The Brandy Bar + Cocktails

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Wed 4/26 – 4-9 – $5 sangria special & Thurs 4/27 – 4-9 PM No Parking cocktails

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Wed 4/26 – 4-9:00 PM – Join us for a mid-week Sangria special: $5 white sangria: Pinot grigio, brandy, pear, peach, mango fruits, and pineapple, pear & peach juices. Let’s get ready for an early summer full of sangrias and fun!

Thurs 4/27 – 4-9:00 PM – “No Parking” cocktails – What’s all this hoopla about parking downtown? Is this a new invention? When did “no parking and parking tickets/fines” originate?  Yikes, it goes back to possibly those first parking restrictions put in place in Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria in c.700 BC. The restrictions were made by their king Sennacherib (704 to 681 BC) and pertained to the sacred main processional way through Nineveh. The oldest parking signs ever discovered read “Royal Road – let no man decrease it”. The penalty for parking a chariot on this road was death followed by impaling outside one’s own home.

And about those outrageous parking fines? Parking fines were introduced in the 1950s in New South Wales, Australia. Up until about 1995, these fines were issued and processed by the NSW Police and the fines were processed by the traffic penalties section of the police staffed by clerical staff employed by the police. In New Zealand, parking fines are mostly issued by council parking officers, but can also be issued by police officers. Parking tickets are mostly attached to an unattended vehicle, or they can be posted to the address of the registered owner. Usually, the most common parking fines issued are those for parking over the time limit.

In Europe, parking tickets are heavily used. In Sweden, parking violations on streets are considered traffic crimes with a fine. If the fine is not objected to or paid within a specified time, the Swedish Enforcement Administration will claim money from bank accounts or other assets, relatively fast. The owner will be noted as a bad payer and will not get a loan or a new rental apartment etc. for three years.  

In addition to “no parking” signs, “no waiting” and “no stopping” are used in the UK and Europe. “No waiting” allows passengers to be dropped off or picked up but does not allow parking or waiting with the driver in the vehicle for long periods. Loading and unloading are usually also allowed, details and applicable times may be shown on a plate under the sign. “No stopping” does not allow waiting at all, even for drop-offs and pick-ups.

Foreign-registered vehicles in Europe cannot be fined. This is partly because it is too much work to find the owner in a foreign country, but mainly because it is not legally possible to claim money from a foreign resident person if they don’t pay voluntarily. 

But back to us here in the States? In 1926, American merchants listed downtown traffic congestion as their most serious difficulty. Unenforced curbside parking and the lack of off-street parking facilities were listed as the primary problems. Customers went where they could park.

During the Great Depression, city revenues dwindled. With parking meters, however, a new source of municipal income was found. Not only did the nickels paid in by parkers accumulate, but so did the fines imposed for overparking. By 1944, American cities were generating some $10 million annually from parking meters alone. Soon after came meter maids, who, because they were paid less than police officers, increased city revenues further. So bottom line, these complex parking rules, restrictions, and regulations are now an integral part of modern life and landscape and tied to the “$.”

Parking cocktails: Parking Paper – C & K American brandy, amaro, Aperol, lemon juice, Parking Shot Manhattan – Courvoisier, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters, Pay at Kiosk Concord Grapy Cosmo – CB Frost, gin, Cointreau, Concord grape juice unsweetened, No Parking Zone Boulevardier – C & K Am. brandy, Campari, sweet vermouth, blood orange soda, 1/2 price fruit/infused flight 

 

 

Wed 4/19 – 7-9:00 PM – Songwriters Sessions and Thurs 4/20 – Train cocktails special

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Wed 4/19 – 7-9:00 PM – Join us for the monthly Songwriters Sessions with featured performers Mare Carmody, Carrie Morrison, and Andrew Thelston.     

Mare Carmody is a voice of southern songwriting, having lived in Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina. Playing music has always been a way of life throughout her travels. Mare is currently part of the trio Carver Carmody & McIntire.

