Hey Bartender

Bartender Q & A

THE INBOX IS full, so I thought I'd use this week's post to answer a few questions.

How many liquors are there in a Long Island Iced Tea?

Let's start with a little history. Legend suggests that years ago the older bartenders at a large catering facility known as Leonard's, located in Great Neck, NY, used to prepare whiskey sours for large wedding receptions. The younger bartenders noticed that the younger bridal parties didn't seem to enjoy the sours drinks, so they began making pitchers of something they called Leonard's Iced Tea. This concoction was made with liquors from their premium well: Smirmoff, Beefeater, Bacardi, Cuervo Gold, and Cointreau. It became a wildly popular drink at Leonard's and over time it was taught to other bartenders in the New York metropolitan area. As time passed, the drink became known as a Long Island Iced Tea. The recipe for this classic cocktail is as follows: 1/2 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce rum, 1/2 ounce tequila, 1/2 ounce gin, 1/2 triple sec, 3/4 ounce simple syrup, 3/4 fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and 3 ounces Coca-Cola. The ingredients should be added to a mixing tin with ice and stirred. The resulting cocktail should then be strained into a large iced tea glass filled with ice and garnished with a lemon wedge. I will add a word of warning when making a Long Island Iced Tea. The total alcohol content of this cocktail is only 2 1/2 ounces. Do not fall into the trap of adding one ounce of each liquor. The end product will not taste very good and if you drink enough of them, you'll find yourself paying homage to the porcelain god sooner rather than later. So, to answer the original question, there are five liquors in a Long Island Iced Tea. There are not ten, fifteen or twenty liquors in this cocktail. It would be insane and most certainly illegal for a bartender to make a drink with that many liquors in it at any bar I've heard of.

What's your Top 10 list of beers for summer consumption?

• Allagash White - Allagash Brewing Company
• Hitachino Nest White Ale - Kiuchi Brewery
• Chimay Tripel - Bieres de Chimay (Abbaye Notre Dame de Scourmount
• Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse - Spaten-Franziskaner-Brau
• Maisel's Weisse Original - Brauerei Gebruder Maisel GmbH & Co.
• Hefeweizen - Legend Brewing Company
• Hopulent IPA - Epic Brewing Company
• Hop Stoopid - Lagunitas Brewing Company
• Paulaner Hefe-Weizen - Paulaner Brauerei GmbH & Co. KG
• Russian Imperial Stout - Stone Brewing Company

That's my list in no particular order. It's hard to have a top ten list when you enjoy so many different styles of beer. I do tend to move toward the lighter wheat beers when it gets hot, but I also love a good IPA and the occasional stout as well. This list is always up for debate, but if you haven't had any of the beers on this list, you should give them a try. It's never too late to find another favorite to add to your personal list.

What's a good wine to drink during the hot summer months ahead?

There are lots of great wines that can be enjoyed during the hot days ahead. One of my favorites might surprise you. Rosé wines have long been associated with the summer season, but they've had to overcome the perception that they are sweet, introductory wines. True rosés are often off-dry to dry and display fresh fruit flavors that hint of strawberry and raspberry. The terms rosé, rosado, rosato, and blush all refer to pink wines. The pink shade can range from a soft, subtle hue to a vibrant, hot pink, to an almost deep purple tint. The color is determined by the amount of time the grape skins are allowed to remain in contact with the juice. Most rosé wines are made from red wine grapes. Pinot Noir, Garnache, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Sangiovese, and Cabernet Sauvignon are the usual suspects. Rosé can be made with a single varietal or from a blend of several varietals from the list. The varietals used generally depend on the country of origin. For instance, rosado from Spain is often derived from Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes, while rosatos from Italy are made with Sangiovese.

The are a couple of reasons why rosé wines are perfect for summer. First, they are served chilled, making them quite refreshing on a warm summer day. Second, rosés top the list with respect to food-friendliness. They pair well with almost anything. It's an excellent wine choice for summer cookout events. Whether you're serving steak, seafood, hamburgers or hot dogs, rosé will fit right in nicely.

Do not confuse rosé with White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel is an abomination more closely associated with wine coolers, not wine. Savvy wine drinkers know the difference and avoid this abomination like the plague. For those interested in trying rosé, there are quite a few very good ones out there. My favorites are made with the Malbec grape and are produced in Argentina. Their colors are beautiful and they are delicious. Rosa de Argentina is a great, inexpensive example of this type of wine. Check your local wine shop for this and other rosé wines from around the world.

So, there you have it -- mysteries revealed! Thanks again for all the great questions and please keep them coming. If you've had a great rosé wine or have a summer beer that you enjoy, take the time to leave a comment. I'd love to hear what you enjoy. As always, whether drinking a Long Island Iced Tea, a hefeweizen, or a rosé, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!