Ah, Margarita Day – the one day of the year when everyone is encouraged to celebrate their favorite tequila-based cocktail. That’s right folks, February 22nd 2023 is National Margarita Day and it’s time to whip out your shakers and get ready for a good time! National Margarita Day celebrates this classic cocktail that first […]
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As far as the history of winemaking goes, drip irrigation is a pretty new development—going back only to the late 1960s—and one a growing chorus of winemakers and viticulturalists say is better left behind. Oregon’s deep roots coalition (drc) has been beating the dry farming drum in earnest for nearly two decades. Led by a…
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You may have come across sake on the menu of your local Japanese restaurant or seen bottles start to pop up in your neighborhood spirit shop. If you’re unfamiliar with this fermented rice beverage, consider this your sign to get to know it better. “Sake is both a drink and a window onto Japanese society,”…
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All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety, or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are re-tasted. About […]
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From commercial vodka to cult bourbon, all spirits are distilled. It’s a scientific and often creative process that transforms harsh ethanol into something safely potable and, if you’re lucky, downright delicious.But when it comes to distilling, methods vary. The two most common types of distillation are named after the machinery involved: pot and column stills.…
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An invisible magic clings to Vermont in late winter. Weeks before spring arrives, when snow drifts can still swallow your shins as the days grow milder, maple trees begin to stir by running sap through their veins.Once the sap starts flowing, usually in late February, clouds of steam billow from sugar houses that dot the…
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One of the many reasons I love wine is the difference between vintages. I had the fortune early in my career to hear the dynamic and philosophical grower Nicolas Joly, of the famed La Coulée de Serrant vineyard in the Savennières region of the Loire, describe wine as time capsules. He described it as the…
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True story: We’re super impressed by and supportive of folks who’ve decided to reassess their relationship with alcohol. Whether that means deciding to drink less, exploring the world of non-alcoholic spirits and non-alcoholic wines or quitting cold turkey, these folks have our admiration. But of all the people in the world to attempt Dry January—the…
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The classic French pastry baba au rhum looks and tastes like a special-occasion dessert, but is surprisingly easy to make. You can prepare multiple babas to feed a crowd or scale back proportions for an intimate dessert à deux. No matter the format, one of the most important ingredients in any baba au rhum recipe…
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The snow is here to stay! At least that’s how it looks from a dessert standpoint—especially if you’re looking to add an ice shaving machine to your kitchen tools. These machines are experts at preparing a wow-worthy dessert. They allow you to explore all types of dishes in your kitchen like the Asian shaved ice…
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