Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie are releasing a new rosé Champagne via their popular rosé brand Miraval, which they own with the French Perrin family. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir (75 and 25 percent, respectively), Fleur de Miraval will launch on October 15, according to a press release. The Jolie-Pitt and Perrin families partnered with the Péters family — a family rooted in six generations of Champagne making — to introduce the exclusive sparkling wine. “Fleur de Miraval Rosé is the culmination of five years of work, research, and tasting done in the utmost secrecy,” Rodolphe Péters, head of Pierre Péters Champagne said in the press release. “For me, Champagne conjures up feelings of celebration, quality, prestige, and luxury,” Pitt told People Magazine. “But rosé Champagne is still relatively unknown. Backed by our success with Miraval in Provence, I wanted us to try to create the defining brand of rosé Champagne, focusing all our efforts on just this one color.” Jolie and Pitt purchased the 1,200-acre Miraval estate in 2012. The couple married there in 2014, but when they announced their separation two years later rumors began regarding the sale of the estate. In 2017, the couple denied the speculation calling the estate “an investment for the family and the children.” In less than a decade, Miraval has grown to become one of the world’s most popular rosé brands. With just 20,000 bottles of the new Champagne produced for the first edition, and a reported SRP of $390, Fleur de Miraval promises to be a more niche release. The article Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Announce Fleur de Miraval Rosé Champagne appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/brad-pitt-angelina-jolie-rose-champagne/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie-announce-fleur-de-miraval-rose-champagne
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Sadie Drury, general manager of North Slope Management in Walla Walla, Wash., was doing everything right. She implemented and enforced all the recommended safety protocols, and yet, two of her employees — who lived together in shared, family housing — contracted Covid-19. With social distancing and masks in place, none of her other employees tested positive, but one of the two who were infected devastatingly passed away. “That hit us really hard,” she says. “It was a longtime supervisor in our company who had worked with us since the late ‘90s.” The Latinx community, which makes up the majority of the U.S. wine industry’s farmworkers, has proven to be especially vulnerable to Covid-19. In California, for example, Latinx persons account for 59 percent of positive Covid-19 cases and 47 percent of deaths, despite making up just 39 percent of the state’s population, according to the California Department of Public Health. This vulnerability is mostly attributed to the farmworker community’s low-income, socioeconomic realities; many workers live in multi-family housing and often carpool together in vans and other large transport vehicles. In Napa County alone, an outbreak of roughly 70 cases of Covid was reported in the county’s farmworker centers in July. As the 2020 harvest kicks off, maintaining the health of farmworkers is a top priority for wineries and vineyard management companies. If outbreaks do occur among vineyard crews, the wine industry could find itself in the midst of a labor shortage during the busiest time of year, and some operations may even be forced to shut down for two weeks. But while companies can do their part by creating safer work environments — requiring masks, performing daily temperature checks, separating teams into small cohorts, and social distancing — there are no fail-safe measures. There is, however, some help. For instance, the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation and the Napa Valley Grapegrowers have joined forces with the St. Helena Hospital Foundation to fund and supply a mobile health unit capable of testing up to 100 workers a day at vineyard sites. These organizations and others — like ¡Salud!, a healthcare and outreach organization created by Oregon winemakers to address the needs of vineyard workers — are mobilizing to protect workers by offering education, resources, and health screenings that can, in turn, help pilot the industry through a harvest season like no other. Preventive Education Comes First“Understanding how the virus transmits empowers people to make conscientious decisions both inside and outside of work,” says Molly Williams, industry and community relations director at the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and the Napa Valley Farmworker Foundation. The latter launched a Covid-19 task force and statewide education campaign, which includes resources like podcasts, videos, and posters. Education is also an integral focus of programming for ¡Salud!. “There’s an element of education not always permeating into that community. We explain it in their own language and in the context of their own culture, which makes it more relatable and understandable,” says Stephanie Buchanan, ¡Salud!’s manager of philanthropy, who argues that education is just as important when a worker tests negative. “We really drive home that you need to take precautions and how this impacts not just you, but your family as well,” she says. “People hear ‘negative’ and that’s what they focus in on.” Drury, of North Slope Management, is in constant communication with her crew, regularly passes out printed flyers, and has created a group text thread for updates and reminders related to the virus. One of her employees, Francisco Hernandez, says one effective strategy has been for supervisors to communicate that a worker’s failure to follow health guidelines and social distancing rules can result in a loss of work, and thus income. “It really sucks to work with the mask when it’s 80 to 90 degrees, but the attitude is that this is the only way we can move forward,” Hernandez says. “It’s not just for safety. What we’re implementing and the rules we follow, we’re keeping our jobs and feeding our families by doing that.” Bringing Testing Into the VineyardWhile testing is seemingly the most effective strategy for keeping the virus out of the workplace, it’s not always readily accessible. Workers might not have the transportation resources to get tested or the proper identification, they may fear a language barrier, and be wary of how the test could affect their