Special Tuedays!!!

On Tuesday nights we have an awesome special for you all!
Take any pizza and pot of beer on tap and get both for just $9!
On tap we have -
St. Arnou Pale Ale
Big Helga Lager
Coldstream Cider

We have seven scrummy Pizza varities to choose from, all made fresh to order, on Polly made bases! 

*Super Satay – Peanut satay, sweet chilli, chicken, capsicum and red onion

*The Foreign Exchange – Salami, onions, bacon, pineapple, chicken and camembert

*The Euro – Onions, garlic, mushrooms, semi-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, feta and olives (good for vegetarians!)

*Funky Blues – Blue cheese, mushrooms, caramelised onions, tomatoes and olives (also good for vegos!)

*Cajun Voodoo – Cajun lamb, avocado, onions, fresh salsa and sour cream

*Mexican hell fire – Salami, refried beans, avocado, onions, salsa, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and fire roasted capsicums

*The Virgin – Ham, onions, gherkins, bacon and smoked cheese

*DESSERT PIZZAS*

*Lady Polly – Caramlized apple, cinnamon, crumble and custard

*Sweet Velvet – Berries, banana, chocolate and custard

So, why bother cooking when you can get a deal like this? Come by on a Tuesday night, sit in a comfy Polly armchair and relax after a long hard day at work (or play) with our Pizza and pot special!

Beer on tap

Why Draught?
It’s true that Australia’s love their draught beer, but do you really know what the difference is between bottled and tap beer?

1. Light – light can affect the flavour of bottled beer, whilst draught beer is quite protected by any damage that UV rays can do to the brew.
2. Cleanliness – Bottled beer actually wins on this one, due to the fact that every bottle is sterilised and is bottled under strict observations. Keg beer unfortunetly is put into the hands of the establishment, and therefore, is under their cleaning roster rather than the beer companys.
3. Taste – There are fans for both bottled and for keg. Keg beer is seen to be the winner, due to the fact that the aromas of the beer flow out of the keg, making the drink you ingest tastier, and of course, fresher. Bottled beer can have the same sort of flavour if you pour your bottled beer into a glass.

Today I thought I’d focus on the beer that we have on tap. We have three very different and three very yummy brews for you to enjoy. An added plus, is that they are all from local Australian brewerys!
Here is some tasting notes, and all you need to know about the beers in which you can order cold from the tap!

St. Arnou Pale AleHistory
 We just put St. Arnou’s Pale Ale on tap after having so much success with their Pilsner. The company name comes from the Patron Saint of Brewing, St. Arnou, an Austrain Saint. When the porters who were carrying his remains back to his hometown were thirsty, and found that they only had one single mug of beer, they prayed for more to drink. Their prayers were miraculously answered,  after the pleas of men to God, supplied them with a never ending mug of beer. It was then that he was given his title.    
Taste 
This larger style ale is golden in colour, and has the smell of hops, with a slight tinge of pear and citrus. It’s a real summer beer. Fruity, light and aromatic, it has a deliciate taste, but still has a bitey herb flavour.  

 

Coldstream Cider
History
Coldstream Cider is made by Coldstream, a brewery that resides in the Yarra Valley (50kms out of Melboune for those of you who don’t know your Victorian geography!), and has been making exceptional beers for the past four years.
One of the owners, Phil Kelly, comes from a family of brewers and has been used this put this fourty years of family tradition at use when making the companys cider. Only fresh Victorian apples and traditional press and cloth methods are used in the making this brew.  
Taste
Coldstream has a lovely champagne colouring, grass and apple notes to the nose, with a hint of spice and a wine tinge. Taste wise, it has a fruity flavour, light, with a citrus tartness, vanillia and spice notes in the middle, and that apple freshness to finish.
**If you like Coldstream Cider, why not try one of our new Cocktails, “The De-Cider.” It has cointreau, campari, is topped with Coldstream and finished off with a scoop of Blood Orange sorbet. De-licious!

