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k-project-singularity · 4 years ago

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Facts & Trivia || Mikoto Suoh

The following is part of a series of posts made by me. The information listed is official canon provided by GoRa. Sources will go from the anime, to mangas and novels as well as official short stories. These are NOT fanmade headcanons. The purpose of these posts is to provide useful information for fans as well as roleplayers looking for confirmed lore for their muses. Please do not reply to argue with me about what you read here. I did not come up with this stuff myself. GoRa did. I’ll come back to edit these as I find more info.

Born on August 13, 1988 (The same year as Reisi Munakata and Nagare Hisui).

He goes by the philosophy of life of “Do what you want.”

Became Red King in 2007 at the age of 19 and leader/co-founder of Homra shortly after.

He is nicknamed “King” by Totsuka, and called simply “Mikoto” by Kusanagi and Anna. To everyone else in Homra, he is referred to as “Mikoto-san”. Munakata calls him by his last name without honorifics, and Suoh returns the courtesy.

Also known as the “Red Monster” in Shizume City. A legend spread around town about him says he has demon-like abilities, that incinerate or grant special powers to people worthy.

His Installation ritual consists of taking his hand while engulfed in the flames of his power. Those brave enough to take it are briefly enveloped in flames and will either absorb the aura and receive a mark on their skin, or be scorched by the fire.

Suoh doesn’t care about choosing who joins Homra, and will put to the test anyone who asks to try. He never asks people to become members himself.

A noteworthy exception was when he gave Eric his installation by grabbing his head, making him his final clansman.

Heavy smoker and drinker.

His favorite cigarette brand is Marlboro.

His favorite drink is Bourbon, the Wild Turkey brand (thanks @crmsnking!)

His aura protects him by burning and melting anything that comes his way, including bullets.

He’s very quiet and doesn’t like long conversations. Most times he’ll respond with single words or even just grunts.

He’s a heavy sleeper, and takes a lot of naps. This might be a reference to his lion image, as lions often spend up to 20 hours a day sleeping. He can sleep pretty much anywhere.

He sleeps with a tanktop and long slacks.

He likes to keep his cigarettes right next to his pillow when sleeping, along with an ashtray.

It’s a bad idea to wake him up abruptly. If caught in a daze, Suoh might accidentally unleash his power and burn anyone nearby.

Kusanagi seems the be the only person Suoh is actually afraid of, going as far as apologizing with his head low when scolded by him for breaking things around the bar.

He often has nightmares involving his power taking over and burning everything. Though if asked he’ll deny it.

He’s often forgetful. It can take him a while for him to remember even some of his own clansmen if they aren’t particularly close to him.

He isn’t good at picking names. When Anna asked to name their new horse, he called it “Basashi” (raw horse meat) just because it made him hungry.

Though he’s obviously fond of Totsuka, he has a habit of hitting him on the head when he does something stupid.

He is actually rather perceptive. Suoh claims he was able to sense Eric’s murderous intent before he joined Homra. He also was able to sense Basashi was a strain just by standing next to it.

He isn’t happy of his status of King and really doesn’t want to be one. Even though the leader of Homra, he prefers to go ahead on his own, letting his clansmen choose whether to follow him or not.

Though Suoh generally does what he wants, he shows to be quite a pushover with people he likes. An example are Kusanagi, Totsuka and Anna, who can get Suoh to comply to their requests most of the time.

As an example, he took Anna on a date even though he disliked the idea, just because she admitted to wanting to go on one.

He has read “Alice in Wonderland” to Anna. Munakata happened to witness this.

He appears to have no real sense of boundaries, grabbing Anna and handling her like a doll without any hesitation.

As a teenager he was pretty dense and reckless, throwing himself off a cliff with a bike and carelessly letting himself be caught peeking on his undressing teacher without any concern.

According to Kusanagi, Suoh was feared by others for his violence as early as middle school.

He doesn’t seem to have much awareness of his own strength, playing violently and putting excessive strength in anything he does. He has broken Totsuka’s camera just by touching it (Suoh was very worried that Totsuka would be upset too).

Because of this he’s always given a big handicap when playing games with other Homra members.

He also has little consideration for social etiquette, attempting to break an arcade machine just because it looked easier to get a prize that way rather than playing.

Speaking of which, Suoh is terrible at any and all games that require more than brutal strength (like the claw machine).

Likes strawberries. In high school he was often seen drinking strawberry milk.

He doesn’t eat with tableware unless forced, because it’s too troublesome.

For the same reason, he will rather cook with his powers, crushing vegetables and frying eggs with his hands, instead of using the kitchen.

Amongst the things he doesn’t care about is what he eats. He has been observed eating a single, whole bread baguette for breakfast. When going to eat out, he often asks other people to choose for him.

Seems to have a rather short attention span for mundane things and even some out of the norm. He never seems to notice Kamamoto losing weight in the summer.

His body temperature is always warm or outright hot. Ice creams will melt in his hand very quickly.

Suoh doesn’t seem to really care for honor. He’s uninterested in Homra or himself gaining a reputation, whether good or bad, and generally doesn’t let insults provoke him.

However he can still show a low patience for other things. For example he will quickly get tired of things such as negotiations or chatter and want to get into battle.

He often looks very scary from the outside to commoners, without him realizing. He has terrified an arcade manager by marching up to him asking about bloody games.

Because of his appearance, he’s often mistaken for a Yakuza member.

Little kids seem to like him however.

Animals are always scared of Mikoto, and will submit to him immediately.

Allegedly, Reisi Munakata is the only one able to make Suoh angry in any way (though Totsuka’s antics have mildly annoyed him at times and it’s safe to say the Colorless King was able to at least upset Suoh by killing Totsuka).

The gangs of Shizume City that have been defeated by Homra treat Suoh with fear and respect, bowing to him whenever they see him.

When Totsuka passed away, Suoh took his ear piercing to wear. The earring was hollow and Suoh filled it with Totsuka’s blood from his wound.

He used his power to burn Totsuka’s casket.

#k project #lore #mikoto suoh

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writethelifeyouwant · 4 years ago

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Dive Bar, Ch. 4/?

Pairing: Dean x Sam, Dean x OFC (Dany) x Sam (previous chapters)

Rating: 18+

Prompt/Summary: @spnkinkbingo square - Gay Panic (eventually, I don’t know how to write short things, so the gay panic comes later). Dany and Dean hit it off at a bar and Dean is confident it’s a sure thing. But Dean doesn’t know that Dany’s has a dare to complete, and he definitely didn’t imagine his night would end with his pull inviting his little brother to come home with them too.

WC: 2262

Warnings: angstttt, mentions of incest, brother/brother incest, mentions of blow jobs

Beta: my enabler - @negans-lucille-tblr 😘😘

Chapter 3

***

At their next stop off, for a dinner that was slightly more substantial than their gas station lunch, they still weren’t talking. There was nothing to talk about besides what Dean resolutely refused to address, so Sam stuck to his silent treatment.

Sam wasn’t sure why he wanted Dean to talk about the previous night so badly. If Dean turned around and asked him how he felt about what went down, he wouldn’t have a good answer. It was probably unfair of him to expect Dean, of all people, to be able to process it if not even Sam could. Okay, it was definitely unfair, Sam thought to himself. But in true little brother fashion, there was no way he was about to own up to that.

Why did he have to make it such a big deal? Like Dean said, so they banged the same chick, so what?

But that’s not all you did, that voice in Sam’s head pushed in again. You blew your big brother. Looked the man in the eye, the man who practically raised you, then sucked his cock down your throat. What the hell made you think that was a good play?

Dean had enjoyed it though, hadn’t he? It definitely sounded like he had. But how does that make it better, Sam, seriously?

It does, he argued with himself. It does because if he enjoyed it too then it’s not just me that’s screwed to all hell.

Dean could tell Sam was up in his head, obsessing over the night before. And the longer Sam stayed quiet, the more Dean worried about what he might be thinking about it. He wasn’t stupid, he knew what they’d done last night wasn’t normal. Wasn’t good. Except it was. It had been so fucking good he’d felt the ghost of Sam’s fingers and lips on his dick every time he had the misfortune to think about it again. And that had been a lot. That’s why you did the right thing shutting Sam up earlier, he reminded himself. Not the time to be popping random boners like a teenager. But the silence was making him self conscious as fuck.

Once he’d made it through his burger, Dean pulled out his phone and started cold calling hunters, asking around for any leads in the midwest. They got a dime about a string of mysterious deaths about 100 miles south; violent and fairly improbable deaths. Very distracting. Thank god.

The Impala was a little less tense now that they had a problem to solve. Their voices sounded a little less strained when they ran through the typical gamut of supernatural evil that could be causing all the mayhem they were driving for.

When they made it into town, it was late enough that most reputable establishments would have been annoyed with them trying to get a room at that hour. Luckily, they didn’t stay in many reputable establishments, and the motel Dean pulled up next to didn’t bat an eyelid when two guys walked in with next to no luggage and wanted to pay in cash. They saw that a lot.

Right now, Dean wasn’t wild about what they must have thought they were there for, and his insides were screaming out - Not here to fuck, I swear! Just your standard monster hunt. Nothing to see here. Not brothers sleeping with each other, that’s for sure. But as he couldn’t reasonably set the record straight, Dean left it, and strode back to the car to grab his duffle before cracking into their motel room. Sam followed close behind, slinging his own duffle onto his chosen bed.

Exiting the bathroom after he’d gotten ready for bed, he was met with Dean holding a bottle of bourbon and wearing a conciliatory expression. Still silent, Sam nodded and accepted the glass Dean handed him a moment later.

Sam settled onto his bed, already in just his t-shirt and boxers, and sipped quietly at his drink. Dean set his glass down on the table between them and took his own turn in the bathroom. He emerged in his typical sleep gear which, Sam all of a sudden remembered, was just his boxers.

Jeez, put a shirt on. Sam tried to look anywhere other than at his very nearly naked brother, but it picked at him that if last night wasn’t a big deal, this shouldn’t bother him. It had never bothered him before. Although… Sam thought to himself. He had looked before, noticed the muscle definition, the odd freckle that hid behind the hair on Dean’s chest.

Sam gulped down nearly half the bourbon in one go in an attempt to burn that thought out of his mind as quickly as possible. That is not how little brothers look at their big brothers. That is not how he looks at Dean. It’s just because he likes guys, at the very least he likes having sex with them. That much he’d come to terms with at college. And it’s not like there’s many dating opportunities in hunting, and Dean didn’t know anything about Sam’s broader sexuality so he wasn’t about to hook up with a guy at a bar when Dean was expecting him to take home a pair of boobs; or more typically, sulk off to the impala while Dean and his guest got their motel room for the evening. Dean was just the only guy around most of the time, that’s all. And since Jess, and then hunting, it had been years since he’d had the chance to to really look at another guy like that. So yeah, he looked, because Dean was not a bad thing to look at.

