The Cocktail Challenge

As long as I am out an about as often as I am exploring new pubs, bars and night clubs I decided to start The Cocktail Challenge.

The gist of this challenge is that when I go in a bar I order a cocktail that is either very common or not common at all to challenge the bartenders.

My fist stop on the challenge this year was The Drum Room, located in the Hotel President between the Power and Light and downtown.

The challenge for the bartender at the Drum Room was a Vodka Gimlet

1 oz lime juice
1 1/2 oz vodka
1 tsp powdered sugar
Garnish with a lime wedge

As you can see this is a relativity easy recipe and I am happy to report that the bartender at the Drum Room was up to the challenge.

Side Note: The atmosphere at the Drum Room is very relaxed and easy going. Central Patti and I did stay for dinner at the restaurant located down stairs from the bar, The Providence. The food was very good with small manageable portions.

Cheers
The Professor

Counting of the Corks and Caps 2013

Wow, how fast a year goes by and with the passing of another year here at MySideOfTheBar as you may have guessed it is time for the annual counting of the Corks and Caps.

For those of you new to this blog, this annual event is where Central Patti and I count all the Wine Bottle Corks and Liquor Bottle Caps that we have saved from the many consumed bottles here at the home of MySideOfTheBar. This does not count beverages we had at other locations or establishments.

As a review here are the last few years links and numbers. You may wish to pay attention as this information will be used later.

2011 - 2012
2010-2011
2009-2010

So for the totals for this year we called in an independent accounting firm,  Deweys - Cheatum and - Howe because this year we are having a contest.

As you can see in the picture above this was the years collection and it is up to you based on this picture and the previous years totals to guess the grand total of Corks and Caps. Send me your guess by any means  you wish (post a comment, text, email, phone call, snail mail) and I will announce the winner on Memorial Day 2013 in a comment on this blog post. So it will up to you to see if you won in order to claim you prize.

Tie Breaker: Besides Wine Corks what was the other two brands of Liquors largely represented?

Happy Counting

Cheers
The Professor

Happy 5 de Mayo

Like most of my readers I enjoy any holiday that revolves around drinking. I do not believe I am going out on  a limb here by saying that Cinco de Mayo is a more popular holiday in the U.S. than it is in Mexico (as is St. Patty's Day) but most do not know the real story of this Drinking Holiday.

 

During the French-Mexican War, a poorly supplied and outnumbered Mexican army under General Ignacio Zaragoza defeats a French army attempting to capture Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico. Victory at the Battle of Puebla represented a great moral victory for the Mexican government, symbolizing the country's ability to defend its sovereignty against threat by a powerful foreign nation.
In 1861, the liberal Mexican Benito Juarez became president of a country in financial ruin, and he was forced to default on his debts to European governments. In response, France, Britain, and Spain sent naval forces to Veracruz to demand reimbursement. Britain and Spain negotiated with Mexico and withdrew, but France, ruled by Napoleon III, decided to use the opportunity to carve a dependent empire out of Mexican territory. Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juarez and his government into retreat.

Certain that French victory would come swiftly in Mexico, 6,000 French troops under General Charles Latrille de Lorencez set out to attack Puebla de Los Angeles. From his new headquarters in the north, Juarez rounded up a rag-tag force of loyal men and sent them to Puebla. Led by Texas-born General Zaragoza, the 2,000 Mexicans fortified the town and prepared for the French assault. On the fifth of May, 1862, Lorencez drew his army, well-provisioned and supported by heavy artillery, before the city of Puebla and began their assault from the north. The battle lasted from daybreak to early evening, and when the French finally retreated they had lost nearly 500 soldiers to the fewer than 100 Mexicans killed.

