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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.
Usually when a cider company and a beer company collaborate, you end up with a hopped cider or a barrel-aged cider, both of which can be great but what if the brewery adds yeast instead?
Well, then you get a new hard cider on a new canning machine that Balcom Canyon Cider now has. Malibu Brewing Company was the partner, and the result is…
The second batch of Stone Arrogant Bastard Whiskey (made with Foundry Distilling) is now out. “this version was aged even longer (4+ years) in new charred oak barrels. Made with 100% malted barley, it’s truly an American Malt Whiskey worthy of the Arrogant Bastard name.”
The limited supply will be available in California, Iowa and Texas but NOT at Stone Brewing locations. You can thank our nations patchwork liquor laws for that.
We are starting to see the shoots of the Beachwood Distilling with a new cocktail menu at the Bixby Knolls location starting with rum, gin and (unfortunately) vodka too.
With many reviews of breweries, I give allowances for youth. Finding your footing is a process. And I will have to reserve some judgement until I can taste their spirits near but on first blush, the cocktails are pretty darn good.
I went with a classic Gin and Tonic but using the orange gin vs the botanical. I found it to be well in balance with citrus and gin and a light quinine touch to it. My beer and cocktail buddy Rich had two other gin cocktails, despite the allure of the special tiki glasses, and liked the Saturn and its constellation of ingredients over the lime tinged Gimlet.
I am excited to see how this spirits program develop.
In my reviews of N/A beer, I often lament that an IPA should be easy. Just throw all the hops at it. That often does not work. I currently hold the position that an N/A bourbon should be straightforward as well. Get some oak notes, get some vanilla.
Let’s see what Spiritless and their distilled non-alcoholic spirit for Bourbon cocktails, Kentucky 74 does…
I can smell a load of spice coming off of this. Is it Fireball? There is also a strange secondary aroma as well. Granted, before I get too far. I am not cocktailing, just tasting straight. Very thin and more spiced like a rum. How this applies to a traditional Bourbon cocktail eludes me. Glad I didn’t spend the $35 bucks for a bottle.
I am a hearty supporter of taking your time with your drinks. No beer bongs or shots for me and bartender and writer Danny Childs has taken his work as an anthropologist and ethnobotanist and merged those studies in the botanical world and bartending into the new book Slow Drinks.
And it must be quite good since he won a James Beard Foundation Award. Makes me wonder what I could forage here in Glendale.