It’s worth a shot

Now generally on our Thirsty Thursday blog feature I like to take you all over the world to find out where some of our favorite or future favorite drinks are created and served, but today we are staying right here in the good old U.S. of A. This patriotic beverage comes straight from the south and is a favorite of many domestic and international spirit lovers–Bourbon.

Bourbon is an American whiskey, which has been distilled in this country since the 18th century. Although when we think of Bourbon we often think of the south, specifically Kentucky, it can be distilled anywhere in the U.S. With that being said 95% of production does take place in Kentucky alone. The history of this grain beverage is, like most alcohol histories, disputed. The most accepted story country wide is that Kentucky Baptist Minister Elijah Craig first aged whiskey in charred oak casks, which inevitably gave the beverage it’s reddish color and unique flavor profile.

More debates lay in where the name Bourbon actually comes from. The word itself is from the French Royal dynasty. Thomas Jefferson named Bourbon County, Kentucky after the family because of the French help during the Revolutionary war. So the real back and forth is whether Bourbon is named after Bourbon county in Kentucky or after Bourbon Street in New Orleans. To me it seems like it would be the former, but hey, who am I to decide history.

According to the Federal Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits, Bourbon made for U.S. consumption must follow the following guidelines. First it must be produced in the United States. Like I said above it does not have to be made in Kentucky or the South, but it must be in the U.S. Second it must be made from a grain mixture of at leases 51% corn. It cannot be distilled to more than 160 proof or 80% alcohol by volume. It must enter the barrel for aging at no more that 125 proof or 62.5% alcohol by volume. And finally it must be bottled at 80 proof or 40% alcohol by volume.

When it comes to Bourbon there is no set time table for how long it must be aged, UNLESS it is being labeled as Straight Bourbon. If it is labeled as Straight Bourbon it must follow the guidelines from above as well as be aged for a minimum of 2 years, and have no added color, flavor or other spirits.

Now  you don’t need to travel necessarily to drink Bourbon, but let’s be honest the real culture of the drink was established in Kentucky, so to be a true connoisseur of the beverage it’s time to make your way to the Bluegrass State. For more information on traveling to Kentucky or the American South, please give us a call 920.236.7777 or visit our website ambassadortravelltd.com to schedule an appointment today!

Annual Spring Break Trip

Join our annual spring break group, this year to the Crown Paradise in Cancun, Mexico March 24-31, 2018. With a kids club, baby club and aqua park with pirate ship, water slide and castle the Crown Paradise is the perfect spring break escape for your family. The whole family can enjoy nightly entertainment, world class dining and unlimited pool and beach activities. Join our annual group hosted by Ambassador Travel owner, Susie Leib. We have limited space with this group so please do not hesitate to contact us.

Going to Cancun is like visiting paradise, its crystalline beaches, white sand and Mayan world makes it one of the most touristic places in Mexico, its name comes from the Mayan language and means “nest of snakes”.

The all inclusive hotel in Cancun is one of the most complete in its category, with many activities for all the family. Have fun and play at night on our two floodlit tennis courts and our multi-purpose court for basketball and football, or our beach volleyball court. In the pool area you can enjoy water polo, aqua aerobics, and a scuba diving demonstration: there is also a gymnasium, ping pong tables, aerobics classes, mini golf, a water park for kids and another one for the family, the Collage games room and many more activities. You can enjoy pedal boats, yachts and kayaks at the Aquaworld marina located 5 minutes from the hotel.

For more information, please contact Susie at susie@ambassaodrtravelltd.com

City Spirits

As I was watching one of my favorite shows the other night I realized that there are tons of drinks out there named after cities. Some I’ve heard of, others not so much. And this, like many other things I spend my time doing on the internet, gave me inspiration for our Thirsty Thursday blog post. I wanted to know if these drinks really had anything to do with the famous cities that they are named after, how they got their stories and to maybe inspire you all to take a vacation by celebrating in a city that the following drinks were named for. Now as I searched google for drinks named after cities, I came across a whole bunch. And I decided to work with these 3, mostly because they are all drinks that I have heard of, as well as the cities they represent.

