The Brandy Bar + Cocktails

Brenda Coates

Wed 3/29 – 4-9 PM – $5 Sangria specials and 3/20 – Thurs 4-9 PM Love Potion cocktails

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Wed 3/29 – 4-9 PM – Our very special white sangria welcomes our sunny days with a nice Sauvignon Blanc, brandy,  and pear, peach, & mango juices – we do not use simple syrup but fruit juices and a special brandy to enhance flavors. We almost always sell out of this special so beware! 

Thurs 3/30 – 4-9 PM – Love Potion cocktail specials: What is love? Love, love, love is all we need according to the Beatles. We all wish to have the answer to one of the most universal, mysterious, and all-permeating phenomena on this planet. In English, the word “love” has become diluted so that it can be used in place of “like”.  

Greek has 4 main words for love: Έρωτας (Erotas)(Eros) in Ancient Greek): Refers only to romantic love or courtship. Aγάπη (Agape):  a spiritual or charitable love, such as the love that God has for man. Φιλία (Philia): The general word for non-romantic love between equals, such as between friends and family, or love for activities. Στοργή (Storgé): This is the word used to describe the natural affection that exists between parents and children. 

Irish words for love: Grá: This is the all-purpose word for love, which can be used in the same way as the English word “love” (for loving people, places, romantic partners, etc.) Cion: Roughly translates as “affection”, such as the love you might have for a child. Searc: Used for describing romantic love or “true love”. Cumann: Used to express the love and companionship that exists between friends. 

 In Japanese: 愛 (Ai): Depending on the context, 愛 can be used to refer to several types of love, including friendships, family, and love of things or activities. It’s used as the base for constructing many different love-related words, (aikenka; a dog lover); 母性愛 (boseiai; maternal love) or 博愛 (hakuai; philanthropy). 恋 (Koi): Implies physical or romantic love, though in certain contexts, it can imply a more “selfish” type of love.  恋敵 (koigataki; a rival in love) or 初恋 (hatsukoi; first love).  

While Spanish really has one noun for love (amor), when it comes to the verb “to love”, there are three different Spanish words: Guerer is the general term to use when you love a person, including friends, family or romantic partners. Amar – a much stronger version of querer, and is only used in a romantic way. Encantar:  (most similar to the English word “love” or a strong like – refers to activities.  

Sanskrit is a classical language that has influenced modern South and Southeast Asian languages at least as much as Greek and Latin have influenced modern European languages and has an astounding 96 words for love. A small sampling स्नेह (Sneha): Maternal love or affection. काम (Kama): Erotic or amorous love. You might recognize this word from the title of the famous ancient text, the Kama Sutra. अनुरक्ति (Anurakti): Passionate love or attachment. रति (Rati): This word originally meant to enjoy or delight in something or someone. The meaning has evolved to imply a physical desire or love. प्रिय (Priya): Meaning “darling” or “beloved”, Priya is a common given name for girls in India and Nepal.  

The fictional Klingon language, from the Star Trek universe, has no words for love. Close translations include “unhate” and “honor”. What do you suppose this says about that culture? 

Love cocktails: Love Potion – CB Frost, Chambord, lime juice, simple syrup, cranberry juice, grenadine; Raspberry Martini – CB Frost, raspberry syrup, lime juice; Cosmopolitan – CB Frost, unsweetened cranberry juice, lime juice; Love Martini – CB Frost, peach brandy, rum, cranberry juice and 1/2price fruit or infused flight. 

 

Wed 3/22- 4-9 PM – $5 brandy pours and Thurs 3/23 – 4-9 PM Southeast Sports special cocktails

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Wed 3/22 – 4:00 – 9:00PM – $5 brandy pour: Choose: Paul Masson Pineapple Brandy – Grande Amber Pineapple is a delicate balance of brandy with overtones of candied pineapple and tropical fruit aromas. Not too sweet and very pine-apple-bee  Or Arrow Anisette Brandy – Anise flavored brandy with a clean crisp finish – definite liquorish notes  – suggest a couple of ice cubes

Thurs 3/23 – 4-9:00 PM Southeast Sports Cocktail specials: What comprises the Southeast United States?  Well, it depends on which survey you use but the US Geological Survey includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee + Puerto Rico & the US Virgin Islands. But for our drinking survey we have chosen the cocktail of our closest neighbor states to tell us something about our neighbors: South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and of course us – North Carolina. The most populated of the southeast is Florida with 22,244,823, Georgia with 10,912,876 and North Carolina a close second with 10, 698,973. The common most interesting fact about the Southeast is our keen interest in sports, maybe it’s the warm weather or our downright competitiveness.

