Sip & Savor

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.

Pho Real Comfort in a Bowl

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

Pho Real Comfort in a Bowl

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

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

I usually leave Asian-inspired recipes to Mike Armstrong.

However, with the recent outbreak of summer colds and flus making the rounds around the county, I thought a recipe built around a good, soothing broth might be welcome. There’s something about a warm, aromatic bowl of soup that seems to hit the right note when you’re under the weather, or just trying to keep someone else in the house from getting it.

I didn’t grow up eating anything like pho. In fact, I didn’t try this particular soup until I was in my late 40s, and I remember being immediately taken with the depth of flavor in the broth and the way it carried all those fresh herbs and spices.

Like a lot of people raised by baby boomers, there wasn’t much variety in our home-cooked meals. Dinner rotated through a fairly predictable lineup: goulash, hamburgers, steak and potatoes, spaghetti, tacos, and the occasional breakfast-for-dinner night with pancakes, eggs and bacon. That rhythm made sense in households shaped by parents who came of age just after World War II, many of them raised by families who had lived through the Great Depression and Dust Bowl years.

The Great Depression fundamentally reshaped the American diet. Families leaned heavily on inexpensive, shelf-stable staples like potatoes, beans and canned goods, stretching every ingredient as far as it could go. Fresh produce and variety were often luxuries. That era pushed American cooking toward practicality, thrift and repetition, and over time helped shape a more standardized national diet built around affordability and preservation rather than freshness or global variety.

That kind of limited exposure probably explains why, once I was on my own, I started paying more attention to foods I hadn’t grown up with. Chinese, Greek and other international cuisines weren’t part of my childhood table, so trying them later in life often felt unfamiliar at first, but memorable in a way that stuck with me.

Pho was one of those experiences.

The first time I had it, I was in Casper. My dad was in the hospital, and I had hit the point where I couldn’t face another tray of institutional food. I asked some nurses for recommendations near the hospital, and they pointed me toward a small restaurant called Phở Saigon.

When I walked in, the smell alone told me I had made a good decision.

I asked the waiter how to pronounce ‘pho’ correctly, and he smiled and said to think of it like you’re about to swear at someone and stop yourself halfway through—“Fu…” I still think that’s one of the better pronunciation lessons I’ve ever gotten. I ordered chicken pho, and when it arrived, it was a large bowl of rice noodles, steaming broth, and a plate of fresh add-ins on the side. It was simple, fresh and deeply satisfying.

When I got home, I knew I wanted to be able to make something similar without driving all the way back to Casper every time I started craving it. After trying a few versions and pulling ideas from different recipes online, I landed on a simplified approach. It doesn’t require simmering bones for hours like traditional pho, but it still delivers a rich, aromatic broth that works well when you’re short on time or energy.

Fast Pho

Broth Ingredients

2 tablespoons beef bouillon or beef base

1 tablespoon Vietnamese fish sauce (oyster sauce also works)

1 tablespoon white sugar

One 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 yellow onion

2 whole cloves

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

A pinch of kosher salt

Additional Ingredients

Rice noodles

Very thinly sliced beef (sirloin, tenderloin, top round or eye of round)

Thinly sliced onions or green onions

Cilantro

Limes

Jalapenos

Thai basil

Spicy chili oil

Bean sprouts

Directions

1. Add beef base to 1 quart of water and bring to a low boil. Stir in fish sauce, sugar, ginger, onion and salt.

2. Wrap cloves, cinnamon stick and star anise in cheesecloth and add to the broth. Simmer for no more than 45 minutes.

3. Strain out the aromatics and discard.

4. Prepare rice noodles according to package instructions.

5 Assemble bowls starting with noodles, then add vegetables and herbs. Lay thin slices of raw beef on top. Carefully ladle the very hot broth over the beef so it cooks in the bowl. Finish with chili oil and a squeeze of lime.

The beauty of this soup is in the customization. You can make it as simple or as loaded as you want, depending on what you have on hand or how you’re feeling. And while it may not replace grandma’s goulash or a good Wyoming steak and potatoes dinner, it does bring a little warmth and comfort in a very different way.

Sometimes, that’s exactly what the table needs.

The Drink That Tamed Mama Linnie

Publisher — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 13:30:00 +0000

The Drink That Tamed Mama Linnie

Publisher Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:30

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

While I was growing up, my stepmother’s aunt, Mama Linnie, lived with us. My stepmother was raised by Mama Linnie because my stepmother’s mother died in childbirth.

