhattan</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">2 oz. Door County Cherry-Infused Jim Beam</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">.5 oz. Sweet Vermouth</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">.5 oz. Dr Vermouth</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">7 drops <a href="http://bittercube.com/" target="_blank">Bittercube</a> Cherry Bark Vanilla bitters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Build in a shaker, stir to combine. Serve on the rocks, in a tub. Garnish with three cherries from the original infusion.</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Door County Cherry-infused Jim Beam</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">4 c. Door County Cherries</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 btl. Jim Beam</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Combine and let rest up to one week. Begin tasting at three days as infusion times can vary according to temperature, humidity and light conditions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">The next drink is built around Korbel brandy. 1/3 of all Korbel sold in the world comes to Wisconsin, and its fruit flavors are further enhanced by the addition of another Wisconsin favorite, schnapps, in this season's Korbel and Peach.</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Korbel and Peach</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">2 oz. Korbel brandy</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz, Bols Peach Schnapps</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">.5 oz. Turbinado Syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Juice of two lemon wedges</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Shake and strain into a tub glass. Serve on the rocks with a lemon twist.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">The next drink employs the easiest infusion I have ever made. I know that using real vanilla extract will seem heretical to the purists, but if you work behind the bar, you know that if you go to Good Harvest and the grocery and neither has vanilla beans, and you do not have time to go to Penzey's, well, you roll with what you've got. So I did. And it's so good I'm currently kicking it up a notch by aging it in the tiniest barrel I ever saw. Stop in and visit and I'll give you a sample - it's that good!</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Apple Crisp</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Five Spice & Vanilla-infused Gosling's rum</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Three Olives brand Cake flavored vodka</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">.75 oz. Bols Butterscotch liqueur</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">2 oz. Apple juice</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Shake all the spirit and strain into chilled Cocktail glass, top with Apple Juice</span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Five Spice &Vanilla-infused Gosling's Rum</span></u></strong><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">2 tbls Chinese Five Spice Powder</span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 sm. btl. Real Vanilla Extract</span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 btl. Gosling's rum</span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Combine and let rest 24-72 hours, tasting after 24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Parents don't have favorites. having favorites among children can damage the self-esteem of the unfavored child(ren), and stunt the progress of the favored child. Cocktails are tougher than children and that's one of about a hundred reasons that cocktails are better than kids. This is my favorite:</span></div>
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<strong><u><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Chivas Fling</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1.5 oz. Chivas scotch whisky</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">.5 oz. Sweet Vermouth</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">7 drops <a href="http://bittercube.com/" target="_blank">Bittercube</a> Blood Orange bitters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Build in shaker and stir to combine. Serve in a tumbler, on the rocks. Orange twist garnish.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">I dream about a dessert menu, composed entirely of dessert cocktails. Just five or so, chocolatey, fruity, savory, creamy and delicious. The last drink on the Autumn Cocktail menu could fit the bill. I called it "Modern Love" because it features the flavors we seem to love the most: chocolate and coffee.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"> <u><strong>Modern Love</strong></u></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Three Olives brand Triple Espresso vodka</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">2 oz. Bols Dark Creme de Cacao</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Bols White Creme de Cacao</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">1 oz. Dairy Cream</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Chill a cocktail glass and then drizzle it with chocolate.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Shake and strain. Float three coffee beans in the glass.</span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-51701854011111018322012-09-09T11:32:00.003-07:002012-09-09T11:32:38.398-07:00It's Not What It Looks Like!<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">Don't let the pictures fool you: this is not a post about Christmas. <span style="font-size: large;">It is a post about the rewards of working with a team to produce an event that is memorable and special. I have a fair bit of experience with this, and am proud of the work I've participated in, and its results.