   Melodic and memorable, Carrie Morrison’s songs make connections. A native of Louisville, Ky., the singer/songwriter/pianist has been a popular act in Western N.C. for more than 15 years. She is keyboardist and vocalist in the Andrew Thelston Band and enjoys duo collaborations with Andrew and cellist Jamie Leigh Bennett.
   Andrew Thelston creates futuristic rock ‘n’ roll which echoes the past. In 2019, his original music was featured on the hit Netflix show “Lucifer,” and he was voted one of the top guitarists in the 2022 Best of WNC by the Mountain Xpress.
Hosting the event will be hosts Mare Carmody and Charlie Wilkinson. For more information, please contact:  WNCsongwritersessions@gmail.com
 
Thurs 4/20 -4-9:00 PM –  The first rail line into Henderson County began in Charleston, SC and ran through the town of Columbia, SC before pushing up the Saluda grade from Spartanburg into Henderson County. The railroad running from Charleston into the rugged and steep mountain terrain of Western North Carolina would not reach Hendersonville until 1879, and later Asheville in 1886. The locals were probably in the crowds that cheered when the train came roaring through on July 4, 1879. The original tracks of the Spartanburg-Asheville Railroad Company ran then, as today, through Howard’s Gap and parallel to the old Cane Creek Road. Approaching the equally steep grade from Asheville’s east side was the Richmond-Danville Railroad line that led from Marion & Old Fort and was not completed until 1889. The first rail line in North Carolina was chartered by the Wilmington-Raleigh Railroad Company in 1834 and an initial 161 miles of track was laid between Wilmington and Weldon in Halifax County. When completed in 1840, it was touted as the longest railroad in the world at that time.

    As the iron horse ploughed through the once isolated mountain hollers and passes, it brought with it easy accessibility to the mountain’s resources, and the thick virgin timbered forests fell to the aggressive logging titans. The locals would have been thrilled by the first signs of industrialization and cheered the initial economic boost to the community. Tragically, it became increasingly apparent that excessive commercial activities caused fires, floods, deforestation, and catastrophic erosion. The area was changing and so would the mountain’s close-knit families.

Train Cocktails:  Train derail – Douglas fir brandy, lemon juice, simple syrup, soda water; Railcar – CB Frost, rum, Cointreau, lime juice, Campari; Blue Train – CB Frost, Cointreau, lemon juice, curacao; Trainspotter – CB Frost, rye whiskey, elderflower liqueur, Heering brandy, dry sherry; 1/2 price US Flight

 

Wed 4/12 – 7-9 – NC Writers Network & 4-9 PM – $5 white sangria and Thurs 4/13 Birthday Cocktails

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Wed 4/12 – 7-9 PM  – Guest poets, Kelli Allen and Nicole Farmer read from their latest books. Kelli Allen awards include The Best Small Fictions 2022. Nicole Farmer is a teacher and reading tutor living in Asheville, NC. Her poems are published in over forty literary magazines. She was awarded First Prize in Prose Poetry from the Bacopa Literary Review in 2020.  Her chapbook ‘Wet Underbelly Wind’ was published in 2022. Her book ‘Honest Sonnets: memories from an unorthodox upbringing in verse’ will be published by Kelsay Books in 2023. The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of Mr. Jimmy welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening. Sign-ups for the open mic visit: https://thebrandybar.com/writers-open-mic/

ALSO Wed – 4-9:00 PM – $5 white sangria specials – Sauvignon blanc, brandy, muddled pear-apple-kiwi and fruit juices apple-pear-pineapple – simple ingredients but full of flavor – remember we usually sell out of this special! 

