The depression that went away

The former Tropical Depression 5

The first thunderstorms made their appearance about 3:00 a.m. and it wasn't long before the nighttime sky was flashing with bolts of lightning and powerful claps of thunder. For a short time there was a reminder of what the worst part of living through a tropical disturbance, depression, storm or full-blown hurricane can bring: the loss of power. But nearly as suddenly as the lights went off, they came back on and haven't gone off since. Now, occasional bands of fairly light rain are coming through and, while most guards are not down, much of the populace is breathing a huge sigh of relief. It would seem that it will be a miserable, wet day, but one without a great deal of street flooding or high winds.

Some things I've missed

A "44" for the President from Drew Brees

©Carrie Devorah (all rights reserved)

It's been nearly three weeks since I started on my epic adventure to attend the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America. It was in every sense of the word an adventure and, with the exception of one Scouter who passed away in his sleep a couple of nights before the affair ended on August 4, the safest Jamboree ever. Given the extremely high temperatures that prevailed over the course of the 13 days I was there when the thermometers would hover over 100 degrees Farenheit with high relative humidity. Being from New Orleans I am accustomed to periods of such weather, but the sanctuary of an air-conditioned building or the promise of an automobile with working environmental controls always made the hardship easier to endure. In Virginia at Fort A. P. Hill, there was little in the way of air conditioning and there was no respite from the heat except for constant intake of cold water to lower one's core temperature and to compensate for the loss of body water from perspiration. There were a few Scouts who succumbed to heat exhaustion and were revived in the short term, but in the end most of those in attendance (Scouts, staffers and visitors) made the most of what turned out to be a very busy and well-planned ten-day event. In the interim, though, I missed a few things in New Orleans. The first one is the apparent end of the British Petroleum leak in the Gulf of Mexico, which has met with positive reaction across the board. Anthony Bean's production of "The Wiz," which starred New Orleans Soul Queen Irma Thomas and a cast of mostly kids went on without me as did Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre's final production of "The Music Man" starring Chris Carey. On my way home from the Jamboree I stopped in Washington, D.C. to check out a few of the sites there. I knew that the NFL World Champion New Orleans Saints would be there on Monday morning to meet with President Obama, but I could not stay away that much longer. (Oh, if I only could.) Nevertheless, I did get an excellent shot from the affair from Washington Press Corps member Carrie Devorah. It shows Saints quarterback, Superbowl MVP and Madden 11 coverboy Drew Brees presenting a Saints jersey bearing the number 44 to President Obama. Fans will recall that the Saints won the 44th Superbowl (XLIV) this past February 7 and political scientists will point out that Barack Obama is our nation's 44th leader. Very appropriate indeed. Saints fans the world over should thank Carrie for her excellent photographic skills and her generosity in sharing with me.

Four days of fun (so far)

Rappeling down a tower at Jamboree

So far so good. The Jamboree has proven to be one of the most amazing adventures any youth or Scouting adult could ever undertake. Its scope is so vast that there is scarcely enough words to relay what opportunities are available to all of the youth, parents and interested parties who attend this 10-day event. There are scores of merit badges used for rank advancement in Boy Scouting, but there are also high adventure opportunities for older Scouts not interested in advancement or Venturers who want to feel the rush of adrenaline as they challenge different courses and, ultimately, themselves.

National Catholic Committee and National Eastern Orthodox Chairs flank NJCOS member

In addition to these opportunities for the Scouts there are large numbers of adult leaders - Scouters - who are there to provide leadership to individual troops who hail from across the country or across the globe or offering their services to enhance the overall experience. One of the more interesting aspects to the Jamborees is how the different religious faith groups support one another at the National Exhibits area. My work with the National Jewish Committee on Scouting has put me in contacts with hundreds of Scouts and Scouters of varying religious persuasions. We are all working for the same league, just on different teams.

The Jamboree is on!

Every four years or so, the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America convenes at a place determined to be logistically proper for the 50,000 or so Boy Scouts and 250,000 visitors who will attend the 10-day event. Beginning in 1937 and through the intervening decades, there have been fifteen previous Jamborees, the most recent events being held at Fort A. P. Hill army post outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky. This is the centennial year of Scouting in the United States and because of that the powers that be determined that the Jamboree would be held after five years from the last one held in 2005. In any event it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Religious spirits

The Mad Hatter at the Beefeater opening at TOC

Many of us may know of the unusual connection between religious orders and the distillation process. Perhaps the best known of these is a product originally made by an abbey in Normandy that bears the name of their order, Benedictine. The Benedictine monks who made their herbal liqueur are not alone in the annals of history. Several other religious groups, like the Carthusians who first made Chartreuse liqueur, have also become famous for their impact on a handful of important libations. No less an authority than Southern Wine and Spirits' own Allen Katz, a Jewish former Baltimore resident, who now lives and works in New York, is ready to reveal all. Katz will be the star at one of the last seminars of the Tales of the Cocktail today, as the incredible series of events put on by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society begins to wind down for 2010. Perhaps it is appropriate that such a seminar being given with beer expert Garrett Oliver of the Brooklyn Brewery is held on a Sunday, the typical day of worship for members of the Christian faith. For Katz, though, his first connections to spirits and drinking in general came about through exposure to Friday night Kiddush and Saturday morning Kiddush which accompanied the conclusion of Jewish prayer services or the beginning of the Sabbath meal. Katz recalled his parents did like an occasional drink. "My impression is that they showed great trust in me and my sister and allowed us to grow up to have respect fro alcohol, but not a fear." So how does a nice Jewish boy get to know so much about Christian - and in particular - Catholic influences on the liquor industry? "I have been exposed to many Catholic orders as they have a monastic tradition of distilling (and brewing)," he explained. "Because of my role as an educator, I am often invited to visit distilleries (and)...have had the opportunity to visit monasteries that still produce their own alcohol for liqueurs or other prodcts as an economic and historic engine." What that means is that he gets to imbibe often as a means of developing..er...uh...a more educated palate. Katz has overseen the growth of Southern Wine and Spirits of New York, which is today the single largest distributor of wines and spirits in the country. It was only natural that the company moved from Florida to New York during its more recent period of growth, even though the name may not be entirely correct in understanding its position vis-à-vis the Mason Dixon line. The fact is Katz's Jewish heritage started him down the road toward becoming a mover and shaker and an expert in the spirits industry. Religiously speaking, we should consider that today's seminar will prove there is more than one way to say "L'chaim."

