Price: $4.98 at the mega-wine-emporium next to the craft store. Nothing like drunk scrapbooking.
Location: California
My overall, general impression...Not my favorite Moscato, but definitely drinkable. Maybe too drinkable. But not a good wine if you actually enjoy the taste of wine. It tastes more like a sweet girly-drink.
Step one: Look at the wine. This wine is a nice shade of pink. Completely translucent. No sediment. It is the shade that I would have painted my bedroom when I was like, six, and loved unicorns.
Step two: Swirl the wine, note the viscosity. This wine has a thin viscosity. There is virtually no clinging to the glass. Clearly, this is a light wine. Hopefully it doesn't taste as watery as it looks.
Step three: Sniff the wine. Fruity. Very fruity. Does not even smell like wine, honestly. Kindof smells like tropical fruit punch.
Step four: Tasting time! Yay! This wine is sweeeeeeet. Like, very, very sweet. I saw some reviews that said it was 'balanced' and not as sweet as other, similar wines. I can't speak to that, but my first impression was that it was so sweet that I might not even enjoy it. And I like sweet wine. If you really like sweet, this is the wine for you. I personally would have liked a citrus note or something in it to cut the sugar. I say again, if you prefer daiquiris to wine, this is your wine. If you normally drink red, or even dry white, you will probably not enjoy this at all.
Step five: Drink a bunch more. Alright. After the first two or three sips I got over the sweetness. I paired this will some buffalo wings because the bottle said it went well with poultry. I am not sure how well it went with buffalo, but I don't think it hurt either. I then paired it with a cupcake because it was Friday, dammit, and I had a long week. I do not recommend this. Sweet plus sweet actually made me a bit nauseous. Otherwise, though, it was very easy to drink this wine. It does not taste anything like what I usually think of wine.
To sum it up: I probably would not buy this particular wine again, as there are moscatos out there that I like better. It would would be a great 'starter' wine for someone who doesn't like wine, but likes sugary tropical drinks. Easy to drink, but maybe not the best for company if your friends tend to drink 'real' wine. If you want a cheap alternative to sweet mixed drinks.
Are you looking for a specific wine? Want me to review something you're curious about? Have a suggestion or a question? Feel free to comment below and I will do what I can to accommodate!
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Lagunitas Brewery Tour
So, recently I went on vacation to Chicago. My husband is a big fan of fancy craft beers and such, so while we were there, I planned a trip to the Lagunitas Brewery.
It was delightful, and I highly recommend it!
So, getting there on the L wasn't so bad, even during rush hour on a weekday. We went to the Wednesday, 5 PM tour. The walk from the L to the actual brewery made my hubby a bit nervous, but really the neighborhood around there is just fine.
The brewery is a bit psychedelic, and rather adult-themed whimsical. It was fun, and had a lot of personality. The tour itself started with our tour guides explaining that while many breweries reward you with a sample at the end, they find that the tour is received better when they get the group drunk first.
So we all went down to what they call the 'adult daycare.' It was great, full of smooshy, mis-matched furniture, toys, video games, and music. We then proceeded to taste about 5 different beers on tap. They were not overly-large sample sizes, but it was enough to get a buzz. There were also pretzels to snack on, and water to cleanse the palate, should one desire.
I personally liked the Lil Somethin Extra, though my husband preferred the Imperial Stout. We both agreed that there was a good selection for a craft brewery, and the different beers all had a lot of flavor and quality.
Now, the actual floor tour itself was excellent. We learned one hundred percent nothing about beer brewing, but it was still probably the best brewery we've visited. Our tour guide was delightful, filled with stories and anecdotes, and cheesy humor. We had a blast.
If you happen to be in Chicago, I highly recommend having a stop at Lagunitas. They only have tasting tours on the weekdays, probably to prevent too much inebriation from the weekend crowds. It would be a great place to pregame if you are going out, though.
It was delightful, and I highly recommend it!
