Drinks Wire

Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro Review

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We were recently invited to a dinner celebrating the San Francisco launch of the Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro tequila. The Don Julio 70 has been in the works for a while and was launched with two purposes. The first was to celebrate Don Julio Gonzalez’s (the man behind Don Julio) 70th anniversary as a distiller. The second was to introduce the world to a new class or type of tequila—a tequila that has been … Read more

A Wine for Halloween – Ash Hollow Headless Red Wine

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We at DOTW love Halloween and our celebration lasts the entire month of October. We try hard to help our readers enjoy this creepy, crawly day (see our Halloween Drinks page). This year, we are excited to add Ash Hollow’s Headless Red to our Halloween fun.

We recently received a bottle of the Headless Red and didn’t know what to expect. But I have been impressed by the wines out of Washington state (for our … Read more

La Vieille Ferme “Recolte” 2010 – Wine Wednesday

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This week’s Wednesday Wine pick was the crowd favorite at our breaking of the fast for Yom Kippur. And, it is one of the best value wines that we have come across. A magnum (two bottles) of the La Vieille Ferme “Recolte” 2010 red wine from the Rhone Valley for the astounding price of $9.99 at Costco.

The La Vielle Ferme wines come from the Perrin family of the famed Chateau Beaucastel in the Rhone … Read more

How to Taste Coffee Like a Pro

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We recently attended our first coffee cupping sponsored by Kahlúa. We didn’t know what cupping meant. But, from what we can tell (and what we were told by the expert), it basically means tasting. It was interesting to me that there was actually a slice of the beverage world more pretentious than the wine world. I don’t mean to slam the whole wine world but they do make it pretty intimidating for beginners—the lingo, the … Read more

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur Review

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I will freely admit that I am a St. Germain addict and, thanks to St. Germain, an elderflower addict too. Since my discovery of this delightful liqueur a few years ago, I have bought a number of bottles and literally added it to everything. It brightens a Champagne cocktail, makes gin sing and is a potent addition to any punch bowl. So you can only imagine our excitement when a bottle magically arrived in the … Read more

Not-Too-Sweet Halloween Cocktails

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If you’re not into the sweet stuff, it can be a challenge to find the right Halloween cocktail. These drinks are in the spirit of Halloween but don’t contain a lot of sugar, syrup or fruit. If you like your cocktails dry, here are some great options for you:

    The Obituary Cocktail: Gin, vermouth and absinthe … cornerstones of the classic cocktail
    Red Devil #2: Campari and orange are the perfect sinister match

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A Happy Jewish New Year

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We know that the Jewish New Year officially started last week and the high holidays are ending with the Yom Kippur, which is starting this evening. But, we figure that late is still better than never.

I don’t find it easy to make drink recommendations for most Jewish holidays. Most of the holidays are somber and don’t seem quite as festive as the Christian holidays (and for my love of other cultures, I will admit … Read more

The Innate Coolness of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

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This week is Fleet Week in San Francisco. For those of you unfamiliar with Fleet Week, basically San Francisco is invaded by a part of the US Navy and Marines. There are sailors everywhere. The Blue Angels fly around town. The bay is stocked with submarines and other aquatic vessels. And it’s pretty cool!

Fleet Week brought to mind our recent infatuation with Sailor Jerry since the man behind the rum was an actual Naval … Read more

How to Create a Fog Effect for Your Halloween Punch

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Dry ice turns an ordinary party punch into a spooky Halloween brew!

Instructions:

    Start with 2 punch bowls of different sizes. The smaller bowl will hold the actual punch while the larger bowl will hold the smaller bowl and the dry ice.
    With tongs or gloved hands (dry ice can freeze your skin), place chunks of dry ice in the bigger container. Place the smaller bowl on top of the dry ice. There is no

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Ron Zacapa 23-Year-Old Rum Review

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It’s not often that we run across women distillers. In the case of Zacapa Rum, the master distiller is a wonderful woman named Lorraina. Believe us, Lorraina makes some mean rum.

An aged rum named after the town of Zacapa, Guatemala., which combines the best of low and high altitudes. Zacapa is a combination of sugar cane honey extracted from sugar cane grown near sea level, fermented with yeast extracted from pineapples and then slow … Read more