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PUMPKIN BEER, spiked apple cider and cashmere sweaters are bound to make a proud New Englander smile. We came across the recipe for the fine Smile Cocktail, sometimes called Antoine’s Smile, while paging through the modern edition of Charles H. Baker’s work Jigger, Beaker and Glass. What better time to... Read More

I’D LIKE TO SHARE with you today my impressions of four new wine books with gravitas, books that can be read, one in small portions at a time, and that you will want to keep for repeated dipping into. Two are expensive, but worth their investments. WINES OF FRANCE A... Read More

I was on a panel recently the topic of which was “Demystifying Wine”. A noble concept, I said, as far as it goes, but Pinot Noir is, in essence, a wine of mystery. Why? There is an “X” factor in a great bottle that resists explanation or reduction to a... Read More

SO MUCH of what’s written about alcohol’s effects upon health is misleading. taking clues from three recent publications drawing applause for their good sense, I shall try to set the record straight. The misinformation mostly warns of the consequences dire of consuming even drops of alcohol. The media seek sensation... Read More

LET ME PREFACE this interview by saying Maggie Campbell is one of my favorite people in the industry. She’s whip-smart, multifaceted and down-to-earth; all traits that make her not only a great drinking companion, but an expert distiller. What’s even more impressive is her passion for learning. While managing a... Read More

AS SAVVY ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS, we LUPEC ladies know to look no further than our cocktail glasses to be whisked away to foreign lands. Fall may be on the horizon but the days are still long and warm, calling for refreshment of the Alsatian variety: a hefty glass of Amer Biere.... Read More

THE SEASONAL CHANGES in beer offerings is one of the industry’s strongest sales tactics. Beyond merely pushing beer during big holidays and trying to get by during the rest of the year, the introduction of seasonal beers allows breweries and retailers to offer consumers something fresh and new. Each release... Read More

SUMMERTIME is the right time for two of our favorite things: large format drinking and market-fresh mixology.  The former because who wants to be stuck behind a bar at your next garden party, and the latter because summer is fleeting and so is the local natural bounty! Perhaps the easiest... Read More

THE ORIGINAL WINE COCKTAIL, sangria has been a staple on bar menus for decades – mostly as a profitable way to breathe new life into days-old wine. But with the rise of farm-to-glass ingredients and a focus on quality cocktails, many bartenders are handcrafting sangria with the same care as... Read More

WINES OF THE SAND Sardinia is geographically remote and remote from our quotidian vinous ruminations.  Even most Italians consider the Mediterranean’s second largest island as another country, and Sardinians often refer to mainland Italy as the “contenente”.  The informing grape variety of today’s wines – Carignano – is likewise remote... Read More