Doug French
Doug French • 51 • Mezcalero, Scorpion Mezcal & Marketer, Caballeros Inc. • Oaxaca, Mexico PROFILE Born in Bronxville, NY, mezcalero Doug French grew up in Beaumont, TX, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Europe. His double major in business administration/Latin-American studies from U. Pacific helped him import hand-woven textiles and run his... Read More
Profile: Slick Willie
WILLIE TAIT • 59 • Master Distiller and Single Malt Ambassador • Isle of Jura, Scotland Och, aye! The isles of Scotland are rich in history and religion. Iona is recognized as the cradle of Christianity from which St. Columba preached and roamed in the VI-century, CE. Jura, one of... Read More
Whiskey
A native son of Islay, the small island with such a remarkable concentration of legendary single malt distilleries that’s located off the west coast of Scotland in the Hebrides. 57-year-old McEwan’s life has centered on this single malt island culture going back to the days he started out as a... Read More
Made in Maine
Those words mean something to people. Whether it’s because of L.L. Bean’s solid reputation for good craftsmanship and standing behind their products, the quirky natural toothpastes from Tom’s of Maine, or just the love of lobsters, Maine has a great reputation in New England and beyond. “The further away you... Read More
Revenge of the Schist
“I really don’t want a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Chardonnay,” I told the waitperson in a restaurant and pointed to a wine on the list. “Please bring me this one listed under Gravel over Clay.” This is the fantasy of a diehard wine terroirist: to have wines identified by soil... Read More
Back to Burgundy
The Hospices de Beaune provides convalescent and medical services to the citizens of Beaune, the medieval town which is in the heart of the Burgundian wine industry. The Hospices uses the auction of wines made from grapes in its vineyards to help fund its work. Hence the motives of the... Read More
Gone Hunting
DAVID HUNT • 57 • Winemaker-Owner • Hunt Cellars • Paso Robles, CA Restless, confident and proud, David Hunt is an affable jokester and self-promoter, a lively, coaxing conversationalist with a Carolina drawl. He’s also a fanatic in the lab and crush-room, an inveterate tinkerer when blending. His Hunt Cellars... Read More
Rogue is Different
This Oregon brewery is perhaps the smallest brewery that you will find in beer stores and bars across the country – widely scattered high-end beer stores and bars, but national nonetheless. Being national certainly hasn’t hurt them, as they get picked in more “best of” lists than almost any other... Read More
Those Gimbels Guys
This is just some of the history belonging to Gimbel’s Liquors in Brookline’s Washington Square, presently celebrating its 4OTH anniversary. Longevity in the retail business is no easy task to accomplish. Few stores survive ten years, let alone forty but Gimbel’s has stood the test of time even as neighboring... Read More