Graf #8

Thanks for sharing those other cause essays. They were all a little unusual. I'm not sure I actually liked any of the topics but I did get a good feel for how to set these up. They all start off with a good opening paragraph. The “meat” of these are all a little different, I like the way the first was set up the best. In the first, the thoughts were clearly separated and sort of “captured” in their respective paragraphs. The closing paragraphs all seem to summarize or wrap up the whole essay very well. I'm sure I have a better handle on how I'll lay mine out now that I've had a few examples.

I-search Brainstorm

I've worked in, and only in, the Food & Beverage industry for my entire working life. I started in the business cooking at a small family restaurant. After gaining a firm understanding of how to succeed in the kitchen it was time to move to the “front of the house”, I was always told this was where the money was. Once I made it to the front of the house, I spent years bar tending. It was during these years that I was able to develop a healthy infatuation with the beverage industry. I spent years experimenting and eventually writing original drink menus. Ever since I've closely monitored all of the trend magazines and regularly reviewed all the websites I could find. About 5 years ago I started telling a few peers that I saw Meat flavored liquors hitting the market withing 10 years. I'd like to make a modest attempt at riding the wave of this movement, so now I need to research how to make the product.

I've spent the last 10 years monitoring magazines like Beverage Spectrum, Bartender Magazine, Night Club & Bar Magazine, Sante, Food & Wine Magazine, The Nations Restaurant News, Food service Director, Hotel F&B, Hotel Magazine, Catersource, and many others. Over the last few years I've continued to see increased signs that someday soon we will have meat and/or food flavored liquors. Most recently I saw a bar that infused Bourbon with Bacon, it was a simple concept however I'm unsure of the quality of the end result.

Both of my parents are Doctors of Food Science. I tested more experiments of theirs when I was a kid than I can remember. If I had to guess, I'd say this probably made me more curious and apt to try my own experiments.

What are the best sources of information in regard to the various production techniques?

What are the benefits of the different production types?

Once I know what equipment is necessary the manuals for the equipment should tell me how to use the equipment.

Are concentrates even the right way to go? I've noticed a lot of buzz around infusions. Can infusions be done with meats?

What types of concentrates are used, are they normally purchased or made, if they are purchased where from, if they are made, how?

How do they engineer the right flavor, smell, look (clear), etc...

How long does it take from beginning to end to make a flavored vodka?

What ingredients are used to make the vodka and how are they used?

This must require some kind of permits, I wonder what they are in this state?