50 Shots of America

50 Shots of America–South Dakota

Sips

More than 75% through our drink-by-state tour of the United States, today we stop by South Dakota for a trip through the Black Hills…

~~~oOo~~~

Black Hills Stream

Black Hills Stream

There’s still that 50/50 chance that today’s state is actually number 39 and not 40 as it shows up in most lists, but we’ll not rehash that old tale again. Instead, let’s focus on what makes South Dakota a state apart from it’s northern kin.

Home to Tom Brokaw and Laura Engalls Wilder, the Mount Rushmore State sports those famous stone visages in the Black Hills–so named for their appearance, from a distance, covered with pine trees of various types makes the mountains look black. And I’m not sure where I thought Deadwood and Wounded Knee were located (though I suspect I thought it was somewhere in the southwest) but apparently those sites are in South Dakota, too!

Black Hills Stream

1 oz Gin
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz Goldschlager

Combine all ingredients over ice in a mixing glass and stir until the ice tumbles about like stone going through a wash plant (we’ve been watching Gold Rush Alaska). Strain into a chilled cordial glass and, if your lucky, you might find a bit of gold in your glass.

The gin is for the pine trees, the goldschlager is for the gold. The scent of the botanicals in the gin teases your nose (along with the cinnamon, of course) and lies subtle under the stronger liqueur. Schnapps have a way of taking over a drink, so using them in small doses is generally a good idea but especially so in shots.

Now, I’m going to sit back, watch Natural Treasure 2 and sip the rest of my drink.

~~~oOo~~~

We’ve only got 10 more states to go. Next up is Montana!

50 Shots of America: North Dakota

Sips

In our continuing journey across the US via cocktail, we head almost to Canada, today, with a look at either the 39th or 40th state…

~~~oOo~~~

Rose Red

Rose Red

There’s some confusion as to which state rightfully comes next in our tour of the states by date of statehood. You see, North and South Dakota both came up for statehood at the same time (as part of the Enabling Act of 1889) and President Harrison knew there was quite the rivalry between the two as to which would be first. So, to remain completely neutral, he had his aid shuffle the petitions and did not look at which was which when he signed them. No one really knows which was #39 and which was #40, but North Dakota comes up first alphabetically, so that’s the way it’s usually listed.

Of course, when I think of North Dakota, I think of Fargo. Not the city, the movie, of course. And the infamous wood-chipper scene. I realize that it’s probably not the way most Dakotans (which means friend or ally) want to be remembered, but pop culture has it’s way. Still, if you’re planning a Fargo-themed movie night (for which I’d include Drop Dead Gorgeous even if it is set in Minnesota–there’s some cultural similarities thanks to strong Norwegian influences of both), this drink might be right up your alley:

Rose Red

1.25 oz Vodka
.25 oz Rosewater
few drops Grenadine

Combine the vodka and rosewater in a mixing glass with ice and stir until thoroughly chilled (30 seconds to a minute). Strain into a chilled cordial glass and drop in a bit of grenadine for effect. Garnish with a broken toothpick.

The wild prairie rose is the state flower of North Dakota and they are a leading producer of potatoes, among other agricultural pursuits, so that’s where the flavor notes for this drink comes from. If you can get a potato-vodka, even better, but any of your favorites will do.

There’s one other story I found fascinating about this week’s state: While Bismarck is, in fact, the capital of North Dakota, shortly after statehood was achieved, Jamestown was the preferred choice of many. Except those in Bismarck. A band of residents actually stole the state records from Jamestown, returned to Bismarck and refused to release them until the legislators came back to Bismarck. Realizing the move was more hassle than they wanted to deal with, the powers that be agreed to leave the capital as Bismarck but refused to official declare, proclaim or vote it into historical record.

Not bad, North Dakota, not bad at all.