Sazerac Ambassador and Secret Sippers

Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail flank the Sazerac Ambassador

Ann Tuennerman likes to be called Mrs. Cocktail and no one in New Orleans deserves the title more than she. As the titular head of the annual international Tales of the Cocktail conference that honors mixology industry members, movers and shakers and all things associated with potent potables during this time each year in New Orleans, she has become the most recognized official with the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society that puts the event on. It goes to say that if there is a Mrs. Cocktail, then a Mr. Cocktail must be by her side. Husband Paul is more than happy to fill that bill as both a supporting figure and a hard working member of the NOCCP. If there is one drink that identifies New Orleans as a city, much like the Singapore Sling identifies Singapore City or the Cuba Libre identifies Havana, then that drink must be the Sazerac, the official cocktail of the city as recognized by no less than the Louisiana State Legislature. The Sazerac was invented here early in the Nineteenth Century and by many peoples' accounts it is the first cocktail of note in America. Although a few researchers have unearthed other references to drinks in newspapers of the day that predate pharmacist Antoine Amédee Peychaud's famous concoction (made with his family's secret bitters formula), it certainly was the foremost drink of its time. So-called coffee houses sprang up in what is now the French Quarter well before the Civil War to offer their own versions of the cocktail in an environment where they were offered strictly for medicinal purposes. The Sazerac brand today is controlled by Republic Distillery, but the history of the name is as New Orleans as a poboy or a beignet. Throughout the past year, the Tales of the Cocktail staff assembled a group of Secret Sippers to ascertain in their opinion who offered the most consistent and tasty Sazerac cocktail in New Orleans. Like any product that identifies a particular venue, it was important to Ann, Paul and her NOCCP staff that those that carried the tradition of making a very good Sazerac be honored. In all the Secret Sippers visited numerous locations around town making their assessments. In the end at least three Secret Sippers visited the several top locations on three occasions before decrying them worthy of the title of the Sazerac Seal of Approval. In the end Bar Tonique, the Carousel Bar (in the Monteleone Hotel), Irvin Maybield's Jazz Playhouse, the Sazerac Bar (in the Roosevelt Hotel), DBA, French 75, Cure and Bar Uncommon were all selected to receive recognition as the very first Sazerac Seal of Approval Award winners. Each received an impressive glass trophy emblazoned with their name and the title of the award. Also in the previous years of the Tales of the Cocktail, a Sazerac Ambassador has been named from within the mixology industry as a mover and shaker or as a celebrity bartender. This year the title of Sazerac Ambassador went to Wendy Waren, the vice-president of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, a longtime supporter of the NOCCP and its very important work promoting the cocktail and liquid living in general. All awards took place at the steps of the Monteleone Hotel, which has served as the headquarters for this very interesting series of lectures and tastings each year.

Tales of the Cocktail 2010

TOC's incredible Ann Tuennerman

©Photos Alan Smason

The annual international conference of spirits distributors, purveyors, bartenders and lovers of all manner of libations opens officially today with Ann Tuennerman and her husband Paul as the hosts for Tales of the Cocktail. Of course, Ann's crackerjack staff (including Michelle and several others) works tirelessly to ensure that all of the visitors and local media enjoy the best possible time while sampling the newest and most innovative creations to ever come down a bar. Today New Orleans is at the epicenter of the spirits universe. Numerous events like the welcome reception tonight by Beefeater's Gin will continue throughout the remainder of the week. Yesterday's initial offerings including a sushi and art showing by Japanese distiller Ty-Ku. Their magnificent sakes (white and black) were a perfect pairing for the sushi prepared by Sake Café chef Hao Gong. The Ty-Ku licquer green bottles on display actually lit up when one touched them - a nice touch to an interesting spirit that made a lovely lemonade.

Ty-Ku's unusual bottle that lights at the touch

Drambuie put on an amazing show last night in the historic Blue Room of the Roosevelt Hotel with Jeremy Davenport leading his band in joyful jazz as four different types of Drambuie concoctions were sampled. My favorites included the Southern Nail and the New York Nail, also called the Scotland Yard, which included a generous portion of muddled basil. Wow!

New York Nail with basil by Duane Fernandez, Jr.

Grey Goose Vodka's gathering at Latrobe's on Royal Street was a madhouse with numerous bartenders showing off their stuff for the Sundance cameras who are documenting the entire event.

Grey Goose Vodka's bartender Kevin Henry

The Tales of the Cocktails seminars begin now and continue through the next several days. More on TOC to follow.