PARTYSMART

Wines of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +0000

Link: http://appshopper.com/entertainment/wines-of-the-world
A database of wines from dozens of wineries and vinyards around the world!

Have you ever been at a dinner where wine was served, and you really wished that you had some first-hand information about the wine in the palm of your hand? You can look like a true expert now with just a tap of your finger.

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Please note: NOT all of the wines in this app contain information on things like Vintage, Price, Composition, Alcohol content, Acidity, Release Date, Brix, etc... in fact, only a small fraction (maybe 5% or so) do. Most of the wines in this database have only the Winery, Varietal, and Vintage information. Thus, this is hardly a comprehensive database. Also, most of the wines are pre-2005, so this is really intended for users who are looking for information on older wines.
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Features include:

- advanced search for all wine titles and descriptions

- add/edit/remove wines, and access wines you added using My Wines

- rate wines on a 5-star system

- mark your favorite wines, and view them in the Favorites area

- e-mail any wine (with its description) to a friend

- rename categories and add/remove categories of wines (category = varietal)

- shake your mobile device for a random wine

- "View All" wines feature for access to every item in the database

This app requires at least OS version 3.0

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Disclaimer:
This application is intended for Entertainment Purposes Only! You should not use the data contained in this app as a reliable or accurate measure of wine content or composition. The results and data in this app may be inaccurate. Do not use this app for legal purposes. You should never drink and drive. Always play it safe by having a designated driver.
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What's new

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In this new version, a "Top Rated" section has been added, which lists all entries with 4 or 5 stars. Also, the initial application loading has been optimized, and the search results have been limited to the top 150 results to improve loading time. A new Settings page has been added, which allows you to adjust the font size and history size.
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Screenshots

Czech Republic: Travelling toast to a beer without peer

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Link: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=7&objectid=10604774&pnum=0

To make Pilsner Urquell, ground malt and water are boiled three times in enormous copper kettles. Photo / AP
Order a beer at a restaurant or bar in the Czech town of Pilsen and unless you've carefully requested an ale, porter or stout, you'll probably be served the clear, golden brew behind many of the world's most famous brands of beer: Pilsner.

And this is its ancestral home.

Mugs of frothy beer served in this cobblestone-studded city southwest of Prague may resemble others the world over, but a trip to the local brewery confirms these are no ordinary suds.

The faintly bitter lager first produced in Pilsen - or Plzen - more than a century ago gave rise to a style of beer that has since circled the globe. Much of today's lager-style beer, in fact, owes its flaxen colour and crisp flavour to a brewing process formulated in this small metropolis in the Czech Republic's Bohemia region.

The beer's precise birthplace, the Pilsner Urquell brewery, stands on the city's fringes, enclosed by an ornate 19th century double archway. Its copper kettle-lined confines have changed with the times, but visitors can still see hints of the past, including a network of underground tunnels once used to store huge casks of fermenting beer.

The plant's distinctive heritage hasn't been overlooked by its current owner, London-based SABMiller, which has built a large diorama of an old-time brewery inside a sleek visitors' centre also furnished with a vending machine that dispenses beer.

The Pilsner Urquell factory of today is a marvel of modern brewing, operating 24 hours a day and churning out 120,000 bottles of beer per hour. But it has its origins in a brewing tradition that stretches back to the late 1200s, when King Wenceslaus II granted brewing licences to more than 250 city residents. But the quality of Plzen's beer was poor, according to the brewery, and in 1839 protesters dumped 36 barrels of the local brew outside the town hall to show their discontent.

That prompted the citizen brewers of Plzen to combine forces and build a modern beer-making facility, which opened in 1842, the same one that operates to this day.

A young brewmaster and reputed ruffian, Josef Groll, took the helm and began making the beer that became known as Pilsner lager, fermenting barley malt, hops and water at a low temperature, and adding yeast that collected at the bottom of the mixture.

Among the beer's defining qualities were its shimmering appearance and subtle bitterness from locally grown hops. Other ingredients specific to the region included soft water drawn from 100m wells and malt made from barley grown in the Czech regions of Bohemia and Moravia.

Derided for the poor quality of their product, the citizen brewers of Pilsen combined forces and built a modern beer-making facility in the mid-1800s. Photo / AP
The water used in today's Pilsner Urquell, the company says, is from the same underground source used to make the original. And the strain of yeast used to convert sugar into alcohol during the fermentation process reputedly is traceable to that used in the original recipe.

The brewing of Pilsner Urquell has remained largely unchanged since Groll's time, according to a video shown to tourists at the brewery. Ground malt and water are boiled three times in copper kettles. Caramelisation occurs at the bottom of the kettles, producing flavourful compounds.

The concoction is boiled with hops before being fermented at a low temperature, pasteurised and packaged. The total brewing time is about five weeks.

Julie Johnson, editor of All About Beer magazine in Durham, North Carolina, noted that the beer's name, Urquell, means "the original source" in German.

"Pilsner beer is the ancestor of the kind of global lager style that makes up 90-something per cent of the beer we drink today," she said, pointing to brands such as Budweiser, Rolling Rock and St Pauli Girl.

In a nod to the beer born in Plzen, American brewers of the 19th century created "something that was much softer for the American palate", she said. "That, in turn, has swept the world."

Pilsner, and pale ales that emerged around the same time, stood out because "they were light, they were beautiful to look at".

The beers owed their attractive look to malt made from barley that had been heated evenly using an indirect source, which was then a revolutionary technique. Earlier malt may have been partly burned, producing beer with "a darker and roastier taste".

The malt's consistent quality yielded exceptionally clear beer, and its emergence coincided with the spread of glassware that allowed drinkers to admire it.

"So you had a beer that appealed to the eye as well as the nose and mouth," Johnson said, "and people were just struck dumb by how lovely it was."

Pilsner Urquell's flavour, which is dry rather than fruity like an ale, comes from local ingredients such as the hops, known as Saaz hops, she added.

Visitors to the brewery can sample that flavour at the end of a guided tour in one of the underground cellars used to store barrels of fermenting beer in the days before refrigeration.

One guide, Katerina Sedlackova, attested to the qualities of Plzen's namesake beer, offering cups of it freshly made, unpasteurised and drawn from one of a few remaining wooden barrels kept in service.

"You should know that Pilsner Urquell is very healthy," she exhorts, referring to nutrients such as vitamin B. "If you drink a cup of beer a day, you should stay healthy."

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Plzen, the Czech Republic's fourth largest city, is about 90km southwest of Prague. From Prague, the train takes about two hours, tickets cost about $10, or by bus, about $4.

Brewery tours: Pilsner Urquell is on the web, pilsner-urquell.com. Tours are held daily, May to September. Tickets are about $6.50.

Further information: To find out more see plzen.eu/en/home/index.html.

Are Booze Ads Making You a Drunk?

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:26:00 +0000

Link: http://gawker.com/5379557/are-alcohol-ads-making-you-a-drunk
Whoa: The British Medical Association is urging a complete ban on alcohol advertising and sponsorships in England, home to many drunks. But the media needs that money! Who's more disingenuous here—ad agencies, media companies, or doctors? It's close!

