Liquor Ads From the New York Times April 28, 1959 Part III April 29, 2018

Welcome back peeps to another installment of Liquor Ads from the April 28, 1959 edition of the New York Times. This post has to do with a particular scotch whisky that I have to say I have never heard about nor can I find any real information on it on the internet.

The ad is for Martin's V.V.O Scotch Whisky and is dubbed "The Happiest Scotch." There's a dapper Scotsman rocking a nice big Kool-Aid smile while undoubtedly holding a tall glass of Martin's V.V.O on the rocks or a scotch and soda with the aforementioned Martin's V.V.O.

A basic search online tells me that Martin's V.V.O. was an 8-year old Blended Scotch Whisky and was 86 proof. Searching on the NYPL What's on the Menu website, results in 11 hits with the oldest being from a Cotton Club menu from 1938. And that's about it.

So here is my query for you faithful scotch drinkers and aficionados online. Can anyone shed any light on this particular scotch for your humble narrator? Any info would be appreciated in order to quench my curiosity.

Here is an image of the bottle from around the early 1960's:

I await your answers with baited breath.


Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla

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Liquor Ads From the New York Times April 28, 1959 Part II

Hey welcome back folks. I'm back at the old school ads from the April 28, 1959 edition of the New York Times courtesy of the TimesMachine. Today I wanted to focus on an ad from Justerini & Brooks.

The ad makes the following claim:

Charles Dickens was an eminent patron of Justerini & Brooks who have been purveyors of fine wines and spirits for over two centuries. Today this celebrated house is famous for a standard of quality that has brought good cheer and good fellowship to every corner of the world. Try the famous J & B Rare Scotch, of flavor unsurpassed. 

I was like "Whoa. Charles Dickens drank J&B????" (I can just hear my friend Melvin yell out J-B in Spanish.) Well that's not quite how it was. J&B Rare Scotch Whisky was created in 1932, while Charles Dickens lived until 1870. So he didn't drink the J&B Rare Scotch. In my mind, was this just an example of hyperbole for the sake of advertising? I had originally profiled J&B Rare Scotch Whisky in the post Crimson: The Color of Blood (1973) and I guess I missed the Dickens connection. What I found out was that he was a customer and bought wine and other spirits from the Justerini & Brooks Company. I decided to look a bit closely into the Justerini & Brooks Company.

Justerini & Brooks can trace their history back to 1749 and according to the Justerini & Brooks history website they awarded the Royal Warrant by every consecutive British monarch since King George III (1761). Since 1858, they started to export wine and spirits to overseas private collectors. And here I thought that the initials J&B represented a scotch whisky that my dad drank back in the 1970s. But back to Charles Dickens.

On the same history website for the Justerini & Brooks, they have images of an invoice to Charles Dickens for services rendered, as well as two signed checks by Dickens to Justerini & Brooks. Here they go for your viewing pleasure:

I guess the ad mentioning Dickens wasn't hyperbole after all. Here are a couple of other J&B Rare Scotch Whisky ads featuring Charles Dickens from the early 1960's:

It just like I say: You should always learn something new everyday. Today I definitely did. I'll be back with some more movie and old school ads post in the days to come.

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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Liquor Ads From the New York Times April 28, 1959 Part I

For those of you who have followed this blog for some time now know that I like to look through old issues of the New York Times using their TimesMachine website. The website allows me (as a subscriber) to access Volume 1, Issue 1 from 1859 up to 2002. That's amazing. So aside from using it for my Historical research, I use to look for old school liquor ads.

The website gave me the date of April 26, 1959 at random. It was the Sunday edition on that day and it was hundreds of pages deep. Way too much searching. So I went to days ahead to April 28, 1959 and I hit the motherlode of liquor ads.

A total of 18 different liquor ads graced the pages of the New York Times that day and only 2 of them weren't a scotch, whiskey or a bourbon. For today's post I am going to focus on one of the two non scotch, whiskey or bourbon ads: the "Ancient Bottle Distilled Dry Gin" Seagrams Golden Gin.

