30. May 2010 by Dan.

Impressed by the number of Old Fashioneds we’ve been making at the bar this weekend, my collegue bartender Charles was inspired to create a martini based on the classic cocktail.  It’s not for the feint of heart, but would be pretty tasty to an experienced whiskey afficianado.  It also illustrates that variations on traditional libations can create new beverage adventures.  This is guaranteed to ease your transition from stressful day to relaxed evening.  Here’s the formula…

2 oz. Rye Whiskey
1 Tablespoon honey
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 tablespoon cherry juice

Shake until ice cold, and serve up in a chilled martini glass, garnish with a cherry.  Enjoy.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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26. May 2010 by Dan.

If you do a web search on the origin of the word cocktail, you’ll find an amazing array of theories. Some of them are believable, some are creative, some are unlikely, and none of them tell the whole story.  Most writers admit that no one really knows for sure.  Imagine this…

We’re in New Orleans in 1800.  Popular local pharmacists are mixing bourbon, bitters, and sugar as a remedy for digestive ailments.  The concoction is commonly served in an egg-shaped cup of French design called a coquetel.  The word is frequently mispronounced (too much stomach medicine?), and becomes cocktail.

We jump forward to 1895.  We’re in the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky.  At the bar is prominent member and noted whiskey proprietor Col. James E. Pepper.  The clever barman honors him with a “new” cocktail by muddling a sugar cube saturated with Angostura bitters, mixing it with rye whiskey and ice, and garnishing it with a lemon twist.  The Colonel comments that the bitters give the drink an “old fashioned” taste, and we witness the christening of the most famous cocktail in American history.

Now we’re home again in the Northwoods in 2010.  Many variations on the Old Fashioned have occurred since 1895, giving us fodder for future posts.  At the Bear Trap our bartender makes our cocktail for us with brandy, bitters, sugar, ice, and a splash of seltzer, and we toast to our new understanding of the phrase “to have one for medicinal purposes.”

Stay in touch.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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26. May 2010 by Dan.

Since you’re reading this, you probably are either planning a visit in our area and you’re looking for a genuine Northwoods supper club experience, or you’ve already had a great meal with us and you’re hoping to again.

In either case, you’re in luck.  This coming weekend is the traditional start of our busy summer season, and we are so ready for it.  We’ve kept our famous menu staples and added some great new choices.  If you’ve been with us before you’ll see a lot of familiar faces, and if you haven’t you’ll meet some new family.

The point of this blog is to keep you informed about what’s happening at the Bear Trap, and what life is like for those of us who work in the Northwoods.  I get to live it and write about it, so I guess I’m pretty lucky too.

I hope we see you soon.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

Posted in Bartender's Blog | 3 Comments »