"Only one can claim Oldest Brewery in the World"

I was putting together a beer program several years ago and I began looking for beers that were head and shoulders above the rest.  Then something caught my eye..."The Worlds Oldest Brewery".  I wanted to know more about this brewery, being a lover of history I was completely intrigued.
The Benedictine Weihenstephan Abbey was founded in 725 A.D. by Saint Corbinian at a monastery on Nahrberg Hill.  Speculation surrounds the brewing that may have been going on here, but what is for certain is that in the year 1040 A.D. Abbot Arnold succeeded in obtaining from the City of Freising a licence to brew and sell beer.  This marked the birth of the Weihenstephan Monastery Brewery.  Over the next several hundred years the abbey and its brewery were destroyed and rebuilt a few times.  Then in 1516 A.D., Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria issued the Bavarian Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) on the steps of the Weihenstephan.  Thenceforth only barley, hops and water were used for brewing beer.  With this he secured the fame of the Bavarian brewery.  Through the years they continued to brew and in 1895 the school became an academy and was elevated in 1919 to the University for Agriculture and Brewing which was incorporated in the Technical University of Munich in 1930.  Thus Weihenstephan developed into the center of world brewing technology.

 Beer lovers all have their favorite style, for me it's wheat based ales.  I love the cloudy haze, the rich creamy head and of course all the different nuances...whether drinking a nice German Hefe or a Belgium Style Wit.  Throw in a hefty 7.7% ABV and its easy to understand why I love this weizenbock!  The nose is ripe with freshly baked pineapple upside down cake, wonderful tropical notes on the tongue  with a kiss of brioche on the finish and of course a nice warming feeling from the elevated alcohol level.  Prost!
http://weihenstephaner.de/en/age-check?redirect=Lw%3D%3D

"Berliner Weisse...Champagne of the North"

Get ready to pucker up...this straw colored wheat based beer will wrap your tongue with a sour effervescent coat.  During Napolean's campaign through the Northern German region (Berlin)  in 1809, his troops made a shocking discovery.  It was a hazy, yellow, tart beauty with fine champagne-like bubbles that they dubbed the "Champagne of the North".

The origins of Berliner Weisse trace its roots to a beer being brewed in Hamburg which was copied and developed by the 16th century brewer Cord Broihan.  Broihan's beer, Halberstadter Broihan, became very popular.  According to records, Frederick Wilhelm encouraged the spread of the beer through Prussia, declaring it as "best for our climate" and eventually having his son trained to brew it...for the record his son was Frederick the Great...possibly for his brewing prowess ( I did make up the brewing prowess bit).

To make this beer, it starts out as a straw pale wheat ale with warm fermenting yeasts.  A bacteria called Lactobacillus imparts an acidic "sour" flavor.  This beer, in my book, is best drunk on a hot summer day as an alternative to lemonade.

During the nineteenth century, there was an estimated 250 brewers producing Berliner weisse.  Some Germans liked it sour, but still others would add things to curtail the sourness.  One such way is to serve it "mit Schuss": with a sweetening agent.  Traditionally they would add a raspberry "Himbeersirup" or herbaceous wood-ruff "Waldmeistersirup".

Being the creative mixologist, I have created my own raspberry syrup.  On this hot day I grilled up a bratwurst with applewood smoked bacon, port drunk onions and raspberry, siracha ketchup and chased it down with a raspberry flavored Professor Fritz Briem 1809 Berliner weisse.  Prost!

Raspberry Syrup Recipe

Boil one cup of water.  Once water is boiling add one cup of cane sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add one cup of raspberries and still until they break down.  Drop heat to a simmer and keep stirring intermittently for 15 minutes.  Using a fine mesh strainer separate the pure syrup and discard the seeds and skin.  Can also be used in various cocktails...stay tuned for additional uses!

"Bourbon, America's Native Spirit...a visit to Buffalo Trace"

Bourbon is "America's Native Spirit" and if you don't know the difference between whiskies then this will help define what qualifies.  All bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskies are bourbon.  First a bourbon must be made on U.S. soil.  Second, it must be comprised of at least 51% corn in the mash.  Third, it must be aged in New American Charred Oak.  Fourth, must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, 80% by volume.  Lastly, entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof, 62.5 % by volume.  Bourbon has no real aging requirement unless it is "Straight bourbon" then it must be aged a minimum of 2 years.  A bottle that lists a year requires that the youngest bourbon in the bottle is aged to at least that old.  Many are blended to maintain a typicity.  Only bourbons made in a geographically determined area in Kentucky can claim to be "Kentucky Straight Bourbons".

