:: drink archives
[Drink] Hold The Worm
by David Torres-Rouff
October 18, 2006
Few spirits are more mysterious than mezcal. An outlaw’s drink of ill repute, mezcal, like tequila, is made from pure maguey—or agave—liquor. Unfortunately, limited distribution and lax regulation that allowed nasty chemical cocktails to pass themselves off as mescal have given the liquor a bad rep. And then there’s the ubiquitous worm: Introduced into bottles as a marketing gambit in the 1950s, it offers no demonstrable hallucinogenic properties, despite popular perception.
[Drink] Check Out Chile
by Leslie McHardy
October 11, 2006
I’m sure we’ve all ventured down the import isle at our favorite retailer and perused the South American selections. The first thing you’ll notice about these wines is that most of them are really, really cheap, which may lead one to believe that they also really, really suck. Fortunately for the “light-in-the-pocket” wine enthusiast, this is not the case.
[Drink] The Champagne of Whiskeys
by Darren Schwindaman
Graphic illustration by Darren Schwindaman
October 4, 2006
“Don’t waste your money on that stuff. Let me show you something good.”
As we turned around, the liquor-store attendant approached us from behind the counter and reached to the bottom shelf to grab a bottle of whiskey. My friends and I were in Gulf Shores, Ala., for a weekend at the beach. Naturally, we needed some booze.
[Drink] Bragging Rights
by Leslie McHardy
September 27, 2006
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I have just returned from what I believe to be one of the finest trips to wine country anyone has ever taken. One of the perks of having a career in wine is that you end up having some pretty good connections, and connections are what make the difference between a winery tour with a big group led by a guide and a winery tour with the winemaker, carrying a glass and a pipette for extracting wine straight from the barrels to taste. And that, my friends, is “what I’m talkin’ about.”
[Drink] National Beer
by Brian Johnson
September 20, 2006
Spicy food provides one of the only excuses for drinking domestic beer, which is generally watery with a metallic tinge. But when you’re sitting outside eating spicy chicken wings on a Sunday afternoon, it almost has to be domestic, doesn’t it?
[Drink] Mixin’ It Up
by Lesley McHardy
September 13, 2006
Often, it’s hard to decide on just one type of wine. Sure, if you’re shopping for yourself, you can go for what you like or take a chance on something unusual, but if you’re choosing a wine for other folks it gets a little more tricky. John likes Chardonnay, but Jane likes Sauvignon Blanc, while Jimmy likes Riesling, and who knows what Joyce likes? The answer, of course, is get them all. Well, maybe not that particular combination, but a blended wine for sure. Red blends have always been pretty popular, but what about white blends? Let’s not forget about those tasty little gems.
[Drink] The Forces of Light and Darkness
by Dave Molina
September 6, 2006
Between my freshman and sophomore year of college, I lived in Harlem, owned a MetroCard, ran in Central Park everyday and found out quickly that I didn’t need a fake ID to buy beer—as long as I projected enough New York ennui to convince those around me that consumption of alcohol was the least of my concerns.
[Wine] What Do You Wanna Drink When You Grow Up?
by Lesley McHardy
August 30, 2006
You know how some of those interior-design magazines frequently feature “designer v. knock-off” stories, where one photo boasts a room full of original designs worth thousands of dollars, and another photo shows virtually the same room, but with copycat stuff from Target? Wines can be like that, too. There are very reasonably priced, delicious wines available that aren’t much different from their high-priced competitors. (Not that I don’t covet some of those pricey monsters, but Mama’s palate can’t always afford what it wants.) Here are some great examples:
[Wine] Off The Beaten Path
by Lesley McHardy
Graphic illustration by Jakob Clark
August 9, 2006
In most aspects of our lives, we tend to stick to what we know. When shopping for wine, most of us would much rather buy what we’re familiar with rather than run the risk of getting something we may end up hating and being out the money spent on it. There’s no question that there are a lot of “weird” wines out there, but most of them are quite delightful and worth a trip out of the mainstream.
[Wine] Worth The Money
by Lesely McHardy
Graphic Illustration by Jakob Clark
July 26, 2006
How often have you gazed upon really pricey wines on a wine list or at a retailer and thought, “It can’t be that good.” Well, it can. Sometimes it’s worth every penny. Of course, the old saying “you get what you pay for” does not apply in the world of wine. There are innumerable wines in the $10 and less category that are very good. However, to get that wow factor, quite often you have to lay down some serious cash.
Summer Brew Crew
by Dave Molina
July 19, 2006
The summer is in full swing, and if the heat doesn’t falter, it’ll be a long road through August. Of course, one way to stop sweating is to start drinking (hydration is important), and if you’d like a refreshing, seasonal departure from your usual brew (Guinness doesn’t always hit me as refreshing) as you stand vigil at the thermometer, try a beer that’s got some wheat in its barley. The substituted grain provides a highly crisp spin on a beer, and throws in some interesting flavors—cloves, fruit (mostly citrus) and honey.
[Liquor] Shooting The Booze
by Brian Johnson and Ali Greggs
Graphic Illustration by Jakob Clark
June 28, 2006
Many of us have suffered through a night where we stoop to liquor and dark lighting to lick our wounds and rebuild our faith in life and love. Unfortunately,…
[Wind] Sun-Kissed Grass and Citrus
by Lesley McHardy
Graphic Illustration by Jakob Clark
June 21, 2006
Before my days as a devoted mother of the most precious baby girl in the world, it was not unusual to find me (after work, of course) planted on a barstool somewhere around town. Yes, a social creature was I, and quite a thirsty one, too. Especially in hot weather. There is almost nothing more refreshing to me than an icy cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc. (For all of you too-technical wine enthusiasts, I know that when white wines are too cold you don’t experience the full range of flavors, but with temperatures hitting the high 90s, who cares?) In my opinion, there are few varietals that offer as much delightfully crisp and tangy flavor no matter where in the world it comes from.
[Wine] The New Face of Chardonnay
by Lesley McHardy
Graphic Illustration by Jakob Clark
June 7, 2006
When Merlot was such a big deal back in the early ‘90s, I didn’t think it was such a big deal. When Pinot Grigio began its run en vogue in the early 2000s, I once again allowed the bandwagon to pass on by. But the latest trend of Chardonnays made with no oak aging (meaning that the wines are aged in stainless-steel casks) is indeed an exciting one. As these wines have entered the mainstream, I have been snatching them up as if they were Members Only jackets in 1985. Delicious, refreshing and crisp … and just in time for summer.
[Wine] Winely Wanderings
by Lesley McHardy
Graphic Illustration by Jakob Clark
May 24, 2006
You know, sometimes subjects for this wine article don’t come easily. I mean, after a while, what’s left to write about? But when it comes down to it, does there always have to be one single theme or subject assigned whenever someone writes about wine? Couldn’t I just dedicate a few paragraphs to letting my readers know what wines I’ve tried lately that really stood out to me? Of course I could ... and I shall.
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