Cocktail of the Month: Sidecar

1 1/2 oz. Cognac 1 oz. Orange Liqueur 1 oz. Lemon Juice Combine all the ingredients together in a shaker, add ice, shake and strain into a martini glass with a sugared rim. Add a lemon peel for garnish and enjoy!

When choosing a cognac, I would recommend a VS (Very Special) or VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale). These guarantee how long the cognac has been aged. Younger cognacs, such as VS, have more vibrant fruit aromas, whereas older eau-de-vie, such as VSOPs, are smoother. Again, it’s all about preference. Cocktail Mixed by Jill Rowe/Staff Writer OF THEMONTH I often find myself hesitant to order a cocktail at a new bar or restaurant. I don’t consider myself a mixologist; in fact, I despise the term. But I do know that the key to a great cocktail is balance. I don’t want the bartender to “hook it up.” The classic Sidecar cocktail might lean excessively boozy or boring in the wrong hands. However, in the right hands and with the proper cognac, it can be pure joy in a drink.

The Sidecar likely evolved from a cocktail called the Brandy Crusta, a drink created in New Orleans by renowned bartender Joseph Santini in the 1850s. Brandy Crusta was created to try and enhance the flavor of the time’s traditional sour cocktail.

According to legend, during World War I, an American Army Captain would frequently ride to the bar in the sidecar of a friend’s motorcycle. He wanted a drink to warm him up before dinner one night, and cognac was the first thing that came to mind. However, it was deemed inappropriate for this early in the evening (apparently, they didn’t know about happy hour), so the bartender mixed it with Cointreau and lemon juice. As a result, the Sidecar was born.

While the legend never flat out says who created the drink, many believe it was pioneering barman Harry McElhone of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. However, in his own ABC of Cocktails, he credits the drink’s invention to Pat McGarry, the bartender at Buck’s Club in London. Later, he turns around and takes recognition for creating the cocktail. Make up your mind, Harry. It’s not just the Sidecar’s history that’s a source of contention; there are also disputes about the proportions of the drink’s ingredients. The French make the Sidecar with equal parts cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice, whereas the British version uses two parts cognac to one part orange liqueur and lemon juice. My general rule of thumb when balancing cocktails is to use equal parts citrus to sugar. If a recipe calls for one ounce of lemon juice, typically one ounce of simple syrup or liqueur will balance the citrus nicely. If you prefer a sour drink, use less sugar to bring out the tartness of the citrus.

The wonderful thing about the complex ratios in this drink is that you can change it to match your preferences. Sweet, tart or strong … your choice. It reminds me of one of those choose-your-own ending books! As a child, I loved to read and reread those.

The Sidecar never fails to put you in a good mood with its distinct, sour flavor that highlights its agedspirit cognac. You can never go wrong with this reigning classic, no matter the occasion! Cheers!

Story by Chelsea McConnell/Staff Writer Photos courtesy of Cindy Heidlage

Basketball coach Phil Jackson said, “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.” It is clear after time spent with Aaron Michaud, Electrical Superintendent of Ponca City Energy, that he values a healthy corporate culture and respect for team members. This is one of the elements adding to the success of the Ponca City Energy (PCE) team.

Ponca City’s brick streets were first bathed in light in 1894. Our city’s first electric company was owned by J.J. McGraw. The City of Ponca City passed a bond and purchased the electric company less than 20 years later. Today, Ponca City Energy is your public power source since 1912 and is owned by the people it serves. Our city’s electrical system covers approximately 200 square miles of territory, making it the largest electric municipality in the state, square mile wise. This territory, as described by Michaud is, “Much more than the city limits. Our territory runs to Kildare to the north and White Eagle to the south. We go all the way out to Kaw Lake to the east and Ranch Drive to the west.” PCE has 25 employees. Of these employees, there are 14 Lineworkers and 1 Lineworker Apprentice that maintain our electrical lines over those vast 200 square miles. All of the PCE lineworkers have attained their Journeyman’s license. PCE’s Apprentice is in the second year of the program on the way to receiving his Journeyman’s license. Within the 200 square miles, there

See PCE Continued on Page 50 Aaron Michaud, Electrical Superintendent of Ponca City Energy

are over 16,000 electric meters, 20,000 power poles, 410 miles of overhead primary lines and 65 miles of underground primary lines. These numbers are evidence of a well-oiled, hardworking crew of individuals. Michaud is incredibly proud of the PCE team of lineworkers. As a team, PCE also values the bigger picture and working together to help our city as a whole run more effectively. Michaud puts it like this, “We aid a lot of other city departments when they need help, whether it be hanging a flag or setting some poles for playground equipment for Parks & Rec. We help the Street Department quite a bit as well. Anytime a department needs us, we help other departments. We all work well together. Our owners are the citizens of Ponca City. We answer to them at the end of the day. It’s their support and the Commission’s support that gets us what we need to do our work.”

