Did you know there are over 6,000 craft breweries in the United States alone? And the phenomenon is global. People want good beer; artisanal, hand-crafted beers made with love and not by an automated factory that pushes millions of insipid beers to the market every day; people want flavor. With this in mind, we wanted to tell you about the most popular beer styles today. Beers that represent the whole spectrum of flavor and texture, alcoholic strength, and color; beers that you have to try to understand the complexities of craft beer. Let’s start by saying that the best-selling beer style in the world is the American Lager (closely followed by light versions.) You know them well: Budweiser, Miller High Life, and Coors are prominent examples, but they’re not on our list today because, as people learn more about the technical nuances and beauty of craft beers, at least we hope, the popular beer style will fall out of favor. Upcoming Beer ClassesA great way to learn about beer and brewing is to attend a class at the Philly Beer School! Beer Brewing Program, Level One (Fall Semester)
Saturday, September 12 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
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Beer Brewing Program, Level One (Winter Semester)
Saturday, December 12 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
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Beer Brewing Program, Level Two (Winter Semester)
Sat, February 6, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
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IPAThis style got its name from India Pale Ale. Legend has it; this style was an extra-strong beer made to withstand long journeys through the sea from England to India. Today IPA is just IPA and stands for nothing, but its aromatic personality. IPAs are top-fermented beers (fermented with aromatic-enhancing Ale yeasts) that stand out for the high amounts of American, or New World hops added to the beer. Hops make IPAs incredibly aromatic. Pine nut aromas and tropical fruit scents like guava and citrus jump from the glass. The otherwise clear beer has a bitter profile thanks to the hops. Pale AleA classic beer style with a natural balance between hop and malt aromas. Also, top-fermented, pale ales are more approachable than IPAs; this is the type of beer that you can enjoy all day. With an average, toned-down alcohol strength, a clean profile, and an easy-to-drink personality, this is the craft brewers’ answer to the industrial lagers. Often golden, pale ales have a rich palate and are creamy compared to lagers. American StoutThis dark beer is having a moment. It gets its color from the roasted malt used for the style; the dark malt also brings forward aromas of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The beers are easily recognizable for their black color and large, tan, foamy head. As with most other dark beers, it’s the malt and not the hops that predominate both on the nose and palate. Strength wise, you’ll find them in the range between 5% VOL and 7% VOL. PorterDark malts predominate in this style too, so expect similarities in color and aromas with Stouts. Although similar, they have very different backgrounds, as Porters were invented in England centuries ago to quench the thirst of port workers who needed an energy boost. Today, technically, the only difference between Porters and Stouts is the type of barley used. Stouts are made from unmalted grains, while Porters are based on malted barley, a small, but significant difference. For beer drinkers, the preference usually goes to one or the other. Wild & Sour AlesThese are the trendiest beers around, although it’s one of the older beer styles in existence! Producers don’t ferment these beers with selected, store-bought yeast, but with wild, ambient yeast found naturally in their cellars, and the results are always unpredictable and exciting! The spontaneous fermentation adds to the beer a set of funky but pleasant flavors and a most welcomed acidity that makes this beer perfect for food pairings. Amongst this category, you could consider the Belgian Gose, a cloudy, fruity, and tart beer to which producers add a pinch of salt and coriander seeds to make an epic, historical beer. PilsnerAlong with the pale ale, this is the beer style you should get if you’re getting started in the realm of craft beer. Pilsner beers where the first clear, bottom-fermenting (lager) beer is the world, developed in the Czech Republic in 1842. The golden-hued, bright, refreshing beer contrasted greatly with the dark, murky beers of the time and soon became the world’s standard. Fresh, easy to sip, with subtle malt aromas and a light but creamy palate, Pilsners are ideal for summer days. Wheat BeerTo round up the list, we have the famous wheat beer. This style is accomplished by using wheat instead of, or in addition to barley malt. Wheat beers are rich, creamy, full-bodied ales that are both satisfying and addictive. Originally from Germany and Belgium, today craft brewers around the globe make pristine examples. A characteristic banana note is common and adding citrus peels to the mixture is also a standard practice — this one you’ll love. Filtered or milky-white, wheat beers are not only popular today, they have been beloved for centuries. The post Seven Beer Styles appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/seven-beer-styles/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/seven-beer-styles9773118
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HR 748/the “CARES” Act is the two trillion dollar stimulus bill that is now law. It has several key features that any business owner in the wine trade should be aware of. Most of the key points are in a subsection called “Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act” which was authored by a team of four bipartisan Senators: Marco Rubia (R), Ben Cardin (D), Susan Collins (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D). This program is supposed to be fully online by Friday, April 3rd. While other parts of the stimulus package focused on getting money to US citizens, the KAWPEA is written to protect small businesses. There are a lot of options for someone running a business with less than 50 people, which is pretty much the entire wine trade. In this article, I am listing all the important elements of the bill, and explaining how they could help your business. I will keep this page updated as this bill becomes laws. I hope to have links to applications and information as soon as they become available. Feel free to add relevant information in the comments below. FYI, this information is valid for any small business, including wine shops and restaurants. Paycheck Protection ProgramPayrolls aren’t as big for wineries as they are for other small businesses, but it’s far from trivial. This program offers loans of 2.5 times your average monthly payroll. The loans have low-interest rates, with a maximum of 4%, and are expected to have a 24-hour turn-around once the program has been established. The key detail here is that the loan will be forgiven if you maintain the same payroll levels. In effect, this loan would become a grant. You would only have to pay back the interest accrued. Small businesses are going to benefit greatly from this section. Businesses will be eligible to obtain a loan equal to two and a half times their average monthly payroll for a full year. The program includes a debt forgiveness component (up to 100%) when loan proceeds are used for payroll and other eligible expenses during the eight weeks after obtaining the loan. Those expenses include payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities Debt is the biggest burden for many in the wine trade. Land and equipment costs often mean you have a multi-million-dollar debt. This section is going to be a Godsend to many small wineries. This is link to the SBA program page: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/paycheck-protection-program Small Business Debt ReliefMany wineries (as well as breweries and distilleries) have loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Often these SBA loans were taken out to purchase buildings or equipment. This includes the following SBA programs: 504 loans, 7(a) Community Advantage, and Microloan. This bill requires the SBA to forgive your loan for half a year. This means the SBA will pay the principal, the interest, and all fees for half a year. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. 504 Loans
For existing borrowers with SBA 504 loans, SBA has issued guidelines on loan deferments. If your winery has one of these loans, you should contact your banker. These payments are supposed to be automatic.
7(a) Loans
The SBA will also pay the principal and interest of new 7(a) loans issued prior to September 27, 2020 for six months. Applications can be made via a SBA-qualified bank.
