Monthly Archives: March 2010
Gourmet Underground Detroit's content archives are organized by date and catalog the aggregated content of our Features pages as well as our blog.
2008 Tue-Boeuf La Butte
Gamay is a house favorite grape at Swigs. Clos du Tue-Boeuf makes some fine examples that showcase Loire mineral character, often in the form of what Todd has long characterized as peanut shell or wet chalkboard.
In 2008, one can count among those delicious wines “La Butte.” Modest in alcohol content, it’s light-bodied but nonetheless loaded with flavor. It reeks of mixed berries, cinnamon, and even hints of juniper and roasted coriander seed. Dry and tart, there’s a lot of natural fermented fruit flavors on the palate including a long, lingering blueberry or currant tartness. That dash of sour and a bit of astringency continue for quite a while — long enough, at least, to tap out a few sentences on a drinks blog.
- Alcohol: 11.8%
- Grape: Gamay
- Region: Touraine, Loire Valley, France
- Importer: Louis/Dressner
Discovering a Small Piece of Brewing History
“Dad! Get your truck! Mom found some beer stuff!”
Lately, my seven-year-old daughter has developed a genuine interest in home brewing. From helping to stir the mash to filling and capping bottles, she seems to enjoy the process as much as I do. What better way to spend quality time with your progeny?
It was with this enthusiasm that she came running down the street one March afternoon to alert me to a ground score that most home brewers would dream about.
Among the discarded household items left by a young neighborhood family moving to Arizona were four plastic five-gallon food-grade buckets for fermenting and bottling, one six-gallon glass carboy, one five-gallon glass carboy and two cases of bottles.
As if finding all this equipment wasn’t windfall enough, upon closer inspection of the bottles I discover that they aren’t just any ordinary beer container. These are 32 once “steinies” – twelve to a stout, divided cardboard carrier.
Steinies seem to have emerged shortly after the end of Prohibition. They made their first appearance in 1935. By early 1950s the steinie style went out of favor. Based on a just a short amount of research these bottles were probably produced between the 40s and 60s. This site has loads of interesting images and history of beer bottles.
The particular bottles now in my possession were once filled with Drewrys Extra Dry. Apparently union made with a “choice selection of fine grains and hops”.
A brand of Canadian beer going back to 1877, Drewrys was brewed for most of its history in South Bend, Indiana. Before the light beer “revolution” and eventual downfall of the republic Drewrys was known as the beer that was “less filling – more flavor – more fun!” In 1965, the South Bend plant merged with Associated brewing and then sold to Wisconsin-based G. Heileman who shut it down in 1972.
There is no telling what date in history these bottles might have been filled with beer or who might have emptied them. Were they discovered in the Ferndale house this family owned or were they passed to them by a relative? Did some forlorn old man sit in his kitchen and drink a bottle a night listening to the ball game on the radio or were they poured liberally at a backyard barbecue where everyone smoked Lucky Strikes and had strangely shaped eyeglasses? Whatever occurred did so before my birth. In a way I feel a kinship to these people though I can only conjure them in my mind.
Fact is this larger format is particularly suited to the home brewer who prefers a shorter bottling time and can easily drain two pints in a sitting while pining for an era and people he never knew.
In truth, as I write this I’m emptying a Drewrys steinie of homemade Michigan hard cider that my daughter helped to fill a couple weeks ago. Maybe she’ll want these bottles one day.
Five Bourbons Blind
Leading up to last year’s holiday season my inbox was flooded with tacky booze marketing emails and I lashed out with this rant against Old Forester Bourbon and a few others. Though I did disclose the fact I have never tasted Old Forester before, and my issue was with the marketing, a few folks in the business felt they should defend the brand. Svend Jansen, public relations manager for Old Forester, saw this as an opportunity to send Swigs a sample. And who are we to refuse free booze?
Since we figured to be in full evaluation mode when tasting Old Forester it only made sense to put it into some context. So we collected the various bourbons we had laying around, which turned out to be a decent cross section of the market, and with fellow booze bon vivant, Steve Kirsch, decided to find out how Old Forester compares to what we’ve been drinking. To neutralize any preconceived notions we might have had about the brands, we tasted all of the bourbons in a blind format diluted with a small amount of water. What we determined might surprise you.
Susannah Nichols was on-hand to arrange and pour the samples. All prices are Michigan minimum shelf price for a 750ml glass bottle.
Buffalo Trace ($23.96)
Todd: With a nose full of pecans, peaches, driftwood and marshmallow this was the clear champion of the tasting. Sweet in the middle with a slightly dry finish it would make both a nice sipping whiskey and a killer cocktail.
Evan: Big vanilla, nut, and even creamy aromas. There’s a bit of bitterness in the mid-palate, but it’s hardly displeasing, and it’s washed away by a silky textured finish. For the money, this is an absolute killer value. Notably better than anything above or below its price point in our tasting.
