“Cocktail Condoms” and the Bartending STD’s

I usually don’t discuss mainstream news coverage on bars and cocktails, but I just couldn’t resist this and have been wanting to talk devote some time to educating my readers about the threats of Bartender STD’s. Apparently, a guy in Boston has created a laytex-type layer to cover your drink. People who use what is being called the “cocktail condom” can seemingly leave their drink unattended and return to the drink later; if the latex layer has been punctured, then it is obvious that the cocktail has been tampered with an shouldn’t be consumed. The condoms can tolerate being punctured by a straw while still retaining its form and keeping date rape drugs out. The inventor wants cities to pass ordinances requiring the condom and argues that beer and liquor companies could even advertise on them, cutting any costs for the bars.

Americans using condoms?

Our nation’s failure to utilize the condom effectively currently is certain to doom the prospects of this invention from the start, but other issues show that this concept is extremely flawed. Some critics are dead on when suggesting that this effectively turns my cocktail into a kiddie cup. Why don’t I just bring in a freaking thermos and a fruit rollup? I can’t imagine my Martini with a lid on it, though one wonders whether it would help keep the drink cold. Either way, I’m not drinking my Martini out of a straw. And, I know that to appreciate the complexity of a Miller Lite I need to sip it through a thin, elongated cylinder of plastic – that its what the guys at the World Beer Cup, did when they gave Miller Lite those four banners I see on television ads everday did right? Either way, I just don’t feel comfortable with the straw (or the beer).

We don’t need condoms for our drinks, only our beds! Be careful with your drinks and stay away from bars where there are too many people to keep up with. Doing this will not only prevent you from being a victim, it will also help you to find better bars and superior drinks. Further, these cocktails condom may keep the drugs away, but the STD’s of bartending (Sweet, Terrible, Drinks) will still get through. Here are few known cases –

“Cocktail Warts” – These wartlike projections found rimming cocktail glasses are usually caused by drink rimmers which have not been washed in months. Salty clumps form from the ongoing combination of salt and Roses lime juice, which find their way onto your glass. Instead of providing a cocktail garnish, these cocktail warts carry mold and an ungodly unnatural combination of salt and sugar.

“Gonorrhea” – Pronounced “goner-er-ria”, this bartending plague known as shots is “gone” in a matter of seconds, but it will likely reappear over the next few hours. Symptoms include excessive vomiting and strong headaches.

“PUBic Lice” – This parasite of pubs everywhere results from excessive fruit flies, or crabs which love the taste of alcohol as much as we do. They find their ways into bottles and flow into your drink. Frequently, unnoticed, they are harmful but when found symptoms of disgust and selective protein consumtionitis result.

“The Clap” – For whatever reason, bartenders across the world seem to think that consumers love their hands all over their ice and glass rims. I know I enjoy my Old Fashioneds with muddle fingernail grit, but that should be optional. Instead, numerous diseases are transferred by the clap in an effort to pack glasses with ice. This disease is the most prevalent and dangerous of all bartender STD’s.

If you want to avoid the Bartender STD’s, you don’t need a cocktail condom; you just need a good knowledge of quality bartending practices. Keep reading this blog for more information on how to avoid the terrible consequences of infected bartenders. For additional information, be sure to check out the blogs listed to your right. Specifically, Jeffery Morgenthaler’s blog has some of the best bartender commentary on the net. I’m pretty sure he’s clean, so you can trust him for more information. Failing to find good bars can put you at risk for these drugs and types of situation. Relying on the cocktail condom only puts you at greater risk.

Fundamentally, the biggest problem with the cocktail condom is that it doesn’t even work. This might make me sound like I’ve thought of ways to bypass the condom too much, but it really is kind of obvious. Let’s pretend, I am Mr. Rapist, and I want to drug the girl turning 21 because she has already had too many drinks to let me engage her with conversation, something that otherwise would never happen. She needs to go to the restroom and summons enough courage to put on a cocktail condom in front of me. After acting insulted, I simply order another drink drop the roofie and put on another cocktail condom, that the bar must legally provide (so they all look the same). If anything, the cocktail condom helps my rapist endeavors and lulls my victims into a false sense of security. The girl comes back sees my planted Vodka Red Bull concoction with an intact condom and consumes the drink. Aside from experiencing the horrible consequences of choosing this drink in the first place (check out Darcy’ post on Vodka Red Bull at The Art of Drink), the girl has made a terrible mistake. The cocktail condom fails, and like any condom that fails, pregnancy and disease may result.

