As a companion to their engaging website, which explores drinks of all kinds found around the world, Australia’s Alquimie has released the second edition of their quarterly print publication….
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Few products are entirely explained in their name like Corkcicle, a wine chiller that replaces the bottle’s cork, resulting in consistently chilled white wine (or room temperature red wine) for up to an hour. A non-toxic…
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Best known for their smart, minimal home furnishings, Denmark’s Normann Copenhagen recently took a step into the drinkable design category with the introduction of a line of 12 teas. Contained in colorful, reusable tins with graphics by designer ,…
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Focus sur Manon Wethly, une photographe belge qui avec sa série « Flying Beverages » nous dévoile des clichés de différents verres et de récipients pleins jetés en l’air. De jolis clichés dévoilant le mouvement du liquide à découvrir sur son portfolio et dans la suite de l’article.
LA bartender Matt Biancaniello whips up a sweet summer cocktail with a new liqueur
From Heaven Hill Distilleries, makers of Elijah Craig whiskey and Rittenhouse Straight Rye, comes Mariposa, the first agave nectar liqueur on the market. Mariposa, which is concocted from 100% agave tequila and premium vodka, is named for the Spanish word for butterfly, paying tribute to the Monarch species indigenous to the Tequila region of Mexico. With an aroma of gardenias and rose oil, the liqueur makes for a highly mixable ingredient for sweet cocktails. For those wishing to limit or eliminate processed sugars from their diets, agave has become a popular alternative, and bartenders have found agave to be a helpful substitute for simple syrup and honey.
Bartender Matt Biancaniello of the Library Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel in LA created a special cocktail with Mariposa that incorporates the flavors of summer. Biancaniello fills his bar with the freshest ingredients from no fewer than three local farmers markets every week, and strives to create new combinations from seasonal flavors he finds. Inspired by the Nicholas Family Farms blueberry juice, Biancaniello bucked his usual habit for intricate, ingredient-rich cocktails to blend a simple recipe that can be easily replicated at home.
2 ounces Mariposa
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce fresh blueberry juice
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker, fill with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with fresh blueberries and a slice of lime. (Alternative options: pomegranate or grape juice would also work well with the floral notes in the Mariposa.)
Mariposa is currently launching across the US this summer, and will be available for $25.
Organic ingredients and natural sweetness from six boutique soda makers
Channeling the flavors of childhood without the sugary side effects, natural sodas keep the fizz while eliminating harmful preservatives. Instead, these sustainably sourced drinks call upon organically grown ingredients for the freshest in flavor. The following is a selection of six sodas that combine light sweetness with a bit of zest for a satisfying substitute to that classic can of Coke.
The 100% local, fresh ingredients packed in a bottle of Hot Lips bring the best of the Pacific Northwest straight to your lips. Recycled glass bottles house some spectacular essences, and we’re partial to the velvety Boysenberry—a rare flavor in the soda world—which is made from fruit out of Western Washington’s Willamette Valley.
Handcrafting cordials since the 70s, Belvoir Fruit Farms
creates perfectly balanced sodas that reflect their freshly picked contents. The assortment of fizz-filled “pressés” actually quench your thirst while tingling your palate with the delicate flavors of elderflower, lime and lemongrass, cranberry and English apple, among others.
Created by Bruce Cost, the author of “Ginger East to West”, Fresh Ginger Ale is arguably the purest ginger drink around. The lightly carbonated soda is made exclusively from fresh ginger and cane sugar, and is left unfiltered with a rich, full-bodied flavor profile. While perfectly good solo, the drink shines when paired with a plate of fresh sushi or mixed with a measure of gin.
The century-old soda maker Fentimans prides itself on a “botanically brewed” process, which involves infusion, boiling and a seven-day fermentation period. Made from natural ingredients like ginger root, dandelion leaves and juniper berries, many of the heavily spiced concoctions drinks also pack a strong caffeine punch.
Dry Soda Co. was born from the intent to create a non-alcoholic drink with full flavor and a small amount of pure cane sugar. Clear and elegant bottles contain exotic flavors of rhubarb, juniper, lavender and lemongrass alongside more mellow offerings of blood orange, cucumber, wild lime and vanilla bean.
