#spices have been used to make whiskey more drinkable for years | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

candy-floss-crazy · 1 year ago

Text

Hire Gin Bars - Lux Gin Bar Range

Hire Gin Bar Services It's Gin O'Clock Gin is the new on trend drink. You can have a bar service, offering a range of fun and quirky gins, with mixers, garnishes and a range of themed bar units, this is perfect for reception drinks, exhibitions, weddings and corporate events. Or choose from our whisky bar, prosecco and Pimms bar, or any combination to suit your requirements, and wow your guests. Its gin o'clock somewhere, ask us for a drink. Flavoured Gins Currently the in vogue drink, gin has been elevated from the staid old mothers ruin of yesteryear, to the must have drink for the in crowd, join our gin loving community. Gin Drinks Menu You have the choice of a range of gins in various flavours including; •Rhubarb & Ginger •South African Truffles •Pink Gin •Raspberry Gin •Sweet Violet Gin •Chocolate Gin •Passion Fruit Gin •Blackberry Gin We can source and supply virtually any flavour to suit your requirements, ranging from an artisan gin company to more popular offerings. If required a bespoke menu can be created just for you to include craft gins, and gin cocktails. Hire A Gin Bar Unit You can choose from a range of bar units to suit different events and requirements. Or we can theme them to specific requirements such as Alice in Wonderland etc. Your choice of bars as include; •Rustic Pop Up Gin Bar Units •Horse box •Contemporary Bar •Modern LED Bar •Tiki Bar •Converted Horse Trailer •Pop Up Gin Bars Ask us for a full custom design and build service for specific mobile bar units for exhibitions and custom events, this can range from a small pop up cart, to a unique converted horse trailer gin bar.This makes a great reception drink at indoors or outdoors events, or as a gin tasting event at private parties. You can even have a gin and Prosecco Service Mobile Gin Bar Hire Your bar is provided with a full range of garnishes to ensure that your drinks look as good as they taste. Mixers, and of course ice ensure you have the perfect refreshing drink at all times. If gin just isn't your thing, but you are still after an alcoholic beverage, we also offer; A Touch Of Bubble Prosecco Bars Hardcore Jagermeister Carts For Winter Events, Mulled Wine For Summertime. Pimms For Events The Green Fairy AbsintheGin has a history stretching back to production in the Netherlands in the 13th Century. Originally known as genever, the drink was distilled from walt wine to around 50% ABV. The original drink wasn’t really drinkable, so it was softened with herbs and spices, Juniper berries initially for their supposed medical properties. Depending on the method of distillation, the alcohol tasted similar to vodka or whiskey. The British discovered the drink whilst fighting in Antwerp, assisting the Dutch against the Spanish in the 80 Years War in the late 16th and early 17th Century. They would drink genever before battle due to its supposed calming properties, some claiming this was the origin of the phrase ‘Dutch Courage’. English distillers began to make their own version, shortening the name to gin. When William of Orange took the throne in the Glorious Revolution, the drink saw a major jump in popularity. What a lot of people fail to remember, is that at the beginning of the 18th Century, much of our drinking water was pretty unclean. Drinking gin was probably a healthier choice. Additionally during that period,we were engaged in one of our many spats with the French, and as a result increased levies on French Brandy. The government of the day reduced taxes on gin and encouraged the production of the beverage in small workshops. Additionally the drink could be distilled fairly cheaply from homegrown British produce, poor quality barley that was unsuitable for beer brewing, could be used to make gin. At one point over half of London’s 15,000 drinking establishments were dedicated to gin. Sadly as time went on, the drink became similar to the modern drug epidemic, with widespread drunkenness being blamed on the low cost of the drink. Finally the government imposed an expensive licensing requirement in the Gin act of 1736. When no one bothered to pay for a licence the drink was promptly banned. Sadly, as in the U.S. prohibition produced the opposite effect to that intended, and the drink became more popular than ever. In 1751 a new Gin Act lowered the taxes but made it illegal to sell the drink from premises whose rent was less than £10 per year, intended to prevent the sales from unreputable premises. By the turn of the 19th Century the gin craze had pretty much ended. The only major manufacturer to survive was Alexander Gordon, whos brand survives today and accounts for over 50% of the U.K. market.WHERE CAN I HIRE A GIN BAR NEAR ME; We cover the full U.K. with our bar services. CAN YOU SERVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN GIN; Yes we offer vodka, whisky and rum bars as well. ARE GIN BARS SUITABLE FOR CORPORATE FUNCTIONS; Yes they work exceptionally well at that type of event. Hire a gin drinks bar for a great reception treat at military functions, bar/bat mitzvahs, college balls, company fun days, corporate events, weddings, parties and exhibitions, and they are available throughout the U.K. including London, Scotland, The North East, The Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire. 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 Read the full article

0 notes

delfinamaggiousa · 5 years ago

Text

Holiday Wine Guide

‌

Happy Holidays!

We have a jam-packed newsletter for you this December. It’s everything you need to survive the holidays. The only thing better would be a barrel of whiskey and a fistful of Lexapro.

We opened up two classes for you, just after Christmas. The first is the Greatest Wine Regions of the World, which is basically a luxury-grade Wine 101 on steroids (which makes it great as a gift). We also opened up our Santa Barbara wine class. If you love Pinot, Cabernet, or Syrah, you should make a point of attending this one.

At this time of year, we ask our readers to consider picking up a few gift certificates for your favorite wine lovers. It’s the perfect time of year to bring more people into the Wine School family.

We also have two really cool bits of news to share. We have a new ambassador program AND a new wine event program! Read on for the coolness.

‌

Become a Wine School Ambassador

‌

Have you attended class at the Wine School? Looking for a side hustle that will allow you to pay for your wine education?

If so, we have a job for you! We are seeking a team of Wine School Ambassadors. If accepted into this position, you will be well compensated for the work you do. For details see the application below.

Wine School Ambassador Application

‌

Introducing Danielle Wojnicki, our new Wine Event Director

‌

We are thrilled to introduce you to Danielle, our new Director of Private Events.

Danielle has been a member of the Wine School family since 2009, first as a student in the Core and Advanced certification programs.

She went on to run her own successful catering business. In 2018, she earned her Wine Educator Certificate and started working for us.

If you are looking to host a private wine event at your home or office, she’s your sommelier!

Book a Private Event

‌

Top Wine Picks for the Holidays

These our our top picks for the holidays. They are all currently available in PA Wine & Spirits Stores. Each is a great bottle of wine.

Even more important is that each of them tastes –and looks– way more expensive than they actually are. All photos are taken at the Wine School of Philadelphia.

‌

Beringer 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

A classic style of Napa Cabernet, reminiscent of the 1997 vintage. I really love the cardamom, black olive, and eucalyptus notes here. Medium-bodied and restrained, this works very well with grilled beef tenderloin and caramelized Brussel sprouts.

Price in PA: $24.99 Rating: 92 Points

‌

Bersano 2015 “Nirvasco” Barolo

Back in 2015, I reviewed the 2010 vintage of this Barolo. This bottling is as beautiful as that one, perhaps even a bit more complex. The tension between the flinty acidity and the raw tannins is delightful. The flavors are captivating, like smoking a cigar next to a burning rosebush. An age-worthy bottle that would make any wine collector smile.

Price in PA: $25.99 Rating: 92 Points

‌

Tempus Two 2014 GSM, Barossa Valley

This bottle’s packaging is quite upscale even at its usual retail price of $18.

The fruit inside is similarly impressive.

Note of lavender and burnt sage are followed by fresh cranberry. A lighter style from Barossa, and a perfect holiday party wine.

Price in PA: $8.99 Rating: 90 Points

‌

Chateau Hyot Castillon 2016 Castillion

The Côtes de Castillon region of Bordeaux is an underappreciated region just east of Saint Emilion.

Cedar and cherry on the nose and flavors of black cherry and asian five-spice. A full bodied and fruit-forward bottling.

Price in PA: $12.99 Rating: 90 Points

‌

Bovale 2016 Bobal, Utiel Requena

This is one of those wines that is both exotic and eminently drinkable. Big jammy black fruit and a touch of smoked vanilla, this is a bottle of Spanish wine that Zin and Petit Sirah drinkers should love. The tannins are so soft and plush it’s like drinking happiness itself.

Price in PA: $9.99 Rating: 91 Points

‌

Domaine Vetriccie 2018 White, Corsica

Is it blasphemous that I want to serve this French white wine at the Feast of the Seven Fishes? After all, it is an Italian island, even if it has been a French territory for a few centuries.

Vibrant flavors of clementine and peach. There is a fantastic note of seashore in here as well. I previously reviewed the 2017 Domaine Vetriccie White.

Price in PA: $11.99 Rating: 90 Points

‌

More Wine Reviews

‌

Send the Gift of Wine School!

‌

This is the perfect time of year to support the Wine School. You can do it by gifting the Wine School!

Did you know you can give a wine class and turn it into a gift using this nifty form?

You can also cut out the middleman and just send out gift certificates to all your favorite wine people.

The post Holiday Wine Guide appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia.

source https://www.vinology.com/holiday-wine-guide-2019/

source https://vinology1.wordpress.com/2019/12/16/holiday-wine-guide/

0 notes

jeffreyscottwhisky · 5 years ago

Text

Manatawny Still Works Distillery Visit (2019)

Manatawny Still Works JSW was part of The Philadelphia Whiskey Society cask tasting and barrel selection at Manatawny Still Works on November 30, 2019. Perched in an industrial park in western Pottstown, PA, approximately 45 to 60 minutes from Philadelphia, Manatawny sits a few hundred yards from the Sly Fox Brewery, with which brewery collaboration is ongoing, not surprising as the master distiller, Max Pfeffer, is a former Sly Fox brewer. PWS Moderator and Event Planner, Jessica Gallicchio, and I arrived a tad bit late because of traffic and thus were at the back end of a welcoming pour of the BIB, a very nice 4 grain whiskey. We barely had time to taste that initial pour when we began tasting barrels. We would be tasting a “honey malt” that was matured about 5 years, a blended barrel of 4 grain most akin to a distillery release of their Bottled in Bond, a few other 4 grains, and a peated cask. All but the honey malt were more or less 4 years matured. Distiller Max Pfeffer was using the smallest and most accurate whiskey thief to draw out a Glencairn glass full of each whiskey to pour among the 9 of us tasting. The first four grain whisky, while nice, did not overly impress. I suppose it needed more time to mature as the wood simply hadn’t imparted as much flavor as one would have expected. Some enjoyed its soft nature, but it wasn’t there for me. I look for much stronger flavor in a cask strength whiskey. The second barrel drank like a rich, moderately spicy bourbon, though a bit hot, which was not surprising given that the ABV was over 60%. It settled down nicely after a little time in the glass and the addition of a splash of water. This whisky was rock solid and was one of the finalists for the cask selection. The blended barrel could have been bottled and sold right there. It was quite hot, but a flavor bomb. Fruit and spice were the flesh with a gentle oak spine holding it all up just fine. Being the whiskey geek that I am, I actually used it as part of a blended whiskey in a glass involving the peated and another barrel. The opportunity to blend whisky from a finite set of barrels is one of my great joys, only having done it with whiskies from the cask at Glengoyne. I blend on my own with bottles regularly and then pass around the blend for tasting by friends. The peated cask was maturing in a smaller barrel. It was a bit lighter in color than it’s siblings, but it was younger and tasted just a wee bit young, though already quite approachable and drinkable. Again, a very high ABV cask strength whiskey at over 60% ABV. It is in my mind lightly peated by scotch drinker standards, yet has a healthy taste of new, highly charred oak vanillins and tannins, that it brings to mind the flavor of some very young lightly peated Islay and Speyside whiskies, just matured in virgin oak barrels. The true oddball barrel was the “honey malt.” No, there is no use of honey in the honey malt, though they do make and sell a honey whiskey at Manatawny. However, this is an all malted barley whisky aged about 5 years that came across so well and as such a variation from, or at least an enhancement of the traditional style and flavor of the basic 4 grain mash-bill generally employed in most of the distillery’s juice, that the collective we chose that barrel which drinks like a Scotch. The whiskey will likely be made available for pre-ordering through The Philadelphia Whiskey Society on its Facebook page. The release party will be taking place in early May 2020. This was a tasty sampling of some very good whiskies from another local craft distillery culminating with a barrel selection that will raise eyebrows. I left with some very nice whiskies and have been having fun blending with them. Thanks to Max Pfeffer and Emily Lader, our patient and generous hosts from Manatawny. JSW and PWS look forward to the release party in May 2020!

