High Brau Adventures

"Oktober" and its many fests may arrive sooner than you think, but any month of year is a great time to explore Germany's beer cultures beyond Bavaria when contemplating your beer menu.

In major cities throughout the U.S., the proliferation of gastropubs and microbreweries has influenced everything from fast casual restaurants to fine dining. Some industry insiders point to London as the birthplace of the modern gastropub movement (coined in 1991 when restaurateurs David Eyre and Mike Belben took over The Eagle Pub, merging seemingly dissimilar concepts of informal neighborhood pub and high-end gastronomy destination).

Others, however, can argue that trends rooted in Germany beer and food culture have also made an impact. Walk through any neighborhood in Los Angeles or Chicago, and you will be as likely to stumble on "currywurst" restaurants spots and brauhaus-style pubs. U.S. entrepreneurs intent on taking Germany's historic beer legacy beyond Oktoberfest fairs should ideally show their guests  that there are many ways to explore Germany's brewing traditions beyond Southern Germany, the region that most has shaped America's definition of German beer culture.
 
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An Argentina Adventure

An invitation to attend an "Experience Argentina" press trip, focused on the foods of that country and the wines of Escorihuela Gascón, Alamos Winery and Catena Zapata, became a unique opportunity for me to delve into two very distinct expressions of the country's culture: food and wine. It was a tremendous week of viticultural and gastronomic excess, and I learned a ton about Mendoza wine and Buenos Aires city culture.

Mendoza nestles against the eastern flanks of the rugged Andes Mountains. Breathtaking and sparsely settled, it is a broad, flat, high-elevation plain at the edge of an inland desert, not unlike eastern Washington or even the wine country of my home state of Colorado. But the feel is actually quite Mediterranean, probably due to the large expat Italian community that has now spread to every corner of the country.

Buenos Aires is not only much more cosmopolitan than Mendoza but also very southern European in flavor and flair. There are great restaurants in all 48 neighborhoods of this metropolis, and if you have happy feet you're never too far from a tango.

"Small Batch, Good People"

The last time I spoke with them, Dave and Will Willis were excited about getting the first few orders for their tiny, artisanal distillery in Boston. One year later their spirits in three states (CT, MA, RI) thanks to a new craft beverage division of their distributor, the Origin division of Horizon Beverage Company. One of the Horizon owners started this division a couple years ago to focus on artisanal beverages, and they are now up to 50 products, with more than 350 skus in their portfolio-but that's a whole 'nother story . . . .

THE TASTING PANEL at Arizona Cocktail Week

THE TASTING PANEL's visit to Arizona Cocktail Week was featured in our April issue. Here's an on-location video to whet your palates!

Success Built on a Bun

Burger-flipping season is right around the corner, and in the heart of California's Napa Valley, one iconic winery is already firing up the grill. Finalists from the 2012 Sutter Home's Build a Better Burger recipe contest were announced in late January, and preparations are being made for the final cook-off on May 18, where they will prepare their burgers for the palates of a panel of judges at the historic Sutter Home Winery in St. Helena.

Sutter Home created its signature Build a Better Burger recipe contest in 1990 as a way to demystify the wine experience by pairing one of America's favorite everyday meals-the burger-with one of the country's favorite wine brands, Sutter Home. The stakes are high. The contest is currently the second largest cash-prize recipe contest in the nation, with a beefy $100,000 grand prize for the winning all-beef burger and an additional $15,000 prize for the winning alternative burger. Only non-professional "home cooks" are allowed to enter.
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TTB Finally Recognizes Cachaça

LEBLON ANNOUNCES VICTORY AS THE TTB RECOGNIZES CACHAÇA AS AN OFFICIAL AND DISTINCTIVE SPIRIT OF BRAZIL!

On February 25th, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) finally "legalized cachaça," as they published a final rule that recognizes Brazil's national spirit as an official spirit and a distinctive product of Brazil. Prior to this ruling, cachaça was required to be labeled as "Brazilian rum" in the United States.

Leading brand Leblon Cachaça led the legalization efforts through social media and nightlife events, collecting over 300,000 signatures, to bring the petition to Congress. They also held frequent rallies and directly lobbied the TTB to pass the new legislation.

"Now that the U.S. government has recognized cachaça, it's time for the world to discover what it means to be Brazilian without leaving the States," explains Steve Luttmann, founder of Leblon.
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A Brave New World

FOOD MENUS GET THE DIGITAL TREATMENT WITH MENUVATIVE

It has to start somehow. And for Eric Arsenault, Wine & Spirits Director for the Michigan-based restaurant group Mainstreet Ventures, it started about three years ago.

"I was doing some work for one of our restaurant's websites and starting playing around with the idea of building a sub-website for the wine list, just to make it more interactive," Arsenault says. Then, when he saw someone sitting in a dining room holding an iPad, he thought to himself that the thin, lightweight device was certainly going to replace paper menus some day. That's how it started.

For Arsenault, who has an engineering degree from the University of Michigan, that "Aha!" moment led to researching various iPad-based wine apps. "But I didn't think that just sticking a wine list on a tablet was the real answer," he says. "There's so much technology sitting right in their hands. I knew we could take this concept a lot further."
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U.S. Visitors: Prepare to be Wowed at ProWein 2013

For 2013, ProWein, the International Trade Fair for Wine and Spirits, held annually in Düsseldorf, Germany, has a series of exhibits, seminars and other special events planned that are designed to deliver value specifically to American attendees.

ProWein structures events in two formats, small, intimate "pop up" seminars on the trade floor itself, as well as events in areas specially set up to focus on subjects that are high-interest hot buttons.

