Lots of exciting things happened in the fine beverage blogosphere this week. Here are some of Mutineer’s favorite posts of the week:
Spirit Blogs
Wine Blogs
- Don’t Bogart That Sip: Should Sommeliers Taste Your Wine Purchase? — (1WineDude)
- More Adventures in Wine Advertising — (Good Grape)
- The Secret Sherry Society: A Quick Interview in the Dark — (Catavino)
Craft Beer Blogs
Just when I thought that being a Mutineer was the coolest job in the world, I discovered Willow Garage, a team of robot design experts. They actually get paid to develop hardware and open source software for personal robotics applications. Which begs the question: whose job is cooler? I sense an epic battle of wits and strength coming on… or maybe just a duel. The Mutineers vs. The Roboticists — Coming to a theatre near you.
But, I digress. Continue Reading »
The wine world – particularly in Europe – has been hit hard by the painful blows struck to the international economy. Producers and sellers have had to deal with increased competition, changes in consumer behavior and deleterious farming factors caused by global warming. As a result, France is overhauling several regulations governing its wine production.
Some of the revisions can be seen as a positive step toward updating the country’s rigid and slightly antiquated rules. For example, in 2009, vin de table wines – the bastard bottlings sitting at the bottom of the French viticultural totem pole – were granted permission to list both vintage and grape variety on their labels. Continue Reading »
Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Erik Lorincz (Connaught Bar, London) with the judges (left to right) Gary Regan, Dale DeGroff, Peter Dorelli, Alberto Soria, Salvatore Calabrese, Hidetsugu Ueno and 2009 winner Aristotelis Papadopoulos
Over the past year, 9000 of the world’s best bartenders competed in regional events all over the world to become the next Diageo Reserve World Class 2010 Bartender of the Year. Continue Reading »
Some industries have been a little slower than others at acknowledging the importance of social media and the influence of blogs. Finally, it seems like the craft beer industry has started to catch on.
Although barely two years old, Buckbean Brewing Company, has been actively reaching out to beer bloggers, engaging the community and sending free samples all across the US. They have even publicly stated that they believe “the online beer community is the most underrated and, at times, unappreciated group of beer enthusiasts and experts out there” — which is quite a bold (yet, reasonable) statement.
Continue Reading »
For more than two decades, Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards has remained a mystery to the public. But not any more. For the first time in its history, Russian River Valley visitors and residents will be allowed to enter Sonoma-Cutrer’s newly renovated tasting room. Guests will also be given the opportunity to tour the winery and see first-hand how its grapes are grown and crafted into renowned Burgundian-style wines. Continue Reading »
While San Francisco has been busy banning products from vending machines, Pennsylvania (of all places) has been trying to find ways to increase their vending machine offerings.
Pennsylvania’s Liquor Control Board recently introduced “wine kiosks” in two Harrisburg grocery stores. In order to purchase wine from the machines, customers must swipe their ID, blow into a breathalyzer, and then look into the security camera. A state employee in Harrisburg then remotely verifies that the buyer isn’t drunk and matches the photo ID. If everything checks out, the customer is approved to buy wine. Continue Reading »
Fine Beverage + Social Media = FTW!
In an effort to engage its fans as well as provide a platform where mixologists of all levels can showcase their skills, Patrón Tequila has created a Facebook application that challenges people to re-imagine classic drink recipes and develop their own, unique cocktails.
Each cocktail submitted to “Patrón Cocktail Lab” will be up for public voting. Professional mixologists will also be available on the site to provide expert advice, commentary and tips. The Patrón Cocktail Lab will kick off with the “Patrón Margarita, Deconstructed,” where visitors will be asked to reinterpret the classic margarita recipe. The winning recipe will become an official Patrón cocktail. Continue Reading »
