Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale

It’s a great time to be a beer lover with hundreds of new craft brews popping up this past year. Yay beer! Now not-exactly-craft-brew-brewer, Spoetzl Brewery, is introducing Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale to the Shiner family on February 3, 2012. Breaking from its tradition of brewing German style lagers, Shiner Wild Hare is the first ever pale ale made by the brewery.

Best known for its wildly popular Texas staple, Shiner Bock, Spoetzl has a hefty line-up of beers with seven in its active roster and five brews in its seasonal line up. Each year the Texas brewery introduces a new beer to its anniversary series. Shiner Wild Hare celebrates the 103^rd anniversary following Pilsner, Munich Helles, and Shwarzbier styles from past years. Like the other anniversary brews, Shiner Wild Hare has its anniversary year printed on the neck band.    

True to the Shiner style, this Pale Ale has a slight sweetness derived from Munich and Caramel malts blended with two-row barley. US Golding and Bravo hops give it floral fragrance and zippy bitterness. Shiner says they load Wild Hare up with more than a pound of hops in each barrel, but it certainly is no hop monster. It’s light and approachable and not as bold as American pale ale from brewers like Sierra Nevada or Stone. 

Shiner is releasing Wild Hare just in time for the Super Bowl. If you are a fan of Shiner’s other beers or normally drink one of the big domestic beers, pick up a six-pack of Wild Hare to kick it up a notch at your Super Bowl party.

What are you drinking?

LuAnn, Bryce, Molly and Jack Gilmore gathered for the Tequila Bash

What is it about tequila that says party? Is it the earthy aroma and complex taste? Is it the fiery burn in the back of your throat that reminds you that you are teetering on the razors edge that separates euphoria from delirium? Or is it the reputation for its mythical ability to dissolve all worldly worries and forge bonds of brotherhood among those who drink it together?  

Judging by the arms thrown around shoulders, broad grins and belly laughs ricocheting around the patio of Jack Allen’s Kitchen during the Second Annual Tequila Bash, I’d say Jack Allen tapped into tequila’s ability to bend strangers into friends.

“I could have done an event with beer, or with vodka. But I chose tequila to go after the guys who are willing to spend $200 a person to go to a fund raising event,” says Jack Gilmore, chef and proprietor, Jack Allen’s Kitchen.

Gilmore has been an ardent supporter of the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation for eight years. When he opened Jack Allen’s Kitchen, he made it standard operating procedure to give back to community and made the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation the primary beneficiary. This is one of the charities Gilmore knows that really works. He relishes the moments when he sees previously wheel-chair bound people who are able to walk again.   

Gilmore is a regular supporter of the Foundation’s annual gala and raises money throughout the year by donating $1 for every order of Carl Miller’s Layered Chunky Queso sold at the restaurant. In 2011, the restaurant was able to donate more than $9,000 and presented a check for more than $3,600 to foundation executive director, Mike Haynes, and president, Doug English, at the Tequila bash for the past quarter’s sales.

The first Tequila Bash raised more than $15,000 and this year’s event is expected to net around $18,000. Between the queso sales, the gala auction and the Tequila Bash, Jack Allen’s Kitchen raises about $40,000 to $50,000 a year for the Foundation.  

Proceeds will be used to advance the foundations mission of curing “spinal cord paralysis through funding research, advanced recovery and community outreach.” With the funding, the foundation will be able to continue to offer recovery programs that use therapies and equipment for spinal recovery.

Jack Allen’s Kitchen has a serious bent on featuring fresh Texas ingredients straight on its menu. Gilmore gathered like-minded chef’s to pair locally-sourced dishes with locally owned tequila for the Bash. “All of the tequila distillers are locally owned except Don Julio, and they are five of the finest tequilas out there,” he says. Beyond a local focus, there weren’t many rules for the food and tequila pairing: “Make it great is the only directive.”

Featured pairings

It was obvious that the chef’s adopted the same easy-going attitude of the bash, relishing the tail-gate-like atmosphere. The food selections were scrumptious bite-sized nibbles and completely unpretentious.

Albert Benitez, chef at Cover 3, served Black and Blue Crostinis, made with rare beef tenderloin slices, blue cheese and onion marmalade served on toasted bread slices. The substantial, yet bite-sized nibble is a mainstay on the restaurant’s party menu and paired well with the cocktail from Dulce Vida Organic Tequila.

Ben Craven, the beverage manager at Perla’s created a Fleur de Paloma made with Dulce Vida Organic Tequila.

• 1.5 ounces Dulce Vida Blanco
• .5 ounces St. Germaine
• 2 dashes of Lavender Spice Bitters
• 2 ounces of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
• Topped with club soda

Bryce Gilmore, chef at Barley Swine, prepared farm fresh deviled eggs with eggs from Milagro Farms. He topped them with nutty, crispy kale. The rich, creamy eggs and bitter greens were a good match with the cocktail made with Ambhar Tequila.