Big Helga Lager 
History 
Big Helga comes from brewers Matilda Bay, who has given us popular brews Fat Yak and Beez Neez. It was inspired by the Oktoberfest lagers, also known as “Helles Lagers.” 
Taste 
Helga pours lively, and has a fresh hoppy and a slightly toasty smell. It pours with a big frothy head, and has an amber colouring. It has a highly complex flavour for such a light lager. It has a hoppy, fresh and dry flavour.  
 

How a cocktail is made…

First things first…
Polly is an establishment that’s been around since 1998, and in it’s eleven years, it has seen many a menu change. The big change, and one in which I’m sure you as a customer will recognise the most, is that of the cocktail list. The reason why this list is so close to our heart, is obviously because it really is the heart of the business and the way in which us bartenders can express ourselves creatively, and also show what we like to drink through the products we choose to use.
Today marks a new menu for Polly. It’s always an exciting time, as we have to taste test and learn how to make a whole bunch of new cocktails. Another exciting aspect is making the cocktails for regular customers, who, though they have their favourites, are always suprised and happy to drink something that’s fresh onto the menu.
But, how do these drinks come together?
You’d be suprised to know that it takes weeks and weeks of tasting, experimenting and discussions to come up with a list of new drinks for the menu. Here is a loose guide to how the drinks go from idea to the pages of the Polly menu.

An Idea
It’s true that everything great started with an idea, and so too, do the cocktails at Polly. It can start through a number of channels. It can be a love of a particular spirit or liquor that the bartender loves, or a taste they are after, such as, a mint slice or apricot crumble and trying then to turn that into a drink. It can be wanting to capture the spirit of a certain place or country.

Finding out what works
Now that the bartenders has the idea, they need to try and capture it. They pull out what we have on our back bar, and try to mix what they think will bring out the flavours of their idea. If they cannot get the tastes they are after, they may try to use non-alcholic products, such as spices, herbs, and even spreads! (Yes, a past bartender did use vegemite!) If this still doesn’t bring forth the flavours they are after, syrups or experimentations with herbs and alcohol may occur. We have made jams, spice syrups, and cherry tea syrups to make our cocktails taste just the way we like them!
It may not only be in the drink itself that will hold the winning formula, it may be the garnish, or the way it is served. Say, if it’s a chocolate freckle cocktail, we may rim the cocktail with 1oos and 1000s. Or, if it’s based on a biscuit, we may make our own biscuit in house.

So…what do you think?
After we have tasted, and asked the bartenders on shift with us what they think, we push the cocktail out into the world and see if it will fly! We do this by making it for customers and getting their feedback. We take what the customer says, and refine some more.
Then, a month or so before the new menu is set to debut, all staff get together for a cocktail tasting day in order to help others with their creations. This is the pinnacle of the cocktails evolution, as it also shows the way in which the new menu will head, and lists are made of menus to consider for the new menu.

The ‘S’ factor
All the above is all well and good, but the main question of it all is – “Will it sell?”
Some cocktails you know are going to sell due to what is actually in them. Where a bar where we have something for everyone, but the drinks that sell the best are the ones that are sweet and fruity. Therefore, when one of our my famous and most popular drinks, The Booty Call was created, we combined all our most popular alcohol products, berries and limes and served it tall and knew that it would be a bestseller. The drink also has to have another ‘s’ word attached to it – ‘special.’ It has to be interesting, contain yummy products, and also have a catchy name and blurb…

What’s in a name?
Yes, it’s true, our most popular cocktails are named The Princess, Happily Ever After and the Booty Call. I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve heard a customer say to their friend they just had to get a drink based purely on the name. The name must not only match the product and showcase what is awesome about it, but also grab the customers attention and be slightly cheeky. Some cocktails, though they have been the best on the menu, haven’t had catchy names and therefore didn’t sell. The blurb that goes along with it is also very important. This is a hard job indeed! Not only does our manager have to summarise the drink, how it tastes and what it is made up of in a few lines, but he also needs to make it snappy and irresistible. It’s a sale pitch really! But oh, such a delicious sale pitch!

