C's Bar - The Test

Cs Bar - The Test

C’s List & Numbered Card
Background - Dual 19 Vintage 60s LP Player

I was at C’s Bar the other day, he jokes he's going to put a name plate on the back of the chair. He was in a good mood; always a practical attribute for a bartender.

Seated to my right was a pretty girl. 

I winked.  She smiled.

He's got a nice place I've been there frequently perhaps, too frequently. 
As I said, I seem to have my own chair.

“Whilst” this time he did not make the Top Fifty list, he’s come close from time to time. 
https://www.worlds50bestbars.com/fifty-best-bars-list-2019/?ist=1

He looked up and nodded. Normally just saunters over and says Negroni tonight? 

Negroni Cocktail Created 1919
Courtesy of Campari Group

or whiskey? Tonight was different than other nights. He reached over and placed before me a pewter cup.  And then another and then another. So, I sat back and waited to see what he's going to be doing. We've been going through this routine for a good number of years. It's surprising the common interests we have. 



Our discussions will revolve around some repair I'm making or tool I need. Or local politics, state politics, national politics, back to local politics, ad infinitum.

Sometimes we get a little esoteric. Surprisingly because of our age and because the Great War was 100 years ago. His father and my father both served in the Great War. And both served in western France in the area of Verdun and Meuse-Argonne in 1918 to 1919. He had recently paved the way for me as he had traveled to Verdun, Reims, all over the Western Front as part of the Queen Elizabeth II Grand Tour of western France. In honor of the 100 years. With his advice and travel materials my girlfriend and I traveled about 3 months later, following in his footsteps.

 Both of us honoring our fathers.

Quite extraordinary, maybe I'll write about that some more.

He had recently been on another journey, seems like he's always journey-ing; and this time he had impressed us with a Berry cocktail that he had learned. And he  was making  a drink my girlfriend easily bought into. A berry cocktail with bubbles. And she liked this cocktail.

But I digress. Tonight he had chosen for taste testing, i.e. the five  pewter cups. He brought out the cups each with a number taped to the side as 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5. 

Pewter Cup

 He  pushed over towards me a piece of paper and a pencil and said, “tell me what you think?” He went on to say “these are your typical whiskeys you drink. So tell me which one you like best and which one you like least”.  I presumed to apply some of my wine sensing and tasting skills I sniffed. Then I would add a little water. Following that I would just barely take a sip; let it rest on my palette. Then I'd make notes to myself smooth, smokey.

Over time tastes mature, some might say degrade. I had been influenced by Nicki BeLer,  who with his brother Buzz created The Prime Rib of Washington DC, USA,   Baltimore Maryland and Philadelphia Pennsylvania. I had worked with Nicki at his father and his restaurant in Williamsburg Virginia as a young man. Nicki introduced me to Antonio y Cleopatra cigars, Cutty Sark whiskey, and a clothing store by the name of Earl N. Levitt.

Nick had great taste in women and, as witnessed by The Prime Rib restaurants that he opened. I recently had the opportunity to work with my cousin Buzz and the staff there in Washington, DC.  It was an extraordinary experience. I got to know some really great people and  was greatly influenced by their skills, their humor, their knowledge and most of all their friendliness. People like Tom, David, Bobby, Marilyn, Santee, and others. 

 But I digress and I've lost my place here. Let's get back to being with Mister C at his Bar.

So having been raised on Cutty Sark over the years my tastes have changed and he had different ones in the well. He has quite an inventory in the Bar; many times catering to his private party crowd.

Tonight would be different.Tonight it was just me. So I began the laborious task of smelling, tasting, sipping noting and eventually got to a conclusion. I said "OK here's my number one choice". Following that Mister C brought out Dewars. I said here's my second choice pretty tight runner up to my first; much to my surprise he brings out Old Smuggler. My third choice was Glenlivet..  And my fourth choice was Grants. Much to my surprise. My fifth choice was a ringer bourbon that he thru in, sly b****** that he is, Wasmunds.

