Tales from a Boozy Bard

“But the reasons against going to New Orleansvthat spicy southern city known for jazz and Mardi Gras and hospitality were the very reasons we had to go.” - Author: Howard Schultz

    Now Gator’s isn’t in New Orleans but it does its damnedest to channel that soul into this place with it’s clever cuisine and aesthetic. 

    I got tired of moving furniture and getting turned down for bar positions on account of lack of experience.  I sent in my resume for a line cook and sat down with the owners for my interview.  It was very pleasant and fairly informal. Within a few minutes I was asked, “How is it only now that you’re coming to us?” Seems like I had the job before I was even offered it.  We talked a bit more and I told them what I really wanted to do was kick off my career as a bartender.  I leveraged that I would work in their kitchen if they would give me time behind the bar to gain some experiences that I need to get to where I want to go. They accepted. It seems having me there lends a bit to their authenticity. 

    With Covid-19 restrictions being lifted more and more people are coming out seeking a good time.  For special occasions Gator’s hosts live music, Friday nights are for the karaoke fans, and then there’s the comedy nights with Yuk Yuks!  This place is fantastic.  

I don’t think he’s real.

Those are possibly real.

This is where the Karaoke in Yuk Yuks happens. 

    The food is a nice mashup of pub food with a southern flare. Cajun seasoning here and there, catfish, shrimp, Po' Boys, Jambalaya, and even a gumbo! They have daily specials and I personally enjoy their breaded wings.

There's an advantage to working both Back of the House and Front. I get to know the food well and I get the chance to bond with the entire staff. The comradery of a kitchen is a lot of fun, and this staff works very well together. They seem to look after one another. I'm really happy to be a part of their team.

I’ve enjoyed meeting the regulars and getting to know them.  This place is an emporium of craft beers, but in my humble opnion is not where you come for craft cocktails.  I think one other bartender knows what are and how to use bitters.  But thats just fine.  This place knows what it is and is just that unapologetically. 

    My first night working bar was during a Yuk Yuks and I told the owner I wanted to make her a cocktail and she accepted.  She was quite impressed and I’m hoping to continue impressing them.  

   Here’s the drink, and it’s an easy one you can use to impress folks too. Also, a word on rootbeer: I’m a personal fan of Barq’s and would prefer to use it almost in any situation, with the exception of this recipe.  AW is the way to go for this cocktail. Just my suggestion. 

Peanut Butter Rootbeer Float

1.5 oz Skrewball Whiskey 

.5 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream

3 oz AW Rootbeer

Fill your collins glass with ice. 

Pour in whiskey, and irish cream, topping up with AW rootbeer. 

Garnish with a marachino cherry and serve with a straw. 

“We can have no significant understanding of any culture unless we also know the silences that were intentionally created and guaranteed along with it. – Gerald Sider.”

      I’m not going to simply re-write what has already been written and discussed quite thoroughly in other articles, but I’ve an opinion on Tiki Bars and I’d like to share it with you.  

      My opinion was partially formulated when my Mixology II instructor asked us to look up what a Markhut Lime was. I was quick with my google search and discovered the Markhut lime is a Kaffir lime, and promptly called it out.  My instructor was quick to caution me on using the word Kaffir and instructed us all to do our research.  

      Now, this word is not being used in a derogatory manner and I am aware it is considered a racial slur in certain parts of the world, but the word’s etymology has other roots and meanings that have nothing to do with the slur.  This is what I learned from the research I had done prompted by his advice. In this case context is important, as we are discussing a piece of fruit and not a person of any characteristics. It would be like suggesting someone can’t say “chink in the armour” anymore because a word there can be used as a slur against someone. 

      I found it interesting that my instructor is a self-proclaimed leftist and wants to promote such sensitivities and caution, and yet my instructor is the proud owner of a Tiki Bar. He would argue that he doesn’t agree or participate in what is cultural appropriation but cultural appreciation.  I don’t know if I buy it. 

      Tiki bars were founded by two guys, Trader Vic and Donn Beach, in California back in the 1930s.  These themed bars offered a place of escapism with no windows, a tropical atmosphere, warm temperatures, and rum filled drinks. The Tiki bar aesthetic would cherry pick from varying Pacific and Caribbean Island cultures and caters to Colonial Nostalgia, especially following WWII. This article will give a more in depth look into this topic if it is something that interests you. 