Woodford Reserve ($34.96)
Todd: Less intensely aromatic than Buffalo Trace but a bit fruitier, Woodford Reserve is smooth throughout a draught and plenty good for sipping.
Evan: Noticeably darker in the glass, the Woodford has quite a bit of vanilla both on the nose and the palate. I agree with Todd’s assessment that this is fruitier, though I’d add “caramel” to the mix as well. This might be a bit intense for precisely measured Manhattans and the like.
Old Forester ($16.98)
Todd: Good middle-shelf bourbon. Though it’s unlikely that I would ever use this as a sipping bourbon under normal circumstances, there is no doubt that it would perform well as a cocktail base without emptying the wallet. Flatter than the previous two with more sensation of wood and just the slightest hint of plastic
Evan: I’ve always liked surprises. If there’s a Crayola crayon called “Humble Pie,” color me up with that, because this was markedly better than I expected. Noticeably less vanilla on the nose than the previous offerings, it nonetheless showed more of the vanilla on the palate. That said, aside from a bit of Band-Aid and Booze Burn, there’s less going on here than the clear winners in our test, but of the five we tasted, this stood head and shoulders above the bottom two. If one has the means to buy a better product, I can’t recommend leaning down to the lower shelf to grab this. But if not, this is as fine as one can get in the price point. So surprises? Yeah. I got as much of a chuckle out of Todd’s previous Old Forester rant as anyone, and the marketing for the product is still a cliche, but this works.
Maker’s Mark ($26.99)
Todd: Especially considering the price, I have always considered Maker’s Mark an inferior whiskey. Tasting it blind in comparison confirmed this notion. Medicinal alcohol fumes overwhelm the diminutive bourbon aromas. There are far too many superior bourbon brands at this price level to waste your hard earned coin on Maker’s Mark.
Evan: When I decided to wholeheartedly re-enter the whiskey universe, the first bourbon of which I purchased a whole bottle was Maker’s. It had a pretty sterling reputation, after all, and who isn’t a sucker for a waxed top bottle? Our blind tasting set me straight, however: Big sugar sweet and plastic aromas overwhelm any sense of natural grain alcohol, and while there’s a bit of a spicy characteristic to the drink, the finish is weak, over-run by a rank bitterness. On one hand, the flavors are long, carrying through to the finish. On the other hand, those flavors suck.
Evan Williams Black Label ($11.77):
Todd: This bottle was brought to (and left over from) a party last Halloween. While decent for swilling directly from the bottle around a backyard fire in autumn it’s not something we normally keep around the house. With powerful aromas of rubbing alcohol, burning plastic and oily wood pulp it’s cheap and it shows. That being said, its more refined brother, Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage bourbon, is my house whiskey for sipping and cocktails.
Evan: This was the one bourbon we unanimously guessed: It lives up to its price point as an appalling, offensive creation that makes one wonder how humanity ever decided that the distillation of alcohol was a worthwhile activity. Foul on the nose, it displays very pungent aromas of trash heap and salt lick, neither of which carry through to the palate. Lest one think that’s a good thing, it’s replaced by a grassy, burnt, bitter sensation over over-brewed tea and aggressive alcohol. Dilute this. A lot.
We had originally planned to evaluate the lesser bourbons as cocktail base booze and actually did mix Old Forester with bitters and Stock sweet vermouth for a Manhattan cocktail but a few circumstances diverted our attention: 1) Since Carpano Antica sweet vermouth made it to the Detroit market it’s difficult to drink a Manhattan crafted with anything but, and more importantly, 2) we had a slew of blended Irish and single malt Scotch whiskeys to taste through. This particular Manhattan had no chance under these conditions.
Six Signs You’re in a Serious Cocktail Bar
Why I Drink Coffee Every Day
It tastes good. Normally I don’t want to get up in the morning, but when I know I can brew a crema covered shot of coffee on my espresso machine and ladle some creamy, full fat and frothy Calder dairy milk on top, ahhh! – A moment please. It reminds me of my travels to Ireland where I learned that Guinness was good for me. It is a complete meal in a cup. For me, in the morning, it’s a cappuccino.
It’s a stimulant. Unlike a great cup of tea which will put me in a trance or make me want to take a nap, coffee wakes my senses. After my morning cup, I can go punch out a 5 mile run, punch out some text on my computer at work, or punch some idiot at an event who loudly demands a cup of “just regular coffee.” You don’t want to hear my Ayn Rand rant on the subject of choices. By the way, coffee is the second most widely traded commodity in the world. Yep, there’s more than one kind. Nope, no such thing as an espresso bean, not even in Italy.
