The VinePair staff tries lots of drinks over the course of a week. These were our favorites in the third week of April.
Vicki, Staff Writer — La Cuvee du Chat from Jean-Claude Chanudet
Jean-Claude Chanudet’s “La Cuvee du Chat” was probably the best wine I drank all week. The palate is full of tart, red fruit, very typical of Beaujolais. The wine’s technically a Vin de France, since he sources fruit from both Fleurie and Morgon. I could literally drink this bottle all day long.
Mara, Digital Designer — Rolling Rock
This week, I went to a back yard Easter party, on my way there I stopped at a shitty restaurant on Bedford Ave in Williamsburg. The cocktail I ordered there was overpriced and served in the wrong glass. They also under poached my eggs, but thats another story. After my poor brunch experience, I stopped by the party where they had a cooler of beers. I pulled out a Rolling Rock, took a sip, and went, “Damn, thats good.” Cold. Refreshing. Cheap, and never disappointing. Sometimes it’s the little things in life.
Sam, Social Media Editor — Thai Mojito
I went to an amazing Thai restaurant in Queens over the weekend called SriPraPhai, where the menu includes various Thai versions of well-known cocktails. I ordered the Thai Mojito, which basically means it was made with Mekhong instead of your more traditional white rum. The waiter warned me it might be too strong, but I went for it anyway. And to my dismay, it wasn’t as strong as the waiter led me to believe. That being said, though, it was actually quite good. Mint was basically in my face when I took a sip, which I wasn’t at all mad about. Plus, you can’t beat a cocktail that’s strong, tasty and under $10. You just can’t.
Adam, CEO and Co-Founder — Rosie’s Margarita
I’ve picked up a taste for mezcal margaritas recently, and one of the best I’ve come across is at Rosie’s in NYC’s East Village. Called simply “Rosie’s Margarita,” the drink is a mix of mezcal, serrano-infused tequila, dry curaçao, and fresh lime juice. The mezcal gives the drink a nice smokey taste, similar to a smokey Scotch, while the serrano-infused tequila adds a spicy note at the end of the sip. It’s not your typical sweet margarita. Instead, it’s savory and incredibly sippable.
Batya, Managing Editor — Dolcetto d’ Alba, Roagna 2015
I drank this wine over a BYOB meal of Azerbaijani food with an old friend visiting from California. It’s a gorgeous wine, full of barnyard funk, bright acidity, and incredible structure. It just got better and better throughout the meal, as did our conversation under the influence of its aromas. I could have drank three more bottles of it!
Nick, Staff Writer — Ayinger Bairisch Pils
On a Tuesday at 5 p.m., clean and simple wins out. And it doesn’t get more clean and simple than a pilsner made following the German beer purity law, Reinheitsgebot. I grabbed an Ayinger Bairisch Pils from the VinePair fridge and was immediately satisfied. It’s refreshing, it’s palate cleansing, and it’s just the right balance between sweet and bitter. TL;DR, it’s everything you could want in a German-style pilsner. Although, while that was my favorite drink of the week, it was hard to beat the general office excitement of getting a miniature piñata named Marty with Sun King Brewing’s Pachanga Mexican-style lager.