Election Day Vintage Beer Ad Novenber 3, 2020

With today being Election Day, I wanted to highlight the day with three vintage beer ads highlighting the American day of Democratically electing our representatives in government.

If only it was this cordial in this era of partisanship. People could learn from the emblems of the Democrats and the Republicans.  

This one below seems more like the way things are today.  

Regardless where you stand politically, do your civic duty and GO VOTE!!!!!

Listen to Uncle Sam

Have a great day!!!! See you all soon.

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

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What is Clove Liqueur July 27, 2020

Hey peeps. What's up. I hope everyone is safe and healthy. I was recently watching an episode of Chopped on Food Network and for those of you who aren't familiar with that show, chefs are given a basket with secret ingredients and they are to make a meal with the ingredients. In this episode, one of the ingredients was Clove Liqueur. 

What is Clove Liqueur? Great question. Aside from the obvious answer of a Liqueur made with Cloves, I have no idea. For me the thought of cloves invokes Christmas, winter and the allure of Hot Toddys. But Googling "Clove Liqueur" doesn't give an exact answer.

One recipe entitled DIY Orange and Clove Liqueur from the Hallmark Channel website. The liqueur is made with brandy and sugar with a suspended orange poked with cloves. This method is similar to how Limoncello is made by having the oils from citrus naturally drip over time into the brandy and sugar mixture. Very interesting method of infusion. 

I also came across liqueur type generally known as Tentura which is a based on the kind of liqueur that is traditionally made in the Greek city of Patras. Cinnamon, cloves, citrus and nutmeg are some of the common spices used for infusion. As with the above recipe, Brandy is the common spirit used for infusing through if you were to make your own, any spirit of your choosing would do. I've infused rum with similar spices to make a spice rum and I've also infused an unfiltered apple cider with cloves and other spices. 

I'll keep looking out for Clove Liqueur in my travels. Anyone ever drink some? Let me know what you thought of it in the comment box.

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

SiscoVanilla

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Danger Diabolik (1968) Part II May 26, 2020

Hey peeps, welcome back to the next edition of SiscoVanilla at the Movies. I hope everyone is healthy and safe. For today's post, I'm going back to the Italian heist film Danger Diabolik that was directed by Mario Bava and starred John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli and Adolfo Celi.

In this scene, the movie has progressed quite a bit in the plot to try to catch Diabolik (John Phillip Law) by gangster Valmont (Adolfo Celi.) The party is always on with Valmont with booze free flowing. Whether it be on his plane, at his apartment or at his pool, Valmont always has a cool cocktail within reach.

In addition, Valmont is accompanied by his gun moll Rose (Annie Gorassini) who joins him drink in hand. 

 

As with the last post Danger Diabolik (1968) Part I May 1, 2020, I find that these movies are a great time capsule of sorts, especially when it comes to popular booze. Take a look at the picture below:

Again, as with the last post, Valmont has a variety of spirits available at his disposal. One particular bottle stands out to me: the Noilly Prat Original Dry.

Noilly Prat Original Dry is a French Vermouth that was created in 1813 by Joseph Noilly in Lyon, France. The aperitif clocks in at 18% abv (36 proof) and is described as such on the Noilly Prat website:

20 different herbs and spices are sourced all around the world to make Noilly Prat Original Dry. Among them Chamomile, Coriander from Morocco, Bitter Oranges from Tunisia, Cardamom from India, or Elderflower. Noilly Prat Original Dry is ideal served as L’Apéritif and paired with seafood, such as oysters.

The website recommends that you enjoy their Noilly Prat Original Dry an a L'Apéritif Original Dry on Ice, Original Dry Le Sud (with chilled Perrier) and in a 50:50 Martini Cocktail. Noilly Prat also makes an Extra Dry Bianco Vermouth, an Ambré Vermouth and a Rouge Vermouth.


Since I mentioned the pool earlier, I wanted to show you gals and guys how Valmont spends his time while in the pool. 

This dude has a floating bar with his personal bartender at his beck and call !!! Let's take a closer look to see what spirits he has on the bar.

Aside from fruits, snacks and an ice bucket, I see that he has a bottle of Dewars "White Label" Scotch Whisky.

This brand is the rare spirit that worldwide is referred to by the color of its label instead of its company name. If someone orders a scotch and soda, a bartender might ask: "You have a preference? or What Scotch would you like?" But if you order said drink as a "White Label" and soda, then we know what it is that you want. The story starts with the birth of John Dewar in 1806 in Perthshire, Scotland.

