Knoxville Christmas Spirits

O Whisky Season

Drinking Gatlinburg

Gatlinburg has more to offer than outlet shopping, the national park and Flapjack breakfast restaurants. While it is difficult to ignore those things, along with air brushed shirts, Airsoft guns and old timey photos, you can find other things to do in the South’s finest tourist location if you put forth just a little bit of effort. Our group went up for the weekend and managed to have a pretty good time doing what we do best – crafting. No, that’s a lie. We drank a lot of booze and feasted on steak dinners all weekend. (Hint - that’ a recipe for success just about anywhere you go.)

A few notes:


Set up a personal bar in the hotel room as soon as you check in. It is a very comfortable feeling knowing that no matter what happens during your stay that you will have your favorite adult beverage waiting for you in the privacy of your room. You'll need to have this for front-loading purposes but it serves as an emergency backup in case you get separated from the group or simply cut off at the hotel bar.

The Peddler is a fine restaurant that serves a delicious rib eye steak dinner. The salad bar is exquisite and the servers aren't above serving shots of bourbon and tequila between dinner courses (see LVL's previous post). Everyone's entrees were perfect and service was outstanding. I envision a return trip to this place, hopefully sooner than later.

And there were bloody marys. We were strolling the strip looking for our next watering hole to enjoy a nice, cold beer when we saw the sign at McCutchan's Bar & Grill advertising the world's finest bloody mary. Well, tempted by such a claim we sauntered into the bar "area" and ordered 4 of the bastards. A "regular" took our order and placed it with the barmaiden who began making our cocktails. Soon enough a nice server with a heavy eastern European accent delivered our bloodys and we drank 'em down. Yes, they were very good but sadly I do not think they were the world's best, sorry McCutchan. We moved on our way and within 2 blocks we saw another sign advertising the "world's best bloody mary". Shit. We'd been had but there was no way I was about to go in to comparison shop.

We opted to drink atop the mountain at Ober Gatlinburg instead. Good call. Although the options were limited once we reached the lodge, the bar was open, prices weren't too bad and the service was good. Mission accomplished. We moved on to Pucker's and Hoggs & Honeys to wrap up our drinking on the strip before returning to the hotel for dinner (another steak) and drinks. All in all I'd say it was a regal experience, and I'd like to make it back there without waiting 10 years between visits next time.

Disturbing Trends in Dinner Prickery

So, this past weekend some members the group got the H out of dodge and pub crawled in a new town. There is something profoundly necessary about dealing with Holiday and impending winter related stress by taking one's shit on the road. A good rule is that at least one full day should be devoted to the crawl proper. Find a tasty Bloody Mary and then just go into the afternoon with an open mind. The details...such as those regarding our destination, fade into obscurity. Unnecessary even.

During these adventures, the mind often embraces its creative side. New things are tried, experimentation keeps everyone on their toes. Such was the setting for a Mackey-LVL contest of wills and livers.

The setting was a fine restaurant, where our group initially made reservations but always looking for the quickest way to continue the drinking(of course we started way before, don't judge us Puritan) we found a table in the lounge. Full service of course, or the victory is hollow. Time saved: 25 minutes from the initial reservation. We were victims of our own smug success, since we would have to slam our drinks seated.

To Mackey's initial surprise, I informed the server that we two gentlemen would need whisky shots-in a hurry. He didn't disappoint and those warm bastards arrived right before the salad.

LVL: 1, Mackey Nil. To be fair, I didn't enjoy the contrast in flavor either, but shit it had to be done. Pro-A strong opening move. Con-tasted like pain.

Not to be outdone, Mackey retaliates with a strong counter to the pre-salad bourbon: The mid-meal tequila. Nothing like chilled Patron to make you appreciate the next bite of prime rib or steak. The mouth is alternately confused and then grateful.

Pro-A devastating blow to my dinner morale. Con-sparks profanity in a setting unaccustomed to such prickery. LVL: 1, Mackey: 1. Push.

