Recently, I had a chance to sit down with the Brand Manager of Rail Bridge Cellars, Michael Chandler. During our discussion, Michael explained to me the history of Rail Bridge, Some key decisions the winery has made recently, and where they are headed to in the next few years.

Atop the Elks Tower, at 11th and J Street in downtown Sacramento, we have a perfect view of the city. Since it’s Second Saturday, the penthouse floor has Speakeasy Saturday in full swing, and after our interview, a senior prom is being held on the second floor. We see Managing Partner of Rail Bridge, Michael Gelber, pop in to look around for a minute, and Chandler begins telling me the whole story of Rail Bridge Cellars.

Sacramento’s Original Urban Winery

Rail Bridge was actually the first urban winery in Sacramento, opening on North 16th Street in 2004. Michael Gelber ended up buying the winery from the original investment group in 2011, moving the tasting room to the Elks Tower location. The next move was to expand the wine production from two varieties to a more balanced number, between twelve and fourteen.

The growth of any urban winery is dependent on the ability to get grapes from suppliers. Chandler explains, “People think it’s easy being an urban winery, but it’s really not. We have to drive all the way to Napa to get our grapes, where if we were based in Napa County, we could look across the road and the grapes are right there.” Because of this, growth has to be throttled at a pace that allows smaller wineries to distribute consistently. Like Revolution Wines, Rail Bridge Cellars isn’t distributed to large retail chains like Safeway or BelAir. “Just Nugget, Whole Foods, Corti Brothers, the Co-op, that’s it”. Along with selected family-owned restaurants where they have by-the-glass deals, the only other way to buy Rail Bridge wines is direct, from their Elks Tower headquarters.

“[Grape] Production hasn’t been there last couple of years. We have handshake deals with our suppliers–they tell us, we can’t give you any fruit because we barely have enough for our big winery contracts. And what is there is just kind of eh. But we make it work. This year should be a lot better [for grape supplies].”

Michael is involved in every aspect of the wine production, and he explains how Rail Bridge makes adjustments each year.

“First year, I made it for how I like to drink it, but it isn’t always about what you want. I made it a little fatter, and we sold 2011 twice as fast as we did 2010. Wine making, at it’s core, is science and chemistry.” There’s much more to making great wine than that, however.

Becoming a Sommelier

After spending many years working in every possible role in the wine and restaurant steward industry, Chandler became one of only a handful of Sommeliers certified by the Court of Sommeliers, based on London. Michael is currently a Level 2 Sommelier (Level 4 is the highest level; less than 150 people have ever achieved this level). He is currently studying for the next level when he has time. The process for becoming a certified sommelier sounds crazy to me, and Chandler tells me that only 18% of people even pass the certification.

“They just put a glass of wine in front of you, it could be from anywhere in the world. And you have to know the type, the year, the region, the vineyard, the grape. The color is a big clue.” Chandler also says it bothers him when people say they are a sommelier, and they haven’t gone through the training or certification process, but instead just give themselves the title.

For those of you who of are still confused as to what a sommelier is, I was too. Think of a sommelier as a person who understand all aspects of wine production and serving. They know what foods pair well with each wine; they are able to make the best recommendation for each individual patron based on their taste and budget. In many cases, they are also in extremely knowledgeable about beer, spirits, and cigars. In short, they are in touch with all the subtle interactions between and the wines and every other aspect of the dining experience, and often run the entire restaurant floor.

Speakeasy Saturdays and the Penthouse Lounge

I ask how the Speakeasy Saturdays got started at the Penthouse Lounge. As everything great usually does, it starts with one amazing night that just keeps rolling.

“We catered an event in this building, a speakeasy party a couple of years ago–people had to walk into the basement, like it was in Prohibition days. A lot of people don’t know, but that’s where the Elks had their gym, was in the basement. There were people hired to be in costumes: dressed as cops, and as bums, with a person at the door, with an eyehole slider to see if you were OK to let in. It was a big hit. I just threw a table top on top of the wine barrels and said, That’s my bar.”

So was it a conscious decision to line up the [Penthouse Lounge] Speakeasy Saturdays with Second Saturday?

