Imbibe Unfiltered

Drink of the Week: Sorelle Bronca Prosecco di Valdobbiadene

2009-11-20T11:35:00.000-08:00

Bubbly wines are reliably festive and effervescent, which makes them the perfect crowd-pleasing choice for the holidays. But when it comes to picking the bottle that’s right for you, the choices can be overwhelming. For holiday gatherings, Prosecco can be a great fit; it’s delicious and inexpensive, with a tempered acidity that gracefully transitions from passed hors d’oeuvres through to dessert. One bottle we recommend toasting with family and friends this year is the organically grown and estate-bottled Sorelle Bronca Prosecco. The estate, founded by sisters Antonella and Ersiliana Bronca in the mid-1980s, sits in the heart of the newly named DOCG Conegliano-Valdonniadene and produces several varieties of Prosecco as well as a few still wines. This particular Prosecco is bright and crisp with inviting fruity and floral aromatics, the teeniest bubbles and a lingering tart apple finish that draws you in for another sip.
$17, klwines.com

New Web Poll: Cast Your Vote!

2009-11-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is only a week away? You're probably already planning out your upcoming holiday spreads, but have you thought yet about what drinks you'll be pairing with meals this year? Our new web polls asks this question, so click here to put in your two cents. The good news is that whether you're opting for wine or beer or coffee or cocktails, you can't really go wrong. Heck, why not just offer a little of everything?

Drink of the Week: Evan Williams Single Barrel 2000 Vintage Bourbon

2009-11-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Every year, master distillers Parker and Craig Beam—the father/son team behind Evan Williams’s bourbons—walk the rows between aging barrels of bourbon and draw samples along the way, tasting each to determine which one will be singled out for that year’s special bottling. This annual release showcases new flavors and nuance with each vintage and barrel, and the 2000 Vintage offers up sweet aromas of dried fruits and caramel that open into creamy vanilla flavors and loads of barrel character and spice, finishing with a kiss of maple syrup. This potent whiskey is being released nationally this month with a suggested retail of $26. Sip it straight on a cold winter evening, or use it to dress up your next Old Fashioned.

Wine Country Thanksgiving

2009-11-12T10:50:00.000-08:00

For the 27th year, wineries throughout Oregon's Willamette Valley will be opening their doors over Thanksgiving weekend for special tastings and holiday festivities. This is such a great way to experience Oregon's wine country, especially if you're visiting the area or have friends and family in town for the holiday weekend. More than 160 wineries and tasting rooms will be participating, some of which aren't otherwise open to the public. Click here for more info on participating wineries and other details.

New Web Poll: Cast Your Vote!

2009-11-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

Between the cold weather and cold/flu season, hot toddy time is in full gear, which got us thinking about all of the delicious possibilities toddies offer, from what spirit you use to whether you prefer tea or water or honey or agave syrup. So we're wondering what your favorite spirit is to use in a hot toddy. Our latest online poll asks this question, and so far, bourbon is in the lead. Cast a vote for your favorite here!

The DRAMBUIE Den Heads to Austin!

2009-11-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

Texas is the final stop on the tour for the 2009 DRAMBUIE® Den Bartender Showcase, and we’re very excited to see the bartending talent in the Lone Star state. Mark your calendars, because the next DRAMBUIE® Den competition and party takes place November 16 and 17 in the great city of Austin. Talented bartenders from across Austin will vie for a chance to compete in a national DRAMBUIE competition for the grand prize of a trip to the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail festival in July. The DRAMBUIE Den competitions and parties are always a fun chance to watch bartenders strut their stuff, while you sample their delicious cocktails and even participate by voting for your favorites. Each cocktail will also be evaluated by a panel of industry judges looking at presentation, flavor and creativity.

So if you're in the Austin area on November 16 and 17, be sure to RSVP and join the pursuit to find some of America’s most exciting undiscovered bartenders. Click here to RSVP for this event (space is limited, so be sure to RSVP before tickets are gone). Entry is free, but you must be 21 years or older to attend. And to learn more about DRAMBUIE cocktails and events, visit PursuitOf1745.com

We hope to see you there!

