To be a properly cultured member of society, it is imperative that you at least tolerate, if not love sport. Whether it be polo or soccer, baseball or boxing, it should be on the agenda of everyone to have a passing knowledge of the primaryentertainment genre in the world. You can’t go to a party and overhear a discussion about baseball, and decide to participate by commenting that the Brooklyn Dodgers are your favorite team. It is entirely possible that the crowd will give you an approving nod, if they take it to mean that you’re a lover of the classics (afterall, what member of the sophisticated elite is not?), but it is more likely that they will take it to mean that you haven’t paid attention to sports in 50 years (the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958). Therefore, I will assume it’s obvious that you understand this, and have also noticed that there is an integral link between sports and alcohol…

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As if moved to do so by some subliminal suggestion from within my subconscious (perhaps the hedonistic, expensively-robed bastard with a cigarette holder who lives, repressed, in the decadent backdrop of my psyche), I was unable to counter the urge to stock up on some cool, late-summer spirits today; particularly of the foreign variety. Campari Italian liqueur sat almost glistening on the shelf, thanks to the recessed lighting of the liquor store (its luminescent quality was made stranger by the hail pounding the street outside, piling mounds of ice that fell so quickly they gave the impression of a strange, late summer snow). I knew I’d found my concoction.

In addition to its unique flavor served by itself (though the stinging bitterness of the herbs used in its creation tend to warrant ice, orange, or even soda water), Campari is a unique aperitif that doubles as (you might have guessed) a bitter for a variety of fine Italian cocktails. One such favorite is the Venetian Spritz.

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In order to live a more cultured and sophisticated lifestyle, one must do a bit of traveling, and while traveling, partake in the local delights of wherever one finds themselves. My travels this year have led me to Belize, Grand Cayman, and most importantly, Puerto Rico. In the past year, I have spent a grand total of nearly 6 weeks on the Island of Enchantment, where the national drink is rum. In fact, Puerto Rico is known as the Rum Capital of the World, and more than 80% of the rum consumed in the United States, comes from the island. The most popular of the many brands in Puerto Rico is Bacardi, which is distilled in Cataño,  right across San Juan Bay from the apartment I stay at. Every time a cruise ship made port (which is fairly often, as Puerto Rico is also the cruise ship capital of the world), dozens, if not hundreds, of people lined up to take tours of the Bacardi factory.

For obvious reasons (it is delicious), I am a big fan of rum. My time in Puerto Rico was well spent, as I tried several of the most popular local brands, none of which seemed to actually be Bacardi. My favorite of the locals ended up being Don Q Cristal, a silver rum distilled in the city of Ponce on the south coast of the island. I brought a bottle back with me to the United States, and spent much time reflecting on why I did not bring an entire case. Don Q is not sold in my neck of the woods, so I’ve only used it sparingly, on special occasions. Tonight is one of those occasions, as I finally sit down to do a real taste test, to see if Bacardi can be dethroned as the King of Puerto Rican Rum.

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The title is a bit of a misnomer; Not all bars were closed, and the ones that were,  were not closed ALL weekend. Just last night, Sunday. Allow me to begin from the beginning, as these stories often require. In my line of work (tour guide), I have the brilliant luxury and opportunity to take customers to places that I, and popular vote from past customers, deem to be the best bars in town. These are places that do not charge a cover, do not have ridiculously expensive drinks, and do not have a crowd that is prone to violence, unlike a couple of other unnamed hot spots in the vicinity. They DO have quick service, quality bartenders, friendly prices, and creative atmospheres. One is on the upper- most fire escape of one of the tallest buildings in town, another is set inside of an old bank, with the lounge area inside of the vault, while a third is below ground and looks like the beer cellar of a Belgian Abby. There are several others ranging from an Irish Pub to a dive-bar that frequently has Chubby Checkers playing on the juke-box.

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It’s more likely than you think! According to a recent article at The Telegraph, there will be severely discounted prices on French Champagne come the end of the year. This stems from a 30%-45% decrease in sales from Europe to Asia through the first half of this year, creating a major supply glut. One must figure that this is due to the Global Recession that has been playing out over the past year, diminishing the number of people with disposable income.

