MySideOfTheBar

So a little over a year ago I was in Key West and was looking for a hat to wear in the sun. I settled for one with a picture of an old plane on it and it said "Last Flight Out." I was fortunate to be in the Keys again recently and found out the entire story on "Last Flight Out." So I thought I would share it with you... During the 1970s there were only two ways to either arrive or depart Key West. You could drive your car on old U.S. 1 and cross the infamous seven-mile bridge (extremely narrow with only inches between passing cars), or you could fly on Air Sunshine, the only airline to service Key West.\ The first flight took off at 8 a.m. and the last flight out was at 11 p.m. Conchs (residents of the Keys) affectionately called the airline “Air Sometimes” because of its inability to fly on schedule. Tourists visiting Key West realized they were enjoying one of Florida’s best-kept secrets and many were reluctant to leave. The rallying cry became, “I’m ...

Last week I was doing some research on one of my favorite subjects, Martinis. I came across a recipe that did not have much of a name. As luck would have it I had all the ingredients in my rolling stock so I mixed one up. 2 parts Gin 1 ½ parts Sweet Vermouth 1/5 part Maraschino Liqueur Dash Angostura Bitters Dash Orange Bitters Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake hard over ice. Strain into martini glass and garnish with orange zest/slice and cherry I enjoyed this drink very much and as you can see by the picture I used New Amsterdam Gin, however I would like to try it with Hendrick's as this it is one of my favorite Martini Gins. Now for the Contest: In the comments below pick a name for this Martini and if chosen you could win a prize selected especially for you Cheers TheProfessor

I have to post these from time to time as some are way to good to keep to myself. This was sent to me by one of the Baypoint "Usual Suspects" M. C. (thank you) As a former college instructor I can relate to excuses from students! There were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had an 'A' so far. These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to Florida State until early Monday morning. Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it.  They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final.  The professor agreed they could make up the fin...

If you have been following this blog for awhile, you more than likely remember the post on Infused Vodka where I describe my process for infusing Vodka for Bloody Mary's. My original interest, much like other cocktail interest, was peeked by two bartenders, Martin of the Plaza Mariot and Neva from Bobbers at the Lake of the Ozark. Those two really taught me a lot and made me appreciate that a real Bloody Mary does not come in a bottle of pre-mix. I have also been on a rant lately when ordering a Bloody Mary in a pub only to find out it is made with a mix. So I volunteered to do a presentation  this past weekend to set the record straight and show you how easy it is to make a Bloody Mary with ingredients you already have on hand. The Bloody Mary has  has been called "the world's most complex cocktail". Which does not mean it is that hard to make. What do you normally have in your refrigerator? Including Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef bou...

Recently Central Patti and I caught the train in Jefferson City and rode the rail to ST. Louis to see our good buddy and fellow TobacPack member C.M. perform at the Improv Shop. If your like me you may not be that familiar with Improvisational Comedy. Improv by definition is: A form of theater where most or all of what is performed is created at the moment it is performed. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script. What improv really is is just plain funny and very high energy. C.M.  preformed  with a small group of 7 and we were totally  entertained .  The place was rocking and the laughter never stopped. Oh and did I mention they had a top shelf bar? We even were able to enjoy several drinks with C.M. (or was it S.B. hum) after the show Cheers The Professor