employment or immigration status. Major delays in result turnarounds nationwide further complicate things; test results in places like Napa County are sometimes taking more than 10 days. One solution is to bring testing into the vineyards, like the mobile testing effort in Napa Valley that has conducted more than 1,600 tests since last month. Interested employers can reach out to the St. Helena Hospital Foundation to schedule testing. “From knowing the workers here, I feel like that would be a much better option for them,” says Hernandez. Similarly, ¡Salud! launched an appointment-based mobile clinic that provides no-cost Covid screenings at vineyard locations. “We record things like height, weight, blood pressure, we do basic lab work like A1C, which can give us a sense of underlying conditions — diabetes being one of the major concerns of this population — and then we have an optional Covid screening,” says Buchanan, noting that 87 percent of farmworkers have opted into testing, with results delivered by phone 24 hours later. Leveraging Local Support ServicesBy getting creative, seeking out, and utilizing local resources, wineries can ease the fears of their employees when it comes to testing and support them if they get sick. “For this population, a positive diagnosis means not being able to work for several weeks and especially right now, heading into harvest, this is when they make their money,” says Buchanan. “A positive diagnosis right now has a really big impact on that person’s financial outlook and on their family’s outlook.” In order to eliminate the financial burden, Drury is working with a local nonprofit winery that raises funds for vineyard workers’ health care. This enables her company to pay workers to stay home if they are exhibiting symptoms, receive a positive diagnosis, or were in close contact with someone who tested positive. “We’ve figured out a way to pay our workers to encourage them to stay home and prevent people from not reporting symptoms,” she says. When Hernandez was experiencing symptoms that he believed were allergies, he was able to go home for a few days while awaiting his test result. Ultimately, the test came back negative. “They were able to pay me for the days I took off, which was an assurance,” Hernandez says. “When you feel fine, you don’t really want to take time off, but when they have those policies in place, it makes it really nice to say, ‘I should follow the rules and I should go along with it.’” Both ¡Salud! and the Napa Valley Farmworkers have sought out local resources that can provide isolated housing in the event of a positive test result, connect workers with medical care and a translator, deliver groceries, and provide assistance with child care. “Right now, there’s more and more coming to light about health care disparities and there are a lot of organizations out there,” says Buchanan. “It just takes being proactive.” “We’re not just supporting the worker as a worker, “ echoes Williams, “but in a way that touches their whole life and supports their family as well.” The article As Harvest Begins, Organizations Are Mobilizing to Protect Vineyard Workers From Covid-19 appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/organizations-protect-vineyard-workers-covid-19/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/as-harvest-begins-organizations-are-mobilizing-to-protect-vineyard-workers-from-covid-19 As bars and restaurants continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic and reopening phases, VinePair asked the bartenders and drinks professionals below to provide a virtual tip jar or fund of their choice. More resources for helping hospitality professionals are available here. Cocktails such as the Old Fashioned, Martini, and Daiquiri — all indisputably classics — have been found on bar menus for over a century. Simplicity and balance lie at the heart of their enduring appeal. But considering the recent revolution in mixology, what are the new libations ready to challenge the dominance of old-guard cocktails like the Margarita and Manhattan? To find out, VinePair reached out to beverage pros across the country to weigh in on what they consider to be the go-to recipes of the past several decades. From old-school cocktails updated with new flavors or techniques, to entirely new creations destined for greatness, keep reading to find out the modern classics that should be on every imbiber’s radar. “There are cocktails that are simply old, and then there are those that are classics. You’ve got to differentiate between those two. But staying power is contingent on a variety of factors, from a catchy name to an iconic serve to an easy-to-replicate ingredient list. … Here is a short list of modern classics that can be reliably ordered around the world: Cosmopolitan – Toby Cecchini’s pink Kamikazee riff brought back V-shaped Martini glasses and helped make cocktails cool again; Penicillin – Sam Ross made Scotch cocktails cool again with this spicy, smoky, honeyed Whiskey Sour; Oaxaca Old Fashioned – Phil Ward’s brown and stirred homage to agave put the pioneering Death & Co on the cocktail map.” — Jason Cott, Managing Partner, Bedford Post Dining, Bedford, N.Y. “The Paper Plane cocktail should stand out as an exceptional modern classic. Equal parts lemon juice, bourbon, Amaro Nonino, and Aperol make this a boozy, citrusy, and downright delicious beverage.” — Kaitlyn Gibbs, Beverage Director, Louie, St. Louis Donate: Kaitlyn Gibbs Venmo “Though it may already be considered a ‘modern classic,’ I would cast my vote for the Ultima Palabra. A riff on the classic Last Word (though some variations of the Ultima call for an additional juice component), mezcal takes the place of gin in a cocktail that really showcases the excellent versatility of the agave distillate.” — Carlos Baz, General Manager and Beverage Director, Goosefeather, Tarrytown, N.Y. “Currently, I am also seeing a resurgence of tiki cocktails, which for a long moment were just considered the drink of your vacation, meant to be enjoyed on the beach or by a pool, but now we are seeing bars open that are fully dedicated to tiki cocktails and it isn’t just bottom-of-the-barrel spirits used to make them. It seems that cocktails are much like clothes and style — they all come back as trends at some time.” — Julie Masciangelo, Sommelier and General Manager, Il Posto, Denver Donate: Il Posto Emergency Relief Fund “The one definite modern classic cocktail is the Paper Plane. It does everything a good cocktail