In the past, we've talked about cocktails made with Sazerac Rye Whiskey and Rain Organic Vodka as well as discussed a little trivia about Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite the fact that these are different types of distillates, they all have something in common. They are produced under the same umbrella. Today, let's connect the dots.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is located in Frankfort, KY. The name is a tribute to a time long past, when the American Bison or buffalo thundered across the unsettled territories of early America. The paths carved by these amazingly beautiful beasts were known as traces. The Great Buffalo Trace, a once well-known path, led to the banks of what is now called the Kentucky River. Millions of buffalo used this passage as they crossed the river toward the Great Plains. In 1775, a settlement was established near the site of this long-forgotten buffalo crossing.

THERE AREN'T MANY things more amusing to me than urban legends. I'm always fascinated by the things people will believe without ever verifying the facts or challenging the common sense that we were all born with. We've all heard an urban legend before. Even Santa Claus himself is part of urban lore. There is one legend in particular that always makes me laugh. It states that the modern image of Santa that we are all familiar with was created by the Coca-Cola Company. This hardly makes sense to me, but there are many who believe it. The image of the Santa that we know is a hybrid, descended from St. Nicholas, whose outward appearance and history were created and shaped by many people over the course of many, many years until he morphed into the familiar jolly old fat man in a red and white costume who lives at the North Pole and delivers gifts to little girls and boys on Christmas eve. It should make perfect sense that what we know as Santa Claus existed long before Coco-Cola began adorning their cans with his image.

What does this have to do with bartending? I'm glad you asked. A friend suggested that I look at some urban legends related to drinking. You've probably heard some of these stories yourself and you've probably thought that, taken with a grain of salt, they must be true. Let's have a look at a few to find out what is fact and what is fiction.

I ONCE HAD a college professor who said that the only stupid questions are the ones that you don't ask. Obviously, several of you had the same professor because you've been sending in some brilliant questions. I thought I'd take the time to answer a few of the ones I've gotten recently.

Are there any other beers named after famous jazz artists?

Those of you familiar with jazz have no doubt heard of Thelonious Sphere Monk. His style of play and his compositions have placed him on the list of giants in American music. Those who are unfamiliar with jazz may not know that this form of music is the only original form of art created in America. Among jazz composers, only Duke Ellington has been recorded more than Monk. His many accomplishments include being the founder of what is now known as bebop. His compositions and improvisations are loaded with dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists that reflect Monk's unorthodox approach to playing the piano, which, at times combined a highly percussive attack with a sudden, dramatic use of silence and hesitation.

LIVING IN RICHMOND has been great! When I arrived, summer was about half over already, but I managed to find lots to do. Before I knew it, fall had claimed its quarter of 2010. There were lots of fall festivals and plenty of fall foliage to enjoy. Last week, we got our first indication that winter was on its way as there was some serious snow flurries spotted on Saturday night.This inspired yet another conversation about winter cocktails. I thought that I'd spend this post listing some of my favorites along with their preparations. I'll break them into two categories: hot drinks and cold drinks. Hopefully, I'll introduce you to some things that you haven't heard of before.

Brian's Rain

2 ounces Patron Resposado tequila
1/2 ounce mulled apple cider
1/2 pineapple juice
6 - 8 fresh blueberries

IN APRIL OF 1970, the seminal album in Jazz Fusion history was released -- Bitches Brew, by Miles Davis. This highly touted double album set was a continuation of Miles' experimentation with the use of electric instruments to fuse the traditional jazz style with the much looser rock style. Bitches Brew was recorded over a three day span in mid-August of 1969 and featured some of the best known names in what would become the Jazz Fusion era: Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette, and Bennie Maupin.

This ground-breaking work was not only an advancement in jazz music, but also in the methods used in post-production as well. The producer, Teo Macero, used the recording studio in some very radical new ways. Techniques such as tape loops, tape delays, echo effects and reverb chambers were used to give the music a unique sound not heard before on recorded music.

AS THE HOLIDAY season approaches, the conversations in my world revolve around the food we'll enjoy together and what we'll drink with all that good food we've been talking about. This year, I have a new family and quite a few new friends. This presents me with the interesting task of learning what all these new people in my life like while retaining all the likes and dislikes of those who have been a

part of my life for so many years. I like challenges, so this turned out to be more fun than you could imagine. One of the hardest things to do is to find things that everyone will enjoy. It's a lot harder than you can imagine, but sometimes there is a silver lining. Today's post will outline two wines that will at least please those among us who do not enjoy wine.