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;">I've helped execute large events off and on for the last four years, <span style="font-size: large;">but there is something different about being the originator of the event. In the past, I have been a footsoldier at weddings, seminars, wedding- and baby showers, and been one of Santa's Sweatshop Elves for an entire season. What they all have in common are two things. First, there is a moment of tornadic chaos every time, where I feel like we have completely lost control of the event. Second, the chaos is followed by a supreme satisfaction, when everything is settled and the guests are enjoying themselves, oftentimes in ways unforeseen by the planners. They are smiling and laughing and chatting and sometimes dancing, and their happiness is my happiness. The gorgeous cakes, the beautiful brides, and I confess the Father-Daughter Dance gets me every time.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">But one of my favorite memories of working hard in a group to make something special for others was a different sort of event altogether. It is the moment when, after about 13 hours of heavy lifting, intricate lighting and mental toughness, we finally lit the 40-foot tree we'd erected in the pond at Northwestern Mutual's downtown location. Exhausted from a long day hauling boxes of tree parts, climbing scaffolds, fingers aching from putting thousands of lights on the tree, we flopped down, shellshocked and worn out. It was dark in the lobby, the sun having gone down fast like it does in December and we all marvelled at what our teamwork produced. It was only one part of their Holiday design, but it will always be the greatest thing we did that year, to me.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">This old picture, taken on a flip-phone, can't do justice to the peaceful feeling and pride of work we felt that night. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">I've got another event coming up this weekend, and it's quite different in many ways. I conceived it months ago, and have spent countless hours preparing for its success with my co-workers, promoting it (<strong><em>in my abundant free time...)</em></strong>, and now it's right around the corner.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">The Great Sconnie Sip-Off will be held in the Waukesha Chancery bar on Saturday, September 15 at 7pm. When it first occurred to me to host a cocktail competition using only ingredients made in Wisconsin, I could never have imagined that way people around me would embrace the challenge, and the challenges of coordinating an event like this. I am grateful especially to all the Chancery mixologists that creatively invented new cocktails, our celebrity judges Guy Rehorst, Angie West and Ira Koplowitz, my co-workers Kahara, Togie and Ro and our treasured guests who will sample these drinks to choose the People's Choice Award. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">Right now, the drinks have been created and vetted for compliance, judges are lined up, prizes are in our possession and we are all clear on the plan. We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday night and thank you for having this fun with us!</span></div>
Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-24635327020827849132012-08-22T09:44:00.002-07:002012-08-22T09:44:21.085-07:00Even Better<div class="post hentry" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/BlogPosting">
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">There is good, and then there is
better.</span><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">You recall that
awhile back I wrote about Eben Freeman's fat-washing technique to impart the
flavors of any fat to any spirit. Brown butter rum, peanut butter bourbon,
bacon vodka: there is no limit.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">All the buzz these days is about bacon,
but I expect this will change, as all things do. In the meantime, let a
vegetarian teach you an even better way to infuse your spirit of choice with the
smoky, meaty flavor of bacon.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">Last week I was working on a cocktail
for my upcoming competition, the Great Sconnie Sip-Off. The cantaloupe shrub
came out nicely, as did the cucumber vodka, but the lavender rock-candy failed
to perform in time for the preliminary trials. At the last minute I was left
with nothing to present. I did what you would have done: I
improvised.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">I had
some Roaring Dan's Maple Flavored rum in the house, and I bought some bacon. I
used Freeman's technique of pouring the fat of the bacon into the spirit to give
it bacon's flavor. It gave it smokiness, but it lacked umami. I bought more
rum. I bought more bacon.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">That night at work, I met a man who
claims he makes the best bacon on earth. "What is your secret?" I asked
breathlessly. He told me, and I will tell you. Cook it like barbecue: low and
slow, paying careful attention to each slice as an individual. It took forever,
but what I produced was bacon as gorgeous as any I have seen in
life.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">I put the fat
and the bacon in the jar with the Maple-Flavored rum and what resulted was a
spirit I knew would pass muster. Just to be sure, I brought it to my co-worker,
Jo Curley. The girl loves bacon not in the obsessional way of hipsters, but in
the true way of a connoisseur. She was hesitant to try it, worried I would have
wasted perfectly good bacon. She was satisfied, but I was not. I riddled her
with a machine-gun volley of questions. Does it taste like bacon? Is it weird?