0 notes

gailmalooft · 6 years ago

Text

Beer Whiskey: Absolute best Pours for Hopheads

Boilermaker: a pitcher of beer and a shot of whiskey—every so often served INSIDE the glass of beer. It’s—just like peanut butter and jelly—a mix that’s made for every different. However for us whiskey drinkers, we’re starting to see fully other varieties of beer and whiskey combinations at the cabinets.

Sure, it’s a advantageous time for beer and whiskey enthusiasts alike. Take a look at those whiskeys beneath to peer what we’re speaking about. Cross forward and double down in this revel in via ordering a chilly brew as a chaser.

FLAVORED WITH HOPS

Those whiskey manufacturers beneath use hops, dried flower clusters used to taste beer, to taste their whiskey. Hops supply floral and sour notes in addition to citrus-like flavors so anticipate finding the ones right here.

three Howls Hop Flavored Whiskey / Photograph Credit score: three Howls

3 Howls Hop Flavored Whiskey

This Seattle-based distillery makes use of 3 forms of hops to make this whiskey: Amarillo, Horizon and Chinook. Bonus issues: the entire hops hail from the Pacific Northwest.

Corsair Citra Double IPA Hopped Whiskey

All through the distillation procedure, Citra hops are positioned in a basket within the nonetheless whilst the distillate passes via. This hopped whiskey has a highly spiced, citrusy kick.

DISTILLED FROM BEER

When making any whiskey, you get started with grains. The ones grains are milled, mashed after which fermented to make a wash—also referred to as a distiller’s beer. However this “beer” isn’t in any respect delightful to drink—and naturally, it lacks hops, which taste the beer. Alternatively, those manufacturers beneath all began with ready-to-drink beer at distillation.

This custom isn’t fully new. In reality, you’ll in finding some German beer manufacturers have accomplished this for fairly a while and are incessantly known as bierschnaps. That mentioned, distilling from drinkable beer yields expensive whiskeys because of this. However they’re undoubtedly value attempting.

Black Butte Whiskey / Photograph Credit score: Deschutes Brewery

Black Butte Whiskey

This was once created in collaboration between Deschutes Brewery and Bendistillery, each founded in Oregon. It’s made via the use of the brewery’s Black Butte Porter beer to distill. Restricted availability.

Charbay Double & Twisted Lot No. 1

Charbay is not any stranger to distilling ready-to-drink beer, as their R5 and S whiskeys constitute. This new unlock celebrates the distillery’s 35th anniversary and the beers used come with two that have been custom-brewed only for Charbay.

Kiuchi No Shizuku

Enthusiasts of Hitachino Nest White Ale will have to keep in mind as that’s what is distilled to make this product. Then, if that isn’t odd sufficient, botanicals comparable to coriander, hops and orange peel are added whilst this whisky sits in oak for a month. It’s then redistilled and extra elderly for 6 extra months.

AGED IN BEER BARRELS

Those manufacturers took the Boilermaker to a complete new stage. Those whiskeys all completed their maturation in barrels that in the past elderly beer.

Glenfiddich IPA Experiment / Photograph Credit score: Glenfiddich

Glenfiddich IPA Experiment

For this bottling, 3 separate India Light Ale (IPA) recipes with various hops ranges have been created. This unmarried malt finishes its maturation in barrels that previously held craft IPA beer. The primary within the Experimental Sequence for Glenfiddich, this assortment now additionally contains Project XX and Winter Storm, with much more releases to come back.

Grant’s Ale Cask Finish

The Grant’s mixing staff, led via famend Grasp Blender Brian Kinsman, created this mix with lend a hand from a small Scottish brewing corporate. First launched in past due 2015, on the time, this combined Scotch was once the one one available on the market to were completed in casks that in the past held ale.

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition

After all we will have to additionally point out the a lot mentioned Caskmates releases from Jameson. Each the Stout and IPA Editions are collaborations with Cork-based Franciscan Well Brewery. The lives of those barrels are in consistent rotation. First, the distillery sends used Jameson-matured barrels to the brewery. Subsequent, the brewery makes use of those whiskey barrels to cask-mature their beers. Then those self same barrels get despatched again to Jameson to complete maturing their whiskey. The barrels er, wheels at the bus cross spherical and spherical, spherical and spherical…

Glendalough 7 Year Black Pitts

Blackpitts Porter is made via Dublin-based The 5 Lamps Brewery. Their used porter casks are used to complete this unmarried malt which was once first launched in February 2018.

With Distiller, you’ll all the time know what’s within the bottle prior to you spend a cent. Charge, Assessment and Uncover spirits! Head on over to Distiller, or obtain the app for iOS and Android these days!

The put up Beer Whiskey: Perfect Pours for Hopheads seemed first on The Distiller Blog.

The post Beer Whiskey: Absolute best Pours for Hopheads appeared first on Liquor Gift Baskets.

from http://liquorgiftbaskets.net/2018/10/25/beer-whiskey-perfect-pours-for-hopheads/

0 notes

viking-mjod · 7 years ago

Text

Surfin the beer, choosing the mead !

Its festival time – and therefore – mead time

Last week has been a quite an interesting and hectic one at work, so I figured going to such a festival will be a great ending to it. I brought my ethical and moral bodyguard with me – my wife – to keep me from delving too far into the subject matter of the festival: drinking beer and whiskey (and mead). Little did I know that these roles were to be reversed in only a few hours

Immediately; as we enter the festival, the scent of grains hits us like a wall. No doubt this is the place to be this weekend if you are a beer aficionado. However, with posters of whiskey brands and suppliers covering the walls, there is no doubt that whiskey has a rightful place here as well.

The whole point of the visit today is naturally to go test out new whiskey and beer, but incidentally, I came across the Norwegian mead making company Mjøderiet. Now, as a Mead Fanatic, I could not let this opportunity to taste their mead slip away from me. I also wanted to have a few words with the founders of the company, as I have long wanted to sit down with them and talk about their new venture.

Meeting with Mjøderiet

So I sat down with Stian Krog, The CEO of Mjøderiet, who was clearly quite busy but still took the time to be interviewed. I asked Stian to tell us a little about the adventure Mjøderiet has been on since its launching in 2016.

– Well, since our launch in December 2016, Mjøderiet has had quite a steep learning curve. We have evolved significantly in terms of production techniques from where we were in the beginning. Naturally, we have had to invest in the venture as we went along, both in terms of production equipment as well as the marketing events across the country. Through really focusing on a high presence at festivals across the country, events and a lot of good coverage from the press, both local and national, we have gotten off to a great start. All this has helped to increase the knowledge of mead in the minds of our modern Norwegian customer base. We have gone from “mead ? .. to MEAD!” when meeting new customers.

Our products have had great reception with the vast majority and gotten great feedback from both hardcore beer fans as well as beginners. It’s been a real pleasure seeing the looks on consumers’ faces as they taste mead for the first time. We have also been quite successful in distancing ourselves from the mainstream alcohol suppliers, and in that get acceptance that mead is a luxury product and that we are not actually trying to rip off our customers. It would have been such an easy stamp to get if the only information the consumer had was a bottle with a high price tag. We have raw material costs that are often 5-10 times that of a beer brewer from similar alcohol levels per unit, and we use only real ingredients such as honey (obviously) berries, fruits, spices, etc. Naturally, this accelerates costs but we do get prime products we can be proud of. Luckily, people talk about us, media talk about us and our consumers are happy to be “brand ambassadors”.

We now start to see the fruits of our labor, and we see that mead is a product worth making a business of. With this, I am happy to tell you that we are already expanding our production facilities this spring. In March/April, we are moving into new facilities, where a new production and bottling line is ready, with more fermentation capacity and a whole lot of good old-fashioned can-do-attitude!

Moving up and out – and in

This is fantastic, so: when you move into your new facilities, I assume there will be new flavors, new products and – well…new everything then?

– Yes – with new facilities comes new opportunities. We are aiming for a nice expansion in both volume, assortment, and frequency of how and when we release new meads. So expect both the good old meads and a host of new, exciting meads from us throughout the coming year… Well.. years honestly…

I remember back a year when you started, I contacted you and asked a bit about your products… You mentioned what you called “shop-mead”. I’m assuming that’s the session meads more tailored to fit Norwegian laws for alcohol sold in grocery stores. How about more aged, higher levels alcohol meads?

– The mead for sale in Norwegian stores (less than 4,7 % alcohol) has actually not been such a big thing for us yet, but in the future, we will produce more of it, indeed. Quite a lot has been mead with ABV ranging from 6-9 %, carbonated and served on tap, and often non-carbonated (stronger versions) when sold in bottles. We will naturally continue with these, but to a larger degree have mead available in bottles, given our new facilities. We will also launch new varieties of stronger meads. These will be sold in smaller bottles, due to ABV, flavor intensity, but also price levels. We are also aiming at establishing a barrel programme, which will allow us to age our strong meads in barrels previously containing spirits, wines, and beers.

Tasting time

Let’s talk more about your meads – the ones you brought to the festivals. Tell us something about the history behind them, and what made you decide to focus on these flavors.

By now Stian gets a mysterious smile on his face as he pulls up a few bottles from the small bag he has brought with him from the bar. He warns me that there might be more to these meads than I think … (Edit: I should have listened better).

The Apricot Seduction

– The first one I’d like you to taste is our more sweet type, Apricot Seduction. The basic idea was to make a strong, sweet dessert style mead with apricot and cinnamon – a combo well known from the restaurant world of desserts. I think – honestly – we found a good recipe. Stian then pops a bottle and pours a healthy serving in both me and my wife’s glass. For the sake of seriousness, I sniffed, swirled and did all the tasting procedures I remembered from my (long time ago) career as a chef and wine-tasting guy ….

