Irish Coffee

The first time I ever had Irish coffee it was what I now think of as faux Irish coffee; it was black coffee with a splash of Bailey's Irish Creme, and a squirt of whipped cream from a can. It was OK; not terrible, but I didn't want a second. The next time was at a hotel bar attached to a Shiloh Inn. That time, it was coffee with a shot of Jameson's, whipped cream from a can, and—I shudder even as I write this—a splash of Crème de Menthe on the cream.

There have been any number of sins committed with respect to the making of Irish coffee; for my money, the addition of Crème de Menthe leads the way, followed by the use of whipped cream. Personally, I'd rather the shot of Irish whiskey (Jameson's or Bushmills, among others, are fine) in a good cup of coffee with heavy cream—which, according to legend, is pretty much the way it got started. It's actually a funny story, though the humor in it is very laconic, and very Irish.

According to various sources, Irish coffee was invented by Joe Sheridan in 1943. Sheridan was then the chef at the old "flying-boat" air base in Foynes, County Clare, not far from Shannon Airport. The way I heard it, Sheridan added whiskey to hot coffee in an effort to warm up a group of Americans who were cold, wet, and miserable after a trip on one of the old PanAm "flying boats" and the joys of crossing the field in a wet Irish winter. Supposedly, the passengers asked if the coffee was Brazilian coffee, Sheridan said, no, it was Irish coffee. And thus, the beverage was canonized.

At this point, I'm going to interrupt my narrative, to let you know the ingredients of genuine Irish coffee:

  • Hot high quality brewed black coffee (six ounces or so)
  • 2 or 3 cubes of sugar per cup (or teaspoons; purists insist on sugar cubes)
  • 1 to 2 shots/ounces of Irish whiskey (this is a religious issue; bear with me)
  • Heavy whipping cream at room temperature (Don't Whip The Cream; buy it two days before you plan to use it)

Shortly thereafter, after Shannon Airport was built, and began to "claim" Irish coffee, a well-respected travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Stanton Delaplane fell in love with Irish coffee. Delaplane got together with the then owners of the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, Jack Koeppler and George Freeberg, and the three attempted to re-create the Irish techniques, and ingredients, in the Irish coffee Delaplane had enjoyed in Ireland. It took a fair amount of work and research, not to mention personal experimentation (since the results had to be taste-tested). One of the difficulties was getting the cream to float; genuine Irish coffee does not involve whipped cream; rather, the cream floats in a heavy layer on top of the whisky and coffee mixture. They finally discovered, with some expert advice, that the cream needed to age for 48 hours. Initially, Buena Vista imported its own custom blended whiskey from Ireland, but back in 2006 they switched to using Tullamore Dew.

I am very much a Buena Vista Cafe Irish coffee believer. I've not had it with the previous custom blended Irish, but I like Tullamore Dew well enough to drink it on its own. I'll link to several recipes in a bit, but it's the sort of thing you adjust to suit personal taste. First though, I'm going to share the result of dedicated, empirical research.

Earlier I noted that the question of which Irish whiskey to use was a bit of an issue. Bushmill's is made in Northern Ireland; Jameson Irish whiskey is made in the Republic of Ireland. Thus the divide. Following the model of the Buena Vista Cafe, I prefer Tullamore Dew. I suggest that you could do worse by thoroughly investigating the various possibilities for yourself.

  • Don't whip the cream, or use canned whipped cream. You want to have two distinct layers; one of thick cream, covering the top surface, and then the coffee and whiskey.
  • The cream should float on top of the coffee. You'll have better luck with it if you first let it come to room temperature, then use a wire whisk and whisk it just until it gets slightly thick (or put it in a jar and shake it a bit, if you're making coffee for a group).
  • Irish coffee is traditionally served in a clear footed glass. If you use glass, heat the glass first with hot water, before adding the hot coffee.
  • Add the sugar, I prefer two cubes, or two teaspoons of sugar, to the bottom of the glass.
  • Pour about six ounces of really good, really strong black, freshly brewed coffee on top of the sugar. Don't omit the sugar; it changes the coffee just enough to make the cream more likely to float. There are those who prefer brown sugar, or turbinado sugar; the Buena Vista uses cane sugar.
  • Gently stir the coffee-sugar mixture.
  • Add an ounce (or two, depending on taste) of Irish whiskey to the sweetened coffee. Purists will have gently heated the whiskey first.
  • Slowly add the cream to the coffee, spooning it gently so that it floats.
  • Do Not Stir the Coffee.