Drink of the Week: La Fin du Monde

2009-11-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Its name may translate to “the end of the world,” but there’s nothing apocalyptic about La Fin du Monde. Produced by Quebec-based Unibroue, this strong ale is hugely aromatic with notes of dried apricots, cloves and a hint of Belgian yeast. Champagne-like bubbles liven up the creamy mouthfeel, and rich, sweetened flavors of stone fruits and spice play into the lingering finish. Fermented three times and bottle-conditioned to boot, La Fin du Monde will continue to evolve over time in a cellar. Nuanced, approachable and super food-friendly, it makes a great match for roasted chicken, hard cheeses and even desserts, like the banana cake we enjoyed it with recently at the Imbibe office. $8, wallywine.com

November’s Where to Drink Now: One Flew South

2009-11-05T10:21:00.000-08:00

Travel can be a pain, especially when you find yourself stuck with a long layover and looking for a place to grab a good cocktail, beer or glass of wine. Tall order, right? Usually, which makes One Flew South in terminal E of the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport such a gem. With Kold-Draft ice, fresh-squeezed juices, housemade syrups, obscure spirits, top-tier craft beers, coffee from Counter Culture and tea from serendipiTea, this is definitely not your average airport bar. Cocktails include recipes like the Ruby Slipper (pictured) combining organic vodka, ruby grapefruit juice, rosemary syrup and soda water, while food offerings include sushi, hand-rolled on the spot as well as tasty takes on Southern cuisine and plenty of bites packaged up and ready to take on board our next flight. So with the holiday travel season quickly approaching, this time you can actually look forward to a layover, as long as you’re flying south.
oneflewsouthatl.com

Calling Portland Cocktailians!

2009-11-02T11:43:00.000-08:00

The 2009 DRAMBUIE® Den Bartender Showcase is heading to the Pacific Northwest, with the latest competition and party set to take place November 9 and 10 in Portland, Oregon. Once again, talented bartenders from across the city will go head to head to craft a winning DRAMBUIE cocktail, and the winner will go on to compete in a national competition for the grand prize of a trip to the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail festival.

The DRAMBUIE Den competitions and parties are always a great time and a fun opportunity to sample competing bartenders' delicious cocktails and even vote for your favorites. Each cocktail will also be evaluated by a panel of industry judges considering presentation, flavor and creativity. Imbibe will be on hand to help judge, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top.

So if you're in the Portland area on November 9 and 10, be sure to RSVP and join the pursuit to find some of America’s most exciting undiscovered bartenders. Click here to RSVP for this event (space is limited, so be sure to RSVP before tickets are gone) and to see a list of other upcoming dates, cities and locations. Entry is free, but you must be 21 years or older to attend. And to learn more about DRAMBUIE cocktails and events, visit PursuitOf1745.com

We hope to see you there!

Drink of the Week: Sleepy Hollow

2009-10-30T06:20:00.000-07:00

For this Halloween edition of Drink of the Week, we thought we’d shake up a round of Sleepy Hollow cocktails to invoke the holiday spirits. This gin-based sipper is a killer of a cocktail.

Sleepy Hollow
2 oz. gin
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. apricot brandy
1/4 tsp. sugar or simple syrup
Mint sprig
Ice cubes
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail

Muddle mint in shaker. Add remaining ingredients, shake with ice and strain into a glass.

Adapted from cocktaildb.com

Win This! An Autographed Copy of Kevin Zraly’s Windows on the World Complete Wine Course

2009-10-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

If you can’t tell your right bank Bordeaux from your left, you need a lesson from Kevin Zraly, founder of the New York-based Windows on the World wine school, from which more than 19,000 people have graduated since its inception 33 years ago. Zraly’s book, Windows on the World Complete Wine Course (Sterling Publishing), has sold more than 3 million copies, and just a few weeks ago, the much-anticipated and thoroughly updated 25th anniversary edition was released. Written in Zraly’s affable style, this book is organized in eight different “classes” covering everything from grape varietal basics to master lessons in taste and perception and is a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about wine.

And now, one lucky reader can win a signed, hardback copy of this anniversary edition—simply email us with the name of your all-time favorite wine by noon PST this Friday, October 30, and we’ll choose one winner at random to be announced this coming Monday, 11/2.

Thirsty for more free stuff? Sign up for Imbibe’s monthly e-newsletter, which offers an in-between issues look at the world of liquid culture with recipes, stories and great giveaways like festival tickets, glassware, gadgets and more. Best of all, when you join, you get our PDF guide to the 100 best places to drink beer in America right away—free!

Win a Trip to Amsterdam & the Chance to Design Your Own Signature Liqueur!

