Spiced Scot

Here is a twist on the more traditional Rye and Ginger (which is one of my all time favourites), the Spiced Scot.

2 oz Scotch

Ginger Beer

Mix with ice in a Highball glass.

A simple refreshing drink with a bit of a bite. And for the love of Pete, don't use your best single malt for this one.

School Yard Fun: Is University Binge Drinking a Right of Passage?

Recent news stories out of Nova Scotia, Canada have brought into the light the issues surrounding young people and drinking. Over the past weekend emergency crews were called to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia when a young female student passed out from drinking too much. When crews arrived they examined six people for drinking and four where hospitalized over night due to alcohol poisoning. The partying at Acadia University is not an unusual activity for university students, but it highlights what seems to be a growing problem of binge drinking by young, inexperienced people in some universities.

In contrast, in a recent article form the McGill Daily (http://www.mcgilldaily.com/accounts/13/articles/20162) discusses the introduction of the alcohol culture of Montreal, Quebec where McGill university is located and legal drinking age is 18, to first year students. The artical makes the arguement that this benfits the students by teaching them about a society that includes alcohol - national surveys seems to back this up.

I too was once a young lad, fresh to a new town and barely the legal drinkning age (I admit nothing of drinking underage...) and yes, I did indulge in the drink more then one should, but I never ended up in a hospital or jail. I do think that each of us has to discover what it means to be independent and an adult, and in most societies around the world alcohol is part of the culture, but is this being taken to far? Is peer pressure form Frosh activities and other students having too much influence on some young people?

A Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

Now that summer is gone and it's (almost) officially fall and the air is turning cooler I thought it was time to start think warmer thoughts. I love coffee, and though it is non-alcoholic in itself it makes a great base for a drink.

Here is a drink that is a great fall afternoon drink, or a after diner dessert drink. It's warm and delicious. Try it and let me know what you think.

Muddy Kentucky Breakfast

1 oz Bourbon

1 oz Kahlua

2 oz Chocolate Milk

Brewed Coffee

Mix in a mug and enjoy!

Beer Basics - Part Two: Storing and Serving

Most beer is not meant for long storage and should be drunk within a few weeks of bottling or kegging, depending on the beer. There are some exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking it's meant to be enjoyed sooner then later. Beer is best kept from exposure to sunlight as it can cause the beer to turn "skunky" and not so pleasant to drink, this is why most beer is bottled in dark brown bottles or kegs. Some beer is put into green bottles, which lessens the effects of the sunlight, but are not as protective as dark brown bottles.

Beer should be stored between 2 °C (35 °F) and 15 °C (60 °F), the higher the temperature the faster the beer will age. In North America beer is generally served chilled - this mutes some of the flavors and in Britain, it is served at room temperature so the full flavor can be enjoyed. As a general guide temperatures range from 7 °C (45 °F) for pale lagers to 15.5 °C (60 °F) for strong dark ales. Avoid freezing beer as it will form ice crystals that don't melt back the same way and will alter the taste of the beer.

There is a variety of glassware; almost every beer has its own glass that is designed to showcase the appearance, aroma, and the taste of the beer. As glassware could be a large topic, I digress. When it comes to pouring the beer, the amount of head there is on the beer in the glass can be controlled (to a point) by the pour. To archive a larger head the beer can be poured directly into the glass and to reduce the head, the glass can be tilted and the beer poured slowly.

The most important tip I can give it to always enjoy the beer and enjoy it responsibly.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Three: Types of Beer (some, not all)

Beer Basics - Part One: Brewing God's Gift

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

-- Benjamin Franklin

Beer has been around for thousands of years, it was brewed since ancient times by the Egyptians. It is the third most drunk beverage in the world behind water and tea. Beer has played a role in shaping out history - the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth because, as was written by one of the passengers "we could not take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..."

