1 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Saber Protection of I Heart Radio 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: and Stuff Media. I'm an Eeries and I'm Lauren Vogelbaum. 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,319 Speaker 1: And today we're talking about cocktail bitters. Indeed, something I 4 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: am fairly new too. Yeah, I guess I'm I guess 5 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: when I started getting into making cocktails, maybe about seven 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: or eight years ago. Uh, I got pretty into bitters. 7 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: You know. I went from like, what is this product too? 8 00:00:30,360 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: I need seven flavors in my home cabinet very quickly. 9 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: I've calmed down a little bit since then, but yeah, 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: it is exciting when you discover them and you discover 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: there's so many flavors. Oh yeah, world, So we are 12 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: living in this beautiful bitters renaissance. We are, and d 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I've always been living in a bitter renaissance, 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: but I wasn't gonna say anything. Thank you um. By 15 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: the way to listener cat for we're suggesting this topic specifically, 16 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: she had found an article about UM about using bidders 17 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: and recipes and sent it along and so, yeah, good suggestion, Yes, 18 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,320 Speaker 1: thank you UM. And still one of my favorite videos 19 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: we ever made back when we did videos was it 20 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: was like eight am on a Tuesday when we filmed this, 21 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: and we checked downstairs to the market portion of our 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,039 Speaker 1: office to Bidders, which is a company that makes bidders 23 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: and other things, UM, to film a video on cocktail, 24 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: specifically the gent tonic and the tonic part of the 25 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 1: Gin and Tonics. They also make their own tonic. UM. 26 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: And so she made um. The lovely person made uh 27 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: gin and Tonics for us and whiskey sours and we 28 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: were drinking them at like eight nine in the morning. 29 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and then we had a meeting. You you 30 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: had a meeting. I had nothing. I had nothing to do, 31 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: but yeah, you certainly were like whelped straight to my mating. 32 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for the drinks, UM, And I got one of 33 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: my favorite T shirts out of it, which is a 34 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: It's a picture of a woman crying with a cocktail 35 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,639 Speaker 1: that says, ask me why I'm bitter. It is an 36 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: excellent shirt. It is. Yes, every every time I wear it, 37 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: I get someone like some stranger out in the world 38 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: who like reads it and then just bursts out laughing, 39 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: which is a wonderful response it is to a T shirt. UM. 40 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: But all this brings us to our question, cocktail bitters, 41 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: what are they? Well? Um bitters are highly concentrated preparations 42 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: of herbs, spices, and other plant stuff UM that's been 43 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 1: extracted in some kind of neutral flavor based usually alcohol 44 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: or glycerin, and you can put anything you want in there. 45 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: Really um. The end result does not even have to 46 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:58,519 Speaker 1: taste bitter, although they often do. The four main categories 47 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:02,119 Speaker 1: that have a classically been around have been um aromatic 48 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: meaning spice, and bark notes dominate New Orleans style meaning 49 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: anus notes dominate, citrus I think you can figure that 50 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: one out, and celery meaning celery seed dominates. You might 51 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: modernly add categories like a chocolate fruit, spicy is in 52 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 1: like spicy hot not spicy spiced, and spiced meaning spices 53 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: like cloves might dominate. Um. Sometimes these are also called 54 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: tiki style bitters. We never completed our our spice girls 55 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: fun spices. Oh, I gotta put that back on the 56 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: top of mine to do list. All right, Well it's 57 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: there now, goodness, very exciting and his eyes just lit 58 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: up right. Plans plans so many Okay, but the result 59 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: of all of this back back to bitters is uh, 60 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: it can it can vary pretty widely, but um, but 61 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: it's often tastes yes, bitter and herbal and citrusy and 62 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: earthy and woody and spiced. They can be consumed straight 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: sipter is a shot, but are more commonly used like 64 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: a few drops at a time in a larger drink um, 65 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: commonly to add complexity to cocktails or to flavor sodas 66 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: or wines. Yeah, I love the kind of like extreme 67 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: caution when you you buy bitters. They're like only you 68 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,760 