Sip & Savor

Vote, Shake, Sip, Repeat

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Vote, Shake, Sip, Repeat

Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

The ballots have been cast, the stickers have been worn and the unofficial results are in.

Wyoming’s Primary Election wrapped up August 18, meaning some candidates are celebrating a victory while others are discovering that democracy occasionally leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Fortunately, history has a cocktail for both occasions.

Politics and alcohol have been acquainted for a very long time. Taverns once served as gathering places where Americans discussed candidates, complained about government and probably became increasingly certain of their political opinions with each refill. Elections have inspired everything from celebratory punches to drinks named for politicians and political districts.

So, whether your candidate is headed to the General Election or headed home, here are two historic drinks with enough political pedigree to make election season a little more interesting.

If there were an election for the greatest politically inspired cocktail, Boston’s Ward Eight would have a strong chance of winning.

The drink dates to 1898 and is traditionally associated with the election of Martin M. Lomasney to the Massachusetts Legislature.

Lomasney wasn’t merely another name on a ballot. He became one of Boston’s most powerful political figures, serving in the Massachusetts House and Senate and wielding considerable influence over the city’s Eighth Ward during a political career spanning roughly four decades.

The cocktail bearing the ward’s name reportedly originated at Boston’s Locke-Ober Café. The famous restaurant had already been operating for years when someone behind the bar decided Lomasney’s expected victory deserved its own drink.

Some versions of the story say the cocktail was created before the election was even officially decided because Lomasney’s supporters were so confident he would win.

Apparently, waiting for unofficial results wasn’t always necessary.

Stories surrounding Lomasney’s political machine have also grown considerably more colorful over the years, including allegations of some creative approaches to getting voters and ballots together. Whatever the complete truth, Lomasney was undeniably popular with many of his constituents, and his election produced something far more enduring than most campaign literature.

It produced a cocktail people are still making more than a century later.

The Ward Eight is essentially a relative of the Whiskey Sour. Rye whiskey provides the backbone, while lemon and orange juices give it a bright citrus bite. Grenadine supplies sweetness, color and pomegranate flavor.

There are numerous recipes because, as often happens with drinks more than a century old, bartenders have spent generations arguing over what belongs in the glass.

That may actually make it the perfect political cocktail.

Ward Eight

Ingredients

• 2 ounces rye whiskey

• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice

• 2 teaspoons grenadine

• 2 or 3 cherries for garnish

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the rye whiskey, lemon juice, orange juice and grenadine.

Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker becomes cold, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with two or three cherries on a cocktail pick.

The result is a handsome reddish-orange cocktail that looks festive enough for a victory party but has enough rye whiskey to accompany a concession speech.

If you haven’t bought grenadine since you were making Shirley Temples, it may be worth taking another look at the ingredient. Grenadine traditionally gets its flavor from pomegranate, and several modern versions use real fruit juice rather than relying primarily on artificial flavoring.

Ambitious home bartenders can even make their own from pomegranate juice and sugar.

That seems like an excessive amount of work after spending election night refreshing results, but nobody ever said democracy was easy.

For the second election-season drink, we need to travel considerably farther back in American history.

George Washington is closely associated with cherry bounce, a potent cherry cordial that was popular in early America. A recipe for the drink survives among the Washington family’s papers and is generally attributed to Martha Washington.

Forget the powdered wig and stern portrait for a moment. America’s first president apparently appreciated a good cherry-infused drink.

Cherry bounce was made by combining tart cherries with sugar, spices and a strong spirit, traditionally brandy. The mixture was then left to infuse, allowing the alcohol to draw flavor and color from the fruit.

And when we say left to infuse, we aren’t talking about waiting through election returns.

Traditional recipes could require months.

That is fine if you begin preparing for Election Day sometime around Memorial Day. It is less useful if you suddenly decide on election night that watching county-by-county returns requires a historic beverage.

Fortunately, modern versions can speed things up considerably by briefly heating the cherries, sugar and spices before adding the alcohol and allowing the mixture to steep for about a day.

The cherries matter. Tart or sour cherries are the best choice because they provide enough acidity to balance the sugar and alcohol. Sweet varieties such as Bing cherries can produce something much heavier and sweeter.

Fresh tart cherries are excellent when available, but frozen tart cherries can also work, which is convenient in Wyoming where asking a cherry tree to cooperate with your cocktail schedule may be expecting too much.

Cherry bounce wasn’t necessarily an everyday drink in the 18th century. Many of the ingredients besides the cherries were imported and costly, so serving a richly spiced cordial could demonstrate that a household was doing rather well.

The drink was traditionally enjoyed in small quantities as a cordial. That remains a sensible approach because cherry bounce can taste deceptively friendly.

The word “bounce” itself has been linked in some accounts to an old usage meaning a hit or blow — supposedly an appropriate description of what the drink’s alcohol content could deliver.

In other words, don’t let the cherries fool you.

Quick Cherry Bounce

Ingredients

• 4 cups tart or sour cherries, fresh or frozen

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 or 3 whole cloves

• A small piece of fresh nutmeg or a pinch of ground nutmeg

• 2 cups brandy

Directions

Place the cherries, sugar and spices in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook gently until the cherries begin releasing their juices and the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil the mixture aggressively.

Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely.

Transfer the cherry mixture to a clean glass jar and add the brandy. Seal the jar and allow it to steep for at least 24 hours. Longer steeping will produce a deeper cherry flavor.

Strain before serving, or leave some of the cherries in the jar for continued infusion.

Serve a small amount neat as a cordial.

For something lighter, pour one part cherry bounce over ice and add about three parts seltzer. A slice or twist of lemon makes a refreshing garnish.

When colder weather arrives, cherry bounce can also be gently warmed and served in a small cup with a strip of orange peel.

Just don’t boil it unless you want Washington’s favorite spirit to disappear into the kitchen air.

Election seasons change, candidates come and go, political parties evolve and campaign signs eventually disappear from front yards.

Cocktails, apparently, have remarkable staying power.

The Ward Eight has survived more than 125 years after the Massachusetts election that supposedly inspired it, while cherry bounce reaches back to the earliest days of the republic.

That makes either one appropriate for Wyoming voters contemplating the results of the August 18 primary.

If your candidate won, raise a glass in celebration.

If your candidate lost, raise one in consolation.

And if you’re already tired of politics, forget the election entirely and enjoy the fact that you’ve discovered two interesting pieces of American cocktail history.

Baked Sea Bream

Publisher — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:30:00 +0000

Baked Sea Bream

Publisher Sun, 08/23/2026 - 03:30

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

The first time that I ate bream, that I knew of, was when I went spearfishing off the coast of North Stradbroke Island, off the coast of Queensland, about two or three hours from Brisbane.

I have often said the fish were not in danger with me, but my two buddies were excellent fishermen.

I was wary of them putting their bloody catches in their wetsuits, since the area was known to have great white attacks and nurse sharks were always around. A nurse shark has huge jagged teeth and gets large. I saw more than one swimming and they all looked to be five and six feet.

I was on a camping trip with these guys and spearfishing was how we fed ourselves for a couple of days.

They speared a couple different types, but the one I enjoyed eating was bream.

It is a saltwater fish in the Porgy family (Sparidae), such as the black or yellowfin sea bream. They are a favorite catch for anglers, easily recognized by their deep bodies and deeply forked tails. These are ocean-dwelling fish found near rocky shorelines and piers. Known for their delicate, sweet flesh, they are highly sought after by both anglers and chefs. Bream live in shallow temperate marine waters and are bottom-dwelling carnivores.

We grilled them up each evening.

On our last day, we decided to take the boys’ catch back to where I was staying and cook them up there.

Jenny, my host during this time, knew how to cook these fish and the dish she made was delicious, even though it was made with potatoes.

It may have come across before, but I am not a potato fan, although I will eat them.

I also could not believe how easy it was to make.

She called it “Baked Sea Bream”.

Baked Sea Bream

Ingredients

2 or 3 bream 1 ¼ to 2 pounds

Salt and Pepper to taste. I have used lemon pepper sometimes.

2 lemon wedges

2 garlic cloves

1 cup of white breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tablespoons of paprika

1/0 cup of fresh parsley

5 medium-sized potatoes. (I will use more like 8 if they are the smaller red potatoes, which I like better.)

1 cup of water.

1/2 cup of olive oil.

1 cup of fresh chives, cut with scissors.

Directions

First, scale and wash the fish, if fresh caught. My father fortunately taught me how to do that long ago.

Next season with the salt and pepper. Make three parallel cuts across the fish ½ inch deep and 1 ¼ inch apart. Put a piece of lemon in each cut, rind facing outwards.

Mince the garlic. Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, paprika and parsley.

Slice the potatoes into thin, fine rounds. You don’t want them thick. Add the water to the oven-proof dish. A casserole dish is the best. Add salt and pepper.

Place the fish on top of the potatoes and coat with olive oil. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for around 20 minutes. This is why the potatoes must be cut very thin. Make sure meat and potatoes are cooked. Once out of the oven, sprinkle on the chives.

Because bream from Australia is not so easy to get in Wyoming, I have had to improvise.

Red Snapper will work, but snapper has a slightly firmer texture and a sweeter, nutty flavor that works great as a bream alternative.

But even red snapper is not all that easy to find.

I used mahi mahi filets when I found them. Halibut is good too. Tilapia is not so great. I have a better shot of finding a decent variety of fish when I go to Laramie or down in Colorado.

Apparently, Sunfish and Bluegill are similar in taste. I know as a kid, when we went fishing, we caught a lot of these in lakes. They were bony and we usually fried them up.

If I get my hands on some, I will try this recipe on them.

I ate this dish originally to be polite, because I was sure I would not like it because of the potatoes.

I was wrong.

I very much enjoy potatoes this way with white fish.

The Bee’s Knees

Publisher — Sat, 01 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The Bee’s Knees

Publisher Sat, 08/01/2026 - 15:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

This past weekend I guest bartended at the Elk Mountain Hotel for an event sponsored by the Hanna Basin Museum. The fundraiser was based on a 1920s speakeasy.

There were two bars going at the hotel for the event.

Downstairs were whiskey-based drinks from the 1920s and upstairs, out on the balcony, a bar was set up that served gin-based cocktails along with wine.