Is it good?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">According to Jo, I hit the nail on the
head. This is how I did it:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">You will need<span style="font-size: medium;"> one package of Patrick Cudahy Bacon, one bottle of
Roaring Dan's Maple Flavored Rum and the patience to cook that bacon very
slowly. You will also need a clean canning jar large enough to hold it all.
Pour the rum into the jar, put the cooked, cooled bacon and its fat into the jar
and let it sit on the counter in your kitchen overnight. The next day, put the
jar in the freezer to separate out the fat. Spoon off the fat and remove the
bacon. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth, and then through coffee filters
until it is clear and lovely. That is all.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">In case you wondered what kind of
cocktail I made with it, it is pictured above, and its recipe
follows.</span><br /><br />
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<u><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Bacon Cocktail</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">1.5 oz. Bacon Infused Roaring Dan's
Rum</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">.5 oz. Anderson's Maple
Syrup</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">8
drops Bittercube Orange Bitters</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">Sprecher Ginger Ale</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: medium;">Combine rum, maple syrup and bitters in
your mixing tin and shake. Pour into cocktail glass and top with ginger ale.
Garnish with bacon.</span></div>
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Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-41586218334558954642012-08-14T08:24:00.003-07:002012-08-14T08:24:24.282-07:00Inside the Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4DrUEH2DMKaBhzndc4fnb_SVnNmkUwJdlJjCtQCGHYp7XDbZmSJLZKhS2JvpFxSnRWouh3eOiSVZ0jAyEMfeoTUxBkqvoQfruQB6KZdWjGUm9vJYxEmvAPhzpx8vghgsEZg5ZLTLFHg/s1600/eventpic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4DrUEH2DMKaBhzndc4fnb_SVnNmkUwJdlJjCtQCGHYp7XDbZmSJLZKhS2JvpFxSnRWouh3eOiSVZ0jAyEMfeoTUxBkqvoQfruQB6KZdWjGUm9vJYxEmvAPhzpx8vghgsEZg5ZLTLFHg/s320/eventpic+2.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It was a perfect day... </span><span style="font-size: large;">the first day the heat broke. I was driving with the windows down. My dog, Chloe, was adorably barking her fool head off at everything in creation and all felt right with the world. I have passed this cute little farmstand a couple of times a week since the beginning of summer and meant to stop. Today was my day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I pulled off the road and unloaded the dog and we walked across the warm gravel toward a young mother and her two children and the whole thing could hardly have been more Norman Rockwell if there had been two boys headed off the the fishin' hole. It was perfect. I had already decided to buy whatever she was selling; thanks to our recent drought the selection was somewhat limited. Limited, but locally-grown and beautiful.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I bought a couple of bags of produce and went on my way and I didn't think any more of it. I'm coordinating a cocktail competition and have a lot on my mind -- most of all my mixology block. I plan and execute whole menus of cocktails, seasonally -- this little thing should be no problem. All I had to do was invent a cocktail using only ingredients from the Great State of Wisconsin. I love cocktails. I love Wisconsin. It should have been a snap.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5XXiChVMUo/UCm5sctHYDI/AAAAAAAAAYg/SLhC-7InpWo/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5XXiChVMUo/UCm5sctHYDI/AAAAAAAAAYg/SLhC-7InpWo/s320/event+pic.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Slowly, it all came together. <span style="font-size: large;">The fresh cucumbers I bought at the farmstand went into a jar of Rehorst vodka, which they softened and to which they imparted a fresh, green flavor. With no real plan in mind, I then made some lavender-infused sugar.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylK5hHtbhWg/UCm5ytg7cXI/AAAAAAAAAYw/Zabes13sQDQ/s1600/event+pic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ylK5hHtbhWg/UCm5ytg7cXI/AAAAAAAAAYw/Zabes13sQDQ/s320/event+pic+2.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I've been growing some lavender out back of the bar. Lavender infused sugar is as simple as putting lavender in a bag and letting time do the work. </span><span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Remember when I wrote about oleo saccharum? I was surprised to see the sugar is getting ever-so-slightly melted from the essential oils in the flowers, just like the lemon oil melts the baker's sugar.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Egvp87y5zMo/UCnpuE6eT1I/AAAAAAAAAZI/7v1IhYkHHug/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Egvp87y5zMo/UCnpuE6eT1I/AAAAAAAAAZI/7v1IhYkHHug/s320/event+pic.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Then I melted the sugar in boiling water to make a supersaturated simple syrup which <em>should</em> crystallize into rock candy - remember rock candy? Rock candy, being supersaturated, is exponentially sweeter than simple syrup, Mine, having begun with herb-infused sugar, then having that same herb added at the end of boiling, will -- cross your fingers -- should have a big lavender flavor to match so that a little will go a long way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I think it will need an acidifier to balance it out and then we should be in business. Brennan's has some nice Wisconsin canteloupe and I'm thinking shrub...