By Gamal Hennessy
A libation lesson brought to you courtesy of the New York Food and Wine Festival.
Four things come to mind when we usually think of tequila: margaritas, worms, shots and hangovers from the depths of hell. The margarita association is accurate, the others are not. If you put down the lemon for a minute and take a closer look at tequila, you will discover a refined spirit with a rich history, a complex taste and an often expensive price tag.
The back story
The history of tequila is rooted in necessity and linked to Spanish conquistadors invaded Mexico in the 16th century. I guess since raping, pillaging and subjugating populations requires a certain amount of inebriation, because the invaders ran into a problem when they finished all the brandy they brought with them from Europe. To solve this problem, they began distilling the local agave plant as a substitute, creating North America’s first native liquor.
The varieties
If your only experience drinking tequila involves licking the back of your hand and slamming a shot, you might not realize that there are subtle flavors in tequila. You might have also missed the fact that there are different categories of tequila in the same way there are different blends of whiskey and rum. This short lesson will solve that problem.
· Blanco or "white" tequila has a strong pepper and spice taste and is often used in cooking.
· Reposado or "rested" tequila is aged for three months to a year in oak barrels and usually offers a smoother drink than the blanco.
· Añejo or "vintage" tequila is aged for one year to three years in oak barrels which gives it the smoothest and most complex taste. Añejo is the tequila that is usually used in bars unless you ask for another type.
The Drink
Los Dados hosted the tequila tasting in the Meatpacking District during the festival. During the presentation, the chef explained that shooting tequila (aptly referred to as tequila cruda) is the juvenile method of drinking. Mexican importers originally introduced this technique to gringos in an effort to lure unsuspecting consumers into drinking large quantities and spending a lot of money. Only in the last few years has the main use of tequila been discovered in America.
As premium brands like Casa Noble, Jose Cuervo and Patron become staples in local nightlife and shots easily go for $25-50 a glass in clubs, tequila cruda makes even less sense than it did before. This is liquor created to be sipped over conversation and enjoyed with quality Mexican cuisine. It’s doesn’t have to be a one way ticket to a hangover if you don’t treat it that way…
Have fun.
Gamal
Technology
NightVision Promises to Bring the Club to Your CellphonePress release
Imagine this; you and your friends are thinking about going across town to a club. What if you could see how long the line was, hear the music and check out people in the crowd from your phone. A new service called NightVision is planning to offer this service in New York…for free.
Drinking
Is New York City Full of Drunks?
(Kate Lowenstein: Time Out New York)
According to the Department of Health, fourteen percent of New Yorkers binge drink meaning they have five or more drinks at one sitting. Five percent of New Yorkers are heavy drinkers meaning they have more than two drinks every day. Do you fall into this category? Welcome to the club. Before you hang your head in shame and find out what this is doing to your body, cheer up. The level of binge drinking in the rest of the United States is twenty four percent…
New Treatments for Alcoholism(Melissa Healy: Los Angeles Times)
If you read the last article and decided you need treatment for alcoholism, your main option is a rehab clinic and a 12 step program to help you stay on the wagon. Many people of the 5.7 million American alcoholics don’t want the stigma associated with this treatment. Only Amy Winehouse turned it into profit by making a song about it. New treatment options might take the process out of rehab and put it in your doctor’s office.
Use the Banner below to read these stories in the January 4th Edition of Nightlife News…Only from New York Nights
Nightlife News for October 4, 2007
Absinthe in New York: (Jonathan Miles- New York Times)
Since Prohibition ended, there has only been one type of liquor that has remained illegal in the United States. Absinthe, popular with the literati in Paris crowd at the beginning of the 20th Century, has been banned in the US since 1912. Recently a N.Y. company called Viridian Spirits began selling Lucid, which is supposed to be the closest thing you can get to real Absinthe without breaking the law. The spirit has been creeping into New York bars over the past few months, so I guess it's only a matter of time before the club set starts mixing it with Red Bull.