But right now, Sam’s brain was at war with itself, one side wanting Dean to pull on a shirt and the sweats he’d wear when it got cold, and the other side wanting to peel off the last bit of fabric covering Dean’s skin so he could get a real look. And maybe another taste. And with that, Sam downed the rest of his drink, flicked off the table lamp, and quickly tucked himself under the covers with Dean at his back, who was left to stare blankly at a lump of blankets and messy hair, his full glass of whisky in his hand.

Even though they’d driven a fair bit south of where they’d been yesterday, the grass still crunched under his boots when Sam trod across it the next morning. He’d already been out for a short run, and arrived back at the motel to find an empty room, with Dean presumably out looking for food. Sam settled himself with his laptop on a picnic table and rebooted the pages he’d had open the previous night at dinner when they started looking into this case. He brought up a new window to look into a thought he’d had on his run earlier.

“This is a crappy park.” Dean arrived with their coffee and shoved a paper cup towards Sam, which he took gratefully.

Sam chuckled incredulously when he looked up to his brother, attention momentarily drawn away from his laptop screen. “The park is fine, Dean.”

“No swings. You gotta have swings in a park.” Dean shoved half his donut into his mouth.

Sam fixed him with an admonishing stare for a moment before letting out his amusement in a sharp exhale. “Okay, sure.”

“The swings were always your favourite. You don’t remember that?” Sam shook his head puzzledly. “Yeah,” Dean huffed in the way he does. “When you were a rugrat I couldn’t pull you off those things. Said it felt like flying.”

Sam stared at him for a moment with something behind his eyes that Dean couldn't work out. He ran out of time to try; Sam’s hair fell back in front of his eyes when he looked down to his laptop again.

“Hey, so, get this. I’ve been looking into the local lore and I think our victims -”

“How do you have wifi right now?” Dean asked through a mouthful of the other half of his donut.

“Phone hotspot. Want to focus for a second, Dean? People are, you know, dying here.”

“Yeah yeah,” Dean grumbled. And he tried to focus on what Sam was saying about the creature that might be hanging out in the woods that he ran by that morning, Dean swore he was trying. But deciding to focus on Sam’s lips as a means to concentrate on the words that were coming out of them proved to be a thoroughly misguided strategy. Because the second he looked at Sam’s lips all he could think about was what they had looked like wrapped around his cock. What they’d felt like dragging across his skin. When Sam’s tongue flicked out to catch a drop of coffee that had beaded on the rim of the cup, Dean’s own tongue went dry, his breath caught in his throat.

What the fuck is wrong with you, asshole? Dean hoped his distress wasn’t showing on his face. It seemed like he was doing a decent job at convincing Sam he was listening, because Sam was still talking. This was really gonna bite him in the ass later if he had no clue what Sam was saying this whole time.

Maybe you want Sam to bite you in the ass? Fuck, no, stop it. Dean was used to arguing back and forth with some semblance of a moral compass, though it usually lost, but this time he needed it to win. He had just been sitting there remembering how he used to push a little Sammy on the swings when he was squirt sized. Jumping from that, to wanting him to suck you off does not make you a good brother. Know what it makes you? An asshole. He was supposed to protect Sammy, take care of him, not take care of him.

“Dean,” Sam’s voice saying his name cut through the noise in his head, and he looked up at his little brother. He hadn’t realised he’d been scrubbing his hands across his face, no wonder Sam was looking at him like a sad puppy right now. “You okay, dude?” There was a hint of annoyance but it was mostly concern.

“Yeah,” Dean blinked and ran his fingers up over his face to scrub through his hair. “Totally awesome.”

“Okay, well,” Sam didn't seem convinced, but maybe he wasn’t in the mood to push it. “Let’s go get our fed suits on and head over there.”

“Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Dean swung off the picnic bench and crumpled his coffee in one hand, tossing it to the nearest trash can. Sam snickered when it bounced off the rim, and flung his own to the same can from further back, landing it dead centre. Smirking, he set off with his laptop under his arm and Dean pulling faces behind him the whole walk back to the motel.

“Where we heading again?”

The glare Sam gave him made it clear he wouldn’t be getting an answer.

By the time they’d made it to the local bar and restaurant that evening to grab some food and scrutinise the local wildlife for signs of supernatural proclivities, Sam was seriously confused. Dean had been acting off the whole day. And not just in the typical evasive act he pulled when he didn’t want to talk about his feelings, he was spacing out of conversations about perfectly mundane things. Witnesses had started getting annoyed with him after the third time he asked the same question Sam had literally seconds beforehand. When they’d been let into the room of one of the victims, a girl about their age - just out of college, he hadn’t made any jokes about her extensive stuffed animal collection (those bears were freakin’ everywhere man), or the vibrator not so skilfully hidden down the side of her bed. When Sam had switched the music in the car, no warning and no asking for permission, Dean hadn’t batted an eyelid. And Sam had changed it to smooth jazz.

Now Sam was standing, bewildered, by a barrel serving as a table that he’d been about to sit down at, because when he’d grab Dean’s shoulder to direct him towards the one empty table in the vicinity of the bar, Dean had broken his grip so fast you’d have thought Sam had insulted their mother. Dean came back from the bar with two beers and some menus, dropping all of them unceremoniously onto the barrel-top, and that’s when Sam noticed.

This was the first time Dean had taken off his fed jacket all day and now he was rolling up his sleeves and loosening his tie, unwinding from the persona and his bracelets were gone. This was the weird thing to end all the weird things that Dean had done all day. Since Sam had given Dean those stupid bracelets nearly a decade ago, he couldn’t remember a single day when Dean wasn’t wearing them.

It wasn’t like they were valuable or anything. It was wooden craft store beads and elephant-hair cord that Sam had strung together at a summer camp when he was twelve. And he’d been embarrassed to give them to Dean when he got home, wondered why he thought Dean would want some lame homemade souvenir, but Dean had coaxed the presents out of Sam, and insisted that he loved them. And that was that, they’d been on his wrists ever since. But not today. Sam’s lungs deflated.

Fuck.

***

Tags: @negans-lucille-tblr @hawkerz12 @babybrotherandthedemon @dylansbabygirl24 @mineshinamary @popsensationnicole23 @spn-problems @donthateme454 @doyouknowsamw @peridottea91@delightfulbakeryaliendeputy @fictionallemons @petitgateau911 @natastic @marvelfansworld @delightfullykrispypeach @akshi8278 @crashlyrose @miufel @lyarr24 @itsthedoctah10 @kiss-my-peachy-arse @leftlokiofpuppy @tftumblin @devilsbby @alice101macwil @caitlinvd @j-ai-adore-dean @disneysloot @half-closeted-bi-girl @deandreamernp

#dive bar #sam x dean #dean x sam #wincest #early season wincest #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #spnfic

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mego42 · 5 years ago

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Whooooo more tag games with music!!! Tagged by @sothischickshe, @medievalraven, @bourbon-ontherocks @riosnecktattoo

Spell out your url using song titles, then tag as many people as there are letters in your url:

As is my way, I have adapted the rules to suit what I want to do and am doing 4 songs per letter bc there are 4 of you lovely taggers and also I’m using F and T instead of 4 and 2 bc it’s easier, fight me

M Make Me Feel - Janelle Monae Midnight Sun - OTR (with Ukiyo) Music For Happiness - Joey Pecoraro Montreal - Port Cities

E Exorcism - Clairity Electric Feel - Chase Eagleson Evolve - Phoria Every Other Freckle - Alt-J

G Graveyard - Halsey Going - Tow’rs Good Die Young - Elley Duhe Galileo - Super Duper

O Ocean - Lo-Ghost Only You - Yoke Lore Orange Sky - Kat Cunning Only Want You - Rita Ora

4/F Forest Fire - Brighton Fireflies - Lights & Motion FiX YoU - nU nU & Desiree Dawson Fire Door - Ani DiFranco

2/T Throw Me In The Water - WILD To The Wonder - Aqualung & Kina Grannis Then You Look At Me - Celine Dion Truth Hurts - Lizzo

10 Mid-Depth Questions under the cut

1. What is your favorite word? liminal

2. What is your least favorite word? chillax

3. What turns you on? competence

4. What turns you off?

5. What sound or noise do you love? rain

6. What sound or noise do you hate? cotton balls rubbing against each other

7. What’s your favourite curse word? F U C K

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Music Supervisor!!!!!!!! The literal dream!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. What profession would you not like to do? customer service/help center, I absolutely cannot deal with people on that level

Ahahahaha having a short URL comes in handy and I don’t have to count that high mwahahahahaha, tagging: @nickmillerscaulk, @candice127, @readingaforest, @spleenbullet, @audreydear, @elizabethbolands if you’re up for it!

#tag games #more music!!!

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nazario-sayeed · 5 years ago

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Bare body, bare soul (Nik x F!MC; N*FW)

Author's note: Some of you are probably thinking "what? you already tagged me on this fic, are you going crazy?" or whatever. Here's the thing: I was stupid using my tags and tumblr took down my previous post as a punishment for me being a whore. Anyway, I noticed it yesterday and now I'm posting it again because I'm stubborn. How I always change some stuff when I edit on tumblr for the last time, this isn't exactly the same as my last one, but there aren't any major differences. English is not my first language so I apologize for any mistakes. I'm shitty at naming my fics, ignore that. Also I don't remember which gif I used last time, which is irrelevant so I don't know why I'm saying this.

Summary: In case there's someone new here, I wrote this fic after chapter 9 when we were cockblocked. It left me wanting more, so I decided to write what should've happened. The initial dialogue is basically the same. My mc's name is Brie.

WC: around 5,100 (sorry)

Rating: definitely +18 for explicit sexual content. Do not keep reading if you're not comfortable with this kind of writing.

I don't have the tag list for that fic so I'm basically using my Jaime one, I'm sorry if I got anyone wrong (please let me know if you don't wanna be tagged): @nazariortega @duchess-ash-flame @lahelalove @poeticscolt @donutsgirl36 @queenkaneko @msjpuddleduck @quinnskelly @flyawayboo @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicesarehard @jlpplays1 @desiree-0816 @sibella-plays-choices

When Nik starts stripping down to his underwear, Brie can't look away. She observes in awe the healed scars on his ripped torso, his muscular body under the soft candlelight... She feels her stomach do a funny flip inside of her, and a heat slowly spreads through her body despite of the cold air of the mansion.

"Uh... Nik? Explain?" she says, trying really hard not to bite her lip at the sight of him exposed like that.

"Vulnerability magic, rook. Some of the most powerful kind there is. You want to see The Fate, you've gotta bare your soul" he explains.