A brief history of the area will help answer some additional questions that you might have.  With American pioneers pushing west of the Allegheny Mountains following the American Revolution, they  began settling vast counties.  One such county was established and named after the French Royal family, Bourbon.  Some of these pioneers settling the area in the 18th century were of Scottish and Irish heritage.  With "spirit" know-how they crafted a corn whiskey and stenciled "Old Bourbon" on their barrels.  In time, bourbon became synonymous with any corn-based whiskey.

                                 *This is White Dog or White Lightning...un-aged 160 proof

           *Just a sample of some of the more than a dozen different product lines produced here

Last year I was fortunate enough to take a road trip across the U.S. and visit several whiskey distilleries.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is only one producer, but it manufactures 18 different product lines.  Many are quite recognizable for bourbon fans...Van Winkle, Stagg, Weller, Elmer T., Blantons, Eagle Rare, just to name a few.  This is our heritage...drink it with pride!  
Cheers to team USA and moving on to the Round of 16!
https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

"La Paloma vs. Caipirinha"

In honor of the 2014 World Cup match of Mexico vs. Brazil, I am offering a little tasty cocktail showdown.  Mexico is in my blood, while I have a soft spot in my heart for Brazil.  My heritage traces its roots to the beautiful colonial heartland of Guanajuato, Mexico while my brother married a beautiful Brasileno and consequently I have two beautiful nieces from the union.  But enough of that...on with the showdown!

                               *Yours truly at Herradura Tequila in Amatitan, Jalisco Mexico

First up is my beloved Paloma, Spanish for the dove.  Little is known about the historical origin of this cocktail, but the most popular belief is that it is named after the popular folk song, La Paloma,  composed in the early 1860's(click the link below to hear La Paloma).  In Mexico, it is often made with Mexican Squirt which is quite different than the one sold in the United States.  Theirs is more citrus than high fructose corn syrup so to do this drink justice, fresh squeezed juices must be used.  This drink is light and refreshing and is the only one I call for in Mexico!
Paloma
2 oz Silver Tequila (pictured is the Herradura's Hacienda Del Cristero *no longer produced)
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice
3/4 oz Herradura Agave Nectar 
Combine all ingredients and shake with ice and strain into a tall salted rimmed glass and top with a splash of soda water.

Caipirinha (kai-pee-reen-yah: with a slightly trilled "r") the most classic of Brazilian cocktails.  Originally concocted as a peasant folk remedy for cold, flu and sore throat symptoms.  The drink translates as "little peasant girl", but by no means is this a girly drink.  They go down easy, so drinker beware!
Caipirinha
2 oz Cachaca
2 level bar spoons of Acucar (Brazilian fine granulated sugar, plain granulated sugar will do)
4 lime wedges
In a mixing glass muddle the limes, add the sugar and then the Cachaca (see link below for pronunciation).  Stir ingredients until the sugar is dissolved.  Add ice and transfer entire contents to short double old fashioned glass.
May the best cocktail win!  Salud!  Saude!
http://www.howdoyousaythatword.com/word/cachaca/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QJLUH97orU&list=RD9QJLUH97orU
http://www.herradura.com/age.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fDefault.aspx

"Blood and Sand"

The first time I heard about this cocktail I was totally intrigued.  First of all the base of this cocktail is Scotch, a difficult cocktail in most peoples eyes.  There are two quintessential Scotch cocktails, the Rusty Nail and the Rob Roy, but here was something that jumped off the page!  With the right combination of liquors this drink could be amazing...so began my quest to make this another signature cocktail.
The Blood and Sand is named for the 1922 Rudolph Valentino movie and first appeared in the 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book.  In keeping with my philosophy, the better the ingredients, the better the cocktail, I prefer Famous Grouse Scotch.  The Grouse has a nice sherry backbone because Macallan is the base of that blended scotch.  For the perfect Blood and Sand here is the tried and true Barragan recipe...
Blood and Sand
1 oz Famous Grouse Scotch
1 oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
3/4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
Garnish with Luxardo Cherries
  