So, getting there on the L wasn't so bad, even during rush hour on a weekday. We went to the Wednesday, 5 PM tour. The walk from the L to the actual brewery made my hubby a bit nervous, but really the neighborhood around there is just fine.
The brewery is a bit psychedelic, and rather adult-themed whimsical. It was fun, and had a lot of personality. The tour itself started with our tour guides explaining that while many breweries reward you with a sample at the end, they find that the tour is received better when they get the group drunk first.
So we all went down to what they call the 'adult daycare.' It was great, full of smooshy, mis-matched furniture, toys, video games, and music. We then proceeded to taste about 5 different beers on tap. They were not overly-large sample sizes, but it was enough to get a buzz. There were also pretzels to snack on, and water to cleanse the palate, should one desire.
I personally liked the Lil Somethin Extra, though my husband preferred the Imperial Stout. We both agreed that there was a good selection for a craft brewery, and the different beers all had a lot of flavor and quality.
Now, the actual floor tour itself was excellent. We learned one hundred percent nothing about beer brewing, but it was still probably the best brewery we've visited. Our tour guide was delightful, filled with stories and anecdotes, and cheesy humor. We had a blast.
If you happen to be in Chicago, I highly recommend having a stop at Lagunitas. They only have tasting tours on the weekdays, probably to prevent too much inebriation from the weekend crowds. It would be a great place to pregame if you are going out, though.
Vacation, sorry.
Soooo, I was on vacation for the past week, hence the lack of posts. But, now I am back, tried some cool local stuff out in Chicago where I was visiting, and ready to start back in again! Time to get our collective drink on!
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Doubledog Dare Merlot
ABV: 12.5%
Price: $2.99. Seriously. Three effing dollars. That's it. I bought this bottle of wine with change scrounged from my car seats. Hells yes.
Location: California
My overall, general impression...Sure, drink this up! Easy, smooth, table wine. Cheap enough to serve to a group. Tasty enough to not be embarrassed to serve to a group.
Step one: Look at the wine. This wine is a very dark raspberry-purple. So dark it is not translucent. I shall call the color Midnight Grape. Also, this will be my superhero name, should I ever develop superpowers. No sediment. A nice looking wine.
Step two: Swirl the wine, note the viscosity. This wine has a medium viscosity, perhaps a bit thin for a red, but it does cling to the sides of the glass somewhat. Not gonna lie, I can barely tell the level of viscosity from wine to wine unless the wine is like molasses-thick. The more wine I do this with, the better I think I get, but I could also just be getting better at sounding pretentious.
Step three: Sniff the wine. This wine smells like wine. I don't really know how better to describe it. It is a solid, generic wine-smell. It is somewhat fruity. It is not unpleasant. It is also not especially interesting.
Step four: Tasting time! This wine tastes pretty good. It is lighter than many reds, very smooth. It does not have that dry-red after-taste that some cheap reds have, which is nice. You know, the one that sort-of coats your tongue and makes you want to brush your teeth. None of that going on. There is a pleasantly dark flavor that gives the impression of a late summer night. I didn't pair this with anything because I was too poor this week to buy steak, and also by the time I got to sit down and have a glass of wine, I had already eaten all of my calories for the day. Have I mentioned that I am on a diet? Urgh.
Step five: Drink a bunch more. No problem. Like I said, this wine goes down easy. And it so. fucking. cheap. I don't mind drinking a glass or two or three. And this wine holds up after a glass or two. It is mellow enough that it doesn't overpower my sense of taste.
To sum it up: Well, it's not worth writing home about. Or texting home about. Or however people go out of their way to spread news these days. It's a solid, very inexpensive, very drinkable wine. There is nothing amazing about it, nothing surprising, but what it delivers, it delivers very well. I would definitely buy this again, especially if I had company coming over. Pro-tip, bring this to a dinner party or keep a bottle or two around for unexpected gift-giving needs. It tastes more expensive than it is, and is neutral enough not to offend any quirky palate.
