22. September 2010 by Dan.

A number of years ago our friend Beth Snyder was diagnosed with breast cancer.   Her disease had already metastasized by the time it was recognized, but she elected an aggressive treatment plan anyway.  Beth  was thirty-seven years old at the time.  When she was in the bargaining phase of dealing with her illness she once told us  “I just want to live to be fifty.  People who live to be fifty are the chosen ones.”  Unsuccessful with her therapy, Beth died a few months later.  Her words made an enormous impression on me, and they helped me to realize just how very fortunate I was on my fiftieth birthday.  And any anniversary of anything for that matter.

I’ve told this story at every opportunity as a way to honor and somehow repay Beth for the gift.  For my excuse to repeat it here I owe thanks to Dennis Nymark, the gentleman in the photo above.  Mr. Nymark is a Florida lawyer who has spent a good part of his life in the Northwoods.  In for dinner last weekend, he made the comment “I’ve been coming here (the Bear Trap) for fifty years, and nobody knows who I am.  I’m kind of anonymous.”  He went on to talk about his previous experiences with us, the character of former owners, how the bar used to be laid out, and so on.  This reminded me how fortunate we all are to even have a supper club that can be around that long, let alone to be lucky enough to have customers that can remember so much of it.  Anonymous or not, the staff and customers who pass through our doors are part of our history, part of our family, part of the fabric of the Northwoods, and I’m grateful for it every day.

Thanks again Beth.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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17. September 2010 by Dan.

Oktoberfest was started in Munich in 1810 as a public wedding reception recognizing the union of  a Bavarian Prince and a Saxon Princess.  The yearly anniversary celebrations of that event have grown into what is now the largest and most famous fair in the world.  When beer halls were added in 1896, it also became the world’s most impressive beer party.  The Munich Oktoberfest now runs for sixteen days and ends on the first Sunday in October, which means it starts tomorrow.  Many Wisconsin communities will also be celebrating Oktoberfest in the next couple of weeks.

That makes this a perfect time to talk about Oktoberfest brews.  In the days before refrigeration it was not practical to make beer in the summer because bacterial growth occurring during hot weather spoiled the brew.  Darker beers with higher alcohol content called Märzen (March) were brewed in the spring and consumed through the summer months, with supplies being exhausted in the fall when brewing could begin again.  The Oktoberfest beers we know today are the descendants of Märzenbier , adjusted in character for the international market.

Only beer from six breweries can be legally  served at Munich’s Oktoberfest,  Hacker-Pschorr being one you may know. We have Hacker-Pschorr as well as many American fall brews available for you at the Bear Trap.  Maybe you should come in this weekend…we’ll stop talking about Oktoberfest beers and drink some!

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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9. September 2010 by Dan.

I’m posting this picture of James and Latania during their visit last weekend because, well, they’re just so nice to look at.  You see a couple like this and you think “Man, I want to sit with those  guys.”

If you page back through the entries on this site you’ll see a lot of that.  In spite of apparent evidence to the contrary, I am not just posting pictures of the pretty people that come through our restaurant.  This is just how you look when you come here.  Sure, everybody has an unappealing side, and like the rest of us you’ve probably seen yours in the mirror before.  When you have, I’ll bet you’ve known why.

But everyone has a handsome one, too.  The one that looks relaxed and content, where even the lines you earned from loss and the marks left by all the stupid things you’ve done look somehow  compelling.  Set yourself up for a great meal and a restorative cocktail in a comfortable environment and that’s the one that’s going to show, and our pictures prove it.  You’ll feel good and look great.

And we’ll be happy to see you.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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2. September 2010 by Dan.

There is a lot of discussion of  “molecular mixology”  being carried out in bartenders’ literature lately.  Molecular mixology refers to the use of scientific methods and techniques to design and construct new cocktail creations.  The idea is to figure out what makes your drink appealing at its most elemental level, and then to use that knowledge to make better libations in the future.  I am very supportive of the work being done in this area because eventually it will give us a better understanding of our craft; but I don’t think it’s too likely that cocktails made with gels, flames, foams, dust from rare herbs, or liquid nitrogen will ever be a staple in bars, let alone in your kitchen.

We’ll probably always have to rely on what we’ve learned from experience and from established  and successful recipes.  One of the more famous of these is the simple and elegant Manhattan, a drink that has been popular since its development without the benefit of scientific technique  in the 1860s.  The traditional formula calls for two ounces of whiskey, rye, or bourbon, augmented by an ounce of sweet vermouth, a dash or two of bitters, and a cherry garnish.  If you make this cocktail at home you’ll want to adjust the ingredients to suite your taste, and if you order it when you’re out you should tell your bartender if you prefer a specific balance.

Customers occasionally order a scotch Manhattan (this is actually a Rob Roy), and former Bear Trap owner Mike Hammes is fond of this libation made with Southern Comfort and garnished with an anchovy olive.  In any event, you’ll generally have a more satisfying cocktail hour if you err on the side of basic combinations of flavors that suite your particular palate.

Your favorite bartender,

-Dan

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