"Lovin me some Cider"

With so many people looking for "gluten free" alternative adult beverages it is only natural that Ciders would again regain some attention in the spotlight.  I say again because this ancient beverage was once preferred over the finest wines in the courts of British Monarchs and was even referred to as "English Wine".  Nowadays it is referred to by many different names, sidra, cidre, cidre de glace and of course hard cider.
Ciders can be made with any varietal of apple, but as with wine makers, different varietals will no doubt create ones own typicity.  The apples are sorted, washed and milled before being pressed for the juice.  Next is when nature takes over and so begins the fermentation (producers still have to monitor and in certain cases will add wine or champagne yeast strains to ensure a successful fermentation).  Finally, to age or not to age...this is the choice a producer will make upon completion of the fermentation process.  As with any other fermented or distilled beauties, additional flavors and layers can be added by aging in various vessels.  
For this post I have offered two completely different styles of Cider.  The top photo shows Clos Normand Brut Cider produced by Cidrerie Duche de Longueville from Anneville-sur-Scie, France.  Made in the heart of the Normandy region of France, an area long known to have been a fine producer of ciders and apple brandies known as Calvados (yet another tasty fermented and distilled beauty that I will cover at a later date).  The cider is rich, full flavored and has a dry, slighty French Oak kissed finish.  The second photo down shows a recent find that blew my socks off!  Brewed by Virtue Cider in Fennville, Michigan, "The Mitten" is a Winter cider that blends last seasons best, aged in bourbon barrels (you heard me right, BOURBON BARRELS) with the new season's fresh pressed apple juice.  This tantalizing cider offers notes of vanilla, caramel and a hint of toasted American Oak.  I say don't wait for winter...drink it now and whenever the opportunity presents itself!
Barragan's Fig and Apple Grilled Cheese
Slice one quarter of an apple and 3 medium Black Mission Figs.  In a saute pan, melt 2 tbsp of non salted butter.  Add 1/2 cup of apple brandy (pictured is one of my favorite Calvados, Christian Drouin Coeur de Lion Pays d'Auge), grate fresh nutmeg and cinnamon with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Apples should be pliable but not mushy.  Set aside and on a flat skillet melt a dab of butter and place a slice of bread, I used a Tuscan Pane, and then layer slices of Gruyere and Triple Cream Brie Cheeses, then the apples and figs.  Butter the opposite side of the other slice of bread and then turn over and press down with a heavy pan.  Don't forget your Cider!  Sante!
http://petebrown.blogspot.com/p/worlds-best-cider.html
http://virtuecider.com/our-ciders/

"This Gose down easy"

Never has beer been more exciting than now.  Beer historians have long talked about ancient beers, beers thought to have been long gone, extinct...but through careful research and the miracle of modern science these long lost gems are making a comeback.  Meet Gose (pronounced "goes-uh") a top fermented regional beer from Goslar, Germany.  It is brewed with at least 50 % of the grain bill being malted wheat.  The dominant flavor in Gose is a lemon tartness, a slight herbal characteristic and a strong saltiness.  Because of the use of coriander and salt, Gose does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot.  It is allowed an exemption on the grounds of being a regional specialty.  It acquires its characteristic sourness through inoculation with lactic acid bacteria after the boil.  If you have ever tried a Berliner Weisse, you will have a slight inkling as to what to expect.
On this hot Los Angeles day I decided to open enjoy this tasty tart.  I brought this beauty back from a recent trip to Brooklyn, NY where I had met with Joshua M. Bernstein, author of The Complete Beer Course and Brewed Awakening.  After sharing a few pints, I asked him for some suggestions on beers that I might not have access to back in L.A.  This was his first choice, Westbrook Brewing Co.'s Gose...Cheers to you Josh and Westbrook Brewing!
http://westbrookbrewing.com/
http://beer.about.com/od/Germany/fl/Reinheitsgebot-German-Purity-Law.htm
http://joshuambernstein.com/about/

"It was all Greek to me..."