Marcelo Nascimento, award winning mixologist from Ambhar Tequila, prepared a classic concoction.

• 2 ounces of Ambhar Añejo
• .5 ounces St. Germaine
• Orange bitters
• Aromatic bitters
• Orange peel set ablaze

Chris TenEyck, sous chef at Jack Allen’s Kitchen, prepared grilled and braised pork ribs with Texas orange and sweet chili barbecue sauce and served with coleslaw. Ridiculously good. He selected this to pair well with the citrus flavors in the cocktail from Z Tequila.

Dana Wakley of Pepe Zevada’s Z Tequila mixed the Spaniard for the crowd. This Jack Allen’s Kitchen menu staple was a sweet accompaniment with the ribs.

• 1.5 ounces Z Tequila Añejo
• .5 ounces Orange Sherry
• Splash of fresh-squeezed Texas orange juice
• Dash of agave nectar
• Squeeze of lime

The man himself, Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen’s Kitchen, made ancho crusted crispy tacos filled with local lamb braised with garlic and Republic Tequila Anejo.  

Brittany Meador and Chanze Hoover Republic Tequila served a Jack Allen’s staple, the refreshing Agave Cocktail.

• 2 ounce of Republic Tequila Reposado
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice
• 1 ounce Agave nectar
• Shaken over ice

Don Julio Tequila, the only non-locally owned tequila, brought a twist to the pairings. Roxanne Santos mixed the 70th Anniversary Anejo Blanco with Grand Marnier, orange juice and a squeeze of lime for a distinctive margarita. This Jalisco Highlands tequila is filtered after aging to remove the signature caramel coloring of añejo. The taste is silky smooth and smoky and was served with Beef Street Tacos by John Zamora to pair with the margaritas.

Rebecca Rather, pastry chef and cookbook author, made a variation of her Good Luck chocolate truffles with a ganache made with Patron XO — a heavenly dessert accompaniment.

Stephanie Vasquez prepared a simple dessert drink with Patrón XO shaken with ice. The silver tequila blended with coffee liquor was smooth, sweet and sexy.

Texas grown ingredients, Texas owned tequila and Texas-sized hospitality made for a warm, jovial fundraiser that never lost sight of the cause; Jack Gilmore is certainly onto something in using tequila to open wallets for a good cause. I’ll venture to bet they raise even more money for the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation next year.

This email also appeared CultureMap.

What are you drinking?

I met her about a year ago. There she was, with geisha eyes, platinum hair, porcelain skin, wrapped in a vintage dress and stepping out of a vintage hearse to be engulfed by a crowd of the most prominent social media people in Texas. This fashionable vampiress was one of the winners of the 2011 Texas Social Media Awards. Social media is just one of her talents and writing is another.

Now celebrated horror novelist, Gabrielle Faust, is set to release her eighth book, REVENGE, with a book release party at Dive Bar & Lounge,1703 Guadalupe St., from 8pm to 2am. on Wednesday, January 18.

Gabrielle is known for her vampire series ETERNAL VIGILANCE, so I was expecting that REVENGE might also be in the same genre. When I asked her what it’s about she described it as “Lord of the Rings meets Dante’s Inferno.” So the main character, this guy Marcus Glenfield, commits suicide and through some dark turns becomes the Demon of Regret. As if that’s not a bad enough day, he ends up in a fight between heaven and hell over the rights to govern purgatory. So it’s not really a children’s story? “Angles and demons, horror, strangled love and an epic quest,” says Gabrielle with a casual smile.

Gabrielle asked What Are You Drinking? to be one of the sponsors for her book release party. Having this blog involved with a horror book might seem like a stretch, but reportedly lots of authors appreciate a fine drink.

How do you celebrate the release of a book like that? With an Angles and Demons costume party — with great prices — at a relaxed bar, listening to the author and friends playing live music while nibbling on hors d’oeuvre provided by caterer HipHarpy.  The bash is also sponsored by Lucid Absinthe, Dripping Springs Vodka and Lerin Wines, so wine and specialty drinks concocted just for the party will be offered for only two bucks. Add to that, the first 30 people get an additional $1 off any drink.

I was fortunate enough to provide input to the selection of the themed cocktails developed by the skilled bartenders at Dive Bar. Here’s what we came up with.

“Angel Tears”
In a rocks glass, or a shot glass with one rock (depends on the price, I like the shot glass version as it need to be sipped and it’s a powerful punch)
Equal parts:

• Lucid Absinthe with splash of water
• St. Germaine
• Rumplemintz
• Green Chartreuse

In the shot glass I do a 1/2 oz pour of each (so 2 oz. plus the splash of water).  In the rocks glass I would do 3/4 oz of each.

