What is the Biltmore Habanero Cocktail August 1, 2022

I recently came across the following ad from the New York Times dated May 4, 1934 which advertised a cocktail known as the Biltmore Habanero Cocktail which was sponsored by Mexican Habanero. I wasn't quite sure what Mexican Habanero was. Was it an infused type of agave-based spirit like Tequila or Mezcal? And why at the Biltmore? As you can see, I wasn't quite familiar with both the cocktail and its location. I decided to jump down the New York City History rabbit hole for some more information. First, I wanted to do quick history on the Biltmore Hotel.

The New York Biltmore Hotel was built in 1913 across the street from the recently built Grand Central Terminal. Located at East 43rd Street and Madison Avenue, the Biltmore was a part of a grand complex of hotels and office buildings that would be built over the train rails and be interconnected with the Grand Central Terminal was known as the Terminal City Development. 

According to the article Biltmore Hotel from the New York Preservation Archive Project website:

"The 26-story neo-classical hotel featured a “stone base with arched openings, a gray brick mid-section and terracotta loggia and projecting cornice.” Its H-plan allowed almost all of its rooms outside exposure and it was one of the first buildings in New York City to use air rights, making the hotel significantly taller than surrounding buildings at the time. Among its well-known interior features was a direct connection to Grand Central Terminal, one of the first indoor swimming pools and Turkish baths, rooftop gardens on the sixth floor setback, and a Palm Court with a golden timepiece made famous in popular culture by the saying, “Meet me under the clock.”"

The Biltmore Hotel is to the left of Grand Central

The hotel fell into disrepair and after failed attempts to designate the exterior as a landmark. On August 14,1981, work began to strip the building down and it was reconverted into an office building made of red granite and glass which is now known as 335 Madison Avenue. The famed clock and connecting tunnel to Grand Central still exist. The clock is in the building's lobby and the tunnel connects the building to GCT.

Now on to the Mexican Habanero.

I was doing a quick search online to find out more about what Mexican Habanero is. Nothing really concrete came up. I found many pages for the obvious habanero peppers, Mexican restaurants and other recipes that showcased habanero peppers. I decided to go to one of the main sources of cocktail and spirits history: David Wondrich. I picked up the book The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails which is edited by him with Noah Rothbaum. I wasn't disappointed. This is how Habanero is described on page 340 of the book:

"Habanero is an aged aguardiente from the Mexican state of Tabasco that is blended with small amounts of sherry or other sweet wines to create what is essentially a cane-based version of Spanish brandy." 

The spirit's popularity was from the 1900s to the 1950s, especially during the Prohibition era in the United States from 1920-1933. It was during this time that tourists to Mexico picked up on this spirit. Once Prohibition was lifted, the producers of Habanero tried to make in-roads into the United States market. It wasn't very successful. According to Wondrich, Habanero is still made and sold locally in Tabasco but not exported.   

Now on to the Biltmore Habanero Cocktail.

After a quick search, I came up with contemporary cocktails which have either muddled habanero peppers in the drink, habanero peppers as a garnish or habanero infused spirits. It wasn't quite what I was looking for. Luckily for me the ad had the recipe for the cocktail. It calls for the following:

Biltmore Habanero Cocktail

1/2 Mexican Habanero

1/4 Italian Vermouth

1/4 French Vermouth

Twist of a Lemon Peel

Almond on a toothpick. 

The dimensions of the cocktail resemble those of a Perfect Martini, though a Perfect Martini would have about 2oz to 3oz of the base spirit of either Gin or Vodka. Well, at least if I was making it. I'm not quite sure what the Biltmore Habanero Cocktail would taste like. Is the Mexican Habanero sherry forward in terms of flavor?  

Please let me know if you have had any. Drop me your thoughts in the box below. 

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

SiscoVanilla 

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Foster's Australian For Beer? July 18, 2022

What's up peeps. I like to live by the adage of "When in Rome..." For today's post, I'm at the Outback Steakhouse in Pelham Bay Mall and referring to the "When in Rome..." I'm ordering a big frosty mug of Foster's with a side of the Bloomin' Fried Shrimp. 

Delish. But ordering the brew made me wonder...Is Foster's really Australian for beer? Well its a bit more complicated than that.

The origins of the beer that we know today as Foster's Pale Lager start in the Australian city of Melbourne. In 1889, a pair of Irish American brothers William and Ralph Foster's started brewing and selling a European style lager. By 1909, a series of mergers of breweries in Australia, the Brothers Foster's brewery was now under the Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) Umbrella.

