University of Missouri's viticulture institute creates experimental winery
By Associated Press
4:01 AM CST, November 13, 2009 COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A University of Missouri research center that studies grape growth is creating an experimental winery.
The school's Institute for Continental Climate Viticulture and Enology (ee-NAHL'-uh-jee) provides research support to the state's 92 commercial wineries.
By setting up a winery, the institute can apply those experiments to the entire winemaking process.
The wine will be commercially available with a label that reflects its university affiliation.
Well, it was game night here at Smokes & Booze...and I had some friends over. Of course nothing says "Friends" like Beer and Pizza (from Pizza Haus here in Town)and tonight's choices were Blue Moon Belgian White and Boulevard Single-Wide India Pale Ale (IPA).
The guys focused on the IPA, and why not....it is a MANLY Beer. With an IBU of 59, this beer really works the Hops for all its got...especially considering to qualify as an IPA, the minimum score is a 40. Even drunk straight from the bottle, you immediately notice the Hops' unique aroma. Mmmmmmmmmm.....I loves me some HOPS. The beer itself tastes of floral/pine hop juices balanced out with malty sweetness before finishing a little bitter and dry. It went well with the Pizza and I would be curious to the others opinions (HINT HINT). I will say I am biased, IPAs are some of my favorites...and since Boulevard is a "Local" (from KC), it gets bonus points. Throw in the cool origins of the beer (the Hops was a perspective when shipping beer from the UK to India) and I find this a can't miss when the guys come over.
Boulevard Single-Wide IPA (since 1989??? Boy do I feel old).....Two Thumbs Up.
Last night we had our Scotch Tasting at Grand Cru. A good time was had by all.
Glenn and I arrived early, and knew it was going to be a long night when the waiter remembered both me and Debi (Blueberry Cha?) from the last time we were there.
I opened with a classic Laphroig (Neat) because I knew we were dealing with Speysides tonight and I wanted to get my "Peat Bomb" in early.
Glenn went with a Gimlet based on my past Gin Article, and I recommended Hendrick's Gin. He seemed to like it, and the next round I ordered the same while he sampled a different Gin, Old Raj from Cadenhead. He immediately said he like Hendrix better, so we swapped.
Old Raj was interesting, more of a traditional style of Dry Gin vs the crystal clear stuff you see today (like Bombay). The color reminded me of Gordon's and it had a very unique (spicy)taste, which I learned is due to a unique ingredient...saffron. The addition of the saffron is undertaken personally by the Company Chairman, in order to ensure a consistency in flavor and color each time Old Raj is bottled. Another interesting thing about Old Raj, it is bottled 55% ABV vs the 40% ABV or less of regular gins...so you know it packs a punch.
Debi, Jennifer and Jason showed up and we had another round (I have to do something about Jason always drinking Jack and Coke) before the tasting.
What stood out from this tasting was the fact that it wasn't put on by a distributor , but instead by a representative of William Grant & Sons. Impressive.
Tim Burckhart walked everyone through the basics of scotch and had interesting tidbits of information through the night. He was very knowledgeable (I told you Debi they were all Speysides) and willing to take a few minutes to talk about the various brands. If you see him out and about, buy him a drink.
We actually tasted 5 Scotchs, although the 5th addition was a last minute and I missed the name/year. I think it was the Glenfiddich 21 year old and if Tim happens to lurk into the blog, perhaps he will share what it was.
Here are my notes and thoughts of the others:
Balvenie 12 year old double wood - This Scotch had a very creamy texture and you could really distinguish the Barley and Vanilla flavors. Initially the nose smelled of Almonds, but when I added water I was reminded of those chocolate oranges you get at Christmas.
Balvenie 17 year old Madeira finish - The oaky nose left me totally off guard for the sweetness of this one. Sugary is what I deciphered from my notes, and I could definitely see this one being part of a dessert service. Glenfiddich 15 year old - Smooth coat of whisky on swirling. Not many legs forming, although Debi taunted me for doing it....saying all drinks have legs. Medium-to-light peat smoke taste and water brought out the honey flavors and a citrusy nose. This would probably be the one I would pair with a cigar at the end of an evening. Glenfiddich 18 year old - A darker color than I expected from a Glenfiddich, the Oak flavor really comes out in this 18 Year Old, probably due to the aging process...20% of which is done in Spanish Oloroso wood casks and the remaining time in the traditional American oak casks. The taste was good, a Spiced Apple with a cinnamon finish, but was a little lacking in peatyness for me.
