IRISH COFFEE
COCKTALE As far as Irish whiskey cocktails are concerned, few spring to mind so easily as the Irish Coffee. It’s a delicious and warming treat when prepared correctly, but one that can go horribly awry in the wrong hands. For whatever reason, modern bartenders are often woefully uneducated about how... Read More
Irish Beer Today
Among everyday beer drinkers, the Republic of Ireland stands as one of the world’s great brewing nations. The land where velvety pints of Dublin Gold pour forth from countless taps in myriad quaint pubs, from Dublin to Kinsale to Sligo. The nation is also home to the slightly less well... Read More
Merry Edwards, The Queen of Pinot Noir
Her Majesty, the Queen of Pinot Noir, otherwise known as Merry Edwards, was born right here in Newton. I learned the story of how Merry got from eastern Massachusetts to be royalty in California’s Russian River Valley during a recent visit. Meredith Edwards, daughter of an MIT-educated engineer, was taken... Read More
Village Chablis
Based upon my recent assessments, wine from Chablis is as relevant to our market today as it’s ever been. Despite the Recession-fueled downturn in French imports overall and Burgundy in particular, village level Chablis remains viable at a relatively moderate cost and, perhaps more to the point, it provides an... Read More
WASHINGTON’S MERCER ESTATES
Mercer Estates, in Prosser, is mainly the story of two families of farmers in southeastern Washington making wine from the grapes they grow. Three appellations are involved: the overarching Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Washington’s first recognized AVA, and Horse Heaven Hills, probably my favorite name among AVAs. (It was so... Read More
PROFILE: COREY BUNNEWITH
On a Sunday night in January, Corey Bunnewith explained his Vin Brulé. He developed the mulled spiced wine for the inaugural drink list at Coppa, the neighborhood Italian enoteca that James Beard Award-winning chef Ken Oringer opened with Jamie Bissonnette in Boston’s South End in December. He offered me the... Read More
Irish Whiskey
It is said, in bittersweet fun, that God gave the Irish whiskey so they wouldn’t take over the world. Theologians will have to take another look at the whole omniscience concept, though: the way Irish whiskey sales have been growing, the plan might just backfire. How much has Irish whiskey... Read More
QUAKE LEVELS BARBANCOURT DISTILLERY
The earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti did not spare the country’s largest rum producer, Barbancourt. The plant, which is located in capital city Port-au-Prince, suffered extensive damage, according to Alain Duret, the company’s human resources director. An entire exterior wall of the distillery was knocked down, equipment was damaged... Read More
DECISION HANDED DOWN ON WINE SHIPPING
A federal appeals court has ruled that a Massachusetts law restricting out-of-state winemakers from shipping their products directly to consumers in the state is unconstitutional. The decision by the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a lower court ruling could open the door for residents in Massachusetts to purchase... Read More
AA FOR FRUIT FLIES?
Perhaps a more appropriate name for the fruit fly might be the bar fly. Apparently the annoying pests enjoy a little liquor when they dine. And according to scientists studying Drosophila melanogaster (AKA the fruit fly), once the flies get a taste, they’re hooked. According to a study appearing in... Read More