< Previous50 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 DOWN THE HATCH BOURBON DYNASTY This uniquely American use of corn has never been a bigger blast story by MARK G HANNA photos by STUART VILLANUEVA O ne hundred years ago this month, bourbon lovers of this country were facing a serious drinking problem. They couldn’t. The third year of Prohibi- tion was taking its biggest toll on bourbon. Rum, scotch, rye and gin from other countries were finding underground supply lines into the U.S. market. But bourbons, all made in America from American corn, ceased to be produced. When Prohibition began, the industry already was struggling to recover from a World War I law that prohibited liquor to be made from food prod- ucts such as corn. Prohibition sounded like the death knell of this favorite, uniquely native liquor. What a difference a century makes. Not only has bourbon survived, along with some entertaining stories about its survival, by all accounts it will continue to show one of the largest growths in demand in its history. It, and its cousins in the whiskey family, are expected to be the bar drink of 2023 and beyond. Revenues in the U.S. whiskey sector were more than $18 billion in 2022 and predicted to reach more than $20 billion by the end of 2023. This comes even as the non-alcoholic cocktail trend grows. “We are seeing a growing availability of newly introduced small-batch whiskeys, both regional- ly and nationally,” said Tiffany Williams, general manager of the popular Hearsay on the Strand, 2210 Strand in downtown Galveston. Fittingly, both it and the original Hearsay Gas- tro Lounge in Houston’s Market Square are twists on the vintage speakeasy, with Prohibition-era inspired craft cocktails created in-house. The growing number of options has led to “added Bartender Adam Rodriguez pours the signature bourbon cocktail Last Word at Hearsay on the Strand in Galveston. Hearsay has been experimenting with altering and enhancing the flavor profiles of known bourbon brands to provide new and nuanced drink options. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 5152 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 DOWN THE HATCH recognition and increased demand for new categories, most notably American single-malt whiskey,” Williams said. Although this didn’t happen overnight, the renewed interest in bourbon can be called explosive. Just five years ago, the number of Texas craft distillers making bourbon could be counted on one hand. Today, there are more than 130 in Texas, making it one of the top five states in the country. Notably, the other four are California, Colorado, Washington and New York. All this while the largest producers continue to be Kentucky and Tennessee. Among those craft distillers is Galveston’s own Texas Tail Distillery, 2416 Postoffice St. Williams noted that while Texas isn’t the lone star, it’s definitely a star, she said. “Texas-made bourbons are enjoying more interest and demand amongst Hearsay regu- lars and first-timers alike,” she said. “This past year, we’ve responded in a number of ways. We collaborated with Rebecca Creek on a Barrel Select program where we received a unique barrel of their Small Batch Blended Bourbon Whiskey that was only available at Hearsay restaurants.” It isn’t just new craft brands driving the bourbon boom, however. Drink mixers and bourbon makers across the country are taking another look at classic brands and cocktails to create new flavors and new drinks using everything from coffee and teas to bitters and infusers. “We began infusing select whiskeys in 2022 at every Hearsay location,” Williams said. “Our Hearsay Old Fashioned features Woodford Reserve that has been slow drip infused through a special blend of almonds and oats for a one-of-a-kind finish you can only get at Hearsay.” That bourbon would be the drink of choice in 2023 is as fascinating as the stories from the years in between, stories made for the movies — many of which actually were made into movies. Most credited with saving the bourbon industry at the beginning of Prohibition is George Remus, a defense lawyer who also is known for pioneering the temporary insanity defense, both claims to fame connected. Among the parts of the 18th Amendment was a loophole that allowed alcohol, includ- ing bourbon, to be sold in 1-pint bottles for medicinal purposes. Remus applied for a permit and moved to Kentucky, reopening until shortly after Prohibition began, the number of farms in these areas was drop- ping quickly. And then that reversed. The principal crop became corn. In cave-rich Somervell County, where the mill town of Glen Rose once had flourished because of its artesian springs but now struggled, a couple of brothers started grow- ing corn and running a still. Soon, so