Amazing Holiday Sale on Wine

The holidays are here. Company parties, neighborhood parties and and holiday gift giving have begun. And what better gift idea than wine. Wine makes a perfect holiday gift, hostess gift or corporate gift. That's why Five Points Bottle Shop is offering a special sale this week. Get 15% off any mixed case of wine and 10% off any 6 bottles. Our talented wine buyers are glad to help you personalize your selections. Ask for Svetlana at our 5 Points location or Rachael on the Westside, and let us help you select the holiday gift everyone loves.

Ola Dubh Cask Revved Me UP!

Local beer fans come out to taste the very special Harviestoun Ola Dubh cask tapped at Aromas last night. Local beer legend Owen Ogletree was on hand to introduce the keg and gave away two tickets to the Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting this coming January to a lucky winner. In another name drawing a guest was chosen to hammer in the tap and taste the first glass.

Based on Harviestoun's award-winning Old Engine Oil, the beer was pitch black, delicious, and smooth. I had two 8oz pints, enjoyed them, and enjoyed the evening talking with friends and new acquaintances.

I'm starting to make a habit out of attending these simple, but rich events at Aromas. Can't seem to help it. There is no need to be an expert I've learned; just a desire to taste and have fun.

Hope to see you at our next event, The Battle of the Bubbles.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Cask - On Tap Tonight!

We've had this cask for a year now and it's time to break it out!

A little bit about the beer:

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special RSV 30 is Harviestoun Old Engine Oil aged in select oak casks, formerly used to mature Highland Park's rich and complex 30 yr Single Malt Scotch Whiskey.

Now for the cask:

This is a very special cask; it is one of a few that they made.

The cost will be $8 for an 8oz pour.

At Aromas Wine & Craft Beer Bar in 5 Points.

Barolo Wine Dinner at DePalma's Italian Restaurant

Hello everyone and happy holidays! Please join us for a very special evening at DePalma's (downtown) for an exclusive Barolo wine dinner pairing four exquisite courses with four vintage Barolo wines.

Make your reservations now for Thursday December 11, at 7:00 by calling DePalma's at 706.354.6966.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Barolo, they are considered some of Italy's best and most sought after wines. Barolos are made in the Piedmont region where the vineyards are managed as meticulously as they are in the Burgundy area of France.

The Barolo wines are made purely from one grape, Nebbiolo. The wines produced are inky and robust, making them the perfect pairing for roasted meat and game.

DePalma's chef Homer Whitmire (winner of the Red Clay Chef Competition in 2007) will be cooking a fabulous meal to compliment the wines.

I want to stress what and incredible value this dinner is for only $85 per person. Most Barolo wines retail anywhere from $60 to almost $300 per bottle.

Don't miss this opportunity to taste several different vintages from several different producers in one sitting. Click here to view the menu including the wine selections.

If you have any questions please call me at 706.316.2337 or email at rachael@fivepointsbottleshop.com and I'll be glad to help.

Have a wonderful week and I hope to see you all soon.

Rachael, Westside Wine Manager

Sponsored by Avant Partir Wines and Five Points Bottle Shop

Barolo Wine Dinner Menu at DePalma's

Barolo Dinner
7:00 p.m. Thursday
December 11, 2008

Zuppa
Tuscan Kale, White Bean and Garlic Crouton Soup
ʼ99 Viberti Barolo Rsv

Antipasti
Porcini & Prosciutto Arancine, risotto fritters
ʼ98 Bovio Barolo Arborina

Primi
Lasagna al Forno
A delicate layering of spinach pasta, bechemel sauce
& a country style ragu
ʼ00 Manzoni Barolo Vigna dʼla Roul

Secondi
Pork Osso Bucco
w/ toasted pine nut gremolata
over wild mushroom risotto
ʼ01 Mascarello Barolo

$85 pp, reservations required
706 - 354 - 6966

Thanksgiving Wine Pairing

Wow. This special Thanksgiving inspired wine pairing was absolutely fabulous. A full house of wine enthusiasts were treated to four delectable courses and 5 fabulous wines. Closed to the public for the special evening, Aromas arranged natural autumn centerpieces of maize, pumpkins and winter squash on each table creating a wonderful balance for the impeccably set place settings.


A beautiful Rosé started the evening. Apparently bubbyly isn't just for toasts anymore. It's a perfectly sparkling way to welcome your guests on Thanksgiving. Paired with a creamy cheese that was irresistible.

