Sean Ludford | May 17th, 2012
 The traditional Daiquiri doesn't emerge from a blender More of you than ever before are drinking good, fresh cocktails. This is a good thing, of course, and luckily it is easier to find a quality cocktail whilst out than it has been in recent decades. Some of you are even honing your bartending skills while making cocktails at home.
However, I suspect that many of you are more voyeur than inspiring barmen and women – but that needs to change. It’s time to roll up your sleeves, grab the jigger and get to it. Making cocktails at home is simply a matter of arming yourself with the right tools and the ability to follow simple directions (see Home Bar Essentials). In other words, there are no excuses.
I love simple, classic cocktails. I’ll save you the “more is less” jargon and simply point out that the vast majority of classic cocktails rely upon four or fewer ingredients with a simple garnish. These classic cocktails have stood the test of time and have offered inspiration for thousands of new cocktails that are typically just a clever variation of the classic. With this in mind I aim to better acquaint you with three classic cocktails that you should know: The Manhattan, Daiquiri, and the Sidecar.
The Manhattan (recipe) is a classic cocktail invented in a bar of the same name in 1874. The original calls for just three ingredients: 2 ounces of rye whiskey, 1 ounce of Italian sweet Vermouth, and a couple dashes of bitters. Stir with ice, don’t shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass (erroneously called a martini glass in some circles). Read more »
Taylor Eason | May 15th, 2012
As California wine country degenerates into adult Disneyland — and the number of rich guys’ “vanity” wineries sprout up like a conga line at a wedding — it’s becoming more difficult to uncover the “good” places. The places that 99% of the people ask me about. Visitors have over 700 wineries in Sonoma County and Napa Valley alone to choose from, all vying for their attention with tours, cheese pairings, beautiful vineyards, and sometimes even tasty wine. So how does a wine lover separate the wheat from the crap? I’m going to cough up the goods. I’ve been living in Sonoma County since March 2011 and get to trek out pretty often to discover new places in both Sonoma and Napa. And I’m not jaded or bored yet, so am uniquely qualified to give advice. My blog will now become a “travel” destination at least once per month so you can check it out when you’ve plane tickets in hand and a vacation in northern California wine country to plan.
Read more: Visiting California wine country: The cool stuff to do (the series)
Taylor Eason | May 11th, 2012
Although I unfortunately missed the witticisms during the #AlbarinoDay on Twitter May 9th, I eagerly consumed the quips from my fellow bloggers post haste. Albarino [al-bah-REEN-nyo], a finicky, aromatic white grape, is grown primarily in the small, green, lush region on the northwestern coast of Spain, Rías Biaxas [REE-ahse BYEE-shash]. The grapes here practically drown in over 50 inches of rain a year. In order to avoid rot, the fruit is hung far above the wet ground, using granite support posts, rather than wood, to support the vine canopies. Rías Biaxas only produces whites and Albarino is the primary grape, which deliciously complements the area’s primary cuisine, seafood. The flavor and style is similar to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc mixed with the creamy fuller-bodiedness of Chardonnay, and it smells and tastes like a fruit salad of green apples, pears and citrus.
Read more: Underappreciated yet joyous Albarino wines: The best tweets from #AlbarinoDay
Mary D. Scourtes | May 9th, 2012
“I love New Orleans. I went to Marti Gras all the time and I can’t eat anything without hot sauce,’’ says Shrimp and Co.’s owner Levent Cilek. His habanero hot sauce blend makes a noticeable addition to Cajun choices such as popcorn crawfish, oyster bayou, and oyster and shrimp po’ boys. Start with a cup of homemade soup like clam chowder, shrimp bisque, spicy crab enchilada with angel hair pasta, or seafood gumbo, served on weekends. You-peel-‘em pink shrimp: seven, large, shellfish (all but one being headless) are boiled in an Old Bay seasoning.
Read more: Fresh shrimp is the bait at Tampa’s Shrimp & Co.
Taylor Eason | May 1st, 2012
As a bead of sweat runs down my cleavage, I reach for the best thirst-quenching tool at the pool: a cool, dewy plastic glass of white or rosé wine. There’s nothing like it to satisfy quivering, lusty lips longing for the refreshing taste of crisp, clean wine. As I guzzle, an errant stream trickles down my bronzed, steamy flesh, making its way to my navel. “Time for a white wine body shot,” I dreamily declare while my eyes peruse the surroundings for a turgid young man. I spy a young, willing candidate to rescue a poor, helpless wino-girl…
Read more: Searing romance and summer white wines
Robb Larsen | April 27th, 2012
What was once dated and lowbrow is now new and trendy. Canned beer has traditionally gotten a bad rap. Childhood memories of tin-wrapped cheap swill still abound in my clouded head. Back in those days (the 70’s and 80’s) the shelves in the Midwest were lined with cans of Miller High Life, Schmidt (with the wildlife), PBR, Blatz, Schaefer (they actually still make that stuff), and of course the king himself — Budweiser. It was all relative though, beer was beer and it was mostly cheap swill. There was no Dogfish Head or Rogue — choices were limited. The upscale brew at that time was Michelob, and if you were suave and had the funds, the night could belong to Michelob in a bottle.
Read more: Retro brew is cool: Five canned craft beers for the patio
Mary D. Scourtes | April 25th, 2012
Miami has its attributes but can it claim rights to the holy grail of tropical sandwiches? Ybor City was turning out these banquets on Cuban bread before the turn of the previous century. Early bricklayers flattened their “mixto’’ sandwiches between hot bricks thus toasting bread, melting cheese, and melding flavors. But Miami Herald reporter Fabiola Santiago says Tampa has no culinary chops and started a cat fight about Miami boasting the original. “There’s no doubt that our Cuban sandwich, served all over South Florida, is more authentic and tastier. Even in its Americanized or gourmet incarnations, a cubano in Miami is superior– my Tampa and Miami friends agree,’’ whined Fabiola. Harrumph!
Read more: Tampa defends its Cuban sandwich title: The best in the Bay
Taylor Eason | April 24th, 2012
I’ve wondered whether the lack of mass success of the Viognier grape is because of the tongue-twisting name(pronounced VEE oh NYAY”) or some other reason. With its luscious, aromatic fruit, slight sweetness and sip-ability, you’d think it would be a girlie girl’s dream and be as popular with the chicks as Moscatos are now (more on that later). But, unlike Moscato/Muscat it’s tough to make Viognier well. Pick it too early in the growing season, you won’t get the pretty aromas and rounded flavors; pick it too late and you’ll get a wine that’s syrupy, flabby or has no acid at all. Some wineries get it just right though — Bonterra Vineyards in Mendocino County is one of them.
Read more: Wine review: Bonterra 2010 Viognier Mendocino County
Sean Ludford | April 20th, 2012
The mention of cider in the U.S. takes most Americans’ thoughts to the cloudy, amber, delicious, but decidedly non-alcoholic beverage found in groceries and farm stands in the fall. Ask for a cider in the U.K. and Ireland, however, and you will be presented with a very different drink. There, cider is most often clear, carbonated, and most definitely possessing alcohol. Many in the states still refer to this variety as hard cider.
Read more: The wonders of hard apple cider: A substitute for beer fatigue?
Taylor Eason | April 18th, 2012
Everywhere I go in northern California — and I do mean everywhere — I’m hearing about the marijuana-laced red wine that seems to be all the rage. I met a guy at a foodie party in San Francisco last weekend (where, incidentally, they were smoking pot across the patio) who has tried it. He said, somewhat dreamily, “It gives you just a nice, slight buzz.”
Read more: New California trend: Pot wine — two great tastes that taste great together?
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