February 2012
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September 2011
3 posts
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St. George does it again
In case you haven’t seen it in the Twittersphere, here’s the link to the article I wrote about the new(ish) St. George Spirits gins. All the great people at St. George have been so generous in expressing their appreciation for my article, but it’s really their genius and artistry that I want to continue to shine the light on. Definitely read the article and try the gins!
That...
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Walnut Creek Yacht Club →
Ever seen a mirage in real life? Read about how the Walnut Creek Yacht Club appeared in the sweltering heat to save me from a day in shopping hell. Click on the link to read my article on Drink Me Magazine’s website.
August 2011
6 posts
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Get Inside Bill's Brain →
I just helped American Distilling Institute’s Bill Owens set up his first blog, which he’s calling Bill’s Brain. I’m really excited about it because he’s sitting on a veritable treasure trove of photographs that’s he’s taken from his many trips across the country to visit craft distilleries. He also gets a lot of news, gossip, label/bottle shots,...
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Should I buy tickets for WhiskyFest SF?
I spoke with the Malt Advocate people earlier today and they’re expecting another sell out here for their annual festival. David OG and I will be there making the rounds as we always enjoy getting to chat with our peers in an informal setting. Some of you have been asking me if I think WF is worth the $135 price tag and, as always, it depends on your expectations. However, to get your...
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Watch
A great video from Liquor.com’s new Behind the Drink series that shows you the behind-the-scenes work that goes into crafting artisanal cocktails. This is why I don’t mind paying $13 for a cocktail at The Wilson or Bourbon & Branch. Like Jason and Ian from Bourbon & Branch say in the video, “this is like fine dining, but for cocktails.” Amen. And bon appetit.
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San Francisco Cocktail Week: Preview Party
It doesn’t take much to get pumped about the week-long celebration of cocktails and drinking culture that is the San Francisco Cocktail Week, but just in case you need an early shot in the arm, CUESA (the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture) is joining forces with the SF Cocktail Week team to bring you a special preview party TOMORROW night at the Ferry Building. Here...
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Summer in a Glass - The World of Aperitif Wines →
It’s safe to say (knock on wood) that summer is finally here in the Bay Area. Nothing is more summer-y to me than pouring myself a chilled glass of vermouth or ‘quinquina’ with an ice cube and a lemon twist. Both vermouth and quinquina are part of a class of fortified/aromatized wines called “aperitif wines”. Check out my latest article on Drink Me to learn more!
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Meet Tuthilltown Spirits' Gable Erenzo →
Great opportunity this Wednesday night to Meet the Distiller of Tuthilltown Spirits, Gable Erenzo, the producer of the Hudson Whiskey product line out of Gardiner, NY Here are the details —
What: Meet the Distiller (Gable Erenzo) and Hudson Whisky Tasting
When: Wednesday, Aug 3rd, 2011, 7-9 pm
Where: 18 Reasons, 593 Guerrero St., San Francisco
Cost: $40
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July 2011
6 posts
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A New Addition to the Bookshelf
David Reimer Sr.’s living-and-breathing project, Micro-Distilleries in the U.S. and Canada, is no small undertaking. His goal is to provide today’s discerning spirits drinkers with a comprehensive, regional guide to micro-distilleries in the U.S. and Canada, as told through a series of meticulously-curated distillery profiles.
His background as an investigative journalist certainly didn’t...
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A few months ago, a friend of mine recommended that I try Dumante Verdanoce, a pistachio liqueur from Italy. So, I emailed the contact from Dumante and he sent me a full bottle to try.
Now before I show you the bottle, I want to first give you a little bit of the back-story. Dumante Verdanoce was first released in 2007. While the product is produced and sourced at a facility in Southern...
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Whiskey & Gelato, who da thunkit? →
This week’s column for Drink Me Magazine explores the collaboration between two Bay Area favorites, St. George Spirits and Gelateria Naia, who have figured out a way to put whiskey on a stick. I know, right? Read on…
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Cocktail Flight School at St. George Spirits
An afternoon at St. George Spirits is probably my favorite way to add instant fun to a weekend, especially when I can bring friends who have never been there before. So last month, my wife and I decided to throw her birthday party there and rent out the Pilot’s Lounge for their Cocktail Flight School. It’s $30 per person (very reasonable) for 1.5 hours and also fetches each person a...
June 2011
7 posts
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1512 Spirits: A Whiskey and a Shave, Please. →
He can leap tall fermenters in a single bound.
He can cut off heads and tails with blinding speed.
He cuts hair by day and distills his amazing rye whiskey for the masses in the dark of the night.
He’s 1512 Spirits’ Master Distiller Salvatore Cimino, and his new(-ish?) distillery is the new kid on the block in the Bay Area micro-distilling scene. Read more about Sal and his 1512...
Help me choose the logo design for Bay Area... →
Let’s take a break from the hard-hitting feature articles and riveting editorials I usually bring for a few days, shall we? I recently ran a contest on 99designs.com, challenging designers to come up with a business card design for Bay Area Spirits. I got upwards of 100 submissions — some horrible, some great — and narrowed it down to my top 8. I need your help to make a final...
