who knew?

for my work in hospitality at a local winery, i need to keep learning and be in the know about both wine and spirits.  in reading my prep to sommelier course book, i garnered a couple of interesting historic and word usage bits of info that i didn't know before.

should you or i ever find ourselves on jeopardy, the tidbits could come in handy and i promise to share any winnings with you.

the first random fact:  remember johnny appleseed day in elementary school?  learning about the benefactor who went about scattering seeds that turned into a heritage and orchards for years to come?  turns out, he was a smart business man; the reason john went ahead of settlers planting trees was to be able to use the fruit to sell hard cider once the pioneers had settled, and he did quite well!

second tidbit:  i'd always wondered why, in speaking of gins and whiskeys, we say "proof".  why not just say the percentage of alcohol?  and why is it doubled?  (40% alcohol=80 proof).  well, back in the days of bootlegging and prohibition they needed a way to tell if their concoction had worked.  they would soak gunpowder in spirits and if it caught fire, it was "proof" that it was strong enough.

who knew?

what have you learned lately, no matter how small, that you find interesting?