Thursday, February 24, 2011

Oscar Night Cocktails

Roll out the red carpet for these taste-winning spirited drinks.

from The Spirit


The Black Swan 
Fittingly, we're turning to the classics to toast this classical ballet thriller. The White Russian is the perfect match: light battling dark with grace. Fully embrace your dark side by using a black vodka, such as Blavod. And if you'd like to break out the bubbly for this one, make sure to pour in some Guinness first to make a Black Velvet.




The Fighter
Yes, the obvious choice here is a punch. Better yet, make it a Bloody Rum Punch. Or you might want to put some weight behind it and throw down an Alambama Slammer. One-two, three or four, these are knockout drinks. Or if you're not one for fussing, just make it your best Irish.

Inception
What else has the mind-altering power to bend reality and invade your dreams? How about the infamous spirit absinthe? Don't let that "green fairy" fool you -- this is around 70 per cent proof and while it has been legal in the U.S. for the past few years, take this slow and go with the traditional sugar and cold-water drip. If you can't get hold of absinthe, try for Pernod and man up for a Big Barnacle Bill. 





Toy Story 3
This may be a G-rated movie, but there are some very adult themes covered in this animated masterpiece! But if you need to keep your drinks as soft as the toys, mix up a mocktail. That's right, no alcohol, and a fruit-juice base. You could also try for healthier alternative, such as a coconut water cocktail. Oh alright, if you need a little something to get you through all those speeches, go for a Legal Shirley Temple

True Grit
OK, this one's too easy. Wild Turkey actually created a drink in honor of True Grit and Jeff Bridges' character, so why not take up the suggestion and rustle up The Rooster? The bourbon-based drink literally has that gritty edge: the glass is rimmed with salt. Or, if you want to spice things up, brace yourself for the Red Rooster Sour, which includes spicy mango chutney, chili salt and red pepper skin-soaked bitters. 


Winter's Bone 
We know you'll thank us for throwing you a bone and letting you know what this quiet achiever's about: a girl hunting down her drug-dealing dad through the Ozark Mountains to protect her family and save their home. Yes, this bleak tale might make you turn to drink. Set the scene with some Ragged Mountain Rum and then channel your own old man with some "old man classics" such as a Rusty Nail, Salty Dog or Boilermaker.  

The Kids Are All Right
So this is a movie about artificial insemination, and what happens afterward. Can you blame us if the first cocktail-related thing that comes to mind is egg white? Yes, we're going there. It may be a controversial topic in some circles, as the movie's themes may also be, but there's no denying egg white in cocktails adds something special, a unique feel-good frothiness. And perhaps many moms might like to take the edge off while playing innocent, with a cocktail disguised as coffee or a milkshake. 

The King's Speech
No-one knows the pressure of making a great speech more than Oscar winners and this movie's subject. To show your support, you could follow the king's lead and opt for a restorative shot of whiskey (and a Hot Toddy can help to soothe sore throats and nerves). Or perhaps you'd like to plump for Pimm's, a quintessentially English drink, or take time for a civilized tea-based cocktail

127 Hours
You might be wise to watch this with a bit of liquid courage in you. We'd like to raise a toast to the crazy-heroic mountain climber Aron Ralston. Lots of anything on the rocks makes for a suitable stiff drink.

The Social Network
Social networks are all about sharing (and oversharing), and what is easier to share than a pitcher drink or a bowl of punch? Also, like at school parties, spike the punch with enough booze and you may well end up off your face and on Facebook.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

World's Oldest Beer Will Soon Be Replicated

London, Feb 9 (ANI): Samples of the world’s oldest beer-found in 2010-have been taken for a scientific study to be conducted to determine its recipe – and brew it again.

In July last year, a Baltic Sea shipwreck-dated between 1800 to 1830-yielded many bottles of what is thought to be the world’s oldest champagne. Five of the bottles later proved to be the oldest drinkable beer yet found.

The local government of the Aland island chain where the wreck was found has now commissioned a scientific study to unpick the beer’s original recipe, reports the BBC.

Divers found the two-mast ship at a depth of about 50 metres in the Aland archipelago, which stretches between the coasts of Sweden and Finland in the Baltic Sea. The ship was believed to be making a journey between Copenhagen in Denmark and St Petersburg, then the capital of Russia.

