Category: Vices (Page 48 of 83)

New Product: Modelo Especial Chelada – The Kick-Ass Mexican Cocktail in a Can

October 31, 2013 / Bullz-Eye Staff

We wanted to tell you about the latest offering from Crown Imports, the Modelo Especial Chelada – the only Chelada made Especial. The specially-brewed “cerveza preparada” serves up a refreshing blend of traditional flavors, including tomato, salt and lime in a ready to enjoy 24 oz. can – perfect for variety of occasions, from kick-starting your evening, to savoring at a BBQ or while relaxing at home with friends.

Brewed with the same quality as Modelo Especial, the number three imported beer in the U.S., this classic “cerveza preparada” hit shelves in select U.S. markets beginning October 2013 and is primed to deliver true Mexican Chelada taste with the convenience consumers crave. The recipe was carefully crafted to deliver a true Mexican Chelada taste with the convenience consumers are seeking, inspiring new drinking occasions for consumers seeking quality and authenticity from a trusted Mexican import brand.

To learn more about Modelo Especial Chelada visit www.facebook.com/ModeloEspecialUSA.

Vices

Drink of the Week: Bram Stoker’s Capitan

October 25, 2013 / Bob Westal

Halloween this year is a bit awkwardly placed, arriving next Thursday and forcing me to do my annual spooky-themed cocktail a bit too early for true relevance. I suppose people who throw Halloween parties are having the same kind of issue, having to decide whether to throw their soirees the weekend before or the weekend after.

Well, the awkwardness is only going to get more awkward. I originally had a more appropriately named drink to present you. However, a beverage that had been presented to me by a mysterious benefactor, and which sounded pretty tasty, just didn’t work at all when I tried it out at the Drink of the Week laboratory. Instead, I’m going with yet another in long line of little known classics.

Today’s beverage is the time-honored but much lesser known companion to the wondrous Pisco Sour, the Capitan. I’ve renamed it after the Dracula creator in the spirit of the holiday and my propensity for silly movie-related in-jokes.

Bram Stoker’s Capitan (The Capitan)

2 ounces Pisco
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash aromatic bitters
1 cocktail cherry (garnish)

Regular cocktailers will see pretty quickly that this is basically a Pisco Manhattan, so the directions are pretty much the same as the way I’d suggest you’d make a Manhattan. Combine the liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add the cherry, and toast Bram Stoker or the deceased horror author of your choice — Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Shirley Jackson, Richard Matheson or, yes, even Bram Stoker even if he actually wasn’t that great a writer.

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Much as many horror tales are about paying off a dark debt, today’s drink is the result of free booze given to me by the makers of Porton Pisco, easily the best known Pisco here in the States and, not surprisingly, made to please the Yanqui palate. Though I had to admit that, it’s not something I’d quaff straight up by choice, that also applies to most gins. All that really matters is that it works very nicely in the right cocktail. That definitely includes the absolutely wonderful Pisco Sour we made here some time ago.

Pisco has a lot of truly unusual flavor notes which seem to work best in the appropriately popular sour, but the Capitan is a lively second best. Some recipes call for equal parts Pisco and sweet vermouth, but I prefer more Manhattan-esque proportions. It’s makes for a tangy, but reasonably stiff, change of pace.

Now, here is the time in this post when I really should have something in particular to say about Halloween, but I don’t have much to add. Except that, if you’re lucky enough to live in certain American cities, then you will very soon be able to check out the long-long awaited and probably final version of what would probably be my favorite horror film of all time, if I actually considered it a horror film. Still, I get it because marketing a movie as “dark comparative religions thriller, with music” would be a tough sell for the 1973’s “The Wicker Man.”

It’s also a good time mention one of that film’s stars, the great Christopher Lee, 91 and still at it, thank goodness. He sings a bit in “The Wicker Man,” but not about cocktails. So, once again, I present a favorite clip where he does sing about our very favorite subject.

Trick, or treat?

Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Vices

Christopher Lee cocktails Drink of the Week Happy Hour Pisco Porton Pisco sweet vermouth The Capitan The Wicker Man

Esporão wines show that Portugal offers a lot more than Port

October 20, 2013 / Gabe Sasso

When Portugal comes to mind most of us think of dessert wines, Port specifically. This is quite natural as Ports of all styles are the bread and butter of the Portuguese wine industry. However, as wine lovers are starting to learn, there are lots of terrific table wines coming from Portugal as well. There are white wines, some of them quite well known, but what impresses me are the reds, most often produced as blends. In many cases the grapes are indigenous to Portugal and while some of them are planted in other regions, many are not. Portugal has been very good about holding on to and promoting their local grapes, the ones that really flourish there. That lends itself to a unique drinking experience. You can taste things in Portuguese wines that simply aren’t available elsewhere, which prosper in their microclimates. Here’s a look at two reds and a Rosé from two wineries that are both part of Esporão, a sustainable winery located in the Alentejo region of Portugal.