Leave it up to us 
So once the idea has turned into a recipe, the masses have spoken and the cocktail gets the green light, it’s then thrown onto the menu and turns into a real life cocktail list cocktail! From there, it’s in the hand of the bartenders, who have to learn the recipes, taste and re-taste the cocktail, pick the ones they like and then promote the ones they love. 

Next time you’re in Polly checking out our list, don’t forget the love, sweat and tears that go into each and every page of that list. Oh, and we’re always looking for guinea pigs to try our new creations, so if you’re game, ask one of us to try one of our new ones on you!

New Products in at Polly – Red Dirt Distillery Potato vodka and lime/bay leaf liquor!

Yesterday, I unwrapped a parcel sent to Polly and was pleasently suprised to find two new products within it. There is nothing better than pouring a new product into a water glass (well, that’s what we usually try new products in!) and talking with your fellow bartenders about what you like and/or don’t like about it.

This new product, I’m proud to say, is 100% Aussie made. It’s from Red Dirt Distillery that is situated in Dorrigo New South Wales. It is one of only a few of Australian disilleries that make wine from fruit other than grapes. The company  was founded in the year 2000, and in 2007, they obtained their distillers license.
Using Aussie products is awesome a number of reasons, but the top two are -
1.) It’s good to support Aussie owned and Made. At Polly, we’re proud of be Australian and a small Australian company, therefore, we want to support other Aussie businesses as much as we can.
2.) The ‘Carbon footprint’ factor. Global warming is of course a factor that should be in the back of everyones mind at the moment, and if products we stock are closer to us, they will have less of an effect on mother nature.

So, the products that were contained in that cardboard box with ‘fragile’ stickers all over it, were two bottles of Red Dirt Distillery’s famous Potato Vodka, and two bottles of Alloro.

 Potato Vodka
This stuff is really special, especially if you dig organic produce, and really, who doesn’t right?! It’s also the only potato vodka made in Australia (Potato vodka orginiated in Poland and is made mostly in Europe) But these aint’ just any potatos that are used, Red Dirt is made from the local Dorringo red soil potato.
So, what does it taste like? I was a little nervous about trying this, as I’m not a fan of vodka at all. I find it usually doesn’t have much taste, and when it does, the enjoyment from my tastebuds is swiftly soured by the rapid bite of the alcohol. But, being a new product, I need to taste test it in order to explain it to my customers. Therefore, I bit the bullet, poured myself and my co-worker a touch of the stuff, and breathed in. 
The first whiff we got was fresh, aromatic, and suprisingly, sweet. When I sipped, I was so suprised that the vodka didn’t have a strong bite like others I have tasted in the past. My co-worker kept on saying that she could taste apples, and I couldn’t put my finger on what I thought I could taste. I think the crispness of the potato may be mistaken by some people as an apple taste.
Overall, for all that like fine spirits, Red Dirt’s Potato Vodka is something you just need to taste. Not only is it organic, made from local NSW products, but it also tastes superior to many other vodkas that I have tasted before. I’m proud that it’s an Aussie product!!

 Alloro
The smell of this is amazing! It’s aroma is really refreshing, fruity and bold. I was excited to try this one, as it seemed like something I’d enjoy.
The taste was nothing like I’d had before. It had notes of cucumber, lime, basil and mint. It’s the kind of tipple you’d enjoy, over ice, on a hot summers day.
The name itself comes from the Italian word for ‘laurel’ and the liquor is made from formented limes steeped in bay leaves.

So, next time you’re in Polly, please ask to try some of Red Dirt Distillery’s products. They are all very yummy and have to be tasted be trully appreciated.
If you want to see some of the magic of the distillery at work, here’s a video from Channel 7′s Weekender which shows some of the behind the scenes action of the business!

NEW MENU!

That’s right folks! Polly has finally released her long anticipated new menu!
And the readers of this blog are the first people to actually see what’s on the list!
So do a little drumroll in your head and then read on….

For God’s Sake…                                                    
A most unusual Jaffa. Mozart Dry Chocolate Spirit, in electric company – Gekkeikan Sake, Agave Syrup and Orange Bitters. The whole being even more delicious then the sum of its parts. Hallelujah.