Final word? Neither of us want to go through that again. It was just pointless once everyone regained the faculty of civilized speech. No, I'll go further and admit it was a terrible idea. In summary, learn from the shitheaded behavior documented here. The lesson is that you should cockpunch your friends with a belt of Wild Turkey AFTER the last bite.

Drunken Jukebox 6 - Shots

Behold the Drunken Jukebox: Music to Motivate Your Liver. A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n roll, punk, rap, hip hop and pop crap, old or new - all musical genres and periods are open for exploitation. Quarters and crisp dollar bills not required.

Shots. It’s a single word that gets right to the point of drinking. Just saying it aloud let’s everyone know that it’s about to be ON. You’re about to drink some booze and don’t give a damn who knows it. Add a question mark and it’s an invitation from your friends or bartender to get down to business. It doesn’t get much more clear-cut than shots.

LMFAO and Lil Jon pretty much nail the idea here. They seem to "get it".





shots?

There I was completely wasting, out of work and down

Wasting? Yes. Out of work and down? No sir, although I am duly grateful during this foul oconomy. Thus with another Drinking for Vengeance in the books with the usual ceremonial JP lyric, we move into Whiskey Season right and proper on the first of December. During the holiday period with your exhaustive shopping and nauseating office parties, we remind you to hit the Makers, Jamesons, or Glenlivet early and often. Even if you only have a few minutes...and especially if you are at your wit's end with the droning shoppers and the hell of holiday traffic then its time to get stinko. You can find refuge nearly anywhere if you don't give in like a dandy.

Warm, inviting, non-judging...is there anything it can't do?

Whipahol

Damn, where was this during Thanksgiving dessert? A brand new way to consume alcohol has hit the market just in time for the holidays. Or maybe it's been out for a while now, I honestly don't know. Whipped Lightning is the world's first alcohol-infused whipped cream - it says so right on their web page. I applaud this invention even though I will probably never use it myself. According to the website it is not available in 33 states, however Tennessee somehow pulls a surprise win and it IS available here. Check out the recipes if you need instructions on how to enjoy their product. Or I'll save you the time by listing the two step process:

1. Make your favorite cocktail, shooter, coffee or dessert
2. Top with Whipped Lightning

Done.

Will this replace the tried and true method of spiking your coffee or pouring bourbon directly on your apple pie? No, it will not, especially if LVL is around with a bottle of Maker's.

Holiday Leftovers

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with family and friends to celebrate all the things you're thankful for over a heaping feast of food and football.

Drinksgiving is the time you gather with fellow drunkards and drink like there's no tomorrow. We usually throw in a Deep Fried Food Feast for good measure. After several years of doing this we have become pretty good at frying a bunch of favorites without much hassle. The 2010 menu featured the usual suspects including a whole turkey, turkey breast, fresh cut fries, English style fish & chips, Southern style catfish, hush puppies, hand-dipped corn dogs and two kinds of onion rings. All of it was pretty damn awesome. We skipped the fried sweets this year but there were plenty of pies and cookies to make up for it, along with plenty of other sides thanks to hosts Atlas & MC, Tag and MB. Of course booze, beer and wine were plentiful as well. In fact I'm looking forward to a return trip to tackle the leftovers - wine and IPA, that is.

UT Homecoming may as well be a holiday - people come in from out of town, lots of food and drink, spending money, football, good times. Not all of our alumni friends were able to make the trip in this year but we did have representation from Texas and Colorado, so that was nice. Our group behaved very well this year, mainly staying downtown for dinner and drinks. A little bit of front loading at the urban bunker didn't hurt either. It's nice to avoid jail time whenever possible.

2010 Homecoming Day vs. Ole Miss

Royal Droat

It’s been too long since we’ve had a good droat sighting. Warm weather has prevented our lovely ladies from sporting their fashionable fall wardrobes well into November. Thankfully the announcement of the latest royal wedding has stirred up the paparazzi and we have plenty of photos of Prince William’s bride-to-be Kate Middleton. I was naturally drawn to this image of Ms. Middleton in a very smart, white overcoat.