      Based on my research Tiki bars they are the epitome of cultural appropriation and I think a reckoning could be coming from the cancellation and woke culture movements.  I just hope that cocktails and recipes crafted for and from these establishments survive. What are your thoughts?

      I’ve personally never visited a Tiki Bar establishment but we did learn about the Tiki drinks in or Mixology II class. I think my favourite was the Zombie. Tiki drinks use a lot of ingredients and usually have spectacular garnishes. This one uses fire! 

Zombie 

1oz Light Rum

1oz Gold rum

1oz unsweetened Pineapple Juice

1oz freshly squeezed lime juice

1oz freshly squeezed lemon juice

1oz Passion fruit syrup

1/2oz Falernum 

1 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish: 1/2oz 101 proof rum, 1 Sugar cube, half of a lime husk,     and pineapple frond. 

Combine Light rum, Gold rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, lemon     juice, passion fruit syrup, falernum, and bitters into Boston shaker     tin. 

Add ice and shake until tins are frosted.

Double strain drink over ice in a tiki glass.

Place frond into tiki glass.

Soak sugar cube in half oz of high proof rum, place into lime husk,     and place lime husk on top of the drink, and then light

Server with caution! 

Once the fire is done, you can “sink the ship” to mix the caramalized sugar into the drink and this adds a new flavour profile. 

"Money can't buy life." - B. Marley’s last words

    Bob Marley (1945-1981) should need no introduction, but in case you’ve been living under a rock, he was one of the pioneers of Reggae.  A Jamaican singer, songwriter, and musician whose music has touched the lives of millions. 

    As most of us do, a lot of my music taste and influence comes from hearing the music our parents or even grandparents played. Bob Marley was one of those early childhood memories. Specifically, ‘I Shot the Sheriff’. I was born in ‘83 and being raised in the Southern US, there’s a lot of cultures I was able to experience.  

    A decade ago, I had a friend that was from Jamaica who taught me more about this legendary musician, Bob Marley.  This friend would play Marley’s music at almost every gathering and because we worked together, we had frequent conversations of his life and what it was like in Jamaica.  In turn I would share stories and experiences I had growing up in the South.  Since that friendship had to end Marley does invoke a bit of nostalgia, it more ways than I realize. 

    Since Covid has closed dining rooms, so restaurants are resulted to delivery and take out there’s really no work for a bartender right now.  I’ve had to take a job from an old boss.  This is basically the same job I shared with that friend mentioned above. I’ve faced a lot of nostalgia lately. 

    Nostalgia is a funny thing as the word algia means the Nost inflicts pain. Remembering something and longing for it is inflicting pain upon yourself. There is an inevitable death and end to all things, even relationships.  I hope that Marley’s Legacy lasts and reaches as many people as it can.

    Bob Marley was an inspiring man and someone worth learning about and listening too.  There’s a line from a movie that stuck with me, from ‘I Am Legend’, a horror movie adapted from a comic book by the same title, “He[Bob Marley] had this idea. It was kind of a virologist idea. He believed that you could cure racism and hate... literally cure it, by injecting music and love into people's lives.” If you listen to Marley and just open your heart and mind, I think he’s onto something. 

    Put on some Bob Marley and if you’ve got the ingredients, make yourself the Bob Marley shot.  I think a more appropriate name for this would be, ‘One Love’. 

One Love

1oz Grenadine

1oz Galliano

½oz Crème de Menthe

½oz Appleton’s 151 Proof

Pour grenadine into chilled shot glass.

Carefully layer Galliano using barspoon, knife or preferred layering tool.

Mix in a separate glass the Appleton’s 151 and Crème de Menthe, then add this as the top layer carefully.

Carefully set the top aflame and serve.

“May the light illuminate your hearts and shine in your life every day of the year. May everlasting peace be yours and upon our Earth.” ― Eileen Anglin

    I’ve really enjoyed this past year, the connections I’ve made with old friends and new, and the home that I’ve built with my partner. I’m grateful for my health and for those who refuse to give up on me. 

    For Yule my partner gifted me with two fine books, both of which play into my current passion but also have a connection to two other passions of mine; thanatology and hebalism. One of my resolutions this year is to read and write more and I want to start it off right. I’ve already eagerly finsihed one of the book and I’m onto the other now. 

