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Looking to fulfill that dream of owning a piece of land deep in Sicily’s wine country? The charming town of Bivona is the latest Italian village selling historic properties for $1 each. Situated in the heart of southern Sicily, around an hour’s drive from the vineyards of the Sciacca DOC and the Contessa Entellina DOC, Bivona is selling houses to anyone interested in taking on a fixer-upper. You’ll need to commit at least $2,750 as a deposit, but will have a four year period (longer than competing towns with similar $1 deals) to start renovations, making the deal even sweeter. Many of the homes being offered are 18th-century former farmer- and shepherd-dwellings, with charming features such as panoramic terraces, wooden doors, tiled roofs, and thick stone walls. For those brave enough to bet on their dream, the buildings can be used for whatever the buyer prefers — a home, hotel, restaurant, B&B, or shop, with tax incentives for those who decide to stay and live in the village. Angela Cannizzaro, Bivona’s culture councilor hopes the offer will help return the town to its 16th-century grandeur, when Bivona was a flourishing Renaissance duchy. “Despite so many empty buildings, Bivona’s old center is still vibrant, packed with history and very welcoming,” Cannizzaro told CNN. “We need to breathe new life into it.” She added: “In the last 40 years, our population has halved. Today we’re down to just 3,800 residents.” Whether you’re a serious investor or just window shopping, you can browse the houses for sale on Bivona’s website. The article You Can Buy a Fixer-Upper in Sicilian Wine Country For Just $1 appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/sicily-properties-one-dollar/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/you-can-buy-a-fixer-upper-in-sicilian-wine-country-for-just-1 Great beer has always relied upon great water, from the extremely soft water in lager-loving Pilsen, Czech Republic, to the high-sulfate counts in IPA powerhouse Burton-on-Trent, England. Water was historically essential for transporting casks on barges and boats, and for cooling and cleaning. Now, in the age of climate crisis, water’s role in craft beer is under increased scrutiny. Small breweries might make better beer, but large breweries are traditionally far more efficient with water usage — and are only getting better at pointing this out to sustainability-minded consumers. Industry giants like AB InBev, for example, issue press releases heralding water-to-beer consumption-production ratios as low as 3.2, which is less than half of what would have previously been considered good for a craft brewery. As water usage becomes an increasingly urgent matter, small breweries around the world are working to improve their practices. Much of the leadership on the issue has come from the Brewers Association, the U.S. trade group for craft breweries. In addition to publishing its own water usage and reduction handbook on its website, the Brewers Association has a sustainability mentor, John Stiers, who helps brewers figure out how to improve their water efficiency. “The No. 1 place to look is cleaning,” Stiers says. “Cleaning in general is the biggest user of water in the brewery. If I walk into a brewery and the floors are wet and there’s a hose running, that’s not a good sign.” One of the first steps brewers should take, Stiers says, is simply getting a benchmark for their brewery’s water use. “They just need to take a year’s worth of water usage data, which they have anyway because they pay their bills, and compare it to how much beer they produce,” Stiers says. “If you don’t have a speedometer on your car, how do you know how fast you’re going? Once you collect your utility data, you can have incredible insight into those efficiencies.” With an idea of where they stand, brewers can try to improve that ratio. One way to start is by double-checking they are accurately following the prescribed process for their clean-in-place (CIP) sanitation systems. “A lot of brewers may have a spec to CIP for so many minutes, but they’re afraid of bacteria,” Stiers says. “So they say, ‘Oh, let’s just go for twice as long.’” In Europe, Hamburg, Germany-based Brewtech helps breweries improve water efficiency, among other issues. Brewtech’s technical director Klaus Gollhofer says that while small breweries once considered it acceptable to use between eight and 10 barrels of water for every barrel of beer, the number should be somewhere between four and seven today. His tips include employee training, equipment maintenance, and making sure that the flow of fresh water stops when equipment stops, as well as considering longer brewing schedules with fewer breaks in production. “Try to brew for 24 hours over two to three days, instead of 12 to 16 hours over five days,” Gollhofer says. In addition to simply using less water to begin with, breweries are finding innovative ways to reuse wastewater. Relatively clean water from the last rinse of the CIP system is saved and used for the first flush of the next clean-in-place cycle at many breweries, including the Czech Republic’s Samson, a small regional producer recently purchased by AB InBev. “We have a ratio between three and four hectoliters of water to beer,” says Samson brewmaster Radim Lavička. “We have to save