2009-10-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Cocktail competitions are all the rage these days, and sometimes it’s hard to know which ones to enter and which ones to skip, so we’re very excited to announce one that you definitely won’t want to miss out on. Imbibe is thrilled to partner with Bols for the 2009 Bols Around the World Shaking Twenties Competition. The theme of this competition is the 20s, the era of Prohibition, when speakeasies thrived, providing a showcase for a new period of cocktail creativity. The Bols Around the World Shaking Twenties Competition is calling on bartenders across North America to create an original cocktail that captures the style of the Roaring 20s, using ingredients from today.

All entries will be judged by esteemed cocktail historian and author David Wondrich, and one lucky person will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Amsterdam to represent North America at a final live competition, where he or she will go head to head with five other talented bartenders representing Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and South America. A global panel of judges will then choose the grand prize winner who will win the opportunity to design and create his or her own signature Bols liqueur in Amsterdam with a Bols product developer—pretty fantastic!

The deadline for recipe entries is November 30, 2009. You must be a working bartender to qualify for entry, and cocktails must contain at least 3/4 ounce of any Bols liqueur. For a full overview of rules and prizes, and to submit your winning recipe, visit bolsaroundtheworld.com.

We can’t wait to see the recipes that start rolling in for this competition—with such a fun theme, there’s so much room for creative expression! So be sure to get your recipe in by November 30 for your chance to win, and best of luck!

Drink of the Week: Larry’s Beans Grand Bolivia

2009-10-23T10:58:00.001-07:00

From bean to bag, there’s no doubt that Larry’s Coffee is committed to sustainability. Aside from purchasing organic, shade-grown coffees directly from fair-trade co-ops and roasting their beans in a solar- and wind-powered facility (with edible landscaping), they bag their coffee in compostable packaging and make all local deliveries in a converted school bus that runs on recycled vegetable oil. But on top of all of that, their coffee is also super-delicious. The single-origin Grand Bolivia coffee is slow-roasted and medium-bodied, with warming aromas of ground cinnamon and lots of rich, chocolaty flavors. Try it with a slice of warm coffee cake or a buttery maple scone.

$12 for 1 lb., larrysbeans.com

The 2009 Mixmaster Competition

2009-10-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

We're counting down just a few more days until it's time for the 2009 Mixmaster Competition at the Great American Distillers Festival. We look forward to this competition every year, because it always brings together a terrific group of bartenders and judges. Held in conjunction with the GADF this coming weekend, this competition will have 24 bartenders going head to head for a grand prize of $1,000 sponsored by House Spirits. Each competitor will have to make a signature cocktail using a base spirit from the festival, and then four competitors will go on to a final round where they'll be presented with a secret ingredient that they must use to create a final recipe. Judges include Imbibe publisher Karen Foley, The Cocktail Spirit star Robert Hess, bartenders Lucy Brennan and Neyah White, cocktail bloggers Charles and Ted Munat, and more.

We're so excited to see this year's outcome. Will the talented Suzanne Allard recoup her crown from 2007? Will there be any surprising upsets? If you'll be in Portland this weekend, come on down to the competition and see the results for yourself, and while you're at it, sample some delicious artisan spirits from around the country at the Distillers Festival. Entry to the competition is free with the purchase of a ticket to the festival. Admission is $10 for one day and includes three taster tickets, or a two-day pass is $16 and includes six taster tickets. You can purchase tickets onsite.

For a list of times, competitors and judges, check out the Oregon Bartenders Guild website here.

What: Mixmaster Competition at the Great American Distillers Festival
Where: Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside, Portland, OR
When: Saturday, October 24–Sunday, October 25

Drink of the Week: Urban Moonshine Maple Bitters

2009-10-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

“I’m kind of a purist,” says Jovial King, creator of Urban Moonshine, a new line of organic bitters. “In creating my formulas, I wanted something that was medicinal, for digestive purposes, but with great aromatics and flavors that would contribute to a variety of cocktails.” And her maple bitters perfectly balance both worlds—ingredients like dandelion leaf, fennel seed and calamus root sooth the stomach, while orange peel, ginger root and Vermont maple syrup add flavoring components that brighten a cocktail, like in the Old Vermont, created by John Gertsen of Drink in Boston.
$11 for 2 oz., urbanmoonshine.com

Old Vermont
1 3/4 oz. gin (Gertsen recommends a London-dry style)
1/2 oz. Grade B maple syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. fresh orange juice
2 dashes Urban Moonshine maple bitters
Ice cubes
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: cocktail

Shake all ingredients vigorously and strain into a chilled glass.

