Review: 2003 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
With Shafer’s 2003 Cab, on first blush, there’s heat and considerable tannin on the palate. That tannin doesn’t fade, even after four hours of sipping, I’m still getting a lot of heavy tannic notes, indicating this wine’s got years ahead of it before it peaks. The fruit beneath is enticing, even though it’s tight as…
Why Are Bars So Loud? So You’ll Drink More
I guess I just never really thought about it… From this piece on PsyBlog: Lowering the lights signals the real beginning of night-time fun: with dimmed lights and alcohol beginning to work its magic the business of loosening up after the day’s exertions can truly begin. But turning the music up so loud that people…
Biodynamics or Dianetics?
The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry weighs in on the biggest fad in winemaking going today: Biodynamic farming. One assumes by the name that biodynamics must be a good thing… but what does it really mean? The CSI folks dig deeper, outlining something that even includes astrological analysis that is “set against a complex background cosmogony…
Review: 10 Cane Rum
Read any bar menu and you’re likely to find at least one cocktail containing 10 Cane Rum. Why’s it so popular? Let’s explore. For starters, unlike most rums, which are made of molasses, the 80-proof 10 Cane is made from pure, pressed sugar juice. Though it’s technically a white rum, it’s also aged in oak…
Review: Xellent Vodka
Did you know: It was illegal to distill vodka in Switzerland until 1999? A vestige of World War II, when it was felt inappropriate to turn grain, in short supply, into booze instead of bread. (Though, if I had my druthers, I know what I’d give up.) Xellent was the first — and so far…
Review: Ayala’s Herbal Water
When you’re drinking your federally-mandated 27 gallons of water a day, you might as well enjoy it going down. Flavored water is nothing new, but Ayala’s takes a different approach, flavoring its bottled waters with natural herbs instead of chemical sludge (check the nutrition facts on a bottle of Propel if you don’t believe me).…
Recipe: La Cola Nostra
Bartender Don Lee won $1,500 for this cocktail as part of a contest sponsored by Averna, a bittersweet amaro that is tricky to make cocktails out of. It intrigues me. La Cola Nostra 1 oz Averna 2 oz Ron Zacapa Centenario 23yr .75 oz Lime Juice .5 oz Simple Syrup .25 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice…
Dr. Dre’s Sparkling Vodka Invites Smackdown
It’s like east coast vs. west coast all over again. From O2 Sparkling Vodka‘s press release: O2 Sparkling Vodka, patented in 2003 after over 2 years of research and development, has been a top seller in Europe since 2002 and launched in the USA in January 2008 with great success. Dr. Dre has recently announced…
