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Sorry Mom, Angels Envy is Saving Their Rye for Father’s Day
If you haven’t already bought your Mom a present for her big day this Sunday, you’d better get cracking. Flowers are ridiculously expensive and vendors jack up the prices on roses the week before Valentine’s and Mother’s
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If you haven’t already bought your Mom a present for her big day this Sunday, you’d better get cracking. Flowers are ridiculously expensive and vendors jack up the prices on roses the week before Valentine’s and Mother’s Day, so I steer clear of them. But you know who doesn’t raise their prices when they know you are panic shopping? Your favorite liquor store, that’s who.For momma, may I suggest a nice bottle of wine like a crisp, floral Chardonnay from Ferrari-Carano or a peppery Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. Allan Scott makes a nice one. If she’s not a wine drinker, then you should try to introduce her to some nice spirits to make for what a pill you were when you were a teenager. (She remembers, but she’s too nice to bring it up.)
If mom has refined tastes, give her a bottle of Amaro from Averna and encourage her to try a little bit in a chilled glas with a squeeze of lemon before dinner. She’ll thank you. If she prefers MMA to NPR, then maybe some Country Girl Cocktails are in order. They areavailable premixed in Lemonade, Margarita and Peach Sweet Tea flavors.
But what I really want to tell y’all about is something that hasn’t even officially hit town yet. Lincoln Henderson is the mad scientist behind Angel’s Envy, and his Kentucky Straight Bourbon was one of my favorite releases of last year. Henderson chooses and blends the best whiskey he can find and then finishes the bourbon in ruby port barrels to add a smoothness and character that you just won’t find in traditional whiskies.
Henderson’s latest creation is a 100 proof rye whiskey. Despite the high alcohol level, the sample I tried was incredibly smooth. The spicy and fruity notes of the rye grain are strong at the first taste, but the mid-palate and finish of this spirit are really incredible. Oak and caramel give way to the molasses flavors of a fine rum. This makes sense because Angel’s Envy has gone even a step further than they did with their bourbon.
Angel’s Envy Rye is aged for six years in new American charred oak barrels, and then finished for up to 18 months in Caribbean rum casks. The barrels actually began their lives as French cognac barels, so the rye acquires characters from years of both spirits reposing in oak. The result is really remarkable and stands on its own as a straight up-drink. I’m syre it would make a fantastic Manhattan, maybe with some Atsby Vermouth, but I only received a very small bottle to sample, so I’m drinking it with just a splash.
Angel’s Envy is planning a limited release of their rye, but nashville should be one of the lucky markets to get it first. Keep an eye out at your local liquor emporium or ask the owner to give you a call when it arrives so tat you can try to beat me down there to buy out their stock. Dad will thank you!
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No Glass on Grass
Steeplechase is now just one day away. A rule that has always been there but plagued a few too many people is no glass in the infield. To help you out, I have hand selected a few no glass products that are perfect for steeplechase.
Here is the
Read More Steeplechase is now just one day away. A rule that has always been there but plagued a few too many people is no glass in the infield. To help you out, I have hand selected a few no glass products that are perfect for steeplechase.
Here is the Top 8 glass-free products for Steeplechase weekend.
1. Jim Beam Traveler- Nothing speaks to a horse race more than Kentucky Bourbon. Keep to the traditional one of choice - Jim Beam. It's light on the wallet too.
2. Old Charter 8 Year Old Traveler- Get a little classier and kick it old school. This stuff is unbelievable – Ask your dad about it, I am sure he knows what I am talking about
3. Old Charter 101 Traveler- Same as above but will get you feeling good a little quicker - Crunkfest 2012
4. Fireball Traveler- The Official Nashville Necessity – Do not leave home without it – I heard a rumor that they weren’t letting people into the infield without a bottle. My suggestion is a bottle per person – Keep it Classy
5. Gilbey's Gin Traveler- Cause you need to drink some G&Ts and you aren't about to bring in a handle of SKOL
6. Carribean Wave Goombay Punch- New to the Nashville market – this stuff is the real deal – A bag of rum enhanced with the taste of coconut, pineapple, peach & citrus – mm mm good
7. Big House White & Red Wine- Franzia is soo 2010 - This is the new age of box wine and to celebrate drink something that is good and also comes in a box
8. Irish Dog Bloody Mary Mix – The unbelievable Bloody Mary mix supports a local charity - The Brown Dog Foundation, an organization that bridges the gap between the cost of medical for the family pet.
