This week’s installment of The Cocktail Spirit with Robert Hess brought to you by the Small Screen Network brings you the Tom Collins cocktail. According to Robert Hess, “The recipe for the Tom Collins first appeared in the 1876 edition of Jerry Thomas’ “The Bartender’s Guide”. Apparently named after a little practical joke popular around 1874 in which one person would tell someone on the street that Tom Collins is in a local bar and is talking about them. The now agitated person would hurry off to confront this Tom Collins and soon enough a forward thinking bartender created the drink.”

Tom Collins

• 2 oz Beefeater 24 Gin
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp simple syrup

Instructions

• shake with ice
• strain into an ice filled collins glass and top with soda
• garnish with cherry and orange wedge

It could be argued that Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign has produced the most iconic beverage personality of the modern era. The campaign’s central character has become the alpha male of a generation through his anecdotes of gentleman’s wisdom and timeless stories of chivalry and adventure, transcending beverage culture and earning a well-deserved place within the mainstream popular culture of the United States and beyond.

In this latest and most glorious edition of the Mutineer Interview, we go behind the scenes and set sail on the mighty Pacific with actor Jonathan Goldsmith on his live-aboard sailboat on a mission to understand exactly how one goes about playing The Most Interesting Man In The World.

Mutineer Magazine: Was the role of “The Most Interesting Man in the World” designed specifically for you?
Jonathan Goldsmith: No. I don’t think they knew who it was written for, but they had a concept. I got a call about this character that they had in mind and they didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, but it was going to be done on an improvisational basis, and the end line was, “And that’s how I arm-wrestled Fidel Castro.”

So I went to the audition and there were 300 people whom I thought looked more right for the character then I did. I thought my agent sent me on a wild goose chase and that I didn’t have a chance in the world. But I put on an accent and improvised and they let me go on for a little while. Afterwards, I called my agent up and said, “Thanks, but this is ridiculous. They’re not looking for me.” A month went by, I was called back, and now there were only 100 in the room. Another month passed and I had totally forgotten about it. My agent told me that they were looking around the country and they hadn’t found who they wanted. We got another call, and this time there were only three of us. They did a full screen-test and I got it. I was the lucky guy.

But now I have a chance to make people laugh, to perhaps make some social comments and to affect people to the point where they remember more of the lines than I do.

What is your previous experience as an actor?
I’ve had a very good acting career in television. I’ve guest starred in over 350 shows and I did a lot of great television. I was on “Knots Landing” for half of a season, as well as Dallas and Dynasty, and I did some very good pilots with great writers. Again, it goes back to having good luck. I starred in a TV pilot for Sidney Furie, who did marvelous pictures like “Lady Sings the Blues”.

Over my entire career what I wanted to do most was comedy. However, I was the bad guy, always killing somebody or being killed…actually, one time I did have a chance at comedy in a TV pilot. And despite the fact that the director said, “My God, we’ve found the comedy discovery of the year!” the pilot didn’t sell and I went back to playing bad guys. But now I have a chance to make people laugh, to perhaps make some social comments and to affect people to the point where they remember more of the lines than I do.

In a way it’s kind of bittersweet. Though I always thought I was a good actor, the proverbial brass ring had eluded me…until now.

Can you talk about the experiences filming “The Most Interesting Man In The World” campaign?
It’s like a movie set. There is a huge crew and the people are the best. I’ve never worked with a finer group in my life, each of whom shares in the success of this campaign.

At first, it just felt like a great job and I had no idea that it would ever go past the first three or four days of shooting. I was delighted when they called me back again. I could see that there were other dimensions to this character, that he wasn’t just a one-liner. He has a past life that is continuously revealing itself through the creative process.

I’ve tried to find nuances within this character where I can merge some of my own life experiences with his. It is nice to be able to make some social comments and pass on a legacy of sorts that brings a smile to people’s faces.

Since 2009, The Bruery’s Black Tuesday has been one of the most talked about beers each year. This year, the monster 19-22% abv barrel aged imperial stout is back and it appears to be in much larger quantities as well, with The Bruery Reserve Society members being able to purchase 6 bottles in addition to the one bottle included with their membership, compared to the three you were allowed to buy in 2009 and in 2010.