Thurs 4/13 – 4-9:00 PM – Birthday Cocktails –      Have you ever thought about the history of birthdays? They started around 3,000 years before the common era by our good old friends the Egyptians. The Egyptians did not actually celebrate your birthday but the birth of someone as a god. When the pharaohs were crowned, it was considered that they had become a god, and to be fair, the day anyone becomes a god is waaaaay up there above being actually physically born!  So what about those birthday candles and birthday cake? In the very early days, the Greeks adopted the ancient Egyptian birthdays, celebrating the birth of a god, and as we know Greek culture was big on gods and goddesses.  The Greeks were big on offering sacrifices to the gods and as a tribute to Artemis, the lunar goddess, the Greeks would offer her moon-shaped cakes that were adorned with lit candles. The two-part symbolism of the re-created beauty of the moon and the candles signifying the sending of prayers.

   But the Romans were among the first people to celebrate birthdays as we know them because they celebrated the birth of the common man (woman). They threw lavish parties where they would shower the birthday boy (girl) with gifts, thus starting the history of birthday presents.

   Why celebrate birthdays without cake? Although the Egyptians had their moon-shaped cakes, it was not really a birthday cake as we know and love it today. Credit for the growth and progression of the history of the birthday cake goes to German bakers who turned the cake into an icing-topped colorful glory that we celebrate with today. These German birthday parties were held for children from the late 18th century and called “Kinderfeste”. Each child would be given a cake with a candle on the top for each year of their life so far, as well as one extra for hope.

   America’s own period of industrialization in the 19th century was when the rituals and trappings of birthday parties went mainstream. The way we celebrate today is a mishmash of the Egyptian/Greek/Roman/German holiday rites, but the expectation of wrapped gifts is a product of good old Western consumerism.

Birthday cocktails: Birthday martini- vanilla cognac, white chocolate liqueur, amaretto, half/half; French 75 – Courvoisier, lemon juice, simple syrup, topped with champagne; Brandy Alexander  – Courvoisier, chocolate liqueur, your choice ice cream or heavy cream; Raspberry martini – CB Frost, raspberry syrup, cranberry, lemon juice; 1/2 price fruit or infused flight

 

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SPECIAL EVENTS FOR APRIL AT THE BRANDY BAR + COCKTAILS:

WED 4/19 – 7-9:00 PM:  NC Writers Network and The Brandy Bar + Cocktails present guest poets, Kelli Allen and Nicole Farmer as next in their program In the Company of Writers. The program offers a series of personal and conversational dialogues featuring guest writers/poets followed by an open mic forum. These inspirational gatherings will elucidate and entertain those attending.  The guest author speaks from 7-8 PM with open mic from 8 -9 PM. The Chicago blues music of Mr. Jimmy welcomes you, continues during intermission, and closes the evening.

Kelli Allen’s work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies in the US and internationally. Allen is the co-Founding Editor of Book of Matches literary journal. She is an award-wining poet, editor, and dancer. Her fiction has appeared in The Best Small Fictions 2022 and she is the recipient of the 2018 Magpie Award for Poetry. Her chapbook, Some Animals, won the 2016 Etchings Press Prize. Her chapbook, How We Disappear, won the 2016 Damfino Press award. Her collections include, Otherwise, Soft White Ash, (Meduimless, 2012), Imagine Not Drowning, (C&R Press 2017), Banjo’s Inside Coyote (C&R Press 2019). Allen’s latest book is Leaving the Skin on the Bear, C&R Press, 2022. Allen moved from Changchun, China to her present residence in Clayton, NC that she shares with her two tiny rat-dogs (who think they are jackals) and one African pygmy hedgehog. When she is not editing and teaching writing and literature, she’s amateur chef-ing and traveling. website:    http://www.kelli-allen.com

Nicole Farmer is a teacher and reading tutor living in Asheville, NC. Her poems have been published in over forty literary magazines.  Nicole was awarded First Prize in Prose Poetry from the Bacopa Literary Review in 2020. Her chapbook entitled ‘Wet Underbelly Wind’ was published in 2022. Her book ‘Honest Sonnets: memories from an unorthodox upbringing in verse’ will be published by Kelsay Books in 2023. She is a graduate of The Juilliard School of Drama and spent 30 years in the theatre as an actress and director.  She and her husband live in a one-hundred-year-old cottage with their grumpy Carin terrier, hoping their kids will come to visit.  website: http://www.NicoleFarmerpoetry.com