Overall, I came away with a great liking for the Balvenies, particularly the 17. It's a little pricey, at $125, but well within my drinking budget. It was noted around our table that Balvenies seemed almost "Personal" while the Glenfiddich had a mass produced feel. I know it seems odd to say about a Scotch, but it's the only way to describe it. I will add that I had become accustomed to Glenfiddich 12 (the Green Bottle), so this was an eyeopener with regards to the rest in their range and will definitely be looking at 21 Year Old.
The night was a great success....I want to thank Grand Cru and Tim for a great production.
I cant wait for the next one :)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day) is on November 11 and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning — the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" 1918. While this official date to mark the end of the war reflects the cease fire on the Western Front, hostilities continued in other regions, especially across the former Russian Empire and in parts of the old Ottoman Empire.
The date was declared a national holiday in many allied nations, to commemorate those members of the armed forces who were killed during war. An exception is Italy, where the end of the war is commemorated on 4 November, the day of the Armistice of Villa Giusti. Called Armistice Day in many countries, it was known as National Day in Poland (also a public holiday) called Polish Independence Day. After World War II, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day in the United States and to Remembrance Day in countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Armistice Day remains an official holiday in France. It is also an official holiday in Belgium, known also as the Day of Peace in the Flanders Fields.
In many parts of the world people take a two-minute moment of silence at 11:00 a.m. as a sign of respect for the roughly 20 million people who died in the war, as suggested by Edward George Honey in a letter to a British newspaper although Wellesley Tudor Pole established two ceremonial periods of remembrance based on events in 1917.[1][2]
In the UK, beginning in 1939, the two-minute silence was moved to the Sunday nearest to 11 November in order not to interfere with wartime production should 11 November fall on a weekday. Both Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday are commemorated formally in the UK.
Tonight, we will be going to Grand Cru for a Scotch Tasting and also to raise a toast to the Fallen Hero's of a Forgotten War.
I was originally gonna post something cute and funny about today, that is until I got an Email from my friend Gordy.
Gordy and I have been friends for a long time, 22 years to be exact. We met in Basic Training, went through Security Clearance Processing together and then Advanced Individual Training (AIT)....we even had the same MOS (33T).
Throughout the years he and I have stayed in contact, he stayed in the Army (they call him "Chief" now, but to me he is still a NUG) while I got out and started a career. He has been deployed several times, and is so currently.
I remember the last time he was in Columbia, we sat outside and didn't have to say anything for a long time....that is a sign of a true friend. When we talk, we both speak the same language.
Today, he forwarded over a speech his daughter wrote.....so instead of something cute, I decided to post it.
Thanks Gordy for serving and sharing.
Veteran’s Day Speech
For as long as I can remember, Veteran’s Day has been celebrated at my school by everyone meeting in the gym to hear some people speak about the importance of the day. We salute the former soldiers and the current ones that come to our school to commemorate the day. But when I was little, it started out as just another assembly, just another day. It wasn’t until I was in early middle school that I learned what Veteran’s Day really means. It dawned on me when I was talking to my father, who has been a soldier in our military for twenty years. I only get to see him in the summer sometimes, and other times we talk over the phone. I had called him one day just to talk to him and it was shortly after Veteran’s Day in sixth grade. After we talked about what he was doing for a while, we moved on to what I had been doing. “Well,” I said slowly. “We went to a Veteran’s Day assembly not too long ago.” “That’s cool.” replied my dad. “So, who was there?” “Just some old dudes that had retired from the military, all our teachers, and all the other students.” I replied thinking back. It was at that moment, which a question popped into my mind. “Dad, are you a veteran?” “Yeah sweetheart,” he told me plainly. “Veterans can be anyone that has fought for our country.” “Even if they’re still fighting?” I ask. “Yeah.” he replied back. It was then that I realized how Veteran’s Day really affected my life. It wasn’t just about an assembly anymore where my school met to observe the day of veterans. It more than that now; it was about my family, especially my father.
