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It is Food Bowl time in Los Angeles and though, there again appears to be a paucity of beer centered events, it is a good time to see how other beverages are being covered and where trends are going in that and food.
A panel that I signed up for is all about Red Drink. Check out the details HERE. It looks to be an interesting discussion and while you are signing up, you can donate to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
This new RTD is being promoted at the right time. Canned cocktails are a growing segment of beverages and one with a story and a Hollywood connection will certainly get more play. For me The Finnish Long Drink sounds like an interesting way to incorporate gin without going the staid G&T route .
As is often the case with Strand Brewing, they tease a new venture in advance and then it gets a little lost before it comes to fruition.
I posted about their distilling a few months back and now, as you can see from the photo, whiskey and vodka under the Strand moniker has arrived.
Available at their taproom to go.
Every twice in a while, I have to toot the horn for my alma mater.
This time for having a cross disciplinary assignment. Art department meet the Wine Studies and design a wine label. You can read all about the winner right HERE. Readers of the blog know that I love a good design and am equally turned off by bad ones.
And I like this one. Very on point for wine and for classic college, sorry, University.
It kind and surprises me that Stone hadn’t licensed the Arrogant Bastard name to multiple spirits by now. A spicy whiskey or vodka probably would have been easy picks. But instead the have gone the whiskey route which I think is probably a better choice. Maybe a Dayfall Wit Gin is next?
The Bruery will be doing a series of cocktail beers leaning into tiki especially this year and the first one is here, Mai Zombie.
“Mai Zombie begins with a Tiki-inspired base beer as the foundation for the spirited nuances enkindled by the rum barrels it rested in for over a year. Inspired by one of our favorite island drinks, we used lime and grapefruit zest, orange flower water, almonds, allspice, and hints of cinnamon and ginger for a unique Tiki beer experience. Exotic, tropical, and like nothing you’ve tasted before.”
What is cool is that the base beer was created to be rum -esque so that when put into rum barrels it would double up that spirits taste.
One of my favorite simple cocktails is Rye and ginger ale. Now I will be able to source LA ginger ale the next time I make one because Strand Brewing has their spin on the drink. Or just drink it straight instead of some seltzer.
My dabbling in the realm of Non-Alcoholic drinks hasn’t touched upon the realm of spirits but that might change with this intriguing Gin? like drink from Amass called Riverine. Here is the ingredient listing: “Coniferous notes from Juniper are brightened by Sumac, Sorrel, Lemon Peel, and Apple, while Thyme, Mint, and Parsley lend a rich herbal earthiness.”
One resolution for 2021 is to sample other pursuits coming from breweries. Be it cider, seltzer or coffee. Mostly the first and third items on that list. Which is why, I was excited to see this new coffee from Chapman Crafted. I will be interested to see how snap chilled compares to cold brewed which does not fit my particular taste.
I am a side cider connoisseur and when I saw Ogopogo was launching a line, I knew I would be trying them. And I decided to start with this highest price entry in their range. Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrel aged. And though, I generally prefer “clean”, plain cider. This is a really well balanced drink. It is more barrel than bourbon to me, the cider shines through and it still has enough bubbles in it to make it a bit crisp as well.