“Divine Intervention”

• Pour Sambuca into a martini glass, swirl to line the glass and dump it out
• In a shaker with ice, 2 oz. Dripping Springs vodka (infused) and 1/2 oz simple syrup
• Shake and strain into a martini glass
• “Sink” 1/2 oz. Patron XO (coffee-infused) over a spoon

Garnish with coffee beans

“Heaven & Hell”

• Chill martini glass with ice
• In a shaker with ice pour  2 oz. Dripping Springs vodka, 1 oz. Pineapple, dash of agave, shake VIGORIOUSLY (so pineapple foams), pour into martini glass
• “Sink” 1/2 oz of Chambord

Gabrielle will bring copies of the book and will sign autographs. REVENGE was co-written with poet Solomon Schneider and published by Barking Rain Press. This is the first book in the series and she is already mapping out the sequel. She got started writing as a kid, inspired by her poets and playwright grandparents. She became a full time writer six years ago and discovered it’s her greatest passion and can’t see herself doing anything else.

She gets her inspiration for her books from humanity. Gabrielle likes to analyze human nature and break it down. She looks at religion, and government and why we do the things we do. Through fictional characters she explores the philosophical ideas she has. I asked if she was a demon or angle? “A little of both,” with a wry smile.

Which will you be at the party? A demon or an angel?

What are you drinking?

Nothing represents the archetypal spirit of Texas better than a cowboy; rugged, hard-driven, dependable and connected with the land. Rodeo Austin has brought some of the nation’s best cowboys to town to compete for 75 years. Now for the second year they are gathering another group of daring adventurous rebels steadfastly working the land in harsh conditions; Texas winemakers. On Thursday, January 12, 2012, Rodeo Austin hosted the second annual Off the Vine wine and food tasting, mixing the attitude of the Texas cowboy with the harvest of the Texas winemaker.

The event was inspired by the strong tie between the wine industry and agriculture. The wine industry has grown significantly since its humble start in the 1970s and has really come on strong in the past decade. Jennifer Paladino, marketing coordinator for Rodeo Austin, describes the event as “a great way to help promote one of Texas’ finest agricultural assets. Also, we pride ourselves on providing unique events to the diverse community we live in and a wine event seemed like the perfect fit for Austin.”

The wine tasting event, along with other Rodeo Austin events, raises money for its scholarship fund. In 2011, Rodeo Austin awarded 46 students $442,000 in college scholarships, and a total of $1.9 million to the youth of Texas through scholarships and the Youth Auction. This year’s Off the Vine is expected to net several thousand dollars — a fat sack more than last year — through ticket sales and a silent auction.

Event vice chairman, Drew DeBerry, who is also the Texas Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture, says, “Rodeo Austin is one of the top five economic drivers in Austin, contributing north of $68 million annually, drawing more than 300,000 visitors.” DeBerry is thrilled to be a part of generating revenue to provide educational opportunities for kids in Texas. He also sees Off the Vine as one more way that the Rodeo connects people with the agricultural sources of food and drink. Texas wine makers are passionate about taking their crop all the way from the field to the bottle in one of the harsher climates for growing grapes. It was clear that people at the event were really glad they go to the trouble to do it.

Rodeo Austin executive committee member Hap Feuerbacher says, they started Off the Vine “to reach people that the rodeo might not ordinarily reach.” He’s probably right. The event attracted an enthusiastic, eye-catching crowd of people wearing a mix of evening wear and cowboy hats who are really interested in wine.

The eager and engaged crowd enticed many of the participating wineries to come back again this year. The event featured 31 wineries, 24 of which were from Texas. It’s a unique event with iconic California wineries like Silver Oak and Caymus Vineyards standing shoulder-to-shoulder with small up-and-coming Texas wineries like William Chris Vineyards and Torre di Pietra. It was a great way to try new wines from small wineries that don’t have broad distribution, and take home a few bottles of the new discoveries.

Stand-out wines from small Texas wineries included:

Perissos Vineyard 2009 Tempranillo Blend
This wine had luscious flavors of raspberry, and chocolate with a silky texture. It sells for $25 a bottle and can be found at the winery and at Specs. Proprietor, grower and winemaker, Seth Martin, started the winery in 2006 with the first bottling in 2007. They now produce 3,200 cases a year using 100 percent Texas grown grapes and practicing organic methods.

William Chris Vineyards 2011 Blanc du Bois
Crisp, floral with a hint of honeysuckle, this wine would pair well with Texas BBQ on a hot summer day. Jack Gilmore selected it as one of the wines he will serve in the James Beard Award dinner in New York. Bottles sell for $28 online and at select restaurants in the Austin area. Winemaker, grower and owner William (Bill) Blackmon has been making wine for two years, but growing grapes since 1983. The winery makes about 1,800 cases with all Texas grapes and will make about 4,000 cases of the 2011 vintage.

Dotson-Cervantes 2010 Gotas de Oro
A blend of 61% Muscat Canelli and 39% Chardonnay, this wine had a smoky nose and flavors of lychee fruit and tangerine. Its big, smooth and slightly sweet; a perfect wine for desert. It goes for $28 a bottle at Austin Wine Merchant and Specs. Former NFL star, Alphonse Dotson, father of NFL star Santana Dotson, and his wife, Martha Cervantes, made about 1,000 cases of this wine in its second bottling. They made 800 cases of the 2009 vintage.

