ABV and IBU August 30, 2019

Hey peeps. I've made the shift from writing about cocktails and spirits to writing about beers and their brewers as of late. You might have noticed that I've included a couple of numbers concerning the reviewed beers: ABV and IBU. Here is an example of a label for the Hopinionated IPA brewed by Off The Rail Brewing Co (with the ABV circled in red and the IBU circled in brown.)

For those of you who don't know what these two beer metrics are, I've decided to provide the information for you using the definitions from The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth. So here goes:

ABV: Alcohol by Volume, expressed as a percentage. A measure of the strength of an alcoholic beverage, based on the volume of alcohol relative to the total volume.

Simply put, the higher the ABV, the more alcohol in a beer and more of it to put you on your ass. I have a doozy of a review coming for you in the form of the Dogfish Head World Wide Stout which clocks in at a whopping 15 - 20% ABV!!!! This review will be coming in from the Sunshine State by the main man Melvin. Keep your 👀👀👀 peeled for it.

IBU: International Bittering Unit; the accepted system for describing the hop bitterness of a beer.

Again, simply put (and generally speaking) the higher the number the more bitter the beer will be. Now there are exceptions. The Brew Enthusiast in their post IBU'S:You've heard about IBUs in beer before...but what is an IBU? makes further defines the measurement of the IBU number with the following statement:

Beer is about the balance of ingredients and taste. Just because a beer has a higher IBU doesn't necessarily mean it is perceived (or tastes) to be as bitter as something with a lower IBU. You can drink a strong Amber ale rated to 60 IBU that doesn't taste nearly as bitter as a 55 IBU Pale Ale. The stronger malt flavor of the Amber ale matches the IBU's of the beer and balances them accordingly. The IBU scale simply measures the amount of the chemicals in a beer that make it taste bitter. Make sense?

Now...that being said, IBU's are generally indicative of how bitter a beer will taste. Generally speaking, the more IBU's, the more bitter it will taste.

 As I come across more beer terminology, I'll provide you amazing gals and guys with the 411.

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Pour It Authority at Whole Foods 365 August 28, 2019

For over a year now I've been walking by the Whole Foods 365 at Fort Greene (292 Ashland Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11217) and I've noticed the sign for something called the Pour It Authority. Now I wasn't sure if this was a place to fill up Growlers with beer to take to go. I remember at one point Duane Reade was selling beer to go via Growlers but that trend seemed to disappear rather quickly at places like Duane Reade. Any of you have a favorite place to fill Growlers? If so, hit me up. But I digress, back to the Pour It Authority.

 

Since I had a few minutes to spare before having to go to work, I decided to be nosy and pop in and see what the Pour It Authority is all about. See what I do for you guys in the name of research 🤣🤣🤣 Here's what I found out.
 
Along the wall there are 12 taps that dispense beer, hard cider and wine. 

 

What you have to do (after you show your ID), is get a refillable card from the counter and put some money on it. The card explains how things work.

After you have some $$ on the card, you grab a glass of the shelf. You take the card, place it on the sensor of the beer, cider or wine that you would like and then you pour yourself some liquid goodness. The sensor takes off the amount that you are charged by the ounces you've poured. You remove your card and enjoy your drink. Pretty simple, no? Here is their sign on how it works.  

Each screen has a description of which beer, cider or wine is available with the name of the manufacturer and its respective ABV (Alcohol by volume) percentage. 

I find it to be rather economical. The beer is about .35 to .50 cents an ounce while the hard cider is .50 cents an ounce and wine $1.00 an ounce. And since you pour how much you want, if you don't want a full pint, you don't have to have a full pint. So for my purposes, where I just want to taste a beer for reviewing, this set up is pretty cool. These are the current beers that are available for purchase:

• Stella Artois Euro Lager 5.0 ABV
• Collective Arts Surround Sound DDH DIPA American Imperial IPA 8.2 ABV
• Bell's Nrewery Oberon American Pale Wheat 5.8 ABV
• Narragansett Del's Shandy 4.7 ABV
• LIC Beer Higher Burnin' American IPA 7.0 ABV
• Sixpoint Citrus Jammer Gose 4.0 ABV
• Barrier Brewing Co. Lomax American IPA 5.8 ABV
• Wolffer No. 139 Dry Rosé Cider 6.9 ABV

They have tables where you can sit. You can also stand at high tables. I'm unsure if you can walk around with your beer in the store which is downstairs. But if you just want a quick brew before shopping or while waiting for someone, this is a pretty cool option. 

