"libations" news and stories

How seriously do you take your tequila? What champagne is for France, tequila is for Mexico. Mexicans drink it to celebrate national holidays, weddings, and anniversaries. It even has a government protection similar to the French AOC. The Consejo Regulador del Tequilo states that the drink must come from a region in central south Mexico: the state of Jalisco. Drinking tequila straight from a small glass is the most traditional way to drink it.

So, what does it mean that companies, such as Tanteo, are now producing flavored tequilas? In a recent New York Times article, Florence Fabricant explains that flavors, like jalapeño and passion fruit, are subtle and delicate in Tanteo's line of flavored tequilas. As much as I want to be a traditionalist, I have to admit that I'm intrigued and looking forward to trying these tequilas. Tanteo tequilas are now available in NY at three locations: Ambassador Wines and Spirits on Second Avenue, SoHo Wines and Spirits on West Broadway, and at Philippe Wine and Liquor in Chelsea.

Last weekend, I attended a party featuring home-brewed beer. A fellow party-goer remarked that most home-brewed beer parties usually take the same form: everyone complements the brewer, then proceeds to dump the home-brewed stuff in the sink and head to the keg. But the beer at the this party was actually decent, even borderline inspiring (I swear I'd try to brew some myself if I didn't mind foul smells so much).

Anyway, home-brewing is on the rise -- and it may even be responsible for the return of mead, a honey-based alcoholic beverage. According to an article over at Slate, foodies and local brewers (home-brewers included) have spurred a renewed interest in this libation. You may remember mead from such things as the turn of the last millennium, when we all drank some during the banquet celebrating our successful pillage of the enemy castle.

Sadly, the author of the Slate article ultimately concludes that mead is unlikely to re-enter the mainstream completely, so it looks like I'm going to have seek out artisan brewers to get my berry mead. Unless anyone wants to home-brew some for me?

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Taking sips from both the sincere and the silly, the LA Times took a tour of several wine blogs this week. The coverage was far more interesting than their coverage of food blogs because instead of simply judging the medium of the Internet, the article considers that it could be a legitimate source of information. The columnist, Patrick Comiskey, even weighs in on how to determine what type of site might appeal to you. The sites looked at range from search engines and forums, like wine-searcher.com and winezap.com, to personal sites, like JoeDresner.com. Professional wine critics, such as Jancis Robinson, maintain some of the sites while others are merely from those who love the stuff, like Red Wine Haiku and Vinography. Whether you’re looking for recommendations, tasting notes, trivia, history or a pricing guide, you’re guaranteed to find at least one source that will fit your needs.

For a great resource to the many wine blogs, check out Wine Blog Watch.

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