First we learned that a general rule of thumb for wine pairing is weight. Light dish — light wine. Also, a little acid in the wine is nice to cleanse the palette as you drink.

Which leads to the next wine, Senses, a white bordeaux bottled especially for Five Points Bottle Shop. A pleasant fresh citrus nose was a nice compliment to the roasted onion puree, green beans and pralined pecans. I savored this dish and this wine.

Next came the sweet potato gratin. I do not like sweet potato so I expected to pass on this one before it even was served. But the presentation beckoned I try it and I'm glad I did. This was simply delicious. Full of sophisticated flavor, it was not the sweet potato my mother used to make.

Svetlana Rostova, 5PBS wine buyer, introduced the second Five Points Bottle Shop private label, Quintessential, a special Côtes du Rhône. Charged with finding a really great tasting wine that 5PBS could bottle and provide to their customers at a really nice price, Svet revealed that she had to taste a LOT of wine. The Quintessential comes from the small southern village of Rasteau in France and is lighter in body.

"Let's face it", she said, "turkey - not a lot of flavor. The spices and herbs in the Côtes du Rhône help the turkey". When pairing, she reminded, think compliment AND contrast.

Somewhere along the line I forgot about note taking and became engaged in great conversations with the other guests at my table. That's the other key ingredient to these wine pairings and beer tastings I'm learning; it's the people you meet and the fun to be had. It turns out that the person sitting next to me is a close friend of a dear friend of mine from New Orleans. And the person sitting across the table went to school in New Orleans, so there was a lot to talk about. We had a grand time and it looks like I'm going to a crawfish boil in the spring. Can't wait.

We had a wonderful Reisling, not too sweet or dry, and a light Pinot Noir, two perfect choices for your Thanksgiving Dinner. A light and delicate Reisling enhances the complex and slightly sweet flavors of turkey, cranberry sauce, root vegetables, sweet potatoes and yams. And Pinot Noir, some say, is the "little black dress" of wine, making it a classy choice with it's light to medium body and subtle oakiness.

Five Points Bottle Shop, Aromas and Scott Parish of National Fine Wine teamed up to provide fresh new choices for your Thanksgiving table. And local caters, Home.made, amazed us with their culinary skill; truly the outstanding menu and creative flavors excited the guests and provided the foundation for a perfect Thanksgiving-style wine pairing.

Wine List

Schramsberg Mirabelle Sparkling Rose
Senses White Bordeaux
Quintessential Côtes du Rhône
Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Riesling
Morgon 12 Clones Pinot Noir

Menu

cheese
roasted onion puree with haricots vert and pralined pecans
sweet potato gratin with watercress and plumped raisins
cornbread bread pudding with poached oysters and fried sage
tea smoked turkey breast with cranberry orange reduction
pumpkin flan tarts with toffee whipped cream

Thanksgiving Style Wine Tasting

Thursday, November 13th
7pm

With so much family visiting around the holidays it's hard to please everyone. Let us point you in the direction of some fabulous wines that will pair well with all of your holiday fare AND impress the in-laws!

With a very special local chef preparing the holiday themed four course pairings, your taste buds are sure to be inspired and delighted.

Wines

Schramsberg Mirabelle Sparkling Rose
Senses White Bordeaux (Five Points Bottle Private Label Wine)
Quintessential Cotes du Rhone (Five Points Bottle Private Label Wine)
Dr. Loosen "Dr. L" Riesling
Morgon 12 Clones Pinot Noir


Menu

1 st Course

cheese

2 nd Course

roasted onion puree with haricots vert and pralined pecans

sweet potato gratin with watercress and plumped raisins

3 rd Course

cornbread bread pudding with poached oysters and fried sage

tea smoked turkey breast with cranberry orange reduction

4 th Course

pumpkin flan tarts with toffee whipped cream


$35 per person
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13th @ 7:00pm
*all courses are paired with a half glass of wine

Call AROMAS today to make a reservation 706-208-0059
Or register online.

Unibroue Beer Dinner Delight @ Trapeze

A funny thing happened to me the other day — I was invited to my first beer dinner — and what a surprise it was.

Hosted by Trapeze Pub downtown, I was 'wined and dined' for lack of a better word, as good as if I were sitting slap in the middle of The Five and Ten. Five beers and a delectable five course meal threw my taste buds into uncharted territory.

