Drink

May Showers (of Wine) Bring Happy Hours"Maison de Monaco", of course, translates to "House of Oh My God That's Delicious".It's such a lovely time of year - but not so lovely that it couldn't be made a little lovelier. Tip a glass or few of these fine wines and let their euphoric glow bring a sparkling sense of well-being to sunny and blustery days alike. Also they're super-cheap.

This tea blends a Taiwanese oolong with orange blossoms. It promises a “light, delicate, brightly scented” cup. The maroon-coloured leaves are interspersed with orange blossom petals. The tea smells strongly of orange oil, somewhat like the softer, sweeter cousin of the bergamot oil used for flavouring Earl Grey blends. I followed the suggested directions, infusing a heaping teaspoonful of leaves in 8 ounces of water heated to 85 degrees Celsius for 2 minutes. The cup is a dark amber colour. It’s quite fragrant, mixing the scent of orange zest and powdered ginger root. Taking a sip, the taste blends the flavour of oranges in many forms: zest, fruit and flower. Again there is the zing of powdered ginger, especially in the finish. The tea is smooth to the taste but leaves an odd drying sensation in the mouth. It’s otherwise quite soothing and satisfying. I brewed the leaves again for 3 minutes. The tea base comes through more strongly this time, lending malt and biscuit notes to the blend. The orange flavours are still going strong. The long-lasting aftertaste is more like orange flower water at this point. Unfortunately the dry feeling is also still present. I steeped the tea again 2 more times, for 4 and 5 minutes respectively. Both cups are thin and watery. No unpleasant element surfaces but the flavour has only a hint of orange to it. I would stop at cup number two next time. On the upside, the waxy orange blossom petals add something special to the look of the steeped leaves in my infuser. Overall I found this tea to be quite flavourful and well blended. It offers complex and soothing fruit and flower notes, as well as a touch of spice. My only caveat would be the dry feeling this tea leaves in the mouth. Otherwise, it’s definitely a good value for the money at its price point.

Aviation American Gin is excited to announce the launch of its, “Show Us Your Cocktail Art.” Photo Contest ...Read More

Famous Newfoundland Screech can trace its ancestry back over 300 years to a time when fishing fleets from Newfoundland, with their cargo of Northern Cod and North Atlantic tuna, traveled south and established a tradition of trade with Jamaica for that elixir of the Caribbean, known as rum. This trade established Newfoundland as one of the major portals for the legal import (and of course a little illegal smuggling) of rum into Canada. There have always been a good variety of rum brands on the shelves of my local liquor store which began their journey westward across Canada from the easternmost Province of Newfoundland and Labrador; the most famous of these brands is certainly the Screech Rum. Recently Screech has added two new members to it family, Famous Newfoundland Screech Spiced Rum (100 proof) and, Famous Newfoundland Screech Honey Flavoured Rum. Theses rums are produced by the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation (NLC) from the same 4 marques of Jamaican Rum which are used to produce their Famous Screech Rum, although the treatment of these marques will not necessarily be exactly the same (Screech Spiced Rum is bottled at a full 50 % alcohol by volume, and Screech Honey Flavoured Rum at 35 % alcohol by volume). The new family members are just now hitting the store shelves in Newfoundland and Labrador, and will soon be making their way across Canada and into parts of the USA. My own samples arrived just this morning, and you can expect my reviews in the next few weeks. Tagged: Flavoured Rum, Honey Rum, Newfoundland and labrador Liquor Corporation, Overproof Rum, Rum, Screech Rum, Spiced Rum

Whiskey stocks have been tight for the last decade or so, but there has been no shortage of rumors about brands or expressions being discontinued, prices being raised, or products being degraded through reductions in alcohol content or age.The problem is a simple one. Quantities needed for sale in 2013 were predicted in 2009 or earlier. Most of the bourbon being distilled today won't be available for sale until at least 2017. It's a nice problem to have compared with the alternative, but it can be difficult to manage, as Maker's Mark showed in February with the proof cut fiasco.The problem is so acute that Buffalo Trace Distillery (owned by Sazerac), no doubt in response to a barrage of inquiries from retailers and consumers, today felt compelled to issue a press release acknowledging the problem.Despite our producing more every year, it says, demand continues to outpace supply.“We are making more bourbon every day," says Kris Comstock, bourbon marketing director at Buffalo Trace. "Our warehouses are filling up with new barrels. Waiting for the bourbon to come of age is the hard part. While we wait, there could be temporary product shortages, even on favorites like Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare.”Although the press release doesn't mention it specifically, Weller 12 has already experienced localized out-of-stock conditions. The entire Van Winkle line, which is produced by Buffalo Trace, has become scarce to the point of absurdity. Buffalo Trace predicts that fans of its other leading brands such as Blanton's, Buffalo Trace, and Eagle Rare may soon be greeted by bare shelves.Comstock wants you to know that Buffalo Trace is committed to quality. "We won’t take drastic measures to mitigate the shortages, such as raising prices excessively, lowering the proof or reducing the age of our whiskies,” says Comstock. And any shortages will be temporary.The only news in the release is that Buffalo Trace will add to its staff someone dedicated to watching and balancing bourbon inventory with sales.