According to the Seagrams Gin website, Seagrams with Samuel Bronfman at the head of the company debuted its flagship Seagram's Gin, dubbed the "Ancient Bottle,” in 1939. The gin was advertised as being 94 proof which makes for a pretty potent gin.

Now I'm not sure if Seagrams discontinued the Golden Gin when they debuted the Seagrams Extra Dry Gin in the 1950's or repackaged it as the Extra Dry Gin since the Extra Dry is advertised as being a lower 80 proof. Regardless if its different or one in the same, the ads that came out for the Ancient Bottle were in my opinion pretty awesome. I especially like the imagery evoked by the following ad:

Makes me want to sit on the beach sipping G&T's. And here's this collection of four ads:

Being a gin that is distilled in the United States, the ad of the 49er with his rifle evokes that feeling of 'Murica!!!! LOL. For those of you who might be curious as to how much a cocktail with the Seagrams Golden Gin would have cost you in 1960, look no further to the menu of Sweets Restaurant that was located at 2 and 4 Fulton Street, NYC.

The menu, which can be found at the New York Public Library's Whats on the Menu website, is dated November 22, 1960 and the price for a straight up shot of the Seagrams Golden Gin was only 0.75.

When converted to today's dollars, it would cost you roughly $6.00 for the same shot. its actually quite economical. No? Sweets Restaurant, which as per their menu was established in 1845, was founded by Abraham M. Sweet. It was billed as New York City's oldest seafood restaurant and survived until 1992 when it was destroyed by the December Nor'easter known as the Great Nor’easter of December 1992. So there's a little bonus NYC history for you gals and guys.

Maybe I'll dip to my local liquor store and pick up a small bottle of the Extra Dry and see if I can recreate that feeling of being on a beach drinking G&T's. Or maybe not. LOL.

I have quite a few more ads to profile in the next few weeks. 

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla

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Thunderball (1965) Part II

In my prior post Thunderball (1965) Part I, I profile the Rum Collins cocktail that SPECTRE agent Emile Largo (Adolfo Celi) offers Bond at his estate Palmyra. For this post, I wanted to look at a few more instances where spirits were front and center in Thunderball including a look at a West Indian Rum from Trinidad.

Thunderball Look Down Tribute
by Peter Lorenz

Junkanoo is in full swing and Bond is captured the car that they are in is stuck in traffic. On comes one of the revelers with a bottle of Bacardi Superior that the reveler says is full of Firewater.

Since its a festive environment, the reveler puts the bottle in the window and graciously offers it to everyone. Friendly fellow isn't he?

Bond uses the bottle of Firewater not to wet his whistle but to make a break for it. True to its name, the firewater is spilled in the car and Bond uses the light that SPECTRE agent Fiona (Luciana Paluzzi) is using to light her cigarette. Whoosh, the liquid is aflame and Bond is on foot trying to escape through the Junkanoo.

Now while there is currently a cinnamon schnapps sold under the Fire Water brand, Firewater generally refers to a homemade distilled spirit such as a moonshine that is usually of a high proof. I like how the reveler tells Fiona that she should have a sip since it won't harm her. Especially since he is sweating bullets. Now you can say maybe its just hot, and it could be, but I can personally attest to how drinking Firewater can make you sweat bullets

Back in the mid 1990's (yes, way back when LOL) I was hanging in New Jersey when someone from the group I was with produced a gallon bottle full of a clear liquid. The hooch was passed around in plastic cups and me being me shot down in one gulp what was definitely a double shot of overproof homemade moonshine. Lets just say that it was the middle of February and for about three hours I was out in the elements without a coat because I was burning up due to the Firewater. LOL. Trust me Mr. Friendly Reveler, it can definitely harm you. But back to Bond.

