Holiday Wish List
The giving season has returned and with it comes the onslaught of the annual wish lists and press releases that try to convince everyone that a particular item is a must have do-dad. Most of the time they miss the mark, sometimes there is a gem. But for me, I did deeper and try to find things that people will actually like, well okay, things I like, want and would use. I’ve taken my cue this year from Simple Plan’s “My Christmas List” and I want everything!

Still Waters Distillery
Starting a distillery from scratch can be a daunting task, especially in Canada, but the gentlemen at Still Waters Distillery have succumbed to their passion and taken the leap anyway. For cocktail aficionados they are planning to produce a 100% rye whisky, but with aging that is a few years away. Single malt whiskies seem to be their true passion, but again good whisky takes time. While they are laying down stocks of malt and rye for aging they have put the still to work making a 100% barley malt vodka. This may be the best use of vodka yet--to support micro-distillers.

Tales 2010
Do you have a great idea that you absolutely need to share with the bartending community? If so Tales of the Cocktail is now accepting submissions for presentations for Tales of the Cocktail 2010.  I’m sure most people are familiar with this event, so I’ll skip the rehash. You don’t need any previous speak experience to submit an idea, but the idea needs to be good. Here’s some of my tips on how to weasel your way down to New Orleans. 1. Have a good presentation idea. It doesn’t need to be excessively complex, sometimes too much information is a bad thing. I did a presentation on Sugar, w

Ammonia Coke
Adding things to Coca-Cola is a time honoured tradition, two that immediately come to mind are cocaine and rum. Another is Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia. Now this isn't kitchen cleaner ammonia, which would be big mistake, this is a pharmaceutical preparation that has been used for over a century, even before Coke was invented. For druggists, this preparation was an over-the-counter medicine used to treat a variety of conditions. Unlike other patent medicines (snake oil), Aromatic Spirits of Ammonia survived and can still be bought at some pharmacies today. It makes for an interesting taste combination with Coca-Cola.

Beverages De Luxe (1914)
Just prior to prohibition, a great little booklet was put out by The Wine and Spirit Bulletin called Beverages De Luxe. It is a collection of articles, and recipes, written by owners of distilleries and others in the business. Some of the contributors include George Brown (Brown & Foreman) and A.M. Hanauer (Hamburger Distillery, Pittsburgh, PA) among many others. Hanauer wrote a piece on rye whisky and quotes Bismarek as saying “Beer is for women, wine is for men and rye is for heroes.”  There is some great info on vermouth, New England Rum and Gin. Plus some really interesting recipes from many of the hotels across America. Wanna see?