Ireland is a green land of rolling hills, sheep and craggy coastline, to be sure. The people enchanted even more… a generous, welcoming, hilarious lot. One of my favorite people in recent Ireland travels was Liam O’Leary, distillery operations manager at New Midleton Distillery in County Cork, near the southern coast of Ireland. The name New Midleton may not mean … Read more →
Consistently, St. George Spirits wears the crown for renegade inventiveness. As I wrote last year, Lance Winters, master distiller, and distillers Dave Smith and Chris Jordan, lead the way in out-of-the-box creativity. Never have I seen the like of their test tube apothecary of experimentation where they’ll try anything, from foie gras and beef jerky, to carrots and Dungeness crab,… Read more →
It’s a unique time in Bay Area winemaking. We see more California winemakers finding harmony between New & Old World-style production, laying off heavier-handed extremes of overly-oaked or high alcohol wines, honing in on our region’s true terroir. While global love for big, bold California wines isn’t going anywhere, it’s ever more apparent that our range is far beyond what… Read more →
On September 6th, Harry Denton’s legendary Starlight Room will reopen, revamped, with brand new menus and look. Though the space wasn’t quite ready for a sneak peek, I did sample a few of the cocktails that will be on offer from bar manager Joel Teitelbaum’s winning menu. Grouped together by time periods, the menu starts with the 1600’s and punch,… Read more →
JAPANESE WHISKY If you were at SF Chefs last month (here’s my recap of it), you might have been privileged to try Hakushu whisky as I did… multiple times over the weekend. The 12 year Hakushu emits sweet pear and green apple aromas, but surprises with dry smoke. Shockingly evocative of a peaty, Islay Scotch (sans the peat), Hakushu is… Read more →
ORSON, SoMa – Orson bar manager Ian Adams shows inspired vision in his cocktails. He’s having fun pairing them with a new four-course dinner, but even more so, his everyday cocktails shine with enough twists to keep me intrigued. Amorosa ($10) comes on the stem in a champagne glass. It exhibits a rosy Campari and house cinnamon-rose kombucha hue, mixed… Read more →
One jumps at the chance to spend a day at London’s Beefeater Distillery, particularly when given a personal tour by Beefeater’s master distiller Desmond Payne. Gracious and mannered, Payne has been making gin for over 40 years, his early days being at Plymouth Gin. An English picnic in Kensington Gardens and a week full of fine food and cocktails at… Read more →
A 3 1/2 hour train ride through the rolling, green English landscape (yes, dotted with sheep and cows), remains as idyllic as my memories. Ten years ago I explored the central and northern parts of the country, feeling strangely at home in the English countryside and moors. This Summer brought me to the southwestern coast of England and the town… Read more →
Jasper’s Corner Tap and Kitchen, Downtown/Union Square (401 Taylor at O’Farrell, 415-775-7979) You heard it in my Guardian column a couple weeks ago: Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen is going to be a drink destination, no doubt about it. Pair its all-star bartender line-up and impeccable cocktail menu with 18 beers on draft (like Telegraph Reserve Wheat from Santa Barbara), a… Read more →
I sample dozens of spirits, wines, beers in any given month. If there are tasting events (and there are), then multiply that a few times. Here are ones that rose above in recent weeks: WHISK(E)Y LAPHROAIG 2011 CAIRDEAS – Laphroaig’s master distiller John Campbell and Global Brand Ambassador Simon Brooking were in SF a couple weeks ago. I spent an… Read more →