Well, I guess I have some "research" to do 🤣🤣🤣 I'll let you know which beers I've tasted and report back to you in the posts to come. 

Until The. Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

The Lady in the Moon August 27, 2019

The Champagne of Beers aka Miller High Life is one of the most popular beers that are sold at Finn's Corner (660 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn NY (347) 663-9316.) Its not because of the price, that would honor would fall to the $3-dollar can of PBR. Nor because it is the biggest bottle or can of beer sold in the house, that would fall to the $5-dollar tall boy cans of Narragansett and Tecate. No folks, people just like the beer so much that they just order it as a "Champagne." No frills, no fuss and no muss. 

The beer is so popular, that one of our best customers, Karly had the Miller High Life logo tattooed on her arm. You must be thinking to yourself: The red logo? No silly, not the red logo that says "Miller High Life" but this logo which is called "The Lady in the Moon":

Looking online for the history of the logo proved to be quite interesting. With the brief break in brewing due to Prohibition (1919 - 1933) Miller High Life has been around since the first beer debut on December 30, 1903. Since those first beers were served, the image of Miller High Life was represented by what is called the "Miller Lady." Early posters as the one below, shows the Miller Lady standing on a wooden crate of Miller High Life holding a tray of bottles and glasses. She is dressed in what some people believe to be a circus costume of sorts with the whip and hat of the Ringmaster.

 

By 1907, the image changed to roughly the following one.

 

Here the story gets a little less verifiable. The timeline for the History of the Miller Coors Company 1800 on the MillerCoors website states the following:

The Girl in the Moon appears for the first time on a decorative plate, and the public is introduced to one of America’s longest lasting and most iconic advertising images. According to legend, Miller’s advertising manager, A. C. Paul, became lost in woods hunting in northern Wisconsin and had a vision of a girl sitting on a moon guiding him home, and was inspired to place the Miller High Life Girl in a crescent moon for his next advertisement.

Other stories have her being the the granddaughter of Frederick Miller, founder of the Miller Brewing Company. This image of the woman looking at the glass she is toasting was the logo that was used for Miller High Life until 1944.

Now I haven't found the reason why the exact reason why the company changed the Miller Lady to a lifelike version than a just a drawing. I would take a stab in the dark and say that to me, she looks like one of the pinups that could be seen throughout American art during that 1940's. Those proved to be very popular, especially with the servicemen who hung them in their lockers and painted them on planes and vehicles. But that's my theory on it. 

As you can see, the Miller Lady is no longer sitting in profile but now smiling and looking directly at the consumer. She would go though another change or two by the time she disappeared during the 1980's. With sales dropping, the Miller Lady made her comeback in TV spots during 1998 targeting a younger audience. As of 2010, this is what she looks like:

Which leads me back to the tattoo that Karly had done on her arm with the 100-year plus lady. Time has been good to the Miller Lady. She barely looks a day over 23 😉.

So next time you're in Prospect Heights, come in to Finn's and ask for an ice cold bottle of Champagne. Its definitely Miller Time at Finn's Corner.

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

For Further Reading:

• Here's what we know about the Miller High Life lady from the MillerCoors blog
• The Official Miller High Life website
• Miller's High Life Man Makes Room for the Girl in the Moon by Stuart Elliott from the New York Times dated September 9, 2005
• Putting a Woman on the Moon — with Beer from the Bottles, Booze and Backstory blogpage

Abita Amber Ale and Purple Haze® at the East End Bar August 26, 2019

Hey hey peeps. How's everyone doing today. For today's SiscoVanilla Beer Chronicles, we go down to Louisana to showcase the Abita Brewing Company. Originally based in Abita Springs, Louisiana and now its brewery is based in Covington, Louisiana, Abita has been plying its craft (no pun intended) since 1986. The company was founded by formed by Jim Patton and Rush Cumming.

According to their website, they produced 1,500 barrels of beer in its first year and by 1994 the company was so popular that they outgrew their original brewery and moved into a bigger location just up the road. Their original location is now the Abita Brew Pub (72011 Holly Street, Abita Springs LA.) Today Abita has brewed over 150,000 barrels with many more to come. According to article Abita Brewing Celebrates 25 Years With New Brew from Brewbound, Abita is the 24th largest commercial brewer by production volume in the nation and the 15th largest craft brewer in the United States. Abita can be found in 46 states and in Puerto Rico.