Are you looking for a specific wine? Want me to review something you're curious about? Have a suggestion or a question? Feel free to comment below and I will do what I can to accommodate!
Price: $2.99. Seriously. Three effing dollars. That's it. I bought this bottle of wine with change scrounged from my car seats. Hells yes.
Location: California
My overall, general impression...Sure, drink this up! Easy, smooth, table wine. Cheap enough to serve to a group. Tasty enough to not be embarrassed to serve to a group.
Step one: Look at the wine. This wine is a very dark raspberry-purple. So dark it is not translucent. I shall call the color Midnight Grape. Also, this will be my superhero name, should I ever develop superpowers. No sediment. A nice looking wine.
Step two: Swirl the wine, note the viscosity. This wine has a medium viscosity, perhaps a bit thin for a red, but it does cling to the sides of the glass somewhat. Not gonna lie, I can barely tell the level of viscosity from wine to wine unless the wine is like molasses-thick. The more wine I do this with, the better I think I get, but I could also just be getting better at sounding pretentious.
Step three: Sniff the wine. This wine smells like wine. I don't really know how better to describe it. It is a solid, generic wine-smell. It is somewhat fruity. It is not unpleasant. It is also not especially interesting.
Step four: Tasting time! This wine tastes pretty good. It is lighter than many reds, very smooth. It does not have that dry-red after-taste that some cheap reds have, which is nice. You know, the one that sort-of coats your tongue and makes you want to brush your teeth. None of that going on. There is a pleasantly dark flavor that gives the impression of a late summer night. I didn't pair this with anything because I was too poor this week to buy steak, and also by the time I got to sit down and have a glass of wine, I had already eaten all of my calories for the day. Have I mentioned that I am on a diet? Urgh.
Step five: Drink a bunch more. No problem. Like I said, this wine goes down easy. And it so. fucking. cheap. I don't mind drinking a glass or two or three. And this wine holds up after a glass or two. It is mellow enough that it doesn't overpower my sense of taste.
To sum it up: Well, it's not worth writing home about. Or texting home about. Or however people go out of their way to spread news these days. It's a solid, very inexpensive, very drinkable wine. There is nothing amazing about it, nothing surprising, but what it delivers, it delivers very well. I would definitely buy this again, especially if I had company coming over. Pro-tip, bring this to a dinner party or keep a bottle or two around for unexpected gift-giving needs. It tastes more expensive than it is, and is neutral enough not to offend any quirky palate.
Are you looking for a specific wine? Want me to review something you're curious about? Have a suggestion or a question? Feel free to comment below and I will do what I can to accommodate!
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Alcoholic ice cubes
If you are like me, you enjoy your adult beverages as cold as possible. You have a number of different options on how to accomplish this, including simply putting your liquor in the freezer for a while before consuming it, dropping in a few ice cubes, or using chilled glasses or special-made freezing stones.
One of my favorite ways, though, is to make alcoholic ice cubes. They do require a bit of lead time, but can be a really fun addition to a summer cocktail. There are a couple of simple rules...
1. Alcohol freezes easiest if it is below 30% (60 proof)
2. Alcohol freezes best in metal ice cube trays. Most people, including myself, do not own these, because it is kindof a ridiculous thing to own, but if you do happen to have some, congrats! You are a step ahead. And apparently have too much money for your own good. Message me for some ideas of what you could do with all that excess cash just laying about.
So, things like wine actually make excellent ice cubes, as wine is low proof, and does freeze easily. Pour some chardonnay in an ice cube tray, pop it in the freezer a few hours, tada, done.
Or, make something a bit more interesting and special.
Try a fresh basic leaf in each cube indent, top with some lemon liquor or lemon-flavored booze of your choice, and maybe a dash of simple syrup. Turn it into a delightful, refreshing gimlet or grown-up iced tea.
