Dirt Track Date

Here's what the folks at the dirt track have figured out. Instead of making 6 trips back and forth to the concession stand for beer, these folks fix you up with a sort of temporary cooler – plastic sack, ice and as many beers as you want. And, yes, Mr. Loaf went to the gun show and dirt track in the same day.

Snap Dragon

From MISC FOR BLOG

Just back from an estate sale where I picked up a 1944 edition of "New Orleans Recipes" by Mary Moore Bremer who was from Waveland, MS. Lots of creole recipes that sound pretty good in there along with some obscure sounding things like "Crab Chops," "Dimples," a recipe for tomato ketchup purported to be "over 100 years old," and lastly, why not, "Chop Suey." But in the drinks section, something odd caught my eye – Snap Dragon.

From MISC FOR BLOG

But apparently this was a longstanding Christmas tradition from the 16th - 19th centuries. It died out because, well, you could get burned and safety and all that crap. So, here's a more useful drink recipe from the book:

ROCK AND RYE (Old Recipe) Pour into whiskey glass one teaspoon pure rock-candy syrup; add a small bar spoon and allow guest to help himself to the whiskey – if you think it advisable.

The Champagne of Beers

I opened my fridge yesterday to discover Miller High Life in special edition camo cans. Just in time for hunting season. I wondered if this is a regional thing, but they show them on their main Web site. I believe they're available through the end of 2008. Just to make the lawyers happy, it says in script type on the bottom to, "Enjoy After the Adventure."

A Bitters Pill

Always on the search for a refreshing tonic, lately I've come across several drinks that involve herbal flavors great for summer. Interestingly, they're almost all invented with originally medicinal intentions. So maybe I can use the term "medicinal purposes" without snickering. Maybe.

First up is Bitters. Angostura bitters was invented by a doctor and became popular as relief from seasickness in the port town of Angostura in 1824. Peychaud's was dreamed up by a pharmacist in the French Quarter in the 1830's during some late night partying in the pharmacy. In addition to being an ingredient in larger cocktails, I do find it soothing when I've overeaten. In a small glass over ice, I shake ten or so drops and then add club soda. I passed this on to my brother-in-law and it works surprisingly well for him too. So, what are bitters made of? "A secret blend of herbs and plants." You'll see this phrase again.

Next is Chartreuse. There's green Chartreuse and yellow Chartreuse, the latter being a little milder and sweeter. But it's still made in France by Carthusian monks since 1737. The monks received a secret (there's that word again) manuscript titled "An Elixir of Long Life" which was already ancient in 1605. This concoction made from 130 herbal extracts is called Elixir Vegetal de la Grande-Chartreuse. Green and yellow Chartreuse are both milder, more drinkable versions of this original exilir. The green color is natural, by the way, and comes from chlorophyll. Only two monks know the secret recipe.

Lastly is Pimm's #1 Cup. I've extolled the virtues of Pimm's before in post. This is the one liquor not invented by a pharmacist, but a oyster bar owner. It's made using gin, quinine and, here it goes again, "a secret mixture of herbs." Not sure if the quinine will cure your malaria, but it makes a tasty Pimm's Cup or it can feel more tonic-y just over ice with soda.

So here's to your health. Cheers!

Sazerac Declared Official Cocktail Of New Orleans

From NPR. Read the full story here.

The Louisiana House of Representatives made a historic decision Monday: In a 62-33 vote, legislators proclaimed the Sazerac — the famed mix of rye whiskey, bitters and absinthe that originated in the bayou — New Orleans' official cocktail.

The drink's origins date back to the 1830s, when a Creole apothecary named Antoine Peychaud concocted a potent recipe at his pharmacy in the French Quarter. Peychaud combined his family's secret recipe for bitters with cognac and began serving the drink to friendss

More Ill-Gotten Goods

In this month's Robb Report, they've chosen their 21 ultimate gifts. Among a 459-foot gigayacht and a kilo of golden caviar, is a suggested gift of:

• 225 vintage American and preembargo Cuban cigars

• Five pints of Prohibition-era Kentucky bourbon (with excellent names like Broad Ripple and Golden Age) and one gallon of Bacardi rum bottled in 1936 in Cuba

• A collection of Prohibition-era memorabilia

The drink and cigars have been carefully paired, and this token of affection from Fumar Cigars (David Haddad is the owner) will set you back only $157,500 – one of the cheaper gifts in the guide. Here's the interesting part, from the Robb Report:

Seventy-four years after Congress repealed the Volstead Act, ending 14 years of Prohibition, David Haddad still is dealing with its legal ramifications. The three state liquor commissions he approached in the middle 1990s all told him his Prohibition-era whiskey was in legal limbo, according to the laws controlling the sale of alcohol in the United States. "They all said none of the distillers or wholesalers existed, and the retailers, which were pharmacies, weren't even licensed to sell liquor, so the product did not qualify as liquor," explains Haddad. "They told me I couldn't sell it, but it could be given away as an antiquity or a medicinal." Thus, Haddad technically does not sell his Prohibition-era spirits; he gives them away – to clients who purchase his preembargo Cuban cigars.

Moonshine

So, here I'll elaborate on our Cochon moonshine experience mentioned in the previous post. Cochon offers four different ones. We sampled the Catdaddy which was purported to be the most drinkable. We were told that one other was not as good, and the last two were described as high alcohol content and pretty rough. The Catdaddy was surprisingly drinkable. Almost too drinkable. It had a very floral aroma and a taste that was hard to put a finger on, but we all enjoyed. It seemed a little like honey, but not overly sweet. Piedmont Distillers in North Carolina is the maker of Catdaddy, and according to their web site they don't really like to say what's added to it. However, our waiter said it was vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.

I say almost too drinkable, because it still has a substantial alcohol content, and after a few sips you can feel it in your legs. So watch out. It's for sippin' not shootin'. Cochon also has a cocktail whose name escapes me that is Catdaddy and Abita root beer. We mixed our own at the table and it was good, but we actually preferred the straight stuff.

I was curious about legal distillation of moonshine, because I had thought that it was illegal across the board. From the Piedmont Distillers web site:

Real moonshine comes in two "flavors" - legal and illegal. The essential difference is taxed and one is not.

You can go into most any liquor store and buy moonshine such as Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey, Platte Valey Corn Whiskey or Catdaddy. The federal tax on a gallon of whiskey is $15.50.

It is legal to own a still; you can buy one online for less than $800. If you want to produce any alcohol in your still, you need a federal permit. Under the alternative fules law, you can make up to 10,000 gallons a year of ethanol, which can power engines when mixed with gasoline.

"Yes, you can have a still, but it must be permitted and you can produce spirits for fuel use only," said Art Resnick, director of public and media affairs for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. "Let's make this perfectly clear: It's illegal to make moonshine, which is untaxed spirits."

Even if a person wanted to make moonshine at home and pay federal taxes, it's not that simple. It requires a federal distiller's license and is cost-prohibitive for anything other than a business."

Birmingham Eats

I was only there overnight, but we had a good meal at Nabeel's Cafe. Low-key Greek and Italian food. We ordered the bruschetta as a test which they passed. The bread wasn't hard as a rock (I'm not sure why people think this is correct for bruschetta. I guess it's the same people who think biscotti is supposed to break your teeth.), and it had fresh cheese, tomatoes and good olive oil. Not fancy, just good.

Also, I had a nice martini at WorkPlay. No music that night – they had rented it out for a wedding and a charity benefit.