water.” In Colorado, New Belgium saves the water that initially rinses the inside of its clean, new bottles when they come in, according to Katie Wallace, New Belgium’s director of social and environmental impact. The brewery later uses that water to wash the outside of its filled and capped bottles at the end of the packaging process. “That saved us a million gallons a year,” Wallace says. Another innovation at New Belgium includes using water treatment to create energy. “We treat our own process water on site, meaning the cleaning water, water from the packaging line and so forth,” Wallace says. “With anaerobic digestion, it creates a hot gas. It’s got a lot of methane in it. During peak hours we actually burn the biogas, and use that to offset our electricity.” Innovation on multiple fronts seems common in the quest to improve water efficiency. According to Jamie Ramshaw, a former brewer who supervised water usage at several large U.K. breweries and who now works for the British malt manufacturer Simpsons, reducing and reusing water sometimes has its own complications. If wastewater is reduced but the organic waste from the brewery remains the same, that more concentrated waste can wreak havoc on local water treatment plants. “I know of breweries who are out in villages, and they were just dumping their stuff, and the village water systems couldn’t handle it,” Ramshaw says. “The less liquor or water you’re putting down the drain, the more concentrated your effluent is, and high concentrations of organic material can mess with the local water treatment facilities.” As a result, small breweries like California’s Bear Republic have installed centrifuges to remove yeast and other solids, thereby sending less organic matter into local treatment plants. Even the design of new breweries — or a redesign during a renovation — can contribute to better water usage. Brewtech’s Klaus Gollhofer notes that designing shorter pipes between tanks can result in less water being used. Ramshaw says that many classic U.K. breweries were originally built with elements that discourage excess water use. “You can actually design breweries to be drier,” Ramshaw says. “The microbrewery where I started out had wooden floors. If you look at Hook Norton, it’s got wooden floors, until you get to the cask racking part, that’s where it gets a bit dirty. You can’t spray everything down if it’s got wooden floors, because the water will just go straight through the floor.” Changing the brewing process can also improve water usage, Ramshaw says, and mentions high-gravity brewing, a process that involves brewing at a higher initial strength and adjusting the beer after fermentation. “If I brew a beer at 4 percent alcohol, I brew it once and clean it once,” Ramshaw says. “But if I brew the same beer at 6 percent and then dilute it down to 4 percent, I’ve made one and a half times the amount of beer, and used the same amount of water to clean it.” Although high-gravity brewing is sometimes derided by consumer groups, it can make a big difference in overall water usage. If the choice in the future lies between high-gravity beer and no beer at all, most drinkers would presumably pick the former. Also on the table: brewing with pure, potable water reclaimed from sewage, an idea that is being promoted by the Pure Water Brewing Alliance. For Stiers, the growing popularity of craft beer makes sustainable water practices all the more important today. “It’s about changing the culture. It’s about getting employees engaged,” Stiers says. “If you’ve got a sector that is growing as fast as craft beer is in the U.S., you want to do it in the most responsible way possible.” The article First Came Better Beer. Now Craft Breweries Want to Be Better for the Planet appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/beer-sustainability-water-waste/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/first-came-better-beer-now-craft-breweries-want-to-be-better-for-the-planet Through the years we’ve searched far and wide for bar equipment that will simply, and seriously, bring anyone’s at-home cocktail game to the next level, whether you’re a professional mixologist or just someone who enjoys a nice martini at the end of the day. Here are some of the best pieces that we’ve found.
Outside of the U.S. the gin and tonic is more than a standard drink. It’s a classic cocktail that has endless possibilities and crafting one is a refined art. These luxuriously thin, crystal goblets were designed to bring the aromatics of your G&T to life. Trust us, you’ll never use a boring highball again.
Inspired by flair bartenders who needed heavier shakers to perform their routines, this heavyweight shaker is one of our favorite cobbler shakers. The durable, heavier design gives you more control for shaking the hell out of your cocktails. Plus, it’s easier to hold in one hand and mutes the sound of the ice. “Shaken, not stirred” has never been so simple!
Everyone needs a good set of highball glasses as they’re the most common cocktails you’ll be making at home. This stunning, art deco-inspired set of Sparkling Diamond Highball Glasses is just the thing to give your cocktails a bit more flair. Made of imported German glass, which was manufactured, polished and cut in Pennsylvania, these dishwasher safe beauties will class up anything you serve in them.