A quick Google search provided a whole slew of photos and I particularly enjoyed the ones of her celebrating her 26th birthday in 2008 with sister Pippa, via the website Just Jared.

Check out the nice plaid droat on little sis, not to mention the nice stems on those girls!! And you know you've got a fashion trend when everybody tries to copy your style. Something tells me that we'll have plenty of royal droats for years to come.

Tin Roof Expansion

The other day I was driving along Northshore Drive and noticed a sign on the “old” Roux Barbecue restaurant across from Rooster’s. Apparently Tin Roof is expanding and taking over the former place that Roux never really got off the ground. It looks like a no-brainer since the entire building features tin roofing all over, and the building should be up to date and ready to go soon since it was totally remodeled during its last stint as a restaurant. I’m not sure if arrangements have been made to address the parking situation that ultimately afflicted Roux, but maybe they can come up with a good idea that will avoid tension with their neighbors. We’ll see. Good luck Tin Roof!

Happy 235th Birthday Marines

"The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps!" Eleanor Roosevelt once said.

That’s an awesome quote. I’ll drink to that, see you at the bar.

Chili!

Let's go get some. Having some beers as well, natch.

http://www.secondharvestknox.com/etnchilicookoff/

Possum Weekend

This isn’t a George Jones promotion, although no one here will stop you from enjoying the classic country bard. Knoxville’s very own rugby team is celebrating 30 years of play on the pitch. Scrums, rucks, mauls, hookers – all good times. The Possums have a solid, well established team that has competed for many years throughout the region at a very high level. They have close ties with the accomplished UT club team and, I believe, have helped grow the sport via youth and high school programs with pretty good success. In addition to their achievements on the pitch they are also prolific drinkers. These guys are champion boozers, drunkards and tosspots. They put the fun in functional alcoholics. They like the sauce. Arthur Bach would ask them to take it down a notch – that’s how much they like to drink.

To celebrate their anniversary they will host their annual banquet at Calhoun’s on the River this Friday night followed by a day of rugby vs. Johnson City at Possum Park on Saturday. Plus the UT “A” and “B” squads will play as well. Directions and more information are available at www.knoxvillerugby.com. Maybe the banquet is off limits but there will be plenty of time for drinks afterwards, just guard your women. Hell, in fact if you are a woman looking for some interaction with brutish juiceheads this may be just what you’re looking for. This group isn’t the most discriminating bunch of guys in town, trust me I’ve been there. And if you’ve never watched or been to a rugby match before this is a great opportunity to make it happen. The weather is supposed to be cool and clear, admission is free and you can BYOB (or at least you could in the past, I haven’t been in a while). It’s a good time and fun to watch these guys run and beat the hell out of each other just for sport. As an “old boy” I congratulate and salute the Possums on 30 years of success and wish them many more. Cheers!

Tuesday

Yeah, so I've managed to acquire a bar globe. Nothing fancy, I didn't buy it airdrunk from Skymall or the Westerfield estate but it will serve in the beginning. Numerous early ideas about painting it like Unicron or the Death Star were bounced around. Like so much else, we just cut through the shit and accepted the status quo so as to get drinking "right damn now."



Not a particularly expensive or complex model, nonetheless the damn thing was lying in the motherfucking weeds and jumped up to wage hateful war against the group this last weekend! Much like Atlas and Mackey's dual kegerators that came before it the bourbon and vodka contained therein prosecuted our livers effectively. I am not confident of victory.

Maker's Mark vs. Kitty Kaga

Our favorite bourbon is being featured in an episode of Iron Chef America on the Food Network this week, one that I’m going to try to watch for sure. Admittedly I don’t watch the newer version of this program much because I prefer the original Iron Chef from Japan that they used to show with subtitles and the crazy-assed Chairman Kaga, plus the bizarre ingredients that I’d never seen or heard of before. But all things must change and I’ve watched my share of the current show, just not as much the past couple of years. I learned of the Maker’s news via my Ambassador letter from Maker’s CEO Bill Samuels, Jr. who also announced he is stepping down and turning the company operations over to his son Rob. His simple hope is that his son doesn’t fuck up the whisky, though he says it a bit more tastefully.