The Apricot Seduction mead has a lovely crisp golden color and a clear scent of apricot that somehow overpower that scent of honey in the glass. But that is well made up for with the taste of this golden nectar. The mix between honey and apricot gives a very special flavor – it is a mix that immediately takes me back to when I was a chef, back then my specialty was dessert and I liked nothing less than a good plate of cheese with a sweet wine to go along. It strikes me that this apricot mead would be a successful match to a dish of flavorful cheese.

This is when I realize what I associate that Apricot Seduction bouquet with: the luscious combination of honey roasted walnuts to that of the dessert we called “the roasted goat cheese”. Trust me: this dessert is well worth experiencing – a nice deep-fried goat cheese served with honey roasted walnuts, and the Apricot Seduction mead. (Here is a great recipe for this, feel free to check it out.)

The sweetness of the Apricot Seduction can only be described as “spot on” – neither too sweet nor to dry. It’s hard to say exactly what specific gravity they landed on when developing this recipe but whatever they did, they nailed it. The mead has a healthy 11% alcohol without the alcohol flavor itself being a distinct flavor in and by itself. If one is looking for a balanced mead to start with, this would be a sure winner. This is the first time I tasted commercial mead here in Norway, and the quality did not disappoint. The first glass was empty after a very short time, something which prompted my better half to demand a second glass. A sure winner, no doubt. I realize that my concept of my wife being my ethical and moral bodyguard tonight, might be a mirage, as her smile seemed to go around 2 times, and she asks for more …..

The Raspberry

After a while, sipping, talking and enjoying the festival for all it is worth, we meet up with Stian again, in order to have the second sample. We agreed earlier that it would probably be a good idea not to sample neither too much and – certainly not – too fast. Now, Stian asks us to taste a different one, more traditional in style:

– This is “Raspberry”, it was one of our prototypes for how session mead with carbonation could taste, and one that has become a staple with us. We have gradually improved it, for example through filtering, to use lemon as a flavor enhancer and tartness balancing ingredient. It is now at a point where its sweet, but not extreme, and with a lot of raspberry flavor. Add to this the carbonation, which adds freshness and makes it a lot more drinkable. It’s a refreshing, straight-forward mead we get a lot of great feedback on.

Stian now reaches for the tap handle and pours the mead into another, new glass. As the minutes pass we talk about all things mead concerned. I sip, analyze, sniff and try to associate all the wonderful impressions this mead gives me …

The Raspberry mead is perhaps the least adventurous of tonight’s selection, but it is fruity, fresh, very balanced and absolutely delicious. The Raspberry flavor comes straight through, and while it has an alcohol level of 6,8 %, any alcoholic taste is nearly non-existent. I readily understand why this mead is intended to be served carbonated. With that extra dimension of freshness and drinkability, I think serving establishments will have a drink that will be a true hit among a majority of their patrons. Come summer and tourist season starts again, this mead will be the new hit.

In the local city where we live, Bergen, we have thousands of tourists during the summer season. If Mjøderiet’s Raspberry mead would be available, especially for bars and restaurants serving alcohol outside, I easily see our city being famous for more than its historical heritage and nature.

Stian has to leave us to take care of an ever increasing line at Mjøderiets booth, leaving me and my better half discussing the finer points of this mead. It strikes me that we giggle a bit more for no apparent reason…

At this point in time, we decide to take a break and go to eat. This was probably a good idea… Some 2 hours later we are back at the festival, where people are suspiciously happy. It could have something to do with an amazing range of happiness-inducing beverages….

We now grab a hold of the other half of Mjøderiet’s representatives tonight, Benjamin. I like this guy, and the reason is simple. Not only is Benjamin an absolutely fantastic guy to hang around with, but just check out that beard !!! Of course, he’s a great guy!!

The Blodøks (“Blood Axe”)

Benjamin had brought new beverages for us to test, well .. drink .. What he presents us with is their Blodøks (Norwegian for Blood Axe, which is also the name of one of Norway’s ancient viking kings). This braggot (a mix of beer and mead) is a collaboration brew with their former location host, Lysefjorden Mikrobryggeri, which Benjamin also works for. It’s quite clear that with his background as a brewer, he is also well versed in what it takes to make a successful hybrid between craft beer and mead.

The Blodøks is made on a recipe for a double red IPA, which is actually a scaled-up version of Lysefjorden’s Red IPA, a session amber IPA of 4,7 %, with copious amounts of honey. They have also added grape juice and raisins for extra complexity. When properly fermented the way Mjøderiet does it, you get this extra dimension to the IPA which really gives a

whole new meaning to braggot. The braggot develops the flavour of a perfectly crafted beer with a fantastic honey flavour on top of it, which leaves a long lasting aftertaste which a normal IPA just can’t provide. The colour is a warm amber brown, the smell is distinctively honey, grain and hops, and the brew has just a small amount of head retention. All this combined creates a brew that dances across your tastebuds and slide down your throat with ease, leaving you with a strong desire to drink more.

I have made braggots myself several times, but I have no problems realising that what Mjøderiet and Lysefjorden has done here is nothing short of perfection. Some might say this sounds biased and perhaps it is – I can only say that after having had three or four drinks off the braggot I am a True Believer; this stuff rocks! It wasn’t until after the 3rd round I was reminded that why the name of the braggot carries the very fitting name “Blood Axe”: not only because of the Viking reference and color – if you drink enough of this, its basic effect will hit you like an axe to the face!

The RhuBerry

Benjamin now taps glasses of a crisp spelling mead. Its tartness is striking, its flavor alluring. Enter – the Rabarbær (RhuBerry ) This mead is actually something of a mishap, which probably ended up better than the original was planned to be. We had been busy with festivals and other stuff for a while, so when we came back to check on the mead, it had actually continued to ferment. Originally we targeted it for 5%, and significantly sweeter,. We ended up at 8.5%, semi-dry and quite tart. The rhubarb character was dominating while the strawberry came a bit in the background. We thought it was actually quite good, so we decided to bottle is as it was – and we haven’t regretted that decision! The Rabarbær (RhuBerry) quickly rose to become something of a customer favourite on Untappd – well above Pasjonsfrukt (Passionfruit) and Bringebær (Raspberry), our former bestsellers. It will be very interesting to see if we can re-create this “ mistake” the way it happened, but nevertheless, we aim to give Rabarbær a comeback in 2018, and in a larger batch.

Both me and my wife have been holding back while Benjamin explains and strategically pass the glass of mead past our anticipating faces (and noses). I feel like a kid at first day of school as he finally hands us each a glass of the “mishap”. Honestly – I can’t for the life of me understand why this is a mishap!

Bring me some more

The RhuBerry is a really a curious little mead. It is, as Benjamin explained (delightfully) tart – the kind you definitely expect from rhubarb, but opposed to raw rhubarb this mix with strawberry and raspberry gives the mead a rhubarb-y, yet soft acidity, without leaving your face feeling like a prune as raw rhubarb does.

It is a drink that would go fantastically well on a warm summer day, especially when adding a little ice to it and perhaps a few slices of apple (that’s just personal taste though – I know many that would outright refuse to mix this beauty with anything, just as any whisky lover would refuse to mix a 24 year old single malt, single cask whisky with coca cola).

Drinking this straight is an experience in itself. If you have had sweet drinks beforehand, the RhuBerry will certainly neutralize and calm your system. That is: unless you have several servings. If you have already had a number of these, you will just simply want to continue – I guess that’s part of its magic….

I find myself thinking back to my days as a chef and wondering what wonderful dishes I could utilized this mead with. One would certainly be making a sherbet out of the mead. After a heavy meal, a sherbet with this flavour would be a hit in a fine dining restaurant.

The chef in me sees the RhuBerry as the main ingredient in a world class sherbet or as a component in any desert calling for tartness. This is a mead that certainly deserves a variety of uses – and praises – from chefs all across the world.

Full steam ahead

I decide I have to end the tasting itself here, before I forget the interview itself. I turn back to see Stian come over with his great warm smile. I ask him to sit with us as I’d like a few more questions for the interview. “Stian – this festival can only be described as the bees knees (pun intended)… I already know from eavesdropping that you have had quite a few new leads for sales, and that pretty much everyone is greatly impressed with your mead. Tell us – what does the future bring for Mjøderiet? Any hints or teasers?

– 2018 will be a very active and hectic year for Mjøderiet. Along with the guys from Monkey Brew in Trondheim we will release a super-exclusive small batch with berries. This is currently aging in barrels which has earlier held their Imperial Stout “Demon Box”, and another barrel that isn’t ready yet. This will be the first barrel aged mead in Norway, so naturally we are super-excited.

In addition we will be making other meads closer to Rhu-Berry, that is in a more tart/dry direction, with fruit and berry characteristics. These will be made with carbonation for taps in bars as well as bottled versions and/or in stronger varieties. The idea is to launch these as a local and adventurous alternative to wine, for the restaurant market.

Going abroad

We are also taking a road-trip to the good ole’ U.S.A, where we will plaster our name and Norwegian quirkiness on a full 3 fantastic collabs with some American legends of mead. We will be working with mead superstars such as B. Nektar, Superstition and Rabbit’s Foot. No surprise that we are very much looking forward to this trip. I’m sure you as a mead-freak can understand how much we are delighted to be able to learn tips and tricks from our U.S counterparts. They have been making mead for decades and are light years ahead of Europe, both in regards to the industry itself and in regards to production methods.

We will be bringing special ingredients from Norway to combine these with local (U.S) honey and local barrels for aging. The U.S market has far better access to oak barrels (previously holding liquor, wine or beer), than Norway. Even though it’s somewhat uncertain whether or not these will be accessible on the Norwegian market in any significant volume, it’s still important to have a great relationship with our international friends. We travel, we live, we learn.

Festivals, markets, events and more mead

Perhaps not so surprising, we will naturally be visiting a lot of festivals and events throughout 2018. For anyone who want to know where they can meet us: follow us on Facebook . We use Facebook as our main communication channel to our market and fans. Anything we do, goes out there. It’s not always easy to communicate in a correct fashion when we also have to consider Norwegian advertising regulations (in regards to alcohol), but we do our best. Sometimes we can inform at length about our new adventures and plans, and sometimes we have to moderate ourselves significantly to stay within the limits of the law. So we try our best to have a good balance where we keep our fanbase excited, and the lawmakers content. Stay tuned, as they say.

With this, we hear a low-muffled howl from the mead bar, clearly indicating they have a need for both Benjamin and Stian. The line is long, and the mead flows fast. It’s time for our mazers to go back to what they do best – MEAD!

The post Surfin the beer, choosing the mead ! appeared first on Vikingmjød.

from Vikingmjød http://viking-mjod.no/mjoderiet-at-bergen-beer-and-whisky-festival-2018/

0 notes

candy-floss-crazy · 1 year ago

Text

Hire Gin Bars - Lux Gin Bar Range

0 notes

shywinnerdreamer · 4 years ago

Text

Welcome Summer 2021 with Fresh and Cool Cocktails

Kick-off the season with our refreshing summer cocktails that are perfect for sipping poolside. You can expect many of your guests to request outdoor seating this summer, so why not have a new cocktail menu to celebrate the return of warm weather?

If ordering, preparing or looking at your most popular cocktails doesn’t pump you up, then your summer cocktail recipe hasn’t captured the essence of summer.