“We talked about it a lot; we were going to do 1st and 3rd Saturdays.” Chandler says. “At first, we were going to do it Thursdays but when we looked at the bookings, it was four weeks a month. So we said, we’re going to do it Fridays, but they were booked 3 out of 4 weeks every month. So finally we said, we’re just going to make it Saturday.”

“In the last couple of years, many art galleries downtown have closed, people we know, but the thing we noticed is that people are were in that habit of just going out and drinking, not really buying any art, just in and out.There was another city I lived in, every Third Thursday, it was the Farmers Market, and you just knew, Third Thursday.”

“Plus there’s a cadence to it, it just rolls off the tongue.”, I add. We laugh.

The Penthouse Lounge

“The mayor used to come up here a lot, not so much lately, he’s been busy. The Maloofs had a few meetings up here, where no one would be able to listen in, but that was on neutral ground”not at Arco [Arena] and not somewhere else…”

Chandler tells me as far as the Penthouse Lounge is concerned, Rail Bridge would like to make it a thing where people know it is happening, get it up to 2–3 nights a week. They host and cater events such as weddings all the time. He tells me a great story about how another wine company rented out the penthouse floor so that their staff could just relax and get toasted themselves for a change. Michael also tells me that the catering portion of their enterprise is also a large part of their growth.

“We know the building, other caterers don’t. There’s no ovens, so they have to cook something somewhere else and bring it in.”

History of the Elks Tower

One of the big moves that Rail Bridge Cellars made early on was moving production from the old industrial location north of Alkali Flats to the Elks Tower. It turns out that the father-in-law of Rail Bridge leader Michael Gelber is the Elks Tower owner, Steve Ayers. We run in to him after the interview is over.

“He’s the most down-to-earth guy”, Chandler tells me.

Elks Tower was a big deal back in the day, and even with the slow pace of interior restoration, the Tower showcases the old style of architecture that shows incredible attention to detail. Chandler tells me about the history of the building. Sacramento had wanted the Elks to build it since the 1880s, but the main branch of the Elks wouldn’t, “because that was still the Wild West, we were just a bunch of cowboys.” The Elks Tower wasn’t built until 1926, when they were in a race with another building to become tallest building in the city.

“They added the spire on top in order to be the tallest. It was built it in 1926 for a quarter million dollars. The Elks eventually sold it because they couldn’t keep up with the upkeep. Buzz Oates bought for quarter million dollars in 1957.”

“That’s depreciation.”

Chandler tells me about some of the plans that they have in store for the future, as well as some of the things they have done in the past.

“Many of the renovations that are taking place today, we proposed 2 ½ years ago. Because it’s a historic building, everything has to be approved, right down to the doorknobs.
Buzz Oates would just do what he wanted and say, I’ll just pay the fine, but we&#8217ve tried to do things the right way.”

He shows me where they are planning to open a new wine shop with food, and chilled wine closets. Building everything is a slow, steady march, as everything has to be built back exactly the way it was before. He explains the graffiti by the pools in the basement.

“We were having an event, with a DJ up top here, and we hired a graffiti guy from Carmel. He’s famous for doing girls faces with the square glasses, that’s like his trademark. We said, Do whatever you like, and that’s what he did.” Rail Bridge Cellars has a decade long history here in Sacramento, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The Rail Bridge Cellars website.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

There are only a few drinks that capture the essence of the Southern United States: sweet tea, the Sazerac, and the Mint Julep. The ritual of preparing and consuming the Mint Julep is built into the drink itself. Drinking a Mint Julep is the diametric opposite of pounding a line of Jager Bombs at the bar. The julep is a sippin’ drink, and of course, it is the official drink of the Kentucky Derby, but much more on that in a minute.

History of the Mint Julep

The Mint Julep has a long and winding road to its present incarnation. The word julep comes from the Arabic words, julab and Golâb, which mean “rose water”. This early julep referred to a sweet medicinal drink. As the drink migrated towards the Mediterranean, mint was introduced to the drink. A non-alcoholic version of the mint julep appeared in 1400s England. Somewhere in the 1700s, rum, gin, whiskey, and brandy started making an appearance in juleps. Both Kentucky and Virginia seem to have been the birthplaces of the proto-Mint Julep, as this was the drink of choice in both areas in the late 1700s.

