I have dedicated a chunk of my life towards being in the hospitality industry: Years of taking care of people on their best/worst/in-between days, countless hours of studying and practicing, and an unknown (potentially frightening) amount of money on alcohol. *Fair note, the alcohol was about 50% studying and 50% relaxing from dealing with the general public.
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Cigars are integral motifs in many rituals among men. The stag party, children’s births, a poker game, and sporting events are all associated with the boys enjoying a good stick. The association with women and cigars is not quite so clear and is more shrouded in a cloud of smoke.
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A couple of years ago I was working as a tobacconist at a bar and lounge in downtown Huntsville. Several of the bartenders on the staff smoked cigars with varying levels of experience. One day, at the instigation of a couple of regulars, I participated in a blind tasting competition against one of the bartenders who boasted having the most knowledge (even above myself). We blindly tasted 5 cigars from the selection of over 200 in the humidor, eyes closed for extra difficulty. The owner of the bar lit the cigars and carefully passed them to us because for some reason I was worried about playing with my eyes closed. In the end, I was able to identify all 5 based off of taste while my competitor identified 1.5.
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Now even though beer is not a spirit, according to a 2014 analysis by the World Health Organization, 50% of the alcohol consumed in the United States is beer. So why don’t we take a look into the popular drink?
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From Championship Toe Wrestling to celebrating mud, there’s no shortage of bizarre festivals you can attend. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that there’s a festival dedicated to Kentucky bourbon.
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One of the most daunting tasks to any whiskey newcomer is the sheer number of choices. This often leads to over-generalizations when attempting to discover personal preferences: For example, someone who decides they don’t like whiskey at all because they had a bad experience with Fireball – Cinnamon Whisky.
The first step to navigating the overwhelming selection at your local bar or liquor store is understanding the different classifications of whiskey. Knowledge of the different production methods and flavors will prepare you to understand what you love about whiskey, and what to steer clear of.
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We’ve all been there. You walk into the humidor, bar, liquor store, etc. You look around. And you are utterly lost. Maybe you’re on a special date, or you are getting ready for a party Whatever the occasion, you’re looking to impress.
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