PCE also aids the city and the community financially as well. “We are one of the largest revenuegenerating departments. So we contribute heavily to the general fund,” Michaud says. They also donate to many causes and organizations, including many Ponca City athletics groups and many nonprofits. On top of financial donations, employees often get together to participate in festivals like Goblins on Grand and other community events. “We enjoy being out there in the public eye and supporting the public because that’s what makes us a community. And, and if you don’t support the community, you just don’t have a community,” Michaud states.

As Superintendent, Michaud takes care of day-today operations, as well as management of the lineworkers and the apprentice. Part of his job involves setting jobs up for new electrical lines to be installed. “If a customer calls and they want to put a new service in, I’m the one to go meet with them in the field. We’ll stake out if there needs to be any poles. If there’s any aid to construction or contracts that need to be written, I’ll draw those up. I basically do the work from meeting the customer to getting it set up for the crews to go out there and complete the work.” PCE gets multiple calls like this each day. Sometimes the jobs involve new construction, and sometimes they involve upgrades to existing lines. The team also tests poles each year in order to ensure they’re being replaced as needed. An outside contractor comes in annually to test a random selection of poles. His feedback gives PCE the information they need to replace damaged poles. By doing this, they are able to mitigate future hazards. With over 20,000 poles in the system, maintenance is vital to running a smooth operation.

Michaud and PCE staff also participate annually in the MESO (Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma) Lineworkers’ Rodeo. The event was held recently in Edmond on Sept. 21-22. This year was Michaud’s 12th year to judge the competition. Joining him as judges were Keenen Pappan, Jared Evans and Gary Goodno. PCE had one three-man team with members Tomas Alvarez, Chris Crain and Austin Fry. Tomas Alvarez took 1st in the Hurtman Rescue, Speed Climb and Mutual Aid. Chris Crain took

“We’re fortunate, because in my opinion, we probably have some of the best linemen in the state and that’s what allows us to get as much done as we can with the low number of staff that we have. They’re really good guys. They work safely. They work efficiently. They know the jobs really well. So, we’ve been blessed in that aspect.”

MESO (Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma) Lineworkers’ Rodeo

MESO (Municipal Electric Systems of Oklahoma) Lineworkers’ Rodeo: Tomas Alvarez, Austin Fry and Chris Cain 2nd in the Hurtman Rescue and 3rd in the Speed Climb. Michaud is proud of the PCE team. “Our team always does phenomenally well. They’re a great bunch of guys that compete hard, and they work hard at it.” Last year PCE’s Rodeo team took 2nd place in the Hurtman Rescue at the National Competition, an incredible feat according to Michaud. “It is pretty cool because we’re competing against municipalities with literally thousands of employees and millions of customers.” The events the team takes place in replicate the hard work they are doing daily on the job. To win, they must complete each task with the utmost precision and speed while also being perfectly safe. Their performance in these events speaks to their expertise on the job.

Each year the location of the state rodeo changes as it rotates around the state. Ponca City has hosted the state rodeo twice in recent years. The annual rodeo is a great opportunity for lineworkers across the state to get to know one another. Ponca City is one of many communities across the state that signs a Mutual Aid agreement with MESO annually. Under this agreement, PCE will help other towns in the event of a crisis or great need in their community. For example, if Edmond is hit with a bad storm that passes Ponca City by, our team members can step in and help them get their systems back up and running. Because the agreement is mutual, other cities extend the same courtesy to our community in times of need.

They say “Teamwork makes the dream work.” It’s a cliché because it’s true. The team at Ponca City Energy works hard across our city and across the state. These men and women are just part of what makes our community such a great place to live.

Our local family-owned business has been incredibly blessed by the people in our community. We can’t thank you enough for the trust you’ve placed in us.

Owned and Operated by Larry & Stephanie Klinger

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