On the list of cocktails offered was one called the Bee’s Knees.

That evening, the Bee’s Knees outsold all other drinks combined, including wine, almost six to one.

I have written about this cocktail before a couple of years back, but after seeing its popularity amongst all those attending the event, I feel a review is in order.

I am a fan of a cocktail that came from the years of prohibition to begin with and I have introduced it in bars I have worked at.

I found it to be the most popular gin cocktail if offered, even over gin and tonics and martinis.

The Bee’s Knees comes from 1929. It is credited to have been created in New Orleans just before Prohibition. Once Prohibition occurred, speakeasies, bars that were off the legal grid, popped up. The speakeasies in the cities were doing their best to serve drinks that were high class and worth paying for. The problem was, many of the spirits being served were not all that great in quality.

Liquor was coming in illegally from other countries, Canada and Mexico being the largest culprits, but plenty of illicit booze was being made in the United States. Moonshine was prevalent throughout the USA, as was gin, or rather bathtub gin.

Nowadays, Bathtub gin refers to any style of homemade spirit made in amateur conditions. The term, however, first appeared in 1920, in reference to the poor-quality alcohol that was being made. Gin was the dominant liquor in the 1920s. Because gin is made with various botanicals, many variations were created by mixing cheap grain alcohol with water and flavorings, such as juniper berry juice and glycerin. Mixing grain alcohol, water, and flavorings in containers large enough to supply commercial venues had to be small enough for the operation to go undetected by the police. The common metal bathtub in use at the time would have been ideal, as would have been a ceramic bathtub, hence the name, ‘bathtub gin’. In truth, since distillation is boiling and condensation in a closed apparatus, and cannot be done in an open container such as a bathtub, stories of distilled alcoholic products produced in an open bathtub are probably false.

Anyway, cheap gin found its way into places that served alcohol. One of the most famous drinks during this time was the Bee’s Knees. The name comes from prohibition-era slang meaning “the best”. It was created to hide the harshness of this gin by masking the product with honey and lemon juice.

The Bee’s Knees was not a cocktail I knew about until I was setting up the bar menu for my restaurant in Laramie about 10 or so years ago. The name of my place was Lost and Found and that is what I did with my drink menu. I went searching for old cocktails I felt would be enjoyed by our customers. I proudly can say TripAdvisor had us ranked number one out of 97 restaurants as the best in Laramie for about six months before the building imploded.

When I heard of the theme of the party the Hanna Basin Museum was throwing, I suggested the Bee’s Knees be on the menu and although I had never doubted it would be popular, I had forgotten how well it was liked.

It is a very easy recipe in theory.

Bee’s Knees

Ingredients:

Two ounces of a London Dry style gin

One ounce of honey (a simple syrup of honey actually works better)

One ounce of fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Put in a shaker with ice and vigorously shake. Pour into a cocktail glass, usually neat (no ice), but ice can be in the drink. I usually use the ice that was in the shaker.

This was a very popular drink, but it was difficult to make in the traditional manner. Honey, citrus juice and ice don’t mix well. It always gets congealed on the ice or shaker and does not really mix well with the other ingredients. There are some steps that make the honey mix better. The honey may be diluted one-to-one with hot water to thin the consistency. This means using 2 ounces of the honey syrup instead of one ounce of honey.

At the Elk Mountain Hotel, the owner, Christine Neel, made a simple syrup made with honey powder. I learned at Lost and Found that honey powder worked best when making Bee’s Knees. It dissolves a little faster and better than regular honey. In a bar environment, I highly recommend making a Bee’s Knees with a powder to save the bartender from frustration.

The Bee’s Knees Cocktail proved once again at the Elk Mountain Hotel that the drink might be almost 100 years old, but its taste is timeless.

The Vermouth That Time Forgot

Publisher — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Vermouth That Time Forgot

Publisher Sat, 07/11/2026 - 07:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

I have a lot of old classic bartending books. I refer to them often when looking for authentic drinks from the 1930s and before. I have my fair share of books from the 1940s and 1950s. Probably my weakest selection is from the 1960s to the 1980s.

It’s mostly because they are not usually considered very collectable.

For a collector of bar books (there are a few of us), those years don’t hold up in value the way the much older books do.

But that doesn’t mean they are less interesting.

Some are very interesting.

I recently picked up “International Guide to Drinks,” published in 1973 in Great Britain. I was flipping through it and came across drinks from Norway. The first drink I read about won the International Cocktail Contest in Los Angeles in 1973. It was called the Festrus and was created by Bjorne Eriksen.

Festrus

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounce of Smirnoff vodka

1 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier

1 1/2ounce Cinzano Extra Dry Vermouth

Directions

Mix together in shaker with ice

Pour into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

I had some Cinzano in my liquor collection, both dry and red, but I admit, until I came across this recipe, I hardly ever touched the stuff.

It is very popular overseas.

I saw it all the time in Italian restaurants I hung out at.

