Date Line: New Orleans, Louisiana - 25 August 1927
Two 100-gallon whiskey stills, apparently loaded with high-powered mash, exploded in a Jefferson Terrace outhouse yesterday. leading to the arrest of Joesph Grego, John Grego and C.R. Grego.. The outhouse burned to the ground, revealing 4,000 gallons of fermenting mash.
Sun Herald (Biloxi, Mississippi
Turkey is frying away, and the Old Speckly Hen is settling out nicely. Happy Thanksgiving!
One of the best things about a really old city center is the fact that you can find the best places tucked into little nooks and crannies of ancient old buildings, and New Orleans has a lot of old buildings and a lot of cool nooks and crannies. Such is The Kerry Irish Pub, on Decatur Street, in the French Quarter. With barely a few feet of frontage, The Kerry is infinitely deeper than it is wide. Walk too fast and you may miss it, which would be a pity. In a city that is known for its party atmosphere, a quiet Irish pub is a welcome relief.
Opened in October 1993, the original owners wanted a pub where one could hear Irish music all the time, not just a few nights here and there. Today, Irish music is still offered nearly every evening. This, and the fact that they know how to poor a decent pint of Guinness, as well as offering a good selection of Irish whiskey, makes The Kerry Irish Pub a destination worth searching out. Oh, and the place is haunted, so keep an eye out for ghosts.
On the day I stopped in I was, unfortunately, on my way to another engagement, but I did make time to savor a quick pint, and a shot of Powers’ Irish Whiskey. Next time I am in the Crescent City, I will certainly be back.
Cheers,
Dave
I stopped into The Kerry Irish Pub a few days ago - well worth the visit - just wish I could have stayed longer.
All together now….
"Sung with Tremendous Applause, by J. B. Smith, the Celebrated Irish Vocalist." From a folio that contains 4291 song sheets. Included among these American songs are ninety-seven British song sheets from Dublin and London. The collection spans the period from the turn of the nineteenth century to the 1880s, although a majority of the song sheets were published from the 1850s to the 1870s. Held by the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress.
A great back story - We just uploaded some information on the Sullivan’s Brewing Company. Click on “The Beer List.”
Here Is Your Word Of The Day:
Pandoxatrix
An Ale-wife who not only makes but sells ale.
Cheers,
Dave
From within Warren’s Malthouse: “Come , shepherd [Gabriel Oak], and drink. ‘tis gape and swaller with us - a drop of sommit, but not of much account,’ said the malster, removing from the fire his eyes, which were vermilion-red and bleared by gazing into it for so many years. ‘Take up the God-Forgive-Me, Jacob. See if ‘tis warm, Jacob.’
The above passage is from the book “Far From The Maddening Crowd,” by Thomas Hardy (originally 1874, this excerpt is from The Folio Society edition, based on the Wessex edition, 1912). The two-handled God-forgive-me is described as: “a two-handled tall mug standing in the ashes, cracked and charred with heat, it was rather furred with extraneous matter about the outside, especially in the crevices of the handles, the innermost curves of which may not have seen daylight for several years.”
The passage continues: “…but to the mind of any sensible drinker the cup was no worse for that, being incontestably clean on the inside and about the rim. It may be observed that such a class of mug is called God-forgive-me in Weatherbury and its vicinity for uncertain reasons, probably because it size make any given toper fell ashamed of himself when he sees it bottom in drinking it empty.”
Several different ales and stouts here. Numbers 1, 2, and 3 Strong Ales - what would these be?
CARLISLE, ENGLAND - Fourteen public houses owned by the British government are installing drink meters to tell car drivers when they've had enough. The meters test reaction speeds. The driver drops a coin in the meter, then tries to stop the coin by pressing a button. If he can stop it in less than .12 of a second he gets the coin back. If not, he loses the coin and gets warning that is reactions have slowed up.
The machines are approved by Britain's Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents, though not by some police officers. Sidney Ballance, chief constable of neighboring Barrow-in Furness, called them a menace. He said they will encourage drivers to drink more to test their capacity.
Some people doubt the drink meters efficiency. Peter Johnson, a young Royal Air Force officer, wrote to the Observer Sunday to say he and several other young pilots tried out the machines and found their reactions improving as they had more to drink.
As reported in the Muskogee Daily Phoenix (Muskogee, Oklahoma) Monday, 27 June 1960.
That’s my MG Midget, parked out front of Saville Square, in Pensacola, Florida
And, on the cover of the Moss Motors Midget/Sprite catalog for 2024. Way Cool!!!
An excerpt from the book “Sports Cars: Facts and Pictures” by Austin L. Conley (Greenburg Publisher, New York, 1954).
From an old magazine advert - circa 1969. Guinness is good for you and me. Cheers!
As the story goes: “It is worth mentioning that one William Hunter, a collier, was cured in the year 1758 of an inveterate rheumatism or gout, by drinking freely of new ale, full of barm and yest (sic). The poor man had been confined to his bed for a year and a half, having almost entirely lost the use of his limbs. On the evening of Handsel Monday, as it is called, (i.e. the first Monday of the New Year), some of his neighbors came to make merry with him. Though he could not rise, yet he always took his share of the ale as it passed round the company, and, in the end, became much intoxicated. The consequence was , that he had the use of his limbs the next morning, and was able to walk about. He lived more that twenty years after this, and never had the smallest return of his old complaiint.”
From: Observations on the Popular Antiquities of Great Britian: Chiefly Illustrating the Origen of Our Vulgar and Provincial Customs, Ceremonies and Superstitions, by John Brand (Henry G. Bohn, Covent Garden, London, 1853)
Dinner last night - Sort of, kind of, maybe a bit British in spirit - Fish and Chips. OK, not like you would get down around the corner in Kegsworth, but in thought it's pretty close. Deep fried Alaskan Halibut (with a bit of spiciness in the batter), and twice fried Belgian chips. Hey, at least I was drinking an Old Speckled Hen.
Cheers,
Dave
Oh Yea - hafta get me one of these contraptions. The genuine Walker's Patent Cask Tilting Apparatus. No sense letting any of that ale go to waste.
Cheers,
Dave
Photo: From the "Brewer's Guardian" magazine - 29 October 1889 (London)
From the publication “The Brewers’ Guardian,” 6 August 1889, London.
From the book “ Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings; Including the Origin of Signs, and Reminiscences Connected With Taverns, Coffee-houses, Clubs, ets, etc…” by Mr. Charles Hindley (Tinsley Brothers, London, 1875)
Bob's-A'Dyin'
An entry from the book "Notes and Queries, A Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, General Readers, Etc... " (London 1910). This was in answer to a query as to the origin of the phrase. Boisterous Merriment - Yes indeed.
Cheers,
Dave
Here’s another great piece of artwork - Building The Hay-Rick - by artist Birket Foster in his book "Pictures of English Landscape," circa 1863, accompanied with the description seen below - words by Tom Taylor.
Great artwork - The Country-Inn - from the book Birket Foster's "Picture of English Landscape," circa 1863, accompanied with the description seen below - words by Tom Taylor.
