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Tender Tips | ||||
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Drink Recipes - The Well Stocked Bar - Joke of the Week - Irish Month at Callahan's Welcome to all who would aspire to being a bartender, whether in their own home, filling in for a friend during a special occasion, or even entertaining a certain someone on a romantic evening. A word of caution: If you are a host, do keep an eye on your guests and make arrangements to provide a safe passage home for those who may overindulge. With good friends and in moderation, drinking is one of life's greatest pleasures. It is an act that is full of ritual and memories. It brings with it the raising of glasses, the special words of friendship and toasting,camaraderie, celebration, commiseration; the stuff of life itself! Those who choose to abstain from alcohol need not miss out on the ritual of drinking. Raising a glass of sparkling water has no less meaning than raising a glass of sparkling champagne. A considerate host will provide a selection of well-made, tasteful drinks both with and without alcohol appropriate to the occasion. The Irish surely invented whiskey, although the precise time this happened is not known. All will agree however, that as far as civilized blessings are concerned, the event ranks right up there with the discovery of fire and satin sheets! It ultimately became a favorite beverage and even Peter The Great preferred Irish whiskey over vodka, saying "Of all the wines, the Irish is the best." And the Irish also get credit for turning the pub into a lasting national institution. There are reportedly some 10,000 pubs in Ireland today! They are at once a haven, forum, recreation center, retreat, snack bar, and saloon, but mainly they are drinking establishments. It's here that you'll find an array of the finest Irish whiskeys: Dunphy's, John Jameson, Old Bushmill's, Murphy's, Paddy, Power's, and Tullamore Dew. And here it is, too, that you'll find plenty of good conversation, for the Irish are a gregarious lot -- friendly, outgoing, articulate, and loquacious. Sounds just like Callahan's Saloon to me! Before linking to our Recipes page, we'd like to share one recipe given to us by Momma Mackie in a welcoming post to another patron early in 2000: " Welcome! I know just what you mean! I wandered in here about 6 months ago and they already knew my favorite drink recipe! "Callahan's Cocktail "1 part Intelligence, 1 part Courtesy, 1 part Compassion "Stirred into a large tankard containing crushed ice (for coolness!). Fill with Humor to the brim and liberally sweeten with Love." We hope you enjoy the following recipes as much as we enjoy this one..:) Do you have a question about a drink recipe..? Or a comment you'd like to make..? Please feel free to send me your comments... And be sure to check out our alphabetized list of previously shown drink recipes..!
1 oz Scotch Combine all of the ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into an Old Fashioned glass.
1-1/2 ozs Irish whiskey Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes. Pour into an Old Fashioned glass.
1-1/2 ozs scotch Mix all ingredients, except nutmeg, with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Top with sprinkles of nutmeg.
1-1/2 ozs Irish whiskey Mix all ingredients with cracked ice in a shaker or blender. Pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
1 oz Irish whiskey Combine ingredients with ice cubes in a shaker or blender. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Making and dispensing drinks is definitely easier when all of the equipment, glassware, and ingredients are close at hand. When setting up a bar for an occasion, read the recipes for all the drinks you'll be providing and make sure you have all the ingredients, including the appropriate glasses, garnishes, and equipment. Any effort made ahead of time in squeezing fresh fruit juices will be time well spent. It is a point well worthy of praise and your guests will notice the difference. Garnishes and condiments are the focus of this issue. Garnishes Cocktail olives - Cocktail onions - Oranges - Lemons - Limes Although it is handy to have garnishes prepared ahead of time, it is Condiments Angostura Bitters - Grenadine - Ground Black Pepper - Horseradish Check out previous issues of the well stocked bar. Ice is ice is ice... right? Pure ice, fresh and really ice-cold is one of the most important ingredients in any mixed beverage and every drink benefits from generous amounts of ice properly used. That does not mean making the drinks watery, however. A well-made drink will have just enough ice to chill the beverage thoroughly and quickly. This may take some practice but the skill will come in time. Quality of ice is important also. Made from ordinary tap water, ice may impart an off taste to drinks if stored near other frozen foods or due to chlorination and other chemical treatments of the water. Using a good grade of bottled water works best and really sparkles in both taste and appearance. The home bartender should lay in a large supply of ice when entertaining. A good rule of thumb is to purchase twice as much as you think you will need. And a backyard barbecue or party in intense summer heat needs probably three times as much! Check out our previous jokes. Last Request Two old Irishmen were holding up the bar at the local pub, reminiscing and drinking as they were wont to do, when one became quite melancholy and asked his friend, "Sean, when my time comes and I pass on, can ye do me a favor?" His friend replies, "Liam, you've been my friend for nigh on thirty years... just ask and I'll do it for you. What would you like me to do?" The first one said, "Sean, on me mantelpiece at home is an old, old bottle of fine Irish whiskey. When they bury me, would you be mindin' it if ye poured it over me grave?" And the second one gravely replies, "Liam, you know I'll be honored to do as you ask, but I'm wonderin', would you mind if I passed it through me kidneys first?" Lucky Dog A man walked into a bar with a dog at his side. "Get that dog out of here", ordered the bartender. The dog's owner became indignant. "This here dog isn't any old dog", he said. "He's the smartest dog in the whole world." "Oh yeah? Prove it!" challenged the bartender. Turning to the dog, the man said, "Fido, here's five bucks. Get me a pack of Lucky Strikes." The dog ran out the door and, within a few minutes, returned with the cigarettes and some matches in a little brown bag. The barman was impressed. "Maybe that dog really is smart. How about if I give him $50 and ask him to bring me back some theater tickets from down the street?" "Sure," said the dog's owner. The bartender gave the dog the money and directions, and the dog was on his way. Ten minutes went by. Half an hour. After an hour, the dog still hadn't returned. By now the bartender, sure he'd been cheated, threw the dog's owner out of the bar. The man wandered several blocks in search of this errant mutt. Finally he came to an alley, and there was Fido, having 'fun' with a mangy-looking French poodle. "Why, you mangy scoundrel," screamed the man, separating the two dogs. "You really blew the act this time. How could you do this to me? You've never done anything like this before!" "True," replied the dog. "But I never had 50 bucks before, either..:)" Top of Page - Previous Jokes - Previous Drink Recipes - Callahan's Saloon |