See below for full detail of the 2011 release of The Bruery Black Tuesday:

It’s time again for another Reserve Society allocation. The following beer will be available for order between August 12th and September 2nd at society.thebruery.com

Black Tuesday:
Our infamous Black Tuesday is an imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels for over a year. Rich caramel, toasted malt, vanilla, burnt wood and anise are just a few of the many flavors in this rich, decadent imperial stout.

Learn more about Black Tuesday at here.

• As a Reserve Society member, one (1) bottle of Black Tuesday has already been allocated to you as part of your initial membership fee. You may purchase a maximum of six (6) more bottle allocations for yourself. Each allocation is $30 before your 15% discount. Bottles will be released on or around Tuesday, October 25th. Official release details will be made known closer to the date.

• We will be holding a small release party on October 25th. Information and tickets for the party will be released in September.

• Remaining bottles of Black Tuesday will be sold to the general public through an online sale on October 25th. Bottles will be limited and we can not guarantee that you will be able to purchase a bottle during the general release sale.”

With National Watermelon Day just passing by and the summer slowly coming to an end, what better way to celebrate than with a delicious watermelon cocktail. Below is a refreshing watermelon cocktail by H. Joseph Ehrmann of Elixir. Try making it for yourself. In the San Francisco area, stop in at Elixir and have one made by the man himself.

The Whatamelon
by H. Joseph Ehrmann, Elixir

In a mixing glass, add watermelon cubes or juice and 5 mint leaves, muddle and top with remaining ingredients. Fill with ice, shake well for 10 seconds and strain over fresh ice.

Looking for a watermelon mocktail? Just increase the amount of watermelon, lime juice and agave nectar and leave out the booze.

The Whatamelon Mocktail
by H. Joseph Ehrmann, Elixir

In a mixing glass, add watermelon cubes or juice and 5 mint leaves, muddle and top with remaining ingredients. Fill with ice, shake well for 10 seconds and strain over fresh ice.

With the Great British Beer Festival having just been wrapped up a few days ago in Earls Court, London, only one beer could stand above the rest as GBBF’s Champion Beer of Britain. This year, it was Mighty Oak’s Oscar Wilde of Maldon, Essex. Oscar Wilde, which has an ABV of 3.7%, is described in CAMRA’s (Campaign for Real Ale) Good Beer Guide 2011 as a “roasty dark mild with suggestions of forest fruits and dark chocolate. A sweet taste yields to a more bitter finish.”

The Maldon brewed real ale was crowned the Supreme Champion over a host of other finalists in 7 different beer categories (Bitters, Best Bitters, Strong Bitters, Golden Ales, Milds, Winter Beers, and the Speciality class), including beers from both small microbrewers and large regional brewers.

The Final judging panel’s Roger Protz was pleased with the results of the competition, saying “Oscar Wilde was a stand out winner, universally praised by the judges for its overall quality. Once again a dark beer has triumphed over paler beers!” He continued, “it’s a beer with great depth of character, and for the style has a lot of hop bitterness as well. It proves that a dark beer can be refreshing even in very hot weather.”

In the overall category, second place went to Marble brewery’s Chocolate, and the Bronze award went to Salopian brewery’s Shropshire Gold.

The Americans, not to be outdone, competed in the GBBF’s Michael Jackson American Cask Ale competition. This year, the prestigious award went to Green Flash Brewery’s Palate Wrecker Double IPA from San Diego, California. Second place was awarded to Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Extra IPA and third place to Brewers Union 180 Wotcha (a la Chinook) Best Bitter.

Ian Garrett from CAMRA, organizer of the competition said of the American entries, “the judging process has been particularly difficult this year due to the huge range of beer on offer. The USA Cask Ale bar had over 100 different beers and the standard was very high.”

Dave Sanders the manager of the bar and the head brewer at Kirkstall Brewery in Leeds, UK commented on the winning beer. “Palate Wrecker can truly be described as an awesome beer. A huge depth of flavour and bursting with fresh hops. The technique used to brew this particular beer appears to be quite revolutionary.”

