Alcademics.com

Props to You Too

Alcademics gets a shout-out on the SF Weekly's food blog, SFoodie. Read it here.

Party Tips from Esquire

I think it's a little odd to put your New Year's party tips in the January issue of a magazine instead of December, then to give away all the content online before it's even January, but that's why I'm not a rich and famous magazine editor.

Nor am I a David Wondrich, who wrote all the booze stories for the issue. They include:

Esquire's Guide to Hosting

A complaint about oversized Martini glasses

And batch-sized recipes for party drinks: the Gin Daisy, Manhattan, and an original drink called the Saint Valentine (umm, wrong month again?) that includes rum, port, Grand Marnier, and lime juice.

San Francisco: Vodka-Free City

Once upon a time, more specifically around the turn of the millennium, several bars would brag about their extensive vodka selections. It was the age of the Cosmopolitan and the Vodka Martini, you'll remember. I believe Club Mighty had a separate vodka bar, and I seem to remember a smaller bar like Hush Hush promoting its large variety of the clear spirit.

Eater SF reports that the one remaining bar completely dedicated to the stuff, Voda Vodka Lounge on Belden Lane, is closing. I'm sad to see it go. Not just because I think vodka (which outsells all other spirits in the US by a huge margin) deserves at least one bar dedicated to it, but because I just included the bar in a hotel guide and was planning to review it in round-up story I'm writing this week. Stop the presses!

Does anyone know where else in San Francisco has a large vodka selection? I now need a last-minute replacement for my story. It seems like there must be a hotel bar or Russian restaurant somewhere that has at least 20 bottles on the shelves. Little help?

Gin and Tonic: Now Gin-Free!

Imbibe Magazine's blog points to a new flavor of soda: Dry Soda Company's Juniper Berry soda. The editors tell us it tastes like a non-alcoholic Gin and Tonic.

But the problem with non-alcoholic drinks is their complete lack of alcohol. To me, this product sounds like it will pair magnificently with leftover vodka to make a gin-free G&T.

In San Francisco, You May Want to Try the Drinks

Newsflash! Drinks are good in San Francisco! It's true now, because I read it in the New York Times!

Alcademics A-Plus: Now Easier to Sign-Up

For anyone who was hesitating on signing up for the Alcademics A-Plus email list, which serves the purpose of giving out free stuff, you should know that the process is slightly easier.

Some people said they didn't want to share their annual income. I've now made that field optional. (I've never looked at anyone's individual data beyond birth date, for the record.)

In January we'll have several giveaways, including:
- Copies of Cocktail Books
- More tickets to the Fifth Floor's "Three on Five" pairing competitions
- Vermouth!

So if you haven't done so already, kindly take a moment to go sign up.

Cover Girl

Did you get your copy of Imbibe Magazine in the mail today? I did. Oh neat, look at that 12-page cover story on scotch whisky. I wonder who wrote it...

Wait a minute, I did! That's my story. Hooray!

 

Gift Bagged

A liquor store in New York was fined $10,000 for selling wine gift bags. Apparently, you can't do that in the same place you sell wine. You may sell glasses and corkscrews or give away gift bags for free, but selling them is illegal. WTF?

The New Noilly

Cocktail nerds are abuzz these days with the news that the recipe for Noilly Prat vermouth has changed, as has the bottle. Word is that the American version, which was designed to be mixed into cocktails, will now be replaced with the European, which is more often sipped on its own and not mixed. It is said to be more intense and woody than the previous version.

Spirit Me Away compares the old and new formulas.

Major Map of Micro-Distillers

The American Distilling Institute put together this great map of craft distillers in America. I'm not sure if it's limited to members or what the criteria is to be included, but regardless this is a very cool (and for me, very useful) way to find small distillers in different locations. On the website, clicking on the map will take you to a PDF file that links to each of the distilleries numbered.

Out of the Bathtub and Into the Kitchen

Gourmet.com has a recipe for making gin out of vodka by infusing it with herbs and berries. I can't wait to try it.

I also think this would make an excellent gift for the gin lover in your life: Hand him or her a bottle of vodka to make them squirm, then in the card that comes with it have all the herbs and the recipe in the envelope. Tee hee!

Pisco Punch, By the Bowl

Check out this recipe for a relatively easy (no gum Arabic required!) bowl of Pisco Punch by the Pegu Club's Audrey Saunders. The recipe if for a bowl of punch but with the way it's put together you could make individual portions. It''s part of a series of holiday punches from New York Magazine.

Mmm, Holiday pisco.

Manhattan to Martinez to Martini

If you haven't already, check out Eric Felten's story tracing of the evolution of the drink from the Manhattan to the Martinez (the focus of the story, called the "missing link") to the Martini.

Great stuff as always from Felten.

Recommended Bottles in the SFBG

In the San Francisco Bay Guardian this week I have a story on some recommended bottles to pick up this winter season. Here's the picture.

Glossy Booze: Mid-December Edition

Glossy Booze is a round-up of alcohol stories in glossy magazines.

-Playboy (December) has a story on recommended bottles of scotch, divided into Speyside, island malt, Highlands, and blended whisky categories. There are recipes for the Roby Roy, Aberdeen Angus (scotch, honey, lime, Drambuie), and Black Jesus Shooters (one part Jagermeister to two parts scotch). Also in this issue, best winter brews.

-Best Life (December/January) has a story by Sang Yoon (owner of Father's Office restaurants) on recommended champagnes.

-Sunset (November, which just showed up to my house in December) has 10 wine-based mini-esapes.  In the December issue, there are three mocktails from Lucy Brennan of Mint and 820.

-Bon Appetit (January) lists the recipe for the Isle of Pines cocktail (pomegranate juice, rum, grapefruit juice), a list of essential bottles for the home bar, and a blurb on Mud Puddle Books' reprints.

- In 7x7 Magazine, Jordan Mackay has a story on half-bottles of wine, and another on hot drinks like the Spanish Coffee. The story and recipe are online. Also on the 7x7 website is a commercial eggnog taste test.