should; it’s lively and refreshing and can be used as an aperitif. … The ‘Naked and Famous’ comes in close second. The lime [juice] and yellow Chartreuse play nicely off each other, while smoky mezcal fills the palate and Aperol provides a bittersweet finish. Considering the variety of mezcal on the market, both home and professional bartenders can have fun experimenting. Try one mezcal that is lighter and vegetal with one drink and a fuller smokier mezcal on the next. Both cocktails are equal parts, making them easy to remember. Also, there’s something beautiful in the simplicity of an equal-parts drink. — Eddie Riddell, Bar Manager, Montelupo, Portland, Ore. “The Gold Rush was one of the first cocktails to come about during the first years of the cocktail revolution. It’s gained a lot of traction over the past few years, and who can blame it? It’s a wonderfully simple and balanced cocktail that’s perfect for both warm and cold weather. It combines sweet and sour flavors with the warmth and structure of a well-balanced bourbon. It should be considered a modern classic based solely on its simplicity and balance. In an age where everyone is trying to show their creativity and artistic skill with cocktails, it’s important to remember that not everything has to be esoteric and experiential. A simple creation can sometimes speak the loudest, [and] that’s fundamentally what a Gold Rush is.” — Warren Koguc, General Manager, Thompson’s Bookstore, Fort Worth, Texas “For me, the Jungle Bird is a definite modern classic. It always comes in a fun glass, with some delightfully crazy fruit garnish and a mountain of crushed ice. It’s about as tiki as one can get without having to find the time to go on vacation!” — Kit Still, General Manager, Main Street Tavern, Amagansett, N.Y. “The Revolver is my first choice for modern classics. Starward Australian Whisky ‘Nova’ expression pairs amazingly with black coffee and orange bitters to bring everything to life. It’s an early-2000s drink from San Francisco. That’s been one of my go-to cocktails behind the bar whenever someone is looking for a ‘whiskey drink’ but has no idea what they want. And it’s a great gateway cocktail into many other fun things. It’s also my favorite batched cocktail to keep in the freezer at home.” — PJ Wagner, Bar Lead, Guild Row, Chicago “I love the classic Boulevardier, which is whiskey, sweet vermouth, and Campari, and [I] modernized it using one of my favorite bourbons, Orin Swift’s The Burning Chair. The bourbon is combined with [Carpano] Antica Formula vermouth, orange bitters and orange blossom Aperitivo. The drink is then aged in oak barrels for 60 days.” — Al Fiorenza, Bar Manager, Cafe Chameleon, Bloomingdale, N.J. “You can never go wrong with a Negroni. Talk about a cocktail that has so much room for creative influence. After spending time in Florence, Italy, its city of origin, I realized this carefully balanced cocktail can be customized to anyone’s taste. The Negroni is a timeless classic being reimagined again and again in cocktail bars around the globe.” — Arielle Natale, Bar Manager, Elaia Estiatorio, Bridgehampton, N.Y “A Whiskey Sour – a classic one, with [a] dry-shaken egg white before the rest of the ingredients are added. I will only have mine with fresh lemon juice, and a nice rye whiskey, preferably Old Hamer Rye from West Fork Whiskey Co. I love it as a ‘modern classic’ because it has remained simple in recipe, but allows the opportunity for the drinker to choose their favorite whiskey or take a recommendation from their trusted bartender to add a dash of a sweet liqueur or drop of red wine for fun. New York gets the credit for the egg white addition, adding a nice soft foam fluff to top off the tart beverage.” — Lindsay Jo Whirley, Certified Cicerone and Culinary Arts Operations Manager, Newfields, Indianapolis “It’s a little difficult to select a drink I think should be deemed a ‘modern classic,’ mostly because I’ve been trained in the classics, modern and otherwise, and I’m not sure how many of them are universally considered ‘classics’ in the bar community. … If I was to nominate a drink that perhaps is one that I see ordered a bunch as of late, and is not one that was taught to me or published in a book by some well-known modern bartender, I guess it would have to be the Mezcal Negroni. Mezcal itself has only recently gained popularity outside of Mexico and South America, and for that reason there are no ‘classics’ per se that contain it, but it is a growing force among the spirits world. Granted, it’s simply a riff on a well-known classic and doesn’t necessarily have its own unique name, but the Mezcal Negroni is definitely becoming a ‘household name’ among bartenders and customers alike.” — Stephanie Reading, Bar Manager, Birdie G’s, Santa Monica, Calif. The article We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What Cocktail Should be Considered a Modern Classic? appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/12-best-modern-classic-cocktail-recipes/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-12-drinks-pros-what-cocktail-should-be-considered-a-modern-classic If you Google this question, the resounding answer you’ll find on the interwebs is that the only sake that should ever be heated is the cheap stuff, but that’s a misunderstood oversimplification of sake, borne from too many sake bombs consumed at chain hibachi restaurants. Yes, the premium ginjo and daiginjo styles benefit much more from being served chilled — which enhances their flavors and aromas — but there are also several sake styles, such as junmai, that benefit just as much from being served warm. This does not mean the sake is cheap — many junmai styles aren’t. It just means that this is a sake that possesses more dominant earthy and umami notes that are brought out when the sake is warmed as opposed to when it is chilled. The general rule is that if the sake possesses fruiter notes, and is higher in alcohol (above 15 percent ABV), or is a more premium style made from a higher-polished rice, it should be served chilled, as serving it warm would cause it to taste harsh and accentuate the alcohol. But a junmai sake (not to be confused with junmai ginjo and junmai daiginjo), or a honjozo, often love a bit of warmth, bringing out aromas of cereal and honey, and often making these styles less harsh and much smoother. The art of heating sake has been around for a long time — much longer than the sake bomb — and its original intention was not to mask