The Museum of the American Cocktail in New Orleans (www.museumoftheamericancocktail.com) again is coordinating worldwide events with a variety of bars and restaurants for World Cocktail Week 2009, May 6 to 13. This year, the Museum of the American Cocktail will join with Beam Global to celebrate the week, with the primary event taking place on Friday, May 8 at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum at the Riverwalk Marketplace in New Orleans, home of the Museum of the American Cocktail. Local mixologists will prepare cocktails to pay tribute to the great traditions of The Big Easy.

In the past, the museum has hosted celebrations of World Cocktail Week in participating venues in New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Washington, D.C., Sydney, Melbourne and many other locations.

The Museum of the American Cocktail, through its seminars, permanent exhibits, publications, and outreach, actively involves professionals, scholars and visitors in the American cocktail’s history and continuing lore. Exhibits, collections and programs attuned to the rapidly changing, multicultural population are ever-evolving.

BREWING of Heineken

Heineken is made of water, barley, hops, and yeast. In 1886 H. Elion finished the development of the Heineken A-yeast. This is the yeast that is still used for the beer.

The brewing process is conducted as follows: First the water is purified in water tanks; then, the barley is malted in the barley tank. After one and a half days the germination starts by soaking the barley. Seven or eight days later, the malted barley is dried in a mill and seed roots are removed. The malt and the water are mixed and boiled in the mash copper and become wort. The wort is then filtered in the filtering copper. The hops are added to the wort in the wort copper and the wort is boiled again. The hops give the beer the bitter taste. All solid particles are removed from the wort in the whirlpool. The wort is then cooled and the yeast is added in the fermentation tank. The yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide by fermentation. After seven days the wort has become green beer, which is 4.5% alcohol by volume. The green beer matures in lagering tanks for four to six weeks, reaching 5% alcohol by volume. It is then force carbonated. The yeast is removed in the filter tank with the natural silicon kieselguhr. The beer is bottled and pasteurized to kill the microorganisms.

DIETARY Information

Heineken state that no animal products are used as ingredients or as part of the filtration process. Genetically modified ingredients are not used either and Heineken also qualifies as gluten free by conforming to the World Health Organization’s guideline that “gluten free” products should contain less than 0.02% gluten. Heineken state that its beer actually contains less than 0.0005% but still recommend that Coeliac patients seek advice from their doctor prior to consumption. There are 141kcal and 11.6g of carbohydrates in a 330ml bottle. Heineken is suitable for vegans.

PRODUCTION of Heineken

Heineken beer is brewed by 40 breweries in 39 countries around the world. 25.8 million hectolitres of Heineken beer were produced in 2006 and the consolidated beer production was 111.9 million hectolitres. Since 1975, most Heineken beer is brewed in the Heineken brewery in Zoeterwoude in the Netherlands^.

For its seventh anniversary, Tales is stirring things up with its annual cocktail competition. If you think your skills are up to the challenge, Tales of the Cocktail would like you to create a julep that it can use as its official cocktail at this year’s event.

Originally, the term julep would have been used to refer to a medicinal potion, but in the American South it is used to refer to a heavily iced beverage of some type of spirit, sugar and mint.

Today, when you think of a “mint julep” you usually think of that classic drink of the Kentucky Derby, served in its quintessential silver cup. In truth however a julep can take a variety of forms, and Tales is looking to you as its ambassadors to help illustrate this fact.

Bartenders all over the world have been turning back the clock to rediscover forgotten drinks and recipes, such as flips, bucks and cups, which are appearing on many menus around the world. Tales asks you to look back and create a julep of your own for the year 2009 at Tales of the Cocktail.

For rules and more information, visit www.talesofthecocktail.com.

Mixology Mondays at the Museum of the American Cocktail

The Museum of the American Cocktail offers monthly presentations featuring top mixologists.

March 2nd, 2009  – Adam Seger: Market-Fresh, Seasonally-Inspired twists on classic cocktails.

Join us for market-fresh, seasonally-inspired twists on classic cocktails with Nacional 27 Chicago’s Adam Seger, who will be celebrating March’s bounty of winter citrus: Meyer Lemons, Yuzu, Sudachi, Blood Oranges and Tatsumas. Enjoy some delicious cocktails and load up on Vitamin C!

April 6th, 2009 -  Jeff Berry: “Who’s your daddy? A Mai Tai Paternity Test”

The Mai Tai War has raged for over half a century, and it ain’t over yet.  Bandleader Harry Owens claimed he introduced the Mai Tai to the world in 1954. Trader Vic claimed he invented the Mai Tai in 1944; his widow insists he invented it in 1933. Jeff “Beachbum” Berry will examine the evidence, and shake up samples of different Mai Tai recipes. Special guest, rum historian Stephen Remsberg, will discuss the original (now extinct) rums used in these recipes, and how their flavor profiles influenced Tiki mixologists back in the day.

April 27, 2009 -  Julio Bermejo ” Building a Distillery: a Labor of Love and Spirit”
The world renowned Ambassador of Tequila, Julio Bermejo, brings a taste of Mexico to MOTAC the last Monday of April, following Jazz Fest. Mr. Bermejo, who has worked for over two decades establishing the category of tequila in the United States will be sharing his experience of building a distillery in Jalisco, as well as a world class tequila program at his own restaurant – Tommy’s in San Francisco.  Come join us for a tasting some of Julio’s favorite Margarita variations including the Botanga and La Perla, it will be an experience to remember!

6:30 – 8 pm   $20.00 pp when you register online: www.museumoftheamericancocktail.org

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