Difference between revisions of "Blowtorch (drink)"

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Blowtorch (drink) (view source)

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==Invention of the blowtorch==
==Invention of the blowtorch==
Although the crew had a sizable stock of liquor with them, the majority of the stores were probably consumed during the voyage to [[Antarctica]] or simply left behind on the ship while they commenced exploration of the continent. In any case, it is evident there was no liquor readily available when the crew wintered over at the Little America base.
Although the crew had a sizable stock of liquor with them, the majority of the stores were probably consumed during the voyage to [[Antarctica]] or simply left behind on the ship while they commenced exploration of the continent. In any case, it is evident there was no liquor readily available when the team wintered over at the Little America base.


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." Bryd himself participated in the festivities and every couple of weeks, he would authorize a tub of blowtorches made up and a party would be held to help the men relax and unwind during the long winter.
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." Bryd 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.


Things got especially bad during one three-week midwinter drinking binge. 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." The drinking and partying lasted until 4:00am in a "spectacular and riotous drunken orgy."
Things got especially bad during one three-week midwinter drinking binge. 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." The drinking and partying lasted until 4:00am in a "spectacular and riotous drunken orgy."
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According to [[Paul A. Siple]]: "A few others drank as gentlemen."
According to [[Paul A. Siple]]: "A few others drank as gentlemen."


===Lemon powder===
Prior to the expedition, Richard Byrd asked The Insulin Company to develop a dried fruit powder that contained vitamin C in an effort to prevent scurvy. The Byrd expedition carried large quantities of lime juice and lemon powders. The Eli Lilly company also provided crushed "jellied" orange juice that was the first vitamin C infused orange juice concentrate in the world. However, these supplements generally went unused as the crew met their daily vitamin C requirement by consuming fresh seal meat during the long winter.


This gave them freedom to utilize the fruit powders for more creative purposes.


I did a deep dive into the creation of a "Blowtorch" drink and as it turns out, the team mixed powdered orange and lemon juices with grain alcohol to create a powerful drink that helped them get through the dark winter months. The grain alcohol was intended for use in developing film, but somebody obviously thought it could be put to better use!
==Recipe==
To make a truly authentic blowtorch, the ingredients are:


For the lucky men selected by Byrd to winter over with him in the Antarctic, it was hard to keep from going stir-crazy. There were unusual beard contests and a follies performance featuring some of the crew as chorus girls and others in blackface. However, what got left out of the newspaper reports of their activities was the “medicinal” alcohol mixed with lemon powder for a secret Antarctic cocktail the men called a Blowtorch.
* 1.5 fl oz grain alcohol
* 1 packet crystallized lemon juice
* 3 fl oz orange juice concentrate
* Ice


===Modern variants===
Owing to the difficulty in acquiring grain alcohol and "lemon powder" to make a truly authentic blowtorch, a modern variation of the recipe has been created for those wishing to get a taste of the early days of Antarctic exploration.
* 1.5 fl oz vodka
* 1 tsp powdered lemonade mix
* 3 fl oz orange juice conentrate
* Ice


===Lemon powder===
Prior to the expedition, Richard Byrd asked The Insulin Company to develop a dried fruit powder that contained vitamin C in an effort to prevent scurvy. They also took large quantities of lime juice and lemon powders. The Eli Lilly company also provided crushed "jellied" orange juice that was the first vitamin C infused orange juice concentrate in the world. However, these supplements generally went unused as the crew met their daily vitamin C requirement by consuming fresh seal meat during the long winter.


This gave them freedom to utilize the fruit powders for more creative purposes.
[[Category:Cuisine of Westarctica]]
[[Category:Culture of Westarctica]]
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