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Lifeblood of the industry (coffee of course)

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Posted by 54light15 on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 6:01 PM

My doctor advised me to give it up due to high blood pressure, I told him I will cut down, but there's no way I can do it completely. I am down to one small cup in the morning and that's it. I have no desire for more. That one is enough. I imagine if I worked again in a Dilbert cubicle farm, I'd be drinking the stuff like mad just to stay awake. I had my first cup in 1973 at a diner on Long Island and like most New Yorkers, I asked for "coffee regulah" 

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 8:24 PM

junior yardmaster

My last cup of coffee was in 1970.  Stuff smells great; tastes TERRIBLE!

Could be the reason you are 'junior yardmaster'.  All the Yardmasters I worked with drank multiple cups - hot & black.  The hotter the better.

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 9:08 PM

From: http://www.callihan.com/seattle/coffee.htm 

"Why Bother: A decaf, non-fat (or skim milk) latte, or skinny harmless."

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 9:57 PM

Ah, coffee used to be so simple: black, with sugar, with cream, or with both.

Now, if I say that I want just coffee, whoever is serving me has trouble comprehending me. "Hunh?"

I tease our pastor emeritus, who puts creamer into his coffee, about his adulterating his coffee.

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 7:13 AM

Deggesty

I tease our pastor emeritus, who puts creamer into his coffee, about his adulterating his coffee.

 
I don't think that your pastor ever considered adulterating his coffee with some first-rate Irish whiskey.
The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 8:06 AM

I'll ask him.

Johnny

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Posted by 54light15 on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 3:35 PM

irish coffee! Here's the recipe, hold the whipped cream, hold the sugar, hold the coffee. Just gimme some Jameson's. Now, that's Irish coffee!

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Posted by Firelock76 on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 6:10 PM

Ever see those small bottles of liquor, the REALLY small ones, usually for sale at the liquor store counter?  Lady Firestorm and I call them "boozelets."

One Saint Patricks Day I emptied a boozelet of Jamesons into a 12-cup coffee pot.  Brought the coffee out to the boys and WOW!  Were they thrilled!

"Happy Saint Patricks Day gents!"  I said.  They were MOST appreciative!

Try it yourself sometime.

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Posted by BaltACD on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 7:39 PM

Firelock76

Ever see those small bottles of liquor, the REALLY small ones, usually for sale at the liquor store counter?  Lady Firestorm and I call them "boozelets."

One Saint Patricks Day I emptied a boozelet of Jamesons into a 12-cup coffee pot.  Brought the coffee out to the boys and WOW!  Were they thrilled!

"Happy Saint Patricks Day gents!"  I said.  They were MOST appreciative!

Try it yourself sometime.

In my neck of the woods, they are call 'minatures', think they are about 1.5 oz - equivalent to a normal 'shot'.  Have been used extensively in serving alcahol in transportation - Dining Cars and Airlines.  Bottles have the same characteristics as their Fifth and Quart forebears. 

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by schlimm on Thursday, January 14, 2016 9:14 AM

Firelock76

Ever see those small bottles of liquor, the REALLY small ones, usually for sale at the liquor store counter?  Lady Firestorm and I call them "boozelets."

One Saint Patricks Day I emptied a boozelet of Jamesons into a 12-cup coffee pot.  Brought the coffee out to the boys and WOW!  Were they thrilled!

"Happy Saint Patricks Day gents!"  I said.  They were MOST appreciative!

Try it yourself sometime.

 

1-2 oz. of 80-85 proof liquor would be almost negligible in taste or effect diluted in 72-96 oz of coffee.

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Posted by Deggesty on Thursday, January 14, 2016 9:47 AM

You may not buy minibottles in Utah any more. When we moved here (several years bakc), it was possible, but when the legislature decidd that it would be allowable to buy liquor by the drink, it also decided that minibottles would no longer be sold. At least at the same time, the Powers decided that the liqour stores could display their wares on shelves instead of displaying a list of what was (presumably) available and the customer had to make a list of what was wanted, give it to a clerk and wait for the employee to bring whatever was desired to the customer. Still, the strongest thing availabe in grocery stores and such is 3.2% beer (no wine).