"By stripping down to your skivvies? You sure this is lore and not wishful thinking?" Katherine questions him, raising an eyebrow.

"Summoning is all about symbolic gestures, Katy. Get with the program"

"I've got nothing to hide" Brie chipper says, already reaching behind her back to unzip her dress. "One ceremonial nudity, coming right up!" she lets her dress drop to the floor.

"That's the spirit!" Nik encourages her, trying not to stare as she undresses. Brie blushes a little under his gaze as they smile at each other.

They small talk as the group follows Nik's lead and strips down to their underwear. Brie catches a glimpse of everyone else, almost naked, and feels her face heating up. They form an incredibly attractive group, she can't deny it. She lets her eyes find Nik's frame, and can't help but notices the way the candlelight dances on his skin, lighting up every inch of his sculptured body. He catches her eyes before she can look away, and smirks.

"Like what you see, rook?" he teases her; she feels her whole body flushes with his commentary and the way his eyes are watching her right now, but she tries to play it cool.

"Hm? I don't know what you're talking about" she looks him up and down once again, letting her gaze drop on the only piece of clothing on his body, noticing the nice volume there. She licks her lips, imagining what's inside...

"Sure you don't" he smirks, before slowly scanning her body from head to toes, letting his gaze lingers a little longer on her breasts before turning away. Brie looks away, face red, and her gaze lands on Cal's bare form. She has seen him like that before, but she can't help but observe his large, strong body under the flattering light. He catches her eye and smiles, before hungrily scanning her body in a way that makes her feel like she is his next prey- and right now she kind of wishes she was.

Next to them, Nik notices the way they are looking at each other and his pulse quickens, a unsettling feeling cursing through his veins as he scowls and clenches his fists. He clears his throat to catch everyone's attention to the ritual, but mostly to stop whatever was going on between Cal and Brie.

After exposing themselves in more than one way in order to get help from The Fate, each of them goes to their own guest bedroom in the mansion, trying to escape the thoughts and emotions that their confession brought up. Every one of them is feeling overwhelmed and more vulnerable than they can remember, and the creepy air of the mansion doesn't help at all.

Brie feels terrified even before closing the door. Even though Nik reassured her this is the safest place they could be in right now, she can't shake off the weird feeling. The shivers on her body are not from the insistent, loud wind, but from something that creeps her from the inside, and she knows she won't fall asleep. She is feeling too lonely, exposed and guilty to sleep.

Brie tries to think about anything other than the sounds that echo in her room, or that feeling on her spine that there's someone- or something- watching her even when she's alone. Absently, she lets her mind go back to the moment before they met The Fate.

She thinks about how that was the first time Nik ever looked vulnerable next to her, when he was talking about Elijah's death. How even though he is her bodyguard, in that moment she knew she would do anything to protect him. Her mind goes back to that brief moment when their eyes met after he had told the group about Elijah, and they both knew they were here for each other; one simple look could let her know- could let her feel- how deeply he cares about her- and she hoped he knew and felt it too.

Then, she reminisces about how his eyes went wild when she admitted she was in love with someone there. She didn't even know what she was going to say until the very moment when the words left her lips, and for the first time, she knew they were true. In so little time, she knew he had found a way into her heart- not easily entered after so many heartbreaks.

Tired of wishful thinking, Brie gets up in one movement and exits the room, letting her feet carry her to knock on Nik's door before she can think twice about what she's doing.

"Brie? Thought you were hitting the sack?" he seems surprised as he opens the door, but also amused; his lips curving up in a tiny smirk.

"Couldn't sleep. Looks like it's going around, huh?" she teases and he laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. He can't help but think about the restless things he wants to do right now, and it doesn't help that she came to his door in the middle of the night.

"Sure does. Wanna come in for a nightcap? These digs are pretty swanky, I'll give the fate that" he invites her in, trying- and failing- to ignore all the inappropriate thoughts crossing his mind.

"I'd love that..." she says, and he can swear there are at least fifteen intentions on her tone.

Nik swings the door open, welcoming her in, and she slips by him, letting their arms brush lightly against each other, feeling her skin on fire with the brief touch.

"Home sweet home… for the moment, anyway. Can i get you a drink?" Nik asks.

"Yes, please! I'm dying to unwind a little"

"You can say that again. What a night, huh?" as he pours bourbon, he thinks about all the ways he wishes he could use to help her unwind right now. All of them involve her screaming his name.

He hands her the bourbon and electricity sparks where her fingers brush against his for a second. They clink their glasses, smiling, and they both take a sip, enjoying the warm feeling settling on their bellies.

Nik walks over to the window frame, leaning against it. He lets his gaze find Brie for a long moment and she feels her whole body warming up; she tells herself it's the drink, but she knows it's not. He notices the light blush on her cheeks, and interrupts her thoughts with a question.

"So what do you think, about all this? That was a lot to take in..."

"Honestly? I don't know. I'm glad we have a name, that's huge, but now… It just…" she trails off.

"Feels more real, right? Even more unnerving than before, somehow?" he finishes her thought.

"Yes! That's it exactly" she admits. "I know it sounds weird but when The Fate said 'Cassiopeia', all I could think was, hey, that's a pretty name." Niks snorts at her comment, looking amused, but she continues with a sigh "Too pretty for someone who makes bloodwraiths and zombies. Ridiculous, right?" she asks him, feeling a bit embarrassed but also glad to be sharing this with someone, especially him.

"Nah. I get it. The mind's a tricky beast, alright" he says, as Brie moves to his side by the window and leans on her forearms, taking another sip and letting the wind smooth over her face. Their bodies are close now, too close. She can feel his heat next to her as the wind swipes over them.

"What about you? That thrice-cursed son stuff… What do you think she meant?" she asks, trying to distract her own mind. He shakes his head, his face transforming into a scowl.

"I can't be sure- I mean, who knows what all goes on in her head- but I think it means that the three people who loves me most in the world are dead" he bitterly admits, finishing his drink.

Her first instinct is to think "But you have me". She manages to hold it back, bitting her lips shut.

"That's a terrible thing to call you" she thinks out loud.

"Not wrong though. I always make it out by the skin of my teeth, lucky me. The people who love me? Not so much" he furrows his brow and clenches his fist at the side of his body, letting the anger get to him.

"You make it sound like you're the curse…" she says, softly.

When he doesn't answer, she turns to Nik and cautiously wraps her arms around him. He stiffens for a moment, before pulling her closer.

"Sometimes... I feel like I'm as bad as the Reimonenq touch. And…" he admits, but she cuts him off.

"Don't say that, Nik. You've lost so much, and it's not your fault" she tells him, with a firm but gentle voice.

Nik sighs deeply, stirring Brie's hair, before he presses a warm kiss to the top of her head. She can feel her heart pounding inside her chest, and his too where her head lays on his chest.

She pulls back and looks at him, and he gives her a wry smile.

"...You promise?" he asks, his voice softer than she has ever heard him.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't even be standing here if it wasn't for you! And I bet I'm not the only one who owes you my life. You risk yourself every day, to keep other people safe. That's not a curse… That's a gift" Brie reassures him, trying to make him understand just how grateful she is and how deeply she cares about him.

The atmosphere between them becomes charged, electric with tension. Hesitantly, Nik reaches out and trails his knuckles gently down her cheek. She feels her breathing stop.

"I don't know what it is about you, Brie, I swear I don't, but you make me feel…" he trails off.

"What? What do I make you feel?" she insists. After gazing down at her for a few seconds, he continues:

"You make me feel like a real person"

She feels her chest bursting with affection and an indescribable need to protect him. In that moment, she doesn't care about anyone else. She's unable to look away from him, his face just inches from hers, the air between them charged with intensity.

Brie leans forward, her breath quickening. The time seems to stop while their lips come closer slowly, until the gravity is just too much and they crash against each other.

Nik sighs wordlessly against her lips, seeming overwhelmed at first, then he pulls Brie hard against him, one hand clutching the back of her neck.

"Nik..." she moans against him, feeling the desire taking over her body and pooling by her stomach.

"You taste so good, Brie" he breathes into her mouth, and she gasps.

He trails searing kisses down her neck, all the way to the hollow of her throat, and she shudders as he runs his tongue over the sensitive skin.

"I've been thinking about this for so long..." he admits.

"Me too… Please don't stop..." Brie begs him, as she remembers the kisses they've shared before this one. Neither of them came even close to the way their mouths fervidly explore each other now. Neither of them made her longing for more like this. The kiss, which began slow and soft, quickly heats up and they don't seem to be able to get enough of each other.

Nik tugs her clothes over her head, then pulls off his own. Brie runs her palms down his sculpted chest, now face to face with the scars she was admiring earlier. She wants to kiss each one of them, learn their stories, protect him from getting any new ones. He draws a ragged breath under her light touch and pulls back to look at her.

"You're gorgeous, Brie. So damn perfect" he breathes, before guiding her onto the huge bed and pulling her next to him. He captures her mouth in another long, lingering kiss as she drags her fingers through his hair...

"Nik… I-" she moans, but a furious, icy gale from the window washes over both of them, interrupting her.

"Oh, that is chilly" Brie says, a shiver running down her body. Nik quickly gets up from the bed and closes the window with more strength than necessary, making sure it won't open again. When he turns back to her, his expression is changed and it sends a tingle down her spine, almost like a warning.

“I don’t care what happens. Wind, rain… This whole goddamn place could go up in flames and I wouldn’t give a fuck. I need you, Brie. Ever since I saw you in your underwear earlier, I couldn’t stop thinking about ripping it off your body”. Her breath catches in her throat at his bold statement, and she can already feel her arousal pooling between her legs. She watches as he walks over to where she is laying on the bed, while he looks at her like he's about to devour her. She hopes he is.

He lays on top of her and pins her hands on each side of her face, looking down, his eyes darkened with hunger.

“Nik… I have wanted you since the moment I saw you. Take me. I’m yours.” she breathes, and he smirks almost wickedly. His faces lights up a fire inside of her, one that she hasn’t felt in a long time. Nik has never seemed so protective of her, and so ready to deliciously destroy her.

“You’re mine, rook? Then why the hell you kept looking at the wolfman today? Or do you think I didn’t see it?” he lets go of her wrists and sits up next to her, flipping her onto her stomach with one easy, swift movement, making her gasp. "You think I didn't notice the way he was practically eating you with his eyes? Like you were his next prey..." She doesn’t even have time time to answer as he pulls her to sit up on her knees in front of him, standing behind her, his chest to her back "You think I didn't notice that you were enjoying it?".

Nik runs one calloused hand up the front of her body, over her stomach, chest, stopping at her chin, as he strains her arms between them with the other. He lets go of her chin and grabs her hair, pulling her head back roughly. She lets out a moan while his mouth moves next to her ear.

