Reason: The war on cocktails
posted at 10:30 am on April 3, 2010 by Ed Morrissey
This war doesn’t come from a federal mandate — yet — but from actions taken by several states to control what they see as dangerous cocktails. These have been around literally for centuries, but the fizz is apparently so fraught that it requires the fuzz to stop it. Reason TV goes deep within the heart of the next big public health menace to risk life and limb and expose Katherine Mangu-Ward to the horrors of … egg white:
Beat a raw egg white into a citrusy cocktail and you get a meringue-like effect, frothy and delicious. The resulting beverage—technically classified as a flip or fizz—is irresistible, not just to cocktail connoisseurs but to regulators and food cops.
On January 19, 2010 one of New York’s cocktail hot spots, the Pegu Club, got in trouble with city health department officials for serving just such a drink.
Despite warnings printed on the menu, and raw egg white listed in the ingredients, a health inspector busted a bartender for failing to verbally inform a customer of the risky ingredient. Pegu Club had to yank the Earl Grey MarTEAni from the menu, restoring it only after the health department backed off serious penalties and a court summons.
It’s on the menu. It’s listed in the ingredients. It’s even prepared right in front of the customer. I’m once again reminded of Monty Python’s Crunchy Frog routine:
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
YO.
Not to the feds or state authorities.
ObarfyCare is one thing….
MEDDLING IN MY ALCOHOL IS ANOTHER.
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 10:33 AM
(not should read “note”)
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 10:33 AM
This is the change we’ve been waiting for./
Disturb the Universe on April 3, 2010 at 10:33 AM
Thar’s alcohol in them thar cockytails!
Last I knew, alcohol killed salmonella.
This is NOT about our health. It’s about our liberty.
Mommynator on April 3, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Note to all government officials:
Get off my six, dammit!
ladyingray on April 3, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Now will Hollywood see reason?
OldEnglish on April 3, 2010 at 10:44 AM
Saw something like this in the second episode of Justified. Chocolate. Daaayyyyyuumm!
bikermailman on April 3, 2010 at 10:44 AM
After a 3 to 5 mile jog I used to mix a raw egg in a glass of milk for a protein boost. This was in my 20′s and early 30′s but at 60 it would be hard to say it had any negative effects.
fourdeucer on April 3, 2010 at 10:45 AM
And then they came for my Labatts Blue.
heshtesh on April 3, 2010 at 10:45 AM
is it 1927 or somefin???
ted c on April 3, 2010 at 10:47 AM
It does seem silly in this instance, with all the warnings on the menu and so on. But, we must remember, that in the case of alcoholic beverages, state governments have explicit Constitutional authority to regulate them in any way they want, up to and including an outright ban.
acasilaco on April 3, 2010 at 10:48 AM
No worries, bb. We knew what you meant. We just figgered you were typing under the influence.
Patrick S on April 3, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Bring on the speakeasies!
Sluttily dressed women and illegal alcohol!
WOO
And an old blind man with 15 toes playing on a crappy old “pianah” in the corner!
..And top hats!
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 10:49 AM
I can’t tell if I’m just really tired or still drunk
:[
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 10:49 AM
Do a shooter. If you fall asleep after, you were tired.
Patrick S on April 3, 2010 at 10:50 AM
I don’t drink, but seriously–this is getting out of control. Leave the people alone! We aren’t children.
Newsflash to the WH & Federal Bureaucrats: WE ALL DIE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER–egg whites or not.
Is this more of a tort reform/liability issue? Good grief. Enough with the nanny state crap.
conservative pilgrim on April 3, 2010 at 10:52 AM
Enough of a drink like this (or any other) and a person will more likely die drunk in an auto accident than from clogged arteries. Sheesh!
I can almost see this as a ‘problem’ if the customer was blind.
Well, at least there was no salt in it.
Liam on April 3, 2010 at 10:53 AM
Gov’t: GTFO of our lives.
Daggett on April 3, 2010 at 10:55 AM
I’d rather die choking on an egg white drink of my own design than to have big nanny gov’t killing me with kindness and benevolence.
ted c on April 3, 2010 at 10:55 AM
Be happy with your Victory Gin, Citizen!
catmman on April 3, 2010 at 10:56 AM
I’m gonna go have a shot with breakfast just to spite the bastards.
