The Beach Bar Blog

We are really proud to introduce our new Dexter Straight Bourbon.  It’s the best bourbon we’ve ever made - named one of only 12 bourbons on the Ultimate Spirits list of the top 100 spirits.  It’s named after Edmund Dexter one of the most famous pre-prohibition whiskey makers in America.  It is most often drank neat or over ice.  However, it also makes for luxurious cocktails each with a great story… PRINCE OF WALES COCKTAIL In 1860 the Prince of Wales (Future King Edward...

We are really proud to introduce our new Dexter Straight Bourbon.  It’s the best bourbon we’ve ever made - named one of only 12 bourbons on the Ultimate Spirits list of the Top 100 Spirits.  It’s named after Edmund Dexter one of the most famous pre-prohibition whiskey makers in America. It is most often drank neat or over ice.  However, it also makes for luxurious cocktails each with a great story… CHARLES DICKENS BOURBON SMASH In 1842, Charles Dickens stayed with world famous Whiskey...

Here’s my three favorite cocktails for summer 2021. Each with a “Craft” twist.  BOURBON SMASH our #1 Requested Cocktail Ingredients 1/2 oz of Simple Syrup5 to 8 Mint Leaves - depending on size of leaves1/4 of a large lemon cut into wedges or 1/2 a small lemon2 oz of Paddle Wheel Bourbon Directions First, combine and muddle the simple syrup, mint leaves and lemon in a shaker. Next, add Paddle Wheel and shake with a lot of ice for 12 seconds. Strain into a glass with fresh ice. Garnish with...

When my wife asked Brian McKenzie, co-founder of Finger Lakes Distilling,“Why did you start the distillery?” His answer was simple, “Because I LOVE whiskey!” To many his answer doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of things that people like - but that doesn’t cause them to leave a job in banking as Kevin did, put all his time, energy and money into helping change New York State distillery laws (he’s NY farm distillery #2) - and against all odds build his own supply chain, distillery and...

A visit to Ketchum, Idaho in Sun Valley, final resting place of writer Ernest Hemingway, sparked conversations at the Brain Brew Beach Bar.    Papa as he was known - was a larger than life figure - writer - adventurer - drinker and a husband three times over.  His dedication to the craft of writing - with his precision and never ending improvement - inspires me when writing AND inspires how we craft our WHISKeY at Brain Brew. We’ve not won the Noble Prize or Pulitzer as Papa...

One morning recently as I sipped on a fine cup of our Brain Brew Coffee, I was flipping through music and clicked on the song, BE THE CHANGE, by Lennie Gallant from his album If We Had a Fire.   Lennie’s lyrics capture my mindset these days… “Nothing can be done, nothing can be doneThatʼs what they were sayingMaybe youʼre the one, maybe youʼre the oneChange has just begunChange it, change it, change itBe the change, be the change.”- BE THE CHANGE by Lennie Gallant So what are you waiting...

Hemingway’s quote spoke to me today. “Live the FULL LIFE of the mind, exhilarated by  new IDEAS, intoxicated by the ROMANCE of the UNUSUAL.” I live my life intoxicated by the romance of the unusual. I believe I may well be genetically wired to reject the same old same old.    That’s why instead of simply creating our bourbon to our taste preferences that we then sell others to like - we have reversed the process.  Instead of us “selling” we “enable.” We enable bourbon...

As an author, I’ve found that when I do something worth writing, I end up with a book that is worth reading.  As we journey together through the rebirth of the season - of Spring - of Easter - of the hope that comes with vaccines - lets focus on doing something worth writing.  And frankly - in todays world - after you’ve done it, write it.   Write it in a social media post - write it in a self published book - write it in a word processor - “write it” by recording a video or...

For over 20 years, the daffodils on our front lawn have signaled a new beginning. This year the conversation at the Beach Bar is about how this spring is special. After a year of Covid winter, today is a spring rebirth - a rebirth that is not to be wasted. This spring has given us energy for a deep spring cleaning. We’ve filled one and a half dumpsters of “stuff” that was cluttering our house, the Eureka! Ranch and the Brain Brew Distillery.   We are also cleaning our mindset. ...