By the 1970s Foster's was made available in both the UK and the US. Now here is where it gets complicated. In 1981, Foster's started being brewed in the UK. A series of mergers and purchases of the brand led to SABMiller (2011,) Anheuser-Busch INBev (2016,) and then Asahi Breweries (2020) owning the Foster's brand. The beer is predominantly brewed in the city of Manchester, UK but also brewed here in the U.S., Fort Worth, TX to be specific. Basically Fosters is an Australian brand not an Australin product. I know, that's one confusing origin story. 🤔🤷🏽‍♂️

But you might be asking yourself...The commercial said "Foster's...Australian For Beer" and "How to speak Australian."

According to sources, the two main popular beer brands that are consumed in Australia are the Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitters beer brands. There was even a lawsuit in 2015 where a man from New York sued that he was deceived into thinking Foster's was an Australian beer though it was brewed in the aforementioned Fort Worth, TX brewery. in 2020, CUB announced that they would be reintroducing Foster's in Australia as Fosters Classic. 

While Foster's roots lay in Melbourne, it has more international reach and legacy in a number of countries. Now obviously I'm simplifying things for the sake of the post. There's more information on the whole Foster's brand saga depending on the market that each brewing conglomerate is located in.

For me it doesn't matter. I find that its hard to find Foster's Pale Lager on draft. But I know where I can find a nice frosty mug of it...Outback Steakhouse.

Whatcha think about Fosters. Like it? Hate it? Don't really care about it? Let me know. Drop me a comment in the box below. See you around for the next post.

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

SiscoVanilla 

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For Further Reading: 

• Foster's may be 'the Australian for lager' but it is brewed in Britain by Simon Bowers from the Guardian dated 21 June 2011
• Foster's: 'Australian for beer' around the world will soon be introduced to Australians by Aleksandra Bliszczyk from the Guardian dated 1 December 2020

SiscoVanilla Rides and Dines Takes Off July 17, 2022

What's up peeps!!! I've been running my website SiscoVanilla and blogpage SiscoVanilla Serves and Drinks for a number of years now. While both of them are still active with their own content and focus, I wanted to do a new project which combines public transportation with local places to have a drink and some grub. So here is SiscoVanilla Rides and Dines. 

Living in New York City with its 472 subway stations both underground and overhead, there's often confusion of where one can go to get a brew and something to eat. Some stops have multiple options. Some stops don't have any. What I want to do is to give you all a little information on where you can go by each train stop. I figure a couple of blocks near the station will do. It might be a dive bar, a fancy joint, a brewery, a distillery or maybe even a food truck. I might even find a hidden gem or two along the way I will attempt to stay away chain restaurants (Applebee's, Olive Garden) unless the chain offers something that you can't find nearby. 

My friend Conal asked me if I was planning to start at a terminus stop. I'm not quite sure. I would hate to start at a terminus stop and there not be anywhere to go. That would make for an awkward beginning. I'll also do my best to incorporate a little history if I can to the stop, establishment and neighborhood. As you can see the subway map is daunting and the service covers an amazing amount of ground. So the posts won't come as often as I would like. But rest assured, I'll do my best to keep the page as updated as possible. 

Hop on along for the ride. Have any recommendations? Drop them to me in the comment box below. I'll make sure to check them out when I'm down in your neck of the woods. 

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

SiscoVanilla

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What is Isinglass June 30, 2022

What's up peeps. Hope everyone is enjoying the summer weather. I came across something that I found curious while playing the Elder Scrolls Online MMO. I've done a prior post based on something that I came across in the game: What is an Oenophile September 25, 2021 and this one is in the same vein.

The game has crafting missions ranging from making armor, jewelry, potions and for the sake of this post provisions (food and drink.) One such recipe is for a Clarified Syrah Wine:

Looking at the recipe ingredients I see that Isinglass is needed to make the in-game wine. Obviously the product making is simplified for the game but the listing for the ingredient Isinglass left me thinking: what is Isinglass and what is it used for.

I found a couple of sources concerning what Isinglass is, what its used for and the origin of its name.  First the what. Known as "fish glue", Isinglass is made from the membranes of swim bladders of such fish as sturgeon, cod and hake. Next is the what is it used for.