cheapness or lack of quality. With sake, it’s all about finding the perfect temperature for each style to fully accentuate its characteristics. Sometimes, that means heating it, although many times it doesn’t. It’s all about finding the right balance. The article Ask Adam: Is It True Only Cheap Sake Should Be Served Hot? appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/sake-served-hot/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/ask-adam-is-it-true-only-cheap-sake-should-be-served-hot Looking for something easy with elegance? Here are 6 wine dinners for the times when your wine cooler is full, but your fridge is empty. Wine Folly - Learn about wine. Via https://winefolly.com/wine-pairing/6-easy-wine-dinners/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/6-easy-wine-dinners-from-basic-kitchen-staples In the last decade, a slate of exceptional and new-school Korean restaurants introduced New York diners to the finer points of Korean cooking. These restaurants span styles, Michelin stars, and neighborhoods, but for a long time they had one thing in common: their beverage programs lacked high-quality Korean booze, or sool. “Sool” is a Korean word representing all the country’s alcoholic beverages. It encompasses thousands of forms, from soju to makgeolli to fruit wines. In an effort to introduce American drinkers and diners to quality sool, master sommelier Kyungmoon Kim launched KMS Imports in January. He’s working with seven craft sool brewers and carries a tight nine selections of soju, chungju, makgeolli (pronounced mahk-ul-lee), and plum wine. “With sool, it’s time for people to understand the story and really the true artisanship behind it,” he says. From importers like Kim, to Korean and Korean-American chefs, bartenders, sommeliers, brewers, and entrepreneurs, a younger generation of drinks professionals is making sure New Yorkers have sool to match the caliber of the city’s Korean cooking. How the Korean War Changed SoolMuch of the artisanship behind sool was lost or forgotten in the aftermath of the Korean War. In 1965, due to rice shortages, the Korean government banned the use of rice in alcohol production, which forced many smaller producers to close and led to mass consolidation of the industry. “At the time, it made sense. People barely had money to put food to the table. They really just needed cheap alcohol to get through the day,” says Kim. “But the rich heritage of rice brewing and soju-making sort of fell apart.” A legacy of that period is inexpensive green bottle soju, one of the most consumed and beloved alcoholic beverages on the planet. Even though the rice ban was lifted in 1999, industrial soju is still mostly made with sweet potatoes, barley, tapioca, and other inexpensive commodity starches. It’s a diluted neutral spirit with added preservatives and artificial sweeteners and, sometimes, flavors. “It’s a chemical Kool-Aid,” says James Kumm, co-owner of Yobo, a New York State craft soju brand. “There are two words people throw around with soju: traditional and authentic. Green bottle soju is authentic, but it’s not traditional. It’s a very modern product.” Some old-school sool-making practices survived, though, especially in villages and with home brewers. However, well-made jeontongju, or traditional sool, was a rarity in Korea and even more so in America, according to Alice Jun, owner of Hana Makgeolli in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. “Quality sool wasn’t widely available in Korea for a long time, especially in Seoul,” says Jun. “It’s a funny thing. Obviously, people are learning about sool in America, but it’s happening in Korea, too.” Traditional and Modern Products Enter the MarketAlice Jun is a devotee of jeontongju. Growing up, her dad homebrewed makgeolli, a cloudy, naturally fermented, and just-fizzy rice-based brew. “I understood makgeolli to be tart, dry, complex, funky, and nutty with punch-you-in-the-face alcohol,” she says. Instead, all she could find on the market was industrial makgeolli, jacked up with aspartame, citric acid, and artificial flavors. “With Hana, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if there was makgeolli that could be served with elevated Korean food, something that would complement the cuisine and wouldn’t overwhelm diners’ palates?’” says Jun. After three years of experimenting and brewing, Jun will officially launch Hana Makgeolli in early September with bottles that will clock in at 16 percent ABV and remain unpasteurized to fully convey the nuances of fermentation. Brandon Hill has a similar fervor for jeontongju, though he came to it in a much more roundabout fashion. Hill studied fermentation and distillation in Korea in 2011, and when he returned to the States and a job distilling at Van Brunt Stillhouse, he had no intention of making soju. But eventually, a friend at Insa, a Korean restaurant and karaoke bar in Brooklyn, asked Hill to make their house soju. Diners and the Korean restaurant community were enamored of Hill’s soju, leading him to develop his own brand, Tokki, in 2018. “Most people who know soju have the connotation that it’s a spirit you drink to get trashed at a karaoke room. The traditional versions were never exported,” says Hill, who moved to Seoul this year to expand Tokki’s operations and tap into an even larger Korean market. For their respective products, Hill and Jun both rely on a combination of modern brewing technology and ancient techniques to coax alcohol from steamed rice, water, and nuruk, a steamed wheat cake that develops mold, yeast, and bacteria strains that activate fermentation and allow rice starch to be converted to sugar and then alcohol. Old-School Rice Brewing: A PrimerIn the United States, soju is by far the most well-known product derived from nuruk-based rice brewing. But the full range of traditional Korean rice alcohol starts with wonju. Wonju is the original unfiltered mash of unpolished rice, nuruk, and water. Wonju’s maximum ABV ranges from 19 to 23 percent, based on a brewer’s fermentation methods, and it’s cloudy with sediment. Wonju naturally settles and forms a clear layer on top that’s called chungju or yakyu. (Yangchon chungju is one of the few examples on the market.) The leftover sediment layer is called takju. “Royals drank the clear chungju and discarded all the sediment, but the peasants took the takju home because it still contained alcohol. They would pour in water for volume and to lower the alcohol,” says Kim. Diluted tajku is makgeolli. There’s