Abita currently has 14-year round beers available with a number of seasonal and limited beers. The first beer produced by Abita was the Amber Ale, which remains one of the most popular offerings that Abita has. Here's how the Abita website describes the Abita Amber Ale:

Amber is a Munich style lager brewed with pale and caramel malts and German Perle hops. It has a smooth, malty, slightly caramel flavor and a rich amber color. Abita Amber was the first beer offered by the brewery and continues to be our leading seller. Amber is Abita’s most versatile beer for pairing with food. It has been voted "best beer" in numerous New Orleans reader polls and is used frequently in recipes of great Louisiana chefs.

Beer Advocate gives the Abita Amber Ale a score of 79 out of 100 and in the Vienna Lager category, it is ranked at number 149. Craft Beer & Brewing is a bit more complimentary with their score for the Abita Amber Ale being a 90 out of 100.

The Abita Amber Ale has an ABV of 4.5 IBU of 17. I reviewed the Amber Ale back on December 23, 2018 at the East End Bar (1664 1st Avenue, New York, NY 10028 (212)348-3783) You can watch my video review SiscoVanilla Has An Abita Amber Ale @EastEndNYC on 12/23/2018 on my SiscoVanilla IG-TV channel. The short and sweet review is that I loved the rich, malty and hearty feel of this beautiful red beer. The Amber is right up my alley!!! So what better place to have a second offering of an Abita beer than the East End Bar. I chose the Abita Purple Haze® Raspberry Lager.

The Purple Haze® is another of the core beers produced by Abita year round. I love the logo used for the Purple Haze® by Abita. Its a rendering of the Loa of Haitian Vodou Baron Samedi. The first thing that comes to mind is Geoffrey Holder's rendition of Baron Samedi from the 1973 James Bond movie Live and Let Die. Now I need to play Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die. 😁😁😁 Here is how Abita describes the Purple Haze®:

Purple Haze® is a lager brewed with real raspberries added after filtration. It is brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and Vanguard hops. The berries add a fruity aroma, tartly sweet taste and a subtle purple color and haze...you may see fruit pulp in the beer. This beer is best served with salads or light fruit desserts, such as soufflés or chiffon cakes. Many people enjoy it with chocolate desserts. Purple Haze® pairs well with certain cheeses, such as ripened Brie or any dessert made with mascarpone. It’s also great paired with entrees prepared with fruit, especially citrus. Consider enjoying Purple Haze® alone at the end of your meal as dessert.

Beer Advocate gives the Abita Purple Haze® a score of 76 out of 100. The beer has an ABV of 4.2% with an IBU of 13. I reviewed the Abita Purple Haze in the post SiscoVanilla Has an @abitabeer Purple Haze at the East End Bar on 08-22-19 on my IG-TV channel. What did I think of it? 

I found the raspberry to be subtle. Not as strong as you would find in a Framboise Lambic Belgian raspberry beer but very pleasant to the nose and the palate. It is a light and refreshing beer to say the least but I would think that after three or four of these, the raspberry flavor would start to sit on the tongue. But overall, I give it a strong recommendation. 

I'm on the hunt for some of the other Abita offerings, especially the dark brown ale named the Turbodog. I paid Brooklyn Sub a visit on Saturday but they only had the Purple Haze® in stock. Any other of the Abita beers that you've had that you would recommend? Shoot me a message on my Instagram. Let me know what you think either positively or negatively. Any info is good info. 

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Allagash Brewing Company of Maine August 24, 2019

The terms craft brewing and craft beers are used frequently today when referring to small independent brewers not only here in the United States but throughout the world. But in the early to mid 1990s, the term was still in its infancy with a handful of small brewers plying their wares.

Trying to put myself back in 1995, I would have to say that Sierra Nevada, Boston Beer Company and Brooklyn Brewing Company are three of the craft brewers that had a foothold here in New York City. Today the number of craft beer tap handles that you can find throughout bars NYC is immense. One such company that started in the city of Portland, Maine during 1995 was the Allagash Brewing Company.

The brainchild of Rob Tod, Allagash Brewery sought to become a brewer of beer in the Belgian style. The company's first beer was the flagship Allagash White. Within a few years the beer was winning awards and starting to get known nationally. The success of the Allagash White helped the company grow and branch out into brewing a number of different beers also patterned on the Belgian brewing style.

