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[[File:Dr Eights.jpg|300px|left]]
[[File:Blowtorch-Drink.jpg|250px|left]]
'''[[James Eights]]''' (1798–1882) was an American explorer, scientist, and artist who joined one of the earliest expeditions to [[Antarctica]]. He was born in Albany, New York, the son of physician Jonathan Eights and Alida Wynkoop. James also became a physician and was appointed an examiner at a local engineering school which is now known as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
A '''[[blowtorch (drink)|blowtorch]]''' is an alcoholic cocktail invented by members of the 1928 Byrd [[Antarctic]] Expedition. The recipe calls for mixing lemon powder with grain alcohol and diluting the mixture with ice until it's drinkable.


Upon the recommendation of Amos Eaton, who called Eights "one of the most competent geologists in North America", Eights obtained the position of naturalist on the first voyage of discovery made outside the United States. He was a member of the "South Sea Fur Company and Exploring Expedition" of 1829. This was a private enterprise organized by Jeremiah N. Reynolds. The expedition included two brigs, ''Annawan'' and ''Seraph'', commanded by Benjamin Pendleton and Nathaniel B. Palmer respectively, plus the schooner ''Penguin'' commanded by Alexander Palmer.
Dr. F. Dana Coman, the expedition's physician, and the man with the keys to the liquor supply, took some of the grain alcohol and mixed it with the lemon powder and the crushed orange juice concentrate. The men dubbed this extremely potent drink a "blowtorch." [[Richard Byrd]] himself participated in the festivities and every couple of weeks, he would authorize a tub of blowtorches to be made up and a party held to help the men relax and unwind during the long winter.


Eights made observations of the flora and fauna in the lands reached by the expedition, which included Patagonia and Staten Island. He was the first to describe a trilobite fossil found on the South Shetland Islands in the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]], a pycnogonid, and the presence of glacial erratics.
Drinking contests broke out between the men, most notoriously between Danny Davies and [[Gould Coast|Larry Gould]], who got carried away and ordered everyone to "get cock-eyed drunk."


'''([[James Eights|Full Article...]])'''
'''([[blowtorch (drink)|Full Article...]])'''

Revision as of 17:03, 26 March 2024

Blowtorch-Drink.jpg

A blowtorch is an alcoholic cocktail invented by members of the 1928 Byrd Antarctic Expedition. The recipe calls for mixing lemon powder with grain alcohol and diluting the mixture with ice until it's drinkable.

Dr. F. Dana Coman, the expedition's physician, and the man with the keys to the liquor supply, took some of the grain alcohol and mixed it with the lemon powder and the crushed orange juice concentrate. The men dubbed this extremely potent drink a "blowtorch." Richard Byrd himself participated in the festivities and every couple of weeks, he would authorize a tub of blowtorches to be made up and a party held to help the men relax and unwind during the long winter.

Drinking contests broke out between the men, most notoriously between Danny Davies and Larry Gould, who got carried away and ordered everyone to "get cock-eyed drunk."

(Full Article...)

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