The further you delve into history, the more contentious the stories become. Cocktail origins are often hidden in the murkiest of waters, and there are claims and counter-claims to invention that can keep people in the friendly argument business for years. Here are two rock solid facts, though: Firstly, since the mid 19th century, many mixed drinks have been invented in New Orleans. Secondly, many of those drinks have been marinated, infused and shaken up with an undeniable slug of French flair. Walk into any of the high end hotel or restaurant bars, or one of the newer craft cocktail bars such as Cure on Freret Street, and you can sip cocktails that ooze continental sophistication. There’s the Champs Elysees, Sidecar, French 75, reputedly invented in France. Cocktails such as the Sazerac, La Louisiane, Pousse Cafe, Absinthe Frappe, Brandy Crusta or the Brandy Milk Punch, were created in New Orleans, [...]
The Roman Influence on Wine
All I did was innocently ask my guide in Abruzzo, Italy, an historical question. I was, in no way, prepared for his vehement response. “The Romans!” bellowed Luigi Minnucci. “They drank FILTHY wine!!” Granted, Signore Minnucci was effusive even by Italian standards, but he did know what he was shouting about. “First, the ancient Romans didn’t filter the juice,” he exclaimed. “Then, the pitch lining and even the terracotta from the amphorae leached into the vino and, ultimately, there was the lead!” He was right, of course. But that didn’t stop the Roman Empire from proselytizing the product of the grape and reaping the financial rewards of selling it. At its zenith, the Roman Empire sprawled from England to Africa, Spain to Mesopotamia. Its legacy is roads and aqueducts, architecture and art, place names and wine. The last is all the more amazing because, as Luigi Minnucci asserted, most of [...]
Our Founding Fathers and Their Quest for Madiera
The United States’ relationship with alcoholic beverages has always been a dynamic one. Even as you read this, both state-level and federal-level legislation to change alcohol laws is being introduced. In 1697, what is now the state of Massachusetts declared “strong liquor” illegal. A tolerance movement beginning in Evanston, IL became the impetus for prohibition’s Volstead Act. There are still dry counties in some states. Some states take on the role of liquor store. Some stand between you and your Sunday game day beers. The list goes on! As diverse and ever-changing as our laws regulating alcohol have been, examining exactly which drinks fall in and out of favor proves even more fascinating. What did Americans first drink? And more specifically, what did the founding fathers seek out to quench their colonial thirst as they worked to establish a nation? In a word: Madeira. There are two main reasons as [...]
Making the British Pale – the original IPA
Though the international cultural and political reach of the United Kingdom might now be limited to the occasional export of a new Harry Potter Book, at one time the British Empire was the largest in the world. For hundreds of years, the Union Jack flew all over the globe, from North America, to Africa, Australia, and Asia. Following us kicking their ass out in 1776, the jewel in the crown was India. Exploiting India provided a great deal of benefit for the homeland, at the expense of the lives and livelihoods of many locals — from mineral wealth and spices to an export market for finished goods. For some Brits, landing a stint in India was a cushy deal. But not all the colonials were upper crust. For them, life in India was tough. The weather was a bit warm. Home was far. Naturally then, Brits in India wanted something [...]
The Ressurection of Rye
Rye whiskey symbolizes the American colonial spirit. For all their puritanical pursuits, when the colonists weren’t busy with the sordid details of colonizing, they were making booze. Those hailing from Ireland and Scotland, while not uniquely familiar with the magical art of distillation, were both experienced with the process and disposed to consume the elixir. Being practical, and based on necessity, the colonists used what grains were on hand and American whiskies closely interrelated with localized agriculture and farming. Pennsylvania and Maryland were among the first colonies and the new locals distilled rye whiskey because the grain — similar to wheat and barley — was bountiful. This differed from those that later settled in Kentucky where there was plenty of corn available. There, bourbon was born, cobbled together, than codified. But that is another story. Both styles of American whiskey were popular and you could expect to have both styles [...]
Oregon Ale Trail
Not for gold, not for fur, not because they couldn’t stand their crazy neighbors who had settled the prairies, but those who blazed The Oregon Trail did so in search of hops to make killer beer. Okay, fine, that was just a happy residual effect once pioneers reached the Pacific, but when Lewis and Clark paddled up the Missouri River to its headwaters and ultimately down the Columbia River to the ocean, they discovered the fecundity of the Willamette Valley. Save for some early adapter furriers, the initial gold rush was a green rush. Situated between the Cascade and Coast mountains, Oregon’s Willamette Valley is situated along the north forty-fifth parallel where the rainy, cool climate constitutes excellent growing conditions similar to Bavaria’s and, hence, lends itself particularly well to cultivating hops. It is the second largest hop-growing region in the country after Washington’s Yakima Valley. Then there’s Oregon’s two-row [...]
Read our Latest Issue!
