My Life On The Rocks

Those of you that know me well know I have two great loves. Wine and spirits. I’m always amazed at the differences between the two worlds. With spirits, I love the camaraderie, the openness and the approachability of people. Go to BourbonFest or visit the Jameson or Midleton distilleries in Ireland and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The wine world is different though. I love winemakers, I love wine and I love the whole learning process. Unfortunately, about 1 in every 8 people I meet in the world of wine is a complete dickhead. I’ve never understood the snobbery surrounding wine, and to be quite frank, the best thing about wine for me is being able to share that experience with others. So its one of my missions in life to make wine far more accessible to people and reduce the stress and tension around something as simple as fermented grape juice. Of course, my other mission in the world of wine is to torture wine snobs as much as I can. Sorry, it may not sound like a noble mission, but goddamnit its mine.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. Later this month, Wine Riot is happening in Brooklyn and its exactly what the wine world needs. A dose of reality and approachability designed to let people enjoy wine in a cool environment. And, its 250 wines! On to the press release! Wish I could be there but I’ve got prior commitments. Still, I’d love to hear how this event goes and Portland definintely could use a Wine Riot. Just remember, don’t be a dickhead about wine and have fun at this event people.

Second Glass Starts Wine Riot in NYC!Brooklyn, Get Ready to Riot!

After three years of selling out events in Boston, Wine Riot is rolling into NYC at the Skylight One Hanson in Brooklyn on September 23rd and 24th to bring the most unpretentious wine event to the young people of New York. Second Glass’s Wine Riot is not your parents wine tasting event! Wine Riot offerings will include: One Price. Limitless Drinks: The ticket price includes unlimited samplings of the 250 different wines at the event. Second Glass Mobile App: This app allows you to mark the wines with “Like it” or “Love it” on your phone so you’ll actually remember what you drank the morning after.Photo Booth: After a couple hours of cruising the wine booths, the idea of putting on a silly hat and posing for the camera with your friends will sound brilliant. Wine Riot Intelligence Unit: Keep an eye out for the people in the bright green t-shirts marked “Wine Expert” and ask them any and all questions about the wine(s) you’re drinking.

 Food Pairings: What’s wine tasting without pairings? Munch on Luke’s Lobster (for a few extra bucks), Cabot Cheese, Taza Chocolate and more.  We have you covered in the education department as well, with free, 20-minute Crash Course Wine Seminars. Get the inside scoop straight from the winemaker, Gloria Ferrer, who’s flying in just for the New York Riot! By the end of the Riot, you will walk out with a new list of favorite wines all stored on your phone and perhaps a new neck tattoo! We don’t think your parents can say that about their trip to Napa.  Ticket Information: Prices for Wine Riot are only $50 – $60! For tickets visit: http://secondglass.com/wineriot/new-york-2011/. 

 About Second Glass
 Second Glass helps people discover new wines, remember what they drink and share that info with their friends. We bring wineries and wine drinkers together through technology and in-person events across the nation. Second Glass develops online and mobile tools for both wine consumers and wine producers. We host Wine Riot, a huge, innovative and interactive wine event in five cities across the US. Second Glass makes wine easier to understand and even more fun to enjoy, all with the goal of getting people to drink more wine. Visit secondglass.com to see what it’s all about.

The Jupiter Hotel in Portland is again hosting the finest food and spirits festival in Portland, Indulge, to benefit p:ear. This will be the 3rd year of the event, and its on Thursday, 9/22/11 from 5:30-9 (or whenever you personally decide to call it a night. Somehow, I seem to think I’ll end up at Rum Club after this event).

If you aren’t familiar with p:ear, well, long story short, that group is amazing in what they do for homeless youth in the community. Check out this link for more info.

Check out the new additions to this years Indulge lineup!