As a young man, Dewar went to work for a relative in Perth, Scotland who was a wine and spirit merchant. Dewar showed his value to the company by moving up the ranks, becoming a partner in the company in 1837. By 1846, he left the company to start his own business. According to page 207 of the Schweppes Guide to Scotch by Philip Morrice:

He began to blend and bottle his own whisky in a modest way and sought sales beyond Perth. Indeed, one of Dewar's many claims to fame is that they were the first to sell whisky in branded bottles.

Dewar's son, John Alexander Dewar would become a partner in the firm in 1879 and younger son, Thomas, would become partner in 1885. John Alexander was the analytical of the two brothers while Tommy was a showman who would have probably been quite comfortable with product branding and sales in today's social media forward market.

One story has Tommy employing bagpipers at a trades how to drown out the other vendors and draw attention to his products. Tommy also went on a worldwide tour which he kept a journal about  known as 'A Ramble Round the Globe' to bring his whisky to new markets. You can read the book via the Internet Archive courtesy of Google Books: 'A Ramble Round the Globe.' The article Tommy Dewar: A Ramble Round The Globe from the Kingdom Golf website highlights the trip. This leads into another story.  

This one has Tommy in New York City in 1892. He's at a bar and orders a tall glass of his company's whisky with soda and ice. This led to the creation of the Original Highball better known today as the scotch an soda. By 1902, Dewar's would trademark the term "High Ball." Not to be overshadowed by his younger brother, John Alexander would also make waves in his own ways.

In 1893, John Alexander was able to secure the Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria for the John Dewar and Sons whisky brand. In doing so, this would be the first time that a blended Scotch whisky would earn such a designation. One that it still holds today. Both brothers were like two sides of the same coin: John Alexander had the seniority with Tommy as the face of the company. Both brothers helped to make the John Dewar and Sons LTD a worldwide recognized brand.

Another key addition to the John Dewar and Sons team was with the arrival of A.J. Cameron in 1890. Cameron would start as a desk clerk, working his way up to the position of Master Blender. What influence did Cameron have with the Dewar's White Label offering? According to the Dewar's "White Label" website: 

In 1899, a year after production commenced at Dewar’s new distillery, Aberfeldy, A.J. Cameron created the now-iconic Dewar’s White Label. Over the next 120 years our flagship blend established itself as one of the leading blended Scotch whiskies worldwide.    

Since 2006, all of Dewar's blended scotches are blended by Stephanie Macleod the first female Master Blender in Dewar's history and the seventh Master Blender. Macleod would join the company in 1998 and like Master Blender Cameron, Macleod would work her way up the ranks. She started in quality control eventually rising to the position of Master Blender.

John Dewar and Sons has scotch whisky blends from their flagship "White Label" to their Double Double 32-Year-Old. I personally liked the Dewars 12 (when I drank spirits.) My dad on the other hand used to drink the White Label along with Cutty Sark back in the day. Which one is your favorite? Drop me a line in the comment box and let me know.

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

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Seagram's Extra Dry Gin Ads May 22, 2020

What's up peeps!!! Hope everyone is doing well today. Just wanted to go back to the Vincent Price and Angostura Bitters May 20, 2020 post. In said post, two of the ads highlighted the Gin 'n Bitters aka The Pink Gin. One of the ads showed a bottle of Seagram's Extra Dry Gin. I had stated that I would post a few ads that Seagram's had for this particular gin. So, here we go back down the internet rabbit hole.

For these ads, I chose ads from the 1960's when the Seagram's Extra Dry Gin hit the market to roughly the 1980's. Seagram's chose to present their gin as the gin that sophisticated, well to-do people drank:

By the 1970's, Seagram's would run ads for specific cocktails that could be made with their "Perfect Martini" gin:

The French Martini (with a couple drops of brandy replacing the vermouth):

Bloody Marys:

And the interesting Italian Martini (with anisette instead of vermouth) and the Red Baron (gin, orange juice, lime and grenadine):

And let's not forget the classic Gin and Tonic, the Gin and Bitter Lemon, the Gin Rickey and the Lemon dipped in Vermouth Gin Cocktail:

 
Never let it be said that Seagram's was only targeting one audience:

Seagram's Extra Dry Gin could be enjoyed no matter the weather or time of year:

These 1980's ads might be the most visually appealing to me:

 

There are many other Seagram's Extra Dry Gin ads online. Check them out for a blast to the past in terms of liquor advertising. Any particular liquor brands you want me to profile here on my page? Drop me a line in the comment box and let me know what you want to see next. 

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

SiscoVanilla

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Vincent Price and Angostura Bitters May 20, 2020

Hey peeps!!! How's everyone doing these days. If you gals and guys are anything like me, you are tired of being cooped up at home and even more tired of the news concerning COVID-19. All the misdirection, gossip and politics concerning the pandemic sure has me wanting to put my head though the wall. But that hurts too much. Instead I decide to go down the internet rabbit hole, specifically the New York TimesMachine. And here I came across a doozy (at least to me.) Check out this ad from the January 29, 1972 edition of the New York Times:

Vincent Price, the master of the macabre and Angostura Bitters. Talk about a union in culinary and cocktail heaven (or hell if you want to go the horror route.) With this as a jumping point, down the hole I go to see what else I can find.