That makes sense, since it is from Turin, Italy and it was available as far back as 1757. Brothers Giovanni Giacomo and Carlo Stefano Cinzano created a new “vermouth rosso” (red vermouth) using plants and herbs from the Italian Alps in a recipe still closely guarded by combining 35 ingredients. Eventually, they created another sweet vermouth, but it was white. Cinzano Bianco followed, based on a different combination of herbs that included wormwood, which is an ingredient for absinthe. After it was created, it was soon followed by an Extra Dry version. This is what is in the Festrus.

It started being exported in 1890 and they put out some cool posters. That is how I first really took notice of it. The posters usually had a fashionably dressed lady in bright colors drinking Cinzano.

Cinzano remained owned by the family until 1985.

It was sold to the British company that was to become a mega liquor business called Diageo. It is the largest spirits company in the world.

In 1997, Diageo sold Cinzano to Campari-Grupo, another monster international liquor company that is Italian. For you Wild Turkey fans, Campari owns that brand.

What I found interesting, bartenders in the know used Cinzano when creating new drinks.

I saw that in Norway, another bartender, Arthur Anderson, won the international cocktail championship in Tokyo in 1971. He called it the Orbit. Again, Cinzano was used.

Orbit

Ingredients

2 ounces of Seagram’s 7 Canadian whiskey

1 ounce of yellow Chartreuse (The Carthusian monks capped output to focus on monastic life, making supply sporadic and hard to find. It is not available in Wyoming and places that have it the price can be $65 to $125 a bottle).

1 ounce of Dubbonet (a fortified red wine much easier to find than yellow Chartreuse)

1 ounce of Cinzano blanco.

Directions

Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice, mix and pour into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with a cherry.

I have not tried this, but I am game if I ever come across some yellow chartreuse.

I know from drinking Cinzano with Italian friends they mixed it with soda water with a twist of lemon.

In Asia and Australia where it was extremely tropical, I drank it with soda because friends did and I remember it being refreshing and it tasted good. I also remember you have to be careful because it can sneak up on you because of its light taste.

So old bartending books from the 1970s have their value.

I would have forgotten about Cinzano, even though it is in my liquor collection, if I hadn’t read the International Guide to Drinks a few weeks back.

I am glad to have rediscovered it.

A Soup-er Duck Recipe

Publisher — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000

A Soup-er Duck Recipe

Publisher Sat, 07/11/2026 - 07:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

My mother was an excellent cook.

During holidays, especially on Christmas, she liked to cook different types of poultry instead of having turkey.

She cooked Cornish game hens, goose and duck. I think we even had turducken once.

Goose and duck were okay, but I don’t remember thinking that I wanted to order either if I saw them in a restaurant.

My goose eating has been very limited, but not so with duck. When I moved to Taiwan, there were shops that had ducks hanging, more or less smoked, in a skin that was sort of sweet and cinnamon tasting. Very close to Peking duck if you’ve ever had it.

This duck was fairly reasonable in Taiwan, but there were a lot of ducks there. I saw as many ducks in cages as I did chickens at the live markets, where they butchered the fowls for you on the spot.

The restaurants specializing in duck didn’t have live ducks, but it wasn’t unusual to see 20 or 30 roasted ducks hanging on display, ready to be ordered. The breast was sliced and served while the rest was cooked in a rich, flavorful sauce to mix with rice. The sliced duck was put on little tortilla-type patties. You wrapped the meat, green onion and special dark brown sauce.

I loved this dish and got this duck–it was carryout– usually once a week or at least once every two weeks.

I wish I knew how to make, but I don’t.

Then in China, I discovered this Cantonese noodle duck soup.

The apartment complex I lived in was huge. I think there were eight buildings and all were 30 stories. It was gated, so you had to go by a security guard.

Right outside the gate, across the street, were a couple of Mom and Pop Chinese places.

Both served duck.

The stewed duck was great and the meal came with not only duck, but a couple vegetables and rice. It cost $3.

The place that served duck soup was addictive. I ate at the duck meal place once a week and the family loved to talk to me. My Chinese is not great, but it was good enough. They talked to me about a lot of things. Sometimes I ate there, sometimes, I took it home.

The duck soup lady never said much to me. She was nice enough, but she was all business. She would my soup, it took about 5 minutes, and off I would go.

It also costs $3.00.

I loved this soup.

First, the noodles they used were bean curd, which is my favorite noodle. They would be cooked and put in a bag. Then she would put in her fresh veggies and cilantro in the stock and cook. After a couple of minutes, she put in the duck. It was chopped up, bone and all. You had to be careful about the bones when eating. She also put in the heart, liver and other inner parts of the duck I usually won’t eat.

Her broth was so good that I didn’t pick out the parts I would not usually eat.

The woman never gave me her recipe, but I watched her and eventually came up with my version of this cantonese duck soup.

Cantonese Noodle Duck Soup

Ingredients

12 ounces of bean thread noodles–they can be found Maybuhay Oriental Market in Rawlins

4 cups of chicken broth

4 cups of water for cooking the noodles

1 tablespoon of corn starch (optional but it makes the soup thicker)

1 ounce of fresh cilantro chopped

1 teaspoon of black pepper

3 slices of unpeeled fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of rice wine (it is in stores)

1/2 duck that is roasted already (City Market and Walmart have duck, but sometimes it is seasonal, especially Walmart. Mabuhay might have duck frozen too)

8 ounces of a vegetable like bok choy, spinach, broccoli or cauliflower. You can mix the veggies too.