Speaker 1: know on they need one or two jobs. Job like, 69 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: I don't know, don't overdo it. It's it's going to 70 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 1: it would be the worst. Be safe. And so I've 71 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,200 Speaker 1: I've never done anything other than like a couple jobs, 72 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: and I'm always kind of nervous. Oh I do really 73 00:04:35,080 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: heavy splash dues. I I mean, I love, as we 74 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: have discussed before, bitter is my favorite flavor and uh yeah, 75 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: oh I And I'll put them in anything, Like if 76 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: I have a wine that I think is too sweet, 77 00:04:45,839 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: like especially a white wine or a sparkle, like, I'll 78 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: just I'll just throw like like six dashes of bitters 79 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: in there. Given me some ideas, Lauren, Yeah, okay, I 80 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: live on the wild side. Um, and they don't. They 81 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 1: don't have to restricted to beverage use. Um, you can 82 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,360 Speaker 1: put them in anything else you want. There's all sorts 83 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:07,839 Speaker 1: of recipes and suggestions out there for everything from a 84 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: bitter infused fruit salads to ice creams, to baked goods, 85 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: to soups to marinates. It's a flavor, flavor. Well, what 86 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: about the nutrition of this flavor. I mean it's uh. 87 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: When they're made with alcohol, they're usually around nine D proof. 88 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: So um, drink responsibly as as you would with anything. 89 00:05:27,760 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: It's you know, not a calorie free food, but um, 90 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: but it is a very strong flavor for the amount 91 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: that you're probably using. Yeah, yeah, um and bidders got 92 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: their start and have long been loaded even up into 93 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: modern times as a medicinal thing like a digestive aid, 94 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: and some research has shown that some bitter plants like 95 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: wormwood and agention, which are often used as ingredients and bitters, 96 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: can indeed facilitate digestion by by increasing the heart rate 97 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,719 Speaker 1: and in blood pressure, which creates more blood flow to 98 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: the organs that need to do that work of digestion, 99 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,160 Speaker 1: and and also by stimulating the production of gastric juices 100 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,760 Speaker 1: in your stomach. However, the amount that you need to 101 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: take for those things to work is in like supplement territory. 102 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: So probably not what you'd get from using a few 103 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: drops or even a shot of bidders. Probably yeah, yeah, 104 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 1: but um but if but if you like doing it, 105 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: I'm not going to tell you not to. Yeah, we 106 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:33,479 Speaker 1: don't have that much power, we really Oh I like that. 107 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:38,479 Speaker 1: I thought you would anyway, As we've mentioned, there are 108 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: all kinds of bidders. At this year's early and of 109 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:43,839 Speaker 1: food and wine, I tried had like a lineup and 110 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: I tried to copy one and chocout one up con 111 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: one a ghost pepper one and that was hot, a 112 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: chili one. And my cabinet home I have a lavender 113 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: grapefruit rubar of orange, I think lemon. So many there's 114 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: so many there are there are I I usually these 115 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: days to stick with the old classic angistora. Oh yeah, 116 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: I have one of those two of course, you know, 117 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: which is a aromatic one. Yes, there is a company, 118 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,760 Speaker 1: um a little bit off the beaten uh that that 119 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: makes bidders from crickets. It's called Cricket Bidders that the 120 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: creators started it to help promote crickets and other insects. 121 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 1: Is like a tasty food product and not something gross. Um. 122 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:24,120 Speaker 1: And apparently, yeah, their primary flavor ingredient is toasted cricket, 123 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: which they say brings a sweet, nutty note to drinks. Um. 124 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 1: And in speaking to the magazine Popular Science, they once said, 125 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: originally we had four flavors, but we narrowed down to 126 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: perfecting one recipe that highlights the cricket element cricket. I 127 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: know it right, absolutely, um. In paper published in the 128 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: journal Food Chemistry, reported on a study in which in 129 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,280 Speaker 1: which the researchers ran sixteen commercial brands of bidders through 130 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: a gas chromatograph to see what they were made of 131 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: chemically speaking, and they found that those sixteen brands contained 132 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: a total of a hundred and forty eight flavor compounds um, 133 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: with a mean of forty six compounds in each sample. Yeah. Um, 134 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: the one with the least had nineteen, the one with 135 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: the most had seventy eight. Yeah. The only compound that 136 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: occurred in all sixteen samples was decanal the connell. I'm 137 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: not sure how to say it, but yes, that thing. 