Poland Spring Distilled Gin December 17, 2024

Happy Holidays to one and all. This has been a holiday season that due to the pressures at work and personal issues has not felt very festive. But with a day off before Christmas, I decided to relax by looking through the New York Times Machine to see what ads I can come across. Now consider that Prohibition had been repealed less than two years when the December 17, 1935 edition of the New York Times was published. By this time, bars and restaurants in NYC were back in full swing, many restaurants advertising for the holiday season of 1935. But one particular spirits ad stood out to me because of not only its rarity, but also because of its name brand. Look at the following ad:

Now for those of us New Yorkers, the Poland Spring bottled water brand is one of the most, if not the most recognizable bottle water brand in the city. Poland Spring bottled water even advertises themselves as the official bottled water brand of the 2024 American League Champion New York Yankees. Now imagine me finding this ad for a distilled gin sold in a bottle with a bearded man on the front. Is that Moses? And make no bones about it, this is the one and the same Poland Spring that the bottled water is sourced from. The font used for the advertising has not changed one bit. What better subject to go down the proverbial rabbit hole on a day off. But first a little backstory.

Water has been sourced for sales from the Maine spring since 1845. But the name Poland Spring has been around since the late 1700's. There was a resort that started as a rest stop for carriages to becoming a world class resort. For a more in depth history behind the Poland Spring resort, check the following website The Historic Poland Spring by Brian Harris. On to the gin.

As you can see in the ad, the same Ricker family from the resort sold the Poland Spring Gin and was distilled by H.M. Walker Inc. Not surprisingly, the elaborate bottle with the bearded man is a collector's item. The gin? Not so much. Here is how the flavor profile is described from the GinIsin review:

Poland Spring Gin’s nose has a bit of ethanol and barbershop aroma on the nose. There’s a slight hint of sweetish smelling green juniper cast amidst a hazy, slightly musty aroma.

The palate is slightly acrid, especially at first. Intensely bitter, Poland Spring Gin has an apothecary-type flavor. Tell-tale note of green and slightly pine-forward juniper hits mid-palate, before fading quickly into a slight hint of cinnamon and spice.

The finish is long, with bitter notes of inexpensive vodka, ethanol and rubbing alcohol.

The astringency and dryness you might expect from an inexpensive classic gin are certainly there; however, especially on its own— Poland Spring Gin is a bit rough.

Woof. Not quite the positive review. The gin clocked in at 80 proof/40 ABV. I'm not sure as to when production started, let alone ended. I'll make sure to update the post if I find out more info.

Ever have the pleasure of drinking some of the Poland Spring Gin? Let me know what you think of it in the comments box. I'll be back soon with another post from the December 17, 1935 edition of the New York Times. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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Having A Pint of Smithwick's Irish Red Ale at Niall's on 52nd September 2, 2024

Happy Labor Day to one and all. This is the first of two posts of beers that I had recently at the Irish pub Niall's on 52nd (218 E 52nd St, New York, NY 10022 (212) 888-4648) For the first beer I want to profile is Smithwick's Irish Red Ale. According to the Untappd app, I hadn't had a Smithwick's since 2015. It's not a beer that is readily found unless you go to a classic Irish pub like Niall's on 52nd. Let's go down the beer rabbit hole for some history on Smithwick's Irish Red Ale.

The roots of Smithwick's lie in the Irish town of Kilkenny. John Smithwick started his brewery on the grounds of a 14th century Franciscan abbey in 1710. It seems fitting that Smithwick would start his family's brewing history here. Why? Historically monks were known to make beer. The brewery would ride highs and lows throughout the centuries and remain in the Smithwick family for over 250 before being purchased by Guinness in 1965. In 1997, Smithwick's would become part of the Diageo portfolio of beers. The Kilkenny Brewery would stop making the Smithwick's beers on New Year's Eve 2013 when production was transferred to the famed St. James' Gate brewery in Dublin, Ireland. 

For the record, I love the Irish Red Ales. But I find that they are really hard to find. Killian's Irish Red could be easily found here in NYC at bars during the 1990s. But even that beer is hard to find. Imagine my surprise when I ask the waitress at Niall's of 52nd for which beers they had on tap and right after her first beer on the list being Guinness, she says Smithwick's. I didn't let her say the third beer with how fast I ordered a Smithwick's 😋. And to make it even better, the beer came from a freshly tapped keg. So, what did I think?

As you can see from my video review on Instagram, the Smithwick's Irish Red Ale was cold, creamy, rich and malty. While I'm sure the canned and bottled versions are more than suitable, I recommend that you go with a nice cold freshly poured pint. What do you think of the Smithwick's Irish Red Ale? Let me know what you think in the comments section. 

Lo and behold I did let the waitress finish telling me what the bar's draft list was. For the second beer that I had at Nialls on 52nd, I went with a more readily available Radeberger Pilsner. Keep an eye open for that next post. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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What is Metheglin August 17, 2024

What's up peeps!!!! Once again, I find inspiration for a post from the online MMO Elder Scrolls Online. Previously I've written the following posts What is Isinglass June 30, 2022 and What is an Oenophile September 25, 2021 based on the crafting missions that are part of the game. For today's post, I'm highlighting the provisioning ingredient known as Metheglin. I had never heard of what metheglin is, and as you can see by the pensive look of my character, he is also deep in thought about what metheglin is 😁. 

