Chomp!
September 5, 2013
By Ron Aiken
September 5, 2013
Bourbon! Bowties! Slurred Speech!
OK, for the record, Chomp! did not have slurred speech. But he’s sure someone at the fantastic Bourbon & Bowties event last night to celebrate the final days of the exhibition Between the Springmaid Sheets, which honors the story of Springs Cotton Mills, did at some point in the three-hour evening.
On hand to pour out the bourbon was the best Minnesota export since Garrison Keillor, Kristian Niemi. Together with his able assistant Ashley Bennett – who sported a pretty wicked tattoo sleeve; hey, there should be a tattoo bowtie! Yes! Chomp! Is on to something yet again! – the two were mixing and muddling some seriously good, knock-you-off-your-feet bourbonosity, whether neat or mixed in the delicious Mississippi Punch (made with Early Times 354), which I was told disguised the heat and kick of the bourbon perfectly with a refreshing sweetness that only allowed the bourbon to announce its presence at the last possible moment (thank you, marvelous Merritt McHaffie, for the description).
This was the Mississippi Punch. It was the particular choice of Niemi on the night even though he prefers his bourbon, like most real men, neat. It’s for hydration, he said)
Another popular incarnation making several rounds was the Woodford Smash (later the ‘whatever-bourbon-is-left smash because it was so good), made with – and prepare to get VERY thirsty – muddled mint, lemon and a splash of sweet and sour mix (and Kristian, if I’m getting this recipe wrong, DO NOT murder me, but send me your recipe and I’ll run it. Remember, I know where you live!). I must have seen more of these drinks that Kristian or Ashley would care to remember, as they personally muddled and mixed each one with care, attention and cheery professionalism – even when accommodating Chomp’s wimpy Sierra Mist drink order.
Seeing as how this is a food column, there was food served, and it was fantastic. The baby back ribs were more tender than your boyfriend after you hit Ctrl-H on his laptop, the chicken and sausage jambalaya was a hit and the shrimp and crab etouffee, well, see for yourself:
I really wanted to try this but was too late, and Chomp! licks no spoons or plates that are not his own. I’m quite firm on this rule.
And there were bowtie-related goings on! Check this out:
Here Ellie Stager of Rock Hill-based The Cordial Churhman clothier gives a brand-new bowtie made out of the necktie the man on the left came in with – it’s their specialty, bowties and pocket squares, and their relationship with Springs Mill has allowed them access to thousands of yards of vintage fabric no one else has. Check out their website at thecordialchurchman.com)
Another cool local story was Rusty Sox of the S.C. Arts Commission. He has his own tie-making business on the side called Titanic Alley, which while it sounds like a reference to the ship in some way actually is a reference to a forgotten alley in the historic Cottontown District where he lives. So turns out, it’s a Columbia thing! Check his stuff out at titanicalley.com.
And finally, Chomp! Spent some super-quality time with the talented folks of Tight Lines Y’all apparel – also a Columbia necktie-maker, as it happens. They has some killer three-in-one bowties that were versatile and stylish, and you didn’t have to know how to tie a bowtie to wear them – they had buttons on them and even a velcro one for the kids to wear so father and son could match (and a little bow for the daughter, too). Check their South Carolina-based gear out at tightlinesyall.com.
If you haven’t had a chance to, you don’t need bowties or even bourbon to enjoy the State Museum’s Between the Springmaid Sheets exhibit. When Chomp’s date briefly ditched him, he recovered nicely by taking a long, slow tour of his own, and Chomp! was delighted to see the exhibits featuring an old schoolhouse, country store, funerary paraphernalia and much more. He even kinda wandered into the pretty stellar Civil War exhibit and spent a long time looking at swords. Because when it comes to swords, Chomp is still 11 years old.
Til next time!
Follow Chomp! on Twitter @RonAiken and on Facebook. Email Chomp! at [email protected]. He even answers his phone sometimes: 803-200-8809. Cheers!
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