These next two are glass but can be premixed before the event!
9. Skyy Vodka(Glass) - The perfect complement to a Bloody Mary. Also try some of the real fruit infusions - they are spectacular. The coconut one is my favorite - Can you tell?
10. Pimms (Glass) – The official cocktail of English horse races – this has become one of my favorites and Pimm’s Cups are SO easy to make
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Wine BTG, WTF?
In the restaurant/bar industry parlance, “BTG” means “by the glass,” and refers to bottles of wine that establishments open to serve in individual servings to customers. While everybody knows that the mark-up on wine by the bottle
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In the restaurant/bar industry parlance, “BTG” means “by the glass,” and refers to bottles of wine that establishments open to serve in individual servings to customers. While everybody knows that the mark-up on wine by the bottle in restaurants can seem pretty steep (up to 200-300% depending on many factors), but keep in mind that you’re also paying for an additional 15% on-premise tax, the cost of the restaurant to inventory that particular perfect accompaniment to your dish, the stemware to serve it in, a sommelier to help you choose it, a server to pour it and keep it on ice and someone to wash the glass after you’re through. So cut your favorite restaurateur some slack when you peruse the wine list. They’re putting a lot into your enjoyment of the evening.But when you buy your wine by the glass, you just need to go ahead and prepare yourself to shell out a markup that can approach 6x the cost. In fact, there may be many opportunities where you’re better off ordering an entire bottle and corking it up to carry home after a few glasses. You did know you can do that in Tennessee, didn’t you? More and more restaurants are starting to offer a compromise in the form of “quartinos,” a small carafe that holds a quarter of a liter. At about 8 ounces, that’s more than your normal heavy pour of a single glass (unless you’re using the bad boy pictured up there to the right), but usually at a discount somewhere between BTG and bottle pricing.
It’s interesting to see some recent trends among BTG consumers as published by restaurantsciences.com. This research company tracked over 10 million BTG transactions and discovered some cool trends. First of all, despite all the members of the so-called ABC Club, almost half of the white wine ordered by the glass is still Chardonnay, and we pay an average of almost $8.00 per glass for it at upscale casual restaurants. Other popular whites are predictable with Pinot Grigio representing about a quarter of all white BTG purchased at an average of $8.30/glass and Sauvignon Blanc coming in a string third with a 13% share at about $9.00 a serving. What might be surprising is the range of average cost from family dining to fine dining which comes in at a range of almost 250%. Of course, most of this is the result of a higher quality wine list at Chez Frou Frou vs. at Tipsey McStumbles, but you can expect a higher markup at better restaurants.
Here’s one pro user tip that I noticed from the Restaurant Sciences data: apparently consumers are willing to pay on the average of 25% more for a glass of Pinot Gris vs. Pinot Grigio at an upscale casual establishment, $10.53/glass for the Gris and $8.30 for the Grigio. Here’s a hint for you…THEY’RE THE SAME DAMNED THING!! If you want to pay extra two bucks for the French word for the same grape over the Italian name, that’s your prerogative. Just please don’t get so drunk that you go home with your date and contribute to the gene pool.
Whew, I’m glad I got that off my chest. As far as red wines BTG go, Cabernet is king at about 30%, with Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel and Malbec coming in at the 10-20% range with regard to market share. Crunching the numbers, it looks like red Zinfandel may well be one of the best bargains in red wine. It is an especially food-friendly wine, but not as popular as some other varietals, so it’s a deal at an average of a little more than $8.00 glass. Zin pairs well with almost any kind of meat, and even goes well with pasta and some firmer fishes like tuna. Go out and get yourself a good meal some time this week and order a glass of Zinfandel. You’ll know you’re getting a good wine at a decent deal. Or even better, order the whole bottle!
