On this day in 1825, the first steam locomotive carried passengers on a public rail line. 

George Stephenson’s “Locomotion No. 1” travelled down the Stockton and Darlington Railway in England for 25 miles carrying both passengers and coal. It still took another eight years before the rail’s passenger service was completely converted from horse-drawn to steam.

Music Du Jour: Little Eva knows how to do it.

Films Du Jour: Silver Streak and Murder on the Orient Express

Snacks Du Jour: Here’s an article about snacks to bring with you on Amtrak.

Cocktail Du Jour – Train’s a Comin’
This cocktail was created by Céline Bossart.
⦁ Absinthe, to rinse
⦁ 1 oz cognac
⦁ 0.75 oz Dolin blanc vermouth
⦁ 1 teaspoon Creme Yvette
⦁ 0.75 oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
⦁ 0.75 oz Concord grape syrup
Rinse the inside of a chilled rocks glass with absinthe and set aside. Add the cognac, blanc vermouth, Creme Yvette, lemon juice and Concord grape syrup into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Double strain into the absinthe-rinsed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Mocktail Du Jour – Night Train Mocktail
⦁ 1 cup of ⦁ Chaga Tea
⦁ 0.5 oz ginger syrup*
⦁ 1 dash of ⦁ Angostura Bitters
Brew chaga tea according to instructions, then chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Shake all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a glass over ice.
*Ginger Syrup Recipe: Peel 3 inches of ginger root and add to pot with ½ cup of honey and ½ cup of water/ Bring to a boil and simmer until honey is completely dissolved. Remove ginger. Store in the refrigerator.

Beer Du Jour
Steam Theory labels, Anchor Steam, or a Harviestoun Old Engine Oil English Porter.

Wine Du Jour
Any wine you can pick up on the Napa Valley Train tour. Here’s a list of vinyards.

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Photo attributions: “Robert Stephenson & Co. No.1 Locomotion” by Hugh Llewelyn is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0