138 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 1: It's it's a sweet floral citrus compound. The concentration of 139 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,920 Speaker 1: it differed vastly, though, Um, as all the common compounds 140 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: tended to across the different brands. Makes sense, it does. 141 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,359 Speaker 1: And I have seen bitters cocktail bitters called a bartender's 142 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: salt and pepper, which I like because it's kind of 143 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: a similar motion as well. It is, yeah, and you 144 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,880 Speaker 1: use it in a similar it's a sprinkle. Yeah yeah, yeah. Um. 145 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 1: But but as Lauren alluded to, they kind of started 146 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:54,480 Speaker 1: out a bit of a different area, which we will 147 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,719 Speaker 1: get into. But first we're going to get into a 148 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 1: quick break for word from our sponsor. Remember back thank 149 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:13,480 Speaker 1: you sponsored, Yes, thank you. So bidders go go back aways, 150 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,439 Speaker 1: even if we don't have too much of a historical 151 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: record of them. What is believed to be the world's 152 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: first alcoholic mixed drink dates back to seven thousand BC, China, 153 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: and it was a mixture of grapes, rice, honey, and 154 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: a bitter hawthorn berry. Huh wow, yeah, all right. The 155 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:38,920 Speaker 1: ancient Greeks would steep bitter herbs and wine for medicinal purposes. 156 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,560 Speaker 1: But yeah, we we didn't get what we consider a 157 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: bitterers today, A bitterers. Sure, yeah, we'll stick with it 158 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: until until distillation came around, and that really started getting 159 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: going in like the fifteen and sixteen hundreds in s 160 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: Perhaps the first direct ancestor of cocktail bidders came out 161 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 1: Stowton's elixir Magnum Stammackium. Our stomach comes or it looks 162 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 1: like stomach with an im at the end. Yeah. Um, 163 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: so however, not a word. I think we need to 164 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: bring it back. I like it. Yeah, um it meant um, 165 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: the great cordial elixir for the stomach. Yes, And this 166 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 1: was a patent medicine made from herbs and a bitter 167 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 1: gentent root extracted into alcohol. It was either taken straight 168 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: or mixed into wine or brandy, at first medicinally, but 169 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,599 Speaker 1: then recreationally. Sometimes. I found an article when I was 170 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: researching this that I just thought was super interesting, and um, 171 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: a lot of it didn't end up in here, but 172 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:45,200 Speaker 1: it was tracing kind of extinct or lost alcohols and 173 00:10:45,240 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 1: bitters and this was this was one of them. And 174 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: apparently you can still find some of these things, some 175 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 1: of these things that are extinct, like on eBay or yeah, yeah, 176 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: you know, home producers are making them or or perhaps 177 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: there is some long lost bottle. Yeah yeah, people are 178 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: trying to recreate a lot of those things. But that's 179 00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,200 Speaker 1: something I've never really considered what was super fascinated with. 180 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,200 Speaker 1: But anyway, alright, so, one of the first uses of 181 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: the word cocktail to mean drink as opposed to a 182 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: horse's shortened tail was in an agricultural periodical out of 183 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: Philadelphia published in eighteen o three. Three years later in 184 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,840 Speaker 1: eighteen o six, an early description of a cocktail came 185 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: with four simple ingredients. Quote a stimulating liquor composed of 186 00:11:25,840 --> 00:11:30,160 Speaker 1: spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters. Right there. Yep, 187 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,199 Speaker 1: this will probably surprise no one, especially because we kind 188 00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:34,959 Speaker 1: of mentioned it. But bitter started out as more of 189 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,079 Speaker 1: a medicinal thing. They claim to cure all kinds of stuff, 190 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:42,400 Speaker 1: but mainly things having to do with yes, indigestion or circulation. 191 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 1: One of the first available was called burdocks blood bitters. 192 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:51,680 Speaker 1: Blood bitters. I'm sure it wasn't you put that accent 193 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,240 Speaker 1: in and it it summons a different image than I'm 194 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:59,120 Speaker 1: sure the one that they wanted. But I like it absolutely. 