When STRESS hits you, your mind goes through a chain reaction….handled properly it’s a bit like what happens in the following computer program: PRINT “STRESS”PRINT “ACKNOWLEDGE STRESS”END & MOVE ON If you ran the above BASIC program, the word STRESS would appear on the screen once – and nothing more would happen.  Frequently, what occurs is more like this next program: PRINT “STRESS”PRINT “Thoughts that confirm why I should be stressed.”GO TO 1END  In this example, the STRESS is...

I SHALL FIND A WAY OR MAKE ONE - Admiral Peary of Maine - the first to successfully reach the North Pole - wrote this in Latin on the  wall of his shelter in Greenland as he recovered from a broken leg. It’s also carved on his tombstone at Arlington Cemetery in Washington.  The Admiral was one of the most tenacious and innovative explorers in history. His inventions on relays, cooking systems, team management, base camps, etc. are used today by virtually all...

This past week I got very frustrated with people living in yesterday!    Throughout the week it seemed every other phone call or zoom was rooted in reliving the good old days.  OR it was focused on where people are going.    Interestingly - it didn’t seem age related.  Young people were just as guilty of focusing on the past as older people were to be focused on living in the now and tomorrow.  When sitting at the Brain Brew Beach Bar - I’m ok with a few...

“Have Fun Playing in the Snow” was on my mind this week. It was written by my daughter Tori (Victoria) on a piece of scrap paper and hidden inside my backpack when I participated in the Aspirations Expedition to the North Pole years ago. It was one of a number of notes my wife Debbie and our kids had left me to find. I opened one note every other day or so. “Have Fun Playing in the Snow” was opened the morning after a horrible day. We’d been traveling in a white out… stumbling on our skis...

This week the Brain Brew Crew spent some time crafting romance cocktails. Said another way - it was an excuse to put ourselves under the constraint of creating drinks that are red in color :).  I Bring the Party Mocktail  (left)  This is mocktail with attitude. It’s a ton of fun with just enough bubble and just enough depth to ignite the mood!   Add the following to a mixing glass: 1/2 Oz Pineapple Juice2 oz  Cranberry Juice1 oz Club SodaSqueeze of Lime Next, stir...

26 years ago in my first book, I wrote about our Eureka! Research findings on the exponential power of diversity to ignite smarter and more innovative ideas.  Patrick Aylward’s new book, THE COLLABORATIVE PATH, is a must read for anyone who is interested in making diversity and collaboration work.  The book’s wisdom comes from his deep expertise igniting collaboration during years of work as a lawyer, arbitrator, mediator and conflict management consultant.  The book is filled...

Sitting beside the fireplace at the Brain Brew Beach Bar I concluded that I should commit myself to learning something new… so that I don’t “waste” the last months of the pandemic. Before we know it, we will all be busier than ever, leaving no time for learning something new.   As adults - we tend to live a life of optimizing what we already know. Learning something new - starting as a raw beginner - failing more than succeeding  - on a new learning journey is something we...

At the Brain Brew Beach Bar we’ve been talking about the differences between Did, Done and Doing. We’ve concluded that the only one that matters is Doing!  DID - is the past.  It’s nice to reflect on, but it’s no longer alive. DONE - can be more recent as in “I got it done” but it’s still the past.  DOING - is the future.  It’s the “juice” of life.  DOING is about believing in tomorrow. DOING gets us up in the morning. DID and DONE are about living in the past.   Bruce...

Every year as we approach Ben Franklin’s birthday on Sunday, January 17th,  I read the Papers of Benjamin Franklin - published by Yale University Press - for what he wrote 253 years ago.  I go back this number of years as it is the year that he was the same age as I am. I do it early in the year as January 17th is Dr. Franklin’s birthday. It’s also my 62nd birthday and the birthday of my grandmother Hazel and my step sister Janet.    Note the capitalization in his quotes...

I’m stopping my WHINING and just going to find a way or make one.  This week I came to the realization that despite my naturally optimistic mindset - deep inside a part of me was “whining” about what I can’t do during this holiday season.    This week - as we got a dusting of snow and brisk weather, I was transported to the high arctic where years ago I participated in the Aspiration Expedition. Our journey recreated the last 200 miles of Admiral Peary’s famous trek. Peary with his...