Budweiser Select 55 55 2.50% 88.2%
Bud Ice 123 5.50% 86.8%
Natural Light 95 4.20% 85.8%
Michelob Ultra 95 4.20% 85.8%
Miller Lite 96 4.20% 84.9%
Miller Genuine Draft64 64 2.80% 84.9%
Bud Ice Light 115 5.00% 84.4%
Budweiser Select 99 4.30% 84.3%
Busch Light 95 4.10% 83.7%
Milwaukee’s Best Light 98 4.20% 83.2%
Coors Light 102 4.20% 79.9%
Heineken Light 99 4.00% 78.4%
Keystone Light 104 4.13% 77.1%
Corona Light 105 4.10% 75.8%
Miller High Life Light 110 4.20% 74.1%
Bud Light 110 4.20% 74.1%
Natural Ice 157 5.90% 72.9%
Rolling Rock Prem Beer 120 4.50% 72.8%
Molson XXX 201 7.30% 70.5%
Bud Light Lime 116 4.20% 70.3%
Amstel Light 99 3.50% 68.6%
Michelob Light 123 4.30% 67.8%
Busch 132 4.60% 67.6%

Do you think they even had blenders back in the ’50′s much less this thing? I wonder how hard it is to clean after each martini. Hmmmm….must order one.

We stayed at the Copacabana Palace, a beautiful old grand dame and loved everything about it, but Liza soon found that the beach favored by students was Leblon, a few miles down the boardwalk. Leblon is also the name of the most famous cachaca, both here and in Brazil. Cachaca, labeled Brazilian Rum here in the states, is the liquor you use to make Caipirinhas. That’s pronounced “kai-pur-een-ya” and while both cachaça and rum are derived from sugar cane, cachaça takes the actual cane sugar juice and ferments and distills it, while rum is derived from molasses.

With the Olympics and the World Cup choosing Rio for their games, you’re going to want to learn about Brazil and its culture.

Start by checking out Leblon’s website and get a free muddler. Watch the hang gliding video — Rio from the air — it’s beautiful.

Menu
Seared tuna with mango gastrique served with:
Gateway Kölsch — While known for their lagers, German brewers also produce terrific ales. French Broad’s Kölsch is faithful to the great German ales found in Köln. Golden in color, with a refreshing crispness, pleasantly sweet malt finish, and distinctive German hopping.
SRM: 3.9 • IBU: 32.3
OG: 11.5º PLATO
5.3% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME

Panko fried duck with dried cherry cream and roasted corn served with:

Wee Heavy-er Scotch Ale — This staple from the highlands of Scotland
is right at home in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Wee
Heavy-er is French Broad’s best-selling beer. At 7% ABV, this beer is
meant to be savored. Great with food and friends.
SRM: 14.5 • IBU: 24
OG: 17º PLATO
7% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME

Grilled rack of lamb with balsamic syrup and pommes frites served with:

Rye Hopper — An Asheville interpretation of an American Rye Ale. The
rye malt character is accompanied by a distinctively heady American hop
profile and a smooth, bittersweet finish.
SRM: 10.5 • IBU: 59
OG: 15º PLATO
5.9% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME

Rum and Raisin Bread Pudding served with:

13 Rebels ESB — French Broad Brewery’s interpretation of the classic UK Extra Special Bitter. A bright copper color with a complex malt palate is complemented by traditional British hops, notably East Kent Golding. French Broad has made this classic public house session beer a cult classic with its skull and crossbones artwork.
SRM: 7.3 • IBU: 42
OG: 13º PLATO
5.2% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 ounces vodka
* 1 ounces of white crème de menthe
* 1/4 ounce of peppermint schnapps
* Mini candy canes for garnish

Gingerbread Martini

* 1 part Vodka or Vanilla Vodka
* 1 part Gingerbread Liqueur
* ½ part Kahlua®
* 1 part Half & Half

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a crushed graham cracker rim.

Cosmopolitan

Everyone has this recipe.

4th and Main – the Classic
Ditto

Cran-Peartini

2 anjou pear slices

juice of ½ lime

1 oz cranberry juice

1 ½ oz citrus vodka

½ oz triple sec

3 cranberries on cocktail pick for garnish

In mixing glass, muddle pear slices, lime juice and cranberry juice. Add vodka and triple sec. Add ice to tin. Shake well. Double strain into glass, using the strainer over the shaker while pouring contents thru a sieve placed over the glass.