Chairman of the Board                                              
Refreshing and spicy, Chairmans Reserve Rum takes charge with Drambiue and Gosling Black Rum, fresh Pear and Ginger Beer. Time to put the feet back up on the desk. 

Black, Brown and Beige                                             
A twist on a Tiki with varying shades of deliciousness: Gosling’s Black Rum with Coconut, Macadamia Nut Liqueur and Pineapple juice. Boat drinks for indoors.

At The Drive-In                                                       
Popcorn, Vanilla, Chestnut and Wattle Toffee stirred sweetly, providing the backbone to go for that kiss during the final reel. Fingers crossed.

Indian Martini                                                          
A new classic, delicate and dry with complex and subtle flavours. Juicy Sloe Gin, restrained with Grapefruit Bitters, pitted against Saffron Gin and rinsed with louched Blanche de Fougeroulles Absinthe.

 The Dave Draper                                                      
Mad Men inspired, Australian made. A classic balance of Punte Mes and Bakery Hill Peated Cask Strength Whiskey, dressed with Wattle Toffee Liqueur.

 The De-Cider                                                          
The last word in refreshment. Coldstream Victorian Cider over ice, tempered with Campari and crowned with homemade Blood Orange Sorbet.

Raspberry Bullet                                                       
You’d want to pull this one out the party mix bag of lollies: White Sambuca and Mozart White smothered in Raspberry puree, topped with scorched Coffee Beans. Who said growing up isn’t fun.

 El Conquistador                                                       
Bold and uncompromising. Rich and intense flavours of Mozart Black, Coffee Liqueur and Vietnamese Mint, a hint of Chilli, underscored by Diplomatico Rum.

….keep your eyes peeled for photos and ‘the story behind the cocktail’ comin’ soon!

Mansithe Absinthe – a review

Firstly, I guess it’s a good idea to talk about why we stock the Absinthe’s that we do. We have tried to stock the best Absinthe we think is avaliable on the market. My ‘best’ we mean the most authentic, the tastiest, the most user friendly, and also the best bang for your buck, so that all our customers will be happy with the selection and won’t feel like they’re being ripped off!

I thought I’d start our assesment of the Polly Absinthe list, by mentioning a name that most people will know – Marily Manson.

The story behind Mansithe

Manson in 2000, seven years before he would release Mansinthe

Manson, for years has been a drinker and fan of the drink, and was famously quoted in Rolling Stone as saying that he no longer drank anything else but Absinthe. Here he talks about his first experiences with the drink -

“The first time I drank it (absinthe) was in New Orleans, in 1996, when I was making Antichrist Superstar. It was very undistilled, similar to moonshine. I didn’t drink absinthe again until Y2K. I spent that New Year’s Eve drinking absinthe with Johnny Depp in the south of France. We were ready for the apocalypse, and when it didn’t come, we were disappointed, so we drank more absinthe and set off fireworks. Since then, I don’t drink booze, I drink absinthe.”

 He also stated that he would love to make his own batch of his favourite drink.
 A few months later, he began the process of doing just that with Markus Lion, owner of Absinthe.de. Markus had released other celebrity Absinthe’s (such as H.R. Giger and the late Jhonn Balance) Lion had been in talks with Oliver Matter, the owner of a distillery in Switzerland, whose great-grandfather had been involved in distilling shnapps back in the 20s.

Kallnach on the map

The distillery is in a little Swiss town called Kallnach,  which inhabits 1,500 people and is mainly made up of farmhouses.  Lion told the press that Manson was involved intently at during every stage of production.

“Manson was intensely involved in the development, constantly tasting the samples, giving his opinion and providing suggestions for changes. When he was completely satisfied with a prototype, the final implementation was swift.” – Marcus Lion

The first batches, part of a special edition, sold out quite quickly, and Lion had to put aside his summer holidays in order to keep up with the demand for the product.
Mansinthe went on to win the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which is heralded as being the largest and the most important competition of it’s kind in the USA.

