For those of you who live in states like New York or California or Denver, you are fortunate enough to be able to buy your booze in a “free market” environment. Michigan, unfortunately, is a “control state,” which means that all the liquor has to be sold by the manufacturer to the state, who then marks it up and sells it to the bars, party stores, etc. It’s some bullshit law that dates back to prohibition, and needless to say, inherently inhibits the spirits that are sold in the state, and increases their price point to boot. And it also means, as a licensee, we cannot sell spirits that are not sold thru the state (I think technically it’s considered bootlegging). So when you’re reading thru the bloggs about all the sexy new liquors and liqueurs that the kids are using (Bols Genever, Battavia Arrack, etc., etc.,), rest assured that they are beyond our reach, and that Michigan will therefore always reside in the dark taint of the mixology world.
So let me be the first to say how very “fucking jazzed up” I am that the Haus Alpenz wine based liqueur portfolio is now on sale here. It’s only stuff under 20% abv, but we’ll take it. With any luck, we’ll get the rest of the portfolio in the state next year, so we can really “run with the dick punchers,” as the kids say.
So yeah, we’re going heavy with that shit on my new menu. Can you blame us?
The Historic Brownfield Project
1.5 oz. Wild Turkey Rye
.5 oz. Cynar
.5 oz. Cardamaro
3 dash Root Beer Bitters
This bastard tastes like a bitter little dirt sandwich, in all the right ways. The root beer bitts really make the whole thing work, and if you squeeze a lemon peel over top, well, then you’re doing God’s work.
December 23, 2011 at 2:52 pm
This entry was posted in Drink Recipes and tagged Bitters, cardamaro, cynar, Recipes, root beer bitters, Rye, stirred. Bookmark the permalink.
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4 Responses to Day 6: The (Historic) Brownfield Project
That’s a damn shame about the Alpenz portfolio and other products, but glad you’re slowly getting more. I’m so glad I moved to a state where I don’t have to put up with that nonsense any more.
December 23, 2011 at 5:42 pm |Nebraska is a “free state” as far as its liquor laws, but when it comes down to what products the distributors were willing to by, we were by no means “running with the dick punchers.”
Sounds like you, my friend, need to do a little dick punching of your own.
December 23, 2011 at 9:30 pm |Hope for some measure of deregulation may be coming to Michigan. Snyder has an advisory panel looking at liquor licensing and control issues in an effort to streamline the system. One issue being explored is getting rid of the state store distribution network. Mackinac Center also submitted these free market based ideas to the advisory panel. Living in a relatively free market state like Illinois does have its advantages, but the state’s antiquated laws on production have kept brewing and alcohol distillation behind Michigan and Wisconsin.
Mackinac Center’s recommendations: http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/15922
December 23, 2011 at 8:22 pm |Thanks for the comment David. I also hope to see some amount of dereg, but I don’t think it’s likely that Synder will be able to abolish the distribution network, which is an extremely powerful oligopoly. NWS & General are massive companies with very deep pockets and have been very effective at keeping other distributors (such as Northern Wine & Spirits – who after years of lawsuits will finally become a distributor here) out of the state. I just don’t see those guys going down without a fight.
December 23, 2011 at 9:30 pm |