AMBER taste test

A few weeks ago, I posted about AMBER liqueur, a single malt Scotch whisky flavored with maple and pecan.

A PR rep recently sent me a sample bottle to try. I'll admit that I am not a fan of Scotch, and the flavors of maple and pecan seem more suited to fall and winter than the heat of summer. Nevertheless, I gave it a try, and I was pleasantly surprised. The attractive nuttiness made it smoother than other Scotches I have tried (again, Scotch is not my liquor of choice, so none of them seem really smooth to me), and the delicious maple note lingered.

I still consider this more of a cool weather drink, but I can see lots of uses for it--like adding it to coffee. Or, you could create a twist on Crepes Suzette, substituting AMBER for Grand Marner before flambeing, and topping with drizzled melted chocolate, toasted chopped pecans and whipped cream.

Now THAT sounds like something I could enjoy in front of the fire this winter.

Harry Potter-inspired drinks

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law, who live in Boston, went to a Harry Potter party at a local bar on Friday evening. The place advertised butterbeer (one of the concoctions in the books, which is sweet and mildly intoxicating), and Polyjuice Potion (another fictional drink that makes the drinker temporarily take on the physical form of someone else). Unfortunately, she said the butterbeer turned out to be just root beer with whipped cream on top, but the Polyjuice Potion was pretty good (even though in the books it's described as tasting like over-cooked cabbage. I would imagine the real drink tastes nothing like this--hopefully.)

I'm sure there were parties like this going on all over the country (pretty much all over the world) on Friday evening, with HP themed food and drinks. This got me to do a little research about real beverages inspired by the fictional world of Harry Potter and company. Here are some links to some ones I found. I haven't tried any...yet:

Butterbeer:

This recipe uses butterscotch syrup and club soda. Maybe the club soda would keep it from being sickeningly sweet. It's n/a, so it's suitable for kids.

Here is a recipe that includes butterscotch schnapps.

Finally, this one is more of a dessert, but it sounds darn tasty!


Pumpkin Juice (served at Hogwarts for feasts and celebrations)

MuggleNet offers a recipe that adds pineapple juice, honey and cinnamon to the pumpkin juice. Sounds like a great fall beverage.

Here is a recipe that's pretty much just pumpkin juice.


Polyjuice Potion

**I found a lot of references to Polyjuice Potion, but no good recipes.

Happy sipping, Muggles!!!

Wine Tips for Thai Food Lovers

Awhile back, I mentioned my love of CurrySimple's curry sauces, which I discovered a few years back at a food and wine show in DC. They are delicious, and make your Thai dishes taste totally restaurant quality. I simply add whatever meat and veggies I want, along with some Thai basil from my garden, and serve the curry with jasmine or basmati rice, for an easy weeknight dinner that tastes like takeout from one of my favorite Thai restaurants.

I recently had the pleasure of sampling all the sauces and writing an article about pairing wine with each of the CurrySimple sauces, in addition to giving some general wine tips about enjoying wine with Thai cuisine. You can read the article here on Curry Simple's website.

If you like Thai food, order these sauces by the case. And if you ever see their booth at a food show, stock up then, too.

Cakebread 2002 Reserve Chardonnay

A few years ago, I picked up a bottle of this wine while out at Cakebread winery in Napa. Although oaky CA Chards really aren't my thing, when I tasted it there I was impressed with the depth and complexity that the wine showed. The grapes for it were totally sourced from the cool Carneros area--one of the more prestigious Napa appellations for Chardonnay.

We've kept it cellared since, and finally opened it up last night for our anniversary, to enjoy with lobster tail. The consensus was that it is a gorgeously complex CA Chard....but still not really our thing.

But for those of you who like butterscotch and spicy oak flavor, it's a stunner. The winery website tasting notes mention "ripe pears and peaches," but truthfully, I personally couldn't taste much beyond the oak. It has a full mouthfeel, low acidity and gorgeous light golden color. The winery recommends cellaring it for 5-8 years. This bottle was on the younger side of that, and I'd be curious to see what a few more years does for it.