The Toasted Almond

A relaxing sippers with a nice almond-coffee flavoring and are really nice on chilly fall evenings by the fire.
Ingredients:

* 1 oz vodka
* 1 oz coffee liqueur
* 1 oz Amaretto
* milk or cream

Preparation:
Build the vodka and liqueurs in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
Fill with milk or cream. Shake by placing a mixing tin over the glass and giving it one or two good shakes.

The Winter Cocktail

is a classic recipe from the first part of the 1900′s that would use ginger brandy, which is relatively scarce now, but the new Canton ginger liqueur is a perfect substitute and if you cannot find pimento dram another allspice liqueur will do. The Winter Cocktail is a wonderfully warming drink that is one of those gems lost to time but worth the reintroduction.

Ingredients:

* 2 oz rum
* juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp ginger liqueur (Canton)
* 1 tsp pimento dram
* 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

Preparation:

Pour the rum, juice, sugar and liqueurs into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add dashes of bitters on top.

Thanks to cocktails.about.com for these recipes.

The Sidecar
Cognac, triple sec and lemon juice

Cosmopolitan
Triple sec and cranberry

4th and Main

Here are the recipes for the Classics and the cocktail/martini specials at Flight for the month of September —

The Old Fashioned

Image by Made in Mississippi

The Old Fashioned is a bourbon based cocktail, but try it with any whisky. You may find you like the sweeter taste of a Canadian whisky, the more sour taste of the Tennessee stuff, or, for some complexity, use rye. This drink uses a short round glass, sometimes called an Old Fashioned glass, after the drink itself.

Put 1 sugar cube in glass

Add 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Add 1 Splash of Soda Water

Muddle (smash) until sugar is dissolved

Fill glass with ice cubes

Add whiskey to the top of the glass, stir

Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry

Notes on Muddling: To muddle just means to smash. You can use whatever is at your disposal. Some bartenders muddle with the back of their bar spoon for light muddling and use a muddler (basically a wooden dowel about the width of a broom handle) for more intense smashing.

The Manhattan
(or Rob Roy)

Image by larryvincent

Another whiskey based cocktail, more of a variation on a Martini. Where the Martini is gin and dry vermouth, the Manhattan is whiskey and sweet vermouth. And don’t forget the bitters! Angostura or Peychaud’s works fine.

3 parts Canadian or Rye Whiskey

1 part Sweet (Red) Vermouth

1 dash bitters

Make in mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until very cold (stirring is very important to help the ice melt to water it down a bit and make it more palatable). Pour into cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Variations:

Trade the whiskey for scotch to make it a Rob Roy. Trade with brandy for a Metropolitan. If you desire the drink to be sweeter, add some juice from the maraschino cherries.

The Sidecar

A popular French cocktail, as it uses two liquors made in France. Can be served in a sour glass (a smaller version of an old fashioned glass) or up in a cocktail glass.

1 part Cognac (brandy will do, but Cognac is best)

1 part Cointreau (Grand Marnier or other triple sec)

1 part lemon juice

Shake over ice and pour into sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Check out the website to see the other two classics.

Upside Down Martini

3/4 oz gin
3 3/4 oz Noilly Prat vermouth
Lemon twist garnish

In a martini glass or on the rocks (see photo)

one serving

Would love to hear what you think of this drink. Should we special it next month?

3 oz. Absolut Citron

2 oz. Pomegranate juice

1 oz. of Cointreau.

Or
* 2 fluid ounces vodka

* 2 fluid ounces orange liqueur

* 2 fluid ounces pomegranate juice

* 1 cup crushed ice

* 1 twist lemon zest

Maximillian Affair

1 1/4 oz mescal or tequila

3/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Punt e Mes)

1/4 oz fresh lemon juice.

Shake with ice and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass.

Watermelon Margarita

4 watermelon cubes (1 inch, seeds removed)

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 ½ oz sour

1 ½ oz silver tequila

½ oz triple sec

watermelon wedge for garnish

In mixing glass, muddle watermelon cubes and lime juice. Add sour,

tequila and triple sec. Add ice. Shake all.

Rim recipe (not necessary but thought I’d give you the recipe in case you want to try it)

4 bar spoons super fine sugar

1 bar spoon sea salt

1 bar spoon pink peppercorns (crushed)

lime wedge