Our first tasting was Unibroue's 17. Essentially 17 means this is the 17th anniversary special brew; a one time recipe. Enjoy it now or forever hold your peace. Once it's gone; it's gone. I found this fascinating and tasteful too. Paired with an amazing banana crepe with hazelnut creme.

Next was my absolute favorite and real eye opener. The white ale, Ephemere, (eff-eh-mehr) named because it changes with the seasons, (this time it's apple) served with the most outstanding apple stuffed pork tenderloin atop mashed rutabagas which was simple perfection. At first, I didn't really comprehend what a pairing is all about. I tasted the beer and yum — I could taste the apple - I mean it was definitely fruity. Then, I took a bite of my apple stuffed pork and casually another sip of my green apple Ephemere and WOW what a difference. So this is what all the fuss is about. Pairing, what a concept. This was getting fun. (Not to mention I've heard of rutabagas, but what they hell are they - everyone at my table with an iPhone pulled theirs out to look it up - its a root vegetable, thank you, a swedish turnip.)

Terrible (tear-reeb) was absolutely wonderful. It had an earthy, fruity taste and 5PBS wine expert, Svetlana, kept remarking how much the aroma reminded her of Bordeaux. Then there was Maudite (moe-dzit), which was a beautiful deep amber-red and had a nice touch of spice. Loved it. In there, and to be highly noted, was the most delicious cherry vinaigrette salad topped with smoked salmon that I have ever had in my life. Someone pinch me!

And finally, the most fun of them all, THE O4. Released on Unibroue's 14th anniversary, it was meet and right so to do — finish with a fantastic edition that has come and gone — just as the evening opener 17 will be finis before long. Edition 2004 is available nowhere! Save this night, when our gracious Unibroue co-host, Mike, pulled a case from his cellar and shared it with all of us. But here is fun, everyone, and I mean everyone, exclaimed, "Peppermint!" in the first seconds of pouring. It was a milieu of pure candycane delight. How could a beer have a definite peppermint nose and such exotic spices?

Well, as Unibroue says, "Rediscover beer, discover Unibroue."

And how! Here I was expecting typical beer fair, and I remember remarking how I couldn't believe how delicious the food was at a beer tasting. And my friend Sachin says, "It's the beer interpretation of the food that makes it so great!" Indeed, to my delight and humble enlightenment, it was.

Thanks to Eric, his impeccable staff and 5 star chefs at Trapeze. It was a fantastic evening. (And I didn't even miss the hamburger and french fries.)

Visit Unibroue on the web.

Top 5 Pumpkin Ales

The fine folks over at the Kegworks blog have done a roundup of their five favorite pumpkin beers. Always with their finger on the pulse of what's funky, Liquor Snob reports that they love Shipyard's Pumpkinhead, and they've heard very good things about Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale.

The other three are Post Road, Southern Tier, and Weyerbacher Imperial.

See our selection online at 5PBS.

Terra-Rye’zd perfect for Halloween

Terra-Rye’zd looks to me to be the perfect Halloween drink this year. Look for it at Aromas Wine Bar sometime next week.


Read what Bob Townsend of AJC had to say about it.

And Beer Advocate tells all about it.

Screaming Spirit Shaker & Witch Wine Glass

These make for fun hostess gifts or will certainly create a scary buzz at your upcoming halloween party.

Screaming Spirit Shaker

Shop at Buy Costumes

Found by way of What's Next by Stacy Nicoll.




The Witch is Back by Lolita Love Wine Glasses

Find this and more at CJI Collectibles.

Spooky Halloween Wine Liquor Bottle Labels

Serve up some ghoulish fun by using these 8 Halloween Bottle Labels on your own wine or beverage bottles.

Get the party rolling by outfitting your bar or beverage table with these creepy Halloween decorations! Just use eight of your own bottled beverages and cover the existing labels with this set of Halloween Bottle Labels. These colorful bottle stickers are so realistic, your guests are sure to do a double take as they reach for their favorite "brew".

It's not too late to order, but hurry! Available on ebay

Buzzed Nice Beer Can Halloween Costume

For the diehard beer lovers....I had no idea this type of Halloween craziness existed.

This Buzzed Nice Beer Can Costume includes foam pull over body can. Buzzed Nice is the King of Drunks and is helping people get bombed one day at a time, as it reads.