You can get the full tasting notes about this wine on their website.

Your wine questions...answered

Looking for a wine to go with the dish you are serving for dinner tonight? Curious about the difference between port and sherry? Want to add some other food and wine related sites to your bookmark list? Check out www.wineanswers.com.

Started by the Wine Market Council as a free service to wine lovers everything (amateur and professional...), www.wineanswers.com is a terrific resource on all things wine. Best of all, it's free! There are recipes, a food and wine pairing tool, and a Wine 101 article archive on topics from bubbly for your wedding day, to breaking out of a wine rut. There are even free wine epostcards to send to friends when you find a wine or restaurant you like.

I just discovered this website today, but it's fantastic, and I'm sure I'll be using it often as a resource. Give it a look see when you get a chance.

The Quest for the Fizziest G&T

When I'm not partaking in a glass of wine, I'm most likely sipping a refreshing, limy, fizzy gin and tonic, especially in the summertime. (Though Mojitos are a close second, as we have mint growing out of control in our garden. But sometimes they just require too. much. effort.)

My gin of choice is Tanqueray, although we typically buy Seagram's because it's a lot less expensive and still makes a damn good G&T. I also prefer Seagram's tonic to Canada Dry, though either is fine (just as long as it's not diet tonic. Ugh.) And I like at least a quarter of a lime, squeezed as much as possible to extract the maximum amount of juice. As you can see, it's pretty much an exact science for me.

An article in the August issue of Bon Appetit about the return of the highball (of which a gin and tonic is actually a variation--it's just that the mixer (tonic) is a bit sweeter than the standard highball mixer (soda))--suggests always buying the small glass bottles of tonic so that each drink is as fresh and fizzy as it can be.

We have always purchased the 1 liter bottles of tonic, which yield about 5 or 6 drinks in our favorite acrylic patio highball-sized tumblers, and average about $1.20 a bottle at our local grocery store (versus $3.29 for a six-pack of 10 ounce glass bottles..) However, unless we are entertaining, we never finish a bottle of tonic in one night, and by the next evening, it's flat but flat.

Tired of wasting tonic, or having less than stellar cocktails, I finally came to my senses and got the 6-pack (which, ironically, turns out to be just as cheap if not cheaper when factoring in wasted or flat tonic...) Ahhhh...it makes so much of a difference, even when compared next to a just-opened 1 liter plastic bottle. The glass most likely retains pressure better, and perhaps the seal is tighter--the plastic bottles never seem to have an expiration date more than a few months in the future, while the glass bottles I just bought are good until March of 2008. At any rate, as I type this, my drink tastes fresh, fizzy and delicious.

Too much analysis for a minor topic? Maybe...but a decent G&T makes me happy. :-)

Weeknight dinner wine

It's Tuesday night, and you have arrived home late from work. Maybe a quick pasta dinner is on the menu, or perhaps a grilled chicken salad. Or maybe you picked up a pizza on your way home. If you want to enjoy a glass of red that goes with all of the above, and then some, and is inexpensive enough to open up on a weeknight, head to Italy.

The 2005 Montresor Badolino Le Banche de San Lorenzo is under $10, and is full of bright fruit (think red cherries and plums), along with a touch of earthiness and soft tannins. It's approachable and easy-drinking, as well as being very versatile when it comes to food.

Bardolino is in the wine region of Veneto, and red wines tend to be blends of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara (this particular wine is a 50/30/20 combo, respectively). It's well-balanced and very delicious.

Maple and Pecan in a glass

Here is some information about Amber Liqueur I received today. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds very intriguing (though I have to admit that based on the flavor profile (maple and pecan), it seems more fitting for a fall or winter drink than one for the heat of summer.) But the cocktail recipes sound tasty--especially "Amber Lace," and I'm willing to keep an open mind. There are a lot of DC bars offering free samples in the coming weeks:


Is the summer heat getting to you? If you’re ready to cool down after work over cocktails with some friends, AMBER Liqueur is offering new, exciting cocktails at some of the coolest bars/restaurants in DC. Forget all about the humidity as you sip a chilled cocktail made with AMBER Liqueur, a seductive and wholly unique liqueur that boasts flavors of maple and pecan. Only available in six select cities, AMBER Liqueur is creating quite the stir in the DC lounge and bar scene.

