| The Museum of t...'s profileThe Museum of the Americ...BlogListsNetwork |  Tools  Help |
|
April 24 Weekly news updateApril 22 Absinthe makes the heart grow fonderBy Mark Marowitz
"But thou read'st black where I read white"
"It will free you first from the burning thirst Once again absinthe has returned to America's shores. The American bartender now has a new addition to a broad and growing palette of alcoholic beverage choices to present to their guests. Imbibers of spirits have always described their beverage of choice in glowing terms. Who waxed poetically better than Robert Burns writing about his whisky? Absinthe is an alcoholic beverage that tastes good. No more, no less. It's special and unique place in history is due to a confluence of events or perhaps the stars aligning to malign a beverage no more dangerous than any other alcoholic beverage. Part of the fascination with absinthe is the elaborate preparation which engaged the psyche's love of the ritualistic. Prohibition officially began in 1920 but absinthe was granted a prohibition all its own in 1912. Prohibition ended in 1933 but absinthe was banned until 2007. Absinthe is named after Artemsia absinthum, the botanical name for the bitter herb 'grand wormwood'. The German word for wormwood is 'wermut' or vermouth and there is indeed small amounts of wormwood oil in vermouth. The wormwood of vermouth is extracted in wine at a low proof. Wormwood is botanically related to our southwestern sagebrush. Absinthe can consist of but is not limited to the dried flowers and leaves of grand wormwood, petite wormwood, anise, fennel, hyssop, melissa, angelica, star anise, coriander, dittany, sweet flag, parsley, veronica, chamomile, persil and spinach in varying amounts. 136 proof is the traditional alcoholic strength of absinthe. The finest absinthes balance the bitterness of grand wormwood with herbal essences. Absinthe first gained its popularity in the 1840's when French soldiers returning from North Africa, who used absinthe to purify water, brought their taste for it back to the cafes of Paris. Absinthe became so fashionable that the time between 5 pm and 7 pm became known as "l'heure verte" (the green hour) or the first cocktail hour, if you will. Absinthe was banned for a number of reasons. The temperance movement, at the beginning of the 20th century in Europe, used absinthe as the scapegoat for all alcohol abuse. 19th century pseudo-scientific inquiry found thujone, a component of grand wormwood oil, to be a neurotoxin in extremely large quantities. The phylloxera louse which had destroyed French vineyards in the 1880's brought a halt to wine and brandy supplies. The wine producers lobbied the French government for help in restoring sales because absinthes popularity was a threat. In Switzerland, circa 1905, Jean LaFray murdered his entire family after drinking a glass of absinthe. Absent from the deposition were the facts that LaFray had consumed six quarts of wine and an indeterminate quantity of brandy. After this sensation absinthe was banned in Switzerland in 1910 and in France during 1915. In 1988 France re-legalized absinthe under a modified name. Reverse engineering of unopened vintage absinthe bottles has led to the development of absinthe virtually identical to the best distilleries of the past. Absinthe was then re-released into the commercial marketplace. The essential oils from the diverse herbs are kept in solution by the high alcohol concentration. High alcohol is the best method to hold the intense aroma and flavors. The addition of cold water, drop by drop, causes the peridot green liquor to 'louche' into a cloudy opalescent green as the essential oils of anise crystallize and precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Seeing the drink slowly change color is part of absinthes ritualistic attraction. When diluted absinthe is no stronger than a glass of wine. Absinthe is usually consumed from somewhere between 3:1 and 5:1 parts of water to absinthe. The distillation process separates most of the bitter components from grand wormwood. Only the aromatic compounds are found in the final distillate. Aniseed contributes to absinthes sweetness. Sugar was usually added to disguise defects in poorly made absinthe and because our forebears had an enormous sweet tooth. Absinthe is clear after distillation. Absinthe's green color is due to chlorophyll derived from the green leaves of petite wormwood (Artemsia pontica, a non-bitter species of wormwood), hyssop, melissa and other herbs. Perhaps spinach, parsley, nettles and veronica. The coloring herbs are actually used to impart additional flavor and aroma. What about Thujone? Thujone is a chemical and the principle active ingredient found in the wormwood oil. Thujone is related to menthol, known for its healing properties. Thujone is colorless, has a pleasant menthol-like smell and tastes very bitter. After distillation the thujone originally present in the macerate is not recovered in the distillate. Thujone concentrations of both pre-ban and modern absinthes have not been the cause of detrimental health effects other than those encountered in common alcoholism. The final concentration of thujone in well-made absinthe is from about 6 mg/l to 10 mg/l. Absinthe produced in the European Union is limited in its thujone content to 35 mg/l. Well-made absinthe falls well within the 10 ppm parameter authorized by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau here in the US. One can assume that the effects of alcohol and not wormwood oil is responsible for its popularity. Also, thujone has no activity whatsoever at the cannabinoid receptor in the brain. Thujone is a compound found in tarragon, thyme, rosemary, sage and juniper amongst other commonly found herbs. In fact wormwood is high in anti-oxidants. There is no evidence that well-made absinthe ever contained poisonous concentrations of thujone. Absinthes popularity is due to the French love of aniseed drinks. It was inexpensive and artists are by and large poor. The reason folks wrote so well of absinthe seems to be simply because it tastes good. Following are some cocktail recipes containing absinthe that you might enjoy:
Absinthe Frappe
Absinthe Frappe - California Style
Jackie's Absinthe Frappe
Absinthe No. 2
Weeper's Joy
Chrysanthemum
Zombie April 17 Weekly news updateApril 10 It's A Wonderful Life(This is the first in a series of profiles of American women bartenders by Mark Marowitz. Readers should submit the names and contact information of women whom they would like to see profiled in future sketches. First up is Victoria Damato of San Francisco, CA.) Victoria is inventive, sophisticated, funny and is rich from her family's history and traditions. In 1902 the D'Amato brother's (later written as Damato) left their native Sicily and brought their families to North Beach, San Francisco, California, now known as 'Fisherman's Wharf', to start anew in the New World and to fish the rich waters off the coast of Northern California. A hard and rugged existence, to be sure. Victoria says that during the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the D'Amato's and the other Italian fishing families took their fleet of fishing boats and sailed to Angel Island. Here they built camps, fished and watched the city burn on the horizon. They returned with much needed sustenance (fish) and shared the fruits of the sea with the forlorn folks back in North Beach. During the Great Depression, the Damatos' and the other families, provided for their neighbors and in turn goods and services were provided to them and all survived those difficult times. Italians brought their tradition of wine making and wine's wayward sibling, vinegar, with them wherever they settled. Even today the faint aroma of wine vinegar wafts up from the basements of the homes on Mason St. in North Beach. Fast forward to the '50's. Victoria's uncles Freddie and Tommy Damato opened Damato's Bar on Broadway in North Beach. This colorful era is lovingly portrayed in Dick Boyd's "Broadway North Beach - The Golden Years," a book I read cover to cover in one sitting. In 1956 Vic's dad Danny Damato took his first shift behind the stick at 17 years of age, at La Rocca's Corner on Columbus Ave. During his early 20's, Danny moved over to the Intrigue Bar on Vallejo St. As the story was related to Victoria, 45 years later, her dad took his size 14's, hopped on the bar and did a Gene Kelly imitation so spectacular that he was known by his peers as "Dancin' Danny Damato". Later Dancin' Danny moonlighted as a bartender to support his young family at the Italian American Athletic Club and the Italian American Social Club both located in North Beach. Victoria remembers when she was 12, riding with her dad in his white Chevy Impala with the red leather interior thru the red-light district on B'way. She espied a naked woman dancing, through the window of a club. She asked Dancin' Danny, "Dad, why don't you own a bar?" He replied, "Sweetheart, if I owned a bar you would be sitting real pretty, right now. And by the way, don't ever think about getting into the bar business!" Victoria's eyes opened wide and shone like two lantern's on a dark night. At the bar in the basement of the Damato home, Victoria learned to prepare her first drink, a 'Shirley Temple'. At 14, she perfected the Stinger and the Grasshopper. Every Christmas, Victoria added to her now encyclopedic knowledge of mixed drinks. One of the last drinks she was taught in her dad's basement was the North Beach Manhattan, built as follows: 2 parts brandy, 1 part Italian vermouth, 2 dashes Maraschino liqueur, Maraschino cherry garnish. A fellow from the neighborhood known as Uncle Bob tapped the now 21 year old Victoria to be a cocktail waitress at the Balboa Cafe on Fillmore St. Later, at Jeremiah Towers' Stars Restaurant, Victoria took the opportunity to make a few tall drinks behind the bar and in general made herself useful to the barmen. Victoria left the business for more than a decade to pursue a more lucrative life, because opportunities in North Beach for a woman bartender were few (i.e. non-existent). In 2000, Victoria's cousin Mark Nicco inherited Tony Nick's Cafe on Stockton St. in North Beach. Originally Tony Nicco's Cafe when it opened in the early 30's, the name was changed during WW2 because of Italian bashing. Inflating her resume, Victoria sold herself to cousin Mark as the perfect candidate for the now available bartender/bar manager gig. Victoria laughs about it today because in the beginning she found herself on the phone, a few times a day, asking her dad for instructions. He was furious that she returned to the bar business but Victoria is very persuasive and besides her dad was always putty in her hands. In 2006 Victoria left Tony Nick's Cafe to start her own business. She invents cocktails for spirit companies, winning eight cocktail competitions along the way. She has developed signature drinks for events like the North Beach Mural Restoration Project. She works private parties, usually