Cocktails and Wine

IPA Monday

2009-11-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

But wasn't it just... Yeah, it was. IPA Monday is upon us again.

Head on down to the Red Hook brewery, folks. Did you know if you buy a case you get the second half off?

Sweet.

It's IPA Monday, friends!

2009-09-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Had a rough day at the office? Not to worry -- It's IPA Monday! Grab yourself a growler, bottle, or glass of your favorite IPA. Mine, as I've said before, is Red Hook Longhammer IPA. Deschutes Inversion IPA is a very close second with Broken Halo IPA from the Widmer Bros. Brewing Co. coming in at third.

How to keep your beer cold. The koozie!

2009-09-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

I bought this koozie at the Kona Brewing Co. restaurant on Oahu. You can order yours here at http://www.konabrewingco.com/.

Recipe: The Appletini

2009-08-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

If you're a sour apple fan, you'll love this. You probably already know about it, but the recipe deserves another go-over.

I make this drink straight-up (served in a cocktail glass, no ice).

First, fill the cocktail glass with ice to chill it, or pop in the freezer for a few minutes. Then, in a shaker full of ice add: 1 1/2 oz. vodka and 1 oz. apple liqueur (such as DeKupyer Pucker Sour Apple Liqueur). Now, you're supposed to stir it, but I've shaken it gently and it has turned out fine.

Pucker up, folks. And, for your viewing pleasure, here's another video from our friend at the American Bartenders School. Enjoy!

The above apple image by Fir0002/flagstaffotos
Obtained from Wikipedia
Used here under the GNU Free Documentation License

Cocktail Recipe: Classic Margarita

2009-08-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo! It's Friday, so let's celebrate with a margarita!

There are many stories as to its origin, but I won't go there. Straight on to the recipe!

Run a lime wedge around the rim of a margarita glass, highball glass, or even a little Mason jar. As you can tell, I'm not picky. Dip the rim (make sure it's good and moist) into some Kosher salt. Make sure it is Kosher salt -- its grains are just right for margaritas. The best way to do this is to sprinkle some on a plate and commence dipping.

In a shaker full of ice, measure out:

1 1/2 oz. Tequila
1/2 oz. Cointreau or Triple Sec
2 oz Key Lime juice -- regular limes work in a pinch. Do not use bottled lime juice (ick!).

Shake, shake, shake! Pour into a salt-rimmed glass and garnish with a lime wedge. I like to garnish with a slice of orange as well.

¡Salud!

Public domain image taken by Jon Sullivan obtained from Wikipedia.

Wine Review: DeLille Doyenne AIX Red Mountain 2006

2009-08-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Jim and I had dinner at Brix Cafe in Kirkland and I tasted one of the most amazing wines. As you have probably guessed from the title of this post, it was a lovely red from DeLille Cellars. These folks have produced many award winning wines, and this is one of them.

This wine is a Syrah/Cabernet Sauvignon blend with a nose of dark berries, cherry, and I actually detected a note of leather. It had a velvety mouth feel with lingering notes of dark, ripe fruit and mild spice. The fruit lingered and played with the tannins and ended with a smooth finish. While it was beautiful in the glass (opaque deep garnet red), I practically tipped the glass upside down and stopped just short of licking out the last remaining drops.

AWARDS

Ranked #48 in Wine Spectator's top 100 of 2008, it scored an outstanding 93 points.
Seattle Wine Awards -- Outstanding
Gold Medal -- South Florida Fine Wine Competition

The above image was obtained from the DeLille Cellars Website and it's sole intent is to illustrate the wine being reviewed.

New: Cocktails and Wine will accept samples for review.

2009-08-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Want to get the word out about your wine or beer? We will accept samples for review. I'll let you know when the samples arrive and post a review asap. Please understand though, this will be an honest review. I'll take a picture of the bottle and post it along with the review unless you have a logo you'd rather have me use, and I'll be sure to notify you when the review is posted.

Interested? Email me for our mailing address.
cocktailsandwine [at] gmail [dot] com

Cocktails and Wine on Twitter!

2009-08-18T03:35:00.000-07:00

I'm tweetin' it up @CocktailsWine! Be sure to follow for tweets about wine, spirits and beer. Note there is no "and" between "Cocktails" and "Wine"...