Vincent Price was quite the party-smarty (the term foodie yet to become common place.) So much so that he had a couple of cookbooks published including a cookbook with his wife Mary. Here are two examples:

There was an ad campaign that had Price and Angostura Bitters offering a free cookbook via mail. The ads had Price highlighting a recipe along with a cocktail to enjoy with the meal. I was only able to find four of those ads. Two of them advertised the Gin and Bitters aka Pink Gin:

" To be blunt, most parties go wrong in the dreary sameness of the drinks," says party-smarty Vincent Price. "So, next time switch to tots of frosty gin 'n bitters (or, as the English say, Pink Gin). A generous dash of Angostura aromatic bitters and 1 1/2ounces of a fine dry gin over ice - that's all.

The ad shows a bottle of Seagram's Extra Dry Gin in between the cocktail and the bitters.

Seagram's entered the gin market with their Seagram's Gin known as the "Ancient Bottle" in 1939. As the company grew, they branch out with their Extra Dry Gin which hit the market during the early 1960s. I haven't had the Seagram's Extra Dry Gin before. Here is how Seagram's describes it on their website:

If you don’t have a go-to gin, now you do. Smooth and mellow since 1939, Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin is fit for all of your everyday occasions.  The award-winning recipe is versatile enough for your favorite mixers yet complex enough for the gin connoisseur.

Seagram's had a heavy advertising campaign for their Seagram's Extra Dry Gin that I will look at in a later post. The Price/Angostura ads also focused on two classic cocktails, one of which Price highlights a variation of in the second ad:

The first ad has a recipe for a Manhattan:

Over ice, stir 2/3 any good whiskey, 1/3 sweet vermouth, two dashes of Angostura.

And as you can see in the picture, it was strained out into a coupe glass. Nicely done.

The second ad has the riff of an Old Fashioned called a New Fashioned:

A lump of sugar dissolved with 3 dashes Angostura and a splash of club soda, plus two rocks, a twist, a cherry and 1 1/2 ounces light Canadian whiskey. That's what makes it a New Fashioned. 

Thankfully the recipe doesn't call for muddling of the cherry. If you like that sort of cocktail, then rock on. But I like for my Old Fashioned cocktails to look nice and clear with the oils of the twist on the surface and a nice brandied cherry, if requested. Though back when I drank cocktails (over one year and counting,) I did prefer orange bitters in both my Manhattans and Old Fashioneds. But to each his own.

The last cocktail from the Vincent Price/Angostura ads that I came across was for Beef Wellington paired with a Bloody Mary.

Those of you who love an extravagant Bloody Mary with all the garnishes will not like this recipe which simply calls for 3oz icy tomato juice, plus 1 jigger of vodka, 2 dashes of Angostura. Bloodies sure have changed since then.

Anyone have the mail in recipe book? Drop me a line in the comment box if you do. With that I will leave you with the following inspirational quote that is attributed to Vincent Price:

Keep an eye out for the next post. Be safe and healthy out there. See you soon.

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

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Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) Part II May 19, 2020

What's up peeps. New post here to tie up some loose ends. Back on January 7, 2015 I put up the post Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004) Part I hoping to do the second part soon thereafter. But as we know, things don't always go to plan. But here I am with Part II for your reading enjoyment.

Beatrix has moved past taking out Budd (Michael Madsen) and Ellie Driver (Daryl Hannah) and now is on the hunt for the titular Bill (David Carradine.) She locates the one person who can direct her to Bill: Esteban Vihaio (Michael Parks.) We see some unusual product placement in the cantina in the form of Sol advertising on the chairs.  I say unusual since Tarantino's movies (also Robert Rodriguez's movies) tend to use fake products such as the Red Apple Cigarettes or Chango beer in their scenes.

Sol is a Mexican lager that has been produced since 1899. Clocking in at 4.5% ABV, I would put Cerveza Sol in the same category as Corona and Cerveza Pacifico among others. Vihaio is sitting at a table reading a book, smoking a cigarette with a snifter of something light brown for his drinking pleasure.

What that is I can't tell but it might be answered a bit later on in the scene. As they are discussing Bill and his whereabouts, Vihaio asks for Beatrix to have a drink with him and he orders "dos añejo." 

The scene moves on to Beatrix back on the road with the directions given to her by Vihaio. We don't see them having that drink of  los "dos añejo."  I'll touch on what an añejo is in the next set of images. 