195 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: And if you look at one of the oldest and 196 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: well known bidders, the most well known bidder, Angustora. At 197 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: first anger Stora was spices, roots and barks um and 198 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,560 Speaker 1: the name came from a city in Venezuela where it 199 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: was invented, a city that was later renamed. It was 200 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: invented by a German doctor named Johann Siegert working for 201 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: Simon Bolivard around eighty four. He prescribed it. The doctor 202 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: did as a stimulant and a malaria preventative, and also 203 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: Angistora was a port city. A lot of newly arriving 204 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: sailors suffered from seasickness since it was a trade town. 205 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: Angistora spread around the world and eventually achieved worldwide recognition. 206 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: There are three trees named Angistora, but since the recipe 207 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: for the bidders, this bidder is trightly guarded in a 208 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:54,600 Speaker 1: vault known only by five employers. Yes. Um, it's hard 209 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,079 Speaker 1: to say if any of those tree barks were once 210 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,560 Speaker 1: involved in the bidder. They're not now we know that, 211 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: or that's what the Internet tells me. I don't know. 212 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 1: Don't send anyone after me. Um. But it is rumored 213 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:12,199 Speaker 1: to have over forty ingredients. And it's funny. People assumed 214 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 1: that these things were so bitter they had to be healthy, 215 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: right like this, this tastes so much like poison that 216 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: it must be good for you. Yes, there was no 217 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: other reason to drink them. Human psychology is fascinating god. Um. 218 00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,560 Speaker 1: The English had a drink called canary wine that they 219 00:13:30,600 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: frequently added bitters to in hopes of adding medicinal value 220 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: to it. But bitterers really took off in Colonial America 221 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: up until prohibition. It's hard to say whether or not 222 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: people were drinking bitter straight um from the things they 223 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: read high proof infusions made from root, fruit, botanical or 224 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:49,960 Speaker 1: seed based for their medicinal value, if they were adding 225 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: them to drinks, if they were just taking shots. Maybe 226 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,319 Speaker 1: they were doing some of both. Probably they were doing some. Probably. Yes. 227 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 1: Another brand name you might recognize got its start in 228 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: New Orleans eight pace shows. Antoine pay Show got the 229 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 1: base of the recipe from his father, who was originally 230 00:14:05,480 --> 00:14:09,080 Speaker 1: from Haiti. Antoine added his bidders to a brandy toddy. 231 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: I think we talked about this in our New Orleans 232 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 1: Cocktails episode very briefly. Um. But in eighteen fifties, Sazareck 233 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 1: Coffeehouse opened, named after a brand of cognac that no 234 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: longer exists, and served up a cocktail based on that toddy. 235 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,280 Speaker 1: And when Filo Zeira took out a good chunk of 236 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 1: French wine and brandy, and that was replaced with right whiskey. 237 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: There you go. The Sazerac Sazret cocktail prohibition shut down 238 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: production of pay shows, but it restarted after prohibitions repeal. Yeah, 239 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: and and pay shows is where the New Orleans style 240 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: of bitter gets their their name, because yeah, it's um 241 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: any based m M. Meanwhile, German bidders brand Underberg got 242 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: started in eighteen forty six. It is still served in 243 00:14:51,200 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: these small little bottles to be taken as a as 244 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: a shot, and it's imported to the United States as 245 00:14:55,960 --> 00:14:59,280 Speaker 1: a food product rather than an alcoholic beverage, even though 246 00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: it's like forty percent alcohol. Um We first got its 247 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: stateside in eighteen sixty And yeah, because it sold as 248 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: a food product, it lasted straight through prohibition. A couple 249 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: of a couple of them managed to do that. Some 250 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,200 Speaker 1: of them didn't have alcohol, but some of them were 251 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:17,760 Speaker 1: able to, like skirt the final loophole, I said, I 252 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: suppose absolutely Jerry Thomas's How to Mix Drinks Mitchen Bidders 253 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty two, and Bidders were big for Union 254 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: soldiers during the American Civil war, entire train cars of 255 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: hoststeaters celebrated stomach bidders. The stuff came out of Pennsylvania, 256 00:15:34,240 --> 00:15:38,720 Speaker 1: and it came with quite the promise quote a positive 257 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: protective against the fatal melodies of southern swamps and the 258 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: poisonous tendency of the impure rivers and bayous Yeah. Union 259 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:51,160 Speaker 1: officers dubbed it the Soldiers Safeguard. It was ninety four proof, 260 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: and once the war ended it remained popular. Um As 261 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: cocktails grew more popular themselves towards the end of the 262 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, bidders became synonymous with cocktails. Even people who 263 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,520 Speaker 1: didn't drink alcohol might drink bidders for their perceived health benefits. 