Do You Like Apples? How Do You Like Them Apples?! - Will Hunting

October 21,

National Applejack Month

October is National Apple Jack Month! For those of you who just said to yourselves, "I love that cereal," leave this blog now. This is not the place for you!

Applejack is a strong alcoholic beverage produced from apples, more like a super hard cider. Popular in the American colonial days, Woodchuck couldn't handle this stuff! While hard cider was very popular, it was difficult to store. Therefore they would concentrate the hard cider, by freeze distillation, also known as jacking. The cider would be left outside, then the frozen bits would gradually be removed,  removing the water, as the alcohol will not freeze. By way of jacking, the colonials could turn a cider with a 10% ABV, into a 30-40% concentrate (60-80 proof). It's said that Johnny Appleseed actually sewed his seeds to provide the rural farmers with means to the hard cider and Applejack. Hell of a guy that Johnny! Now that I think of it, it does make sense! Look at any of his pictures, he's wearing a pot on his head and he is barefoot...been there!

 A popular brand of applejack is Laird's. The oldest native distillery in America, their first recorded commercial sale was in 1780.

Cheers to our ancestors, who were always looking for a better buzz! Cheers to Johnny, the original party guy!

Jack Rose

Jack Rose is a classic cocktail, popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In Ernest Hemingway's 1926 classic, The Sun Also Rises, Jake Barnes, the narrator, drinks a Jack Rose in the Crillon Paris hotel bar while awaiting the arrival of Lady Brett Ashley.

The Jack Rose is one of six basic drinks listed in David A. Embury's classic The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks.

There are various theories as to the origin of the drink. One theory has the drink being named after and perhaps even invented by the infamous gambler Bald Jack Rose. Another great possibility is that the name came from the fact that the drink is made with applejack, and it is rose colored! Hold the phone....that's the stupidest idea ever! I bet the gambler, known for his ability to lie, made it up!

Ingredients:

1 oz Fresh lemon or lime juice

1/2 oz Grenadine

2 oz Applejack

Directions:

Shake all ingredients well with ice; 

Strain into a cocktail glass or serve over ice.

Garnish with an apple slice or a cherry.

Johnny Appleseed Chorus -Disney

Oh, the Lord is good to me
and so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need
The sun, and the rain and the apple tree.
The Lord is good to me.

If I leave here tomorrow, Would you still remember me?

October 20,

Lynard Skynard Day

Lynyrd Skynyrd,  The original Southern rock band, formed in Jacksonville, Fl, in 1964. During the 1970's the band would garner worldwide recognition with hits such as, "Sweet Home Alabama," and "Free Bird." 

On October 20, 1977, just three days after the release of Street Survivors, and five shows into their most successful headlining tour to date, Lynyrd Skynyrd's chartered Convair CV-300 ran out of fuel near the end of their flight from Greenville, South Carolina. Though the pilots attempted an emergency landing on a small airstrip, the plane crashed in a forest in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact; the other band members (Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, Artimus Pyle, and Leslie Hawkins) and road crew suffered serious injuries.

Following the crash and the ensuing press, Street Survivors became the band's second platinum album and reached No. 5 on the U.S. album chart. 

Lynyrd Skynyrd disbanded after the tragedy. In 1987, the band reunited for a full-scale tour with five major members of the pre-crash band: crash survivors Gary Rossington, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle, along with guitarist Ed King, who had left the band two years before the crash. Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer. 

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the group No. 95 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In 2006 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The inductees included Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Ed King, Steve Gaines, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkeson, Bob Burns, and Artimus Pyle.

A toast in there honor!

Alabama Slammer 

A nod to one of the greatest songs in history, Sweet Home Alabama!

Ingredients:

1/2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Southern Comfort

1/2 oz Amaretto

1/2 oz Sloe Gin

OJ

Preparation:

Pour the liquors into a highball glass filled with ice.

Fill with orange juice.

Free Bird 

Songwriters: Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant

If I leave here tomorrow

Would you still remember me?

For I must be traveling on, now

'Cause there's too many places

I've got to see

But, if I stayed here with you, girl

Things just couldn't be the same

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now

And this bird, you'll can not change

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

And the bird you cannot change

And this bird you cannot change

Lord knows, I can?t change

Bye, bye, baby it's been a sweet love

Yeah, yeah

Though this feeling I can't change

But please don't take it so badly

'Cause the Lord knows

I'm to blame

But, if I stayed here with you girl

Things just couldn't be the same

'Cause I'm as free as a bird now

And this bird, you'll can not change

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

And this bird you cannot change

And this bird you cannot change

Lord knows, I can't change

Lord help me, I can't change

Lord I can't change

Won't you fly high, free bird, yeah?

Eat'em Up Tiger's, Eat'em Up!!

October 17,

3 Down...1 To Go!!!

Bless You Boys!

Tonight at 8:00 the Tigers will take on the Yankees at home! Everyone in the D is hoping for a sweep! So grab a drink and watch the game! 

We are one game from the World Series!! Go get'em boys!!

Tigers Milk

Ingredients:

1 oz. Brandy

4 oz. Cream

1 oz. White rum

0.25 oz. Sugar syrup

Directions:

Combine the rum, brandy, sugar syrup and milk in a shaker filled with ice. 

Pour directly into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

I'll drink to your health, share your wealth, run your life, steal your wife. - Grateful Dead, U.S. Blues

October16,

Feeling "Grateful"

On October 16, 1947, Robert Hall "Bob" Weir a founding member of the Grateful Dead was born.Weir played mostly rhythm guitar and sang most of the band's rock-n-roll tunes (Jerry Garcia sang The Dead's more melodic tunes). He is known for his unique style of complex voice leading, bringing unusual depth and a new approach to the role of rhythm guitar expression.