Sandstone Cellars 2009 VII
This wine is made of 100 percent Touriga, the primary grape in Port. It has bold flavors of blueberries, sassafras tea and black bark. It’s available at Specs on Brodie Lane for $30. Master Sommelier, Drew Hendricks, has selected Sandstone Cellars VII for his wine list at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse in Houston. Winemaker, Don Pullum, was the first person to plant grapes in Mason County, TX ten years ago. He now makes about 500 cases of wine with fruit grown in the county.

It wasn’t just wine. Eleven local restaurants served scrumptious nibbles including the award winning Steiner Ranch Steakhouse lobster mac and cheese. Dzintra Dzenis (pronounced like Sentra, but with a Z), owner of Plate by Dzintra and a contestant on Season 6 of Food Network Star, served Kobe beef sausage in blankets. Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen’s Kitchen wowed the crowd with his farm to table magic.

Guests at the event were able to vote for their favorite red wines, white wines and restaurants. Fan favorites taking home the coveted trophy are:

• Red wine: G Wine Cellars for its Zinfandel blend
• White wine: Braman Winery for its R10 Riesling
• Restaurant: III Forks

Organizers of Off the Vine plan to showcase the talents of local winemakers and chefs in an even bigger event next year. Watch for it.

This article also appeared on CultureMap.

What are you drinking?

Participating wineries included:

Participating restaurants included:

• Carmela’s Ristorante Italiano
• Carmelo’s Ristorants
• Gumbos
• III Forks
• Jack Allen’s Kitchen
• Mandola’s Italian Market
• Plate by Dzintra
• Quality Seafood Market
• Ranch 616
• Steiner Ranch Steakhouse
• Vivo Tex Mex

Yes, everything is bigger in Texas. Holiday parties last for a week where guests gorge on Cadillac-sized steaks and suck down swimming pools full of booze. Everything is bigger in Texas including holiday hangovers.

During Holiday Bender – that period between Thanksgiving and the first day back to work in the New Year where there are parties every night – you’re bound to get at least one Texas-sized hangover, whether you’re blessed enough to live in the Lone Star State or not. Never fear, twelve good folks working at twelve Texas distilleries share their secrets to surviving a hangover. Heck, they ought to know, they make the sauce that got you in trouble in the first place.

1. Ooh la la

Paula Angerstein, la grande dame of Paula’s Texas Spirits Premium Liqueurs, chases out the bad blood with a French 75 made with Brut bubbly, Paula’s Texas Lemon and high-proof Gin. She swears it gets it done quickly and in style.

2. Here’s blood in the eye

Jenny Hunt, market Manager Deep Eddy Vodka, says her go-to hangover helper Savvy Vodka Bloody Mary. The vitamins in the tomato juice and celery will help.

3. Blood phở  sho

Happy Mercado, event marketing manager at Tito’s Handmade Vodka, goes for a steaming bowl of phở washed down with a Tito’s Bloody Mary. Hot broth and rice noodles sooth that seething stomach.

4. Salty blood

Brittany Meador, sales maven for Republic Tequila, chases her blues away with a Bloody Maria made with Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, Republic Plata Tequila and pickle juice. She swears it cures you every time.

For the complete list of 12 Most Effective Texas Hangover Cures check out my story on 12 Most.

It’s completely possible to make it through the holidays without a single hangover by practicing common-sense moderation. If you do over do it, you are now prepared to fight the good fight. Which one of these are you going to try tomorrow? Do you have a better hangover cure?

Featured image courtesy of atmtx

What are you drinking?

What a fantastic year it has been. My humble blog has evolved and matured this year. Here is a look at what happened in 2011:

• Posted 58 stories:  28 about wine, 23 about cocktails and 10 about beer
• Posted stories from Singapore, Salt Lake City, Columbus and San Diego
• Met and interviewed dozens of wonderful winemakers, distillers, brewmasters, sommeliers and bartenders.
• More than 18,000 of you wonderful people visited my site during the year
• Celebrated the blog’s first anniversary with a kick-ass party at the W Hotel Austin
• Thrilled, honored and humbled to win the Austin American Statesman “Texas Social Media Award“
• “What Are You Drinking?” was recoginized on the prestigious Austin American Statesman “Out & About 500” list of socialites
• Guest Host of Sommelier Cinema at the Alamo Drafthouse
• Eight “What Are You Drinking?” stories also appeared in the Food & Drink section of CultureMap
• 12 Most ran a “What Are You Drinking?” story

This blog has been a labor of love. I write at night and on weekends when I’m not busy with my full-time job. All of the time and effort are worth it because I’m able to meet so many interesting people who are passionate about the beverages they create. I’m thrilled to tell their stories.