This event occurs the 2nd Wednesday of each month and is co-sponsored by The Brandy Bar + Cocktails http://www.thebrandybar.com/and the North Carolina Writers Network. Sign-ups for the open mic visit: https://thebrandybar.com/writers-open-mic/

WED 4/19 – 4-9:00 PM:  An evening of original songs in the natural acoustics and listening room atmosphere of the beautiful and historic Brandy Bar, 504 Seventh Ave. East, Hendersonville, NC 28792. Featured performers will be Mare Carmody, Carrie Morrison, and Andrew Thelston.

Mare Carmody is a voice of southern songwriting, having lived in Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina.  Playing music has always been a way of life throughout her travels. Mare is currently part of the trio Carver Carmody & McIntire.

Melodic and memorable, Carrie Morrison’s songs make connections. A native of Louisville, Ky., the singer/songwriter/pianist has been a popular act in Western N.C. for more than 15 years. She is keyboardist and vocalist in the Andrew Thelston Band and enjoys duo collaborations with Andrew and cellist Jamie Leigh Bennett. 

Andrew Thelston creates futuristic rock ‘n’ roll which echoes the past. In 2019, his original music was featured on the hit Netflix show “Lucifer,” and he was voted one of the top guitarists in the 2022 Best of WNC by the Mountain Xpress.

Hosting the event will be hosts Mare Carmody and Charlie Wilkinson. Location is The Brandy Bar + Cocktails, 504 Seventh Ave. East, Hendersonville, NC 28792, 828-845-0546. For more information, please contact us at: WNCsongwritersessions@gmail.com

https://thebrandybar.com/2130-2/

Wed. 4/5 – 4-9:00 PM – $5 sangria special and Thurs 4/6 – 4-9:00 PM – Cocktail dreams + events update

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SPECIAL EVENT UPDATE: Wed 4/12  NC Writers Network sponsors In the Company of Writers featuring guest poets – Kelli Allen and Nicole Farmer.  and Wed 4/19 – Songwriters Sessions Mare Carmody, Carrie Morrison, and Andrew Thelston. Visit Facebook for details: https://www.facebook.com/TheBrandyBar

Wed. 4/5/23 – 4-9:00 PM – Our very special $5 red sangrias – nice cabernet sauvignon, brandy, fresh strawberries, raspberries, a few pineapple pieces for brightness, fruit juices – we try to keep this sangria as dry as we can recognizing that red wine has more sweetness to it than the dryer white. You will still love it!

Thurs 4/6/23 – 4-9:00 PM – Dreams of Cocktails special:

   The meaning of the cocktail as a dream symbol: Dreaming of cocktail is generally a bad sign, but not something that you need to be worried about. When you mix two to three alcohols together and consume it, you are bound to get a nice kick in your brain, which might lead to a hangover.
Dreaming of drinking cocktail means that you are going through a tough time at your work-place. Even though cocktail is sweet and tangy at the same time, it is not essential that the dream has any good news for you, especially if you gulp the entire cocktail at once in your dream.
   Dreaming of sharing your cocktail with someone means that you have a habit of being dependent on others, when it comes to your problems. No doubt it is a good sign that you have someone with you, but it also means that there’s no way in which you can take the responsibility of your own problems in your waking life.
   If you dream of drinking more than one cocktail, it means that you are being too greedy about something in your waking life. This greediness may lead to a lot of complications in future.
   Dreaming of spilling cocktail means that you are soon going to find ways to get rid of your current problems.
3 most Common Cocktail Dreams: (1) Throwing a glass of cocktail – Such a dream means that you are an extremely disciplined person in your waking life and people adore you for that. (2) Making a cocktail – Such a dream means that you create problems on your own and then crib about them. (3)
Crying with a glass of cocktail in hands – Such a dream can be an indication of some sort of bad news in the coming time.
The Brandy Bar’s suggested “symbolic cocktails”
The ultimate cocktail: The Martini. Brandy, splash of gin & vermouth -The glass alone says sophistication and has become the universal symbol of cocktail culture.
The cocktail sour: The “Sidecar” – brandy, Cointreau, sour mix
It is believed to be the first sour cocktail in the States, with the Margarita & Daiquiri coming later.
The Old Fashioned – brandy, mulled orange & cherries, sugar, bitters. Named for its status as the earliest cocktail, originally whiskey, bitters and sugar
The French 75 – Brandy, fresh squeezed lemon juice, topped with champagne. A classy spin on the Mimosa but tastier and refreshing.
One-half price Cognac flight

