Daily Loaf

April may be the cruelest month, but for those of us wishing the weather could nudge from arctice to Tampa temperate, March isn’t far behind.

But it’s perfect Scotch whisky weather.

Of course, it also doesn’t hurt when your drinking buddy is Dalmore whisky’s master blender Richard Paterson. He recently invited me to join him for a lesson in whisky appreciation at the Capital Grille at Tampa’s International Plaza. And if ever you’re as preposterously lucky as I was to be asked to taste whisky (or hell, tepid bath water) with him, go. Don’t walk, run.

Happening upon a guy with his charm, passion for teaching and encyclopedic whisky wisdom is about as likely as discovering Sean Connery has Yoda’s Jedi powers.

Which is probably why after sitting down with Richard – and sniffing, swirling, swallowing and curiously if deliberately slinging small amounts to the carpeted floor – a handful of world-class single-malt whiskies I had what I can only describe as an epiphany. Read the rest of this entry »

When you think of Italian wines, the first that usually come to mind are the reds: Super Tuscans, Chianti Classico, Brunello, Barolo. Italian whites bring to mind light wines made from pinot grigio and trebbiano.

But when it comes to dessert wines, the Sauternes of France, and the wonderful “stickies” produced in Australia, the United States and Canada are more familiar. Italian Moscato d’Asti is known for its sweetness, but its sparkling character makes it more appropriate as a before dinner aperitivo than a dessert wine.

Since the Middle Ages, however, Italians have been drinking a dessert wine that is as delicious as it is versatile: Vin Santo — wine of saints, nectar of the gods, holy wine. Read the rest of this entry »

The fame of wines from South America grows like a wild fire.  Argentina and Chile have made such incredible headway into the wine world that it’s now uncommon to find someone who doesn’t know about Argentine malbec or Chilean carmenére.  Even as recently as three years ago that would have been the reverse, eyes glassing over at the mention of wine from either of these countries.

Now the same holds true for Uruguay and Peru.  There’s a look of shock as those who are otherwise astute wine drinkers try to reach into the crevasses of their brains to figure out where exactly these two countries lie in relation to their now more famous neighbors. Read the rest of this entry »

Blame it on the chilly weather, but I’ve got Scotch whisky on the brain. Or liver.

Notoriously tough to use as an ingredient in cocktails, whisky is getting a lot more attention these days from mixologists. Maybe they see whisky’s can’t-play-nice-with-other-ingredients character as a challenge. Whatever the motivation, the results I’m seeing – and sipping – are often wonderful.

One whisky-based cocktail I recently fell in love with comes from Owen Westman of San Francisco’s famed Bourbon & Branch bar. It’s called the Laphroaig Project, after the super-peaty whisky it employs to such tasty results. It somehow manages to taste like a perfect beach-time cooler with complex wintry smokiness. In other words, the ideal winter Florida cocktail. Come to think of it, Tartan Beach might be a good name for this one.

Note: with the exception of Fee Peach Bitters, which you’ll likely need to buy online, these other ingredients are available at most decent liquor stores. You can get all them at Total Wines.

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

The classification of wines as old world or new world can be a helpful distinction. France, Spain, Italy and other European countries are home to old world wines. They may taste like leather, tobacco, minerals or earth. New world wines are found around the globe, coming from areas like Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and — within the United States — California, Washington and Oregon. New world wines are often described as fruit forward or jammy.

Is it possible to find a garnacha fruit bomb from Spain, or an earthy pinot noir from Oregon? Sure. But as a rule of thumb, wine is a product of its terroir, driven by soil, sunshine (or lack thereof), rain and temperature. As a result of climate and soil there are some areas that are well-suited for wine production, and others where it just doesn’t work. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m going to talk about making Valentine’s Day cocktails, so if you can’t stomach the notion that a drink can be both pink and good, this won’t be for you.

Come to think of it, if you’re unable to be seen – and I’m addressing a certain type of guy – sipping a rose-colored cocktail, you’ve either been drinking the wrong stuff or have deeper issues to resolve.

For the rest of you intrepid tipplers (unfussy drunks, too), here are a few pink-hued drinks that should make your Valentine swoon.

