RobRutII

...And now it is HERE! Should be hitting our warehouse tomorrow. Any questions, please direct to Rob.Ledroitbrands@gmail.com. Rob Rutledge

Having a beer to Gene Upshaw, former Raider and Hall of Famer. Not only was he a good customer of ours, but really just a genuinely nice, down to earth guy, who was always good for a conversation. You will be missed, Gene. Cheers.

We actually carried these, briefly, about a year ago. I will go on record as saying they are not awful, but certainly not worth the money asked. I remember upon release they came with entry forms on the bottle necks advertising a chance for you and your friends to "Party with Lulu B," or some such thing. An actual french model would come in character as Lulu to a catered party for you and like 50 friends. I can only imagine the likes of those who sent in those cards...

I've had one of these Surge beers in, of all places, Poughkeepsie, NY! I thought the bartender was putting us on, but he put the special flat Guinness on a little platform like that, and it bubbled up like magic! Tasted just as good as draft, actually, and you never have to worry about dirty lines... though I wish the method wasn't so wasteful. So I guess the bar apparatuses are here; I imagine the home set ups will soon follow.

I'm no fan of light beer in general, and my metabolism at this point is such that I don't have to be. However, when that inevitably goes south, I will likely go for either Sam Adams Light or Yuengling Light. These two are easily the most flavorful 'light' beers I have ever had-- they taste like just barely watered down versions of their respective big brothers. That being said, I think I'll go have another Hopslam

Well, there is always www.ewinematch.com! They've a database of thousands of food pairings... and judging by their recommendations, its amazing how many things go with Beringer Founder's Estate Merlot! Okay, but seriously, this site is an obvious marketing ploy by Foster's Wine Estates; but I have to say, their mobile option advertised in the latest Spectator (Text 411511-- "#6", and Name the Dish) is a really savvy drive at the young wine drinker's market. I just hope that someone else takes advantage of this technology soon and makes a textable resource that is worth a damn!

Hah! James, good to hear from you! Look forward to seeing you-- we have a few new things since last you've showed your face, and I actually hope to set up a sake tasting for sometime in February. Send me a PM when you think you might swing by. Sorry, everyone else. You guys are welcome, too-- once I have the tasting set it will be posted here. Carry on.

If you are feeling adventerous, Kiuchi offers a distilled version of their classic white ale-- its kind of expensive at about $18 per 200ml bottle, but it is really interesting! You still get a bit of that grainy, spicy character, and the addition of coriander and orange peel make it come off as a sort of esoteric east Asian gin. We included it in a sake tasting not too long ago, and while I won't say it was a universal hit, it certainly made an impression.

For my money, its hard to beat the wines of the south. Though a bit esoteric and misunderstood, the oft ignored regions of Campania, Puglia and Basilicata produce some of the most interesting wines in the country. In the $100 region my top pick would be Feudi di San Gregorio Serpico, any vintage. Made from some very, very old vine Aglianico (Campania's native gem, which I am convinced will become more and more fashionable with time) this wine typically exhibits a sour cherry/ tarry nose, a VERY full body, ample dark fruit and musk on the palate and a structure not unlike a well made Saint Emilion. Combine this with a decade long life span, brilliant labeling and inherent uniqueness and I think this makes a great gift for anyone who knows (or thinks he knows) Italian wine.

We've got the Marston Pedigree at $4 a bottle. On a different note we also just got in a shipment of Three Floyds from Munster, Indiana. If there are any midwesterners jonesin' for something from back home then come by quick, as it will be gone soon. Incidentally, Birreria Paradiso will be offering some of the Three Floyds stuff on draft in the very near future, if they haven't tapped them already!

We just brought it in a couple of weeks ago-- its on the shelf for about $34. I've been curious about it since its arrival, in that I've seen it in many drink recipes but had never actually seen a bottle. What is it like, exactly?

There are some really great Pilsners out there; sad to say, the Macros give them a piss pour (ha!) reputation. If you like the Hacker-Pschorr, have you tried the Eggenberg Hopfenkonig Pils? It sounds similar, with just a bit less malt, a tad more hops and a whiff of that skunkiness that I actually kind of enjoy. It is widely available in bottle and on draft. The Bavik Pils also sounds quite similar given its smooth texture, lightly hopped nose, light carbonation and ample (for a pils) maltiness-- we've got this one by the sixer, and Brasserie Beck has it on draft. Victory's Prima Pils is awesome, too. Its got a texture like a more sturdy Stella Artois, but with a beautiful golden color, more balanced carbonation, and a perfectly balanced (but decidedly American) hoppy kick! One of my favorite day to day beers, easily.

Every year my Mom makes on for Christmas Eve dinner: I'm pretty sure she pulled it straight from the Better Homes and Garden's Cookbook, and it has always been one of my favorite parts of the holiday. Not sure if it is available online, but I've found the book to be a great reference in general.