View the whole lot of drinking themed Halloween costumes at BoozeGear.com.

Order now, so you can be the hit of the party.

Grut Bier - Ale Brewed with Spices

Last night, I had my first taste of beer — beer that did not taste like any ordinary beer. What I mean is, I had Grut Bier and yes, it took me by surprise. Sachin at Five Points Bottle Shop, the walking library on beer, said take it home. He filled me in on the history and off I went, intrigued, but I had no idea what he was talking about.

So the story goes, 13th Century Grut Bier is brewed according to the recipes dating back to before the German Purity Law in 1516. The Purity Law stipulated that only water, barley and hops could be used. Prior to then, it was common practice to use any kind of different spices, herbs, fruits and plants for bittering and flavor. (Hops was not well know at the time.)

Part of the Historic Signature Series by Dr. Fritz Briem, Grut Bier is brewed according to historic recipes rooted in various cultures and 'special ingredients'.

Immediately, after pouring the cloudy, straw colored concoction in my Terrapin tulip glass, I noticed herbs and spices; when I took a sip it had a surprising, taste of bay leaf, ginger and lavender. What's this? Bay leaf, Ginger? It was a strange sensation, but I have to say after a few sips, I found it as intriguing is it's roots, refreshing, and appetizing.

Grab a bottle and share this unique, modern interpretation of beer history with ye ole best friend.

Firefly Sweet Tea Y'all

Sweet tea has always been the table wine of the South, but it's quickly becoming the spirit of the South with the release of Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, an infusion that is proving irresistible to local palates.

Distilled in South Carolina and already distributed in Nevada and Colorado and cleared for Georgia and New York in August, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka has finally reach Five Points Bottle Shop.

Part of the larger Infusion trend like brands Van Gogh and Absolut, Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is created by adding a tea concentrate, sweetened with cane sugar, to the alcohol.

Every aspect of Firefly Sweet Tea's production, from distilling the vodka and brewing the tea, to bottling, labeling and packaging, is done at the Irvin~House Vineyard, in buildings that used to maintain a carriage company.

Firefly uses only all-natural ingredients, including tea from the Charleston Tea Plantation only a few miles down the road from the vineyard.

Read the whole story from The Charleston City Paper.

Department Store selling champagne at 1.26 million yen per bottle

More Gift Ideas, this time from ITs Food. How about a £6,000/$11,000/¥1.26M bottle of Dom Perignon?

The Matsuzakaya Department Store in Nagoya’s Sakae-ku began selling 3 liter bottles of Dom Perignon champagne on Wednesday at 1.26 million yen a bottle.

Read the story.

Fun Beauty Tips Involving Avocados, Dark Bread & Beer

Anna Kournikova says women in her native country (Russia) boost fine hair by slathering on a mask made from dark bread soaked in beer.

Read the whole post from Fashion News Reviews.

Everyday Drinking: A Book We Can Get Behind

Speaking of Groomsmen gifts .... here's another one they can really use.

A gift for anyone who loves good liquor and high-proof prose: a collection of hilarious and deeply informed writings about drink from one of the all-time authorities.
Kingsley Amis was one of the great masters of comic prose, and no subject was dearer to him than the art and practice of imbibing. This new volume brings together the best of his three out-of-print works on the subject. Along with a series of well-tested recipes (including a cocktail called the Lucky Jim) the book includes Amis's musings on The Hangover, The Boozing Man's Diet, What to Drink with What, and (presumably as a matter of speculation) How Not to Get Drunk--all leavened with fun quizzes on the making and drinking of alcohol all over the world. Mixing practical know-how and hilarious opinionation, this is a delightful cocktail of wry humor and distilled knowledge, served by one of our great gimlet wits.

Visit Liquor Snob to get the Amazon link.

Brutul Lagerhead

Looking for ideas for Five Points Brain Tank this week, imagine how excited I was to find Lagerhead Brütül featured in Boing Boing this week - thanks to Liquor Snob who is always on top of cool and fun things beverage related.

Brütül (brew tool) is the ultimate device for creating the classic Black and Tan and other delicious layered beers and I heard it through the grapevine that a favorite Athens beer entrepreneur is behind bringing it to retail.