I recently had the pleasure of drinking an Allagash White at the Phil Hughes Bar (1682 1st Ave, New York, NY 10128 (212) 722-9415) in the Yorkville/Upper East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. Opened in the 1950s, the Phil Hughes Bar is an old school Irish pub/sports bar/dive bar that is hard to find in this section of NYC. Yelp reviews notwithstanding, the Phil Hughes Bar is exactly what it presents itself to be, a no frills neighborhood bar. Nothing fancy. To me its a place to get a beer, act like the proverbial fly on the wall and sit and listen to the old time regulars spin their tales. Hip it ain't, I don't think it wants to be nor does it have to be. And for those who complain about the bar, it is cash only. But back to the Allagash.

On tap they had the flagship Allagash White and I decided to order one. Haven't had an Allagash White before? According to the Allagash website:

Our interpretation of a Belgian-style wheat beer is brewed with oats, malted wheat, and unmalted raw wheat for a hazy, “white” appearance. Spiced with our own special blend of coriander and Curaçao orange peel, Allagash White is both complex and refreshing.

The hazy part of the beer was odd to drinkers when it first debuted back in the mid 1990s since mass market beers such as Budweiser, Miller and Coors was clear. Page 383 of the book The Beer Bible by Jeff Alworth delves further into the haziness of the Allagash White:

When Rob Tod founded Allagash in 1995, he wanted to highlight Belgian beer styles, and the first product out of the kettle was White-still the brewery's flagship two decades on. It was inspired by Celis white, one of Tod's early craft beer encounters. At first, he says, "I thought there was something wrong with it." That changed as witbier became one of his favorite styles. Tod doesn't think of white beer as a summer confection, though, and he strives for a refinement eschewed by other wit makers. Using unmalted wheat, he brews one of the palest whites; it looks a bit like unfiltered pear juice. Tod's use of a highly attenuative yeast strain is the hallmark of the beer, which ends on a crisp, very dry note. Coriander and orange accentuate the effect, and White evokes the character of the best dry Rieslings. 

Ok, the review is over. 😁😁😁 But seriously folks, that's one helluva description of the Allagash White. Beer advocate's listing for the Allagash White has it ranked as the number one Witbier. Craft Beer & Brewing gives the Allagash White a score 96 out of 100.

So what do I think about the Allagash White? For the video review check out SiscoVanilla Has an Allagash White at the Phil Hughes Bar 08/22/2019 on my IG-TV channel. 

I personally like it, though I can't say that I have tried too many of them throughout the years. I found it to be pleasant, slightly sweet, and it is cloudy due to it being an unfiltered. I find the cloudiness to give it a nice silky feel to the mouth, especially when the beer is nice and cold like I had it. Though I think I would find them somewhat heavy on the palate after about three or four of them in a row. Allagash White has an ABV (Alcohol by volume) of 5.1% and an IBU (International Bitter Unit) of 13 out of 100. This mildly alcoholic and not bitter beer is highly recommended by yours truly. 👍👍

I'll keep my eye out for any additional Allagasah offerings while on my travels for beer nirvana. Any thoughts on the Allagash line of beers? Any recommendations? Hit me up. And if you are in Portland, Maine feel free to swing by the Allagash Brewing Company's home at 50 Industrial Way, Portland, ME 04103.

For the next post we'll be heading down to the state of Louisiana for a look at the Abita line of beers. 

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

 #SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski

#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Falls City Beer of Louisville Kentucky August 22, 2019

Hey peeps. How's it going. For those of you who have followed this blog for a while now you know that I love vintage beer and booze ads. Today's vintage ad comes courtesy of the AdMuseum. AdMuseum posts vintage ads on their AdMuseum instagram account and their AdMuseum tumblr account. There's some cool stuff there to see so definitely check them out.

Today's post is a vintage beer ad for the Falls City Beer brand that was advertised in the August 2, 1963 issue of Life Magazine. What stood out to me was the bottle of beer with a captain's hat piloting a boat on the water. So if he (or she) is a bottle of beer, can they be a designated pilot on the water? 🤔

Here is their tagline from the ad:

Gives You More of what Beer's For! You’re full-speed ahead to more fun when Falls City Beer tops your cargo list! Drink City today. Give yourself more of what Beer's for...enjoyment!

