Joe Riley

The Sweet Tea vodka wars have heated up. Diageo has gotten involved. Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea Vodka Same proof as the others. Shelf price probably the same as Firefly. Mix this Jeremiah Weed with lemonade and rather than an alcoholic "Arnold Palmer", you have a "John Daley" Oh, and you can expect Heaven Hill's Burnett's Sweet Tea Vodka to appear on the value-side in D.C. any day now, if it isn't here already. Nice NYT article from last month on Sweet Tea Vodka.

I've had the Rye before, which was seriously lovely, but I haven't had the other whiskeys yet: Tuthilltown Spirits Nice recent review of their "Baby Bourbon" from Matt Hamlin here: Tuthilltown Hudson Baby Bourbon Whiskey A little more background info (from two years ago) from the NYT Eric Asimov: NYT Eric Asimov review Tuthilltown Whiskey The "Baby Bourbon", the Four Grain Whiskey and the Manhattan Rye are all now available here in D.C.

*Sigh* Well, it's here. And at a higher price, too If anyone is curious to compare, we still have 375's of the previous formula available, while supplies last.

Go here to buy it online: Guaro It will save you time.

It's entirely possible that CW went out and got it themselves. All I know is, my salesman hasn't seen it, and he claims that nothing has been said about it in their sales meetings. Who knows, they might be sitting upon a 3 month supply of the old stuff, and the next time they re-order, that is what will be sent to them. A nice reason to come and buy it from me (hint, hint...)

Still haven't seen it in D.C. yet. I don't think our wholesaler even has it on order.

Well, yes and no. Certainly for an American one, yes. Tastes fantastic, though, the best I've had. It's got balance! Point well taken, but the way I see it is, this is the one guy who cannot afford to offer anything less than a first-rate product, or his own readers would crucify him. I think that these are the people who would most likely scream that the Emperor has no clothes. And with all of the options now available, it would be suicidal for him to lay an egg with this. I believe that you will be REALLY pleased with this No reason to give up on others, such as Kübler, for the same reason that one keeps a good blended Scotch whisky along with a great single malt. Different absinthes for different applications. *Edit - I have learned that Brian Robinson did NOT consult on Marteau, I'm not sure where that idea came from. Brian isn't affiliated with any brand, as that would obviously present a conflict of interests with his position as review editor for Wormwoodsociety.org. Gwydion Stone developed the formula for Marteau over the last four years, designed and did the art for the label and packaging, and he distills the absinthe himself personally, and will continue to do so until demand makes it impractical and he has to train assistants.

Wow. Just wow. Heart Attack Grill I was stunned to discover that those weren't real nurses. Is nothing sacred?

Okay, now the bar has REALLY been raised. Marteau is now available in Washington, D.C. Just read the wonderful reviews from the hard-core absinthe enthusiasts at WormwoodSociety.org, the Internet's most authoritative absinthe resource. This is the one that we've been waiting for.

Here's something new that you folks in Virginia and Maryland can look forward to drinking right now (D.C. will follow sometime soon) Sierra Nevada "Torpedo" Extra I.P.A. A new year-round line extension from Sierra Nevada.

All aboard the HMS Colon Cancer!

Isn't this what killed Elvis?

George Arzeno Brugal, of the eponymous Dominican Rum company

In my expert opinion, all of the wines you listed above are both red and wet. Do you deglaze many pans at home?

If this doesn't make you want to run out and get a Brita filter, then nothing will Top 11 compounds in U.S. drinking water

Big news, courtesy of Amanda at Metrocurean Chef/Owner Peter Smith has seriously taken PS7 up more than a notch or two with these moves. If you thought that you needed a reason to visit PS7 before (and, really, you didn't...) then there is NO excuse not to visit PS7 now Personally, I hadn't been there since Tiffany left the bar (shame upon me) but Peter obviously understands the draw of a top bar program and desserts to keep diners enthralled. I'm exited for all concerned. Bravo to Peter and congratulations to Gina and Leon!

**INAUGURATION ALERT** We found out today that Heileman's Old Style (from Chicago) and Primo (Hawaii) will be available in D.C., at least through the Inauguration. Might grab 'em while you can, the D.C. distributor is unlikely to carry them after the Inauguration, but anything is possible.

It's always best to call the restaurant in advance to discuss this sort of thing. No sense in being unpleasantly surprised at the end of the meal, or having a scene. All highly preventable. It's always nice to order something off of the list to complement what you have brought. If you're bringing reds, order whites off of the list. One bit of advice that a restaurant owner once gave to me is, "Please just take care of your server." The owner in question wasn't so concerned with forgone profits off of one or two bottles of wine, but they WERE concerned that this would penalize the server, who stands to gain from the gratuity. I've never forgotten that, and I've gently reminded others of this.

This is pretty interesting, it certainly addresses the fact that shaken vs. stirred isn't just a pretentious preference, there are actual, discernible effects of doing one vs. the other with vodka or gin. Shaken vs. Stirred Bartenders, beware - the Rockweilers are going to put you all to the test on this!

At the time I posted that, Blackwood didn't have a U.S.A. importer, but they DID indicate that they were looking for one. I guess that they found one! Yeah, the Right Gin is available in New York. I swear, someone tasted me on that stuff a few months ago. I don't remember much about it, though. Cool looking bottle.

This fall, Old Forester released a special "Repeal" Bourbon, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition in the United States. Distillery info here: Old Forester Repeal Bourbon This is a one-off product, and only available in 375ml size (shaped like a flask), but it comes in a package that includes the tasting glass in the photo, along with a copy of the 21st amendment (which repealed Prohibition) Just the thing to chase away the winter chill while exclaiming, "Down with Volstead!"

Indeed. If so, then those would be the outstanding Mezcals of Del Maguey which makes this joint worth a stop if only to be able to try small servings of those.

Definitely. Currently, there isn't nearly the range of selection of Marie Brizard, but then again, Marie Brizard has changed their distribution in the U.S.A. so there isn't a whole lot of selection from them, either.

From Lew Bryson's blog: Hooray for NASA.

Brasserie Brunehaut Organic Blond Belgian is my latest Belgian beer acquisition. Lovely.