“Tell me, rook. Are you thinking about the wolfman now?” he presses himself against her back, letting her feel how hard his desire for her is. She moans with need again and closes her eyes, incapable of thinking clearly, intoxicated by the feeling of him. She never thought Nik could be so animalistic, and she's loving it; her whole body needs him.

“I- I… Oh, Nik”

“That’s right, Brie. It’s my name you’ll be moaning- no, screaming tonight. When I’m done with you, you won’t even remember who the werewolf is” he says, and brutally pushes her on all fours on the bed, making her gasp with pleasure and surprise.

Nik runs his hand down her back, earning shivers from her body. She can feel the heat from his body behind her, and the thought of him taking control like that is driving her absolutely mad with lust.

He reaches her soaked panties and pushes them to the side, running his fingers along her sex. Brie is already grasping at the sheets, trying to get some kind of control over her own body. He plunges two fingers inside without warning, and she yelps. Nik lower his body so his mouth is against her ear.

"The way you're soaked right now… Whenever you're starring at shirtless Cal, I hope you remember I am the one who made you feel like that, rook." he bites her earlobe and increases his speed, hitting that spot with every plunge.

Brie is incapable of forming coherent words right now. She is so high on the pleasure he is giving her, and she prays she'll never feel low again. Brie can feel her legs shaking, getting closer and closer with every movement of his hands. When she is almost there, her whole body writhing with desire, he removes his fingers and she immediately misses them, letting out a groan of frustration that amuses Nik.

"Not yet, Brie. Be patient. I'm nowhere near done with you" he says, and flips her onto her back, hovering over her body. He leans in to kiss her passionately, his hands exploring the sides of her body as she pulls him impossibly close by the neck. Brie wraps her legs around his waist grinding on him, trying to feel any kind of friction between her legs, desperate for relieve.

Nik begins to descend his mouth on her body, sucking at her neck in a way they both know will leave a mark. That's what he wants: to let everyone else know she is his, that she spent the night giving herself to him and him only. Nik wants to wake up tomorrow and let the wolfman smell him all over Brie's body.

His mouth founds her chest and she arches her back as he reaches out behind her to unclasp her bra. He quickly takes it off her body and tosses it across the room, pulling back to admire her curves.

"God, Brie… You're breathtaking. No fucking wonder everyone else in that room couldn't take their eyes off you." her cheeks blush a little at the way he is devouring her with his eyes, and she can feel every inch of her body responding to him: her heart is pounding, her breath is quickened, and it feels like her skin is on fire.

"But I am here, Nik. I came to your room." Brie reaches out to touch his cheek gently and he once more crashes his lips into hers. He quickly moves his mouth to her neck and collarbone, nipping and not-so-gently biting his way down, until he is licking the valley between her breasts, while his hands run up her sides, stopping at the curve of her chest. He takes one nipple in his mouth, while works on the other with his fingers. His mouth and hand work together, licking, flicking, pinching until she is crying out, grasping his hair. He moves one hand inside her panties and she feels like she is going to pass out with pleasure as he nips the flesh of her sensitive nub with his teeth.

Nik lets go of her breasts and moves his head lower, trailing a path of kisses down her stomach, until he finally reaches the waistband of her underwear. Before taking it off, he kisses her above the damp fabric.

"God, Nik. Please, stop teasing… I need you" she moans, craving release. He smirks at her and pulls her underwear down her legs, leaving her completely naked on his bed.

"You have no idea of how long I've wanted to have you like that, Brie. No clothes, in my bed, at my mercy." he says, running his fingers through her body. His eyes are dark, full of yearning, lust at its most natural state.

"And now that you have me, what will you do?" she asks, almost daring him to answer.

He responds by lowering his mouth into her sex, making her moan instantly. She throws her head back and grabs his hair with one hand and the sheets with the other.

He's been teasing her for a while now, so when his mouth connects with her body, she's already close. He devours her expertly, like he has been starving and she is the most delicious meal in the world. At that moment, he can't think of anything that tastes better than her.

Nik works his mouth and tongue on her, and with every flick of his tongue he can sense the pleasure building inside her. He inserts a finger, then two into her core, making her moans grow louder. She bucks her hips against his mouth and fingers, trying to feel him closer as possible. He pulls back and she almost screams in irritation.

"You want more, rook?" he asks, still working his fingers, but slowly, barely enough to keep her on the edge.

"Yes, Nik. I want more- I need more" she whimpers, eyes closed with need.

"I wanna see you beg" his voice is a low growl, and it turns her on even more.

"Please, please, please… Nik, oh god, I need you..." the beg leaving her sinful lips is like music to his ears. He dives back in.

His mouth once again finds her center, and he wastes no time sucking her clit into his mouth, thrusting his fingers harder and faster. She cries out, arching her back, and it only takes one more flick of his tongue for her to fall apart around him in pure bliss, the feeling so strong she is sure she has reached heaven. She doesn't even notice she is screaming his name. He doesn't let go until every single drop of ecstasy has left her body, until she's ridden every wave of her orgasm. Her legs are shaking and she's covered in sweat, panting, trying to pull herself together, but never again wanting to come back down from the high.

His mouth finds its way back to her lips, capturing them in a passionate kiss while she recovers.

"Can you taste how delicious you are, rook?" he asks, pulling back with a smirk to admire her flushed face.

"Right now, I would rather taste you" she admits, and he growls. Nik captures her lips again, wrapping his arms around her and flipping their position, getting her to straddle his hips. His hands find her ass quickly, and he gives it a small slap before squeezing it. Brie begins to run her hands down his muscular torso, enjoying the feeling of his ripped abs underneath her fingertips. She reaches the waistband of his underwear, still kissing his mouth, and lets her hand drop lower, caressing him over the fabric. He bites her lower lip and digs his nails on the flesh of her hips as she squeezes him, making him moan into her mouth.

Brie lets go of his lips to kiss his stubble jaw, then his neck and the spot right below his ear. Nik reaches her hair and wraps it around his hand, applying a bit of pressure on his hold. She begins to trail kisses down his chest and abs, taking her time kissing his strong frame, covering every scar on his torso with her lips. Unlike him, she takes no time teasing him when she reaches his waistband, quickly rolling his underwear down his legs and off his body. She runs her fingers through his strong thighs, kissing it, licking it all the way up to his groin.

When she finally reaches his shaft, she gives it a few slow strokes and runs her thumb in circles on its tip, as Nik's breath quickens. She gives it a tiny kiss, still running her fingers up and down, before taking him into her mouth.

"Christ, Brie..." he moans, holding her hair while she expertly uses her mouth and tongue on him; kissing, sucking and licking the exact spots she knows will drive him mad. As she swirls her tongue around his head, he grips her hair tighter and pulls her up "Are you trying to make me lose my mind, rook?".

She smirks at him, but it quickly fades as he roughly pulls her by the hair to his mouth, kissing her hard. He moves his head to her neck and sucks it before releasing her.

"Get on all fours" he commands, and she is too turned on to deny him anything. She gets on her knees and forearms, facing away from him, and she looks over her shoulder to see him going through his pants and reaching its pocket for his wallet, pulling out a condom.

While he fumbles with his pants and catches her looking over her shoulder at him, Nik thinks about how lucky he is. Brie could knock on anyone's room today and they would happily let her in; they all wished to be in his place right now, and there she was: on all fours on his bed, her glistening core waiting and wanting him.

He positions himself behind her, between her legs after rolling down the condom, and guides himself until his tip is touching her folds. He gives her ass a playful smack, and the sound she lets out makes him even more turned on, so he does it again, harder this time, earning a louder moan from her lips. She holds her breath with anticipation while he runs his tip up and down her entrance, teasing her. She lets out a frustrated groan after a few seconds.

"God, Nik, aren't you tired of teasing me? Just fuck me alr- ohh!" her complain is interrupted by a moan as he enters her with one hasty movement.

"You were saying?" he teases, as he grabs her hips and thrusts hard into her, quickly creating a rhythm.

He doesn't hold back. He uses one hand to hold her hip as the other wraps around the hair on her neck and pulls her head back, making her moan loudly. He swears that the feeling of her walls around him is the most exquisite thing he has ever experienced.

Nik isn't one for second dates, he has never been jealous before, but Brie managed to wake feelings and sensations he never knew existed. He feels so protective of her, and it shows in his movements, as he tries to claim her as only his. He pulls her hip impossibly closer, hitting even deeper inside her, making an animalistic grunt leave her mouth.

"That's it, Brie. Louder. I wanna hear you scream my name so loud this whole damn fancy house knows I am the one making you lose control like that." he says, giving her all of him, driving deeper and harder with every slam of his hips, and she does exactly as he tells. The sensation of Nik filling her up is so overwhelming that she has no choice but to scream, trying to let out some of these feelings.

"Nik, oh god, harder!" she begs, not even realising what she is asking for, not even sure she can take more. Right now, he hits the perfect balance between pain and pleasure with every thrust. She has never felt so filled before, she has never been fucked like that before and she knows that now she has tried it, there’s no going back. He delivers harder, his nails so deep inside the flesh of her hips they are breaking the skin, but neither of them seem to notice or care. Tears of pleasure mixed with pain glisten in the corner of her eyes, and she is holding onto the sheets like it’s life itself. "Nik, I'm so close!" she moans, trying to breathe.

Hearing his name being screamed by her lustful lips makes Nik bucks his hips forward in a way that hits her most sensitive spot, and she comes apart around him, screaming his name so loud that he is sure she’s heard all across The Fate's mansion. Her walls clench around his length but he doesn't slow down, feeling his own release coming close. Brie is too worn out to react, so she just stays in front of him, moaning and crying out his name as he fucks her senseless. She squeezes him inside of her, and he feels the electricity beginning to rise in his body. "Brie, I'm close" he cries out, never stopping neither slowing down.

Catching him by surprise, Brie removes herself from his hold and quickly turns around, facing him. Nik is too surprised to react before she kneels in front of him, pulling the condom off him and taking him into her mouth once more. At the moment when she wraps her mouth around him, Nik’s head falls back and he lets out a groan. More gentle then he has been the whole night, he holds her hair back as she works on him. As he feels his ecstasy approaching, he tries to pull her head back, but she doesn't let him, working even harder. He has no other option but to spill inside her mouth as pleasure washes over him, and he moans her name for only her to hear.

Brie licks him clean and moves up, they both kneeling on the bed, facing each other. She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and he thinks it's the sexiest thing he's ever seen. They lock eyes and smile before he pulls her by the waist for a delicate kiss.

Her body is covered in bruises, her hair is a mess, and they both are covered in sweat, but they also have that unique face of someone who has just reached the peak of pleasure and satisfaction.

