While this time of year is hectic enough to prevent much writing from going on, there has been a brief lull this afternoon, allowing for some words to come forth. I believe it is merely the calm before the storm, as this evening signals not just the end of the year, but the end of the decade. During this decade, I have reached adulthood and matured in ways that I didn’t think possible during my teenage years, not least of which is my appreciation for fine beer and cocktails.

Allow me, dear reader, to be a bit reflective for a moment. My first taste of beer was Busch Light, in a non-ceremonial manner that left a bit to be desired. The body was watery, there was no complexity, and the taste was curious. I thought I liked it, but wasn’t sure. It reminded me a bit of seltzer water, in a way, and I didn’t have another drink until quite some time later, when a friend brought over a 40oz bottle of King Cobra. Without being too degrading and venomous towards the… classic malt beverage, it should suffice to say that the experience turned me off of beer for quite some time.

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By Christopher McCollum

“Drunk for a penny,
Dead drunk for two pence,
Clean straw for nothing,”
-Gin Lane, circa 1751

The above quote is attributed to a bar in London during the Gin Madness craze of the 18th century, that took the city by storm to such a degree that the spirit had prohibitive acts passed against it, making it more expensive and difficult to produce.

Today, a report came out in the UK’s Times Online about the falling price of alcohol, and how beer is now cheaper than bottled water, by about 30 pence ($0.48 USD)  per liter. The falling prices have resulted in British alcohol awareness groups to decry this marketing tactic, saying that it will cause more alcohol-related deaths due to binge drinking. Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England and Wales, earlier this year called for minimum pricing on alcohol, at £6 per six-pack, which would be about $9.75 USD. Donaldson claimed that raising the price by this degree would result in 3,000 fewer alcohol related deaths per year, and 100,000 fewer hospital visits. Gordon Brown and the alcohol industry rejected this price-hike, but knowing England’s past responses to perceived social dangers, I think it’s doubtful that we’ve seen the last of Sir Liam and his ilk.

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By Christopher McCollum

Two evenings ago, Micah Hanks and myself were spending the evening interviewing brewers, and tasting beer. The following morning, there were 6 inches of snow on the ground. While we had seen the forecast that called for several inches of snow, we figured that, like usual with mountain weather reports, it was grossly over-exaggerated. Little did we know, we would receive what would become known within hours as the worst winter storm of the decade in this part of the country, and we would receive some 11 to 17 inches of snow in Asheville, within a 20 hour period.

As the afternoon went by at my house, one tree came crashing down in the backyard, missing the house by no more than 4 or 5 feet.

This led to a frantic next couple hours, with my roommate and I doing our best to knock snow off the lower branches of trees, trying to keep them from snapping and causing potential damage to the house. These frantic efforts relieved the stress on the trees and they rose back up to the sky, with hundreds of pounds of snow dropping to the ground, down our sleeves, and down the open collars of our coats. But fortunately, our power stayed on, even though thousands around the city were already flickering out.

We stayed inside, ate ham sandwiches and drank some beer, until 11:15pm. Right after the basketball game we were watching ended, the power finally flickered once and died, for the rest of the night. After gathering all the flashlights together, lighting some well placed candles, and watching the eerie scene out the window, of a bright snowscape that breathed beauty.

At around midnight, we finally decided that since we weren’t going to be going to sleep that early, we might as well make some cocktails. So we did it in the style of Culture of Spirits, with cutting boards, oranges, limes, lemons, tequila, bourbon, and vodka.

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In a bizarre mock-up of classic arcade games like Frogger, The Century Council has linked a holiday-themed game to their website where players guide a family of Gingerbread people across a busy Highway. “Holiday Hop,” though it may not go down in history as a modern classic among the ranks of other video games, is nonetheless an amusing way to educate people about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Click here to play the game “Holiday Hop.”

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By Christopher McCollum

No, not a misspelling of one of our favorite cocktails. Instead, the Gin and Titonic is a Gin and Tonic, with Titanic and iceberg shaped cubes. There is a retailer in England which has produced ice molds that churn out frigid replicas of the Titanic and the iceberg that was fated to sink the illustrious liner. While the pictures look quite awesome, it does of course bring up the question of whether or not this is appropriate. When the Titanic sank in April of 1912, it took with it some 1,517 victims, out of the total 2,223 on board. Of the 700 odd survivors, the last one passed away earlier this year, in the month of May. With no direct victims left, is it appropriate for a product of this nature? Obviously, some say no, it is not appropriate under any circumstances, no matter the length of time that has passed. The disrespect that is paid to the victims and the victims’ families is overwhelming, and this is a “sick and distasteful product,” according to one critic.

Perhaps partaking in a beverage that is chilled by Titanic and Icebergs is not disrespecting the tragedy, nor celebrating the event. Perhaps it simply is what it is, which is a beverage that has ice cubes shaped into recognizable forms. While the company, Fred and Friends, readily admits that their product is “humor with an edge,” we have to remember that this is yet another tool, and a tool cannot be good or bad. The way in which it is used determines that.