Sample Cocktails:

Amber Lace
2 oz Amber
4 oz club soda
¼ oz raspberry liqueur
Fresh lemon

Amber Sour
2 oz Amber
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh orange juice

Amber Julep
1 oz Amber
1 oz The Macallan 12 Years Old
Fresh mint leaves

A selection of AMBER cocktails will be offered at the following DC-area lounges. Stop by and cool off with an AMBER cocktail:

July 11th –
Happy Hour at:
Bobby Van’s Grill – 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
1201 New York Avenue NW
202.589.1504

July 12th –
Happy Hour at:
Mezza Luna – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
1140 19th Street NW
202.429.8889

District Chophouse – 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
509 7th Street NW
202.347.3434

Bar Promotions at:
Nathan’s – 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm
3150 M Street NW
202.338.2000

July 13th –
Happy Hour at:
H2O – 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
800 Water Street SW Waterfront
202.484.6300

The Bottom Line – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
1716 I Street NW
202.298.8488

Bar Promotions at:
Lucky Strike – 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Gallery Place – 701 Seventh Street NW
202.347.1021

Panache – 10:00 pm - 12:00 am
1725 Desales Street NW
202.293.7760

July 19th –
Happy Hour at:
The Guard’s – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
2915 M Street NW
202.965.2350

July 25th –
Happy Hour at:
Clydes (Gallery Place) – 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
707 7th Street NW
202.349.3700

My Brother’s Place – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
237 Second Street NW
202.347.1350

Bar Promotions at:
Fly Lounge – 9:00 pm - 12:00 am
1802 Jefferson Place NW
202.828.4433

Lima – 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
1401 K Street NW
202.789.2800

July 26th –
Happy Hour at:
The Front Page – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
1333 New Hampshire Avenue NW
202.296.6500

July 27th –
Happy Hour at:
M&S Grill – 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
600 13th Street NW
Washington, DC
202.347.1500

Busboys & Poets – 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
2021 14th Street NW
202.387.7638

Bar Promotions at:
Avenue – 10:00 pm - 1 am
649 New York Avenue NW
202.347.8100

New grad wishing to become wine savvy? Read on...

Here are some tips for the new grad who wishes to trade pale ale for pinot noir.

Congratulations on your accomplishments, and best of luck in the "real world"!

Slushie taste test

We entertained out-of-town friends over the weekend, so I thought we would do a little wine slushie taste test with the 2 Quady Winery wines I posted about last week.

I made the slushies by pouring the bottle of wine into my electric ice cream maker. In about 45 minutes or so, they were the consistency of a frozen margarita (Quady also suggests just freezing them in a container, and then using a fork to make the wine slushie-consistency. This is also how granitas are made.)

On Friday night, we tried the Red Electra, made from black muscat grapes. It tasted of fresh berries, and the slight prickle made it even more refreshing. It was pretty sweet, but not cloying. We drank it with glazed strawberry pie. The consensus was thumbs up.

Saturday night, we tried the other bottle--Electra, made from the orange muscat grapes. Not sure if my ice cream maker was frozen enough (I cleaned it Saturday morning and stuck it in my deep freezer for 12+ hours before we made slushes again), but we just couldn't get the wine to turn to slush. It was ice cold when we drank it, but the opinion was that it was a bit too sweet. It had lots of honey overtones, and just wasn't refreshing enough for us to enjoy as a summertime "treat." The fizz wasn't as apparent in this wine, so it came off a bit cloying.

We all agreed that we would try the Red Electra again (it would make a great host gift for a summertime party), but we'll skip the regular Electra. Both wines retail for around $12.99. They only have an alcohol content of 4-5%, so they are great choices for summer, when the heat and humidity can make you dizzy enough, without a high alcohol wine to add to the mix.

