I just have to tell all you Slashfoodies about the new Astor Center in New York City. Some of you may have heard me mention one of my favorite shops, Astor Wine & Spirits before; like when I reviewed St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. When I lived in NY I stopped by there on a weekly basis, now it's more like 6 times a year, which is pretty good when you consider it's over 400 miles from my new home in Mid-Coast Maine.
For the past three years I have been hearing rumors about the Astor Center being developed by Astor Wines & Spirits and they finally opened just last month. The Astor Center is a state or the art culinary education and events center where they have panels, workshops, symposia, seminars, courses on every aspect of the food and beverage world. They have three beautiful spaces for their events, courses, and seminars. The Study- a seminar hall with stadium seating looking down to a teaching kitchen and podium from comfortable seats set at counters set up for professional tastings; with a light box, running water, and a sink for every seat. No spitting in nasty slop buckets here. The Kitchen- A huge, top of the line teaching kitchen with every gadget you can imagine. The Gallery- a multi-use space for wine pairing dinners, food festivals, lectures, and other events.
Their presenter list is nothing short of amazing with top experts in all areas of the culinary world joining together to explore both the cutting edge and historical aspects of food and beverages. There is a strong focus on wines, spirits, and cocktails; something you would expect from the Astor Wines folks. F Paul Pacult, Jim Meehan, Maximilian Riedel (of Riedel Crystal), Kara Newman, Brian Van Flandern, Timothy Sullivan, Henry Sidel, and more experts on various libations are on hand to delve into the glorious world of all that is wet and tasty; for beginners and experts, consumers and those in the trade.
Soju, the Korean distilled spirit, has long been the most consumed spirit in the world, especially throughout Asia. Low to mid-level brands from South Korea have been available in the US for years and I have enjoyed quite a few of them when out dining with friends at some of my favorite Korean restaurants in Queens and Manhattan, NY.
Soju is made in the most part from fermented rice, but also with other fermentable products like wheat, barley or sweet potatoes; then distilled an adjusted to 20-45% abv. / 40-90 proof. The North Korean brand would initially go on sale in the Eastern US states and should be available now.
Now North Korea is going to enter the playing field with one of their soju going to be sold in the US, Pyongyang Soju. This is quite rare for products from North Korea to be sanctioned for import to the United States. Many folks feel that products from North Korea shouldn't be allowed into the US or should be boycotted.
Personally, I will try one bottle of Pyongyang Soju if I run across it so I can review it, but after that I won't go out of my way. I much prefer the multitude of premium, Japanese distilled products called shochu to Korean soju. They are just so much better in taste and quality than soju. So much so, that they are now the number one alcoholic beverage consumed in Japan.
Imperial Exclusive Vodka from Emperor Brands L.L.C., made in France, is 40% abv. / 80 proof. This super premium vodka is made from a secret recipe that has been handed down for generations. This is a very clean and clear vodka made from the finest French grains and ultra pure and smooth Normandy water, then distilled five times. Many vodkas have as much taste as a glass of pure medicinal grade alcohol. In other words, none. They have had every trace of taste filtered out until there is no character left. That is not the case with Imperial Exclusive Vodka.
When I first tried this spirit I immediately noticed the aroma. Faint but very evident hints of butter, sweet caramel or toffee, the slightest trace of vanilla. I was trying to place the exact scent when it struck me. It was like the faintest touch of the best part of the aromas from the gorgeous movie theaters I vaguely remember from my childhood. Not the cookie cutter places that have two dozen tiny theaters crowded under one roof that you find today. Perpetually grimy and lacking soul. No, I mean the grand old places that only played one movie for a week or two before the next came along. The ones that were spotlessly clean, had comfy, red velvet chairs to sink deep into; and ushers to help you to your seats. Walls decorated with hand-painted murals and thick velvet curtains thirty feet high that spread across the walls right before the lights dimmed to soften the acoustics of the room.
G'Vine Floraison is a 40% abv. / 80 proof, small batch, numbered bottle, copper pot still, hand crafted gin made in France. Floraison translates roughly into bloom, blossoming, or flowering. Which is the perfect term for this gin.
The base spirits are distilled from grapes as opposed to grain neutral spirits as is common with most other gins. Wine from Ugni blanc grapes growing in the Cognac region of France is distilled four times to produce the neutral grape spirit. Then the botanicals; juniper, nutmeg, coriander seed, cubeb berries, ginger root, liquorice root, green cardamom, cassia bark, and lime are infused for several days with the spirits before distillation. This gin is then blended with infusions of the unique fleur de vigne (green grape flowers), as well as fresh botanicals, and distilled again. It is these blooming, green grape flowers, that lead to the use of Floraison in the name.
