Man Drank $102,000 Worth of Historic Whiskey

 Photo provided by WTAE (WTAE)

 Via ABCNews

By COLLEEN CURRY
July 20, 2013
The owner of an historic inn in Pittsburgh has brought charges against a former tenant she says was supposed safeguard 50 bottles of vintage whiskey valued at more than $100,000 but drank it all instead.

The owner of the South Broadway Manor Bed and Breakfast, Patricia Hill, found 104 bottles of Old Farm Pure Rye Whiskey when she bought the historic mansion and converted it into a bed and breakfast. It had originally belonged to Pittsburgh businessman J.P. Brennan.

The whiskey had been distilled in 1912 and given to Brennan in 1918, she told ABC News affiliate WTAE.

“There were four cases, 52 bottles, manufactured by an old distillery here in the Township that went out of business many years ago,” Barry Pritts, chief of police in Scottdale, Pa., said today.

He said the bottles had been made and sold before Prohibition and then passed down.

TheOld Farm Pure Rye Whiskey was part of a collection of historical whiskey believed to have been consumed by Henry Frick and Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900s in Pittsburgh, Rick Bruckner, the chef at the South Broadway Manor, told WTAE.

“The family that owned the estate, somebody hid it under a flight of stairs and enclosed the staircase, and the estate went through several families. The lady that owns it now was doing a remodeling project and the people who were doing the work found them,” Pritts said.

Hill did not immediately return calls for comment. Pritts said that Hill put the whiskey bottles in the basement while the main floors were being renovated. John Saunders, 62, was a caretaker who lived in the basement and was expected to safeguard the booze.

“You know, to watch over them and keep them secure. I guess that was a mistake,” Pritts said.

Hill discovered that 52 of the bottles had been emptied in March 2012, and reported it to police. All four cases of whiskey had been emptied within about a year, Pitts said.

Saunders denied that he consumed the vintage alcohol, but police tested the empty bottles to see if they matched Saunders’ DNA. After seven months of testing, police confirmed that Saunders’ DNA was found on the bottles, and charged him with felony theft and receiving stolen property, Pritts said.

Saunders appeared for a preliminary hearing in court on Wednesday and will face trial.

His attorney, Patrice DiPietro, did not immediately return calls for comment from ABC News.

“The DNA doesn’t lie. I’m just disappointed a family friend of over 40 years has lied,” Hill said, according to WTAE. “It’s a shame it took historic whiskey to realize and come to this point, but if it saved his life, maybe that’s the best of it all.”

A whiskey appraiser told WTAE the value of the missing whiskey is around $102,400. Pritts requested restitution in the amount of the full retail value.

Attorneys agreed Wednesday that further expert testimony and evidence will have to be heard to determine the exact retail value of the whiskey.

During the hearing Wednesday, Saunders’ attorney noted to the court that Saunders is now awaiting a liver transplant, Pritts added.

.@LustyMonk Mustard Pretzel Chicken

 

Lusty Monk Mustard Pretzel Chicken 

Ingredients:
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cups panko crumbs
• 2 cups pretzel crumbs
• ½ cup neutral tasting olive oil
• ½ cup Lusty Monk Alter Boy mustard
• ⅓ cup honey
• ¼ cup bottled water
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• coarse salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• ½ cup flour
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a non stick baking sheet or line with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In a medium skillet, toast the panko crumbs until lightly golden, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a food processor, pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground and mix with the panko crumbs.
4. Wipe out the crumbs from the processor, and place oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar and pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pound the chicken with a mallet to even the thickness and season well with salt and pepper.
6. Set up a dredging station by pouring half of the dressing in a shallow bowl, put the flour in a large plate, and the pretzel mixture to a shallow bowl.
7. Dredge the chicken in the flour, then into the dressing and lastly coat in the pretzels. Place each chicken breast onto the baking sheet.
8. Bake 16-25 minutes or until cooked though. Serve with remaining honey mustard dressing.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Bubble bath is manlier in a whiskey bottle

Travis Weaver, the founder of the buzzy Houston-based apothecary goods brand Manready Mercantile, Since November last year, when he set up a table at an artisan fair downtown to introduce Manready to the Houston public, Weaver has been busy. Really busy. His goods – think woodsy and fresh-smelling lotions, candles, skin care and soap, plus one-offs such as cutting board and leather treatment, all unisex but marketed toward men – are now available in 15 independent retailers in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. A few weeks ago the line was picked up regionally by seven Whole Foods stores. It’s no wonder his place looks like it does: Weaver makes or packages the majority of his growing collection by hand, from scenting bath salts to washing and filling glass bottles and attaching labels, in the roughly 1,000 square feet of space that he shares with his Weimaraner, Dylilah.

The guy’s-guy needed an great idea, one with mass market appeal. He considered the beauty industry. Citing products such as bubble bath, which Manready now calls “Tub Elixir” and packages in a whiskey bottle, Weaver explains his thought process at the time: “What products would I use that my girlfriend uses but that I wouldn’t want anyone knowing about?”