“Do you think The Fate will me mad at us?” Brie teases, as they crawl under the covers. He snorts and pulls her close, wrapping his arms around her and letting she rest her head on his shoulder.

“I dunno, rook. And I don’t care” Nik says, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“Me neither. Even if she does, it was worth it. Sooooo worth it” she says with a wide smile, kissing his chest. He absently runs his hand through her hair, smiling.

The way he’s feeling right now, not only completely satisfied but also safe, tells him he is in trouble. A lot of trouble. Looking down at Brie, comfortably snuggled with him, he feels his heart skips a beat and he can’t help but smile, but it quickly fades as he thinks about what usually happens to those who get close to him.

“Yeah, it was. Sleep tight, Brie”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure I will…” she teases again, her eyes already closing as she drifts off to a peaceful sleep, and follows her, never wanting to let her go again.

What has she done to him?

#nightbound #nightbound fanfic #nb choices #choices fanfiction #fanfiction #ff #fanfic #nik x mc #nik ryder #nik x f!mc #n*fw #nik ryder fanfic

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303magazine · 7 years ago

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Although its name may suggest a dark and secretive place, the brand new Death & Co is a far cry from the intimate bar that opened in New York City’s East Village over 11 years ago. For Denver, the NYC staple has swapped out its snug quarters and dim lighting for the massive sunlit lobby of The Ramble hotel. There’s even a daytime cafe as well as a rooftop bar where co-founder Alex Day jokes they’ll eventually fill an inflatable pool with rosé. This echoes a similar trend their neighbor, American Bonded, is testing out — but theirs involves a slushy machine (I digress).

READ: American Bonded is Ready to Introduce Denver to a New Type of Cocktail Bar

Both spots, which are arguably run by the forefathers of the modern speakeasy, are now allowing for a little more sunshine and fun.

“Daylight is new for us,” said David Kaplan, one of the three Death & Co-founders. “But we wanted to see what it looked like when Death & Co goes outside.”

Photo by Brittni Warshaw

According to the team, Death & Co is more of an idea and it doesn’t have to exist within the original walls they built. But even though they’ve had a decade to mull over what that means exactly, it still can be a bit elusive when put into words.

“We haven’t figured out a perfect sound bite yet … but it’s really about giving a shit,” said beverage director, Tyson Buhler. Kaplan agreed, explaining that ultimately it’s about being able to perfect their craft but in a wide range of contexts.

“It’s not that the drinks themselves are more casual. Just as much science and prep and ridiculous labor goes into [these cocktails],” said Kaplan.

You can see this at the bar where you’ll still find drinks that are perfect for moody lighting and close conversation (like the Vaquero ($16) made with mezcal, reposado, corn husk and cacao) next to cocktails inspired by warmer climates or ones with low/no alcohol meant for a patio. We especially enjoyed the Windjammer ($16) a take on a tiki drink made with Jamaican rum, bourbon, banana, ginger, lime and a chamomile dusting. However, instead of a traditional totem tiki glass, it comes in a cast iron mug shaped like a pioneer man — which is one hint that the Death & Co team hasn’t traded all of its former tricks.

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Overall, there is still something a little macabre about the place. Maybe because the decor — which one writer described as 17th-century France meets the Wild West — has a distinct feeling of a place gone-by. Couple that with American lore of haunted hotels and a part of you may feel like you’re in a turn of the century murder mystery or inside a really fancy game of Clue. But if you go upstairs it’ll become immediately clear that Death & Co’s original aesthetic hasn’t gone far.

“We haven’t given up our dark little room,” said Kaplan. Suite 6A — set to open sometime by the end of the month — is where you’ll find the traditional Death & Co experience. Small, cozy and intimate surroundings paired with creative cocktails made with rare ingredients and elaborate presentations — Suite 6A will be the place the Death & Co bartenders experiment with new ideas. The 20-seat space located on the mezzanine can be booked ahead of time or you can walk-in and take your chances.

These compartmentalized spaces inside The Ramble are a big part of the new Death & Co — which services the entire hotel. This includes the daytime cafe DC/AM — located on the western side of the hotel lobby. The cafe and espresso bar offers up coffee from Denver’s Middlestate alongside a full breakfast menu filled with items like an egg sandwich ($7), smoked honey yogurt ($10) and breakfast plates like the bacon okonomiyaki ($9) with zucchini kimchi, cured egg, trout roe and scallions. The menu is imagined by a team of culinary experts including chef Wes Hamilton (former culinary director of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) and executive sous chefs Kathryn Caine (former executive chef of The Populist) and Quincy Cherrett (former executive chef of The Kitchen in Jackson Hole).

The chefs will also service the lobby and hotel with a wide range of dinner items including a killer dessert menu. We’d highly recommend the fava bean agnolotti ($18) which will be instantly recognizable to fans of The Populist as well as the fabulous olive oil cake ($12) with smoked honey ice cream and almond caramel. The Garden — aka the aforementioned rooftop — will be the hotel’s “pool bar without the pool” when it opens mid-May. It’ll be available to hotel guests all day and open to bar patrons later in the afternoon and on the weekend for brunch.

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If you head back downstairs, there’s yet another component to the partnership between the hotel and the bar. Vauxhall is an event/ theater space that comes with its own Death & Co bar and will be used for private and public events. All programmed through The Ramble, the hotel expects to highlight film, live performance, comedy, art exhibitions and more. Upcoming events include a design showcase with neighbors Topo Designs on May 11, a listening party with Denver’s Vinyl Me, Please on May 26 and a RiNo First Friday showcase on June 1. As an independent hotel, the space also hopes to give back to its community by providing the area and hotel rooms for local non-profits like Volunteers of America, PlatteForum and the RiNo Arts District. Similarly, Death & Co is continuing its tradition of giving one percent of all of its proceeds to a local charity — although the exact one is still TBD. Featuring its own private entrance off Larimer street and a soon-to-come marquee, Vauxhall aims to be a place of its own while providing a taste of what’s next door.

—

If you ask the team behind Death & Co, what the main question they get about the new spot is — it may or may not surprise you.

“To everyone else, it’s like why Denver? And I’m like, have you been to Denver? Denver is fucking awesome,” said Kaplan. Now with Death & Co finally open in Denver, we’re expecting a lot of people to stop asking and start agreeing.

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NYC’s Famed Death & Co Comes to Denver with Three Bars, a Cafe and More Although its name may suggest a dark and secretive place, the brand new Death & Co is a far cry from the

#303 Magazine #Alex Day #Brittany Werges #Cocktail bar #Cocktail bars RiNo #David Kaplan #Death & Co Denver #Death & Company #Death and Company #Death and Company Denver #Hotel bar Denver #Ravi DeRossi #rino #The Ramble #The Ramble Hotel #The Ramble Hotel Denver

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

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13 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon

Product provenance is one of the most important things in food and drink right now. Much to its credit, Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon arrived on the scene well before we all became obsessed with place sourcing. In fact, Blanton’s effectively put “single barrel” on the map, insisting on hyper-craft bourbon at a time — in 1984 — when our drinks repertoire included lots of blue stuff and too much White Zinfandel.

In honor of learning from our mistakes, here are 13 things you need to know about Blanton’s.

It was the world’s first “single-barrel” bourbon.

Just like Velveeta Shells & Cheese, “single-barrel” bourbon wasn’t a thing before 1984 (so we have no idea how anyone had a decent weekend). But among the many generous acts of Elmer T. Lee’s career at Buffalo Trace was this final parting gift — the creation of a super-premium bourbon category, i.e., bourbon taken from one barrel and bottled as is. Not only did Lee revive the bourbon industry, he created a lasting category that almost every major bourbon producer answers to with a bottle of its own.

It’s a “high-rye” bourbon.

Blanton’s is distilled by Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Tenn., which is famously mum about the exact contents of its Mash Bills # 1 and # 2. We do know that Blanton’s is distilled from Mash Bill # 2, a “high-rye” mash bill — meaning after the higher proportion of corn common in Buffalo Trace bourbons, the rest (or much of the rest) of the mash bill is made up of rye. Whereas wheated whiskies tend to be softer, a kick of rye in a mash bill tends to produce a bit more in the way of fruit and spice, which play nicely with caramel and char. Though it’s worth noting that the final flavor profile varies from barrel to barrel (that’s kind of the idea).

We owe it to a guy called Blanton and his thirst for good bourbon.

Yes, there was a Blanton — Albert Bacon Blanton. Lee named his game-changing single barrel for Blanton, who had worked his way up from 16-year-old desk clerk at what would become Buffalo Trace Distillery to distillery president from 1921 to 1952, growing the distillery exponentially and — no small thing — seeing it through Prohibition and World War II. Naming the Single Barrel for Blanton is a tribute: Back in the day, Blanton would put aside what he considered the best bourbon — from barrels aged in the center of the all-metal Warehouse H (see below). To this day, that’s where Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon comes from.

Single barrel isn’t a legal term.

Like the “all natural” on your bologna or “farm fresh,” quite possibly also on your bologna, “single barrel” isn’t a legally defined term in the United States. Yes, that leaves a lot of wiggle room for creative interpretation. But so far, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (a.k.a. the TTB, the paper-pushing folks in charge of labeling and regulating spirits) hasn’t set up a legal definition. So for now, we’re working on the honor system (and that never went wrong in whiskey, right?).

Legal or not, “single barrel” still really matters.

We’ll roll our eyes at “single-stalk corn syrup” and “single-pig salami” when they inevitably enter the market, but we take the implications of “single-barrel bourbon” seriously (because it’s actually a thing). Whereas bourbon in general is blended by brand and by distillery to create a desired flavor profile, a single-barrel bourbon categorically (but politely) rejects blending. Instead you’re embracing whatever inimitable magic the aging process has done to the whiskey inside a particular barrel.

Blanton comes from a famous warehouse.

Let’s face it: When warehouses are famous, it’s either because of a murder or a baler incident (which may or may not involve Michael Scott). So there’s almost never a fun reason to bring up “warehouse lore,” except of course in the case of Blanton’s, because Blanton’s is aged in Buffalo Trace’s famous Warehouse H, the distillery’s only all-metal rick house (or barrel-aging building) and the very place where Blanton himself would stow his select barrels of whiskey. Though unconfirmed, we assume he would visit them and quietly pet them in the middle of the night.

Blanton’s barrels are kind of coddled.

Most whiskies are machine-dumped, which sounds un-artisan and so far away from genteel southern bourbon that we’ll pretend we never learned about the practice. (In truth, it just means the barrel contents are mechanically overturned.) In contrast, Blanton’s barrels are hand-dumped, which sounds just a bit better (and looks like this), adding a level of persnickety care to the process for this bourbon.

Blanton’s barrels are also mildly tortured.