***

First up is Aperol Spritz, a refreshing pre-dinner cocktail that’s really more orangey-pink. But it’s exotically pretty, bubbly without Champagne’s price, and delicious. It’s also ridiculously easy to make.

Aperol, a faintly bitter-orange based Italian aperitif, gives this drink is exotic look and zing.

Come to think of it, you’ll want a bottle of this stuff around for other great drinks we’ll be making in the weeks ahead.

In a champagne flute, pour 1 and 1/2 ounces of Aperol, 2 ounces of chilled Prosecco or other sparkling wine (I say go full Italian), and a splash of chilled seltzer. Garnish with a lemon twist.

If you like less Aperol, back off on it. You can also skip the splash of seltzer, if you like. In other words, make drinks like you like ‘em.

*** Read the rest of this entry »

I had a flash of inspiration while perusing the aisles at a liquor store, debating on what to bring to a friend’s upcoming party. There are countless flavored liquors available now days, from passionfruit to pomegranate and even sweet tea-flavored, but many of them are marked up in price simply due to their fancy additions. Why not just infuse some myself with fresh ingredients?

All you need is a bottle or two of your chosen libations, whatever flavoring ingredients your heart desires, and some clear glass bottles in which to serve your homemade concoction.

When purchasing your base liquors, do yourself (or your eventual giftee) a favor and stay away from the low-end stuff.This is meant to be enjoyed straight or on the rocks and no amount of flavoring can mask the taste of cheap booze. You don’t need to splurge on top-shelf brands, either, because the subtleties will be lost when you pack it full of fruit or spice. Mid-range brands are perfect — I used Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.

Read the rest of this entry »

With a few short sentences on their website, High and Mighty Beer Co. captures the full attention of anyone interested in beer and clever writing. “We’re not just brewers – we’re beer-evangelists. We’re the Clergy of Zymurgy, the Priests of Yeasts, the Joyful Congregation of High Fermentation.” Amen, man.

High and Mighty Beer Co. begins with Will Shelton – of Shelton Brothers, a much-admired beverage importer known for getting the good overseas shit. In 2006, Will relocated to another tier in the distribution system by brewing the first batches of High and Mighty beer at Paper City Brewery in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Beer of the Gods, a German-style ale, was the first year-round release, followed by the India pale lager Purity of Essence, St Hubbins Abbey Dubbel, and Two-Headed Beast, with a  seasonal offering called Home for the Holidays.

Unfiltered and unpasteurized with a temperate ABV, High and Mighty beers embody the time-honored production spirit and sessionability of European brews. Yet, the brewing philosophy is decidedly American, with adventurous concoctions that elude the rigid categorization of conventional style guidelines. Read the rest of this entry »

Finding a bar that fits your taste and atmosphere preferences, with friendly bartenders who care you are there, is not always the easiest thing. It is, however, as significant as finding the right hair salon and stylist. (Ladies, you know what I mean.)

Although I enjoy a night of debauchery out at the clubs as much as the next twenty-something, as a person who lives in the land of couples a more low key scene is what I look for on the average weekend. After a long week at work, when it’s just me and my guy, I like nothing more than a chill atmosphere, an attentive bartender and enough room to find a seat.

Because of this that my boyfriend and I routinely find ourselves sitting on barstools at Peggy O’Niell’s Irish Pub on West Hillsborough on Friday nights. And there are many reasons why we choose to spend our hard-earned dollars there more frequently than anywhere else.

The first reason is the drinks. Peggy’s has a full bar, but my lips rarely move from my poison of choice – vodka – and Peggy’s has plenty of it. One Wednesday evening, which is “$5 you call it shots” night, I had quite an enjoyable time with a can of Red Bull and Three Olive’s bubble-gum flavored vodka. Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the ongoing re-do of all the businesses under the auspices of the new Jannus Landing owners, the closed Detroit Liquors will re-open this weekend. Is it exciting? Maybe, if you want inexpensive hooch. The store’s gimmick is cheap liters, many priced as low as 750 ml bottles at other spots.