264 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: Bidders were also used to improve the taste of cheaper 265 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: or lower quality alcohol. It helped the medicine go down. 266 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 1: As they say, it wasn't uncommon for a bartender to 267 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: have more than a dozen brands of Bidders. But they 268 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: ran into some trouble with the US government in the 269 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:27,080 Speaker 1: early nineteenth century when agencies were looking to regulate the 270 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: outrageous health claims products were making, and bidders rade some 271 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 1: particularly egregious claims, and this put a dint in the 272 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,560 Speaker 1: bidders market, and a lot of brands went under. It 273 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: was a whole big thing. There was one case in 274 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: nineteen o five against Angstora regarding false advertising. They were 275 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 1: they were claiming that their product was medicinal and not intoxicating, 276 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: and therefore better than competing brands. It's like alcohol. So anyway, 277 00:16:57,080 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: the court said in their verdict, we do not think 278 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: courts of equity should be swift or vigilant to protect 279 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: the manufacturers of a compound advertised and sold as a 280 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: valuable medicine which is not shown to contain a single 281 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: medical ingredient or to possess a single merit claimed for it, 282 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: as against other manufacturers producing and selling a light compound, 283 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: which is like a harsh diss in legalis yeah that 284 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: for a minute, yeah, um, But Acnostic kept going um okay. 285 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: So one of one of the dudes who testified for 286 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 1: Angerstora during that court case was one Dr W. C. Wile, 287 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: who was then the vice president of the newly forged 288 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: American Medical Association and a producer of similar products. Um 289 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 1: Nearly twenty years later, Angastaras started running ads are like 290 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 1: the vice president of the American Medical Association testifies to 291 00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: this Tonics value without mentioning, of course, any of the 292 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: surrounding circumstances, nor that the testimony had happened seventeen years prior. Oh, 293 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: of course, of course not um and the Journal of 294 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: the American Medical Association published a fairly strongly worded SmackDown 295 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,720 Speaker 1: about the ad in two and UH ended it with 296 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,959 Speaker 1: it would be interesting to know just how this product 297 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: has escaped the eagle eye of the Prohibition commissioner. Most 298 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: preparations on the market today containing even less than forty 299 00:18:19,640 --> 00:18:22,120 Speaker 1: alcohol have to be doped up with drugs to make 300 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: their use as beverages impossible. Oh yeah, I like this 301 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,320 Speaker 1: kind of shade going on and like no confrontation if 302 00:18:31,359 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: you're fighting it out in like articles, just on paper. Yeah, 303 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 1: but yeah yeah. Prohibition did not help. No, And it 304 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: wasn't until the cocktail revival of the ninet nineties that 305 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: bidders start to make a comeback. One brand that managed 306 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: to survive the dark ages of bidders the Fee Brothers, 307 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: which launched in nineteen fifty and they played a role 308 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,960 Speaker 1: in this comeback of bidders because during the nineties cocktail 309 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:58,600 Speaker 1: buff Ted Haig was looking to make a cocktail named 310 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: Satan's Whiskers Yeah, which called for orange bidders. Haig reached 311 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: out to one of the only producers in the United States, 312 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 1: the Fee Brothers, and he brought a lot of attention 313 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: to his search and discovery of these bidders. Fie Brothers 314 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,520 Speaker 1: though they use a sugar alcohol base as opposed to ethanol, 315 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: so some people don't consider them true bidders, I see, 316 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: but they do. They do make the product a safer 317 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:29,439 Speaker 1: people who otherwise alcohol. Yes, that's fun. That is fun. Still, 318 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,680 Speaker 1: even as recent as two thousand and two, mixologists were 319 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:35,439 Speaker 1: writing about the lack of bidders. They were bemoaning it. 320 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,280 Speaker 1: Gary Regan's Bidders entered the market in two thousand four. 321 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: He was involved in the cocktail world and he wrote 322 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: The Joy of Mixology, and he was determined to make 323 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 1: bidders more available. He worked with the Sasrat Company to 324 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: make Regan's Orange Bidders number five. But problem problem to drinkable, 325 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: too to drinkable, to drinkable, not bitter enough, not bitter enough, 326 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:01,880 Speaker 1: So they went back to the drinking board and came 327 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: out with Regan's Orange Bidders Number six and I just 328 00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,520 Speaker 1: held up a two, but I guess it was the 329 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: second try. He counts. Yes. Um. Germany's The Bitter Truth 330 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: debut soon after, and then anger Stora Orange in two eight. Yeah, 331 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: and uh we had a bitter better explosion. Um after 332 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,919 Speaker 1: that around and around two thousand nine, folks started getting 333 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: even bolder with their bidders, and Punch Magazine points to 334 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: to New Orleans bartenders for starting the trend when they 335 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: published a book called Rogue Cocktails with recipes featuring bidders 336 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: as a main ingredient, not just a side note. I 337 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:42,200 Speaker 1: think like fifteen dashes or a full ounce or full 338 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,199 Speaker 1: two ounces of bidders. Um. They were inspired by this 339 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: recipe that they found by one Charles H. Baker Jr. 340 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: Who was a writer who published a series of books 341 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,160 Speaker 1: called The Gentleman's Companion in the nineteen thirties and forties. Um. 342 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: The recipe that they were so so inspired by was 343 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 1: for an anger Stora saw, which is like one point 344 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 1: five ounces of bitters mixed with lime, juice, sugar, and 345 00:21:04,480 --> 00:21:09,480 Speaker 1: an egg white. Huh. I try that too, I know, right, 346 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,439 Speaker 1: I try it too. Yeah, I've never I've never had 347 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: a drink that that features bitters like that. But now 348 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: I'm really curious. I am. I am too. I think 349 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 1: I might go home after this and get out my bidders. 350 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: And it is fun because you feel like you're get 351 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 1: out my goggles. Made you feel a little bit mad science. Yeah, 352 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: like feeling a little bit mad science. I never would 353 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: have guessed that about you. No, No, it's hidden part 354 00:21:36,280 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 1: of my personality. Only let china every now and then. 355 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: But this episode, I I has inspired me to to 356 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:49,840 Speaker 1: try to try some new things with bitter. So that's exciting. Yeah, yes, absolutely, yeah, 357 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,439 Speaker 1: And I I am so excited to have learned that, 358 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 1: um that underberg is a food product that like I 359 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,639 Speaker 1: could just oh that I could just buy like a 360 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: case of that stuff, like because Georgia has weird chipping 361 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:07,000 Speaker 1: laws around alcohol, but they do and and purchasing it. 362 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:09,880 Speaker 1: Although I have noticed that I think you can. I've 363 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:12,719 Speaker 1: never tried, but on on our Sundays, you're not supposed 364 00:22:12,760 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: to buy alcohol before twelve thirty, correct. But Publix does 365 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,600 Speaker 1: have some bidders and they're not in the like, so 366 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 1: what they do is they turn out the lights over 367 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:24,119 Speaker 1: that area and put signs up, but the bidders aren't 368 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: the lights still I don't know over them, but they 369 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: might be. I don't know, I don't know where. Investigate. Yeah, 370 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,880 Speaker 1: I know that you can't buy like cooking sherry. Oh yeah, 371 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: well oh it's not. Nonetheless, nonetheless, research more researchers. Yes, 372 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:44,080 Speaker 1: and I can research this on my barrio. This brings 373 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:45,879 Speaker 1: us to the end of this episode. But we do 374 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: have a little bit more for you. We do, but 375 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: first we've got one more quick break for a word 376 00:22:49,480 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: from our sponsor, and we're back. Thank you sponsored, and 377 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: we're back with so Bitter about your life. We both 378 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: did the Mr Burns step fingers. Yeah, well you started, 379 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:18,880 Speaker 1: and I was just like, oh, this is an important 380 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: part of the sound. It is it is. You can 381 00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:25,080 Speaker 1: hear the steepling of the fingers through the microphone. I'm convinced. 382 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: I hope, I hope you all caught that. Yes, yes, 383 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,080 Speaker 1: only the best for you listeners. Julia wrote, I'm a 384 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 1: Starbucks employee and I work at a mall Kiosk. As 385 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: you listed some stereotypical mall stores like Hot Topics, Spencers, 386 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: and Forever twenty one, I realized that we have every 387 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: one of those in our mall alls. A Macy's and 388 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: a Sears. My mall does too. I work at that mall. 389 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:54,120 Speaker 1: It's basically the most stereotypical Midwestern mall in the country. 