Let's all agree that, sure, it would probably be good from a public health standpoint if alcohol ads were banned. But that would hardly erase alcoholism. Or "binge drinking," which is a catchier way to express the phenomenon in trend stories. Every party with a stake in this issue, though, must take an absolutist, laughable position. Everyone is half right and half lying.

The doctors are obligated to overstate the persuasive effects of alcohol ads in order to convince the government to consider such a drastic, money-evaporating ban. The media outlets are obligated to make tortuous mouth-noises about being concerned about the problem and everything but look we really really need that money, sweet Jesus, please lord, we need those alcohol ads (close to $300 million worth, btw), it's a god damn recession, okay? And the ad agencies—well, as Ad Age reports:

Dave Trott, creative director of London agency Chick Smith Trott, said, "People who blame advertising for binge drinking have misunderstood the whole purpose of advertising — it's about stealing market share, not persuading people to drink."

Hahahahahaha! Alcohol advertising is not about persuading people to drink. You and your crazy notions! The truth is that humans, battered by the grim fortunes of this cold world, will often turn to the soothing but destructive embrace of the bottle. Particularly the Irish.

Ciaran O'Reilly, managing director of Refresh Digital Communications in Dublin, said, "The realities are that it would be the view of a lot of informed people that advertising is not the root cause of the problem. Living in a darker and more-miserable climate seems to have a direct correlation with alcohol levels."

“The Utaar Peg”, to banish that hangover!

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:35:00 +0000

Link: http://mybangalore.com/article/1009/the-utaar-peg-to-banish-that-hangover.html
by SHANK
The alcohol hangover has been known since Biblical times: "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink" (Isaiah 5:11).

A great many of those who drink alcohol to intoxication, have to inevitably deal with a hangover. Quaffing relatively large amounts of alcohol takes you on the path of headache, nausea, vomiting, thirst and dryness of mouth, tremors, dizziness, fatigue and muscle cramps next day. Other symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and changes in blood pressure, might go unnoticed by the sufferer.

Although still under debate, the cause and mechanism of a hangover seem to involve several factors. One can diminish the severity of the hangover by paying attention to the amount and type of alcohol consumed. There are many cures to a hangover, but today we shall focus on cutting a diamond with another. Hangover cocktails.

Historically there was an entire class of morning drinks with appropriate titles to their curative capabilities for a hangover or just right for a great brunch. So let's review some four great options beyond Mimosas (Champagne and OJ) and Bloody Mary’s, shall we?

The Ramos Gin Fizz: May be the bartender will hate you, but that’s better than nursing a severe hangover. So why not just go ahead and order despite the 12-minute shaking time? Made with gin, eggs, cream, sugar, lemon, lime and, Orange Juice, Do eggs sound gross? Especially when you don’t know who is controlling the gate to your stomach after a night of binge drinking. Don’t worry, it resembles a Sprite milkshake and is well worth the effort. Just make sure to reward your bartender accordingly.

The Corpse Reviver: This piquant sipper gives a jolt with its tartness keeps you wondering about the name. That's a long story. Gin, lemon, Cointreau, Lillet, and absinthe are a sublime combination for "acid" freaks.

The Morning Glory: Bourbon, brandy, bitters, absinthe, and a little lift from the soda should make this the stalwart of the Bourbon-set brunchers. This is certainly worth making your go-to before-noon beverage.

The Red Eye: So you're in a Bloody Mary rut, picking the horseradish from your teeth and wondering if the top accidentally fell off the Tabasco? Why else is your mouth scorched from a few sips? Beer and tomato juice. As soon as you admit that this is the oyster of cocktails, it tastes amazingly delicious and needn't be doctored too much. If you don`t trust us, look for Coughlin’s diet in the movie Cocktail.

So next time the monster of hangover is stalking your life’s corridors, remember that not a single one of us is safe from the cruelties that it generously donates our way. We suggest you drink a gallon of water before hitting the bed after a heavy night of drinking. But if you were the one with true grit, you would most possibly prefer a morning cocktail or more famously known as the “Utaar Peg” in some parts of our country. So next time you have a hangover, ask for one of our Utaar Peg suggestions.

Colors Of Alcohol - 6

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:25:00 +0000

Limoncello

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davide88/3145095882/in/photostream/
by DavideBertoli88

Limoncello is an italian alcoholic beverage made with lemons

Alcoholic beverage

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathiasholm/2519445182/in/set-72157605230173544/
by Mathias Holm

Random alcoholic beverage. I _think_ this was a blue margarita.. I think

Random concoction

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathiasholm/2522614160/in/set-72157605230173544/
by Mathias Holm

The amounts of alcohol involved in this particular experiment has rendered the majority of my research notes useless.

Paradise

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathiasholm/2639837241/in/set-72157605230173544/
by Mathias Holm

One of three s4e13 celebratory drinks.
ReciPIE?

4 cl Gin
2 cl Apricot Brandy
4 cl Orange juice

Tequila Sunrise

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathiasholm/2741873180/in/set-72157605230173544/
by Mathias Holm

We love tequila sunrise! ^_^

Blue Hawaii

Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mathiasholm/2741877140/in/set-72157605230173544/
by Mathias Holm

Blue Hawaii! =D

Funny Tequila ad

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:51:00 +0000

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrFoO8A2Sk&feature=player_embedded

Defeat a hangover with Pepto ice cream?

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:48:00 +0000

Link: http://blogs.pitch.com/fatcity/2009/08/defeat_a_hangover_with_pepto_i.php
By Jonathan Bender

Hangover cures never appear to be designed with the average person's tastebuds in mind. And that's probably your first thought when you hear about the latest hangover cure: Pepto-Bismol ice cream.

Blogjam sought to combine two reliable hangover consumables in one meal. The ice cream seems to help with sweats, while the dairy and eggs provide Vitamin B12 -- vitamin deficiency is one of the suggested causes of hangovers.

In the ice cream recipe, vanilla and sugar were used to cut the flavor of the Pepto. But the cream left the overall color closer to eggshell than the traditional pink. A splash of red food coloring brought back the familiar color of school-room tiles. Ice cream purists relax -- this was not a very natural dish to start with.

Blogjam feels a moment of pause when the frequently asked questions about Pepto-Bismol reveal that the product shouldn't be frozen. After a non-committal answer from consumer relations, the blogger plunges forward with his hangover cure. The end result is an ice cream reminiscent of black cherry.

VooDoo Donut in Portland, Oregon, offered the Vanilla Pepto Crushed Tums doughnut until county health officials nixed the idea of a medicinal doughnut. There's even a recipe out there for a Pepto cocktail -- although Fat City doesn't condone the mixing of alcohol and medicine. We're not even sure we condone Pepto and ice cream.