Full press release after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Having a beer with dinner isn’t such an unusual idea, but what about designing an entire meal around a collection of brews? Not many people know what goes into planning, organizing, and executing a beer dinner – or even the general idea behind beer dinners. It’s where you skip food and have beer for dinner instead, right? Not really.

In short, a beer dinner is an occasion where craft breweries and restaurants partner to highlight fine beers by pairing them with delicious food. A few months ago, Mr. Dunderbak’s and Boulder Beer Company teamed up to host a European-inspired beer dinner. This spectacular event featured family-style service and German-sized portions of dishes prepared and served with five gems from the Boulder product line. Jeff Brown, the president of Boulder Beer, was on hand to enhance the experience by sharing tasting notes, background information, and witty anecdotes about each beer as it was served. Read the rest of this entry »

In the farmhouse-laden, French-speaking regions of Belgium, a special sort of ale was traditionally brewed during winter and preserved until the warm weather of summer. Meaning season, saison is a brew characterized by the earthy, rustic essence of the countryside areas where the style originates. These top fermenting ales are unfiltered, achieve carbonation through bottle conditioning, and are at their best when served at around 50 degrees.

Since 1844, Brasserie Dupont has been crafting farmhouse-style ales in the western Belgian town of Tourpes. Situated on a sustainability-focused farm whose founding dates back to 1759, Dupont also produces bread using the brewery’s spent grain and a trio of cheeses treated with Dupont brews. Current brewer Marc Rosier carries on the legacy of Dupont’s time honored ales – Saison Dupont, Moinette, Avec les Bons Voeux, and Moinette Biologique, the first Belgian beer to achieve status as a certified organic product. Read the rest of this entry »

The cool, stained-glass Pelican sign is still out front.

And so ends the positive portion of this column in regards to the nausea-inducing redesign of the pub formerly known as the Pelican.  If you liked the old pub, it’s hard to imagine a worse fate could have befallen it.  Gone is one of the best jukeboxes in St. Petersburg, the sweet woodcut of Ponce de Leon and the punching machine, along with the flooring, most of the wood, the darkness and the cool, dank, and slightly squalid quality that is the hallmark of any dive worth a damn.  Also gone is most of the old clientele, unless they all happened to get blowouts and new clothes for Christmas.  They may as well have put down blue carpet, chromed it out and walled it with mirrors a la ‘Les Bos’ from South Park.

Now stripped of any personality, charm, warmth, sense of intimacy or originality, the Pelican Pub has been recast as what may perhaps be the perfect illustration of everything I don’t want in a bar.  The saddest part about all of this is the cluelessness exhibited by management.  Their press release actually promises — or threatens — to “pump in endless music and video.”  Oh good, that’s what I was hoping for, to be distracted from any social interaction by various videos, and songs NOT from a jukebox. Read the rest of this entry »

Today is one of a handful of winter days here in Florida, when it’s chilly enough to feel, if not like real winter, at least like winter lite.  In other words, I’m not wearing flip-flops.

I’m also looking for warming drinks. Here are a couple I like (shamelessly ripped from the pages of Organic, Shaken  and Stirred, my book about organic cocktails).

Tahitian Coffee
1 teaspoon organic orange blossom honey
1 teaspoon Tahitian Vanilla-Infused Organic Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon organic butter
5 ounces brewed organic coffee
1 1/2 ounces rhum agricole
Pinch of freshly grated organic nutmeg
Organic orange twist
1 organic cinnamon stick Read the rest of this entry »

This time of year, short days give way to early darkness, the weather turns cold, and an endless train of familiar Christmas tunes begins blaring out of audio orifices in every public space. The restlessness and exasperation build, but do not despair — adult beverages are nearby to help maintain a festive mood. Winter seasonal brews can take many forms, everything from pie spicy malt bombs to bitter smoky stouts and boozy slick high ABV monster brews. No matter where your style preferences lean, you’re in luck; a slew of great holiday beers are available in the Tampa Bay area, each with a unique personality and holiday cheer-making potential.

