Bourbon and Bacon. A match made in heaven, to be sure. If you’re on the same page, then Bourbon Steak (335 Powell Street) in San Francisco’s ever-bustling Union Square might just be your own personal Shangri-La. The master mixologists at Michael Mina’s signature steakhouse have concocted a special libation incorporating the robust, smoky tones of pig fat with the barrel-aged bombast of a wonderful whisky. The aptly-named Kentucky Fat uses a special infusion of Bulleit bourbon—one of my personal favorites—combining it with unusual bedfellows: Goji berry liqueur, Antica Formula sweet vermouth, and Angostura bitters doused in pure bacon fat. Let’s consider that last component for a moment. In order to lace the bitters with the smoky-goodness of cooked pig, the staff at Bourbon Steak steep the bitters in heated bacon fat and then wait for it to solidify. After, they simply scrape off the congealed lard, and voila: the precious [...]

I’m a big fan of beer. Who isn’t? But the one thing I can’t stand is going out to a local watering hole and seeing a subpar selection of flavorless beer on draught. Not only is it insulting to my tastes, it spits in the face of the time-honored tradition of brewing itself. Unfortunately, in Manhattan there seems to be an abhorrent abundance of bars that refuse to offer anything in the way of variety. To save us all from this unspeakable malaise, Blind Tiger Ale House (281 Bleecker Street) in the West Village comes to the rescue, offering 31 taps of microbrewed goodness along with an expansive bevy of limited edition bottled beers. Here you’ll come across a whole slew of West Coast style IPAs from the likes of Bear Republic and Green Flash—the good stuff that is very difficult to find anywhere in the East Coast, let alone [...]

The Macallan – is a premiere brand of single-malt Scotch whiskey that was founded in 1824. Since then it’s grown into one of the biggest names in the business and this May it’s headed to the Regency Ballroom (1300 Van Ness Avenue) in San Francisco for a series of free tastings. Just remember: registration is required and you better get to it because people tend to flock to free booze at a frenzied pace. The Macallan is the second biggest selling single malt by volume (behind Glenlivet).  They will be sampling a variety of whiskeys at the San Francisco event, held May 8 through May 11. Tastings are free but you do need to be 21 or over, of course. As you can imagine, The Macallan has a proud and rich history. What else would you expect from a brand that requires the definite article in its title. So if you want to appear [...]

Let’s talk Pizza. It doesn’t matter what age you are, where you’re from, what kind of food you’re into, one thing is for certain: you love fresh baked bread topped with melted cheese and sweet, tomato sauce. My love for pizza has stayed strong since childhood, but now that I’m technically classified as an ‘adult’ the accompanying beverage that I choose to wash it down with has evolved from artificially-flavored pop to something far more mature. And I’m not talking generic American lager here, folks. I mean, to each their own, but have you tasted some of the world-class artisanal pizza being produced in major cities across the country these days? You wouldn’t go to a five-star dining establishment and finish off your fine filet mignon with cheap swill, so why would consider doing such with an authentic Neapolitan-style pie made with all-natural, locally-sourced ingredients? 800 Degrees (10889 Lindbrook Drive) in [...]

If you live in or around Southern California, you’re not going to want to miss the celebration going on at Tortilla Jo’s (1510 Disneyland Dr.) in Anaheim. They’re open from 11am-11pm on Cinco de Mayo and will feature a complimentary tequila tasting from 6-8. As if free booze wasn’t incentive enough for you, there will be piñatas! Every hour, on the hour, throughout the afternoon, you’ll be able to take swings at bashing the crap out of the traditional Mexican punching bag filled with all kinds of goodies. Does your fiesta need a soundtrack? Of course it does. And Tortilla Jo’s has you covered in that regard as well with world-class entertainment provided by the Grammy award-winning Mariachi Divas. Admittedly, I know very little about Mariachi music, but if they are divas they’ve got to be doing something right. Tequila is always a tasty spirit and after an entire afternoon [...]

Known in Mexico as El Dia de la Batalla de Puebla, Cinco de Mayo is an annual day of celebration commemorating the Mexican army’s victory over the French on May 5th, 1862. The battle helped preserve freedom and democracy within the country and helped promote unity and national identity. Here in the United States there is perhaps no more popular way to honor the heritage and pride of this holiday than by drinking…heavily. And although you’ll find bars throughout the country offering up Cinco de Mayo specials, there are a few cities that seem to take it more seriously than most. Here’s a list, fittingly, of cinco:   1.) Los Angeles, CA When it comes to celebrating Mexican culture, the West is the best. And nowhere else demonstrates this better than the City of Angels, whose population is nearly half hispanic. As you’d expect, LA likes to have a grand [...]

In the heart of Glendale, California you’ll find one of the West Coast’s most exciting new breweries: Golden Road (5410 West San Fernando Road). Less than a year old, this young and promising line of craft beers has been created to fill the void of quality microbrewing in Southern California.  According to Meg Gill, their President and Co-Founder, “there’s 200 breweries in Northern California and 70 in San Diego, but only a handful of breweries in L.A.” So with a mission of bringing craft beer to the eclectic communities of Los Angeles, Golden Road has opened their very own brewpub and just recently started canning their own tasty line of IPAs. Their signature Point The Way American IPA is a medium-bodied, super sweet ale. With an ABV of 5.2%, it’s not incredibly strong, but it is flavorful and will last a while in your refrigerator thanks to its specially designed pint-sized can. [...]

Beer and booze were separated at birth. And I’m not just alluding to the obvious fact that they are both alcoholic. The actual fermentation process responsible for each is quite similar, reliant upon a fermented-sugar liquid, usually barley, to produce the buzz that we love so much. As craft distilling and craft brewing have ascended the ranks of popular culture over the past decade, it was perhaps inevitable that their paths would eventually converge. Nowadays many well-known breweries and distilleries are producing zany Frankenbrews like hopped whiskey, or whit-spiced rhum. And of course there’s always the rising trend of barrel-aged beer. So you have the choice of whiskey that drinks like a beer, or beer that tastes like bourbon. Either way, if you fancy yourself a beer geek or a distillery junky, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with this list of the 5 best blends available today… 5.) New Holland [...]