Here's the recipe that Joe Sheridan is said to have used. Here's a recipe accompanied by a video tutorial. I really am very fond of the Buena Vista version; you can tell that they've made a lot of Irish coffee if you watch this video.

Drinking like a grown-up

I turned up the alley on my way home last Friday night, and encountered a small group of obviously drunk people standing around awkwardly while one of the party leaned up against the wall of the building and threw up. So I started thinking about "good drinking"  . . . versus, you know, the other kind of drinking: out of control, bad-things-happen, sick-as-a-dog-for-three-days-afterwards drinking.

This isn't going to be a lecture. For one thing, I drink. I really like to drink, in fact. It occurs to me, though, that we don't really teach young people how to drink, stay safe and sane, and pace themselves. At least, we don't seem to teach it very well, because there are all too many of those young people out roaming around downtown on weekends, blind, stinking drunk, who may or may not remember their misadventures when they sober back up. It's actually pretty easy to take a few simple steps to make sure you stay safe, enjoy the party, get home in one piece, and don't feel like toxic waste the morning after:
  • Arrange a designated driver. This really should go without saying, at this point, right? It's not cool to drive buzzed. Don't do it. Don't get killed, don't kill anyone else, just because you're out partying. 'Nuff said?
  • Eat something substantial before you go out. You know, like a meal. If there's food available at the club or party you attend, nibble fairly constantly throughout the evening, too. You don't have to eat a lot of volume, but grazing fairly steadily will help you pace yourself.
  • Speaking of pacing yourself, alternate alcohol with water, pop, coffee, or some other non-alcoholic beverage. It's cheaper, for one thing, but alternating also lets you maintain a fun level of feeling-the-effects without being out of control, embarrassingly blotto, and ending up puking in some alley on your way home. It's also going to help counter the dehydrating effects of the alcohol you're consuming—and that's going to make the morning after much, much more tolerable.
  • Develop a technique to keep track of how much you've had. There's a cop joke about how no matter how drunk a driver is, they've all only had "a couple of beers." So work out a simple strategy for keeping count, and stick to it. If you drink mixed drinks, for example, you can save your straws. Beers? Fine. Peel the labels off the bottles. Any method simple enough that you can still actually count once you're impaired.
  • Drink decent alcohol. Seriously. I know it costs a little more, but it's absolutely worth the money spent on decent beer that doesn't list "formaldehyde" as one of its ingredients. If cocktails are your thing, then acquaint yourself with the flavors of different brands. You'll have a better time, you'll enjoy the act of drinking more, and you'll very likely feel better, after.
  • Don't mix. For real. Shots and beers? Fine. But don't switch from tequila to Jack Daniels to Jägermeister in the course of a single evening. You'll only be sorry, and very, very messed up and ill.
  • Drink a lot of water when you get home. Take a bottle of water to bed, too, so when you wake up thirsty you can drink even more. Alcohol is dehydrating, remember? You'll want to counter those effects.
Drinking is enjoyable, that's why humans have always done it. And drinking should be enjoyable. But for a night out drinking to be fun, you need to be safe, be responsible, take care of yourself, and not leave vomit for someone else to clean up. That's part of the social transaction, and part of acting like an grown-up, no matter how old you are.

