PANDEMIC PIVOTS THAT ARE HERE TO STAY
by KIRSTEN AMANN Nothing could have prepared restaurateurs and retailers across the state for the disruption the COVID19 pandemic would cause to their businesses. “I had 2O years of knowledge and experience in this industry rendered more or less useless literally overnight,” says owner-operator Lauren Friel of Rebel Rebel wine... Read More
PREPARING FOR SUMMER-APPETIZING TXAKOLI
by HARVEY FINKEL Grapes grown cool make wines for the hot days of summer. We want to drink dry wines light in body and alcohol that have retained lively acidity with our summer seafood and other dishes that lie lightly. Such wines are hard to grow in Basque Country (Pais... Read More
ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH-THE ALEXANDER
by PINK LADY Sweet-toothed tipplers have no shortage of options in today’s beverage world. From candy-flavored vodkas to cinnamon and peanut butter “whiskies” to creamy liqueurs, the list goes on. To try a silky sweet dessert drink from a bygone era, we suggest reviving the Alexander Cocktail. You’ve probably heard... Read More
HERALDING A NEW ERA OF LAGER
by ANDY CCROUCH Craft beer fans, myself included, have long been heralding a new era of lager. We have preached the gospel of quality lager. We have proselytized the charms and character of pilsners, bocks, and dunkels. We have through sheer force of will tried to make lager a thing.... Read More
AN ELEPHANT AND A SHREW WALK INTO A BAR . . .
by HARVEY FINKEL, MD Tales have long been told of creatures of the wild encountering alcohol, with varying consequences. Perhaps most evocative is the apparently authentic story of the herd of wild elephants that crashed a brewery, consumed its great-tasting, less-filling product, and went on a rampage. African elephants have... Read More
ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH – THE LADY REBEL COCKTAIL
by PINK LADY St. Patrick’s Day gets the lion’s share of cocktailing attention in the U.S. in March, but have you heard of International Women’s Day? It’s March 8th, which means you can A) raise a glass to badass women in your life and in general and B) get your... Read More
EXQUISITE CHAMPAGNE
by HARVEEY FINKEL Today we’ll discover the second of the pair of exquisite effervescent wines we began with in this space last month, this one from Champagne, the paragon of sources of such pleasures. It is no surprise that the Brut Nature is a product of Louis Roederer, a grande... Read More
ENDANGERED COCKTAIL OF THE MONTH – THE BUCK’S FIZZ
by PINK LADY Back in December I was co-presenting a virtual cocktail and wine event, when a guest asked me “who invented the Mimosa?” I told them to give me a minute, as I was certain I’d covered the origin story of this beloved brunch libation. I clicked away at... Read More
ITALIAN PINOT GRIGIO
by SANDY BLOCK, MW Pinot Grigio won’t go away. Ignored by critics, disdained by sommeliers and most wine professionals as boring, damned with faint praise (“mild, fresh, clean”), it still captures a sizable share of the wine drinking public’s purchasing dollar. What accounts for the unusual staying power of this... Read More
A FRESH LOOK AT MODERN DAY DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE
by ANDY CROUCH Double India Pale Ale is what happens when you leave a perfectly respectable style in the hands of fanatical American brewers. Once referred to as Imperial IPA, a borrowed reference from the strong stout style, these outsized IPAs once exploded with a tongue melting cacophony of hops,... Read More