You can definitely find Brütül at Five Points Bottle Shop. As a matter of fact, a guy was in the store just the other day buying 6 of them for his groomsmen. What a great present for the guys in your wedding - something they can really use!!

Visit Brütül [ via Liquor Snob via Boing Boing ]

Beer Now Cheaper Than Gas!

And more delicious!

Gotta love this T-shirt!

From Baron Bob

Drug Dealers Buy Vineyards To Hide Pot

Across central Washington's fruit bowl, farmers are buying vineyards, hoping to establish roots in the area and capitalize on the booming wine industry.

Many of the buyers, however, are believed to be living in Mexico, and those roots go to tens of thousands of illegal marijuana plants - a crop that could easily surpass grapes in value this year.

Read the Full Story at KCPQ

Recycled Glass from Old Windshields

Handmade in Colombia of recycled glass from old car windshields, these pilsner beer glasses are sure to add "dangerous curves" to any bar collection.

Sturdy and strong, these heavy glasses have a slight green hue from the tint originally added to lessen the sun's glare.

Beautiful and interesting, these glasses will please everyone from the environmentalist to the car enthusiast. Each is one of a kind and will vary.

Compliments of Uncommon Goods [via Liquor Snob via Uncrate]

Chopin’s Jazzed Up Cocktails Perfect for Labor Day

With Labor Day only a few days away and so many people looking for something unique, delicious and as labor free as possible for the holiday gatherings, a Chopin Vodka press release with recipes seemed to be perfect timing.

Blogger intoxicologist reports that "The reason this press release caught my eye is Chopin Vodka again jazzed up the straight up martini into something phenomenal (Spanish Nights CEO Martini) and created several more luscious cocktails and punches."

Click here to read the entire post, press release and luscious cocktail and punch recipes.

You'll never think of vodka the same again.

What Would You Do For a Free Kegerator?

Kegerators.com is holding a contest starting August 1st where all you have to do is submit a video about what you would do for a free kegerator, and you're eligible to win one.

All you have to do is make a funny, shocking, cool, stupid or impressive video showing Kegerator.com "What you would do for a free kegerator, submit your video to YouTube or Google Video and fill out their contest form and you could be be the one.

Read the full story from Liquor Snob.com

Cocktails for iPhone & iPod Touch

iPhone applications are all the rage right now, but who needs something lame like the ability to read headlines or update Facebook?

What you really need in order to get the most out of your handheld is the ability to turn it into a roving lexicon of cocktail recipes.

The Pocket Mixologist lists over 1500 recipes alphabetically,and lets you search for any recipe like fizzes, flips or slings or by spirits ie bourbon, rum, tequila.

Download it for $9.99 (must have iTunes); more info at the Cocktail DB


Read the full story at Liquor Snob.com

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

What's the difference between Jack Daniel's Black Label, Gentleman Jack and Single Barrel?

Jack Daniel’s Whiskey Similarities

Before discussing the differences, it’s interesting to know the similarities among the Jack Daniel family of whiskeys. All varieties are made from the same combination of corn, rye, barley and water, are fermented in copper stills, and are distilled through 10 or more feet of specially made sugar maple charcoal. (Charcoal mellowing is what distinguishes Jack Daniel’s as a whiskey and not a bourbon).They are all stored in specially made American White Oak barrels which are charred on the inside. The whiskey moves in and out the pores of the barrel, giving it its varying shades of golden hues; there is no coloring added; color comes only from the wood.

What makes the difference in flavors, smoothness and price among the three whiskeys is a matter of degrees— temperature that is: the higher in elevation the whiskey is stored, the better the quality as a result of its exposure to heat.

Read the Full Story by Mary McCarthy.

Unibroue Trois Pistoles

Having a beer with Sachin is a whole new experience for anyone who loves beer. If you are like me, you meet a friend for a beer, catch up on what’s new and the beer is only there for the camaraderie. As a matter of fact, my beer of choice always the same or at least one of the same. But with Sachin, it’s a whole new ballgame. First, you take a minute to look at the beer, to admire it’s color or the perfect head of foam. Then you get to smell it; aroma, perfume, bouquet – it’s all there to fully appreciate. Still, before you take a sip, there’s a story, always a story behind the name.