Emergency EIDL GrantsThis expands the existing Emergency EIDL Grant program that the SBA already runs. This allows for a $10,000 advanced within three days to cover payroll and to service debt obligations. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. This is the link directly to the COVID-19 page: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/apply-for-disaster-loan/index.html This is a great program if you need money quickly. However, the next section may be a better fit if you can hold out a little longer. How the Wine School is HelpingIf you are a member of the food or wine trade and lost your job, you can become a Wine School Ambassador. We are paying up to 45% of our revenue to people in need. Here is the link to apply: https://www.vinology.com/wine-ambassador-application/ How Much Assistance Could A Winery Recieve?These are back-of-an-envelope calculations, so YMMV. On average, a medium-sized winery has a payroll burden of $32K and has a debt burden of around $50K. Those are monthly amounts, not annual. That would put the Federal assistance in the ballpark of $380,000 for a medium-sized winery. SBA BackgroundThe Wine School worked with the SBA to expand it’s footprint several years ago. It was one of the smartest choices I made as a business owner. In fact, it went so well that a few of our bankers are now students at the school! They wrote us up a few years ago: https://www.sba.gov/node/1623864 Wine Industry LobbyistsIn addition to CARES, the lobbyist groups WineAmerica and the Wine Institute have been pushing for several other remediations on Capitol Hill. This includes suspending federal excise taxes through December 31st, making the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act permanent, and suspending tariffs on alcohol beverages and related suppliers. Let’s hope they can push the ball forward on these topics. The post Economic Assistance Guide for the Wine Trade during the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/winery-assistance/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/economic-assistance-guide-for-the-wine-trade-during-the-covid-19-pandemic1217194 Due to mandated social distancing, alcohol delivery sales have surged in recent weeks. And while a shipment of beer is always cause for celebration, one Virginia brewery has decided to add a whimsical spin to its orders — delivery via “shark.” On March 24, Ashburn’s Old Ox Brewery announced on Facebook its mission to deliver “joy, awesomeness, and beer” to its homebound customers. Combining its three goals, Old Ox is offering drinkers the opportunity to receive deliveries from a smiling blue shark — more specifically, “Left Shark,” the breakout star of Katy Perry’s 2015 Super Bowl halftime show. On its delivery page, Old Ox is also offering other perks, such as shotgunning a beer with the owners via Google Hangouts, and the ability to name an upcoming Old Ox release. For an additional $1,000, particularly generous customers will be given the opportunity to see owner Chris Burns’ “very, very embarrassing tattoo,” but they must first agree to never disclose any details about the tattoo to anyone… ever. A selection of board games can also be added to orders and the brewery’s Facebook page promises “more awesomeness” to come in the following weeks. A reminder to Old Ox patrons and anyone ordering alcohol to their homes right now: Delivery during a pandemic is risky for delivery personnel, who are often working overtime to meet the increase in demand, so be sure to tip your “shark” generously. The article A ‘Shark’ Will Deliver Your Beer from This Virginia Brewery appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/shark-beer-delivery-virginia-brewery/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/a-shark-will-deliver-your-beer-from-this-virginia-brewery A well-stocked home bar is worthless if you don’t know your way around a jigger, shaker, and bar spoon and can’t remember the difference between a Manhattan and a Martini. Thankfully, with a little practice and a few simple mixers and modifiers, a staple selection of base spirits can be transformed into a world of possibilities. From White Russians and Moscow Mules to Sidecars and Vieux Carrés, here are 30 easy cocktail recipes anyone can master at home. Whisk(e)yBoulevardierA whiskey-spiked variation of the Negroni, this American cocktail dials up the richness and complexity of its Italian cousin. The cocktail is three equal parts: Campari, sweet vermouth, and bourbon (replacing the Negroni’s gin). Though bourbon is traditional, many bartenders opt for rye in their Boulevardiers. ManhattanA well-balanced mix of sweet, spicy, and bitter flavors, the Manhattan combines rye whiskey with sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. Don’t be tempted to sub in bourbon or any other type of whiskey; the bite of the rye is essential for canceling out the sweetness of the vermouth. Mint JulepNow closely associated with the Kentucky Derby, the Mint Julep is a refreshing Southern classic, serving a blend of bourbon, simple syrup, and fresh mint over a mound of crushed ice. Pour into a silver Julep cup to keep it cold on a hot summer day. PenicillinIdeal for Scottish whisky lovers, this cocktail contains both blended and peated Scotch. The former is shaken with lemon juice, honey simple syrup, and fresh ginger to form the base of the drink before it’s served on the rocks with a peated whisky float. During the cold winter months, this cocktail can also be served hot. Old FashionedOne of the oldest classic cocktails, there are a few schools of thought when preparing Old Fashioneds — particularly surrounding the inclusion of fresh fruit (orange slice) and boozy garnishes (cocktail cherries). In its simplest, and arguably best form, the drink contains a bourbon base, is sweetened with a single sugar cube or simple syrup, and balanced by a generous helping of Angostura bitters. Serve in its eponymous glass with a big ice cube and a lemon or orange twist (or both). SazeracThose seeking historical accuracy may opt for Cognac rather than rye whiskey in their Sazerac, but it is the latter with which this boozy New Orleans classic is now overwhelmingly associated. A splash of simple syrup helps tame the lively, spicy mix of rye and bitters (Peychaud’s, Angostura, or both), all of which is served in an absinthe-rinsed rocks glass with a lemon twist. GinCorpse Reviver #2The better-known of the two Corpse Reviver cocktails, this drink sees a shaken mix of gin, triple sec, lemon juice, and Lillet Blanc served in a chilled, absinthe-rinsed coupe glass. Its spooky name is a historical term for a hangover cure. French 75So named because its alcoholic kick is said to hit with the strength of a French 75-millimeter field gun, this cocktail started doing the rounds at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in 1915. Simple to prepare, the French 75 tops a base mix of gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice with a generous serving of Champagne. GimletA refreshing blend of gin, lime, and simple syrup, this drink is believed to have been invented to encourage British Naval officers to consume scurvy-fighting rations of lime juice. Like all drinks containing fresh citrus, the Gimlet is shaken to fully incorporate the ingredients. Gin & TonicAnother gin cocktail introduced by the British armed forces for its purported health benefits (the quinine in tonic water was favored to combat malaria), it doesn’t get more simple, classic, or delicious than the Gin & Tonic. MartiniThe most customizable of any classic cocktail, all that’s strictly required in this drink is gin and dry vermouth. The ratio of the two can range from wet (equal parts, a.k.a. 50:50) to exceedingly dry (15:1, also known as the Montgomery ratio). Ingredients can be shaken or stirred — the latter is more traditional — and possible garnishes include a lemon twist, olives, or a cocktail onion, which changes the drink’s name to a Gibson. Tom CollinsWhile it famously appeared in “Meet the Parents,” this straightforward preparation of gin, lemon, simple syrup, and club soda dates back to the late 19th century, when it first appeared in Jerry Thomas’s 1876 “Bar-Tender’s Guide.” VodkaBloody MaryIn its most basic form, the Bloody Mary is little more than a glass of vodka-spiked tomato juice. At its most ostentatious, it’s a full meal in a glass, garnished with everything from bacon to fried chicken to hamburgers. Homemade Mary mix is preferred, but store-bought is fine in a pinch. CosmopolitanWith its iconic pink hue and close ties to the ‘90s HBO show “Sex and the City,” the Cosmopolitan is a modern classic. Technically speaking, you’ll need lemon-flavored Absolut Citron to make a truly accurate rendition, which also contains triple sec, fresh lime, and cranberry juice. Espresso MartiniOne of two modern classics invented by London-based bartender Dick Bradsell in the 1980s (the other was the Bramble), the Espresso Martini hits with a one-two punch of caffeine and alcohol, before the blow is softened by sweet simple syrup and rich coffee liqueur. Moscow MuleCombining vodka, ginger beer, and lime, few drinks are as refreshing or simple to prepare as the Moscow Mule. Whether or not the traditional copper mugs make the drink taste better remains up for debate, but the vessel definitely adds a touch of class to the otherwise understated concoction. Vodka MartiniPurists may scoff at the Vodka Martini, but this drink is every bit as versatile as its gin counterpart. In fact, vodka’s neutral flavor allows the vermouth to take more of a center stage and lends itself to those who want to drink the mix “dirty” (with olive brine). White RussianPopularized by Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski in “The Big Lebowski,” this rich and decadent cocktail combines vodka with half-and-half (or heavy cream), and coffee liqueur. Velvet smooth, the White Russian drinks like a spiked, creamy cold brew. RumDaiquiriForget sickly sweet, frozen iterations: A well-balanced Daiquiri is one of the finest classic cocktails one can enjoy. Ideal on a hot day, this shaken cocktail blends white rum, simple syrup, and lime juice, and is served with a basic slice or wedge of lime. Dark ‘N’ StormyThe only trademarked