It cures boredom. After too many hours in front of the computer screen or too many hours at the roasting machine, I need a change of pace and a pick-me-up. I give you the espresso break. You can thank the Italians for this one. A little cup of reduction of coffee essence combined with witticisms and sometimes a ciggy. Ok, every time a ciggy in Italy.
It causes creativity and comedy. This goes back to the stimulant properties of coffee. Every task is rendered more enjoyable and less mundane when drinking coffee. Sending an email: boring. But sending an email with a cup of coffee: awesome. Most of the time coffee triggers new ideas, sometimes strange ones, although those seem to work, too. I don’t have a formal training in comedy but I play a comic at work. I’ve never been so on with my material as after a couple cups of coffee.
It helps you seal the deal. There are studies that show people are more receptive to your proposals while drinking coffee. It also helps when asking women out. The success rate is not 100%.
It goes with food and drink: coffee good in the morning with breakfast; good in the afternoon with pastries; good at night with booze and cigars.
It is a digestive. I like to eat a lot. There is no better way to finish a meal than with a cup of coffee or an espresso. Too bad most restaurants serve shite. Hello, you want your clientele to finish an elaborately prepared meal with a pre-ground packet of coffee. Oh, the humanity. I once embarrassed a date by refusing the espresso and going to the bar and adjusting the grinder to pour a proper shot. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
It’s swigs-friendly. I’m not sure what genius designed this but after drinking all that is good to drink at night, coffee in the morning helps liver function. Four cups a day cuts alcoholic cirrhosis by 80%. That is a big number. Oh, yea. I’ll drink to that.
The Boston Cooler, a Detroit Original
In the city where Fred Sanders is credited with inventing the ice cream soda, pharmacist and founder of America’s oldest soft drink, James Vernor, took it one step further with the Boston Cooler. Originally a mixture of sweet cream and spicy, tickle-your-nose Vernor’s ginger soda, the drink eventually morphed into a thick, vanilla ice cream-based blended shake that is still available at Detroit-area Dairy Queens and independent ice cream parlors.
Vernor operated a drug store and soda fountain on Woodward Avenue near what is now known as the Boston-Edison historic district, the main thoroughfare being Boston Boulevard, hence the seemingly disconnected name. Though houses weren’t built and occupied in the area until the early 1900s, the mixture of vanilla ice cream and Vernor’s ginger soda was popular as far back as 1880.
As the name suggests, a Boston Cooler is fantastic on a hot summer day when you might want the weight of plain ice cream balanced out with the mild heat of ginger soda. But it’s plenty good enough as a year round treat. Enjoy one with another Detroit original named for somewhere else – the Coney Island hot dog.
Mexico: Corona or… Cabernet?
I’ve had the good fortune of getting a few bottles of Mexican wine over the past couple years. It’d be easy to wonder from afar if the vino wouldn’t be better served with a wedge of lime. But the burgeoning industry is actually producing some good stuff. I’ve got some tasting notes on a few wines, each from the Guadalupe Valley in/near Baja and each much better than I’d ever have expected.
2002 Nebbiolo Reserva Privada, L.A. Cetto (ABV: 14%, Grape: Nebbiolo) – There’s a whole way of thinking that makes sports talk radio and a great deal of science fiction “go.” That is, the idea that you can transplant a person or a thing from one time or place to another — and actually predict the consequences. That’s bullocks, of course, and this wine is proof of it. Transplanting any grape to Mexico of all places would seem to spell certain doom: Kind of like plopping the Death Start into the middle of Star Trek. But all conventional wisdom turned out to be wrong. This absolutely teems with Mediterranean flavors, oozing with the fruits of Southern France, the boldness of Spain, and the elegant acidity of Italy. Initially a bit jammy, it opened up to reveal hints of earth and game. Delicious all around. Perhaps Captains Picard and Sisko would have had a shot against Darth Vader after all. Tasted 3/22/2008.
2007 Adobe Guadalupe, Serafiel (ABV: 13.4%, Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, others) – Fresh mashed cranberry, lavender, and small amounts of pepper on the nose. Starts with a grape sweetness that’s wiped away by an astringency and some soft tannins. Remarkably elegant, drinkable, balanced dry wine. Tasted 3/1/2010.
2005 Otello, Guadalupe, Calle Alvarado (ABV: 13.5%, Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Syrah, Grenache) – Smells sweet like cherries and brown sugar with hints of mint and pine needles in the aroma. Sounds strange? It is, a bit, though not really unpleasant. Compared to the Serafiel I just drank, this is too sweet on the palate however. The fruit is very ripe, there’s a bit of oak, and some of the mint comes through along with woody, twiggy tannin. As this opens up, it behaves more like a “traditional” cab, with less of the intense herbal qualities and more of a fruit-tannin balance. This is a bit of an odd one, but it’s definitely nuanced and worth some thought. Tasted 3/1/2010.
