Category: Booze Clues (Page 15 of 21)

The Weekly Whet: The Red Lotus

Can I get a show of hands (or paws) from my fellow rabbits? That’s anyone born during the years of 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, and 1999.

According to The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, “People born in the year of the rabbit are articulate, talented and ambitious.” We get along with pigs, dogs, and sheep, and “(we) would make good gamblers for (we) have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, (we) seldom gamble, as (we) are conservative and wise.”

I think I’m tired of being conservative and wise…anyone want to grab a red lotus and try our luck at the poker table?

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 oz Vodka
  • 1 1/2 oz Lychee Liqueur or Vodka (available at major wine, beer, and spirits warehouses and possibly Asian markets)
  • 1 oz cranberry juice
  1. Pour the vodka, lychee liqueur or vodka, and cranberry juice into a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake well.
  3. Strain into a chilled glass filled with ice and Gong Xi Fa Chai!

The Weekly Whet: The Neat-O-Tito

As I took a big bite of perfectly grilled Mahi-Mahi and tore into a fresh corn tortilla yesterday at The Vig Uptown, I felt a devilish grin creep across my face; While other employees were stuck in break rooms heating up leftovers, I was sittin’ pretty at one of the best restaurants in town, listening to Heidi organize her thoughts for this week’s radio show.

if you’ve never been to either of The Vig locations, they’re worth entering in your GPS. The food is gorgeous, inventive, and delicious. Unexpected blends of ingredients and spices make for an incredible dining experience, and some of the names  of the dishes will make you chuckle. Oh–and did I mention the perfect service? Thanks for putting up with our silly banter, Adam, we’ll be seeing you again soon for Happy Hour. I’m sure Heidi will be ordering a “Neat-O-Tito”, and I’m gonna “Take Bethany Home.” Remember that, will ya?

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
  • 1 1/2 oz Tito Vodka

1.) Pour ingredients into a cocktail mixer with ice

2.) Shake “liberally”

3.) Strain the drink into a martini glass and garnish with two Bleu cheese-stuffed olives

 

Visit The Vig Uptown

6015 North 16th Street, Phoenix

The Vig

4041 North 40th Street, Phoenix

Click for menus and more location information

The Weekly Whet: Chocolate-Banana Smoothie

Valentine’s Day is still several weeks away, but heart-shaped boxes of chocolate and glittery cards are already lining the aisles of my local Walgreens. They seem to taunt me as I head to the refrigerated section for milk:

“Buy us now! Don’t worry—you won’t eat us before the 14th. You have more will-power than that!”

But this year, they won’t get me. This year, I’m sticking to homemade aphrodisiac-indulgences. After all, it’s a lot easier to toss a banana peel or two in the garbage than to strategically cover a wad of candy wrappers.

Ingredients

  • 1  frozen banana, sliced
  • 3/4 cup(s) milk
  • 3 tablespoon(s) (or to taste) chocolate syrup
  • 3  (or 4) ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Top with whipped cream and/or another drizzle of chocolate syrup if you like.

Find more great recipes at www.goodhousekeeping.com

 

A Most Extraordinary Whiskey Event

by Ray Pearson

The angels over Scotland must be in a dither waiting for the heavenly bounty of the country to be unleashed in Las Vegas. On March 18 and 19, 2011, whiskey companies from around the world, will offer some of their rarest, oldest, most coveted, and newest expressions at the Universal Whisky Experience at Encore at Wynn.The event is the brainchild of Mahesh Patel. Patel is a successful entrepreneur from the Atlanta area, whose passion in life is whiskey, specifically Scotch. He has leveraged his relationships with a galaxy of whiskey superstars and industry leaders to offer the world’s first luxury whisky enjoyment experience, the “Nth 2011 Show”.

The $525 ticket price provides an extraordinary assortment of sensory opportunities. In addition to whisky tasting, educational opportunities such as seminars and Master Classes will be available to interested guests. Gastronomic highlights of the event include butler-passed hors d’oeuvres, and a gourmet dinner reception.

If that wasn’t an impressive enough list of activities for whisky snobs seeking true whisky bliss, the Super Pour surely seals the deal. Each show ticket includes the guest’s choice of one pour from a selection of ultra-premium whiskies, each valued at $300+ per pour. To date, the Super Pour list includes 16 rare Scotches, some 40 and 50 years old. Professor Adam Carmer (UNLV), will hold the inaugural forum of his new Spirits Tasting Method, designed to improve guests’ ability to recognize the nuances of flavor, aroma, bouquet, and barrel influence.

Keeping those Scottish angels in mind, some of the whiskies to be experienced, either in the Master Classes or the Super Pour, derive their exotic names from celestial happenings. Richard Paterson, Master Blender for The Dalmore, for instance, will present the 40 year old Astrum,  which is Latin for constellation, and the 45 year old Aurora, named for the Northern Lights. Ian Millar, Global Ambassador for Glenfiddich, will present Snow Phoenix, a non-chill filtered malt created from casks rescued from a warehouse cave-in during the 2010 four-foot snows in Speyside. George Grant, sixth generation of the owners of Glenfarclas, will take guests on a tour entitled “Glenfarclas Forties”, presenting four different whiskies, each forty years old.

