Recent Stories in Drinks

A cider is born in East Wenatchee. (Photo courtesy of Snowdrift Cider Co.)

I've never liked beer. 

And if I hadn't spent time in London during college, that fact might've left me a lifelong teetotaler. But during that trip I discovered hard cider. Every pub had it on tap, and damn, was it good. 

Back in the U.S., of course, cider was thin on the ground, especially twenty years ago. That kind of made sense in Milwaukee, where I grew up, which is devoted to beer. But Washington is known for apples. When I moved here, I wondered: Where's the thriving cider scene?

In progress, it turns out. In the last few years especially a number of small cideries have sprung up throughout the northwest. (There's even a Northwest Cider Association.) And a few months ago I stumbled across what I believe is the best cider produced in Washington: Snowdrift, based in East Wenatchee. It's outstanding. I've been drinking it ever since, and it's a tough call to decide between their Cliffbreaks Blend and Wandering Aengus's Bloom as my favorite variety overall.

So I emailed Snowdrift's Lars Ringsrud to ask for an interview and find out more. 

You've grown apples for a long time, but you started making hard cider recently. How did you decide to enter that market?

Well our history in cidermaking goes back a couple decades, about as long as we've been growing apples. Peter would occasionally make homemade wines and ciders from the fruit here on the orchard. The wines would generally turn out pretty good, but the cider was never anything you'd actually want to drink--or even cook with for that matter.

Somewhere around 1998-2000 the apple market took a nose dive. We saw orchardists tearing out their orchards left and right because they couldn't get operating loans, and others would replant with Galas, Fujis, Pink Ladies, whatever the newest hot variety was, to try to stay in business, just to have to wait 3-7 years before they even got a crop. We were in the same boat where something had to change, but we went in a different direction.... (more)

A little while ago, the Hansen Beverage Company sent me a test pack of their new natural soda, The Grove, which unites the taste of berry and citrus and cane sugar (no high fructose corn syrup for you). I don't actually drink soda, unless it is united with the taste of booze, but I know that lots of people do, so fine. I took a sample on a boat race to see how it performs.

This is likely the only review of The Grove you'll find that details its drinkability both leeward and windward.

The Grove is new--it may not be in stores yet, I don't see it on the Hansen's product page--but like the rest of Hansen's natural offerings, it contains no caffeine, no preservatives, and no artificial flavors or colors. If you follow the science and policy of taste creation, you will already know that any natural flavor can be wholly produced in a lab and still marketed as "natural"--Hansen's goes the extra provenance mile and assures you of extracts from California and/or Florida limes and lemons, U.S. strawberries and yumberries.

If Princeton researchers can be believed, the best part about Hansen's is the cane sugar sweetener, rather than high fructose corn syrup. That way--and I think the data is conclusive--if you happen to feed Hansen's to your pet rat, he or she will substantially less weight gain than a rat chugging HFCS.... (more)

Coldstream Hills, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia. Photo by Matt Turner ©Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation

You might not associate pinot noir with Australia, but that won't be for long, if Aussie winemakers have anything to say about it. During the month of June, they're pushing wine drinkers in Los Angeles and Seattle to give up Oregon pinots and try some from Victoria, a state in Southeastern Australia with a cooler climate, good for the persnickety grape. And yes, even though this is white- and rosé-drinking season, a light and supple pinot noir also goes well with most summer meals. I spoke with Mark Davidson, a longtime sommelier and market development manager with Wine Australia about drinking Australian wine and this month's pinot event.  Details on restaurants and retailers serving Victorian pinots after the interview.

What are the common perceptions (or misperceptions) of Australian pinots?

Most Americans, if they are aware of Australian pinot noir, they aren't that familiar with it. Without a doubt, New Zealand pinots are better known in the marketplace. (I can't speak about New Zealand, because we hate them—that's just a joke, actually.) When people think of Australia, they think of other things with wine—most likely shiraz is the first thing that comes to mind. I think the idea of Australian pinot noir is a great way to shift people's perception, which is kinda what we're trying to do right now, just to get people to think and understand that there's more to Australian wine than the cheap "sunshine in a bottle" or the steroidal shiraz that they've been accustomed to in the last couple years.

It's almost as if Australia's name was kinda ruined for a while, in terms of wine, because of Yellowtail and the subsequent race to the bottom for the cheapest possible wine.