We love bringing products into our home bar that visually pleasing and functional. These towels are sleek and feature martini, Bloody Mary, and old fashioned recipes, making them perfect for your bar, or anywhere that needs a bit of booze-inspired adornment. Bonus: if you’re supposed to be making one of these and your mind goes blank, just pick up your towel and you’re in business again!
Fact: it’s not a tiki cocktail without an insane garnish. These delightful and practical Tiki Cocktail Picks are inspired by Tiki torches, reimagined to be a fun and practical way to garnish your Tiki cocktail with some serious tropical deliciousness. We love that they’re copper-plated, and love even more how perfect they look in a Painkiller, with pineapple spear and an orchid. The article 5 Of Our Best Black Friday Weekend Deals For Cocktail Lovers appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/picks/best-black-friday-deal-cocktails-2019/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/5-of-our-best-black-friday-weekend-deals-for-cocktail-lovers In our experience, the best strategy when getting a gift for a whiskey drinker is to stay away from buying an actual bottle of whiskey and steer towards things that make drinking more fun. These products are simple and beautifully designed, and will only make your booze experience better.
We love breaking out glasses that have a little more flair when sipping straight whiskey. The subtle, diamond wheel cut art deco inspired pattern on this set of rocks glasses feels luxurious in your hands and is subtle to the touch. Most importantly, they’re dishwasher safe.
Everyone needs a solid flask and what better flask than an award-winning flask? This unique piece took home the 2014 best product design award at the New York Now design festival. Designed by The Principals, each one is slightly different, thanks to a process called hydroforming (think steel + welding + water pressure). It’s incredibly sleek, pocket-friendly, and you’ll look uber cool pulling it out for a swig. Get it in black, white, or chrome.
Perfect for the history nerd in your life, these Hero/Rebel Double Rocks Glasses each represent an iconic figure from America’s Revolutionary period. Hero = George Washington, Rebel = Thomas Jefferson, Philosopher = Benjamin Franklin, Diplomat = John Adams. Bonus: they were manufactured and sand-etched in the US of A and made in partnership with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Also, they’re dishwasher safe!
Decanters are a great way to show off your house blend when entertaining. This eye-catching Geometric Crystal Decanter has twenty triangular sides, meaning it’s a low-tech light show in a bottle. Rest it upright or on its side and let it show off the hue of your favorite spirits.
If you’re a Bourbon lover, you need these Bourbon Tasting Glasses. Period. These are larger than traditional snifter glasses to open up the bourbon in your glass fully. We were skeptical at first, but just to make sure we tried the same bourbon side by side in one of these glasses, next to a standard rocks glass and traditional snifters. These won, no contest. The article 5 Of Our Best Black Friday Weekend Deals For Whiskey Lovers (2019) appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/picks/5-best-black-friday-deals-whiskey-2019/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/5-of-our-best-black-friday-weekend-deals-for-whiskey-lovers-2019 The beauty of beer is that there’s always more to learn and, most importantly, more to taste. For the beer drinker who likes to get a little geekier than most, these gifts are complete must-haves.
When your fridge is full of hazy NEIPAs and borderline ridiculous pastry stouts, you need some glasses that are ready for anything. This set of Universal Tulip Beer Glasses was designed by a panel of master brewers to enhance the flavor and aroma of whichever beer you pour into it. It’s perfect for anyone who is looking to experience the nuances of those highly sought after brews. Bonus—they’re dishwasher safe!
VinePair Associate Editor and Chief Beer Enjoyer Cat Wolinski has used many beer logs during her craft beer journey, and this Expert’s Beer Log is her favorite. With its handmade leather cover and consideration of technical details like a beer’s production date and how it was served, it will soon become your favorite as well!
These Beer Cap Maps are the perfect way to keep track of your favorite beers from around the country—or even any given state! Hang it on your wall, and pop in any standard-sized cap that you’ve enjoyed. Voila, you have art (which doubles as subtle bragging rights for how many in-demand beers you’ve found!).
