Original Recipe: Tuesday Afternoon
This is the cocktail that launched quite a memorable evening. This one’s fun to watch, as the fig seeds float up and down with the Prosecco when you first serve it. The name is apropos of nothing, as I couldn’t come up with anything in the “fig” genre. Tuesday Afternoon 1 fresh fig, stem removed…
Tasting Report: Delamain Cognac Guided Tasting, 2008 Releases
All hail the House of Delamain. I reviewed much of Delamain’s exceptional cognac line earlier in the summer. This week, the company’s Managing Director Charles Braastad took the time to guide me and a handful of other wine and spirits writers through his company’s offerings. This tiny cognac producer makes some amazing products: The youngest…
Tasting Report: Bonhams Pre-Auction Event, September 2008
Interesting tasting last night for Bonhams and Butterfield’s pre-auction tasting. But more than the wines was the curious issue of attendance: Considerably lower than even six months ago and perhaps an ominous sign of what may happen to the market for high-end wines in hard economic times. Still, there was wine to be tasted (in…
Interstate Wine Shipping Laws Still Totally Busted
The Wall Street Journal reminds me how easy I have it here in California: I can order wine or spirits from just about anywhere and have no trouble receiving them here without fear of UPS dumping $100 Cab down the drain. (Believe me, it happens!) I’ve been under the impression that things have been improving…
Palin Syrah Not a Hit in SF
I thought sales of Palin Syrah would’ve gone up for the humor value alone. Nothing’s funny any more, I guess. The sales of Palin Syrah, a 100 percent organic wine from Chile, have dramatically plummeted in a San Francisco wine bar ever since Republican presidential hopeful John McCain named Sarah Palin to be his running…
Review: Four Roses Mariage Collection Bourbon 2008 Edition
Ahhh now here’s something special. I’m on record as being a big fan of Four Roses bourbon already. Now the distillery is launching a limited-edition blended bourbon, at cask strength, no less: A heady 112.4 proof (though my barrel sample was “just” 111.4 proof), which will burn off your eyebrows if you’re not careful. Yeah,…
Review: Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon (2008)
With Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam, Wild Turkey stands as one of the pinnacles of mass market whiskies. Of course, Wild Turkey has a far more dangerous reputation, owing to its 101 proof status… it’s right there in the name of the product! Wild Turkey is a surprisingly tame spirit for something with “Wild” in…
Review: Michelob Pale Ale, Irish Red Ale, and Dunkel Weisse
When one says “Pale Ale,” Michelob isn’t a brand that immediately springs to mind. Parent Anheuser-Busch is expanding the Michelob brand, making some seasonal beers permanent and national in availability. I got to try three of them over the weekend. Michelob Pale Ale – This is a fairly traditional Pale Ale style beer, amber in…