Yeah, no question, everything goes through ebbs and flows, but in fairness, the kind of wines that got Australia to the dance, if you like, on the North American stage are those fun, varietally correct and clean, affordable wine--that's what got people excited. Then there was a little state where there were some importers bringing in the types of wine that were big and bold and high in alcohol. Those wines certainly exist, but they're not really that traditional in Australia. That got people excited for a short period of time, and then they got bored with those wines.

So then Australia was slotted as a two-trick pony: simple and fruity wines that were affordable, or these monstrous wines that were really big and over-the-top, and that's really not the full picture. While pinot noir is a relatively new thing to Australia, there's all kinds of styles and cool climate grapes that are not new at all and have been made for decades in Australia, but nobody knows about them. People like to compare [Australian pinots] to Oregon pinots. Obviously, the movie Sideways did a fantastic job in many ways of getting people in North America excited about wines other than cabernet.... (more)

I needed a local hook to talk about delicious drinks, and the fine people at Taste at SAM have come through for me. As a tie-in with the Andy Warhol and Kurt Cobain exhibits running (through September 6), they've developed two specialty cocktails, a Kurt's Collins and Warhol's Black & White. (See recipes below.)

Drop in over Happy Hour (3-6 p.m.) and there's also a raft of $5 food items: kusshi oysters, rosemary frites and remoulade, rhubarb panna cotta trifle. Not $5 is pastry chef Lucy Damkoehler's new concoction, "The Munchies," which includes lime cilantro slushy, doughnut holes, and chocolate marshmallow cake. Wash that down with $3 draft beer, $5 Hammering Man cocktail, or $7 glasses of wine (select wines, obviously). Speaking of wines, their next wine tasting is June 25th, 5-6:30 p.m.

Then the fine people at 1800 Tequila (*coughCasaCuervo*) and Three Olives vodka sent over some summer drink ideas. Some of these look better than others, so caveat drinker. Tropical Tequila Punch, on the other hand, I will happily stop by to try out if you mix some up. For the tequila fans out there, don't forget you're blessed with Barrio and The Saint. Barrio I believe is still doing their half-off tequila shots offer on Monday nights, which is a wallet-friendly way to work your way through their list.... (more)

David Swidler is eating, drinking, and cooking his way through all 32 World Cup countries, much like he does at his site cookingvssports.com.

How is it possible that the people of Washington and Mississippi belong to the same country, yet the citizens of Denmark and Holland do not?

Of their many similarities, both of these countries have a globe-covering mass-produced beer. Denmark gave the world Carlsberg, and Holland put Heineken in our lives, who in turn gave us the driving dog.

In fact, as far as I can tell, the only difference between Denmark, Holland, and the Netherlands is that Holland has been playing an exciting style of soccer since the days of Jen Van Der Vlasman, and the Danish like to publish children's books about suicidal mermaids.

Heineken was the first imported beer to enter the U.S. after prohibition ended and continues to be our number-one import. (Molson, you have no excuse.) Carlsberg has been brewed in Denmark since the mid-1850s, and some of its past logos include an elephant and a swastika. Can you guess which one was dropped in the 1930s?

Now as Three Sheets Denmark taught us, both countries have tasty microbrews, however, you try and find a Mirror Pond Pale Ale in Viborg or Haarlemmermeer.

For some reason, a six-pack of Carlsberg, which tastes like our mass-produced Budweiser Miller Coors, costs eleven bucks at both Bottleworks on 45th and at the QFC next door. Do the Danes make us pay their socialist taxes, or are they still mad about The Prince and Me? I ended up buying a pint at Murphy's down the street, where they don't serve Dutch beer (racists). So I had to find some other bar that would serve us a Heineken, which took about seven seconds.

Heineken and Carlsberg: from small, white person-filled, coastal, non-threatening regions come global beer empires. Ah, that is why the microbeer boom started in the Northwest and not down Dixie way.

"2009.276 - One Drink Too Many" by Shawn McClung, via the SunBreak Flickr pool.

Men's Health is set to publish their annual list of "America's Drunkest Cities" in the upcoming March issue.  For whatever reason, they don't have the new list up on the website just yet, but they've released their results to the rest of the media (full list here, care of yesterday's the USA Today). 

Denver has been stripped of its "Drunkest" crown, but the majority of the top ten are still located in the West, with the bottom ten mostly being in the East (one exception: those Mormons in Salt Lake City, of course).  Seattle comes in as the 64th-drunkest city, with Portland out-drinking us at #40.  The rankings come from stats like "death rates from alcoholic liver disease, booze-fueled car crashes, frequency of binge-drinking in the past month, number of DUI arrests, and severity of DUI penalties."  See the Men's Health website for a more in-depth explanation of the data they use. 