The article 5 Foolproof Black Friday Weekend Deals For Beer Geeks (2019) appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/picks/black-friday-deals-beer-geeks-2019/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/5-foolproof-black-friday-weekend-deals-for-beer-geeks-2019 Wild Turkey’s roots trace to 1855, when Austin Nichols & Co., a wholesale grocer, set up shop in Lawrenceburg, Ky. That company eventually took over what would become Wild Turkey Bourbon, now one of the top-selling whiskey brands in the country. With American roots and international appeal, Wild Turkey bourbon and rye manages to be approachable and affordable, while also having high-profile allure. (You may have heard of Wild Turkey’s creative director, Matthew McConaughey.) Below are 10 more things you should know about Wild Turkey. Wild Turkey was named after a hunting expedition.According to company lore, Wild Turkey got its name after a hunting expedition. A distillery executive named Thomas McCarthy brought some whiskey samples from then-owner Austin Nichols & Co. on a wild turkey hunt. His companions “liked it so much that the next year they asked him to bring some of that ‘Wild Turkey’ bourbon and the nickname became a famous brand,” The Guardian reports. The product lineup today includes Wild Turkey Bourbon, Wild Turkey Bourbon 101, Wild Turkey Rye, Wild Turkey Rye 101, and several reserve bottles. Wild Turkey has a lot of nicknames, too.Since getting its official name in 1940, Wild Turkey has earned several nicknames. These include “The Dirty Bird,” “The Screaming Eagle,” and “The Kickin’ Chicken.” The whiskey is also a pop culture icon, counting references in films, songs, and even the 1990s vampire classic television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Wild Turkey has two master distillers.At the helm of Wild Turkey Distillery are father-and-son duo Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Jimmy Russell is the world’s longest-tenured master distiller, having worked at the distillery since 1954. His son Eddie Russell earned the master distiller title in 2015, after working up the ranks for 35 years. Both Russells are members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. It was French for 29 years, and now it’s part Italian.In 1980, Wild Turkey’s original owner Austin Nichols & Co. sold to French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italy’s Gruppo Campari purchased the distillery for a cool $575 million. Campari, which still owns Wild Turkey today, is credited with bringing the whiskey brand back to life. Wild Turkey Bourbon is now the group’s third-largest brand, after its own Campari aperitif and subsidiary Skyy vodka. Wild Turkey Bourbon and Skyy vodka are bottle buddies.Skyy vodka is packaged and shipped from the Wild Turkey bottling plant in Lawrenceburg, Ky. It’s transported there from the vodka’s Illinois production facility. Whiskey and vodka don’t mix, of course, so the packaging is entirely separate. A Wild Turkey bourbon in Skyy’s signature blue bottle would be one strange bird. Wild Turkey’s bond with Matthew McConaughey is strong.In 2016, Wild Turkey hired actor Matthew McConaughey as its creative director. The whiskey brand reportedly approached McConaughey to be a spokesperson to help attract more women and international audiences. However, the actor had bigger ideas. “[I]t became obvious that hey, you know what? I should be more than just the face,” he told “The Tonight Show” in 2018. He wasn’t bluffing: In 2018, McConaughey launched Longbranch Bourbon in partnership with Wild Turkey. His whiskey ranks among VinePair’s best celebrity spirits in 2019. Of course, he is still “the face.” In October 2019, McConaughey and Complex Media launched two digital series, “Talk Turkey” and “The Spirit of Conviction,” on their social media and YouTube channels. Additionally, in November 2019, McConaughey launched a whiskey-themed cabin rental in Australia that can be booked for about $150 a night. He says he chose the location because he loves nature, but we know the truth: Australia is Wild Turkey’s second-biggest market. Whiskey lovers and experts agree it’s the best.At an average price of $22 a bottle, VinePair ranked Wild Turkey 101 among the best bourbons under $25 in 2019. Its Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon ranks among the world’s best bourbons, racking up a score of 90 and an average price of $179, according to Wine-Searcher. Michael Jackson called it ‘the Clint Eastwood of whiskies.’In a 2006 Whiskey Magazine review, famed beer and spirits writer Michael Jackson wrote of Wild Turkey 101: “A huge whiskey. Put together with style and sophistication, but still with all the robustness of a true bourbon. A classic, of course. A Clint Eastwood of whiskeys.” The late Jackson, who is credited with the creation of modern-day whiskey and beer writing, also called the whiskey “raisiny,” “rummy,” “powerful,” and “soothing.” Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite.When asked what bourbon they bring to the Thanksgiving table, bartenders named Wild Turkey a top pick. Casey Faden, bartender at Sabroso+Sorbo in Philadelphia, told Uproxx: “Wild Turkey is a Thanksgiving staple. Bourbon in general pairs really well with turkey.” Bourbon bar owner Kristian Niemi of Columbia, S.C., picked Wild Turkey 101 Rye. “Since it’s corn-heavy rye, it retains [those] toasty, spicy notes of rye, but with the rich, caramel-pecan sweetness of the corn,” she says. “This makes it especially good for drinking on a big cube, in a mixed cocktail, or in the Tom & Jerry batter. It’s also perfect to pair with friends and family with different political views.” It once offered a full-time job to a turkey.In November 2012, in preparation for the annual pre-Thanksgiving presidential pardoning of a turkey (and also on the tail of a $50 million distillery expansion, courtesy Campari), Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell reportedly wrote a letter to then-President Barack Obama requesting the spared turkey be sent to join the Wild Turkey staff as its “spokesbird.” “In our humble opinion, there is no better place for this year’s Presidentially-pardoned bird to live out its golden years than the Wild Turkey Distillery grounds in central Kentucky,” Russell said in a statement. “There really is no bird more undeniably American than the turkey.” The article 10 Things You Should Know About Wild Turkey appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/articles/wild-turkey-bourbon-whiskey-guide/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/10-things-you-should-know-about-wild-turkey On the journey of wine, there’s a moment when you realize you’ve crossed the threshold of a casual wino to a total, pairing-obsessed wine geek. Whether you are the one who has gone geeky or you are trying to figure out what to get the wine geek, we’ve gathered our favorite gadgets and gifts for the person who is extra obsessed with their vino.