1 scallion thinly sliced

Directions

First soak the dry noodles in water before trying to cook them. 10 minutes is about right.

Then cook them until they get soft, usually another 10 or so minutes.

Drain and put aside.

In a pot, put in the broth, seasonings and veggies and cook until the vegetables get soft, but don’t overcook.

Add the duck. It is fine if you leave the bones and skin of the cooked duck. Roasting duck is like cooking chicken, although I find it cooks a little faster. About a half hour at 375 F.

Cook the roasted duck in the soup for about 5 minutes. The noodles, which have been cooked and drained, are added to the soup. Cook for a minute or two.

Your soup is ready.

I sometimes spice it up with Asian sauces, but nothing sweet. Sometimes I eat it the way it is right out of pot because it tastes so healthy. I don’t put entrails in my version.

Duck is a favorite meat of mine and I miss the days when I could go down the street and order it.

At least I know how to make the soup.

A 1909 Blackberry Cordial Still Holds Up Today

Publisher — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:40:00 +0000

A 1909 Blackberry Cordial Still Holds Up Today

Publisher Sat, 07/04/2026 - 17:40

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

I have been collecting antique bartending books for almost 20 years. My collection started with The Gentleman’s Companion by Charles Baker Jr. I became a bit of a historian on drinks from reading that book.

I was fascinated by how drinks were made when spirits were much more limited.

A lot of cordials were made at the bar or at home, especially out West.

I know some whiskies were locally bottled in Wyoming because I have a couple of bottles left from that time.

Helen Wright wrote a book in 1909 called “Old Time Recipes for Homemade Wines, Cordials and Liqueurs,” which allows one to go back in time and see how to make certain flavored spirits.

I have been experimenting with macerations and infusions (the art of letting fruit take over the taste of certain spirits). I find making cordials exciting.

Then again, I enjoy the magic of taste that comes from making homemade flavors, alcoholic or not.

Blackberry is a favorite berry of mine and I enjoy working with it.

There are two recipes Wright put in her book with blackberries that got my attention.

Blackberry Cordial No. 1

“Mash and strain berries through a sieve. To one gallon of juice, put one pound of sugar. Boil and add one tablespoon of allspice and one tablespoon of cloves. Cook until thick. Take it off and let the syrup cool. When nearly cold, add one quart of either whiskey or brandy. Bottle and seal.”

Because this recipe comes from 1909, vodka or commercial moonshine was not readily available. I am a whiskey drinker, so this recipe works for me, but for those who prefer a lighter taste, the white alcohols might be more to your liking. White rum would work too. I recommend, after the bottle has rested a day or two, start using it.

Blackberry Cordial No. 2

“To one gallon of blackberry juice, add four pounds of white sugar. Boil and skin off. Then add one ounce of cloves, one ounce of cinnamon, 10 grated nutmegs, and boil down until quite rich. Then let it cool and settle. Afterward, drain off and add one pint of good brandy or whiskey.”

Once the cordial is made, it can be drunk on the rocks or sipped in a snifter.

What I recommend is taking 2 ounces of the cordial to 4 to 5 ounces of soda water in a glass filled with ice.

It is refreshing. Garnish with either a whole blackberry or a slice of lime to give the cocktail a nice look.

Another cocktail that this cordial will work very well is the Bramble. The Bramble is a classic gin cocktail created by Dick Bradsell, featuring gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and creme de mure (blackberry liqueur), which the blackberry cordial can substitute, served over crushed ice, with a signature drizzle of the liqueur on top to create a “bramble” effect. This drink also muddles a few blackberries on the bottom of the glass. It’s garnished with fresh blackberries and a lemon wheel. This cocktail grew in favor in the 1990s when there was a renaissance of gin drinks, although it was first introduced in London in the 1980s.

The Bramble

4 fresh blackberries

2 oz. gin

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

1/4 oz. crème de mûre (blackberry liqueur) or Chambord

1/2 oz. store-bought or homemade simple syrup

Crushed ice

In the bottom of a rocks glass, muddle blackberries. Pour gin, lemon, blackberry cordial, and simple syrup on top of blackberries. Pour ice to reach halfway up the sides of the glass and stir to combine. Top off with more ice. Garnish with blackberry and lemon wheel.

One of the things I enjoy most about old bartending books is discovering that good ideas rarely go out of style. While today’s cocktail culture often emphasizes premium spirits and elaborate techniques, many of the best flavors still come from simple ingredients and a little patience.

This blackberry cordial is just as comfortable served over ice with sparkling water as it is adding depth to a Bramble or any cocktail calling for blackberry liqueur. More than a century after Helen Wright published her recipe, it proves that some classics don’t need to be reinvented; they just need to be rediscovered.

A Taste of Italy Found in Taiwan

Publisher — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:40:00 +0000

A Taste of Italy Found in Taiwan

Publisher Sat, 07/04/2026 - 17:40

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

One of the best things about having a restaurant in Taiwan was that I got to visit other restaurants and learn from the natives how to make their food.

Villa Bella was owned by a good friend of mine from Italy and his Taiwanese wife.

