KatieLoeb

I'd hardly consider myself the resident expert, just someone that enjoys it both as the advice-giver and as an occasional participant in the festivities. Thanks for the props though! And yes bethala - fabulous suggestions! Both the Chidaine Montlouis and the Clos Boudoin are personal favorites. Good of you to toss my former employers at Moore Brothers a recommendation too! I love those guys...

Daniel: They're the real deal. Great customer service. Great products. Say hi for me. They remain still amongst my favorite ex-employers.

I am totally groovin' on this analogy...

Tonight's effort. No name for it yet. Kind of a riff between an apricot Sidecar and the Champs-Elysee. 2 oz. Cognac or 1 oz each Cognac and Belle de Brillet (tasty either way!) 1.25 oz. fresh lemon juice .75 oz. Apricot syrup (I use Kassatly Ajyal Karmandeene syrup) .5 oz. Ginger simple syrup .5 oz. yellow Chartreuse 1 dash Fee Bothers Orange bitters Pour into iced shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flamed lemon peel. Looks really pretty in the glass. Great color and flavor from the apricot syrup. I bought that syrup at my local Lebanese grocer several months ago and couldn't figure out what to do with it. This application works for me.

If you like Ketel One try find yourself some Zyr vodka. I've sung it's praises here before. Best grain based vodka I've ever tasted. Period. Definitely worth seeking out and paying for.

I've recommended this before, because I enjoyed it. Merryvale Vineyards Wine Component Tasting Seminar helps you "map" your palate and learn about the essential components of wine, what they each bring to the party, what each tastes like, etc. It's given in the glorious Cask Room which is about as beautiful a setting as I've ever seen, and was quite interesting. Information is available at the first link.

I think my next soup adventure will be pozole! I've been thinking about it for awhile, and again, you've all inspired me. The Pistou is even better today. Like most one pot food items, it's better after sitting for a day or so. I had two bowls for lunch!

Tim: I knew what you were talking about with the Brita trick, I just meant I had no idea whether it worked or not. I don't own a Brita pitcher. No room in the fridge for it. That link to Mythbusters didn't work for me, but I'll warrant it says what I've suspected all along. I stand by my original assertion that Everclear is not meant for human consumption, whether filtered or not. It's fine for sterilizing lab equipment but it's much too harsh, no matter how much you sweeten it up or thin it down. It's just nasty! Use the 100 proof vodka. You'll thank me later.

Alright, alright! I finally busted open my bottle of Idol and tasted it this evening. I chilled a little in a shaker and tasted it straight. My initial impression is that while it might be a fine premium vodka, it doesn't seem to have any characteristics that would separate it from any of the higher end grain or potato based vodkas I've tried. It had a peppery finish and no real floral or "grapey" aromatics. Don't get me wrong, it was very tasty, but a bit disappointing given the hype. I also tasted a bit of chilled Ciroc afterward for contrast and I definitely liked the Ciroc better. More unique and subtle. I like the Hangar One even more than that, but it is prohibitively expensive. I still haven't tried the Roth California vodka made by Ted Simpkins of Lancaster Estates, but I don't think I'll have an easy time finding that in my neck of the woods. Still, it might be worth checking out if the idea of vodka made from grapes really intrigues you. Don't kill yourself hunting around for the Idol. It really isn't that different than Stoli or Belvedere.

Try subbing instant espresso for instant coffee in any recipe for homemade coffee liqueur that calls for a powdered instant. It ought to make it taste better and more bitter/less sweet, which I believe would be more to your taste.

You all inspired me by bringing this thread back up after so much time. Tonight's effort was a classic Provencal Soupe au Pistou from the South Beach Diet Cookbook. Recipe can be found HERE I'm going to freeze half and eat the rest for the next few days. It came out very tasty! A last breath of summer as the temperatures begin to cool down...

You need to make it ahead of time anyway, because the cans have to cool down so you can open them and not have a hot sticky explosion on your hands. The good news is it keeps on the shelf already made, so you can boil several cans at once and always have it at the ready. edited to add: orangewasabi and I cross-posted the same info.

I liked the Whitehall Lane Cab for $15. For $45, I probably wouldn't have liked it nearly as much. Interestingly, Chairman Newman said something similar to me when he was explaining how he decided what to buy and what prices to set. It's true that the price is directly proportional to how much I like a particular wine sometimes. Someday, when I trace back my geneology and find the stinking filthy rich family I was supposed to be born into and get the account number to that long overdue trust fund, I might feel differently. For now, I stick with the hand dealt me.