In 1803, Londoner John Davis mentioned the Mint Julep in print for the first time. A decade later, the Old White Tavern in West Virginia (now the Greenbrier Hotel) became famous for their own Mint Julep recipe. During the Civil War, bourbon became a common substitute for other liquors in the Mint Julep, due to its lower cost.

Churchill Downs has been building the mint julep since 1875, but it was in 1938 that the iconic drink became associated with the Kentucky Derby. The racetrack began selling the silver souvenir glasses for 25 cents extra, because so many people were stealing them. Today, Churchill Downs sells about 120,000 mint juleps on Derby Weekend (Oaks Day and Derby Day) alone. Interestingly enough, Louisville locals only drink Mint Juleps on these two days, and the rest of the year, the demand (mostly tourists) decreases dramatically. Since 2006, the Kentucky Derby has sold $1000 Mint Juleps, made with ultra-premium ingredients, and served in gold-plated cups with silver straws, with the proceeds going to charities benefitting retired racehorses.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

Release the Kraken! Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. Obviously, we’re spotlighting the Kraken Bomb. As far as bomb shots go, this one is pretty good. Dark and mysterious, just like the behemoth beneath the waves, the Kraken Bomb is a drink worth going out of your way for.

A Brief History of Kraken Rum

It’s hard to believe that The Kraken Black rum has only been here since 2009. Imported from Trinidad and Tobago by parent company Proximo, the Kraken brand had a saturated liquor market to conquer. Proximo hired branding agency Dead As We Know It, who specialize in liquor branding and advertising, to forge the rum’s identity, and what they accomplished was amazing. Charmaine Choi and her staff decided the look and feel of the Kraken rum should be focused on vintage imagery, typography, and legends of the mythic sea demon. Even the design of the bottle itself is from an era long since past. They sent out press kits to selected bloggers, that contained personalized letters, Kraken ink and teeth, a scientific journal, and of course the rum itself. Some shops in Europe sold Kraken clothing and merchandise. The trick was making sure that none of the swag seemed mass produced. The nostalgic feel of the Kraken brand helps to really set the mood for the wonderfully rich and complex rum you enjoy whenever you crack open a bottle.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

What’s mean and green and packs a powerful punch? You might be inclined to say The Hulk, the superhuman character from Marvel Comics. The answer that we’re looking for is the Incredible Hulk, a cocktail as strong as its namesake. Alledgedly, this drink also goes by the name of the Green Eyed Monster, although I’ve yet to see anyone call it that myself.

History of the Incredible Hulk Cocktail

The drink known as the Incredible Hulk drink was invented at Justin’s, a restaurant owned by Sean Combs, in the early 2000s. At the time, Hpnotiq was still a fairly new liqueur, and the bright blue hue was a huge turn-off to the male demographic. Bartender Victor Alvarez had the brilliant idea of combining Hpnotiq and Hennessy, resulting in a powerful green drink that appealed to everyone. Since then, Justin’s in New York has closed, but the Incredible Hulk has cemented its legacy as one of the great drinks of the modern era.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

The Grasshopper is a classic cocktail, known for its minty flavor. The Grasshopper gets its name from its green hue. Originating in New Orleans in the 1950s, the Grasshopper has stood the test of time to become part of the pantheon of iconic cocktails.

History of the Grasshopper

Most cocktail historians name Tujague’s in the French Quarter of New Orleans as the birthplace of the original Grasshopper. The interesting part about all of this is that the Grasshopper was a contest entry in a cocktail contest, during Prohibition circa 1928. Allegedly, this was originally a layered drink, with the cream being an optional layer. in time, the Grasshopper spread throughout the Southern US, and by the late 1950s, it was known everywhere.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

Easter is one of the milestone holidays in the Western world. A lot of people celebrate it for different reasons, not the least of which is tradition. For someone who marks the calendar by the colors in the shop windows, and the food and drink on the table, we offer you the Blue Cottontail cocktail. This orange flavored cocktail is a fine choice to leave out for the Easter Bunny. He/She has a lot of eggs to deliver, you know.

