RASPBERRY BRAMBLE The Classic Bramble is well documented as the crown queen of cocktails. This delicious concoction was created in London at Fred’s Club by bartender Dick Bradsell in 1984. The Bramble is straightforward Gin Sour with the addition of Crème de Mure. It is said that this drink was …
Natural wines continue to intrigue and—happily—are getting a little less ‘natural’ A few years ago—as the ‘Natural Wine’ thing was beginning to posit itself as part of the mainstream, not exactly an acolyte, Wine Geek offered his opinions: (https://www.glwas.com/blog/2016/emperors-new-clothes-natural-wine-taste-un-natural/) Fast forward to the winter of 2020, and the …
OAXACA OLD FASHIONED Though you will see the Oaxaca Old Fashioned showcased in cocktail bars across the country, bar keep Phil Ward at Death & Co. is credited for the original recipe. This is the drink that opened the American mixology world’s eyes to the potential of using tequila …
Paper Plane Cocktail The Paper Plane was created in 2007 by Sam Ross at Little Branch in New York City. A former bartender at the famous Milk & Honey, Ross opened Attaboy with Michael McIlroy in the bar’s old space. Sam is also credited for the well-known Penicillin cocktail. As …
Those reading this that aspire to get some industry credentials—Master of Wine, Certified Sommelier, Master Sommelier, Certified Wine Educator, WSET Level II and Level III to name some—are well aware that part of the process/testing to acquire such post-nominals requires a blind tasting component, in addition to the various multiple …
Geek assumes that those reading this are well aware that sake is way more than that scalding -hot stuff out of a bag-in-box at Benihana. Though that beverage has its place, it is not very similar to the premium sakes being produced in Japan today. Premium ‘Special Designation Sake’ …
Finding Value in the wine world is very akin to playing Whack-a-Mole…and right now, the Mole is sticking his head out of certain French terroirs. France is the ceremonial home of premium wine. Indeed, many, many of the world’s greatest wines—and all of the uber-expensive wines—hail from this oh-so-lovely …
The Return… Two of the most famous movie lines of all time are “I’ll be back” (Arnold Schwarzenegger The Terminator 1984) and “I’m not drinking any ******* Merlot!” (Paul Giamatti Sideways 2004). Fast forward to 2018 and we noticed a new movie coming out titled I’m Back Bitches. We’re …
Beyond ‘Room Temperature’, Geek is increasingly being subjected to wines being served by restaurants at the wrong temperature—from way too cold to downright hot! Like the rest of Michiganders, Wine Geek enjoyed a particularly lovely and warm summer this year. Not much to complain about with one exception: the warm …
There’s a big buzz right now (no pun intended) regarding canned wine. It’s the latest and greatest wine trend currently (well, other than rosé). It’s a cool category which by all indications is about to explode. So Wine Geek—who always loves to tell our customers what they are missing—will …