Beverages Articles

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-09-2022

Good bartenders pride themselves on being knowledgeable about cocktail recipes and proficient in the art of properly serving their guests and patrons. With a healthy repertoire of popular mixed drink recipes and the right ingredients at your fingertips, you can be the life of any gathering.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 09-01-2022

When you’re brewing your own beer at home, get to know the abbreviated versions of homebrewing terms to help read your recipes and directions, keep a basic measurement conversion chart handy, and check out the hierarchy of beers chart so you know what category and type of beer you want to homebrew and possibly enter into competition.

Article / Updated 07-26-2022

Although vintage wines and aged spirits can boast of a long companionship with haute cuisine, beer — until recently in some places — is often relegated to the backyard barbecue. But that’s wrong. Beer is only for thirst quenching as much as computers are only for number crunching and sports are only for boys. Get with it, folks; beer is for dining, too! Although it may have taken restaurateurs, gourmands, and culinary artistes forever to catch on to the concept of beer and food pairings, now that they have, it’s a hot ticket. And why not? Beer is considered the world’s most popular beverage, with craft beer increasing in popularity every day. After far too many years, the outlook for beer drinkers is rosé, or... rosy. Thanks to the enthusiasm of brewers, restaurateurs, and consumers of flavorful craft-brews, beer has reclaimed its rightful place on our dinner tables. Good craft-brewed beer can be much more interesting than wine. It’s cool and refreshing and, depending on the style, can be much richer, more complex, and more flavorful than wine. Plus, if you have an average person’s budget and capacity, you’ll find that tasting several different beers during a meal is preferable to tasting several different wines. Guessing at general guidelines Within the sometimes intimidating world of wine and food, even the neophytes can lean on the old red meat–red wine axiom in a pinch. But beer drinkers have no such axiomatic, general guideline to fall back on, because none exists. And few people have a good enough grasp on the various beer styles and flavor profiles to easily make choices. Actually, you’ll find it hard to go wrong when matching beer and food. What’s fun is trying to do better than not going wrong. Every kind of food, conceivably, has an appropriate beer to accompany it. The beauty of beer is in its versatility. You can usually find a beer style that’s a natural match for a given food. Beer even works better than wine with some dishes, such as especially spicy or sour ones. And slightly acidic beers are great foils for rich foods. Substituting beer for wine The lager beer category is the white wine equivalent. When compared with ales, lagers have the following characteristics: Generally lighter in body and color Narrower flavor profile and a high degree of drinkability (that is, tend to appeal to a wider audience) The ale category is the red wine equivalent. When compared with lagers, ales have these qualities: Typically darker Rounder, more robust and expressive Wider flavor profile and, thus, a lower drinkability (that is, tend to appeal to those with a more experienced beer palate) Just to keep you on your toes, keep in mind that these guidelines are really general — dark and full-bodied lagers exist just as surely as do light and mild ales. Next time you’re about to go grape out of habit, consider a brew instead. This table offers a few good ideas. Beer Substitutions for Wine Wine Suggested Beer Substitute Dry white wine Blonde Ale, Kölsch, or German Pils Dry red wine Fruit Lambic or Flanders Red Beer Champagne Light and spritzy Witbier, Lambic, or Berliner Weisse Brandy Spirituous Barleywine or Old Ale Port wine Intensely flavored Russian Imperial Stout Keep in mind that these suggested substitutions aren’t trading taste for taste but style for style. In other words, don’t expect the Imperial Stout to taste like a port wine; it’s simply serving the same enjoyable purpose as a rich and spirited after-dinner libation.

