JAQR - Potent Potables (Special Edition)
All about liqueurs from around the world, martinis, whiskey drinks, and more...
Thank you for reading a special issue of the Jeopardy Answer & Question Recap, or JAQR [“jacker”] for short. This recap focuses on potent potables. It will include past Jeopardy! clues all about alcoholic beverages. The first half of the recap will include just the clues so you can quiz yourself if you want. The second half will give you some (hopefully) interesting information about the clues and/or some related info.
By the way, just a friendly reminder that the next issue of JAQR will also be a “special edition.”
March 26 = 88 questions based on JAQR recaps from 2022 (specifically, the 14 “regular” issues from 9/16, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16, 12/23, and 12/30)
Regular issues should resume on April 2nd.
4-LETTER FOOD & DRINK
This Greek liqueur tastes like black licorice & is served in a tall skinny glass called a kanonakia
A BIT O' HONEY
This liqueur is made from a secret recipe of herbs, spices, heather honey & aged Scotch whisky
DRINKING SONGS
A No. 1 song: "Escape (The ____ ____ Song)"
DRINK UP: IT'S THIRST-DAY
Hindi gives us the name of this hot whiskey drink that's warming & restorative
GLASSWARE
A snifter is narrow at the top to intensify the aroma of cognac & other types of this liquor
IMBIBER'S LEXICON
When ordering a martini dry, you're asking the bartender to use less of this
LIQUEURS
This Italian liqueur has the flavor of almonds but is often made with the kernels of apricot pits
POTENT POTABLES, SOUTHERN STYLE
A liqueur of this flavor (Kahlua, perhaps) gives that pretty muddy color to a Mississippi mud cocktail
RAISING THE BAR
Franciscus Sylvius is credited with inventing this type of liquor while trying to improve the medicinal qualities of juniper
RED ALL OVER
This word for red wine, now especially Bordeaux wine, can also mean a reddish color
4-LETTER FOOD & DRINK
This Greek liqueur tastes like black licorice & is served in a tall skinny glass called a kanonakia
***OUZO***
Ouzo [EW-zoh] is a licorice-like Greek apéritif (drink used to stimulate the appetite before a meal). Its flavored with anise, a plant commonly used in the Mediterranean region. Since ouzo is quite potent, it is often mixed with water, which turns it milky white. It’s relatively common in Greece to eat snacks called meze while drinking ouzo.
A BIT O' HONEY
This liqueur is made from a secret recipe of herbs, spices, heather honey & aged Scotch whisky
***DRAMBUIE***
The name of Drambuie [dram-BOO-ee] may come from a Scottish Gaelic phrase meaning “the drink that satisfies.” A cocktail called a rusty nail consists of Scotch (also known as Scotch whisky) and Drambuie. According to legend, Drambuie was created in 1746 for Bonnie Prince Charlie (pictured below) by an apothecary on the Isle of Skye. Bonnie Prince Charlie had earlier led the Jacobite Rising, in which he attempted to regain the British throne for his father. The uprising began in 1745 and ended with the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden in April 1746.
DRINKING SONGS
A No. 1 song: "Escape (The ____ ____ Song)"
***PIÑA COLADA***
A piña colada contains white rum, coconut cream, and pineapple juice blended with ice. It originated in Puerto Rico and has a Spanish name meaning “strained pineapple.” A variation of the drink with vodka instead of rum is called a chi chi. “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” is a 1979 song by Rupert Holmes. The song is about a guy tired of his current relationship who reads a woman’s personal ad (the chorus of the song) that catches his attention. He responds and they meet, but it turns out that the woman is his current partner!
DRINK UP: IT'S THIRST-DAY
Hindi gives us the name of this hot whiskey drink that's warming & restorative
***TODDY***
A hot toddy contains whiskey, honey or sugar, herbs and spices (such as tea or clove), lemon, and boiling water. It is often consumed on cold nights and used as a cold/flu remedy. The word “toddy” is derived from a Hindi word for the juice of the palmyra palm. Hot Toddy was the nickname of 1930s comic actress Thelma Todd (pictured below, with Zeppo and Harpo), who starred in the movie Horse Feathers with the Marx brothers. She accidentally died at the age of 29 from carbon monoxide poisoning in a garage.