Bond makes his escape to the Kiss Kiss Club. After he ducks into the men's room to clean up his wounded leg, naturally Bond saunters up to the bar. At the bar you can see a number of bottles including Cutty Sark Scotch Whiskey, Beefeater Gin and to Bond's right at his elbow is a bottle of Fernandes Vat 19 Trinidad Rum.

Fernandes Vat19 Rum is known as "The Spirit of Trinidad" and has the moniker "Liquid Sunshine" on many a label of the modern bottles. From what I gather, the Fernandes Distillers Ltd. was purchased by the Angostura some time during the 1970s and the Vat 19 brand was acquired by the William Grant and Sons in 2002.

According to the Fat Rum Pirate's post for Vat 19 Golden Rum:

The rum is aged before blending for 3 years. It is bottled at 37.5% (a lot of entry level rum’s are to make them slightly more afforadable). I doubt 2.5% ABV makes much difference at these levels.

To be honest, I have yet to get my hands on Vat 19 Rum. So I'll have to hold off on a review for now until I can get a bottle. Until then, here are two video from what looks like it is from the late 1980's for Fernandes Vat 19 Rum. Enjoy.

So I'm back doing the SiscoVanilla At The Movies post. I have some catching up to do. But I'm looking forward to seeing what booze references I can find in the flicks that we all love to watch.

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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SiscoVanilla Drinks The Grumpier Old Man April 25,2018

As I mentioned in my last post SiscoVanilla Drinks The Grumpy Old Man, the author of the Old Man Drinks book Robert Schnakenberg recommends the following tweak to the Grumpy Old Man Cocktail:

Most recipes suggest you ratchet up the decrepitude even further by using Old Grand-Dad high-proof bourbon. Swap in some sour mix for the ginger ale, and you've got yourself a Grumpier Old Man. Come to think of it, that much sour mix would make a young man grumpy, too.

That's exactly what I did. So here is a bonus drink from the Old Man Drinks Cocktail Challenge:

👴 Grumpier Old Man 👴

2oz Old Grand-Dad 100 Proof Bourbon
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
Sour Mix Top

Pour Bourbon over ice in old fashioned glass. Add lime juice and top with sour mix.

Before I go into what I thought of the drink, Finn's Corner (660 Washington Avenue, corner of Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 347-663-9316) carries the 100 proof Old Grand-Dad Bourbon as opposed to the 114 proof Old Grand-Dad. Now I'm not sure if the extra overproof would have made any difference in my POV, but for the purposes of transparency just wanted to be clear on which Old Grand-Dad we used.  On to the Grumpier Old Man.

Whomever came up with the idea to "ratchet up the decrepitude even further" is one sick puppy. Where I found the Grumpy Old Man cocktail to be quite palatable, this drinks was as puckered as the prickly old dude from Monster House. 

And that's saying something since I actually don't mind a tart cocktail. But this was just torturous. Don't believe me? Check out my YouTube video SiscoVanilla Drinks A Grumpier Old Man 04/24/2018 I think the look on my face speaks for itself. LOL.

I won't be trying that cocktail again. The Grumpy Old Man, yes. No need to get any Grumpier.

I won't be working at Finn's Corner next week. I'll be hopefully be doing some networking at a book release party. Let's see how that goes. 

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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SiscoVanilla Drinks The Grumpy Old Man April 23, 2018

After a long work week, its time to start the Old Man Drinks Cocktail Challenge. Kind of feeling like a Grumpy Old Man so it would seem apropos that the first cocktail I pull out of the book is The Grumpy Old Man.

The cocktail is very simple and straight forward like most of the cocktails in the book. Here is the recipe:

Grumpy Old Man
2oz Knob Creek 100 proof Bourbon
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
Ginger Ale top

Pour Bourbon over ice. Then pour lime juice and top with Ginger Ale.