Now I wish I could tell you Mama Linnie was a warm individual, but that would not be the truth.

She was a woman who was obsessed with money and family, if you were blood.

My sister and I were not blood, so we were outsiders in her eyes even though she lived with us from the time I was 11 until I went off to college.

She had flaming red hair and at one time had been a beauty, but by the time she came to live with our family, much of her beauty faded. Her husband had died when she came to live with us.

She drove my poor stepmother crazy because she was one of those people who feared germs and everything had to be boiled.

The old woman loved horse racing.

We lived in Laurel, Maryland and there was a racetrack in town. Recently, it was where the Preakness was held while Pimlico goes through its renovations.

I have to admit, she taught me a lot about betting on the races. I never really indulged, but Mama Linnie loved explaining it to me.

Occasionally we would go to the track and when we did, she would order a Black Eyed Susan, a special cocktail created for the Preakness, but served at the Laurel Track too.

I remembered it because my mother’s favorite flower was the Black-Eyed Susan and it tasted good when I was allowed to taste it.

The Black-Eyed Susan is the official, fruity cocktail of the Preakness Stakes. A classic recipe pairs a mix of bourbon, vodka, and peach schnapps with orange juice and sour mix, served over crushed ice and garnished with an orange slice and a cherry. I believe the drink when it first was created used rum instead of bourbon, but maybe because of the mint julep, the Kentucky Derby’s cocktail, it switched over to bourbon. The peach flavor is the key.

The official tale on how it was created is that the Black-Eyed Susan made its debut at Pimlico Race Course during the 1973 race. It was crafted by Harry Stevens, whose catering company had long provided food at the Baltimore track. Stevens and his team aimed to create a special cocktail that mirrored the color of the Black-Eyed Susan flowers draped over each winning horse. The drink found itself at Laurel Race Track which was about 20 miles away.

Black-Eyed Susan

Ingredients:

1 ounce bourbon whiskey

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce peach schnapps

2 ounces orange juice

2 ounces sour mix

Orange slice, for garnish

Cherry, for garnish

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice except fruit garnishes. Mix. Then pour into an 8 or 9-ounce glass with ice.

The drink is a little sweet, but the sour mix balances out the overly sweet peach schnapps.

It is a great drink and it is one that made Mama Linnie a happy person when she had two.

I always encouraged her to drink two.

Monin Magic

Publisher — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Monin Magic

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

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

When I opened my bar in Taichung, Taiwan, I was determined it was going to be the best cocktail bar in the city of three million. Honestly, that was not going to be hard to do, since most bars didn’t take cocktail culture seriously. As it turned out, I not only achieved that goal, but it wasn’t long before we became known as one of the top cocktail bars on the whole island.

We had a great bar because I had a lot of bottles to work with, and I made drinks taste good, which back in those days in Taichung was not really a goal of other bars.

At that time in the mid 2000s, the Mojito was becoming the cocktail of choice. At least in this city.

We had expats from all over the world visiting our place, and many wanted the mojito because it was getting popular in their home country.

At first I infused a simple syrup with mint, which worked okay, but then I discovered this French company called Monin that specialized in syrups. Their representative from France told me the story, which was almost verbatim on their website. I found it interesting and this is the tale.

“A Frenchman and small-town manufacturer, Georges Monin loved to entertain. He reveled in family gatherings where he could experiment with flavor combinations, prepare savory meals, and spend time with those closest to him. At one family dinner, his brother-in-law asked for an after-dinner drink. As Georges poured the cordial into glasses, he noticed the aroma was muted and the color dull. He gave it a quick taste, and immediately decided that after serving a meal filled with such delectable flavors and captivating aromas, the cordial was an unfitting way to end the evening. He scoured his bar, only to realize that each cordial had a similar lackluster flavor.

Not long after, Georges concluded that an impactful flavor was missing from many of the beverages that he drank. He determined that he could use his manufacturing and culinary knowledge to extract flavor from vibrant, fresh fruits to create a liquid flavoring that could be used in anything from cordials to coffees to water.

Georges scoured the cities of France for raw ingredients and experimented with flavors in his home kitchen. After years of trial and error, he finally created a flavored cordial that met his demanding standards. From there, he continued to experiment and developed a spectrum of exciting flavors and syrups, bottling and selling them across the country. Three generations of Monin later, with a vast collection of the world’s flavors available in more than 140 countries.”

