Featured Articles

By Pink Lady In this, the second Golden Age of Cocktails, it seems there’s a great drink to be found on every corner – what a time to be alive! Many of us began bartending before fresh juice was even available in most bars, and can trace the evolution of... Read More

By Harvey Finkel, MD A recently published scientific report on the influence of drinking upon weight stimulated a review of relevant medical literature and discussions by fellow members of the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research. I came away little the wiser. It is generally believed, including among physicians, that... Read More

by PINK LADY LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL – what a time to be alive in New England!  While locavore dining might be relegated to root veggies for six months of the year here, the bounty of August through October offers a bit for everyone to enjoy.  One of our favorite ways... Read More

. . . Burgundy in all its sunset glow. -Lord Byron by HARVEY FINKEL HEARING AUSPICIOUS Delphian whispers for more than two years about the 2O15 vintage in Burgundy whetted desire to at last confront the wines, for selecting Burgundies is a contact sport. We had read such words as... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW Sancerre is on a roll.  Restaurateurs and retailers alike report that it is currently one of their hottest categories.  One of its advantages is that, unlike many other worthy French wines, it has a name that’s easy for Americans to pronounce.  And as Sauvignon Blanc has... Read More

by ANDY CROUCH HAZE IS THE LATEST CRAZE to conquer the world of flavorful beer. From dank, juicy pale ales to milkshake hued India pale ales to double India pale ales that resemble glasses of concentrated orange juice, clarity is out of favor with many beer drinkers today. A cloudy... Read More

by LEW BRYSON SINGLE MALT SCOTCH has some long, strong coattails. The success of single malt, with its distillery identity, age statements, and deliberately distinct characters, served as an example to bourbon – which went single barrel, super-aged, and limited edition – Irish whiskey’s single pot still explosion, Japanese whisky’s... Read More

by PINK LADY VODKA has been the most popularly consumed spirit for the majority of our careers behind the bar.  Prior to Prohibition, however, vodka wasn’t on the radar of American imbibers, who preferred strong tasting home grown liquors and flavorful white spirits like gin.  John Martin, and his Connecticut-based... Read More

  by HARVEY FINKEL THEIR NOBLE Tuscan family’s wine production dating back to 13O8, the Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi own and operate a number of well-known wine estates.  The Frescobaldi in addition have been active in textiles, banking, the arts, agriculture, and the church.  Today, we shall focus on a property... Read More

by SANDY BLOCK, MW OREGON’S 725 mostly boutique wineries produce only about 1% of the US’s total wine volume, but the state enjoys an outsize reputation for quality.  Known to wine enthusiasts primarily for its internationally recognized Pinot Noir, which constitutes two-thirds of the state’s production, there are signs that... Read More