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Posted by csmith9474 on Thursday, January 14, 2016 3:25 PM
I just saw something on the news about the state stores possibly stocking those again. I am just grateful that I can go to the Shopette at Hill and get my beer. It's nice to get a cold 6 pack for almost half the price. I can get legs too.
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Posted by 54light15 on Thursday, January 14, 2016 3:53 PM

Deggesty, that's the system that used to exist here in Ontario, Canada. It's now long gone and they say that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is the second largest purchaser of alcohol in the world. The largest, I am told is the United States Department of Defense. I wonder who is the largest buyer of coffee? 

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Posted by Firelock76 on Thursday, January 14, 2016 5:03 PM

schlimm
 
Firelock76

Ever see those small bottles of liquor, the REALLY small ones, usually for sale at the liquor store counter?  Lady Firestorm and I call them "boozelets."

One Saint Patricks Day I emptied a boozelet of Jamesons into a 12-cup coffee pot.  Brought the coffee out to the boys and WOW!  Were they thrilled!

"Happy Saint Patricks Day gents!"  I said.  They were MOST appreciative!

Try it yourself sometime.

 

 

 

1-2 oz. of 80-85 proof liquor would be almost negligible in taste or effect diluted in 72-96 oz of coffee.

 

Oh, they tasted it alright Schlimm!  Not a full-blown buzz but just enough to "wet the whistle."

Maybe I was wrong and it was an 8 cup pot.  It's been 30 years.  Hell, it might have been Tullamore Dew for all I know at this point.  I do know all miniatures weren't created equal back in those days, some were bigger than others.

I still prefer the term "boozelet."

I'm going to have to take a shot of the Wild Turkey "Rare Breed"  112 proof stuff Lady Firestorm got me for Christmas to jog my memory.  If that rocket fuel in a bottle doesn't do the trick nothing will!

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Posted by schlimm on Friday, January 15, 2016 1:18 PM

Firelock76
I still prefer the term "boozelet." I'm going to have to take a shot of the Wild Turkey "Rare Breed"  112 proof stuff Lady Firestorm got me for Christmas to jog my memory.  If that rocket fuel in a bottle doesn't do the trick nothing will!

It should, but if all else fails, try some 140 proof slivovitz and prepare to meet whover your maker is!!

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Posted by Firelock76 on Friday, January 15, 2016 7:01 PM

I'd never heard of slivowitz, so I looked it up.  The Wiki article says the most potent is usually 100 proof, but if you got some 140 in your private stock, more power to ya!

My grandfather used to make grappa, that stuff can get up to 120 proof.  I've still got grandpa's hydrometer but according to my father grandpa knew the stuff was ready when he make a little puddle on the basement floor and it burned with a merry flame when he put a match to it.

Grandpa wasn't crazy though, he only drank it by putting a tablespoon of it in a cup of coffee.  Oh, back to the original topic!

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Posted by schlimm on Friday, January 15, 2016 8:27 PM

The higher proofs are available only in Europe, especially in the Balkans. Good slivovitz has a hint of plum and goes down smoothly, even if drunk neat.  

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Friday, January 15, 2016 8:48 PM

Appleton Estate 151 proof Jamaican Rum - bought a bottle in the late 1970's, took years to use it all up:

https://www.masterofmalt.com/rum/appleton-estate-151-proof-1970s-rum/ 

http://therumhowlerblog.com/rum-reviews/dark-rums/review-appleton-151-dark-jamaican-rum/ 

http://www.drinksmixer.com/desc2207.html 

Back to the topic: The Blue Mountain coffee from there is among the best. 