cocktail on this list, the Dark ‘N’ Stormy is the rum-based alternative to the Moscow Mule. For a legitimate version of the drink, the vodka should be replaced with Gosling’s Black Seal Dark Rum, though all dark rums, admittedly, yield delicious results. Mai TaiA straightforward entry into the complex world of tiki, this drink has an aged rum base mixed with rhum agricole, lime juice, orgeat (almond syrup), and orange Curaçao. For the best results, steer well clear of the blender (and electric blue mixers). MojitoFresh citrus and mint are key to allowing this simple concoction to shine. A favorite of Ernest Hemingway, this Cuban cocktail mixes muddled mint leaves with lime, simple syrup, and white rum. Piña ColadaThe pride of Puerto Rico, the Piña Colada is as easy to make as its name is fun to say. The shaken mix contains equal parts white rum (preferably from its home island), coconut cream, and pineapple juice, served over a glass of crushed ice. TequilaBloody MariaOffering a spicy addition to the brunch table, this cocktail is one of many worthy riffs on the Bloody Mary, replacing vodka with reposado tequila. Enjoy with a chili-salt rim and as many breakfast quesadillas as you can eat. MargaritaOfficially America’s most popular cocktail, blanco tequila takes center stage in this tart and tangy drink, with the Mexican spirit shaken with just a seasoning of lime juice and triple sec. While frozen, blended renditions abound, less is always more when it comes to making quality Margs. PalomaA delicious and refreshing Highball, the Paloma matches the savory, vegetal notes of tequila (blanco or reposado) with bittersweet grapefruit soda. For an elevated serving, opt instead for freshly squeezed juice and club soda. Tequila SunriseMade from tequila, grenadine, and orange juice, combining the ingredients without mixing creates this visually striking drink, which resembles a picturesque sunrise. BrandyBrandy CrustaCalling for a few ingredients from the liquor shelf, this little-known brandy cocktail is a great trump card to have in your cocktail repertoire. The brandy-forward mix is seasoned with Maraschino liqueur, triple sec, lemon, and both Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. This drink is served in a sugar-rimmed glass and arrives with a long, elegant lemon twist. SidecarNamed after the motorcycle attachment and reportedly invented at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, this classic shaken cocktail contains brandy, lemon, and triple sec. Like the Brandy Crusta, the proper serve includes a chilled, sugar-rimmed glass, and a (slightly more modest) lemon twist garnish. Vieux CarréInvented in New Orleans in the 1930s, this potent mix contains Cognac, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, and a bar spoon each of Angostura and Peychaud’s bitters. The boozy combo is stirred over ice and served with a lemon twist. The article 30 Easy Cocktail Recipes Everyone Should Know appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/30-best-easy-cocktail-recipes/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/30-easy-cocktail-recipes-everyone-should-know With Covid-19 keeping many of us at home indefinitely, we’re finding all kinds of new projects to provide creative outlets. While some people are busy deep cleaning their bathrooms and perfecting their sourdough starters, we’ve opted to dial in our home drinking game — and maybe you’d like to join us? From whipping up batches of vermouth and bitters, to making quick infusions and syrups, to becoming a home brewing hobbyist, there are plenty of ways to put your at-home time to good use. That’s the topic on this week’s VinePair podcast, where Adam, Erica, and Zach discuss their own experiences with DIY beverage projects and offer some suggestions on what to make, and how to turn those projects into great drinks. LISTEN ONLINE OR CHECK OUT OUR CONVERSATION HERE:Adam: Still from my Brooklyn, NY Apartment, I’m Adam Teeter. Erica: From Jersey City, I’m Erica Duecy. Zach: And in my house in Seattle, Washington I’m Zach Geballe. A: And this is the VinePair podcast and guys, I’m excited about our topic today. Which is getting into alcohol projects you can do at home. I know I’ve been taking on a ton of projects myself, not just obviously alcohol- related. I’ve been baking some bread. I’ve been….well, baking a lot. But also doing some projects around the house but, before we jump in to all of that. What have you guys been drinking? What’s been getting you through for the last week? Anything exciting? Erica? E: Yeah, I have been tasting through a ton of rosés for the big list that we put out every year – our top 25 rosés. And I’ve been excited by some of the really affordable selections that I’ve found. You know, usually when I’m thinking about rosé, I’m thinking [about] the south of France, but actually there were some sneaker hits out of Italy for me. So, I found the Planeta rosé from Sicily, that’s a $16 bottle. And it’s on the bolder side of the rosé flavor spectrum; it’s got strawberry, guava, crushed peach notes; I was totally surprised. And this would be the type of wine that I would pair with like barbecue chicken, tacos, even pizza, it’s got that kind of bolder flavor profile which is gonna be so wonderful with all of the summertime back-yard barbecue foods. A: Yeah man, Italian rosés. Z: That’s awesome! A: That was a big thing last year, in our list last year; I think Planeta made the list, and the number one was Graci. Both from Sicily, ‘cause I think, yeah those wines are surprisingly amazing. Even though you normally think of France, right? Which is nuts! E: Totally! Z: And it makes sense in a way ‘cause you’re dealing with a similar climate, right? You’re Mediterranean, obviously if you’re in Sicily you’re IN the middle of the Mediterranean, but we think of all the great French rosé that, in particular that come from Provence and [have a] very Mediterranean sort of influence, so I think it’s definitely the case that you can find some great rosés from […] other wine regions that border the Mediterranean. Because they’re going to have, I think generally speaking, a culture of rosé drinking that goes back, ‘cause those kinds of wines are, sometimes the red grape… or what you wanna do with red grapes in those kind of places is turn ‘em into rosé. A: Totally. So Zach, what about you, what are you drinking man? Z: Well as you might have noticed on Instagram yesterday, as we’re recording this on Friday, I took the opportunity, and I have been taking the opportunity, to go in and pull some bottles out of my collection that I wasn’t saving for the most special of occasions, but might have been a little loathe to open under the general mentality of, “Fuck it, I might as well!”. And as Erica might recall I wrote a piece for the site, which now feels like it ran about a million years ago, but it was I think actually just last month, on the joys of aged Italian white wines. So last night I was looking… A: Yeah, you’ve also talked about this on the podcast multiple times. This is your thing. Z: I have, It’s true. It’s one of my things, but for good reason! I had the opportunity… E: I love old Italian white wines. Z: Yeah, and I had the opportunity to have a ten-year-old bottle of Arneis, which is one of my favorite varieties, and it’s not the kind of thing that I would necessarily have every single night, but I made risotto and roasted a chicken and it’s a wine that both my wife and I love. And you know, it… I mean look, there’s a lot of horrible news and everything going on in the world and we’re gonna try to kind of sort of steer away from that in this podcast, but for me, it’s like every now and then it’s important to really center my own, or our own joy and pleasure when we can, and wines like that are opportunities to do that. So I was really glad that I was like, “OK it’s the last bottle of this I have, it’s a kind of special wine but we’re gonna open it, we’re gonna enjoy it and then I guess we’re gonna talk about it on the podcast the next day as it turns out,” so that is what I have been drinking. Adam, how about you? A: So you know I’m going through the eight stages of… I don’t know, mourning, drinking, etc. So I have been drinking a lot of rosé for the tasting, but I won’t talk about any of those here ‘cause I think Erica already hit on that. But you know like last week when we were first like “this is happening,” I drank a lot of brown spirits. So, I found a few bourbons that I really enjoyed. I was drinking a Jefferson’s bottling that was really delicious, I was drinking some Lagavulin, so you know Scotch that I really liked. Somebody gifted me a bottle of Whistle Pig, so I enjoyed a little bit of that last week. And also like dirty Martinis for my wife — I don’t take them dirty, but I was drinking just a classic gin Martini, a little dry with a lemon twist. So I was really drinking liquor last week, and then this week I definitely transitioned back to like beer and wine. So I had a few pretty delicious IPAs that I enjoyed earlier in the week. I’m also trying to go back to my normal schedule of not drinking three to four nights a week. So I guess… so if I didn’t drink Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, so Wednesday night I had a really nice New England style IPA from Monday Night Brewing that was pretty cool, and then last night I did enjoy one of the rosé from the round up that I was like, “wow, this is just amazing.” We featured it a bunch before, Kathleen Inman’s wine, so Endless Crush is just a beautiful wine. Z: Oh yeah! E: Yeah, that’s great. A: And so it was submitted again for the tasting this year, and then I was like, “well I’m not gonna dump this,” so I drank it. I have to say, Erica, I’ve been impressed for the past few years actually that there’s some really stellar rosés coming out of other countries. A lot out of California or just the West Coast in general and you know, a lot of bad ones coming out of Provence. A lot of ones that are really trading on that regional name that are getting away with like a true lack of balance or just like really harsh, off flavors, fruit that doesn’t taste super high quality. But [which] are still being [sold] for over $20 bucks because they put Provence