And while you're there, check out the map of last year's rankings.  It's confusing and counterintuitive, but consider the numbers in a backwards fashion--so Denver, last year's #1 drunkest city, shows up with an overall rank of #100.  Or as Men's Health puts it: "For the overall ranking, a lower ranking is better. That is, a city ranked No. 17 is less drunk than one ranked No. 89. For the individual criteria, however, a higher ranking is better. So a city ranked No. 92 for DUI has fewer drunk-driving arrests each year than a city ranked No. 3."

In that case, last year Seattle came in at #79 (the 21st-drunkest city) and Portland was right there with us at #80 (the 20th-drunkest city).  So Portland is now twenty slots less drunk than in last year's survey, and Seattle's moved down the drunken list past a whopping 43 cities?  I'll drink to that.

Generally speaking, I avoid beer festivals. They're always crowded, usually overpriced, and often the beer list isn't all that different from the top two shelves found in one of the many beer shops around town. Belgianfest, however, took no arm-twisting at all for my attendance.

Twenty-five Washington breweries--an impressive figure on its own--came together for one day to showcase a common love: Belgian beer. To have this many breweries on hand offering up their take on over fifty different Belgian style beers is a dream come true. And to top it off, also in attendance were Dante's Inferno Dogs, Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream, and oh-my-god-amazing Sweet Iron Waffles.

First, the space. The Engine Room at Georgetown Studios (the original Rainier Brewery in Georgetown) was the perfect space for this festival--a large, airy room with sky-high ceilings and lofty windows filling the festival with natural sunlight. This made the crowd only more happy to be here.

The only downside to this festival was the epic fail of restroom planning. Hundreds of people drinking ten healthy samples each of beer equates to a hell of a lot more than the two single-stall restrooms on the premises. Luckily, the Jules Maes Saloon across the street was very accommodating to the folks who simply could not wait to do their business. To their credit, the organizers did realize the error of their ways and ordered up a truckload of porta-potties for the evening session.... (more)

I believe the Pale Ale standard was set back around 1990 (like so much local rock music) by Sierra Nevada's now-classic green label offering. So it's with a mix of skepticism and excitement that I greet any new Pale—even those originating in the beervana that is the PNW. Append Pyramid Brewing Co.'s name to the style and I'm even more divided.

The Seattle-born macro-micro has done IPA, Hefeweizen, and apri-hefe amazingly well for years—setting standards of its own—but its other labels, especially seasonals, are either less memorable or short-lived. (Curve Ball was once a Kolsch; Coastline died; Broken Rake died; etc.) So, Pyramid's new spring brew, Fling Pale Ale?

Sounds like an advertisement of its tightrope existence.

The press release claims, amid its loquacious superlatives, "a big, fresh hop nose followed by the perfect blend of malt sweetness and hop bitterness." And hey, it nails the latter half. I didn't detect much of any aroma after popping an advance bottle, but Fling does piggyback a very nice, crisp hop bite on an initially, briefly, sweet flavor. The first few swallows didn't do much for me, but a lingering, tongue-coating bitterness grew stronger with each (modest) gulp.... (more)

If there's anything better than drinking top-notch craft-brewed beer in a comfy neighborhood pub, it has to be making your special someone happy. While drinking delicious craft-brewed beer.

So the best place to be this evening—hell, this chilly gift-giving season—is Greenwood's new-ish Naked City Taphouse. Three reasons why:

1. 20+ taps of Washington's finest nectar for your imbibing, body-warming pleasure.

2. First-ever taps of the Naked City owners' own brews (Exhibit A: "White Russian Imperial Stout aged on Kahlua-soaked oak." Aptly named Big Lebrewski. Um, yum.)

3. Nifty artisan-crafted wares your lady or guy friend (or yourself) would love to unwrap on Christmas morn.

They call it Naked City Brewtique. Apparently booths will be set up inside the pub, where you'll find fine jewelry (some courtesy of SunBreak Jack's talented wife), greeting cards, "beer-inspired" soaps, and etched pint glasses. Cool stuff.

Craft sales start at 5 p.m. Ditch work and drop in for a beer or three well before that. Tight wallets do not a strong economy (or happy special someone) make!

Pacific Place's "ultimate shopping experience" is now a little more ultimate, with the addition of a holiday liquor store, "Spirits," on its third level. I stopped in before a movie (Ninja Assassin, a frothy little romantic comedy, with ninjas) to survey the goods.