Although not a major strategic victory in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza's victory at Puebla tightened Mexican resistance, and six years later France withdrew. The same year, Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, who had been installed as emperor of Mexico by Napoleon in 1864, was captured and executed by Juarez' forces. Puebla de Los Angeles, the site of Zaragoza's historic victory, was renamed Puebla de Zaragoza in honor of the general. Today, Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla as Cinco de Mayo, a national holiday in Mexico.

and now you know

Cheers
The Professor

Source: History Channel.com

Blind Whiskey Tasting

Recently the founding members of the Kansas City Cigar Club (KCCC) met here at MySideOfTheBar for a blind Whiskey tasting.

 KCC's Founding Members

I picked out 6 Whiskeys that covered practically the entire Whiskey World and a price range from about 16.00 - 200.00 USD a bottle.

The Line Up

Pendleton Rye
Tullamore Dew Irish Whisky
Kansas Most Wanted 
E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bourbon
Crown Royal XR
Glenfarclas 12 yr Single Malt Scotch

We were served a half ounce pour by our hostess Central Patti and took a few notes and ranked them in order from favorite to least favorite.

                                                                 The Hostess

Without further ado, here is the results and a few comments

J.W.                                         T.G.                                      The Professor

Tullamore Dew                         Pendleton Rye                       E.H. Taylor Bourbon

Pendleton Rye                          E.H. Taylor Bourbon             Crown XR

Crown XR                               Tullamore Dew                      Glenfarclas Scotch

Most Wanted                           Most Wanted                        Tullamore Dew

Glenfarclas Scotch                   Crown XR                             Most Wanted

E.H. Taylor Bourbon               Glenfarclas                             Pendleton Rye

C.H.

Crown XR - Lavender Fingernail Polish Remover

Tullamore Dew - Expensive Flavored Fingernail Polish Remover

Most Wanted - Smooth, No Smell, Burns Throat

Pendleton Rye - Fingernail Polish Remover

Glenfarclas Scotch - Orange Flavored Fingernail Polish Remover

E.H. Taylor Bourbon - Apple Juice Flavored Lighter Fluid Burns All The Way Down

A. (last initial withheld because, well I don't know it)
Crown XR
Most Wanted
Pendleton Rye
Tullamore Dew
E.H. Taylor Bourbon
Glenfarclas Scotch


I have to say there were some very interesting rankings and observatations as I choose the Bourbon as my number one and I am a Bourbon drinker.

I gave the Scotch it's highest ranking and I also drink a lot of Scotch

J.W. had the Irish Whisky as his number one and he drinks a lot of Irish Whiskey.

The Most Wanted ranked much higher than I would have guessed.

All in all we had an excellent time and I want to thank all that attended with a special thanks to Central Patti for serving as the Hostess.

Cheers
The Professor

Will I live to see 80?

This was sent to me by one of the "Usual Suspects" and explains a lot about my life here @MySideOfTheBar

I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, she said I was doing fairly well for my age. (I am well past sixty-five). A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist
asking her, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'

She asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer, wine or hard liquor?'
'Oh no,' I replied. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!'


Then she asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?'
'I said, 'Not much... My former doctor said that all red
meat is very unhealthy!'

'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, sailing, hiking, or bicycling?'


'No, I don't,' I said.

She asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot
of sex?'

 'No,' I said...

She looked at me and said,
'Then, why do you even give a shit?'

Cheers

The Professor

ALEC BRADLEY MAX

I walked into the bar that night, looking for everything but expecting nothing.

I drew a seat at the bar and engaged the Bar keep. “Whiskey, 2 fingers, no ice.”

Then she caught my eye. Sitting alone, corner table, beautiful. The bar keep returns with my whiskey. As I pulled out my Alec Bradley MAX I asked what her story was. He said no story really, she is waiting on someone. She is always waiting on someone who never shows. I strike my lighter and puff my MAX. She catches my eyes through the flame and walks toward me. She ask, “is that a Alec Bradley MAX.” I blow out the smoke and say “yes it is” she said “I have been waiting for you” The bar keep smiles and says "the whiskey is on the house".

I walked in the bar looking for everything, but with my Alec Bradley MAX, expecting nothing was an unfair game

J-DuBB Scale - 9