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 10:56 AM
First it’s the o2, and now it’s the egg whites. I’m surprised PETA isn’t in on this with all them poor chickens having to go thru the painful labor producing them eggs.
Rovin on April 3, 2010 at 11:00 AM
Imagine an evening at a lounge, and getting cut off from your favorite drink not because you’re drunk but because you reached your daily allowable cholesterol limit.
Liam on April 3, 2010 at 11:00 AM
As a professional chef and a award wining mixologist I deal with health departments very often…Let me tell you that there is no rule consistency from inspector to inspector, county to county and State to State….Many Standards vary and inspectors pick and choose to bust you on something as benign as a egg white, if they so choose. They do it so they can have some power, not based on scientific reasoning… if the egg white had samonella it would be neutralized by the acidic nature of the citrus and killed by the alcohol before it even touched the customers lips
Political Chef on April 3, 2010 at 11:04 AM
awesome
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 11:05 AM
No egg whites for YOU! STFU and have another toak of your legalized joint.
Electrongod on April 3, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I guess there’s no other crime to worry about in NY then? Glad to see the coppers have such free time.
PattyJ on April 3, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I look forward to the return of the beer flavored water known as Olympia. Seriously, these fuds are getting out of control.
Bishop on April 3, 2010 at 11:08 AM
You gotta try a Ramos Fizz…yummy!
http://gumbopages.com/food/beverages/ramos-gin-fizz.html
Firmworm on April 3, 2010 at 11:10 AM
I think the yokes are the enemy of the arteries. Raw eggs can carry salmonella. Although I do wonder if the alcohol might neutralize it?
Cindy Munford on April 3, 2010 at 11:13 AM
i want a kamikaze
blatantblue on April 3, 2010 at 11:14 AM
Shoot, that will teach me to read all the comments first.
Cindy Munford on April 3, 2010 at 11:14 AM
The alcohol and citric acid surely would. Plus knowing the source of the eggs, since care has to be taken of the chickens themselves to prevent an outbreak of salmonella at the farm.
The same with sushi, I imagine.
Liam on April 3, 2010 at 11:19 AM
I wonder what he went to college for. I wonder if he paid for it himself or if his parents paid for it to see their son become a bartender.
I’m not knocking bartenders. I happen to believe that most people shouldn’t go to college. I think that bartender is proof positive of how people can find satisfaction, respect, and earn a good living doing something they enjoy. He obviously loves his craft.
I lament the wasted money. I’d rather buy my daughter a house than spend a dime on a college education.
Jaynie59 on April 3, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Ed, you are definitely a closet comedian!
KS Rex on April 3, 2010 at 11:24 AM
I wonder what the percentages are? Didn’t most of us grow up eating raw cookie dough and licking the cake batter bowl & beaters? Now parents will be charged with child abuse.
Cindy Munford on April 3, 2010 at 11:28 AM
I am reminded of Eddy Izzard, a transvestite British comedian. He was doing a show in California and goes “There’s no smoking in California bars, and soon there will be no drinking and no talking.”
On a side note, Happy Birthday Mr. Morrissey!
JustinHiggins on April 3, 2010 at 11:28 AM
All you need is wine, beer, and their cousins brandy and scotch. Anything else is fluff designed for weenies to drink, who need their booze to taste a friggin’ Jolly Rancher before they’ll down it.
TheMightyMonarch on April 3, 2010 at 11:43 AM
Hysterical clip!
But so long as the blogs don’t keep blowing their spot, neo-speakeasies will continue to do fine in NY ;)
ernesto on April 3, 2010 at 11:53 AM
What’sup, NY, no grease from Big Al. You New Yorker are turning out to be the biggest wimps in the country. Montana increased the alcohol content of locally brewed ales, up to 16%, so if you really want to feel like a real man or woman, wrap your hands around one of our cans.
Kissmygrits on April 3, 2010 at 11:58 AM
You want to talk about invasion of rights – talk ATF. Nothing they do is constitutional.
docdave on April 3, 2010 at 12:07 PM
John Galt has it right. “Get the hell out of my way.”
