Successful Drinking: It’s in the Genes
Why can some men drink so much and create masterpieces of literature and art in the process, while others are turned into simpletons by half a glass of beer? Prospect Magazine has the answer: Beethoven fell under the influence in the later part of his creative life. Among painters, Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Francis Bacon…
Review: Domaine du Tariquet Armagnacs – Blanche, Green Label, and XO (2009)
Arguably the oldest spirit-making region in France, Armagnac is Cognac’s bigger, sometimes crueler brother. Armagnac is located just a bit south of the Cognac region in western France, and like Cognac, it is the home — and the only home — of a distilled spirit that bears its name. Like cognac (the spirit), armagnac brandy…
Krazy Straws for Grownups: Glass Dharma Glass Drinking Straws
You spent hundreds on crystal glasses and quality ingredients and have perfected your perfect cocktail recipe. And now you’re going to stick a plastic straw into it for your guests? Talk about a presentation killer. Glass Dharma offers an alternative (and it’s even eco-friendly): Glass straws handmade by California glassblowers. Available in three styles and…
Review: Alize Gold Passion Liqueur
Alizé treads that fine line between high-end product and pop culture joke (when Tupac raps about your product, well…), but its pedigree speaks for itself: A blend of cognac and passion fruit juice (and other unspecified fruit juices), this is high-end stuff. The problem is figuring out how to use it. Alizé (which has been…
Review: FrostShot “The Frozen Liquor Shot”
Great googly moogly, how does one approach discussion of FrostShot? Put simply, it’s an Otter Pop with booze in it: A plastic tube filled with sugary goo which, when frozen, becomes like slushy ice. You squeeze it out directly into your mouth. Only Otter Pops can’t get you drunk. They also taste a lot better…
Review: Fish Eye and Pinot Evil Boxed Wines, 2009 Releases
More and more producers are turning to boxes to move lots of product (they typically hold three liters vs. just 750ml of wine in a standard bottle) at rock-bottom prices. Here’s a look at two more offerings that use cardboard and plastic in lieu of glass and cork. 2008 Fish Eye California Pinot Grigio is…
Review: NV Quady Electra and Red Electra
What an idea: Chill a wine shortly after fermentation begins and then filter and bottle it right there: You’re left with a quite sweet proto-wine (because most of the sugar in the grapes remains in the juice) with a low level of alcohol. In the case of Electra, which is the juice of orange muscat…
Busch Up, Bud Down
A sour economy is boosting the fortunes of cheap beer: Sales of Busch and Miller High Life are up and the last year, while sales of “premium” beers like Budweiser and Miller Lite (yes, in the beverage world these are considered premium products) are down. In the case of Bud, by 7.4 percent since a…
