Trends come and go. Here’s a few I like to see go.

Too much Amaro
Ok we get it. Amaro can add some great flavor and balance to your drink. Ever since the “discovery” of pre-prohibition cocktails, Amaros have been the cat’s meow with bartenders. Stop it. Having Amaro in every drink on your menu does not make a “craft cocktail” bar. Let’s do what the Italians do and sip Amaro after a big meal.  … Read more

As you know, I love all wine but I have a soft spot in my heart for Italian wine. While I enjoy the acidity and bright fruit flavors that most Italian wines exhibit, I love the passion that Italians, and particularly Italian winemakers, have for wine. It’s infectious. The Italians vinify varietals that 99.9% of the population has never heard of, including a number that date back to ancient Rome and the Greeks. The Italians do tons of crazy stuff with their grapes – the same grape could be vinified still or sparkling or left to dry on straw mats for sweet wine. Plus, the difference in wine culture from North to South is stark and reflected in the wines themselves. …Read More

New Years Eve is upon us, several nights where we can all let loose and still have a day to recover. I thought we should take a moment to cover the basics for survival of all the drinking to ensue. …Read More

Champagne cocktails are a festive and fun way to welcome the New Year. You’ll already have some bubbly on hand, so here are a few ways you can fancy it up for 2012:

Death in the Afternoon – Absinthe and champagne, a simple and sophisticated combo
Sparkling Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail – Drop a hibiscus flower into your Champagne for a beautiful presentation and light floral flavor
Lemon Herb Sparkler – Galliano liqueur and Meyer lemons … Read more

If you’re ringing in the coming year at home with a few friends, here are some cocktail and appetizer recipes to help you start the New Year right.

Champagne Cocktails

The original Champagne Cocktail
Shrinking Violet Champagne Cocktail
Godiva Royale
New Year’s Swanky Toast
Sparkling Rye Cocktail

Appetizers

Gorgonzola Bites
Pico de Gallo
Bruschetta
Shrimp Cocktail
Spanish Albondigas
Champagne-Mushroom Crostini with Chevre

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt.

It’s almost time to toast in 2011! So here are our bubbly picks to help you ring in the New Year.

Sparkling Wine under $15

Korbel Brut Rose: Korbel offers affordable sparkling wines made in the traditional way for many decades. While most aren’t too nuanced, they are solid offerings with pleasing flavors and textures. The brut rose will bring a splash of color to your celebration along with the melon flavor and moderately … Read more

Well, that’s it: 2009 is almost a wrap, but not before we have a few cocktails first. As always, Drink of the Week has some clever new cocktails for your enjoyment. First, a couple of cocktails for New Year’s Eve. Start with the New Year’s Sparkler and then just around midnight switch to the Midnight Kick for just that. A bit of tequila will keep the night going strong. On New Year’s Day, you can … Read more

When it’s time for the champagne toast to celebrate 2009, why start the year by spending a fortune? These three sparkling wines (which is just the term for what most of us call champagne if it is made outside the Champagne region of France) are a good-tasting, budget-friendly way to start the year.

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, $20
Made from mostly pinot noir grapes, this sparkling wine is fruity without being too sweet.

Piper … Read more