Weaver set about growing his business, he says, by messing up a lot, and with a lot of elbow grease. He took a candlemaking class. Set off his fire alarm multiple times. Got drunk on whiskey with his graphic designer next door neighbor Roby Fitzhenry, and convinced him to partner up on the venture and to create Manready’s clever industrial-heritage-savvy branding. He tested products, such as the sandalwood-graced Beard Treatment, on himself and on his buddies. He also made connections, including with the goat farmer in southwest Houston who makes his lemony Manready soap, and with customers at market events around town.

 

 

Manready products, from the left: Bergamont & Teak lotion, Grandad’s Leather Treatment, Throne Spray in Forest and Citrus, Mustache and Beard Treatments, Tub Elixir and Tub Soak.

More Information
Where to buy:
Manready Mercantile products, $13-$38, are available at Houston shops including Kuhl-Linscomb, the Tinderbox and Settlement Goods, among others. For a full list of purveyors, visit manready.com.

 

 

Pig and Whiskey Event July 19 Ferndale, Michigan

Back for its third year, PIG & WHISKEY returns to downtown Ferndale for a full weekend of BBQ, whiskey sampling, beer guzzling and outdoor entertainment!

Metro Times is partnering with Woodward Avenue Brewers (WAB) to close East Troy Street for this awesome summer event. After a successful weekend in 2012, Pig & Whiskey is back for 2.5 days of fun:

Friday, July 19th, 6PM – Midnight • KICK-OFF PARTY presented by Jack Daniels

Saturday, July 20th, 11AM – Midnight

Sunday, July 21st, 11AM – 11PM

In addition to savory BBQ and delectable whiskey, the festival will also feature a large local beer selection, a craft whiskey cocktail tent and outdoor games. PIG & WHISKEY is free to attend and all ages are welcome. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. Rain or shine.

Be sure to like us on Facebook and RSVP to the festival
On Twitter? Follow us @Metrotimes @thewabferndale #P&W2013

For more information about Pig & Whiskey, go here: http://metrotimes.com/pigandwhiskey

 

‘Whiskey And Cigarettes’ Country Radio Show Celebrates Twentieth Syndicating Station

MTS Management Group is happy to announce their client, the “Whiskey And Cigarettes Radio Show” has secured its twentieth syndicating radio station. On Friday, July 12, 2013, WDMU Internet Radio became number twenty, agreeing to carry the weekly country radio broadcast. WDMU originates from Allentown, PA and airs at Wdmuinternetradio.com. “Whiskey And Cigarettes” will begin airing on WDMU on Sunday, July 21 at 9pm ET.

“Whiskey And Cigarettes” originates from Milan, Italy and is broadcast live each Sunday from 11am ET-3pm ET on Militarybrotherhoodradio.com. Syndicating stations can choose to air the full 4 hour program or an edited 1 or 2 hour version. Additional syndicating stations include KHXI-FM, KRRN, Wise Radio, Scott and Roger’s Country Round Up, Hot Country 102.9, Starliners Radio, NBRN FM, Sound Machine Country, ACRN FM, NJ Kewl 98, WHPR, Radio Waves International, Kick Ass Country, NI Country Radio, WRCF, CMG Radio, Country Mania Radio, Radio Max Music.

“Whiskey And Cigarettes” features the best mix of country music from yesterday and today, including indie artists, and it features artist interviews with some of the most exciting country artists, brain-tingling trivia, audience-engaging contests, noteworthy news events and much more. A 12-year veteran disc jockey and music journalist, Nik Pizzigoni is also the host of “Metal From Milan,” a heavy metal radio show. His love for country music developed from a memorable visit to the southern United States.

Salma Hayek Plays Beer Pong on ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’

Salma Hayek plays a game of beer pong while making an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday evening (July 11) at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Beer and Freedom and God Oh My!

Beer company in hot water for omitting mention of God while using quotes from Declaration of Independence.

Courtesy of ABC News:

In the ad, which has an Independence Day theme, an actor says, “All men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The Declaration of Independence states ”…that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The ad has aired for about three weeks focusing on the July Fourth holiday, but the company is still receiving angry comments posted on its Facebook page.

In a statement, the Boston Beer Company says it was just trying to follow a code implemented by the trade group, The Beer Institute, which is based in Washington, D.C., and represents 2,800 breweries.

“We adhere to an advertising code, established by the Beer Institute – a beer industry trade organization – that states, ‘Beer advertising and marketing materials should not include religion or religious themes’,” according to a statement provided by a Boston Beer Company spokeswoman. “We agree with that, and we follow these guidelines and approach our marketing with the utmost responsibility.”

Crab Cakes with @LustyMonk and @PhicklesPickles

Crab Cakes 

Ingredients:
1 large egg
2½ tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Lusty Monk Alter Boy mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoons diced Phickles Stix (Pickled Carrots)
¼ cup finely diced celery (you’ll need one stalk)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat
½ cup panko
Canola oil

Directions:
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, diced carrots and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When oil is hot, place crab cakes in pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.

Quick Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Lusty Monk Original Sin mustard
1½ tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Server on a salad of baby greens, daikon radish and Phickles Stix