390 00:23:54,560 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: Part of the fun about working in the mall is 391 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: having a big work family. A lot of employees at 392 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 1: other stores are areculars, and talking about the customer volume 393 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:07,840 Speaker 1: is a popular topic of conversation. However, shopping malls are 394 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: extremely creepy, very creepy. Closing at the mall is pretty 395 00:24:13,560 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: unsettling as the lights turn off and me and my 396 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: co workers are left alone in the middle of a quiet, 397 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: empty mall. Our back room where we keep all of 398 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:24,560 Speaker 1: our supplies is about a five minute walk from our 399 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:29,919 Speaker 1: kiosk down a long, dark, cursed hallway. Video attached, and 400 00:24:29,960 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: she did in the video She's completely correct. It looks 401 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: like silent Hill. I've set up beforesed Yeah. Yes, Sometimes 402 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: as I check our stock or grab something from the 403 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: back I've heard odd knockings and shrieks from the room 404 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: next door over the loud buzz at the bear fluorescent lights. 405 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: Another terrible thing is store meetings. Our kiosk closest and 406 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: whenever we have our store meetings or they're in the 407 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: middle of the big empty mall until midnight. Sometimes our 408 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,120 Speaker 1: meetings are often interrupted by weird sounds and random alarms 409 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:05,639 Speaker 1: going off. It's extremely eerie. I don't recommend it, but 410 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, it's a pretty fun 411 00:25:08,280 --> 00:25:11,640 Speaker 1: place to work, and forging alliances with fellow food court 412 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: employees often earned you free food. A girl who works 413 00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:18,679 Speaker 1: at Great American Cookies often brings us free cookies just because, 414 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: and we also get to people watch during slow times, 415 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,040 Speaker 1: which is extremely fun. I hope you found my mall 416 00:25:24,119 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: stories mildly entertaining. Oh yeah, yes, I've always kind of 417 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:32,160 Speaker 1: been curious. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's 418 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:35,680 Speaker 1: incredibly creeped out By'm all right right? And I watched 419 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: that video. I was like, this is what we're talking about. 420 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,840 Speaker 1: This is it? Does at least you get free cookies? 421 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Yeah, that's that's a pretty big silver lining. Yeah. 422 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,160 Speaker 1: If you gotta work in cursed place but there's free cookies, 423 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: I might do it too. A Sinon wrote, I recently 424 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: finished your m R. E episode and wanted to share 425 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,200 Speaker 1: my m R. E tails with you. I didn't serve 426 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: in the military, but spent five summers with the U. S. 427 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,920 Speaker 1: Forest Service as a wild land firefighter. Our crew was 428 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:09,320 Speaker 1: responsible for initial attack for the Powell Ranger District of 429 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,560 Speaker 1: the Clearwater National Forest. Typically, when a fire was spotted 430 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:14,760 Speaker 1: by lookouts or by airplane, two or three of us 431 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:17,439 Speaker 1: would be dispatched to the fire. Because this part of 432 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: Idaho is really remote, just north of the Cellway Better Wilderness. 433 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,520 Speaker 1: We would drive as far as pickup truck would take us, 434 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: and then we would hike to the reported location of 435 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,760 Speaker 1: the fire. Often it required hiking many miles to reach 436 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 1: the reported location. One of the team wore a frame 437 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: backpack designed to hold a chainsaw. The other war a 438 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: regular frame backpack full of water, other essentials, and our 439 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: food m R e s to get us used to meals. 440 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:42,439 Speaker 1: We would eat a few of them at fire training 441 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,359 Speaker 1: also called guards School. The novelty of eating m r 442 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:47,680 Speaker 1: eas wore off soon if you were working a fire 443 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: for or more than three days. This was in the 444 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 1: mid nineties, and the meals we would receive at that 445 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:53,800 Speaker 1: point didn't come with the heating packet, so we would 446 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:57,080 Speaker 1: eat them cold. Peanut butter for crackers was highly desired. 