ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH – THE FLORODORA
Florodora, a musical revue from London, hit it big on Broadway in 19OO. It was one of the first successful Broadway musicals of the 2Oth century, showing for 552 performances on the New York stage before touring extensively around the world. If the name didn’t already cue you, the musical... Read More
CIGAR CITY BREWING’S JOEY REDNER
In a small industrial park near downtown Tampa, a buzz continues to grow louder, emanating from the stainless steel tanks of a tiny Florida brewery. The hype about Cigar City Brewing started long before it even brewed its first batch. Run by a beer columnist for a local Tampa newspaper,... Read More
PINOT NOIR IS HAPPENING IN MONTEREY
Few indeed are sources of world-class Pinot Noir. Let us count them. The gold standard resides in the Côte d’Or and, to a lesser degree, the Côte Chalonnaise. I’ve drunk two or three exemplars in the Alto Adige, Italy’s most northerly reaches. Over here, we have Oregon’s Willamette Valley and... Read More
BALLARD CANYON SYRAH
If Ballard Canyon in California’s Santa Barbara County is as unknown to most wine professionals as it had been to me prior to a recent trip to the region, my prediction is that it will soon be “discovered”. The pending AVA is a source of superb Syrah. Not that Rhône... Read More
A GOOD, FAMILIAR CREATURE
About 25 years ago I was going through something of an epiphany regarding wine’s influences upon health. At the time there were two committed camps in the US. A sizable number insisted that anything containing alcohol was intrinsically evil, prohibitionists denying that any good could ever come from drinking, however... Read More
THE GREAT GIN REVIVAL
Whether you’re talking politics, literature, culinary icons, or movies, there’s always a place for gin in the conversation. After all, Winston Churchill, FDR, Julia Child, and Jack London are among its most famous fans, to name but a few. With all the hullaballoo around vodka throughout the last decade-plus, gin... Read More
SMIRNOFF IS #1
Smirnoff has retained its position as the leading global drinks brand, according to an annual industry survey. The Power 1OO report, carried out by strategy consultancy Intangible Business, is once more topped by Smirnoff, described as possessing a “modern, cool image”. Whiskey brand Johnnie Walker occupies second place on the... Read More
THE CURE FOR THE COMMON HANGOVER?
Can it be so? Could there really be an actual cure, and a natural one at that, for the dreaded hangover? There just might be and it comes in the form of natural coconut water. There are myriad remedies for hangovers – from fast food to the hair-of-the-dog – but... Read More
LICENSES AND IDS GET A NEW LOOK
The Patrick-Murray Administration has unveiled a new driver’s license and Massachusetts ID that, for the first time in over a decade, are actually being manufactured in Massachusetts. The cards include new security features that offer residents better protection against fraud and identity theft. “In keeping with Governor Patrick’s commitment to... Read More
THINGS ARE LOOKING UP FOR CAMPARI
Spirits are rising at Campari, literally and figuratively. Distributors restocking and the revival of the spirits market has pushed up sales and profits at Campari, the Italian drinks company. Pre-tax profit rose 12.7 percent to €43.3m (US$54.5m) in the first quarter to March 31. Sales, excluding the acquisition of Wild... Read More