Falls City Beer hails from Louisville, Kentucky and was founded in 1905 by brewer Ben Schrader and a group of local tavern owners. The reason for their unification was in direct opposition of a beer monopoly in the area by a larger brewer. This is a theme that would be revisited during the 1960s by many a regional brewer in the United States. 

Shortly after its founding, Falls City would steadily grow in the region until the arrival of the
Volstead Act, formally National Prohibition Act aka Prohibition. Many smaller brewers nationwide would fall victim to Prohibition and close down from 1919-1933. Falls City not only survived but thrived during this time by brewing near beer and other soft drinks until Prohibition was repealed. After Prohibition, Falls City would grow to become one of the South's major beer brewers. Their beer was sold throughout the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia and Illinois. As per the Falls City website, the company during this time was producing 750,000 barrels of beer per year.

As with many smaller regional brewers, the shadow of big beer brewers such as Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors loomed large heading into the 1960s. Many of these brewers just couldn't compete with the mass market brewed beers that were taking over. Falls City was no different. After a number of failed attempts to keep pace, they would close their doors in Louisville in 1978. But that would not be the end of the Falls City Beer story. 

With the craft beer explosion and the regional brewing renaissance taking over the United States during the last couple of decades, Falls City Beer came back to life in Louisville in 2010. Their first beer was their flagship beer the English style Pale Ale. Falls City currently sells its beers in Kentucky,  Indiana and parts of Tennessee. They even sell their Plsner in a can reminiscent of the classic Falls City Beer cans.

Falls City also brews a wide variety of beer styles in both their core beer line and their seasonal offerings. Here is a sample of what they have to offer.

So if you are ever down in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee keep an eye peeled for the Falls City Beer brand. Let me know what you think of it!!!

Until Then Happy Drinking,
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Blue Point Brewery August 20, 2019

Hey peeps, I wanted to pair my SiscoVanilla Beer Chronicles (hashtag #SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles) that I showcase on my IG-TV channel with this blogpage to shed light on some of the breweries that make the beer that I taste as part of the SiscoVanilla Beer Chronicles. Breweries today range from the small niche craft brewer to the old school brewery with centuries of lineage to the large multinational brewers with many others in between. So with that in mind, let's shed some light on a local brewery that has its roots on Long Island, New York: Blue Point Brewery.

Blue Point was founded in 1998 by Mark Burford and Peter Cotter who according to the Blue Point website "noticed a lack of fresh beer on Long Island and wanted to lower their bar tabs." The partners set up their brewery on Patchogue on the south shore of Long Island in Suffolk County. Their first beer is their flagship Toasted Lager which is categorized as an American Amber Lager. Blue Point proved to be a successful brewery that it was noticed by Anheuser-Busch.

In 2014 Anheuser-Busch purchased the Blue Point Brewery with the intention of leaving the operation "as-is." This was Anheuser-Busch's second purchase of a craft brewery after their purchase of the Chicago craft brewer Goose Island in 2011. Currently a new brewery is being built in Patchogue to meet the steady demand and original brews that are produced by Blue Point. I've been lucky to have been able to profile a number of Blue Point's beers. Here are four of those brews:

Blue Point Delayed Pilsner, Toasted Lager, Pinstripe Pils and the Summer Ale are just four recent Blue Point beers that I have had the privilege of tasting. Here are the ABV/IBU metrics for the four beers:

Blue Point Delayed Pilsner ABV: 5.8% IBU:30

Blue Point Toasted Lager ABV 5.5% IBU 28

Blue Point Pinstripe Pils ABV 5.0% IBU 22

Blue Point Summer Ale ABV 4.4% IBU 16

I found that I liked the Toasted Lager, the Pinstripe Pils and the Summer Ale. I wasn't too keen on the Delayed Pilsner. I guess three out of four ain't bad, right? To learn more of these beers, click on the links attached. 

I currently have a fifth Blue Point beer on deck, which is a collaboration with the Dominican national beer Presidente called Una Fría. 

The beer is described as follows on the website: "A golden Pilsner brewed in collaboration with Presidente using real plantains for a refreshing taste."

To my amazement, the beer that they worked on is brewed with plantains. We Dominicans sure do love our maduros and tostones 😋😋😋. They had my attention piqued at plantains. LOL. I'll do a tasting on that particular beer soon enough. 