</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-35511211901672123102012-08-07T10:43:00.001-07:002012-08-07T10:43:29.089-07:00Dy's Rum Punch is Easy, Fresh and Delicious<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">There is more than one way to skin a cat. Well, that's just gross... </span><span style="font-size: large;">There's more than one way to make rum punch. There are so many ways to make rum punch that, um, I'm sure there's a formula to calculate this, but in the words of my man Jake Gaylord, "I was told there would be no math...." There will,</span><span style="font-size: large;"> however, be mixology.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.123rf.com/"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">www.123rf.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">But first, the basics about punch, a little etymology and a little history. The etymology is meant to give you some confidence about tailoring this recipe to your own tastebuds, and the history will hopefully give you a sense of this fine drink's longevity. </span><br />
<br /><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">The word "punch" comes from the Hindi word for "five." The five in question are: spirit, sugar, citrus, spice and water. As long as you employ these ingredients, you will have made punch. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The drink itself has a certain romance to it, having been popularized in the 1600's by the British East India Trading Company. It is usually served communally, in a large, wide bowl. I think it's a perfect way to please a large number of guests without too much work during the event.</span></span></span><br />
<br /><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">First thing's first: this recipe calls for grenadine. Don't buy grenadine. Make grenadine. It's easy. It is such a remarkable improvement over the dull-flavored, red-colored schmoo typically sold as grenadine that to use it in this recipe or any other is a dirty shame. </span><br />
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<strong><u><span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Easy Grenadine</span></u></strong></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: black;"></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">1 qt. Pomegranate Juice (like POM)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">2 c. sugar</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Boil the ingredients, then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let cool, then pour into a clean, dry bottle.</span></div>
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<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some sources call for 2 dashes of orange flower water, but I think this is optional. Not optional for your home bar is an ounce of vodka, for preservation. There's no point having such a delicious ingredient just to let it spoil!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;"><strong><u>Rum Punch</u></strong></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">1 oz. Myers' Dark Rum</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">1 oz. Bacardi Rum</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">2 oz. Fresh Orange Juice</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">2 oz. Fresh Pineapple Juice</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">1/4 oz. Fresh Lime Juice</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">3/4 oz. Fresh Grenadine</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><span style="background-color: black;"></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-size: large;">Combine all ingredients and shake, serve over ice.</span></div>
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</div>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-80469928555712577952012-08-06T09:56:00.002-07:002012-08-06T09:56:33.427-07:00Happy Birthday BETA!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy first birthday BETA!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beta by Sabor has been around for an entire year and to celebrate they have some great specials for the month of August.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$1 gets you an order of Beta's world famous Chicken Waffles</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can beat the heat with frozen cocktails of the week blended in their one-of-a-kind NitroCream machine (if you haven't seen this thing in action it's a must)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half-off handcrafted cocktails from 4:31 - 6:01 pm everyday</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><strong>If you haven't checked out Beta by Sabor yet, now is the time!</strong> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here is an interview EatMKE did with Chef Mitch the creative force behind Beta. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week we sat down with one of Milwaukee's best Chef's; Executive Chef Mitch Ciohon of Sabor and Beta by Sabor. Enjoy the interview.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How did you get your start in the kitchen?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started in the kitchen when I was 14 years old. I made sundaes and burgers at The Kiltie in Oconomowoc. My love for cooking and spending time in the kitchen with my grandma grew in my time there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After going to college for hockey, I moved back to Milwaukee and started working at Gil’s Café on the eastside when I was 20 years old. Right away, I fell back in love with the kitchen. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Where else have you worked?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Kiltie </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gil’s Café as sous chef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">River Walk Bistro as sous chef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sabor Brazilian Churrascaria as sous chef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iron Horse Hotel as sous chef</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sabor & Beta by Sabor as executive chef</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When did working in restaurants change from “just a job” to a career?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The change happened for me when I was at Gil’s Café. I started as a line cook, but very quickly realized how passionate I was about the kitchen and cooking. A lot of the things I was learning just made sense and I caught on really quickly, which gave me that feeling of, “holy shit, I think this is what I am supposed to do with my life.” So I rolled the dice and here we are.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What is your passion in the kitchen?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a serious love affair with food – the ingredients are the key. I get so excited about the things I get to cook, especially the ingredients I grow myself or forage in the beautiful woods of Wisconsin. For me, that is where my passion comes from. Nothing to me is more exciting and gratifying than finding a beautiful morel mushroom in the woods and knowing you can eat it; or pulling a sun warmed tomato and eating it in your garden. Those are the kinds of things that do it for me. Getting excited leads to the ideas that start bubbling in my head, trying new things and the great results (not all the time – trial and error). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also find happiness in teaching and sharing my craft with those around me. I have been lucky to have a great team here at Sabor and Beta by Sabor to help with everything we do. And don’t let me forget the huge amount of passion and drive that comes from my family; I am always trying to make them proud and happy!</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What do you think of local food sourcing? Passing fad, serious trend, or way of the future?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local food sourcing is a serious trend and way of the future. I love supporting the farmers and learning about where ingredients come from. It’s also good to learn about the farmer, farm and its history. Then, when a guest asks me about something, I can give some background on it. I think it enriches the dinning experience, makes it more romantic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another way of the future is the urban farm/city gardening. I think it is going to get pretty big. Luckily, with Will Allen near us, we are on the forefront in that area. I feel like that is a neglected idea for downtown restaurants. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Who are your top go to vendors for locally sourced food and what do you use them for?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I currently source from almost 20 local farms/purveyors:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bernard (a personal contact and farmer)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bolzano Artisan Meats </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Braise RSA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clock Shadow Creamery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hometown Sausage Kitchen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A personal contact for honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Local farmers markets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One Guerrilla Farmer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sassy Cow Creamery</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strauss Farms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweet Water Organics</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sysco, who has a great relationship with Growing Power</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Underground Kitchen</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">V. Marchese</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuppie Hill Poultry</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">How do you incorporate this into your menu? </span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As mentioned above, I get excited about local sourcing and that leads to the ideas that start bubbling in my head, trying new things and the great results. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The seasons have a significant impact on what is available here in Wisconsin, but when the time is right for certain ingredients I build menu items around it. At Beta we have the opportunity to change things often – pending product availability, new ideas and popular items on the menu. Lucky for us, the local products make frequent changes easy.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What are your favorite dishes on the menu at the moment?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cheeky (braised veal and seared halibut cheek) is my favorite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seared scallops on bacon and fried banana puree with green grape gastrique is another gem. I enjoy the different flavor combo on this one, all the flavors really work well together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fresh pork rinds – This is one of my most simple dishes, but I love it. Crispy little pillows of pork goodness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything on the menu is tested and modified to perfection, that’s part of the fun! I can honestly say I like each item. If I didn’t like every item on the menu, I’d be selling myself short.