"The Central Tasting Zone" is a case in point of the latter. According to Michael Degen, Director of ProWein, International Trade Fair Wines and Spirits, "About 1,000 wines will be available to taste in an efficient, self guided process customized to the individual's interest." Whether it's Georgia, Turkey or Tasmania, thousands of wines from countries around the world are on exhibit. Whether they are new wines from old countries or familiar varieties from new countries, the range of what's on exhibit is extraordinary.
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New Speakeasy Brings Retro Style to Downtown Vegas

Downtown Las Vegas is proving to be the hip place for those who want to get away from the well-worn hotel circuit on The Strip. One new place is putting a whole different spin on Sin City, trading uptown glitz for pre-Prohibition posh and polish.

Recently named  one of the "7 New Reasons to Hit Las Vegas," by the New York Post, Commonwealth brings a stylish new social scene to the burgeoning Downtown Vegas. The swanky 6,000-square-foot cocktail bar is a collision of art and architectural influences inspired by pre-Prohibition era design and libations—complete with its very own backroom speakeasy, The Laundry Room. Read More ==>

Speed Rack Competition Regional Winners

Speed Rack is a competition, and a tough one at that. Pitting the best female bartenders in each city against one another, the competition travels around to major cocktail markets before The Finals to determine Miss Speed Rack in May. Created by female bartenders for female bartenders, the best part has to even be mentioned: all proceeds from each event go to supporting breast cancer education, prevention and research. Follow along to find out who will win the coveted title of Miss Speed Rack.

Tucson winner Shel Bourdon considered herself an unlikely speed test winner: "I am not known for being the fastest at mixing drinks. I have learned, developed and still work in more craft-focused environments." Bad news for a contestant of a timed competition, right?
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Pick Your Own Cocktail

VEEV'S CARTER REUM KEEPS GUESTS' DRINKS INTERESTING WITH A COCKTAIL HERB GARDEN

Here's a gardening tip for mixed drinks mavens. Carter Reum, co-founder (with his brother Courtney) of VeeV Açai Spirit, grows herbs specifically for cocktails at the duo's shared home on a winding canyon road in upper Beverly Hills.

Marketing Push for the Pays d'Oc IGP

Having thought I'd heard everything about French wines, I was surprised to learn of a whole new area of IGP wines [Indication Géographique Protégée].

Want to guess?  Here's a little more info: this is a huge region, the largest exporter of wines from France.

This region grows native and international varietals, and many of the producers have been getting more and more modern, creative and natural over the last decade or so.

Give up? It's the ancient kingdom of the Pays d'Oc (pronounced PAY-ee dock).
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Dry Creek Zinfandel — Old World or New?

In September, six top Dry Creek producers — Paul Draper (Ridge), Erik Miller (Kokomo), Clay Mauritson (Mauritson), Doug Nalle (Nalle), Hugh Chappelle (Quivira) and Julie Pedroncelli (Pedoncelli) — participated in a panel discussion at Ridge Winery, "Debunking Zinfandel Myths," led by journalist Patrick Comiskey.

With vines dating to pre-Prohibition, Zinfandel is the grape most uniquely associated with California viticulture and was the first variety to create a wine craze in California; it is still known as "as the wine of the people." Today there is a renewed interest in this varietal as Zinfandel is being rediscovered and re-appreciated.

The Quest to the West

Cocktail and motorcycle enthusiast Dylan Regan is making another trek across the country. This time however, Regan will not only further expand his knowledge of cocktails, but also his peace of mind. Join us for regular installments.

Los Angeles Dreams Come True

The next morning came slowly. Matt and I spent the morning riding down the Sunset strip and along the Malibu coastline, meandering around on our motorcycles and taking in the sights.

Joe Pro and Lauren Wells gave us a call in the early afternoon and hoped to meet up for a late lunch in Venice Beach. As we veered our bikes back into the city, we found that traffic was thick, especially for a Sunday afternoon. Once we made our last inch onto the Venice boardwalk we were greeted by a crowd of blonde-hair, bikinis and short-shorts. Would-be musicians sang their tunes in between cool little curio shops, bars and independent coffeehouses.

Matt and I were greeted by Lauren and Joe in front of Hal's Bar and Grill on Abbott Kinney Boulevard as most of the bar locals stayed glued to the football game while we licked our wounds from the night before. The Roosevelt proved to be great, but offered little rest and we surely felt the repercussions of the festivities from the night before.  The slow redemption continued on through most of our lunch until conversation of the night ahead began to come together. We headed across the street for a cappuccino and haphazardly discussed our plan of action. 

Comfort, Contemporized

CO(CK)BURN'S PORT IS BROUGHT UP-TO-DATE FOR A NEW AUDIENCE

Port, in all its styles, is decidedly a comfort wine. Enjoyed as an aperitif, it signals the comforting thought that dinner is likely to follow and it often accompanies moments of deep relaxation after a meal.

Enthusiasts have long associated Cockburn's (pronounced Coburn's), a brand founded by Scotsman Robert Cockburn in 1815 and acquired in full by the Symington Family Estates in 2010, with just that level of comfort. As the largest-selling brand of port in the U.K., the company's humorous advertising campaigns since the 1970s have traded on the common mispronunciation of the name Cockburn.

Brits who know their history have the advantage in that regard, as both Sir George Cockburn, the admiral who conveyed Napoleon to St. Helena in 1815, and Sir Alexander James Edmund Cockburn, a Lord Chief Justice of England in the early 19th century, both carried the name.

As part of the Symington portfolio, Cockburn's has undergone a complete overhaul one that began in 2006 with improvements in wine quality and culminated in a complete redesign of the packaging and the reopening of the Cockburn Port lodge in Villa Nova de Gaia, Portugal where consumers can once again tour the cellars.