Things to do before you're 30

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Link: http://blogs.smh.com.au/travel/archives/2009/09/things_to_do_before_youre_30.html
by Ben Groundwater

Photo: Spring Break, AFP.
Damn you, Channel V. As if I didn't need any more reminding of the impending milestone I'm facing, I had one of their chirpy presenters to shove it in my face.

He was presenting some sort of segment from a nightclub in Ibiza ("Ibeefa, innit?"). After doing a round of interviews with gurning teenagers waving glowsticks and wearing bicycle helmets, they cut to the annoyingly good-looking presenter outside the club, who gleefully tells everyone: "And that's the Ibiza club scene - something everyone should experience before they turn 30."

Ah. I see. Before they turn 30, eh? Well, that gives me about three months to book myself a flight, source some disco bikkies and go nuts.

I was annoyed at first. I might be about to hit 30, but I hardly think of myself as being too old to do something. I'm very much in the "never too old for anything" camp, so I like to believe I could do pretty much whatever I want around the world whenever I want, and I'll be fine.

But then I started to think about it. And I figured that, yeah, if I did go to the clubs in Ibiza now - even before I hit the big 3-0 - I'd probably hate it. I'd whinge about the music, whinge about the cost of everything, and the hordes of teens and 20-somethings running around chewing their own faces off while banging on about how this is "orright, innit" would drive me bonkers.

So maybe there really are things you should do before you're 30 - or, at least, things you'll enjoy more when you're young and crazy. Here's what I reckon they are:

Go to a foam party in Ibiza
Yes, the nice man on Channel V was right. Go when you're young and you'll think it's wild and different. Go when you're older and you'll just feel like you're being forced to take a shower with everyone from your hostel while some goon up the front collects plaudits for pressing Play on the CD player.

Get messy at La Tomatina
As my also-almost-30 girlfriend put it: "I'd just be thinking to myself, 'Ew, how am I going to get these tomato stains out?'"

Do a coach tour of Europe
What you won't get: Any form of cultural experience that even remotely relates to the countries you're speeding through. What you will get: Three to four of the best weeks of your life, and some amazing new friends. Go back and do the cultural stuff when you really care.

Live in London for a year
This is more a visa-restricted thing than a too-old-to-have-fun thing. If you're not fortunate enough to possess any close English relatives, get over there and experience one of the best cities in the world while you still can.

Drink whisky from a bucket at a Full Moon Party
On Koh Pha-Ngan, Thailand. As a youngster, you'll think you've died and gone to drunk backpacker heaven. As an old fart, you'll wander around shaking your head at how all the kids are trashing the beach, and wondering how you're supposed to sleep with five different Red Hot Chili Peppers songs blaring from the speaker stacks next to your bungalow.

Attempt to learn a foreign language
Apparently, the older you get, the harder it gets, and I'm a living testament to this. I'll still try, but I really wish I'd put the effort in about 15 years ago before alcohol turned my brain to goo.

Sleep with a Danish backpacker
I haven't actually checked this one off, but it's not through lack of trying. I mean, have you ever met an unattractive Danish backpacker? Didn't think so.

Go tubing in Vang Vieng
I talked about this last week, and I stand by it. It sounds like a great thing to do - if you're young enough not to worry about getting stuck out on the river past dark and ending up floating through the Mekong Delta.

Go to a Glastonbury or Reading Festival
Before you're so old that you have to ask young-looking people who that bloke on stage is. ("Kanye West? Never heard of him. Up-and-comer is he?") And you don't mind having mud in your undies.

Chuck in a high-paying job in favour of travelling
You're young. There's no mortgage to worry about, no kids to feed, probably not even a husband or wife to placate. Walk into your boss's office, and tell him you're leaving. You'll never regret it.

Celebrate Spring Break
We don't do Spring Break in Australia. In fact, when the Yanks are doing it, it's autumn here. But don't let that stop you. If you're of uni age, get yourself to somewhere like Nassau, or Daytona Beach, or Cancun at the same time as the Americans are having their traditional holiday, and you'll party like it's 1999.

Take the plunge in Queenstown
I dunno. I just think if you're old and smart, you're much less likely to throw yourself off a bridge with just a piece of elastic for protection than if you're young and dumb. Go bungy jumping in its traditional home now.

Hot shots: tequila becomes Britain's spirit of choice

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:13:00 +0000

Link: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/hot-shots-tequila-becomes-britains-spirit-of-choice-1779880.html
By Cahal Milmo

The growth of premium brands such as those made by Patron have seen sales of tequila soar around the world
Few liquors can match tequila for its association with endurance drinking and lethal hangovers. For decades, Mexico's national spirit has been at the heart of an unholy alliance with salt, lime and pickled caterpillars to make it the tipple of choice for those in search of cheap and rapid oblivion.

It is to "premium" tequilas, made for sipping rather than slamming, that Britons are turning, however, as they develop a more sophisticated taste for Mexican food and drink.

In the UK, consumption of tequila, the fiery spirit traditionally distilled from the cactus-like agave plant, has trebled in a decade to 1.35 million litres a year. The global market has grown by an average of 9 per cent a year for the past decade and is now worth an estimated £3bn.

Sales of 100 per cent agave tequilas – many of them made from the Weber's blue agave species which takes up to 12 years to mature and reputedly produces the finest flavour – have risen by 30 per cent in the past year and by 60 per cent in 2007, with 500,000 bottles now being sold in venues from London cocktail bars to branches of Waitrose.

The rise of premium tequila is due to a decision by Mexican producers to dramatically increase planting of blue agave. Hitherto, most tequila has been produced with a half-and-half mixture of agave and sugar cane spirit – a combination supposedly responsible for the drink's renowned ability to cause hangovers.

UK sales by Patron, the biggest producer of premium tequila, have doubled in the past 12 months, with prices ranging from £40 to £400. Another premium brand, Clase Azul, will launch in the UK this autumn.

Francisco Alcazar, Patron's master distiller, said: "We are getting away from the idea that tequila is a cheap, mass-produced spirit to show the true tequila, made from the highest-quality agaves and with a taste that appeals to the sophisticated palate. This is a drink made to be enjoyed in the same manner as a good single malt. An oak-aged tequila can be justifiably compared in complexity with a fine whisky."

Thomasina Miers, the Masterchef winner and broadcaster who set up the Wahaca Mexican restaurant in London, said: "The really good stuff not only tastes delicious when sipped before supper, or mixed in drinks, but it is a really great spirit to cook with. The sugars in the alcohol come from the blue agave cactus soaking the sun's rays for up to 12 years before the cactus is ready to be harvested, so you can look at tequila as sunshine distilled in a bottle."

ABSOLUT - "No Label" Vodka

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:22:00 +0000

Link: http://www.colette.fr/#/eshop/article/253078/absolut/61/
ABSOLUT VODKA is introducing, In An ABSOLUT World, There Are No Labels, an initiative where ABSOLUT wants to challenge labels and prejudice to make the world more diverse, vibrant and respectful, and introduces a naked bottle – with no label, but with a lot of attitude.

Premiering at colette, from August 24th.