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">People know you use liquid nitrogen for some of your desserts and cocktails what other uses have you found for it in the kitchen?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We use the NitroCream Machine for desserts. That’s where it fits best, but there are certainly other uses for it in the kitchen. The heirloom radish salad is topped with liquid nitrogen frozen peanuts and golden raisins. They are then blended with a coffee grinder into a super flavored dust.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like dusts – We use bacon dust to flavor the scallop dish and the pork rinds. What better flavor to put with pork than pork? We cook the bacon, blot the fat off, freeze and grind to use as the most perfect bacon “bits” ever. We use the machine for all of our powders – onion, garlic, tomato, and jalapeno, just to name a few. We dehydrate the produce and then freeze and blend it. When it’s frozen, it breaks up really well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m looking forward to bringing back the tomato salad this summer, which is sprinkled with fresh mozzarella powder, oils and balsamic. You can swirl together your own mozzarella and balsamic vinaigrette on the plate.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Any big plans or dreams for the future?</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To keep working with as many local farmers as logically possible and get together with some other chefs to start the Milwaukee Chef Alliance. The alliance will make it easier for everyone to work together and put a star on the map for Milwaukee in food culture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To continue doing our best here at Beta, bringing fun new cocktails and food to the growing Milwaukee food and drink scene. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of all, just to have a good time and smile …the food tastes better when you’re happy!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/43/471813/restaurant/Juneau-Town/Sabor-Milwaukee"><img alt="Sabor on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/471813/biglogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/43/1627272/restaurant/Juneau-Town/Beta-By-Sabor-Milwaukee"><img alt="Beta By Sabor on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1627272/biglogo.gif" style="border: currentColor; height: 34px; padding: 0px; width: 104px;" /></a>EatMKEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389213523921071824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-65221483276158700042012-08-05T07:56:00.001-07:002012-08-05T07:56:23.148-07:00Fair Food Review: Wisconsin Mac Burger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Writen By: <a href="http://adamsamused.posterous.com/fair-food-review-wisconsin-mac-burger" target="_blank">Adam's Amused</a></span></strong></div>
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I don't usually get entrees at the fair because they take up too much room in my stomach and I can't sample as much other tasty goodness. But, I made an exception for this burger at the Miller Lite Sports Bar and Grill. Deep fried mac and cheese bites, bacon, and more cheese topped the patty. It was tasty and it made itself at home alongside the other fair food in my stomach. <br />Verdict: YumEatMKEhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05389213523921071824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-81550645231551458702012-08-01T09:46:00.000-07:002012-08-01T09:46:11.771-07:00It's Not a Race to Get Wasted...<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: x-large;">Wisconsin has a lot of traditions,<span style="font-size: large;"> and lots of them are honorable. One of them, however, has been on my mind for months: Why is Wisconsin so drunk? </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG48EahNC8Y/UBlYVOWRj8I/AAAAAAAAAXY/ZNeHZ0kxXPQ/s1600/event+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HG48EahNC8Y/UBlYVOWRj8I/AAAAAAAAAXY/ZNeHZ0kxXPQ/s320/event+pic.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.123rf.com/"><span style="color: white;">www.123rf.com</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">You know what I'm talking about. The Wisconsinese generally think nothing of getting bombed, and only slightly more about driving drunk. I observed the "Puke & Rally" for the first time at Silk one night when my niece left the table to rid herself of the 151 and then returned <em>to continue drinking</em>. Anecdotal evidence is one thing, but statistics are another. When the local paper started digging into this very topic, they found we are #1 in binge drinking, drunk driving and most drinkers per capita. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">The Milwaukee Journal went on to interview anthropologists, sociologists, psychologists, historians and more than 100 Sconnies and came up with a complex answer to my (perhaps oversimplified) question. I'll save you the trouble of locating their article and quote it directly:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;"> "Climate. Ethnicity. The historical importance of the brewing industry. The interpersonal dynamics that govern how people learn to live comfortably in a group. The social nature of most drinking. A relative lack of newcomers who might foster change. The premium many here place on being just a regular person. The need for identity."