With the bourbon inside, Blanton’s barrels are aged for several years in Warehouse H. Since metal conducts heat, the walls of Warehouse H act like an amplifier for Kentucky’s temperature fluctuations, increasing the impact of heat and humidity changes, all of which encourages the barrels to absorb and then flush out the bourbon more often over the course of aging. And the more interaction between bourbon and barrel, the more flavor in the end.

There’s a ton of vital info on the labels.

Schools stopped teaching cursive for a while, but it’s making a comeback, probably because people realized the next generation wouldn’t be able to read the Blanton’s label (or perhaps they feared the emotional clumsiness of a world where emotion is expressed exclusively in emoji). That’s clutch for Blanton’s drinkers, since all that scrolly handwriting lets you know the barrel number, the number of the rick (or storage rack) the barrel was taken from, the proof your bourbon was bottled at, the final bottle’s ABV, and even the date the bourbon was dumped (and yes, this is the only time it’s not deeply depressing to commemorate a dumping date).

You can collect the horse stoppers. And it will drive you mad.

The adorable horse stopper atop every bottle of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon each has a letter on it in a little circle to the lower left. Collect all eight and you get “B L A N T O N S” (and some peace of mind). FYI, the “S” shows the horse crossing the finish line; you can tell because the jockey is fist-pumping. But don’t join him in the winner’s circle just yet — double-check that your “Ns” aren’t the same N. The first is a regular old N, but the second should have a colon after it, as shown here.

There’s a risk of inconsistency from bottle to bottle.

That’s part of the magic and curse of a single-barrel product. Bourbons are typically created by blending whiskey from multiple barrels to reach a desired flavor profile. But — now we know — single-barrel bourbons like Blanton’s defy that. And since barrels in the same warehouse can age very differently, one bottle of Blanton’s Single Barrel could taste very different from another if they came from two different barrels. Granted, you’re still operating in bourbon territory, with limited elements at play (corn mash, a proportion of rye, barley or wheat, charred virgin oak, Kentucky superstition), so the range of flavors isn’t too wild. But one barrel might showcase more or less brown sugar, smoke, caramel, clove, vanilla, hazelnut, orange peel, and other flavor notes.

There’s a cask-strength “Unfiltered Straight from the Barrel” Blanton’s that’s not available in the U.S.

Yes, it’s distilled here. Yes, it’s shipped elsewhere. Yes, it’s delicious. So, yeah. Damn. (You can purchase it from overseas markets and have it shipped back here, but that’s a whole thing.)

But Blanton’s Gold edition is coming to a shop near you.

Previously unavailable in the U.S., Blanton’s Single Barrel Gold Edition is going to be available in the U.S. for the first time ever this summer. It’s made in basically the same way as the original Blanton’s, except the Gold edition is 103 proof. Note that the higher alcohol has an impact on the bourbon’s flavor profile, with darker, chewier fruits and caramels, coarser heat, and sharper spice flavors. It’s going to be available once yearly, at $120. Considering the number of bourbon geeks out there, you should stake out your buying spot now.

The article 13 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/blantons-bourbon-whiskey-guide/

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isaiahrippinus · 5 years ago

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13 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon

In honor of learning from our mistakes, here are 13 things you need to know about Blanton’s.

It was the world’s first “single-barrel” bourbon.

It’s a “high-rye” bourbon.

We owe it to a guy called Blanton and his thirst for good bourbon.

Single barrel isn’t a legal term.

Legal or not, “single barrel” still really matters.

Blanton comes from a famous warehouse.

Blanton’s barrels are kind of coddled.

Blanton’s barrels are also mildly tortured.

There’s a ton of vital info on the labels.

You can collect the horse stoppers. And it will drive you mad.

There’s a risk of inconsistency from bottle to bottle.

There’s a cask-strength “Unfiltered Straight from the Barrel” Blanton’s that’s not available in the U.S.

But Blanton’s Gold edition is coming to a shop near you.

The article 13 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/blantons-bourbon-whiskey-guide/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/611845391625994240

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johnboothus · 5 years ago

Text

13 Things You Need to Know About Blantons Single Barrel Bourbon

In honor of learning from our mistakes, here are 13 things you need to know about Blanton’s.

It was the world’s first “single-barrel” bourbon.

It’s a “high-rye” bourbon.

We owe it to a guy called Blanton and his thirst for good bourbon.

Single barrel isn’t a legal term.

Legal or not, “single barrel” still really matters.

Blanton comes from a famous warehouse.

Blanton’s barrels are kind of coddled.

Blanton’s barrels are also mildly tortured.

There’s a ton of vital info on the labels.

You can collect the horse stoppers. And it will drive you mad.

There’s a risk of inconsistency from bottle to bottle.

There’s a cask-strength “Unfiltered Straight from the Barrel” Blanton’s that’s not available in the U.S.

But Blanton’s Gold edition is coming to a shop near you.

The article 13 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/blantons-bourbon-whiskey-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/13-things-you-need-to-know-about-blantons-single-barrel-bourbon

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delfinamaggiousa · 5 years ago

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10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey’s roots trace to 1855, when Austin Nichols & Co., a wholesale grocer, set up shop in Lawrenceburg, Ky. That company eventually took over what would become Wild Turkey Bourbon, now one of the top-selling whiskey brands in the country.

With American roots and international appeal, Wild Turkey bourbon and rye manages to be approachable and affordable, while also having high-profile allure. (You may have heard of Wild Turkey’s creative director, Matthew McConaughey.)

Below are 10 more things you should know about Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey was named after a hunting expedition.

According to company lore, Wild Turkey got its name after a hunting expedition. A distillery executive named Thomas McCarthy brought some whiskey samples from then-owner Austin Nichols & Co. on a wild turkey hunt. His companions “liked it so much that the next year they asked him to bring some of that ‘Wild Turkey’ bourbon and the nickname became a famous brand,” The Guardian reports.

The product lineup today includes Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Rye 101, and several reserve bottles.

Wild Turkey has a lot of nicknames, too.

Since getting its official name in 1940, Wild Turkey has earned several nicknames. These include “The Dirty Bird,” “The Screaming Eagle,” and “The Kickin’ Chicken.” The whiskey is also a pop culture icon, counting references in films, songs, and even the 1990s vampire classic television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

Wild Turkey has two master distillers.

At the helm of Wild Turkey Distillery are father-and-son duo Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Jimmy Russell is the world’s longest-tenured master distiller, having worked at the distillery since 1954. His son Eddie Russell earned the master distiller title in 2015, after working up the ranks for 35 years. Both Russells are members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame.

It was French for 29 years, and now it’s part Italian.

In 1980, Wild Turkey’s original owner Austin Nichols & Co. sold to French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italy’s Gruppo Campari purchased the distillery for a cool $575 million.

Campari, which still owns Wild Turkey today, is credited with bringing the whiskey brand back to life. Wild Turkey Bourbon is now the group’s third-largest brand, after its own Campari aperitif and subsidiary Skyy vodka.

Wild Turkey Bourbon and Skyy vodka are bottle buddies.

Skyy vodka is packaged and shipped from the Wild Turkey bottling plant in Lawrenceburg, Ky. It’s transported there from the vodka’s Illinois production facility. Whiskey and vodka don’t mix, of course, so the packaging is entirely separate. A Wild Turkey bourbon in Skyy’s signature blue bottle would be one strange bird.

Wild Turkey’s bond with Matthew McConaughey is strong.

In 2016, Wild Turkey hired actor Matthew McConaughey as its creative director. The whiskey brand reportedly approached McConaughey to be a spokesperson to help attract more women and international audiences. However, the actor had bigger ideas. “[I]t became obvious that hey, you know what? I should be more than just the face,” he told “The Tonight Show” in 2018.

He wasn’t bluffing: In 2018, McConaughey launched Longbranch Bourbon in partnership with Wild Turkey. His whiskey ranks among VinePair’s best celebrity spirits in 2019.

Of course, he is still “the face.” In October 2019, McConaughey and Complex Media launched two digital series, “Talk Turkey” and “The Spirit of Conviction,” on their social media and YouTube channels.

Additionally, in November 2019, McConaughey launched a whiskey-themed cabin rental in Australia that can be booked for about $150 a night. He says he chose the location because he loves nature, but we know the truth: Australia is Wild Turkey’s second-biggest market.

Whiskey lovers and experts agree it’s the best.

At an average price of $22 a bottle, VinePair ranked Wild Turkey 101 among the best bourbons under $25 in 2019. Its Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon ranks among the world’s best bourbons, racking up a score of 90 and an average price of $179, according to Wine-Searcher.

Michael Jackson called it ‘the Clint Eastwood of whiskies.’

In a 2006 Whiskey Magazine review, famed beer and spirits writer Michael Jackson wrote of Wild Turkey 101: “A huge whiskey. Put together with style and sophistication, but still with all the robustness of a true bourbon. A classic, of course. A Clint Eastwood of whiskeys.” The late Jackson, who is credited with the creation of modern-day whiskey and beer writing, also called the whiskey “raisiny,” “rummy,” “powerful,” and “soothing.”

Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite.

When asked what bourbon they bring to the Thanksgiving table, bartenders named Wild Turkey a top pick. Casey Faden, bartender at Sabroso+Sorbo in Philadelphia, told Uproxx: “Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple. Bourbon in general pairs really well with turkey.”

Bourbon bar owner Kristian Niemi of Columbia, S.C., picked Wild Turkey 101 Rye. “Since it’s corn-heavy rye, it retains [those] toasty, spicy notes of rye, but with the rich, caramel-pecan sweetness of the corn,” she says. “This makes it especially good for drinking on a big cube, in a mixed cocktail, or in the Tom & Jerry batter. It’s also perfect to pair with friends and family with different political views.”

It once offered a full-time job to a turkey.

In November 2012, in preparation for the annual pre-Thanksgiving presidential pardoning of a turkey (and also on the tail of a $50 million distillery expansion, courtesy Campari), Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell reportedly wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama requesting the spared turkey be sent to join the Wild Turkey staff as its “spokesbird.”

“In our humble opinion, there is no better place for this year’s Presidentially-pardoned bird to live out its golden years than the Wild Turkey Distillery grounds in central Kentucky,” Russell said in a statement. “There really is no bird more undeniably American than the turkey.”

The article 10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wild-turkey-bourbon-whiskey-guide/

source https://vinology1.wordpress.com/2019/11/29/10-things-you-should-know-about-wild-turkey/

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talesofnecromancy · 7 years ago

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May 2017 #95

H: Darlin’.

Me: You sound better.

H: No longer having an open wound in one’s chest does that to a man.

Me: Is it scarred? I thought I’d fixed it last night but I couldn’t tell. It was dark and you’d passed out.

