10800

I need to find a topic for tonight... I was hoping to read more about the Muppets... but, alas, Eliza has not posted anymore

I think I will, however, go up to the balcony and join Waldorf and Statler in the heclkling

--10801--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

--10802--

hmm... looks like Pixies has already re-located... the URL is directed to port 81 for me (pixies-place.com:81)

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

--10803--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

--10804--

OK... seeing as I posted about beer and then about Scotch whiskey... here are some facts (though not throughly checked) about Gin (my choice of drink tonight... a Saphire Martini, extra dry of course).

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

Francis de La Boe, a 17th century professor of medicine at Leyden University, Holland, is credited with being the originator of the botanical, flavored beverage spirits known as gin. Since his product's primary flavor was due to the essential oils extracted from juniper berries, he gave it the French name, "jenievre," which appeared later as the Dutch "geneva" and finally was abridged to the English "gin." Distilled gin is a distillate obtained by original distillation from mash, or by the redistillation of the distilled spirits, over or with juniper berries and other aromatics customarily used in the production of gin.

--10805--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

Gin derives its main characteristic flavor from juniper berries. In addition to juniper berries, other botanicals may be used, including angelica root, anise, coriander, caraway seeds, lime, lemon and orange peel, licorice, clalmus, cardamon, cassia bark, orris root, and bitter almonds. The use and proportion of any of these botanicals in the gin formula is left to the producer, and the character and quality of the gin will depend to a great extent on the skill of the craftsman in formulating his recipe. The more discerning producers formulate their aromatic ingredients on the basis of the essential oil content in the raw materials to assure a greater degree of product uniformity.

--10806--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

To expose the essential oils, the ingredients are reduced to a granular form and then immersed directly into the kettle (pot) which is filled with grain neutral spirits at approximately 100o proof. A vapor phase extraction may also be used. n this case the botanical mixture is placed on trays or in baskets in the head of the kettle where the alcoholic vapors, in passing through, extract the essential oils and rise to the condenser.

--10807--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

It is important that the grain spirits be as neutral as possible (devoid of congeners) to ensure that no undesirable flavors be imparted to the gin. In addition to the kettle, some gin stills have a refinement section (as many as six plates) above the kettle for flavor stability and enrichment. Indirect steam head is applied and the various essential oils are distilled over during the entire distillation cycle. The first portion (heads) and the last portion of the cycle (tails) are not included in the product. Only the heard of the run is used and it represents approximately an 85% recovery of the original alcohol concentration in the kettle. This, of course, varies with the type of product that is desired by the producer. Some distillers, to avoid thermal decomposition of the delicate flavors and to acquire a degree of softness, conduct distillation under reduced pressure at a temperature of about 135oF. London Dry Gin is produced in accordance with the procedures described in this paragraph.

--10808--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

In Great Britain and Canada the regulations permit and recognize the use of maturation techniques for gin. Gins stored in special oak casks acquire a pale golden hue and a unique "dryness" of flavor. Although distillers are permitted to mature gins in the United States for further flavor development, the Federal Government does not permit an age claim or any reference to aging to appear on the label.

--10809--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

Holland Gin, characterized by its high flavor intensity derived mostly from juniper berries and cereal grains (corn, rye, barley malt), is produced by immersing the botanical mixture directly into the grain mash peior to distillation or be extracting the essential oils from the botanical mixture with the heavy distillate (high wines) from a fermented mash of grain, consisting of corn, rye, and barley malt. As a consequence, the flavors produced during fermentation become flavor components of the final product.

--10810--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

Compound Gin is a mixture of grain spirits and proportions of essential oil extracts from botanicals. It does not undergo any distillation procedure. It is practically nonexistent in the market.

--10811--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

I need a refill
--10812--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

As a result of excessive drunkenness and poorly produced gin, licensing and taxation laws were introduced. Gin became a more expensive and higher quality drink and began a steady ascent up the class ladder. From the unlikeliest conditions of squalor, desperation and degeneration emerged London Dry Gin, one of the world’s greatest spirits.

--10813--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White

Doctors used gin in the 16th century to treat kidney disorders.

--10814--

__________________
-Toast-
"It takes a lot of brains to enjoy satire, humor and wit - but none to be offended by them." -- Johnny Hart ("BC", cartoonist, 2000)
"Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog: Nobody really enjoys it and the frog generally dies as a result." -- E. B. White