The Bottle

 To tell you the truth, I’ve rarely seen a bad looking bottle of Absinthe. The makers of the brands that we stock are involved with creating something so special, that they believe the packaging is just as important as the contents within. Therefore, in these Absinthe reviews, I shall also be paying close attention to the bottles as well, as I believe that they say alot about the actual product.

Mansinthe has a pretty special label, as the painting on the front is done by Manson. What makes it extra special is the fact that he actually usues the Absinthe within to create the painting. I think that’s pretty cool and smart all in one! It ties in his love for the drink, whilst staying true to his love for the gothic and the arts. The painting, which is entitled, “When I get old” also showcases Manson’s grim outlook which is present in his music, and which has made him to popular with the teen angst crowd.

Tasting notes.
If a customers comes in, all wide eyed and bushy tailed and has never tried Absinthe before, I usually stir them to the first three of the list – Mansinthe is one of the drinks I recommend. It’s not only the fact that it’s one of the cheapest (as usually first time Absinthe drinkers don’t won’t to fork out $22 for their first try) but also it’s flavour isn’t so overwhelming that the first time Absinthe drinker won’t be scared off Absinthe for life! 
This is what the Mansinthe peeps say about the taste of their product - 

“Mansinthe is a natural absinthe, distilled from vermouth, aniseed, fennel and other fine herbs. Naturally, pre-sweetening is avoided and artificial colourings are out of the question for reasons of quality. Oliver Matter characterises Mansinthe as a classic absinthe that absinthe lovers can appreciate, but which primarily appeals to novices.”

I’ve gathered here, from myself, co-workers and tasters over the net, what I think Mansinthe tastes like. If you disagree or what to add anything new, please, comment and let me know!

Colour Before Dillution.
The colour is pale green, with a slightly oily look, which is obviously from the high amount of thujone. The colour of Mansinthe is considered to be a lot lighter and brighter than most other Absinthes.

Colour After Dillution.
The greenness of the Absinthe becomes more settled as water is added to it. Its colour takes on a milks, yellowish colour, with hints of blue. Pretty to look at….but try and watch it without drinking it!!

Smell.
The aroma is very light and has notes of Wormwood and Coriander. It has a celeriac air, which mix will with the herb fragrances.

Taste.
Light, with a strong anise flavour, with a nice balance between sweet and bitter. Notes of mint and pepper came also be tasted. A refreshing drink that’s not in your face.  

Stay tuned for more about all the Absinthe that we stock at Polly. Tasting notes, history, reviews, and all that comes inbetween!

The History of Absinth Part IV – The rise and rise of Absinth

So, now that we’ve spoken about where Absinthe came from, the next step is to talk about the resurrection of Absinthe and where it stands within our current culture.

The 1990′s
Like most stories of innocence, over time the knowledge of Wormwood has developed and the world has began to realise the health benefits of the herb. – With knowledge from those that understood that the worlds outlook on Absinth was incorrect, countries from all over the worlds began to legalise, or modify, their laws on Absinth.
The legalisation of Absinth was made easier due to the fact that the drink was never actually banned in England. This was due to the fact that the English never actually had a problem with the green fairy – their main poison was gin, and therefore, there was no need to ban Absinth. So, it’s no suprise that an Englishman was the one who initiated the de-banning of Absinthe in Europe.

George Rowley and Marie-Claude Delahaye

La Fee
George Rowley, an English businessman, who found himself in the early 1990s working for a subsideary in Prague. Here, he discovered Absinthe, and loved it so much that he decided to try and bring it into the UK. He also thought that his country had banned the drink! So, he set out to secure legalisation of Absinthe to the rest of Europe.

