“Fifty percent of the people who pick up a wine buy it because of the label,” Dave Phinney, the maverick behind The Prisoner, the 21st century’s first “viral” wine, tells me on a private jet ride over South Florida. I am joining him to taste the 2017 vintage of his new wine label, 8 Years […]
profile
Everything That’s Worth Drinking in Chicago, According to Three Dots and a Dash’s Kevin Beary
There are few guarantees in this world, and yet one can confidently assert that there is no better way to experience the Windy City than with a bona fide tiki legend as your guide. Kevin Beary, beverage director of Chicago’s Three Dots and a Dash, is up to the task.
Ponyboy’s Micah Anderson Is Not About to Order A(nother) Champagne and Bourbon Cocktail
Micah Anderson has mastered high-low balance. At Ponyboy, the neighborhood cocktail bar he manages in Oklahoma City, Anderson creates memorable drinks inspired by Dairy Queen banana splits and Sonic Cherry Limeade. Keys to the Lake House, a drink on his summer list, features sherry, bonded bourbon, blackberry, mint, and bitters.
You Don’t Really Know What’s in Your Wine. These Winemakers Want to Change That.
Most of us have a pretty good idea of how we’re supposed to be eating — less sugar, more fiber, more good fats. Shop local, pay attention to labels, blah blah blah. We know the drill. If you try to hold your wine to a similar standard of transparency, however, you’ll end up frustrated. There’s […]
Resilience and Post-Soviet Identity Politics Are in Every Glass of Georgian Wine
“Georgia and the vine are very similar in their character,” Lado Uzunashvili says, “If they are not stressed a little bit, they don’t give you their best results.” Uzunashvili owns the Mukado winery in Georgia and represents the 11th generation in a long line of esteemed Georgian winemakers. It’s an impressive heritage, matching the oldest […]
The Nicest Person in Craft Beer Wants You to Drink Brews With a Conscience (and Killer Beats)
It was a long winter in NYC. On a surprisingly sunny Sunday afternoon in early March, however, a few days after a nor’easter hit, Brooklyn’s Vanderbilt Avenue was teeming with life. Traffic filled the two-lane thoroughfare, and residents seemed eager to make the most out of the first spring-like day of the year.
A Sommelier Can’t Change the World. But One Did Change Pittsburgh.
It’s sloppy at some places,” Pittsburgh sommelier John Wabeck says of the wine scene in his adopted hometown. “In the summer, you can still get warm red wine. I’d love to stamp that out.” Known as the Steel City, Pittsburgh is more often associated with Boilermakers — a shot of whiskey and a pint of beer […]
For Ohio Brewer Trevor Williams, ‘LaCroix Is Life’
Hoof Hearted Brewing Company, in Marengo, Ohio, got its name from a fart joke. ”Like many of the world’s most successful businesses,” Trevor Williams, the head brewer and an owner, says with a laugh. (Hint: say the name out loud.) The company’s brand identity is appealingly irreverent, sometimes crass, and ultimately hilarious. Nostalgic beer names and labels […]
9 Things You Should Know About Meiomi Wines
Among a pantheon of seemingly overnight, 21st-century sensations (Cardi B, Instant Pot) lies Meiomi, a 12-year-old California label with $315 million in the bank. Boosted by chart-topping national appetites for Pinot Noir, Meiomi is now a wildly popular label with its fair share of detractors. Love it or hate it, you should know about it. Here […]
