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Does anyone truly need a Death Star liquor cabinet? No. But does everyone who grew up in the ’70’s truly want one? Yes.
Obviously, you would need the right space and vibe for such a large statement piece to work and no HGTV designer would ever sanction it but it sure is cool.
I would love to head back to Bardstown Bourbon Co. in Kentucky again and even more so when I heard of their collaboration with Blackberry Farm Brewery. The result is “a custom blend of 6 to 14 year old bourbon, then finished it in their signature Oxheart stout barrels for 17 months.” I do like a cask finished bourbon and this sounds tasty.
I received the GABF winning ciders pack from 2 Towns Ciderhouse and the first one to catch my eye was the Cidre Bouché because I learned a new word, keeving. You can read what 2 Towns says about the process HERE but in summary it is grinding the bittersweet apples and letting them sit in contact with the skins for enough time to fully extract of the juice and proper tannins.
With process out of the way, let’s talk taste of this very orange hued cider. Oak and apple swirl in the aroma. After that initial hit, the first sip is a bit one dimensional. But then a real big apple taste takes over. There is also a slight touch of vanilla to close out the flavor before your next sip.
Now Los Angeles rarely sees actual winter but Benny Boy Brewing and Cidery has our back anyway with Winter’s Hug, an Ice Cider made with Newtown Pippin and Dabinett apples. “Ice Cider is made from sweet juice extracted from frozen cider. This special method produces a higher alcohol content than traditional cider, and the result is a lovely, premium, barrel-aged, dessert-style cider.”
Sounds good for even a SoCal winter.
Uncle Nearest Distilling has been doing the bourbon thing and gaining accolades for it but now they reach into Tennessee Whiskey. A lower proof whiskey for the godfather of Tennessee whiskey at a more approachable proof.
It will be interesting to compare it to Jack.
Yes, the above does look like a Star Trek cocktail replicator down to the interior mood lighting. It also looks like a Dyson bladeless fan which could lead to trouble.
But it is the BarSys system. Kind of a boring name for basically a cocktail database plus pouring system plus light show. You pour your alcohol in the top as well as mixers on the other side, set your glass in the center and voila, time for a cocktail.
And yeah, it is cool that you can program your recipes plus others and it does look all future-y but part of the pouring a drink process for me is how it is calming and anticipatory to craft a drink. This robs you of that simple pleasure while also making you have to remember when you last cleaned the bourbon section of the device or if there is enough tonic.
Not Needed – make your simple favorites yourself and go to a fancy bar to have fancier cocktails made, that is so much simpler and fun.
In recent Doctor Who history, gravity mistakenly became mavity instead as Isaac Newton mis-hears the word as the Doctor crashes into his infamous apple tree.
Now there is a gin that uses apples from that very tree. It is really cool and makes me wish there was other famous trees that could have fruit used in spirits.
You can read about Newton’s Gin as well other lab experiments at the Cambridge Distillery right HERE.
Benny Boy Brewing and Cidery is going all Apple Fest in November with all things cider and apples and community. I went last year and seeing the people pressing cider and the smell of cinnamon in the air despite being so close to the 5 Freeway is very cool and a marker for the Los Angeles seasonal year.
Agriculture is a major component of beer. The glorious photos on social media covering the recent hop harvest should make that abundantly clear.
So when I saw a new documentary pop up, and it had a farming slant to it, I jotted the name down to put on my watch list. (yes, I have a list for everything).
It is alliteratively called Weed & Wine and tracks a weed farm in California and a vineyard in France. They even have a sequel in the works already, maybe it will be Hemp & Hops.
Just because the main construction is complete on the Portland airport does not mean that additions are not still underway. In addition to Loyal Legion for beer and food and the excellent Westward Whiskey shop, there are two other drinks spots to hit, plus Powells. Cause it’s Powells and books must be bought.
Freeland Spirits will be available as well as Straightaway canned cocktails including airport exclusives. And lest I forget, there is also Deschutes and HopWorks beer too!