I really have to admit that this is one tasty cocktail. I find that the fresh lime juice is the game changer. It gives the cocktail a nice light feel both on the palate and on the nose. It smells amazing. But a few of these with the Knob Creek 100 proof bourbon is liable to put you on your ass, so be careful about sucking these down too fast. 

Here is the YouTube video I made taste testing the cocktail:

If you want to ramp up the cocktail, the author of the Old Man Drinks book Robert Schnakenberg recommends the following tweak:

Most recipes suggest you ratchet up the decrepitude even further by using Old Grand-Dad high-proof bourbon. Swap in some sour mix for the ginger ale, and you've got yourself a Grumpier Old Man. Come to think of it, that much sour mix would make a young man grumpy, too. 

Guess I have a bonus cocktail to work with Tuesday at Finn's Corner (660 Washington Avenue, corner of Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 347-663-9316)

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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SiscoVanilla Reads and Drinks From Old Man Drinks April 23, 2018

As I posted yesterday among a variety of my social media outlets, I'm reading the cocktail book Old Man Drinks: Recipes, Advice and Barstool Wisdom by Robert Schnakenberg. The book is a real pisser. The anecdotes given by the old dudes in the book are hilarious. Plus each recipe has a historical reference or tidbit. I highly recommend you give it a read.

So I've decided to give myself a challenge here. I'm going to try and make myself each and every drink in the book. Now some of the cocktails might be a bit difficult to make due to hard to find ingredients. But I'll do my best to recreate each and every cocktail. Not sure if I'm going to go in alphabetical order since I've already profiled a number of the recipes.

Look forward to trying some of the Old Man Drinks...now get off my lawn. 😉

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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What is Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur

I was rummaging through the liquor cabinet at Finn's Corner (660 Washington Avenue, corner of Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 347-663-9316) and came across an interesting looking bottle of Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur. Immediately I knew who this bottle was for. And after reading the description of what the history of Bärenjäger is, it definitely was apropos. 

For those of you who don't know, Bärenjäger is a German made Honey Liqueur. The name for this liqueur was originally Bärenfang, which translates literally to Bear Trap. Later changed to the now named Bärenjäger (Bear Hunter), the liqueur was made with honey with the intent purpose to lure bears out of their dens by hunters in medieval Germany. And to be sure, I know of a bear of a guy that will be lured to come out to Finn's in Brooklyn for a taste or two of the Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur, LOL. 

The Bärenjäger line was expanded in 2013 to include the aforementioned Honey & Pear Liqueur. and a Honey and Tea Liqueur. On the website there is a Honey and Bourbon liqueur which debuted in 2012. The Pear and Tea versions aren't listed which leads me to believe that they are discontinued. But on to the bottle at hand.

The Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur has a beautiful golden color and according to the website, each bottle of the original Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur contains 225g of Mexican honey in each 750ml bottle. The Honey and Pear version also contains a Williams Pear Brandy also known as eau-de-vie. If I'm not mistaken, I received a small bottle of Williams Pear Brandy from someone a few years back after a trip to Berlin. I need to see if I still have that little bottle. But I digress. 

Now to be honest, I've never had any of the Bärenjäger liqueurs. So I was wondering if the Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur was similar in consistency to Jägermeister. Now remember I said consistency, not flavor. Here is what I thought below in my video: SiscoVanilla Has a Taste of Bärenjäger Honey and Pear 04/17/2018

To be honest, I actually like it. It has a nice zing to it. I don't find it overly sweet. Its quite pleasurable. As I state in the video I can see this being used in a Hot Toddy/Hot cocktail of sorts. I'll also sit back and think about other ways I can use the Bärenjäger Honey & Pear Liqueur in other cocktail offerings.


Any ideas? Suggestions? Always look forward to hearing from you fine gals and guys. Follow me at my Instagram @SiscoVanilla, my YouTube Channel SiscoVanilla, my Twitter @SiscoVanilla and my Facebook page SiscoVanilla. See you next Tuesday at Finn's.

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

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