Below is an excerpt from Bill about the upcoming show airing on the Food Network:

This week's episode of Iron Chef America features Iron Chef Cat Cora and challenger Chef Paul Miranda in a bourbon battle to the finish. I'll leave it you to figure out which bourbon they chose for the battle. As if that's not enough, our very own Master Distiller, Kevin Smith, was one of the three judges and did us real proud! Hell, he may have even found a new career for himself. The competition was mighty fierce, but to find out whose bourbon "cuisine reigns supreme," you'll just have to watch! Here's a schedule of times (all EDT) when you can catch the episode on Food Network:

10/28 @ 9:00 PM
10/29 @ 12:00 AM
10/30 @ 5:00 PM
10/30 @ 11:00 PM
10/31 @ 2:00 AM

For those of you who want to compliment Cat Cora on her spectacular bourbon creations, go on over to her blog (http://catcoracooks.com/blog/) and give her a cheer. She might even share a recipe or two with you.

That's it for now. Hope to see you soon down here at the distillery - the fall colors are spectacular right now. And so is the whisky - as always.


Allez cuisine!

Like a sackful of axe handles

Here at DK we pay attention to minor holidays as well as major ones. To be honest, so long as we can tie in a reason to drink we'll also honor the most obscure regional festival, visit the farthest winter gathering, and humor the vilest of Nilotic dark rites-you name it, we'll knock them back somehow.

Some of you may know that one of my favorites is the anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

Say what you want to about the overall quality of Brit drinks, the Royal Navy had a great naming convention going. While the sailors of yore(and indeed today) drank copious amounts of rum, the present Autumn weather makes me prefer what limited gin I am allowed to take the form of Hendricks-with cucumber of course.

Lately though I've been doing more window shopping at the package store, and I noticed this little doozy.

Also a promising naming convention. I might have to splurge on this luxury just in time for the TSIO, and tilt one back to Admiral Nelson. He need not know it comes from the Midwest. Hell, like he would care even.

The Hangover

Brewers Jam is a fading memory once again. Days fill the distance from that warm, sunny afternoon of tasting beer and catching up with friends on the festival lawn at World's Fair Park. Somehow I managed to behave responsibly for most of the day before following my liver's heart and drinking the night away downtown with the boys. However there was no loss of wallet, cell phone or dignity for yours truly this year - a rare accomplishment for an event of this nature.

I'm not so sure about the fellow pictured below. He seemed perfectly at ease resting only a few steps outside the festival gate at the Chocolate Factory, but I can't imagine a less comfortable place to recline than those brick steps. This isn't exactly a sandy beach that beckons one to take a nap.

What's that? Brewers Jam?

Why yes it is, the Brewers Jam is tomorrow and it looks like I will be attending afterall. This has been a poor year of attendance for my favorite drinking festivals. I was on the brink of skipping this one too until I got the call from Tag B. Let's take a look back on the season:

+ - Rossini Festival
X - Irish Festival
X - Feast with the Beasts
X - Wine on the Water
+ - Brewers Jam

Ok that's 2 for 5, not great but it could be worse. 40% is a failing mark but if it were .400 in baseball I'd be a star. It's all about perspective, man.

Shadey Bar Busted

WATE and KNS have reports of the 4th Knoxville bar to be raided and closed down via the Nuisance Law. I'm glad that I never got around to that Knoxville Dive Bar Tour I was planning; it's one good thing about the bad economy that may have saved me some trouble. So it looks like I won't be visiting Max's Bar anytime soon.

Both articles have similar details of the violations including gambling, selling drugs and operating without proper permits and signage. Pesky rules. WATE goes further, listing the patrons cited in the raid for mary-jane possession. The names are . . . kinda Shadey.