• Food Cart Land: The Jupiter’s DreamBOX will be transformed into Food Cart Land with five local food carts.
• Wine on the Patio: The firepit and patio will showcase over six wineries and delicious desserts to pair with your sips.
• The Photo Lounge: Commemorate the meal with a unique photo booth capturing those spontaneous photos and sending attendees away with an instantaneous souvenir.
• Indulge Overnight Package: Sip and savor into the wee hours without worry! Stay overnight at the Jupiter Hotel with the special Indulge Overnight Package- a 25% discount on any room at the Jupiter. Crash in a Metro, Lobu, or Deuce room, or claim the DreamSUITE as an exclusive after-party site. To learn more about the special package, visit http://ow.ly/5NU34 , and find yourself just a few steps from your bed when the party wraps up.

• Expanded Seating: The driveway will be open for attendees to mingle, socialize and rest between indulging.

And of course, here are the restaurants and distilleries making this event the food and drink event of the year;

Laurelhurst Market – Beaker & Flask

Genoa – Accanto 
Olympic Provisions – Screen Door 
Broder – Doug Fir

Spints - Tabla

Cheese Bar – Bakery Bar

Sizzle Pie – Lardo

Shut Up and Eat – Hot Pink Taco

Whiffies – Tamale Boy

Deco Distilling- House Spirits

New Deal Distillery – Oregon Spirit Distillers

Stone Barn Brandyworks

Burnside Brewing – Ninkasi

Double Mountain Brewery
Lucky Labrador
Dumas Station – Durant

Carabella – K Vintners

Charles Smith Wines – Charles & Charles

Water Avenue Coffee – Voss

Last but not least, the presenting sponsor is Fred Meyer. Its good to see a big company step up to the plate in these tough economic times and contribute to the community. Plenty of companies are closing their checkbooks right now so its admirable to see Fred Meyer continuing to commit to bettering our local community. Now if they’d either bring back the plastic bags or upgrade their totally shitty paper ones I’d be over the moon.

You can buy tickets here and there are even early bird tickets left if you buy within the next 48 hours. Either way, the tickets are fairly priced and this is sure to be a great event. Hope to see you there!

As if we didn’t know this already. Anyway, a verbatim press release from the fine folks at the Distilled Spirits Council of the US.

A new study by the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that moderate alcohol consumption is one of four healthy lifestyle behaviors that help people live longer.  According to the CDC, the four lifestyle behaviors were: having never smoked, eating a healthy diet, getting regular physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption.  Each was “significantly associated with a reduced risk of mortality.” The CDC researchers concluded that these low-risk lifestyle behaviors, “exert a powerful and beneficial effect on mortality.”   Additionally, the CDC press release about the study stated:  “This study adds to the mounting evidence of the substantial gain in life associated with healthy behaviors, and underscores the need for the clinical and public health communities to work together to promote greater adoption of these behaviors.”     The CDC study, “Low Risk Lifestyle Behaviors and All-Cause Mortality: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study,” was published recently online in the American Journal of Public Health.  Researchers analyzed data from 16,958 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study from 1988 to 2006. The researchers found that each lifestyle behavior was significant in reducing mortality, and found that the greatest benefit was when moderate alcohol consumption was included with the other three lifestyle behaviors. The researchers stated, “using a sample of the U.S. population, we showed that 4 low-risk behaviors exerted a powerful protective effect on mortality and several cause-specific categories of mortality.”  They cited a number of studies reporting potential health benefits associated with moderate alcohol consumption including reduced all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  The researchers also cited “the well-documented harm caused by excessive alcohol use.”  The study authors pointed to the recommendations of the Federal 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which defines moderate drinking as consuming up to one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.  The Guidelines define a standard drink as 1.5 fluid ounces of 80-proof (40% alcohol) distilled spirits, 5 fluid ounces of wine (12% alcohol), or 12 fluid ounces of regular beer (5% alcohol).  Each of these standard drinks contains 0.6 fluid ounces of alcohol.  The Distilled Spirits Council does not recommend that people drink alcohol for potential health benefits and have always encouraged those adults who choose to drink to do so responsibly and in moderation.  Even drinking in moderation may pose health risks to some people and some individuals should not drink at all.