Today, we met at Aroma’s, the perfect place for specialty wine, beer and liquor. On tap is right now is Unibroue Trois Pistoles ( trwa-pee-stole) or "Three Coins", a uniquely savory craftsman brew with a dark brown color and a rich foam mousse. Close your eyes as you gently swirl the glass and the cocoa and fruity aroma takes you to a hot day on the beach covered in the coconut scents of Hawaiian Tropic – back when your body glistened with suntan oil – not that creamy Sport SPF 50 used today.

Visit the Unibroue website and you’ll discover that the beers at Unibroue are entirely natural, contain no chemical additives or preservatives, and are made with first quality ingredients. But that’s not the story. Unibroue changed the way beer is brewed in Canada. Traditionally, Canadian breweries were state-owned, but the founders of Unibroue were successful in bringing Belgian yeast brewing to Canada while maintaining sole ownership.

Unibroue beers also can seem strange to the untrained eye; there is a small amount of sediment at the bottom of each bottle. This is normal, it is the yeast, an essential component of brewing beer. When the yeast ferments a beer during the brewing process, most brewers filter the yeast out of the beer for bottling. Unibroue, however, does not filter their beers and leaves the yeast in the beer. This is a process called "méthode Champenoise" in Belgium and "beer on lees" by Unibroue. The yeast remaining in the bottle gives the beer a secondary fermentation, increasing the alcohol strength but heightening the complexity of the brew. The yeast is harmless. It is meant to be drunk and not discarded, and, as a matter of fact, provides a great source of vitamin B complex.

Malty chocolate with aftertaste of port, enjoy this beer on it’s own like I did, or have a yummy chocolate dessert with it and you’ll be basking in smooth delight. 9% abv.

Alcohol Calories Add Up

It's tempting during the hot summer months to come home, kick back and cool off with a beer or glass of wine. But all those extra calories can start to add up quick.

A bottle of beer, a glass of wine or a shot of liquor, if you're watching your weight, which one of these alcoholic drinks offers the least amount of calories per serving?

A 12 ounce bottle of light beer has an estimated 100 calories, versus 150 for the same size regular brew. A glass of red wine has about 100 calories, but is measured in a much smaller four ounce serving. Experts argue mixed drinks are the biggest diet busters. A mixed drink like a daiquiri can pack in more than 400 calories in an 8 ounce glass.

Alcohol will typically make you gain weight in the fact that it's calories taken in that most people don't account for.

Registered dietitian Molly Paulson says alcohol is loaded with carbohydrates and sugar. She suggests a better way to hold down the calories while drinking is to alternate beverages, making every other drink a glass of calorie-free water.
CNN/ Pathfire

Get the full story.

Wine Ice Cream!

Move over Cherry Garcia, here comes pinot noir ice cream! Well, assuming you’re over 21.

Yes, the New York legislature passed a law preventing minors from getting their hands on the stuff since two gallons of the ice cream contains as much alcohol as one glass of wine according to one producer.

Can’t be too careful, New York!

Read the more from Dr. Vino

What's the difference between lager, ale, and stout?

This is the kind of question which should, by law, be posted in several languages, in every maternity ward in the Union and Protectorates, so that the medical staff can engage in the discussion within earshot of newborns, to the benefit of the nation for the long term.

There's so much snobbish talk about ales and stouts and beers of all description, thanks to an explosive micro-brew industry, the unfortunate effect of which has been to stigmatize the askers of such basic questions. So first I must thank Mrs. Harriet T. Crumley of Bent Fork, South Dakota for writing in (not her real name or town).

Before casting aside the corporeal body, the ultimate and inexorable yielding to forces beyond human influence, one needs to acquire a basic understanding of malting (inducing and then halting the germination of a grain), which makes available complex sugars and starches for fermentation (using yeast to convert those sugars and starches into alcohol in an air-starved environment).

And that—you may thank me now, dear reader, for the brevity and clarity you have just enjoyed despite insidious feelings of dread and mounting anger—is it.

Almost.

The differences between lager, ale and stout are largely determined by the kind of yeast used in fermentation, as well as the various grains. Yeasts ferment at different speeds, temperatures, and, due to the density of the living, seething, stinking mess, even at different depths in the fermenting container. "Top fermented," for example, describes the process for many ales.

Of course, there are nuances and specifics which take us well beyond the scope of this modest yet enjoyable little column, so you, O wingéd reader, and Mrs. Fork of South Harriet, Dakota, now empowered with correct and succinct knowledge, are enjoined to pursue further research, as needed, elsewhere. On your own time.