Beatirx finds the suite where Bill is and sneaks her way in. As she lies in wait, I notice a number of bottles of booze along on the wall. 

One is a bottle of Bacardi. Another is a bottle of Tuaca, which I reviewed in the post What is Tuaca January 31, 2019. The third I'll touch on soon. The story progresses to the point where Beatrix finds out her daughter B.B. is alive and well. After a touching moment where she spends some alone time with B.B. and puts her to bed, the scene moves to Beatrix and Bill. Here we see Bill standing at the bar with the third bottle that I mention above.

This particular bottle is a spirit that back in the early 2000's I used to enjoy with my friend Mike: Tres Generaciones Tequila Añejo. Now allow me to touch on what añejo means in terms of tequila. 

As I mention with my post Casa Herradura Original Tequila Reposado May 14, 2020
the designation of the types of tequila are regulated by el Consejo Regulador de Tequila (TRC.) All tequila must be made of 100% Agave Tequilana Weber variety Azul better known as blue weber agave. The agave must be grown in, cultivated and processed within the Mexican state of Jalisco in order to be called tequila.

A tequila blanco is the tequila that comes straight out the copper still after the number of distillations set by the distiller. Tequila reposado is a tequila that is rested for a minimum of two months and a maximum of a year in oak barrels. Tequila añejo must be aged in barrels of no more than 600 liters for over a year. Very often bourbon and whiskey oak barrels are used for the aging, imparting different flavor notes and a darker color than found in a reposado tequila.

The roots for Tres Generaciones tequila go back to 1873 with Don Cenobio Sauza (October 30, 1842 – February 15, 1909). In that year, Don Cenobio who is often known as "The Father of Tequila" purchased “La Antigua Cruz” distillery and renames it “La Perseverancia.” Don Cenobio would pass the knowledge of making tequila down to his son Don Eladio Sauza (June 16, 1883 – July 22, 1946) who would further expand operations under the Casa Sauza brand. 

Don Eladio would in turn hand the reins of the company to his son Don Francisco Javier Suarez . Don Francisco Javier would work to make tequila a worldwide spirit and also helped to spearhead the efforts to make tequila a Mexican only product with the Denominación de Origen (appellation of origin.) This helped to set up the state of Jalisco, specifically, the region of Tequila as the only area in the world where tequila can be produced. If other places in the world, including other areas within Mexico that weren't in Jalisco made an agave based spirit, it would need to be called something other than tequila.  

Photo Courtesy of TresGeneraciones.com

The Tres Generaciones line of tequila, was named as such in honor of Don Cenobio, Don Eladio and Don Francisco Javier. According to the website:

One of the proudest accomplishments of the Sauza family, Tres Generaciones® is the result of three generations of hard work, wisdom, skill, passion and courage—a super premium tequila, triple distilled for superior smoothness, to be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or in a selection of sophisticated cocktails.

 In terms of the Tres Generaciones Añejo, the website states that:

Our Añejo Tequila has a rich, 100% blue agave flavor enhanced by 12 months in toasted American oak barrels where it gains its delicate amber hue, an array of subtle flavors, and its unique smooth, smoky finish.

Bill seems to like this particular tequila since he partakes of it while giving his Superman soliloquy.

And he does so numerous times right before the climax of the movie.

You know what happens next if you've watched the film. If you haven't then go watch it. To finish the post I leave you with this beauty of a banter between Beatrix and Vihaio when he mentions the truck Beatrix was driving in the first film:

Have a great one folks and be safe. See you soon with a new post.


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

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Los Danzantes Mezcal May 15, 2020

Hey peeps. What's up!!! I'm back watching the show This is México that is shown on the Tastemade network. The program is hosted by Mexican born chef Gerardo Lopez and focuses on traditional Mexican food, drink and culture. In the episode Making Mezcal in Oaxaca Lopez is in the town of Santiago Matatlán, Oaxaca, which is considered the "World Capital of Mezcal."  They are profiling the Los Danzantes Destileria.

Image Courtesy of LosDanzantes.com

 As with tequila, Mexico has a designated area specified by la denominación de origen which was established in 1996 by the Mexican government. This means that only spirits made in this Mexican state can be called mezcal. Mezcal and tequila are very similar in that they are produced from the agave plant. Mezcal come from the maguey plant while tequila comes from the blue weber agave plant. Both are grown, and cultivated in similar ways. Where the process differs comes from the processing.


Where the agave piñas for tequila are cooked in ovens, mezcal producers such as the profiled Los Danzantes Distillery hark back to the methods used by the natives to cook the maguey piñas. The website for Los Danzantes describes the process:

For six hours beginning at dawn, burning wood warms the river stones heating the inside of the oven. Then they are covered with a damp coating of maguey fibers, on top of which are placed the piñas (the heart of the maguey) in the shape of a pyramid. Finally, everything is covered with a layer of empty sacks and sealed in the underground oven for three days.