A bottle of La Fee Parisenne

 

On the 21st of July 1998, he secured the UK government’s authorisation on the landmark document which allowed absinthe to be sold legally in the European Union. He then called upon Absinthe historian Marie-Claude Delahaye and started to create an authentic Absinthe, and together they would create the first authentic Absinthe, which would be the first to be distilled in France since the 1915 ban. La Fee Parisienne is lauched in the year 2000. Celebritys, such as Johnny Depp, Eminem, Marily Manson, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Dita Von Teese became huge fans of the brand, and by their public love of the drink, it bought Absinthe to the attention of the masses. Subsequently, Absinthe began to make it’s way into popular culture, showing up in movies as diverse as From Hell, to Euro Trip. 
Absinthe has become so mainstream infact, that you can purchase ‘novelty’ Absinthe items from gift shops, some of which I’ve provided the pictures of below (as you have to see these things to believe it!)

 

So, there you have it with the history of Absinthe! I hope you’ve enjoyed our four part series! Look out for future posts on the Absinthe’s we stock at Polly – we will look at tasting notes, the history and the people behind each and every bottle of Absinthe we stock. So now there’s no excuse for not having one when you next stop by!

Cocktail Tasting guide

When I go up to a table, and see someone starring at a menu blankly, I ask them, “Do you need any help?” If they say yes, I then ask what they feel like. Milky? Bitter? Sweet?Strong? I thought I’d post a list of flavours and what some of our most popular cocktails fall under, so that next time you come in, you’ll know exactly what you’re taste buds are calling for!

Milky.
The floating fairy
Ah, this is a favourite. I describe it as an alcholic milkshake. If a hazelnut, and a raspberry got it on, it would taste something like this.

Lost for words
A bit different, and a little heavier due to the yoghurt factor. It has scrummy fig jam, coffee liquor and chestnut liquor, all balanched out by some dark rum. Dessert in a glass!

Chocolate Vespa
We can do this two ways – one with our house made choc/white choc vodkas, which makes for a stronger taste, or with our delicious Mozart liqour range, which comes out like a chocolate thickshake.

Dominatrix
If you like rum, and if you like chocolate, there’s not better place to look!

Chocolate – but – hold the dairy!
Who said lactose intolerance = no chocolate cocktails! Here are a few that aren’t heavy on the dairy.

The Black Magic.
Like a blackforest cake, it’s smooth and comes with a piece of chocolate – what more can you ask for?!

The Heartbreaker.
Strawberry jam, notes of vanilla, dark chocolate and cinnamon – delicious!

Rocky Road.
One of our most popular drinks – and for a reason! Made with our own marshmellow infused vodka and topped with a vodka infused marshmellow – now that’s the reason!

Citrus OverloadThe Havana Tuscana
If someone comes up and asks for a drink that’s like a Mojito, I make them one of these. It’s packed full of fresh lime, mint and vanilla sugar, with dark rum and cranberry – tangy, and sweet, you’ll be asking for these instead of Mojito’s in no time!

Lemon Meringue.
I hear so many people, after their first sip, say how much this tastes like the real thing! Lemoncello, vanilla liquor and caramel syrup – yum!

The Devil Inside.
Passionfruit fans with love this one! It has fresh passionfruit pulp, and passionfruit vodka. Refreshing, and not too sweet to boot!

Sweet Tooth
These are the ones you get when you’re craving a sweet fix. These are mainly under the heading of ‘Soft as Silk’ on the menu.

The Red Stilleto
I always give this to people (mainly girls) when they say they want a cocktail that doesn’t taste alcholic. I find some get put off by the ginger liquor, but it really does balance out the flavours – so, though we can subtract it from the equation, try it with the ginger and you’ll see why it’s in there!

Turkish Delight
It really does taste like a liquified version of the chocolate bar! Served in a cocktail glass rimmed in vanilla sugar, it’s for those who like their sweetness upfront.

Happily ever after.
One of our most popular drinks, it tastes like a vanilla cranberry lollipop. And I swear, I can make this and the Booty Call with my eyes closed!

In the mood for something different…
So, this happens often, when a customer leaves it in my capable hands to pick a drink off the menu for them and says, “Make me something different.” I always question them a little about what they hate or love, but if I was to pick the most unusual cocktails on the menu, I’d say they are…

Bourbon Butter
I get a lot of eyebrow raises from customers whey they see me digging a barspoon into a jar of peanut butter. When I tell them what it’s for, they either are intrigued or repulsed. I’m telling you – don’t know this drink till you try it! If you love your peanut butter and don’t mind some bourbon you will dig this!

