Today is...
National Martini Day

Although the exact origin of the martini is unknown, this iconic drink has earned a permanent place in the pantheon of classic cocktails. The first printed recipe for a “Martinez” cocktail appeared in a bartending manual published in San Francisco in 1887. However, historians disagree over whether the beverage actually originated on the West Coast. In 1911, a New York City bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia began serving a cocktail made with gin, vermouth, orange bitters, and an olive garnish. The martini gained widespread popularity among Manhattan socialites, and has been associated with New York ever since.
Today, 50% of all cocktails are served in a martini glass. Some of the most famous (historical and fictional) martini lovers include: John D. Rockefeller, Humphrey Bogart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Ernest Hemingway, and James Bond.
To celebrate National Martini Day, enjoy a refreshing martini in the company of friends. Mix up the classic or try this lemon basil martini recipe. Cheers to that!

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Today is also Juneteenth

June is Great Outdoors Month

images and text courtesy of MyPunchbowl.com" -- http://www.mypunchbowl.com/

History for June 19 1586 - English colonists sailed away from Roanoke Island, NC, after failing to establish England's first permanent settlement in America. 1862 - U.S. President Abraham Lincoln outlined his Emancipation Proclamation, which outlawed slavery in U.S. territories. 1910 - Father's Day was celebrated for the first time, in Spokane, Washington. 1973 - Pete Rose (Cincinnati Reds) got his 2,000th career hit. 1976 - Wild Cherry released "Play That Funky Music." ______________________________________________________ "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." --Theodore Roosevelt