The winter cocktails specialise in warmth and spice, the spring cocktails on freshness, and the fall cocktails on earthy moderation but summer cocktails are a touch more one-dimensional in a positive way. Sours and sweets commingle in ice-cold liquor while citrus flavours blow up in your mouth. The best summer cocktails have tons of energy.

Our simple summer cocktails blend a variety of fresh herbs and fruits with boozy favourites like gin, vodka, tequila, and wine for the ultimate blend of summery flavours. From caipirinhas to sangria, these drinks of summer are crowd pleasures.

There’s nothing one love more than refreshing summer cocktails on a warm day. Summer Cocktails can make your summer parties or can make for a delicious drink any day. Here we’ve got some of the best summer cocktails for you, so save this to your bookmarks so that you can come back and whip up some of these delicious drinks. Keep reading for recipes and directions!

Table of Content-

Vodka Cocktails for Summer

Gin Cocktails for Summer

Summer Whiskey Cocktails

Summer Rum Cocktails

Tequila Summer Cocktails

1)Vodka Cocktails for Summer

i)French Martini

The French Martini is a simple combination of a base liquor, a cocktail modifier, and a juice. The use of Chambord, a dark berry liqueur gives it a pleasant sweet depth. But the pineapple fruit juice is what lights the fuse. Combined with the graceful astringency of vodka, sweet berries and vibrant pineapple create a uniquely clean and refreshing summer cocktail. The outcome is an opaque, frothy purple elixir that eats summer days for breakfast.

French Martini Ingredients

Two ounces of vodka

Half ounces of black raspberry liqueur

One and half ounces of pineapple juice

French Martini Recipe

Add all the ingredients with ice into a cocktail shaker and shake.

Strain into a chilled cocktail or martini glass.

ii)Apple Mojito

Mojitos are one of the popular drinks you will find on almost any summer cocktail list, so try something creative with this twist on the Cuban mixed drink. Our version includes vodka and apple fruit juice in place of the rum and lime juice during a traditional mojito recipe.

Apple Mojito Ingredients

One-third cup of vodka

One-fourth cup of apple juice

One oz. simple syrup

Ten mint leaves

Apple slices for garnish

Apple Mojito Recipe

Mix the mint leaves in a cocktail shaker.

Add simple syrup, vodka, and apple juice.

Shake and pour the cocktail into a highball glass over ice.

Garnish with mint and apple slice.

2)Gin Cocktails for Summer

i)Gin Basil Smash

In this summer, bright green basil leaves are muddled to release a herbal flavour that blends well with freshly squeezed lemon juice & gin. Using fresh herbs in your cocktails provide a singular, refreshing flavour profile that's perfect for summery mixed drinks.

Gin Basil Smash Ingredients

Four oz. gin

Two oz. fresh lemon juice

Two oz. simple syrup

Ten basil leaves

Gin Basil Recipe

Add basil leaves, lemon juice, and syrup to a cocktail shaker.

Gently muddle the ingredients.

Add gin and shake.

Pour the cocktail into a rocks glass over ice.

Garnish with basil leaves and lemon twist.

ii)Gimlet

The original recipe for a gimlet known for “gin and a spot of lime.” And in the 1930s The Savoy Cocktail Book, the exact book in which the greyhound made its debut, the standardized recipe involves equal parts gin and Rose’s Lime Juice. Today, we prefer our drinks a touch stiffer. Thus, the recipe has grown more alcoholic with time. Now, it’s two parts of gin to one part Rose’s lime, a perfect combination for keeping it light, refreshing, but not too sweet. One among the simplest and best summer cocktail recipes available, if you ask us.

The gimlet is a product of circumstance versus creativity, though grinned and perfected with time. Its origins are at stumped when limes were mandatory rations for British sailors to battle scurvy. Gin was the first choice for several British sailors of the time. It had been a natural complement to the limes they were required to eat. “You must eat this lime” may be a phrase sadly lost to this part of history. The gin and lime juice made one another more palatable and countless seamen avoided vitamin deficiency. Gin is rumoured to be one of the aphrodisiac drinks.

As for the name, it’s from one among two places. It could get its name from a little tool used for tapping barrels of liquor on ships or from a British naval officer named Sir Thomas Gimlette who was an enthusiastic adopter of the gin-lime combination.

Gimlet Ingredients

Two ounces of gin

One ounce of Rose’s lime juice (use half ounces of fresh lime juice and half ounces of simple syrup if you’ve got no Rose’s)

Lime wedge

Gimlet Recipe

Add the gin, Rose’s, and ice in a shaker and shake well.

Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

3)Summer Whiskey Cocktails

i)Old Pal

The old pal is within the Negroni and boulevardier cocktail family. Rather than using sweet vermouth, the old pal uses dry vermouth. And, where a Negroni has gin and a boulevardier bourbon, the old pal uses the spicier rye whiskey. Ton of bartenders today make boulevardiers with rye rather than bourbon because it creates a fuller flavour profile with the Campari. Well, that’s what the old pal does. Just with a special kind of vermouth.

The recipe comes from the year 1927, with the publication of Barflies and Cocktails. Another peculiarity it shares with the boulevardier is that it was named after an American who lived in Paris. In this case, he was the newspaper editor for The New York Herald William “Sparrow” Robinson. Harry MacElhone, a bar owner who had a hand in the creation of the boulevardier, is credited with the creation of Old Pal.

The combination of sweet vermouth and Campari is just too sweet for a raw, summer cocktail. By using dry vermouth, the old pal immediately becomes one of the most refreshing summer cocktails around. It's an even more refreshing version of the common 3 ingredient formula, i.e, base liquor, Campari, vermouth. The complexity & bitterness of Campari shines a light on the slow-burning spice of rye whiskey but disarms it. The whole combination is perfect for warm, summer sipping. This here is one of the best summer whiskey cocktails and one among the best summer cocktails in general.

Old Pal Ingredients

One ounce of rye whiskey

One ounce of Campari

One ounce of dry vermouth

Lemon peel

Old Pal Recipe

Add all ingredients in a shaker with ice and mix properly.

Strain into a cocktail grass.

Garnish with a lemon peel.

ii)Whiskey Sour

The whiskey sour is one of the best summers whiskey cocktails. It’s also the only best easy summer bourbon cocktail. The great state of Wisconsin has the honour of being the first primary location this classic summer cocktail was mentioned in print—back in 1870. Thanks to Waukesha Plain Dealer.

“Sours” are like a family member of drinks and more accurately thought of as a principle of mixology. They are one of the oldest approaches to making drinks. It’s an easy, well-worn formula: base sorts of alcohol + sour mixer + sweetener. The gimlet above is basically a sour because Rose’s Lime isn’t a lime juice, but a sweetened lime cordial.

Like the gimlet, the sour has its roots within the mandatory presence of lemons and limes on maritime vessels. Because of this, they are some of the earliest cocktails on record.

Any drink that successfully combines sweet, sour and liquor is going to be a well-liked

summer cocktail. The key is finding easy summer cocktail recipes. Summer cocktail recipes you have already got the ingredients for and take your bartenders under a moment to form. Well, that’s the whiskey sour, the undisputed champion of the summer cocktails.

The whiskey sour’s cherry garnish may be a great representation of the drink itself: sweet and fun. The sugar acts as a bridge between the sweetness of the bourbon and the freshness of lemon juice. The outcome is subtly sweet, pretty much drinkable, and happiness to behold. Sip one back on a warm summer sunset and feel yourself melt into the sweet dusk breeze.

Whiskey Sour Ingredients

Two ounces of bourbon

Three-fourth ounces of lemon juice

Three-fourth ounces of simple syrup

Orange wheel

Cherry

Whiskey Sour Recipe

Combine bourbon, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice and shake.

Strain into a rock glass filled with ice cubes.

Garnish with an orange wheel and cherry.

4)Summer Rum Cocktails

i)Daiquiri

The daiquiri is a family of cocktails that holds an esteemed position in the cocktail pantheon. It is one of the “six basic drinks” in The Fine Art of Mixing Drinks, an epic and influential 1948 cocktail book. The name is basically from a Cuban iron mine where an American mining engineer named Jennings Cox was stationed in Cuba during the 1890s.

The drink found its way to the NYC bar scene during the early 1900s and stayed under the radar until the 1940s. Rum was much easier to come by during World War-two than whiskey and vodka. FDR’s “Good Neighbor” policy increased trade incentives between the U.S. and Latin America.

There tend to be two daiquiris within the public imagination, though. One is the simple combination of rum, citrus, and sugar that serves as the foundation for several other drinks. And has it’s origins in the maritime battle against scurvy. The other is the slightly more flamboyant frozen daiquiri which is a daiquiri but blended with crushed ice to create a slushy.

Uttering the word “daiquiri” to a bartender should get you the primary, simple summer rum cocktail to embrace its simplicity and history. Enjoy its light jade colour and humble sweet-and-sour refreshment. It’s one of the simplest, best summer cocktails you will find. And, it’s a classic summer cocktail to boot.

Daiquiri Ingredients

One and half ounces of white rum

One ounce of lime juice

Half ounces of simple syrup

Lime twist

Daiquiri Recipe

Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes and shake.

Strain into a cocktail glass.

Garnish with a lime twist.

ii)Cuba Libre

A Cuba Libre is a combination of rum and coke with lime juice. Because of the heavy United States presence in Cuba during the Spanish-American War, there was an influx of Coca-Cola. The drink soon became popular in Cuba due to the convenience of acquiring the ingredients.

While it doesn’t need to be Coca-Cola, it always is. And, while it doesn’t need to be Bacardi, it always is.

In 1965, Fausto Rodriguez, a Bacardi advertising executive publicly produced a notarized affidavit. It stated that, in 1900, a 14-year-old Rodriguez witnessed a member of the United States Army ordered a Bacardi mixed with Coca-Cola. A nearby group of intrigued soldiers ordered around for themselves. And, the drink was invented. It's coincident that Fausto grew up to be a Bacardi advertising executive but, c’est la vie was the one that inspired him.

The name is from a previous drink referred to as the Cuba Libre—a saying of the Cuban independence movement—made up of water and brown sugar. And, interestingly, the Cuba Libre is a historically important drink that’s the representation of two world orders. One, colonialism in the Caribbean was fuelled by the rum trade. And another, modern commercialism, is perfectly represented by Coca-Cola and its proliferation across the world. During that time, Cuba created a drink that reflected itself.

On the lighter side, the drink is an incredibly easy summer cocktail. Much like Cuba hundred years ago, rum and Coca-Cola is still readily available almost everywhere. The occasional addition of lime juice gives the already thirst-quenching mixture a sharper kind of refreshment. But we go straight rum and coke during this recipe.

Cuba Libre Ingredients

Two ounces of rum

Four ounces of Coca-Cola

Lime wedge

Cuba Libre Recipe

Add rum and coke in a highball glass which should be three-fourths full of ice.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

5)Tequila Summer Cocktails

i)Paloma

Like the Cuba Libre, the Paloma uses soft drink for mixing. Pick your favourite grapefruit-flavoured soda and start mixing it with tequila. A two-ingredient drink is an easy summer cocktail if you have ever seen one.

But what makes this one of the best yet simple summer cocktail is that it’s the most refreshing summer cocktail on this entire list. There is something special about grapefruit soda that hits the spot on oppressively hot days, to which Mexico is no stranger. Grapefruit soda spiked with tequila, then, rises to the extent of elixir during the summer.