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8 Drops of Wisdom
Two presentations at ADI’s Hands-On Workshop in particular really opened my eyes: I talked about Kurt Charles’ presentation a little bit in my Alcohol Math post. The other presentation was by Scott Schiller of Thoroughbred Brands, who gave a brutally -honest, profanity-laden take on the spirits industry. I loved the delivery, and I think it’s great for young distillers to hear...
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Defining Craft Distillers, Independent Bottlers,... →
Here’s a great article by Jeff Burkhart from National Geographic Assignment Blog that serves as a great continuation of last week’s topic here, spirits brands vs. hand-crafted spirits. With the help of Kurt Charles from Kentfield Marketing Group and Allison Evanow from Square One Organic Spirits, Jeff starts to draw distinctions between “craft distillers” like Charbay and...
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Alcohol Math
Alcohol math, you say? ”Aw man, I thought alcohol was just about gettin’ buzzed and drinking some of the good stuff?” To that I say, don’t be so naive, young boozer!
Kurt Charles of Kentfield Marketing Group, a California broker, dropped by the ADI Hands-On Workshop last week to give a presentation called “A Road Map to Selling Spirits in Today’s...
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Inaugural Article for The Bourbon Review →
Here’s the link to my first article for The Bourbon Review, which is about my first visit to The Wilson, my new favorite bar in San Francisco. Check out the article, and check out The Wilson too!
May 2011
6 posts
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Planes, Trains & Automobiles
I might need a healthy dose of the rums below if the first few hours of my honeymoon is any indication! Our morning flight was delayed because of extreme weather conditions in Dallas, causing us to miss our connecting flight (guess what, it’s the last flight of the day!), so we rebooked the redeye flight out to Miami, leaving SFO at 9 pm, getting to our final destination at 10 am...
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April 2011
11 posts
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“Whoops”
– Me, after realizing that I didn’t have Disqus installed on this blog. To think, this whole time, hundreds upon thousands of you have wanted to leave comments for me or engage me in riveting conversations, but haven’t been able to! What a shame! Well, as they say, better late than...
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Exclusive Tequila Grand Tasting in SF →
Here’s a fun event hosted by the good people at Liquor.com. Click on the link above for more details and to buy tickets. Tickets are $45 each. There will be over 15 tequilas to try, as well as a few different cocktails. Brands include Don Julio, El Jimador and Partida, and they’re still negotiating to bring in some other good brands.
What better way to celebrate Cinqo de Mayo?
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Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure,... →
I just finished reading Boozehound by Jason Wilson and I have to highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, from the liquor novice to the most experienced drinker.
Don’t know much about spirits, but enjoy them nonetheless? This book is for you.
Ever wonder what the stories behind the brands are? This book is definitely for you.
Looking to expand your horizons beyond Grey Goose,...
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The Balvenie Whisky Academy: Module One
I heard about The Balvenie Whisky Academy from both Liquor Snob and John Hansell’s blog for Malt Advocate, What Does John Know?. The Whisky Academy is a collection of 35 video clips, about 2-5 minutes each, that are collected into 4 modules covering:
1) The History of Scotch Malt Whisky
2) Scotch Malt Whisky Production
3) Whisky Nitty-Gritty (A FAQ of miscellaneous whisky-related...
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The Gift of Food: A Benefit for Northern Japan... →
If you live in the Bay Area and enjoy whisky, you probably follow Chris from The WhiskyWall and have heard about this event from his site. However, since it’s such a good cause and an awesome event - help Japan AND drink some whisky AND have a good time?!?! — I thought I’d post it again.
What: The Gift of Food: A Benefit for Northern Japan Quake and Tsunami Relief, presented by...
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Homemade DIY Nosing Quick-Class
Weekend project: Improve my nosing skills. It’s very frustrating to nose a complex bourbon or Scotch that others have described as having complex and specific aromas and flavors, only to smell….only 1 or 2 basic aromas, like vanilla or peat smoke. I’ve come to the realization that my nose and palate are one-dimensional and rudimentary when compared to other people. A lot of...
March 2011
20 posts
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In the future: Dai Deh, MBA, CSS
I’ll be taking my Certified Specialist of Spirits (CSS) exam on April 27th in Napa, CA. If I pass, I’ll be able to use the post nominal “CSS” as part of my professional title, and will henceforth be introducing myself thusly in professional circles. ”It’s splendid to meet you. Allow myself to introduce…myself. I’m Dai...
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Seeking Old Potrero
I’ve been talking a lot about Anchor Distilling’s Old Potrero whiskey in this blog because it’s not only finely crafted by a visionary in the craft distilling movement, Fritz Maytag, but also extremely difficult to get your hands on. All 3 Old Potrero whiskies — the 18th-century Single Malt, the Straight Rye, and the Hotaling’s — are in and out of stock in Bay...
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