The smokiness and earthiness profile of the mezcal comes from this method of cooking. The word for Mezcal is actually a combination of two Nahuatl words:

Mexcalli = Agave
Ixcalli = Underground pit oven cooked

For those of you who don't know, the Nahuatl are a member of a group of peoples native to southern Mexico and Central America, including the Aztecs. Oaxaca is the district in Mexico that had the highest percentage of natives. As was stated in the program, the natives fled into the mountains when the Spaniards arrived. In doing so, native culture and customs stayed intact and has survived the centuries to today.

Another distinctive feature of the method for producing Mezcal is extraction of the mezal. Unlike some distillers that use modern methods, Los Danzantes uses native methods for extraction. Pre-Columbian natives initially used a hammers to pound the liquid from the cooked piñas. After the arrival of the Spaniards with their horses, extraction was upgraded in the method used by Los Danzantes:

Once the maguey is removed from the warm interior of the earth and cooled, it is crushed in a stone mill, where Samson the horse pulls a quarry rock wheel. The action of the quarry rock wheel releases the sugars and juices that later become alcohol.

The juices and the pulp fibers of the plant go into fermentation tanks for six days while natural yeast converts it into a fermented liquid which is called tepache. This goes into the distillation still with the pulp for a double distillation. The first distillation separates the solids and impurities while the second distillation refines the process. What happens next comes from the Los Danzantes website:

During the second distillation, we refine the product, separating the ends, body, and tails, and extracting the aroma and flavors produced during fermentation. Then, a master mezcalero uses a technique called veneciar – with the help of a hollow cane and a calabash bowl – to measure the alcohol content. He does this by observing the shape, size and duration of ‘pearling’, a traditional technique used to measure alcohol content.

In this case, the master mezcalero is master mezcalera Karina Abad.

Los Dazantes Destileria has been making mezcal since purchasing a disused mezcal distillery in Santiago Matatlán in 1997. Their five year plan became a twenty year plan. Why? Well, as someone who has worked in the bar business since 1995, not only was mezcal not a popular spirit but it wasn't even known to many in the 1990s.

I would say that mezcal started to become a mainstream popular spirit within the last five to ten years. Prior to 2015 you had to go to a tequila bar such as the now closed Mayahuel to find a selection of mezcals. Now you can walk into most bars and find at least one mezcal. Finn's Corner Pub where I bartend has two (Mezcal Unión Uno and Mezcal Montelobos.) Mezcal is much easier to come by these days.

Photo Courtesy of LosDanzantes.com

Los Danzantes has three core mezcals that are made with 100% Maguey Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw):

• Joven/Blanco
• Reposado (aged 9 months, 70% of the time in American white oak barrels and 30% of the time in French white oak barrels)
• Anejo (aged for 16 months: 70% of the time in American white oak barrels and 30% of the time in French white oak barrels)

The barrels are only used by Los Danzantes and have never held any other spirit than their mezcal. They also have a couple of special mezcals that they make on a seasonal basis including a Joven made with the wild Tobalá maguey (Agave potatorum Zucc.) and the Pechuga. Don't know what Pechuga is? If you know that the word pechuga in Spanish means breast, then you're mind must be  wondering how a breast plays into making mezcal. I'll let them describe their mezcal Pechuga in their own words:

This artisanal mezcal is produced using 100% maguey Espadín (Agave angustifolia Haw.), from the Oaxaca Valley plains. Distilled three times, the last distillation involves a combination of seasonal fruit, spices and a creole hen. Finally, the elixir is dyed with Grana Cochinilla. This is a special offering to our gods and to everything that you kiss with your mouth.   

And with that I will bid you farewell.Be safe and be healthy out there folks.

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

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Casa Herradura Original Tequila Reposado May 14, 2020

Hey peeps, how we doing these days while in pause and staying in place. Hope you are all well, healthy and safe. Everyone is doing ok over here. Just waiting to resume our lives as normal as the new normal will be. Until then, I'm just trying my best to watch programming that I can learn from either by history, food, travel and culture programming.

For today's post, I was watching the show This is México that is shown on the Tastemade network. The program is hosted by Mexican born chef Gerardo Lopez and focuses on traditional Mexican food, drink and culture. In the episode Tequila Tasting in Jalisco, Lopez is taking a tour of La Casa de Herradura hacienda with Herradura Global Ambassador Ruben Aceves. 

Something that was said during the tour caught my attention. It was said that Herradura was the first distillery to produce a tequila reposado for sale in 1974. Before I go into Herradura's claim of it being the first distillery to produce a tequila reposado, I wanted to take a look at what a tequila reposado is compared to other tequilas.

