My latest print feature in Gin Magazine (from the publishers of Whisky Magazine, which I have also written for here) is on Berlin bars that do right by gin. Online link to my Berlin bars article here — next issue, I write about top Tokyo bars. Past issues of Gin Magazine: my SF bars article here. There is hardly any doubt that… Read more →
My editorial best of the year picks were published at Food Republic over December 2015 and January 2016 in a series of articles covering the best in US and international travels, hotels, meals and drink — here is a link to each article I contributed to and my favorites summarized below: – Best Drinking Experiences, International– Best Drinking Experiences, West… Read more →
I wrote this article for Food Republic, originally published September 22, 2015. Here is the unedited article with an additional 5 bars at the end and also Berlin shops selling rare spirits. The article and all photos are by Virginia Miller. Not having been back to Berlin since 1999 when the city was flush with cranes, construction and raw energy,… Read more →
Though I drove briefly through Germany’s stunning Berchtesgaden region in the Bavarian Alps recently during a second and third return to Austria and Switzerland, when I spent 8 days this May in Berlin, I actually hadn’t been back to Germany since 1999. At that time, when I was backpacking around Europe for 3 months, Berlin was all cranes and construction… Read more →
As in so many of the world’s best cities these days, coffee has risen to an art form, whether influenced by the hot, flat white-driven coffee scene in Australia, or the decades-long history of superlative coffee on the US’ West Coast (Oregon, Washinton and California), whether pulling from Italian coffee drink perfection or Japanese equipment precision (Hario, siphon, etc.) Berlin… Read more →
Whatever association you have with the word Schnapps, or Schnaps, as it is known in Germanic countries (the word means “swallow”), it likely isn’t good. Sour apple, pucker, fruit flavors… you might think of cheap, sugary liqueurs in unnatural colors. But this, my friends, is not real schnaps. In Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and the French region of Alsace, schnaps, edelbrande or… Read more →
Salzburg impressed me during my first visit in 1999 where the romance of its spires, churches, river, mountains and rolling, green hillsides was an influence since childhood, thanks to that film locals love to dislike, The Sound of Music. As with my visit in ’99, going on a SoM tour was a highlight of my visit (there are many to… Read more →
Innsbruck is the capital city of the Austrian state of Tyrol (Tirol) in western Austria. The city is famous for its scenic setting along the Sill River, sandwiched between dramatic mountains (2000-3000 meters/7000-9000 feet), and for being the site of the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. It was a city I’d meant to visit during my first visit to Austria… Read more →
Another year, another few hundred bar menus tasted and perused around the globe. This year was the most full yet: I visited over 25 cities in 10 different countries. Which means weeding through best tastes is even more complicated. Given the vast range, I have three 2013 lists (more for best in food/dining here): 12 Best New Bars in San… Read more →
CHAMPAGNE I hadn’t been to Bubble Lounge in awhile, recalling former pleasant weeknights sipping bubbly while live jazz played, but not as into sceney crowds there for DJ sets on weekends. I returned to meet with Wine Director, Sabawun Kakar, who’s passion for bubbly shows in his thoughtful selections and sabrage skills. Food is surprisingly tasty, and welcome to settle… Read more →