First up is the Herdade do Esporão 2011 Defesa Rosé. This wine was produced from grapes sourced in the Alentejo region of Portugal. It blends together two varietals — Syrah and Aragonés– in equal parts. The fruit was destemmed and then crushed. Skin contact and maceration was minimal. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Approximately 120,000 cases of this wine were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $14.99. A striking strawberry hue looks beautiful as you pour this into a glass. The nose of this Rosé brings to mind a bowl of fresh red fruits. Strawberry, cherry and subtle bits of raspberry are all present throughout the palate, along with a wisp of white pepper. Black cherry flavors emerge on the finish. This wine is crisp and remarkably refreshing. The alcohol here is nice and modest, making it easier to enjoy that second or third glass with a leisurely meal.

The Quinta Dos Murcas 2010 Assobio was produced using grapes sourced within the Douro appellation. This wine blends together Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. The fruit was hand harvested and then underwent bunch selection as well as being destemmed. Fermentation took place in a temperature-controlled environment. Approximately 20 percent of the blended wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak for 6 months. Roughly 140,000 cases of this offering were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $12.99. Black plum and vanilla bean aromas emerge from the nose here. The palate is studded with dark, brooding fruits such as blueberry, black raspberry and continued plum. A treasure trove of spice characteristics are in evidence as well, adding depth and complexity. Sour black fruit flavors emerge on the finish which has nice length; they are joined by minerals and bits of espresso. This wine really shines if you decant it for an hour or so. Enjoy it with hard cheeses and roasted meats.

Finally, we have the Quinta dos Murcas 2009 Reserva, which was produced from fruit sourced within the Douro. This offering blends together Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Miúda, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesca and Sousão. After being hand-picked, sorted, destemmed and crushed, fermentation took place in temperature-controlled granite lagares. The wine was aged for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak. Just about 30,000 cases of this wine were produced and it has a suggested retail price of $39.99. Plum and red raspberry aromas emerge from the exceptional nose of this 2009 blend. Purple, black and red fruits are interspersed on a deeply layered palate that is both dense with flavor and diverse. There is a depth and elegance from the first sip through the last note that makes this wine a knockout. Minerals, earth, spices and bits of dusty chocolate emerge on the finish, which has excellent length. Everything you’d want in a red blend in this price point is present in droves: structure, acidity, balance, grace and length. It’s delicious now, particularly after a couple of hours in a decanter, but it will improve over the next 5 years and drink well for at least five after that. It’s certainly suitable for pouring on a holiday or special occasion.

These three wines from Portugal’s Esporão are well made, delicious and provide solid quality for the respective price points. And while these wines are diverse, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what Portugal has to offer in table wines. It’s easy to see from tasting any of these that blending is a forte. The variety of indigenous grapes is huge and plays a starring role in shaping the myriad blends that are made. Portuguese wines are making inroads in the U.S. market. Look on your shelf for these and other exciting wines from the old-world country that is new for a lot of American wine drinkers, particularly when it comes to table wines.

Check out Gabe’s View for more wine reviews, and follow Gabe on Twitter!

Vices, Wine, Wine Reviews

Esporão Wines Herdade do Esporão 2011 Defesa Rosé Quinta dos Murcas 2009 Reserva Quinta Dos Murcas 2010 Assobio

Drink of the Week: The Bijou

October 18, 2013 / Bob Westal

Last week, I invoked the literal spirit of Will Rogers to deal with the insanity that seemed to be sweeping our nation’s capital. As I begin writing this week, it’s starting to appear that some sanity is returning. That’s something we’ll be drinking to this week, with a genuine antique that’s approved of by many of the cocktail cognoscenti. I just wish I loved this one a bit more than I do.

I stumbled over the Bijou in my increasingly well worn copy of Harry Craddock’s The Savoy Cocktail Book, but it’s history goes back to turn of the 20th Century, we are told, when it was included in a manual by bartending legend Harry Johnson. On this political week, it’s worth mentioning that it also got a big shot in the arm back in 2009 when cocktail loving MSNBC icon Rachel Maddow made one for Jimmy Fallon. Alas, I never saw that segment and it’s been pulled from Hulu for some reason. (I blame the Koch brothers.)

I, therefore, have no way of knowing if the woman who accompanies many of my dinners — and whose old Air America radio show helped me to discover the classic cocktail spirit — introduced some twist in her preparation which made the drink sing a bit more for her and Fallon than it does for me. The version I’ve been making is worth is worth a try even if I didn’t love it to death.

The Bijou

1 ounce Plymouth Gin or regular London dry gin
1 ounce Chartreuse
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 dash orange bitters

Combine your ingredients in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, stir fairly vigorously, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. This week, let’s consider a toast to pure, sweet sanity as we down this complex semi-treat.

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The key ingredient in today’s drink is Chartreuse, also called Green Chartreuse to distinguish it from the milder Yellow Chartreuse. First featured here in star bartender Julie Reiner’s Shamrock Sour, this 110 proof liqueur beloved of cocktail aficionados and, apparently, Quentin Tarantino, is a prime example of a little going a long way. It’s a very herbal, very sweet, and very complex little bugger and gin doesn’t really stand a chance against it.

Since this is one of the 23 recipes in the Savoy book specifically calling for Plymouth Gin, I tried it that way a couple of times. Most recipes, however, call for the usual London style gin. I used Bombay Dry, which is what I have on hand these days, and I found it a bit crisper and more brash that way. Really, though, I liked the drink about the same with both gins.

