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A Foreign Four-Pack

For the first time in recent years, imported beers have been forced to take a back seat to craft beers in terms of production and sales gains. While craft beers receive much coverage in this column, in a counter-cultural spirit, it seems the right time to focus on four notable...
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CB on MA, NH and VT

Paper City Brewing Company Holyoke, MA If you visit Paper City during one of its popular Friday night tour and party sessions, you’ll usually see a man off to one side, quietly building and filling beer containers for his departing guests. With his prodigious work ethic, it’s no surprise the...
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Tequila’s Sunrise

The LEADERS of the PACK To hear anyone in the spirits industry talk about tequila, it’s clear that 2OO6 was a pretty spectacular year. High-end premiums continued the steady surge in numbers that the spirit has not seen since 2OOO. “What happened in other categories is finally happening to tequila:...
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Wine Pairing Primer

ONE of the most common questions I get in my wine beginnings class pertains to food and wine pairings. To begin to understand how food and wine react differently (depending on what kinds are used), one basic piece of the puzzle needs to be understood first: wine is a condiment....
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Harvey’s Cote D’or Diary

Among the loveliest of wines, Burgundy can be understood and purchased wisely only by close contact and tasting. There is no better way – no more foolproof way – of accomplishing this than by visiting the source, all the more important now that fine Burgundies have become luxuries. So I...
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How Does A-B Do It? On Organic Beer

Those are the opening lines from the first article I wrote on organic beer, over ten years ago. How things have changed. “Organic beer” doesn’t sound funny at all any more, any more than “organic carrots” or “organic coffee” does. The Amish, well . . . we assume that hasn’t...
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Fighting Like Animals

Little penguins, yellow tails, black swans, 3 blind moose and 4 emus; are we speaking about wine or Noah’s boat of biblical fame? Nope, this is a shelf full of wine with the latest in catchy labels. Something has always annoyed me a little bit about this recent marketing trend...
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Profile: Mohamad El Zein

MOHAMAD EL ZEIN • 28 • General Manager/Beverage Director • Masa, Boston Tequila is hot. And Masa is a hot spot. Many of the South End Southwestern restaurant’s 7O+ premium tequilas, says Masa bartender Greg Neises, are requested by name. Diners in the know, and regulars are plentiful, bypass Sauza...
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The Colossus Known as Vodka

but subtle signs of a pending shakeout appear to be looming. Perhaps more expectation than signs, really, especially as vodka is still the most consumed spirit in the market and goes into nearly one out of four cocktails ordered. Overall, vodka is expected to grow by another two million cases...
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