~~~oOo~~~

Predictably enough, our next stop on the cocktail express (well, it’s more of a local with all the starts and stops) is just a smidgen south in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

50 Shots of America–Colorado

Sips

Welcome to our continuing trek across the Unites States in search of fun facts and tasty cocktails. This week we’re in the Rocky Mountains, visiting Colorado!

~~~oOo~~~

Imperceptible Kink

Imperceptible Kink

After many changes of hands and disputes over the years, the free Territory of Colorado was organized by outgoing-President Buchanan in February of 1861. Named for the Colorado River, it would more than 15 years before Colorado would officially become a state in August of 1876–100 years after we declaration our independence from British rule–with boundaries made up of latitude and longitude markings, not natural boundaries (and it’s only 1 of 3 states like this).

While gold and silver were big pulls to the Centennial State in the 1800s, more than half the Colorado population is settled in the greater-Denver area where industry and agriculture now hold sway. Denver, Aspen and Boulder are well-known foodie destinations but the natural splendor of the state’s many parks, forests, trails and refuges help keep the population fit and healthy. It’s also making a name for itself in wine–both the grape and fruit-based varieties–while maintaining the largest annual production of beer in the country.

Of course, what I first think of, when Colorado comes to mind, is John Denver. Now, granted, he’s not a native son but he was adopted as their official Poet Laureate in 1977 and his song, Rocky Mountain High, is one of the 2 state songs for Colorado. I went through a bit of a folk music phase about 10 years ago and Denver was one of my favorites. Even so, I’m still finding songs of his I didn’t know were his to begin with. If I had to narrow it down to a top 5, just off the top of my head, the list would include:

  • My Sweet Lady
  • Wild Montana Sky
  • Goodbye Again
  • A Song for All Lovers
  • Perhaps Love (with Placido Domingo)

And, oh, 5 is not nearly enough but, well, I’m digressing and there’s a cocktail to get to!

Ahem.

Earlier I mentioned that the borders of Colorado are based on lines of latitude and longitude. Apparently, though, the surveyors charged with marking the official border faced some challenges while tracing the longitudinal border with Utah resulting in “several nearly imperceptible kinks.”

Oh, that’s just too good a phrase to pass up. Hence…

The Imperceptible Kink

1 oz Sleepytime-infused Tequila*
1/2 oz Peach Nectar
1/2 oz Beer

Combine over ice and shake vigorously–not quite like crossing the Continental Divide, but close. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

*To Infuse Tequila: Heat 2 oz of Tequila until steamy and fragrant and remove from heat. Add 1 Sleepytime tea bag and steep for approximately 2 minutes. Remove the tea bag and let the mixture cool until ready to use. Tip: this smells great but don’t inhale too deeply or you’ll find yourself choking on the alcohol fumes. Not that we did that or anything…

Colorado boasts a significant Hispanic population, so we’ve got a Tequila base to represent that. I’ve had cocktails served to me with both tequila and beer, and with Coors being a Colorado company and all the microbreweries there, it seemed a natural addition. Peach is apparently one of the common fruit-based wines produced there but I was still looking for something else–something to give that hint of imperceptible kink!

Enter Celestial Seasonings, a Boulder company since 1969. I have several of their products in my tea cabinet and felt Sleepytime, with its definite floral taste and aroma, would pair perfectly with the botanical taste of tequila. The end result is a cocktail with a clean, crisp feel, a hint of peach and beer at the end and that little something else that you’re not quite sure about. That’s the infused tequila.

~~~oOo~~~

Next week we’re heading a north to meet the Dakotas! Until then… Safe Sipping!

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50 Shots of America–Nebraska

Sips
The Strobe

The Strobe

I think I’ve been both looking forward to and dreading getting to the 37th state: it’s Todd’s home state and so there’s a little extra pressure to come up with something stellar. Am I up for the challenge? Let’s see…

The Cornhusker state came to be on March 1, 1867, just a couple years after the end of the Civil War. It’s name means “flat water” (for the Platte River) and it’s a good thing it’s got those rivers running around and through it as it’s landlocked three times over. Another curious fact is that Arbor Day began in Nebraska; curious because the early homesteaders (who came for the free land grants a la Far and Away) built homes out of sod because trees were so scarce.

Being smack dab in the middle of the country, it’s no surprise that railroads are big in Nebraska. The state hosts the Union Pacific headquarters and Bailey Yard (only the railroad classification yard–where they sort and switch cars and tracks–in the world).

When we visited Nebraska in 2010, I was amazed at the richness of the soil, the fact that seems just seemed to grow anywhere they were planted, and the number of wineries we found spread throughout the state (too late to visit any, though). The local food of fame, the Runza (aka Bierock), was sampled, as well as the eponymous Omaha Steaks.

