A Look Back at October
The month that was.
Hey everyone. I hope you are all well.
As we approach the end of October, 2024, it’s time for a look back at at the month that was. At least how it was for me, and this newsletter.
Some of you who read my previous work may have noticed a pretty significant pivot away from the main topic I was writing about, Emergency Medical Services and it’s associated issues, to writing about cocktails, booze and home bartending. Turns out a helluva lot more of you like to read about that stuff than death and destruction, and I want to please my fans. Booze it is.
What I Wrote About This Past Month
At the very end of September, I wrote a quick note about a spontaneous evening out with my favorite person. The Magic of the Unexpected, describing a visit to one of my favorite bars for a drink that got way more attention than I ever thought it would, so I decided I’d try something different.
I was going to write about my first go at making a Martini.
Stirred. Not Shaken. Also garnered a lot of attention and, in fact, has been my most viewed posting to date. The cocktail turned out petty good, too!
After the Martini it was time to engage in some serious work on the Negroni, another drink I’m really trying to do well. For this, my partner and I used some heavy-duty scientific research methods. It’s really interesting what you can discover when you go to a bar, order two of the same drink, but ask for each to be made with a different base spirit.
Next up was somewhat of a return to my writing roots. The New York State Emergency Medical Services Vital Signs Conference was held in Rochester, so I put together a little rundown of my favorite places, many of which I thought that conference attendees might enjoy checking out. Incidentally, I took a bit of flak for the fact that I didn’t include mention of Rochester’s own regional delicacy - the garbage plate, an oversight I’ll be making up for in a future newsletter.
Lastly, I wrote about what I think are some of the most essential tools for those of you who might be starting out in the world of home bartending.
What I’m Reading Now
Very recently, I decided to pick up a copy of “Over a Barrel. The Rise and Fall of New York’s Taylor Wine Company.”, authored by Thomas Pellechia. I’ve been considering this read for a while now, and finally pulled the trigger. I’m interested in this book for one reason: I grew up in Hammondsport, New York. My maternal grandfather was a chemist and the winemaker at Taylor Wine, ultimately retiring as the vice president of operations just before the company was acquired by Coca-Cola. My mom worked in the retail shop there for many years until she was laid-off during one of the downsizings that took place in the mid-1980s as the company changed hands every couple of years after the disaster that was Coke. My life was tied to that company in ways that I have only recently begun to understand, so I’d like to learn more about the history behind all those events that I can still remember. More to come on this, I’m sure.
What I Tried This Week
A few nights ago I went to a place in my new neighborhood that I had not yet been, The Blu Wolf Bistro. We were doing some moving activities, needed to grab food, and this place was within walking distance. After we were seated I scanned the drinks menu to see what sort of cocktails they had to offer. I’m a sucker for an Old Fashioned, and they were serving one called the Maple Old Fashioned, containing whiskey, lemon juice, maple syrup and orange bitters. Sounded interesting, so I bit.
Now, either the bartender used her telepathic powers to figure out what I was going to order before I knew, the server hit a time warp between the bar and our table, or this was a batched cocktail, ‘cause our drinks came out fast. Nothing wrong with batching, particularly if the bar is small, with a high volume and a lot of orders for a particular drink. I would’ve been disappointed if I was sitting at the bar for this order, as I like to watch the bartenders build drinks, but we were at a table so that didn’t play.
Overall this was a solid drink. Unfortunately, it was served on restaurant-style ice chips that are fine for your table water, but that kill a cocktail pretty quickly. I think this drink would have been much improved in both taste and presentation had it been served on a single, big rock of ice. It was pretty booze forward with Jefferons’s Small batch as the base spirit. I didn’t really pick up a whole lot from the lemon juice, but the orange bitters announced themselves nicely and played really well with the maple syrup. I thought the drink lacked a bit of complexity that might have been helped by adding a dash of Angostura bitters, but overall it was a solid cocktail that I enjoyed. If you’re in Rochester, stop in and give one a try. Let me know what you think!
Coming Up
There is a lot going on in life right now! An upcoming move, a bunch of work-related travel plus the holidays. I have a bunch of newsletter drafts in the bin, but they might be a bit slower in coming out over the next month, so bear with me!
Cheers!