When I first arrived, Italian was really the first foreign food to take off in Taichung. Even then, it was two years before any decent Western food came to the city of 3 million.

Taipei, in the north, with its population of 9 million, had a few places to eat decent Western food, but there were not many. My picky habits were thrown right out the window and I ate a lot of food most Americans have not heard of.

I am the better person for it, for sure.

But, I still missed Western dishes, especially Italian.

By my third year in Taiwan, a buddy who worked in the shoe business started serving some Italian dishes in his wife’s tea house.

There were no set dishes, but it was great. He grew his business out of the tea house and later had the first kitchen in Taichung to have a pizza oven.

His cousin, Stefano, who worked in shoes, decided to take the Italian restaurant a step further and open a fine dining place in a very nice house with a good yard. His wife, Kitty had studied culinary arts in France.

It was a winner.

They served several courses and decided each day what the dishes would be.

The food was great, but what I remember best, was one of the simplest pasta dishes that comes from Italy. I think it literally translates to ‘raw sauce or not cooked sauce’. It is called Pomodoro Crudo.

The first time Stefano made it for me, Kitty was gone and we were drinking in his fine establishment. I was getting hungry and he offered to make me some pasta, but I didn’t want to put him out. He laughed and said the hardest part would be cooking the pasta itself.

Okay.

He took me into his kitchen and showed me how to make this wonderful, easy Italian dish, straight from his boyhood.

I loved it.

The other day, I got some fresh tomatoes off a vine. They were about the size of plum tomatoes and I remembered Stefano had used plum tomatoes in his dish.

I knew the recipe and decided to make it.

It was delicious and I know I will be making it more this summer.

Pomodoro Crudo with Rigatoni

Ingredients

2 pounds of fresh plum (or that size) tomatoes–I know canned tomatoes will work too. Dice them into ¼ inch pieces.

1/4 cup of olive oil–I use virgin, but it doesn’t really matter.

1/4 cup of fresh basil, julienned (cut in long strips). You can also tear the leaves, but presentation-wise, the long strips look better.

1/4 cup of chopped green onions. I am not a huge onion fan, but Stefano taught me the lighter green onions are less overpowering than minced garlic.

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

16 ounces of Rigatoni–Penne is actually what Stefano showed me, but I like corkscrew pasta a little better.

Directions

Combine all the ingredients except cheese and pasta in a bowl. A key to this dish is to let it sit for a half hour. The salt brings out the fresh tomato flavor.

Cook the pasta.

When the pasta is done, put it in the bowl with all the other ingredients. Make sure the pasta is hot. Serve in a bowl and put the cheese on top.

I still don’t care much for cold pasta salads, but this is something entirely different. The hot rigatoni warms the tomatoes just enough to release their sweetness without ever really cooking them. The basil perfumes the dish, the olive oil brings everything together, and a generous handful of Parmesan finishes it perfectly.

Every bite takes me back to a small Italian restaurant in Taiwan, where a simple lesson in the kitchen became one of my favorite recipes. It’s proof that great cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes the freshest ingredients and a few good memories are all you need to create something unforgettable.

Eggs-pect a Little Froth With These Classic Cocktails

Publisher — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Eggs-pect a Little Froth With These Classic Cocktails

Publisher Sat, 06/27/2026 - 07:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

When I first started bartending, I knew that there were some cocktails that used egg whites in them.

Egg Nog was something I had been drinking since I was around 12 or 13, when my father would make a batch for the Christmas holidays. I was only allowed a little, which was fine by me since I didn’t like eggs all that much.

I had heard of cocktails that used egg white, but none of the bars I worked in ever had any cocktails that had that ingredient.

I have some vague memory of someone ordering a Ramos Fizz at a fine dining seafood restaurant I worked at in Ocean City, Maryland. I was a waiter, so I didn’t have to make it. This place had a service bar that put out very classic cocktails, so Robin (the bartender) probably knew it. The place was very classy and old school.

In truth, putting raw egg white into a cocktail just seemed wrong.

Fortunately, for many years, I didn’t have to worry about using egg white because nobody ordered drinks from me that required it.

Actually, that isn’t quite true.

I got quite a few calls for whiskey sours, but I had no idea that the “classic” whiskey sour had egg white as an ingredient.

Nobody told me and I am not sure how many bartending books have egg white listed as an ingredient in the newer versions.

It is definitely in older books.

Why did the old recipe books have egg white in a whiskey sour?

It is because egg white, when shaken, leaves a nice layer of bubbly foam on top of the drink. Egg white basically has no taste, so it is in a cocktail more for appearances than anything.

Classic Whiskey Sour

2 ounces of Bourbon or Rye

1 1/2 ounces of fresh lemon juice

1 egg white

1/2 ounce of simple syrup (a mix of half sugar and water)

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Stemmed cherry for garnish

Get a shaker and put just a little ice in it. Put in lemon juice, egg white, then mix in the whiskey. Put in the simple syrup and bitters. Shake vigorously. Then pour into a rocks glass with ice. Put the cherry in. I think half an egg white will work fine to get the effect, but egg white definitely makes this cocktail more foamy.