I owe a lot of thanks to many people for the blog’s success this year. Beautiful Wife has been extremely supportive and tolerant of the amount of time it takes to conduct interviews, research, write and curate each story. Big thanks to her for helping me keep this going. Thanks to all of the folks that tolerated my interviews. Thanks to the PR people for arranging for stories and sending samples to review. Thanks to everyone who reads this and provides feedback. I’ll keep writing as long as you keep reading.

I have several stories lined up for 2012 already, but I’d love to hear what you are most interested in. What are you drinking? What do you want me to write about? Tell me in the comment section below.

Happy New Year!

What are you drinking?

Everything about Champagne is sexy; from your initial thoughts about it, to the way the cork pops to announce its ready, to the way it looks in a glass. What could be more seductive than your date’s delicate fingers wrapped around an impossibly thin stem below a sleek curving flute? Her hot breath fogs over the cold glass like the car windows of your youth. Pour a little more in and let the mousse carelessly foam over the rim and cascade down the side.

Sparkling wine is a must for the holiday. Whether you want wine for the ball drop, a balloon drop or just a pants drop, bubbles are the way to go. The only thing not sexy about Champagne is figuring out which bottle to buy. The best approach is to buy sparkling wine in a reputable wine shop or in a restaurant or bar and ask for advice to pick a great bottle.

I sat down with the sommelier from the acclaimed Driskill Grill, Scott Ota, to get a few of his tips. His advice is to be ready to answer a sommelier’s questions. Do you prefer it to be lighter or bigger? Chardonnay dominant wine, or Blanc de Blancs, is more elegant with lemon juice freshness and high acidity. Pinot Noir driven wine is typically bigger, richer and more structured Do you prefer sweet or dry? The code words going from sweet to dry are Demi-sec, Sec, Extra dry, Brut and Extra Brut. Do you want white or rosé?

Do you have to have Champagne, or are you open to any sparkling wine?   

Prosecco: If you like a slightly less fizzy and sweeter wine, try Italian Prosecco. It’s made with the “Metodo Charmat-Martinotti” or Charmat method, where the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks rather than in the bottle.

Cava: Spanish Sparkling wine called Cava typically is made méthode Champenoise. It’s known for its high acidity, fresh-cut fruit flavors and lighter style body. It spends a little less time on the lees than Champagne, letting the acidity shine through.   

U.S. Sparkling Wine: Domestic bubbles typically deliver great value. Like their cousin still wines, American sparkling wines are typically rounder and mouth filling. Quality American bubbles made in the méthode Champenoise are made in California, Oregon, Washington and even lesser known wine producing states like New Mexico and North Carolina.   

Champagne: If you go for Champagne, consider going for Grower Champagne, meaning fizzy wine made by the same house that grows up to 88 percent of their own grapes rather than buying it from other sources. Look for a tiny RM on the label, meaning Récoltant-Manipulant. This is in contrast to négociant, or a house that sources grapes from many growers. Farm to Table is a big movement, so let’s think of this as “Farm to Bubbles.” Small growers are able to control their crops and the quality of the product by bottling their own. The top seven big houses produce about 50 percent of all Champagne made in the world. Big Champagne houses are all about the house style and small growers are all about the taste of the land, making it more terroir driven. The best thing about Farmer Fizz is that you get so much quality for so much less money than from a big house. I’ll drink to that.  

 The last question you’ll need to ask yourself is, “How much are you willing to spend?” Here are Scott’s picks for various price levels.

 Budget minded: “I love Cremant. Its méthode Champenoise and a great value. One I really like is Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut Rosé. Its 100 percent Pinot Noir made with the skins left on for a bit to give it the color of a delicate pink rose. It sells for $48 at the Driskill (around $15 retail) and is available by the glass.

Have a little extra to spend: Marc Hébrart N.V. Premier Cru Brut Rosé, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ is a steal at $82 a bottle (around $56 retail). It’s a premier Cru that drinks like a Grand Cru.  This small grower/producer makes only 5,800 cases total for all of its lines. 

Devil-may-care: What is that one special bottle you would get if money were no object? Scott recommends the Pierre Gimonnet et Fils Special Club 2004, which goes for about $95 retail (I got a bottle for that price at Austin Wine Merchant) or for $155 at the Driskill. Pierre Gimonnet et Fils has been rated as “outstanding” by Robert Parker and one of the top 15 producers in Champagne. The Gimonnets are one of the great grower families of the Côtes de Blancs, producing arguably one of the finest Chardonnay Champagnes. This will be my toast on New Year’s Eve because Beautiful Wife is worth it.

The Taste

All of this talking about sparklers made us mightily thirsty, so we popped a few corks to try some out. We chose one of the largest and most famous Champagne houses, a small grower/producer and a non-French to see how they compared.  

