TALK DRINKS

Jack Daniel Turns 161

Jack Daniel's is gearing up for an epic birthday celebrating the founder's, Jack Daniel, birthday.  The party will be held tomorrow, September 1, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at South Street Seaport in New York City.  If you don't live in the City, you can still wish Jack Daniel a happy birthday.

"Old No. 7" will honor its founder by attempting and hopefully succeeding in breaking not one but seven Guinness World Records.

1. Sign a card at the Seaport or send your well wishes via Facebook, and you can help break the record for most contributions on a greeting card.  "Dear Jack, I love you. HBD!"

2. Artist Herb Williams will use 2,016 whole glass bottles to create a portrait of Mr. Daniel.  The portrait must be two-dimensional in order to set the record for largest glass bottle mosaic.

3. Ever wanted to see the largest bottle of whiskey?  Tomorrow you can.  The 180 liter bottle of Jack Daniel's will break the record for largest bottle of whiskey.  It would look great in my apartment.

4. If you were born in September, stop by the party for a minimum of five minutes.  The goal is to break the record for largest gathering of people born in the same month.  Fun note: Jack Daniel's celebrates Jack's birthday all month long in September, because no one knows the exact date of his birthday, only that is in September.

5. Tomorrow no ordinary orchestra will play happy birthday to Jack and other September birthdays.  An orchestra composed of 470 bottles will ring out the tune to help create a new record for most bottles played.

6. Hopefully the event is outdoors, because Jack Daniel's wants to be the record holder of having the most people blow out candles at the same time.  Two hundred and fifty candles will be puffed out in honor of all September birthdays.  Make a wish.

7.  Think you can stack a pyramid of 20 shot glasses in under 30 seconds?  If you can, you can help set the record for fastest time to build a 20 glass pyramid.  Your college days must have prepared you for this. If not, start practicing with plastic shot glasses before using the real ones.

Join in the festivities or do your part on Facebook.  No birthday celebration can compare to this.  Happy birthday, Jack!

For more information click here.

 

The Taste of Recognition

Last Friday, Wine Enthusiast announced its 2011 Wine Star Awards Nominees.  Partida Tequila received a prestigious nod for Best Distiller of the Year.

“Partida is one of the only major Tequila brands still produced as an estate-grown product, from agave cultivation and harvest to distillation and marketing. This distiller was an ardent, early advocate of Tequila education, as it was among the first to observe similarities between Tequila and fine wine,” wrote the Wine Enthusiast.

In addition to best distiller of the year, the Wine Star Awards recognizes person of the year, best American winery, European winery, new world winery, winemaker, wine region, importer, retailer, restaurateur and mixologist. The 12^th annual winners will be in announced in the December 15 issue of the magazine.  Click here for a list of all nominees. 

Now grab a bottle of Partida and cheers the premium tequila's nomination.

"Excuse me, there is a bug in my drink."

At most places when a creepy crawler is found in a cocktail, the drink is immediately thrown out and remade.  This is not the case at White & Church in New York City; insects are part of the recipes.  Grasshoppers, worms and bees are essential ingredients in the cocktails guests bravely sip.

In Amanda Kludt's "The Grilled Cheese Martini vs. the Honeybee Cocktail" article for Eater, mixologist Naren Young tries a couple unique and daring cocktails at White & Church and the Cellar at Beecher's.  Click here to read the article.

In Celebration of Rum

Tomorrow, August 16, is National Rum Day. Look beyond the typical rum and Coke, and try a specialty cocktail showcasing the complexity of the libation.  Try a nice spiced rum and cheers the captain or the sailor.

This month Kara Newman wrote a great article on spiced rum for Wine Enthusiast.  Click here to read the piece, which also includes recipes; they will have you singing "yo ho ho and a bottle of rum."

The Signature Mr. C

In time for the weekend, try the recently opened Mr. C Beverly Hills Hotel and Restaurant's signature drink, aptly named Mr. C.  Fortunately, you don't have to be in L.A. to enjoy the refreshing drink.  You can make it at home and pretend you are lounging poolside at the hotel.

The base of Mr. C is I Spirit, an Italian vodka made from grapes and grains from the DOC wine region in Friuli and water from the Dolomites.

Cheers the end of the work week with Mr. C.

Mr. C

1 oz. I Spirit

3 oz. Fresh mandarin juice

Splash of Simple Syrup

Splash of Lemon juice

Top with CIPRIANI Prosecco

Shake and serve in small tumbler with three cubes of ice.