The really famous egg white cocktail that a bartender must put in is the Ramos Fizz or Ramos Gin Fizz. This cocktail comes from the late 1800s and originated in New Orleans.

It is reported that when this cocktail first came into creation, a bartender had to shake it for 12 minutes. Five minutes is a long time, so 12 minutes is a serious cocktail to make. I think I read somewhere that one place had like a half dozen bartenders dedicated to making the Ramos Fizz at its peak in popularity.

Ramos Gin Fizz

2 oz Gin

1/2 oz Fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz Fresh lime juice

3/4 oz Simple syrup

1/2 oz Heavy cream

1 Fresh egg white

3-4 dashes Orange flower water

Splash Club soda (chilled)

Combine all ingredients except the club soda in a cocktail shaker. Vigorously shake without ice for 10–30 seconds to emulsify the egg white and cream. Then fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for another 15–30 seconds until the mixture is completely chilled. Strain the mixture into a chilled Collins or Highball glass without ice. Top carefully with a splash of club soda to let the foam gently rise to the rim. As I said, the original recipe called for a 12-minute shake time. That is not going to happen in this day and age but getting a great fluffy texture does require a strong arm and a minimum of a couple of minutes of vigorous shaking. The orange flower water is a must. It gives that backnote of orange like a dreamsicle. If you try one that is made right, it is easy to see why it was so popular back in its day.

Then there is the White Lady. Many say it is a Sidecar made with gin instead of brandy. That is not really true, but they are similar. No one is sure of when the Sidecar was created or by whom, but the White Lady was invented by famous bartender Harry MacElhorne in 1919.

White Lady

Gin: 2 oz (London dry)

Orange Liqueur: 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce (Cointreau or Triple Sec)

Lemon Juice: 3/4 ounce, freshly squeezed

Simple Syrup: 1/4 ounce (optional)

Egg White: 1/2 to 1 large egg white

First, have a cocktail glass in the freezer ready to be brought out when the drink is poured. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker without ice. Vigorously shake for 10 to 15 seconds to get the egg white to mix. Add ice to the shaker and shake again for another 10 to 15 seconds until thoroughly chilled. Strain the drink into the chilled glass. Rub the oils from a lemon peel over the top of the drink and drop it in. To make a Pink Lady, substitute grenadine for the simple syrup.

These drinks are a bit of an art form and egg white needs to be used at once and not sit. Even then, people should know that raw eggs can make you sick, so be careful.

I guess when they invented these drinks back in the day, they figured the alcohol would kill any bacteria.

Shell We Eat Pasta Tonight

Publisher — Sat, 27 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Shell We Eat Pasta Tonight

Publisher Sat, 06/27/2026 - 07:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

When I have friends visit, especially ones who know how to cook, I try to make special meals.

My friend Darby Doll came to visit this past Friday/Saturday. He is the person who introduced me to Wyoming several decades ago.

His father lives in Casper and when he comes to America for his annual meeting with the company that is based in Ohio, we try to see each other. Last year, he was with his daughter and we grabbed breakfast together and off he went.

Darby and his wife Stephanie have been to both the restaurants I founded. We have lived in Taiwan, Shanghai and Wyoming at the same time. His wife is an amazing cook, so I try especially hard when I see either of them and I am cooking.

I knew that because he was visiting Casper and going to Texas to see his mother and sister after visiting me, he was going to be eating a lot of beef and BBQ.

I know he enjoyed Bellas and Grumpy Italian when he visited Saratoga in the past because he likes pasta.

So, a pasta dish was for dinner.

I wanted to do seafood because we both like it.

When I would visit him in Hong Kong, where he lived for a couple of years, we always went to excellent seafood restaurants.

I really like leeks and I have discovered that using only the white part instead of the green leaves is a great taste. It is much lighter than garlic.

Usually, when eating pasta, I go for angel hair. I like it better than heavy spaghetti. However, sometimes a heavier pasta such as fettuccine or linguine works better.

The dish I prepared is easy and tastes great. It is scallops, crab, leeks and fettuccine. I don’t have a fancy name for it.

First, it is important to clean leeks. You don’t want grit or possible pesticides, although grocery stores do a good job of cleaning them up. Cut away the upper leaves and maybe use them for a soup or something later. Also, cut away the root end. Cut it lengthwise and soak it.

Ingredients needed for the dish:

2 tablespoons of butter

1 pound of leeks (the white part)

1 cup of white wine (I like Sauvignon Blanc but that is because I worked with this wine for a bit of time-Chardonnay will work well also)

1 cup of chicken broth (I always have this on hand in my kitchen)

1 teaspoon of thyme (fresh if possible)

1 cup of heavy cream or whipping cream

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper

16 ounces of claw crab meat (I really like this best for cooking and it is way cheaper than the special or lump. If lump is in your budget, go for it but it is usually double the price if not more than claw)

1 pound of sea scallops or also known as diver scallops. Bay scallops will work, but the cook down to such a small size, sea scallops are really what should be used.

1 pound of fettuccine cooked. There are plenty of brands out there where the pasta is almost cooked for you, which are great, but cooking it yourself works fine.