Mojave Mark on April 3, 2010 at 12:08 PM
Cindy————
………………………………………………….
I don’t think the alcohol would make a difference as it may take 3 weeks.
CWforFreedom on April 3, 2010 at 12:20 PM
Thanks for the link. I am so going to try that.
Les in NC on April 3, 2010 at 12:22 PM
I still let my kids lick the cake batter bowl and eat raw cookie dough.
My 12 year old son makes homemade eggnog (milk, raw egg, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg) since he isn’t much of a breakfast eater.
We even thaw our frozen meat on the counter instead of the fridge.
Not a single one of us (8 family members) has had salmonella in over 30 years.
Normal cooking, cleaning the kitchen, and washing produce does wonders. I’ll take my chances with the infinitely small risk to enjoy my food instead of being afraid of it.
spudmom on April 3, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Not to rain on your parade but the samonella bacteria can survive the acidity of the stomach (hydrochloric acid) which is much stronger than the citric acid in any drink made.
chemman on April 3, 2010 at 12:49 PM
On your six? Hell, lady, they are up inside your six with a 4-D-cell Maglite saying “What you gonna do about it, peasant?”.
SKYFOX on April 3, 2010 at 12:55 PM
I don’t think salmonella is found in the whites, it is the yolk that is the culprit (probably because of the fat in the yolk is a better medium for growth).
Many restaurants serve lemon meringue pie, guess what meringue is? Uncooked egg whites.
Maybe next will be the Meringue Police.
tru2tx on April 3, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Vodka (my drink of choice) is not fluff for weenies. :) :) :)
Theophile on April 3, 2010 at 1:13 PM
The best democratic drink I know is called the “Jersey turnpike” that’s where you clean the dirty bar off with a wet rag, squeeze in to glass, and serve promptly!
phillyrepub on April 3, 2010 at 1:21 PM
Yet it somehow finds its way into some of the weeniest drinks imaginable. :P
TheMightyMonarch on April 3, 2010 at 1:26 PM
LOL, at 0:54 he says the egg was hatched on Saturday. I assume he meant it was laid on Saturday; if the egg hatched at any point in the past he wouldn’t be holding it in his hands now, would he?
radjah shelduck on April 3, 2010 at 2:41 PM
All they can respond nowadays is “Shirely Temple” who?
Shy Guy on April 3, 2010 at 3:29 PM
Well, you could say that the egg plotzed.
And everyone knows that plots are hatched, so……
Shy Guy on April 3, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Touch my happy-mommy grownup juice and watch what happens.
Diane on April 3, 2010 at 3:40 PM
Not to rain on yours, but there’s also the alcohol.
Mommynator on April 3, 2010 at 4:09 PM
Apparently, these authoritahs have never made their own mayonnaise. It’s really good, but you have to use it within a few days.
And alcohol kills a lot of germs.
Urquhart on April 3, 2010 at 6:32 PM
… then they came for my homemade ice cream
We have been hand cranking home-made ice cream (made with raw eggs) for six generations and not a one of us has gotten sick yet. Soooooooo gooood!
Glenn Jericho on April 3, 2010 at 11:29 PM
Boundless ‘props’ to Monty Python, yet odd that – I think to a man – they are now wholly and completely the exact kind of politically-correct, zombie-leftists they so well mocked in their skits.
Knott Buyinit on April 4, 2010 at 12:04 PM
I hate it when people order or bartenders make martinis “Shaken not Stirred” thinking that they are doing it the correct way. It bruises the Alcohol. When Bond said it, he was being a d^%&.
- The Cat
MirCat on April 4, 2010 at 2:00 PM
I believe that only applies to Gin martini’s, not Vodka martini’s as the one’s that Bond drinks.
RedbonePro on April 4, 2010 at 3:33 PM
Correct. It is the essences of things like juniper berries, anise, etc in gin which can be “bruised” by excessive agitation.
Vodka has none of these. It is basically water and ethanol, thus it cannot be “bruised” by any amount of shaking.
VekTor on April 5, 2010 at 7:09 PM