I had no idea of the number of gift packages that involve liquor, prior to visiting. Just in case you don't get the holiday gift theme, they have built a Christmas tree out of Jim Beam. There's not much to report on prices; it's a Washington State Liquor store, after all, and it's only at the mall because the state is hoping to make a little extra green during the holiday season.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The store will be open through December 31, and then it'll vanish.

One thing you'll notice is that the shop doesn't stock much wine, because there's already a wine shop on the third level, Sixth Avenue Wine Seller. They have over 2,000 bottles in stock, with an emphasis on West coast wineries, and... (more)

The Bella Edward, at the Hunt Club.

All you need to know about New Moon is contained here.  After making approximately a bajillion dollars this weekend--well, $140.7 million here, $258 million globally, but who's counting?--Twilight fever is raging now more than ever. Soon, they will have all the monies.  But whether you are on Team Edward or Team Jacob or some other team, we can all agree that the Twilight series is for fourteen-year-old girls, the occasional gay, and sad middle-aged housewives.  So roll out the terrible themed tie-ins.

There was the Twilight menu at Gold Class Cinemas. And now there's two terrible cocktails at ostensibly classy joints:  the Hunt Club at the Sorrento has the Bella Edward, "a dance of love, evil in a cocktail glass," while Canlis (et tu, Canlis?) has a drink that sounds like a sewage-tini: The Temptation of Edward Cullen.  Head barman James MacWilliams' inspiration:

The Temptation of Edward Cullen. Photo care of Brian Canlis.

 

I was trying to capture some of the essence of the movie with this particularly vampires and the Olympic coast.  Forks is surrounded by the Olympic national park on one side and the pacific ocean on the other.  I was trying to create a biting crisp taste just hinting a forest and visually feeling like vampire.  This drink is not for the feeble of heart.  Strong but strangely keeps pulling you back.  The crushed ice helps chill it and if done right will frost the outside of the glass like the crystal vampire skin of the books and movie.

 

 

 

Nasty-ass recipe and Volvos after the jump.

The Temptation of Edward Cullen:

• 1oz Plymouth gin
• 1/4oz Zirbenz (Austrian Arolla stone pine liqueur)
• 1/8oz Le Tourment Vert Absinthe (A french vert or green absinthe with pronounce crisp eucalyptus notes)
• 2oz Champagne
• 3/4oz Green Walnut Wine (a sweet, homemade, aromatized, fortified wine with a spicy nutty flavor)

In a 10oz long drink glass pour Gin, Zirbenz, and Absinthe.  Fill glass to the top with crushed ice and stir.  Top off the glass with champagne.  Pour green walnut wine over the top so it slowly sinks through the crushed ice. Garnish with lemon fangs and a straw.

Meanwhile, the Volvo dealership on Pike has the below photo in the window.  Now all the fourteen-year-old girls can go out and buy a sensible Swedish sedan.  Edward, drive me away!

Remember back in 2006 the city of Seattle banned the sale of fortified drinks in "impact areas"? The Seattle Times said, "Supporters of the ban say those products are favored by homeless alcoholics who cause problems in city neighborhoods." The ban went into effect on November 1.

Now the State Liquor Control Board, a Foucaultian entity if ever there was one, is launching a pilot program that will put Liquor & Wine Holiday Gift Stores in a new kind of impact area: malls. Seattle's entry is Pacific Place, downtown on Pine Street. For symmetry, the program also starts on November 1, and underscores a persistent truth: If you're going to be an alcoholic, it's better to be well-off.

Harried holiday shoppers will find "spirit gift packages," booze-based chocolates and eggnogs, and a not-so-large choice of liquor and wine. As a mall-shopper bonus, the stores will be open seven days a week (hours varying by location) through December 31.

The four stores are supposed to help bring in an extra $3.8 million dollars! That'... (more)

Though I didn't see it at Sub Pop's (much-deserved) self-congratulatory SP20 music fest last summer, Elysian's Loser Pale Ale was brewed specifically for the occasion.

"Loser" pays tribute to Sub Pop's classic, faux-emasculating slogan, of course. What's cooler yet is the label, featuring a B&W Charles Peterson original: Mark Arm's guitar neck splitting the crotch of fellow Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner, circa 1988-ish. (Or is it Turner's guitar violating Arm? It's all axes, legs, and hair.)

You can't ride a fuggin' six-pack of this bright, tasty, 7% abv ale, unfortunately. It's only available in 22oz bombers. You can pick it up at the Elysian or, if you're lucky, find it at a city bottle shop or upscale grocery. I scored the pictured bottle a few weeks back at West Seattle's Metropolitan Market.