When the decision was made to hold the 2013 Wine Bloggers Conference in Canada, a unique opportunity presented itself, and that was to feature only wines of British Columbia during the Live Wine Blogging sessions of the conference. Thanks to a lot of coordination and support from the Wines of British Columbia, this opportunity is becoming a reality, and attendees of the conference will have a chance to taste a selection from 30 different B.C. wines during each Live Wine Blogging session! There are 5 main wine growing regions within British Columbia: Okanagan Valley, Similkameen Valley, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, and the Gulf Islands. Over 60 varietals are planted on more than 9,800 acres of land across the Province, and of the 214 total grape wine wineries licensed in British Columbia, 132 of them are members of the BCWI representing 95% of wines sold. The Wines of British Columbia website is a fantastic resources for anyone looking to learn about the regions, the varietals, planning a trip to the area, and exploring what B.C. wines are all about. The site is beautiful and expertly put together and organized. Here are some quick facts from the website based on the five main regions: Okanagan Valley 121 Licensed Wineries Top Varietals Planted: Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay 1931: 1st winery opened 8060 acres planted Similkameen Valley 12 Licensed Wineries Top Varietals Planted: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay 1984: 1st winery opened 691 acres planted Fraser Valley 22 Licensed Wineries Top Varietals Planted: Blattner Reds/Hybrids, Blattner Whites/Hybrids, Pinot Noir, Bacchus 1991: 1st Winery opened 63 acres planted Vancouver Island 35 Licensed Wineries Top Varietals Planted: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Maréchal Foch 1992: 1st Winery opened 432 Acres Planted Gulf Islands 9 Licensed Wineries Top Varietals Planted: Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Ortega, Maréchal Foch 1995: 1st Winery opened 115 acres planted As you can see, the Okanagan Valley dominates production of wine out of B.C., and representation during the Live Wine Blogging sessions will reflect these demographics. To see a list of each participating winery during Live Wine Blogging, visit our Sponsor Page or download this PDF. If you are familiar with Live Wine Blogging, you know things move fast. In one short hour, you’ll get a one-on-one introduction from a select number of B.C. wineries and their wines. It is an excellent way for bloggers to get personal introductions from wineries and for wineries to make small-group presentations to bloggers. To best prepare, we recommend spending some time ahead of the LWB sessions on the Wines of British Columbia website learning about the regions and individual wineries, engaging with wineries ahead of time (especially ones that you have a specific interest in), and coming with charged devices and a cleansed palate! To make things easy, here are two Twitter Lists for you to one-click follow to keep track of all participating wineries: LWB White Wine Session LWB Red Wine Session The post Wines of British Columbia to Host Live Wine Blogging appeared first on Wine Bloggers Conference.

May Showers (of Wine) Bring Happy HoursThe Copa Del Rey is an annual Spanish football competition that...you've stopped reading, haven't you? It's such a lovely time of year - but not so lovely that it couldn't be made a little lovelier. Tip a glass or few of these fine wines and let their euphoric glow bring a sparkling sense of well-being to sunny and blustery days alike. Also they're super-cheap.

May Showers (of Wine) Bring Happy HoursHey Toots, I got ya gourmet meat snack right hee-uh!It's such a lovely time of year - but not so lovely that it couldn't be made a little lovelier. Tip a glass or few of these fine wines and let their euphoric glow bring a sparkling sense of well-being to sunny and blustery days alike. Also they're super-cheap.

In any En Primeur campaign there are four key players: the chateaux, the negociants, the merchants and the collectors. For the system to work over the long term, all participants must stand to make money for it to be worthwhile....

1 1/2 oz Old Overholt Rye 1/2 oz Punt e Mes 1/2 oz St. Germain 1/2 oz Lemon Juice Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. After having a drink at Stoddard's and chatting with bar manager Jamie Walsh for a bit, I headed over to Silvertone to attend the soirée held for Count Branca of Fernet Branca fame. The Count is a pleasing fellow that reminded people of Arthur with his carefree love of life (and all things Fernet Branca). One of the drinks I had was the Toronto and the Count was curious for he never had tried this gem first published in the 1940s; I was a bit surprised until he explained that in Italy, people drink it straight or in coffee, but he was game to drink one. Since the Branca product line contains other spirits including Punt e Mes, I also opted for an original created by bartender John Nugent called the Home Wrecker. John explained that Silvertone's John Childs asked for something summery, and for inspiration, John looked towards Misty Kalkofen's Maximilian Affair. Once shaken and strained, the Home Wrecker's nose was full of rye and floral notes. A malt and lemon sip led into a swallow that started with rye and ended with bitter floral flavors and a tart lemon finish.