Ode to the Irish Car Bomb

Ah yes, on to yet another fruitful beverage that is best served when you are out partying with your friends and intending to get entirely inebriated that evening. What else could I be possibly talking about, with exceptions to a fabulous mix drink, or in this case, technically a boilermaker. So without further ado, disruptions or (Sip) more drinks, I present to you a timeless bar favorite, one that really needs no further introduction: the Irish Car Bomb. And contrary to popular belief, there is really only one true and trodden way to concoct this tasty mixed beverage and drink it. The Classic Composition of the Irish Car Bomb Better known to many as a ‘beer cocktail,’ the Irish Car Bomb is actually a boilermaker that involves to well-known and very drank beverages: Guinness Beer and Bailey’s Irish Cream liquor. The makings of this drink are rather simple in reality. You place a 12-ounce beer glass on the counter and fill to about two inches from the top with Stout Guinness beer. Then you fill a rounded shot glass (1 shot) with Bailey’s Irish Cream; also chilled. Then you drop the shot glass into the beer and you drink the beer as fast as you can. You don’t want to delay drinking the beer because otherwise the dairy inside of the Bailey’s can curdle, which is disgusting and ruins the beverage altogether. Why I Love the Irish Car Bomb I love this drink for so many different reasons. First and foremost: I am Irish and love Guinness beer and Bailey’s. Secondly, it tastes just oh so great—the perfect amount of texture from the sediment in the Guinness falling to the bottom of the glass, then perfectly mixing with the rich and savvy, smooth and creamy balance of the Irish Cream—and when it comes to beer boilermaker mixers, you can’t beat the tastes of this drink. Also, the Car Bomb looks cool when you mix the lighter textures of the Irish Cream with the darker textures and stout of the Guinness beer. And, just try and downing three or more of these. Before you know it, you have consumed nearly seven different drinks. However, some Irish pubs will become distraught if you order this drink—because some people view the connotation of the very name of this mixed beverage as offensive. Read below to find out why... Why Some People/Clubs/Pubs are Offended by this Drink Back in the day when the IRA or the PIRA -- Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) was labeled—and technically still is—as an armed group of Irish militant terrorists, this drink was created to make fun of the fact that they bombed so many different cars when rebelling against the English. So, a good rule of thumb is to always be wary when you order this drink at a distinctly Irish pub in light of not getting your ass kicked. Other than that, most places will happily serve and charge you for this tasty drink. And yes. I am Irish, and yes…I love the Irish Car Bomb! If you Ever Wondered How to Make this Drink -- Check out the Video Below!

The Low Down on Louching

Any discussion of anise seed flavored aperitifs is not complete without a discussion of louching. You’re likely asking, “What the heck is louching and why does it sound like a very dirty, unsophisticated slang word for an even more unspeakable verb?” Rest assured your question will be answered in this article, but more importantly, the reasons for and effects of louching will also be discussed in the next few paragraphs.

Louching occurs when water is added to an aperitif or alcoholic beverage containing anise or anise seed. The essence oil of this herb is soluble in alcohol, but not in water. So dilution creates a separation of the essence oils from the surrounding solution that is the rest of the drink, forming an emulsion whose droplets scatter in the light. In simple terms, this has the effect of changing the color of the drink from clear and dark when it is first poured, to cloudy and lighter in color. Aperitifs that respond particularly well to louching include Pastis, Absinthe, and Ouzo. These all contain enough anise or anise seed essence oil to allow the emulsion process to occur when diluted.

In many social circles, louching is looked upon as part of the enjoyment process of the alcoholic beverage. Others, particularly Westerners see it as a disgusting way to ruin a drink. Why would anyone want to put water in his or her alcohol? For most Europeans who practice louching on a regular basis, drinking is often more about enjoying an experience rather than the feeling of being drunk, and, in their opinion, louching enhances the experience and social value of many aperitifs. Some in the European Union would never even think of enjoying many of their favorite most invigorating appetite-enhancing drinks without first diluting them to allow for a little pre-dinner louching

Yes, louching is a relatively foreign process in the US but the lack of availability of aperitifs and alcoholic beverages that benefit from this process helps to explain why this is so. No one wants to dilute beer or whiskey or rum with water. Or do they? History is filled with cases where dilution of alcohol with water is advantageous to the consumer for simple and complex reasons alike. Gin and tonic, a popular drink in the US, is an excellent example of a cocktail that’s alcohol diluted with water, or in this case, sparking water also referred to as tonic.

Historically, sea farers would add alcohol to their water stores to keep the water from turning rancid and, if it did happen to turn, keep the drinkers of this putrid water from smelling or tasting much more than water mixed with a little rum. So here we have an example that exists in reverse, people diluting water with alcohol. But nonetheless it can be seen that dilution of people’s drinks has been occurring in socially acceptable, and extremely useful ways for hundreds if not thousands of years.

