Raise a Glass! Jan 9th, 2014

Need a reason to have a drink today? Let the Daily Toast inspire you to raise a glass!

January 9th isn’t a particularly exciting day on world history, so I had to work for this one.

On this date in 1905, the first shots of the Russian Revolution were fired against the Czar in St. Petersburg. So I’m tempted to say you should pour a shot of vodka and toast your comrades. But it’s hard to find a real positive in that. So instead, let’s recognize that in 1788, Connecticut officially became the 5th state in the union. Looking over my notes, I couldn’t find any notable Connecticut liquors, but I found a reference to Thomas Hooker’s Imperial Porter. This dark Bloomfield, CT beer is nearly 9% ABV, so it isn’t for the faint of heart, but showed some strong coffee flavors at the start with surprisingly bright hops on the finish. We will overlook certain oddities about the Nutmeg State, such as the law that requires any pickle to bounce in order for it to be called a pickle, or that one of its nicknames is “The Land of Steady Habits” (CT people must be the life of every party); and instead focus on the fact that Connecticut gives us PEZ candy and ESPN. So raise a Glass of Hooker Imperial Porter and have a toast in honor of Connecticut today!