When most Americans think of sherry they think of the cheap-ass bottle their mom kept next to the stove for soups or (in my case) the dreaded sherry creams. Lately the tides have begun to change and their current has begun to flow towards Jerez, Spain and the insanely delicious sherry being produced.

The good people at the Sherry Council of America are doing their best to change our general apathy towards the drink. One way is by hosting one of the coolest contests ever; Copa Jerez, a food and sherry pairing competition. Competitors from around the world will claw and scrape their way to Jerez for what will likely be an epic struggle of gastronomy pitting teams comprised of chef and sommelier against one another. Continue Reading »

Tonight one of our favorite beer bloggers and good friend, Chris Spradley, will be making an appearance on Gordon Ramsay’s newest FOX reality cooking show, MasterChef. Continue Reading »

The first ever Cabana Cachaca Bartender Olympics will be held outside the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans on Thursday, July 22nd from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The Cabana Cachaca 2010 Bartender Olympics will be broken up into three distinct challenges: Speed, Knowledge and Creativity.

“We’ve designed the challenges around skills that every good bartender already has and uses each time they are behind their own bar. What will make this event exciting is the teams are made of the best of the best, and they are competing in front of an audience of their peers.” — Matti Anttila, founder and president of Cabana Cachaca. 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.
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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 »

The U.S. Open Beer Championship is different from all other beer competitions for one reason: homebrewers are allowed to compete in direct competition with professional breweries — which is really awesome. More than 700 beers in 50 different categories were submitted in what would become an epic ‘battle royale’ of world class beer. Continue Reading »

As craft beer continues to develop the reputation of being a sophisticated beverage worthy of pairing with the finest cuisines, more and more restaurants are modifying their beverage menus to accommodate the trend.

In an effort to support local breweries, Bonefish Grill recently announced that it is now featuring over 300 regional craft beers on its beverage menu. Varying by location, the extensive list includes beers from breweries such as Stone Brewing Company, Rogue Brewery, Great Divide Brewing Company, Red Hook Brewery, Full Sail Brewing Company, SweetWater Brewing, and many others. The craft beer selections at each Bonefish Grill locations are currently available in both bottles and cans, as well as on draft.

One small step for the restaurant industry, one giant leap for the craft beer industry. Continue Reading »