You may want to experiment with various garnishes. I tried a cheap maraschino cheery once, which didn’t hurt. Rightly renowned cocktail guru Robert Hess, who is obsessed with presentation to a point I tend to disagree with, calls for an elaborate orange peel, which does look pretty and probably wouldn’t hurt the flavor. I do have to reluctantly admit, however, that this drink really doesn’t benefit from shaking. Don’t ask me why, though I’ll never buy Hess’s argument that “clouding” drinks with ice crystals by shaking them is some kind of cocktail fate-worse-than-death.

Hess is also one of many to point out the word “bijou” means jewel in French, which to him means the drink is supposed to look jewel-like and, yes, be completely unclouded. Movie geek that I am, I associate the term with the frequent name for old theaters. Despite being namesakes, Robert Hess and I clearly don’t think that much alike, though he is absolutely correct when he adds the Bijou is extremely Chartreuse forward.

Some things really are kind of inarguable.Up is not down and day is not night though, as we’ve all learned, you can stop some people from claiming just that. I don’t know about you, but after everything we’ve been through, I could use a drink, any drink.

Food & Drink, Lifestyle, Vices

Bombay Dry Gin chartreuse cocktails Death Proof Drink of the Week green chartreuse Happy Hour Plymouth Gin Quentin Tarantino Will Rogers

Brissy’s Best Beer Gardens

October 17, 2013 / Bullz-Eye Staff

Now that the weather is warming up, and the smell of summer is starting to saturate the air, weekend breaks to Brisbane are looking more appealing. And what’s a better way to embrace the (almost) summer weather than a Sunday session in a beer garden? So, get booking that Brisbane hotel because the following is a guide to the best of the Brisbane beer hangouts, with insider deets about what to eat and drink!

Belgian Beer Café

Catch a European encounter closer to home with a stop at Brisbane’s Belgian Beer Café. Situated in downtown Brisbane on the corner of Mary and Edward Streets, it’s a perfect place for a bevvy with your mates, a business beer or dinner with the family. The beer garden brings together the very best in Belgian beer and Belgian food, with top drops including the smooth and subtle Maredsous 6 Blonde, and the spicy taste of the Bourgogne Brune. For the beer drinkers who prefer a fruity twist, the peche is a sure hit as is the strawberry sensation, framboise. If you’re not keen on a huge meal, Belgian-themed bar snacks are always available, including the grilled chorizo baguette with roasted capsicum.

Lock’n’Load Bistro

Hidden in the heart of the cultured and cool neighbourhood that is West End is the vibrant Lock’n’Load Bistro. Primarily populated by a creative and artsy crowd, Lock’n’Load provides great entertainment a la people-watching. It has a gorgeous courtyard area for patrons to make the most of their beers in the hot Brisbane sun. The bistro food is fabulous, with fare including dark ale-braised beef cheeks, confit duck leg risotto and Cape Grim grass-fed sirloin. The drinks are always flowing, with all of your favourite brews on tap, including Coopers, Little Creatures, Stone & Wood and Tiger. Start with a few brews in the afternoon sun before moving inside to the main bar to check out the evening’s entertainment on the main stage.

The Elephant Arms

One of the Valley’s finest hangouts, the Elephant Arms attracts the coolest of the cool to its timber-lined beer garden. With a huge, 9-metre-long bar boasting all of the best in local and international, beer and wine, it’s a great place to kick back and relax with a bevvie. Your entertainment is covered with a number of awesome acts on show every week, from duos and soloists to live cover bands. And having just changed hands and landing in the capable arms of Tourism Australia chairman Geoff Dixon and his fellow business partners, who together own eight Sydney pubs, this is one venue that will only improve with time.

Jubilee Hotel

Lying in the midst of the chaos and craziness of the nightlife found at Fortitude Valley, the recently refurbished Jubilee Hotel has transformed itself into one of Brisbane’s hottest entertainment venues. A bit of a local institution, the “Jube” was first opened in 1888. You can happily experience a bit of Brisbane history whilst knocking back a Hahn Gold. Home to one of Brisbane’s best beer gardens along an awesome indoor bar, a huge gaming room, a range of function rooms and a great restaurant serving Mexican-themed fare, the Jubilee Hotel caters to all ages and occasions. If you can, try to catch one of the epic Sunday sessions that kick off at around noon — and go on until late in the evening.

Plough Inn Tavern

Bordering the Brisbane River in the middle of Southbank is the Plough Inn Tavern, one of Brissy’s many heritage-listed watering holes. This opened way back in 1885. The beer garden catches the sun all throughout the year, and offers stellar views of Brisbane city and the gorgeous Brisbane skyline. With 11 beers on tap and an awesome selection of craft beers available, this is a spot for the serious beer drinker. If you’re also keen to sample some food while imbibing, a must-try is the house specialty of hickory barbecue pork ribs.

About the Author: Tassie-based Kaitlin Corrs is a food and wine blogger.

Beer, Lifestyle, Vices

beer gardens beer mugs Belgian beer