a bit of nuance to the category, though. Some brewers, including Jun, dilute wonju to make their makgeolli, choosing to keep the character of the chungju as part of the final product. And in Korea, any diluted brew with more than 10 percent alcohol is considered takju; below 10 percent, it’s makgeolli. Depending on the brewery, rice-based soju can be distilled from wonju, chungju, or takju, and the distillate reaches 40 to 45 percent alcohol. Soju, an Expansive CategoryNow, only a fraction of soju is brewed from rice and with nuruk, but soju made from other grains or sugar sources aren’t necessarily poor quality. KMS Imports counts among its selections Golden Barley Soju, which has notes of cedar and honey; and Seoul Night, a soju distilled from plum wine and laced with juniper. Yobo, owned by James Kumm and his wife Carolyn Kim, is distilled from Catawba grapes grown in of New York State. Distillation sloughs off some of the grape’s rougher, musky characteristics while “retaining a lot of grape aromatics,” says Carolyn. Also based in upstate New York, West 32 (named for NYC’s West 32nd Street in Koreatown) produces corn-based soju and was an early proponent of barrel aging, a technique that wasn’t adopted in Korea until the mid-aughts. There’s still a place for green bottle soju, too, especially in cocktails. Katie Rue opened the Lower East Side’s Reception Bar in 2018, and says her goal “is to showcase and take space for Korean-American-ness.” She stocks bottles from KMS Imports but still uses Jinro 24 for all her infusions. Reception Bar’s menu, which has been thinned for take-out only service, includes five infused sojus (matcha, osmanthus, Korean green pepper, white lotus, and artemisia) and six cocktails that all highlight soju and Korean ingredients. Cocktail consultant and “basic Queens girl” Haera Shin incorporates peach-flavored soju into East Village restaurant Nowon’s brunch-tastic sangria riff, the “GZB.” “We used to get made fun of for drinking flavored soju, but we’re taking it back,” says Shin, who also recently developed a recipe for Makku-chata, a sharable horchata riff made with makgeolli, sesame-washed soju, and pine nuts. Moves in MakgeolliLike soju, most makgeolli in the States is produced industrially from a variety of starches and fermented with koji instead of nuruk. Jun says she loves all makgeolli, even the sweetened commercial stuff, but she’s excited about the growing number of quality makgeolli available in America. Kim imports blush-pink Red Monkey Makgeolli, whose producer, Sulseam, inoculates rice with a type of red yeast that imparts its characteristic color to the drink, along with notes of red fruit and rose petals. In 2019, Carol Pak launched Makku, a line of canned makgeolli. Growing up in Queens, Pak remembers sneaking makgeolli out of friends’ parents’ stashes, but she didn’t pay much attention to the category until she worked as an entrepreneur in residence for Anheuser-Busch InBev. When she visited a craft makgeolli bar in Seoul, she thought American drinkers, with their penchant for hazy IPAs and sour ales, would go for makgeolli. “Makgeolli is Korea’s drink,” says Pak, who likens it to nigori sake. “There’s no substitute in America.” Makku’s and Hana Makgeolli’s recent arrivals prove that — though the sool scene is a small one — there’s ample room in the United States for new sool producers and styles, from spirits like soju, to fruit wines and herbal liqueurs. “I think it has to be an all-around approach, [an] attack from all sides,” says Jun. “The main goal is to establish Korean alcohol as its own category.” The article Korean-American Drinks Pros Are Bringing ‘Sool’ to New York appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/korean-drinks-new-york-sool/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/korean-american-drinks-pros-are-bringing-sool-to-new-york While we really love taking advantage of everything the summer has to offer, we’d be lying if we didn’t say we have an internal countdown until the cooler days of fall arrive. To put it simply, we’d prefer to do our outdoor day drinking (especially tailgating) when it isn’t screaming hot outside. With that season approaching quicker than you think, now is the time to get everything you need for seamless outdoor libations. Here are some of our favorites. The Iceberg Can Cooler blows every koozie you’ve ever used out of the water. It’s double-walled, and vacuum-sealed construction keeps your cold beer cold for longer, removing any chance of your hands warming it up while you’re enjoying the fall breeze. It fits standard cans and bottles, making it perfect for any six-pack seasonal you happen to snag on your way to the function.
The article Three of Our Favorite Fall Outdoor Drinking Essentials appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/picks/3-fall-drinks-essentials-2020/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/three-of-our-favorite-fall-outdoor-drinking-essentials One hundred percent. The term seems straight forward enough. You see it listed on labels constantly. You seek it out in the food you eat. Who doesn’t want a burger made from 100 percent real beef? You fill your clothes drawer with T-shirts made from 100 percent cotton. When you’re absolutely certain of something, you might even respond with this succinct phrase: 100 percent. But in the case of 100 percent blue agave tequila, you shouldn’t be so sure. Thankfully, one couple is here to help boost your confidence. “Additives can actually be used [in 100 percent agave tequila] and there is no requirement to notify the end consumer, as long as the amount added does not exceed 1 percent of total volume,” warns Grover Sanschagrin. Along with his wife Scarlet, the industry insider recently launched a tequila transparency initiative known as the Tequila Matchmaker Additive-Free Verification Program. The two moved from California to Mexico in 2015, led by their love of the agave spirit. When developing an app called Tequila Matchmaker that documents where tequila brands are produced, they were exposed to hundreds of different examples of the spirit. And they began noticing a fundamental difference among some of the outliers — variation that couldn’t merely be chalked up to the “hand of the maker.” “The difference, we later realized, was the use of additives,” Grover recalls. “This was eye-opening for us.” Studying the topic further, the Sanschagrins acquainted themselves with four specific “mellowing agents” routinely added to aged