Hey Bartender

Let's start at the beginning. A Margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila mixed with an orange-flavored liqueur and either fresh lemon or lime juice, often served with in a glass with a salted rim. Originally, it was served on the rocks, but it can also be served frozen or straight-up. There are many stories about the origins of the margarita. The most plausible is that it is a variation of a cocktail called a Daisy, which consists of a base spirit (brandy, whiskey, gin, rum or vodka), lemon juice, sugar, and grenadine. Since daisy loosely translates to margarita in Spanish, this is most likely the cocktails origin.

The idea behind the Skinny Girl Margarita was to create a low calorie equivalent to the margarita we all know and love. The creator of the Skinny Girl Margarita, Bethenny Frankel, remarked that I wasn't an expert -- I was just another person bothered by a 700-calorie margarita. Her Skinny Girl formula yields a 100 calorie cocktail per 4 ounce serving. This is quite a few calories less than 700, but what exactly is a calorie?

A calorie is an archaic unit of energy first defined by Nicolas Clement in 1824 as a unit of heat. It has since been replaced by a unit of energy known as the joule, however, many countries still use it as a unit of food energy. There are two types of calories: small and large. Large calories or food calories measure the approximate energy needed to increase the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 1 degree Celsius. By now, you should be wondering why this even matters when consuming your favorite alcoholic beverage. Especially, when scientists admit that it's difficult to precisely measure the energy needed to increase the temperature of even 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius because the measurement depends on the starting temperature of the water in question.

Just for fun, let's take another look at the basic recipe for a Margarita: 1 1/2 ounces of tequila, 3/4 ounce of an orange-flavored liqueur, and 3/4 ounce of fresh lemon or lime juice. I like to use Patron Silver and Grand Marnier in my margaritas, so let's look at some numbers. 1 1/2 ounces of Patron Silver contains 69 calories, 3/4 ounce of Grand Marnier contains 57 calories and 3/4 ounce of fresh lime juice contains 6 calories. Salt and ice have absolutely no calories. If the patron who requested the Skinny Girl Margarita had waited to hear my alternative, she would have learned that my suggestion would have contained just 132 calories. This is slightly more than the 100 pre-packaged calories in the Skinny Girl Margarita, but far less than the exaggerated 700.

The point here is that a clever marketing trick has ruined quite a few people's perception of a time honored and classic cocktail. This simple recipe has been modified over the years so that it, at times, barely resembles the original. However, by sticking to the original recipe, you get a low calorie cocktail that tastes great and was invented during a time when no one cared about their caloric intake. This is good news since there are very few people who can explain to you what a calorie is in the first place. If science doesn't use the term calorie anymore, why should we care how many of them are in our cocktails?

So, there you have it, the Skinny Girl Margarita -- uncovered! It's all so simple when you break things down Brian-tifically. The classic Margarita is a simple, yet elegant recipe that has been enjoyed around the world for decades. When made properly, it's delicious, refreshing and low in those antediluvian calories. The lesson here is that when something new hits the market, don't fall for the hype -- do your homework!!! Clever marketing sells a lot things that aren't any better than what we already have. Today's post is a clear example of this tactic. No one knows what a calorie is anymore, but it's somehow gone from a scientific unit of energy to a bad part of our diet. Generally, when science abandons something, it's because they've found a better way to do it. Maybe we should take their lead and abandon the term calorie as well. That way, when we see it on labels, we can just ignore it and feel much better about our choices. As always, no matter what kind of Margarita you enjoy, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!

When I arrived, there was a large crowd waiting to get into the festival, while hundreds of others were already enjoying themselves inside. Like me, many thought that it might rain, so they waited until the last minute to decide whether to take the risk. The good news is that the risk/reward ratio at this event was very high. Upon entry, I received my sampling glass and map of the area. For the second year in a row, I got the impression that the organizers had read my mind. All the beers that I was most interested in trying seemed to be positioned really close to each other. The layout was similar to last year. There were food vendors near the main entrance. The main stage along with the VIP seating area were located in the rear of the park adjacent to the Elizabeth River with the main vending area positioned in the middle of everything. There were several strategically placed water stations and plenty of open space for blankets and lawn chairs as well. The tasting stations were placed along outer edges of the park. These locations allowed everyone to find the beers they wanted to taste and then return to their chairs and blankets as required. The ability to purchase pitchers of what you really liked made this an ideal set-up.