Meet the Makers

Maker's Mark Distillery will be at Downtown Grill & Brewery this Thursday. They're hosting an Ambassador meeting but everyone is welcome to attend for free. These meetings are pretty fun to attend and a good way to learn more about their product and get some freebies. Plus they offer an excellent excuse to get out and drink some whisky. Try to go if possible and I recommend signing up as an Ambassador if you aren't one already. Basically it is a loyalty program that keeps you up to date with recipes and special offers at events like the Kentucky Derby.

At this meeting, none other than Maker's Mark President Bill Samuels Jr. will be present to lead the evening, though I've fallen for that one before. It doesn't matter who shows up because it's hard not to have a good time with a bunch of whisky drinkers. Also, the Brewery has consistently been Knoxville's leading consumer of Maker's Mark - a fact the humble authors of this blog are proud to be a part of. Go there, it will be a good time.

Place: Downtown Grill & Brewery, 424 Gay St.
Date: 10-14-10
Time: 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, tasting sessions at 6:30 and 7:30

Drunken Jukebox 5 - Spill The Wine

In what has become a regular DK feature, behold the Drunken Jukebox: Music to Motivate Your Liver. A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll, punk, rap and pop crap, old or new– all musical genres and periods are open for exploitation. Quarters and crisp dollar bills not required.

In support of Wine on The Water - Eric Burdon & War, Spill The Wine.




Updated version.

Lt. Rocka XVI

Lieutenant Rocka is back with a new podcast. Episode 16 is available on his website, but there has been some trouble with the link so if you can't download it you can go to drop.io and get it there. I listened to it the other day and it's even more mellow than usual, something like being stoned plus shooting H and tequila. Be cool, man, it's Friday.

Megadeth und Slayer

Jagermeister, beer und devil music.

Free South Africa, you dumb son of a bitch

Invoked a little Murtaugh there. Weird.

Anyhoo, these sumbitches shut down. I remember going there as a punk ass kid with the rents shortly after the abortive World's Fair. Fun note: I did go there two years ago with Mackey's brother. He won't own a red...nothing!

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/sep/30/butcher-shop-closes-doors/

Tag, the former author/brewer here, can grill a steak on par with anyone. I'll be damned if I grill it myself someplace. Still, I am somewhat saddened since I am a huge fan of the old WFP sites. With both this property and the L&N vacant, I worry that some urban traitor will fuck us and sell them to the Russkies or the Frogs. Fuck that noise. That shit's for the birds.

Self-Immolation: In which I single-handedly destroy credibility

Specifically, by providing an exceptional rant for the ages...courtesy of serial guest Atlas. See, he's provided me with a metric shit ton of this:

So I am providing an opening for a bit of rage, directed with tremendous vigor at this bird, made relevant by today's passing of the actress that portrayed Rose's latter years during this sentimental 90's shit:

Buckle up:

Drunken Jukebox 4 - The Streets

In what may (or may not) become a regular DK feature, behold the Drunken Jukebox: Music to Motivate Your Liver. A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll, punk, rap and pop crap, old or new– all musical genres and periods are open for exploitation. Quarters and crisp dollar bills not required.

For this installment of DJB we travel across the Atlantic to Birmingham, England for the sound of The Streets, aka Mike Skinner. Some of you may remember the 2004 semi-successful song Fit But You Know It, but I assume that most of you will not. The Streets didn’t make it big in the US but the unique style of “mockney English” resonated with me enough that I paid attention to them for a while, which leads us to this video. The song doesn’t really fit the Knoxville scene, if there is such a thing, but I’m sure a lot people I know and perhaps some readers will relate to the sentiment of their lyrics or at least the personal habits depicted in the video*. I apologize for the horrible and awful quality of the video – I searched YouTube at least 3-4 times for something better before I gave up. So here it is, Irony of it All by The Streets.

But first a brief promotional advert.



Now back to the program...

Reader Response

Occasionally we have readers send an email to comment on the blog, and for that we are thankful. It doesn’t happen often but when it does they usually fall in two categories: local events or spam. We try to respond to all emails unless they're obviously a nasty spam attack, and sometimes we add their content on the blog. Here are a few samples:

Don’t Drink and Race

Atlas sends this link about Greeneville, TN NHRA driver Allen Johnson’s failure to launch. It’s another example of celebrity athletes living the rock ‘n roll lifestyle. Seriously though, a .027 the morning after is quite impressive.