Napa Valley wine: Elizabeth Spencer 2005 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon

2009-08-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

While visiting Napa recently with some very good friends, we stopped at the Elizabeth Spencer tasting room in Rutherford. We were all pretty excited to get started on our wine tasting adventure for the day -- for the trip really, since this was our very first stop.

We couldn't have picked a better place to start. The little brick building was inviting and, while the interior was quaint, we opted for the lovely, blooming courtyard for our tasting. We were greeted by Ashley who told us the building was once an old post office from 1872! She was friendly and knowledgeable and turned us on to the 2005 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine is a brilliant purple color -- beautiful to look at in the glass -- has some mighty legs, and an aroma of blackberry and cherry with a bit of violet. I also noted aromas of sage and earth. The flavors were very fruit-forward and full-bodied with a long, smooth finish. While, in my opinion, this wine was moderately complex, proper cellaring would build upon that and only improve an already lovely finish. In other words, excellent now, even better later.

I haven't seen this wine in Washington yet but, fortunately, they ship. Check them out.

Scooby Snack Cocktail Recipe

2009-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

I'd put a photo of it here, but I'd be violating all kinds of copyright laws, so you'll just have to imagine Scooby Doo and Shaggy chowing down on Scooby Snacks after being bribed to search for clues or play some part in a creepy criminal sting they wouldn't be part of if it weren't for the aforementioned Scooby Snacks.

They could actually chug the Scooby Snacks instead...

Here's a recipe:

1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
1/2 oz Midori melon liqueur
1/2 oz Malibu rum or any other coconut flavored rum you can find
A splash of pineapple juice

Add ice to a cocktail shaker and pour all the ingredients in. Shake until cold. Pour into a small rocks glass or a stemmed cocktail glass (aka a martini glass). Garnish with whipped cream.

Also, for your viewing enjoyment, here is a little how-to vid. Enjoy! This guy makes me giggle.

How to Make a Scooby Snack Cocktail

One of my favorite Washington wines: Napeequa '06 SLR (Columbia Valley)

2009-08-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

Napeequa 2006 SLR (Sexy Little Red) is a wine I keep going back for, so I sure hope winemaker David Morris doesn't sell out anytime soon. In fact, if you look closely at this photo, you'll notice the bottle is empty.

Immensely sippable on its own and rich without being heavy-handed, it also pairs with food nicely. Think Lasagna, Ravioli with meat sauce, or even a juicy medium-rare filet. Yes, this wine is versatile.

One can tell with each sip that this wine is lovingly crafted. The grapes that make up this blend are Verhey Vineyard Syrah 60%, Lawrence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, and Verhey Vineyard Malbec 10%. The color, of course, is a beautiful garnet red. It is light in the mouth at first and has a lovely, smooth finish -- not too tannic. When I taste, I detect notes of ripe red fruit, toast, and oak.

This wine is a great compliment to any rich pasta or meat dish. I love it all by itself.

Check out Napeequa on the web at http://www.napeequa.com/.

Are you drinking Salmon-Safe Wines?

2009-08-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Living here in the Pacific Northwest, salmon are important to not only our economy, but our ecology as well. This here is a Coho Salmon. Isn't he adorable?

Say you planted some vines on a sun-soaked slope of your property. That's great -- you'll have some lovely grapes in the years to come. But when you water those vines, what happens? Sure, the thirsty plants will suck up some of it, but there will be runoff. Down the slope. And, very likely, into a stream. During this process, silt and other gunk will be washed into the stream which reduces the ability for the salmon to thrive there, eliminating yet another "safe harbor" so to speak.

Salmon-Safe is an orginazation that is helping vineyards "protect important salmon watersheds and produce world class wine." (From http://salmonsafe.org/wine/index.cfm)

What can you do to help? If you are a grower, you can plant trees and ground cover on stream banks to control soil erosion and use natural methods to control weeds and pests. Salmon-Safe can help with that. If you are a consumer, you can look for the Salmon Safe label in your supermarket or wine shop. You can help keep our rivers safe for salmon.

For more information about Salmon-Safe and to view a list of Salmon-Safe wines, visit their webiste at salmonsafe.org.

