Archive for June, 2009
posted by admin on Jun 27
After a day of working in the oppressive sun, a cool, refreshing drink is usually in regulate. What happens when you find out you have no lemons or limes? Beer is always and option, yes, but in that place are other choices. If you look rear a couple hundred years, one of the indifferent refreshers was Switchel. If you go back even further you’ll come across its precursor Oxymel. What do these two drinks have in common? They both contain vinegar as the acidulant. If you read on, you’ll see it’s not because bad as it sounds.
Before refrigeration, and rapid transit, citrus fruit were and nothing else available for a very narrow period of time every year. For some northern countries, it would have been very expensive to use lemons and limes, regularly, meaning only the rich enjoyed them. That also means the peons had to find something else to use.
The at ease choice was vinegar. Cheap and abundant, anyone could afford it. It was often the by product of fermented liquids, undergoing further bacteria fermentation, turning the alcohol into vinegar. Wine, beer, cider, perry and metheglin often turned to vinegar before it could be consumed. People would never throw this out, they’d due shape the price and take a bribe for it, or use it as far as concerns preserving other foods (pickling).
This natural process of bacterial fermentation would have affected everything. Most alcoholic drinks probably had a quantity of vinegar in them. Since this was normal, clan developed a try the flavor of for vinegar flavoured beverages. Well, they weren’confidentially induce off by dint of. them at in the smallest degree, and drinking a mug of sweetened sour wine, was a cheap and easy distance to drink something secure place.
It should be pointed out that only the poorest of the poor drank incorporated town furnish with water. Since people dumped their cavity pots out the window, onto the street, most city water was contaminated with all manner of unhealthy excrement. The Black Plague, Yellow Fever and Small Pox also made people avoid contaminated water. Most fermented drinks were relatively safe, and vinegar was a much better election than a glass of water.
With an acquired taste for vinegar, vulgar herd obviously started mixing it. Straight vinegar was never a great option, but blended with something sweet, it was passable and even pleasant. One of the early vinegar based drinks was called Oxymel, made from honey, vinegar and water, which is referenced as far back as the 15th century, if not further.
“But you related they didn’t drink the water?”
OK, they did have sources of water, like rainwater cisterns. If you were lucky, there may have been a natural spring to pull water from, or an aqueduct that brought fresh water to the city. But bars and taverns were unlikely to store get water, when they had beer, wine and frame of mind to store. Oxymel was in the greatest degree likely a drink consumed at home.
From Oxymel came Switchel. They say Switchel originated in the 1600’session in the West Indies and worked its way north to American farmers. Probable, but the solely difference between Oxymel and Switchel is the addition of a ungifted quantity of ginger and the employment of molasses as the sweetening agent.
American farmers adopted this punch during the fall harvest. It became for a like reason popular that it eventually became known as Haymaker’session Punch.
Switchel Recipe
1 cupping-glass (25 cl) Cider Vinegar
1 cup (25 cl) Molasses
1 Tbls (1.5 cl) Fresh Ginger (grated)
1 Quart (1 Litre) Water
Instructions: Stir all ingredients together and serve on ice. Serves 4 to 6 people. If you esteem time, prepare it in 4 to 8 hours in advance, as it helps to mellow the ginger.
I was surprised that I actually enjoyed this. If the proportions are granted equitable, it is profitable balanced and refreshing. The molasses and ginger add the flavour, but maybe to much for some. The solution is simple, use another sweetener. Plain table sugar works even-handed fine, or maybe Golden Syrup or Demerara sugar is more to your liking. My one precedence is light Treacle and white wine sour.
“Excuse me, but where’s the alcohol?”
Well, not every drink needs alcohol, and this is the Art of Drink, not the Art of Drunk. But, I do see potential for the additional of a little liquor. I tried Wray & Nephew Overproof rum, and it wasn’t to my liking. To work with the acid, a straight spirit probably isn’familiarily going to work as favored as something fruity (i.e. the Shrub). Here’s what I tried:
Oxymelon
1¼ oz Mindori Melon Liqueur
1½ oz Water
1 Tbls White Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp Fructose*
Instructions: Combine in a glass with ice, stir and enjoy.
This is a very pleasant summer drink. Nicely acidic, balanced sweetness and no perceivable acetic acid smell. It was so profitable, my wife, Caroline, chugged it back, slammed the glass steady the “bar” and ordered up a second. No joke.
posted by admin on Jun 27
We are practically drowning in a sea of branded tap handles right very lately, and more and more are arriving everyday. It’s effin fantastic! There are faucet handles by reason of beers and breweries I hadn’t even heard of. Whether you’re looking for a specific tap handles despite what you’re serving or collecting them just instead of fun, wish a look-see. You never know the kind of you might find!
Here’s a few of the newest tap handles up now:
posted by admin on Jun 27
For more, Guinness is the end all, subsist all beer of choice, no good sense that which time of year it is. I’broil a huge Guinness fan myself, and although I take in in a great contain of other brews when the mood strikes (you know this if you’ve happened upon my beer reviews), Guinness is truly my favorite. For those of you out there like me, Guinness in continuance draft is the way to go.
posted by admin on Jun 26
There are wine tastings, and then there are wine tastings. And then, there are experiences that completely rise above a bunch of tables with vintners standing behind them pouring their wines. I’ve been to a few “destination” wine experiences, some of that have been great, but none of which have been more appropriate than the International Pinot Noir Conference that takes place every year in McMinnville, Oregon.
Scheduled over a long July weekend each year, IPNC is one of the most relaxed and 
posted by admin on Jun 25
We’ve got two brand-spankin’ new Guinness sandbar signs, just in, and they’re positively fantastic. In fact, they score almost as high upon the body my "rad" scale as the vintage style Guinness signs. I’ll most definitely be scoring these for myself.
First up is our new Guinness Toucan Bar Sign - I’ve never seen a metal Guinness sign quite like this. The dear toucan is practically in flight, swooping up under the iconic Guinness Extra Stout logo, all atop a pint pattern that positively pops the foreground. This sign is officially licensed by Guinness and comes complete with pre-drilled holes with a view to easy hanging. Grab this beauty for regular $14.95.
Our support new sign is a strictly fresh get hold of on the work of the first class Guinness logo. Looking like a snapshot of a perfectly poured pint, complete with condensation, the Guinness Classic Label Light-Up Sign is backlit with fluorescent bulbs for a look like none other. Hangs easily, plugs into any standard outlet and adds subtle flair to in any degree bar or room. Grab this acrylic sign for rightful $49.95.
posted by admin on Jun 25
I am a bulky fan of beer. When it comes to cocktails, I tend to stick with the tried-and-true traditional types. And then there’s beer cocktails - a whole contrasted progeny altogether. The Irish Car Bomb is one great example, but in that place are plenty more out there, I can assure you, and not all of them require speed-chugging to enjoy.