- 700 ml

Sauce: dessert wines

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:36:00 +0000

Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/6056123/Sauce-dessert-wines.html
By Susy Atkins
What to drink with stone fruit recipes? The most delicate of dessert wines…

Bimbadgen Estate Botrytis Semillon 2006; Feiler-Artinger Beerenauslese 2007; Sainsbury's Asti non-vintage, Italy

Summer dessert wines should be quite different creatures to those served in winter. I do love rich, mahogany-brown, sticky sweet sherries, madeiras and liqueur muscats, but they suit Christmas pud, or treacle tart, not the lighter, fresher desserts of this season. No, let your August sweet wine be pale, light, crisp and young.

All the better to go with fruity puddings in particular.

And do make sure they are well chilled, to bring out the succulent tang of this golden elixir. It’s really important that a lighter dessert wine has a refreshing quality, to prevent it from tasting confected and cloying (high acidity is needed when rich sugar levels are involved), and to chime in with the inherent tartness of most fruit.

Fresh, raw fruit has this acid tang, of course, so if you’re eating uncooked peaches or apricots, strawberries or pears, go for the most mouthwatering dessert wine you can find. This will most likely be a delicate, filigree-like riesling made in a place with a snappy, cool climate, such as Germany’s Mosel, or one of Austria’s well-balanced, exquisite sweet gems. A fun alternative with fresh fruit is sweet fizz, such as the underrated Italian asti or French clairette de die.

For Diana’s cooked fruit recipes on page 40, turn to richer styles. You’ll still need that zesty 'lift’ to the finish, so avoid anything heavy. New World dessert wines made from semillon hit exactly the right note, and indeed have a natural peachiness. Pick a good one and you should get wonderful, complex layers of toasted nuts, cream, marmalade and honey, too. Divine.

TRY THESE...

Bimbadgen Estate Botrytis Semillon 2006, New South Wales, Australia (Majestic, £7.99 for 37.5cl)

Properly peachy, with marmalade, fresh citrus and a faintly spicy hint detectable, too. Chill and serve with hot fruity tarts and cakes

Feiler-Artinger Beerenauslese 2007, Burgenland, Austria (Waitrose, £10.99 for 37.5cl)

A real treat, and not cheap, but delivers sumptuous flavours of preserved lemon and pineapple with a very crisp, zingy finish. One for fresh peaches and nectarines

Sainsbury’s Asti non-vintage, Italy (£4.36)

Grapey, floral sweet fizz made for partnering fresh fruit and cream. The classic honeyed Italian froth has dropped the name 'spumante’ from its labels, thankfully. Serve icy cold

Inspecting Gadgets | The Garçon! Wine Opener

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:28:00 +0000

Link: http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/inspecting-gadgets-the-garcon-wine-opener/
By JILL SANTOPIETRO

Image courtesy of MoMA
The Garçon! Wine Opener.
When it comes to kitchen tools, design often trumps function. And since I’m a fairly practical cook, I choose function over design. This means I often end up with useful but not-so-stylish products like the Stretch-Tite dispenser. My Sori Yanagi bowls, on the other hand, are a perfect example of the rare instances when function and design align in the kitchen. They’re sexy yet lightweight and stackable.

Recently at the MoMA store, I was drawn to the Garçon! Wine Opener ($35). Its sleek lines begged to be touched. But would it work as well as it looked?

Juliette Pope, the beverage manager at Gramercy Tavern, offered to try it for a few weeks. Her report: it’s better for the home than for the professional bartender. The foil cutter didn’t cut well, she explained, and that alone was a deal-breaker. I took it home, opened two bottles and decided that Pope was being kind. The foil cutter, a small disk hidden under the lever, didn’t cut well at all. Plus, the balance of the wine key was off, making it difficult to run the screw straight into the cork. And if the cork doesn’t release on the first try, you’ll need to yank at it by positioning your finger on the foil cutter. It’s not sharp enough to cut your skin, but it’s a little unnerving.

So if you want to look stylish at your next dinner party, remove the foil in the kitchen and use the Garçon! at the table. The rest of the week, use a Pulltap, the utilitarian, double-hinged wine key. Pulltap now makes a sleek chrome version for $40 – my next test drive.

The Campaign for Real Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:32:00 +0000

Link: http://www.daylife.com/photo/08pA8oX2Vhcnz
GETTY IMAGES
Branded beer matts are displayed for sale at the Great British Beer Festival on August 4, 2009 in London. The festival is organised by CAMRA (The Campaign for Real Ale) who have 100,000 members. Visitors come to taste over 450 real ales, ciders and foreign beers from around the world at the Earl's Court exhibition centre until August 8, 2009.

Rotgutonix Alcohol Tester Stops You Throwing Your Guts Up

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:23:00 +0000

Link: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/08/rotgutonix-alcohol-tester-stops-you-throwing-your-guts-up/
By Danny Allen

It won’t stop you from overdrinking, but Rotgutonix will test unmixed drinks (or those mixed with water) for the presence of unadulterated alcohol (rotgut). The concept has a chemical sensor which can detect several alcoholic brands in about 20 seconds.
At present, the device is set to analyse the following brands: Johnny Walker, JB, DYC, Pampero, Brugal and Havana club, although in future version we expect that Rotgutonix will be able to analyse the chemical composition of over 20 well-known
brands, mainly rum, whisky, gin, and vodka.

The site says the device is currently “a prototype still in the marketing phase”, but don’t worry, we’ll be watching this one closely. And as a fun side note: it’s designed by the guy who gave the world the condometric (a condom with a ruler stenciled on it) and the ball and chain student study aid (with built-in unlocking timer). Right then!

Scrumptious Frog ale

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:03:00 +0000

Link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/news/2009/aug/06/scrumptious-frog-ale/
Ken Miller
Head to the Freakin’ Frog for Rogue Charlie, an imperial India pale ale that puts all others to absolute shame

Hooray beer! The Freakin’ Frog’s mighty beer selection.
via Myspace
If you’re ready for a serious taste-bud adjustment, head over to the Freakin’ Frog, where owner Adam Carmer has gotten his hands on two kegs of Rogue Charlie, an imperial India pale ale that puts all others to absolute shame. It’s a 14.1-percent-alcohol, special version of an American strong ale with a reddish hue and a rich, robust flavor that’s a bargain at any price—although here it’s $9.50 a glass. Believe the hype. Problem is, you’ll have to get over there now. As Carmer explains, there are no more shipments of this life-changing potable for the remainder of the year. As if you needed an excuse to hit the bars.

RAVI Wine Chiller

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +0000

Link: http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/gadget/ravi-wine-chiller.html
By Adam Weinberg

© Amazon.com

© Amazon.com

© Amazon.com

© Amazon.com

© Amazon.com

TheBar.com

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:33:00 +0000

Link: http://www.thebar.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx

Drinkspiration from Absolut

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:55:00 +0000

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNlS6NnUVJw

Las Vegas known for its trendy, ultrachic nightclubs

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:07:00 +0000

Link: http://www.lvrj.com/special_sections/guide_to_lasvegas/50802337.html

The space that used to hold Light Nightclub at Bellagio was remodeled into a revolutionary nightlife concept named The Bank.
Photo Courtesy MGM Mirage

In 1930, Frank Detra took a chance and opened Pair O' Dice, Las Vegas' first nightclub. Located on what was then known as the new highway to Los Angeles (today, we call it the Las Vegas Strip), the club was open only at night. In addition to bands and jazz performers, the Pair O' Dice served Italian food. Most notably, the establishment had a history of closing and re-opening because it sported gaming tables before the city had legalized gaming and served alcohol during Prohibition.

