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Sip into Spring with the classic Gimlet cocktail

Published by admin on Tue, 03/30/2021 - 10:32am

Spring has officially sprung! The days are longer, a bit warmer, and hopefully sunny afternoons will return shortly. I'm not sure if springtime is made for gin cocktails, or if gin cocktails are made for spring, but 'tis the season to combine the two. It's time to shift gears from the winter Martini to a proper spring cocktail, the classic and underappreciated Gimlet.
The Gimlet is one of those classic drinks that has a long and storied past, but for one reason or another was not brought into the fold when the classic cocktail revival began over a decade ago.

April 1921, paving, politics and pepper

Published by admin on Tue, 03/30/2021 - 10:31am

One hundred years ago, it was election month. And just like today, it was the local election that was in question. The hot debate topic was road improvement, always a biggy in the local election. Set the wayback, and watch out for a bumpy ride.

Massive change is happening in Springfield

Published by admin on Sat, 03/27/2021 - 9:34am

Since 2006, federal law has capped annual interest rates on payday loans to active duty military members at 36 percent. The interest rate cap was broadened in 2015 to include several more types of personal, unsecured loans.
In Illinois, meanwhile, payday loan borrowers have been subjected to average annual interest rates of close to 300 percent.
Illinois lawmakers tried to tackle this issue in 2005, and passed a rate cap that was widely heralded. But the industry took advantage of a gaping loophole and then kept right on with their business.

Try this twist on the Mai Tai Cocktail

Published by admin on Tue, 03/23/2021 - 10:06am

If you were fortunate enough to visit Hawaii at any point between the mid-1960s and the early 2000s, there is a good chance that you were able to catch the legendary Don Ho Show at the Polynesian Palace. A trip to our 50th state was not complete without hearing the man in the raspberry-tinted glasses sing “Tiny Bubbles” while enjoying the Don's signature cocktail, the Polynesian Palace Mai Tai.

Life in prison from a woman's point of view

Published by admin on Tue, 03/23/2021 - 10:01am

Continuing our Women's History Month, today we look, not at the women who were at the top of society, but those who ended up at the top of the tower over the Warden's apartments at the Joliet State Penitentiary.
All of the descriptions come from the Joliet Weekly News, a sort of a scandal monger sheet, but one that proved popular among the masses. The paper regularly sent a reporter into the prison to give a first hand account. Set the wayback for December 23, 1883.

I owe my soul to the company store

Published by admin on Tue, 03/23/2021 - 9:58am

The above line is not just a line from a popular Tennessee Ernie Ford record; in the late 1870's it was true for most of the population of Braidwood, Coal City, and Diamond. For those too young to be acquainted with Mr. Ford's works, Google him, you might like what you hear.

Pritzker: ‘I'm genuinely considered the most progressive governor in the Midwest’

Published by admin on Sun, 03/21/2021 - 10:53am

I've given Gov. JB Pritzker some grief for his failures during the past few months.
His graduated income tax proposal went down in flames in November. He failed to pass his top priorities during January's lame duck legislative session. And his candidate for Democratic Party of Illinois chair lost to U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly earlier this month.
What follows is an edited-for-space transcript of our recent interview on two of these topics:

St. Patrick's Day through the 19th century

Published by admin on Tue, 03/16/2021 - 3:38pm

At the Will County Historical Museum in Lockport, located in the headquarters building of the I & M Canal, they have a favorite saying when talking about the canal. “Question; What does it take to build a canal? Answer; A pick, a shovel and an Irishman.” That gigantic public works connecting Lake Michigan with the Illinois River and eventually with the Mississippi was mainly dug by the Irish. And so, when it came time to dig for coal, it is not surprising that a good portion of the miners were of Irish descent.

Winter wanderings, the cold of 1875

Published by admin on Tue, 03/16/2021 - 3:34pm

Deep snow and ice - another winter is almost gone. We look for those early signs of spring, the crocus, the red-wing black bird, the winter wheat poking its head out of the ground. And then comes March with its wintry surprises.
As I write, sleet is falling, soon to be followed by freezing rain. For many of us, this means one more day trapped in the house or risk sliding into a ditch or worse. So what did they do in the day? Set the wayback for 1875 and climb aboard.

If you are thirsty for a stiff drink, try the Rusty Nail

Published by admin on Tue, 03/16/2021 - 10:35am

In January of this year Drinks International released its annual list of the 50 most popular cocktails in the world. The usual suspects occupy the top spots on the list with the Old Fashioned remaining the undisputed king of cocktails, followed by the Negroni and the Daiquiri in the second and third spots, respectively.
What's not on the list? The Rusty Nail. The Scotch-based Rusty Nail will have to wait until next year to return to the top 50, perhaps 2021 will be a comeback year for this forgotten classic.