Step one is to melt the butter in a large skillet at medium-high heat. Then add the leeks and cook until tender. This takes 3 to 5 minutes. Gently add the wine, chicken broth, and thyme and bring to a boil. Add the scallops and simmer for about five minutes.

Transfer the scallops to a bowl, leaving the sauce in the skillet. Add the cream, crab and lemon juice for about 2 minutes, gently stirring. Put the scallops back in the skillet and add salt and pepper. Take the cooked pasta and put in a bowl (the pasta should be warm) and then add the seafood sauce and toss it all together.

I did sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on the pasta after I served it up, but that is entirely optional.

It is a filling meal.

The scallops, crab and leeks work together in the cream sauce that makes it a bit different and I can say Darby and I enjoyed it immensely.

That is what cooking is all about.

The Spirit of San Francisco

Publisher — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The Spirit of San Francisco

Publisher Sat, 06/20/2026 - 07:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

When I was around 13 or 14, my father had some meetings in San Jose and he took the family on an excursion to the Bay Area. I don’t remember why, but when he wanted to take us out to San Francisco for dinner, my sister and I opted out of going with him and staying in the hotel room and grabbing some KFC and watching TV.

In my defense, I was a kid.

My father loved to eat at fine dining places. He was very much a frugal man and was not extravagant at all, but he really enjoyed good restaurants. It was our loss not to have gone with him. He never let me forget that we missed a great chance to have an excellent meal in one of the best culinary cities in the world. I guess for that reason, San Francisco has always been on my radar for food and drink.

Since that time, I have visited San Francisco on many occasions and have learned it was the place where “Dr.” Jerry Thomas started to become famous. In the bartending world, he is revered as the first pioneer of cocktails. He wrote a book in 1862 that is considered the first bartending manual. I am happy to say I own the first edition of this book, but it is not in great shape. This book is a collector’s item in the bartending world and even later editions are valuable.

Dr. Jerry Thomas put San Francisco on the map for the cocktail world. New York City, London, Paris, Havana and New Orleans are cities famous for the birth of many cocktails and because of Thomas, San Francisco should be included in this category also.

It is hard to say what drinks he is most famous for, because he is attributed with creating the Christmas special drink, the Tom and Jerry. The Blue Blazer, a cocktail that has bartenders working with fire, is another. Thomas had come to San Francisco in 1849 during the Gold Rush, where fortunes were being made and a showy cocktail was embraced. I personally find this cocktail a bit hard to make, but it should not be forgotten.

From his book, “How to Mix Drinks”, describes how to turn a hot toddy made with Scotch into a “blazing stream of liquid fire”:

Blue Blazer from Thomas’ book on page 197.

Use two large silver-plated mugs, with handles.

1 wine-glass of Scotch whisky. (This would be 4 to 6 ounces)

1 do. Boiling water. (The do means ditto and that would be 4 to 6 ounces)

Put the whisky and the boiling water in one mug, ignite the liquid with fire, and while blazing, mix both ingredients by pouring them four or five times from one mug to the other. If well done, this will have the appearance of a continued stream of liquid fire. Sweeten with one teaspoonful of pulverized white sugar, and serve in a small bar tumbler, with a piece of lemon peel. The “blue blazer” does not have a very euphonious or classic name, but it tastes better to the palate than it sounds to the ear. A beholder gazing for the first time upon an experienced artist, compounding this beverage, would naturally come to the conclusion that it was a nectar for Pluto rather than Bacchus. The novice, in mixing this beverage, should be careful not to scald himself. To become proficient in throwing the liquid from one mug to the other, it will be necessary to practise for some time with cold water.”

I have made this drink a couple times, but it is a little scary. Boiling water can scald a person and fire is always a bit dangerous. Still, the Blue Blazer is a real classic cocktail from the 19th century.

Another of his drinks made while bartending in San Francisco was the Martinez. This drink is considered the precursor to the Martini. Its popularity was immense before the 20th century. To me, it tastes nothing like a Martini, but in cocktail culture, it is a very important drink.

The Martinez recipe in Thomas’ book calls for a pony (1 ounce) of Old Tom gin. Because Old Tom gin can be difficult to find in Wyoming, London Dry gin makes a suitable substitute. Most modern recipes also increase the gin to 1 1/2 ounces.

The recipe also includes 1 1/2ounces of sweet vermouth, two dashes of maraschino liqueur (about ¾ ounce in modern measurements—Luxardo is a readily available brand in Wyoming), and a dash of Boker’s bitters over ice. Since Boker’s bitters are no longer commonly available, orange bitters are an excellent substitute. Thomas finished the cocktail with a slice of lemon, though many modern versions use an orange twist instead.

Put all ingredients, except garnish, into a shaker with ice. Mix for about 15 seconds and then strain into a cocktail or Martini glass.

Thomas put San Francisco on the map as far as a place for cocktails and should not be forgotten. The city is known for its great seafood dishes and excellent wines that come from the northern counties of Napa and Sonoma. Its role in cocktail culture should be remembered too.

Trader Vic’s, which started the whole Tiki Cocktail craze in the 1950s to 1970s, came from outside of San Francisco in Oakland.

Specialized margaritas came out of the city in recent years, but it was Thomas who started to make the city famous for cocktails and honestly, he made cocktails famous around the world.