tequilas throughout Jalisco. They included sugar-based syrups, glycerin, oak extract, and caramel color, which are all permissible by Mexican law. When it comes to components designed to enhance flavors and aromas, literally dozens are allowed. Since none of them have to be disclosed on the label, the vanilla notes you pick up in your favorite añejo might actually be vanilla extract — and you’d be none the wiser. “One crazy thing that some brands are starting to use is Neotame, which is 8,000 times more powerful than sugar, and has zero calories,” Grover says. “Many modern additives are extremely concentrated so it is easy to completely change a tequila while staying under that 1 percent legal limit. Nobody ever wants to talk about it.” The Sanschagrins are forcing transparency into the conversation by offering a certification to distilleries that are willing to go through a rigorous inspection. “We are generally looking for sudden and dramatic changes between what comes out of the still or barrel, and what is made available to the public,” says Grover. “We also look at chemical analysis records, as well as internal purchase documents for the distillery. We are authorized to view all areas of a distillery, not just those that have been made attractive for tours.” Understandably, opening up your entire operation to outsiders might be an uneasy proposition. Yet Grover and Scarlet note that brands have already been reaching out to them — some are eager for the stamp of additive-free verification. The Additive-Free Verification Program has verified 186 products so far, and has dozens of additional requests. Brands with verified products include Patrón, Fortaleza, Tequila Ocho, El Tesoro, and others. Of course that’s just a drop in the bucket of the more than 1,700 bottlings now in existence in and around tequila country. But they’ve gotten off the ground with the cooperation of some of the biggest names in the business. “As the tequila category continues to grow, we believe it’s important to keep consumers aware of what’s in their tequila,” says Antonio Rodriguez, director of production for Patrón — one of the first brands to be verified. “Consumers are asking for transparency from brands and want to understand what they are putting in their bodies. Many of them do not realize that very few tequila brands have made the commitment to stay additive-free, and instead have added artificial flavors, aromas, and colors to alter quality and enhance taste.” Still, the fact remains that the Additive-Free Verification Program lacks the official authority to award government-backed certification to anyone — although brands are allowed to put the verification label on their bottles. The Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) is the only tequila conformity agency in Mexico. It acts as enforcer of longstanding rules laid out by Mexico’s Ministry of Economy. And they’re not scheduled to review any policy adjustments until midway through 2022. In the meantime, the CRT worries about the limitations of a non-governmental initiative like the one championed by the Sanschagrins. Speaking on background, a member of the CRT expresses doubts that the Additive-Free Verification Program could perform all the necessary analyses to confidently make assertions of purity. Further, they doubt the couple’s ability to fully perform the 1,700 audits needed for a full survey of the category. The CRT member also fears that consumers might be misled into thinking the brands that haven’t been evaluated yet must have something to hide. The Mexican government can, of course, make this all a moot point by foisting transparent labeling upon the industry in two year’s time. By then it will have been nearly 50 years since the U.S. began recognizing tequila as a protected category of spirit, one that’s exclusive to the Mexican state of Jalisco — or from one of four neighboring states — and distilled from agave. If you had read the fine print back then, however, you’d know that only a basic majority of the sugars going into fermentation had to come from the spiky plant. The other 49 percent could come from just about any other fermentable commodity. Typically it was sugarcane. For decades, this category (now known as mixto) formed the basis of endless frozen Margaritas and countless hangovers. The formation of the CRT in 1994 coincided with a growing movement of connoisseurs within the space; drinkers who were actually concerned with what was in this party-centric liquid. One hundred percent blue agave emerged as the response. Though this sort of liquid had existed for generations, American drinkers were introduced to the concept of a sipping tequila more recently. These super-premium tequilas were marketed — and priced — accordingly. Over the past 20 years, sales of this super- premium segment have skyrocketed, growing by 1,042 percent. Almost all high-end bottles flaunt a 100 percent blue agave tag somewhere on their labels. And the new generation of enthusiasts seeking out this category have long been comforted by the fact that they’re drinking real tequila. But the Sanschagrins fear that the Mexican government — and by extension the CRT — may be unlikely to address transparency head on, bringing attention to transparency issues. And some agency members don’t feel that transparency is important. “It’s proprietary information,” said one member of the agency who asked to remain anonymous. “Who knows what makes your grandmother’s turkey so good? Maybe there is a secret ingredient and she doesn’t want to share that. Maybe there is an additive there. It’s all part of the recipe.” And sure, if it tastes good to you, that’s more than just an incidental consideration. But ignorance is rarely bliss when it comes to what you’re putting in your body. Vanilla extract or not, will the typical tequila drinker feel better knowing exactly what’s in their bottle? One hundred percent. The article A Disruptive Transparency Initiative Is Shining Light on Tequila Additives appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/transparency-initiative-tequila-additives/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/a-disruptive-transparency-initiative-is-shining-light-on-tequila-additives Many beer enthusiasts can recall early encounters with mixed drinks resembling a shandy. The basic beer mixed with a non-alcoholic beverage fits in as well at a barbecue as it does at a bar, and its simple preparation – an even split of lager and lemonade, in many cases – is easy to recreate at home. For shandy lovers whose cocktail-making skills sit somewhere between fresh-squeezing fruit juices into a local lager, and topping a can of Tecate with a squeeze of lime, shandy occupies a safe, happy middle ground. While canned and bottled shandies are available, some inventive shandy variations are popping up on beverage blogs and bar menus across the country, from the San Francisco-based Crafts and Cocktails hospitality blog, to Lupa Osteria Romana trattoria in NYC. Below are six of our favorite shandy recipes, provided by brewers, bartenders, and beverage professionals across the U.S. Sfizio Spritz ShandyDeveloped by: Mike Schnebeck Mike Schnebeck, head brewer at Fort Point Beer Co. in San Francisco, recently created a shandy that features Sfizio, Fort Point’s new Italian-style Pilsner. “It’s a nice in-between for someone who is looking for a refreshing drink that isn’t too sweet,” he says. Ingredients