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!” 

Wed 3/8 – Sangria returns & NC Writers Network and Thurs 3/9 – Crazy Horse specials

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Wed March 8, 2023 – 7-9:00 PM This early spring weather brings a return of the white sangria that will be served for the 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. The next in the series features John Desjarlais, a published author, and speaker. 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. If interested in reading your work, you may sign up at the door or online athttps://thebrandybar.com/writers-open-mic/  Presentations are limited to five minutes.  A former producer with Wisconsin Public Radio and retired professor of journalism and English, John Desjarlais writes historical novels and contemporary mysteries. His first novel, The Throne of Tara: A Novel of Saint Columba, was a Christianity Today Reader’s Choice Award nominee, and his medieval thriller, Relics, was a Doubleday Book Club Selection. Bleeder, Viper (a Catholic Arts and Letters Award nominee), and Specter The Light of Tara: A Novel of Saint Patrick. constitute the ‘Higher Mysteries’ series. Blood of the Martyrs and Other Stories collects short fiction previously published in a variety of literary journals. 

Thurs 3/9 – 4-9:00 PM – Crazy Horse cocktail specials: Incredible! By some strange computer technical sidetrack, we found that low and behold, the Crazy Horse Memorial is still under construction after 70 years and still going on…. Everyone remembers the Oglala Lakota Chief “Crazy Horse” and “General George Custer” and the unforgettable battle at the Little Bighorn where the General met his match in the Chief on June 24,1876. If completed as designed, it will become the world’s second tallest statute, after the Statute of Unity in India. When the carving of Mount Rushmore began in 1927, the local Lakota Indians objected loudly. The Black Hills of South Dakota, by treaty, belonged to them. After Chief Henry Standing Bear’s request for a Crazy Horse monument was made to the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, Gutzon Borglum, and remained unanswered, the Chief wrote to Korczak Ziolkowski, who had assisted in the carving of Mount Rushmore. The Chief asked him to help the local Native American tribes etch their own heroes into rock. Thus began the Crazy Horse Memorial. 

The monument is being carved out of Thunderhead Mountain on land considered sacred by the Oglala Lakota and lies roughly 8 miles from Mount Rushmore. The memorial master plan includes the mountain carving, an Indian Museum of North America, and a Native American Cultural Center. It will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. The Chiefs felt it was most fitting to have the face of Crazy Horse sculpted since “Crazy Horse is the real patriot of the Sioux tribe and the only one worthy to place by the side of Washington and Lincoln.”

The face of the sculpture, a towering 87 feet, was dedicated in 1998. When completed, the sculpture will stand 641 feet long and 563 feet tall making it the world’s largest sculpture by far. For a size comparison, the head of Crazy Horse alone is 27 feet taller than the 6 story heads of Mount Rushmore. In fact, if you were to stack all the heads of Mount Rushmore on top of one another it still wouldn’t reach half the height of Crazy Horse. The horse head alone could easily fit two of Lincoln’s inside of it.  After the death of Ziolkowski in 1982 the family took charge of completion of the sculpture and instead of completing the horse first, chose to finish Crazy Horse’s face first. The head and face has now been completed and work is under way on the much larger horse portion. As of 2022, there was no timeline for when the monument would be completed. However, the hand, arm, shoulder, hairline, and top of the horse’s head are anticipated to be finished by 2037.