A process that many argue would destroy the enjoyability of a drink for one person actually enhances the drinking experience for others. Depending on what type of alcohol you’re drinking, louching might just be the best thing for you.

Absinthe: The Green Fairy

The name Absinthe conjures up thoughts of misspent nights in Amsterdam and the frat boy mentality of getting as wasted on drugs and alcohol as humanly possible. But Iâ??d like to present the case that Absinthe, sometimes referred to in French as "La Fee Verte" or "The Green Fairy", is a very versatile, enjoyable drink for a person looking to experience one of the absolute classic drinks of Europe. Absinthe has an extremely rich history, perhaps one of the most interesting of all alcoholic beverages, and is still considered a controlled substance in the United States, unless it is considered to be thujone free. The latter type of Absinthe is still not technically legal, but it is not a controlled substance.

By this time you’re probably wondering just what the heck is in Absinthe that makes it so illegal in The US and in many European countries still to this day. The drink started out in Switzerland as an herbal elixir of sorts. It was used to treat everything from coughs to headaches to manic behavior. The actual make-up of Absinthe includes herbs like anise, anise seed, fennel, licorice, hyssop, veronica, lemon balm, angelica root, dittany, coriander, juniper, and nutmeg. The key ingredient that has made it illegal however is called wormwood. Absinthe has a very strong and very characteristic licorice flavor and is often diluted with water in a process called louching. Often, to increase the speed at which the alcohol is absorbed through the stomach walls and into the bloodstream, Absinthe drinkers will pour the liquid over a slotted spoon resembling a prop from a Tim Burton film that usually a sugar cube. Adding pure sugar to any alcohol will quicken the effects of the drink and hasten the state of drunkenness.

Going back to the subject of much controversy, wormwood is a perennial plant that grows in central Europe and the Caucasus mountain range. When cooked and distilled, the wormwood releases a psychoactive chemical called thujone. It is this thujone that some claim gives Absinthe its psychedelic or hallucinogenic properties. In recent years, scientific testing of vintage Absinthe from as far back as 1899 has shown that thujone levels in even the most potent bottle of Absinthe are only about 1/50-1/100th of the thujone level that was previously believed to be contained in a bottle of the green beverage. But since thujone is highly regulated, especially in the US, Absinthe containing it is still a controlled substance.

Absinthe has a history of being used as a scapegoat for many of the French and European social and historical problems during the late 19th and early 20th century. It was even banned in France and Switzerland during this time, but the ban has been lifted recently for the Swiss population and French authorities are unlikely to prosecute anyone consuming or possessing it these days. The biggest reason why Absinthe was hated and ultimately banned in France in 1915 was because the French wine producers complained that Absinthe was quickly eclipsing wine as the most popular drink in France at the time. Many famous artists, authors, and musicians were said to have consumed the drink only to be inspired to create their masterpieces in small flats and studios in and around Paris. While this collective cultural memory may be quite cliché, the argument that Absinthe was a destroyer of consumers’ brains and responsible for many of France’s social ills of the period was pushed quite heavy onto the French Government by these very same wine producers. So, in primarily order to preserve and protect French wine as the staple beverage of the population, Absinthe was banned in France after a long hard-fought propaganda campaign was launched against its distillers.

It is a peculiar and amusing fact that when there are wine shortages and rising wine prices in France, Absinthe becomes the popular alternative. This has been the case in recent years and was the case more than a hundred years ago when French wine makers were striving so hard to ban the drink. History often has a way of repeating itself for better or worse, and Absinthe has often been at the center of the drug and alcohol regulation argument for over a century now.

Ouzo: Peculiar and Popular

For those of us who’ve seen it all, done it all, and drank it all, Greece’s most famous drink and aperitif, Ouzo deserves a fresh new review. Ouzo comes in many different forms, some is flavored, other manufactures sell it in varieties pertaining to the region or vintage of the beverage. But Ouzo, and the drink that started Greek aperitifs, tsipouro, has been in existence for over two millennia.