Lately I have been very interested in the small craft distillery scene in the US. Not to long ago I got an email from a friend discussing how the Mid-Atlantic States are getting on the map for its craft distilling scene. Then I read this article about three small distilleries in Virginia and their new, premium, small batch, handcrafted spirits. These distillers are bringing back the distilling tradition to Virginia that hasn't been seen since before prohibition, and doubling the number of distilleries in the state.
There have been three distillers of liquors that could be considered long time native Virginian: Laird & Co. distilling since 1780 makes Bonded Apple Brandy and Apple Jack from apples grown in the Shenandoah Valley (A branch of the same company whose headquarters are in NJ); A. Smith Bowman distilling since the 1930's known for Virginia Gentleman bourbon; and Belmont Farm Distillery, distilling since 1987 which makes a version of corn liquor/moonshine called Virginia Lightning.
Although they only account for a small portion (probably less than 10%) of the champagne market, the imports of rosé champagnes spiked hugely last year. So it's safe to say that restaurants, bars and liquor stores across the country will be making the increasingly trendy bubbly much more accessible. The pink color of rosé is obtained by adding about 15% red wine to regular champagne, giving it an entirely new flavor profile to complement its look. Servers and restaurant owners say that the drink is contagious, that when one glass is poured suddenly everyone else wants one, as well. And there's nothing wrong with one extra glass of champagne. Forbes picked their top ten pink champagnes, listed here by price, any one of which would go well with a romantic dinner or dessert.
Aside from willpower and peer pressure, there are few things that can actually dissuade someone who really wants to drink from drinking. That's why AA has a 12-step program, not a 1-step one. But some scientists in Australia have just announced that they have a drug that may stop people from drinking. The compound blocks the production of a chemical called orexin that induces euphoria. So far, the compound has only been tested on rats, but it was remarkably successful in stopping the compulsion to drink alcohol in rats that had developed/were forced to develop an addition to it. In fact, they completely stopped drinking it when offered.
The theory is that the pleasurable effects of drinking, or the perceived pleasure that triggers the orexin system, are what drive the cravings and taking that away eliminates the reason for the craving to exist. Presumably, the drinker would still feel the effects of the alcohol, but there would no longer be any type of "high." Scientists also think that a similar treatment could be developed to treat other addictions, such as binge eating.
Obviously, it still has a long way to go before something like this will be available to the public, but it certainly sounds like it could help some people eliminate a step or two if they have a drinking problem.
The original Grand Marnier Liqueur, also called Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (Red Ribbon), is 40% abv / 80 proof is sold in a unique clear brown bottle shaped like a cognac pot still. The aroma is a musky orange zest with a strong blend of spices, vanilla, and cognac. The taste is a stronger version of the smell with a focus on the slightly musky, bitter oranges well mixed with the herbs and spices, rounded out with vanilla notes, and followed through by the taste of cognac.
Like many old and fine liqueurs there is a history behind its creation. In 1827 Jean-Baptiste Lapostolle founded a distillery, his grand daughter married Louis-Alexandre Marnier in 1876 and Louis-Alexandre joined the firm, which changed its name to Marnier Lapostolle. He created what was originally called Curacao Marnier. His friend Cesar Ritz, who later started the Ritz hotels, tried the liqueur and said you should change the name to Grand Marnier, "a grand name for a grand drink." Since then six+ generations of the family have been making Grand Marnier, the most widely exported French liqueur with a bottle is sold every two seconds worldwide. Some interesting facts: Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph ordered 12 cases after trying it at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, the great chef Escoffier loved Grand Marnier and used it when he created Crepes Suzette and the Grand Marnier soufflé, it was even stocked on the Titanic and a bottle was brought up from the wreck.
With the holidays upon us I want to focus on some libations that can be used to celebrate, to give as gifts, or just something to quietly enjoy as a way to de-stress in the evening. Liqueurs are great for sitting and sipping, wallowing in unique tastes and aromas, as we try to enjoy this sometimes frantic time of year.
Liqueurs and Cordials are concoctions have been around for hundreds, no, thousands of years with a long and extensive history. Originally they were created as medicines made from herbs, and to lessen the harsh taste they were sweetened with dates, figs, or honey. Then liqueurs started to evolve away from medicines and became ways to have fruit and other treats in liquid form. When cane sugar was introduced and became commercially inexpensive enough to use, it became the predominant sweetener, although many fine liqueurs still use honey and other ingredients for sweetening and character. The minimum amount of sugar or sweetener for a spirit to be called a liqueur is 20%, with some reaching 35% sugar, and most ranging somewhere in between.