So many of you know I’m as much of a wine guy as I am a spirits guy. One of the great challenges with wine is how to preserve an opened bottle of wine for consumption later. I’ve tried sprays and pumps and other weird little tricks, but I have to say that I’ve never been terribly happy with the results. Well, not until now. I received a sample of the Wine Doctor Intelli-Stopper expecting it to be just another poor way to preserve wine. Imagine my delight when I found a product that actually works and works well. Here is the thing. It is essentially the same thing as most pump systems, except that someone has cleverly created a gauge on the plug that shows just how well the seal is working. The result? Well, first, you make sure you pump enough air out of the wine to begin (a bigger problem than most people imagine) and second, the gauge tells you when you need to repump. Even better, the plug actually holds well. I’ve got a bottle holding at 10 days + that hasn’t given any indication of needing to be repumped. I’ll taste it once I see the red seep into the gauge and report back my findings. In the meantime, I honestly have to highly recommend this product for both wine professionals as well as just those who enjoy wine. Its a great product and well worth the price tag.

I wish these events were spaced out a bit better. Of course, this is just me being selfish and I’m happy that all three are occuring today. Of course, one or two might end up falling by the wayside if my day gets crazy. On the upside, I’m really looking forward to seeing my class today. Anyway, without further ado, here are the 3 things I’m super excited to check out today.

1- Mitchell Wines Regions of the World Oregon wine tasting event. Mitchell rocks and I really should get a lot out of this event.

2- RUM CLUB! I know, I know, I’m not a huge rum fan (I like it, its just that I like gin and whisky better) but I’m a fan of anything Kevin Ludwig does. This one could get pushed back though, since the “soft opening” got announced on Eater on Friday. I’m not one for crowds these days and I’m expecting this to be CRAZY. I want to publicly wish Kevin & company the best with Rum Club. They are all good people and I’m proud to call them friends.

3- Ringside Seafood in the Fox Tower opens today. Definitely want to check this out. Portland needs more seafood. More more more! I really hope that this is a home run for both the Ringside group and the people of Portland.

All I can say is that I really wish I could attend this program next month. What a great opportunity!

American Sommelier has condensed its flagship 24-week Viticulture & Vinification Course and is offering it for the first time as a 6-day Intensive in Napa Valley.  The course will be held Monday, July 25 through Saturday, July 30 at The Harvest Inn in St. Helena. Tuition is $3,000. “Viti/Vini” is the second of American Sommelier’s three-tier educational program. Recommended for both industry professionals and consumers, the course is a comprehensive look at the growing regions of the world from a sommelier’s perspective.  Topics covered include: varieties, regu­lation, climate, geography, soil, wine-making and grape-growing, economics, and food pairing.  Students learn how the details of viticulture & vinification affect a wine and how to apply this knowledge in the hospitality and service industry. The American Sommelier lecture style is designed to help students easily understand, as­similate, and enjoy the material covered. Students leave the course with a wealth of information and a lasting enthusiasm to continue learning.   Students will re­ceive a reading list and sample quiz upon registra­tion, with guidelines on where to focus their stud­ies and how best to prepare before classes begin. Each class day consists of a series of region-based lectures paired with wines that illustrate key edu­cational points. The last half hour is re­served for questions and review. Students begin each morning with a 30-minute quiz based on the readings and lectures.  A cumulative final exam on the sixth morning is designed to test their ability to synthesize the material. One afternoon will be dedicated to a class field trip to a vineyard and winery, followed by an optional group dinner. Andrew F. Bell, President and CEO of American Sommelier, will be the primary lecturer.  Bell is a co-founder of the organization and an educator with more than 12 years of experience.  His experiences include working with famed hote­lier and restaurateur Bill Kimp­ton in San Francisco; opening a boutique wine shop Paris’ 6th Ar­rondissement; working harvest in Arbois for renowned winemaker Frederic Lornet; and serving as number two sommelier at Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. Bell is married and has three children—including newborn twins—and lives in New York City. Founded in 1998, American Sommelier is an organization dedicated to support­ing the wine professional and to raising the overall level of wine knowledge and awareness in America through wine education. Headquartered in New York City, American Sommelier currently of­fers three levels of classes, in addition to regular seminars, tastings, and social events. Every two years, American Sommelier hosts the Best Sommelier in America competition