All in all it was an enjoyable and refreshing change of pace from sitting at the bar and nursing one particular drink. I learned quite a bit from the experiences. I learned that  -   as we hear quite often  --  price is not an indicator of taste. Marketing drives up the price of your bottle. 

Conclusion

In conclusion.  What I would impart to you is that absent “a fat wallet”, it behooves you to do a little research on what you're buying making sure that what you're buying for yourself and what you're serving your guests provides an opportunity for them to explore their own tastes and more particularly that it meets their needs. So if it's a younger crowd, be sure to have Makers Mark on hand cause that's all they seem to drink, with ginger . And if it's an older wiser crowd, chill that red wine a little bit before serving and also making sure you decant it.

I have 2 different types of Scotches;  2 different types of gins, in order that  people can choose what they prefer not just what I have on hand.

I became spoiled almost a year ago when I would go to the The Lombardy Hotel's Venetian Lounge & Bar and then, Nathan seeing me walk through the velvet draped doorway would begin to get out the makings for my Negroni. So that's pretty much the scenario that Mister C follows anticipating what I'm going to drink.

But tonight he really outdid himself and went that extra mile so I left a ten ($10) on the bar for the enjoyable evening I had taste testing 3 blends and one single malt & that bourbon. So that's my story. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, that evening with Mister C.

And don't forget.      Drink responsibly.

For tonight -

Cocktail: Dewars straight, splash of spring water, no ice.

Appetizer: Smoked almonds, no salt.

Music: Stan Getz jazz, "Getz/Gilberto" 1964 played on vintage vinyl

Ice Version 2.07

Ice Version 2.07

I have been hard at work and have travel experiences to write about. Such as how to tour Bordeaux Left bank wine experiences. Or the joy of “Marc”. However, the point today is an update to ICE.

Yes, we are back to trying to make clear ice. Which I became re-infatuated with on my recent trip to bars in Japan.

Simply put^{, f.n. 1,} these following steps will get you a pretty clear ice cube or block, sometimes with some star pattern,

1.       Use distilled water

2.       Boil the distilled water twice.

3.       Fill your cube tray, or block with the distilled, twice boiled water.

4.       Wrap the tray or block with a thick cloth or towel, something that will delay the water from freezing,  the aim to delay the freezing process for as long as possible.

So in essence, the theory is that you use distilled water, boiled 2X and you slow the freezing process. I am not going to get into the chemistry or physics behind this molecular process.

Don’t want to go to this trouble?  Consider the guidance by Difford’s Guide (diffordsguide.com) on their recommendation for an ice machine. And expect to pay a couple thousand Euros. 

f.n. 1  My advisory team is comprised of 1 Physics Professor and 2 Chemists. That’s how complicated it is!

Ice block “resting” before scoring. 

As far as cubes go, I prefer the very large cubes, having watched Ann Marie, of Halifax Nova Scotia Speakeasy “The Middle Spoon Desserterie and Bar”. There she was  hand-chipping an ice block to make a custom-made cube, I now waste my time fooling around with large blocks of ice, which I cut into cubes (score the block with a saw or serrated knife) and then polish off with my Japanese Ice chipper. It just adds a little panache to my cocktails at a party!

The case for no ice!

I have to say, it was a wakeup call when I was visiting my English relative in California. I asked for ice; he said to me “we don’t have any.” Seriously, I thought. I replied, “No really” and he said, no they don’t use ice.

There are many cultures that do not use ice in their drinks, nor serve liquids very cold. Or abhor drafts. But for some of us in North America, ice is a way of life.  But for those of us who like a little chill, and the luxury of clear ice in a cocktail, I have solved that to my satisfaction. And my girlfriend seems to admire the cubes.

IN THE MEANTIME

To make life more complicated, I just recently ground  a ½ cup of granulated sugar to a finer  grind, which makes “Caster Sugar”. You may ask why I needed  Caster sugar? I am making Oleo-saccharum.  Chemistry again, this will give you a sweet liquor of sugar from which peeled lemon will infuse the sugar with the lemon oil from the rind. More on that later.

But for now, I seek a recipe for Armagnac Infused Fresh Plum. 

As I continue to work on my Oleo-Saccharum.