The NFL has 8 franchises: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins,  New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, and New Orleans Saints. The NBA has 5 franchises: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards. The MLB maintains 5 teams: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Washington Nationals (none in NC). The NHL has 5 franchises: Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators (plays in Western Conference), Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. Major League Soccer (MLS) holds 6 clubs: Atlanta United FC, DC United, Inter Miami Cf, , Nashville SC, Charlotte FC, and Orlando City SC, (Raleigh maybe in the making). The majority of NASCAR teams are headquartered in the Charlotte area with other tracks that include Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Richmond Raceway, and Talladega Superspeedway. 

North Carolina – Cherry Bounce – Cherry Brandy, CB Frost, Cranberry juice, lime juice;  South Carolina – Peninsula Tea – CB Frost, sweet tea, ginger & honey syrup, lemon juice, ginger beer; Georgia – Peach Bellini – Peach brandy, peach puree, topped with champagne; Tennessee – Lynchburg Lemonade – Copper & Kings brandy, Cointreau, sour mix, Sprite; Virginia – Stars and Stripes Shot – Cassis, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, Chartreuse liqueur;  New Armagnac flight 1/2 price 

 

Wed 3/15 – 7-9:00 PM – Songwriter Sessions and Thurs 3/16 – 4-9:00 PM – Cat Cocktails

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Wed 3/15 – 7-9:00 PM – Join us for an evening of original songs, featuring:

Dulci Ellenberger. She has been singing on the WNC scene for over a decade, most recently with her trio, Fwuit. Music is Dulci’s greatest passion, and it is evident in her songwriting that she has lived a full life as an artist and an empath making her way from small town Pennsylvania to New York City, Australia and eventually…Asheville.

John Longbottom feels that after 50 years of making music for a living, “never let a good story get away and never let a good song go to waste.

Ben Phantom is a passionate and captivating performer who writes from the heart, speaks to the soul, and never forgets to find the humor in life. He believes that we heal each other through building community, developing deep relationships, and being of service. With hosts Mare Carmody, John Longbottom, and Charlie Wilkinson.  For more information, please contact: WNCsongwritersessions@gmail.com

Thurs 3/16 – 4-9:00 – This is kitten, kitten, kitten month and we happen to have about 3 in the alley behind our building waiting to get “snipped.” If you are interested in adopting, PLEASE let us know. So what about those fertile cats? According to Purina, a few fun facts about our cats: 1.Egyptians domesticated the cat. French archaeologists discovered a 9,500 year old cat grave in Cyprus. 2. Cats actually spend 70% of their lives sleeping, which works out to around 13-16 hours a day. 3. An orange tabby cat called Stubbs was the mayor of Talkeetna, a small town in Alaska for 20 years. He had several uncontested elections and although he didn’t hold any legislative power, he was loved by locals and tourists alike. 4. World’s longest Cat was a Maine Coon called Stewie and was measured at 48.5 inches. Whereas, the record for the tallest cat belonged to Arcturus at 19.05 inches tall. 5. Cats walk like camels and giraffes. Their walking sequence is both right feet first, followed by both left feet, so they move half of their body forward at once. 6. Isaac Newton invented the cat door. When Newton was working on his experiments at the University of Cambridge, he was constantly interrupted by his cats scratching at the door. So he called the Cambridge carpenter to saw two holes in the door, one for the mother cat and one for her kittens. 7.Herodotus wrote in 440BC that when a pet cat died in Ancient Egyptian times the family members would shave off their eyebrows in mourning. 8. House cats share 95.6% of their genetic makeup with tigers. They also share the same behaviors of scent and urine marking, prey stalking and pouncing. 9. A house cat can reach speeds of up to 30mph which means they could beat Usain Bolt in a 200 meter dash. 10.The oldest cat to have ever lived was 38 years and 3 days old and his owner Jake Perry also owned the previous oldest cat record holder, Grandpa Rex Allen, who passed away at the grand age of 34.  Cat cocktail specials: Black Cat – CB Frost, curacao, cranberry juice, lime juice, Sprite (or club soda); Big Kitty Kat  – Douglas Fir, vermouth, bitters; Siamese Cat – Chilled coffee, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, dark chocolate liqueur, Kahlua, Frangelico, cream; Angora – Douglas Fir, chartreuse, lemon juice, Sour mix; 1/2 price on fruit/infused brandy flight. 

Friday 3/17  – Come celebrate St. Patty’s day with us as we offer some of our special “green drinks!”