John Gertsen, Drink, Boston

Upcoming Event: San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival

2009-10-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

With the rainy season starting to set in here in Portland, we're already looking for some upcoming winter escapes, so come November, we're always excited by the prospect of heading to San Diego for some warmth and sunshine during the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival. Happening November 18–22, this event brings together 170 winemakers, 70 of San Diego’s top chefs, specialty food makers, authors, media personalities and celebrity chefs for a range of tastings, classes, demos and parties, all on the beautiful San Diego Bay. You're bound to taste something new, learn something you didn't know and meet some interesting people in the food and drink world—and again, what better place for that than sunshiney San Diego? Click here for more details and ticket info.

Drink of the Week: BrewDog Atlantic IPA

2009-10-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Like a siren song luring a ship captain, this IPA had us at first sip. From the venturesome Scottish brewers known for aging their beers in old whisky casks comes this strapping IPA (8.5% ABV) that was not only aged in barrels, but did so at sea, spending two months aboard a fishing boat in the North Atlantic. Gimmicky? Maybe, but this IPA lives up to the hype. Aromas of English hops and malt quickly unfold into layered flavors of toasty caramel, tobacco and a hint of salt, and finish with lingering barrel notes of vanilla, bourbon and spice. Try it with roasted veggies, mashed potatoes or chicken pot pie. It may be a bit pricey, but if you're in the mood for a little indulgence, this bold beer fits the bill perfectly.
$35 for 330 ml., bierkraft.com

October’s Where to Drink Now: Domaine LA

2009-10-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

One step into Jill Bernheimer’s freshly opened wine shop on Melrose Ave., and you’d hardly believe that just a few months ago it was a mini mart lined with industrial refrigerators filled with soft drinks. Today, the 25-door fridge is gone, as are the sodas—and the newly installed wooden shelves are home to Bernheimer’s well-appointed collection of wines from around the world. But don’t think that just because the paint has barely dried at Domaine LA that Bernheimer is a newbie to the wine scene: In 2007 she launched domaine547.com, a much-loved online retailer known for stocking hard-to-find, boutique-y wines, and today that site functions as the web retailer for the Domaine LA store front.

In opening a bricks-and-mortar location Bernheimer has also been able to expand inventory, growing from about 100 different bottles to nearly 250 today, with future plans calling for a collection of more than 500. Bernheimer’s selection circles the globe with most bottles in the $10–$40 range. A few of her favorites are the unctuous Verasol TN Tempranillo 2008, which is a steal at $8; a $10 blend of Grenache Blanc and Viognier from up-and-coming California winemaker Josh Klapper; and at the higher end, a $37 Sicilian-grown, 100-percent Frappato from Ariana Occhipinti, which Bernheimer says has the acidity to pair with a variety of dishes ranging from a simple pasta bolognese to duck confit.

Coordinates: 6801 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; 323-932-0280; domaine547.com

Cook Eat Drink Live in New York, Nov. 6–8

2009-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite fall events in New York is coming up November 6–8 at Chelsea's The Tunnel/La. Venue—Cook Eat Drink Live, the ultimate collection of food, drink and lifestyle under one roof, returns for a third year at a new venue.

Ready your palates for a three-day festival of flavors, featuring over 100 beers, wines, spirits, coffees and teas from around the world. There will be special food and drink pairings and demos to get you prepped for the holidays on the special Astor Center stage, with presenters like writer Kara Newman and New York's Apotheke bartender Orson Salicetti.

In addition to amazing drinks, Cook Eat Drink Live showcases delicious eats, from caviar to cheese to scrumptious desserts. Be sure to bring your appetite!

What: Cook Eat Drink Live
When: November 6–8
Where: The Tunner/La.Venue, 608 W 28th St., New York 10001 [map]

Drink of the Week: Westrey Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007

2009-10-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

It’s tough enough to find a bottle of wine that’s so versatile it goes with any type of cuisine, but finding such a wine for around $20 a bottle is an even taller order. And that’s one of the reasons we love Westrey’s 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. Delicate yet expressive, this light-ruby beauty offers up aromas of rose petals and fresh herbs, along with flavors of sweet strawberries and tangy raspberries. Blended from four different Willamette Valley vineyards, this unfiltered wine has lots of bright acidity and a lingering finish, both of which make it perfect with everything from grilled salmon to roasted pork loin to veggie pastas. $20, klwines.com

Spiegelau Glass Giveaway Winner

2009-09-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to M. Quinn Sweeney of San Francisco, the randomly drawn winner of four Spiegelau Beer Classics glasses ($60 value), including two stemmed pilsner glasses and two lager glasses, like the one pictured on the cover of our Sept/Oct 2009 issue.

