It’s no secret that the wines of Willamette Valley’s Eyrie Vineyards are among my very favorite on the planet. The wines, particularly the pinot noirs, are full of character and complexity that rival the great wines of burgundy, yet are uniquely Oregon. It was a sad day when Eyrie founder David “Papa Pinot” Lett passed away on October 9, 2008. David Lett essentially invented the modern wine industry in Oregon through the founding of Eyrie Vineyards, and his epic story is truly incredible. I came across this video of David’s son Jason Lett giving the commencement address at the Linfield College in Willamette Valley and was pretty blown away by it. David was also honored with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by Linfield College faculty and trustees, and Jason’s address beautifully tells the story of this legendary wine pioneer and the lessons that can be learned from his journey.
It’s a notebook, made out of a beer box. Apparently it’s a stellar idea; these were introduced on October 9, 2009, and they are now sold out, elevating the beer box notebook to an elite level of products-so-popular-they-sell-out-fast including: bandwidth on Apple’s 3G Network, U2 tickets, Tickle Me Elmo and Mutineer Issue 7.
The beer box notebooks are recycled, stuffed with sustainable and wrapped in green karma awesomeness, with all parts being reused from other projects and bound together with thread.
If you’ve been following the Mutineer blog for some time, you’ll know how much I despise drunk driving. The good news is that “Y Drive LA” might just be the perfect solution to the drunk driving problems that plague LA. The idea is pretty crazy, but it works: you get wasted at your office holiday party, you call “Y Drive LA”, and a person shows up to drive you home in your car. BRILLIANT! But wait, what happens when you are dropped off at your house in your car? How does the chauffeur get home? Well, your driver has cleverly stowed a motor scooter in your trunk and will scoot off to his next job.
Sounds expensive, right? Nope. Prices for central areas range from $38 to $45, which may be a bit more than a taxi, but you have to consider that now you don’t have to go retrieve your car in the morning, which is a hell of a trade off.
I love this idea and applaud the fine people at Y Drive LA for addressing the drunk driving problem in LA in such a positive and practical way.
You know the current surge in absinthe popularity has reached a fever pitch when you can not only drink it, but you can clean your body, freshen your breath and moisten your lips with it. While absinthe isn’t exactly the first thing I think of when it comes to my personal hygiene, perhaps it should be. Though personally, I prefer mine in the glass with icy water and sugar.
As the Hungry Mutineer I’ve been playing around with a recipe that has both freaked me out and interested me in equal parts; ham cooked in soda. It sounds strange, I know but trust me it completely rocks. I chose a natural cola from Virgil’s Micro Brewed Soda and cooked it up holiday style by adding a few fragrant spices. You can use whatever cola you like, just be sure it is real cane sugar [Jones Soda / Red Bull Cola]. This is important, an artificial sweetener will not produce the syrupy liquid that you will use for basting, plus it just tastes better.
Give this recipe a try for your holiday party, your hungry friends will thank you. Continue Reading »
David Stewart, Glenfiddich Malt Master, gives a few opening remarks at the Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Auction. (Photo credit: Matt Peyton/Getty Images)
It’s been a very good week for crazy-expensive liquors at auctions. A bottle of Glenfiddich 50 Year Old Single Malt Scotch sold for $38,000 on Monday at a Christie’s auction to raise money for “Friends of Scotland”. This was the only bottle available for private purchase, with there only being three other bottles on the market at the Mardarin Oriental in New York, the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, and the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills.
Coincidentally, a bottle of 1788 Vieux Cognac was sold this week at auction in Paris for $36,935.
Today marks a first for the world of craft beer as Andrew Van Til becomes the first person to receive the title of Master Cicerone. In June 2008, Andrew passed the Certified Beer Server exam (much like our good friend The Beer Wench recently did, congrats!), in November 2008 he passed the Certified Cicerone Exam and today, he passed the Master Cicerone exam and he is the only one to have done so yet. Andrew is currently an account manager for Elite Beverage Michigan and previously worked as a brewer and bartender at Via Maria Trattoria in Holland, MI for six years, as well as doing off-premises sales at Art of the Table in Grand Rapids, MI. Continue Reading »
This is a video of a guy balancing on a wine bottle with a bunch of people all around. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Cool, look at the street performer!”, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t a street performer. Where is his standard street performer tipping receptacle? I think this is some guy that does crazy stuff for no reason. Or to impress the ladies. That said, I’m very into it and salute crazy-old-man-that-does-one-handed-stands-on-wine-bottles-guy. Bravo!