Those of you who know me well know I’m generally not a big fan of vodka. As it is, the vodka market is filled with “craft” vodkas that are just neutral grain spirit cut with water, repackaged and sold to consumers for $30+ (there are a few great exceptions to this, Dry Fly and Finger Lakes Distilling’s offerings being among the best real craft vodkas) and the flavored vodka category has reached the point of utter ridiculousness. Does the world really need bubblegum flavored vodka or whipped cream vodka? Perhaps it does, but I’m not likely to waste my time or efforts finding out.

And then there is Absolut A veritable classic in the world of vodka, Absolut has a clean, silky flavor profile that has made it a bar staple around the world. And their flavors are spot on and authentic. Want a citron flavored vodka? Why on earth would you reach for anything but Absolut Citron? Sure, there are other brands out there, but Absolut created the citron vodka category and its got a clean, authentic taste that few citron vodkas have. I find so many of them take on a certain chemical taste that is, well, less than appealing. Anyway, I digress but the point is that Absolut’s flavors are possibly the best within the vodka category. And then there are their limited edition, city inspired flavors. Today marks the launch of Absolut SF, an intriguing blend of grape, dragonfruit and papaya that seems sure to be a hit. Following on the heels of the highly regarded and much coveted Absolut Brooklyn (a ginger, red apple vodka that happens to be one of the only 3 bottles of vodka in my house), Absolut SF is also expressing its love for the city by the bay by donating $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity to support affordable, green housing in the SF metro area.

If you are a SF resident, Absolut is asking “Whats Your Absolut SF?”, or what makes your neighborhood in the city the best? The winning neighborhood will have a mural created in its honor and some other cool recognition opportunities. I think its a cool concept given the diverse neighborhoods of SF and I’m quite curious to see which neighborhood wins.

Fans looking for more info can check out the Absolut SF Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ABSOLUT for more information or pick up a bottle of Absolut SF and try some of these Absolut SF Signature cocktails at home.

ABSOLUT® SF COLLINS
2 Parts ABSOLUT SF
1 Part Simple Syrup
¾ Part Fresh Lemon Juice
Soda Water
Combine ABSOLUT SF, simple syrup and lemon juice into a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with soda. Garnish with a lemon slice.
 
ABSOLUT® SF FOGHORN
1 ½ Parts ABSOLUT SF
3 Parts Grapefruit Juice
Build over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
 
ABSOLUT® SF WILD PARROT
1 ½ Parts ABSOLUT SF
½ part SOHO® Lychee Liqueur
1/2 Part Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Part Simple Syrup
2 Parts Cranberry Juice
Soda Water
Combine ABSOLUT SF, SOHO Lychee Liqueur, simple syrup and cranberry juice over ice in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a highball glass filled with ice.  Top with soda.  Garnish with mint and a slice of lime.

By the way, Absolut SF is available in bars, restaurants, nightclubs and liquor stores around the country now. Be sure to let me know what you think.

There are few things as satisfying as creating a perfect cocktail—but sitting on a beach in Portugal has to be one of them.  With this in mind, the Sandeman Mix It Up challenge is looking for cocktail enthusiasts to create an original cocktail that includes Sandeman Founders Reserve Porto, for a chance to win a trip to Portugal and a visit to the world-renowned Sandeman Cellars.
 
The submissions will be judged by Sandeman representatives and Dalio Calado—an acclaimed Portuguese mixologist and cocktail expert—based on taste, creativity and originality. While port has been an aperitif and high-end bar staple for years, it is experiencing a dramatic resurgence in the world of mixology, due to its rich color and perfect flavor profile, and we are excited to see what fans of the drink come up with.
 