If you are after a tequila-based cocktail on a hot summer day, skip the margarita and order a Paloma. The word if translated in English comes out to be as both pigeon and dove which definitely makes sense because the Paloma cocktail has the ability to be a blue-collar, sessional summer cocktail. Or, with the proper tequila and craft soda, a refined meditation on the collision of bitter, sour, and sweet.

Paloma Ingredients

Two ounces of tequila

Six ounces of grapefruit soda

Lime wedge

Paloma Recipe

Salt the rim if you wish (adds a margarita-esque festive component to the drink).

Add ingredients in a highball glass with three-fourths full of ice.

Garnish with a lime wedge.

ii)Mexican Mai Tai

Just like the classic Mai Tai recipe, this summer cocktail includes an almond-flavoured syrup known as Orgeat (pronounced Or-Zhaat). One needs to add a Mexican flair by replacing the rum with tequila and then adding a salted rim. The outcome is a perfect summer mixed drink that combines the refreshing tartness of a margarita with the sweetness of a tropical tiki cocktail.

Mexican Mai Tai Ingredients

One and half oz. tequila

Half oz. orange curacao

Half oz. orgeat

Three by fourths oz. lime juice

Rimming salt

Mexican Mai Tai Recipe

Pour the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and then shake them thoroughly.

Rim a margarita glass with salt.

Shake the cocktail and pour it into the glass over ice.

Garnish it with a lime slice.

iii)Tequila Sunrise

There was a first version of the Tequila Sunrise created in Phoenix in the 1930s. Then an updated version created in Sausalito during the 70s. So, the question arises, “To which city is its creation credited”? Both? You don’t hear much about this topic, so it looks like both cities have settled the dispute honourably.

The original 1930s version used to have tequila, soda water, creme de cassis, and lime juice. But the latest version is the one that’s directly descended from the 1970s Sausalito have tequila, orange juice, and grenadine. The story narrates that Mick Jagger tried a Tequila Sunrise at a party in 1972 and the Rolling Stones started drinking them. They ordered them all around the country during their tour, and the drink took off from there.

The name originated from the design of the drink. After adding the tequila and orange juice, strategically pour the ruby-red grenadine cascading down the side of the glass without dispersing it into the remains of the drink. The outcome is an orange colour at the top of the drink and a fade to a deep orange at the bottom.

The sweet pomegranate grenadine keeps waiting patiently at the bottom. As you sip the tequila-orange juice from the start, the drink gets progressively sweeter and more complex. It’s one of the foremost fun tequila summer cocktails out there. And, within the grand scheme of things, one among the best summer cocktails, period.

Tequila Sunrise Ingredients

One and half ounces of tequila

Three ounces of orange juice

Half ounces of grenadine

Orange slice

Cherry

Tequila Sunrise Recipe

Pour tequila and orange juice in a glass (any glass) over ice.

Pour the grenadine slowly down the inner side of the glass.

Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Liven up your summer cocktail menu with our greatest drinks of summer! Easy to organize & prepare, our summer drink recipes are crowd favourites which all make the most of the outdoor dining experience the best experience. Want to seek out more amazing cocktails, then confirm you do subscribe to www.dakibaa.com and follow our Instagram channel “Dakibaa” and like, follow our Facebook channel “Dakibaa”, and Twitter channel “Dakibaa” for more content like this within the future!

#event planner #cocktails #party planner #corporate planners #party supply #party services #House Party #beverage services #event coordinator #home party services #party event planner #event party planner #party supplies #private party

0 notes

sightandfire · 7 years ago

Text

Address: 1800 W Fulton St Chicago, IL 60612

You know when you’re in Chicago you HAVE to stop by one of the breweries who started it all; hence why eatingwithlittlemariii and I went to Goose Island Brewing Company?!

This was the first brewery stop we did while we were in Chicago and I have to say, it kind of ruined it for the rest of them, because with the tour itself and the beer that was available in the taproom, the bar (no pun intended) was set REALLY high.

From their website: Our History: Our famous beer began with a trip across Europe, when Goose Island founder (and unabashed beer lover) John Hall took a tour across the continent. Pint by pint, he savored the styles and selections of brews in every region, and thought to himself, “America deserves some damn fine beer like this, too.” Craft brewing wasn’t widely known at the time, but upon return from his European sojourn, John set out to change all that. He settled down in his hometown of Chicago—a city perfect for craft beer, with rapidly evolving tastes and the largest system of fresh water on the planet. And then he got to brewing. First he made some stellar beer. Then he invited his consumers in to watch his process at the brewery, bringing them behind the scenes every step of the way. The result was a new fascination with craft brewing, and beer that not only catered to people’s tastes, but challenged them as well. That was back in 1988, and we haven’t slowed down since. By 1995, John’s beer had become so popular that he decided to open a larger brewery, along with a bottling plant to keep up with demand. 1999 brought even more growth, along with an additional brewpub, and today, what was once one man’s pint-filled dream has become the Goose Island empire you know and love.

*Fun fact: The day they opened their doors was on a Friday the 13th in the year 1988.

Our Brewery: Our brewery was built in 1995 and has more than doubled in size since originally built. We bring you our tasty pints using 32 fermenters, over 15 different yeasts, state-of-the-art filters, centrifuges and a 50 barrel JV Northwest 5 vessel system that brews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It turns out that making awesome brews is quite the science. Luckily our brewery facilities have all the equipment necessary to deliver results. Our packaging line alone bottles 500 cases an hour, with our keg line at a rate of 50 kegs every 60 minutes. Once the beer is complete, we store it at a crisp 38 degrees until shipping. In other words, we don’t mess around when it comes to filling the Goose Island demand. We even have separate rooms to house small batch innovation programs and yeast propagation units, and our barrel-aged beers have their own dedicated stockroom AND 143,000 square foot barrel warehouse. It’s only the very best equipment for our beer—and we invite you to learn more.

Our Hops: Tucked away in a secluded valley in Northern Idaho is Elk Mountain Farms – the place where Goose Island hops are grown and harvested. Head Farmer Ed Atkins shares the same passion and commitment to great beer as our brewers, and together they’ve worked to grow the farm from a 70-acre operation to a 1700-acre hop heaven. Here, over 50 different types of hops, including Goose Island favorites like Saaz, Amarillo and Cascade are cultivated along with numerous experimental varieties that could one day push the boundaries of beer for drinkers and brewers alike. Elk Mountain is more than just soil and plant life; it’s a laboratory, a studio, a blank canvas on which to paint the future of Goose Island beer.

Our Barrels: In 1992, Goose Island gave the beer industry a new reason to belly up to the bar: bourbon-aged beer. We pioneered the process, and it begins with first-use bourbon barrels. Our brewers only choose those that have had held sweet, sweet whiskey in their bellies for an average of 8 years, then they age our beer inside for 8-12 months. This process takes place in a non-climate controlled space, allowing exposure to the extreme heat and cold of Chicago’s ecosystem, which contracts and expands the wood, pulling the barrel’s whiskey character into our brew. Each barrel is used only once, ensuring the best quality taste in every pint. That first barrel-aging process yielded our ever-tasty Bourbon County Stout back in 2004. Three years later, we decided it was time to expand our barrel-aging program again. But this time our brewers brought wine barrels into the picture. They started with beer that had undergone primary fermentation in stainless steel casks, then transferred it to wine barrels, soaked with flavor. Next came fresh fruit and wild yeasts, and the beginning of a secondary fermentation inside the barrel. Aging went on for 9-18 months, creating beer with unprecedented depth of character, increased acidity and a light essence of fruit without too much sweetness. The variety of wine barrels we use now yield some of our most unique brews, including Sofie, Juliet, Lolita, Madame Rose, Gillian and Halia.

*Fun Fact: Their Bourbon county stout was submitted at the Great American Beer Festival when they first started brewing it and it was disqualified because they didn’t have a category for the percentage of alcohol in that beer (Usually the category topped off at 10% ABV). So basically, Goose Island started the barrel aged beer category at the GABF the next year.

Here are the explanations from the brewery:

Classics:

Honkers Ale [English Style Bitter (4.3% ABV/ 30 IBU)]: Inspired by visits to English country pubs, Honker’s Ale combines a spicy hop aroma with a rich malt middle to create a perfectly balanced beer. Immensely drinkable, Honker’s Ale is not only a beer drinkers can trust but one they’ll look forward to.

Limited Releases:

Cooper Project No. 3 [Barrel Aged Porter (8.3% ABV/ (N/A) IBU)]: The Cooper Project is a rotating series of new recipes that highlight Goose Island’s expertise in bourbon barrel-aging. The third release of 2017, this Barrel-Aged Porter, starts life as a rich porter brewed with chocolate maltsand spices that is then barrel-aged for 3 months in fresh bourbon barrels.

Juicy Double [Double IPA (8.3% ABV/ 70 IBU)]: Juicy Double is a crisp Double India Pale Ale brewed with Orange Juice for a refreshing citrus finish. Brewed with 7 hop varieties, this Imperial India Pale Ale weighs in at 8.3% ABV with an IBU of 70. The bold hop character is nicely balanced with the citrus from the orange juice.

Keller Marzen [German Lager (6.3% ABV/ (NA) IBU)]: Our brewers traveled overseas to brew this limited release beer with our friends at Spaten Brauerei, the oldest brewery in Munich. It pays tribute to time honored Bavarian brewing traditions of brewing a stronger beer in March, lagering for many months and tapping the unfiltered beer at the end of the summer for Oktoberfest. The result is a smooth, malty and unfiltered golden lager with light, bready sweetness and a delicate German hop character.

Islay Scotch Barrel Stout [Imperial Stout (13.3% ABV/ (NA) IBU)]: Imperial stout aged in Ardbeg Scotch barrels for 15 months. Featured at the Festival of Barrel Aged Beers this weekend and here only (was there the weekend of Nov 9-11). Dense black with a viscous body and smoke and peat notes.

Flight Of V Pale Ale: No Description Available.

Holiday Ales:

Noel [Belgian Style Dark Ale (9.5% ABV/ 15 IBU)]: In Belgium, Noël beers were released at the end of the year as a special, limited release to thank loyal brewery customers for their support throughout the year. Goose Island Noël is an un-spiced Belgian-style, Dark Ale with balanced notes of caramelized sugar, toasted bread, black cherry, and dried apricot all in a warm, deep-mahogany body. This beer was brewed to celebrate the past year and toast the new year to come. From our brewers to you and yours, cheers and happy holidays.

Vintage Ales:

Sofie [Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale (6.5% ABV/ 20 IBU)]: Our sparkling Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale is wine barrel-aged with an abundance of hand-zested orange peel. Spicy white pepper notes contrast the citrus tartness. The light, refreshing, creamy vanilla finish will excite those fond of Champagne. Originally brewed by Belgian farmers to attract the best farm hands, we were inspired to brew an exceptional ale as inviting as the original Belgian Farmhouse ales. Light and effervescent, we named it for our founder’s granddaughter Sofie.