GLASSWARE
A snifter is narrow at the top to intensify the aroma of cognac & other types of this liquor
***BRANDY***
Brandy is a liqueur distilled from wine or other fermented fruit juices. Its name comes from the Dutch word brandewijn, meaning “burnt wine.” The ingredients Cognac (named for a French commune), triple sec, and lemon juice make up a popular cocktail called a sidecar. Eggs, sugar, and brandy are found in a Dutch drink with a custard-like consistency called an advocaat, which is also the Dutch word for lawyer.
IMBIBER'S LEXICON
When ordering a martini dry, you're asking the bartender to use less of this
***VERMOUTH***
Vermouth is a fortified white wine flavored with aromatic herbs and roots. Gin and vermouth (in a 6:1 ratio) are the ingredients in a martini, which might be named for Martini & Rossi, an Italian company that sells vermouth and other alcoholic beverages. Martinis can also be ordered “dry” or “extra dry” to reduce the amount of vermouth. Dirty martinis contain a splash of olive brine or olive juice. The title of Kurt Vonnegut's 1973 novel Breakfast of Champions refers to a martini.
A drink called a Manhattan contains rye whiskey, sweet red vermouth, and a dash of Angostura bitters. According to legend, the drink was commissioned by Winston Churchill’s mother (Lady Randolph Churchill, who was an American-born socialite) for a party at the Manhattan Club celebrating Samuel Tilden’s election as New York governor. A cocktail called a Rob Roy is similar, except it contains Scotch whisky instead of rye whiskey. That drink is named in honor of an operetta titled Rob Roy, which is about the Scottish outlaw of the same name. The drink is the same color (red) as the hair of Rob Roy. Brands of vermouth include Cinzano, which ran ads between 1978 and 1983 featuring Joan Collins as the victim of antics of a clumsy Leonard Rossiter. In the movie Groundhog Day, the favorite drink of Andie MacDowell’s character is a "sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist,” which Bill Murray’s character orders to try to impress her.
LIQUEURS
This Italian liqueur has the flavor of almonds but is often made with the kernels of apricot pits
***AMARETTO***
The name amaretto comes from the Italian word for bitter. The ingredients orange juice, club soda, and amaretto are combined to form a cocktail called a bocce [BOCH-ee] ball (pictured below), which shares its name with the Italian version of lawn bowling.
POTENT POTABLES, SOUTHERN STYLE
A liqueur of this flavor (Kahlúa, perhaps) gives that pretty muddy color to a Mississippi mud cocktail
***COFFEE***
Kahlúa is a brand of coffee-flavored liqueur that contains rum, sugar, and Arabica coffee, and is made in Mexico. Vodka and a coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa make up a Black Russian (also the name of a terrier). The addition of cream to those ingredients makes it a White Russian. That drink is the beverage of choice for Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski (pictured below), who was played by Jeff Bridges in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski. A drink called a brave bull consists of tequila and Kahlúa in a 3:1 ratio.
RAISING THE BAR
Franciscus Sylvius is credited with inventing this type of liquor while trying to improve the medicinal qualities of juniper
***GIN***
Gin and sweetened lime juice (AKA lime cordial) are the ingredients in a gimlet, which shares its name with a tool used for boring holes. Gimlet is also a digital media company co-founded by Alex Blumberg and sold to Spotify in 2019. The company was responsible for many podcasts, including StartUp, Reply All, Crimetown, and Homecoming, the last of which was adapted into an Amazon Prime Video series starring Julia Roberts.
Gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and Champagne make up a French 75, which is named for the 75-millimeter cannons used in World War I. Plymouth gin and Angostura bitters make up a pink gin. Gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and carbonated water make up a Tom Collins. That drink was possibly created by John Collins, but then the drink was named Tom Collins because it often used Old Tom gin. An amusing work by English artist William Hogarth titled Gin Lane (pictured below) depicts the supposed evils of drinking gin.
RED ALL OVER
This word for red wine, now especially Bordeaux wine, can also mean a reddish color
***CLARET***
The word claret is “British English” for red Bordeaux wine, which is named for a city in southwest France. The winner of The Open Championship (aka The British Open, one of the four major tournaments in men’s golf) is awarded a trophy called the Claret Jug. John Daly, who definitely knows a thing or two about potent potables, won the Claret Jug in 1995, but sold it at an auction in 2018 for $66,000.