Old-fashioned Maine Root is rightfully known for flagship root beer, although we’re partial to the Spicy Ginger brew and regional favorite sarsaparilla, which is touted as a lighter alternative to the root beer. The Portland-based company uses fair trade ingredients and organic evaporated cane juice for sweetness.
Organic small-batch spirits entirely handcrafted in the heart of Chicago
Just a few blocks from Hollywood Beach in Andersonville is Koval, Chicago’s first boutique distillery since the days of prohibition. Robert and Sonat Birnecker, the husband-and-wife team behind Koval, handcraft vodka, whiskey, brandy and liqueurs entirely from scratch, drawing on Robert’s long lineage in the brewery business as well as the farm-fresh grains and produce the Midwest region has to offer.
Unlike many small-batch producers, Koval doesn’t start with a pre-made base. From mashing to bottling, they keep the entire process in-house, distilling their entirely organic spirits in a custom-built Kothe Destillationstechnik potstill from Germany. The still’s elongated whiskey helmet, designed specifically for grain spirits, allows a greater surface area for the liquor to develop a full aroma and distinct flavor.
Koval started out by producing five single-grain white whiskeys, which are more flavorful than vodka and slightly more intense than aged whiskey. With its powerful punch, white whiskeys make great mixed drinks. For sippers, they also distill regular and dark single-grain aged whiskeys, branded under the name Lion’s Pride. Like the white whiskeys, the Lion Pride varieties include rye, wheat, oat, spelt and millet, all matured in new American oak barrels sourced from The Barrel Mill in central Minnesota.
We tried a few of Koval’s spirits, finding that each style had a definitively different flavor. The Levant Spelt white whiskey tastes like a slightly bland moonshine, but would serve as a good base for a cocktail with heartier mixers, while the sweeter Lion’s Pride regular rye would work well in a Manhattan that’s easy on the vermouth. We enjoyed the Lion’s Pride dark millet as a sipping whiskey, and the rosehip liqueur would go great in a lavender martini or other floral drink.
Prices vary depending on type, but on average a 750-milliliter bottle of Koval whiskey runs around $40 and sells online from West Lakeview Liquors or from Koval’s brick-and-mortar shop.
Double-aging and distilling makes for this ultra-smooth sipping rum
If how quickly our bottle of Brugal’s 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar went is any indication, you’ll keep this tipple within easy access at the front of the liquor cabinet. The perfectly-balanced 1888, one of the smoothest rums we’ve tasted, is the upshot of five generations of experience in one masterful blend. Double-distilled and double-aged (first in American oak barrels followed by Spanish sherry casks), this Brugal projects a light sweetness and isn’t overbearingly smoky or spicy. The aging process brings out the rum’s full flavor without overly complicating the taste, making it an excellent sipping rum.
Topping off the elegantly beautiful bottle design, a weighty gold-toned cap lends a sense of quality that adds to the rich experience of this delicious drink. An annual limited-release rum—the label indicates the lot number and year of production—and at only $50 a bottle, the 1888 reserve is a great value for its exceptional taste. Already selling in New York, 1888 will hit stores around the U.S. beginning mid-September 2011.
North American roasters get crafty with South American and African beans
Thanks coffee culture spreading far and wide—from Portland’s Stumptown to Chicago’s Intelligentsia—the appeal of independent micro-roasters over corporate coffee houses is starting to catch on not just among connoisseurs but mainstream America as well. To survey the latest, we’ve dedicated our morning—and afternoon and evening—cups of coffee to finding the best artisinal purveyors in the States. Below is a selection of seven cups of black gold that will not only keep you moving, but taste good too.
Earning the coveted title of coffee partners with the cycling gurus at Rapha, San Francisco’s own Four Barrel serves up one of the best cups of Joe around. We imported a beautiful bag of their Kenyan Muranga Theri and fell in love. This sweet coffee has a delicate citric acidity with a bold bitter end—available for $20 per 12-ounce bag at their Valencia Street shop and on their website.
