You may not know it but your favorite celebrity might own a vineyard.  It’s very in vogue these days.  Many of you may know of Francis Ford Coppola, who I would argue is the best known celebrity vintner.  Coppola is very successful with a wide range of wine, including ones under the Coppola name, and to amazing wineries, Francis Ford Coppola Winery and Inglenook (formerly Niebaum-Coppola).  But, what you might know is that a number … Read more

Our friend Daniel Yaffe, founder of Drink Me magazine, recently published his first book < Drink More Whiskey: Everything You Need to Know About Your New Favorite Drink
.  Daniel is clearly a lover of whiskey and this book is his personal homage to the spirit.  We can hardly blame him as it’s one of our favorite beverages as well.

In Drink More Whiskey, Daniel takes a new approach to examining the spirit that is fun, witty and bordering on irreverant.  Daniel doesn’t write a dissertation on whiskey in … Read more

There is probably no American city more affiliated with drinking than New Orleans.  A few come close but I don’t know if anyone can beat it.  Just because you don’t live in New Orleans doesn’t mean that you can’t have a Mardi Gras bash.  That is why we are highlighting Mixing New Orleans as this week’s Literary Monday pick.

Mixing New Orleans examines New Orlean’s cocktail culture through its favorite watering holes, drinking establishments (many, … Read more

A number of years ago, we ventured down to New Orleans for the early parts of Mardi Gras and a tour of New Orleans drinking spots.  We loved the dog parade but didn’t really love New Orleans.  It wasn’t really what we expected.  I had romantic notions of New Orleans.  I pictured myself sipping cocktails at historic bars and restaurants and gazing upon Mardi Gras parades.  I wasn’t expecting that Bourbon Street would be like … Read more

The Wild Vine is a must read for any lover of American wine or what we like to call “weird varietals”. Weird varietals are obscure wines that are often made from indiginous grapes or hybrids. In this case, The Wild Vine chronicles the birth, growth and near death experience of Norton, a grape that its author calls the most American of grapes. As you learn in the book, it’s obscure, a hybrid and indiginous to … Read more

Whether you have mastered the DIY cocktail and are looking for your next challenge or need a unique, homemade gift for that hard-to-buy-for person, this book will keep you busy and entertained for months! The Seasonal Cocktail Companion by Seattle bartender and self-described “cocktail nerd” Maggie Savarino is aptly-described as “Arts and Crafts…with booze!”

This is not just another cocktail book. You probably already have half a dozen of those sitting on your shelf. This … Read more