I did a little research and found that the making of metheglin predates the creation of wine by using grapes. I came across the article What is Metheglin from the Hidden Legend Winery website dated May 3, 2024. Here is how the article describes what Metheglin is:

Metheglin is a special kind of mead made by mixing honey, water, spices, and herbs. This combination adds unique flavors that traditional mead doesn’t have.

Before we go forward, in case you don't know what mead is, mead is a fermented beverage that is made with honey, water and yeast. To put it simply, Metheglin is an herb infused Mead. But what are the origins of Mead and Metheglin.

According to the aforementioned article, the word Metheglin is derived from the Welsh word “meddyglyn,” Where “meddyg” stands for healing and “llyn” means liquor; similarly touched by Latin medicus meaning medical. As with many liquor types that are enjoyed today, the roots of Metheglin lay in its use as a medical remedy. 

The article goes into the details on how to make both mead and metheglin. I recommend that you check it out if you are interested in making them. Let me know if you do. I'd be interested to hear how it comes out. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,
SiscoVanilla

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For Further Reading:

• Metheglin: Crafting Spiced Mead from Hive to Honey to Herbaceous Harmony in a Glass from the Homebrew Academy website
• Types of Mead: The Ultimate Guide to Mead Classifications from the BatchMead.com website

What Type of Beer is a Radler August 4, 2024

Hey peeps, hope everyone is doing well this hot and steamy summer. I recently picked up the Samuel Adams Brewery Beers of Summer pack which contains their Summer Ale, Cherry Wheat, a hazy IPA and a Bavarian Radler knows as the Porch Rocker.

The Samuel Adams website listing for the Porch Rocker describes its offering as follows:

Sweet, tangy, and refreshing, the Radler style was inspired by German cyclists who mixed beer with lemonade to quench their thirst on hot summer days. Our take on this style starts with a golden Helles lager, then adds a unique blend of lemons to capture that fresh-squeezed lemon zest. Its crisp, light body and clean finish make Porch Rocker the ideal cold beer for hotter days. 

That got me thinking: What is the origin of the Radler style of beer? Let me jump down the beer rabbit hole.

I pulled my trusty Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth for the history behind the creation of a the radler:

Long before sports drinks and the notion of staying hydrated, there was radler, a word meaning "cyclist." The background: In 1922, Franz Xaver Kugler, the owner of a Bavarian Gasthaus was running low on beer. He had thirsty cyclists and hikers to serve, so he concocted a mixture of dunkle lager cut with lemon-lime soda, which he had in abundance. Voila! Proto-Gatorade. Now radlers are more often made with pale lagers, but bock and dunkel lagers are used occasionally as well. 

Now if you are thinking that a radler is the same as a shandy then you are correct. Shandies (as they are called in the UK) are made with beer and lemon-lime soda. While in Germany, fruit juices such as grapefruit, pineapple and lemon to mention few is used as it can be found in the Schofferhofer Hefeweizen, Bitburger and Paulaner line of beers.

What did I think about the Porch Rocker by Samuel Adams? I found it to be very refreshing. It was light, zesty and tart due to the added lemon zest and puree during the brewing process. It clocks in at a 4.5 ABV with an 8 IBU. You can check out what I thought about the Porch Rocker from my trusty SiscoVanilla Instagram page. 

Have you had the Porch Rocker? What did you think: Yea, Nay, Meh? Let me know what you think in the comment section. Any recommendations for other radlers? Please let me know. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking, 

SiscoVanilla 

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Olde English 800 🐯 Ads and Commercials July 30, 2024

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back to another post by yours truly. Every so often I look to back in the day to some of the brews that I used to drink back back before the year 2000. I've profiled a a few of those beers in the following posts: 

• Ballantine Ale Ad from the New York Times December 23, 1937 January 7, 2019, 
• What is Malt Liquor October 10, 2019, 
• Country Club Malt Liquor October 17, 2019, 
• Colt 45 Malt Liquor October 18, 2019

Today I'm going to show some of the ads and commercials of the brew that we used to call The Old Gold and Old E: Olde English 800. 

Old E hit the market in 1964 and would become a mainstream brand when it was purchased by the Pabst Brewing Company in 1979. By the 1980's, Old E was its best selling beer and by the early 1990's, the 40oz glass bottle Old E (along with Colt 45, St. Ides, Private Stock and Ballantine Ale to name a few) could be found in every bodega in the hood. The advertising campaign squarely reflected the demographic that it was targeting. Here are a few images:

By the 2000's, Olde E was no longer the best selling beer that it once was. Miller purchased the brand and once again, Olde E is being sold along the East Coast. Here is a classic Olde E commercial from the late 1980's:

Here is one more, this one is a radio commercial from the sometime in the 1970s or 1980's. 

