MySideOfTheBar

At a request from a "Usual Suspect" (A.M.) I decided to get in one more post before the end of 2015. The question was what should I stock my bar cart with? Now while it is true I have several blogs (see links at the end of this post) I have never addressed the bar cart and this could prove tricky due to space restrictions. I always wanted to have an antique bar cart and in a way I do. The only difference is mine is technically not a cart. So here we go... You will want to stock the base liquors and I recommend a mid-range quality as you are limited on space. Vodka: Absolute modest price, but a good quality vodka Gin: I really do not like skimping on gin as this is the base for a good martini. So Hendricks is my choice here. However a nice quality at a very modest price is New Amsterdam. Whiskey: Well here is where you can really go crazy, however for Whiskey Cocktails I recommend on Bourbon and one Rye Whiskey, I would go with Four Roses Yellow Label and Ol...

Hum? Sound well... Anyway, every year as a member of the Four Roses Mellow Moments Club Four Roses sends me a Christmas Card (as well as a birthday card) hand signed by the staff at Four Roses Distillery. They year in the card then sent a link for a personal cocktail designed especially for me. (or anyone) You have to answer a few quick questions FourRosesHolidays.com and you get a cocktail created for your own personal tastes. Mine was Randy's Unwrapped North Pole As you probably are not surprised I had all the ingredients to make it 1 1/2 ounce Four Roses (pick your type) 1 ounce Campari 1/2 ounce DOM Benedictine 1/2 ounce Italian vermouth Method: In a ice filled mixing glass, add all ingredients and stir, strain into a rocks glass with large ice cubes, garnish with an orange twist An excellent sipping holiday cocktail and I know at least 1 or 2 (S. and S. M.) will enjoy it. Cheers and Happy Holiday Sipping The Professor

or the day the bar car closed at noon. As most of my loyal readers know we frequently take trips on the Amtrak. Recently was yet another adventure riding the rails (Clickity Clack) as we were off to St. Louis for the weekend. As seasoned rail travelers and professional drinkers we always carry a well stocked bar along with an ample supply of ice. We learned a long time ago that the bar car can run out of many items and you do not want to get halfway to your destination only to discover you need another drink. On this particular day we choose our seats and waited for the train to pull out of the station. As the train slowly began to move I took inventory of those around me and did not notice anything out of the norm. Of course on the train you have to have some latitude for what the norm actually is as you do see some strange things when you travel by rail. We started with our bloody marys and chatted quietly and about an hour out I started reading a book. I looked up and noticed ...

Imagine not being able to drink a cocktail (legally) for thirteen years... the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution, mandated nationwide Prohibition on alcohol on January 17, 1920.  Those dark years finally came to an end on Repeal Day, December 5, 1933 with the passing of the 21st Amendment which revoked the very unpopular 18th Amendment.  And the celebration lives on. After all, being able to enjoy a cocktail is a freedom not to be taken lightly. Not then. Not now. So pick your drink and give a toast! Oh and look at this (hint it would make a great Christmas gift for one or more of your usual suspects) Mad Men Cocktail Glasses Cheers The Professor

It is not to late to add a few items to your bar for  your Thanksgiving get together. If you family get gatherings are anything like some I know you may need it. Here are a couple of Whiskeys I have had the pleasure of trying as of late. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked The whiskey starts with standard Woodford, which is distilled in both copper pot and column stills before aging in heavily charred white oak barrels. Double Oaked starts off with standard Woodford Reserve before undergoing an inventive finishing process. Once the standard Woodford is dumped, it’s then placed in a second barrel for an additional 9 months of aging. These barrels have been toasted twice as long, and charred far more lightly, than the first barrels. The result is a different type of “seasoning” to the wood that is designed to provide a dramatic impact on the flavor of the finished whiskey. However when all is said and done this is one very, very smooth Whiskey. Priced at about 50+ USD it may n...

As the holiday party time of year is now upon us I thought a question by a loyal reader would be good to address at this time. The reader made a statement about a recent gift he was given by some friends. This particular reader is a Jamisen Drinker and his friends gave  him, well a bottle of Jamesons. His question was should the friends (who know he drinks lots of Whiskey) give him his standby or go outside the box and try a different type. I pondered the question for a couple of minutes and said that he was asking a question that really had not correct or wrong answers. From my point of view as a Four Roses Drinker I can never have enough Four Roses in my rolling stock. Also you never know what type of Whiskey I have tried so it would be difficult to try and surprise me. (although any Whiskey gift is a good gift) On the other hand if you know the person drinks a particular brand you might consider giving a gift of a different type of that brand. It also would not mat...

Recently we were on the road with MySideOfTheBar in Key West with a couple of "Unusual Suspect" friends of ours. As you might expect we were in a bar when A.S. found a brochure for the Key West Cocktail Challenge. Also as you might expect we took up the challenge. The premise was easy, visit 6 participating bars, enjoy their signature cocktail and you get a T-Shirt. You can visit them in any order and take as long as you need to. (you could even do it in 6 days, but...) I am not going to try to describe each bar as you can follow the links to see and learn more. The first stop was The Green Parrot Bar . The Green Parrot is an open air old school bar that I absolutely loved. Their signature drink was Root Beer Barrel and at least two of us liked it ;) Stop two took us to Charlie Mac's and beside the great Signature Drink, it is also a BBQ joint. We only had the chicken wings, however they were awesome. The drink here was the Huckleberry Lemonade and I have to ...