It’s a nice story that plays well internationally. About 75 percent of Monin’s revenue comes from international business. The company has locations in France, Asia, North America and Australia.

The company was actually founded in 1912 by Georges Monin, but it was not until the 1920s that the first syrups were made. Georges Monin died in 1944. However, the company remained family-owned. His son Paul took over the management of the company a few months later. He abandoned wine production and concentrated on syrups, establishing a network of dealers throughout France. In 1996, Paul Monin’s son, Olivier Monin, established a production unit in Clearwater, Florida. In 2018, he established one in China.

While I was in Taichung, I learned that these syrups were great for some cocktails, especially shots.

I had used their almond syrup in Hawaii so I knew it was a quality product. I then found using the mojito syrup enhanced the mint flavor and it was consistent. Mint in Taiwan would sometimes be weak in taste and other times it would be powerful. I knew with the syrup, it would be the same. The syrups mixed well with soda water too. Monin has a huge variety of fruit flavors to choose from and for those who don’t drink alcohol, many Chinese don’t; these fruit sodas were a hit.

I probably used the syrups most often in shots.

Our bar was known for its delicious shots and when I first moved to China, I took a lot of my shot recipes with me to the huge bar in Suzhou.

While in Suzhou, a city of 8 million, I met the brand ambassador for Monin China, which led to me sharing some of my shot recipes with the company. I’m not sure what they ultimately did with them, but it was pretty cool to be recognized by the brand on an international level. My profile as a guy who understood cocktail culture was much higher overseas than it ever was in America.

Every so often, when I look back on past cocktails, I’ll remember a drink that was especially important to me when I first introduced it.

That happened when I remembered how much I used Monin syrups in mojitos and Mai Tais recently.

I really liked what Monin syrups did in shots.

My most popular shot was the Black Forest Cake.

On a decent night at my bar in Taichung or Suzhou, I would make over a dozen of these shots.

It tastes like a cocktail dessert.

Cherry Monin syrup is key to this drink

Black Forest Cake Shot

Take a 1 1/2 to 2 oz shot glass and, on the bottom, layer these ingredients

1/3 ounce of Monin Cherry Syrup

1/3 ounce of Kahlua

1/3 ounce of Creme de Cacao (white works and seems to be the only one available in Wyoming, but I prefer dark)

1/3 ounce of Baileys or any other Irish Cream

Drink the shot in one gulp.

What I like about syrups is they stay on the bottom of a shot and alcohol can be layered on top of it.

That means the last taste in the drink is the syrup.

I know there are other syrups like Gifford, Pratt and Company, and a few others that are good, but I like Monin.

Because of its high sugar content, a shot like the Black Forest Cake shot should not be overdone.

Like many things, moderation is the key.

When Life Gives You Zucchini, Bake Bread

Publisher — Sat, 06 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000

When Life Gives You Zucchini, Bake Bread

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

By Dana Davis

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

There are a few things that happen when summer arrives in Carbon County: gardens start producing, neighbors begin sharing extra produce and suddenly everyone is trying to figure out what to do with piles of zucchini.

A friend recently gave me a bunch of zucchini, and while roasting them in the oven is always an option, I wanted something different.

Then I remembered zucchini bread — a recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up. As a kid, I loved eating it warm from the oven with butter melting into each slice. It felt like dessert while still somehow qualifying as breakfast.

Zucchini is one of those foods that quietly does a lot of work in the kitchen.

Fun fact: although usually treated like a vegetable, zucchini is technically a fruit because it develops from the blossom of the plant and contains seeds. Even the blossoms themselves are edible.

Another thing zucchini brings to recipes is moisture. Since zucchini is about 95% water, it helps keep baked goods soft and tender. It also does not have much flavor on its own, which makes it versatile enough to absorb whatever flavors it is paired with. That is why it works just as well in sweet breads as it does replacing spaghetti noodles or lasagna layers.

Nutritionally, zucchini has another surprise: it contains more potassium than a banana — another ingredient that also happens to make delicious bread.

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups zucchini, grated

3 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 cups flour

*Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, raisins or coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease two loaf pans.

Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla.

Mix the rest of the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

Pour the batter into the two loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

So the next time someone shows up at your door with extra zucchini, don’t sigh when you see the pile. Grab a grater, heat up the oven and turn that summer surplus into something worth sharing, if you can keep from eating it first.