    The book on the left is called ‘Last Call: Bartenders on Their Final Drink and the Wisdom and Rituals of Closing Time’. This book has interviews of several bartenders across North America and ascks them to consider their mortality and what their last drink would be. 

    The book to the right is by the same author Brad Thomas Parsons, ‘Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas’. This book is full of inspiration for me.  I’ve already finished reading the chapters and now I’m just browsing through the various recipes and making a mental shopping list of things to look for and what I might be able to forage for myself! I’m excited to have both of these books in my collection.

    My partner and I have a wonderful long distance relationship with a beautiful person who also bestowed a precious gift to earmark both the occasion and my new passion. This whiskey set is both a handsome and thoughtful gift.  The 6 cube shaped whiskey stones in the drinking set are for whiskey cocktails when you want to keep the drink chilled without further dilution. It comes with two sturdy rocks glasses which go well with my ever growing glassware collection. It also comes with a little velvet bag to keep the whiskey stones in along with a set of cards with some recipes and some fun whiskey facts. 

    The pandemic has been challenging for landing a job behind a bar but I will perservere.  Once the demand for it returns the opportunities will present themselves.  In the mean time I will continue to learn what I can and hone my craft. I’m enjoying writing these entries and look forward to continue sharing my journey. Thank you for reading.  

    I hope that you all had a healthy and safe holiday and have a wonderful New Year. 

Old Fashioned

2oz Bourbon

1/2 oz Simple syrup

1 dash Angostura bitters

Garnish orange peel and marachino cherry

Take orange peel and express peel over a rocks glass and rub it on the rim and the sides of the glass. 

Pour Bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters into mixing glass or yarai. 

Add ice and stir till chilled properly. 

Strain into prepared rocks glass with chilled whiskey stones.

Twist orange peel, garnish with peel and marachino cherry and serve. 

“Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning.” 

     I enrolled in Conestoga College back in September of this year for a 15 week course on Bartending and Mixology in an effort to shift my career options. I don’t recall having this much fun learning.

    I wish there was more. There is if I choose to pursue other certificates and such, for example wine expertise.  I’ve even considered looking at trying to land a position at a brewery or distillery to learn more about those aspects of the industry. I want to be a bartender, but mixology and the craft of breweing and distilling fascinates me. 

    Here were the classes: Mixology I & II, Customer Service, Intro to Spirits, Intro to Beer, Field Placement and employement strategies, World of Wine, and Beverage Cost Control Theory.  The Intro to Spirits and Beer feels self explanitory, but I learned a lot.  I didn’t realize there were only 2 kinds of beer, Ale and Lager, everything beyond that is a style! 

     World of Wine taught us how to begin to train our pallet to pick up on tannins and acidity, we also learned about how to taste, and smell the wine and compare it to others. We also learned about appellations, grape varities, and methods of wine creation. Field Placement helped to build my resume and cover letters. Beverage cost control theory taught the most practical skills regarding batching, conversions, beverage cost, food cost, inventory control, and menu analysis and engineering. 

    The customer service course taught us about the different aspects and roles for the Front of House operations and levels of service. My favourites would be Mixology I & II.  All of this was done on-line with the exception of Mixology II which was done on the Hospitality campus in Waterloo, ON. 

     In Mixology II we learned about different cocktail building methods and how to understand base spirits and modifiers and the use of bitters.  We did stirred and shaken cocktails, learned about preparing garnish and presentation. To my surprise a gin cocktail was my favourite.  I hadn’t had a lot of exposure to gin prior to this course but I certainly garnered a new appreciation for it. I’ll inculed the recipe below. We got to taste our creations and evaluate them. For my final presentation I chose to do a drink I did an entry on, Purple Rain. 

     The on-line aspect wasn’t easy as I would have liked to have bonded more with some of my colleagues, to network and make new friends.  Health and Safety comes first in the times of a Pandemic.  Unfortunately the variant we’re seeing has caused restaurants to reduce capacity again which makes finding employment challenging to say the least.  While things calm down I’m taking another position in another industry in the interim, but I intend to continue to explore my new found passion for this craft. 

    I received an email that I am graduating with honours!  I’ve never acheived something like this so the sense of pride is real. Due to the state of things convocation is delayed until further notice which is a shame as I’d love to celebrate with my colleagues. 