Good showing, America!

Dollar growth up 15% in first six months of 2011; U.S. sees rapid growth in breweries in planning

Boulder, CO – The Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, has released strong mid-year numbers for America’s small and independent craft brewers¹. Dollar sales were up 15 percent in the first half of 2011, excluding brewers who left the craft segment in 2010². Volume of craft brewed beer sold grew 14 percent for the first six months in 2011, compared to 9 percent growth in the first half of 2010.

Barrels sold by craft brewers for the first half of the year are an estimated 5.1 million barrels. Despite many challenges, the mid-year numbers show signs of continued growth for craft breweries. The industry currently provides an estimated 100,000 jobs, contributing significantly to the U.S. economy.

“Craft brewers continue to innovate and brew beers of excellent quality,” noted Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “America’s beer drinkers are rapidly switching to craft because of the variety of flavors they are discovering. And they are connecting with small and independent craft brewers as companies they choose to support.”

The U.S. now boasts 1,790 breweries—an increase of 165 additional breweries since June 2010. The Brewers Association also tracks breweries in planning as an indicator of potential new entrants into the craft category, and lists 725 breweries in planning today compared to 389 a year ago. Additionally, the count of craft brewers was at 1,740 as of June 30, 2011.

“There is a growing interest in establishing new breweries,” Gatza added. “It seems like every day we are hearing about a brewery in planning. Will they all make it? No, but many will if they produce high-quality, interesting craft beers and can get them to market through self-distribution and beer wholesalers and beer retailers.”

This fall, Don Julio will release a tequila unlike anything ever seen before. The tequila, Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro, is being launched to honor the 70th anniversary of the year Don Julio González began creating tequila at the very young age of 17.

What makes it unique? It’s a clear añejo. To be considered an añejo, or aged tequila, the tequila by law must spend a minimum of one year in oak barrels and no more than three years. During this time, the tequila pulls flavor and color from the barrel. In contrast, a blanco (“white”) or plata (“silver”) tequila is a clear tequila that spends little or no time in stainless or oak, no more than 2 months. Because of spending so little time in barrels (or none at all), the tequila remains clear.

With Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro, Don Julio Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa is able to get the rich, complex flavors of a traditional añejo in a liquid that is filtered to become a clear spirit. It spends 18 months in reclaimed American oak before being filtered, giving the tequila its unique clarity. In order to return Tequila Don Julio to a clear silver color, the aged liquid is filtered using a special process where electronically magnetized particles are added to the aged liquid. The free radicals in the particles bond to the coloring. After a certain period of time passes, the particles containing the color molecules are filtered out, producing a clear Añejo tequila.

Tequila Don Julio 70 will be available at participating stores nationwide, in Mexico and at Duty Free stores beginning in fall 2011. The 750ml bottle has a suggested retail price of $70.

Already a leader in traditional and flavored rum categories, Bacardi will soon enter the spiced rum category and it’s set to be one of their biggest launches in 15 years. This September, Bacardi will launch OakHeart, their answer to what’s currently on the market and to Barcardi loyalists who have requested this for quite some time.

Co-developed by over 4,000 consumers and hundreds of bartenders, Bacardi OakHeart takes their traditional Bacardi Superior and blends it with Bacardi Gold, giving it the perfect mixability of Superior and the smooth finish of Gold. This gives it the perfect base for them to add their blend of spices which includes maple, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, vanilla and caramel before being filtered. The end product is “slightly peppery, with a noticeable rum-kick, BACARDÍ OAKHEART is a spirit with a vibrant amber hue and taste that is distinctly its own” and with a nice smokiness lent from the double charred barrels it was mellowed in.

Bacardi recommends making an Oak & Coke, which I’m sure you can figure out is a rum and Coke, and it looks like the two may be sold in the same packaging with a bottle of Bacardi OakHeart and a 2-liter bottle of Coca-Cola. Rum and coke not your thing? It’s great over ice too.

Pricing is suggested at $12.99 and will release nationwide beginning in September.