We asked readers of our Tasting Notes newsletter to tell us about their favorite beer among our list of 100 of the Best Bottled Beers in the World. We had so many great entries and stories from all over the country, including a few people who couldn't settle on a top pick—one person listed five!

Didn't get a chance to submit your pick? Not receiving Tasting Notes? Don't miss out on upcoming giveaways, event invites and special discounts—sign up to receive the newsletter by clicking here, and as a bonus you'll get our fantastic guide to the 100 Best Places to Drink Beer in America!

Drink of the Week: Drinko de Gallo

2009-09-25T08:12:00.000-07:00

We're seriously into fresh tomatoes here at the Imbibe office, and several of us have been harvesting an array of varieties from our back yards all summer long. And even though fall is officially here, the tomatoes don't seem to care, because they're still ripening like crazy, inviting us to keep on picking. So what to do with all these garden-fresh jewels? We say mix them with a little tequila for the oh-so-delicious Drinko de Gallo. This recipe, dreamed up by Jeff Hollinger of Absinthe Brasserie, was featured in our May/June 07 issue and remains one of our favorite cocktails to make every year during tomato season. It's a perfectly savory and sweet cocktail that's packed with bright, fresh flavors. And even if you're not growing your own tomatoes, this recipe offers a perfect reason to take advantage of the seasonal varieties available in farmers markets and grocery stores.

Photo by Craig Wagner/Studio 3

Hop to It!

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Fall is the season for hops to be harvested in full force, and for homebrewer's it's a perfect time to start working on homemade lagers. Of course, you'll need to snag some special yeast strains for your brews, and luckily, the folks at Midwest Homebrewing just announced their upcoming Wyeast seasonal strains to use in your own recipes, or in their handy recipe kits (they have over 100 recipes). Here's a sneak peek of what Midwest Homebrewing will have available beginning the first week of October:

Wyeast 2247-PC European Lager Yeast
If you're aiming for crisp, clean pilsners, this is the yeast for you.

Wyeast 2487-PC Hella Bock Yeast
Perfect for brewing Oktoberfest lagers, German bocks, or Bavarian doppelbocks, this Austrian strain will produce rich, full-bodied, malty beers.

Wyeast 2782-PC Staro Prague Lager Yeast
Try this strain for full-bodied, fruity lagers with some malty backbone.

Happy brewing, and in the meantime, check out this fun article on the experiences of a few homebrewers across the country.

New Web Poll: Cast Your Vote!

2009-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

The ability to ace classic cocktails can be one of the surest indications of a bartender's chops—if your bartender can't pull of a perfect Old Fashioned or Negroni, it's a sure sign that they haven't mastered the basics. Here at Imbibe, we each have our own favorite classic cocktails that we like to order when we try out new bars—what's your "test" cocktail of choice? Our new web poll asks this question, so cast your vote here.

The Search Is on for America's Undiscovered Bartending Talents

2009-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00

Imbibe is excited to partner with DRAMBUIE to find undiscovered bartenders in cities across America, and you’re invited to join the Pursuit! From September 28 through November 17, bartenders in seven U.S. cities (Denver; Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wis.; Philadelphia; New York; Portland, Ore.; and Austin, Texas) will showcase their talents during a series of exclusive competitions and cocktail parties. Cocktail enthusiasts are invited to watch the competition, and even participate by sampling each competitor’s drink and then casting their vote for their favorite. Event guests, along with a panel of industry judges, will evaluate the signature cocktails on presentation, flavor and creativity and select one lucky winning bartender from each city.

All winning bartenders will have their cocktails entered into a final competition in which each of the seven regional cocktails will be judged in order to choose one national winner. That national winner will be featured on imbibemagazine.com and PursuitOf1745.com and will receive a trip to the 2010 Tales of the Cocktail festival as a DRAMBUIE ambassador.

So join us in our pursuit to find some of America’s most exciting undiscovered bartenders. Click here to see a list of upcoming dates, cities and locations, and to RSVP to attend any of these events (space is limited, so be sure to RSVP before tickets are gone). Entry is free, but you must be 21 years or older to attend.

The first competition and party will take place in Denver, September 28–29. For additional info on times and locations, check out PursuitOf1745.com. We hope to see you there!