When it comes to domestic craft offerings, several brews stand out from the bunch. Heavy Seas Winter Storm by Baltimore’s Clipper City Brewing is a tremendously tasty 7.3% ABV Imperial ESB dry hopped with quintessential American Northwest strains. The biscuity flavor of Pale, Crystal, Carapils and Munich malt provides a calm backdrop for the squall of piney citric bitterness imparted by Magnum, Fuggles, Cascade, Centennial and Chinook hops. Read the rest of this entry »

The wine of choice for special celebrations, including New Year’s Eve, is anything that sparkles. There’s just something about seeing those little bubbles moving from the bottom to the top of a flute that puts people in a festive mood. Even better, sparkling wines are delicious and pair beautifully with a variety of popular holiday foods.

With crab, lobster, shrimp and scallops try a brut or demi-sec, the dryer of the sparkling wine styles. Turkey, chicken, rabbit and duck are delicious with a rose. Truffles work well with brut or rose. For cheese plates go with a blanc de blanc or rose, but avoid pairing most sparklers with strong blue cheeses. And for me there is nothing like a blanc de blanc with homey fried fish or chicken.

If money is no object, Read the rest of this entry »

The first phase of the Jannus Landing overhaul makes its public debut today when the newly remodeled Pelican Pub stages its re-opening. The interior of the longtime downtown watering hole, located next door to the Jannus courtyard entrance at First Avenue and Second Street N., was gutted and rebuilt from the ground up. Certain features are the same — the bar, the exposed brick walls — but the crusty old restrooms have been upgraded to nice, six brand new flat-screen HD TVs are scattered throughout, and a new state-of-the-art multi-media sound system will, according to the press release, “pump in endless music and videos.”

And even though it’s been elevated from its dive bar status, the pub will still offer generous drink prices on premium well offerings; 3 Olives Vodka, Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Johnny Walker Red, Crown Royal, Jagermeister and others are regularly priced at $5.50.

The Pelican Pub re-opens at 4 p.m. with a 2-for-1 happy hour until 7 p.m.

It is true that the holiday season is a time for fellowship and sharing.

Trouble is, for those of us who like wine, it’s also a time to receive some truly bad gifts. You know what I’m talking about. The probably re-gifted porcelain cheese cutting board and knife set. The bottle of white zinfandel that fairly screams “I picked this up at the gas station on the way to your house.”

This year don’t give the oenological equivalent of a crappy necktie.

There’s no better gift for a wine lover than, well, wine. And nothing says celebration quite like a good bottle of bubbly. While you can’t go wrong with the real stuff — Champagne, that is — domestic sparklers are often as good, and usually less expensive.

Among the best I’ve tried recently is Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a gift for the oenophile on your shopping list? Here’s a selection — $2.99 and up — that’s sure to please the most discriminating wine lover.

Vinturi Wine Aerator: You’ve heard of opening wine so it can breathe, and you’ve probably seen someone at a wine tasting swirling their wine in a glass, then audibly slurping the wine and swishing it around in their mouth. When you want to bring out the best in a wine, aeration is what you need. It can mellow tannins, improve the quality of a young wine, and heighten desirable qualities.

The Vinturi Wine Aerator adds the correct amount of air to your wine so it can be ready to drink when you are ready to drink it. Simply, too: Just pour the wine through the aerator into your glass. No decanting. No waiting. I was skeptical the first time I saw one in use, but after a number of side-by-side comparisons of wine poured from the bottle and poured through the aerator, the impact of the aerator was clear. Vinturi red wine and white wine aerators are available for $39.95 each at vinturi.com. Read the rest of this entry »

A private wine seminar for 10 people with Craig Dean, Wine Director of The Wine Exchange (Best of the Bay for Best Place to Get Lost in Wine). The winner will work with Craig to outline the tasting — if he or she is new to wine, Craig will provide a great way to learn about styles. If the winner knows wine and wants a challenge, Craig will hold a vertical or terroir tasting. The seminar includes 4 to 5 wines (based on the winner’s level of experience) and light appetizers. Plus, Majestic Fine Wines (La Crema) is offering this Majestic bonus: 1 3L bottle of its Carmel Road wine and 2 1.5L bottles of Cambria Pinot Noir.

