From a long running thread at the Steampunk Forum Brass Goggles
Enjoy.

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
KJ
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http://brassgoggles.c...
February 26, 2007

If we as a culture wish to truly take off as a sub-culture, we'll need customized emoticons and acronyms.

For example;

A higher-class sophisticate might wish to don his monocle during a chat, like so: -_Q

Whereas BTW means By-The-Way, BTB would stand for By-The-By; which is far more appropriate for gentlemen and women than the former.

Feel free to add your thoughts and ideas!


-_Q
Monocle. (Sir Andrew)
BTW
By The Way. (Sir Andrew)
BTB
By The By. (Sir Andrew)
WC
Water Closet (traditional, mentioned by Rococoboy)
ByJ
By Jove! (initially Sir Andrew, corrected by Heavyporker)
STOP
sentence end (traditional, mentioned by TheClockworkWasteland)
END
post end (traditional, by Kabuki)
JOVE
By Jove alternative. (Daeudi_454)
WAA
We are amused. (RPFolkers)
HP
How peculiar. (RPFolkers)
IS
I Say! (BigGenNickYard)
QS
Quite so. (BigGenNickYard)
WP
Well played. (BigGenNickYard)
HH!
Here here! (BigGenNickYard)
TB
Talking b*llocks. (BigGenNickYard)
WWW
What what what? (BigGenNickYard)
GSOC
Good show, old chap. (MrFats)

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
KJ

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
KJ

I found this wonderful volume in the "Antique Mall" off Blackfoot last year. It was in a used book section which is actually an old estate collection being sold off. This book is a real treasure and in pretty good shape for having been published over a 147 years ago!

The book is the journal of the African expedition of 1849-1855 by Dr. John Barth. This expedition is significant because it covered a large amount of North and Central Africa under extremely trying conditions. Barth was a professor at the University of Berlin and had extensively traveled in North Africa, by himself! He was asked to join a British expedition to North Central Africa under the command of a Mr Richardson.

During the course of the expedition Richardson died and Barth carried on himself eventually returning after almost six years!

This is the period of Colonial exploration of the "Dark Continent", the time of Dr. Livingston's explorations in South Central Africa. In fact one of the most interesting things contained in this book is a fold out map showing the areas of Africa explored at this time and most of Africa is still a blank.

This book is quoted and referenced by Jules Verne in "Five Weeks in a Balloon" and Barth's explorations and journeys in North Central Africa were considered at the time to be every bit as valuable as Livingston's in the South. As a glimpse into the trials and wonder of these hardy European adventurer explorers of the 19th century, Barth's journal is almost unequaled.

Originally published in England in 5 Octavo volumes (for then exorbitant price of 30 dollars), this edition is a kind of "condensed" popular work for the growing number of arm chair adventurers in England and America. It is still long at 538 pages.

A very interesting glimpse into the world of pre-colonial Africa, through the eyes of a scholar/adventurer.

Added bonus is the advertisements for other books in the publisher's catalog. Some of which sound very entertaining indeed.

Title
Travels and Discoveries in North and Central Africa
From the Journal of an Expedition
Undertaken under the Auspices of H.B.M.'s Government
In the years 1849-1856

Author
Henry Barth, Ph. D., D.C.L.,
Fellow of the Royal Geographic and Asiatic Societies, Etc. Etc.

Publisher
J.W.Bradley
Philadelphia

Date
1859

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
KJ

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
Kevin/Max

Thought those of us who partook of that fine bottle of "Taboo" at The Clockwork Heart event on the weekend might be interested in more details of the Louche Ritual.
Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed, and your water iced.
KJ
Originally posted to Meetup Feb 27, 2012

The Absinthe Ritual
How to properly serve an absinthe.

http://www.absinthecl...

Unlike many everyday aperitifs, absinthe was historically almost always prepared and drunk
in a highly specific way - this, the so-called "absinthe ritual", was part of the reason for its popularity
and for the unique position it's always held in the pantheon of drinks.

Below are some guidelines on the proper preparation of a glass of absinthe.

The Absinthe Ritual

All true absinthes are bitter to some degree (due to the presence of absinthin, extracted from the wormwood) and are therefore usually served with the addition of sugar. This not only counters the bitterness, but in well made absinthes seems also to subtly improve the herbal flavour-profile of the drink.