Something we were glad we didn’t need to use was the 911 system (developed and first used in Lincoln).

And with that bad segue in place, here’s this week’s drink.

The Strobe

3/4 oz Bourbon Whiskey (like Jim Beam)
1/4 oz Goldschlager
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 oz Club Soda

Combine whiskey, goldschlager and grenadine over ice and shake like a tornado roaring down the plains. Strain into a chilled cordial glass and top with the club soda.

If you think it looks a little like Kool-Aid, there’s a reason for that: in 1927 Edward Perkins created the famous powdered beverage in Hastings, Nebraska. I may not keep the stuff in the house but the grenadine goes a long way towards making this drink look like it’s predecessor. The Goldschlager is a nod to the start of the Black Hills Gold Rush in Sydney and, well, it just wouldn’t be right to have a drink for the Cornhusker state made with anything other than a corn base, would it?

And, of course, it’s named after another Nebraskan invention: the strobe light was invented by Dr. Harold Edgerton of Aurora. Too many of these and you might be seeing spots of light, yourself!

But did the drink pass the Todd-test? With a response of “refreshing,” I think it passed.

50 Shots of America–Nevada

Sips
The Mojavito

The Mojavito

Now that the move is complete and the bar is fully unpacked, it’s time to return to our drinking tour of America with state number 36: Nevada (which is Spanish for snow-covered, named after the Sierra Nevada mountains).

Originally part of the Utah Territory, the predominantly non-Mormon section that is today’s Nevada broke off from their eastern brethren in March, 1861, became a state on October 31, 1864, (just squeaking in with enough time to help re-elect Lincoln as President and doing so by telegraphing their entire state constitution from Culver City to Washington, DC), and did some re-drawing of their state’s southern boundary in May, 1866, when gold was found in the then-Arizona Territory. Good thing, too, because Las Vegas, Arizona just doesn’t have the same ring, does it?

And speaking of Vegas, turns out that gambling was legalized after the Great Depression as a temporary measure to help bolster the state’s flagging economy. I think it’s safe to say that anyone who suggested outlawing it would be laughed out of the state!

There’s no Last Call in Nevada, at least not by law; alcohol can be purchased at any hour of the day or night and bottles can be purchased at grocery and convenience stores as well as dedicated liquor stores (not just beer and wine like most places). Which leads us to this week’s drink.

Mojavito*

1/2 Key Lime**, cut into 2 wedges
1 sprig Sage, stem removed
3/4 oz Gin
1 oz Club Soda

Muddle the lime and sage in the bottom of a shaker until the sage is well-mashed and fragrant. Add ice and the gin and shake like a tumbleweed crossing the plains. Strain into a chilled cordial glass and top with club soda.

Now, seeing as how Nevada is primarily dry, arid desert, a sweet drink just wouldn’t do (in alcohol, dry is the opposite of sec, or sweet). And because of the Pinyon Juniper forests in the Great Basin desert (which sounds like it would be at the bottom of the state when, actually, it encompasses much of the north and central area), I’m going with a dry gin as the base spirit. Nevada is known as the Sagebrush State so my first thought was a sage infusion but, well, that takes too long for a good mix and muddling is far quicker. Suddenly, this is sounding a lot like a Mojito (which sounds an awful lot like the Mojave desert that does occupy the southern third of the state), so that’s when the lime and club soda came over to play. The end result is a very tart, refreshing drink that would be a perfect quencher on a hot summer’s day no matter where in the world you are (well, okay, Northern hemisphere at the very least–those below the Equator save it for the warm winters).

One final bit of trivia for the day:

Ever wonder why the CSI franchise started in Vegas? It might have a little something to do with Nevada’s 5-year reign as the most dangerous state in the country (though if that were the sole reason, I think we would have had CSI: New Orleans before Miami or New York***).

*pronounced mo-ha-VEE-toe; whether you pronounce the ‘a’ as in bad (as is the correct way to pronounce Nevada) or as in father is entirely up to you

**I used key limes because they are small and this is a small drink. A single wedge (quarter) of a standard lime should be plenty. If you want a very tart lime drink with a touch of the other flavors, go ahead and use the whole Key Lime (or half a regular one).

***Turns out there was a decision to be made, just before Katrina, between a CSI: New Orleans and CSI: New York–go figure!