Today’s DOTD - Drink Of The Day - is an Appletini, inspired by two apple related events, which both happened on this date - the launch of iTunes & the debut of the original iPhone. And like many Apple products, it comes in multiple “flavors” - both alcoholic & non-alchoholic.
Whether you like Apple computer products or not, it’s impossible to argue the world has not been changed, in many ways for the better, by the formerly little computer company from Cupertino, and the contributions of Steve Jobs, its co-founder.
For people who love music or other audio programming, the first big technological revolution began on this date, January 9, 2001, when Steve Jobs announced the advent of Apple’s iTunes software. Prior to iTunes, digital music was a hodgepodge of software, from Soundjam MP, to WinAmp, to Audion and Windows Media Player. Of course, there ware also streaming services like Napster & Limewire, which had put massive targets on the backs of all digital music players, as people began rampantly pirating music.
While Jobs initially positioned the application as easy to use jukebox software, iTunes also initially launched with streaming radio stations, hinting at what came soon after, the iTunes Music Store. With the launch of the iPod (later in 2001) and the iTunes Store, music labels rapidly began changing how they looked at digital music, from an enemy to a whole new income stream. The entire world of podcasting - even the word “podcast” - exists because of iTunes & the iPod.
But iTunes wasn’t the only world-changing Apple product launched on this date.
On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs once again rolled out a product that would change the world.
The 4.53" tall, 2.40" wide, 0.46" thick plastic, metal, and glass brick had a touchscreen, a 2MP camera, could browse the internet, use email, send texts, and carry your entire iTunes library (if it was a small library) - and it would change virtually every aspect of mobile communications around the world going forward.
While there were some competitors that had similar capabilities, what Apple did with the iPhone was as revolutionary as what they’d done with the desktop computer in 1984, with the Macintosh. Suddenly, the power of a laptop was effectively able to be held in the hands of almost everyone, and then tucked in a pocket, purse, or bag and carried anywhere.
As is often the case with Steve Jobs, while the presentation was slick, clean, and amazed millions, the chaos that it went on behind the scenes of that iPhone launch was astounding, as documented in many places, including this NYTimes piece from 2013.
Between iTunes & the iPhone, and the contributions they’ve made to technology & society, have changed the world forever, in ways that we’d argue are overall better.
For example, you wouldn’t be able to hang out in your favorite bar with Jody & Shawn from wherever you are.
So in a salute to those revolutionary technologies today, we raise a glass with today’s Drink Of The Day, the Appletini.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’re going to need for this drink:
