At some point you’ve probably noticed the undeniably cool, skull-shaped bottles of Crystal Head Vodka on the shelves of your local spirits emporium. You’ve wondered how it tastes and pictured the bottle artfully repurposed on your kitchen table full of Cala lilies or perhaps a colorful beta fish. But did you …
When friends Chris James and Ames Morison began crafting estate fine wines in the Alexander Valley in 1998, they did so with a shared ethos of environmental accountability and sustainability. They translated their commitment to creating wines with the utmost respect to the terroir by employing mindful 100% organic farming …
You’re sitting in a sunlight-dappled courtyard under a fragrantly blossoming orange tree sipping a glass of freshly made sangria with a few friends. A plate of clams steamed in cava with garlic and chili has just been delivered to your table along with a plate of sweet dates wrapped in …
I’ve always been fond of the saying that advises that “life is uncertain; eat dessert first”…but sometimes I like to replace the word “dessert” with the word “champagne”. The champagne bar at 28-50 Wine Workshop and Kitchen in London’s upscale Mayfair district is a lovely place to begin your meal, end …
When your humble author was a wee toiling college student at the venerable institution of higher learning known as the University of Rhode Island, she had the fortune of being employed at a popular local breakfast café and juice bar in the quaint seaside town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. While …
The idea of creating a balanced structure in one’s life is an integral aspect of Japanese culture. Balance amongst the varied elements of work, leisure, spirituality, family—even amongst the various flavors in a meal: salty, sweet, spicy, bitter, umami—is considered an indispensable, even sacred, component of happiness. The name of …
Named for San Leandro brewery 21st Amendment’s co-founder Shaun O’Sullivan’s semi-legendary alter ego, El Sully Mexican-style lager was crafted in the image of the crisp, refreshing lagers O’Sullivan remembers enjoying after a day surfing or skateboarding near his Santa Monica stomping grounds. It’s not heavy, it’s not bitter, it’s not complicated, …
The sun hangs low and heavy in the Chiang Mai sky, painting streaks of ochre and burnt gold across the surface of the Mae Nam Ping River and turning the geometry of the urban skyline into something more pliable—something that could, and perhaps would, melt affably into the banks of …
When it comes to chic cocktail culture, brown is definitely the new clear. With flavorful brown spirits making a major reappearance in everything from modern riffs on classic Manhattans and Old Fashioneds to high end aged scotches and bourbons being sipped neat by urban millennials of both genders, brown spirits …
Your Negronis and Spritzes just got more interesting. With vintage cocktails being all the rage these days, St George Spirits has released an innovative aperitivo liqueur inspired by distiller Lance Winters’ formative years in 1970’s California. Crafted from gentian root, California balsam, and California-grown Seville orange peel, Bruto Americano is an …
Things Glen Scotia Victoriana Single Malt Scotch has in common with your last failed relationship: it’s exceptionally smooth, initially sweet, a touch dark, and has an aroma of porridge, crème brûlée, and tobacco. Characteristics of Glen Scotia Victoriana you wish your last relationship had but came up short: it’s highly nuanced, …
You unfurl a red checkered blanket in an inviting spot in the grass under a lushly flowering lilac. Miniscule lavender petals drift gently on the mild breeze as you pull paper-wrapped morsels of Camembert, aged Gouda, and creamy blue-veined Roquefort from your basket and line them up with a loaf …