As a child, I was narrow-minded; I never looked at the big picture. I never paid attention to what we were going through as a country, which was of course until the September 11th attacks. I remember everyone turning on their TVs and watching the news. I didn’t care at first; the news bored me at the time. What got my attention was when some of the teachers started to cry. I was confused and when I got home I asked my mom about it. She told me that the Twin Towers in New York had been attacked by terrorists. Terrorists, it was a new word for me. I was in third grade at the time, and “terrorists” wasn’t something they taught you back then. However, I still understood the word “Terror”. Then she told me how the attacks had killed a lot of people. Death was something else I was familiar with. I live by a country road and a few of our family dogs had already been killed by speeders. When I imagined the death of the attacks that day, I imagined the feeling of losing one of the pets that had loved deeply. But it wasn’t dogs that had died, it was people. People like you would meet everyday. When I asked why the attacks happened, my mother just told me it was because some people were angry with the U.S. When I asked what we had done wrong she told me that we were just living freely. We had freedom that most others didn’t have. Then I remembered something my dad told me once. Soldiers protect our nation, and something just as important; the freedom we live by everyday. In the years to come, I learned just what he meant by freedom. The origin of our freedom lies with the birth of our country. As our country started, I learned that we broke away from England and became independent. Our forefathers created the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, each stood for the freedom that we as a country stand for today. After that we fought England for our freedom and won, making independence official. But it didn’t get any easier after that. We fought with ourselves in the Civil War and continued to fight other countries. Finally, the entire civilized world went to war. World War 1 took place from 1917 to 1918. After this war, in 1919, President Wilson proclaimed that November 11th would be celebrated as Armistice Day. This day was originally made to honor the veterans of World War I. But after World War II took place from 1941 to 1945, and the Korean War took place from 1950 to 1953, Congress decided to change the name of the day to Veteran’s Day. This is so that all veterans that have served can be honored. This was approved in the year 1954 and has been so ever since. Since then, we have fought in the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and even now continue to fight in the Iraqi War. Men and women of our country have fought and died to protect our country and its beliefs. We’ve also fought to aid others who share our values of a better way of life. We may not have won every time, but we’ve stood our ground. Veteran’s Day is especially important to me because I get to thank my dad. He’s not just my father; he’s a man that is risking his life for me almost everyday. Why? So I can have the freedom to be a Christian. So I can speak out on what I believe. So everyone can assemble to honor veterans on Veteran’s Day. Without our veterans, we wouldn’t be the country we are today. We would be just some other country who is suffering under the tyranny of a dictating government. I for one would not like that life. Where I would have no voice, where what I feel and think doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has an opinion and no one’s opinion is greater than anyone else’s. Some might think another’s opinions are incorrect or unjust, but everyone has a right to express themselves by their voice, to express their opinion.
I would like to end by thanking our veterans who have fought and others who have died for our beloved country. The men and women who have taken on the task of taking up arms and fighting for their freedom; but not just their freedom, for everyone’s freedom. The freedom that we are given at birth; what we deserve in order to live a fulfilling and purposeful life. So, thank you veterans. I hope my words have encouraged everyone that has listened and I hope that we’ll keep fighting no matter what. Thank you.
On this day in history, 10 Nov 1775, the Continental Congress formed the Continental Marines,planning to draw them from among Washington's army in Boston and send them to capture supplies from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
However, Washington was unenthusiastic about the plan and suggested the Marines be recruited in New York or Philadelphia instead. Captain Samuel Nicholas was commissioned as the Continental Marines' first officer on 28 November 1775.
What does this have to do with Smokes and Booze? EVERYTHING!
When Cpt.Samuel Nicholas enacted a decision of the Continental Congress to form the Continental Marines,he based recruitment at a tavern. Not just any tavern, but Tun Tavern, famous as a meeting place for prominent organizations and people, such as -
-St. George's Society -the firt meetings of St. John's No. 1 Lodge of the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Temple -St. Andrews Society -Benjamin Franklin -George Washington -Thomas Jefferson -The Continental Congress
So much history, in one Bar. Amazing.
Sadly, Tun Tavern burned down in 1781, but there is a historical marker near the location and a themed restaurant at Quantico.
Often, Taverns are overlooked at their significance in early American History....a place where people could meet, discuss, rest threir weary bones. A gathering point of the community. So much of Americana as we know it started in pubs, bars and taverns across the country....and today is a great example.
If you happen to stop by the Tinderbox today, say something to Kevin....our resident Marine. I'm sure it would make his day.
