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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!
Right off the bat, I have never had Jeppson’s Malört even once. And I probably don’t want to pay for a full bottle since the sub-title of Josh Noel’s book contains the word, reviled.
That said, The Redemption of a Revered and Reviled Spirit has me wanting a taste, at least.
Take away the whole taste of Malört angle or the whole spirits business angle and this is still a fascinating tale of people told in a fair and even-handed way while still showing the warts of people.
It starts with George Brode and Red Horse Liquors. Brode brought Malört into the portfolio and when that business went down, took it with him and for years ran it as a side-hustle while his legal practice paid the bills (and then some).
Brode had a secretary, Pat Gabelick, who he in true 1950’s style had an affair with while staying married to his wife. This is where the story goes in a whole different direction. Brode and before him, his wife, pass away and Gabelick inherits Malört. Brode was a steady hand but not one for growth and Gabelick is even less interested never really enjoying or even really tasting the product that she sort of lacklusterly runs.
Then Malört starts being cool and fans come in and volunteer to help and eventually catch the hipster wave. And there is more drama before the story reaches the here and now.
This is an entertaining tale that Noel takes us through clearly and at a pace that matches the rise of the drink. You learn about Chicago, cocktail culture and social media too.
Canned cocktails either hew to the classic, your Old Fashioned, Martini or Margarita but newer destined to be classic cocktails have been under represented, but Tip Top in the teeny tiny cans is changing that.
Yes, they have an Old Fashioned but they have teamed with bartender and Attaboy Cocktail bar founder Sam Ross to re-create two of his famous drinks, the Paper Plane and the Penicillin.
Your fancier purveyors like Hi-Lo and Altadena Beverage might get them or you can order online.
There was something to be said for the ’50s and ’60s when it comes to not giving a shit. Smoke away. No seatbelts and hell, go to work and instead of getting coffee from a vending machine, get a shot of whiskey…
You can read more about this in this old post from Vinepair, right HERE.