This has become quite an issue, but I don’t see it. Mostly I see it as a benefit for those who seek the nutritional information for the liquor they drink. We get many questions here about the calories, carbs and make up of all sorts of spirits, so why not list this info on the label? Make consumers who care happy, the one who don’t care won’t even notice the change.

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Hi Barkeep, is it customary to charge extra when someone orders a “tall” cocktail. I always thought that a tall meant more mix, not more alcohol, so what’s with the extra $? Greed?

Signed,
Broke Alcoholic

A: This seems to cause quite a bit of confusion and I cannot find a good definition. I have a feeling this varies from bartender to bartender as to what they think a “tall drink” is. Best, to let the barkeep know what you are looking for in a tall drink. It may seem less cool, but you won’t be surprised at what you get.

Cheers!
The Barkeep

Going a cruise and wondering if you can sneak a bottle of Vodka on board. Well think again. All of the major cruise lines have a “No Sneaking Booze on Board” policy. Many will allow you to bring a few bottles aboard that you may enjoy with dinner (with a corkage fee of $10 - $25). Only Norwegian Coastal Voyages will let you bring whatever you want on board as long as you consume it in your cabin. The majority also hold your duty free purchases until the last night of the cruise.

Here’s the break down by largest cruise lines

Carnival Cruises
What you can bring - Wine & Champagne (corkage $10)

Celebrity Cruises
What you can bring - Wine (corkage $25)

Costa Cruises
What you can bring - Wine (corkage $10)

Cunard Line
What you can bring - Wine & Champagne (corkage $15)

Holland America Line
What you can bring - Wine & Champagne (corkage $15)

MSC Cruises
What you can bring - Nothing (not even Nyquil)

Norwegian Cruise Line
What you can bring - Nothing, but you may drink wine purchased on port calls for a corkage $15. They will also go through your luggage looking for contraband booze. They return anything that is confiscated on the last night of the cruise. I guess they figure that you have spent enough on their drinks during the cruise, so on the last night - What the Heck!

Norwegian Coastal Cruises
What you can bring - Anything that is legal as long as you drink in your cabin.

Princess Cruises
What you can bring - Wine & Champagne (corkage $15)

Silver Cruises
What you can bring - No need. This high-end line is all inclusive. State rooms are stocked with vodka, whisky, wine and champagne.

I guess the moral of this story either go high end, cruise only in Norwegian Waters, or suck it up and buy your drinks on board.

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Mixing Drinks in an electric blender can be tricky. Not enough time and the cocktail is not mixed well, too much and it turns to slush. Here’s how we do it. Of course, you may need to adjust depending on your blender. Typically, you are goin gto use a bleder in drinks involving fruit, cream, eggs and that are frozen.First, add 1 scoop of ice (about 1 cup) to the blender. Next, add you ingredients (booze, fruit, cream, etc…) according to the recipe. Secure the lid (this may seem trivial, but ya never know) and blend on low for 10 seconds. Let sit for a second and then blend on high for 10 seconds. At this point it should be done. If the cocktail is still a bit think blend it for 5 more seconds, but that is it. Pour into the chilled (this is critical) galss of you choice. Garnish and serve.

more barteding tips…

Ice is the most important ingredient for any party. You’ll not only need lots of ice to cool down bottles of beer (or a keg) white wine and sodas, but you need it for mixed drinks as well. The good news is that ice is cheap, so buy lots of it.

We recommend getting at least pound of ice per person. This should make for a cool event.

more Party Planning tips …

This is a great question as it causes a ton of confusion amongst bartenders and the home mixologist alike. Accodring to most, a standard shot is 1 1/2 fluid ounces, this is also commonly known as a Jigger. If you are counting at home, that’s a 6 count.

Wait,there are a few other types of shots:

- a 1 ounce shot is known as a Pony
- a double shot is 3 ounces

The British have a whole different system (25ml - 35 ml for a single shot), we’ll save that for another post.

The bar tool know as a Jigger (pictured here) actually has both a 1 1/2 oz”jigger”. and a 1 oz. “pony” measure. I love this tool! Counting is fine, but the Jigger is exact. When times get busy, it is a lifesaver. What can I say, sometimes counting to 6 is hard. I tend to use a jigger to take the “human element” (aka ME) out of the equation of making drinks.

Here’s a handy guide I made (print it out and put it on the bar)
Bar Measurement Chart

Q: My sister gave me several bottles of Seagram’s VO. The tax seal says it was put on in 1982. It is still sealed, and the bottles says its 6 years old, that would make the whiskey 30 years old. How good is this whiskey? Is it drinkable?
Jim G

A: Sealed bottles of Whiskey and other Spirits should last indefinitely when still sealed. Unlike wine, however, liquor does not age in the bottle, so a six yea whiskey is still a six year. Is it drinkable? As long as it was stored in a fashion, it should be fine. Seagram’s VO is a decent blended whiskey and probably best mixed with Coke or Ginger Ale.

Author’s sidebar:
What’s with the black and yellow ribbon around the neck of every bottle of Seagram’s VO? The Broufman Family decided to honor their thoroughbred stables by putting it’s racing color on every bottle. (via)

More Cocktail Q & A