If an event by the name of Golden State of Cocktails sounds like just another excuse to drink, well that’s because in part, it is. But Golden State of Cocktails is more than that; it’s something of a West Coast version of Tales of the Cocktail, considered by many as …
What comes to mind when you think of craft spirits in America? Probably Kentucky, for its bourbon and Tennessee for its whiskey. But where does California rank for you in craft spirits? Probably at the bottom of your list, along with a few other states who have prohibited the sale …
The sprawl of Los Angeles puts a quick small-town getaway in the “easier said than done” category. But enter Ojai, California, just 80 miles from Los Angeles and with many of the perks of a California paradise including good food, drinks, and beautiful scenery. Friday Like I do on most …
“Uno Poblano Escobar,” I said, close the bartender’s ear, not because I was ordering something illegal, but rather because the music, loud chatter, and laughter drowned out everything else at Las Perlas. You read that right, Poblano Escobar, not to be confused with Pablo Escobar—Colombian narcoterrorist-cum-politician. The fresh and sweet …
Single malt Scotch whisky is to Scotland what Champagne or even Cognac is to France. But what about combining the style of France together with the style of Scotland? The notion probably makes the whisky purist cringe, as if it’s like “fruiting” beer. Yet it’s this very style that one …
This is it,” I murmured under my breath as I walked into Hoyne Brewing Company’s tasting room. This was the first of many “this is it” moments I would have in Victoria, British Columbia each utterance leaving a pleasant taste, both literally and figuratively. One tasting flight I was throwing …
By Spencer Spellman “Habushu,” I say to the bartender, in my thick southern drawl as I point at a large jug towering over all the other liquor bottles. “Habushu?” the bartender responds disconcertedly. “You want habushu? The snake wine?” I nod, “Yes, a glass of snake wine. Straight up.” The …