Killer New Bar? (from March 2010)

Hey Drinker! Have you seen the new restaurant and bar next to nama on kingston pike? They have real absinthe, they light it on fire, they have crazy bar lights that are so cool and they play some real fun music. I was there on Friday and thought you guys would dig it.

I still haven’t seen or been to this place so I don’t know what this reader is talking about. The one that comes to mind is Chez Liberty but I’m not sure. During these difficult economic times I’ve had a hard time exploring new bars and restaurants to the point where I feel like I’ve fallen way behind on the local drinking scene. This depresses me since I love sousing myself in a variety of locations but it also affects blog content, thus the lack of posts lately. As for absinthe, whew, that stuff lights me up. The last experiment we had with it caused me to turn beet red and I thought I would spontaneously combust. I may try it again sometime but in much smaller quantities. If anyone knows about Chez Liberty I'd like to know more, hopefully I can visit sometime soon.

Shameless Plug

I'd appreciate if you can give me some feedback on our site. I realize that you are a barstools connoisseur :) I'd like to hear your opinion/feedback on our bar stools.

I took a look at the bar stools and I'm pretty sure I could have a drink or 5 in all of them, even the curvy, fancy ones.

Phlebotomist

Hi, I find your blog to be absolutely hilarious. I appreciate how informative it is. I just had a cool infographic on visualizing alcohol use made for my new site phlebotomist.net. You can check it out here: http://www.phlebotomist.net/visualizing-alcohol-use.

This falls into the WTF category. Thanks for reading!

Is Bud Done?

Probably not but it’s been dead to me for years. The dissolution of Budweiser as an American institution just a couple of years ago is now grasping at bar straws for customers. So much that they’re giving it away for free, at least in some areas. I’m not sure if they are begging at Knoxville bars but I wouldn’t be surprised at all. If so the only person I know who would be interested (besides the bums) is DK washout KRTI who has been supporting that brand recently. Whatever. So there you go InBev and Budweiser, cling to your pathetic fable as King of Beer.

And just to be clear, yes, I would drink some of that free beer!

Roosters, Dogs and Cats - No Reptiles

Watch your cornhole! Rooster’s Bar & Grill is hosting a cornhole tournament to benefit the Young-Williams Animal Shelter on October 16th. It’s for a good cause, sounds like a good time, plus there is a chance for cash and prizes for the winners. The only negative aspect I find is that it is on the same day as the Knoxville Brewers Jam at World’s Fair Park, however this could be a good alternative in case you don’t get KBJ tickets before they sell out. Details below:

Sign up now! Roosters is partnering with Young-Williams Animal Shelter for an awesome day of Cornhole! The event is scheduled for October 16th at 2:00. Registration is $50.00 per team (cash only please) or $65.00 the day of the event (Registration ends at noon on the 16th). Proceeds will benefit the Young-Williams Animal Shelter. All participants will receive a t-shirt and a goody bag. Roosters will also be providing lunch and drinks for all participants!

First place team-$250.00 cash and some awesome additional prizes.

Second place team-Two $25.00 Roosters gift cards and additional prizes.

Third place team-Two $15.00 Roosters gift cards and additional prizes.

The first place team will also have their name on a plaque inside Roosters and of course, bragging rights!

Roosters Bar and Grille, 7585 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919

Angels, Wings, & Schlitz

Boom. Long in the works, a brand new beer cave opens in K-town. Somewhere, a buzzed angel gets its wings. This particular cave is housed at the Ingles on Emory Road, some of you may know it. Let's peek inside this brand new cooley-freezey box.

Swanky, powerful, damn cold and with reasonable prices no less. The real shame about these great repositories of the sauce, is that so few grocers and markets have them. Let's face it, the majority of Knoxville will be years away from such a luxury unless they want to put in the extra effort. Noodle that last sentence. Yeah, that's what I thought too.