In brewing and vinification, Isinglass is used as a filter. According to the article Isinglass; or, The Many Miracles of Fish Glue by Matthew Wills from the JStor Daily website dated August 23, 2020 

"It has been used for centuries as a fining, or clarifying agent, in alcoholic beverages. Finings remove particles like the yeast used in fermentation. Today, there are other ways of doing this, but isinglass is still being used by some producers of beer, wine, and hard cider."

In terms of its use with beer, the article The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of finings 
from the Craft Beer and Brewing website states:

"Finings are processing aids added to unfiltered beer to remove yeast and protein haze. During fermentation yeast cells and beer proteins largely derived from the malt form a colloidal suspension that appears as a haze. A colloidal suspension forms when very small, charged particles are suspended in a liquid. An electrostatic charge, known as a zeta potential, repels one particle from the next and serves to impede the settlement of the solid particles from the liquid phase.

In unclarified beer, yeast cell walls carry a negative charge. Isinglass and gelatin solutions are proteins that carry a positive charge. When added to newly fermented beer, the charged finings interact with the yeast and neutralize the zeta potential present on the cell wall. This eliminates the repulsive forces and sticks the yeast cells together to form a larger particle called a floc. These larger particles settle considerably faster than they would otherwise, as dictated by Stokes’ law."

Many times an Isinglass is used right before the filtration of a beer.

In terms of wine, I refer to the article What is fining in wine? Ask Decanter by Chris Mercer from Decanter.com dated May 31, 2019:

"It is part of the clarification and stabilisation process and involves adding a substance to the wine that will flush out certain elements that may cause a wine to look hazy or affect its aroma, colour or bitterness.

Fining removes ‘colloids’, which are molecules that include tannins, phenolics and polysaccharides.

The fining agent binds to the unwanted particles in the wine, which means they become sizeable enough to be filtered out."

Ok then. Vinters that produce natural wines do not use any kind of filtering agent made from fish or otherwise. Now on to the origins of the name.

According to both sources, the word Isinglass comes from the Dutch and German word word huizenblaas, which translates to sturgeon (huizen) bladder (blaas). The substance has been used throughout the centuries as not only a filter, but as a preservative, medicinal uses such as bandages, as a restorative agent in paintings and even in cement.

In today's climate of veganism and vegetarianism, Isinglass has been replaced by other methods to filter out beer and wine. Who would have thought that playing an MMORPG could be so informative?

Any thoughts on the use of Isinglass in beer and wine production? Drop me your thoughts in the comments box.

I'll keep grinding and crafting both in and out of the game. Hasta the next post.

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

SiscoVanilla 

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For Further Reading:

- What is Isinglass and how is it related to Caviar? by Dana C. Leavitt from the Caviar Star website dated January 2, 2018 https://caviarstar.com/blog/isinglass-what-is-it-and-how-is-it-related-to-caviar/

Rums of Puerto Rico Ad from the June 18, 1953 New York Times June 20, 2022

I was recently going through the New York Times from June 18, 1953. While scrolling through the pages, I came across an ad for the Rums of Puerto Rico. 

Unfamiliar with the organization The Rums of Puerto Rico? According to the article How the Rums of Puerto Rico Program Works: An Interview with Director Alexandra Salgado by Will Hoekenga from the American Rum Report website dated October 4, 2019: 

"...since the mid-20th century, Puerto Rico has had its own standards that rum must meet in order to call itself a “rum of Puerto Rico.” 

It started in 1948, when a government-owned corporation called the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company established the Rums of Puerto Rico program to promote the Puerto Rican rum industry and help it maintain certain production standards." 

At the time of the ad, some of the rums that made up the group were Bacardi (1862 in Cuba/1936 in Puerto Rico), Don Q  (1856), Ron del Barrilito (1880.) 

Without further ado, here is the ad from the Rums of Puerto Rico June 18, 1953.

Have any of you ever had a taste of the then named Cocktail X and Cocktail Y? Whatcha think of them. Yea? Nay? Meh? Let me know,

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

SiscoVanilla 

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Who Was Stella Artois June 7, 2022

While at the Yankees game this past Sunday, I had a nice cold 25oz can of Stella Artois to combat the heat in section 430. Normally I would try to find a beer that I haven't had before. But the stadium was jammed packed, lines super long and the game was close. So to avoid any of the action, it was easier to get one from the beer vendor that was walking around in our section. Looking at the can got me to thinking about two things: Who was Stella Artois? And Is Stella Artois reallt from from 1366? 