Marc Hébrart N.V. Premier Cru Brut Rosé, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ

Marc Hébrart produces its Champagne with Premier Cru Pinot Noir and Grand Cru Chardonnay from Vallee de la Marne. They export only five percent of the 5,800 cases of Champagne made, making this a special find. 

Bellavista Franciacorta

For a non-French selection, Scott chose Bellavista NV Cuvee Brut Franciacorta DOCG. It’s made from 90 percent Chardonnay using the méthode Champenoise and spends 18 months on the lees in bottle to round it out.   

Veuve Clicquot Brut Yellow Label  

We selected Veuve because it is one of the largest houses and most widely recognized Champagnes in the world. This venerable house, founded in 1772, produces consistently fine Champagne.

If you want to taste your way through excellent bubbles, the Driskill is a fine place to do so. The Driskill is thought of as a special occasion dining location, so they are embracing it with a fantastic wine program. They strive to have the best Champagne list in Austin with 20 champagne labels — including 12 grower producers — and 12 other selections of bubbles. Hey, bubbles are Scott’s drink of choice and an excellent food wine.   

Are you ready to get a bottle or three for the holiday? One glass and you are champagne; floating effortlessly, more buoyant than in salt water, more buoyant than in helium, humors soar. A second glass and you know that giddiness isn’t reserved for school-girls.  Go for it.

Happy New Year!

What are you drinking?

A friend of mine was serving Shannon Ridge Chardonnay at his holiday party. When I asked him why he chose it, he said, “I was looking for a Chardonnay with a traditional Napa Valley style, but without the Napa Valley price. The guy at the wine shop steered me to this Lake County wine.” 

That’s exactly what Clay Shannon, founder of Shannon Ridge Vineyards and Winery, had in mind when he bought land in Lake County just north of Napa Valley – quality without the elevated price. The high elevation and cooler climate big are ideal for growing big tannic grapes like Cab and Zin. The well-drained, rich soils full of potash, calcium and good potassium levels allow the fruit to get ripe. Equally as important, the steep sloped vineyards were didn’t come with the king’s-ransom price tags of their Napa cousins.   

Clay grew up in wine country in Healdsburg, CA. He got into the grape growing business right out of high school and established a solid business. He eventually sold his farming business to Sutter Home Winery in 1985 and worked there until 1993. He learned a on the job, growing grapes all over California. After a short and lucrative stint as an almond farmer, Clay was beckoned by the siren’s song of the grapes to return to the wine industry to start Shannon Ridge with his wife in 1995.

In the beginning, he was growing Petite Sirah and Cabernet in the red soil of Lake County and selling the grapes in long term contracts to big wineries such as Beringer Vineyards, Robert Mondavi Winery, and others. He started making small amounts of wine with winemaker Marco de Julio in 2002 and got the feel for it. In 2003, as he talked to his young children about their future, he realized he wanted a more stable financial business and decided to go full bore into the wine making business. Fast forward a hand-full of years and Shannon Ridge is now producing around 100,000 cases of wine a year.  

He embraced the challenge of transitioning from vineyard management to being a winery owner and relished the learning. “As a grower for other wineries the incentive is to grow tonnage. When making wine, the importance of yield on quality is more important. You have to focus on the quality of crop management: pull leaves, let the grapes hang the proper amount of time and don’t over crop it. It makes a huge difference in the quality of the wine.” His biggest learning, “If the wine is priced right and it tastes good, people will buy it.”  

For the Shannons, quality is rooted in sustainability. A corner-stone of the Shannon Ridge approach to sustainability is a heard of about 1,000 head of sheep that roam the vineyards. These wooly compost machines sanitize the vineyards by eating the leaves dropped, grapes missed and the weeds. With sheep hard at work, the Shannons eliminated the use of systemic types of herbicide and reduced the fungicide program. They also take the straw from the lambing barns and use it for mulch under the vines. To complete the cycle they sell grass-fed lamb to the local restaurants that buy the wine.   

Shannon Ridge makes a wide selection of wines such as Petite Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Barbera. The diversity of varietals is a vestige of planting vineyards under contract for other wineries. It’s also allowed Clay to experiment to see what worked best. Cabernet, Chardonnay and Petite Sirah are the top sellers, followed by Sauvignon Blanc and Wrangler Red, which is a fun blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Tempranillo.  

I tasted my way through the “Ranch Collection” line-up, enjoying the whole batch. In the cooler months I tend to drink more red than white wine, and opted to share my tasting notes for the Shannon Ridge reds.

2009 Shannon Ridge Petite Sirah Lake County

The grapes are sourced from the family’s High Valley Vineyards in Lake County. It is fermented in stainless steel and barrel aged in a mix of French and American Oak. This is the winery’s signature wine. The grapes grow particularly well in Lake County producing a wine with deep color, firm tannins and plenty of fruit.

2009 Shannon Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon Lake County

 The grapes for the Lake County Cab are grown in High Valley and Red Hills appellation vineyards. They use extended maceration to get the darkest color possible and then age the wine in a mix of French and American Oak.

