It might be hard to believe today, but cognac was as popular through the end of the 19th century as vodka is today! In fact, cognac was the original “must have” spirit and it was hard for cognac producers to meet demand. In the 17th century, the Dutch ruled the oceans and went from country to country trading wares. The Dutch realized that the wine they traded frequently spoiled on the voyage but the brandewijn, … Read more
This weekend marks the official celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. For those of you not in the know, that means 60 years on the throne! But, the Queen still has over four years to go in order to surpass Queen Victoria’s 64 years on the throne.
I was wondering why this weekend was designated the official weekend since the Queen ascended the throne in February 1952 and her coronation was in June 1953 and … Read more
Summer is finally here! While its stays nice and chilly in San Francisco, we have heard that the heat wave has already started in other parts of the country. When the weather turns warm, I turn to lighter wines served chilled. For those white haters out there, don’t despair, there are red wines that can be served chilled and roses to try. Here are our picks for wine to try this summer:
It’s hard to believe that the Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 on May 27th. It’s been a cultural icon, an engineering marvel and the symbol of San Francisco since it’s opening in 1937. I can still remember the awe I experienced when I first time I saw it many years ago. I still experience a twinge of that awe every time I see its majestic orange-red spans suspended above the San Francisco Bay.
The Golden … Read more
The first print of The Savoy Cocktail Book was written during the darkest hours of Prohibition by a barman that sought refuge at the famed American Bar in the Savoy Hotel in London. Like many great American barman, Harry Craddock was forced to flee his native land in order to ply his craft. Luckily for us, he headed off to the American Bar where he was the head barman from 1925 to 1939 and wrote … Read more
I have become a bit obsessed with Prohibition. I just finished a great book called When The Rivers Ran Red, which chronicled Prohibition in Sonoma County and the impact that it had on the winemakers and the wine industry. I rejoiced along with the winemakers with the Repeal of Prohibition. We thought that we would throw a discussion of Repeal Day into the mix to make sure that everyone knew Prohibition ultimately had a happy … Read more
When The Rivers Ran Red examines the impact of Prohibition on California’s wine country, particularly the famed Sonoma County. Vivienne Sosnowski spent many hours researching this little discussed topic, including hours of oral interviews with the few survivors of Prohibition, who were in their 90’s by the time Ms. Sosnowsky interviewed them. I have to admit that this book made me see red when reading it. Living in San Francisco, we are in close proximity … Read more
On a recent trip to Stockholm, I dropped in to the Absolute Icebar Stockholm. It was cool, very cool! I had always wanted to stay at an ice hotel (and had read up on the one that is built in Quebec each year), but I didn’t really know what to expect. It was far more than I expected, and honestly, much colder than expected.
The Absolut Icebar Stockholm is hosted at the Nordic Sea Hotel … Read more
Plymouth Gin is the gin of the officers of the British Navy. While the enlisted men drank rum, the officers drank Plymouth Gin. Since 1793, Plymouth Gin has been produced in the town of Plymouth, England, a city located on the south-west coast of England. In fact, the pilgrims on the Mayflower took shelter from a storm there as they set sail for the new world. Maybe this is why they named their town Plymouth. … Read more
Italy has a long tradition of making spirits and liqueurs. However, you might not know it as Italy isn’t famed for their spirits or liqueurs. In fact, when you think of Italy and spirits, you probably think of Grappa. But, there is definitely more to Italian spirits than Grappa. One of them is called noisette, which are liqueurs that are made by soaking nuts in alcohol and then distilling part of the infusion again. Similar … Read more
Drink of the Week © 2025
This site is intended for those of legal drinking age. Please Drink Responsibly.
NEVER NEVER DRINK & DRIVE !!