Estimated value: $750

This auction item closes Wednesday, Dec. 9 @ 3 p.m. EST.

Final Bid: $350

Bidding for this item is closed.

Read the rest of this entry »

Turkey Dinner – Colleen Sachs, c 1995 – collection Nancy Armstrong

This time of year one of the most common questions in wine shops across the United States is what wine goes with turkey? Answers range from full-bodied whites, to light pinot noir, to the just released Beaujolais Nouveau. But instead of trying to come up with a universal answer, the response should be another question: what sides are you serving?

While the turkey is clearly the centerpiece of Thanksgiving dinner, it is a fairly blank canvas when it comes to wine pairing. The side dishes are what set the tone of the meal. Here are some suggestions followed by names of a few producers. Don’t worry if you can’t find the specific wines mentioned, just look for similarities.

A traditional Norman Rockwell-style Thanksgiving feast includes richness by way of gravy, mashed potatoes and dressing. It also features sweetness in the form of cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. Lots of flavor is needed to match the richness of this meal. Good options with this type of meal are Spanish tempranillo (like that from Bodegas Muga) and French Cotes-du-Rhone (E. Guigal, Chateau de Beaucastel) for reds, or gruner-veltliner (Weingut Eder) and gewürztraminer (Alexander Valley Vineyards) for whites.

Traditional southern Thanksgiving, which is what I am used to, is likely to include Read the rest of this entry »

It is known throughout the land – I am flamboyantly enraptured with every single beer produced by Left Hand Brewing. Their Milk Stout is the most excellent session stout ever, JuJu Ginger is the best accompaniment for sushi since wasabi, and Polestar Pilsner is so yummy it makes an ale junkie like me develop insane cravings for lager. But most of all, Left Hand’s seasonal and limited beers conjure intense feelings of euphoria – Oak Aged Imperial Stout, Rye Bock, and the Midnight Project collaborations with Terrapin Brewing. Read the rest of this entry »

As my friends continue to prove unable to handle their liquor, this hopes to become a series of helpful hints and amusing anecdotes which more experienced party-goers can use to ridicule friends who ill-advisedly drink beyond their means. It also sets up some pretty good photography. Here’s hoping they’ll still hang out with me.

A while back at our weekly poker game, one of our regulars decided to partake in a little Smirnoff 100. For those of you who haven’t ever had the misfortune of drinking this godforsaken beverage, Smirnoff 100 is just like regular vodka… except stronger. It is 100 proof rather than 80 proof, hence the name. Making it 20, carry the two, 10% more alcohol. I was told there would be no math.

At the beginning of the evening, I distinctly told my colleague to go easy drinking that stuff, as it would surely catch up with him. And it did.

Read the rest of this entry »

With the holidays approaching, the glorious bounty that is winter seasonal beer begins to descend upon the shelves of local bottle shops. One of my favorite seasonal offerings is the Petrus Key to Heaven gift pack, which features 6 unique brews from Belgian brewery Bavik-De Brabandere, many of which have been wood aged for at least two years. Among these fine examples of Belgian brewing are the sour lactobacillus joys Aged Pale and Oud Bruin, and the beefy, malty Dubbel Bruin.

A Blond Ale is also included in this cornucopia of Belgian funkiness. The bottle features a monk resembling pimp Santa on the label, proudly displaying his key to heaven and goblet – no doubt full of high-quality beer. Since Santa is down with snow, the North Pole, reindeer, and all that, Petrus Blond is best served cold, unlike many Belgian ales whose flavor characteristics are at their finest around cellar temperatures. Read the rest of this entry »

I challenge you to find a more suitable, adult-appropriate companion for a well assembled burger than a flavorful brew. But not every beer has the power to bring out the best in every burger — some matches are just better than others. Thankfully, Square One Burgers has an extensive beer list and a huge variety of killer burgers, so no matter what your preferences include, you have the opportunity to setup an ideal burger/ beer scenario. Read the rest of this entry »

The World Series of Beer Pong — “the largest, longest-running organized beer pong (aka Beirut) tournament in the world, created by beer pong players, for beer pong players” according to the WSOBP website — will start in less than two months, on Jan. 1 at the Flamingo Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

But you knew that, right? You’ve been single-mindedly training since 2008, when team Chauffering the Fat Kid managed to snatch the suds from an all-but-victorious  Iron Wizard Coalition by completing an amazing four straight sinks. Cinderella story? Yes. Biggest come-from-behind victory in the history of sports? Probably.