For now I'm comforted with the knowledge that Blue Point Brewery hasn't changed much even though it is under the Anheuser-Busch umbrella. Collaborations and unique beers are also comforting to see that Blue Point hasn't lost its uniqueness or desire to innovate. I look forward to doing some more research on the Blue Point Brewery and their tasty beers. 

I just recently saw on the Blue Point Instagram page that they are opening a new underground brew pub in DUMBO at 66 Water Street (by Old Dock Street) called The Hull. They are due to open in the Fall of 2019. I might not have to go to Patchogue to get some of their delicious brews after all. You can get more info at the Instagram page for the Hull.

Whatcha think about Blue Point? Like it? Don't like it? Meh? Hit me up and let me know what you think of Patchogue's own. 

Until Then, Happy Drinking,

SIscoVanilla

#SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski

#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

For Further Reading:

- Blue Point Brewing sold to Anheuser-Busch by Lisa Du from Newsday dated February 5, 2014

Make It Strong August 17, 2019

A conversation with a fellow bartender at Finn's Corner the other day about things customers say that piss you off reminds me of this photo. He mentioned that he has a certain demographic at his bar that likes to demand things be "made strong." That brings me back to a story from a number of years ago where someone ordered a fellow bartender for a "Long Island.. Make it Strong."

Now for those of you who don't know, Long Island Iced Teas (LITE) aka Long Islands is 97% booze with the exception of the sour mix and diet coke. So for someone to ask for it strong is either unfamiliar with the drink or just a jerk. Either way, here goes the story:

A guy comes into the bar and a fellow co-worker was working behind the bar. The guy asks for: "Gimme a Long Island son, make it strong" Now I can't say if my co-worker was having a bad day but he wasn't feeling the "Make it strong" request. He counters with: "Okay, you want it strong? How about you lean over the bar and I'll just pour it down your throat."

I've been to bars where people walk the bar and pour you shots as if you were a baby bird being fed by mama bird. This place wasn't one of those places and the guy declined the offer and just left. Moral of the story: don't order a Long Island and ask for it to be made strong. It's redundant. Which leads me to the second image.

Now I'm not one to call out a customer for not tipping. I firmly believe that if you get shafted on one tip, a later more profitable tip will balance that one out. Karma and all that jazz. So this guy comes in and orders a Henny and Cran. I make it as I normally do. Now keep in mind, I don't over pour but I have a heavier pour than others. Between 1.5oz and 2oz. He takes a sip and says "Yo this has too much cran." I respond "That's a standard pour, if you want more Henny, I can pour you a double but you have to pay for a double." Lo and behold my mahogany was left naked*** aka no tip. (*** Dressing the mahogany is an old school term for leaving a tip on the bar that was introduced to me by Gus the Drunk at the Bleecker Street Bar "Hey Partna Over There" RIP Gus)

The same happened on the next round where his lady ordered two of the same drinks and two shots of Henny. No tip. A couple of the regulars were like "That's fucked up. No tip?" I just shrugged. It is what it is. Why complain about what you can't control. Right? I rang in $60 for the bar which is $60 more than if they hadn't come in.

So this is a query for you fellow barkeeps out there. What requests from customers (if any) tick you off. Enquiring minds want to know!!!

Until Then Happy Drinking:
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaHitsBeerChronicles

The Ferrari at Finns Corner August 15, 2019

I really love my regulars. They're my bread and butter. For all you bartenders out there who might be reading this, if you don't like your regulars or think less of them when they are the only customers that you have at your bar,  then you need to get out of the business. As my buddy Ace says: "Regulars pay the rent." They really do and I want to thank all of my regulars from the bottom of my heart. Back to the drink at hand.

My regulars are made up of different people from different places and walks of life that come together at Finns Corner (660 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn NY.) They come to watch sports, have intellectual engagement such as the New York Times crossword, book reviews and spirited conversation. Simply put they come to my bar, put bread in my jar while having a great time. I also have regulars who work in the business and like to share with me their favorite concoctions.

Now for those of you who have followed my adventures throughout the years (or misadventures based on your POV 😝,)  you know how much I love experimenting while behind the bar. Here is one such experiment that comes from my friend Liam.