on the label. So I thought that was interesting. There was another one that I really liked a lot that surprised me called Seaglass, that was like I think it’s like $10.99. And I remember… so I’ve been tasting with my wife Naomi which has been fun. ‘Cause you know, she loves wine but never gets to come to our office tastings when we have people in, and she turned to me and was like, “What is this wine? This is really good!” And it had come after a string of not a lot of very good wines… and I was like, “Yeah! This is really good.” And so then like we looked at it and we were like holy shit! And then we looked at the price and we were blown away. So yeah, I think it’s been fun, and then I don’t know this weekend… Tonight is pizza night, so I’m gonna make some delicious pizza and pop something good, who knows? And then maybe get back on my spirits wagon, I don’t know. E: Yeah, I mean I’ve been going the same way too. I think I’m sort of alternating at this point. So I’ll do wine one night or a cider, and then I’ll switch over and have a cocktail but yeah, I think the things we’re gonna talk about today with the cocktail projects that’s actually gotten me pretty excited to start back into my cocktail experimentation land, I definitely went through a phase of that a couple of years ago, but I’m right back on the train now. A: I know you’re a wine lover but when I was first introduced to you it was through the fact that you have written this cocktail book and really have this expertise in cocktails. Like the things you tell me you’re trying to do at home, like recreate a classic Martini from… I would never do. Like, I can make a really good Negroni, I can make a really good straight-up Martini, but if you ask me to recreate some of my favorite cocktails from some of my favorite cocktail bars in New York I’d be like, “nah, I’m just gonna wait ‘til they re-open.” E: ‘Nah, I’m good!’ Yeah, I mean I definitely went through a phase like years ago where I was just making bitters all the time, making bitters from like Buddha’s hand and like all sorts of crazy citruses and so forth so I mean that’s… I think that’s one of the nice things right now, is that if we have a little bit extra time where we’re looking for something creative to do, hey start on those holiday gift projects now, you’ve got nothing else to do, [so] you might as well get creative. A: I mean yeah, so I guess jumping straight into the topic: Zach, what sort of projects do you have in mind that people could be doing now? Or what are you working on, or wish you were working on? Z: Well I would say that I’ll let Erica talk about things like bitters because that’s something that I don’t have a lot of experience with personally. But what I would say, and I think this is the operative thing here is, for the most part I think most of us in our daily lives, we don’t have time, and really it’s not even just that we don’t have time because a lot of these things don’t take a lot of active time. It’s just we don’t really want to commit to a couple of week-long projects, even if most of that time is spent sitting in a closet or something. And what I have started doing at home, because I anticipate having some time to commit to this, is working on some infusions. That’s something that I started doing as a bartender years ago. Basically, it’s a simple way to add flavor to a spirit. I’m mostly working with clear spirits at the moment because, while you can certainly do cool things with brown spirits, I find that if I kinda just wanna get like a simple flavor, like a fruit flavor, like I’ve got some blueberry gin going on right now, the idea there’s is basically to extract the flavor from the blueberry into the gin, and I imagine that in a couple of weeks, which is about how long these things tend to take, that the weather in Seattle may have turned to the point where sitting outside and having a drink made with blueberry gin is gonna sound really, really delightful as opposed to [how] it sounds now, which is pretty miserable ‘cause it’s pouring rain. [That’s] kinda what I’m aiming at. And then one thing that I’ve mentioned on the podcast before that I’ve done, and I think is another thing to think about doing especially for people who are home more, maybe opening wine more often but aren’t necessarily drinking a lot is vermouth. Which is a little tricky to make in that you kind of have to find the right balance in ingredients and sweetness but I’ve had some success with making vermouth and I find it actually to be more useful as something to kind of sip, a way to kind of preserve that wine – if you’re not interesting in cooking with it – or making vinegar which you can also do. I like to make vermouth and then it’s just something that I’ll pour over ice, maybe add a little bit of soda water to and it’s my afternoon (maybe while I’m cooking) beverage, ‘cause it’s lower in alcohol. And it retains some of the wine flavor but has some spice notes that you expect from vermouth. A: So Zach, quickly. ‘Cause you know you’re talking about these things, I’m loving it, I’m getting into it, but now I’m like “how do I do it?” So first of all, with your blueberry gin, can you please explain the process, and also tell me what kind of drinks you’d put it in? And then could you please do the same for the vermouth? Z: Yeah, absolutely! A: Thank you. Z: So I would say, with the blueberry gin, it’s basically, the only things you really need are gin – for one. And I like to look at something that’s not… I’m not going for top shelf gin, I’m looking at something that’s probably like a London dry, cause I want something with a relatively neutral palate, so I’m using Gordon’s ’cause it’s kind of a relatively inexpensive… A: It’s a very… yeah that’s a good one. Z: Yeah, I find the flavor unobjectionable, but it’s not that expensive so I’m not putting it in my really premium gin. And then you basically just need a jar or other vessel that you can close. It doesn’t have to be air tight, you don’t have to worry because of the alcohol of the gin, it’s not like anything is gonna go bad, in terms of like the fruit rotting, but you just don’t want it spilling and you do wanna be able to capture the flavor. And then, basically what I do is, I have a [container that] you would put a punch in that’s got a spigot. And so I just put the gin in, and I usually do like 2 liters at a time, and then it ends up being about… oh gosh I should probably measure these things, right? It probably ends up being about 2 pounds or so of blueberries. And I throw maybe a bay leaf or two in also ‘cause I like a little bit of that additional herbal flavor, and I let it sit. And I let it sit for about ten days and then I start tasting it. And really what you’re tasting for is, you want there to be a noticeable blueberry flavor. But what I don’t want, is I don’t want it to start tasting like… if you’ve ever had dried blueberries? Or like really concentrated candy blueberry flavor, then I feel like you’ve extracted a little too much. So at that point then you just literally strain the gin off, you throw the blueberries away. I made the mistake once when I was very young in the restaurant industry of eating them and they are miserable, it just tastes like alcohol. But basically yeah, you just dump that out. I think you could theoretically do something with the blueberries, like maybe you could cook them down but there’s really very little flavor left in them… A: Put em in pancakes and give ‘em to your kids. Z: God! Yeah, If you want them to take three naps a day…. A: Like, Yo! I need to get some work done, I made you blueberry pancakes, enjoy! Z: I would worry that the pan might catch on fire with all that alcohol in there. And then as far as cocktails, one of the things I like to use it in, one of my favorite spring cocktails [is] the Aviation, which is typically made with crème de violette: so gin, crème de violette, lemon and Maraschino liqueur. And what I do is, I basically just cut down a little bit on the crème de violette and Maraschino ‘cause with the fruit flavor in there, even though the gin isn’t sweet, I feel like the whole drink can get a little syrupy if you’re not careful. But I basically just do that, you get this even deeper blueberry, kind of blue color than you would get normally from the crème de violette. That’s one thing. I like it…I mean you can make just a simple gin flip. So basically, again just in, lemon juice and an egg white. [A] little bit of simple syrup or sugar if you want, to kind of sweeten it up. But really, I mean I think it’s pretty versatile, and also just as a gin and tonic, frankly. Like if you just want to pour that over some ice with some tonic water, it’s fucking delicious, it’s got a nice little kind of pale blue color, or pale purple color really and it’s great when and if the weather improves, which it will eventually here in Seattle, I promise. E: Yeah, that sounds great! A: So we’ll come back to you on the vermouth tip. But Erica what about you? Gimme a project. E: Yeah, super simple project. So yesterday we launched this article with 5 simple projects that you can do at home to up your cocktail game, and the thing that I made was oleo-saccharum, which… do you guys know about this? It sounds like a crazy Latin thing but it’s actually a super-simple citrus syrup. So, it’s been used since like the 1700’s if you read David Wondrich, in either of his books, you’ll see him refer to it as really the essential ingredient in punches in classic times. You take the peels from citrus, usually you could use lemon or orange or grapefruit, and you just steep it and mix it with some sugar. And then the sugar pulls out all of those wonderful essential oils to create this beautiful syrup that, you know, in Wondrich’s telling, creates the difference between a good punch and a great punch. So it has a lot of uses other than a punch though, [and] my favorite way to use it, and I’m gonna be posting this all up on Instagram because it’s really one of the best cocktails, is an Old Fashioned. So just a rum Old Fashioned with an aged rum like El Dorado 12 year which is my favorite on its own – it’s such an incredible rum, but then I just do one teaspoon of the oleo-saccharum syrup, and bitters over a big ice cube. It’s