Contemplating Cocktails with Keith

Metro Melik
  • 5.0 (1)
  • FOOD

Each week Keith will share with Metro Melik a history of a spirit. They will have fun talking about it, and sharing stories. Each with decades of service industry experience they have a lot of stories. And then the show will close out with a cocktail recipe with the spirit. Hopefully...

  1. 03/21/2020

    Soup Spoon Cafe w Nick G and Keith and Metro Melik

    In this episode we hear the story of how Soup Spoon Cafe began. Owner Nick Gavrilides shares HIS-story.

    1h 7m

  2. 11/20/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails with Keith S1 Ep13 Applejack

    Did you know that Johnny Appleseed was a drunk? But first Metro Melik goes off on a tangent about a real life Jack Sprat situation. Keith gets things back on track as to why Johnny Appleseed went around the land planting cider apple trees. Let's start in 1698 with William Laird in New Jersey who started making apple whiskey that eventually became applejack. Cider apples are necessary for applejack. This episode has a lot of the beginning history of the United States of America. Laird's is the first licensed distillery in the US of A. Check out their pictorial history here: https://lairdandcompany.com/our-history/ The Cocktail of the episode is the Jack Rose. 2 1/2 oz of Laird's applejack, 3/4 oz of fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 ounce of grenadine

    27 min

  3. 11/13/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails with Keith S1 Ep12 Tequila

    Keith considers this mezcal's other half to be tequila. With mezcal and tequila we discuss the circle of life. Tequila comes from blue agave of cactus. Chihuahua Mountains are where blue agave grows. The name threw off Melik and trying to do math shows. The first recorded distillation of tequila happened in 1666. Weird story from Melik talking a little bit about his dance history. Strippers were involved kind of. Then there is a reference to the old Way Side Bar also known as Sparty's that had a wonderful drink special for Blue Motorcycles. The bonus episode will be part of the Patreon mix. Then Keith talks about when tequila began to be imported to the western expansion of the United States of America. The cocktail of the episode is the Oaxaca Sleeping Potion. Ingredients - Mexico chocolate / aqualita, steam milk, 1 oz of tequila, 1 oz of mezcal, 1/2 ounce orange liqueur an important economic product of Jalisco, Mexico, due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila, a popular distilled beverage.

    40 min

  4. 11/02/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails w Keith S1 Ep 11 Amaro

    What is amaro? But of course there's a Melik sidebar that happens first. He talks about date night that had an enjoyable meal. Amaro has a simple meaning of bitter. It is a bitter liqueur. Grappa based spirit that has herbs, spices, botanicals added to it that is reduced from a 'brandy' to an amaro. This is a followup of "booze can be medicine". A lot of amaros were made to be medicinal. "Holistic medicine is that amaro is all about", Keith. Keith adds Fernet Branca to the mix with a flavor of spice melange. [Melange, often referred to as simply "the spice", is the name of the fictional drug central to the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert, and derivative works.] Melik talks about the treatment of people in the service industry. Amaro is a digestif that can be defined as "the end of the end". The recipe for this is simple - Fernet Branca and Coca-Cola, as the Argentinians do. There's also Branca Menta which goes well with a little bit Sprite. The Coca-Cola Company are not paid advertisers. If you can find Art of the Age - "Root", you'll find a special treat. Cocktail Recipe: The Toronto - 2 oz of Canadian Whiskey, 1/4 oz of Fernet Branca, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, and a dash of Angostora bitters. Shake, pour on the rocks, and orange peel as the final ingredient. Melik does throw out a few curse words in this episode.

    48 min

  5. 10/07/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails w Keith S1 Ep10 Moonshine

    In this happy meandering episode: Keith is happy to be a bicycle rider in the middle of the Mitten, Lansing Michigan. The drink is the vehicle for two passionate people to share good stories. This episode will have stories circling around the spirit of moonshine. This moonshine story begins with the Whiskey Rebellion. Think about how different production, purchasing goods, and consuming goods have changed over the last 240 years [or so] Keith explores how moonshine became to be called moonshine. You can decide whether or not you believe Keith's moonraker story. Melik tells on himself with one of his moonshine pastimes. Then Melik shares one of his favorite childhood memories. "Justice like lightning should ever appear to some men hope, to other men fear"

    45 min

  6. 09/30/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails with Keith S1 Ep9 Vodka

    Warning: Melik curses a few times in this episode. Clear, flavorless spirit distilled from cereal grains and an often misunderstood spirit. Ideally vodka has no flavor. Vodka is the diminutive of voda is "water" in several Slavic languages, similarly to uisquibah which is Gaelic for water of life. There's a lot of misconceptions about the distillation process in general that are discussed in this episode. Basically vodka is gluten free. There's a history of vodka that is a whole lot of nothing from something that makes some of the best vodka. | Define foie gras: liver of a specially fattened goose or duck prepared as food. Tito's Handmade Vodka changed how people were misinformed about spirits. Martini has become redefined, which also can cause confusion with customers and traditional bartenders. Keith has a favorite, which surprised Melik. Vodka is a distilled beverage composed primarily of water and ethanol, sometimes with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits or sugar. Traditionally prepared vodkas had an alcoholic content of 40% by volume.

    37 min

  7. 09/23/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails w Keith S1 Ep8 Absinthe

    A spirit that's origin that dates back to the 14th century is absinthe. It has as storied and colorful history that is connected to people like Hemingway, Voltaire, Rimbaud, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Poe. There are as many misconceptions about absinthe as there are stories. And yes we do have a cocktail for you in this episode. Metro Melik shares his early childhood experiences that included his reading choices in grade school. The exchange continues to discuss how people dream. Absinthe stems from worm wood and has a huge medicinal history. Keith introduces the absinthe trail. Keith explains the 'absinthe process'. We talk about the "Moods of Spoon". Melik questions the hypocrisy of all drugs are bad but then people celebrate art that has had an enhancement of of influence.  Absinthe Ordinaire Pernod Absinthe - sans worm wood Lucid Absinthe Supérieure Vieux Carré absinthe

    44 min

  8. 09/09/2019

    Contemplating Cocktails w Keith S1 Ep7 Aqua Vitae

    Thanks for making it through the gin episode. Here's one about Aqua Vitae which is very similar but different. Keith talks about his Swedish friend that introduced him to the aqua vitae spirit and a Swedish traditional Friday meals. This is a journey of a spirit with the caraway savory flavor. Keith talks a discovery from his grandmother that completely changes his paradigm. Open your palate - "You're not accepting what's in your mouth. Your expecting what's in your mouth." ~Metro Melik And remember, "if it grows together, it goes together". ~Keith Aqua Vitae a strong spirit fractionally distilled from wine. The "water of life". The cocktail of the episode is a Swedish Negroni.

    24 min
See All (14)

Ratings & Reviews

About

Each week Keith will share with Metro Melik a history of a spirit. They will have fun talking about it, and sharing stories. Each with decades of service industry experience they have a lot of stories. And then the show will close out with a cocktail recipe with the spirit. Hopefully...

Information

  • Creator
    Metro Melik
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2020
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Metro Melik