Blueberry Martini Recipe Redux

2009-08-14T00:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the old recipe:
1.5 oz Blueberry Vodka
3 oz Blueberry Juice
Club Soda
Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka and blueberry juice. Add a splash of club soda. Shake until your hands are frozen.

I was making a fruit salad the other day with blueberries and watermelon when the proverbial light bulb went off. Why not add some Watermelon Pucker? So I did. And you should, too.

Here's the new recipe:
3/4 oz Blueberry Vodka
3/4 oz Dekupyer Watermelon Pucker
3 oz Blueberry Juice
Club Soda

Mix it the same way you'd mix the other recipe.

Amazing and refreshing. Perfect for summer!

Cocktail Recipe: The Mai Tai

2009-08-13T23:01:00.000-07:00

The only thing missing from this Mai Tai is the maraschino cherry. Because I ate it. I took this photo at Cheeseburger Waikiki, but here's how I make my Mai Tais.

1 1/2 oz. Light Rum
1 1/2 oz. Sweet and Sour
3/4 oz. Orgeat Syrup
3/4 oz. Orange Juice (squeezed from an acutal orange)
3/4 oz. Cointreau
Dark Rum

Pour the first five ingredients in a glass over ice and stir it up a little. Float some dark rum on top (3/4 oz to 1 oz). Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.

Photo copyright Rose Holck

Top 8 of '08 -- My 8 favorite drinks of 2008

2008-12-29T14:22:00.000-08:00

kc dyer, good friend and author extraordinaire, asked me to come up with my "Top 8 of '08" list and, of course, I immediately thought of beverages! So, without any further ado, here are my top 8 beverages of 2008.

1. Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label -- Perfection bottled. This is a blend of 50 - 60 Crus (growth places) and, therefore, is non-vintage. The grapes used in this Champagne are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. Its consistency over time is amazing. In the flute, it is a beautiful golden color with tiny, pearl-like bubbles and the scent is divine. Dizzying, almost. Taste? Intense white fruit flavors followed with notes of toast. Yep. Toast. No, not toasted Wonder Bread. Toast as in the very best toasted homemade bread. Mmmmmm. Each sip echoes the last. My favorite Champagne/Sparkling Wine. Ever.

2. Napeequa 05 Malbec Reserve -- My husband and I enjoyed this one with our Christmas dinner (Rib Roast, Yorkshire Pudding with gravy and vegetables). The beautiful deep garnet color, rich dark red fruit scent, and the sweet, soft tannins on the finish make this a joy to sip. This is one of my favorite wineries. Check them out here. I love visiting their tasting room (it's very close to my cabin). Winemaker David Morris is frequently there and is wonderful to chat with. (Plus, he's always got Beecher's Handmade cheeses on hand, which my kids LOVE.)

3. Hot Buttered Rum -- I have to give credit for this one to my friend Kreekie. She inspired me to try her mom's homemade HBR batter and it is the BEST! Great for snowy nights, which we've had enough of... It's made with vanilla ice cream, butter, brown sugar, super-fine sugar, and spices (I used cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves). Melt it all up and put a good couple of blobs in the bottom of a mug. Add a shot of white rum and some hot water. Top off with whipped cream. YUM. Freeze what you haven't used -- it keeps forever (not that it will be around that long).

4. Red Hook Longhammer IPA -- Oh, get yourself a growler (half-gallon to-go jug) of this stuff. Good, good. Nice and hoppy. Very drinkable. My favorite beer. Check it out here.

5. Widmer Hefeweizen -- Nectar of the Gods. Check out my July 30, 2008 entry on this one.

6. Kestrel Lady in Red 6th Edition -- This one's crafted from wines from the '04 and '05 vintages. The wines that make up this delicious blend are: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese. In the glass, it is a deep, rich red color and smells of dark red fruits -- even a little blueberry. It is velvety smooth and pairs well with many foods. It's also great on its own. Check out the Kestrel website here.

7. Old Fashioned Cocktail -- Delish. Check out the July 29th, 2008 entry.

8. Big Rock Brewery Grasshopper -- A wonderful wheat beer from Calgary, Alberta. I try to grab some of this every time I go to Canada. It pairs well with anything. I prefer bottles over cans. Great on a hot summer day!