On New Year's Eve, 1963,  a 16-year-old Weir and another underage friend were wandering the back alleys of Palo Alto, looking for a club to sneak into, when they heard banjo music. They followed the music to Dana Morgan's Music Store. At the store, a young Jerry Garcia, unaware of the the date, was waiting for his students to arrive. Weir and Garcia spent the night playing music together. It was then that they decided to form a band.  Originally called Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, the band was later renamed The Warlocks and eventually the Grateful Dead.
Happy Birthday Bob!

Liquid Marijuana

I don't have to explain this choice, do I?

Ingredients:

1/2 oz. Spiced Rum

1/2 oz. Blue Curacao

1/2 oz. Coconut Rum

1/2 oz.Melon Liqueur 

Fill with Pineapple Juice

1 splash Sour Mix

Directions:

Pour all liquor and a splash of sour into a glass filled with ice.

Top off with the pineapple juice.

Listen to some amazing tunes and chill

To make as a shot, pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice

Shaka Shaka Shaka

Strain into a shot glass

Nice

"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right" 

Grateful Dead

Scarlett Begonias

Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead. - Lucille Ball

October 15,

I Love Lucy Day 

Sixty one years ago today, on October 15, 1951, I Love Lucy aired for the first time ever. The series, which ran from 1951-1957, was the most watched show in the United States for four of it's six seasons.

Originally set in an apartment building in New York City, I Love Lucy centers on Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and her bandleader hotty of a husband Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz), along with their best friends and landlords Fred Mertz (William Frawley) and Ethel Mertz (Vivian Vance). In the second season, Lucy and Ricky gave birth to Ricky Ricardo Jr. The show broke ground by coinciding Lucy and Desi's real life pregnancy and delivery of Desi Arnaz Jr with little Ricky's.

I Love Lucy remains popular, with an American audience of 40 million each year.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Martini

One of my, and Americas, favorite Lucy episodes was season 2, episode 4 - Job Switching. In the episode Lucy and Ethel trade places with the boys, getting jobs in a chocolate factory, while the boys become homemakers. The rest goes down in TV history. When ever I think of chocolate candies, I think of cherry cordials, which is how we got to today's drink!

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Creme de Cacoa
1 oz. Cherry Vodka
1 oz. half and half
.5 oz. Grenadine
Garnish:
chocolate syrup
maraschino cherry

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice combine all ingredients.
 Shake n Bake (Don't really bake it, it's just a saying).
Squeeze chocolate syrup into the bottom of a martini glass.
 Pour martini over the top.
 Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

I Love Lucy Theme Song

I love Lucy and she loves me.

We're as happy as two can be.

Sometimes we quarrel but then, ha-ha-ha...

How we love making up again.

Lucy kisses like no one can.

She's my missus and I'm her man,

And life is heaven you see,

'Cause I love Lucy, Yes I love Lucy, and Lucy loves me!

The Birth of a Bond...James Bond

October 14,

The Birth of a Bond...James Bond

Sir Roger George Moore was born on October 14, 1927. Moore is best known for his role as hunky British M16 agent James Bond in the film series from 1973 and 1985. His films include, Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985). The James Bond film series is the longest running film series in history running from 1962 to present. In fact the latest Bond installment, starring (Drool) Daniel Craig will be released November 9. Moore starred in two other cult series as well, The Saint and The Persuaders!

Happy Birthday!

Americano

Originally name the Milano-Torinol, after the origins of it's ingredients, it was first served in the 1860's at Garspare Campari's bar in Milan, Italy.  The classic cocktail was later renamed because of its popularity with American tourists during Prohibition. It was the first cocktail ordered by James Bond in the first novel, Casino Royale, the Vesper Martini (shaken, not stirred) overshadowed the Americano in the books and movies.

Ingredients:

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth

Club soda

Lemon twist or orange slice for garnish

Directions:

Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes.

Build with the Campari and vermouth.

Top off with club soda.

Garnish with the lemon twist or orange slice.

"Happiness is...finding two olives in your martini when you're hungry."
Johnny Carson

Take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go.

October 12,

Dia de la Raza

While other countries celebrate Columbus Day, many Hispanic countries, like Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Puerto Rico, celebrate, Dia de la Raza - Day of the Race.   Columbus' government would be the first to institute an official form of slavery and an active onslaught of brutality against the natives. The Hispanic culture is largely influenced by the indios, Native Americans.The Dia de Raza celebrates the birth of this new culture. The celebrations are not for Columbus himself, but for the acknowledgment that no matter how bitter sweet, it was his exploration that made the beautiful mixture we have today.Ancestors fought against each other sometimes, fought together other times and created families from the very beginning. The combination of cultures produced nations of mixed races that took on their own new personality,blending the best of both cultures. The Día de la Raza on October 12 is a date to be proud of your culture and to recognize everything that joins you.
Viva la Raza

Salud!

Frozen Barcelona 

I figured since Spain financed Columbus' trip, we will go with a Spanish-esque drink!

Ingredients:

1oz. Spanish brandy

1 oz Dry Sherry

1 oz.Cointreau or other Orange liqueur

1.5oz fresh orange juice

1.5 oz. Heavy Cream

2 oz Syrup

Crushed ice

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a blender 

Add appr. 1 cup of crushed ice 

Blend 

(did I really have to tell you that was next)

Pour and Enjoy!

Garnish by dusting with cinnamon.