of the corporate variety in the San Francisco area. On the website of www.rothvodka.com Victoria can be seen in a few instructional videos making the difficult look effortless. For Victoria a great bartender is all about personality and passion. Victoria's future plan is to open her own bar/lounge in North Beach. Here are two examples of Victoria's award winning original cocktails: The Bordello In a chilled tumbler add the juice of a Meyer lemon and cinnamon; mix or shake thoroughly; add the remaining ingredients SHAKE WELL! Strain into a highball glass and add the spritz of soda. Garnish the drink by wrapping the lemon twist around the cinnamon stick and lay it over the glass. The Valentino In a chilled tumbler add the spirit, rhubarb juice, syrup and grapefruit juice. Shake and strain into a double rocks glass. Squeeze the slice of lime over the top. Add the spritz of soda. Garnish the drink and serve with a smile. * (Cut fresh rhubarb into chunks and parboil, then steam until all the rhubarb is pulp. Mash the rhubarb thru a fine mesh sieve and refrigerate the juice. ** (In a pot, mix 2 parts agave nectar, 1 part pomegranate juice and 1/4 piece of whole ginger; bring to a boil and let sit until it reaches room temperature; remove the ginger slice.Refrigerate in a glass bottle until needed.) Mark Marowitz is a bartender and freelance writer, specializing in spirits and cocktails. Mark is a lifelong resident of Manhattan Island and one far off day would like his ashes scattered in his beloved Central Park. Mark is a graduate of the Beverage Alcohol Resource (BAR) program. He is currently drinking Weeper's Joy and Chrysanthemum cocktails and mixes the best Martini he has ever tasted. He is in love with Jill DeGroff but, alas, his love is unrequited for she loves another. April 08 Tribute to Mark
What can I say about a true American icon? Is it possible to feel so much remorse over someone that has passed away, someone I have never met? Yes, it is! Mark Pollman: one of the greatest bartenders ever! Not only a great bartender, but a very compassionate human being. A person who cared about people. I have been corressponding with Mark for close to 15 years, but we have never met. I first heard about Mark when I saw a copy of Top Shelf Magazine in 1993. There was a cover photo of Mark, and a great article about him in that issue. When I read the article, I noticed that he was wearing a Bartender Hall of Fame ring, in one of the photos. I am also a Bartender Hall of Fame member. I immediately sent him a congratuatory letter, in care of the Fox and Hounds Lounge in St. Louis, where he was working. Mark replied immediately, and we have been friends ever since. Mark would call me almost every Sunday night. Wondering how things were going, and what's new in my life. He always had so much great advice, not only about bartending, but about life in general. Mark always had a good joke. He said that he wanted to go out by telling a joke behind the bar, but that he would drop over dead right before the punch line! Every bartender needs a mentor, and he was mine. Mark was about 10 years older than me. Although I have been bartending in Washington, D.C. for the past 30 plus years, I've always believed that one can always learn. I remember Mark telling me: "There's two great books you have to get: "The Craft of the Cocktail" by Dale DeGroff", and "The Joy of Mixology" by Gary Regan". He raved about them. Naturally, I picked them up that week. Mark's words were golden to me. When his book "Bottled Wisdom" came out, he sent me a signed copy. I have always treasured it. I asked Mark recently to send me a signed copy of "Bottled Wisdom" for my 80 year old dad. My dad received it about a month before Mark passed away. Dad loved it! I told dad that it was probably one of the last copies of "Bottled Wisdom" that Mark signed. Mark would always send his customers in to see me when they traveled to D.C. On numerous occasions, someone would walk into my bar, either at the Oval Room Restaurant, or later at Signature's Restaurant, where I worked, and hand me a card. The card was Mark's business card, and he wrote on it: "Buy this man a drink!" Mark and I often talked about having a big bash for all the Hall of Fame Bartenders. But Mark often wondered: "Who in the hell would tend bar?" It's really ironic: my mother passed away on March 12, 2007. I was very devastated. Mark sent me the most comforting email about dealing with my mother's death. He told me that mom would not want me crying and feeling depressed. I told Mark that I was going to read a tribute to my mother at the funeral mass, but I didn't think I could keep my composure. Mark said that mom would not want me feeling like that, but to remember how much my mother loved me. While I was on the altar reading my tribute, I remembered Mark's words. He really got me through it. Mark told me that when his mother passed away, she told him: "Don't cry, but party hearty for me"! I think my mother would have said the same thing! But life is funny: after all the comfort Mark gave me about my mother, then he passes away on the one-year anniversary of my mother's death. Mark and I always talked about meeting. Either I would come to St. Louis, or he would come here to D.C. I actually had plans to make a surprise visit to St. Louis this summer. I lived in St. Louis, circa 1965. Mark: I know you're up there mixing cocktails. When my time comes, please have a Dewar's on the rocks, splash of water for me. But on second thought, since I don't