Since my time was limited this year, I tried to come up with a strategy to cover as much ground as I could. In order to do so, I decided to get a sample of a beer to help me think. That beer, Franziskaner Weissbier from Munich became the catalyst for my beer themed adventure at this years festival. I decided to try as many wheat beers as I could. For those who read my posts, you're probably familiar with the term Weissbier. As a refresher, Weissbier is German for white beer. This style, also known as Weizenbier or wheat beer, is a German beer style that must always be top-fermented under the rules set forth by the German Purity Law.

So, with my theme in place, I sought out every weissbier, weizenbier, hefeweiss, hefeweizen, and wheat beer in the park. There were quite a few, so I'll highlight the ones that I really liked. Not that I had a bad one, but there were just too many to list. The fine beer pourers stationed next to my new friends from Franziskaner were in possession of Paulaner, who make a very good hefeweizen. Paulaner is also brewed in Germany, so it's similar to Franziskaner, but Paulaner is probably a lot easier to find on store shelves. If this is your favorite style, you'll be happy to know that Weihenstephaner, and König Ludwig were also represented. If you're a Belgian beer drinker, you'd have enjoyed the wheat beers from La Trappe and Tripel Karmeliet.

Closer to home, the wheat offerings by Widmer Brothers, Flying Dog, and Abita were also excellent. Each year, I'm always impressed by Legend Breweries Hefeweizen. This year was no exception. They always make thinking globally, yet drinking locally so easy. Other local breweries represented this year were St. Georges from Hampton, Starr Hill from Charlottesville, and Alewerks from Williamsburg. I'd also like to welcome the new kids on the brewery block: Beach Brewing Company from Virginia Beach and O'Connor Brewing Company from Norfolk. I sampled beers from each and they were very impressive. I hope to be able to visit each of them soon.

Before you get the impression that I spent the entire day enjoying awesome refreshing wheat beers from around the world, let me mention a couple of the unusual beers that I sampled. First, there was Hoppy Feet, a black IPA from Clown Shoes, located in Massachusetts. This dark brown glass of liquid goodness was awesome. It has a mix of dark chocolate and caramel on the nose with lots and lots of hops, roasted malt and molasses on the palate. Okay, I'll admit that I sampled it more than once, but only because it was that good. Second, there was Gouden Carolus D'Or - Grand Cru of the Emperor. Attendees of the festival may not be aware that this beer is actually called Cuvée Van De Keizer Blauw. It's brewed by Brouwerij Het Anker from Belgian. This Belgian Strong Dark Ale was absolutely my favorite from this years festival. As the name of the beer style suggests, the beer is dark brown with a nose that is very complex. I sensed malt, yeast, spices, fruit and alcohol. The taste was amazing: smooth, sweet, and silky. I couldn't resist trying it again. It was indescribably good. It also weighed in at 12.5% ABV. This rare treat is only brewed once a year in very limited quantities on February 24th to commemorate the birthday of Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. I look forward to enjoying this beer again soon.

So, there you have it, the 2011 Virginia Beer Festival -- untapped. I'd really like to thank the organizers of this magnificent event for inviting me again this year. Events like this are what make my job fun and easy. I'd also like to thank all the nice people that I spoke with during the day. It was great to talk beer with everyone and share stories while enjoying good beer. It was also great to see so many of my favorite breweries represented: Ommegang, Dogfish Head, Stone, Oskar Blues, 21st Amendment, La Trappe, Brooklyn, Breckenridge, Southern Tier, Left Hand Brewing.... If you weren't there, you missed a great experience. I'm already looking forward to next year. As always, whether drinking locally or globally, with friend or with strangers, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!