such a beautiful cocktail. And really the only thing, like I said, to make the oleo-saccharum is that you steep the orange or citrus peels in sugar overnight, you mix it occasionally and then in the morning, anywhere from 3 to 12 hours later you can decide based on the taste. You’ve got a ready-to-go syrup. From a quantity perspective, just get and peel a cup or so worth of the peels and then you just add about a half a cup of sugar, and it creates about a little bit more than a third-cup of syrup. That can be kept in the refrigerator for a week and used in a variety of ways. You can use it in a French 75, you can use it in a whiskey sour, you can use it in a Sidecar, I mean there’s so many different applications for it. And it’s just such a wonderful lifted citrus flavor that you can’t really get any other way. A: Dude that sounds delicious. Like… E: It’s pretty good. A: I also kinda wanna make some pancakes from [Zach’s] blueberries and then put your syrup on top of it, that sounds pretty good. I mean that sounds pretty good. E: I mean that sounds pretty good. A: That sounds pretty good. Z: Adam, are we recording this before you have lunch or something? ‘Cause I feel like all you wanna do is eat our drinks projects. A: Nah man I had lunch. I actually had lunch with bread I baked myself… So for me one of the things that’s fun to make is bathtub gin. So like, yes I know it’s not real gin, but basically you take a vodka, and you… I like to again, same with you Zach, not an amazing vodka, but a quality vodka, right? So like, we’re not going out here and putting Ketel [One] in this, but I’ll usually do it with something like, honestly it works really well with Smirnoff or Tito’s or something. So take a 750 ml bottle, dump it in a Mason jar – a large enough Mason jar or some sort of vessel and then it’s the same kind of idea, right? You basically flavor it with gin flavorings. So as opposed to distilling those gin flavorings into the gin, you’re just steeping them into the vodka, so I use like, cucumber peel, lemon peel, dill, you have to use…. I think you have to use juniper berry, some people disagree, but I kinda feel like it’s not gin without the juniper berry, so some dried juniper berries, you can get those at a lot of grocery stores so you shouldn’t have a problem even in the quarantine. But you can throw in a lot of other stuff too, right? You could do different kinds of teas, you can do orange….any other kind of citrus peels, I think grapefruit would be really awesome, you could also do like heat if you like it, some sort of spicy you know note to it. And then you let it sit for basically the same idea, 10 days to 14 days, stirring it I think every other day just to make sure it’s still doing its thing, and then you start tasting. And once it tastes good to you, you strain off the liquid, I like to bottle it and then you have your own kind of gin to use in a lot of different cocktails. I use it to make straight-up Martinis, I use it to make Negronis, I use it to make gin Gimlets, like all these things you would normally use regular gin for but now you have your own gin. And it’s also fun to then give to people, it’s like “hey, here’s this like gin I made.” It’s always like a good time, which is a lot of fun. We’ve talked a lot about spirit style projects, but I know Zach, we’re gonna get to your vermouth, but have either of you ever brewed beer? E: No Z: I have not. But you have? A: Ahh. Yes, the best! I’ve had a lot of explosions too. E: Really? A: Yeah, so… I mean, I think the worst explosion was… Josh and I, the other co-founder of VinePair, we attempted to brew a Belgian tripel, that was a really bad idea. And it started re-fermenting in the bottle ‘cause it was just… it’s so much sugar and so much yeast in a Belgian tripel, and they exploded all in his closet, there was beer everywhere. E: Oh no! A: So that was when Naomi told me that we were never allowed to brew beer in our apartment, only in Josh’s. [But] brewing beer is super fun ‘cause I think it’s one of the easiest ways to sort of see how alcohol happens, if that makes sense? E: Yeah. A: You know, it’s not that… I think people get really freaked out about it because…like “oh, I read that the kitchen has to be super clean.” Like yes, cleanliness is important, but I mean you have to be clean when you cook, right? Like no one is sitting there being like “Oh, I’m gonna make some cookies and there’s like, dirt everywhere.” So as long as the counter is clean and you’ve washed the equipment with hot water and soap, the way you should wash your hands right now, everything is fine and it’s a fun project that takes, you know, four weeks. So, at the end of this whole bullshit you should emerge with a really good beer that then you can take out in the park and drink and there’s lots of amazing recipes online and you can buy kits which I’m sure are still shipping right now, to make beer and it’s a really fun project. I love doing it, we did it for like 2 years and then just sort of moved to places where we felt like it wasn’t as…we didn’t have as much space. Josh was really lucky in that one of his first apartments in New York was a big loft. So we were able to sort of brew… but you know, I bet your husband’s studio would be a perfect place to brew beer, just saying Erica. E: I bet he does, we’ve got plenty of space up in his studio. Z: I was gonna say, you’ve got… you can probably start a whole brewery, let alone just home brew. I have a question for you Adam, about brewing though, at home. Which is, are there styles of beer that are easier for people who’ve never done it to kind of take on? Obviously, it sounds like a Belgian tripel is a bad idea for a first beer, but is there kind of an ideal first beer? A: Ales are the easiest. It’s very hard to do lagers because of the cold fermentations. So lagers are much more difficult than ales. And then pale ales and IPAs are actually very easy to brew at home, as long as you have the right ingredients, which again you can buy online and I have to say like we definitely brewed a bunch of different batches of IPAs and pale ales that came out really well. We actually have a home brew columnist on VinePair that writes I think monthly, or bi-weekly with different ways to brew. E: Yep. A: So there’s a bunch of resources there. But then also, I mean you can go down rabbit holes on Reddit and stuff like that of people who’ve like literally recreated beers. You can brew Heady Topper for yourself at home or someone’s like “Oh, I think I figured out the Pliny recipe,” so you can brew Pliny, which is crazy. So there’s a lot of fun you can have, and then the kits are easy to at least get you started, like the recipe’s there. So like literally “dump into water, boil, strain, you have this style of beer that we’ve already perfected the recipe of,” but it’s just a cool way, again, just to see how fermentation works. E: Totally, and if you’re looking for the column on our site its BIY, “Brew it yourself,” it’s with national home-brew competition gold medal winner and certified cicerone Mandy Naglich. So that’s where you can check out dozens of articles to get a sense of best practices and projects you might wanna try out yourself. A: Exactly, so now Zach back to you. How do you make vermouth? Z: So I think the simplest way to do it, and I’ve mostly done it with red wine, because I find that it’s a little more…. I’ve only talked about making a white vermouth once, and I think I screwed up, so I don’t think that it’s not doable, I [just] think it’s that I didn’t kind of approach it the right way. But I will say that, before we get into the specifics, one I find about making vermouth at home is that, at least so far, I haven’t been able to kind of get the exact texture that you might expect from certain kinds of vermouth. Like if you like a really kind of rich vermouth like Carpano Antica or something like that, without adding a lot of essentially really, really reduced sugar syrup, you’re gonna have a hard time getting that real richness. And I don’t know that I can offer you a suggestion for how to get that at home, I’m not an expert. But otherwise, I mean basically what I’ve done is: I’ll take a certain amount of leftover red wine, in this case usually like you know about, yeah about 2 liters or so. So about two and half bottles, three bottles or something like that. And you take about a third of it and you reduce it over, you know over really low heat. You’re just trying to kind of cook it down a little bit. And then I would say once it’s about reduced in volume by about half, you add about a cup of sugar, and there’s your base syrup. And so at that point that’s had all the alcohol cooked out of it, so you’re not dealing with booze from that. And then basically you let it cool back down to kind of room temp, you add it to the remaining wine along with some…I mean again, you kind of want to use spices. I like to use like there’s certainly black pepper, again bay leaf I throw in there, I like to use things like coriander and cardamom, and a little bit of even cumin seed. Infusion of that along with a little bit of… you want to add some sort of spirit cause you want to bring the alcohol level up a little bit. So I sometimes will use Cognac, it definitely adds more flavor. If you have like… you can use vodka if you’ve got that that you wanna use. If you have… I mean ideally I think you would add a little bit of even higher-proof spirit, but I don’t have moonshine lying around so… that’s not an option for me… A: What? Z: I know, right? We haven’t talked about home distilling which is a bad idea. And also illegal most places. A: I kinda want to do it though, but anyways keep going. Z: Well we’ll see you at Jono’s studio too. So then… basically again, it’s just a process of waiting. It doesn’t take long. I find that within a week I’m kind of at the place I wanna be flavor-wise. But, you can kind of taste… give it a few days and then taste every day, and then at that point you just again, strain everything off, I put it right in the fridge. I find that it lasts for about a month in a pretty good state, and like I said, you know, my favorite use for it is just drinking it over ice with a little soda water or tonic because it’s kind of the best