have to pay for it up there, make it a Macallan! Thank you for your friendship! I want to meet you! Nick Wineriter Bartender's Hall of Fame April 05 Return to New OrleansWe are thrilled to announce the opening of The Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans this coming July. Our new exhibit will be housed with the Southern Food & Beverage Museum at the Riverwalk Mall in New Orleans, next to the Convention Center, aquarium, and steps away from the French Quarter. Museum curator Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh has designed an extraordinary exhibit – two hundred years of cocktail history that includes vintage cocktail shakers, Prohibition-era literature, music, and exciting cocktail memorabilia from the collections of the Museum’s founders. A monthly seminar series will also be offered at the Museum. "The series will feature the best mixologists in the world who will come to New Orleans to share their expertise with industry members and turn it into a worldwide resource for everyone in the industry," says founding member Chris McMillian. Dale DeGroff, founder and president of the Museum, added that "The Museum of the American Cocktail is an important American institution; the cocktail’s rich cultural history has never been examined and celebrated until now, and throughout this process, the Museum is providing training and awareness in a rapidly growing industry. We look forward to attracting tourism back to New Orleans." Ribbon cutting ceremony is Monday, July 21st. April 03 B&B and MOTACIn 1937, a bartender at the "21" Club in New York created a cocktail called B&B by combining the French liqueur Benedictine with brandy. It became so popular the Benedictine company started bottling a version made with cognac themselves. In March, B&B culminated its 70th anniversary celebration with a big do at the same "21" Club, aided by the Museum and a few of its friends: Phil Greene, John Myers, LeNell Smothers and Naren Young. MC Gary (Regan) oversaw the MOTAC competition, and Dale DeGroff led the judging. Here are the cocktails, led by the winner from John Myers (who is currently at work on the guide, "What Would Jesus Drink: Cocktails for the Second Coming.”)
THE TOUCHABLE By John Myers Shake all ingredients over ice and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick. THE CLAIBORNE COCKTAIL By Phil Greene In a rocks glass, add ice and set aside. In a pint glass, add ice, then add all ingredients. Stir well, then strain into rocks glass. Twist a lemon rind over drink, then drop it in and serve. SPICE MARKET By Naren Young Shake all ingredients very hard with ice. Strain into a small wine goblet. Finish with grated nutmeg LENELL SPECIAL By Tonya Smothers Put egg white in shaker and shake for about five seconds to emulsify. Add spirit and strained juice. Shake hard with ice. Pour into a 9 ounce cocktail glass filled with crushed ice. Top with dashes of bitters. April 02 On the road to PiscoOn the road to Pisco: Founding director of BarSol Pisco, Diego Loret de Mola brought Dale, Leo, and Jill DeGrof and Aisha Sharpe on an unforgettable trip to Peru last month that took them from the highest point in Cuzco, all the way south along the coast to Ica, where they visited several pisco distilleries and were introduced to a dedicated group of growers who are transforming the country and producing the best Pisco ever. Here are a couple of the fabulous cocktails they were treated to by bartender Jorge La Torre Muñoz , Freddy Ramirez, Jesus Avilar, and Jose Antonio Chavez. PISCO LOUNGE COCKTAIL PISCO SOUR We left the lovely posh area of San Isidro in Lima early in the morning. Passing the Parque de Amor, on the waterfront, we took the route south along the coast and over the next 4.5 hours would view many contrasts and a wide variation in terrain. After a couple of hours the land became arid, sand dunes and desolate areas with shanty towns that had sprung up haphazardly on unclaimed land in the desert, or beside a manufacturing plant. Our host, Diego Loret de Mola explained how when a community begins to establish itself beside an area of commerce, the government will eventually build roads and bring in electricity. Evidence of last August earthquake is everywhere; with many people living in tents and makeshift corrugated shacks beside crumbled decrepit concrete remains of what had been their home. South of the desert, still traveling along the coast we eventually entered the valley of Pisco. Here it is green and no longer arid. During the Reform from1968-1970, property was extradited from the landowners and given to the peasants who were neither trained or provided with the necessary resources to work the land efficiently. Production ceased and nothing more than sustenance farming replaced what had been productive enterprises. Twenty years later the landowners were trying to buy back their land from the peasants little by little but often this was impossible – most would not sell, so instead, producers began to buy up the arid land that was available and irrigate it and turn it into productive land. Diego pointed out the ways in which many growers we visited had survived during Reform- although their land was confiscated, they still had their homes , around which they would plant asparagus, sugar cane, potatoes and whatever else they could survive on. Through their perseverance and hard work, these farms are beginning to thrive once again as Pisco is now making its mark in the global marketplace.
Photo credit: Jill DeGroff |
|
|