And back to trains: I sampled both during a trip that also included a trip to Kingston, a meeting with Jamaican Railway officials, and a tour of their shops - most notably, saw a RDC powered by a Rolls Royce diesel !   

- Paul North.

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, January 16, 2016 9:08 AM

151 proof Jamaican rum?  Well, that certainly goes a long way in explaining the cause of the "Golden Age of Piracy," doesn't it?

ARRRRRR!!!

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Posted by 54light15 on Saturday, January 16, 2016 9:55 AM

Look up "Newfie Screech," speaking of high-octane rum. I've had it, it's nasty! Salt fish to Jamaica, sugar cane to Newfoundland. It's why boats such as the "Bluenose" were built, to handle the trade.

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Posted by Firelock76 on Saturday, January 16, 2016 10:18 AM

I've been to Newfoundland, fun place.  According to the locals, at least the ones I met, "Newfie Screech" is something for the tourists, as in the "Screeched-In" ceremony.  And yeah, it IS nasty, kind of like seal-flipper pie.

Fried cod tongues are delicious, though!  And Newfie cod right out of the water is bloody good too!

Can't beat the lobster either!

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, January 17, 2016 7:09 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH

 

 
Deggesty

I tease our pastor emeritus, who puts creamer into his coffee, about his adulterating his coffee.

 

 

 
I don't think that your pastor ever considered adulterating his coffee with some first-rate Irish whiskey.
 

I asked him this morning, and he just laughed as he held his cup of coffee he had adulterated with "creamer."

Johnny

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Posted by CShaveRR on Sunday, January 17, 2016 7:53 PM

Johnny, your pastor might like the options I offer people when I'm serving at church:  decaf, caf, and fatted caf (whitened in some way).

Carl

Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)

CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)

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Posted by Deggesty on Sunday, January 17, 2016 8:11 PM

Carl, I hope I can remember that--though I don't think that Lutherans take decaf; just they take thr caf and fatten if they are not like Jack Spratt's wife--at least we have only lean caf ready for the pot at our church, but do have the fattening (and the other common adulterant) ready for those who must have it. I have not seen any steer coffee in the church kitchen.

Johnny

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Posted by Paul of Covington on Sunday, January 17, 2016 9:08 PM

Devil   Johnny, you might want to add the adjective "coffee" before "pot" in your last post.

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Posted by Wizlish on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 11:35 AM

schlimm

The higher proofs are available only in Europe, especially in the Balkans. Good slivovitz has a hint of plum and goes down smoothly, even if drunk neat.

This is a bit of an understatement - not only does it 'go down smoothly' but it maintains a delightfully ethereal TASTE of plum ... not that nasty chemical cough-medicine vibe you get from, say Midori at far less proof.

I was privileged to taste a little of the 'real thing', and it's a tremendous shame it isn't available here, or commonly known.

On the other hand, there is German 'raspberry water', which I hope schlimm can quote a source for, as I've only heard about it anecdotally ... about 185 proof.  Used for toasting when the 'pudel' pin is banged on the table, and suchlike...

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Posted by Firelock76 on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 5:50 PM

Dang, all this talk about European hard stuff, especially German.

Where's Juniatha when we need her?

Byt the way, ever had any "Honest-to-Jesus" Southern moonshine?  A Georgia boy I knew in the Marines brought some back after he was home on leave.  Interesting stuff.  Went down smooooooth until it hit your breastbone, then it went off like a depth charge!  Wow!

And it wasn't even his Grandpa's "Christmas Whiskey!"

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Posted by tree68 on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 7:56 PM

Good thing Rule G isn't in effect here...

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Posted by Deggesty on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 8:47 PM

Yes, several of us might be suspended for violation of Rule G.

I once saw a passenger conductor violating Rule H--he had a can at his seat, and used it as a spittoon as he sat there.

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Posted by schlimm on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 9:11 PM
I've only ever had Ziegler Himmelbeere Likör. Good, but not very strong.

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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