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Caitlin’s Spirited ShandyDeveloped by: Caitlin Johnson Austin, Texas-based blogger, Catilin Johnson of Big World, Small Girl blogs about craft beer and hosts the 512 Brewed Craft Beer podcast. Her favorite shandy features RAYS, a Texas-made fruit spirit, and Austin-made beer from Live Oak Brewing. Ingredients
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Grapefruit Calidad ShandyDeveloped by: Jordan Gookin Hardin For a refreshing summer shandy, L.A.-based beverage specialist Jordan Gookin Hardin of Alfred, Inc., suggests utilizing one of the “new, U.S.-brewed, Mexican-style lagers on the market.” He recommends Calidad Beer for the base, and uses grapefruit juice to avoid a shandy that’s too sweet. Ingredients
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Hazy McLarenDeveloped by: Christopher Longoria and Nora Furst To matchmake beer and vodka in a still-sessionable shandy, cocktail consultants Christopher Longoria and Nora Furst created this recipe for Seven Stills Brewery and Distillery in San Francisco. “This cocktail is refreshing, complex, and low-ABV, meant to be enjoyed on the patio, sitting in the sunshine,” Furst says. “This is a beautiful way to offer something to the amaro and beer lover alike.” Ingredients
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Sebago ShandyDeveloped by: Nicole Gampino Bartender and craft cocktail specialist Nicole Gampino of Century Grand in Phoenix likes to add a peachy touch to her shandy, which makes this recipe a refreshing summertime sip. Ingredients
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Carolina ShandyDeveloped by: Taneka Reaves and Johnny Caldwell Cocktail Bandits Hospitality bloggers and co-authors of the book “Holy Spirits! Charleston Culture Through Cocktails,” Taneka Reaves and Johnny Caldwell keep their shandy simple but specific. “Charleston is home to the Recovery Room, a bar that sells more cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon than any other bar in the world,” Reaves and Caldwell told VinePair. Because of this, they built a shandy around it. Ingredients
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The article Six Shandy Recipes from Beer and Cocktail Pros appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/six-shandy-recipes-from-pros/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/six-shandy-recipes-from-beer-and-cocktail-pros In case you missed it, summer 2020 came in the middle of a global pandemic. In a period that has required following safety measures, including mask wearing and social distancing, many of the season’s pastimes that so often accompany beer — barbecues, beach days, ballgames — have looked different or been abandoned altogether. The custom of beating the summer heat with a refreshing drink, too, has taken on unconventional forms amid the coronavirus pandemic, as most states have temporarily loosened laws around takeout and delivery alcohol, a small lifeline for a handicapped food-and-beverage industry struggling to survive. Craft brewers, for instance, have been battered by evaporated on-premises sales at taprooms, bars, and restaurants. In a survey of its members conducted by the Brewers Association in April, the majority did not believe they could stay in business for three months if current conditions continued. And, as a cost-cutting measure, data shows innovation has slowed: Almost half as many new beer releases, themselves an earmark of small, independent American breweries, are being registered compared to the same period last year due to Covid-19. Still, producers are pushing through the crisis — for one, they’re adopting creative ways of packaging and selling in a constantly changing regulatory landscape. And, as we share below, many brewers are still releasing new offerings, helping beer lovers salvage the sublime joy of summer imbibing. So, with this far-from-normal summer nearing its end, we asked brewers across the country to tell us about the beers that impressed them the most so far. “Let’s be honest: Summers in Phoenix are BRUTALLY hot. Like, working the deep fryer inside of a food truck parked at the gates of Hell hot. It’s a type of heat that’s so intense, only those who experience it know how truly awful it is — and why liquid solace is needed. For me this summer it came from Humble Seas’ West Coast-leaning pilsner, Beverly Krills 90210. Dry-hopped with a nice blend of American and noble varieties, it’s a great example of what a contemporary American pilsner can be: Dry, sessionable, with subtle fruity hop aromatics, and the perfect amount of balanced maltiness. The head retention absolutely begs for a slow pour so you can build those nice frothy, aromatic peaks, almost like Arizona’s mountainous landscape.” — Kyle Kreig, Taproom Manager, Wren House Brewing Co., Phoenix “With everything that’s been going on, it’s been incredibly important to find joy in the little things. I definitely found a bit of joy this summer in Tripping Animals’ joint can release, Am I A Cat? and Am I A Dog? It’s ‘90s cartoon nostalgia meets experimental beer cuvée, where both are designed to stand alone and also be mixed. Both titles had the same sour base and coconut additions. But the Cat was conditioned on blueberry and pomegranate, and the Dog pineapple and key lime. Once you combined them, it was like a perfectly tart key lime pie with a berry reduction on top! Changing the ratios of the cuvée made each drink exciting, playful, and unique. I had a lot of fun drinking something so interactive and flavorful!” — Susie