Located where Semmes Avenue and Forest Hill Avenue merge near Third Street and Dundee Avenue on the southside of Richmond is Crossroads Coffee & Ice Cream. It and its sister location near VCU are both locally owned and independently operated. When I envision a coffee shop, places like Crossroads are what come to mind. I felt at home immediately. The staff is friendly, the food is delicious, and the atmosphere is cozy. It doesn't have that wreak of corporate structure. Not only is Crossroads locally owned, but they support the local area by offering quite a few local products: teas from Tammy Rostov, desserts from Quality Bakery, and Bev's Homemade Ice Cream.

The food is not your normal coffee shop fare. If you must have pastries with your coffee, there is a wide variety of home-made and locally-created delights available, but there is so much more. For those who are awake at the wee hours of the morning, there is French toast, Breakfast Burritos and Build-Your-Own scrambled eggs. There is also cereal, oatmeal, and a quiche of the day. If you're like me, then you'll arrive at lunch time, which is the perfect time for a wrap, panini, sandwich, soup or salad. The list includes a B. L. T. sandwich, Blackened Caesar Wrap, and The Club Panini. There are also quite a few side dishes. Pasta salad, fruit salad, hummus and tofu highlight that list as the menu includes vegetarian options as well. The soft drink selection covers the entire spectrum: smoothies, milkshakes, iced tea, fruit juice and soda. As I mentioned earlier, Crossroads proudly serves Rostov's Coffee & Tea. Rostov's has been a part of the Richmond community since 1979. Coffee drinkers rave about how great it is, so I will defer to their expert opinion on this matter.

If you've been reading Hey Bartender over the years, then you know that a coffee shop wouldn't be one of my favorite hangouts unless.....they served beer. Crossroads has one of the best selections of beer that I've seen outside the chain restaurant world. What I like most is that their beer list does not contain any of the commercially popular beers. Their taps include selections from local favorite Legend Brewery, as well as Ommegang Brewery, Bell's Brewery, and Dogfish Head. The bottle selection is also amazing. One of the bottles I tried recently is the reason that I will probably always hangout there.

As you may recall from a previous post, Dogfish Head once partnered with Sony records to brew a beer to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the critically acclaimed Bitches Brew album by Miles Davis. While relaxing at Crossroads the other day, I spotted the second of what I hope are many collaborations between Sony and Dogfish Head. The latest is called Hellhound on My Ale and it was brewed to mark the 100th birthday of famed blues-man Robert Johnson. Legend has it that Johnson sold his soul in a midnight bargain that supposedly has haunted the music world for decades. The legendary deal gave Johnson a unique playing style and a string of hit records which became the cornerstone of Columbia Records' identity and influenced a number of artists over the years.

The beer's official name is Robert Johnson's Hellhound on My Ale, which is a tribute to one of Johnson's hits, Hellhound on my Trail. Like Bitches Brew, Hellhound is packaged in a 750 ml bottle. The liquid inside is an orange to copper color with a nice eggshell white head that leaves thick curtains of lace on the glass. The nose has light floral and citrus notes with a little caramel up front. The taste is bitter, but nice. There is quite a bit of hoppiness on the palate with plenty of lemons and orange. The lemon is a tribute to Johnson's mentor, Blind Lemon Jefferson. Overall, this beer is nicely balanced and definitely worth giving a try. Just be careful. It's 750ml of liquid goodness at 10% ABV.

So, there you have it, Crossroads and Hellhound -- uncovered. Whether you're a coffee aficionado or a beer connoisseur, chances are you'll find what you're looking for at this hidden gem. It's a great place to sit and relax with friends, a good book, or your laptop. Free wi-fi allows you to socialize with friends no matter where they are. If you're ever on the south side of Richmond, pay Crossroads a visit. You won't be disappointed. As always, whether you're enjoying a triple grande latte with soy milk or a fine Belgian Ale, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!