A Bartender's Rant

After the big crash, I gained inspiration to start my new blog (not really the way I would have preferred).  While I was getting some stock out of the liquor room, I accidentally toppled over a few bottles -- 73 to be exact.  I was able to save all but two.  One being an inexpensive drinking wine and the other a slightly higher priced bottle made of French crystal holding some rather fine Cognac named after some Louis guy.  After getting over the shock (and making sure I still had a pulse), I realized that what I had broken was not merely a high priced piece of inventory (my boss would disagree), but it was about memories that were lost.  Every time someone requests some of the "top shelf" is usually for a reason to celebrate the birth of a new child, toast the loss of a loved one, buying that first house, some are inclined just to show off.  Whatever the reason, that pool of acohol that I am staring at represents more than just a good buzz!

"Alcohol - a liquid produced by distilling the fermented juice of fruits or grains".  That is the simple decsription of a word that can be interpreted in a multitude of ways.  Consumption and fermentation of alcohol dates back thousands of years.  People were drinking fermented fruit to make grape beer and palm wine.  Alchols discovery was an accident, as many great things are.  People would feel that "warm and fuzzy" feeling when they would eat naturally fermented fruit (Sugar and yeast make alcohol).  As sure as the electric chair was invented by a dentist, alcohol has been apart of our lives as long as we know.

How about some fun history about booze.  Vodka is still under debate as to whether the Russians or the Polish came up with it (grain is decidedly the original source of vodka, not potato).  Ivan the IV (Ivan the Terrible) in 1552, created a government controlled KABACK (the original tavern?) so he could monitor his guards consumption (the first bar tab?) and let them know when they could no longer have any alcohol (the first customer shut off?), thus the Great Tavern revolt of 1648 (the first bar fight?).  Gin, originally used as a cure all during the bubonic plaque, was conceived in Holland until the English "acquired" teh potable and brought it back to their homeland.  Upon gin's arrival to England, it became the national drink and by 1727, consumption was approximately 7 million gallons a year with a population of a little over 6 million.  The British changed to original recipe to a "London Dry Gin".  I guess that would explain their sense of humor ;)  Rum was originally given to Royal Navy  as part of their daily rations (which lasted until 1970).  Let's not forget about "the Noble Experiment".  Some people know this as Prohibition (1920-1933).  Al Capone became one of the wealthiest, influential and most popular mobsters to date.  Crime was on a historic rise, ellicit drugs became quite the norm with absence of alcohol, an estimated 500 million dollars a year in tax revenue was lost (during the 1920's mind you). 

This kind of information can go on and on.  Over time, I will be incorporating history and current trends into my blogs (along with recipes).  I hope everyone enjoys my rants as much as I like drinking, I mean writing them!!