    Without further delay, here is the recipe for The Last Word

The Last Word

Recipe

¾ oz lime juice, freshly squeeze

¾ oz Green Chartreuse

¾ oz maraschino liqueur

¾ oz of Gin

Garnish: Brandied cherry

add all liquid to a boston shaker

add ice and shake until well-chilled (15 sec.)

double Strain into a chilled coupe glass

garnish with a brandied cherry & serve

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” ―Confucius

      Around July of this year, I began looking for work.  I have a long and colourful history of different jobs and industries I’ve worked in, but I wanted to try something else. I began browsing job postings in the area and I came across one for Bartender at Landon Hall.  I’ve always been fascinated by this place and the posting mentioned storytelling as one of the primary attributes that they were looking for and I was intrigued.  Upon further reading I realized they required a specific certification.  That’s when I decided I’d apply to the program for Bartending and Mixology.  It was this simple job advert that sent me down this rabbit hole and started this new journey. 

      Upon completing the course, which I had done with honours, I landed an interview at Wilk’s Bar in Langdon Hall.  I impressed the two management members during the interview enough to be offered a stage. A simple 3 hour shift to see how I managed with the other members of the bar.  This was an opportunity to start my bartending career in the only 5 star restaurant in the entire province! 

      I had done a report on this particular bar for one of my assignments and learned a lot about the property and restaurant.  One of the things that intrigued me most was the stories of a haunting in the mansion.  There’s an excellent article on the story here. 

      One of the requirements of the report was to discuss a cocktail from the bar’s menu and at the time I had chosen the cocktail Final Say.  This cocktail was designed to mimic the Last Word with a savory experience using Benedictine as opposed to Green Chartreuse and included toasted rosemary to add that extra aroma to the experience.  The creator of the cocktail made me one that evening and I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the flavours.

      The set up at Wilk’s Bar is gorgeous. While watching and learning how they operate, I was shown that they batched most of their cocktails.  They had to refill a bar rail bottle with the batched cocktail Haunted Mansion and had a little left over that the bar tender split into three glasses and offered me one.  Wow! This cocktail was spicey and delicious. I was impressed to say the least. 

      Unfortunately for me I was only one of several qualified candidates for, the position they were hiring for and they chose to go another direction. With some awesome words of encouragement from the bar lead, he included the recipe for the Haunted Mansion which I will share with you below. 

This is the Bar Rail. This is where they have all of their batched cocktails and frequently pulled spirits. 

Wall of spirits! I wish I had more time and opportunity to explore these wonderful elixirs. 

Some excellent choices here. They had my favourite Rum and Tequila here. 

Wilk’s Bar. 

This was probably my favourite part. This is a Mixologist’s dream here.  

     While I did not get the position at Wilk’s Bar, I did get to have an aswesome experience and I came away with a great story and a recipe. 

The Haunted Mansion 

1oz Basil Hayden’s Bourbon

3/4 oz Amaro Nonino

1/2 oz Amaro Lucano

1/4 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Garnish: Luxardo maraschino cherry and orange twist

Express the oils from an orange peel over coup glass

Add all ingredients into mixing glass or yarai

Add ice and stir to chill. 

Strain into prepared coup class.

Garnish with Luxardo Maraschino cherry and orange twist

“You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow.”― Janis Joplin

    Another drink I picked for my drink menu assignment was a cocktail named after the legendary Janis Joplin (1943-1970).  I’ll be honest and say that I never really listened to or appreciated her works until I began researching stories to go along with this cocktail.  Janis was a force of nature and her voice was so powerful, I’m very glad that I got to discover her music like I did.  

    One of the things Janis was known for was her love of Southern Comfort.  This is a peach liqueur that I’ve had some experience with growing up but never really appreciated the craftsmanship of the spirit until I began my bartending course. Janis was seen with a bottle of Southern Comfort so frequently that it ammounted to a bunch of free advertisement for the company.  As a thank you Southern Comfort sent Janis a fur coat.  

    I think my favourite story of Janis was when Janis was introduced to Jim Morrison by producer Paul Rothschild.  Apparently the two musicians were fascinated by one another and the drinks began to flow.  Jim Morrison got aggressive and Janis was known for standing up for herself.  Janis decided she had enough of Jim and went to leave. Jim grabbed her by the hair, which was clearly a mistake.  Janis had a bottle of Southern Comfort and connected it to Jim's skull and knocked him out cold. Jim was smitten by Janis, but Rothschild wouldn’t connect them again. I can’t help but wonder what music they could have made together should their encounter had gone differently. 