Manhattan: The Manhattan has a couple different stories. The first is that it was invented by Dr. Iain Marshal at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the 1870s. He was rumored to invent it for presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden, who later was beat out by Rutherford B. Hayes. The drink was originally made with American Whiskey, Italian Vermouth and Angostura Bitters. During prohibition however, Canadian Whiskey replaced the America because it was available.

Other accounts sight that it was made in the 1860s by a bartender referred to as “Black” at a bar in Manhattan on Broadway.

Either way it has become a delicious cocktail enjoyed by many in and out of the Big Apple.

Long Island Iced Tea: Again another drink with a few different versions. The first time the drink appears in literature is 1961 which will lead you to believe it had to be invented before that time. However, the drink is credited to Robert Butt who submitted the famous drink to a contest for coming up with a new cocktail that contained triple sec. Butt did this in 1972 while working at Oak Beach Inn on Long Island.

The other story, which would seem more likely due to the date was made during the 1920s during prohibition. A man referred to as “Old Man Bishop” in a town called Long Island near Kingsport, Tennessee made a drink with Whiskey, maple syrup, and 5 different kinds of liquor.

Today Long Islands are made with cola and 4 equal parts of liquor.

Champagne: We know Champagne was invented in Champagne due to the fact that sparkling wine donning the title Champagne must come from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. According to history, it was invented near the 5th century. Originally the grapes for this bubbly beverage were grown by Romans then later by churches, specifically monks. Champagne has a rich history that still holds true today. Originally French Kings were anointed in Reims and served Champagne as part of the coronation. The oldest recorded sparkling wine ever invented was by a Benedictine Monk in the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire. But because of how long Champagne has been around there is still debate of exactly how it came to be one of the most coveted drinks in the world.

 

Ambassador Travel Ltd. | 920.236.7777 | ambassadortravelltd.com

Don’t Ya Wanna?

Typically on Thirsty Thursday we feature alcoholic beverages, but I am making an exception today due to the fact that the history of this drink is pretty cool, especially to a geeky history major like me. If you’ve ever traveled to Europe or Germany specifically you may have been surprised at how much the people like Fanta, and there is a very good reason for that. Let’s crack a bottle of this orangey drink and learn about it’s interesting past.

Because of the embargo on Germany during World War Two, Germany’s Coca-Cola production went into a stand still. They were not able to receive the syrup needed to produce Coke. This lead Max Keith, Head of Coca-Cola Deutschland, to come up with a plan. He decided that his corporation needed to put out something that Germany had access to. And thus Fanta was born. The drink was so popular that 3 million cases were produced between 1940 and 1943 allowing the factory to stay open during the remainder of WWII.

After the war ended, Coca-Cola took back control of the German corporation as well as the profits and Fanta recipe. The drink was originally marketed heavily in Europe, Asia and South America, but eventually came over to the United States. If you have ever had it in Europe you know it is much less orange than it is in the United States. Obviously you can get this beverage here, but don’t you want to try this drink in it’s native country? I knew you did! So give us a call today!

Ambassador Travel Ltd. | 920.236.7777 | ambassadortravelltd.com

Unicum

It’s Thirsty Thursday everyone! And today we are traveling to Hungary! I was in Hungary earlier this year and let me just say, this is a top knotch travel destination. I only got to spend one day in Budapest, but the city and country is absolutely beautiful with so much to do and eat. Today’s drink feature is known as Unicum, let’s learn a little more about this hungarian treat.

Unicum is a hungarian liqueur that is served as both a digestiv and apertif. The main producer of the beverage is the Zwack company. Their secret recipe is made up of 40 herbs and is aged in old casks. The intersting history of Unicom dates back to Hungary’s communist era. During this time the Zwack family was exiled to the United States. Before they left Janos Zwack entrusted a friend with the secret recipe so that production could continue. After the fall of the iron curtain Peter Zwack returned to Hungary and resumed production, which is still continueing today.

Unicum is one of the national drinks of Hungary. You can take tours and do a tasting at the Zwick production faciliites in Hungary. Unfortuately that is the only way you will be able to try the drink. Original Unicum is not distributed in the United States anymore. You can however still find Unicum Next, which is a sweeter, tammer, citrus flavored version made specifically for U.S. consumption.

Interested in visiting Hungary and trying this cultural beverage? Give us a call today at 920.236.7777 or visit our website ambassadortravelltd.com to schedule an appointment.