Nine years later, the Pair O' Dice was sold to police captain and commander of the vice squad Guy McAfee, who renamed it the 91 Club.

A lot has changed since then. From elaborately themed nightclubs that stay open until dawn to the new wave of trendy, ultrachic lounges sweeping the Strip, visitors know when they step out in Las Vegas for the night, it will be an experience they won't forget. Here are some of the hottest places to be for extraordinary nightlife:

* At XS, the new nightclub at Encore, after-dark impressario Victor Drai combines an outdoor pool environment with the sizzling club atmosphere. Destined to be the gold standard in Vegas nightlife, the club's design is inspired by the sexy curves of the human body and embraces the European pool and island bar it envelopes. The dance floor at XS is highlighted by a 10-foot rotating chandelier.

* Pure Management Group and famed fashion designer Christian Audigier have teamed up to create a new nightclub on the Strip called Christian Audigier The Nightclub at Treasure Island. The nightclub has opened in the space formerly occupied by Tangerine. The rock 'n' roll, glam-inspired style is evident throughout the nightclub including roses, skulls, gleaming crystals and black glass chandeliers.

* Harrah's Operating Co., a subsidiary of Harrah's Entertainment, and Microsoft Corp. have debuted Harrah's first Microsoft Surface deployment at iBar ultra-lounge located inside the Rio. Microsoft Surface is the first commercially available surface computer with a 30-inch tablelike display that enables individuals to interact with digital content by using touch.

* The Hard Rock Hotel has opened the rock lounge Wasted Space as part of its $800 million expansion and renovation. Co-owned and created by action sports superstar Carey Hart and Yankees baseball player Jason Giambi, Wasted Space represents the ultimate depiction of the decadent rock 'n' roll lifestyle, also known as an "anti-club."

* One of L.A.'s hottest nightclubs lights up Luxor with star power courtesy of celebrity investors DJ AM and Christina Aguilera. From the creators of Pure Nightclub, LAX Las Vegas combines the best of its Los Angeles namesake with the energy and excitement that only Pure Management Group can create. Catering to a sophisticated Hollywood crowd, LAX is a "see and be seen" place for club-goers, A-list celebrities and the social jet set.

* The newest nightlife venue at Wynn Las Vegas is Blush, a boutique nightclub impeccably decorated and offering a casual-chic atmosphere beginning at 9 p.m. nightly. Blush features a lighted onyx dance floor and cream-colored lantern ceiling sculpture in an intimate 4,500-square foot space.

* eyecandy sound lounge & bar is located at the center of Mandalay Bay's casino floor, and features interactive touch tables, revolutionary iPod sound stations which, on promotional nights, allow guests the chance to hear their personal music mixes integrated into the lounge's repertoire. Instead of traditional bottle service, eyecandy features tables that can be purchased by the hour, where guests can drink their choice of libations throughout the evening.

* The Light Group, which redefined the Las Vegas nightlife landscape when it opened Light Nightclub at Bellagio six years ago, has remodeled the space into a revolutionary nightlife concept named The Bank. The Bank transforms the Las Vegas nightclub experience by offering a one-of-a-kind atmosphere and catering to a discerning audience with highly refined sensibilities.

* The Opium Group brings its signature brand of South Beach style to Las Vegas with Miami's chicest hotspot, Privé, and the legendary Living Room now open at Planet Hollywood. Featuring 12,000 square feet of luxuriously appointed design elements created by renowned designer Francois Frossard, Privé mixes the ethereal whimsy of South Beach with dramatic elements that are quintessentially Vegas. The 3,000-square-foot Living Room offers a modern twist on the cozy cigar lounges of the 1940's, featuring cushy cognac leather sofas, luxurious burgundy drapery and a grand granite bar.

* Poetry replaced OPM inside the Forum Shops at Caesars, upstairs from Wolfgang Puck's Chinois restaurant. The club features urban pop art, black chandeliers and a playlist leaning toward hip-hop and R&B.

* Rouge is the new upscale lounge at MGM Grand. The lounge showcases deep reds and black contemporary design. The bar's centerpiece is the Adam Tihany-designed backlit projection wall of glass bottles that flicker throughout the night. Rouge is in the space formerly occupied by Teatro.

* Downtown Las Vegas is quickly gaining popularity as one of the newest hotspots in Las Vegas. Gold Diggers, the newest nightlife experience at the Golden Nugget, is a state-of-the-art entertainment venue boasting a large dance floor bordered by bartenders serving up enticing libations in a fun-filled atmosphere. Just steps away from the party, the nightspot opens to a 180-degree, oversized balcony providing stunning views of Fremont Street Experience.

Located in the heart of downtown, 3rd Street is a dining and entertainment district, featuring some of the most well known hotspots in nightlife. New York's famous Hogs & Heifers opened with its unique brand of entertainment where bartenders wear halter tops and leather pants and are armed with megaphones to keep the mood as raucous as possible. Next door, Triple George Grill features not only great food, but also a classic lounge where patrons can relax in oversized leather armchairs, smoke cigars and banter with the pianist. Next to Triple George is Celebrity Nightclub, which features live music regularly, and Sidebar, an intimate bar specializing in classic cocktails.

Nearby, on Fremont Street East, Beauty Bar offers patrons a nail polish with their cocktail amidst décor taken straight out of an old New Jersey beauty parlor. Next door is, The Griffin, a new tavern with a movie-set feel, vaulted ceilings and two fire pits, Just around the corner, locals discover a cozy, sophisticated lounge called the Downtown Cocktail Room, serving signature martinis in a classy atmosphere.

* Away from the casinos, Las Vegas locals unwind at unique watering holes like the quirky Artisan or deliberately dive-y Champagne's Café. For a truly unique experience, the Double Down Saloon is a neighborhood bar where anything goes. Vivid chaotic and psychedelic murals cover every inch of the walls and ceiling, while disturbing videos come from all directions. Another neighborhood bar, Frankie's Tiki Room features a unique combination of south seas exotica and modern primitivism, with just a hint of Las Vegas kitsch.

* Town Square Las Vegas, an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination located on the south end of Las Vegas Boulevard, offers a variety of nighttime venues, including Yard House, Blue Martini, Grape, Bar Louie and Cadillac Ranch.

