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Don't Be So Fresh
Most beers are made to be consumed as soon as possible. And many have a freshness date stamp to prove it.
But during my latest trip to the bottle shop, I was on a mission. I wanted to start my beer cellar collection. Yep, some beers get better with time. Like this one . . .
Continue reading "Gouden Carolus Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw" »
Why Mommies Need Cocktails on Saturday Afternoon:
Because playgrounds are hotter than the surface of the sun and chasing a 2-year-old around one feels like you’re doing military maneuvers in full gear (not that I’ve ever actually done them).
In the 20 minutes that we were there, I managed to suffer 3 shocks of butt-zapping voltage: 1 slide + cotton skirt (yeah, bad choice for the playground, I know) + friction + zero humidity = electricity. My fillings are still tingling. So, what better way to quell it than with a cocktail. After all, nap time isn’t just for kids.
Was craving something mouth-watering and VERY cold. Went with an Americano.
Drinking Locally
I live 1926 miles from wine country. That's not to say there's no wine produced here in Minnesota. We actually have a few wineries producing wine from some pretty hearty grapes—they have to be in order to survive our extreme temperature swings. But, so far, I haven't tried anything that's blown me away.
Alas, you know the saying—when you have lemons, make lemonade. Well, here in the Midwest we have fruit—cranberries, raspberries, blueberries—so we make fruit wine. Never heard of blueberry wine? Neither had I until I saw it mentioned on Twitter. I set out to investigate.
Duhn Duhn. Duhn Duhn Duhn Duhn.
There’s something out there . . . in the water . . .
If you live in southern California, this is the news you are hearing these days. And that thing in the water? Giant squid. Scientists aren’t sure why, but the creatures have decided to swarm off the coast of San Diego this week. Yep. It’s like something out of a Steven Spielberg movie.
Hmm. Maybe I will take a beer break over surfing lessons this weekend . . .
Continue reading "Pizza Port Shark Attack Double Red Craft Beer" »
Fresh as a Cucumber
It's been wicked hot (as our Boston friends like to say), and cocktails at home get warm pretty fast. Instead of drinks in martini glasses, we're serving iced drinks on the patio with salt and pepper kettle chips. The cold, heavy crystal glass, the scent of cucumber each time we take a sip, and only 50 proof, PIMM'S Cups are a surprisingly cooling drink. Like air conditioning for your insides.
How do you make your PIMM'S Cups?
Terrific Twos
My baby just turned two—so technically, she’s not a baby anymore. Her birthday, of course, called for a celebration, and because she’s too young to have many friends of her own, we invited a few of ours to mark the occasion.
The birthday party called for a celebratory drink—nothing too strong for the lunchtime affair—so we went with a classic Bellini: Peach puree with Prosecco, a dry Italian sparkling wine.
And then a second one with a twist.
Too Much of a Good Thing -- Still a Good Thing
"You're spoiled."
That's what my friend told me when I passed by a bottle of Pliny the Elder at a bottle shop recently.
It's not that I don't love Pliny the Elder...
The Campin' Cocktail Formula
Most of our happy hours are at home, I admit. But we get out too. Whether it's a tiny hotel in Palm Springs, a campsite in Joshua Tree, or a picnic table in the mountains, we bring our portable bar along. Some portable music. And the formula for the perfect cocktail.
Free Red Wine
I never turn down free wine. So when I was offered a tasting at one of my local liquor stores last weekend, I gladly accepted. “Well, what do you like?” he asked.
“Cabernet, usually,” I admitted.
He poured me a tiny plastic cup of Argentine Malbec. “Something I recommend to Cabernet drinkers when they want to try something a little different...”
The Duck Stops Here
"What are you drinking?" someone asks my friend with the strange beer glass.
She's having trouble remembering, new to beer drinking as she is. She mumbles something about a duck.
What do you think it was?
Summer 1984
It was hot. Sticky hot in the vinyl backseat of the Datsun. "Pleaaase?" we sang, getting closer to the drive-through dairy. Mom swung into the shady drive and waited for the guy to amble over. "Gallon of milk. Wheat bread. And Popsicles."
The orange Popsicles came in an unmarked brown cardboard box. At home, safely outside, we unwrapped the wax paper and broke the twin sticks apart. Partially melted, the orange fruit was tangy and fresh, like orange peels. Just one was enough. This cocktail, every time, takes me right there.
Screw the Wine
I fumbled through my messy kitchen gadget drawer for a good minute before locating my trusty corkscrew to open the wine. Then I stopped short. A screwcap?
My impression of the bottle immediately changed. Was this the same highly rated Sauvignon Blanc that I thought I’d purchased? Or had I pulled the wrong bottle out of the rack?
In my mind, screwcaps signified a cheap, unimpressive wine. Like Boone’s Farm. After my first sip of this Drylands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, I knew I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Continue reading "Drylands Marlborough 2007 Sauvignon Blanc" »
All-New Insider Report Launching!
As you know, each week your Thursday Happy Hour hosts work hard to bring you the best of the best -- ingredients, music, ideas, and techniques -- to make your happy hours extra special.
What you don't know ... is that there's a ton we don't tell you:
Sign up for Beyond the Bar and once per month you'll get all the nitty gritty, plus exclusive invitations to Thursday Happy Hour events. Don't miss the first one, launching next month!
Anything specific you'd like us to reveal? Let us know in the comments below.
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What's More American Than Bourbon?
What’s more American than bourbon, that lovely distilled spirit invented in the Deep South?
The answer: a bourbon-flavored American craft beer. At least, that is what my friends and I decided while sampling a bottle of Allagash Curieux at the local pub and talking through which bottles to buy for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.
Worthy of the celebration? Here's what I decided ...
The Great American Cocktail
Whiskey -- more precisely Bourbon and rye -- is about as American as it gets. Whiskey's deep Southern roots makes it the perfect candidate for an All-American July 4th celebration. Bold enough to stand up to just about anything, it pairs equally well with a grilled beef dog as it does a USDA Choice ribeye.
Generally, I like my whiskey on the rocks, no frills, but once in a while I like the tradition of blending the perfect Old Fashioned. It's not as simple as the recipe suggests. And contrary to the popular version, the original has no cherries or fruit muddling involved. Just the whisper of orange peel and the simple balance of sugar and bitters. Truly an American invention worth celebrating.