Well, that all for today. I hope you enjoyed this small little walk down the Malt Liquor memory lane. See you soon. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking, 

SiscoVanilla 

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Liquor Ads From the 07-25-1935 New York Times July 25, 2024

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. It's been a while since I've posted something to my trusty SiscoVanilla Serves and Drinks blogpage. Not working in the bar business and being swamped with work at the USPS, leaves me with little time to do some research. But I'm going to try and change that one post at a time. So to start that change, I went back to the past and dug through the proverbial crates that the New York Times archive TimesMachine provides. 

For today, I'm posting liquor ads from the July 25, 1935, edition of the New York Times. Here are some of the ads that I found:

What I found interesting is that the types of liquor advertised were very limited. It goes to show how the popular liquor types at the time were Scotch, Whiskey and Gin. There are some familiar brands here: White Horse and Dewar's Scotches, Fleischmann and Booth's gin. The one brand I'm not familiar with is The Maryland Club Special Reserve Blended Whiskey.

As of yet I haven't found much about the Maryland Club Special Reserve Blended Whiskey. What I did find was that it was produced at the Baltimore distillery Cahn, Belt & Co. from 1870 and 1919. Not surprising, production ceased with the enforcement of the National Prohibition Act aka Prohibition in 1920. At the time of the ad in 1935, it claims that the company waited two years after the repeal of Prohibition that they waited to reintroduce the Maryland Club Special Reserve back into the market. When did they stop producing the Maryland Club Special Reserve? I haven't been able to find that out yet. What I didn't know that historically, American whiskey distilling has roots in Maryland and Pennsylvania. So, it's not surprising that Philadelphia based distiller New Liberty Distillery would capitalize on those roots.  

According to the article New Liberty Distillery: Commemorating Maryland’s Rich Distilling History by Stephen Patten from the Beverage Journal dated April 20, 2016, the Maryland Club brand was so influential, that it was even part of the liquor selection available to the guests on the H.M.S. Titanic. 

For a much more in depth history of Maryland's whiskey history, I recommend you read Lydia Woolever's article AMERICA’S FIRST WHISKEY WAS BORN IN MARYLAND. CENTURIES LATER, IT STRIVES FOR A HISTORIC COMEBACK IN BALTIMORE from Baltmore Magazine dated December 2023. Also, for some information on the renaissance of Maryland whiskey, check out Maryland Rye Whiskey Has Finally Returned. But What Was It in the First Place? by Clay Risen from the New York Times dated February 14, 2019.

Well, that's all for now folks. I have some beer ads from the same July 25, 1935, edition of the New York Times for the next post. Keep your eyes peeled for it. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking, 

SiscoVanilla 

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Castle Hill Avenue on the 6 Train Part 1 May 16, 2023

Hey Hey peeps, what's up!!! Thank you in advance for giving my page a view. For today's post I'm at the Castle Hill Station which is on the Pelham Line 6 train.

On my day off I undertook a long walk and engaged in some lunchtime brews and grub at the Havana Café on Castle Hill.

Since 2017, Havana Café on Castle Hill Avenue (1247 Castle Hill Avenue, Bronx NY 718-822-4800) brings a little slice of Cuba with a Bronx twist.

Havana Café has a nice feel to it. The seating area has banquettes that go across the length of the restaurant with a roughly 13 seat reverse L shaped bar. In terms of food and drinks, Havana Café has a full liquor bar with house cocktails (such as the Curvy Colada) as well as bottle, can and draft beers. The drinks accompany a full food menu. Brunch on Saturday and Sundays 12-4. Happy hour Monday to friday 3-7. On to what I had at the Havana Café.

For today's food and drink pairing, I ordered a delicious and solid steak sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes and caramelized onions with plantain chips and a bottle (or two 😉) of Puerto Rico's Medalla Light. 

Brewed by La Cervecera de Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, Medalla Light was inspired by Puerto Rican athletes. According to the Medalla Light website:

Inspired by the medals of the 1979 PanAmerican Games, Medalla Light was born as a celebration of our athletes’ triumphs.

With San Juan hosting the games for the first time, the 1979 PanAmerican Games marked Puerto Rico’s history forever. That year, our delegation won 21 medals that not only made an entire country proud, but also inspired the name of its beloved national beer.

Medalla Light is the result of nearly a century of experience in the art of brewing. Crafted with the highest standards of quality and the world’s finest ingredients, it has been recognized internationally in three continents, including the prestigious Monde Selection®.

Carefully selected hops and two-row barley come together to create a full-flavored, light lager; with a golden color, a clean aroma and a refined taste."

Medalla comes in at 4.2% ABV and is a very light but tasty lager with surprising body for a light beer.

And since I mentioned the Curvy Colada above, here is their flyer.

And with the weather hopefully getting warmer by the day, they have their piña colada machine up and running and the blenders whirring for their other frozen drinks. 

For my next post on places to visit on Castle Hill Avenue near the 6 train, I'll briefly profile some of the other nearby bars and restaurants. 

Any recommendations? Leave them in the comment box. 

Until Then May You Have Some Happy, Safe and Responsible Drinking,

 
SiscoVanilla

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