TBoner

Homebrewed strong English bitter on tap. Delicious. Also a Belhaven on tap at a local pub. Don't know why they insist on serving this on nitro everywhere. I always forget until the glass is set in front of me. Not a fan of nitro; big fan of this beer in the bottle.

Agreed that the Vanilla Zero is better than Diet Vanilla Coke. However. About six years ago, at a diner in Elgin, IL, near the Park and Ride train depot (the name escapes, and anyway isn't important as the drink is not unique), I had Coke with vanilla syrup as part of a terrific diner meal while waiting for a train on a blustery day. It ruined me. I cannot drink the assorted flavored colas on a regular basis (except as a caffeine delivery system) to this day. Simple syrup infused with a vanilla bean pod is a terrific thing...what else are you going to do with that pod after you've taken the goodness from within? All of the above holding true, my favorite vanilla-flavored soda is actually the cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. Both the regular and diet versions seem nicely balanced (probably the product of Dr. Pepper's already more versatile flavor), and are IMO superior to Coke's offerings. If only there were a Dublin (i.e., with cane sugar instead of HFCS) version...

I've enjoyed two different versions of the Aviation since finally finding some Luxardo maraschino locally. The 4:1:1 went over well with me and my guests a few nights ago, but I preferred a 3:1:1 ratio for myself. Tart drinks are a great thing IMO, especially in the summer. That said, either one is a great cocktail, and will doubtless be served many times at my house in the future.

Tonight, I stuffed fresh morels with Spanish tetilla. Sauteed them in butter with a bit of sliced garlic. Added rapini-stuffed ravioli. Glass (or two) of good Zinfandel. Finished the evening with a pour of 8-yr-old bourbon and a small bit of extra dark chocolate. These pastas have me inspired. Tomorrow, after making some mead, I'll be trying out some fresh pasta dough.

Weihenstephaner. That's all. Other pilseners are good, but once you have this beer, all others seem to be reaching for what this achieves: the pure, clean expression of malt discussed upthread, the crisp, refreshing flavor so generically co-opted as a marketing term, and the bitter, hoppy backbone that allows the beer to be drinkable sip after sip, glass after glass, ad infinitum. I tend toward ales, generally, but Weihenstephaner is a life-changer.

I'll agree and add my thanks. I enjoyed some morels from this place for dinner tonight. Spectacular. Excellent service, and the selection was, to me at least, surprisingly large. I'll be back.

Not sure what part of Texas you're from, but Spec's, based in Houston, carries it and they ship statewide. Always more fun to find it like you did though. -Andy ← Really? Great news! I hear they carry Fee Bros. bitters, too. Unfortunately, I don't get down there too often. I've talked to a few liquor stores around here, and they've all told me it's not distributed here. Hmm... I know of a place in North Dallas that has ordered things for me before - may need to see them today.

Found several bottles of this yesterday at an out-of-the-way store. They didn't look that old, but the store was loaded with vintage bottles. I know they were issued pre-1989 (no government warning) and likely pre-1980 (no UPC), but beyond that...? I didn't buy any, as I'd spent my budget for the day, but I'll be back.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA is currently on tap at Flying Saucer in Addison. Gingerman lists it on their New Drafts board, but don't be fooled: they're out. This is becoming a bad habit of theirs: two of the six "New Drafts" listed right now have been gone for at least a week. At any rate, Torpedo is terrific. Cascades dominate, as in most of their stuff, but there's more of a malt backbone than the standard pale ale, and not so much of the caramel that you get in Celebration. Recommended.

Yesterday, I went out hunting for dusty bottles of out-of-production bourbon and Scotch. Instead, in a small store with a huge selection, I found some dusty (late-70s, I think) bottles of Carpano Punt e Mes. This product is not distributed in TX, and I have been trying to get my hands on some for months. The store where I found them had many old liqueur bottles (notably Campari Cordial and yellow Chartreuse) with NY tax strips, so I tend to think these bottles of Carpano were from the same lot, probably purchased on closeout from the distributor. At any rate, I opened a bottle last night, and...wow. Just wow. A very nice cola and nut sweetness up front followed by a wallop of bitterness, somewhat citrusy bitterness in the vein of Campari. Following a sip of the vermouth on its own, my bourbon-hunting buddy and I mixed up Red Hooks. These were spectacular, but even better was the variation on a Manhattan we did next: Laird's bonded apple brandy in place of rye, and Punt e Mes for the vermouth. No need for additional bitters. The apple character of the Laird's came through in the drink more than it does in the brandy on its own, with the spice that normally dominates taking a back seat. The fruity bitter character of the Carpano came to the forefront and kept this from being cloyingly sweet. Terrific. I look forward to playing with the Carpano, and I found enough to keep me busy for a while.

Oh yeah. The Eagle Rare 10 yr. old is just delicious. And relatively cheap here in PA (a rarity since everything is more expensive here) at $22.99/bottle. Definitely high on my list of favorite sippin' bourbons. The 17 year old Eagle Rare is also available here in limited distibution, but I haven't had the pleasure of making acquaintance with a bottle yet. At $49.99 I'd love some feedback on it before hunting down a bottle and forking over the cash. ← My understanding from other bourbon aficionados and a person who works at Buffalo Trace is that the recent bottlings of Eagle Rare 10 have averaged closer to 14 years, and that the flavor profile has been close to that of 17 as a result. Additionally, recent vintages of the 17-year (2005 and 2006) are closer to that 17 year minimum than earlier batches, and are considered subpar vs. the earlier bottlings. All that said, it's fine bourbon, and my personal tastes tend toward the 17 (I don't like the 10-yr, actually, but I find the 17-yr a revelation). YMMV. I'm enjoying Wild Turkey Rye with my long-awaited GUS (Grown-Up Soda) ginger ale right now. It just showed up at the grocery store today. Drier than other ginger ales, though not as spicy as Sprecher. A nice complement to the rye.

I second this. I sampled GUS on a trip to Chicago a few months ago, and fell in love with the Ginger Ale. Much drier than others without being extremely spicy (not that I don't love a spicy ginger ale). I'm a big fan of rye whiskey and ginger ale as a summer libation, and drier g.a.'s tend to work better for that. Highly recommended.

A quick note for those on the east side of Dallas. Don't overlook White Rock Coffee on NW Hwy near Audelia. Beans roasted on site, and a terrific, friendly staff. Plus, you won't pay for Wi-Fi while you're there. The prices are a bit high, but have gone down as the business has been open longer and volume has increased. I will have to check out Drips, even if it's a bit farther away from Garland than WR Coffee.