Bennett, Quality Assurance Analyst, Motorworks Brewing, Bradenton, Fla. “To support the Black Lives Matter movement, several brewers have stepped up and launched initiatives to speak about and work toward combating the racial injustice we face. Weathered Souls’ Black Is Beautiful ignited this large-scale industry support and it has been astronomical, while more recent efforts such as the ongoing, open-source project BREATHING : CONVERSATIONS from Finback in New York will go deeper into the route of problems, and further push necessary change. Knowing the people at Finback, it isn’t a brewery to make a beer to appease BIPOC and not seem racist, or to follow ‘woke’ trends, but to effectively bring forward conversations and ideas that aren’t comfortable, but need to be had.” — James Higgs, Brand Ambassador, Forager Brewery, Rochester, Minn. “Saaz Off Shotgun, a Czech-style pilsner from Radicle Effect Brewerks, was my go-to summer beer. Radicle is a nanobrewery, so it doesn’t put out too many lagers. But luckily for some small brewers, Covid-19 allowed them to have extra time to lager. Saaz Off was released right when patios started to open back up here, and it was the perfect way to bring some normalcy back. Crispy, and all of the character from the Saaz hops shine.” — Glenn Cole, Brand Ambassador, Midwest Ale Works, East Moline, Ill. “Weathered Souls’ Black Is Beautiful initiative unified over 1,000 breweries this summer to take a stance and bring awareness to the systemic issues that challenge communities of color. This led to an incredible lineup of varying stout recipes, like ours, in tandem with Trillium Brewing, aged on a bed of Papua New Guinea vanilla beans. Aside from our deliciousness, one Black Is Beautiful stout that really stood out was from two other Massachusetts beer makers, Vitamin Sea and Brockton. They put an extra twist on their version and went with a blackberry sour that had a complex yet subtle layering of marshmallow and chocolate whirled into a deep dark color bursting with blackberry flavor. Well balanced and absolutely a memorable beer.” — Ray Berry, Founder and President, White Lion Brewing, Springfield, Mass. “Key Brewing’s Semi Charmed takes me back to the time when pale ales and Northwest hops ruled the beer land. Light amber in color, with distinct maltiness and assertive bitterness presented harmoniously. The Baltimore tie-in to ‘Charm City’ also tells a great story.” — Rob Day, Senior Director of Marketing, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers and Springdale Beer Co., Framingham, Mass. “At the start of summer, my girlfriend and I drove up from Texas to a cabin nestled on a lake in the Adirondacks. On the way, we spent the night at my old stomping grounds, in northern Virginia, to stay with a friend. To my delight, she had a case of Aslin beers waiting for me. Aslin’s That’s Facts, a pilsner dry-hopped with Waimea and Motueka hops, became my go-to adventure beer. Though everything we drank during that time tasted better thanks to the setting and company, That’s Facts was the one I kept reaching for when hiking or kayaking, or when sunset was involved. And just like our time quarantining on the lake, my 4-pack of this crispy pilsner was thoroughly enjoyed, finished way too soon, and left me craving more. And that’s facts.” — Eli Traks, Photography and Social Media Manager, Turning Point Beer, Bedford, Tex. “My pick is the Big Ditch and Ommegang collaboration, Superior Helles. Of course, any well-crafted helles is a sublime summer crusher, but these two Upstate New York brewers took it to the next level with the deft addition of Hallertau Blanc and Bavaria Mandarina hops, which together layer a delicate aroma of noble hops and tropical fruit atop a sound, cracker-y malt base which adds a soft sweetness. The beer is a perfect accompaniment to a sweltering day, yet also holds its own in a food-pairing situation with lighter summer fare such as a salad or pasta primavera. Prost!” — Ethan Cox, Founder, Community Beer Works, Buffalo, N.Y. “As a brewer who likes to spend their spare time hiking and camping, I like to reach for beers that I can pack easily and are the ones I’ll wanna drink when I get to a lake or summit. That beer for me this summer is Kolsch 4.5, by Logsdon Farmhouse Ales. I’ve had an admiration for Logsdon since getting into craft beer, with its ability to produce beautiful saisons and mixed-culture beers. The Washington [State] brewery moved facilities and has expanded to brewing styles like IPAs and lagers. Kolsch 4.5 is a perfect example of the team’s rounded ability to make a delicate, crisp, and refreshing German-style ale that can be taken with you on any adventure. And yes, it’s really 4.5 percent ABV. And no, it doesn’t come with Zig-Zags.” — Anne Aviles, Brewer, Breakside Brewery, Portland, Ore. “My pick is from Nashville’s one-man operation, Barrique Brewing and Blending. Joel Stickrod’s BBA [bourbon-barrel aged] Freeman Red is a traditional Flanders red initially aged on red muscadine grapes, then finished for an additional six months in a Wild Turkey barrel. The extended bourbon-barrel-aging adds some wonderful vanilla, char, and whiskey character to a style that is oft overstated and can tiptoe the line of aggression.” — Dylan Field, Operations, Southern Grist Brewing Company, Nashville “White Sangria Hut, from Half Acre’s Wyld program. This open-fermented, oak-aged saison was racked onto Michigan peaches and Pinot Gris must, and then introduced to Cara Cara orange peels. It offers tons of bright, exotic, tropical flavors — kiwi, peach, coconut, citrus — and truly makes you feel like you are sitting beachside somewhere on the coast of Spain. It has definitely provided the greatest degree of escape from the confines of summer quarantine in Chicago. It’s hard to tell while sipping, but this beer also packs a hefty 10 percent ABV. And though that is typically a bit higher alcohol than I like in my day-to-day beer, it’s exactly what I want when I‘m pretending to lounge around on a faraway beach.” — Averie Swanson, Founder and Brewer, Keeping Together, Chicago The article We Asked 11 Beer Pros: What’s the Best New Beer You’ve Had This Summer? appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/beer-pros-new-summer-beer-2020/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/we-asked-11-beer-pros-whats-the-best-new-beer-youve-had-this-summer |
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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