First off, Stella Artois wasn't a real person. The name for the beer comes from a couple of sources. The beer that is Stella Artois was initially brewed in 1926 as a Christmas beer. The brewery decided to create this beer in honor of the town of Leuven, Belgium and their historical brewery The Den Hoorn Brewery that was founded in 1366. In Dutch, the term Den Hoorn translates to The Horn which explains why there is a horn on the can with the year "Anno 1366" across the top with a star in the middle. 

Here comes the meaning behind the star.

Anno 1366 is Latin for the year 1366. The name Stella comes from the Latin word for Star. Since the beer was a Christmas beer, Stella (and the star on the can) commemorate the reason for the brew...Christmas and the Star of Bethlehem aka the Christmas Star. And now for Artois.

Artois brings the name full circle. In 1708 the Den Hoorn Brewery was purchased by their brew master for the Den Hoorn Brewery by the name of  Sebastian Artois. To honor his legacy, the town of Leuven, the Den Hoorn Brewery and the occasion for the beer, it was named Stella Artois. And there you go. 

If you ever wondered who Stella Artois was, now you know.

Feel free to let me know if you're curious of the origins of other beer brands. I'm game to dive down the proverbial rabbit hole to find out.

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

SiscoVanilla 

#SiscoVanilla

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For Further Reading:

- Over 600 Years of Brewing Heritage from the Stella Artois website

- The history of Stella Artois by Eloise Feilden dated 04 January 2022 from the Drinks Business website 

Heineken Silver April 21, 2022

What's up peeps. Today's post concerns an ad for a beer that I recently saw during the UEFA Champions League broadcast. On the ticker, I saw an advertisement for Heineken Silver. I had no idea what Heineken Silver is, so I decided to look it up. Here is what I found out. 

Heineken Silver is their low abv entry into the beer market that is focusing on a larger beer drinking demographic. Here is how Heineken Silver is described on the website. 

Heineken® Silver has a smooth and refreshing finish, with a fruity aroma and balanced, bitterness at 4% ABV. 

And how do they produce a lower ABV beer? 

Heineken® Silver isn’t an extra-cold version of Heineken® Original; it’s a completely different proposition that aims to appeal to a broader range of consumer tastes. Brewed at -1°C, Heineken® Silver has a more accessible, easy-to-drink finish. Lager beers experience a cold storage period to allow a ‘cold haze’ to form, which can be filtered out to leave a crystal-clear beer. The lower the temperature, the more cold haze forms and the more can be filtered out. Because cold haze is made out of proteins and rough-tasting tannins, a beer lagered at a lower temperature results in a more accessible flavour profile. 

The website states that Heineken Silver is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. As of now it seems that Heineken Silver is available in 19 European markets. No word if this brew will make it to the U.S..

 
Any of my overseas peeps have a taste of the Heineken Silver yet? Yeah? Nay? Meh? Let me know. 

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

SiscoVanilla 

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McKenzie Rye Whiskey from Finger Lakes Distillery April 18, 2022

Hey peeps, what's up. For today's post I'm staying in the New York Finger lakes region. In my last post I did a quick profile for the Hildick Applejack Brandy brand. Now I'm focusing on one of the new school distilleries in the area that produces an interesting Rye Whiskey. 

McKenzie Rye Whiskey from the Finger Lakes Distillery (4676 NYS Route 414 Burdett, New York [607-546-5510]). Finger Lakes Distillery is designated as a New York State Farm Distillery. What does that mean? According to the post What Can You Do as a Craft Beverage Manufacturer? from the New York State Liquor Authority website: 

Farm Distilleries are required to use at least 75% New York grown or produced fruits, vegetables, grain and grain products, honey, maple sap or other agricultural products. Farm distillery licensees may only produce New York State labelled liquor. 

So based on that, here is how McKenzie Rye Whiskey is described on their website:

McKenzie Rye Whiskey is made from local rye grain and is distilled using old-time techniques. We age this whiskey in new charred oak casks and finish in sherry barrels from local wineries. The sherry balances the spiciness of the rye and also gives a nod to the wine region where this whiskey is produced. 750 ml   |  91 proof   

The label also states that it is aged a minimum of 3 years in American Oak casks.

Now I'm very much not drinking any hard liquor these days. But for the sake of this post I poured my self a very teeny teeny amount of McKenzie Rye Whiskey to wet my palate. Its been a while since I've had any brand of rye whiskey but I have to say that I like what McKenzie brings to the table. 