Also part of Ingle's expansion and assimilation of everything off Exit 112, is this arrogant and totally beautiful wall of suds with enough quanity to outfit a brigade. Yes, it does go on and on.

Heh heh. Schlitz has little to do with this, except it was stocked in heroic and devastating amounts near the cave. Been waiting for this old formula to make it down this way. In any event, come check out the new cave, folks. It will never be brand spankin' new again.

Quick Links

First up, check this out if you believe that Tennesseans should be able to buy wine from grocery stores. Pretty concerted website here, more directed and focused than previous efforts we've seen.

http://www.redwhiteandfood.com/


And now comes this bizarre and somewhat terrifying piece. I mean I've had some whisky that tasted like piss but come on...

http://boingboing.net/2010/09/04/whiskey-from-diabeti.html

Drunken Jukebox 3

In what may (or may not) become a regular DK feature, behold the Drunken Jukebox: Music to Motivate Your Liver. A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n roll, punk, rap and pop crap, old or new– all musical genres and periods are open for exploitation. Quarters and crisp dollar bills not required.

This installment features a resurgent spirit near and dear to our Eastern Tennessee hearts (and livers): Moonshine. Once illicit and considered dangerous in many ways it is now a legitimate enterprise taking off in the alcohol world. Newspapers and websites have been filled with recent success stories and even cocktail recipes coming out of Gatlinburg. UT football season is upon us and everybody knows the Volunteer fight song lyrics:

“Once two strangers climbed on Rocky Top, looking for a moonshine still. Strangers ain’t come back from Rocky Top, reckon they never will. Corn won’t grow at all on Rocky Top, dirt’s too rocky by far. That’s why all the folks on Rocky Top get their corn from a jar”

It’s football time in Tennessee. It’s also Labor Day weekend meaning it’s Boomsday weekend too. And let’s not forget that it’s Lord von Lord’s birthday weekend. Now, please enjoy the musical styling of George Jones aka The Possum.

Summer Staycation is Over

Summer is almost officially over and for once I am glad to see it go. Bring on Autumn I say - cooler weather, football season and wine. It's been a long, hot summer of humid days and stormy, wet evenings that I won't miss one damn bit. Not to mention the allergens that have wrecked my health (I'll stop there).

I was pleased to see an article with some good booze news on MSN and thought I'd share it here in case you missed it. Basically the study focuses on older adults' alcohol consumption, so if you're lucky enough to make it that far the good news is that they suggest you keep on drinking. Super! Something to look forward to. Another thing to possibly look forward to is the soon-to-be opening Public House Pub on Magnolia. The place has been under construction for some time now and was originally targeted to open around the 4th of July holiday but these things take time. A couple of weeks ago while biking I saw a couple of workers resting outside so I stopped and asked for an update. They were noncommittal but said it may be 6-8 more weeks, which puts it around sometime in October. All we can do is wait and see. Well, actually we can continue drinking normally as we wait and see.

Heh heh heh

Cool Wine Gimmick

A few weeks ago reader SKM sent a cool web link showing how to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew. Leave it to the French to come up with a wine-drinking solution. The original video was on wimp.com but I found a version on YouTube that you can see below. Even better though is another wine opening technique I saw on the side bar that doesn’t quite go as planned. The second option is probably closer to how some of our group would go about things.



The other way:

Under the Bridge

This isn’t homage to the RHCP. No, these images were taken at the massive parking area in the Old City underneath the interstate / parkway system. I ride my bicycle throughout town and usually cruise through the lot for a breather or water break away from the street traffic. I do my best to dodge the seas of broken glass but it is practically impossible. On this particular occasion I noticed a higher than usual number of empty bottles and thought I’d do some photo documentation.


I remember the days of going to the bars and frontloading on the way (yes, open containers!) and was just as guilty as these folks who leave behind the sacrificed empties, so I’m not being hypocritical or unrealistic about this situation. I mean, who wants to leave a backseat full of crime evidence should the police get involved. There has to be a better way but looking around the lot I didn’t see the one solution that should be obvious – trash cans. Not a damn one!