Sure, you can find wine journals in many places. This Expert’s Wine Log, though, has beautiful raw construction, a handcrafted leather cover, and fields to document all the important information, including the label. The perfect gift for those hoping to do a deeper dive into wine, and possibly start a wine career.
The article 5 Of Our Best Black Friday Weekend Deals For Wine Geeks (2019) appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/picks/best-black-friday-gifts-wine-geeks-2019/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/5-of-our-best-black-friday-weekend-deals-for-wine-geeks-2019 A protein bar released on Wednesday in the U.S. might just be the miracle cure for your holiday hangover. Named “SOBAR,” the snack promises to reduce the body’s alcohol absorption by 50 percent, the Drinks Business reports. The idea for SOBAR came about after its inventor Joseph Fisher, MD Ph.D., enjoyed one too many drinks on an empty stomach while attending a wedding. “After that experience, I thought that there was a huge need for a specialized, low-calorie snack that could efficiently and effectively reduce alcohol absorption,” Fisher said. A clinical trial conducted by Zero Functional Foods (the company behind the bars) tested SOBAR’s absorption rates against other foods — no food, eating a snack mix, and a full meal— in a group of 21 healthy adults. The findings showed that eating a bar before consuming alcohol reduced alcohol absorption by a rate of 50 percent more than if someone didn’t eat anything at all. For those who ate the snack mix, the absorption was reduced by 25 percent. According to SOBAR’s website, the bars are a way to “better manage blood alcohol levels” and are meant to be an aid in responsible drinking. While eating a SOBAR may help with a hangover, it’s not a claim they are prepared to make. The bars come in three flavors, white chocolate almond, honey peanut, and caramel macchiato, and are available for purchase online. The article New Low-Calorie Protein Bar May Help Relieve Your Next Hangover appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/protein-bar-hangover-cure/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/new-low-calorie-protein-bar-may-help-relieve-your-next-hangover Grief is a part of life, but some are able to see the bright side of tragic situations. Last Thursday, Adam Schemm of Milwaukee, Wisc. shared a photo that captured the happy side of a sad moment — his grandfather and family members sharing a final beer with his family. The heartwarming (and devastating) image shows 87-year-old Norbert Schemm of Appleton, Wisc. smiling with a bottle of beer in hand — Bud Light, as it were — with his family around him, including his wife, Joanne, and their children Bob, Tom, and John. Adam Schemm, Norbert Schemm’s grandson, shared the photo on Twitter with a caption reading: “My grandfather passed away today. Last night all he wanted to do was to have one last beer with his sons.”
Schemm, initially hesitant to post the photo via social media, felt that the moment was too authentic not to share. At press time, the post has received close to 330k likes on Twitter, as well as comments and photos from people around the world. “It was a really good family moment that I know meant a lot to everyone,” Schemm told CBS News. “The look on everyone’s face is something to cherish, they are all smiling, including my grandfather.” Responding to the heartwarming messages he has received over the past week, Schemm said it’s an “honor and pleasure that we are able to keep talking about my grandfather a week later.” The article Family Celebrates Grandfather’s Life With Final Bud Light appeared first on VinePair. Via https://vinepair.com/booze-news/grandfather-beer-bud-light/ Via https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/family-celebrates-grandfathers-life-with-final-bud-light |
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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