Booze Muse

With the passage of HB 429 in 2008, of-age Illinois citizens lost their right to buy wines from out-of-state retailers. Some Illinois wine-lovers, not a bunch to take things lying down, have formed IWCC, the Illinois Wine Consumer Coalition. “We are a group of people that have run across each other on different Web sites and different boards and had the same complaints about not being able to get the wine we wanted,” explains Gretchen Neuman, IWCC Steering Committee member. “As we talked, we realized we needed to organize.” While they met and organized online, the IWCC Steering Committee also gets together in person. “We all met in December,” Neuman says. “We sat around at Bin 36 drinking wine and talking about the laws.” Alas, it is not all wine-swilling and mud-slinging. “At this point we are trying to gather members and inform the public about what’s going on,” Neuman says. “We’re hoping that with enough voices, enough signatures on the petition, we can get the attention of our legislators and change this anti-consumer law. We are hoping that as little as a few thousand names can really make our voice heard.”

By Ernest Barteldes

While I was living in Brazil as an adult in the 1990s, the liquor known as cachaça was regarded as a poor man’s drink found only in corner botecos (dive bars) where a shot could be purchased for as little as fifty cents. Broke youngsters and college students would buy a cheap bottle in order to make homemade caipirinhas in spite of the horrible hangovers that would follow.

I remember that quite well—as a perennially broke student in my college years, I often found myself with an empty pocket. But only a few bucks were enough for the cheapest of poisons.

Today, however, cachaça is reaching a more refined audience thanks to the efforts of a handful of dedicated companies that have done a lot to bring the spirit to a higher level. “Cachaça is today in the same position that vodka, chianti and tequila were about fifteen years ago,” explains Steve Luttman, producer of Leblon, one of the more recent brands specially created for the international market. Read the rest of this entry »

Top 5 Great Things I Drank This Year
Japanese Julep, Drawing Room
Snap Pea Caipirinha, Nacional 27
The Riviera, Violet Hour
Ham and Cheese cocktail, Nacional 27
Launois “Cuvee Reserve” Brut Blanc de Blancs, Binnys
—Michael Nagrant

Top 5 Best Drinks
Sakerita, Sushi Wabi
White Sangria, De La Costa
Day At the Park, Park 52
Lavender Margarita, W
Lemon Drop (by Matt), Shula’s
—Scoop Jackson

The Product: Cointreau Noir

The Premise: A “society marriage:” Cointreau blended with Remy Martin cognac

The Tasters and their Qualifications: Erica, Debbie, Brent, Brian and Jan, the self-anointed “drinking lightweight who never gives up.” Total years of legal drinking experience: 101

The Packaging: A bright copper metallic bottle announces the product with stylish elegance. Read the rest of this entry »

The Product: Rubi Rey Reserve Rum

The Premise: A single barrel finished white rum that’s aged on the coast of northern Puerto Rico and then later filtered for “clarity.”

The Tasters and Their Qualifications: Emily (works at a nursing home, so drinks a lot), Megan (can’t stop drinking), Marcus (“I don’t drink swill, even if it’s free”), Lenny (“I don’t like being sober, I don’t like my life”), Phil (almost finished the “Century Club” once), Tom (“Booze has no memory, and neither do I”)
Total years of legal drinking: 30

The Packaging: An arresting red bottle invokes summertime recollection, but also that creepy kid from “The Shining” running around the hotel yelling “Red Rum!” over and over. Drink at your own risk!

Tasters rated the following on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “I wouldn’t take it if it was free” and 10 being “I’m heading to the liquor store right now to get my own!” Read the rest of this entry »

The Product: 1800 Select Silver Tequila

The Premise: A double-distilled 100 Proof, one hundred percent Agave tequilla, blended with a bit of aged tequila to give a “velvety, smooth taste.”

The Tasters and Their Qualifications: Emily (works at a nursing home, so drinks a lot), Megan (can’t stop drinking), Marcus (“I don’t drink swill, even if it’s free”), Lenny (“I don’t like being sober, I don’t like my life”), Phil (almost finished the “Century Club” once), Tom (“Booze has no memory, and neither do I”)
Total years of legal drinking: 30

The Packaging: A sleek and, some could say, sexily silver take on a liquor that doesn’t immediately conjure images of sipping at rooftop club (more swigging while hitchhiking through Mexico) Read the rest of this entry »

The Product: Three Olives Triple Shot Espresso Vodka

The Premise: Apparently, people really like caffeinated cocktails

The Tasters and their Qualifications: Brent, Erica, Brian and Jan: 88 years of legal drinking

The Packaging: While we’re not fans of Three Olives’ typography, soft brown illustrations of three cups of espresso set against the dark coffee color of the vodka inside make this one an attractive package.

Tasters rated the following on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “I wouldn’t take it if it was free” and 10 being “I’m heading to the liquor store right now to get my own!”

The Nose: 7.25, “smells like espresso but cleaner (no crema)”

The Taste: 8.75, “espresso with a kick” Read the rest of this entry »

That we’ve become big fans of the mixological mysticism of Adam Seger is no secret. So though we normally file cocktaily gimmicks in our perpetual maybe file, the notion that Seger has concocted a diet-friendly potion caught our eye. And his publicist has been so kind to forward the recipe for the LookBetterNaked martini, along with this description of its, um, benefits:

“The LookBetterNaked margarita is made from all-natural ingredients, including Partida Reposado tequila, Sambazon Organic Acai, organic agave nectar, rosemary, egg white and fresh squeezed lime juice. Using a Sambazon Pure Organic Acai smoothie pack and Partida Organic Agave Nectar, the margarita is filled  with antioxidants, amino acids, dietary fiber, iron, calcium, cholesterol-reducing fructans and Vitamins A and C. The rosemary is rich in vitamin E, preventing cancer and skin damage. An egg white provides a lean source of protein, while the fresh lime juice prevents heart disease and gives an extra dose of Vitamin C. TheLookBetterNaked margarita is this year’s answer to those countless toasts of the season. Read the rest of this entry »

By Ernest Barteldes

France is well known around the world for its champagne, fine wines and cheese (among other delicacies), but somehow the beer produced there has never really gotten much publicity Stateside. That has happened mostly due to the popularity of Belgian, German and Dutch brews, which have pretty much dominated the market of imports on this side of the pond in spite of the fact that France is one of the leading nations in the production of brewing barley in the entire planet.

That is poised to change, as many small producers in that country have come together to promote their own craft beers in the US with the support of The French Embassy’s trade agency. Read the rest of this entry »

Howsthebar.com is a new Chicago-based Web site that invites participants to rate their local taps. Bar-goers are requested to log onto their mobile Web to evaluate their hangout, while still inside. The quick, five-question quiz asks participants to rate the pub on the basic criteria of: crowd size, gender ratio, average age, entertainment and drink value. This information is instantly processed and then averaged based on all users’ responses. “Some people may want a quiet bar and others may be looking for a crowded bar. Either way, users will get the information that they need to make the decision of where to go,” says Randy Rantz, the site’s founder. Rantz, who has been legally bar-hopping for the past sixteen years, came up with the idea for his site after having spent countless weekends on the phone with his friends. They would text back and forth, updating each other on their current destinations. He thought, “Why not get more people involved in communicating this information?” (Andrea Giampoli)