Japan: Finally, no-alcohol beer that packs taste

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:02:00 +0000

Link: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nb20090714a3.html

Drink safely: Kirin Brewery Co. President Koichi Matsuzawa (left) and former Formula One driver Satoshi Nakajima launch Kirin Free — a beerlike drink with no alcohol — on April 7 at Umihotaru, a rest area on the Tokyo Bay Aqualine expressway. KYODO PHOTO
KANA INAGAKI (Kyodo) For decades, low-alcohol beer has taken a back seat in the Japanese brewing industry, the victim of complaints about taste and fears that drinkers were still prone to the risks of drunken driving.

But a new product by Japan's second-biggest brewer, Kirin Brewery Co., appear to be beating the odds with the rollout of what it claims is the world's first truly alcohol-free beer — Kirin Free.

The 0.00 percent alcohol beverage became an instant hit with truck drivers,pregnant women, beer lovers on long-distance golfing trips and even with hospital patients.

Since its debut in April, sales have continued to gain strength as the scorching summer heat stokes demand for beer.

In mid-May, Kirin revised upward its annual sales target for the new product from 630,000 cases to 1.6 million cases. The target is already within range with around 1.1 million cases sold as of the end of June.

A 350-ml can costs around ¥148, cheaper than regular beer.

"We never realized this drink would have such huge potential," said Namiko Kajiwara, in charge of Kirin Free development and marketing. "I think we aroused a latent need that was lying dormant."

Sales volume for low-alcohol beer shrank more than 30 percent in 2007 from its peak in 2003, when major brewers flooded the market with low-alcohol suds on the back of more stringent traffic laws, according to a report by market research firm Fuji Keizai Co.

Shigeru Yoshino, a researcher at Fuji Keizai, said the initial buzz over beerlike drinks in the early 2000s began to wear off, while consumers remained dissatisfied with the dull taste that fell short of real beer.

"It is possible that Kirin Free won fans in the area of taste because that would be a major factor to ensure demand for a substitute (to beer) over the long term," Yoshino said.

Kirin's Kajiwara admits it was a long process to achieve an authentic beer taste while suppressing alcohol content.
"People in the industry said it would be impossible to develop a drink with zero percent alcohol that tasted like beer," she said.

But the product was developed by skipping the usual yeast fermentation process, which normally creates alcohol, and instead employing multiple technologies for which Kirin is soon likely to win patents.

Despite being labeled as nonalcoholic beer, similar previous products — such as Suntory Ltd.'s Fine Brew and Asahi Breweries Ltd.'s Point One — had an alcohol content between 0.1 percent and 0.5 percent due to the fermentation process.

Japan's liquor law defines alcoholic beverages as drinks in which alcohol accounts for 1 percent or more of the ingredients.

Fans of the new product say Kirin has managed to reproduce the full-bodied malt presence, the hops flavor and the caramel color with enough white foam to throw off even real beer lovers.

"For a beer lover like me, it's great to have something that is infinitely close to regular beer," Kazuo Koda, a 59-year-old resident of Yokohama, said. "It's strange but I even feel a bit tipsy."

Koda spoke as he gulped down Kirin Free during a lunch break at Umihotaru, a service area along the Tokyo Bay Aqualine expressway that links Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.

And Kirin envisioned exactly a setting like this when it held a launch event at a rare venue, an expressway rest stop, following a series of driving tests to ensure the safety of drinking Kirin Free.

The release of the product also coincided with the revision of the traffic law, which imposed harsher penalties on drunken driving.

"There was a strong impression that we would get caught if there is even a small amount of alcohol involved," said Takayuki Suzuki, a 37-year-old resident from Shiga Prefecture. "But with 0.00 percent, I'm not worried."

Kirin estimates that the entire market for low-alcohol beer will expand nearly 7 percent in 2009 to 2.7 million cases, more than half of which it expects to dominate with Kirin Free.

It still remains uncertain whether the alcohol-free beer can win over finicky and fickle consumers on a more permanent basis at a time when the overall beer industry is struggling to galvanize new demand.

Flavored liqueurs: Treat yourself to homemade taste

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 09:48:00 +0000

Link: http://www.mlive.com/food/index.ssf/2009/06/flavored_liqueurs_treat_yourse.html
by Kathy Carrier

Hoyt E. Carrier II | The Grand Rapids Press
Homemade flavored liquors are inexpensive and easy to make.
Infused with flavor -- some savory, some sweet and some as aromatic as a floral bouquet -- flavored liqueurs are delicious and easy to make.

"The history of flavored liqueurs goes back centuries, and it's fascinating," said Julie Krist, who recently gave a presentation on the drinks at the Festival of Flavor & Fragrance during the Herb Society of America's national conference in Grand Rapids.

Julie Krist
Krist has made herbal liqueurs for years. She and her husband, Bob, own A Place in Thyme, a bed-and-breakfast north of Traverse City.

Making flavored liqueurs is a great way to experiment and come up with unique blends, Krist said, adding most are made from herbal infusions.

"Their original use was for medicinal purposes," she explained.

Initially, Krist said, many liqueurs -- or cordials as they also are called -- were made by religious orders in monasteries, including Benedictine, Absinthe and Chartreuse.

Made with different combinations of spices, herbs and fruits with an alcohol base, the recipes usually were carefully guarded secrets. The use of liqueurs evolved, as people drank them as aperitifs, digestive aids and, eventually, for enjoyment.

When making flavored liqueurs, patience is the key, Krist said. Once blended, the concoctions need time for the flavors to infuse with the alcohol base. Although some flavored liqueurs may be ready to drink in a few weeks, others may take several months to fully mature.

"Start with a good-quality alcohol," Krist said, adding it doesn't have to be a top brand, but should be at least 80-proof.

Infusions can include plain vodka, pure-grain alcohol, brandy, cognac or rum. Whatever alcohol base you choose, make sure it's not flavored to start with, Krist said.

When using a cheap alcohol, which may not have the best quality, filtering it several times through a Brita water filter will improve its smoothness and remove any sharpness in taste. The more times cheap vodka is filtered, the better it gets.

I tried this method and was surprised at just how much pre-filtering helped improve the quality of the alcohol. I did this for all of the recipes I tried, with excellent results.

For sweet liqueurs, a simple sugar syrup is added with different combinations of herbs, spices, fruits, flowers and leaves, which infuse the liqueur with their flavors.

"Make sure any herbs, spices or flowers that you use have been grown without the use of pesticides or harmful chemicals," Krist advised, and always use the freshest, best quality available.

For aging containers, Krist recommends glass jars with lids, ceramic crocks with lids, glass bottles with screw-on lids, corks or glass stoppers.

"Don't use plastic, which may impart an unpleasant flavor to the liqueur," Krist said.

Homemade flavored liquors can go beyond herbal blends with infused mixtures that include hot peppers, garlic, ginger, citrus, berries and other non-herbal ingredients.

"I often use what I have on hand, such as grapefruit, lemon, lime or orange peels," said Shani Hendrick, of Northeast Grand Rapids. "You can even come up with your own concoctions."

She often uses vodka as a base, but also uses rum and tequila for variation. Her infused liqueurs include cherry (which tastes like homemade cherry pie), ginger, hot pepper and grapefruit.