way to sort of enjoy that flavor. But it works in cocktails… I find that it actually, interestingly, does better in cocktails where you might use a fair bit of vermouth, so it works well in a Negroni. I haven’t loved it in my Manhattans, and maybe that’s just me. Again, I think it’s a texture thing. I think it feels like it waters them down a touch because it doesn’t have the viscosity that a commercially produced vermouth might have. A: Right Z: So in a Negroni I don’t mind it as much in part because Campari already has a lot of, you know, kind of richness and body, so it being a little lighter in flavor isn’t such a big deal. Or no, not lighter in flavor but lighter in body. But in something like a Manhattan I do find that I miss it a little bit, I miss that body that you get from vermouth a little bit. But you know you can find it… you can put it in a lot of different things. But like I said, I just like it a thing to sip over ice, with a little bit of soda water or just as is. Which is one of my favorite ways to enjoy vermouth period, so it’s not like I’m only doing that with this. But yeah… and again, if you’ve got open bottles, the nice thing about it is, you can just kind of combine stuff together. I haven’t found any issue with mixing… as long… I mean maybe if you’re mixing Beaujolais and Zinfandel you might find it a little weird but frankly even then I don’t think so. It all kind of comes together in the end. You might find slightly better results or more sort of homogenous results if you use the same wine but I don’t think any of us are at that stage so your leftover bottles… and I’ve used it with wine that’s been open for a week and it’s fine. E: Wow! Z: You know, you’re not looking for freshness and brightness in your vermouth for the most part, at least I’m not in the way that I would be in my wine. So you know, I wouldn’t use a three-week-old bottle. You know, another thing you could do is go buy a relatively inexpensive box of wine, you know a three liter and use that and probably end up with a very cost-effective vermouth solution. E: Sure, sure. Yeah, that sounds like a great idea, I’d try it. A: I dig. Z: Well I would share it with you guys but that’s probably not gonna happen for a little while. A: I think these have been like some really good ideas. I mean, Erica, have you got anything else? E: Yeah, I mean I do have one more. A: Yes! E: I would say that a lot of people don’t realize that bitters is just a pretty simple infusion. So for that… A: I didn’t. E: Everyone’s talking about Everclear and how you can make your own hand sanitizer from it, but you can also use Everclear as the base for your bitters. So, really all you do to make bitters is you can take some like zest of lemons or oranges or whatever you want that main flavor base to be. And then you add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, lemongrass, coriander, pepper, and then kind of the bittering agents that you wanna have in all bitters which are cinchona bark and gentian root, you know you can get those at natural stores or even at some bigger grocery chains. So for those things you just, you really just prepare the ingredients, divide them out into some Mason jars, and fill it up with grain alcohol. And for that you just let it sit there and kind of agitate it maybe once or twice a week for a month. And then portion it out into tiny little dropper bottles, and that’s one of my favorite holiday gifts that I typically make for people. Like to package that up with a cocktail book or something like that. And it’s a fun way to go. Maybe in this case it’s gonna be a post-apocalypse drinking gift that you can give to all your friends once you finally see them this summer. A: I dig, I dig. Cool, so I guess you know, go home….well stay home, make one of these projects, and if you do shoot us an email at [email protected] and let us know that you made one of the things we suggested, take a picture and share it with us, that would be awesome! Agreed? E: Agreed. Z: Yeah absolutely! And if you have other projects too. I would love to hear if people are trying other stuff out there that’s not stuff we covered too, cause I need some new projects. E: Yeah, definitely. And try the sourdough, gotta move on, gotta keep going. A: Well, as always everyone, thank you so much for listening, we hope you’re also checking out our podcast [Covid-19] Conversations, our corona diaries if you will, that we’re running in the feed three times a week. We’d love to know what you think about those as well. As always if you enjoy the podcast, if you feel like you’re getting a lot of amazing information and we’re helping make your day a little bit better please drop us a review or rating in iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever else you get our podcast. It really helps other people discover the show. And Erica, Zach, I’ll talk to you again right here, next week. Z: Sounds great E: See you then. A: Thanks so much for listening to the VinePair podcast, if you enjoy listening to us every week please leave us a review or rating on iTunes, Stitcher, spotify, or wherever it is you get your podcasts, it really helps everyone else discover the show. And now for the credits: VinePair is produced and hosted by Zach Geballe, Erica Duecy, and me: Adam Teeter. Our engineer is Nick Patri and Keith Beavers. I’d also like to give a special shout out to my VinePair co-founder Josh Malin and the rest of the VinePair team for their support. Thanks so much for listening and we’ll see you again right here next week. The article VinePair Podcast: Drinks Projects You Can Make at Home appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/vinepair-podcast-drinks-projects-you-can-make-at-home/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/vinepair-podcast-drinks-projects-you-can-make-at-home A descendent of the Dutch malt barley wine genever, gin has evolved over the centuries into a sleeker spirit, shedding a good deal of genever’s funk — but not its juniper. When deciding what to mix with gin, therefore, one rule stands above all: must play well with juniper. That said, these days there are numerous styles of gin, from London Dry to “New Western Dry,” with flavor profiles that run the gamut from traditional to floral to savory. Not every gin will pair perfectly with every mixer, so the best thing to do is to taste your gin straight and get a sense of its flavor profiles — or read our gin reviews — to decide for yourself which of the mixers below will match best with the flavor profiles of your favorite gin. Here are eight of the best mixers for Gin: VermouthThe marriage of gin and dry vermouth in the Martini goes back at least a hundred years, but dry vermouths are far from interchangeable. These days, there is almost as much variety in dry vermouths as there is in gin. For example, Dolin’s light floral nose and subtle palate support a bolder gin like Sipsmith, while Martini & Rossi’s (relative) sweetness brings out the juniper in a textbook London Dry like Tanqueray No. Ten. TonicGin and Tonic is about as iconic a drinks pairing as there is, dating back to British colonial rule in India, when anti-malarial quinine tonics were mixed with gin to go down easier. Tonic’s bitter quinine backbone and touch of sweetener is the perfect foil for gin’s floral and spicy notes. These days, there is a range of tonics on the market to choose from, be they artisanal or mass-market. Check out our ranking of the best tonic waters. Soda WaterAs one VinePair staffer put it, “Soda is better than tonic and that’s just facts.” A debatable point, but there’s no denying the clean, faintly mineral fizz of soda allows a particularly flavorful gin to shine without overpowering it the way a tonic might. Go simple with some gin, a squeeze of lemon, and soda (a lighter take on the classic Tom Collins). Or, for those who take their Martinis bone-dry, get fancy with a savory gin (our picks: Gin Mare or Reisetbauer Blue Gin), and a sparkling mineral water with a high total dissolved solids content, like Gerolsteiner or Vichy Catalan. LimeOnce again, we have the ingenuity of the historically gin-soaked British navy to thank for this pairing. The backbone of a Gimlet and a Gin Rickey, limes have been a natural companion to gin ever since the days of scurvy. Whenever possible, be sure to use fresh-squeezed lime juice for mixing, and remember that a little usually goes a long way — most cocktails use a 2:1 or even 3:1 gin-to-lime ratio, often with some simple syrup or liqueur for sweetness. For a truly nautical experience, choose a navy-strength gin for your next cocktail — the increase in ABV brings with it an intense flavor that can match even the sourest of limes. Just go easy on those strong cocktails, sailor. GrapefruitGrapefruit’s intensely concentrated acidity, and its faint bitterness, will pair especially well with any Western Dry Gin that already has grapefruit among its botanical notes. Try using Amass in a Salty Dog, the classic combination of 2 oz. gin, 1-2 oz. fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, and a salted rim. (The salt helps tone down the grapefruit’s inherent bitterness, while boosting our perception of its sweetness.) For an even more advanced citrus pairing, one VinePair staffer recommends swapping grapefruit for yuzu juice — if you can find it. (The yuzu plant is banned in the United States, but most Asian groceries carry yuzu juice.) Pineapple JuiceSweet, acidic, and slightly funky, pineapple isn’t just for tiki drinks. A complex gin like Jaisalmer can stand up to, and complement, the fruit’s tropical flavors, while a splash of pineapple juice can liven up a simple gin and soda. Flavored SeltzerGin and Juice, with a spritz? Now we’re talking. Grapefruit- and lemon-flavored seltzers are obvious go-tos, but experimenting with others can yield great results. Blackberry seltzer, for example, provides the perfect balance of sweetness and tannic complexity to show off a good gin’s flavor range, while Aviation gin and watermelon White Claw seems destined to become a garden party staple. CucumberOne of the two main botanicals in Hendrick’s Gin, this simple garden plant adds a hint of grassy sweetness that doesn’t cloy like some other fruit juices