Knowledge is knowing a tomato is actually a fruit
Wisdom in knowing you 'seldom' put them in cocktails
Monday, July 22, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Great Bartender Trivia - A Wake vs. a Funeral
Once again - I sincerely believe bartenders and members of a bar and wait staff need to possess lots of trivia knowledge to successfully compete in today's world. To that end I will always try to share "quality trivia" which I hope you can use to impress your customers and garner bigger tips.
For example, some religions around the world observe a period that is referred to as a "Wake". The wake is a designated period prior to the actual burial of a deceased loved one.
Do you know why the Wake period is held?
The concept of the "wake" goes back to the middle ages when many individuals who were thought to have died may not have actually been died. Many of the drinking vessels used in taverns and homes during that period were made out of un-coated pewter - a strong metal that was easy to bend, shape and engrave.
People back then who drank ale, wine or brandy frequently came down with an illness. The illness was actually a type of pewter illness was caused by the alcohol eroding the outer layer of the pewter and the people ingest metallic fragments.
This pewter illness when severe slowed down their heart rate and made people sleepy - very sleepy. Many times a person who was thought to be dead and eventually buried was actually in a type of deep sleep or what we would call today a coma.
Some times - for whatever legal reason - a casket had to be exhumed and relocated. Often finger scratches were clearly visible on the inside of the lid of a coffin and it was obvious to everyone who looked at those marks that the person who was buried was not dead at the time of burial.
Consequently, it became a custom in many European countries to place a bell inside the casket. Then a group of people - mainly relatives and close friends would volunteer to stay in the cemetery for two days after the burial. If at any time they heard a bell ringing they knew the person they buried was not dead and they would open the casket. The wake comes out of this old custom.
During a modern day wake a deceased person is laid out in an open casket for at least two days so family members, friends and business colleagues can visit the casket and personally see for themselves that the person is actually dead before they are buried in the ground.
By the way the customer of the wake is also were we get the modern day expression ... "Saved by the Bell". As many people were often saved by ringing the bell left inside the casket.
For example, some religions around the world observe a period that is referred to as a "Wake". The wake is a designated period prior to the actual burial of a deceased loved one.
Do you know why the Wake period is held?
The concept of the "wake" goes back to the middle ages when many individuals who were thought to have died may not have actually been died. Many of the drinking vessels used in taverns and homes during that period were made out of un-coated pewter - a strong metal that was easy to bend, shape and engrave.
People back then who drank ale, wine or brandy frequently came down with an illness. The illness was actually a type of pewter illness was caused by the alcohol eroding the outer layer of the pewter and the people ingest metallic fragments.
This pewter illness when severe slowed down their heart rate and made people sleepy - very sleepy. Many times a person who was thought to be dead and eventually buried was actually in a type of deep sleep or what we would call today a coma.
Some times - for whatever legal reason - a casket had to be exhumed and relocated. Often finger scratches were clearly visible on the inside of the lid of a coffin and it was obvious to everyone who looked at those marks that the person who was buried was not dead at the time of burial.
Consequently, it became a custom in many European countries to place a bell inside the casket. Then a group of people - mainly relatives and close friends would volunteer to stay in the cemetery for two days after the burial. If at any time they heard a bell ringing they knew the person they buried was not dead and they would open the casket. The wake comes out of this old custom.
During a modern day wake a deceased person is laid out in an open casket for at least two days so family members, friends and business colleagues can visit the casket and personally see for themselves that the person is actually dead before they are buried in the ground.
By the way the customer of the wake is also were we get the modern day expression ... "Saved by the Bell". As many people were often saved by ringing the bell left inside the casket.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Bartender Knowledge - What is a Pilsner Beer
Pilsner beers were first brewed in old Bohemia - now known as the Czech Republic in 1842 in an area referred to as "The Pilsen" - similar to like we in American would refer to as "New England" or "The Midwest" or the "Deep South" etc.
Modern pilsner beers are not much different then those first brewed back in the 1800's. They have a very light, clear color - generally from pale to a golden yellow - but they have a very distinct hop aroma and full flavor.
The alcohol strength of a Pilsner is typically around 4.5%-5% (by volume), if the pilsner is brewed stronger that this about, it is then usually labeled and sold as an "Export".
Friday, July 5, 2013
Definition of a Bartender
Did you ever wonder what the true definition of a Bartender is?
A Bartender = a noun. One who mixes and serves alcoholic beverages from behind a bar or counter stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beers, wines and spirits. Not to be confused with: a loan officer, marriage counselor, boxing referee, doctor; matchmaker; babysitter or psychiatrist.
A Bartender = a noun. One who mixes and serves alcoholic beverages from behind a bar or counter stocked with a variety of alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beers, wines and spirits. Not to be confused with: a loan officer, marriage counselor, boxing referee, doctor; matchmaker; babysitter or psychiatrist.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Help us with our survey
We are running a survey on our blog regarding Bartenders. The question we are asking is
"Are you as a Bartender or member of a Bar Staff required to wear a special uniform for work?"
"Are you as a Bartender or member of a Bar Staff required to wear a special uniform for work?"
Some Great Trivia Bartenders and Bar Staff might want to know.
With the Fourth of July Holiday tomorrow some of you in the bar and hospitality industries may have to work.
While you are working it might be a good time to ask this question Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Well here is what history tells us.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.
He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: The Freedom we enjoy wasn't free!
While you are working it might be a good time to ask this question Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Well here is what history tells us.
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
Nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.
He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Remember: The Freedom we enjoy wasn't free!
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
What is a Craft Beer?
"Craft Beer" is an American term which is fairly common in both Canada and New Zealand. It generally refers to any beer that is brewed using traditional methods, however without rice or corn.
Most craft beers have a distinctive flavorful rather than a flavor that has mass appeal.
Most craft beers have a distinctive flavorful rather than a flavor that has mass appeal.
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