Endangered Cocktail of the Month – The Pimm’s Cup
COCKTALE Born in England and reinterpreted in New Orleans the Pimm’s Cup is the perfect cocktail for an August afternoon. This classy beverage pairs well with civilized games like croquet cricket and bocce. Thanks to its low alcohol content, you still stand a chance at winning, even if you kick... Read More
REVISITING TANIA OSEGUERA
If any spirit category deserves a party to celebrate how well it’s done over the past year it’s tequila. And if anybody can host that party it’s Tania Oseguera, brand ambassador for Cazadores and Corzo, Bacardi USA’s tequilas. Oseguera was recently in Boston to lead diners through a tasting paired... Read More
TOURIGA NACIONAL and ARINTO
What would be a US wine consumer’s reflex response to Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec? . . . New Zealand and Argentina. The marketing power of these so-called “signature” varieties is clear. Could the market woes of the Portuguese wine industry be solved by a signature variety or two? Could one... Read More
Profile: Daniel Bruce
DANIEL BRUCE 49Executive Chef Boston Harbor HotelDirector of the Boston Wine Festival Few dispute that the Bay State’s gold standard for wine dinners is Boston Harbor Hotel’s Boston Wine Festival. Now planning its 21st season the man at the helm is the same tirelessly creative guy who co-founded and still... Read More
GLADDENING the HEART
The notion that a dram or two is good for the heart is far from new; it can be traced back to biblical times. The accretion of scientific evidence to support the notion in little more than the last quarter century should be convincing. We continue to see the playing... Read More
ENDANGERED COCKTAIL of the MONTH
GIN Could there be a more appropriate cocktail to sip at the dawn of summer than the Daisy a cool and refreshing drink named for a hardy, innocent flower? Two versions of this drink were in wide circulation by the time Prohibition rolled around in 1919. The early version appears... Read More
CRAFT NAVIGATES NEW WATERS
Despite long-standing concerns with the economy the domestic beer segment overall, and the craft beer set in particular, continues to perform well for retailers and distributors. Nudging up one half percent, the beer industry fought against strong and troubling economic trends, especially in the second half of 2OO8. Craft brewers... Read More
Tequila, the Business
Given the centuries-old legacy of alcoholic beverages it took a very short time for Tequila to go from a native Mexican spirit that might be palatable if you’re lucky, to a highly regulated industry that has diversifying exponentially each year. The Beckmann (formally Cuervo) family remains the oldest tequila-making clan... Read More
Tequila, the Visit
A VISIT TO TEQUILA. . . the unique qualities of each brand of tequila are achieved through carefully derived formulas each of which involves a delicate balance of ancient knowledge, agricultural prowess, modern technology, and a dash of sunny whimsy. Tequila is perhaps the most regulated spirit in the world.... Read More