In the times of ancient Greece, tsipouro was used in celebrations as well as every day life. It was the go to drink for just about any gathering of people. In the 14th century, Greek monks at the monastery of Mount Athos added anise seed to the original tsipouro recipe, creating the first form of ouzo. These monks so enjoyed their newly fashioned beverage that they marketed it to townspeople and ouzo slowly became the national drink of Greece. Ouzo distillation exploded in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In the mid 20th century, distillers began to use copper stills in the creation of the drink, which is now a part of the process of creating Ouzo that most distilleries follow religiously.

The sudden popularity of Ouzo is partly due to the demonization of Absinthe, which at the time was one of France’s most popular imbibes, even beating out French wine in popularity. It’s almost unbelievable to say that French citizens were more inclined to enjoy a glass of Absinthe than they were a glass of their own wine, but wine does not have wormwood in it now does it? Once Absinthe was outlawed in France and many other European nations in 1915, Ouzo and other similarly flavored alternatives were able to take root in the market.

Ouzo is colorless, but tastes very much like a smooth glass of licorice with a fiery aftertaste. It is often served chilled in a shot glass or mixed with soda water of cola. I prefer it straight or diluted with water, another procedure borrowed from the Absinthe tradition. This tradition, called louching, involves adding water to the alcohol to help reduce the alcohol content as well as to smooth out the taste and after taste of the drink. Ouzo is usually enjoyed in the early evening, before a meal as a sort of pre-dinner appetizer. Hence Ouzo’s status as an aperitif. This drink is famous all over Europe, not just in Greece, for it’s relatively high alcohol by volume and strong, masculine character. Some popular cocktails that contain Ouzo are the Greek Revolution Shooter, the Greek Tiger, the Greek Doctor, and the Jelly Bean.

Three years ago Ouzo was made a Protected Designation of Origin Product. Giving PDO status to Ouzo makes it illegal for any other country to use the name “Ouzo” for any other drink or product. This guarantees that European Union countries and those with agreements with EU countries, like Greece, the power profit that comes with owning, marketing, and exporting a completely unique and unduplicated product. This PDO status also ensures that the quality of the product is guaranteed to be of high standard, and the production of a PDO product must undergo certain outside scrutiny on a regular basis.

Top Eight Reasons Why I love Long Island Ice Teas

From the great and mindful fathoms of the pioneer and original connoisseur—the purveyor of the world’s very first taste of what would later move on to become one of the more popular and better known of highball drinks at any bar, restaurant or lounge—Robert (Rosebud) Buttu, whom created the Long Island Ice Tea while bartender at the ritzy Oak Beach Inn, in the Town of Babylon, Long Island, New York, has been forever my favorite highball mixer drink while out partying. There are now many different variations to the recipe, but the original, as it was intended by Buttu, is still my favorite to whet my palate with during the weekends, when I find myself clubbing or bar hopping with my friends. The Original Recipe for the Long Island Ice Tea The original recipe includes the following liquors: vodka, gin, tequila, and rum. However more recent popular versions that are commonly ordered at clubs and which you will more than likely be sucking down if you order one when out include: equal parts of vodka, gin, tequila, rum and triple sec with 1 1/2 parts sour mix and a splash of cola, which is only used to add coloring to the drink. Due to the almost nonexistent proportionate amounts of mixer to the alcohol, most Long Island Ice Teas are at least 28-35% alcohol or higher, depending upon how they are mixed. Some places may even use brandy as opposed to tequila. While others will use real iced tea as opposed to cola, and yet others will even substitute lime cordial in place of sweet and sour. But no matter how you mix a world famous Long Island Ice Tea, one thing is for sure: it goes down smooth, you can barely taste the alcohol, and before you know it, the room is spinning circles around your noggin. And now on to my top Eight… Top Eight Reasons Why I love Long Island Ice Teas 1. There is not a faster, smoother sweeter tasting way to get drunk fast, seriously. Don’t believe me, try drinking four of these puppies and walking, talking or doing anything! 2. For the amount of alcohol that is contained within these, you will not taste nearly a drop, but what you will taste is Long Island Ice Tea goodness, to the last drop. 3. The cheapest most cost effective way to get drunk; one drink is equal to three or four beers, and three shots, but costs the same as…one drink. 4. The magical blend of something that is mostly alcohol but tastes like tea and soda. 5. There is not a bartender in the world who does not know how to make this mix drink. Nearly anywhere that you will go, they know of this popular highball. 6. Compared to other mix drinks, it just taste better, smoother and has more liquor 7. Unlike other mixed drinks, the Long Island actually tastes good with food 8. Finally—a Long island mixes all my favorite liquors together into one taste bud and mind explosion. How to Make a Long Island Ice Tea: No More Wondering, this Bar Tender Serves it Up!