While this post has included some humor, rape is a very serious issue that needs social attention and safety proposals, but considering actions like making the cocktail condom mandatory in all bars is not the answer. Universities and bars nationwide need to invest more money into educating students, especially women, about the dangers and prevalence of date rape drugs. If education seems hopeless and you still want bars to carry date rape prevention products, consider a date rape prevention coaster. These coasters allow individuals to place a small drip of their beverage on the coaster. The coaster chemically reacts to substances found in common date rape drugs and changes colors; simple and effective. Coasters or condoms? You take your pick; just watch out for the clap! I can’t shake mine it shows up wherever I go.

Photo & Additional Information Sources:
ABC NEWS & The Pitt News

Woodford Reserve – The Labrot & Graham Distillery Tour

In a market generated by hype, the spirits industry’s fickle nature is often dominated by overall drink trends and popular perceptions of a super-premium status. Many brands have benefited from a public that associates quality with smoothness, creating a dominating demand for sweeter spirits. The traditional conception of American whiskey seemingly contradicts the sweeter social preference; however, the growth in mainstream popularity of bourbons like Woodford Reserve demonstrates the influence of trendy demands. Does this appeal to a sweeter, less harsh general palate negate quality? I don’t think so, and I love Woodford Reserve.

Woodford Reserve is a bourbon. To legally carry this label, the whiskey must be made from at least 51% corn, distilled at no more than 160 proof, and barreled for at least two years in new charred oak barrels. The variation in bourbon production results from several sources including length of barreling, barrel and storage conditions, type of water used in cutting the bourbon, and distillation processes and amounts, but the most influential and basic difference among bourbons results from the other 49%. Woodford uses only 18% rye and adds 10% barley, cutting back on the spicy elements of the rye. The result is a bourbon that is milder and sweeter. While relatively few bourbons utilize the wheated approach, the popularity of those that do have surged over the past few decades. Makers Mark pioneered this approach with little success until recently; recognizing this growth in demand for a sweeter bourbon, Brown Foreman began producing Woodford Reserve. Other examples of wheated bourbons include W.L. Weller, some Pappy Van Winkles, and Old Fitzgerald. While not a wheated bourbon, Woodford Reserve is clearly appealing to this market.

The Labrot & Graham Distillery is the oldest operating distillery in Kentucky and was purchased and remodeled for the specific purpose of producing a higher quality milder bourbon. While many promotional efforts, namely the Kentucky Derby, have targeted a more mainstream market, Woodford Reserve like any quality lighter gin, less peaty scotch, or vodka produced outside of grain or potatoes is a great product. I traditionally try to promote smaller distilleries on this blog, but “Spirit of the Week” is about spirits that I like – this is definitely one of them.

Unlike most Kentucky distillery tours, the Woodford tour will cost you five dollars, but you do get a tasting at the conclusion of the tour. So hey, just consider the fee to be like buying Woodford at your local dive bar with a decent selection type place. The tour is extremely informative and the tour guides definitely understood the process better than any of the other tours I have been on. The tour starts with a video on bourbon (generic stuff) and follows with a visit to the distillery, warehouse, and bottling plant.

 

The Distillery

Despite being an extremely old site and building, the inside of the distillery is by far the most modern of any distillery in Kentucky. Computers are everywhere monitoring every aspect of the process. Everything is new; after being told so much about the history of the site at the onset of the tour, the evident modern approach takes away from the nostalgic conception of bourbon production.

Most notably, three large copper pot stills help to meet the ongoing demands of this major corporate brand. The sizes of the copper stills are enormous; to the left the distillation process is controlled and viewed through a glass casing. The distillery tour also covers barrel production and describes the importance of using new, charred American oak barrels to allow for the bourbon to take some of the burnt woods properties.

The Warehouse

The warehouse is less-remodeled and remains relatively unchanged, letting nature work her magic on the inside of the barrels. Woodford Reserve really picks up a lot from barreling, namely its vanilla tones. Additionally, Woodford is not barrel for a predetermined period. Instead, the batches are tested throughout maturation until a level of quality is reached. Other bourbons establish a specific time period, which can result in greater variation over periods of time. Different climate periods require varying barreling lengths to maintain consistency. Woodford Reserve utilizes this approach extremely effectively, improving its palate potential and creating another contention for the argument of its quality.

The Bottling Plant

The bottling plant was not operating during the tour, but in the bottling plant, we were allowed to smell Woodford Reserve at barrel strength. I could smell the Woodford Reserve all day after that experience. Bourbons are cut by water after barreling to a lower proof, which takes away from some of the flavor of the bourbon, but it does make it drinkable. Taking away from the corporate feel of Woodford was our tour companion, Elijah – the Labrot & Graham Distillery cat. I think this cat enjoyed bourbon with his mice because this had to be the friendliest cat I have ever met. He followed during the entire tour and expected to be pet from each member of our 20+ group.