Get it while its hot: I'm sorry to say that the distiller bottled Lagavulin 16 will soon cease to be-- apparently it has been just too popular these past few years and the distillers have run out of older whisky upon which to base the blend. A 12 year old, lower peated version will soon be released in it's stead. Not the same, lord knows, but having not yet tried it I am loath to cast aspersions.

y girlfriend and I visited Big Buns about two weeks ago-- my burger was pretty good if overcooked, her fish was not so much... the sweet potato fries were poor, but the regular ones were crispy and good. The quality of the food notwithstanding, I think one of their "I Like Big Buns and I Cannot Lie" shirts is a fantastic Christmas gift idea! I know I want one. The wine bar next door is called Grand Cru-- pretty cool place, actually. I wandered in when they were doing a free wine tasting, which I imagine is a weekly occurence. There is a rather comprehensive little wine store associated with the restaurant-- the 150+ selections cover a wide range of styles and countries and the bottles are well priced. They even had a bottle of 2000 Chateau Margaux!(?)! You may select a bottle to have with dinner, and they will either charge you a small corkage fee or none at all. That is my major complaint about Grand Cru-- the staff were all eager to please, but there weren't nearly enough of them, and there wasn't any clear definition of policy and price. The food was hit or miss-- I sampled the rack of lamb (hit), my girlfriend had the fondu (big MISS). The food took forever to come out (miss), but we were given a healthy discount for our patience (hit). The cheeseboard is cheap (hit), but the descriptions were a bit innacurate... All in all, it seems as if Grand Cru has potential, but is experiencing all the pitfalls of a brand new establishment still getting its act together. I say give them a shot, as I will give them a few more. I have confidence that they will get their act together in the near future.

peaking of the Bistro, did anyone attend their annual Beaujolais Nouveau Party this year? Have you ever? I haven't, but given the usual atmosphere I can't imagine the chaos.

I admit to being one to give Virginian wines the benefit of the doubt... but I agree, lots of them are overpriced and mediocre. That being said, I was surprised when this summer I visited Williamsburg Winery (of all places!), where they were featuring a back vintage (01, I think) of their Arundell Cabernet for about $14: I was amazed. It had a dead on aged claret profile: a little bit of leather, muted cassis and stones, but still possessed of healthy acidity and soft tannins without a hint of green. Definitely not one for laying down too much longer, but I have to say it gave me confidence in Virginia wine's potential for evolution. Even this overstocked, discounted back vintage of a mid range wine showed beautifully after a year in storage. Maybe this story is less useful as an endorsement of Virginian wines than a cautionary tale against judging a wine before its time.

Thank Lord, we've seen a precipitous drop in demand for Macallan in the past couple of years as more and more people become interested in the more esoteric stuff. Highland Park is really cool for their genre-crossing style, which does indeed have something for everyone. If you like that, give Springbank a shot-- they tend to have the briny quality of a good Island malt, a hint of peat (though more in their Longrow series), a hint of smoke, a hint of fruit, etc... I think the 10 year 100 proof is one of the most balanced whiskys I've ever had-- and thats at 50% abv, consumed uncut!

Fair enough-- I may have taken a bit of liberty in my definition, but I am not the only one! And lest we forget, Courtney Love may not be Audrey Hepburn, but the woman did nearly win a Golden Globe! (Hmm... guess I might just be diggin' myself deeper there in hindsight...)

Well, taking into consideration that technically anything "served up in a martini glass" constitutes a martini, there are lots of things that may or may not make for an "up and coming" new martini. I suggest we make up some of our own, as that places like this is where "up and comers" come from in the first place. We've got a couple of really interesting new products from Kiuchi Shuzo in Japan that would make for a really interesting new drink, which I'd love to see in one of our town's more fashionable gin joints: Two parts Kiuchi No Shizuku Distilled Hitachino Nest White Ale (distilled with orange peel and coriander, its very much like gin), with one part Kiuchi Yuzu Wine (a lighter, dryer, higher quality triple sec), with maybe a spash of lychee. ... I'll call it a "Hokkaido Hangover." Anyone else got anything interesting?

Thats really cool to know-- Coopers is awesome beer, and the only quality Aussie beer I know of that has domestic distribution (unless anyone knows of another?). Is this somthing your sister in law says they are going to do nationally, or on a place by place basis? By the by, the Pale Ale and the Stout are both excellent as well.

I understand the "sulfur gives me a headache" argument... to a point. True, a small segment of the population is highly susceptible to the compound, but really, a good amount of the time it is just the booze. Is such superstition worth the risk of hooking up a device to a fresh bottle of wine which shoots hydrogen peroxide into the wine?! I understand the chemistry, but is that not kinda tantamount to further adultery?-- and with the risk of malfunction, I just don't see the point.

It seems this is a new offering from the production group who have brought us the Vintage Virginia festival for the past 3(?) years. I've been to THAT shindig a couple of times and have certainly had fun-- plenty of food and plenty of room (Bull Run is spacious but unshaded; in the autumn it is bound to be more comfortable than what I've experienced). As for the brewers, while Belgian beer fans might be a bit disapointed the best of the best of Virginia are certainly represented with the likes of Starr Hill (not yet locally available, but should be soon), St. George (personal friends-- great stout!), and Cally's (formerly Calhouns of Harrisonburg, and makers of one of the best and most approachable American-Scottish ales I've tasted). And, damn, P-Funk? I'd plan on being there myself if family matters had not come up!

Haven't had the Sant'Agita, but I can vouch for the Crivelli-- outstanding year after year. The most recent vintage is redolent of blood orange and earth, not unlike a young Californian Pinot Noir, but with the octane upped by ten degrees. Incidentally, it is great with pork loin, or bacon, or chorizo... anything remotely pig related, really.

Sadly, this is very true, and is bound to become MORE true as more and more small kura (sake breweries) shut down every year. Given your glowing review I have excercised all my resources looking for Hokushika and have sadly garnered no results-- as you say, many great nihonshu are available only onsite. On that note, though given my limited experience I can agree that there is a certain something about Akita prefacture sakes that is quite magnificent. I can't guess how it might match up to your favorite, but Yuki No Bosha makes some fantastic sake in said region, one of which we now carry. Their Cabin in the Snow Junmai Ginjo has a certain purity of fruit and an all important high acidity that so as to make it one of my favorite food sakes to date.