While the terms blanco (white or clear) and añejo (aged or vintage) are fairly well known to drinkers, the meaning of the word reposado might not be known to many. The word reposado translates to rested. According to the governing body of tequila in Mexico known as el Consejo Regulador de Tequila (TRC):

Tequila aging is understood as the product slow processing that allowing acquiring additional sensory characteristics, gotten by physicochemical processes that naturally occur during their stay in French oak or white oak barrels. Rested Tequila must be aged in French oak or white oak barrels for at least two months.

On to Casa Herradura.

Casa Herradura is one of the oldest tequila producers in the world having been established in 1870. The Casa Herradura is located at the Hacienda San Jose del Refugio which is in the village of Amatitlán, Jalisco, México. Hacienda San Jose del Refugio is the last tequila producing hacienda in the world. 

What is a hacienda? A hacienda is a large estate or plantation with a dwelling house. In terms of Casa Herradura, their small scale tequila production on the hacienda makes for a specialized product compared to other mass produced tequilas in large distilleries.

What sets Herradura apart from the other tequila distillers is that their original tequila reposado is aged for eleven months in charred American Oak barrels of fifty-five gallons rather than for just a minimum of two months. 

The standard set by Herradura produces a tequila reposado that their website describes as having:

a rich amber color with notes of cooked agave, vanilla and butter. This additional time spent resting in charred American White Oak barrels creates a smooth, sweet finish with a slight taste of spice.

Herradura also produces a Double Barrel Reposado which is made with a two-step process. The first step is the same as their original tequila reposado. Then the tequila is transferred to new charred American Oak barrels for another 30 days. This extra step:  

creates a rich, dark amber colored liquid and a smooth yet complex flavor profile not found in any other Reposado, with hints of cooked agave, vanilla, allspice, clove and oak.

With the tequila reposado being a rested version of the tequila blanco that many people shudder when remembering their early 20's, this tequila is a sipper and an excellent tequila to use in your margarita. Speaking of the margarita, click the link for the signature Herradura margarita known as the Horseshoe Margarita.

Another claim to fame of Casa Herradura is to having the first female master tequila distiller, Teresa Lara López who worked at Casa Herradura for thirty years.

Next in an upcoming post, I'm going to look at the fourth episode in the This is México
program which had Gerardo Lopez having tequila's cousin Mezcal in Oaxaca. Keep an eye out for it.

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

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Danger Diabolik (1968) Part I May 1, 2020

Today's SiscoVanilla at the Movies post focuses on the European heist film Danger: Diabolik from 1968.

The film was directed by famed Italian director Mario Bava and starred John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli and Adolfo Celi. The movie is described as so by Rotten Tomatoes:

Diabolik (John Phillip Law) is the criminal mastermind who has just pulled off a huge heist. He spends most of his free time with his girlfriend, Eva (Marisa Mell), in fond embrace. The police minister (Terry-Thomas) is approached by Valmont (Adolfo Celi), a master criminal who proposes to use his underworld connections to catch Diabolik for the police. In between their gratuitous lovemaking, he and the exotic Eva are chased by police and the mob in this plodding crime drama.

A non booze fact about the Danger: Diabolik movie that I came upon is very interesting. The source material that movie it is based on comes from the Italian comic book of the same name that was created by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani. The comic was first published in November 1962. For more information, I recommend that you check out the Diabolik website. On to the movie. 

I love these 1960's films when it comes to booze and beer references. To me they are something of a time capsule in seeing what products were popular at the time. What was popular in the 1960's might have fallen out of style decades later and gotten back into style even later.

It takes a while before we get down to some drinking. Mobster Valmont is holding a meeting of mob syndicate members on his yacht and it is here where some interesting liquor brands can be found.

I zoom into the liquor bottles for a better view of the selection:

From what I can tell Valmont provides a nice variety of spirits for his guests to enjoy. I see a Martell Three Star Cognac, Gordon's Gin, Tio Pepe Sherry, Jim Beam Bourbon, Punt e Mes Vermouth Rosso, Martini Vermouth Blanc and a bottle of Buchanan Black and White Scotch Whisky that Valmont is holding and drinking from. I'm going to focus on the following brands:

Martell Three Star Cognac

The Martell distillery has been in operation since 1715 in Charente, in the Cognac region of France. Distilery founder Jean Martell (1694-1753) was from a family of merchants that were based on the isle of Jersey. Martell emigrated to France and set up a trading house and later a distillery that would become known as the House of Martell. 