might. (Yes, cucumber is a fruit.) Cucumber is also a natural hydrator, which makes it a welcome addition to any long drink. Muddle a few slices in a (gin-based) Pimm’s Cup or a G&T for a refreshing hot-weather classic, or even just peel a long ribbon of cucumber and use it to garnish a Hendrick’s and soda. The article 8 of the Best Gin Mixers appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/8-best-gin-mixers/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/8-of-the-best-gin-mixers Did you know there are over 6,000 craft breweries in the United States alone? And the phenomenon is global. People want good beer; artisanal, hand-crafted beers made with love and not by an automated factory that pushes millions of insipid beers to the market every day; people want flavor. With this in mind, we wanted to tell you about the most popular beer styles today. Beers that represent the whole spectrum of flavor and texture, alcoholic strength, and color; beers that you have to try to understand the complexities of craft beer. Let’s start by saying that the best-selling beer style in the world is the American Lager (closely followed by light versions.) You know them well: Budweiser, Miller High Life, and Coors are prominent examples, but they’re not on our list today because, as people learn more about the technical nuances and beauty of craft beers, at least we hope, the popular beer style will fall out of favor. Upcoming Beer ClassesA great way to learn about beer and brewing is to attend a class at the Philly Beer School! Beer Brewing Program, Level One (Fall Semester)
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Sat, February 6, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
7 Seat(s) Available
IPAThis style got its name from India Pale Ale. Legend has it; this style was an extra-strong beer made to withstand long journeys through the sea from England to India. Today IPA is just IPA and stands for nothing, but its aromatic personality. IPAs are top-fermented beers (fermented with aromatic-enhancing Ale yeasts) that stand out for the high amounts of American, or New World hops added to the beer. Hops make IPAs incredibly aromatic. Pine nut aromas and tropical fruit scents like guava and citrus jump from the glass. The otherwise clear beer has a bitter profile thanks to the hops. Pale AleA classic beer style with a natural balance between hop and malt aromas. Also, top-fermented, pale ales are more approachable than IPAs; this is the type of beer that you can enjoy all day. With an average, toned-down alcohol strength, a clean profile, and an easy-to-drink personality, this is the craft brewers’ answer to the industrial lagers. Often golden, pale ales have a rich palate and are creamy compared to lagers. American StoutThis dark beer is having a moment. It gets its color from the roasted malt used for the style; the dark malt also brings forward aromas of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The beers are easily recognizable for their black color and large, tan, foamy head. As with most other dark beers, it’s the malt and not the hops that predominate both on the nose and palate. Strength wise, you’ll find them in the range between 5% VOL and 7% VOL. PorterDark malts predominate in this style too, so expect similarities in color and aromas with Stouts. Although similar, they have very different backgrounds, as Porters were invented in England centuries ago to quench the thirst of port workers who needed an energy boost. Today, technically, the only difference between Porters and Stouts is the type of barley used. Stouts are made from unmalted grains, while Porters are based on malted barley, a small, but significant difference. For beer drinkers, the preference usually goes to one or the other. Wild & Sour AlesThese are the trendiest beers around, although it’s one of the older beer styles in existence! Producers don’t ferment these beers with selected, store-bought yeast, but with wild, ambient yeast found naturally in their cellars, and the results are always unpredictable and exciting! The spontaneous fermentation adds to the beer a set of funky but pleasant flavors and a most welcomed acidity that makes this beer perfect for food pairings. Amongst this category, you could consider the Belgian Gose, a cloudy, fruity, and tart beer to which producers add a pinch of salt and coriander seeds to make an epic, historical beer. PilsnerAlong with the pale ale, this is the beer style you should get if you’re getting started in the realm of craft beer. Pilsner beers where the first clear, bottom-fermenting (lager) beer is the world, developed in the Czech Republic in 1842. The golden-hued, bright, refreshing beer contrasted greatly with the dark, murky beers of the time and soon became the world’s standard. Fresh, easy to sip, with subtle malt aromas and a light but creamy palate, Pilsners are ideal for summer days. Wheat BeerTo round up the list, we have the famous wheat beer. This style is accomplished by using wheat instead of, or in addition to barley malt. Wheat beers are rich, creamy, full-bodied ales that are both satisfying and addictive. Originally from Germany and Belgium, today craft brewers around the globe make pristine examples. A characteristic banana note is common and adding citrus peels to the mixture is also a standard practice — this one you’ll love. Filtered or milky-white, wheat beers are not only popular today, they have been beloved for centuries. The post Seven Beer Styles appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/seven-beer-styles/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/seven-beer-styles6000544
HR 748/the “CARES” Act is the two trillion dollar stimulus bill on the President’s desk. It has several key features that any business owner in the wine trade should be aware of. Most of the key points are in a subsection called “Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act” which was authored by a team of four bipartisan Senators: Marco Rubia (R), Ben Cardin (D), Susan Collins (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D). While other parts of the stimulus package focused on getting money to US citizens, the KAWPEA is written to protect small businesses. There are a lot of options for someone running a business with less than 50 people, which is pretty much the entire wine trade. In this article, I am listing all the important elements of the bill, and explaining how they could help your business. I will keep this page updated as this bill becomes laws. I hope to have links to applications and information as soon as they become available. Feel free to add relevant information in the comments below. FYI, this information is valid for any small business, including wine shops and restaurants. Small Business Debt ReliefMany wineries (as well as breweries and distilleries) have loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Often these SBA loans were taken out to purchase buildings or equipment. This includes the following SBA programs: 504 loans, 7(a) Community Advantage, and Microloan. This bill requires the SBA to forgive your loan for half a year. This means the SBA will pay the principal, the interest, and all fees for half a year. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. Debt is the biggest burden for many in the wine trade. Land and equipment costs often mean you have a multi-million-dollar dept. This secion is going to be a Godsend to many small wineries. I will link to the application once it has been published. Emergency EIDL GrantsThis expands the existing Emergency EIDL Grant program that the SBA already runs. This allows for a $10,000 advanced within three days to cover payroll and to service debt obligations. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. This is the link directly to the COVID-19 page: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/apply-for-disaster-loan/index.html This is a great program if you need money quickly. However, the next section may be a better fit if you can hold out a little longer. Paycheck Protection ProgramPayrolls aren’t as big for wineries as they are for other small businesses, but it’s far from trivial. This program offers loans of 2.5 times your average monthly payroll. The loans have low-interest rates, with a maximum of 4%, and are expected to have a 24-hour turn-around once the program has been established. The key detail here is that the loan will be forgiven if you maintain the same payroll levels. In effect, this loan would become a grant. You would only have to pay back the interest accrued. I will have links up as soon as this program. How the Wine School is HelpingIf you are a member of the food or wine trade and lost your job, you can become a Wine School Ambassador. We are paying up to 45% of our revenue to people in need. Here is the link to apply: https://www.vinology.com/wine-ambassador-application/ How Much Assistance Could A Winery Recieve?These are back-of-an-envelope calculations, so YMMV. On average, a medium-sized winery has a payroll burden of $32K and has a debt burden of around $50K. Those are monthly amounts, not annual. That would put the Federal assistance in the ballpark of $380,000 for a medium-sized winery. SBA BackgroundThe Wine School worked with the SBA to expand it’s footprint several years ago. It was one of the smartest choices I made as a business owner. In fact, it went so well that a few of our bankers are now students at the school! They wrote us up a few years ago: https://www.sba.gov/node/1623864 Wine Industry LobbyistsIn addition to CARES, the lobbyist groups WineAmerica and the Wine Institute have been pushing for several other remediations on Capitol Hill. This includes suspending federal excise taxes through December 31st, making the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act permanent, and suspending tariffs on alcohol beverages and related suppliers. Let’s hope they can push the ball forward on these topics. The post Economic Assistance Guide for the Wine Trade during the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/winery-assistance/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/economic-assistance-guide-for-the-wine-trade-during-the-covid-19-pandemic7309460 Did you know there are over 6,000 craft breweries in the United States alone? And the phenomenon is global. People want good beer; artisanal, hand-crafted beers made with love and not by an automated factory that pushes millions of insipid beers to the market every day; people want flavor. With this in mind, we wanted to tell you about the most popular beer styles today. Beers that represent the whole spectrum of flavor and texture, alcoholic strength, and color; beers that you have to try to understand the complexities of craft beer. Let’s start by saying that the best-selling beer style in the world is the American Lager (closely followed by light versions.) You know them well: Budweiser, Miller High Life, and Coors are prominent examples, but they’re not on our list today because, as people learn more about the technical nuances and beauty of craft beers, at least we hope, the popular beer style will fall out of favor. Upcoming Beer ClassesA great way to learn about beer and brewing is to attend a class at the Philly Beer School! Beer Brewing Program, Level One (Fall Semester)