Thank you all very, very much.

Will drinking absinthe make me kill my family while they sleep?

Chances are against it, but both absinthe and murder are currently illegal in the U.S.

There's quite a lot else to say for absinthe: it is a liquor, made from herbs, not a liqueur (no sugar added to the bottle), it comes originally from Switzerland, and though for more than a century it has been bad-mouthed as a psychosis-inducing drink, somehow unique in evilness compared to other alcoholic beverages, the controversy has long been debunked.... But then again, it's still illegal in the U.S.

Absinthe's popularity returned (or began) in the 1990s. Since regaining legal status throughout most of Europe (awaiting clear details on the New Hebrides), there's an abundance of rather overwrought mystique, as well as outright nonsense surrounding absinthe and its properties.

Purportedly the Bohemian Bad Boys' drink (Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Van Gogh, Crowley, Wilde, among some others, all unconfirmed), its "evils" seem to capture only the imaginations of those with no imagination at all, in cases both for and against. (Tip: Avoid sellers who stress "thujone levels" in absinthe, a purely puerile conceit. Look for French and Swiss brands, read reviews, be a grown-up.)

For unique taste and enjoyment, and a certain ritual in preparation, absinthe solidly provides, if that is one's "thing." For more on its pleasant properties, The Wormwood Society seems to have a less than crack-potted approach to absinthe and its legal situation in the U.S.

The End Must Really Be Nigh: Roughly 50 percent of young people in France never drink wine

How can it be?

What next, no accordions?

And what does "nigh" mean?

Joyless, jackbooted and totalment un-French researchers at the U. of Montpelier, appearing 7 feet (0.00213km) tall and genderless in their starched white lab coats, made headlines in WineSpectator:

Young France Isn't Drinking Wine
The "French Paradox" is becoming a thing of the past

French citizens remain the world's leading consumers of wine, drinking about 55 liters annually, according to a recent study carried out by the University of Montpellier. That's almost six cases a person. But that number has declined more than 50 percent since 1980, when the French drank an average of 120 liters. Why is the nation most associated with wine drinking less of it?

Read the whole sorry tale.

What glass is this?

The only stupid question is the one you fail to ask... but let us not mince hairs.

Brandy is usually served in a snifter, this familiar stemmed, low-slung, bell-shaped glass thingum. One effect of the design is pointing the aromas directly into one's nose, and should never be filled beyond the widest part—the snifter, not the nose... though a word to the wise should be sufficient.


That's why a little brandy (relatively speaking) is often served in a large snifter (also relatively speaking). Small snifters (aka brandy glasses) are for pubs, cafés, discount shops, farm supply store holiday fêtes, where the focus is necessarily some other kind of beverage and/or aroma—or the avoidance of aroma, in the case of the farm supply store. Of course, an overly large snifter is also a cause for much embarrassment, unless inhabited by well cared for fish.

The possession of a nice snifter—one which is 5 or so inches at its widest diameter—will hopefully induce one to occasionally languish with a jigger of decent Cognac or Armagnac, without audience, pretext or pretense. In these solitary moments, one's senses open to something very old, very complex, yet unmediated by the maws, the haws and guffaws of our noisy world.

Easy, as they say, does it.

Pope Finds The Holy Grail!

No, the Knights who say “Ni!” didn’t go to Rome. But, when meeting the Pope it is customary to offer the Holy Father a nice gift. The story begins:

Archbishop delivers 'Holy Grail' to Pope - It could have been the moment the world was waiting for - the Holy Grail being hand-delivered to the Pope.

But that is exactly what the Archbishop of York did when he made his historic visit to Pope Benedict XVI in the Vatican.

Dr John Sentamu took the Pontiff some quintessentially Yorkshire gifts - including a bottle of Holy Grail beer and Black Sheep Ale from the Black Sheep Brewery.

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Michigan AG: No beer at barber shop.

By offering gratis brewsky, or a quaff avec le coif, a Grand Rapids chop-shop scraped the state Attorney General le wrong way. (Shoot! Guess we'll have to just let it grow until we reach Westchester.)

No beer at barbershop, attorney general says
GRAND RAPIDS -- The owner of Jude's Barbershops, which had offered a free beer with a cut, is disappointed in a state Attorney General ruling that says he needs a liquor license if he wants to hand out beer.

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