The Brandy Bar + Cocktails

Wed 4/20 – 4-9:00 PM – $5 sangria special – Nice Cabernet wine, cognac, fresh raspberries & blackberries, fruit juices, for a full bodied but not overly sweet cocktail.  Great way to celebrate Spring!

 

 

 

Thurs 4/21 – 4-9:00 PM – French 75 Cocktail special riffs:   The French 75 cocktail is named after the French army’s weapon of choice during World War I: the French 75-millimeter light field gun. The outlet reports that over 20,000 guns of its kind were made and fired during the war, along with 200 million shells. A soldier was able to fire 15 rounds of ammo per minute, making it one of the deadliest on the market. As news of the war spread in 1914, one French bartender decided to create a specialty WWI-inspired cocktail coined “Soixante-Quinze,” otherwise known as Seventy-Five. The drink immediately started being compared to its namesake gun, being referred to as “the most powerful drink in the world” and “hits with remarkable precision.” However, the Seventy-Five back then is not exactly the French 75 we drink today. The cocktail is a perfect study in balance of flavor and texture: It’s tart and citrusy, with a round sweetness and palate-tickling effervescence that works in harmony with cognac. We Americans have chosen to substitute gin for cognac but for many a French cognac is the alcohol of choice with a classic depth that is hard to obtain in gin. This effervescent drink offers a boozier kick than a Mimosa, and is made with cognac, lemon juice, simple syrup and topped with Champagne. So we are presenting a riff of 4 more “French 75” cocktails for you to enjoy.

French 75 (the original) – Courvoisier, fresh squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, Champagne topper; Amaretto French 75 – Camus cognac, Amaretto, lemon juice, simple syrup, Champagne topper; Elderflower French 75 – Korbel cognac, St. Germaine, lemon juice, Champagne topper; French Harvest 75 – Courvoisier, lemon juice, simple syrup, dry sparkling cider; South Mint 75 – St. Remy XO, gin, lemongrass syrup, mint, lemon juice, Champagne topper

Armagnac/Calvados flight 1/2 price

    Did you know that the practice of a sunrise service in the United States is believed to have started here in NC? Sunrise Services occur on Easter Sunday usually taking place outdoors, sometimes in a cemetery or park. In the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican and Reformed churches, this usually take the form of the Easter Vigil which can begin in the late evening of Holy Saturday or the early morning of Easter Sunday.

     The first Easter Sunrise Service recorded took place in 1732 in the Moravian congregation at Hermhut, the Upper Lusatian hills of Saxony. After an all-night prayer vigil, the Single Brethren — the unmarried men of the community — went to the town graveyard, God’s Acre, on the hill above the town to sing hymns of praise to the Risen Saviour. The following year, the whole Congregation joined in the service. Thereafter the “Easter Morning” or “Sunrise Service” spread around the world with the Moravian missionaries The procession to the graveyard is accompanied by the antiphonal playing of chorales by brass choirs. The service starts early in the morning and is timed so that the attendants can see the sun rise when the service is going.^[4] Services usually loosely follow the format of the church’s normal service and can include music hymns or praise band, dramatic scenes and the Easter message. After the service, the church may serve a breakfast for the attendees.

     In Winston-Salem, NC the Moravian congregation has been holding the service since 1772. More than six thousand worshipers gather before dawn in front of the church to proclaim the Resurrection. The worshipers then move in procession to the historic graveyard, or “God’s Acre”. Brass choirs from twelve congregations, totaling over five hundred members, play hymns antiphonally during the procession. The service concludes with a proclamation of faith and hymns of hope.

     Other well-known services include the on in Washington, D.C. where thousands of individuals gather at the Lincoln Memorial for the ecumenical “Sunrise Celebration” Easter Service. The tradition goes back for more than 3 decades. Another long-running sunrise service dates to 1944 atop Stone Mountain near Atlanta. The park opens at 4 AM and the sky lift operates early as well to carry worshipers to the top and back down again. Historic Jamestown Island is the site of an Easter Morning Sunrise Service in Virginia. Worshipers have gathered at the Foot of the Cross next to the James River annually since the 1950s. Local Clergy and Volunteers lead the Ecumenical Program, with an average attendance of 500 – 750 people.

Brandy Sunrise – CB Frost, orange juice, grenadine; Bacchus Sunrise – CB Frost, blood orange juice, grenadine; Bahama Sunrise – Korbel brandy, run, Tia Maria, coconut milk, pineapple juice, lemon juice; New Sunrise – CB Frost, peach brandy, cassis, orange juice, cranberry juice; Breezy Sunrise – Brandy, cranberry juice, grapefruit juice; Ukrainian Solidarity Drink – straight pour or on ice – Moldova 10 yr brandy or Serbian Plum

 

Wed 4/13 – 7-9:00 PM – 

In the Company of Writers presents a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. The Chicago blues music of “Mr. Jimmy,” welcomes you, continues during intermission and closes the evening. In-person sign-ups for open-mic are 6:30 – 7:00 pm and guest authors begin at 7:00 – 8:00 pm with open-mic readings from 8:15 – 9:00 pm.  These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending. The next in the series features Jennifer McGaha noted author.

Jennifer McGaha is the author of two memoirs, Flat Broke with Two Goats and Bushwhacking: How to Get Lost in the Woods and Write Your Way Out (forthcoming from Trinity University Press). Her work has also appeared in The Bitter Southerner, Brevity, CHEAP POP, The Huffington Post, Lumina, PANK, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Passengers, HerStry, Baltimore Fishbowl, and many other publications. A native of Appalachia, Jennifer lives in a wooded North Carolina hollow with her husband, two cats, six unruly dogs, ten relatively tame dairy goats, and an ever-changing number of laying hens. She currently teaches at UNC-Asheville.

This event occurs the 2^nd Wednesday of each month and is co-sponsored by The Brandy Bar + Cocktails  and the North Carolina Writers’ Network. Masks are recommended if you have not been vaccinated. Location: The Brandy Bar + Cocktails, 504 7^th Ave. E., Hendersonville, 828-845-0546, for sign-ups for the open mic visit: https://thebrandybar.com/writers-open-mic/