Richard Drew, Scotch tape, and the only way to drink Scotch

On this day in 1930 Scotch tape, invented by 3M engineer Richard Drew, went on sale.

Introduced during the Great Depression, Scotch Transparent Tape quickly helped people prolong the life of items they could not afford to replace. The new tape was used to seal opened cans, mend torn pages of books, and fix broken toys.  Banks used it to repair torn currency, and farmers used it to seal cracked eggs, for example. The possible uses for Scotch Tape, it seemed, were limited only by consumers' imaginations. (paraphrased from About.com)

Who knew.

The Historical Inebriant:  Scotch, neat

Want to know more:
http://www.history.com/shows/modern-marvels/videos/scotch-tape#scotch-tape

http://artofmanliness.com/2009/04/05/the-art-of-manliness-guide-to-scotch-whisky/

Axis of Evil

On this Day in 2002:

In his State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush describes regimes that sponsor terror as an Axis of Evil.

I don’t know anything about politics, but I know that even in my world where the ice clinks against the glass like a wind chime on a summer day and the soft aroma of a Single Malt Scotch brings to mind the rolling hills and sweet songs of Scotland, or where the sea green hue of a Margarita reminds me of the slow cadence of waves returning to the shore...evil does lurk.

Evil does lurk, and Bartenders have no qualms about sponsoring terrorism when asked
for certain drinks in a clear and level voice.  Here is my Axis of Evil:

The Historical Inebriant:  Long Island Ice Tea
Masquerading as a nice drink for a hot summer day, it seems perfect for those

“Let’s go to that bar by the beach and have drinks on the patio!” days.  
Until the back of your head blows off.

The Historical Inebriant:  Jagermeister
If you’ve ever been in a bar and heard that thunderous explosion - the sound of multiple Jager Bombs being fired back all at once - and later looked into the glassy eyed, 1,000 mile stare in the faces of the young men and women who got caught up in that event, their hands, faces and clothes dotted with brown liquid, you will never forget this evil.

The Historical Inebriant:  The Martini
Perhaps the most evil of all.  There is no wind-chime clinking of ice, no aroma to revel or reminisce in,  no hue to visualise and fantasize about.  It is three ounces of alcohol 
delivered straight to the brain. It is, as a good friend always describes, “A quick and cold Icepick between the eyes.”

”Evil is out there my friends, stay vigilant - vigilant...but thirsty.”

THI on twitter

Still building it up, but THI is now on twitter
sharing some of the local CT happenings.
Keep checking @THI_Stamford
for updates on the local bar scene

If IHop sold this, I'd be in heaven

Okay, glancing through the FCW my eyes caught the following words, not necessarily in order:
                                         Breakfast, Booze, Bacon, Dreams
Turns out to be an interesting article on bacon infused bourbon.
And as they say... "It's not just for breakfast anymore"


http://www.ct.com/entertainment/restaurants/nm-nh52eats-20111220,0,5113013.story

Another interesting recipe for bacon infused bourbon

http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/04/bacon-bourbon/

Dancing in the dark

On this day in 1880, Thomas Edison was granted a patent for his incandescent light.
He then went on to develop the entire system needed to light our homes, towns, cities.
He perfected fuse boxes, underground conductive cables and generators.  He also built
the world's first electric light power plant in New York City.  Noble inventions and
achievements all. But something about the shedding of light on certain subjects worried me.

I pondered the life of the young lovers of that age, or more precisely, the young who wished
to be lovers.  I imagined that the time before the light bulb was a pleasant one for them.
I know that I look much better in the soft glow of candlelight, and from various angles I look
much better in no light at all.  What a shock to the youth who now had to court one another
under the harsh glare of an artificial light that constantly penetrated the soft rich tones of the
living room or parlor room.  How unnatural those first lamps must have made
everything and everyone look.  How difficult some of those first dates must have been,
especially during those short days-long winter nights.

I believe it even effected the marriage and population rates of the time.  In the following chart,
a near flat line of population growth in the years 1880-1890 is apparent, with growth picking
up again in 1891.  Possibly due to advancements in over the counter make up.

The Historical Inebriant:  A Kiss in the Dark
http://www.drinkrecipesbar.com/drink-recipes-get-1139__Kiss-in-the-dark.html

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Gin

• 1 oz. Cherry Brandy

• 1 oz. Vermouth (Dry)

Instructions

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with ice. 

Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass.

Bring on the weekend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PSGhuT_gCk

I did not have lunch with that woman.

On January 26, 1998 - the President, standing with his wife, spoke at a White House press conference and made the following statement...


I did not have ____ with that woman.

a) Lunch
b) A really good time
c) Drinks

As we now know, the answer was C.

The Historical Inebriant:  A Blow Job

Layer Bailey's and Kahlua (or Amaretto in some states) in a shot glass
and top with a puff of whipped cream. Place your hands behind your back,
(the shot must be done without using your hands) pick up the full shot glass

with your mouth, tilt your head back* and enjoy!


You may have to suck a bit to get the cream to flow.
Remember, not swallowing is not an option!

Want to know more (of course you do):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1PbQx4WB9g

The Superintendent, the mine, the diamond and the Queen

On January 25, 1905, mine superintendent Frederick Wells was 18 feet below the earth's surface doing a routine inspection of the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Aftrica when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall just above him. His discovery, a 3,106 carat diamond weighing 1.33 pounds, was presented that same afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullinan, who owned the mine and who promptly christened the stone “Cullinan”.

Cullinan then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain's King Edward VII as a birthday gift. Worried that the diamond might be stolen in transit from Africa to London, Edward arranged to send a phony diamond aboard a steamer ship loaded with detectives as a diversionary tactic. While the decoy slowly made its way from Africa on the ship, the Cullinan was sent to England in a plain box.

Edward entrusted the cutting of the Cullinan to Joseph Asscher, who had cut the famous Excelsior Diamond, a 971-carat diamond found in 1893, studied the stone for six months before attempting the cut. On his first attempt, the steel blade broke, with no effect on the diamond. On the second attempt, the diamond shattered exactly as planned; Asscher then fainted from nervous exhaustion.

(paraphrased from History.com)

I don’t why I find this story so compelling.  I think I like the idea of finding riches when you least expect it, or the idea of following your plan to fruition even after initial setbacks

(after which I guess it’s ok to simply pass out).  I also like the image of a clubroom with a dark mahogany interior where several older gentlemen seated in leather chairs, tell bits of this story in between sips of single malt scotch and billows of cigar smoke.   

But I digress...

The Cullinan was later cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller ones, valued at millions of dollars all told. The largest stone is called the "Star of Africa I," or "Cullinan I," and at 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the "Star of Africa II" or "Cullinan II," is 317 carats. Both of these stones, as well as the "Cullinan III," are on display in the Tower of London with Britain's other crown jewels; the Cullinan I is mounted in the British Sovereign's Royal Scepter, while the Cullinan II sits in the Imperial State Crown.

and so the story goes...

but the question remains how to celebrate this day?

The Historical Inebriant:

Royal Flush made with Crown Royal

http://www.boozemixer.com/drink-recipe/royal-flush

And yes, we do think different now.

I mean, what can I say about this, really?  I remember this day because I remember
this ad but if someone had told me that less than 30 years later we would be looking 
at a company, a technology, a man - that would change the way we communicate,
design, listen to music, reinvent how we sold music, make a phone call, use a cell 
phone, interact with a computer screen, etc., I would have thought they were crazy.

The ad itself was revolutionary, the full one minute ad that cost almost one million dollars

to produce was played during the Superbowl!  How indicative of a company that urged us
to... “Think Different”... and would later roll out MacPublisher and OS X.

On this day in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh, the first computer that used a mouse
and a graphical interface.  The rest, as we like to say, is history.

The Historical Inebriant:  Any drink you would like.

  (what, did you expect me to say Apple Martini or something?)

Xin Nian Kuai Le

For over one sixth of the world’s population, today is the real new year, bringing hopes of health, prosperity and of course good luck for the rest of the year!

It is widely believed that whatever luck happens to you today, will carry forth throughout the year, if that is true I wish you may see no traffic on your commute to work, that every envelope you receive today contains money and that your Super Bowl numbers are 7-0

I  wish you all health, wealth and luck this year and to celebrate the new year right tonight might I suggest...

The Historical Inebriant:  Red Lotus
http://dialectmagazine.com/2011/11/red-lotus-cocktail/