Archive for November, 2007
posted by admin on Nov 28
Last night on a quick pit stop to Von’s Grand City Café, in the heart of Seattle’s shopping district, I fell in love.
In love, that is, with the décor and draft beer selection.
posted by admin on Nov 28
The Crouching Tiger is a simple shooter to make, but unlike many others, it tastes really, really good. Maybe too good. It’s simply a shaken tequila and lychee liqueur shooter that is so sweet, it can replace any candy any day. However, it is so tasty that you may find you’ve had one too many; they are addicting.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 oz SOHO Lychee Liqueur
- 1/2 oz 100% blue agave silver tequila
posted by admin on Nov 28
Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we stay in California wine country, but this time enjoy a special anniversary beer.
Firestone Walker Brewing is located in Paso Robles, Calif., and is run by a family that also has holdings in California vineyards. While they sold off the majority of their wine business, including the Firestone brand name to the Foley Wine Group last summer, the company is still focused on turning out some of the more interesting beers coming from California.
Firestone Walker ferments its brews in a British-style union of oak barrels. The company has won its share of medals at brewing competitions, including being named the Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year at the 2003 and 2007 Great American Beer Festival. So it was no surprise that when it released a limited edition beer called “Ten” to mark its 10th anniversary last year that it became one of the more sought after beers by beer fans. Reports surfaced of retailers selling the 22 ounce bottles for as much as $100 as supplies sold out.
Firestone Walker has followed that up with Eleven, a strong ale that is aged for 18 months in oak barrels. Only 500 cases of the beer (12 22-ounce bottles per case) are being shipped to retailers for a scheduled released on Nov. 30th. A suggested retail price of $16.99 per bomber bottle has been placed on the brew.
Brewmaster Matt Brynildson approached this ale as if it was a meritage of beer. He used Bravo Imperial Brown Ale, Rufus Continental Imperial Amber Ale and Parabola Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout in a blend that was aged in American oak. Some of the barrels had previously done time at distilleries aging spirits. The result is an 11 percent alcohol by volume brew with 42 IBUs.
The sample that we tasted over the Thanksgiving weekend was a rush of flavors. There was a clear alcohol hit with plenty of oak, some wine-like characteristics and even hints of raisins to the beer. It is a rich dark color with touches of molasses in the nose. This beer is not overly sweet and has some nice earthy balance filling out a complex flavor profile.
This is a very satisfying beer with which to end an evening. A 22-ounce bottle can easily be split three or four ways, with everyone having plenty of enjoyment in their glass. Firestone Walker has once again come up with one of the more intriguing beers on the market.
posted by admin on Nov 27
Stuck in a gift-giving rut? Just can’t figure out something they’ll truly love, that’s still within your budget? We’ve got some fantastic ideas that are sure to please even the toughest gift critic! Try, perhaps, the gift of beer…
posted by admin on Nov 27
The Eucalyptus Martini is the creation of Humberto Marques, mixologist at Oloroso is Edinburgh, Scotland. The eucalyptus syrup is fantastic and makes this drink with it refreshing sweetness. Marques’ focus for cocktails is on fresh ingredients, and has put together, not only great drinks, but a guide to using Herbs and Spices in the Cocktail Mixologie. I’ve seen two copies of this recipe, in one he uses Tanqueray 10 and in the other, Martin Miller’s Gin. I used Tanqueray 10 and thought it a great pairing.
INGREDIENTS:
- 50 ml Tanqueray 10 or Miller’s Gin
- 25 ml homemade eucalyptus syrup
- 12.5 ml lime juice
- 3 drops of egg white
posted by admin on Nov 27
A tasty applejack sour, the Jack Rose is one of those popular cocktails from the 1920’s and 30’s. Its named is likely derived from the jack of the applejack and the light rose coloring from the grenadine. You can adjust the flavor slightly without disturbing the Jack Rose’s color by substituting cherry brandy, crème de noyaux, Chambord, or any other red liqueur for the grenadine.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 1/2 oz applejack
- 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
- grenadine to taste
- lemon twist for garnish
posted by admin on Nov 27
Eggnog without eggs? Nothing a little tofu and soymilk can’t handle. This eggless "eggnog" is not too thick and will please even those who say they don’t like soymilk. Make the vegan eggless eggnog mix ahead of time, then blend with the ice cubes just before serving.
INGREDIENTS:
- 21 oz extra-firm silken tofu
- 2 cups soymilk
- 2/3 cup turbinado sugar, light brown sugar, or sucanat (or use ½ sup honey or 1 cup alternate liquid sweetener)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup rum or brandy
- 4 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 ice cubes
- nutmeg
posted by admin on Nov 27
In 1811, Black Rock, the first brewery, was built in the Buffalo area (Black Rock) by Joseph Webb. It didn’t last long though; the British destroyed it along with the rest of the village in 1813. However, more were built and flourished in the style of today’s microbreweries. The beer was brewed and then served in the tavern that was run by the brewery. It wasn’t until after the Civil War that breweries operated solely as a brewery without trying to run a tavern as well. By 1893 one could buy beer in one of 2,512 taverns, 150 hotels, 129 stores or 97 boarding houses in Buffalo. There was about 1 bar for every 100 people in the city and that included women and children.
posted by admin on Nov 27
Essentially the same shooter as the Red, White & Blue, the Fourth of July varies by replacing peach schnapps with vodka. The layered effect of this shot will only work if the ingredients are poured in the given order: grenadine, vodka then blue curaçao.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2 oz grenadine
- 1/2 oz vodka
- 1/2 oz blue curaçao