Put some melon-flavored rum, watered down just a bit so it freezes, and a couple of blueberries into a tray. Drop the frozen cubes into a glass of sprite to kick it up a notch.
Have some fun with it, and stay cool!
Do you have an idea of a fresh summer drink? Have you made these ice cubes or have a flavor combo that you think would be delicious? Let me know in the comments below!
One of my favorite ways, though, is to make alcoholic ice cubes. They do require a bit of lead time, but can be a really fun addition to a summer cocktail. There are a couple of simple rules...
1. Alcohol freezes easiest if it is below 30% (60 proof)
2. Alcohol freezes best in metal ice cube trays. Most people, including myself, do not own these, because it is kindof a ridiculous thing to own, but if you do happen to have some, congrats! You are a step ahead. And apparently have too much money for your own good. Message me for some ideas of what you could do with all that excess cash just laying about.
So, things like wine actually make excellent ice cubes, as wine is low proof, and does freeze easily. Pour some chardonnay in an ice cube tray, pop it in the freezer a few hours, tada, done.
Or, make something a bit more interesting and special.
Try a fresh basic leaf in each cube indent, top with some lemon liquor or lemon-flavored booze of your choice, and maybe a dash of simple syrup. Turn it into a delightful, refreshing gimlet or grown-up iced tea.
Put some melon-flavored rum, watered down just a bit so it freezes, and a couple of blueberries into a tray. Drop the frozen cubes into a glass of sprite to kick it up a notch.
Have some fun with it, and stay cool!
Do you have an idea of a fresh summer drink? Have you made these ice cubes or have a flavor combo that you think would be delicious? Let me know in the comments below!
Nobilis Vinho Verde
ABV: 9%
Price: $4.99 on sale at the local super-mega wine store. The non-sale price was 7.99. Still a steal, and a wine that I could buy a bottle of every week, all summer. This makes me happy.
My overall, general impression...refreshing, easy to drink, not too sweet, not too dry. Great wine for someone just getting into drinking wine.
Step one: Look at the wine. The wine looks nice. It is a pleasant, very super pale yellow. Maybe more like off-white. Or taupe. I need my crayola box for this one. Anyway, it is pale. And bubbly. No sediment. Very clear. It's a fresh-looking glass.
Step two: Swirl the wine, note the viscosity. I didn't want to swirl too much, due to the bubbles, but this wine does not seem very viscous at all. I would say it is more on the thin side. Not like, Jessica Alba thin, but don't expect this wine to stick to you.
Step three: Sniff the wine. This is honestly one of the first wines that I have sniffed that I actually thought smelled nice. It has a light floral aroma, with some underlying citrus. Nothing overpowering. Nothing that is going to surprise, really, but this is an unassuming wine. (I think that was the single snootiest sentence I've ever written. I don't have enough friends named Muffy to write like that often...)
Step four: Taste the wine! Alright. Nice. Just dry enough to be really refreshing. The carbonation makes it feel like you are drinking something wayyyyy more pricey. Seriously. Put this in a fancy bottle and serve it at a froufy party. You will fool and impress all of your guests. Seriously though, this is a great value wine that packs a lot of flavor and character into such a small price tag. Plenty of citrus, but it doesn't leave that nasty sucked-on-a-lemon aftertaste that some cheap wines do.
Step five: Drink a bunch more wine. Go for it! This is not an overly alcoholic wine, so you can have two or three glasses with a meal and not get wasted. I hear it pairs great with seafood. I drank it with Jax cheese curls, because that was all that was in the cabinet when I wanted to drink it. It paired just fine with those, so I imagine if it pairs with Jax, it will go with anything. It would probably be great with a fruit platter. Or some grilled chicken. Not so much with red meat, but then it is white wine after all, so let's not get carried away. I would even drink this wine on its own on a warm day. Definitely serve very chilled for best effect
Overall impression: Buy this wine. It is refreshing, versatile, and easy to drink with whatever is laying around (for the most part). My cat even tried to drink it. In his defense, he is a nosy SOB and eats and drinks everything. He licked the Jax dust off of my fingers too. Do not give this wine to cats. They would surely enjoy it, but wine+cats=BAD. Seriously. You have been warned. But this is a nice light wine that even the newest wine drinking human can enjoy.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Summer Beer Review: Not Your Father's Rootbeer
I decided that since it is summer, and I love a cold beer on a hot day, that I would throw a couple of short summer beer reviews around now and again. My first will be for the must-have trend beer of this summer: Not Your Father's Root Beer, from Small Town Brewery.