I found it to be sweet with a subtle spice on the back end. It isn't as spicy as other ryes that I've had and enjoyed. But it was just enough spice. It was also very aromatic to the nose. It also left me with a nice tingle on the lips that I have to admit that I've missed. 

I highly recommend that you try some. We have it available at Finns Corner (660 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 [347-663-9316]) for your drinking pleasure. Roll on in. 

For my next post I'm focusing on Heineken's newest offering, a low ABV brew known as Heineken Silver. Keep your 👀 peeled for it. 

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

SiscoVanilla 

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Hildick Applejack From the May 16, 1934 New York Times April 11, 2022

In today's liquor world Laird's Applejack Brandy is the king of applejack brandy here in the United States. Tracing their history to 1717 with the creation of the original distillery, Laird's has the distinction of being the oldest distillery in the United States. But at one time there were many distilleries producing applejack brandy. One such distillery was the Bashford Cider and Vinegar Works based in the Finger Lakes area of New York State. 

I found the following ad for the Hildick Applejack from the New York Times dated May 16, 1934. The Bashford Cider and Vinegar Works was located in Lyons, N.Y. and their distiller was a man called Walter Hildick. They produced a 100 proof applejack brandy and the ad listed a number of cocktails that one could enjoy with their applejack brandy. So what happened to the Hildick brand of applejack brandy? According to the article LOOKING BACK: New museum room to feature Wayne businesses -- then and now from the Finger Lakes Times website By Larry Ann Evans dated August 27, 2017 this is what happened to the distillery:

James D. Bashford built several factories in Lyons, but the one that most remember is the cider and vinegar factory on Water Street. The brandy business was later sold to Jack Laird. The Lairds of Red Bank, N.J. are considered the oldest producer of applejack in the country. When the last barrels of applejack were made under Laird in Lyons, the factory was sold to the Speas Company of Kansas City, a national wholesale distributor. Under them a million gallons of cider was produced annually and apple brandy was manufactured each fall. In September 1968 the mill closed and on May 11,1976 it was destroyed by fire.

I'm not sure when the Hildick line of applejack was discontinued. I wish I knew to give the Hildick portion of this post a proper ending. 

Curious as to why this particular spirit is known as applejack? According to the article Defining Moments in Hudson Valley Applejack from the Hudson Wine Magazine website dated January, 2020:

During the early Colonial Era in America, apple seeds from Europe were planted extensively, and almost every farm in the New World soon had its own apple orchard. After a harvest, surplus apples were pressed into cider, which was plentiful and cheap. Early settlers quickly came to favor cider and cider brandy, or “applejack,” which was traditionally made by allowing “hard,” or fermented, apple cider to freeze outside during the winter months. The layers of ice were removed and the liquid allowed to re-freeze—sometimes three or four more times—to concentrate the alcohol.

The word “applejack” itself is said to have been derived from the term “jacking,” an early term for freeze distillation. The resulting unfrozen liquid, however, was a crude and powerful drink, whose effect, it’s been noted, was like “a crack on the head with a hammer.”

What's the difference between applejack, apple brandy and blended applejack? The article Hudson Valley Applejack from the Hudson Valley + Capital Region Ultimate Cider + Apple Spirits Guide states:

The terms applejack and apple brandy are still synonymous (i.e., distilled from 100% apples), but new federal regulations allow for a “blended applejack” with up to 80 percent neutral grain spirits – a relic from the post-war years when consumers lost their taste for fruit brandy, and companies looked for cheaper ways to produce it.

Currently New York State is having a renaissance with the production of applejack and apple brandy. We'll see how the market for this American of spirits continues to grow in the next few years. With that in mind, let me take this post back to Hildick applejack brandy.

Hildick had a number of cool looking posters for their applejack brandy with cocktail recommendations on each one. Here are four that I came across online:

Have you had a taste of any of the newer applejack brandies on the market? Feel free to let me know what you think. 

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

SiscoVanilla

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Dubonnet Meets Vodka from the June 3, 1975 New York Times April 7, 2022

 

I went digging through the time machine known as the New York Times for liquor ads. Since it seems that I've been in the 1970s concerning cocktails as of late, I decided to check the New York Times for June 3, 1975. Tuesdays seem to be a good day to find a plethora of liquor ads in the old Gray Lady. I found six liquor ads in that day's newspaper, unfortunately for my research purposes they were all the same ad: Dubonnet Meets Vodka.