When starting out, Hendrick suggests first making a small batch of flavored liqueur.

"Experiment with it, then let it set a few days to see if the flavor is what you're looking for," she said. "Write down what you've added and how long you let it infuse."

Different blends also may need different lengths of time to infuse. For example, citrus may need only a few days to a week for the alcohol to absorb the flavors, while fresh ginger may need several weeks -- even months -- for the fullest flavor.

"It's so easy to make your own flavored liqueurs," Hendrick said. "Plus, it's fun to get creative."

Best summer wines for the loaded by Jonathan Ray

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:07:00 +0000

Apricot alcohol, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:34:00 +0000

Link: http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/7/5/lifeliving/3931650&sec=lifeliving
By SANDRA LOW
A 95-year-old Japanese beverage maker attributes its success to a humble fruit drink that is not only versatile, but also packed with health benefits.

Choya uses a unique cylindrical bottle for its umeshu liqueurs.
THE next time you are feeling tired, experiencing some digestive problems or losing your appetite, it may do you some good to head over to a Japanese sundry shop to look out for a clear cylindrical bottle of Choya umeshu, that contains a couple of round ume fruits (a kind of Japanese apricot) at the bottom of the bottle.

Japan is the home of umeshu (pronounced wu-meh-shoo), a light ume fruit liqueur, which is truly an authentic Japanese tipple.

Choya is 100% made from Japanese premium ume. In fact, you can add confusion to your list of maladies when you’re picking up a bottle of Choya as this popular Japanese brand has an assortment of umeshu to choose from.

“Ume fruit is abundant in citric acid that stimulates appetite and helps you to recover from fatigue. It also stimulates the production of stomach acid and activates the digestion cycle. Citric acid is believed to prevent the growth of fungus and it helps reduce bacteria,” says Minoru Takahashi, a Choya executive in charge of sales in the Asia and Pacific region, in an email interview from Osaka, Japan.

He points out that the seed of the ume fruit contains benzaldehyde and it produces a gorgeous aroma when it is extracted into umeshu, which is believed to have a relaxing effect.

Ume is about the most misunderstood fruit and it is often mistaken for a prune (a preserved plum) - and this might have to do with its scientific name of Prunus mume.

Takahashi explains that ume is classified in the family of Rosaceae Prunus together with peach and cherry. To narrow it further – ume, plum and apricot are in the same sub-grouping of Subgenus Prunus.

“Although ume is often translated as plum in English, it is actually closer to apricot,” he clarifies.

Takahashi pointed out that there are nearly 1,600 kinds of ume trees.

He adds, “These are classified into two groups; Miume for edible use and Hanaume for ornamental purposes. Gojiro-ume, Sirakaga-ume and Nanko-ume are said to be suitable kinds for making umeshu, with Nanko-ume being regarded as the most premium ume among them, and this is the ume that is used by Choya.”

The ume tree is found in East Asia where there is a rainy season in June called Tsuyu (Meiyu in chinese) when it ripens, and it is said that the ume originates from China, and was brought to Japan in the Nara period (A.D. 710 – 784) or before as a medicated food, and then cultivated for various purposes.

Takahashi says that in China, the smoked ume fruits called “Wumei” are used for medicinal purposes, and its beneficial effects are described in the ancient pharmaceutical tome, Shinnouhonzoukyou, that was written more than 2,000 years ago.

Unlike most fruits, the ume fruit cannot be consumed fresh and needs to be processed.

The different types of Japanese alcoholic beverages are sake which uses a fermentation process (similar to wine and beer), shochu which uses a distillation process (like vodka, whisky and brandy); and umeshu which uses an extraction process which produces fruit liqueurs and absinthes.

According to Takahashi there are approximately 300 companies in Japan that produce umeshu and he claims that Choya is the first company that commercialised umeshu in the world and has more than 30% share of the umeshu market in Japan.

Choya Umeshu Co. Limited, was founded by the Kondo family in 1962 and it is headed by Shigehiro Kondo, chief executive officer. The Kondo family started cultivating grapes in 1914 and they started producing and selling umeshu in 1959.

Today, they export to more than 60 countries and they have opened branches in Germany, Shanghai and the US.

Besides umeshu, the company produces fruit liqueur, brandy, sake, wine, foods and beverages.

Takahashi pointed out that the name of the company, Choya, was derived from the combination of “Cho” which means butterfly and “Ya” which means arrowhead.

He elaborates that the foot of the mountain ranges of southern Kawachi (now part of modern-day Osaka Prefecture where the Choya company is established) area and Ikoma area form the habitat of butterflies, including the tiger patterned Luefdorfia Japonica Leech.

Also, many stones and iron arrowheads from the ancient cultures that thrived there during Japan’s stone Age and Burial Mound Age have been unearthed there.

“To keep the life of the company in tune with the life of this area, the two words ‘butterfly’ and ‘arrowhead’ are put together to reflect typical features of the area, forming the company name,” Takahashi explains.

According to Takahashi, since China is the country where ume originally comes from, there was already a market where people accepted the taste of ume.

He adds, “In order to accomplish a reasonable price point, we set up a factory in Shanghai in 1997. Whereas in Germany, where our turnover is the biggest, our brand had already made headway earlier as the Germans basically enjoyed sweet wine and Choya was accepted as a wine rather than as a liqueur.”

Takahashi revealed that after Germany, the other big markets for them include Taiwan and Russia, and he adds, “The import volume in Malaysia has also increased recently with the Japanese food boom.”

“Since umeshu has been enjoyed in Japan for a long time, the biggest turnover is off-trade markets like supermarkets, convenience stores, and liquor shops. However, umeshu is often listed in the menu at restaurants, izakayas and bars as well, and of late, we are seeing some umeshu bars with the recent umeshu boom,” he explains.

With the ume fruit believed to have a lot of benefits for health, Takahashi concludes by saying, “Our policy is that we place a great emphasis on the quality of both this precious ingredient and the process of manufacturing without using any artificial ingredients like preservatives, flavour, coloring and sour agent.”

Sour beer? Pucker up

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:11:00 +0000

Link: http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sourbeer1-2009jul01,0,1246446.story
By Joshua Lurie
Lovers of the tart stuff are lining up as its availability increases, including at upcoming local festivals.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-sourbeer1-2009jul01,0,1246446.story
A bartender pulls on the beer tap handle, and a rosy liquid streams into a waiting glass. Take a sniff and it smells like a barnyard. The bartender assures you that it tastes a lot better than it smells. So you take a sip. It's tart enough to make your lips pucker, but you can't wait to take another sip. This is Chez Monmee, a tart cherry ale from Alpine Beer Co. that's part of a new wave of refreshing American sour beers.

Ten years ago, domestic sours were nearly nonexistent. Now a band of American brewers, including several in Southern California, is drawing on Belgian traditions to produce distinctly sour lambics, gueuzes, krieks and Flanders-style red ales. Though still relatively rare, they're showing up at some of L.A.'s better beer bars. Proprietors such as Verdugo Bar's Ryan Sweeney, the Golden State's Jason Bernstein and Blue Palms Brewhouse's Brian Lenzo are regularly stocking stateside sours.