If you haven't heard of this, just stop reading now. This blog is probably not for you. This is about a trend beer, and you are clearly not up to date with trends. I assume you still have a Zack Morris-style phone and think that Whitesnake is good music.
We brought some to my father-in-law, and the conversation went something like:
Dad: Hey, this is wicked pissah! But I can't drink it.
Me: Why not?
Dad: It's called 'Not Your Father's...and I'm your father.
Me: *Facepalm*
Anyway, this beer is exactly what it sounds like. It is alcoholic root beer. I personally think that this is an amazing idea, and I hope the trend catches on, as I would love some boozy Dr. Pepper. Right now I have to make it myself by pouring a shot of vanilla vodka into regular old boring soda. That's a lot of work. I frequently cut out the soda altogether and just have a shot of vodka. This beer saves me from all that trouble.
This beer is a bit on the pricey side as far as beer goes. If you are used to getting a 24 case of Natty Ice for 15 bucks, this is not the beer for you. If you are more accustomed to trying out imports or upscale brews for 2-4 dollars per bottle, then this is right up your alley.
The combination of very sweet, only slightly hoppy soda-beer is quite tasty and refreshing, but does need a salty snack to go with it. After drinking most of one bottle, I found it almost too cloying, and I am a huge fan of sugary alcoholic drinks.
As far as alcohol content, at 5.9% this falls right into the average range for beer. If you want an extra kick to it, add some root beer flavored vodka. If you want to really buy into the whole root beer thing, make it into an ice cream float. It is effing amazing. Adult dessert at its finest.
My overall impression: Wicked Pissah (For those of you not from New England, that translates to 'hell yeah')
If you haven't heard of this, just stop reading now. This blog is probably not for you. This is about a trend beer, and you are clearly not up to date with trends. I assume you still have a Zack Morris-style phone and think that Whitesnake is good music.
We brought some to my father-in-law, and the conversation went something like:
Dad: Hey, this is wicked pissah! But I can't drink it.
Me: Why not?
Dad: It's called 'Not Your Father's...and I'm your father.
Me: *Facepalm*
Anyway, this beer is exactly what it sounds like. It is alcoholic root beer. I personally think that this is an amazing idea, and I hope the trend catches on, as I would love some boozy Dr. Pepper. Right now I have to make it myself by pouring a shot of vanilla vodka into regular old boring soda. That's a lot of work. I frequently cut out the soda altogether and just have a shot of vodka. This beer saves me from all that trouble.
This beer is a bit on the pricey side as far as beer goes. If you are used to getting a 24 case of Natty Ice for 15 bucks, this is not the beer for you. If you are more accustomed to trying out imports or upscale brews for 2-4 dollars per bottle, then this is right up your alley.
The combination of very sweet, only slightly hoppy soda-beer is quite tasty and refreshing, but does need a salty snack to go with it. After drinking most of one bottle, I found it almost too cloying, and I am a huge fan of sugary alcoholic drinks.
As far as alcohol content, at 5.9% this falls right into the average range for beer. If you want an extra kick to it, add some root beer flavored vodka. If you want to really buy into the whole root beer thing, make it into an ice cream float. It is effing amazing. Adult dessert at its finest.
My overall impression: Wicked Pissah (For those of you not from New England, that translates to 'hell yeah')
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