Ever had Greek wines?  Didn't know the Greeks made wine?  Greece is actually one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world.  The earliest eveidence of Greek wine has been dated back 6,500 years ago.  The spread of Greek civilization and their worship of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine (Bacchus in Roman mythology) spread throughout the Mediterranean areas during the period of 1600 BC to the year 1.  It was also the Ancient Greeks that introduced Vitis vinifera and made wine in their numerous colonies in Italy, Sicily, France and Spain.
I was fortunate to have been invited recently to taste some of these amazingly delicious Greek wines.  Faith and Flower in Downtown Los Angeles was gracious enough to host an intimate tasting.  The focus of the tasting was on Xinomavro.  The Xinomavro varietal is the principal red wine grape of the uplands of Naousa.  The rough trasnslation of the name means "sour black".  These intriguing wines are highly acidic and have strong tanins, think Barbaresco from the Piedmont.  Like the wines of Northern Italy they are best when aged for several years.
The wines pictured above were stand-outs and I would recommend them as wonderful examples of Greek prowess. The two pictured above are from Thimiopoulos Vineyards and the bottom two are Domaine Foundi.  The wines were clean with beautiful dried raspberry and burnt orange notes, beautiful racy tanins and medium to long finishes.  In both pictures the more premium wines are the ones on the left.  The wines on the right represent good values, but are younger and brighter fruits with shorter finishes.  Definitely worth seeking out!  Yiamas!
http://ktimafoundi.gr/en/index.htm
http://www.atheneeimporters.com/works/thimiopoulos-vineyards
http://www.faithandflowerla.com/

"not just fancy...this was extra-fancy...The Brandy Crusta"

You may have never heard of the Brandy Crusta, but you have certainly enjoyed some of its offspring.  This cocktail was the precursor to the Sidecar and the Margarita.  The Crusta was an extra-fancy cocktail invented by Joseph Santina, who opened the Jewel of the South in 1852 on Gravier Street in New Orleans.  The name refers to the sugar crusted rim of the glass.  Recipes vary on measurements, but the insert shows Jerry Thomas' original excerpt in his The Bon Vivant's Companion or How to Mix Drinks(1862).
As with most things, the better the ingredients, the better the final product.  My philosophy in regards to liquor has always been "life is too short for cheap liquor"...that being said here is my spin on this classic beauty.
Brandy Crusta
2 oz of Pierre Ferrand Cognac
1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao
1/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
bar spoon of Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Rim the glass with sugar (I use Turbinado Sugar) and use the rind of one large lemon to encirle the inside rim.  Mix the ingredients listed in a shaker and strain over ice in the prepared glass. http://www.pierreferrandcognac.com/
/http://angosturabitters.com/

"What's an Old Fashioned?"

I love a good cocktail.  I especially love a cocktail with a bit of history behind it.  One such cocktail is the Old Fashioned.  Being a student of the history of cocktails can get a little confusing especially when siting "true origins".  I choose to give credit for this particular cocktail to the Pendennis Club.  This private club in Louisville, Ky was established in 1881 and was the first to use the name "Old Fashioned" for their Bourbon whiskey house cocktail.
Last year, my son and I set out on a cross-country road trip to visit breweries and distilleries across the United States.  Knowing we would be in Louisville I decided to contact the Pendennis Club in hopes of visiting the birthplace of my beloved "Old Fashioned".  The President of the Club extended me the highest honor and said he would host me upon my arrival in Louisville.
The Club extended me an hour and half tour of their historic and secret filled clubhouse.  Upon completion I was told I could have full use of their facilities as their guest.  My only request was to have another "Old Fashioned"!  As seen in the top picture, the classic "Old Fashioned" is built in the glass with a muddled orange slice, maraschino cherry, sugar cube and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters.  Add ice and top with 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon.
As with most things, there is always room for improvement.  The bottom picture is the "Barragan Old Fashioned".  I have chosen to build and muddle my cocktail in a beaker with several orange slices, a couple of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, sugar and a couple dashes of Angostura bitters.  Add 2 ounces of bourbon and stir to mix all ingredients.  Add ice once stirred well and chill.  Strain into "Old Fashioned Glass" with large ice cube and garnish with an orange zest and one Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.pendennisclub.org