Smashed
Who would have thunk it that Chambord, Jack Daniels and berries would go together? Well, it does and if you’re a fan of Jack, you should give this a go!

Risky Business.
Grappa, apricot liquor, and elderflower liquor. I know, it also doesn’t seem like it would work, but it makes for one very refreshing drink! Oh, and this isn’t your Grandpa’s grappa either – it’s the good stuff!

STRONG
Whenever I ask a customer if they want a strong cocktail I have to add at the end “…in taste” as people get worried they may get made a cocktail that isn’t as alcholic as the others. Well, most of our cocktails are two standard drinks, so rest assured – you’re getting what you paid for! These drinks are what I call ‘manly, puts hairs on your chest’ drinks. The kind that I give to men who swear they won’t touch a cocktail as they’re ‘girly.’ There’s nothing girly about these drinks, let me tell you!

Top Hat and Tails
If someone tells me they like whiskey, I automatically make them one of these. It’s one of my favourites, because it doesn’t have that many ingredients and yet, it is so complex. It’s bitter, it’s sweet, the Gentleman jack really pops, and the cinnamon brings it on home.

Kermit’s Cocaine
Yes, it’s an Absinthe cocktail! A lot of people get scared of Absinthe, and if you’re one who does have a fear of drinking with the green fairy, please read my past posts on Absinthe which answers a lot of faq’s about the drink. But, back to Kermit’s! It’s a great place to start if you are a little weary of Absinthe, as the cocktails main ingredient is Agwa, which is a cocoa leaf liquor, and kind of tastes minty. It’s quite refreshing, sweet, yet with a hint of the anise flavour that Absinthe is so famous for!                                                                                             

Nasty Martini 
With a natural bitterness due to the fresh orange rind we put in it, the Grand Marnier lightens it up, and the vodka evens the flavours. The Absinthe rinse gets it kickin’ 

I want to see stuff lit on fire! 
Ok, so being a bartender, you need to be an entertainer. At Polly, we have a few cocktails that go along with the bartender personality – and yes, there is fire involved! 

Freudian Sip 
Yes, it’s another Absinthe drink! But this bad boy is mainly Absinthe, and is balanced out by apple liquor. It comes with a flaming sugar cubed rested on an Absinthe spoon. Flamingly sophisticated! 

Xanadu
A lychee lit on fire. Yes we can! The Xanadu is kind of like the taste of a yoghurt berry – it’s white chocolate taste, and with a touch of blackberry puree, it’s a yummy yet unusual taste!

Light my fire.
The name says it all really! A balloon (cognac) glass, filled with Grand Marnier, Woodfood reserve bourbon, and vanilla liquor. We then get an orange peel and flame it in to the glass. You gotta see it to believe it!

If you can’t find what you’re looking for on my list, please, let me know your taste and I can help you pick the best cocktail for your tastebuds – or – even better still – c’mon in to Polly and we can make you what you like right on the spot!!

The History of Absinth – Part III – Absinth’s fall from being the most popular drink in France to the most hated

So, last week I talked about how Absinth became a household name in French and in Switzerland in the 1800′s. We left at the point where France’s bohemian artists began to sing the praises of Absinth, and how it led to a pathway of creativity.

ohmygawd - he killed the Green Fairy!!