H: It’s scarred. Tender, but healed.

Me: Good.

H: Thank you.

Me: You’re welcome.

H: (gravely) No. Not thank you as if for the gift of a trinket or a favour done a friend. Thank you. For your care.

Me: (smiling) You’re welcome darlin’. How’s today been?

H: I bathed and shaved - and lamented the loss of the waistcoat you liked.

Me: Covered in blood?

H: Yes.

Me: Maybe the House will bring it back for you?

H: I’m not certain I’d care for the reminder.

Me: Point.

H: I took a belt and Hellbitch’s sheath to keep the blade in.

(H’s uncle had a knife he’d apparently filed down from an old cleaver. He took it with him to war and called it ‘HellBitch’. He gave it to H when H left home.)

Me: You’re wearing it?

H: Yes… I cannot explain, but I do not like to be far from it.

Me: You like to keep it in sight.

H: Within reach.

Me: Oookay. I’m starting to wonder what the fuck it was we made or what the hell it is it’s become.

H: I do not know. It feels the same. There is no additional weight or presence or power. I simply wish to keep it near otherwise I fear it will not be to hand when I require it most.

Me: And that worries you?

H: No darlin’, that terrifies me.

Me: Oh. That bodes.

H: You buying into newspaper men’s wild tales now?

Me: Of you being utterly fearless? No. But I know you. And anything that manages to terrify you, I find extremely worrying.

H: Are you afraid of mice?

Me: (bemused) Startled possibly, but not afraid.

H: Rats?

Me: No.

H: Blood - no. Snakes?

Me: Only if it’s poisonous and about to bite me?

H: (wryly) As I thought. The things that scare you are highly unusual.

Me: Is that list supposed to be what ladies are commonly afraid of?

H: Yes.

Me: I still find it funny that girls are meant to be afraid of blood.

H: It does lack a certain logic now you mention it.

Me: What do bad 19th century hacks think women did every month? Did they not know?!

H: (shrugging) I calculate not.

Me: Hang on a sec, I’m gonna pour myself a drink.

H: Bourbon?

Me: Yes, although there isn’t that much left.

H: My fault, no doubt.

Me: Obviously! Er. But also, how?

H: (smiling) We spirits take out libations in kind.

Me: You telling me you’re evaporating my whiskey?

H: Perhaps that is where the House acquires mine?

Me: That’s a charming idea, but I haven’t had any bourbon since before winterfest and you’ve had quite the supply.

H: Hm. A noted flaw.

Me: Did you do anything else today?

H: Gin and her brood were most attentive. I did wake to Nem licking the dried blood on the floor. Not certain she was the first…

Me: It’s just protein; cats will do that kinda thing. You’re not a vampire - it won’t ghoul them!

H: Beg pardon?

Me: It’s vampire lore, don’t worry about it. I suppose you spent a while clearing up the mess?

H: No. When I returned with water and rags to do so, it had gone.

Me: Storm House quantum weirdness strikes again!

H: Most of anything I tried to do today the kits intervened. Or sat on me.

Me: Well the other night a scar on your chest opened and, to all intents and purposes, spat out a bowie knife. If I was them I wouldn’t like it either. I barely like it as it is.

H: There are forces at work darlin’, for good and ill. And we’ve met both.

Me: You telling me despite the pain, blood and anxiety, that this is a good thing?

H: A needful thing.

Me: Not an uplifting thought. But if you need it at least you have it, I guess.

H: Yes.

Me: Where are you?

H: In the doorway.

Me: Looking outside?

H: Yes.

Me: How’s the weather?

H: The sky is velvet, the stars are incandescent.

Me: You smoking a cigarette?

H: No. I have coffee. And a hip flask.

Me: I’ve been thinking about witches’ hats - something that’s definitely your fault!

H: You’ve never had one?

Me: Well there isn’t a graduation ceremony! Well done for passing your exams, here’s a spell book and a pointy hat!

H: But you have several unlikely hats.

Me: Yeah, I just never got a witch’s one - they’re usually badly made and tacky. But now there are some crafters who make them out of blocked felt or tooled leather and they’re very stylish.

H: Will you acquire one?

Me: Maybe, but hats are expensive. My fedora’s from Lock & Co - it cost over a month’s rent. A boy with more money than sense bought it for me in the hope I’d be his girlfriend - even though I’d told him I wouldn’t. Most of my hats are stolen! ‘Borrowed’ from friends or nicked from the prop store at Uni.

H: You have yet to steal mine. But you have borrowed my clothes.

Me: (surprised) I’ve what now?

H: When you are here. You have appeared in an assortment of outfits and dishabille; and some have been mine.

Me: That’s another interesting fact you never mentioned previously.

H: You wrote it. You knew!

Me: It’s in the Storm House story - I thought I was making it up!

H: No, intuition served you well.

Me: When I asked if you know what clothes I had and you said ‘some’, you meant the ones you’d seen?

H: Yes. I wish you had the liberty to dress as you do here.

Me: I’m low on candles and bourbon. Bed?

H: I am awake and… vigilant.

Me: You think something’s coming?

H: There is no sign. But if someone hands you a gun, you expect to use it.

Me: That reminds me. Doesn’t look like I’ll ever get ivory grips for the Colt. So I’m considering bone or maybe ebony. I like the idea of ebony to compliment the ivory of yours - like a piano.

H: I think that would suit you very well darlin’.

Me: Kal likes the idea of ebony grips inlaid with silver or bone or all sorts of sigil work and runes. But I just want mine plain and black as obsidian…

H: (thoughtfully) Dense though ebony is, it absorbs, as all wood does. And dense is another form of depth…

Me: (realizing what that means for magic) If I did a simple enchantment every time I pulled it, it would soak into the ebony grain on grain - that thing would charge like fuck! Why did you choose ivory grips for your Colts?

H: They were smooth and pale and they matched the poker chips.

Me: Ha - you’re not immune to the ideal of aesthetics either! Why’d you get them nickel plated? Most of the guns at the time were ‘blued’ if they had anything done to them at all.

H: You have to ask?

Me: I know why I’d have the nickel plate.

H: Yes?

Me: If they were given to you as a gift the plate makes them fancy - a status symbol - a nod to the finer things in life. If you purchased them… they’re a tool, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be elegant. They show you’re dangerous, but refined - still a gentleman… But really I think they were your past and your future.

(H gave me a startled look but didn’t manage to say anything.)

Me: Bone and silver - well, tusks are teeth. But bones or teeth, either way it’s dead and gone. Silver is gambling and boomtowns and the glint of a better tomorrow. Past and future.

H: (hoarsely) I am very glad you wear that blindfold.

Me: It’s not insight - I’m tipsy and being pretentious, I wouldn’t worry about it.

H: I see your eyes sometimes despite the binding - the mood of them, the expression. Some days I wish to see them unbound. Other times I believe they would be the end of me.

Me: H you don’t normally say things like that.

H: No. It is my mood and the blade… I feel exposed.

Me: I need to sleep…

Next Conversation

#notes #ghosts #ouija board #colt lightning #ouija #necromancy

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jpspurs · 8 years ago

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John Wayne was another man’s man, and he too was a whiskey guy. Lore tells us Wayne was a situational drinker of sorts—tequila, vodka, cognac, and even high-end French wines, on occasion. But it came time to declare some loyalties, Wayne was a bourbon guy. In an interview, his son, Ethan, recounted that when his dad would take on a movie role that would keep him in exotic places for months at a time, he’d pack cases of Wild Turkey for the trip, just to make sure he didn’t have to go without the good stuff for too long. As a testament to his legacy, Wayne’s children founded a whiskey brand called Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, named after their late father (his nickname was The Duke)

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miamibeerscene · 8 years ago

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9 Weird Brewery Names and the Stories Behind Them

January 24, 2017

A name is such a defining character that the thought of choosing the wrong one can be gut wrenching for a brewery. Check out these nine breweries and the areas of inspiration and life experiences they pulled from when developing their names.

Hopping Gnome Brewing Co. | Wichita, KS

Customers send Hopping Gnome garden gnomes to display in the brewery. (Credit: Hopping Gnome)

“There’s no place like Gnome” and “Take me Gnome tonight” are two popular phrases at Hopping Gnome Brewing Company in Wichita, Kansas. Owners Torrey and Stacy Lattin opened Hopping Gnome in 2015. The pair had several other names in mind, but after researching, they discovered that most names they liked were already taken. However, one night Torrey found a small gnome in their home that was a giveaway from the MLB All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. He was immediately inspired by his find and asked Stacy, “How about Hopping Gnome? You know, like hops, and gnomes are known for drinking.”

Stacy and Torrey wanted their brewery to stand apart from other local breweries such as River City and Wichita Brewing. A name like Hopping Gnome did the trick. Loyal customers refer to the brewery as “The Gnome” and have found a home in this strange, gnome filled sanctuary. Stacy recalls “[Customers] will give us garden gnomes to display in the taproom as well as send us gnome t-shirt ideas. We try to include the gnome theme whenever we can without being too over the top.” They even call their samplers “Gnome Pours” and blame the gnomes when the beer runs out.

(MORE: 9 Breweries to Follow on Instagram)

Fonta Flora Brewery | Morganton, NC

Fonta Flora has built a culture with a heavy concentration on local ingredients and local lore. (Credit: Fonta Flora)

To some, Fonta Flora may sound like a fictional name out of a novel. However, the historical and cultural relevance in the name Fonta Flora Brewery spans across not only the exact location of the brewery itself, but also touches on the culture and brewing style that takes place there.

Located in Morganton, North Carolina, Fonta Flora Brewery is located on “The Lost Village” of Fonta Flora, a sharecropping settlement in Burke County. This settlement was flooded in 1916 to create Lake James and was discovered by a team of scuba divers decades later.

Located in the heart of Appalachia, Fonta Flora focuses on local agriculture and flora — the plants of a particular region, habitat, or geological period — when creating recipes. Co-owner and head brewer Todd Boera finds inspiration in this rich history.

“The ultimate drive in everything that we do stems from local culture and local agriculture, which also happens to be our slogan. We believe that the people that came before us and the culture they created is vitally important. For instance, ingredients such as corn grits, ramps, paw paw fruit and persimmons are as culturally important to Appalachia as they are agriculturally.”

The Appalachian Grisettes hold the top spot of favorite beers to brew at Fonta Flora. This line of Grisettes gives patrons a taste of true Appalachia by utilizing a heritage grain as the focal point. A favorite of Boera’s is Bloody Butcher, which is brewed with heritage red corn.