447 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,639 Speaker 1: Spaghetti with meat sauce hit the spot with everyone, and 448 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 1: you would hold on to the tiny bottles of Tabasco 449 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:03,960 Speaker 1: hot sauce if you had any leftover, to try to 450 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,919 Speaker 1: improve the other meals. For my first two seasons, the 451 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:08,960 Speaker 1: candy treat packaged with some m R E s where 452 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:15,919 Speaker 1: Eminem's featuring packaging commemorating the Olympics. Yes, I ate them. 453 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:18,399 Speaker 1: They seemed okay, other than the sugar appearing to separate 454 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: from the chocolate. There was rumor that the mint gum 455 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,280 Speaker 1: included in some packages was supposed to be a laxative. 456 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:28,440 Speaker 1: I never felt any effects. When we would assemble or 457 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:30,879 Speaker 1: reassemble our backpacks, we would try to pack a variety 458 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: of meals so no pair or trio would end up 459 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,719 Speaker 1: getting the short end of the stick. Oh that's so good. However, 460 00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 1: there was a time when my roommate and squad boss 461 00:27:38,600 --> 00:27:40,880 Speaker 1: were sent out with a backpack full of the omelet 462 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,960 Speaker 1: with ham meal and only omelet with ham two whole 463 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,879 Speaker 1: days of the same meal. When they returned, skunk to 464 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,479 Speaker 1: air Patrol had confused a low cloud for smoke. They 465 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: also wanted to know who the joker was that punished 466 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 1: to them. No one confessed to putting that particular pack together. 467 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:59,359 Speaker 1: But I admire whoever came up with that cruel form 468 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: of punishment. They must have had a real axe to 469 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: grind with either my roommate or squad Boss. No, it 470 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: wasn't me. I liked both of those guys. By the 471 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 1: time my last season rolled round, we started receiving more 472 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,399 Speaker 1: current Emerys. The packaging had changed from dark brown to 473 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: tan color. Heating packets were included in great varieties were included, 474 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: even vegetarian options. Our listeners do the coolest things. Yeah, 475 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:31,719 Speaker 1: oh man. I remember once in in elementary school, middle school, 476 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,920 Speaker 1: my mom had a pack of oreos and it had 477 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: been in the pantry for many years and it was 478 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 1: long past expiration date. But I really wanted the oreos 479 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:48,920 Speaker 1: and I'm cheap, notoriously and my friends were like, don't 480 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,040 Speaker 1: do it, it's poison. I don't I don't care. I 481 00:28:52,080 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: took one bite into that oreole and it was like 482 00:28:56,240 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: the fan of snap. It's just it's just a savolved 483 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:07,520 Speaker 1: into powder. And I've always wondered about what happened to 484 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: that cookie. Our our our coworker Pam, have found some 485 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,720 Speaker 1: some old trading cards one time, these really cool weird 486 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: like like dinosaurs attack trading cards and uh, and you 487 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: know they came with little packs of sticks of gum 488 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 1: as trading cards frequently, did I do they still gosh? Anyway? Um? 489 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: And uh and yeah the packs still have the gum 490 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: in them and I have not eaten a piece of it, 491 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:40,000 Speaker 1: but um. But she tells me that some of her 492 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: friends have and that they report that it just kind 493 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:47,520 Speaker 1: of yeah, that just sort of disintegrates and sort of puddles. 494 00:29:48,320 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, oh yeah, I'm curious, but not curious enough 495 00:29:55,720 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: to ask her for something. Well, this sounds like another 496 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: science experience experiment. We could do. It just made me 497 00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: think of it when you mentioned the eminem froof anyway. Okay, 498 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: of all the things to eat a long time after past, do, 499 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: I think chocolate is basically that's you know, not oreos, 500 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: not not oreos. No. Very cool though it looks pretty 501 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:25,040 Speaker 1: cool for writing it. Yes, If you would like to 502 00:30:25,040 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: write to as you can. Our email is Hello at 503 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:30,040 Speaker 1: savor pod dot com. We're also on social media. You 504 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our name 505 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:36,960 Speaker 1: is savor pod at all of those places. Savor is 506 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio and Stuff Media. For 507 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,440 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my Heart Radio. You can visit the 508 00:30:41,680 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever else you 509 00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows. Thank you, as always to 510 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: our super producers Andrew Howard and Dylan Fagan. Thank you 511 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:53,280 Speaker 1: to you for listening, and we hope that lots more 512 00:30:53,320 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: good things are coming your way.