I last profiled Dubonnet in my March 11, 2014 post entitled OSS 117: Le Caire, nid d'espions (2006) In that movie, the main character suggests a Dubonnet to his companion for the evening. If you don't know what Dubonnet is, here is a brief history lesson. 

Dubonnet is a French aperitif whose origins lay with the French Foreign Legion. French chemist Joseph Dubonnet came up with his namesake as a way to make quinine easier to drink for the French soldiers fighting in North Africa during the 1840's. Dubonnet is known as an aromatized wine that is flavored with herbs, roots, flowers, barks, quinine and other botanicals. Dubonnet has a very low alcohol content of 19%. 

Now I have yet to taste Dubonnet. I refer you to the article What Is Dubonnet and How Does It Taste? by Oliver Hoss from the Wine Lover Magazine dated September 23, 2020:

The base for Dubonnet is a still wine made from different red grapes...The key to making Dubonnet is to stop the fermentation process early by adding neutral grape brandy. Vintners then mix the must with bark from the Cinchona tree, which is the basis for quinine. They also add cane sugar and several herbs to give the wine its typical spicy taste.

So what does it taste like? I refer back to the abovementioned Oliver Hoss article:

Think of Dubonnet as a combination of fortified wine like Port or Sherry and a herbal liqueur. With an alcohol content of 15% and a thick, almost syrup-like texture, it’s a full-bodied and robust drink. It offers sweet as well as bitter flavors. The latter comes primarily from quinine, which still is a crucial ingredient.

Other flavors you can sense include herbs and spices, such as thyme, rosemary, fennel, anise, orange zest, and nutmeg. You might also perceive notes of cacao, raisins, and lavender, as well as earthy or wooden aromas.

In the 1930s, famed French artist Cassandre created the Dubonnet Man ads with the slogan "Dubo, Dubon, Dubonnet" which you can see below:

The aperitif was favorite of the late Queen Elizabeth aka the Queen Mother and is favored by her daughter Queen Elizabeth II. Both Queens would get their Dubonnet in a cocktail with gin at a ratio of 70% Dubonnet to 30% Gin with ice and a slice of lemon. 

To read more about the drinking habits of the British Royal Family, check out the article How to drink like the Royal family from the UK Telegraph. The recipe in the ad calls for a cocktail of 2 parts Dubonnet and 1 part Vodka with a twist of lemon. 

What I find curious is why not try to capitalize on how popular Dubonnet and Gin was with the UK Royals at the time and show that combination in ads here in the United States rather than Dubonnet and Vodka. Was it due to Vodka becoming a more popular spirit here in the U.S. than Gin? Possibly. 

If you look at some of the more popular cocktails of the era such as the Harvey Wallbanger, the White Russian, the Greyhound/Salty Dog and the Moscow Mule to name a few are Vodka based cocktails. So maybe that's the reason for Vodka in the ad instead of Gin. 

Since 1976 Dubonnet owner Pernod Ricard has produced two variations to the classic Dubonnet Red: Dubonnet Blanc and Dubonnet Gold. 

So what do you think about Dubonnet. Like it? Hate it? Meh? Let me know. I'm curious to hear what you think of it. 

On a parting note, I'll leave you with a classic Dubonnet commercial from the early 1970's with a pre Charlie's Angels Farrah Fawcett and a pre Magnum P.I. Tom Selleck. 

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

SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanilla

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For Further Reading:

• Do You Dubonnet website
• Dubonnet Red by the Difford's Guide website

What is Light Whisky From the December 9, 1963 New York Times April 5, 2022

Hey peeps, I recently reupped my subscription with the digital version of the New York Times thanks to a timely gift subscription (Thanks Deborah!!!)  As I am prone to do, I like to go back in time via the New York Times Times Machine and look for old beer and booze ads. For today's non beer post I went back to December 9, 1963 and came across two related ads that piqued my interest. Here are the two ads:

For more information on the William Lawson's Light Scotch Whisky and King's Ransom brands listings, you can check them out on the ScotchWhisky website.

What caught my eye was the term "Light Scotch Whisky" and I thought to myself "What exactly is Light Scotch Whisky." Down the rabbit hole I go.

Light whisky is a category of whisky born in the United States due to a couple of reasons. One was the rise in popularity of neutral grain spirits such as Vodka and Gin. Second was the fall in popularity of American whiskey and third was the inability of the American whiskey products being able to match cost and prestige with imported whiskys. Research showed that drinking patterns fell towards the lighter distilled spirits like Vodka and Gin and the lighter flavors of the imported scotch whiskys. So what was to be done about it? Government regulation.