A Northeastern favorite, Gorilla Coffee hails “from a little town called Brooklyn.” The coffee is bold and strong, just as one would expect from the city that never sleeps. We found the Kenyan Fairview Estate to be nothing fancy, just a good solid coffee perfect for every day drinking. The buttery brew sells at Gorilla’s webshop for $15 per 12-ounce bag.
Operating from their lone shop in Topeka, KS since 1993, PT’s Coffee Roasting roasts over 100 tons of specialty coffee a year. We got our hands on a half pound of the Organic Guatemala Finca Santa Isabel blend. Shortly after the first sip we noticed a subtle—almost floral—flavor that lingered even after the cup was gone. This smooth coffee sells for $15 per 12-ounce bag through their website.
Founded by a former Starbucks exec, Roasting Plant roasts a wide variety of beans on site every single day to offer the absolute freshest coffee possible. We snagged a bag of the Roasting Plant Blend, described by one CH taster as “how you imagine coffee should be” and the aromatic blend quickly became one of our favorites. Look to either of their two NYC locations or their online store where $22 will get you 16-ounce bag of premium beans.
Located in the Hudson Valley just outside of NYC, Irving Farm roasts daily to achieve a “farm fresh” quality. As fans of their Flying Donkey espresso, we were eager to taste a few coffee bean selections, and found the Gotham Blend to have the most enticing full flavor. The dark smokiness really came through with each sip, resulting in a “luscious, powerful and strong” cup of coffee. Available at Irving Farm’s website for $14 per 12-ounce bag.
Portland‘s Heart Coffee Roasters roasts twice weekly in-store to ensure consistent quality from each batch of season-specific beans. We tried the Guatemala El Limonar, a soft-hitting coffee with a slight nutty flavor, accented by notes of citrus. Heart’s lightly roasted coffees sell from $14 to $20 per 12-ounce bag throughout the Rose City as well as online.
After fifteen years of research and experimentation, the brains behind Seattle’s Espresso Vivace think they’ve found just the right way to roast their espresso beans. After many rounds of voluntary sampling we agree. Described by Vivace as being ideal for drip coffee and French presses, the Espresso Vita is a delightful blend that we found to be light and flavorful with a “classic” and “lovely” disposition. Available through Vivace’s webshop for around $16 per 16-ounce bag.
Fulvic acid, cherries and cocoa power these new drinks with benefits
For bored palates, finding a delicious new drink with all the health benefits you want can be a tricky task. When plain water just isn’t cutting it and you’ve had all the pomegranate juice you can drink, give one of these a try.
Some things are fact: grass is green, the sky is blue, water is wet and…black? That doesn’t seem right. But Blk water is just that. The source of its unusual coloring can be traced to a blend of fulvic acid, which helps the transportation and absorption of healthy minerals and elements, electrolytes, antioxidants and free radical scavengers in plants. Mined from a 70-million-year-old source, the fulvic acid binds to the pure Canadian spring water used by Blk, coloring it black with no artificial dyes or additives. The company is run by the husband of a “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star and his nephew (whose mother is also a star of the show). A 24-pack is $55 on Amazon.
For those craving a fruity drink packing a healthy punch, look no further than Cheribundi. Each all-natural eight-ounce bottle packs 50 tart cherries (that’s the equivalent of two servings of fruit) grown in Michigan and New York, rich in disease-fighting antioxidants. Cheribundi comes in three flavors: Tru Cherry (sweetened with apple juice), Skinny Cherry (sweetened with Stevia), and Whey Cherry (includes protein supplements). A 12-pack of Cheribundi sells for $28 on their website. It’s also available at Whole Foods.
Cacao beans possess many of the same benefits as the so-called “superfruits.” Each bottle of Honest CocoaNova is only fifty calories and contains all the antioxidants and theobromine found in dark chocolate. All CocoaNova flavors are organic. We tried all three—Cherry Cacao, Mint Cacao and Mocha Cacao—and loved them all. Visit the Honest site to find a retailer near you.
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