Don’t get the wrong impression about beer pong, though: it’s not all about beer consumption. Read the rest of this entry »

According to beer judging guidelines, brown ales should be a celebration of sweet dark grain. English style browns exhibit a heavier, dominant malt character with very little hops presence, while American browns tend to balance malt and hops flavors, sometimes with a modest degree of citrusy bitterness. Alcohol content of both types is usually moderate, somewhere between 3% and 5% ABV.

Jackie Brown, a noteworthy brown ale from Mikkeller, defies categorization under both English and American style. This specialty beer takes the generic base style of brown ales, with the signature appearance, aroma, and mouthfeel and adds a mountain of nugget, simcoe, and centennial hops, resulting in a brown beer that’s bitter as hell. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dalmore is a classic name in Scotch — located way up in north Scotland, just past Inverness and the Highlands — but one that has received little credit here in the colonies over the past decade or so. With a change from Jim Beam to a new marketing company, and an alliance with big daddy Southern Wine and Spirits for distribution, The Dalmore is trying to change its image here in the States.

Which is why I found fully-kilted Richard Patterson — Master Blender of The Dalmore’s parent company Whyte & Mackay — in my office, pouring much of The Dalmore’s line. Although most Scotch distilleries try to maintain a “house style” that’s consistent through the years and across different varieties, this was different. Each pour opened up a whole new range of textures and flavors, with a few subtle notes tying the line together.

Here’s the rundown: Read the rest of this entry »

If you didn’t know, Creative Loafing recently relocated its offices from Howard Ave. to Ybor, and staffers are psyched. No disrespect intended to SoHo, but our new digs are an easy walk from coffee, alcohol, food and music, not to mention the ample natural light and old-Florida brick architecture. It’s like waking up from a black-and-white dream.

But, like any large group of disparate individuals, the CL staff can’t settle on which bar should be our new home away from home (away from home). So you get to pick for us.

A few considerations before casting your vote: it has to be open by 5 p.m. at the latest, although earlier is better for those afternoon pick-us-ups; it has to be more a bar than a club — although live music is a plus; no cover charge.

Knowing that, where will you send us for our daily medicine? Vote after the break! Read the rest of this entry »

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale — Brewed in Portland, Maine by Shipyard Brewing Company, Pumpkinhead is easily the mildest, most accessible, and sessionable pumpkin beer. At 4.5% ABV, this institution in pumpkin ales pours a golden hue, emitting aromas of wheat grain with faint traces of baking spices. On the palate, nutmeg dominates; making it very pie like, yet the brew is light bodied and easy drinking. It’s a nice introduction to pumpkin beer, with all the quintessential flavors packed into a thin, light-tasting brew.

Wolaver’s, Dogfish Head, Weyerbacher and Terrapin after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

California will soon be host to the world’s smallest wine appellation, or legally designated wine region. The U.S. is already home to the largest appellation in the world, the ever-popular Upper Mississippi River Valley American Viticultural Area, which covers almost 30,000 square miles spread across four states, approved earlier this year by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. Maybe they’re going for a Guinness Book of World Records spot?

The newly approved Happy Canyon AVA (happycanyonava.com), located inside California’s Santa Ynez Valley AVA and the huge Central Coast AVA, only encompasses eight vineyards, and only six of those — Cimarone, Grassini, Vogelzang, HCV, McGinley, and Star Lane — actually make wine. Why such a fiddling little designation, when the wineries involved could easily use the Santa Ynez Valley branding? Different micro-climate, different soil and, well, Happy Canyon sounds so much nicer than Santa Ynez, doesn’t it?

(Want to follow all of CL’s Food, Drink and Restaurant news? Bookmark the food section of the blog, add the CL Food RSS feed to your reader of choice, follow @BrianRies on Twitter, or check out the Food Section page multiple times daily.)