“They said that it did taste very old, which is no surprise, with some burnt notes. But it was quite acidic – which could mean there’s been some fermenting going on in the bottle and with time it’s become acid,” said Annika Wilhelmson of the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT).

“We’re going to try to see if we can find any living yeast or other microbial cells, because that would be very interesting with respect to reproducing the beer.

“If we can’t find living microbes, we will look at the DNA and try to compare it to brewing yeasts that we know today, to see how similar or different the yeasts are,” said Wilhelmson. (ANI)

From Truth Dive

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Get a Sponsor for Your Next Party

You don't have to throw a Star Jones wedding or rock star it up in Vegas to get a sponsor for your next party. House Party brings a collection of brands who want you to try them and share them with your friends. Just sign up and they'll pair you with a product. The over 21 version includes brands like Tapena Wine, Jack Daniel's and Sauza Tequila.

Paparazzi not included.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

New York's First All-Keg Wine


Reposted from Tasting Table



 






Gotham Project Wines





 
Thanks to Gotham Project--a new collaboration between winemaker Charles Bieler (of Three Thieves fame) and Bruce Schneider of Long Island's Schneider Vineyards--our ideas about the keg are about to change.

The team recently formed New York's first all-keg wine company, transplanting the frat-house drinking device to some of the city's top bars and restaurants.

Its original release--a Riesling from the Finger Lakes--is a vibrant, juicy white already on tap at spots like the John Dory Oyster Bar, Red Rooster, Terroir Tribeca and Blue Ribbon Brooklyn. Low in alcohol and utterly fresh, it's the perfect beverage for this format: In other words, it goes down with such ease that you'll probably want more than a glass (or two).

Gotham Project's devotion to the keg represents more than just novelty: The 20-liter containers cause a lower environmental impact and prevent oxidation, keeping the juice fresh for months. Better yet, the reduced price of packaging and shipping trickles down to equal savings for the drinker.

Within the next few months, the team plans to release The Fork, a Merlot-based blend from Long Island's North Fork, as well as a 2010 Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Finishing School for Drinkers

It's the kind of school that would make Emily Post proud. There's a new Facebook app that offers bartenders of all levels a guide to making a better cocktail. Instead of balancing books on your head, Finlandia Vodka's Finnishing School (get it? Two "n's". Ha.) offers shakers tips and trips to balance the perfect drink. The instructors are no slouches either. Tony Abou-Ganim and Dale DeGroff support the instruction, so you know you're learning from the best.

This app is one of the more robust Facebook attempts I've seen. It allows users an engaging experience without jumping all over the place. The video lessons look as though they have a time stamp, so watch the videos while you can.

Cheers!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Virtual Tasting

Avoid the cold and taste from the comfort of your computer (and in your underwear if that's your thing). Zonin Winery, thanks to the modern age, is hosting a virtual tasting via Snooth on February 2nd.

Buy your bottles of Zonin Prosecco, Ca'Bolani Pinot Grigio, Castello d'Albola Chianti Classico and
Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti DOC and tune in for tasting led by Francesco Zonin (of Italy's Zonin Winery) and Snooth's Editor-in-Chief Gregory Dal Piaz.

Cheers (virtually)!



Friday, January 21, 2011

Upgrade Your Bar

Party season is over and it's time to replace the usual suspects. You and your new bar can enjoy a little one-on-one time without the pressure of over-hyped spirits. The following recommendations come from The Spirit, so I cannot be held responsible for matters of taste. I welcome recommendations for any spirit, as I'm an equal opportunity taster.

You're out of Grey Goose:  
Replace it with: Tito's Vodka

You're out of: Tanqueray
Replace it with: Death’s Door Gin

You're out of: Captain Morgan  
Replace it with: The Lash Spiced Rum 

You're out of: Jim Beam or Jack Daniel's  
Replace it with: Evan Williams Single Barrel 2001 

You're out of: PatrĂ³n
Replace it with: Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Blanco 

You're out of: Scotch  
Replace it with: More of your Scotch 

Read more about these selections on The Spirit.

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Institute of Mindful Bartending

Famed bartender, instructor and columnist Gaz Regan has yet again challenged the bartending world to step their game. In addition to honing the craft, Gaz encourages bartenders to go the extra mile with customer awareness, courtesy and intention. See the story below for more on the Institute of Mindful Bartending.
 