Gilgamesh Brewing Co. | Salem, OR

Gilgamesh Brewing’s name is a hat tip back to ancient Sumerians. (Credit: Gilgamesh Brewing)

With a name like Gilgamesh, you know there has to be an epic story behind it. Matt Radtke, co-owner of Gilgamesh Brewing Co. describes how the Epic of Gilgamesh and the ancient Sumerians who wrote the tale shaped the naming of their brewery. The Sumerians were possibly the inventors of the wheel, bread and beer, according to Radtke. He describes the use of clay, conical shaped vessels the ancient Mesopotamians stored underground to ferment their “beer.” This conical symbol became the brewery’s logo. Radtke and his partners, who also happen to be his brothers and father, identified with the story of Gilgamesh and knew it was a perfect fit for their brewery.

A popular brew at Gilgamesh Brewing Co. is Mamba, an ale made with black tea, bergamot, tangerine peel and rye. Mamba is almost completely hopless, just like the fermented liquids of ancient Mesopotamia.

(MORE: ‘Mind-Blowing’ Beers Made from Barrel-Aged Coffee Beans)

Wooden Robot Brewery | Charlotte, NC

Wooden Robot’s name blends brewing history and the idea of innovation. (Credit: Wooden Robot)

The juxtaposition of wood and robot make for an intriguing theme when naming a brewery. This theme helped create an environment of science, innovation and creativity for the brewers at Wooden Robot Brewery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Co-owner and CEO Josh Patton explains this juxtaposition and how it thrives within their brewery.

“Wooden Robot represents the blending of seemingly disparate elements into a wonderful union. The wood represents the brewing tradition that inspires us: high-quality ingredients, expressive yeast strains and extended aging in oak barrels,” Patton says. “The robot represents innovation: the unique, creative beers that we craft using these traditional methods and ingredients.”

The balance of art and science can be seen throughout the brewery and the beers they are creating. Head brewer Dan Wade brews a mix of traditional, Belgian-style ales as well as creative American styles to include hop forward and wild, barrel aged ales. The “wooden” aspect plays a large role in their barrel program, where they are utilizing smaller barrels and foeders (large aging vessels) to barrel age many different beers. Patton describes their City Slicker Farmhouse IPA as a Belgian inspired ale fermented in an oak foeder and dry hopped with Mosaic and Amarillo hops. The resulting flavors are a tart base with bold citrus and berry fruit characters. With the use of wooden barrels, Wade can show his truly artistic side as a brewer while maintaining the “robotic” qualities of brewing high-quality, hand-crafted beer.

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. | Athens, GA

Creature Comforts Brewing Co. in Athens, Georgia, was created from the dreams of two men looking to expand upon a passion for homebrewing and craft beer. David Stein, co-founder and head brewer, recalls his days of homebrewing: “I always thought that beer was an ultimate creature comfort. I also had an artist friend that drew these incredible creatures, and so I started calling my homebrew Creature Comforts, and using his art for the labels.” In turn, this became the brand that is now known as Creature Comforts Brewing Co.

Chris Herron, co-founder and CEO, further explains their tagline “Crave Curiosity” as a way to inspire people to explore their world around them and to find their true passions. This is what Creature Comforts represents for both Herron and Stein.

The most recognizable, physical adaptation of “creature comforts” is apparent in See the Stars, a Russian imperial stout aged for one year in maple bourbon barrels. See the Stars was released in September 2015 and is one of the first beers to come from Creature Comforts’ barrel program. The label features an interesting, whimsical creature amongst a background of stars.

Moody Tongue Brewing Co. | Chicago

Jared Rouben was not looking for a laugh when he founded Moody Tongue Brewing Co. in Chicago. While the term moody tongue may sound like someone who is being sassy, Rouben uses this term to describe someone with a discerning palate. Rouben has an extensive background in the culinary arts and brewing. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in New York and the Siebel Diploma Course in Chicago. On top of these accomplishments, he is also an examiner for the Master Cicerone program. Rouben’s culinary brewing philosophy is “using a chef’s mindset to highlight flavors and aromatics in balanced beers.” A moody tongue knows and appreciates delicately balanced, flavorful brews.

Distinctive flavors and food pairings for each beer are described on the website, such as the Caramelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter, which boasts flavors of Madagascar vanilla, Oaxacan chocolate and Mexican cinnamon. The suggested food pairings are fried chicken Livers, Jasper Hill Farm Blue Cheese, and bourbon bread pudding.

(MORE: What ‘Selling Out’ Is Actually About)

Lord Hobo Brewing Co. | Woburn, MA

Trying to think of a unique creative name for a brewery can be difficult, but sometimes all it takes is a playful tussle between two friends. Daniel Lanigan, the owner of Lord Hobo Brewing Co. in Woburn, Massachusetts, recalls a night out with his best friend, Nathan Hobbs, better known as Hobo. During a night out, Hobo began acting a certain way that Lanigan did not find very appealing. His poor attitude and behavior led Lanigan to announce that Nathan “really is the Lord of hobos.” Thus, the name Lord Hobo was created.

Later, Lanigan opened a craft beer bar in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which he named Lord Hobo after that fateful night. Over time, Lord Hobo became a popular spot for locals to grab a craft beer and gained an upstanding reputation within the New England craft beer community. Lanigan eventually decided to follow his passions and opened a production brewery of the same name.

Bearded Iris Brewing | Nashville

Bearded Iris is named after the Tennessee state flower, which is a symbol of hardiness and adaptability. (Credit: Anna Togrye)

The Bearded Iris is the Tennessee State flower, making it a viable choice when naming a brewery in Nashville. Nonetheless, the name itself contains much deeper meaning to the community at Bearded Iris Brewing. This flower is known for its aesthetic appeal, hardiness and adaptability. Located in an art-forward neighborhood, Bearded Iris Brewing pulls inspiration from the art community, which highly reveres the beauty of the Bearded Iris. New varieties of the flower are continuously cultivated, embodying timeless beauty and contemporary relevance; founders Paul Vaughn and Kavon Togrye “strive to meld Old World brewing techniques with an ever-evolving spirit of innovation,” says Chanda Grubbs, who is in charge of field and social media marketing for the brewery.

This theme is reflected in all aspects of their brewery. Vaughn, head brewer, names each beer after a specific Bearded Iris variety. Their tagline, “Cultivate Variety,” continues the spirit of brewing unique and innovative, yet timeless beers. Grubbs further explains, “We have a saison currently in the tanks that features foraged sweet goldenrod and smooth sumac along with aged cascade hops and our house culture. This beer will be transferred into French oak barrels for conditioning. With this saison, we’re reimagining a classic beer style and process as well as using locally foraged ingredients, all to ultimately produce a wholly unique and innovated new product.”

The aesthetic of the taproom also reflects the art and science of Bearded Iris Brewing, meshing a beautifully crafted, open air taproom with the scientific production facility.

Funky Buddha Brewery | Oakland Park, FL

Funky Buddha started as a craft beer lounge and tea bar, eventually becoming a brewery. (Credit: Funky Buddha)

While some brewery names are created to fit the brewery, Funky Buddha fit their brewery to an already existing name. Owner Ryan Sentz rebranded his craft beer lounge and tea bar into what is now known as Funky Buddha Brewery. R & R Tea Bar, Sentz’s first endeavor, began as a hookah lounge and tea bar. Later, he added a large selection of craft beers. As the R & R Tea Bar and Funky Buddha Lounge’s popularity grew, Sentz realized his passion for homebrewing could morph into something more.

The culture of that original Funky Buddha Lounge expands into their beers and marketing. Funky Buddha Brewery creates unique, outside the box beers, utilizing interesting ingredients to achieve over-the-top flavors and aromas. Many of their beers create a flavor profile that mimics certain foods and leaves a lasting impression on craft beer fans, such as their Blueberry Cobbler Ale, Sweet Potato Casserole Strong Ale, Maple Bacon Coffee Porter and French Toast Double Brown Ale. While what’s inside the bottle may seem most important, the outer label also helps create a lasting impression. Funky Buddha’s labels are bright and colorful, and often cartoonish. These labels aid in the overall experience when enjoying a Funky Buddha brew.

The post 9 Weird Brewery Names and the Stories Behind Them appeared first on Miami Beer Scene.

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wineanddinosaur · 5 years ago

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10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey

Below are 10 more things you should know about Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey was named after a hunting expedition.

The product lineup today includes Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Rye 101, and several reserve bottles.

Wild Turkey has a lot of nicknames, too.

Wild Turkey has two master distillers.

It was French for 29 years, and now it’s part Italian.

Wild Turkey Bourbon and Skyy vodka are bottle buddies.

Wild Turkey’s bond with Matthew McConaughey is strong.

He wasn’t bluffing: In 2018, McConaughey launched Longbranch Bourbon in partnership with Wild Turkey. His whiskey ranks among VinePair’s best celebrity spirits in 2019.

Whiskey lovers and experts agree it’s the best.

Michael Jackson called it ‘the Clint Eastwood of whiskies.’

Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite.

It once offered a full-time job to a turkey.

The article 10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wild-turkey-bourbon-whiskey-guide/

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johnboothus · 5 years ago

Text

10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey

Below are 10 more things you should know about Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey was named after a hunting expedition.

The product lineup today includes Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Rye 101, and several reserve bottles.

Wild Turkey has a lot of nicknames, too.

Wild Turkey has two master distillers.

It was French for 29 years, and now it’s part Italian.

Wild Turkey Bourbon and Skyy vodka are bottle buddies.

Wild Turkey’s bond with Matthew McConaughey is strong.

He wasn’t bluffing: In 2018, McConaughey launched Longbranch Bourbon in partnership with Wild Turkey. His whiskey ranks among VinePair’s best celebrity spirits in 2019.

Whiskey lovers and experts agree it’s the best.

Michael Jackson called it ‘the Clint Eastwood of whiskies.’

Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite.

It once offered a full-time job to a turkey.

The article 10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wild-turkey-bourbon-whiskey-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-wild-turkey

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isaiahrippinus · 5 years ago

Text

10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey

Below are 10 more things you should know about Wild Turkey.

Wild Turkey was named after a hunting expedition.

The product lineup today includes Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Rye 101, and several reserve bottles.

Wild Turkey has a lot of nicknames, too.

Wild Turkey has two master distillers.

It was French for 29 years, and now it’s part Italian.

Wild Turkey Bourbon and Skyy vodka are bottle buddies.

Wild Turkey’s bond with Matthew McConaughey is strong.

He wasn’t bluffing: In 2018, McConaughey launched Longbranch Bourbon in partnership with Wild Turkey. His whiskey ranks among VinePair’s best celebrity spirits in 2019.

Whiskey lovers and experts agree it’s the best.

Michael Jackson called it ‘the Clint Eastwood of whiskies.’

Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite.

It once offered a full-time job to a turkey.

The article 10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/wild-turkey-bourbon-whiskey-guide/ source https://vinology1.tumblr.com/post/189370150134

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