Liam, who bartended at a number of places in Red Hook. came in to Finn's Corner on Tuesday night and he likes to order a shot that he calls a Ferrari. As you can see from the picture, a Ferrari is equal parts Campari and Fernet. Campari and Fernet on their own can be interesting on the palate. Campari is quite bitter while Fernet can come across as being very herbaceous. But both together in equal parts??? How does that taste??? I'll quote Karly who joined Liam in the shot: "It tastes like a shot of Vicks VapoRub." 🤣🤣🤣 To quote my friend Chuck: "I'm done son. I'm done." 

You down to try it? Belly up to the bar at Finn's Corner. I'll pour one for ya.

Next post will focus on the Blue Point Brewery of Patchogue, Long Island. Keep your eyes peeled for it

Until Then Happy Drinking
SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles 

The Spaghett aka The Divey Aperol Spritz at Finns Corner August 14, 2019

I love it when friends come across booze and beer articles that they think I would find interesting. Sommelier extraordinaire Karly sent me a link to an article from Bon Appetite Magazine entitled It’s Called Spaghett and It’s Now My Favorite Summer Cocktail. The article is written by Alex Delany and is part of Bon Appetite's Highly Recommended column. After reading it all I could respond was "Wow." So you might be wondering to yourselves: What is the Spaghett?

A bar in Baltimore, Maryland called Wet City Brewing has an interesting drink made with an ounce of Aperol poured into a Miller High Life and lemon juice added to the mix. How does that sound to you peeps. The author of the article describes it as so:

I ordered it based on the name alone. How could you not!?! Spaghetti without the eeee?!?
Truly, I’m thankful I did, because this cocktail has become my official drink of summer. It’s got just three ingredients—Miller High Life, Aperol, and lemon juice—and had all the characteristics I was looking for without my even knowing it: light, fruity, slightly bitter, and just tart enough to lead you back for another sip.

Karly came in yesterday to Finn's Corner and asked me to make her a Spaghett. After taking the obligatory pics, she gave it a whirl. 

This is what she said

"Its Fucking delicious. Takes the maltiess away of the Hi-Life. It's a Divey Aperol Spritz!!!"

Though I'm not drinking hard liquor, I had a little itty bitty taste of the Spaghett and have to say that it was tasty. Not as bitter as I would have thought it was. It had just enough bitterness of the Aperol at the back end. The key I believing is having the beer super cold. 

So peeps, please keep sending me any articles you come across. I love to experiment when behind the bar. Please let me know what you like when you come in to visit the bar. I'm behind the stick on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. So roll through.

The next post will be a favorite of my friend Liam called the Ferrari. Vroom vroom.

Until Then Happy Drinking,

SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanilla

#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski

#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Dom Pierre Pérignon Discovers Champagne August 4, 2019

August 4, 1693 is believed to be the date that French Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon (December 1639 - September 14, 1715) discovered/invented what today we call Champagne. As with many things in culinary history, it is hard to nail down who actually created what. So there is some debate as to whether Dom Pierre Pérignon did indeed invent champagne since sparkling wine was already available.The truth might never be known due to being lost to time. If you do what to know more on the evolution of Champagne, I recommend you read the article Origins of Sparkling Wines from the Grandes Marques & Maisons de Champagne website.

Here is a rendering of Dom Pierre Pérignon would have looked like at the "A-Ha" moment of discovering/inventing champagne courtesy of Le Petit Journal.

Today the Dom Pérignon line of champagne is a luxury product often referred to in movies and television as THE luxury champagne, though I think Bollinger and Taittinger (to name a few) would make their own claim to be the top luxury champagne brand. And if you are a real baller, check out this list of luxury champages from the article These 10 Ultra-Luxury Champagnes Are Worth the Really Big Bucks by Elin McCoy from Bloomberg.com dated December 2, 2016.

So in closing, I'm leaving you all with a few of classic Dom Pérignon ads:

 A number of images of celebrities enjoying the Dom Pérignon bubbly from a number of Dom Pérignon's ad campaigns:

And as per the legend of that "A-Ha" moment when Dom Pierre Pérignon discovered/invented Champagne, it is said that the good monk uttered to his fellow monks after tasting the bubbly wine: "Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!" Keep on tasting those stars people. Salud.

 Until Then Keep Drinking,
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles

Rainbow Room NYC ad from July 29, 1959 NYTimes August 2, 2019

I love old ads, especially for iconic bars and restaurants like the @rainbowroomnyc As you can see, this one is from the New York Times dated July 29, 1959. "Cocktails with a View"

Until Then Keep Drinking,
#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaIsStepping
#SiscoVanillaHitsTheBricks