Juliet [Belgian Style Wild Ale (8.0% ABV/ 15 IBU)]: A tart, jammy, complex ale fermented with wild yeast and aged in wine barrels with fresh blackberries, with notes of wood, tannin, and spice. Inspired by sour beers from the Cantillon Brewery in Belgium, Juliet is a tart, jammy, complex ale fermented with wild yeast and aged in wine barrels with fifty pounds of fresh locally sourced blackberries, with notes of wood, tannin, and spice.

Bourbon County:

Bourbon County Wheat Wine [Wheat Wine (15% ABV/ (NA) IBU)]: Brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at our original Clybourn brewpub. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer.

Here’s what I thought:

Honkers Ale: This one is an English Bitter. It has flowery/citrusy scents. Very aromatic. Tasted like flowers as well. Light. Crisp & refreshing.

Cooper Project No. 3: This one smells like a straight cask which was followed by a bit of chocolatey scents. It was actually quite light & crisp. It completely envelopes your palette.

Juicy Double: This one actually had quite the light scent. Not too hoppy at all. And the tastes were extremely light, smooth and crisp. It was not overbearing in the least.

Keller Marzen: Malty scents and it tasted malty as well. It had slight citrus tastes but was extremely crisp.

Islay Scotch Barrel Stout: You can smell the cask that the beer has been fermenting in. You can legit get light headed and feel tipsy by just smelling it. Has a smoky aftertaste, kind of like the whisky (barrel) the beer was aging in. Delicious, smooth, light & milky (the mouthfeel).

Flight Of V Pale Ale: Smells super hoppy; but you can smell the malts as well with a tinge of citrus. The taste though is not as hoppy as it smells. Crisp. Refreshing.

Noel: Had a bready/malty taste with a bit of a Belgian beer, just not as spiced. It was actually quite crisp for it’s colour.

Sofie: This one was actually put in wine barrels instead of whiskey barrels. Scents of a Belgian beer; crisp, light and refreshing. It’s kind of like a light Belgian. You get different tastes with each sip you take. And there were hints of citrus in the aftertaste as well.

Juliet: This one had fruity, citrusy scents. Kind of like blackberries. But when you sip it back, this one smacks you in the mouth. But it was also, crisp, light, delicious & tart.

Bourbon County Wheat Wine: Has aromas like it was taken straight out of a cask. You can taste & smell the bourbon barrel that this beer was sitting in. Light, a bit malty with some caramel notes as well.

So all in all with the ambiance of the brewery, the rich history and the beers we were served I would give Goose Island Brewing Company 5 out of 5 piggys!

They give dope tours with a flight of tastings [(3) per tour] for only $12!

Website: Goose Island Brewing Company

Facebook: Goose Island Brewing Company

Instagram: @gooseisland

Twitter: @gooseisland

Goose Island Brewery Address: 1800 W Fulton St Chicago, IL 60612 You know when you're in Chicago you HAVE to stop by one of the breweries who started it all; hence why…

0 notes

johnboothus · 4 years ago

Text

The Untold Story of Military Special the U.S. Armed Forces Own Bourbon

“I once bought a bottle out of curiosity and I couldn’t even mix it with Coke, it was so bad,” says one man.

“I remember buying this off the bottom shelf, with dust on it, at the Class 6 [store],” says another. “Rough times.”

“This is the kind of bourbon that three privates buy with a bag full of change they collectively scrounged out of their cars the last weekend of the pay period,” says yet another. “I know, I was one of those privates.”

What the three men are talking about is Military Special, “a recipe that espouses the spirit of the Revolutionary War,” according to its packaging, but the product is really just a tax-free, $9 plastic bottle’s worth of bourbon, sold by the liter, and strictly available at United States military exchange stores across the world.

If whiskey geeks crave the obscure and tough-to-acquire, Military Special would fit the bill, given that civilians simply can’t buy the 80-proof, 3-year-old straight bourbon whiskey. At the same time, however, there are over 4,000 military exchange stores in all 50 states, 4 U.S. territories, and 34 countries on every continent, meaning that it’s not exactly rare. Untold numbers of service men and women have encountered the low-brow elixir over the years — and most don’t seem to think all too highly of it.

“I’d say, universally, people think of Military Special as swill,” says active Army officer John Tramazzo, author of the 2019 book “Bourbon and Bullets: True Stories of Whiskey, War, and Military Service.” “The young kids don’t buy it. They’re into flavored whiskey and vodkas, seemingly. The officers don’t buy it — my demographic seems to go for the Woodford Reserve, Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel picks.”

The Origin Story of Military Special

The War Department officially issued orders to establish military post exchanges in 1895, and Military Special has been around since at least the early 1940s, when it was a blended whiskey produced by Monumental Distilling Company, a once-great Baltimore-area distillery partially destroyed by a smokestack fire in 1942. That location eventually was taken over in 1943 by Majestic Distilling. In 1972, Majestic quit actually distilling products like its famed Pikesville Maryland rye whiskey, but has continued bottling Military Special under the name Atlantic Distillers.

“We buy much of our spirits from a large producer by the tractor-trailer load,” explains Jody Palmisano, the company’s Eastern Shore representative. “Delivered to our tanks in Baltimore. Top quality mass-produced.”

At one time, that large producer was Heaven Hill before being switched to the Sazerac Company around 2013. The products are now distilled at Sazerac’s Barton 1792 Distillery. In a way, it’s kind of fitting that Barton distills Military Special — the company owned the Tom Moore distillery in Bardstown, Ky., which produced neutral spirits to be turned into antifreeze and antiseptics for the military during World War II.

It’s not just the juice that is much-maligned; the packaging is as well, with most servicemen I talked to calling it “cheap” or “hokey.” Today, Military Special appears to be packaged in the same bottles Barton uses for Zackariah Harris, another budget product. If, in the 1940s, the labeling was red, white, and blue, today the label is black and white with gold trim. “Military Special” is written in a swooping serifed font, with the left side of the label featuring a downward quadtych of images — a World War I biplane, an anchor, a wheeled Civil War cannon, and a Revolutionary War-era soldier. Back when Military Special was produced by Heaven Hill, it came in the brand’s distinct tapered-neck bottle, and the images included an M1 tank and Desert Storm soldier.

Finding a Use for Military Special

“Most members of the military are men under age 24 — think about how most 18- to 24-year-olds drink,” says “Mark K.,” an Army lieutenant colonel who was not authorized to speak on the record. The lieutenant colonel notes that he sees most of them opting for Jim Beam or Jack Daniel’s. Which is interesting, as Military Special is charcoal-filtered, a similar process to how Jack Daniel’s is made more mellow via a method known as the Lincoln County Process. (A tagline of “smooth and mellow” is even written on the neck of Military Special bottles.) While he doesn’t really drink it himself, calling it “unremarkable,” he adds, “I always bring a bottle to family events and stuff with non-military colleagues because they think it’s fun and funny.”

It’s those non-military folks, however, who seem to be a lot less critical of Military Special’s taste.

“That is one of the best bourbons I’ve ever had — wow! That is fucking good,” exclaims Jim Bob McClane on his YouTube show “Whiskey Drankers.” While his show partner, Clint M. Black, also cops to liking it, Black says the initial taste is “like you just swallowed a mouthful of kerosene.” Oddly, most non-military men I spoke to found it surprisingly decent. And, far be it for me to steal any valor, but Mark K. offered to send me a bottle from his local exchange. Though I’m not used to drinking bourbon that comes out of 1.75-liter plastic handles, I found it solid — your standard vanilla, caramel, and baking spice notes with just a little bit of oakiness on the finish. Sure it’s quite thin at that low proof, but it’s eminently drinkable and I’m happy to now have it around my house. Maybe it’s simply familiarity that breeds such contempt for Military Special and causes troops to wonder why this thing need be in their lives

“Does it have a purpose? Can it be put to good use? Will it ever claim it’s rightful place in the sun as something other than an overpriced solvent?” asks one soldier on a Reddit bourbon forum.

Besides producing an array of novelty-like alcohols, many with a fishing theme like Gills Gone Wild Vodka, Atlantic Distilling also makes other Military Special products that all seem to be generally loathed by the military. The company produces a blended Scotch, a rum, a gin, a vodka (“dirty dish water mixed with rotten asshole,” jokes a former soldier on Reddit), and even a tequila (“if you truly want to experience death without dying,” cracks another in the same thread). Military Special is both ubiquitous, a fact of military life, yet almost completely disregarded.

In fact, John Tramazzo still has no idea who this stuff is actually meant for. “I literally don’t know who buys Military Special,” he claims, while admitting it’s mysteriously becoming harder to find these days. “Everyone knows about it, though. ‘Oh yeah, that stuff that’s in every exchange around the world and always on the bottom shelf.’ I guess some people, like me, buy it to have stuff on hand. It’s so, so cheap — why not?”

The article The Untold Story of Military Special, the U.S. Armed Forces’ Own Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/military-bourbon-story/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/the-untold-story-of-military-special-the-us-armed-forces-own-bourbon

0 notes

isaiahrippinus · 4 years ago

Text

The Untold Story of Military Special, the U.S. Armed Forces’ Own Bourbon

“I once bought a bottle out of curiosity and I couldn’t even mix it with Coke, it was so bad,” says one man.

“I remember buying this off the bottom shelf, with dust on it, at the Class 6 [store],” says another. “Rough times.”

The Origin Story of Military Special

Finding a Use for Military Special

It’s those non-military folks, however, who seem to be a lot less critical of Military Special’s taste.

“Does it have a purpose? Can it be put to good use? Will it ever claim it’s rightful place in the sun as something other than an overpriced solvent?” asks one soldier on a Reddit bourbon forum.

The article The Untold Story of Military Special, the U.S. Armed Forces’ Own Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/military-bourbon-story/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/628973244234498048

0 notes

johnboothus · 4 years ago

Text

VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?

Despite gin’s historic popularity in the United Kingdom, and surging popularity in much of Europe, the United States has long lagged behind in botanical clear spirit appreciation. That hasn’t stopped bold prognosticators from predicting an incipient “gin boom” in the U.S., but there was never much proof of a gin-loving American public — until now.

Gin has seen a spike in both sales and general consumer interest in 2020; that we know, but the question of “why” remains. Is it due largely to the gin and tonic, that summer staple that’s been even easier to make at home in the Covid-19 era? Is it because of the slew of gin-based cocktails that great bars have popularized over the past decade?

That’s what to tune in for on this week’s episode of the VinePair Podcast, when VinePair’s Adam Teeter, Erica Duecy, and Zach Geballe discuss why this time, the “gin boom” might just be the real thing — along with what’s driving it and how we’re tracking where it’s going.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or check out our conversation here

Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica Duecy: From Connecticut, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

A: And this is the VinePair Podcast. And before we launch into today’s topic, a word from this week’s sponsor. This podcast is sponsored by Gosling’s Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Gosling’s presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. Take that Black Seal. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth — that sounds really good. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains a color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Gosling’s Gold Seal Rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Gosling’s stormy ginger beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time, use code VinePair at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on your Gosling’s Rum order.

Z: All I’ve got to say is, Andrew Holmes, Gosling’s brand ambassador and former guest on this podcast, where is my bottle of Gold Seal Rum?

A: Seriously, I never got a bottle, either, come on guys!

Z: I’m not going anywhere, I need some rum

A: So, how’s everybody doing? I’m going on vacation so you guys are going to do the podcast without me next week. But how are you guys doing?