    The cocktail I found was simply named Janis Joplin and I didn’t like the simplicity of that.  I felt ‘Piece of my Heart’ was more fitting, named after the song with the same title.  Afterall, Janis loved her Southern Comfort so much it just seems fitting. 

Piece of my Heart

1oz Southern Comfort

1oz Lillet Blanco

1/2 oz Peach Schnapp’s 

3 drops of Peach Bitters

Garnish: Lemon twist. 

Put Southern Comfort, Litllet Blanco, Peach Schnapp’s and bitters into mixing glass. 

Add enough ice to breach the liquid line and stir until chilled.

Strain and pour into a rocks glass with ice.

Garnish with lemon twist and serve. 

“There is no such thing as a self-made man. You will reach your goals only with the help of others.”- George Shinn

    I’ve only two weeks left of my courses with Conestoga College’s Hospitality program and part of my course completion was to do a placement as a bartender/bar-back in a bar or restaurant.  I had reached out to a few establishments but only one contacted me back, and fortunately for me it happened to be my favourite restaurant, The Lancaster Smokehouse.

    This is my favourite restaurant because I have a personal history with it since I first was introduced to them. About 12 years ago I was introduced to this little hole in the wall restaurant called Hog Tails.  The owner is a motorcycle enthusiast and spent a lot of his time cruising up and down the southern states, visiting various smokehouses and dives picking up cooking techniques and secrets along the way.  He compiled all of these experiences and created a restaurant to bring some Southern Cooking to Canada. Being a southern boy I immediately fell in love with the place. 

    My partner at the time and I were engaged and putting together a Stag & Doe, which is a party put on by us to help raise money for our coming wedding.  I reached out to Hog Tails for a donation for our raffle table and they graciously donated a basket of goodies.  The owner even picked up some groceries for me on one of his many trips south when I had asked him to, as many ingredients cannot be purchased here that would be used in Southern cooking. 

    The success of Hog Tails was quite apparent.  They were often packed and getting seating was almost always a wait, it became the norm for my friends and I to order and pick-up to eat at home.  The success was so great that the owner bought the Lancaster in Kitchener and turned it into the Lancaster smokehouse.  

    The new location was spacious and would allow for the Lancaster Smokehouse to grow.  The asthetic at this time was an old floor that was patched up with old licesnse plates from different states.  They even had live music on Friday evenings! They were even been featured on You’ve Gotta Eat Here! Since then there have been some renovations, a beautiful wooden floor was installed, and recently some modern style booths have been introduced and have become a favourite of patrons.

    One particular evening I took a couple visiting from out of town to the Lancaster Smokehouse for dinner.  To our pleasant surprise we arrived on the evening of the restaurant’s 3rd year anniversary.  The live music that night had one of their servers playing and I distinctively remember loveing a blues cover of Michael Jackson’s Billy Jean. They had vendors there from craft breweries and local wineries so it seemed everyone was drinking for free that night.

    One of the other really fun things from that night was two of the cooks carved up some fertility chickens to bless the restaurant with future success!  The restaurant just celebrated their 10th year anniversary and Google reminded me of the fertility chicken picture I had taken 7 years ago. I had the pleasure of sharing the picture with the staff and with one of the original cooks who made it and he was so tickled that I had that to share. 

    Last night I finished my placement with this restaurant and it was really bitter sweet as I had grown to appreciate the staff there.  There was even a server that seemed unsure of me and maybe even a little stand-offish but he warmed up to me fairly quickly and he helped look out for me.  The evening servers and the management team made me feel like I was part of their team. 

    I received a beautiful parting gift from the staff; a gift box with Maker’s Mark bourbon, two matching glasses, and a bottle of the house made Cherry Bounce, used in their Cherry Bounce Old Fashioned. I am very grateful that the Lancaster Smokehouse is such a fundamental part of the beginning of my journey as a Mixologist. This restaurant and their staff have made their mark with me and will forever hold a dear place in my heart. 

    The Old Fashioned is a classic Whiskey cocktail that’s been around since the 19th century. A standard old fashioned is nice to enjoy, but variations are fun. 