The Institute for Mindful Bartending is an entity created by Aisha Sharpe, Dushan Zaric, and gaz regan.  They spread the word of mindful bartending via blogs, newsletters, and workshops all over the world, and it is their contention that mindful bartenders are the happiest, most successful bartenders in the business.

What is Mindful Bartending? 
The mindful bartender sets his/her intentions to be of service to guests before each and every shift.  This is done in a 5 to 15-minute period of stillness or meditation.
Mindful bartenders strive constantly to be aware of what they are doing, to engage with customers in a manner that lets the guest know that they are the bartender's priority, and they try to react to each and every situation in the bar in a way that leads to the best possible outcome for all involved.
Mindful bartenders attract customer loyalty, bigger tips, and they help tremendously toward helping the people with whom they work come together as a happy team who genuinely care about being of service to others.

How Does One Become a Mindful Bartender?
There are already many mindful bartenders behind bars all over the world.  Some of them have never heard of the term mindful, but they're mindful all the same.
If bartenders want to learn how to put mindfulness into practice, however, they can attend workshops that will be given by Sharpe, Zaric, and regan in 2011 (dates to be determined).
Students who take a workshop will be asked to submit essays to the Institute of Mindful Bartenders after they have applied mindfulness to their jobs for a period of at least six months. 
The essays will serve to detail how their lives and jobs have changed since they applied mindfulness, and bartenders who do this successfully will be awarded a certificate of mindfulness by the institute.

The Workshop consists out of a detailed analysis and commentary of all the influences, attitudes, states of mind, and emotions that prevent a bartender to be mindful in during his/her service. Participants are guided through experiments, which clearly show the benefits of Mindful Bartending for oneself and the guests. Exercises are given on how to set intention, execute it and remember one-self in stressful situations so that they can be transformed into a pleasurable experience.
I'll be highlighting some mindful bartenders in the new Mindful Bartending column below.  Take a gander, why doncha?

Are you a mindful bartender?  Tell us what you are doing to benefit your guests and co-workers.  Please write to gary@ardentspirits.com

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Annoying Wine Words

Annoying Wine Words
Reposted from Snooth
 
by Gary Dal Piaz 
 
 
 
5) Unctuous  As defined by its main abuser, Robert Parker: “Rich, lush, intense wines with layers of concentrated, soft, velvety fruit are said to be unctuous.” Look, I know I’m an outlier, but unctuous means smooth and greasy, and if we’re using it as an adjective to describe a person it only gets worse: “Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily”! Maybe that is what Parker means after all, but do me a favor and keep your smooth, greasy wines away from me.
 
4) Confident Feeling or showing certainty about something. So, I’ve seen this term abused fairly often, with people referring to confident aromas, or tannins, or what have you. Wine, let's see, let me check -- yes, it is still inanimate! It lacks a brain stem, so it can’t feel or show you anything. And even if it could, what the heck would confident tannin reveal?
 
3) Serious Demanding careful consideration or application. Ok, so this is one of my all-time most annoying wine words, and one that I am guilty of using, but I use it correctly! So many people refer to a wine as being serious as though there was some group of unserious wines lurking around the corner waiting to spoil the party! Look, there are wines that are not serious; usually they fall into the category of wines I do not drink! But hey, let’s stop trying to give them a complex. A serious wine is not necessarily serious by design so please stop implying that.
 
2) Cacophony A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds. Well, now I’m just being pedantic, which has to be just as bad as being an obtuse wine writer. Anyway, there are now wines being reviewed which seem to have cacophonies of aromas, or flavors. Unless you made a mistake with those mushrooms, it’s only about the sounds, folks, and I for one tend not to care too much about how my wine sounds. If I’ve been missing something, I haven’t noticed.
 
1) The finish lasted X seconds Ok, so this is more a phrase but what the hell? I’m all for paying attention to your wine, enjoy it, understand, but don’t dissect it for Christ's sake! And are you really sure that finish was X seconds? Stopwatch was out?  Your timing was perfect? This is so silly it makes me want to scream. The finish wasn’t that long, timing it is foolish,so just relax and enjoy that wine. We get it when you tell us the finish was short, or long, or really, really, really long, let's stop trying to be so damn precise with something that offers each of us such a unique experience.