Near to Me

I am much more finicky with spirits than I am with beer. Tequila will be off limits due to the headaches I get the day after and Irish whisky or Scotch is just too peaty for my taste.

I have found better success with Rye and Tennessee whiskey and so far Uncle Nearest is at the top of my small list. And that is saying a lot because my expectations were high. This brand has had deserved press. It is women owned and women distilled and it honors the mentor to Jack Daniel.

The 1884 is a blessed combo of smooth vanilla notes with a cantankerous ABV hit. I get a little bit of wood character but it is a side player here. I have had it straight twice in two days and look forward to it again. Usually a bottle will sit a bit between visits.

I wish I could find small bottles of the different variants to do a taste test.

Softened

Thanks to a tip from the ever vigilant Josh Lurie, I can now pass on to you the news that a Non-Alcoholic only beverage shop is opening here in Los Angeles.

Actually, Soft Spirits opened on October 9th. So think up some Halloween cocktails that won’t leave you reeling into November. I will visit their Sunset Blvd. storefront and report back as to what beer they have.

Cider Summit Seattle

Unfortunately, the 2021 Cider Summit will be virtual but that means that those outside the NW can get in on the action from home.

Here are the available boxes…

  • Global Selections kit includes 6 ciders from British Columbia, England, France, Germany, Spain and California. The kit also includes 2 Cider Summit Festival tasting glasses and promotional merchandise from participating cidermakers.
  • Washington Harvest kit includes 6 WA-based ciders selection to match the changing of the season. The kit also includes 2 Cider Summit Festival tasting glasses and promotional merchandise from participating cidermakers.
  • NW Refreshers kit includes 8 refreshing ciders, seltzers and alternative beverages. The kit also includes 2 Cider Summit Festival tasting glasses and promotional merchandise from participating producers.

Review – On the Rocks Old Fashioned

I have passed by the RTD’s from On The Rocks at both Whole Foods and Vons, thinking, next time. Well, I finally got to next time and here is my review of their Old Fashioned made with Knob Creek whiskey.

This is strong. Take the over ice suggestion seriously. The alcohol is hot here. There is a nice citrus undertone here as well as a nod to sweetness at the top but this is basically a shot of whiskey. A little rounding off of the edges would do wonders.

If you like a up in your face Old Fashioned this will work for you but if you are looking for more depth, you may need to add extra to it.

MPG

Quite the interesting read HERE about transport. As we start to live with the effects of a warmer world, we will need to keep finding alternative ways to make, package and transport our beer, wine and spirits.

Not hard seltzer though.

Mimosa

Move over hard seltzer, maybe the next RTD craze will be that brunch staple, Mimosa. And you can get a local Los Angeles version canned and ready from Hartlam Winery which is a sibling brand to Ogopogo Brewing.

Vin de Garde

Looks like de Garde Brewing is branching out. Not into Seltzers or Canned Cocktails but into a more natural way, literally.

Low intervention wine making is how they put it. The de Garde Cellars has come out of the gate Rose #1 with grapes from a small sub-region of the Walla Walla AVA.