Woodford Reserve is a great product produced by a quality distillery. While wheated bourbons and other milder approaches, such as that utilized by Woodford Reserve, seem to be trading the popularity of critics for that of conventional consumers, failing to see these bourbons as anything but an alternative approach in the wide spectrum of bourbon production is a mistake. Appreciation of bourbon requires an appreciation of all perspectives – even those that are created to make money off of popular trends. Trends often sacrifice quality, but popularity and quality are not mutually exclusive.

North Shore Gin No. 6 – The Bartender’s Gin

The legacy of Teddy Roosevelt is littered with contradictions, yet his hypocrisy was most blatant towards alcohol. A devoted absinthe drinker, Teddy seemed to enjoy the pleasures of a drink. However, having learned his lesson one night after consuming too much, he swore to never drink in excess again. According to all accounts, Teddy fulfilled this promise. It was absinthe after all. Despite his lifelong love for the green fairy, Roosevelt campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol since his political career began in New York. Nevertheless, Teddy’s Rough Riders and the Spanish American War are inextricably linked to the Cuba Libre and an increased interest in rum among Americans during this period. This contradictive history hardly suggests how Teddy and his big stick would react to the modern world of alcohol. However, one thing is certain - Teddy Roosevelt would be pissed!

The most important impact of Roosevelt’s political career was his defiance of large corporations. The ongoing purchasing of smaller distilleries by large corporation has become the single greatest threat to the micro-distillery movement that is critical to the reinvigorated interest in cocktails. While the growth of micro-distilleries appears to be duplicating the microbrewery movement, the critical difference between these two industries appears to be that most breweries have relished in their independence, while many smaller distilleries seem to be established for the intended purpose of selling to a larger corporation. This trend has been particularly common among tequila producers in Jalisco and Russian vodka companies, each which have ended in disastrous results (please read my posts on the tequila industry and Russian vodka industry for more information). While it is difficult to fault larger corporations for acting appropriately and with good business sense, the impact of acquisition has influenced the quality of many spirits. Other producers have been redirect towards popular trends that defiantly contradict past traditions, diminishing any previous imagination and creativity. The pillar of innovation in this global takeover remains the independent distillery.

It is important that those of us who value quality spirits that push the boundaries of the industry in positive manner show support for smaller companies. This activism does not mean that you should never drink and Tanqueray and tonic again, but these circumstances do demand that when a quality independent product is developed, support needs to be shown. Conversation and grassroots support remain the most critical component of the success of these distilleries in a heavily advertised commercial market. Relying on others to provide this publicity can only result in the failure of this entrepreneurial spirit.

One of the many distilleries nationwide producing amazing spirits is the North Shore Disillery, located near Chicago in Lake Bluff, Illinois. Founded by Derek and Sonja Kassebaum, this distillery has developed several wonderful products which will impress anyone who appreciates quality spirits. Here is a list of the spirits that North Shore produces:

Gin –
Distiller’s Gin No. 6
No. 6 Mingled with Dates
No. 6 Mingled with Ceylon Tea
Distiller’s Gin No. 11

Vodka –
North Shore Vodka
Tahitian Vanilla Vodka

Artisan Collection –
Aquavit - Private Reserve

The list speaks for itself. The list of gins alone is intriguing enough. Distiller’s Gin No. 6 is in my opinion one of the best on the market, yet the infusion of their gin with dates and Ceylon tea is a first for the industry. Not only are they pioneering the infusion of gin, but the choices of dates and Ceylon tea provides a unique product that cannot be found in any other spirit. Aside from making new flavors available to mixologists, Distiller’s Gin No. 11 is produce solely for restaurants and bars and is not available in stores, emphasizing a relationship between the distillery and any bartenders willing to try and talk about a great product. The vanilla vodka infusion is the best on the market, hands-down no questions asked, but my favorite product made by North Shore is the Aquavit. I wrote a whole post on how much I love this stuff – check it out! I know that there a bunch of quality independent distilleries out there, but I can’t think of one that produces such diverse and consistent line of quality spirits.

The one product that needs to get more attention however is Distiller’s Gin No. 6. Many bartenders really seem hyped up on Hendrick’s (I love it too), but Hendrick’s lack a critical spice dimension that prevents it from exhibiting all of the best characteristics of gin. Nevertheless, as part of the non-traditional gin movement, Hendrick’s popularity is based largely on its ability to inspire new uses in cocktails. North Shore has similar characteristics and makes some amazing cocktails, but it adds the spice dimension that Hendrick’s lacks. Additionally, unlike other newer gins, the use of citrus fruit is not too dominant. Citrus fruit should be a crucial component in any gin, but stressing citrus too much threatens the spectrum of flavors that a gin exhibits. I get some lime out of No. 6, but the juniper remains the backbone of the gin and serves a foundation for other elements (another principle that new wave gins often violate to their own detriment). The herbal properties of the gin are excellent, but as with Hendrick’s, the floral components are really distinguishing. The cardamom and lavender particularly stand out. The spice elements are magnificent as well; cinnamon is emphasized in this gin with excellent results. I love this gin and drink it neat all the time. The finish of the gin is unlike any other and focuses on the floral and peppery properties of the gin.