Mojito Madness

Publisher — Sat, 30 May 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Mojito Madness

Publisher Sat, 05/30/2026 - 21:00

By Mike Armstrong

Reporter, Carbon County Comet

I worked in bars for about two decades before I heard of a Mojito, much less made one.

I never had a call for one while I worked at the different bars in Washington D.C.

I made Daiquiris, Rum Runners and Coladas on occasion, but if people were drinking rum most of the time, it was with Coke or some juice.

While I worked in Hawaii, the Mai Tai was what most people ordered, but there were definitely tropical rum drinks to be found, but never a Mojito.

In my early years of bartending at different clubs and bars, I never had anyone order a Mojito and in my years in Australia, I never had a call for one.

I can’t say that I ever got a call for one while I worked at the Hotel Wolf or Lazy River Cantina in the late 1990s and very early 2000s.

The crazy thing is, it is based on the cocktail, the Draque, named after Sir Francis Drake, which was created in 1586.

Drake was an English privateer who terrorized the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and commandeered Spanish ships.

The story goes that he created it while off the shore from Havana when he went to plunder its treasure. He actually fired a few shots but the city was well fortified because it had a lot of Aztec gold in its treasury and Drake left after a few days. But while in the waters, he is attributed to have created a drink very much like the present-day Mojito.

The Mojito was drunk to prevent scurvy on his ship.

I don’t doubt they drank it for pleasure too.

So this cocktail found its ancestry starting on an English ship.

The Mojito recipe that is used today is said to have been made in Havana’s Sloppy Joe’s bar. A cocktail manual from this bar mentioned the drink in 1932.

During Prohibition in the USA, a lot of Americans went to Havana to party and the Mojito got discovered.

But it didn’t seem to come back with the drinkers the same way the Margarita did down in Mexico.

It is said that some hotels in Havana use powdered sugar with the mint leaves rather than granulated sugar, as the former dissolves more readily, while many establishments use simple syrup instead. The Cojito adds coconut flavor, often through the use of coconut-flavored rum. A dirty mojito calls for gold rum instead of white rum, and raw sugar or demerara sugar. Demerara is a light brown, partially refined sugar produced from the first crystallization during processing cane juice into sugar crystals. Adding this to a mojito gives it a caramel-like flavor. A dark rum, like Myers, has no special name and the Mojito simply calls for a dark rum to be used instead of white.

All this is interesting, but the Mojito stayed unknown to me until I opened my restaurant/bar in Taichung around 2002.

I wanted the bar to serve excellent and interesting cocktails, so I searched for new cocktails.

Around that time, either Bacardi or Havana Club (the Cuban national rum which can’t be purchased in the USA) started promoting the drink.

I started getting calls for it immediately.

It became my bestseller almost from the beginning.

I became a fan even though I had made one prior to opening my bar in Taichung.

I came up with my own version that used Midori, which was written about in local magazines.

It was not just Taiwan it got popular.

It became a hit worldwide.

In 2016, it was Britain and France’s most popular cocktail. It was popular in the States too, and when I opened my restaurant in Laramie, it sold well there too.

It is an incredibly refreshing drink and great for summer.

It is called a cousin of the mint julep and in the family of the Collins, but it uses lime instead of lemon.

The Classic Mojito recipe:

It is made with exactly five simple ingredients: white rum, fresh lime juice, sugar (or simple syrup), club soda (or sparkling water), and fresh mint leaves.

Gently muddle about 6 mint leaves, 2 ounces of lime juice, and 1 and 1/2 ounces of simple syrup (sugar water) or a tablespoon of powdered sugar in a shaker or glass to release the mint’s oils without shredding the leaves.

Add 2 ounces of white rum and fill the shaker with ice.

Shake well for about 30 seconds until chilled.

Strain the mixture into a tall glass (like a highball or Collins) filled with fresh ice.

Top with about 3 to 5 ounces of soda water.

Garnish with a sprig of mint and a lime wedge.

For the Midori Mojito, substitute 1 1/2 ounces of Midori melon liqueur for sugar. It really gives the Mojito a unique flavor.

The Dirty Mojito substitutes gold rum for white and makes it the same way as a classic.

The Mojito might not be found in many bars in Wyoming, but given that summer is coming and how refreshing it is, it should be. Considering how many years I have been bartending, I was a late fan of this cocktail, but I am glad I did learn it eventually.