The classic French absinthe ritual involves placing a sugar cube on a flat perforated spoon, which rests on the rim of the glass containing a measure or “dose” of absinthe. Iced water is then very slowly dripped on to the sugar cube, which gradually dissolves and drips, along with the water, into the absinthe, causing the green liquor to louche (“loosh”) into an opaque opalescent white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Usually three to four parts water are added to one part of 68% absinthe. Historically, true absintheurs used to take great care in adding the water, letting it fall drop by single drop onto the sugar cube, and then watching each individual drip cut a milky swathe through the peridot-green absinthe below. Seeing the drink gradually change colour was part of its ritualistic attraction.

Notes on technique

The “ritual” is important – it’s part of the fascination of absinthe. No other drink is traditionally consumed with such a carefully calibrated kind of ceremony. It’s part of what lends absinthe its drug-like allure (for instance, one talks about the dose of absinthe in the glass, a term you’d never use with whisky or brandy). From all historical evidence, it seems that absinthe was almost always drunk like this – even the poorest working man, in the roughest bar or café, would prepare his absinthe slowly and carefully. It was seldom drunk neat (except by the kind of desperate end-stage alcoholics who might also be drinking ether or cologne); the water was always added slowly not just sloshed in; ice was never added to the glass.

The water added to the absinthe dose must always be iced, as cold as possible. Part of the advantage of
using an absinthe fountain was that you could add ice cubes to the water to keep it cold, and some carafes had a chamber for ice as well. There’s a famous poem by the French author and absintheur Raoul Ponchon, where he says if you add tepid water, you might as well be drinking … pissat d’âne / ou du bouillon pointu – donkey piss or an enema broth. Paradoxically though, ice wasn't added to the glass itself – the idea was to start with the drink as cool as possible, but let it slowly warm to room temperature as you drank it. Aside from historical considerations, it tastes better this way.

It’s essential to add the water as slowly as possible – drop by drop - particular at first, as the louche starts to develop. There are two reasons for this: it enables you to admire the gradual change of color, and it allows the aroma to develop slowly for maximum complexity and interest. (Technically: different essential oils precipitate out of the solution - and thus release their aromas - at different dilution percentages. By pouring very slowly you effectively get to appreciate them all individually, whereas if you just throw the water in everything gets released at once).

Holding the carafe in a relaxed and stylish way high above the glass, and letting the water slowly drip out drop for drop is harder than you’d think, and was a much admired skill at the time. Busy cafés had “absinthe professors” – professional absintheurs – who for a small sum would instruct a patron in the art, or assist him themselves.

A slightly easier but also historically accurate method you might prefer is as follows :


Place a sugar cube on the spoon.
Drip a few drops of water on to the sugar cube, just enough to saturate it thoroughly.
Then do nothing, just watch the sugar cube for a few minutes. It will spontaneously slowly start to collapse and drip into the glass, eventually leaving only a few drops of sugared water on the spoon. Then add the rest of the water in a thin stream.

Sugar isn’t essential – it’s entirely a matter of taste. In their brochures, Pernod Fils suggested their absinthe could be drunk with or without sugar. There is – or certainly was - an ingrained French predilection for sweet anise flavored drinks, cultivated from childhood with syrups and cordials. Most Belle Epoque absintheurs added at least one, sometimes two or even three sugar cubes, and some added gum syrup as well. Today we’re likely to find this far too sweet. I’d suggest using half a sugar cube to start with, and then adjusting upwards or downwards according to preference.

The classic French absinthe ritual involves placing a sugar cube on a flat perforated spoon, which rests on the rim of the glass containing a measure or “dose” of absinthe. Iced water is then very slowly dripped on to the sugar cube, which gradually dissolves and drips, along with the water, into the absinthe, causing the green liquor to louche (“loosh”) into an opaque opalescent white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Usually three to four parts water are added to one part of 68% absinthe. Historically, true absintheurs used to take great care in adding the water, letting it fall drop by single drop onto the sugar cube, and then watching each individual drip cut a milky swathe through the peridot-green absinthe below. Seeing the drink gradually change colour was part of its ritualistic attraction.

The correct dose of absinthe is about 30ml – just over an ounce. Add three parts water to one part absinthe and then taste. For casual drinking (as opposed to tasting a rare bottle) you might prefer to add a little more water, bringing the ratio up to 4:1 or even to 5:1.



Overall, it’s worth taking the trouble to prepare an absinthe in the traditional way like this. The slowness and care required help put one in the right frame of mind to appreciate the subtleties of the drink, and it undoubtedly tastes better this way as well.

June 1909. Toledo, Ohio. "The lobby, Hotel Secor." I cackled with glee upon realizing that this empty-looking time exposure was in fact crowded with spectral hotel guests. Are they still there?
8x10 inch glass negative.

Very cool.

Keep your sightglass full, your firebox trimmed and your water iced.
KJ