Liqueurs are made all over the world, in many styles, from vastly differing ingredients, and in many levels of quality. Today there are hundreds of so-called liqueurs, sometimes called schnapps in the US. Many are inexpensive and sometimes artificially flavored stuff that are either pounded back as shots, or combined with other ingredients in a mixed drink. Some are the sickly neon gunk you find either under the bar where you can't see them being used in your drink; or hidden on the bottom shelves of liquor stores and bars, covered in dust. Real Schnapps are not sweet, have a high alcohol level, and are more like a flavored eau de vie; which is an unsweetened, fruit brandy. My focus here is on the fine quality liqueurs that can be sipped and enjoyed on their own merits.
Pyrat Rum Pistol 40% abv/80 proof is made in Anguila, British West Indies. Pyrat is made by the Patron Spirits Company who make the excellent Patron premium tequilas. Pistol is one of three aged rums they make. They also make Pyrat XO Reserve and their ultra premium, limited production. incredibly expensive Pyrat Cask. The Pistol is an excellent and very enjoyable, premium aged rum. While similar in flavor and with a lighter body that the Pyrat XO Reserve, the Pistol has its own unique taste and style. An absolutely great spirit brimming full of complex aromas and flavors.
The aroma is that of Buttery English Toffee strongly scented with apricots and oranges. The taste is tangy and smooth, with a hint of sweetness, a really big flavor that almost overwhelms your taste buds. In taste it is similar to the aroma but with dried apricots and orange zest riding on top of the mild, buttery toffee flavor. Complex and very enjoyable. This is a sipping rum, preferably in a brandy snifter so you can savor its aroma as well as taste, but it works quite well on the rocks. The added water brings out nuances in the fruit but does cloud the tangy zip a little. I have been having small sips of this as an after dinner treat, and just a wee bit is the perfect end to a long day.
Russkij Avangard has produced an gorgeous, award winning, Christmas package for its Fairy Tale brand ultra-premium Russian vodka. The extremely ornate, two level, stiff paper carton is decorated in an intricate, flowers and vines scroll work print, in multi-colors and embossing, with cut out arched windows. It captures a theatrical and magical theme as a showcase to present the bottle within, glimpsed through the ornate windows. The elaborate bottle makes the Christmas tale come complete with a glass Christmas tree housed within. To open the carton you twist the top level to unlock it and so letting the bottle out of its enchanted edifice. I haven't tried this spirit but this looks and sounds like a great holiday present for the vodka lover on your list. As of this time I am not sure where it is available but will update this as soon as I do.
I love some of the new packaging we've been seeing the past few years. It's what you first see on the shelf and can make or break a purchase. Now, new on the market you will be seeing assorted spirits and mixed drinks available in Pocket Shots, a flexible 50ml stand-up plastic pouch. They are designed as a more portable version of the mini-bottle like you get on airlines. They are practically unbreakable, soft and squishable, and pocket stuffable for easy portability, their slogan is "goes anywhere." So far they come in five types of spirits: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged Four Years, Imported Caribbean Gold Rum, Premium Triple Distilled Vodka, London Dry Gin, and Especial Gold Tequila Imported from Mexico. All of these are high quality spirits from premium, well known brands. I expect to see these around a lot from now on and predict that airlines and hotels will be switching over from the mini-bottle in the near future.
Bluecoat American Dry Gin is 47%abv/94 proof and is distilled five times in a custom designed, hand hammered, copper pot still; and then softened to proof with triple filtered water. When creating this gin Philadelphia Distilling wanted to create a small batch, premium product that is American in nature, with a regional character and personality all its own. The botanicals used are all organic, and hand picked. Juniper berries that are softer, spicier, earthier and more complex than regular piney juniper berries; they are sourced from the Eastern Mediterranean instead of from the traditional Central Mediterranean region. Bluecoat also has a blend of premium American citrus peels, including a sweeter peel, as opposed to the traditional bitter orange peel, lemon peel, and a secret citrus peel that Bluecoat won't disclose. In addition they use angelica root, coriander; and possibly some other mystery ingredients.
The bottle is a gorgeous and intense blue color with gold writing and subdued engraving. It is packed in a wooden box branded on the outside with the name and logo. Inside the bottle is cushioned in straw with several small juniper branches with berries surrounding it. A great gift presentation with a holiday feel to it. Sadly, Bluecoat Gin is only available in Pennsylvania and New Jersey at this time, but expect that to change as they start distributing more widely in the near future.
Beefeater London Dry Gin is 47% abv / 94 proof and distilled and bottled in Kensington, England. It is the last premium London Dry Gin to actually still be made in London. Considered one of the top brands around the world, Beefeater has nine botanicals: juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, bitter almonds, orris, Seville oranges, and lemon peel. The botanicals are added to the spirits and left to steep for 24 hours before distilling.