2009 Shannon Ridge Merlot North Coast

Merlot grapes grown in Lake and Mendocino counties are blended with small counts of Cab (9%) and Barbera (6%) for vibrant color and flavors.

2009 Shannon Ridge Zinfandel

 Zin is well suited for the cooler climates of Lake County. Much of the Zinfandel that Shannon Ridge grows is used in the Wrangler Red, but Clay selects some of the best fruit and blends it with 7% of Petite Sirah to make a little more than 2,000 cases of this Lake County Zin.

Clay’s favorite wine and food pairings are as humble as his beginnings. “I’m a deluxe hamburger guy, and I love it with our Wrangler Red. It’s fun wine with good tannins and structure, but simple enough to drink it with a hamburger. I also our single vineyard cab and our Viognier with lamb loin chops seared with salt and pepper.” That sounds damn good to me.

If you want to try Shannon Ridge wines with your favorite meals or at your holiday parties, call your local wine shop or order online. Shannon Ridge wines are available widely throughout most U.S. states including Texas. I purchased Wrangler Red (not reviewed here) at Specs in Austin.

Shannon Ridge Vineyard and Winery provided samples of the wine for review through its PR agency, Balzac Communications.

What are you drinking?

Edible Austin held the fifth annual Drink Local night as part of its Eat Drink Local Week on Thursday night at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center. Guests milled about the Grand Ballroom sipping vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, tequila, mezcal and cocktails from 14 Texas-based distillers. That sounds like one step away from Heaven for local spirits fans, but that was just the start.

The highlight of the event was the “Official Drink of Austin Cocktail Contest” presented by Tipsy Texan and the “Crowd Favorite Award” sponsored by Google Places. Judges David Alan, the host from the Tipsy Texan, Bill Norris, last year’s winner, Lara Nixon, the 2009 winner, Emma Janzen, Austin 360 Liquid Blogger, Joe Eifler, of the Tipsy Texan, and Jeret Pena, of the Esquire Tavern, struggled to pick a winner among seven talented finalists.

Here are the fantastic craft cocktails made with local spirits and ingredients that the judges and the crowd eagerly sampled.

Madelyn Kay, Péché, made Lie to Me

• 1 egg
• 2 ounces Tito’s,
• 3/4 ounces Amaro Nonino
• 3/4 ounces Maple Pecan Syrup a

This was like Christmas eggnog, all creamy, sweet and smooth. She was inspired by Texas pecans, and made her own syrup. She used Tito’s because it is her mom’s favorite spirit and chose Amaro Nonino because it is an Italian bitter just like her. Madelyn is a busy UT student and dreamt this one up just under the deadline for the submission to the contest. I’m glad she did. Deelish. Oh, now I know why so many men spend hours at the Péché bar. She’s damn good looking.

Houston Eaves, Contigo, made Smokin Gypsy

• 1.75 ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• .75 ounces Benedictine
• .5 ounces Balcones Brimstone
• Dash of Bad dog Smoke and Damnation bitters
• Dash of Angostura bitters
• Zest of Rio Valley Red grapefruit

He got his inspiration from a pre-prohibition cocktail, the Gypsy. He loves Balcones Brimstone and was eager to make a cocktail featuring it. Houston displayed great showmanship, dropping a chip of dry ice into a beaker to mix his drink, letting it smoke mysteriously. The ladies swooned.

Chauncey James, east Side Showroom, made Kinship

• Dripping Springs Vodka
• Mathilde peche liqueur
• Local aromatics
• Orange oil, cinnamon, Texas wild flower honey, lemon and peach, sarsaparilla

The cocktail had a nice crème after vigorous shaking and oodles of aromatics. He double strained it to get the spice, but none of the veggie and herb bits. It was garnished with orange letting orange oil brighten the flavors, and finished with micro-planned cinnamon over the top. This was by far the most visually appealing presentation of the evening. Chauncey is a master presenter, describing how each element of his potion and how they influence the scent and flavor. I have a man crush.

Justin Chamberlin, Sagra, made The Pinetop

• Start with a rinse of Balcones Brimstone to prep the glass
• 1.5 ounces Balcones Rumbles
• .25 ounces Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueor
• .5 ounces house made Sagra greenhouse grown rosemary fig syrup
• .75 ounces Rio Grande Red grapefruit juice
• Garnish with rosemary

Justin honed his craft in Chicago before moving to a new home in Austin, just like Pinetop Perkins did. He mixed this drink with flair. I loved the rinse to give the drink just a hint of smokiness. Justin, we’re glad you made Austin home.

Marcelo Nascimento, Lucky 13 Cocktail Co. , made Texas Cup #9

• 1.5 ounces Waterloo #9 Gin
• .5 ounces domain de Canton
• .75 ounces Fresh Lemon juice
• .5 Texas honey syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon Texas balsamic
• Garnished with Texas cucumber

Marcelo made a modern, Texan twist on the ever popular British cocktail, the Pimms Cup. I’m a sucker for gin and a big fan of Waterloo Gin, so Marcelo only needed to bat his eyes at me to get me to sample this fantastic concoction. Crowd favorite indeed! He was so busy all night, I didn’t even get a chance to talk him until the event ended. It was worth the wait.