The product is available online for a pretty low price of $6.99, and if you decide to take a somewhat controversial approach to your cocktails this Holiday season, be aware that there may be some who do not view these ice cubes quite as favorably. Remember, be responsible, and be classy.

By Christopher McCollum

Over the years, Red Wine has developed the reputation as being a beverage beneficial to health, whether it be the ability to ward off Heart Disease and high blood pressure, or Cabernet Sauvignon’s specific reputed ability to ward of Alzheimer’s Disease, there have been many clinical studies that have suggested that moderate consumption of Red Wine is good for you. One of the major healthy elements are chemicals called polyphenols, which restrict the dissipation of nitric oxide in the blood stream, which in turn keeps blood pressure low, reduces the risk of strokes, as well as other heart problems. White wine has not shown the same positive properties, and before recently, Champagne was an unknown. British and French scientists have conducted studies that now show Champagne to be just as beneficial as Red Wine, carrying high levels of polyphenols that improve vascular performance and reduce the potential of the aforementioned diseases and conditions.

This is great news for Culture of Spirits, as many of our favorite libations include Champagne as the primary ingredient. In fact, just a couple evenings ago, Black Velvets were the order of the day, as Micah A. Hanks and myself enjoyed the the health benefits of a certain Irish Stout mixed half and half with Champagne. In addition to the Black Velvet, there’s also the Mimosa, which has obvious Vitamin C benefits, and also the Poinsettia,  which has additional cranberry benefits of raising good cholesterol (HDL), reducing cancer risk, preventing bladder infections, and a variety of others including but not limited to oral health.

With the imminent dates of Christmas and New Year’s Eve nearly upon us, this is particularly good news, as Champagne becomes the ritualistic celebratory beverage of choice. Now when you raise that flute to the sky and make your toasts, you will also have the warm, bubbly knowledge that you’re lowering your risk of heart disease!

Cheers!

Sources:
New Zealand Herald
Science Daily
World’s Healthiest Foods

Dr. Gonzo imbibes at the bar, as played by Micah A. Hanks

By Micah Hanks

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: a journalist, a Bluegrass singer, and a Presbyterian minister walk into a bar; but sadly, there’s no punch line to this strange set of circumstances.

It was in the summer of 2006 while visiting the great state of Montana that I was taken to one of the strangest Tiki bars I’ve ever visited. Nestled in the mountain town of Great Falls at an altitude of about 5,000 feet, my comrade Tom Godleski and I were taken by our guide, Pastor Tim, to The Sip-N-Dip Lounge.

Few bars have any real claim to fame; the Sip-N-Dip, on the other hand, has several. With an illuminated swim tank visible through reinforced glass windows behind the bar, beautiful gals dressed as mermaids swim around and interact with the bartenders on weekends. In fact, after her success appearing alongside Tom Hanks in Ron Howard’s 1984 flick Splash, Darryl Hannah even donned a mermaid costume and swam around in the tank during a visit to the famous watering hole.

Keep in mind that when I say famous, I mean famous. In its April 2003 issue, GQ Magazine voted the Sip-N-Dip Lounge as the “Number One Bar on Earth.” ‘Nuff said!

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Greetings cocktailians,

I’m very excited to announce the launch of a brand new feature here at the site: our all new Culture of Spirits Radio Blogcasts!

Our first episode features Micah Hanks and Chris McCollum delving into a variety of alcohol-related news. Plus, our good friend (and very special guest) Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, author of The Grog Log and many other fine books on mixology, joins us in-studio. The COS gang then discusses Tiki cocktail culture and the most exotic drinks in the world… you don’t want to miss this!

To listen to Culture of Spirits Radio Blogcast Episode 1, click here (or right click and choose “save as” to download).

By Micah Hanks

Drink to your health!

It’s true… here is the news most guys out there have been sweating over: Beer, coffee are two beverages that studies link to prostate health among men. Exercise is a third non-liquid ingredient that experts recommend, but before you start sweating over the notion of physical activity, as little as fifteen minutes per-day will show expected results. eFitness Now gives us the scoop:

Studies now show that drinking coffee and beer with a normal exercise routine may be healthy habits for men after all. Men who workout at least 15 minutes a day and drinks more than 6 cups of coffee a day reduces their chances of getting prostate cancer by 19%. The same combination reduces the risk of men developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer by 41%.

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By Micah Hanks

EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM GUINNESS

Well, in all honesty, it couldn’t be any further from being Guinness without being from Zeta II Reticuli (or Ireland, perhaps). However, the country that concocted the brew in question does share an affinity for making whisky just like the Irish… what in this world–or in space, for that matter–could we be talking about? Read on, ye guzzlers of galactic grog…

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