The Martell Three-Star Cognac (now known as the Martell V.S.) comes in at 80 proof/40% abv. As per the listing Martell V.S. Cognac from the Difford's Guide website:

Martell's 'Very Special' cognac was created in the middle of the 19th century and is one of the most recognizable bottles in the world. It is blended from eaux-de-vie, mainly from Fins Bois, a Cognac region noted for its quick maturation so giving this V.S. a fruity charter. Martel V.S. is blended from 20 to 30 eaux-de-vie which are typically matured for a little over two years. 

Click on the link for the Martell V.S. Cognac for a more in depth flavor review. To learn more about the house of Martell, I recommend that you read the article Profile: The House of Martell from the Luxury Insider Magazine website dated November 16, 2011. I also go into detail on the concept of Bon Bois and Fins Bois in my post Ian Fleming's Goldfinger (1964) Part I from February 3, 2014.

Tio Pepe Sherry

Tio Pepe is the world's best selling sherry brand that is made from palomino fino grapes. The Jerez region of southern Spain has a special kind of chalky soil that the palomino fino grapes thrive in. Tio Pepe is best known for its best known for its fino style of dry sherry which is aged for a minimum of 5 years. It comes in at 30 proof/15% abv. The name for the brand comes from the founder of Tio Pepe's parent company González Byass. 

In 1841 Manuel Maria González Angel named his pale very dry white wine after his "Tio Pepe." Why? According to the article 175 años de constancia by Juan Pedro Simo from El Diario de Jerez dated July 4, 2010:

EL TÍO PEPE ’. The winery is going from strength to strength. So much success without knowing anything about wines seemed like a miracle. There was a character behind: José Ángel de la Peña, Manuel María's uncle, who introduced him to wine and business. In compensation, MM gave his counselor a small cellar to grow a fine wine to his liking. José Ángel did what he asked and only demanded that he give him the keys to enter and leave as he pleased. Some time later Byass sent several batches to London as a sample and the results were excellent. So effective was his reception among consumers that MM himself approached one day to his uncle's little cellar to write on one of his boots: 'Solera Tío Pepe'. There is, therefore, a ‘Tío Pepe’ of flesh and blood. This was the little story of the birth of the most universal fine of González Byass (translated from Spanish.)

For a review of Tio Pepe Sherry, check out the post Review: Tio Pepe Fino Sherry by Adam Teeter from Vinepair website.

Carpano Punt e Mes 

Punt e Mes is an Italian aromatized wine that is described by Punch in their post Bringing it Back Bar: What to Do With Punt e Mes as an aperitif that "straddles the line between sweet Italian vermouth and amaro." The name Punt e Mas comes from its origin story. According to the Carpano website for Punt e Mes:

"The story goes that on 19 April 1870 , a stockbroker, caught up in a discussion with colleagues whilst in the Carpano wine shop about the increase in share prices on that day – one and a half points – ordered his usual Carpano vermouth but asked for the barman to add half a measure of bitter, using the regional expression “Punt e Mes”. The drink immediately became popular as an aperitif before lunch, as recalled by the barman of the time Maurizio Boeris."

The taste and texture of the Punt e Mes is described by Carpano as follows:

"Punt e Mes has a golden orange color with topaz tones, herby aromas and dark red, black dahlia with vermilion shades. The initial taste is one of sweetness, characterised by an intriguing accent of orange. This is followed by the characteristically bitter taste of the quina and ends on a sweet note."

Punt e Mes clocks in at 32 proof/16% abv.

For my next post on Danger Diabolik (1968) Part II, I will take a look at one of the world's best known Scotch Whisky brands. This one brings back memories since it is a whisky that my dad would drink when I was a kid: Dewars White Label Scotch Whisky.

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

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Ian Fleming Booth's Gin and James Bond April 29, 2020

I was recently watching the BBC documentary Ian Fleming: Where Bond Began and was piqued with a particular spirit reference.

The hostess of the documentary, British actress and former Bond Girl Joanna Lumley (the English girl from Her Majesty's Secret Service) is looking through a number of notebooks that belonged to James Bond creator Ian Fleming. She remarks that Ian Fleming could have been a copywriter for an advertising agency based with how he created little scenes/dialogue based around a particular gin: Booth's High and Dry Gin. Now I've heard about the Booth's brand in the past through some of the old ads I've seen online. Aside from that I really didn't have much knowledge about the brand. Let's take a trip across the pond.

From what I could find out, Booth's High and Dry Gin was produced by Booth’s Distillers LTD. This company was a family owned company that was distilling since the 1740's in England. The High and Dry was produced by Booth's Distillers and was produced after World War I. It differed from the flagship product in look. Where the High and Dry was crystal clear, the Booth's Finest London Dry Gin was actually yellow in color. Difford's Guide states that the High and Dry was referred to as being the "World's Driest Gin." By 1937, Booth's joined the Distiller's Company LTD, which was a predecessor of what would become part of Diageo.

