5 Scotch Whiskies for Celebrating Burns Night
January 25th is Burns Night: a yearly celebration of the life and words of Scottish poet Robert Burns. Traditionally it is celebrated with a supper full of haggis, speeches, the occasional bagpipe, and of course, Scotch. While any Scotch will work, here’s a look at five whiskies you can use to toast the birthday of…
Book Review: The Big Man of Jim Beam
With all the hubbub over half-recanted price hikes of Booker’s Bourbon, it’s an inauspicious time to be releasing The Big Man of Jim Beam, a biography of the Beam distiller which Booker’s is named after: Booker Noe. Noe died in 2004, so this book, written by Jim Kokoris, is quite distanced from the man himself. And maybe…
Recipe: Whiskey Barbecue Meatballs
Super Bowl time is upon us! Don’t watch the game with just any old snack food. Make it something special with these original Whiskey Barbecue Meatballs. (We’re using frozen meatballs here because it’s really about the sauce, but you can also make your own easily.) You can cook up the spicy sauce a couple of…
6 Recipes for National Irish Coffee Day 2017
Why doesn’t National Irish Coffee Day (January 25) coincide with Saint Patrick’s Day? That’s because Irish coffee originated in San Francisco, not Ireland. Want to try your hand at this classic cocktail? You can go with the traditional recipe or try out some yummy variations we’ve dug up for you, such as the Chocolate Irish…
Review: 2014 La Follette Chardonnay and Pinot Noir North Coast
It’s been many years since I dined with Greg La Follette, back when he was making wine under the Tandem label. Now La Follette has a label under his own name, and his North Coast-sourced 2014 releases are here. Let’s give them a try. 2014 La Follette Chardonnay North Coast – Vanilla cookie notes are…
Review: Nomad Outland Whisky (2017)
“Born in Scotland and raised in Jerez, Spain.” So says the tagline on Nomad Outland Whisky, and it’s not just a euphemism for the typical sherry cask finishing: Nomad is a blend of of some 30-plus five to eight year old malt and grain whiskies from Scotland that are aged for three years in their…
Recipe: Homemade Orange Simple Syrup and Candied Oranges
When cooking, there is seldom a need to throw out leftover food items. The motto of the day is: Let nothing be wasted. Wort leftover from a homebrew session can be mixed with honey and boiled down into a nice glaze to use when cooking ham and pineapple. The same goes for making desserts. Today…
Review: Wines of Lula Cellars, 2016 Releases
Mendocino’s Lula Cellars is the brainchild of winemaker Jeff Hansen, who produces a number of traditional Anderson Valley varietals in his Philo facility. Today we look at three of the winery’s new releases (all from late 2016), a pair of pinots and a zinfandel. 2013 Lula Cellars Pinot Noir Mendocino – Fairly burly, even by…