   Insteard of a sugar cube or simple syrup, the Lancaster makes their own concoction called Cherry Counce.  The recipe is quite simple; equal parts cherries, sugar, and Jim Beam. The cherries they used were of the frozen variety.  After combining these ingredients together, you would let it sit for a week prior to using and it is a very potent modifier. 

Cherry Bounce Old Fashioned

2 oz bourbon 

1 oz Cherry Bounce

2 dashes of Angustora Bitters

1 king cube and a cherry (or 3!)

Pour all three of your ingredients into a rocks glass and stir gently to incorperate them.  

Add in 1 king cube, garnish with a cherry, and enjoy! 

“But life is just a party, and parties weren't meant to last.” - Prince

      How can we talk about rockstars without mentioning Prince (1958-2016)? This genius of a musician was introduced to me at a very early age.  My stepfather had received some cassette tapes, maybe from one of those publisher’s clearing house offers or something of the like.  One of the cassette tapes had a holographic image on the front and caught my eye. Diamonds and Pearls. I listened to it and fell in love with the music.  We were living in Mobile, AL before we moved to Biloxi so this would put me at about 6 or 7 years old.  

      In highschool I had a friend who was openly gay.  We were in a small, conservative town of Longbeach, MS,  and he was the target of some ignorant bigotry and I would often put myself between him and anyone who tried to hurt him.  I got into a lot of fights because of my friendship with this person.  Upon reflection I think it was more so that than almost anything else as to the reason I met so much violence in my adolescence. He was my friend and occasionally a lover.  I learned a lot about myself with him, as he also played an integral part in helping me find my spirituality and to this day he holds a special place in my heart.  When spending time at his apartment and weren’t playing Vampire: the Masquerade or some variation of Big Eyes Small Mouth, we often listened to Meatloaf and Prince. He really enjoyed the pageantry of their performances and would dance and lip sync with the music and I enjoyed watching him have fun. 

    Between Prince and David Bowie I had two very powerful, talented, stylish and adrodgenous role models which I feel helped me be very open and accepting of varying appearances and lifestyles and I’m greatful for that. I enjoy listening to Prince’s music and his cover of Nothing Compares To You is out of this world!  I was very happy to find a cocktail that was made and named after his Purple Rain.

Purple Rain

1 1/2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Blue Curacao

1/4 oz Grenadine

3 oz  Lemonade

Garnish: Rim Purple Sugar, Garnish with a slice of lemon

Rim the edge of your glass with lemon wedge and purple sugar (sugar + Blue Curacao + Grenafine)

In shaking tin with ice, combine Vodka, lemonade, grenadine and blue curacao, shake well. 

Strain mix into rimmed rocks glass over ice and garnish with a lemon slice. 

“Do something worth remembering.” E. Presley

     Growing up my first memory regarding Elvis Presley (1935-1977) was a stamp. You see my mother worked at the post office when I was young and I collected stamps.  An Elvis stamp was coming and there was a debate over if it would be the older image of Elvis or a younger version.  The younger version of the stamp is what they went with. My mother had purchased a full sheet for my collection and one for my great-grandmother.  

     While I never fully garnered an appreciation for his music I can appreciate the cultural icon he has become.  Growing up I remember seeing Elvis learn his pelvic thrusting dance moves from a young Forrest in the movie Forrest Gump.  Val Kilmer played Elvis as a ghost mentor for the protagonist in True Romance, and probably my favourite was seeing Bruce Campbell playing an older, infirmed Elvis in Bubbahotep. 

     I have another fond memory of a family outing in Gulfport, MS at a restaurant called Montana’s.  While there is a chain of restaurants by the same name, the establishments you can find now wouldn’t be the same. It was a buffet style restaurant and there was a man in a white hat that would carve your prime rib from the roast and if requested cook it up a bit more for you.  Adorning the walls of this eatery were various antiques and curios and one in particular caught my mother’s eye; it was a concert poster of Elvis.  My mother purchased this for my great grandmother as a gift and I remember seeing her smile when she opened it.  Its still with my family today. 

     I cannot deny his influence on music as one of my favourite songs by Queen is a song they did mimicking Elvis’ style, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”.  It was stumbling across a cocktail named after Elvis that inspired me to do the Rockstar menu.  

The Elvis

1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin

1/4 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liquor

3oz Grapefruit

IPA for serving

Combine grapfruit juice, gin, and liquor into cocktail shaker filled with ice. 