According to the CFR: Title 27. Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms § 5.22 - The standards of identity:

“Light whisky” is whisky produced in the United States at more than 160° proof, on or after January 26, 1968, and stored in used or uncharred new oak containers; and also includes mixtures of such whiskies. If “light whisky” is mixed with less than 20 percent of straight whisky on a proof gallon basis, the mixture shall be designated “blended light whisky” (light whisky - a blend).

So what did this mean for the end result which hit the market in 1972. According to the article The Accidental Return of Light Whiskey by Aaron Goldfarb from Punch.com dated May 7, 2019:

By definition, light whiskey had to be distilled to at least 160 proof, though it was typically distilled as high as 190 proof, stripping it of its flavor until it closely resembled grain neutral spirit (GNS). (Bourbon, by contrast, usually enters the barrel in the 100- to 125-proof range and legally can never be distilled higher than 160.) Light whiskey would then be briefly aged in used barrels, typically bourbon barrels, which, having gone through the ringer a few times, were largely lacking in char flavor. These factors resulted in a mildly flavored, almost vodka-like whiskey. It failed to catch on as a standalone spirit and, for the last three decades, has been used as the cheaper, more neutral component of lighter American and Canadian blends.

To be honest, I had never heard about Light Whiskey but it seems to be that they were basically trying to make a whisky flavored vodka. This is rather ironic since the early advertisements for American made Smirnoff Vodka tried to pass it off as "white whiskey." It would be the inclusion of Smirnoff Vodka in the 1950s cocktail invention The Moscow Mule that would catapult Vodka's popularity in the decades that followed and helped bring down the popularity of American whiskey. I shed more light on this my post Ian Fleming's Dr. No (1962) dated January 16, 2014.

Not surprisingly the light whiskey category never really caught on and seemed to fade off into obscurity...until recently. High West Distillery of Utah has the High West 14-year Light Whiskey. Weaver’s Spirits of Colorado has their American Light Whiskey – Mount Massive Expression.
Whether or not the Light Whiskey category can catch on today or fade once again into obscurity remains to be seen. To read a more in depth article on light whiskey, I recommend you read Chuck Cowdery's article The Strange Story of How Light Whiskey Saved Bourbon dated August 5, 2015.

Ok, time to climb out of the rabbit hole. Any of you fine gals and guys try any version of the light whiskey on the market? Yay? Nay? Meh? What did you think? Drop me a line and let me know.

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

SiscoVanilla

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Mandarin Ginger Gin Fizz with Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin April 3, 2022

I recently came across Singapore based food blogger Sarah Huang Benjamin's show Must Try! Asia. I found this show on the Discovery Plus app. Sarah has on her Instagram page a recipe for a delicious sounding cocktail for this past Chinese New Year called the Mandarin Ginger Gin Fizz. You can see the reel at the bottom of the post for the ingredient list and how to make the cocktail. 

What drew my curiosity was the brand of gin that she used for the cocktail. Sarah uses a brand of gin called Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin. I've never heard of the Four Pillars brand so I decided to do a little hunting. 

Started in 2013, the Four Pillars Distillery is a small distillery based in Australia that is known to make some real unique kinds of gin. on their homepage is a listing for their newest gin, the Fresh Yuzu Gin. Looking at their wares they have a Pink Dry Gin, Bloody Shiraz Gin (steeped with Shiraz grapes,) an Olive Leaf Gin, a Spiced Negroni Gin, a Spiced Trade Gin inspired by the spices of India and for the basis of this post the Rare Dry Gin.

The Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin is the first gin created by the Four Pillars distillery. This gin clocks in at 41.8 abv and has a flavor profile composed of  orange, star anise, Tasmanian pepperberry and lemon myrtle among its botanicals.

To read more about the Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin, I recommend you read the review for it by From The Gin Shelf entitled Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin Review dated June 30, 2019. The Gin Is In website also has a review of the Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin.

And here is the video for the Mandarin Ginger Gin Fizz. 

 

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A post shared by Sarah Huang Benjamin 黄代元 (@sarahhuangbenjamin)

Let me know what you think of it after you whip a couple of them up.

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

SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanillaServesAndDrinks 

#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski

#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

#SiscoVanillaAtTheMovies