Grazie Mille my friend. What a wondrous life you lead. I'd be more jealous, but having met you and Jeff, I know how much you appreciate it. The photos are awe inducing. La Dolce Vita indeed. Please let me know next time you head down to visit your son. I'd love to have a glass of wine (or three) and catch up. I want to hear more stories about Umbertide.

Heck - I'd be proud!

The smoked trout deviled eggs are perfect with a martini. One of the best bar snack-cocktail combos ever.

The original wine from the "French Paradox" experiments that started the "Red Wine is Good for You" train of thought is Madiran, made from the Tannat grape in the region south of Armagnac. Interestingly, it seemed the foie gras eating/Gauloise smoking locals never seemed to keel over from what should have been predictable coronary artery disease. Further research indicated that reservatrol, found in the skins of the grapes, and hence moreso in red wines, was the compound responsible for this miraculous set of circumstances.

Carolyn: Try the Starbucks Coffee Liqueur - it tastes more like espresso and less sweet than Kahlua. More bittersweet edge to it, IMO. I think it might be more to your taste. It makes a killer Black Russian with vanilla vodka, too. Often my choice for a dessert drink/nightcap.

I always call ahead when it seems there's only a couple of bottles of whatever it is I'm seeking, but this goes to show you that it always pays to call ahead, even if there appears to be boatloads of something. The information in the computer is only as good as whomever entered it, right?

I haven't tried the Whitehall Lane C.S. Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 yet but I find the pricing interesting. This is a wine that was made specifically for the PLCB and is not available anywhere else. It's not even available directly from the winery where the latest cab. sauv. release is 2003. My question: How can the PLCB state a savings of $30 from a $45 suggested retail price when the wine is not for sale anywhere else at any price (I contacted the winery directly and received a reply from the sales manager)? This seems disingenuous at best and, unless there is something that I'm missing, somewhat dishonest. We have a bottle at home and may get to it this weekend. The winery stated that the grapes are from various unspecified Napa sources, that the wine was aged in a mix of new French and American oak and was just recently bottled. I notice that there are other wines in the Chairman's Selection list with the "C.S." designation so I assume that the same question applies to those, as well. Again, I'm not questioning the value; just the stated "savings". ← I have to presume that they're going by the retail price for a similar current release from the same winery, sourced from the same grapes, made by the same folks, etc. Or perhaps what other wineries in the same area using similar raw ingredients are commanding for their wines. In the end it's like a lot of things with a nebulous value. It's what the market will bear. :shrug:

Interesting article about Bluecoat Gin in the local paper a few weeks back: Bluecoat Aims for the Top Shelf

I saw the picture and smiled to myself before I even saw the shout out to me. You are a woman after my own heart. I'm absolutely with you! The Corvo looks delicious and was probably perfect with your lunch. I often think of rose as "brunch wine" because many examples are so good with egg dishes. THINK PINK!! DRINK PINK!!!

I've had those, they were good but I thought the truffle overwhelmed the fries, and the dipping sauce totally overwhelmed everything else. They were still good, but if they'd replace the dipping sauce with whatever they're using to get the truffle in there (truffle oil, I guess) to be drizzled at the diner's discretion, that would be better. ← Really - I didn't have that problem. I found that the stinky-sexy-yummy combo of truffle oil and smelly cheese was just right. I've had them maybe three times and thought they were really good each time (as well as the Steak Frites they accompanied on one visit). Maybe you just had a heavy-handed chef that night?

You can make a tasty Lemon-Ginger Cosmopolitan with 2.5 oz. lemon vodka (I like Ketel One Citron for this application), 1 oz. of ginger liqueur, a splash of fresh lime juice to counteract the sweetness of the liqueur and a tiny splash of cranberry or pomegranate for color, then shaken and strained. Garnish with a skewered slice of candied ginger and lemon peel.

Happened into the Franklin Mills Outlet store tonight, as I happened to be up in that neck of the woods. Good overall stock of various Chairman's Selections, including the Kaiken Ultra, Murphy-Goode Fume Blanc The Duece, The Whitehall Lane Cabernet at a steal price of $14.99 (I tried this last weekend. It's damned tasty wine at that price), as well as several others. Once I taste the spoils of this trip I'll report back.