The UK version of the gin was 40% ABV, while other versions distilled in other places around the world varied in ABV. By 2018 the brand was sold by Diageo to Sazerac with the Booth's branded gin apparently still being available in the United States. Though I have seen conflicting information that states that Booth's is not being produced anywhere.

And about Booth's connection to Ian Fleming and James Bond? It is believed that the famous Bond drink of a martini is in part based on the martini recipe used by Fleming's friend William Stephenson. Stephenson was the head of the ‘British Security Co-ordination’ Office (BSC) which was basically an arm of British intelligence in the United States. According to page 118 of the book Those Angry Days: Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America's Fight Over World War II, 1939 - 1941 by Lynne Olson:

A suave and charming host, Stephenson was known for his potent martinis; another colleague, writer Ian Fleming called them "the most potent martinis in America." After a couple of them, the six-foot-seven Sherwood was once heard to say: "If I have another cocktail, I'll just call timber and fall on my face." Fleming, who would model his famous fictional character James Bond in part on Stephenson, noted that the BSC chief was the source of Bond's martini recipe: "Booth's gin, high and dry, easy on he vermouth, shaken not stirred."

In terms of the influence that Stephenson had on Fleming and his James Bond franchise, Page 70 of the book The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising By Kenneth Roman delves into this a bit further:

Fleming drew on Stephenson's intelligence operations for several Bond stories. The giant fish tank at the Hamilton Princess hotel in Bermuda, a BSC station, became the glass wall that separated Bond from Dr. No's sharks. A plan concocted by BSC to rob Martinique of gold, to keep it out of German hands after the Nazis conquered France, led to the novel Goldfinger. Bond earns his double-O classification by shooting a Japanese cipher agent in Rockefeller Center, where the BSC's code-breaking operations were based in New York. Stephenson was the source of Bond's martini recipe, according to British Special Operations secret agent Vera Atkins: "Billy mixed the deadliest martinis. Booth's gin, high and dry, easy on the vermouth, twist of lemon peel, shaken not stirred." Fleming respected Stephenson's martinis, served in quart glasses.

I'm glad I came across that documentary randomly on YouTube. Inspiration comes from the darndest places. Which is why I like to live by the statement: Learn something new everyday. See you all soon.

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

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For Further Reading:

• Gin and Tonic from the Greasy Spoon blog 
• Booth’s High and Dry Gin (1960’s) from the Gin is n website
• Booth’s Distillery, London England, High & Dry Gin from the Bay Bottles website

Coors Extra Gold in the Running Man April 26, 2020

Continuing with my searching for booze and beer references in movies while under the stay-in-place order due to COVID-19, today's selection comes from the Richard Bachman (aka Stephen King) inspired movie The Running Man (1987.)

Now aside from a bunch of yuppies drinking while watching the Running Man, there aren't many booze or beer references...except for one. A quick eye will find it.

Now Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is about to leave to catch the ride to the fancy part of the city. As the camera pans across the lovely vista of the hood, there is a bar in the background with a neon sign all aglow. Here is the image:

Coors Extra Gold? I vaguely remember the brand from the 1980s. Back down the internet rabbit hole to find out some information about this particular beer.

In the mid-1980's competing brands Coors and Miller (which are now under the same umbrella Molson Coors) tried to lure drinkers with their own versions of fuller bodied lagers: Coors Extra Gold and Miller High Life Genuine Draft.

Aside from being marketed as being a fuller beer, the brews also had a richer taste than their company's standard beers: Coors Banquet Beer and Miller High Life. Both brands had a light version which were short lived. Both beers are still available, the Miller Genuine Draft (MGD) and the Extra Gold Lager. Now known as Extra Gold, the beer is described as follows from the Blue Ridge Beverage Company website:

Extra Gold Lager is a rich, full-flavored lager with a deep golden color. Extra Gold Lager starts with the slow aging of its roasted malts, which are then combined with its other premium ingredients and slow-brewed to produce this exceptional, refined lager.

 Many ads for the Coors Extra Gold included some extreme sports of the time:

sponsorship at monster truck rallies:

Models:

 and models with Harleys:

While Miller Genuine Draft can still be found regularly, I can't say that I have ever seen the Extra Gold Lager. Untappd's listing has people checking in drinking the beer. Primarily from Colorado and Pennsylvania. It clocks in at 5.0% ABV with an unknown IBU.

Here is a commercial for Coors Extra Gold from 1988:

I guess once I'm able to get out past the Bronx, I'll check to see if I can find some of the Extra Gold. Any of you fine gals and guys ever have this beer. 👍? 👎? 😐? 🤮? Let me know what you think in the comment box.

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

#SiscoVanilla
#SiscoVanillaHasABrewski
#SiscoVanillaBeerChronicles
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