Dry and delish

Although many people equate "Riesling" with "sweet", Rieslings come in styles which run the gamut from bone dry to super sweet dessert wines. What all of them have in common, though, is good acidity to balance any sugar present in the wine (Riesling is a grape which retains its acidity, so as the grapes ripen on the vine and sugar levels increase, acidity levels still stay high, unlike many other grapes whose acidity drops off as sugar levels get higher.)

I really enjoy all Rieslings, and those with a hint of residual sugar go really well with spicy Asian food (the sugar counters the heat in hot Indian and Thai curries and other spicy dishes.)

Chateau St. Michelle has been a great American producer of Rieslings for years now. Their Columbia Valley Riesling is off-dry, with just a touch of sugar, along with peach and apple flavors. Their Eroica offering, a collaboration of CSM and Dr. Loosen winery from the Mosel region, is gorgeous, with minerals, rich fruit and great acidity.

For those of you who like Riesling's fruitiness and acidity, but prefer dry wines, try CSM's Columbia Valley Dry Riesling. More along the style of a dry Austrian riesling, the wine is full of beautiful apricot, mandarin orange and apple flavors, along with a bit of minerals. It is full of flavor but finishes dry. Try it all by itself, with a cheese and fruit plate, or with Asian food.

Wine slushes--update

The nice folks at Quady Winery just sent me 2 sample bottles of wines that they suggest to use in wine slushes--Electra and Red Electra. (They contacted me after reading my article on wine slushes on Wine Enthusiast's website). We are having out of town guests this weekend, and I can think of nothing more refreshing during a muggy VA summer than one of these out on the deck. We'll try them this weekend and post our thoughts them next week. In the meantime, here is some info from Quady Winery about these wines:

Made from the Orange and Black Muscat varieties, Electra and Red Electra taste like a bowl full of fruit with a bouquet of flowers thrown in.

To add to the enjoyment, we made them a little “frizzanté”. It was this tingle on the tongue which gave rise to the name: Electra.

Enjoy on the rocks, on the deck, or lounging next to the pool. Take them on a picnic and you won’t need a nap after lunch.

Here’s a fun idea for entertaining at home: Slushies. With only 4-5% alcohol, the Electras freeze beautifully. You don’t even need a machine. Just pour the wine into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a freezer until the wine crystallizes. It will break up easily into an attractive granité like consistency. The frozen wine can then be scooped into a glass and garnished in various ways.

Another interesting fact: the Electras are sweet wines but, because the alcohol is low, the caloric content is the same as regular dry table wine.

Everyday retail nationwide: $12.99

The Essential Wine Tasting Guide

The Essential Wine Tasting Guide is a great little pocket tool for the wine lover (full disclosure: Glen Green, the creater, sent me a free sample to check out.)

Just the size of a credit card when folded, it fits easily in your purse, wallet or pocket, and offers a wealth of information. Once unfolded, you can use it to find the right adjectives to describe the texture, aroma and flavors of a wine (everything from "freshly cut grass" to "honey" to "red cherry to "smoke"). It also offers a handy guide to a wine's hue, wine faults, and a temperature serving guide, among other useful things.

Total price comes to around 12 bucks for shipping to the U.S. (the guide is produced and shipped from Australia.) But it's a very helpful tool to take to the wine store, restaurant, or to a meeting of your wine club. I was really impressed by how much is covered in such a small space.

Divas Uncorked--Sisters Who Sip

Divas Uncorked is a group of women who love to enjoy and learn about wine. Their "Sisters Who Sip" series is a once-a-month teleconference hosted by the Divas, with a different guest each month--typically a woman sommelier, wine author or educator (previous guests include author Leslie Sbrocoo and sommelier Nadine Brown.) Attendees of the teleconference sip wines they have purchased ahead of time (guests provide a list), and learn more about them during the call. It's a heck of a lot of fun for a Saturday afternoon.