Jessica Sanders from Drink.Well, made Hippie Harvest

• 1.5 ounces Rosemary infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• .75 ounces Paula’s Texas Lemon Liqueur
• .5 ounces apple cider reduction
• .5 ounces local grapefruit juice
• Shaken over ice and then strained into rocks filled glass
• Topped with Argus Cider
• Garnish with rosemary 

The fresh apple cider reduction and local alcoholic Argus Cider gave this the taste of a fall harvest. Jessica’s husband, Mike, mixed one for me as Jessica competed on stage. The spritz of Argus Cider made this come alive. I can’t wait for Drink.Well to open this winter. This talented husband and wife team are going to make a lot of people happy.

Josh Loving, FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar, made Baby’s First Punch

• 750ml Balcones Baby Blue
• Two 12 ounces bottles Real Pale Moon Rye
• 24 ounces bergamot blossom tea from Tea Embassy
• 6 ounces lemon juice
• ~8 ounces of Round Rock honey
• Muddled lemon peel with turbinado sugar (oleo saccharum))
• .75 ounces Angostura Bitters
• Topped with grated nutmeg

Upscale punch is definitely a hot trend. Josh was inspired by reading Punch by David Wondrich, and realized that necessity really is the mother of invention. He had never used beer as a cocktail ingredient and wanted to challenge himself. Big thumbs up to Josh for serving a low alcohol cocktail at an event where people are tasting multiple drinks. This is a perfect approach to serving cocktails at a party.

I chose not to vote in the Crowd Favorite submissions because I loved them all so much.  

Envelope please! And the winners are:

• The Crowd Favorite Award was won by Marcelo Nascimento, Lucky 13 Cocktail Co., for the Texas Cup #9
• The second place Official Drink of Austin Cocktail Contest prize went to Justin Chamberlin, of Sagra for his The Pinetop
• And the first place award, scoring 253 points out of 300, went to Houston Eves of Contigo for his Smokin Gypsy.

Now you have each of the award winning recipes. If you think you are as good as the top mixologist in the state, go ahead and try and replicate these drinks at home. If you are more realistic, go on out and order these fantastic drinks. You’ll be glad you can drink local.

The photo of Houston receiving the award is courtesy of  Dustin Meyer, www.dustinmeyer.com. This article was also published on CultureMap Austin.

What are you drinking?

Good things come to those who wait. I’ve always thought that was an inane cliché. An excuse to procrastinate. And procrastinate I do. Hell, I didn’t even get a birthmark until I was 12.

Sometimes good things do come in time. I recently visited the tasting room at Duchman Family Winery and its stand-out white wine, Vermentino, was sold out. I couldn’t buy any to take home and taste at my leisure and had to go to Bar Lamar in Whole Foods to get a glass to review. Oh the trials and tribulations of being a wine blogger. Fortunately Duchman has just released the 2010 vintage to end the horrible dry spell.

It turns out it’s not just me who has been waiting for the release. I spent a lovely evening at TRIO in the Austin Four Seasons tasting the new vintage of Duchman Vermentino with wine aficionados Jeremy Parzen (@DoBianchi), Nicole Carbon (@FabulousDrinks) and Master Sommelier, Devon Broglie (@dbrogues). We were doted upon by the brilliant Four Seasons sommelier, Mark Devin Sayre (@MarkDevinSayre).  Apparently it’s true that good things come to those who wait. The 2010 Vermentino was worth the wait.

Duchman Family Winery Vermentino 2010

Duchman Vermentino  is a well-received Texas wine, receiving accolades from national wine reviewers and getting the stamp of approval from local taste-makers Devon Broglie and Mark Sayre who both serve it by the glass at Whole Foods and TRIO respectively. The 2010 is true to its reputation. Duchman winemaker, Dave Riley, says 2010 is a great vintage for Texas wines. The relatively lower summer heat and lack of spring frost lead to a great harvest in the Bingham Family Vineyard with quality yields. Quality fruit leads to quality wine.

The new vintage of Duchman Vermentino was officially released on November 16^th, 2011 and can be found around Texas at the following locations:

• Duchman Family Winery (Driftwood)
• Backstreet Café (Houston)
• Sigel’s #1, #4, #5, and #9 (Dallas)
• Fairmont Hotel (Dallas)
• Trevisio (Houston)
• Brenner’s on the Bayou (Houston)
• Central Market Westheimer (Houston)
• Plonk Bistro (Houston)
• Whole Foods Gateway (Austin)
• Whole Foods Lamar (Austin)
• East End Wines (Austin)
• Central Market Westgate (Austin)

 What are you drinking?