</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">Take a minute with that, and think about life in Wisconsin. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">There is one tiny ray of sunshine. Although we do, as a State, drink more alcohol than all others, it is not because some of us are getting non-stop bombed; it's because so many of us are drinking. Tennessee has about the lowest percentage of drinkers, Wisconsin has about the highest. Head-to-head against Tennessee, we come out looking good: our State disappears more alcohol, but the average Tennesseean can out-drink the average Wisconsinese. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">And if you can't feel cool next to Tennessee....</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">I'm kidding, Tennessee. But I'm not kidding, Wisconsin. The subtle effects of beverage alcohol far outstrip its dramatic effects. Everybody gets a little looser and has a good time on the way to getting belligerent and stupid. The trick is to recognize the border and <em>do not cross it.</em> Stay in control of your words, your mind, and above all your dignity. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">You have an opportunity to practice at The Great Sconnie Sip-Off, which will be held at the Waukesha Chancery on September 15th. It may seem antithetical for a girl who is promoting the responsible use of alcohol to be hosting a cocktail competition that is open to the public but the truth is in its name: a Sip-Off. It's not a race to get wasted. It's an opportunity to practice the Art of the Sip. Join us at 7pm and enjoy our hospitality.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-size: large;">(And if you want to read the full article, click here</span><br />
<span style="color: #fff2cc; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/31237904.html">http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/31237904.html</a>)</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5104317693665669140.post-19231546679624273442012-07-25T12:15:00.003-07:002012-07-25T12:15:42.780-07:00The Great Sconnie Sip-Off, September 2012<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">Think Globally, Drink Locally </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">I read a magazine article about the Four Seasons Hotel chain where they challenged their bars in the Americas to come up with cocktails using only ingredients from within a hundred-mile radius. I was inspired by this competition and I thought up one of my own: The Great Sconnie Sip-Off. I've expanded the field of supply to the entire State of Wisconsin and invited all the bars in our small chain to compete against mine.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">It's true that the bar follows the kitchen, so the Locavore Movement's appearance in the bar should come as a surprise to no one. What we do in the bar is everyday more informed by techniques and ingredients used in the back of the house. In the past, there was a bright line delineating the two areas, maybe we shared a blender but they had recipes and we had formulas. Now, we have both. Bartenders head into the kitchen to make their own bitters, syrups, shrubs, tinctures and the like and to gather fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs for infusions of every type of spirit. In recent years, chefs have begun to source their ingredients locally, and consequently we do the same. The Locavore Movement couldn't be hotter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Locavores are interested in eating food that is locally produced, instead of traveling long distances to market. The benefits of this style of dining are manifold; less shipping makes "eating local" (or in this case "drinking local") easier on the environment, ingredients arrive fresher, farmer's markets support the communities they represent and interacting with the producers of our food gives us a psychological connection to the earth and each other. Local eating is a movement, not a trend.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIIaRut5yErY1-r2H9wnDmxMrLxmGFJHI8syduGx-qUpAObNH2I0Mr55igwWFphSUE-H-tXY_rrzdE9JtFOIoY4w6nWgzB4XPgwMZfEFiDeIUup8IUBGlHTADpxiVBuUoeF2dBGcfuyo/s1600/SipOff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIIaRut5yErY1-r2H9wnDmxMrLxmGFJHI8syduGx-qUpAObNH2I0Mr55igwWFphSUE-H-tXY_rrzdE9JtFOIoY4w6nWgzB4XPgwMZfEFiDeIUup8IUBGlHTADpxiVBuUoeF2dBGcfuyo/s1600/SipOff.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">The Great Sconnie Sip-Off will be held at the Waukesha Chancery on September 15th, 2012 at 7pm. It is open to the public and will be judged by Guy Rehorst of <a href="http://www.greatlakesdistillery.com/" target="_blank">Great Lakes Distillery</a>, Angie West of <a href="http://www.alcoholmanac.com/" target="_blank">Alcoholmanac Magazine</a>, Ira Koplowitz of <a href="http://www.bittercube.com/" target="_blank">Bittercube Bitters</a>, Drew Wintermyer of <a href="http://www.eatmke.com/" target="_blank">EatMKE.com</a> and one surprise guest judge. Also, all guests will be invited to sample the entries and vote for the People's Choice.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">This event will be held twice a year, and will in the future be open to teams from other bars. If your bar is interested in competing, you are a producer of an ingredient you'd like us to consider, or if you are an industry professional with an interest in judging this event in the future, please contact me.</span>Dy Mixeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09164783956399899586noreply@blogger.com0