Restaurant owner Bernstein appreciates how sour beer "allows new flavors to emerge in food that wouldn't normally be enhanced by hops. The other charming thing is that sours tend to be relatively low in alcohol" and thus sip smooth for the summer.

Patrick Rue launched the Bruery, his Belgian-style brewery in Placentia, last year, and sours have been a focus from the start. At its first-anniversary party in May, it had a four-tap sour bar, including Cuvée Jeune, a young lambic aged in Chardonnay barrels for 10 months. White Zin is a sweeter variation on Cuvée Jeune, blended with a brew made with Zinfandel grapes. Gypsy Tart was Rue's limited-edition Flanders red that was untouched by wood, and plenty sour.

"The classic beer palate is malty, sweet and bitter," says Craftsman Brewing Co.'s Mark Jilg, who began brewing sours six years ago in Pasadena. He considers sours "the final frontier of palate experience."

Jilg regularly brews a tart cherry beer called Honestly Ale, released a black sour called El Prieto in November and has several more varieties in the works.

Sour beers are only now gaining acceptance stateside, but they're hardly new. "Sour beers are our connection to the ancient history of beer," says Colby Chandler, president of the San Diego Brewers Guild. "Someone was drinking a similar beverage dating back to the 6th millennium BC."

A certain mystique

Traditional sour styles include unblended lambics that ferment in oak barrels in Belgium's Senne Valley. Brewers add fruit to develop tart framboise (raspberry) and krieks (cherry), to name just two tangy options. Gueuzes blend three consecutive lambic vintages to balance flavors, minimize astringency and create carbonation. Flanders red ales can be intensely tart.

Alex Macy, who heads the beer program at downtown's BottleRock, appreciates "the acidity, the aftertaste, and the mystique in the way it's produced. It's the romanticism of beer being brewed in an open barn with crazy wild yeast."

Macy is alluding to traditional Belgian fermentation methods. Very few American brewers take the time (and risk) to let natural bacteria take its course, but that's what brew master Ron Jeffries is doing at Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales in Dexter, Mich. America's only 100% oak-aged sour brewery uses wild yeasts that appeared in the brewery naturally and spread from barrel to barrel during transfers.

Allagash Brewing Co. has raised the stakes by installing America's only Belgian-style cool ship in its Portland, Maine, brewery. "Granted, it made no financial sense," says brew master Jason Perkins, "but we figured why not?" An unfermented grain-enriched liquid called wort is pumped into a 12-by-8-by-1-foot tray (the cool ship). Open windows cool the brew to 60 degrees and invite naturally occurring bacteria and yeasts, which spontaneously ferment the beer. The wort then enters French oak barrels, where the beer ferments for more than a year.

Sour beers provide brewers with unique challenges. "A common misconception among brewers is that all it takes is an oak barrel and a vial of bugs and you get a sour beer," says Perkins. "In reality, it takes a lot more than that." Breweries must be willing to commit the space and expense and patiently endure an unpredictable aging process.

Another major challenge is controlling the aggressive microbes. Brewers must isolate the barrels so that the bacteria don't cross-contaminate other batches. At Alpine Beer Co., a brewery east of San Diego, brew master Pat McIlhenney uses separate hoses, separate fermenter gaskets and unique bottling machines. Exposed tanks and barrels are nearly impossible to de-sour.

Microbial unpredictability is another variable. "It can be difficult to measure how well they are turning out because there is often excessive sulfur, sometimes they aren't very sour, or sometimes they become sour very quickly," says the Bruery's Rue.

"When we get it right, though, it is all worthwhile," adds Russian River brew master Vinnie Cilurzo.

Microbiology

Standard bacteria (lactobacillus, pediococcus) and wild yeasts (brettanomyces) are widely available from labs and commercial suppliers, and many brewers have developed custom microbe blends. "The art for the brewer is picking the right strains, growing them up effectively and choosing the right venue for them to be used," says Perkins.

American brewers are mindful of sour Belgian heritage but are straying from traditional oak-barrel fermentation to produce unique flavors. Cilurzo is currently aging a brown sour cherry ale called Supplication in Pinot Noir barrels and black currant-tinged Consecration in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. Alpine's Halloween release -- Ichabod -- will be tart and lightly flavored with pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bourbon barrels have become increasingly popular. To be considered "straight bourbon," Kentucky distilleries can use their barrels only once. Kentucky's loss is Ballast Point's gain. For the sour version of the San Diego brewery's Black Marlin Porter, brew master Colby Chandler blends beers fermented in three different bourbon barrels to develop "layers of flavor" -- Jim Beam for vanilla, Heaven Hill for cherry and Old Fitzgerald for smokiness.

For Sour Wench, Chandler avoids barrel aging altogether but still sours the mash with a pound of tart Oregon blackberries per gallon.

Southern Californians have two upcoming opportunities to immerse themselves in sour beer culture. On July 19, Stone Brewing is hosting its third annual Sour Fest in Escondido. Newly installed beverage coordinator Bill Sysak has visited Belgium 30 times and promises the selection will be "decadent, more extreme" than previous years, with close to 50 kegs, plus plenty of bottled lambics.

Beachwood BBQ proprietor Gabriel Gordon has been hoarding kegs for more than two years for Sour Fest at his restaurant in Seal Beach. The Aug. 25-31 festival will feature 18 sours on tap at any given time, including Russian River Consecration and the Bruery's sours, plus nightly brewery events.

"I've seen the evolution of beer drinkers in general," says Alpine's McIlhenney, "how Sierra Nevada pale ale used to be, 'Whoa, oh, my God, too strong flavored.' Eventually it became a fairly accepted beer. . . . Sour beers are the next step."

Fancy Drinking From a Gold Beer Mug

noreply@blogger.com (Smart Partyer) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Link: http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_life/2009-06-17/342879415576.html
Would an ice-cold beer on a hot summer's day taste any better in a $50,000 dollar gold mug? Well, one Japanese gold manufacturer thought so, and has unveiled a beer mug made of 850 grams of gold. Let's take a look.
This golden beer mug is the centerpiece of Japanese gold manufacturer Ginza Tanaka's latest collection entitled "Summer Cool". It’s made up of items that are commonly believed by Japanese to help alleviate the heat of the hot and muggy summer days.

Ginza Tanaka says drinking in a goblet as expensive as a luxury car is the ultimate cool experience.

A staff member at the newly opened store where the display took place, noticed the difference as she drank beer from the not so regular mug.

[Aya Yanagi, Ginza Tanaka]:
"It's, of course, tasty drinking beer from a normal glass, but it was a new experience to drink from a golden mug and was really quite tasty."

If beer is not your cup of tea, they also sell gold wine glasses at a more affordable $30 U.S. dollars a gram.

Maybe you’re more inclined to relax and enjoy the summer breeze, well you could buy gold wind chimes or even a golden fan to sit back and take in a golden moment.