Shake until tins are frosty (approx 15 seconds) 

Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and top off with IPA

Garnish with Grapefruit twist and serve! 

“You know I'm born to lose and gambling's for fools, but that's the way I like it, baby, I don't wanna live forever...” L. Kilmister  Motörhead

       My favourite cocktail prior to The Red Needle was a simple Highball of Jack Daniel’s Old No 7 and Cocoa-Cola. Never cared for it with Pepsi myself but I guess it would work if that was your only option.   

       The Lemmy got its name from Lemmy Kilmister (1945-2015) as his drink of choice was Jack (or Jim Beam) and coke. Lemmy was the front man and bassist for the English heavy metal band Motörhead.  In 2000 he had to cancel his tour due to the flu and a lung infection, and from there his health seemed to be in a steady decline.  While he may have cut back on alcohol and drugs it didn’t stop him, he referred to it as "dogged insolence in the face of mounting opposition to the contrary".  In 2015 he died 4 days after his 70th birthday. The renaming of the drink happened after 40,000 fans signed a petition to have Lemmy’s favourite drink named after him. 

        There’s a great documentary that came out in 2010, ‘51% Son of a Bitch’ which gives a profile and a view into Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister’s life. I think the first time I heard Motorhead was on Bevis and Butthead, jamming out to ‘Breaking the Law’.  This is one of the cocktails that made it to my Rockstar menu and it’s one worth sharing.

The Lemmy

2oz Jack Daniel’s or Jim Beam

Top with Cocoa-Cola Classic

+/- Angustora Bitters

1 Lime wedge

Build the drink in a Collins glass filled with ice. 

Pour in Bourbon and Cola, add the optional Angustora Bitters

Garnish with a Lime Wedge and serve. 

“How can I begin anything new with all of yesterday in me?” - L. Cohen

     I would like to talk about my new favourite cocktail, The Red Needle. I found this cocktail because of an assignment I was given in Mixology I.  We were to design a cocktail menu and part of the mark would be on theme.  I knew my favourite cocktail prior to this assignment is a Lemmy (I will certainly talk about that in a future post), and I started to look at something called The Elvis (again, coming soon!). I then wondered how many of our deceased musical legends had drinks named after them and this sent me down a rabbit hole of music and amazing stories.  They’re dead, but they’re still with us in spirit!  

     The Red Needle was created by Leonard Cohen (1934-2016) in Needle, California during his stay in 1975, the same year ‘The Best of Leonard Cohen’ was released.  The Red Needle is a potent concoction served to the band to help fuel their creative process. It is a simple drink and helped me to garner a new appreciation for a spirit that I’ve had minimal exposure to, Tequila.  

     Let’s talk about tequila for just a moment. All tequila is mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Tequila is made from Blue Agave, a plant that takes 7 years to grow and mature before harvesting.  The legend goes that lighting struck a Blue Agave plant, cracked and cooked the fruit. When it was tasted it was declared to be an elixir of the gods.  

     There’s a lot of specifications on how tequila is distilled; where it’s made, how its made, and the aging process. I would love to go into more detail but that might be best saved for another entry.  The reason I wanted to bring this attention is because there are many varieties of tequila available on the market.  The one I chose when I made this cocktail is a Cazadorez Tequila Anejo, a sipping tequila. I’ve tried this recipe with a lower end tequila, but the flavour was not nearly as pleasant.  

Here’s the recipe I used:

Red Needle

2 oz of Cazadores Tequila Anejo

Cran-cherry blended cocktail juice

1 slice of lemon

Fill your Collins glass or double rocks glass with ice.  

Pour in Tequila, cranberry juice, and garnish with slice of fresh lemon.

Enjoy!  

     Not only did Leonard Cohen write two books, he left us with some amazing music, and he created a cocktail so that he can still be with us in spirit! Try it with your favourite tequila and cranberry cocktail mix.  Share with me your thoughts!  I’d love to hear from you.

Welcome! 

Thank you for stopping by.  I am Lindorm Odinsson and am currently a student in a Bartending and Mixology program with Conestoga College in Ontario, Canada. My assignments from my instructors have helped me to see the stories and history behind different spirits, wines, beers, and cocktails.  These stories need to be told and shared.  I hope that if you decide to check in with me I can share some fun and interesting stories either from my research, personal experiences in the past, and/or the adventures to come.