The Green Fairy loses her wings…
It all began in the 1870s, when the media, and most of the rich people of France, began to get behind the temperance movement. The consumption of Absinth had gone through the roof from 1876. In that year, France had drank one million litres, but by 1890, it had increased up to twenty one million. If they were to target any alchol, it was no suprise they would attack such a ‘mythical’ and popular one such as Absinth. 
The wine companies jumped on board as well, as one of the reasons Absinth had become so popular, is that wine had become hard to come by due to a phylloxera plague. The infestation targeted all of Europe, but  in France alone, total wine production fell from 84.5 million hectolitres in 1875 to only 23.4 million hectolitres in 1889.^[1] The wine makers obviously saw this as a great free advertisement to switch back to drinking wine, with their creative slogan of the day being, “Up with Wine, Down with Absinth.”
All the problems of the day (including dementia, TB, crime, etc) were blamed on the drink, and Doctors even came up with a new mental disease, “Absinthism”, whose symptoms included, “hyperexcitiability, tremors, convulsions, and hallucinations.” It was also possible, these Doctors said, for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers to pass the disease onto their child.

Proclomation banning Absinthe

A big plus for the Absinth ban was the infamous ‘Absinth murders’ which took place in Switzerland in 1905. Monsieur Lanfray, after drinking a glass of Absinth, went on a killing spree, and shot all his family members. The story shot into the media, and spurned the 1910 ban of Absinth in Switzerland. Of course, the story was widely exaggerated, and the true version was that the killer had mainly consumed quite a few litres of wine and brandy, but it was an adequate story for the papers and the masses.

A nationwide ban on Absinth then occured in America in 1912, and soon after, on the 7th of January 1915, Absinth was banned in France.

What happened then?
Many countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world would continue to ban Absinth over the next decade. Of course, this led to all the Absinth distillerys going bankrupt, thought there were a few that went underground. Bottles of Absinth would be dug up from time to time, deserted by it’s makers, and sold for a pretty penny on the black market.

Arrest that cat!!!

Pernod had to close their doors after the Absinth band, but after the WW1, they made up a new recipe  that didn’t contain wormwood, and that met with the guidelines of the French Government. The new Pernod took over Absinth’s popularity, and it became the newest drink of the cafe society.
Pernod wasn’t alone for long though, with a young man named Paul Ricard founded his own anise based aperitif, and becoming competition for the spot of France’s favourite tipple. However, in 1975, the two companies reached an agreement, and the company is now known as “Pernod Ricard.”

Coming soon – the rise of Absinth – how did the ban for lifted, and it’s place in popular culture today.
 

The History of Absinthe – Part II

So now, you know the basic answers to the basic questions on Absinthe, I think it’s time we look at the history of the aperetif, and answer the question – Why as Absinthe banned?
But first…

Who created Absinthe?
The recipe dates back to France in the 18th Century. It came from the Henriot sisters, who produced Absinthe in a tiny stall that sat on top of their kitchen stove.
Pierre Ordinaire began peddling their product, which he sold as a medicinal aid. The Henriot’s remedy began to be known as ‘Absinthe’ because of the wormwoods botanical name. The drink became so popular, that people began to drink Absinthe for it’s taste and not just for it’s health benefits, and the Henriot sisters sold the recipe in 1787 to Major Henri Dubeid. Dubeid began building a distillery straight away that would cope with commercial production of the drink, as it’s popularity was booming in France and in Switzerland. Dubeid’s son-in-law, Herni-Louis Pernod was inspired by his father-in-laws success, and decided to open up his own Absinthe distillery in France, which of course, was named Pernod.  

In 1830, the popularity of Absinthe soared when French soldiers fighting in the African Battalion, came back home to tell everyone that the drink saved them from tropical diseases. This announcement lead to Absinthe becoming more mainstream, as it had become the drink of heroes. By the 1850s, Absinthe was the drink of France, which lead to four more distillerys being opened up around France.

Rimbaud

Writers of poets of the time began to wax lyrical about how much they loved the green fairy (or ‘La Fee Verte’ – it was called this because of the green colour it went when water was added) Along with their choice of drugs, such as opium hashish, they believed it opened the mind to other realms. Rimbaud was quoted as describing Absinthe as,
“The most delicate, the most precarious adornment, to be drunk of the magic of that herb from the glaciers, absumphe!”
As soon as the poets, including Verlaine and Baudelaire began to sing it’s praises, the nations self appointed guardians began their attack on the drink.

And this, was the beginning of Absinthe’s fall.

Stay tuned for Part II of the history of Absinthe!

 

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