Saturday, September 12 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
14 Seat(s) Available
Beer Brewing Program, Level One (Winter Semester)
Saturday, December 12 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
6 Seat(s) Available
Beer Brewing Program, Level Two (Winter Semester)
Sat, February 6, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
7 Seat(s) Available
IPAThis style got its name from India Pale Ale. Legend has it; this style was an extra-strong beer made to withstand long journeys through the sea from England to India. Today IPA is just IPA and stands for nothing, but its aromatic personality. IPAs are top-fermented beers (fermented with aromatic-enhancing Ale yeasts) that stand out for the high amounts of American, or New World hops added to the beer. Hops make IPAs incredibly aromatic. Pine nut aromas and tropical fruit scents like guava and citrus jump from the glass. The otherwise clear beer has a bitter profile thanks to the hops. Pale AleA classic beer style with a natural balance between hop and malt aromas. Also, top-fermented, pale ales are more approachable than IPAs; this is the type of beer that you can enjoy all day. With an average, toned-down alcohol strength, a clean profile, and an easy-to-drink personality, this is the craft brewers’ answer to the industrial lagers. Often golden, pale ales have a rich palate and are creamy compared to lagers. American StoutThis dark beer is having a moment. It gets its color from the roasted malt used for the style; the dark malt also brings forward aromas of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. The beers are easily recognizable for their black color and large, tan, foamy head. As with most other dark beers, it’s the malt and not the hops that predominate both on the nose and palate. Strength wise, you’ll find them in the range between 5% VOL and 7% VOL. PorterDark malts predominate in this style too, so expect similarities in color and aromas with Stouts. Although similar, they have very different backgrounds, as Porters were invented in England centuries ago to quench the thirst of port workers who needed an energy boost. Today, technically, the only difference between Porters and Stouts is the type of barley used. Stouts are made from unmalted grains, while Porters are based on malted barley, a small, but significant difference. For beer drinkers, the preference usually goes to one or the other. Wild & Sour AlesThese are the trendiest beers around, although it’s one of the older beer styles in existence! Producers don’t ferment these beers with selected, store-bought yeast, but with wild, ambient yeast found naturally in their cellars, and the results are always unpredictable and exciting! The spontaneous fermentation adds to the beer a set of funky but pleasant flavors and a most welcomed acidity that makes this beer perfect for food pairings. Amongst this category, you could consider the Belgian Gose, a cloudy, fruity, and tart beer to which producers add a pinch of salt and coriander seeds to make an epic, historical beer. PilsnerAlong with the pale ale, this is the beer style you should get if you’re getting started in the realm of craft beer. Pilsner beers where the first clear, bottom-fermenting (lager) beer is the world, developed in the Czech Republic in 1842. The golden-hued, bright, refreshing beer contrasted greatly with the dark, murky beers of the time and soon became the world’s standard. Fresh, easy to sip, with subtle malt aromas and a light but creamy palate, Pilsners are ideal for summer days. Wheat BeerTo round up the list, we have the famous wheat beer. This style is accomplished by using wheat instead of, or in addition to barley malt. Wheat beers are rich, creamy, full-bodied ales that are both satisfying and addictive. Originally from Germany and Belgium, today craft brewers around the globe make pristine examples. A characteristic banana note is common and adding citrus peels to the mixture is also a standard practice — this one you’ll love. Filtered or milky-white, wheat beers are not only popular today, they have been beloved for centuries. The post Seven Beer Styles appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/seven-beer-styles/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/seven-beer-styles
HR 748/the “CARES” Act is the two trillion dollar stimulus bill on the President’s desk. It has several key features that any business owner in the wine trade should be aware of. Most of the key points are in a subsection called “Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act” which was authored by a team of four bipartisan Senators: Marco Rubia (R), Ben Cardin (D), Susan Collins (R) and Jeanne Shaheen (D). While other parts of the stimulus package focused on getting money to US citizens, the KAWPEA is written to protect small businesses. There are a lot of options for someone running a business with less than 50 people, which is pretty much the entire wine trade. In this article, I am listing all the important elements of the bill, and explaining how they could help your business. I will keep this page updated as this bill becomes laws. I hope to have links to applications and information as soon as they become available. Feel free to add relevant information in the comments below. FYI, this information is valid for any small business, including wine shops and restaurants. Small Business Debt ReliefMany wineries (as well as breweries and distilleries) have loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Often these SBA loans were taken out to purchase buildings or equipment. This includes the following SBA programs: 504 loans, 7(a) Community Advantage, and Microloan. This bill requires the SBA to forgive your loan for half a year. This means the SBA will pay the principal, the interest, and all fees for half a year. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. Debt is the biggest burden for many in the wine trade. Land and equipment costs often mean you have a multi-million-dollar dept. This secion is going to be a Godsend to many small wineries. I will link to the application once it has been published. Emergency EIDL GrantsThis expands the existing Emergency EIDL Grant program that the SBA already runs. This allows for a $10,000 advanced within three days to cover payroll and to service debt obligations. This section has been funded with $17 Billion dollars. This is the link directly to the COVID-19 page: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/apply-for-disaster-loan/index.html This is a great program if you need money quickly. However, the next section may be a better fit if you can hold out a little longer. Paycheck Protection ProgramPayrolls aren’t as big for wineries as they are for other small businesses, but it’s far from trivial. This program offers loans of 2.5 times your average monthly payroll. The loans have low-interest rates, with a maximum of 4%, and are expected to have a 24-hour turn-around once the program has been established. The key detail here is that the loan will be forgiven if you maintain the same payroll levels. In effect, this loan would become a grant. You would only have to pay back the interest accrued. I will have links up as soon as this program. How the Wine School is HelpingIf you are a member of the food or wine trade and lost your job, you can become a Wine School Ambassador. We are paying up to 45% of our revenue to people in need. Here is the link to apply: https://www.vinology.com/wine-ambassador-application/ How Much Assistance Could A Winery Recieve?These are back-of-an-envelope calculations, so YMMV. On average, a medium-sized winery has a payroll burden of $32K and has a debt burden of around $50K. Those are monthly amounts, not annual. That would put the Federal assistance in the ballpark of $380,000 for a medium-sized winery. SBA BackgroundThe Wine School worked with the SBA to expand it’s footprint several years ago. It was one of the smartest choices I made as a business owner. In fact, it went so well that a few of our bankers are now students at the school! They wrote us up a few years ago: https://www.sba.gov/node/1623864 Wine Industry LobbyistsIn addition to CARES, the lobbyist groups WineAmerica and the Wine Institute have been pushing for several other remediations on Capitol Hill. This includes suspending federal excise taxes through December 31st, making the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act permanent, and suspending tariffs on alcohol beverages and related suppliers. Let’s hope they can push the ball forward on these topics. The post Economic Assistance Guide for the Wine Trade during the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Wine School of Philadelphia. Via https://www.vinology.com/winery-assistance/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/economic-assistance-guide-for-the-wine-trade-during-the-covid-19-pandemic1253972 |
John BoothHi I am John Booth,36 years old from California,CA,USA,working in Whole Seller market,we supply different types of Beverages to the market.Here I am sharing some special tips about it. Archives
August 2021
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