Article / Updated 05-04-2022

Most beer drinkers tend to drink just a couple different beer styles without straying too far off the beaten path. But to fully understand and appreciate the wider spectrum of beer styles, here are a few types of beers that every beer drinker should taste at least once: Belgian Fruit Lambic: Well-aged ale with surprising, effusive fruit aroma and taste; intoxicating fragrance Doppelbock: Strong, dark, and caramel-like Bock Beer with two times the flavor and body of Bock (doppel your pleasure, doppel your fun) Imperial Stout: Dark, rich, and creamy Stout with complex grain flavors; a brew to chew Rauchbier: Oktoberfest beer made with a portion of beechwood-smoked malt; delicious and unique but takes somewhat of an acquired taste (great with smoked cheese or sausage) Witbier: Perfumy Belgian Wheat Beer made with orange rind and coriander seed; like nothing else in the beer world Certain brands of beer have become synonymous with distinctly different flavor profiles. The following short list includes some of the more famous brands along with a couple others that are still cultivating a following. True beer lovers should taste all of them at least once. Guinness Stout (Ireland): Dark, dry, smooth, and roasty, with a creamy head; the perfect sipping pint Pilsner Urquell (Czech Republic): Crisp and hoppy with a touch of malty sweetness; the original, classic Pilsner beer Rodenbach Grand Cru (Belgium): Sharply sour but refreshing, with fresh fruity notes; beer masquerading as Burgundy wine Samichlaus (Austria): Incredibly malty-rich and spirited; a terrific tipple for the Christmas holidays Samuel Adams Utopias (United States): Throat-warming malt complexity with hints of oak, like no beer you’ve ever had; that’s why you sip it like a brandy

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-17-2022

Making wine at home lets you explore your creative side — from choosing the perfect grapes to learning the lingo of wine-speak. Making your own wine is also a great way to unleash your inner science geek. You need to calculate conversions, understand wine chemistry (including sugar and pH levels), and regulate temperatures, all while paying attention to the basic laws of home winemaking.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-14-2022

Food and wine pairing isn’t a matter of life or death. But isn’t life a little better with a good taste in your mouth? Starting with wine you like (and food you enjoy, too) is ground zero. All the other delicious considerations that lead to outstanding moments of tasting pleasure come after. To make your food and wine pairing memorable, start with a versatile wine — one that agrees with a wide range of foods — and things won’t go far wrong. Then consider a handful of taste, texture, and aromatic elements, and you may just find some magic.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-09-2022

Choosing a French wine means understanding how to read and pronounce French wine names and words you find on the label, the variety of grape specific to certain French wines, and getting the best value of a French wine.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-17-2022

Quality beer is widely available and relatively inexpensive, but choosing among all the various styles can be a little confusing without some help. A little beer knowledge can turn a daunting experience into an enjoyable one. Start with a list of handy beer descriptors, along with some great beer styles and brands to try. Then check out some pointers for buying, serving, tasting, evaluating, and dining with beer.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-11-2022

To enjoy Italian wine, all you have to do is drink it. But if you want to get just a bit under the grape skin, you can explore the major varieties of Italian red and white wines, the grapes they're made from, and how to say their names.

Article / Updated 09-27-2021

When doing any sort of entertaining, one of the biggest hassles is trying to figure how to set up your bar. Here are a few tips for setting up your home bar. Set up a traffic flow for your party Keep the bar as far as possible from your food and snacks. This prevents large groups of people from staying in one area. If possible, base a wine and beer bar in one area and a cocktail bar in another. Keep your bar in or near the kitchen Cleaning up spills is a lot easier in your kitchen. What's more, you'll do a lot less running around if you are close to the sink and refrigerator. If you have to set up your bar in another location, put a small rug or cloth under and behind the bar to protect the floor or carpet. And no matter where your bar is, use a strong, steady table to avoid tipping or collapsing. Serve smartly Your party will run smoothly and your guests will be happy if you take the following suggestions to heart: Use nothing larger than a shot glass for shots, and do not serve doubles to your guests. You aren't doing anyone any favors by overserving. If a recipe calls for 1-1/2 oz. of vodka, use just that amount. All mixed drinks should not exceed 2 oz. of liquor. Use lower proof products if they're available. Have fruit punch available for those "light" drinkers. Have alcohol-free drinks available, plus coffee and tea. Use only clean, fresh ice and fruit. If possible, chill glasses and do not put them out until five minutes before the party begins. When serving hot drinks, make sure that the cups or glasses have handles. Use scoops, tongs, or large spoons to serve ice. Never use your hands. If you do not have bottle pourers, rub wax paper over the tip of liquor bottles to prevent dripping. Close the bar an hour to an hour and a half before the end of the party. If possible, hire a professional bartender.