To participate, simply visit the Mix It Up tab on Facebook.com/SandemanPorto, and click “Enter Here” to  submit a recipe and a photo of the original cocktail

I’ll admit, I’m a bit conflicted about Ron Jeremy. Sure, he’s a fat, hairy, not particularly attractive porn star who I think is most famous for being able to suck his own dick. I can’t believe I just wrote that, but then how often do I write about porn stars, especially male ones? Ron also owns or runs some sort of swingers club here in Portland, Club Sesso and I’ve run into him around town a few times.  I think its weird that he is famous for being a porn star. I’d be afraid of the No-See-Ums, but then I’m so horribly normal and boring (I think the word is “vanilla”). So Ron means rum in Spanish, and Ron Jeremy is now promoting his own rum. Sometimes reality is SO much weirder than fiction.

Anyway, the Liquor Fairy sent me a bottle of Ron De Jeremy rum not too long ago. My first thought was that this product would be about as good as that vodka that Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino from Jersey Shore promotes and that perhaps Pauly Shore was too busy to sign on to promote a new rum. Sure, I could see people buying a bottle for bachelor parties and such, but honestly, can a rum promoted by a male porn star actually last in the market? I showed the bottle to some friends and some of the reactions I got (especially from women) were pretty negative. “Eww, who’d want to drink something and think about Ron Jeremy?” one of my friends said. The label has a drawing of Ron on the label, comes in a short, potbellied bottle (well, almost) and mentions that its got a “long smooth taste”. All joking aside, my intial reaction to the package was negative and I really thought that Ron De Jeremy was just a marketing gimmick to move some crappy rum. It turns out that I was completely wrong. Ron De Jeremy rum is actually a great rum.

So does Ron Jeremy drink rum? Is he a rum connossieur, splitting his time between gangbangs in Los Angeles, swingers club parties in Portland and sipping rum on the beaches of Panama? I honestly don’t know. What I do know is that this rum is a nice 7 year old from Panama that has a lovely russet amber color, a bouquet of bananas, brown sugar, molasses and a slight spice note of nutmeg and allspice. On the palate, nice spice notes marry well with fruit flavors, think bananas foster, and there is a very definite bourbon nuance imparted by the barrels which adds some vanilla and caramel tones. And yes, the finish on this rum is long and smooth. Big vanilla and caramel notes play across the tongue with undertones of clove, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon appearing before gently disappearing from the palate. This rum is really damn good.

Would I call for Ron De Jeremy in a bar? Probably not, even though its delicious, I don’t think I’d want to ask for it by name. And that my friends, is the conundrum here. Would you stock Ron De Jeremy in your bar? How will its association with an porn star help or hurt its marketing? Its going to be an interesting product to watch. As for me, I’ll probably order Ron De Jeremy online and decant it into another container so that my friends don’t torture me when I use it in a Ti Punch. If I ran a nightclub, I might put Ron De Jeremy on the shelf, it might be worth it just for the buzz it would create, but in an upscale establishment, I don’t think I could risk it.

So in conclusion, if you can look past the porn star and focus on the rum, you’ll get a really well made rum at a great price point ($30). Whether its a good thing or a bad thing to be associated with the Hedgehog remains to be seen. Its definitely a controversial product, but at the end of the day, its a delicious rum. And that isn’t something most celebrity endorsed liquors can actually say.

Just a quick update;

1. I had the opportunity to hit Davis Street Tavern yesterday for a tasting of Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah out of Eastern Washington. Pretty impressive wine. I was particularly fond of the 2003 and 2007 vintages, and it made me think that Cab Franc could end up being the star grape out of Eastern Washington if done right.
2. I spent part of last week down in the Tequila region of Mexico and came back with a few quick observations. I still adore Tequila Herradura and seeing the hacienda and distillery I’m convinced that they are easily the best of the large producers. As for small distillers, Tequila Fortaleza (Los Abuelos in Mexico) blew me away and I learned so much from that distillery. As for 3rd party brands, Peligroso Silver is a new discovery for me. Delicious with a wonderful fruit & agave flavor profile.