Patricia Richards, Master Mixologist at Wynn-Las Vegas, is designing cutting-edge drinks especially for this event, putting a new twist on whisky cocktails. Patricia is known for her creative and mouthwatering concoctions, along with a slew of awards from food, beverage, hospitality, and travel magazines.

Glencairn cut crystal tasting glasses will be included as part of the full ticket package, along with cigar samples, so guests will be able to remember their visit for a long time to come.

Finally, two Las Vegas–based charities will benefit from the hedonistic pleasure of event attendees as a portion of each ticket price will be contributed to The Autism Academy of Cumorah, and the Hospitality School at UNLV. The angels should be pleased.

For more information and tickets, visit:

Home New

 

 

For more Whisky 101 click here

About Ray

Ray is a nationally recognized single malt Scotch expert. He recently retired after 16 years within the spirits industry, including four as Glenfiddich U.S. Ambassador. Ray currently presents educational whisky seminars and tastings for corporate events, destination management companies, and national whisky shows. He is a photographer and member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association.

The Weekly Whet: Arizona Breeze

While other parts of the country are inundated with snow and treacherous weather this time of year, we are knee-deep in citrus. Oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, and lemons are ripening on our trees faster than we can pick or eat them, so what do we do? ‘Tis the season of anonymous fruit deliveries!

I remember cringing as my mother heaved yet ANOTHER bag of citrus that had been abandoned at our doorstep (probably under the cover of night) because it meant another week of grapefruit for breakfast, orange slices for snacks, and lemon-infused entrees for dinner. My mouth was in a constant pucker from January to March. To this day, I rarely eat citrus fruits because of my canker-sored childhood, but I certainly don’t mind a good citrus-based cocktail…the alcohol numbs the pain.

Ingredients

Gin                                  2 oz

Cranberry Juice                 2 .5 oz

Grapefruit Juice                 2 oz

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake for about 20 seconds. Pour the mixture into a tall glass of ice and garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

The Beer Blog: YES to Craft Beer in a Can!

More and more people are asking the question, “Craft beer in a can, seriously?” For decades, canned beer and screw top wine have been associated with sub-premium domestic brands; however, these associations are more myth than reality. In fact, the can is actually a better container for that precious beer and has benefits and versatility that those old bottles just don’t…So, let’s talk cans!

One of beers greatest enemies is oxygen. Oxygen causes aeration, which can be a wonderful thing in the proper environment. When we open a bottle of wine and let it breath, we are aerating it. When we tap a cask of beer, we are introducing oxygen which will slowly change the flavors. Within a few hours, aerated beverages will display a range of tastes that showcase and enhance the product.  After a certain amount of time, things quickly go south and those same remarkable flavors you love will, in essence, taste like paper and wet cardboard.

Canned beer has the lowest oxygen content of any packaged beer product. Not only does this ensure a greater degree of freshness and a longer shelf life; but any anti-oxidants contained in the product will retain their beneficial properties. This is particularly important for Craft Beer as many contain (and may even boast) those advantageous antioxidants.

Another enemy of beer is light. Too many UV rays can burn your skin and chemically alter your beer. Light struck! No, I’m not falling in love, my beer has been skunked! That skunky smell you get from many glass-bottled beers is the effect of ultraviolet light chemically altering the product. Light reacts with the isohumolune oils in hops (which almost all beer contains) to produce a compound similar to the one a skunk sprays. Aluminum is sunscreen for beer – which brings us to the most important point of modern canning:

Can Liners. Can lining isn’t a Keystone specialty. Every can on Earth has a special lining which is actually water based and inert. It prevents the product from ever touching the aluminum. Soda products have twice the lining because they are so corrosive (in case you needed another reason to drink beer instead).

And then there is the sustainability aspect that makes aluminum even more enticing. The carbon footprint of an aluminum can is a fraction of a bottle’s when you consider the energy it takes to produce it and the gas required to deliver it. They also require about 70% less paper and cardboard than a case of bottles (with those fancy little carriers). And don’t forget that cans travel much better to parks, lakes, rivers, and yes golf-courses. Pack it in, pack it out.

My final “cantastic” proselytization is the can’s amazing (almost supernatural) ability to make chicken taste delicious! Yes, I am referring to Beer Can Chicken. One of my favorite recipes (because I am a curry freak) is a curry-infused masala rub, heavy in coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger. Crack a can of Craft Hefeweizen, rich with banana, pineapple and clove flavors, heat up the grill and you’ve got chicken tonight. May seem a little odd for an Italian/Irish boy, but we Craft Brewers are Craft Foodies, too!

Many award-winning microbreweries are jumping on the “can-wagon.” Ska Brewing Company of Colorado cans their popular ESB Special Ale, and Anderson Valley Brewing Company of California is also distributing beers in cans. Canned craft beers can be found locally at AJ’s Fine Foods, Sunflower Farmers Market and Whole Foods.

Canned beer is better, Craft Canned Beer is BEST!  Crack open a can with friends and food and you’ll see what I mean.

Stay tuned to intotheSoup.com for more blogs by our beer expert, and for some of the best darn beer in Arizona, pull up a stool at San Tan Brewing Company

Click here for the location and hours

 

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