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Flying back from Oaxaca to Boston, my seatmates voiced commonly held myths about mezcal and its infamous worm. Some misconceptions stem from false associations with mescaline and drug culture. mezcal, like tequila, makes you giddy and happy, not depressed and anti-social. The worm absorbs poisons and toxins. The worm is... Read More

Not only are consumers buying more high-end tequila than ever before but the majority of new tequilas coming onto the market are in the super-premium category. The importance of image, an interest in pairing nice tequilas with Mexican cuisine and some very innovative promoting and packaging have all helped to... Read More

When wines from California began to attract attention and gain a following in large east-coast markets 35 years ago, Concannon Vineyard was deemed worthy of respect. Tucked in the Livermore Valley, to the east of San Francisco Bay, alongside of Wente Brothers, it offered an alternative source to the better... Read More

Syrah and Sirah have both become almost as common as Cabernet and Merlot. When I first started waiting tables in the late 197Os, however, it was Petite Sirah, not Syrah or Sirah, which first appeared on the restaurant’s wine list. The restaurant, which had cuisine with a Provence-Nouvelle cuisine theme,... Read More

Not that the wine it makes ever knocks you out with dramatic flavor. Its charms are subtlety and understatement. It flows rather than rushes at you. More Debussy than Wagner. But this is exactly what I’m looking for lately in a multi-purpose white wine with fish. In fact, one of... Read More

Alcopops, malternatives, “FMBs’, hard drinks: whatever you call them – and what you do call them probably identifies your slot in the alcohol beverage business – these sweet, beer-strength drinks have had an amazing and fast-moving career. From odd and abortive beginnings in the ‘6Os and ‘7Os – StingRay, Hop’n’Gator,... Read More

A pioneer of the craft brewing movement, Koch transformed a small business operation into one of the largest breweries in America. His story is firmly ensconced in beer lore: the recipe for Sam Adams in his attic, six generations of brewmasters in his family and humble origins peddling beer bar... Read More