The Legend of Peter Cottontail

Thorton Burgess was an American writer whose Old Mother West Wind stories featured a cast of animals, including one Peter Rabbit (not the Beatrix Potter version). In one specific book, Peter Rabbit changes his name to Peter Cottontail to sound more sophisticated, but by the end of the tale, changes it back. The name changed was never referenced again in the Burgess books. In 1950, Gene Autry recorded a song called “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” that went to #3 on the Hot 100 Singles chart. Jimmy Wakely and Johnnie Lee Wills also recorded versions of the song that year, each one charting at #3 on the Country Singles chart.

The 1971 Rankin-Bass television special Here Comes Peter Cottontail was based on a 1957 book called The Easter Bunny That Overslept. The 1971 movie is a stop-motion animation classic, filmed in the same style as the Rankin-Bass Christmas movies. Casey Kasem was the voice of Peter Cottontail, and the iconic Vincent Price was the voice of the villian, January Q. Irontail.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

When we think about the modern Easter holiday, most of us envision Easter egg hunts and pastel colors. Some of us picture a huge scary anthropomorphic rabbit like something out of Donnie Darko, but that’s another story. The Easter Bunny drink is for people who enjoy munching down on a chocolate bunny, only this time, it’s coming in a cocktail glass.

Origins of the Easter Bunny

The story of the Easter Bunny began in 13th Century Germany. Christianity had not taken root there yet, and the fertility goddess Estore, for whom Easter is named, had a hare for one of her symbols. In later centuries, the hare was associated with the Catholic Virgin Mary. This was in part because people at the time believed the hare to be hermaphroditic, capable of virgin reproduction. No doubt this mixing of symbolism made it easier for the early Germanic church to convert pagans to the faith. The Legend if the Easter hare first appeared in print in 1682, but the tale was told since the 1500s.

German immigrants to America brought the tale of the Easter Bunny with them. Protestant believers did not want to give up the tradition of dyeing Easter eggs, and eggs were plentiful during the forty days of Lent, because they were forbidden to the Catholics. Today, we have seamlessly tied together a rabbit who lays eggs, the Spring Equinox, and the resurrection of Jesus into one big holiday, celebrated with baskets of candy. There’s a lesson there somewhere.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

The ultimate drinking holiday here in the States is St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone thinks they’re Irish, and green drinks flow like water. One cocktail guaranteed to plaster you to the wall is the Irish Trash Can. Made with half the liquor in the bar and a can of Red Bull, the Irish Trash Can is a modern classic.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

The B-52 is a layered shot, relying on specific gravity to keep the layers separated. Usually, the B-52 shot is made with Kahlúa, Irish cream, and Grand Marnier. Don’t listen to Wikipedia; I have never seen a B-52 with Cointreau. although I’m sure someone makes them that way. Read onward, and you should know how to make a B52, as well as all of the variant B52 shots. We’ll also touch on the origin story of this popular shot.

Origin of the B-52 Shot

There are three credible origin stories for the B52 cocktail. The first creation story states that the shot was invented in the late 1960s in Malibu, at the famous Alice’s Restaurant by an anonymous bartender. The second story says the B-52 was created in 1977 by Peter Fich at the Banff Springs Hotel in Calgary, Alberta. One of Fich’s customers owned a group of restaurants in Alberta, and quickly put the drink on his bar menus. One of these restaurants was the Keg Steakhouse in Calgary, which for many years was identified as the birthplace of the B-52. According to the third story, the B-52 was created in the late 1970s at the Maxwell’s Plum, by bartender Adam Honigman. Maxwell’s Plum was an iconic New York City restaurant and bar that was famous in the 1960s, which closed suddenly in 1988.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø

Tearing through bars and watering holes like the wind of God, it’s the Kamikaze shot! The Kamikaze combines vodka, triple sec, and lime juice to make a shooter that everyone loves.

History of the Kamikaze

The story of the Kamikaze shooter begins in Boston, circa 1974. A bartender at the now shuttered Eliot Lounge by the name of Liam had a habit of topping his vodka drinks with a splash of triple sec. One such cocktail that received the triple sec treatment was Liam’s version of the Vodka Gimlet. This variation was eventually served in a beer mug. A Smirnoff representative must have been a frequent patron of the Eliot Lounge, because a few years later, advertisements appeared featuring the Boston barman’s creation. This time, the drink was no longer served in a mug, but in a shot glass, and it was dubbed the Kamikaze.

Copyright by Jöhnny Dîablø