E: Good. I’m ready for a rum cocktail. It has been hot, hot, hot.

A: It’s gross, right? You know it’s really funny, I had a conversation with someone today that was like, “Adam, love the podcast. Just one comment, you guys talk about the weather a lot at the beginning of the show.”

Z: That’s because we’re f***ing old. What do you guys want?

A: That’s really funny and then without telling you that happened, Erica talked about the weather.

Z: I will tell you it says it is sunny and 70 degrees in Seattle today so New York can kiss my a**.

E: It is muggy and disgusting here, just yuck.

Z: Adam, does your entire neighborhood smell like garbage? I remember that not so fondly.

A: No, because I’m in Brooklyn. Well, have you guys drank anything really delicious recently?

E: I’ve been sticking to my Ranch Waters. That’s what I’ve been drinking. That and some rosés, that’s pretty much been my landscape for the last week.

A: Zach?

Z: I actually, I’m going to say something that close listeners of the podcast are going to be shocked by, I actually have been drinking some Pinot Noir rosé, which has been really delicious — a couple of Oregon producers. This gives me the perfect opportunity to shamelessly plug my upcoming free Pinot Noir class on Tuesday. Tuesday, Aug. 18, it’s about a 45-minute class all about Pinot Noir. You can find more information at my website disgorgedwine.com. I will now stop plugging myself and we can talk more about anything else.

A: I drank some good stuff last weekend. I had a bottle of Cos that was amazing. I love that producer so much — from Sicily. I had their Frappato and it was sick. I got it at this wine bar I love — we had them on the podcast a while ago. I wanted to go and see how they were doing. They and a few other restaurants on their street petitioned to fully shut down Vanderbilt which is the main thoroughfare of Prospect Heights, the neighborhood in Brooklyn, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It’s really cool because while I know some people that live in New York and listen to the podcast may be used to seeing the dining in one parking spot —the parking spot in front of your restaurant you’re allowed to build a little platform and put as many chairs and tables that are socially distanced acceptable on that platform in that one spot, but now on Vanderbilt, they’re allowed to spread out throughout the entire thoroughfare. It’s really awesome. You walk down the middle of the street and there’s just tons of tables and restaurants. Dave, one of the owners of Lalou, was saying it could really help save a lot of these restaurants because a lot of them, due to this, are now able to be at or even over the capacity they normally would be if they were just indoor dining. And even though it’s just three days, it’s three days of the week that people go out and spend the most money. So some restaurants are able to use this to help fuel them now that the question “what happens as it starts to get cold?” as we’ve talked about before and we’ll talk about more as the fall continues — but I thought it was super cool and I got to take this amazing bottle of wine home and drink it with Naomi. It was absolutely delicious.

E: Nice.

Z: And it seems like the kind of thing where once we’ve started doing it societally you go like, “Wow, this is a lot nicer than just cars going by.”

A: it is.

Z: It’s a lot better for the quality of life in the neighborhood.

A: He was saying a lot of people in the neighborhood who have cars were really pissed because they’re like, “It’s so much harder to get my car to my street.” But wouldn’t you rather have a place where the entire neighborhood can congregate and be outside? There were kids in the street playing together and throwing the football as their parents all sat around drinking great cocktails because Weather Up is also an amazing cocktail bar that is on that block. It was just super cool to watch and there’s not really other places that this can happen because once you’ve decided that you’re sitting at this restaurant in this parking space that’s where you are. And this felt much more like a community coming together to support the businesses on this thoroughfare and really have a place that everyone could be whether you are eating or drinking at the spot or not. Obviously, kids were not drinking cocktails. It was super cool. So let’s get into today’s topic which I think is really interesting and that is something we’ve talked about a little bit on the show before. I have some theories, I’m sure you guys do as well, and that is there ever going to be or are we already beginning to see a gin boom in the U.S.? People have been predicting this gin boom for years and that is based on the fact that there’s been a massive gin boom in Europe. Apart from Spain that’s been in love with gin for well over a decade, you’re now seeing gin being wholly embraced in France, Italy, Greece, you’re also seeing gin continuing to be this massive spirit in Great Britain, where it’s always been very popular. But it never had as massive a following in the U.S. as I think a lot of people thought it could be. I’m going to start our conversation with a very bold statement and that is, I think it’s more likely now than ever and I think the reason for that is thanks to Covid-19. And what I mean by that is I think a lot of the reason that a lot of people really never truly embraced gin is because they never understood how delicious a truly well-made gin and tonic could be. And that’s because so many people around the country have been drinking gin and tonics in which the tonic water has been coming off the gun at a bar. And most of that tonic water is usually pretty garbage. Now that people are home and they’re buying their own tonic water and they’re making gin and tonics they’re realizing how delicious that drink is and that’s making them explore lots of other gins and lots of other gin cocktails. that’s my take. What do you guys think?

E: Nice. I think that that is a good assertion. It’s also an easy cocktail to make, so as you are thinking of what you’re going to be sipping, it’s so easy. This winter I was drinking a lot of Martinis, I was exploring different Martini recipes, and playing with variations and then that just spilled over into the gin and tonics of summer. I’ve tried all sorts of different tonic waters, all sorts of different gins. Some of them are savory, some of the tonic waters have a Mediterranean influence, I think there’s so much variety. But I think that we as journalists have been saying for years, gin is a thing, gin is happening, it’ s finally happening, nope this year it’s happening, nope next year it’s happening. But I think, finally, we actually are starting to see that traction. If you look at Nielsen data over a couple-year period you do see this upward trajectory just in the last 12 weeks the sales have been up 37 percent. To put that in context that’s a little bit lower than tequila, which has been on a massive tear, but it’s higher than bourbon or Irish whiskey, or rum or vodka. So in gin I think we’re finally starting to see that it really is moving up in people’s mind and that people are probably using them most often in a gin and tonic. I’m glad to see that it seems like it’s actually happening.

Z: I think that one of the interesting pieces of this is that pre-Covid in the landscape where gin was maybe on the come but no one really knew who that was going to happen, the problem was there was a real divergence between the gin cocktail as a gin and tonic, or even a Martini, where the gin in and of itself is really the centerpiece and where the thing that could hold it back as a drink is crappy tonic water, sh*tty vermouth, someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing. That is on one side of the gin equation. The other side is a whole host of really delicious, interesting cocktails: Negronis, Last Words, all this stuff that rely on gin but not really designed to showcase gin as much as integrate it into a much more complex whole. And in that area, gin has made great strides in cocktail programs around the world and the United States and other places. But weirdly, in both my professional experience and experience as a consumer, the gin that’s used in a lot of these drinks, as long as it’s of decent quality, it’s almost better the less intrusive it is. So you had this weird split where you had a cocktail in form — a gin and tonic or the Martini — where an expressive, distinctive, interesting gin really shines but one that maybe was not being enjoyed by a lot of people, and then you have this other format where an unintrusive less distinctive gin is more appreciated so that the vermouth and liqueur can shine through. And I think, despite what we’ve talked about before on this podcast, you’re seeing a lot more people making gin and tonics than making Negronis at home. So I think, yes, it’s given an opportunity for gin, as the spirit itself really takes the center stage here. And I think that is really exciting and I don’t expect that to walk backward, but what I wonder is, are you going to see those other gin-based cocktails kick up in popularity for home bartenders as people just get more comfortable working with gin as a spirit?

A: That’s what I’m curious about. And I’m deferring to Erica here, our cocktail book author. What other cocktails are out there that you think that if you’ve now embraced the gin and tonic, could be the next big gin cocktail that really does showcase how delicious gin is? I think Zach is right that people will probably make more Negronis and things like that, and maybe now with better gin, but what are some of the other really classic gin cocktails that should be on people’s radars?

E: There are so many ways to use gin. One that’s my favorite is the bee’s knees, a gin sour that uses lemon and honey and that is kind of a back-to-classics. It was made classically around Prohibition, and the lemon and honey were used to mask the hard smell of bathtub gin. That’s kind of a fun version. There’s a variety of different ways to use it. The Last Word I would say is one of my favorites that hasn’t gotten enough traction. That’s equal parts of gin, chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime. That one was actually a cocktail out of Detroit during Prohibition, and it has lineage back to the Detroit Athletic Club where all these well-heeled imbibers who were the titans of the car industry in Detroit would be at their gala events … and they’d slip outside to this speakeasy out back where the Last Word was being made. That’s one of my favorite variations and one of my favorite cocktails that I think is super underutilized. You can also play with various different Gimlets with some mint, cucumber, and blackberries, these summery Highball cocktails. There are so many ways to use gin, it’s really versatile and I would say that that’s one of the things that I think is driving interest in gin right now. For a long time, you had these traditional London dry gins that have that profile of coriander and angelica root and citrus and licorice and the juniper, of course, but then you moved into a phase where there is so much innovation happening in the spirits space but with gin in particular. The botanicals that people are using, the regions that are producing it, the different consumers that are being targeted, it’s really dynamic. You’ve got pink gin, you’ve got savory gin, you’ve got gin spiced with all these different botanicals. And this New Western style of gin, that we’ve written about a lot at VinePair, I think has really taken off. What that means is that the New Western style of gin is less focused on juniper and more focused on other things. For example, I know that there’s a gin out of Texas that is focused on lavender, grapefruit, and even has pecans in it. There’s one out of Japan, Suntory’s Roku, that is a yuzu-driven gin. It has flowers and herbs and botanicals, even tea in it, and a little bit of Sancho pepper that is a really incredible flavor expression that you would have never found with gin before. With this explosion of innovation, that’s one of the key things that’s driving this category forward.

Z: I want to add a couple of cocktails to Erica’s recommendations.

A: Please. I’m sure you’re adding the Aviation.

Z: No, I’m actually not, although that is another cocktail that I actually do love. I was going to offer a couple that I think are maybe easier stepping stones for people who are moving away from a gin and tonic. I think one great option for people is the French 75 — that’s a gin-based cocktail that also usually includes lemon juice and sparkling wine of some sort, some people will also add a sweetener like simple syrup. But again that, to me, is a nice option for someone who wants the lightness and brightness of a gin and tonic, the summery freshness, but is going to get more of a citrus note. Depending on how much lime you add to your gin and tonic, that could be equivalent. And then a Gin Fizz, another really classic cocktail — it is traditionally made with an egg white, but you can skip out if your don’t want it or if that’s too daunting for you — but again, a cocktail that marries gin and citrus but showcases the flavors of the gin you’re working with quite nicely. And then, to Erica’s point of these Western-style gins, I want to mention St. George Spirits in California, because to me they were one of the first producers that I came across that was really focused on, “we’re going to make a gin that is really reflective of where we are,” and their Terroir Gin is based on only local botanicals in the North Bay Area, and it’s really cool. It’s an awesome example of what gin can be, which is this platform to showcase a lot of different flavors, as Erica mentioned.

A: Do you both think then that part of gin’s appeal — besides the fact that the gin and tonic is so easy to make and now that people are finally making it with good tonic they’re realizing it’s delicious — is this local aspect of it that it really can reflect where it’s made in a way that a lot of other products can’t and that’s what makes it so interesting to so many people?