Becherovka: An Aperitif With Style

If you ever find yourself sitting in a bar in the Czech Republic fresh out of ideas about what drink or cocktail to order, you might just want to do yourself a favor and try a shot of Becherovka, the country’s national liquor and one of the most famous Eastern-European aperitifs in existence.

Becherovka has been a staple for many drinkers for over 200 years, having being first sold in 1807 under the name “Karlsbader Becherbitter” after the creator of the liquor, Josef Becher. Originally, it was offered as an aid to digestion and an herbal medicine. In fact, it is still possible to find bottles of Becherovka at a Czech liquor store with the old-fashioned medicinal dosing cup attached to the top of it. As its popularity grew, so did its reputation as a unique, extremely enjoyable, and relatively cheap imbibe. Not many people know about it outside of the Czech Republic or Eastern Europe but it has left a lasting impression on me and I’m sure that many people who have sampled it have found it to be peculiarly robust and pleasing to the eye as well as the tongue.

Becherovka is light green in color and fairly strong-smelling. There’s no hiding the wide variety of pungent herbs and spices that go into each bottle. Its taste is akin to a more mature, heartier, and far less candy-like Jaegermeister. I would say the flavor is far more complex and earthy than any beverage that is commonly abused by frat boys and regular drinkers alike in this country. Anywhere drinking and partying are combined in Eastern Europe, Becherovka is likely to be present. The recipe is a mix of anise seed, cinnamon, and over 30 other herbs, and creates a real feast for your taste buds.

The typical way to serve Becherovka is cold and neat or with tonic. There are literally hundreds of cocktails that would benefit from this alcohol’s herb-infused, stout, and strong flavor. I prefer Becherovka instead of Jaeger in all of the concoctions requiring the latter. Once you taste it, it’s tough to go back to such a sugary substitute. Another reason to choose the revered Czech beverage over Jaegermeister is that Becherovka is 38% alcohol by volume as compared to Jaeger’s 30%. Not that an additional 8% is really going to make a huge difference, but when tasted side by side in a cocktail, the Becherovka delivers a considerably larger and more potent kick along with it’s unique and very harmonic herbal flavor and strong, full-bodied aftertaste.

Sadly I have not been able to find Becherovka available for sale outside of the European continent. In the US it is available by internet mail order only and runs about $25 USD per bottle plus shipping. This is pretty expensive considering a bottle of the same liquid would cost about $7-$10 USD if you purchased it in its native country. Every bar, café, restaurant, and watering hole in Prague carries the green liquor due to its nationally-recognized ability to bring alcohol lovers together over a cold glass of a veritable Czech super drink. A bottle or to of Becherovka would amount to another very nice and very unique addition to any bitters connoisseur’s liquor stash.

The Anatomy of a French Original: Picon Beer

Another interesting and very enjoyable French aperitif is called a Picon Beer. It consists of four parts light-colored beer like Hoegaarden or Kronenbourg, and one part Amer Picon, which to my knowledge is not available in the US. This is much to the chagrin of any Francophile and does not befit the company’s 70 year-old slogan, "Il n'est plus une partie du globe où n'ait pénétré le Picon !" which translates to ("there is no longer any part of the world where Picon hasn't penetrated."). I have however had good luck locating it at various overseas online alcohol dealers and it can be had for about $35 US plus shipping.

The Amer Picon is classified as a bitters, and is added to the beer to both enhance the flavor and increase the alcohol content. Amer Picon is an 18% ABV liquid and when added to beer tends to keep the glass of bitters infused brew hovering around 8-9% ABV. What makes this cocktail special is that it’s one of the most traditional drinks in the north and east of France. Almost every bar and restaurant in Nantes, Lille, and Paris stocks Amer Picon and will gladly serve you a glass if you know enough to order it.