many stills opened, people said fermenting corn was the smell of the county. Illegal sales of booze became the number-one industry. One evening in early 1923, resident Dick Watson was pulled over by a local sheriff who didn’t fail to notice rows of whiskey bottles in the backseat. Under pressure by Texas Gov. Pat Neff to do something about the rampant bootlegging and illegal stills, the sheriff offered Watson a deal. He could become an informant, and he wouldn’t face charges. Watson agreed. Unlike the informant in Remus’ case, Watson came through. By August 1923, more than 30 suspected bootleggers and moon- shiners had been arrested, hundreds of stills destroyed or dismantled and trials were set. Evidence of the crimes such as bottles of booze, stills and massive amounts of sugar were piled on the courthouse lawn. The trials were a media circus with Watson as the chief witness. Until he wasn’t. One night, while the trials were going on, Watson was ambushed and murdered. Not one of the Somervell County men was convicted. As most people in Southeast Texas know, Prohibition in Galveston was more about making cocktails more fun to drink than not drinking them. With such ready access to the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico itself, Galveston booze was dominated by rum, tequila and European-made liquors. American-made whiskey was harder to come by and even less desirable, but it still was available. Near Beaumont, moonshiners in abun- dance were operating in the heavy woods and thick cane marshes. Once, fire broke out in one of the dry cane marshes and swept through an acre or so of land. Afterward, a sheriff rode his horse through the blackened remains and found several dead moonshiners and the remains of between 30 and 50 stills. So, if 2023 is going to continue the return of bourbon’s popularity, possibly making this the year of bourbon, it’s a notable achieve- ment and a long time in coming. Or as George Remus would say, “Here’s to your health!” This is a signature bourbon cocktail created by Nick Banaszak, executive chef and culinary direc- tor at Hearsay on the Strand, and his team. With the interest in bourbons on the rise, Hearsay has been experimenting with altering and enhancing the flavor profiles of known brands to provide new and nuanced drink options. The Last Word is the results of one of those experiments. THE LAST WORD 1½ ounces bourbon 1½ ounces Aperol 1½ ounces Amaro Averna 1½ ounces lemon juice Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and briefly shake. Strain into a low-ball glass over ice, preferably over a single ice ball. Garnish with a lemon slice or twist. distilleries there and in Ohio. He began selling medicinal whiskey, employed more than 3,000 people and banked about $6 million, worth close to $80 million today. He further enhanced his worth by hiring men to rob trains, not of payroll boxes or gov- ernment gold, but his own bottles of medicinal whiskey. These he would then sell to bootleg- gers and speakeasies at quadrupled prices. Remus was caught on a case of bootlegging and jailed. Knowing there were bigger stakes to be had, federal prosecutors planted an informant in his cell to whom Remus bragged he had turned over the whiskey operation to his wife to keep his fortune. The informant got out of jail, but instead of helping his federal employers, he stole Remus’ wife. Sadly, once out of jail, Remus killed his wife in a public park, then pleaded he had been temporarily insane. He was acquitted. In Texas, Prohibition was well enforced in many parts of the state, some of which were dry before the 18th Amendment had even been passed. Still, cities like Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Houston and Galveston had plenty of speakeasies and private clubs to quench a cocktail lover’s thirst. Texas bour- bon certainly was on the menu, although it was hardly aged and refined. Census records for the counties around Dallas and Fort Worth offer a hint of activ- ities that would take no great detective to figure out. After World War I ended, and COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 53 Hearsay on the Strand’s signature bourbon cocktail Last Word features a mix of Aperol, Amaro Averna, lemon juice and Woodford Reserve Bourbon.54 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 SEASIDE SOIRÉE FONDUE FUN Gather your closest friends for this easy New Year’s Eve celebration recipes and photos by ALICIA CAHILL W e asked Coast Monthly food correspondent Alicia Cahill to whip up a New Year’s Eve celebration that’s both easy, elegant and fun. She delivered. CLASSIC SWISS FONDUE Servings: 8-10 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced in half 1 pound Gruyère cheese, grated ½ pound Emmentaler cheese, grated 1 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice Freshly ground pepper Freshly grated nutmeg rub the inside of a medium enam- eled cast-iron pot with the cut side of the garlic clove. Discard the garlic. Add wine, cornstarch and lemon juice to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring to combine. Add in the grated cheese ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, allowing it to melt before adding more. reduce heat to low. Add a gener- ous pinch each of pepper and nut- meg and cook, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth. Don’t overcook the fondue. Serve immediately. Serving suggestions: roasted po- tatoes, bread cubes, sliced pears, sliced vegetables, cured meats. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 5556 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 SEASIDE SOIRÉE ROASTED EGGPLANT DIP Servings: 8-10 1 medium eggplant, peeled 2 red bell peppers, seeded 1 red onion, peeled 4 garlic cloves, peeled Extra virgin olive oil 1½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Pinch red pepper flakes 3 tablespoons tomato paste Crackers or pita chips, for serving Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the eggplant, pepper and onion into 1-inch cubes. Spread them in a single layer on the bak- ing sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. using a spatula, toss the vegeta- bles to coat. Place both sheet pans in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes or until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft. Allow to cool slightly. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl of a food processor. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Pulse to blend. Don’t over process; keep it chunky. Taste and add salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with crackers or pita chips. FESTIVE OREOS Servings: About 12 12 ounces white almond bark 1 package Double Stuf Oreos Festive sprinkles Heat a third of the almond bark in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds on medium-high, stirring every 15 seconds. Continue heating and stirring until the bark has melted into a dippable consistency. Meanwhile, cut a sheet of wax or parchment paper and lay on the countertop. Dip an Oreo halfway into the melted bark. Allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl and then place the cookie on the paper. Decorate with sprinkles. repeat with the remaining cookies. reheat or melt additional almond bark as needed. refrigerate the dipped Oreos for 15 to 20 minutes to set the coating completely. 58 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 TASTE OF TEXAS PUFFED WITH PRIDE This taco shell is a San Antonio staple story and recipe by PHIL NEWTON | photo by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T he puffy taco is the culinary mascot of San Antonio. Where it originated is anybody’s guess. But once it arrived in Alamo City, it became a popular and permanent resident, with its first home being Henry’s Puffy Tacos on West Woodlawn Avenue. By the 1970s, the puffy taco was an established staple of San Antonio cuisine. Similar to the salbute from the Yucatán or the gordita inflada of Vera Cruz, the puffy taco is a ball of masa flattened into a tortilla form and deep fried until the tortilla puffs up like pita bread. But the puffy taco differs from its culinary cousins when it’s crimped with a spatula into a swollen “U” shape that has been described by Diana Barrios Treviño, co-owner of Los Barrios, as resembling Mick Jagger’s lips. The puffy taco is crunchy on the surface, yet soft inside. Toppings typically are the standard Taco Tuesday ingredients, such as taco meat or chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salsa or pico de gallo. This meal is for immediate gratification because the shell won’t sit for long before crumbling. SAN ANTONIO PUFFY TACOS 1½ cups masa harina ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup warm water Some recipes include a pinch of baking soda for rise. Mix masa harina and salt. Add soda at this point, if using. Add warm water to the masa a little at a time. This will be drier than what the dough for tortillas would be. Continue adding water until the dough just comes together. Divide into golf ball-size portions and cover with a damp towel. Place ball between two pieces of plastic wrap. Press or roll out into a torti- lla-size disk and slip into hot oil, 375 F. When it puffs up, flip it over and brown the op- posite side. Press your spatula in the center to give it a crease. Place on paper towels. use immediately because they don’t have a shelf life. So, make sure your toppings are ready to go. PHIL NEWTON is a Galveston baker/cook. He’s the owner/operator of Stiglich Corner with partner Cindy Roberts.Next >