Experts in England are predicting that by Christmas time, there will be such a discrepency in supply and demand, a bottle of lesser-known brand Champagne will drop in price to £10(GBP). For us American folk, that equates to about $16.35. It is yet to be said if the price drop will also make its way into American markets, but since we here at Culture of Spirits have had Mimosas and Poinsettias on the brain for the past several days, we’re hoping that it does. While we’re not likely to see Dom Perignon take a major price dip, it will be nice to grab up a couple of discounted bottles of the French royal beverage, and pop the corks on New Year’s Eve.

If this does indeed come to pass, expect to see me crossing the French 75 and Death in the Afternoon of my list. Speaking of which, Milk Punch has been crossed off. That now leaves 82.

Down along the Texas Gulf Coast, there is a sprawling, cosmopolitan metropolis known as Houston. Within the downtown district of the 600 square mile city, there is a tire store that has been converted into a bar, that now bears the name Anvil. I have never been to this particular bar, yet I read a very interesting article in the Houston Press yesterday that put this place in one of the top 10 bars in the country that I would like to visit. The staff at Anvil have put together a list of 100 essential beverages(most of them cocktails by definition) that they feel everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. I have tried many of these libations already, but there are numerous of which I’ve never even heard of. Anvil has issued out a card with the full list on the front and back, and every time a customer has partaken in one of these beverages, they cross it off his/her list. Even though I am unable to do this at Anvil, as I do live quite some distance from Houston, I CAN do it myself, and look to do so over a long period of time. For now, let’s look at some of the more interesting concoctions on this list, and some of the ones that I have already experienced.

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Political unrest has surged since the announcement that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi, a man convicted of being part of a terrorist plot in 1988, would be released from prison by Scotland. Al Megrahi’s involvement in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland more than two decades ago, caused the deaths of more than 250 people. Advanced prostate cancer is explained as the rational for his release, although Prime Minister Gordon Brown denies that London made a deal with Libya to set him free. Upon arriving in his homeland, Libyans gave Al Megrahi “a hero’s welcome”, infuriating Brown, as well as US President Barack Obama. The 1988 bombing is second only to the 2001 September 11th attacks among the most deadly airborne acts of terrorism.

Of the release, Stephanie Bernstein, widow of crash victim Michael Bernstein, openly criticized the decision to release Al Megrahi, saying “It will be seen as weakness, because that’s precisely what it was.” Among the public discourse resulting from Al Megradi’s release, websites like boycottscotland.com and several others are calling for the boycotting of Scottish industry, including Scotch spirits, as indicated by memos such as this:

The government of Scotland has officially freed the terrorist al-Megrahi to return to Libya, according to the latest AP news report. Americans need to respond to this outrageous miscarriage of justice and betrayal of the victims’ families, who were mostly fellow Americans, by refusing to spend their tourist dollars in Scotland and avoiding any kind of business there. Boycotting is the only way to send a clear and direct message to both the Scottish and British governments that Americans will not tolerate such a flagrant betrayal.

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Ahh, what better way to enjoy the summer than with a fizzy and fruity beverage? The Mimosa has its beginnings in the early 1920′s in either England or France, depending on who you listen to. In 1921, the Buck’s Fizz was invented in an English club by the same name, while in 1925, the Mimosa was invented in a Paris hotel. The drinks are nearly identical, but occasionally call for different measures and the inclusion of grenadine on the part of the Buck’s Fizz. Regardless, the Fizzy Mimosa (as it shall now be known in this article) has been a staple of hot weather and weddings ever since. Indeed, the first time that I tried one, I was on the sun deck of a cruise ship off the coast of Belize, about to get in a morning game of ping pong with one of my mates. I had only recently become a fan of Champagne, after largely ignoring it in favor of stiffer spirits, and I was eager to try out this beverage (it was on special during this hour. $3 per glass!). Lo’ and behold, I loved it, and have partaken in it many times since.

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