S.W AND RICH HERMANSEN
Staff Writers
wine@lbknews.com
We must begin with a correction. In the Spirited Cocktails article a couple of weeks ago, the master bartender in our team (Rich) tried to correct the description of the garnishes in an Old Fashioned. The correction did not arrive before press time. As bartenders know, “Garnishes in classic cocktails serve a purpose. The bartender muddles an orange slice and cherry in an Old Fashioned glass with Angostora bitters and adds Bourbon or Rye whiskey to blend the flavors”. We strive for accuracy in our little niche of a sprawling media largely bereft of any concern for veracity. More to follow on omissions….
The topic of glassware in restaurant bars and bars at home usually serves as a prelude to commercials for expensive sets of wine stemware, crystal Bourbon or Scotch mini-tumblers, and martini coupes. Not here. We prefer and expect high quality glassware in craft cocktail bars and at home, yet we would rather have glassware appropriate for a drink rather than a fancy glass. So what seems essential in glassware?
A Martini promises a hefty dose of Gin or Vodka. A shallow saucer of a coupe invites small sips of a potent drink. A Gin or Vodka tonic in a highball glass with a wedge of lime on the rim encourages thirst-quenching gulps of a diluted spirit on warm day. A squat or shot glass of neat Bourbon, Scotch, or Rye, best diluted with a touch of cool water, helps bring out the flavors of Whiskey. We must not neglect the allure of a globular Snifter of Cognac, Brandy, or a liqueur at the end of an evening. The globe glass concentrates the aromas of food and wine.
The glassware at bars in restaurants or in homes ideally fits the drinks they hold. A Manhattan served straight up required a tapered cocktail coupe with a stem, and a Negroni a shorter, stemless glass with a heavier base. Wine glasses have tripled in size during the past century; the shape of wine glasses has remained much the same with globes for Pinot Noir and other light reds and narrower cylinders for Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Beer drinkers prefer mugs with handles.
We often find cocktail and wine glasses at Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, and other thrift stores. When a fine piece of glassware breaks, replacing it seems less painful.
Due to concerns about image quality, our article on Spirited Cocktails did not include photographs of specialty drinks. We show them now. Cheers,
S. W. Hermansen has used his expertise in econometrics, data science and epidemiology to help develop research databases for the Pentagon, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Agriculture, and Health Resources and Services. He has visited premier vineyards and taste wines from major appellations in California, Oregon, New York State, and internationally from Tuscany and the Piedmont in Italy, the Ribera del Duero in Spain, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in Australia, and the Otego Valley in New Zealand. Currently he splits time between residences in Chevy Chase, Maryland and St. Armand’s Circle in Florida.
Rich Hermansen selected has first wine list for a restaurant shortly after graduating from college with a degree in Mathematics. He has extensive service and management experience in the food and wine industry. Family and friends rate him as their favorite chef, bartender, and wine steward. He lives in Severna Park, Maryland.