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Have a Drink WIth Big John Daly
If you’ve ever been blessed enough to visit Augusta, GA during Masters week during the last few years, you’ve probably seen former PGA star John Daly hanging out in front of his bus in the parking
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If you’ve ever been blessed enough to visit Augusta, GA during Masters week during the last few years, you’ve probably seen former PGA star John Daly hanging out in front of his bus in the parking lot of the Hooters Restaurant on Washington Street. It’s not like Big John is hard to miss with his epic mullet, wispy blonde moustache and garish pants from Loudmouth Golf. He’s a walking billboard for all the products he endorses, including I imagine his Slix Closers boxer shorts. And he’ll sign anything you buy from him. (Except maybe those boxers.)But the two-time major winner has a new product coming out that you’ll soon be able to enjoy here in Music City. His new series of “Original John Daly Cocktails” are vodka-based drinks that should arrive in Music City in time for your poolside and lakefront enjoyment. Available in three flavors, Raspberry Tea and Lemonade, Peach Tea and Lemonade, and Sweet Tea and Lemonade, these concoctions take the traditional wimpy Arnold Palmer summer cooler and torque it up a notch.
Back during his playing days, Daly’s motto before one of his huge drives was “Grip it and rip it!,” but on the label of these bottles, he suggests “Grip it and sip it!” Ironically, Daly doesn’t drink anymore, but the characterization of his new 30 proof product as an “Arnold Palmer with a shot of vodka” is a great description of both the drink and Daly’s playing career.
Keep and eye on the liquor store shelves (but not the leader board at Augusta this week) for John Daly’s name soon!
Dipsomaniac's golf bag
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Help Mutineer Magazine Train the Next Generation of Dipsomaniacs
Admit it, at some point in a bar late one night, either you or your friends has probably said something like “Man, this is the life! We should get into the liquor business!” Or maybe you want
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Admit it, at some point in a bar late one night, either you or your friends has probably said something like “Man, this is the life! We should get into the liquor business!” Or maybe you want to turn your home brewing hobby into a business or live the glamorous life of a liquor rep, buying drinks for everyone in a bar and leaving as a hero. (In truth, that particular career is much less flashy than you would imagine with many hard hours of juggling spreadsheets and pushing cases of product. Maybe you were thinking of the Fireball girls.)And there are many different aspects to the beer, wine and spirits industries that provide significant employment for Americans including everything from winemakers to sommeliers to bartenders to brand managers to those rare talents who write about booze for part of their living. Heh. However, there are very few clear training paths to these jobs outside of very specific courses of study at places like UC Davis that offer viticulture degrees.
Mutineer Magazine recognizes the fact that the alcohol industry was one of the few segments to show employment growth even through the recession and that the industry has been an important place for Millennial college grads to work off their mounting student debt. So they have proposed a new way to actually train this interested group of future employees about careers in alcohol through a printed guide they plan to call Drink Careers 101: How To Get A Job In the Beverage Industry.
They have started a Kickstarter campaign to raise $45,000 to fund the editorial and production costs of the project which promises to address topics such as:
• Insights, and resources for securing employment in the beverage industry
• A wide range of beverage professions in full detail
• Information on education and certification options
• Current industry trends
• Interviews with beverage industry professionals, many of whom are already involved with this projectThere are still almost three weeks left in the campaign, and if you are interested in the future of the industry whose products we all enjoy so much, consider heading over to the Kickstarter site and kicking in a little cash toward the cause. At various funding levels you can receive different “thank you” gifts ranging from a virtual high-five to visits from Mutineer president Alan Kropf to speak to the group of your choice about careers in the industry. While 45 grand may seem like a lot of money, think what it would cost to establish this course of study as a major at just one regional university. This program promises to be national in scope and consistent across all trainees. That could only help drive the industry forward and upward so jump on board the train!