Radiohead Announces Pay What You Want Song Downloads: (Kyle Sutton- PC World Magazine) We might be witnessing the next big shift in the music industry, or it could be just another gimmick. The international rock band Radiohead recently announced on their blog that their new album In Rainbows will be available on their website on October 10th. This release is special because fans will be able to pay whatever they feel the album is worth, not a price dictated by the record company or iTunes. While some see this as another blow to the traditional music industry, others point out that it won't stick because most bands can't afford this type of distribution of their music. Besides, even if no one pays more than a dime for the album, Radiohead is still planning to sell In Rainbows as part of an $80 compilation set later this year and as a traditional CD in early 2008. (Additional Coverage from Dan Kois and Lane Brown- New York Magazine)
Find Free Food in New York: (Amanda Kludt – Gridskipper) What's the perfect compliment to happy hour drinks? Free food of course. While you're not going to get a five star menu from an executive chef this way, but it beats drinking on an empty stomach. On line guide Gridskipper offers seven alternatives in Manhattan and Brooklyn where you can eat and use the money you saved to buy something important, like another drink.
See More Nightlife News by Clicking the Banner Below:
Nightlife News is available every Tuesday and Thursday, only from New York Nights
By Gamal Hennessy
There are a lot of profound and complicated issues in the world today. Understanding happy hour isn't one of them. Happy hour is actually a place where we can go to get away from work, school, home and the stress of our every day lives. Life is meant to be easier (and cheaper) during happy hour.
Like anything else, you can enjoy happy hour more if you know just a little more about it. And since you don't read New York Nights for coverage of the 2008 presidential race, this is probably the proper forum for this discussion.
Happy hour in New York usually starts around 4:00 PM and ends around 7:00 PM. While the majority of bars, pubs and some early opening lounges have some kind of happy hour pricing, most nightclubs and lounges don't either because they aren't open during that time slot or they don't make their money off that kind of volume.
The classic business rule says buy low and sell high. But a bar during happy hour works on a slightly different principle; it's buy lower and sell low. Often, their goal is to serve cheaper well liquor at reduced prices in the hopes that people will stay after happy hour is over (when they will start paying full price for drinks) or reject the well liquor for top shelf spirits (and agreeing to pay higher prices), or order food (which may not be discounted). As a business, a bar exists to make money. Happy hour gives them the ability to bring people into the bar during a time when it would otherwise be dead.
That's great (for the bar) but happy hour can cause its own share of problems. The main potential problem is overdrinking. This can lead to illness, hangovers and questionable decisions made under the influence of alcohol (if you don't believe me, just think about the time your friend told you the story about how he woke up next to that midget after going to happy hour. You don't want to be that guy.)
Happy hour is still a great place for pre-parties, after work meetings, or just for those people who don't want to pay $10 for a drink. The question is how do you satisfy your need for inexpensive drinks and let the bar satisfy its need to make money?
We've got a few tips that might help you navigate the treacherous waters of happy hour without injuring your wallet, your liver, or your reputation.
1. Happy hour times can vary. Ask the bartender or waitress when you get there when happy hour ends, so you're not drinking up a storm after happy hour is actually over.
2. Some places offer special drinks during happy hour that go beyond well liquor. Again, it pays to ask questions.
3. If your happy hour spot offers food, get some. It can help you deal with your the increased alcohol intake.
4. Make drinking part of a larger activity. Maybe you're playing pool, or watching the game, or talking about what an asshole your boss was today. It doesn't matter. If you drink while doing something else, you can have a good time for less cash. If you're just drinking because it's cheap, don't be surprised when you're dry heaving over the toilet.
5. Bring friends. Happy hour is early enough for the B&T commuter to have a drink and still catch her train home. It's usually cheap enough for the intern or the student to drink without forcing themselves to eat Ramen noodles until they get paid again. You can use happy hour to connect with people that you won't see in the clubs on the weekends. An added benefit is the more people you bring to the bar, the better the bar does in terms of money, and the better they feel about you. This can lead to good things later. It always helps to be in good standing with your regular bartender.
6. If you are staying at the bar after happy hour is over, try to close out your tab and start a new one. This will help to remind everyone you're with that the prices have changed and it avoids any potential problems with your bill later.
Happy hour can easily live up to its name with a little planning and a couple of questions. Whether you just grab a drink before watching Survivor: China or you're having a pre-party before a long night on the town, happy hour in New York can be the best way to start the night.
Have fun.
Gamal
gamal@newyorknightsonline.com
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