Beer is made from pure water, hops, and grain, generally corn grits and malted barley (malted meaning that the barley has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, sprouting just a little). The malted barley is what gives beer its flavor and color. The grains are cooked in the water to produce what is called the mash. The wart (the liquid part of the mash) is then removed with the solids discarded. The wort is boiled with hops and then cooled. Yeast is added and fermentation is allowed to occur (the yeast consumes the sugars producing alcohol and carbon dioxide). After fermentation is allowed to take place the end product (once filtered, most varieties anyway) is beer.

Brewing beer is an art and each brew is as unique as the brew master. Beer does not last forever, so each bottles is made to be enjoyed - and so we should.

~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Two: Storing and Serving

The Big Orange Screw

We now find ourselves in summer (well, in the northern hemisphere at least - sorry Australia) and it is a great time to enjoy the sun and have a cool refreshing cocktail. These are the days for laying on the deck, patio, or at the cottage, soaking up some sun and relaxing - - and of course enjoying a cool refreshing drink. Something that proclaims "Summer is here!", something that will quench your thirst on those hot, lazy days of summer.

Here is a refreshing summer drink that will please. It's served cool and has summer citrus flavours with refreshing zing of tonic water:

The Big Orange Screw

1 1/2 oz Gin

1 1/2 oz White Rum

1/2 Orange, juice of

Splash of Lime

Tonic water

Mix in a highball glass with ice. Enjoy.

Bad Water, Bad Ice, Bad Drink

Over the years I've gone from drinking purely to be drunk to enjoying the drink itself. I now enjoy the sometimes complex flavours that are in a drink. One thing I have discovered is that bad ingredients make for bad drinks. I'm sure this is not new news, but one thing I'm sure most people don't realizes is that bad water makes bad ice, makes bad drinks. I will not get into the importance of always using the top-shelf ingredients, not all of us can afford it, but using good water to make good ice is something we all can do.

I grew up in a rural village where we all had well water and it was spring fed, but I've live my adult life in cities and not always had good water. The best investment I have ever made in my bar was a water cooler and bottled water. My ice is made from non-chlorinated water that is a pure as you can buy (there is a lot of arguments on how good bottled water is - some say it's just tap water - but in most cases it will be better then city/town water). The water tastes pure, thus the ice tastes pure, the drink is not tainted by the ice and you get to enjoy the flavour of the drink and not impurities in your bad tap water.

Lately I have been having some issues with my ice - fracturing into pieces rather then coming out whole from the tray. I have been doing some research into this and the basic explanation for this is the development of large crystals in the ice. This is caused by freezing too fast, or so the research says. My freezer made great ice before and now it's brittle and breaking, the only thing that has changed is the weather - seems funny to say, but think about this: humidity causes frost in the freezer, frost is ice crystals. Never the less, the solution to the problem is to boil your water before you freeze it. The boiling will drive out extra gases in the water allowing for smaller crystals to form giving better ice.

I hope that this has given some insight to good mixology and helps you make better ice (and therefore better drinks). Try it and I'm sure you will agree that good ice makes a drink that much better.

As always, 'til next time enjoy responsibly.

The Drink, She Loves Me... tonight at least

For some time now I have enjoyed the drink - that is to say, most of my life - and the last few years I have started to experiment with different recipes. I enjoy trying new things and seeing how the turn out. Sometimes it's good, great even, and other times, well, less then great.

I have been keeping a journal on what drinks I have been making for a while now (after a couple it was hard to remember what I was making - you know what I mean) and now I think it's time to share them with the world. Some have never been tried by anyone other then myself, and others have been shared and even published.

Please try them out, enjoy them, share them, and let me know what you think.

Here is a Mexican twist on the Mojito.

Tequjito

1 1/2 oz Tequila
1 Lime, juice of
1/2 Tangerine, juice of
2 sprigs of Mint
1 tsp Sugar (or simple syrup)
1 tsp Salt
Club Soda

In mortar, mix lime juice and tangerine juice with mint, sugar, and salt. Pour into highball glass with ice. Add tequila and top with club soda.

Remember, enjoy responsibly, never drink and drive, and always tip the bartender - before the nights out he'll be your best friend.