This time of year is ripe for ghosts, ghouls and scary tales, but don’t let witches brew distract you from great inexpensive wines. Halloween screams for some scary and spooktacular vino, and one of my all time favorites to drink on Halloween night is Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon. Vampire — like its counterpart, Dracula Wine — was at one time made in Transylvania, but has now moved operations to Paso Robles; that just bites, no pun intended.

Half the fun of drinking Vampire was the storied location where it was made. Thankfully, the change in venue has not resulted in ghastly juice.

I’m first enticed by the aromas of blood-red, ripe fruit. The scent calls to me and I can’t resist taking a small nibble, er, sip of the garnet colored liquid swirling in the glass. On the first taste I’m hit with a lip smacking, succulent flavor, with a finish leaving me wanting more. Just one thing to do: Read the rest of this entry »

Sierra Nevada 2009 Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale
6.7% ABV, 24-ounce bottle

Sierra Nevada has always been the safety date for craft brew lovers, when they’re forced by circumstance to buy beer at grocery and liquor stores with limited selections. Partly, that’s due to this brewery’s amazing success at penetrating the market — it’s ubiquitous at almost any retailer that branches out even a little from American mega-brews. Partly, that’s because Sierra Nevada has been able to maintain craft-brew style throughout its 29 years of business, even as the brewery’s production has risen over 800,000 barrels per year.

The Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale represents both Sierra Nevada’s small-batch quality and its ability to market a schtick. The brewery has been making fresh hop beers for over a decade, shipping in newly-picked flowers from Washington State every fall that haven’t been dried or pelletized like much of the hops used for beer. Theoretically, that means more pronounced floral and drying notes from the fresh oils and resins, resulting in an annual ale that’s bright and bitter and distinctly seasonal. Turns out, once a year isn’t enough.

In 2008, Sierra Nevada expanded its fresh hop line to the spring, sourcing the powerful buds from South American growers (with their opposite growing season) to produce a brother for fall’s fresh beer. With the brewery a few weeks away from releasing the latest domestic version, it seemed time to put a cap on the Southern Hemisphere variety. Or, well, pop a cap, I guess. Read the rest of this entry »

Not really sure how cult classics are born, but the ones who get it right seem to rocket to success quickly. Some have equally cult winemakers to aid them in their assent — Helen Turley (Colgin, Bryant Family), Heidi Barrett (Screaming Eagle) — but others have fabulously gorgeous wines which sell themselves. Bodega Achaval Ferrer, a ten-year-old winery in Argentina’s Mendoza region, is the latter.

Achaval Ferrer, founded by six friends with very little experience in the wine business, began as a labor of love. Of red wine.  Manuel Ferrer Minetti, whose card simply reads “Vice-President”, formerly practiced law and now pimps his company’s juice on American soil. I met with Manuel a few days ago and tasted through all his newly released wines. I was blown away by the quality and character of the juice, most of which is malbec-based.

Ten years ago, malbec was only a twinkle in the U.S. eye but these six men had vision — a vision that they could make an ultra high-quality Argentinean wine that would sell for $50 or more (Thankfully, they recently realized people might buy wines at the lower end as well). They did it by finding and purchasing existing vineyards — with the help of French winemaking consultant Michel Rolland — planted with vines averaging 80-years-old. One of the plots was even lying fallow, grown over with weeds yet still managing to produce fruit. Their Italian winemaker took these super-concentrated, ripe grapes and made wine. The first vintage scored a 91 rating from one of the glossy wine mags (can’t publicize those things in my blog) and they’ve been in the star-studded wine ranks ever since.

Sounds easy doesn’t it? Read the rest of this entry »

Many articles try to correlate personalities with purchases: cars, pets, and clothes. Just for fun I’m going to correlate a person’s sexual personality with the type of wine they drink.

White Wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris, Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs can be sweet, dry, or somewhere in between.  Sex with a white wine drinker can range from missionary sex to an SNM scene. This person is full of surprises. Have fun and look out. Read the rest of this entry »