A Picon Beer or as it exists in its alternate spelling, “Picon Biere” is an interesting concoction indeed. The bitters itself has a distinctly orange flavor and really smoothes out the beer that it’s added to. Many people here in America cringe at the thought of adding bitters to a beer, but I would invite anyone with a hearty sense of adventure, or an alcohol-induced dulled capacity for restraint to try a glass. There’s nothing quite like it and it’s a very tough cocktail to try and duplicate without the proper ingredients. There are some home made Amer Picon recipes floating around online but nothing quite stacks up to the original when it’s being used in this concoction.

As smooth as the drink initially looks, tastes, and feels, it finishes with the same amount of bite that the beer you are using to create the beverage possesses. This throws many first time drinkers and people who are not used to beer cocktails through many different reactions. Some people have commented to me that the bitter beer finish is amplified due to the initial smooth, sweet flavor of the Amer Picon. Others have told me they would prefer to enhance other beers with the bitters, but to leave their much-coveted pilsners alone. To be honest it took me a couple of glasses to get used to the very unique and very unnerving blend myself, but after the initial shock wore off I was hooked, and I couldn’t go anywhere in France without sampling the town’s very own local version of this cocktail.

The potency of a Picon Beer should not be underestimated. I try to treat each glass like I would any other cocktail, and ensure that I’m enjoying it responsibly and am spending an adequate amount of time absorbing the alcohol before I order another. Then again, one needs to spend a good deal of time drinking a Pecon Beer to truly appreciate and take in the flavor and the heritage of this cocktail.

Pastis- A French Tradition

drinking.com/files/2009/02/pastis_smallest.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="266" />Like black licorice? How about black jellybeans? Do you like to sample different culturally significant foods and beverages? Maybe enjoy what the French refer to as an “appetizer drink”? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you definitely need to try a cool glass of Pastis.

Pastis is a traditional French aperitif, or before dinner drink. It’s also the national drink of France. This drink is meant to stimulate a person’s appetite before the meal and encourage healthy digestion. French Pastis’ became very popular after Absinthe was banned there in 1915. The drink itself is usually diluted with water about 5:1 and has a uniquely licorice or anise flavor similar to absinthe. Most French bars and restaurants serve the greenish yellow drink in its most common form, either from a Ricard or Anilou bottle. On my last trip to France I was hard-pressed to find a drinking establishment in Paris or Lyon that did not serve it. Pastis is almost always consumed in small amounts before any large, traditional, or multi-course French meal.

Over 130 million liters of Pastis are consumed each year, making it one of the most well liked alcoholic beverages in France and even Europe. The experience of consuming the drink can be vary quite a bit, depending on the company you keep. The proper or most traditional way to drink it is diluted with water and without ice. Although many people will drink it straight or with ice at the bar or in order to fully enjoy this liqueur.

I have found this beverage to live up to its reputation. It’s an excellent alternative to the wormwood infused Absinthe and far less volatile in terms of side-effects and resulting feelings of being drunk or in an altered state. Also, the taste is not as harsh and it goes down fairly smooth leaving no burning feeling in your mouth, throat, or stomach. I would equate this drink with something like Southern Comfort or another American imbibe that has traditionally been intended to be sipped, slowly enjoyed, or just plain consumed in moderation either before or after a meal.

I’m not sure about the availability of this drink in the US. I’ve never seen it at a bar or restaurant. There are probably some specialty liquor stores or bottle shops that carry it but again, I have yet to find it here in the States.

I’ve had really good luck pairing this drink with desserts believe it or not, since it’s intended to be a pre-dinner drink. Pastis goes great with vanilla ice cream or even brownies. The dessert that you pair with it needs to be a simple, singular flavor. Otherwise the Pastis will overpower the food and the experience will not be enjoyable. It would be a great addition to the collection of any Francophile’s home bar or liquor cabinet. It’s easy to impress your guests with a drink like Pastis because enjoying a drink, as an appetizer is a uniquely un-American experience. In a place where people can enjoy cheap, tasteless domestic beer with their meals, Pastis is a welcome alternative and should be incorporated into any meal that is truly intended to exemplify a French experience.

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