Despite specifically targeting bartenders through Distiller’s Gin No. 11, I think that Gin No. 6 is an amazing mixing gin. The diverse flavors work so well in so many cocktails, but their equal balance allows for certain elements to impact cocktails individually. A martini made with North Shore is my favorite, as I mentioned in the “9,204 REAL Martinis and Counting…” post, but I have tried this gin in several classic cocktails and really found these to work well:

The Bebbo Cocktail

1 ½ oz North Shore Gin No. 6
1 oz Lemon Juice
½ oz Honey
2 Teaspoons Orange Juice
1 Maraschino Cherry for Garnsih

Stir all the ingredients together without ice until the honey dissolves. The honey dissolves quicker if its viscosity is lessened through heating. After this process, shake the ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

This cocktail was saved from extinction by Dr. Cocktail (Ted Haigh) in Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails and is a variation of the Bee’s Knees Cocktail, which does not include the OJ. The gin works so well with the honey and really makes this drink reach the next level!

The Aviation

2 oz North Shore Gin No. 6
1/4 oz Maraschino Liqueur
½ oz Lemon Juice
Shake all the ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass.

This drink is usually made with a more traditional, juniper propaganda-styled gin, but because the juniper is still very active in North Shore it still works well here. I also cut back on the Maraschino Liqueur for two reasons. First, I use Stock because it is most available, and the dryness of Stock works better in a lesser quantity here (this Aviation tip came from Gary Regan in The Joy of Mixology). Also, the Maraschino Liqueur can dominate some of the more subtle properties of the gin if too much is used.

Shores Up North

2 oz North Shore Gin No. 6
½ oz Ginger Syrup
½ oz Lime Juice
Tonic Water
8 Mint Leaves
Lime Wheel for Garnish
Mint Sprig for Garnish

Muddle the mint leaves in the base of a tall glass with the ginger syrup. Fill the glass with ice and add the lime juice and the gin. Top the glass with tonic water and pour the drink into a shaker. Stir gently (don’t agitate the tonic and flatten it) but thoroughly. Strain into a an ice filled glass and garnish with the lime wheel and mint sprig.

I like this drink and made it after messing around with the Ginger Rogers in Jeff Hollinger and Rob Schwartz’s The Art of the Bar. I was going to make a Ginger Rogers, but I didn’t realize I had depleted all of my homemade ginger beer until it was too late. Not that it would have mattered; I was out of siphon cartridges as well, so I couldn’t even do a blander soda substitute. All I had was bottled tonic water, but the drink was awesome. I liked it so much I keep making it unaltered, tonic water and all! This is one of my favorites, and I have been drinking it frequently in this Houston heat!

Update: After the comments made about Audrey Saunders’ drink the Gin Gin Mule, it became apparent that her drink was strikingly similar to the drink I had made out of necessity and lack of ingredients. Here is her recipe:

 

Gin Gin Mule

½ oz Lime Juice
½ oz Simple Syrup
6 Mint Sprigs
¾ oz Ginger Beer
1 ½ oz Gin
Splash Soda Water
Lime Wedge for Garnish

Muddle the lime juice, syrup, and mint. Add gin and ginger beer and shake well. Pour over ice in a highball glass. Top with soda and garnish with the lime wedge. From Dale DeGroff’s The Craft of the Cocktail.

 

Try these drinks and the gin; you won’t be disappointed. I rarely give a complete endorsement to a single company or brand, but the North Shore Distillery not only deserves it, they belong to a group of companies that need community interest. North Shore is still predominantly available in Chicago and surrounding areas, but their website has information on how you can get your hands on some. North Shore Gin No. 6 is is featured in this post because the online community needs to provide more support for these types of products. Relying on the industry is insufficient. While gaining positive reviews from several sources, the North Shore company was underappreciated at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, receiving only a Bronze Medal. While some independent distilleries were treated more fairly at the competition, the SFSC was again used to exhibit larger brands and provide commercial opportunities for larger spirits (check out my post on the lack of objectivity of this “competition”). This is the most blatant example of why independent distilleries need more grassroots assistance. Try the gin, mix the gin, but above all, talk about it. Clearly, North Shore and others rely upon individuals and objectivity for their ongoing success. But, what is often ignored is that the industry as a whole relies upon companies like North Shore for innovation and evolution. Teddy would agree. Who knows - maybe he would raise a glass too.