I hope you're able to try a few of these bevs.

Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Cocktail or martini?

2008-08-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I wrote earlier about the delicious Blueberry Martini. I know, I know. It's not really a martini. It's a cocktail. As is all the other wonderful concoctions you see on the happy hour menu. Frutti-Tutti Martini, Sour Apple Martini, etc. Those are cocktails. Mixed drinks.

A real martini (straight up) is as follows:

Fill shaker with ice.
Pour in some gin, or if you fancy yourself Bond, James Bond you can use vodka.
Take a bottle of Vermouth and show it to the gin. Put it away. Ok, really. If you must, you may put a wee bit in the shaker.
Shake it gently. You don't want a frothy martini.
Pour into a cocktail glass (i.e. a martini glass).
Garnish with a few nice, fat green olives. I like the classic ones stuffed with pimento.

But, as some of you know, I like it dirty. Follow the directions above but add a small glug of green olive juice. Yum. Serve it on the rocks or straight up.

Dirty and straight up. That's me. [har]

Summer memories: The Gobstopper Martini from the Yard House

2008-08-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Yummy. I really mean it.

I tried this cocktail at the Yard House Restaurant in Honolulu at the recommendation of our waitress (aka waitperson if you want to be all pc about it), and it was just about the most delicious thing I've put into my belly in a long while.

As you can see, I was in no mood to whip out my camera and take photos. Instead, I have artfully created a crayon and ball point pen rendering of the delectible libation. Yes, it really was that color and it packs a punch. Oh, and that is a little drawing of me saying "Yum!"

Here's what's in it:

Equal parts Ketel One Citroen vodka, Dekuyper Watermelon Pucker, Hpnotiq, and Sweet & Sour. Pour it all in a shaker full of ice and shake it up until your hands are frozen.

They go down very easy, so you'd better eat something. Or not. I'm not your mother, after all.

Widmer Hefeweizen: My liquid lunch.

2008-07-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

Nectar of the Gods? Maybe.

If you ever find yourself in the Portland, OR area, definitely check out the Widmer Brothers Brewery. When I went, I had a delicious lunch in their pub (great fondue) and a nice tour afterwards. I barely paid attention though. I just kept thinking to myself, "this guy gets paid in beer!" Way cool.

Fortunately, it's easy to grab Widmer Hefeweizen at the grocery store and it's on tap in most places in the Seattle area. It's a delicious, light, unfiltered wheat beer and it goes with just about everything. Or nothing. It's great on its own.

The Old Fashioned

2008-07-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is my new favorite old cocktail.

I had one at the Dewar's Clubhouse at the Honolulu airport and it was scrumdillyumptious. So much so that I embarked on a little research journey through cyberspace. Turns out, the one I enjoyed at Dewar's was made incorrectly. Sort of. It really depends on who you talk to and whether you're a purist or not. The one I had was garnished with a lime. Yep. A lime. It tasted good and fortified me for the journey ahead of me [koff]. But, as I found in my research, it was just wrong.

Here's how I like them.

In the bottom of an old fashioned glass (yep, it's named after the cocktail -- it is aka a lowball glass) add:

1 tsp. sugar or 1 sugar cube

a few dashes of bitters (enough to saturate the sugar)

1 orange slice

1 cherry

a glug of water (NOT club soda -- just plain water)

Muddle this all up and add:

3-4 ice cubes (or more)

about 2 oz. bourbon (or whisky)

Stir gently.

You can garnish with another slice of orange and a cherry if you want. You can even add a splash of water on top (I don't).

Some folks love to use Club Soda and that's okay. There's some debate as to whether that's the "real" way to make this cocktail. I say just try it a few different ways to see what you prefer. I think the orange tastes rather nice with the bourbon or whisky and I do prefer filtered water over club soda -- it has a more refreshing mouth feel and the flavor of the whisky isn't clouded by the "fizzy" soda.

Articles on the Old Fashioned:

at Epicurious and drinkboy.com

Sangria!