The aroma starts out soft and then rapidly becomes quite hot with a strong juniper nose, followed by a flinty shale smell with the tiniest bit of spicy citrus. I sniffed deeply time and again and started flashing back on the deepest notes of the aroma. It took me back to when I was a kid living in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Schlichte Steinhager Dry Gin 40%abv / 80 proof is a traditional Steinhager gin from Germany and the original and world's oldest brand of Steinhager. Made in Steinhagen, Germany under the German purity laws. Steinhager is made from three and only three ingredients; triple distilled grain neutral spirits, water, and juniper berries and... that's it, nothing else. It's rarely seen in the US but is unmistakable in its tall brown ceramic bottle. Currently there are only two brands of Steinhager being made, I think the other is called Schinken Hager, which I have never seen and couldn't find any info on it.
The aroma is that of light juniper with the faintest of faint hints of butterscotch and caramel. The taste is basically the same, light juniper flavor and faint hints of butterscotch and caramel. This is so light and one dimensional that it barely tasted like a gin. More like the ghost of a gin. I thought that Bulldog Gin was light, but this stuff was barely there. It's crisp and clean and that's all there is to it folks. I wonder if I'll ever finish the bottle, or will it become a ghost gin, haunting my bar forever. End of story.
I just have to tell all you Slashfoodies about the new Astor Center in New York City. Some of you may have heard me mention one of my favorite shops, Astor Wine & Spirits before; like when I reviewed St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. When I lived in NY I stopped by there on a weekly basis, now it's more like 6 times a year, which is pretty good when you consider it's over 400 miles from my new home in Mid-Coast Maine. 
Soju, the Korean distilled spirit, has long been the most consumed spirit in the world, especially throughout Asia. Low to mid-level brands from South Korea have been available in the US for years and I have enjoyed quite a few of them when out dining with friends at some of my favorite Korean restaurants in Queens and Manhattan, NY. 
G'Vine Floraison
Lately I have been very interested in the small craft distillery scene in the US. Not to long ago I got an email from a friend discussing how the Mid-Atlantic States are getting on the map for its craft distilling scene. Then I read 
Although they only account for a small portion (probably less than 10%) of the champagne market, the imports of rosé champagnes spiked hugely last year. So it's safe to say that restaurants, bars and liquor stores across the country will be making the increasingly trendy bubbly much more accessible. The pink color of rosé is obtained by adding about 15% red wine to regular champagne, giving it an entirely new flavor profile to complement its look. Servers and restaurant owners say that the drink is contagious, that when one glass is poured suddenly everyone else wants one, as well. And there's nothing wrong with one extra glass of champagne. Forbes picked their 
Aside from willpower and peer pressure, there are few things that can actually dissuade someone who really wants to drink from drinking. That's why AA has a 12-step program, not a 1-step one. But some scientists in Australia have just announced that they have a drug that may 
The original Grand Marnier Liqueur, also called Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge (Red Ribbon), is 40% abv / 80 proof is sold in a unique clear brown bottle shaped like a cognac pot still. The aroma is a musky orange zest with a strong blend of spices, vanilla, and cognac. The taste is a stronger version of the smell with a focus on the slightly musky, bitter oranges well mixed with the herbs and spices, rounded out with vanilla notes, and followed through by the taste of cognac. 
With the holidays upon us I want to focus on some libations that can be used to celebrate, to give as gifts, or just something to quietly enjoy as a way to de-stress in the evening. Liqueurs are great for sitting and sipping, wallowing in unique tastes and aromas, as we try to enjoy this sometimes frantic time of year.
Pyrat Rum Pistol 40% abv/80 proof is made in Anguila, British West Indies. Pyrat is made by the Patron Spirits Company who make the excellent Patron premium tequilas. Pistol is one of three aged rums they make. They also make Pyrat XO Reserve and their ultra premium, limited production. incredibly expensive Pyrat Cask. The Pistol is an excellent and very enjoyable, premium aged rum. While similar in flavor and with a lighter body that the Pyrat XO Reserve, the Pistol has its own unique taste and style. An absolutely great spirit brimming full of complex aromas and flavors. 
Russkij Avangard has produced an gorgeous, award winning, Christmas package for its 
I love some of the new packaging we've been seeing the past few years. It's what you first see on the shelf and can make or break a purchase. Now, new on the market you will be seeing assorted spirits and mixed drinks available in 
Bluecoat American Dry Gin
Beefeater London Dry Gin is 47% abv / 94 proof and distilled and bottled in Kensington, England. It is the last premium London Dry Gin to actually still be made in London. Considered one of the top brands around the world, Beefeater has nine botanicals: juniper, angelica root, angelica seeds, coriander seeds, liquorice, bitter almonds, orris, Seville oranges, and lemon peel. The botanicals are added to the spirits and left to steep for 24 hours before distilling.
Schlichte Steinhager Dry Gin 40%abv / 80 proof is a 
May is National BBQ Month and National Hamburger Month
Cupcakes, not for dessert (unless beef is your idea of a treat)
Because eating French Fries in the car is so tough