E: From my perspective, it’s really these small distillers who have been significant in the growth of gin. The smartest thing they’ve done is really focus on providence, they’ve focused on these authentic brand stories. There are of course the big Tanquerays and so forth out there, but when I think about the gin category, and even when you walk into a store, there are so many craft producers — and they all are telling a different story they’re trying to reach different types of consumers, they’re leveraging those different flavor profiles. So, I think that this trend is really timed perfectly with consumers’ growing interest in authentic brand stories, and in experimentation in a pretty simple and easy way. And to add to what we were saying about simple cocktail variations, with all of these new ones like the Japanese yuzu-driven gins and these other ones that feel very terroir-oriented, I think one thing to note is that you don’t necessarily want to be [using] it in a Negroni because that’s not a London Dry gin, that’s not what that cocktail was created for. The place to showcase all of these different flavors and different expressions of gin is in something simple: either in a gin and tonic, or I like the idea of a French 75; I also really like the idea of a Collins. A Collins is super simple, it’s just gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and then you can add an additional flavoring. If you want a little bit of berry, add a little bit of elderflower cordial —which needs to make a comeback — and then just top it off with soda. It’s a long drink, it’s a highball. But these simpler expressions are going to be the best place to highlight those very diverse gins.

A: It sounds like you both think a gin boom is going to come.

Z: I might be marginally more skeptical.

A: Why?

Z: Here are the two reasons. One, is that maybe the gin boom as defined in like “the gin-and-tonic boom” I can buy in. I’m still a little skeptical that the average consumer is going to move too far away from that. Again, as we started this conversation, it’s such a simple drink yet yields such great results if you use good gin and good tonic that I think a lot of people are happy to stay there. And that’s fine. And for a lot of these gins that we’re talking about, that’s great. As Erica said, that’s a great way to showcase these more terroir or pronounced driven gins, it’s frankly delicious — gin and tonic is one of my absolute favorite cocktails — and that’s totally fine. When I think of the gin boom I think of the idea that the average person who is reasonably serious about drinking at home has four, five, six, seven different gins on hand. And I kind of think that gin is still going to largely exist in the space that vodka has existed in that, for most people who consume at home, they have a brand that they turn to or at least one bottle at home at a time than when they drink that they go buy another. Not like how they might look at whiskey or tequila or something like that where they are like, I have to have a few different bottles on hand because I want different versions of this. Now I would be happy to be wrong. Gin is delicious and I would love for there to be more money going into the gin producer direction and less in some other spirits. But I think that I’m skeptical that people are going to see the need for three, four, five, six different gins on their bar shelf at home, even in this world where that is the only place you’re getting a cocktail for most people.

E: If you do want some gins that are more versatile, we have a massive resource of what the best gins are. It’s called “The 30 Best Gins for Every Budget 2020,” we update this every year. We tasted through over 100 different gins this year. I helped, it was on my Instagram and it was so much gin, it was shocking. But we have “the best gins under $25,” the best gins under $45, etc. That is a great place to go and read the reviews, they all have the tasting notes, and figure out what is the best gin for you. Because I do think it is a great idea to have maybe one or two bottles. Right now, I’ve got two bottles in my house and that’s enough. One is more savory, one has more of a floral botanical profile, and that’s enough for any type of cocktails that I want to make.

A: Yeah, I agree. Zach, I do agree with you that I think it’s going to be connected to the gin and tonic, but hey, I think that’s all it needs. The tequila boom is really being fueled by the Margarita. If you look at the explosion of the Margarita as a cocktail it’s very aligned with the explosion of tequila in general. That’s mostly how people are consuming tequila. Now some people are branching off and having Ranch Water like Erica or Palomas but it’s pretty much the Margarita. If it’s the gin and tonic that continues to fuel the boom, that’s great. I think the thing that’s really crazy about the gin and tonic that we’ll definitely see within the next few months is probably a lot of canned gin and tonics. There’s got to be some of these gin brands that already have them in development. There’s no way that gin and tonics aren’t coming out in cans very soon. Again, because of how delicious the cocktail is, to most people how simple it is, and how easy that probably is to put a high-quality tonic in a can with good gin.

E: I know that Greenhook Ginsmiths has one. We do have an article about some of the best canned gin and tonics, I know Cutwater has one. They’re coming out more and more. And I think whereas they weren’t so good in years past, they’ve really started to nail what we like to call “the citrus problem.” That’s the biggest problem with these canned products, is nailing the citrus notes. It’s so difficult and we’ve done multiple articles looking at how you fix flavorings, how you get these natural flavorings, how you incorporate them, how they’re shelf-stabilized, all of the technology that goes into creating a really good lime experience in a canned cocktail is significant. When we did our tasting we said that Greenhook Ginsmith’s gin and tonic was the best one on the market, and this was last fall. So if people have other gin and tonics that they are excited about, let us know.

A: Seriously, let us know, [email protected]. And if you have some samples send them our way, I’d love to taste a canned gin and tonic. I know Zach would but he wants his Gosling’s rum first.

Z: I can drink both of them at the same time, let’s be clear. I have a question for you two about gin and the gin and tonic: Am I weird for sometimes preferring just a gin and soda?

E: No. That’s partway to a Collins, add a little bit of lemon juice and simple syrup. No, I think gin and soda is nice.

A: Yes.

E: You think that’s weird?

A: I do.

Z: Yeah, Adam clearly does. That’s fair. What I would say is, I’m not really sure what I’m going for in that cocktail other than just a longer drink. I love Martinis, although I can’t drink them in the summer, weirdly, despite it being a gin-based drink, it’s too intense for me.

A: I agree.

E: Yeah [me too].

Z: I want my Martinis in the fall and winter. But I do like just gin sometimes. Sometimes I’ll just do gin on the rocks but I like to lighten it just a touch. I don’t do that with other spirits too much but with gin, I think just a little bit of soda water or tonic certainly, but sometimes the sweetness in tonic is a little much for me, especially with these more delicate, aromatic floral styles of gin, I want them to be dry. A gin and soda is maybe a borderline “do-I-have-a-problem? drink” because it’s very pleasurable, there’s not a lot of things that generally get us excited about drinking [in it]. But on the other hand, I really enjoy it.

A: Hey man, you have to do you.

E: I think it’s the perfect way to showcase a gin if you really want to appreciate a gin, and all the botanicals it’s bringing to the table. For the yuzu gin from Suntory, that’s the perfect way. You want to showcase all the different things that are in it, the tea and florals, and a little bit of pepper, and anything else is probably going to cover it up a little bit, so I would go soda.

A: See, Zach, Erica came to your rescue. You’re not a weirdo.

Z: I’m not sure the person who wrote a cocktail book, she’s the authority, but she was inclined to be on my side, anyhow.

A: Guys, it’s been a really interesting conversation as always. I hope you have a really fun one next week without me. It probably won’t be as good. But I know you’ll get through it. What are you guys going to talk about? Seattle?

E: No idea. Probably Seattle.

Z: We’ll just talk about the weather in Seattle.

A: Tune in next week when Erica and Zach dissect the weather in Seattle.

E: It’s going to be riveting.

Z: We’re going two hours, folks.

A: For everyone else, they’ll see you back here next week, I will see everyone in two weeks.

Z: Have a nice vacation.

E: Take care.

A: Before we go, a word from our sponsor, Goslings Rum. The newest addition to the Seal family, Goslings presents the incredibly drinkable Gold Seal Rum. An initial sweetness leads to complex caramel flavors and layers of spice and the finish is dry and smooth. Aged in new American oak, the rum attains the color of rich burnished gold with a brilliant glow. A blend of continuous and double pot distilled rums, Goslings Gold Seal rum is uncommonly versatile and may be enjoyed straight up, on the rocks, or as a mixture that will enhance any rum cocktail mix. Mix it with Goslings Stormy Ginger Beer for a Bermuda Mule. For a limited time use code “VinePair” at checkout on reservebar.com for free shipping on all of your Goslings Rum purchases.

Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair Podcast. If you enjoy listening to us every week, please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. It really helps everyone else discover the show. Now, for the credits: VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here? appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/is-gin-boom-finally-here/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/vinepair-podcast-is-the-gin-boom-finally-here

0 notes

isaiahrippinus · 4 years ago

Text

VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here?

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Or check out our conversation here

Adam Teeter: From Brooklyn, New York, I’m Adam Teeter.

Erica Duecy: From Connecticut, I’m Erica Duecy.

Zach Geballe: And in Seattle, Washington, I’m Zach Geballe.

Z: All I’ve got to say is, Andrew Holmes, Gosling’s brand ambassador and former guest on this podcast, where is my bottle of Gold Seal Rum?

A: Seriously, I never got a bottle, either, come on guys!

Z: I’m not going anywhere, I need some rum

A: So, how’s everybody doing? I’m going on vacation so you guys are going to do the podcast without me next week. But how are you guys doing?

E: Good. I’m ready for a rum cocktail. It has been hot, hot, hot.

Z: That’s because we’re f***ing old. What do you guys want?

A: That’s really funny and then without telling you that happened, Erica talked about the weather.

Z: I will tell you it says it is sunny and 70 degrees in Seattle today so New York can kiss my a**.

E: It is muggy and disgusting here, just yuck.

Z: Adam, does your entire neighborhood smell like garbage? I remember that not so fondly.

A: No, because I’m in Brooklyn. Well, have you guys drank anything really delicious recently?

E: I’ve been sticking to my Ranch Waters. That’s what I’ve been drinking. That and some rosés, that’s pretty much been my landscape for the last week.

A: Zach?

E: Nice.

Z: And it seems like the kind of thing where once we’ve started doing it societally you go like, “Wow, this is a lot nicer than just cars going by.”

A: it is.

Z: It’s a lot better for the quality of life in the neighborhood.

Z: I want to add a couple of cocktails to Erica’s recommendations.

A: Please. I’m sure you’re adding the Aviation.

A: It sounds like you both think a gin boom is going to come.

Z: I might be marginally more skeptical.

A: Why?

A: Seriously, let us know, [email protected]. And if you have some samples send them our way, I’d love to taste a canned gin and tonic. I know Zach would but he wants his Gosling’s rum first.

Z: I can drink both of them at the same time, let’s be clear. I have a question for you two about gin and the gin and tonic: Am I weird for sometimes preferring just a gin and soda?

E: No. That’s partway to a Collins, add a little bit of lemon juice and simple syrup. No, I think gin and soda is nice.

A: Yes.

E: You think that’s weird?

A: I do.

A: I agree.

E: Yeah [me too].

A: Hey man, you have to do you.

A: See, Zach, Erica came to your rescue. You’re not a weirdo.

Z: I’m not sure the person who wrote a cocktail book, she’s the authority, but she was inclined to be on my side, anyhow.

E: No idea. Probably Seattle.

Z: We’ll just talk about the weather in Seattle.

A: Tune in next week when Erica and Zach dissect the weather in Seattle.

E: It’s going to be riveting.

Z: We’re going two hours, folks.

A: For everyone else, they’ll see you back here next week, I will see everyone in two weeks.

Z: Have a nice vacation.

E: Take care.

Ed. note: This episode has been edited for length and clarity.

The article VinePair Podcast: Is the Gin Boom Finally Here? appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/is-gin-boom-finally-here/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/626795145479798784

0 notes