2008-06-28T15:36:00.001-07:00

It's summer and what's better than a delicious, icy glass of sangria? Here's how I made my pitcher last night:

Several glugs of sparkling apple cider
A good 1/4 cup sugar
Several glugs of brandy
Orange slices, pear slices, key lime slices and nectarine slices

Add the above to a tall pitcher and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add to this one bottle of whatever red wine you have around (that you want to sacrifice). Refrigerate until cold.

To serve, fill glass with ice and add sangria -- leave room for a splash of club soda.

YUM.

Photo Credit: Public domain image obtained from http://www.sxc.hu (stock.xchng website)

What are you drinking?

2008-04-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

Chateau Ste Michelle 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (Indian Wells). That's what I'm drinking. Delicious. Very rich and lush with hints of really ripe red berries. Luxurious, actually. Not much spice and the tannins aren't overpowering the finish.

~~~~~

This weekend the family and I visited the Novelty Hill Januik Winery tasting room in Woodinville, WA. The facility is a contemporary design as opposed to the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery just around the bend. Jim and I tasted several and brought home a few. One of which we opened that night -- Novelty Hill 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (Stillwater Creek). All of the above regarding the Ste Michelle '05 Cab applies, but this Cab was waaay more complex. What I mean is it was more dense and spicy. The flavors were more concentrated in this cab, but the finish was like velvet.

I'll dig out my notes and write up what we tasted, but go see for yourself. The place is wonderful and such a contrast from the Columbia Winery and Ste Michelle.

Two-Buck Chuck

2008-04-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

Okay. So once in awhile I talk myself into trying this and then I remember why I decided I wouldn't buy any more. Kind of like Kentucky Fried Chicken. It always looks good late at night when you are hungry. Then you run out and eat it and immediately wish you hadn't. Your gall bladder also wishes you hadn't.

But this time? This time, I bought a Shiraz rather than the Cab. And I thought I might as well give it a fair shake. BTW, this wine is sold exclusively at Trader Joe's.

So, here are my notes:

Charles Shaw '07 California (Napa) Shiraz

Visual: clear, red [duh], lacking deep brilliance, appears watery
Aroma: [vigorously swirling] Aroma? Waitaminute... Er, faint? [shrug and sip]
Body: [pours more in glass, another sip] flat [another sip] limp [another sip] Hee. I just wrote "limp"
Taste: [another sip] less tannic than I though an '07 would be [another sippy sip] Schmooth. [hic -- pours more, sips more]
Finish: Cherry aftertaste. [sip, sip, sip] Dude, it tastes winey. Winey, winey, winey. And limp. Bwahahaha. Limp. [downs third glass]
Food it pairs well with: Food? Oh. Oops. I don't know. [hic]

Zinfandel in Washington?

2008-04-13T15:26:00.001-07:00

You don't say.

But Zin is California's grape. Isn't it? Turns out a few regions in Washington are looking to grow Zinfandel. I read this happy news in winepressnw.

Blueberry Martini Recipe

2008-04-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

1.5 oz Blueberry Vodka
3 oz Blueberry Juice
Club Soda

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add vodka and blueberry juice. Add a splash of club soda. Shake until your hands are frozen.

Makes one. They go down easy.

Photo credit: jenny / http://creativecommons.org/

Mojitos. So yesterday.

2008-04-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Caipirinhas are where it's at.

Well, okay. Mojitos are still great, but a caipirinha (pronounced kye-per-EEN-yah) packs a punch like nothing else. This cocktail made from limes, sugar and cachaça is relatively new to the bar scene. In fact, I doubt I could walk into just any bar in my neighborhood and order one.

Cachaça (pronounced ka-CHA-sa) is fermented and distilled sugar cane juice and it's produced in Brazil. ("Have you been to Bahia, my friend?")

The cachaças we get here in the States usually consist of two mass produced brands. Cachaça 51 and Pitú. Both of which are perfectly fine for making a caipirinha, but I wouldn't dare sip them. They're pretty bitey.

Which brings me to my next point. I'm not sure even native Brazillians sip the stuff. I recently read an article in The New York Times Dining and Wine section about how folks in the U.S. are increasingly interested in cachaça. In fact, distilleries in Brazil are producing cachaças aged in cherry wood and French oak casks. Yeah, I'd sip those.

So next time you're out try one.