Crazy Horse cocktail specials: Crazy Horse – Oglala Lakota – 1840-1877 -Douglas fir, rum, calvados, Cointreau, CB Frost, cranberry & orange juice; Sitting Bull Lakota – 1831-1890 – Courvoisier, rum, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, allspice, sour mix; Red Cloud – Lakota -1822-1909 – CB Frost, Apple cider, lemon juice ; Geronimo – Chiricahua/Apache – 1829-1909 – C & K brandy, limoncello, lemon juice, apricot jam, fresh sage leaves; Wilma Mankiller – Cherokee-1945-2010 – Cointreau, rum, Tina Maria, fresh brewed coffee;  1/2 price Armagnac/Calvados flight

 

 

 

Wed 3/1 – 4-9 $5 specials and Thurs 3/2 – 4-9 PM – Jack Rose Riffs specials

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Wed. 3/1 – 4-9:00 PM $5 special straight pours – Armagnac de Montal VS – fruity, ripe aromas of banana, nectarine, peach, and date emerges from the aggressive alcohol. Entry is sweet and smoky; flavor at mid-palate is sugary, laden with wood that wipes out fruit elements.  Or – Clear Creek Plum – Viewed as the gold standard for slivovitz in the world. This lively kosher spirit shimmers and has an aroma and taste of small yellow Mirabelle plum and unripe peach. This eau-de-vie is pure, transparent with ripe fruit, and ends with a slightly bitter orange taste. The length on the finish is solid and clean.

Thurs. 3/2 – 4-9:00 PM – Have you ever enjoyed our Jack Rose Cocktail? Considered by some bartenders to contain that perfect ratio of 8 parts base spirit (applejack), 2 parts sour (lemon or lime), and 1 part sweet (grenadine). This ratio is a great starting point for many drinks. The formula renders a slightly tart drink with a subtle sweetness. It’s easy to add a little more sweetness if needed. The drink was a celebrity appearing in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 classic “The Sun Also Rises” and a favorite drink of author John Steinbeck as well as appearing in Tennessee Williams’ 1951 play, “The Rose Tattoo.” The drink has a history as early as a 1905 in an article in the “National Police Gazette” that credits a New Jersey bartender named Frank J. May as its creator. Another story in a 1913 news article comments that sales of the drink were suffering due to the involvement of Bald Jack Rose in the Rosenthal murder case. The most likely explanation is that it is a simple portmanteau — it is made with applejack and is rose-colored from the grenadine.

The cocktail fell out of fashion. In June 2003, the Washington Post published an article that followed two writers’ quest to find a Jack Rose in any Washington, DC bar. They were unsuccessful in finding one where the bartender knew the drink. Finally, they bought a bottle of applejack for one of the few bartenders they encountered who knew how to make one. However, with the craft cocktail movement on the rise, the Jack Rose has regained some popularity.

Laird & Company, the oldest distillery in the US (making brandy when George Washington was President) and producer of the applejack that The Brandy Bar uses, is still in the Laird family. When properly made, the apple aromas that are subtle and subdued in the applejack spirit practically leap from mixing glass once mixed. Whether by accident or design, the acids, sugars, and tannins in grenadine and lemon (or lime) juice wake up the apple brandy by replacing what was lost from the apple during the distillation process, namely the mixture of sweet and tart. While we like to use lime rather than lemon, we leave it up to you. Lime a little sweeter and lemon a little tarter……

Brandy Bar Jack Rose – Laird’s applejack, lime juice, grenadine; Jacque Rose – Calvados, lime juice, grenadine; Jack Rose with lemon – Laird’s applejack, lemon juice, grenadine; Paris Jack Rose – Laird’s applejack, gin, sweet & dry vermouth, orange-lime-juice, grenadine; Irish Jack Rose – Irish whiskey, Calvados, lime, grenadine; Fruit/infused flight – 1/2 price