December 4, 2008
The Imbiber: More columns
Imbiber: Johnnie Walker goes for the gold
Like so many of my fellow patriotic Americans these days, the Imbiber has been pulling for our guys and gals in red, white and blue spandex at the Olympic Games in China.
Cocktails go green
There was a time -- not all that long ago, really -- when cocktail ingredients at most watering holes were more limited than Verne Troyer¹s career prospects.
The Imbiber: Dry Sack
Never mind the name: Dry Sack is the world's most popular sherry.
The Imbiber: a foreigner's Fourth
The Fourth of July is upon us, and while it's traditional in the field of spirits reportage to mark the occasion by extolling the virtues of American-made intoxicants such as bourbon and Budweiser, I'm hoping to mitigate some of the ill-will that's been engendered abroad in recent years by showcasing products made by our foreign friends.
Imbiber: Grand Marnier is just grand
The Imbiber doesn't want to date himself, but let's just say he fondly remembers his first date with Grand Marnier many years ago at a faux-rustic watering hole in Aspen, Colo. Your beggarly correspondent had migrated to this Rocky Mountain town post-college in the hopes of pocketinga few tips on how the loaded half lives.
The Imbiber: Pisco Sours
My buddy Domingo is a Manhattan bartender who hails from Peru and swears by a viscous elixir he calls "aguardiente," or "firewater," better known as pisco.
Imbiber: Cool-off cocktails
Man, this heat is making me crazy. It isn't merely, as they say, Africa hot. It's so hot around these parts that most New Yorkers have spent the past few days sweating harder than beleaguered Mets manager Willie Randolph. When it's this sweltering, we've got little choice but to remain indoors watching TV with the AC on full blast. Problem with that is, this summer's network offerings have the potential to fry most viewers' brains faster than the sun ever could.
IMBIBER: All about vodka
In my line of work, you regularly come across all manner of curious information related to adult beverages. Just the other day, in fact, a helpful amNewYork reader forwarded an MSN.com article that identified things people do with vodka besides consume it. Turns out, the world's most popular spirit isn't merely ideal for making cocktails, it can also defeat poison ivy (when applied immediately after contact), give you lush hair (add a jigger to 12-ounce bottle of shampoo) and preserve flowers (add a few drops of vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to the vase water).
IMBIBER: all about whiskey
Over the holiday weekend a friend dragged me to one of those trendy nightclubs where pastel-colored cocktails cost a small fortune and everyone on the staff looks like they were plucked from the cast of "The Hills." It's the sort of place where one might order bourbon and be served Jack Daniel's instead. In fact, that's exactly what happened to the Imbiber and, frankly, I was nearly as disappointed as I was when Heidi and Spencer broke up for the sixth time.
IMBIBER: Whites for summer
To research this summer white wine roundup your Imbiber journeyed to Northern California and sampled upwards of 24 different wines using six types of glasses over a 72 hour period which, for the mathematically challenged out there, equals one happy reporter. The brands mentioned hereafter are all widely available at wine shops throughout Manhattan.
The Imbiber: black & tan cures what ails you
The Bloody Mary has long been the most popular morning-after elixir in the U.S., though there are plenty of folks who swear by the curative powers of mimosas and screwdrivers.
The Imbiber: Rattlesnake Rock is a star
Your Imbiber humbly prides himself on being at the cutting edge of what's new and exciting in the world of wine. And while I'm certainly not one to brag about my exceptional oenophilic acumen, I am one to repeat what other people in the know say about me -- that I am much better at this than most of the other hacks in the spirits reportage business. And being that I'm just a simple writer with a gift, well, who am I to argue? Ah, but with great power comes even bigger responsibility, and so I believe it is my sacred duty to work tirelessly on your behalf, scouring the globe in search of great vino. And, boy, did we ever unearth a gem for you this week: the 2005 Rattlesnake Rock ($54), which releases today, is a limited production syrah from Big Basin Vineyards in California's lush Santa Cruz Mountains region.
Meet the 'Imbiber'
I've always believed first columns are like first dates -- you start out wondering what to say and end up worrying whether you've said too much. But if this "thing" between us is to have any chance of working out, it's essential we establish the kind of trust that makes a solid relationship possible.
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