I'm pleased to announce that I will be the guest for the August 4 Sisters Who Sip. The theme is "great wines for grilled foods," and we'll talk about wines that go with everything from steaks to shrimp skewers.

If you are interested in learning more, and registering for the teleconference, here is the link to Sisters Who Sip. Hope you can join the Divas and I on August 4!

Bachelorette party options

Thanks to the folks at Washington Post's "Going Out Gurus" blog, who included my business in their annual list of ideas for bachelorette parties.

You can read the article here.

Wine and food ideas for dear old Dad

Looking to make a special meal for your dad on Father's Day? Check out my article on Father's Day barbeque ideas, as well as wine suggestions to make the meal complete.

Steele Carneros Pinot Noir

I did a few wine tastings for clients over the weekend, and tried a CA Pinot Noir that I really enjoyed...the best part is that it's in my general price range for a weekend wine (and for me, that means no more than $20. Though if someone else is buying then the sky's the limit.)

At around $18 a bottle, the Steele Carneros Pinot Noir is textbook Carneros Pinot for this price range--low yet silky tannins, flavors of black cherry, and a slight hint of that can't-quite-put-your-finger-on-it "earthiness" so common in Pinots.

It's easy-drinking and easy on the wallet, and went over really well with the crowd at the tasting on Saturday night. I'm going to add it to my list of "reasonably" priced CA Pinots--along with Acacia, Angeline and (cheaper still at less than $10 a bottle) Camelot. It was really lovely and very enjoyable.

Hot wine

My schedule unfortunately didn't allow me to make it out to this year's Vintage Virginia wine festival, which was held this past weekend at Bull Run Regional Park. But my webmaster Pierrette attended on Sunday (the better day to go this year, as the off and on rains kept the crowds light...)

She passed along some information about some very unique wines from Peaks of Otter Winery in Bedford. Wine purists--brace yourselves, as this winery specializes in fruit wines. Their Chili Dawg wine is made with 97% apples and 3% chili powder, resulting in a wine that tastes like hot pepper jelly. Pierrette said it was unlike anything she's ever had, and it was a fun change. She also recommended it with with sharp or cheddar cheese.

They also produce a wine that's more for cooking than drinking (except maybe if you are a masochist...) called Kiss the Devil Chili Pepper.

For more information on these wine concoctions, check out Peaks of Otter's products page. And thanks, Pierrette, for the "hot" tip.

Host a Wine Swap

Looking for a way to get rid of some bottles of wine that you don't really like? Then host a wine swap. Read here for more details.

Gin gets its due...and here's a new one to try

You can't turn the pages of a food or wine related magazine, or browse a culinary website, these days, without reading something about the "comeback of gin". I'm proud to say that I have been a faithful gin drinker for years (Tanqueray, with fresh tonic and lots of lime juice, to be exact. Or Seagram's if I'm on a budget--less expensive and still makes a decent G&T). No matter the brand, gin is aromatic, refreshing and delicious (no offense to lovers of that "other" clear beverage...)

Artisinal gins seem to be where it's at these days (for more on the subject, check out the current issue of Bon Appetit, which offers a primer on the latest small batch offerings.) But Tanqueray, one of the major players in the game, has released a new bottle to add to their "default" style and their No. 10. Called Tanqueray Rangpur, it's infused with "rare Rangpur limes, ginger and bay leaves." Just released nationwide in February of this year, it retails for around $22 for a 750 mL bottle.

Not wanting to commit to a full bottle without trying it first, I opted for 2 of the single serving "airplane" bottles. We chilled them in the fridge, and then tried drinking it straight. The botanicals were apparent, but not overly so (it certainly wasn't as "limey" as Seagram's Lime Gin, etc.) Rather than drinking it naked, we actually preferred it in our beloved G&T, where it was very smooth. But if you are a martini lover, this would make a mean one.

I'll probably end up buying a (full-sized) bottle next time I'm gin shopping. We seem to go through more of it in the summer, when G&T's taste especially good, so that will most likely be soon.