The Chronicle
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43 results across all types
- news
Craft Across America: 50 States, 50 Proudly Local Beers, Wines, and Spirits
With no legal definition of “craft,” it’s easy to dismiss it as a marketing term. But maker culture transcends jargon. Across the United States, independent, locally minded producers create products that showcase heritage crops and area traditions. Now, anyone thirsty for small-batch drinks with regional flavors can find them in communities and cities across America. Here are 50 truly local beverages made in all 50 states. The article Craft Across America: 50 States, 50 Proudly Local Beers, Wines, and Spirits appeared first on VinePair .
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A Snob’s Guide to Finding Good Drinks in Disney World
Anyone who ever aspired to drink with intergalactic droids will soon be in luck: Disney Parks is set to debut a new bar, Oga’s Cantina, a “hotly anticipated” Star Wars attraction, in Florida’s Disney World and California’s Disneyland later this year. Oga’s Cantina marks the first Disneyland bar serving alcohol to the general public (provided they are over 21, of course). The article A Snob’s Guide to Finding Good Drinks in Disney World appeared first on VinePair .
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We Asked 10 Sommeliers: What Do You Drink When No One’s Watching?
It may seem like sommeliers only drink exceptional vino sourced from family-owned plots in enchanted valleys and noble hillsides. Turns out, that’s only partially true. Even the most esteemed wine professionals have guilty pleasures. We asked 10 sommeliers to share their off-the-clock indulgences, from Boilermakers to Robitussin Highballs. “I’ll be honest. I drink a lot of gin Boilermakers. The article We Asked 10 Sommeliers: What Do You Drink When No One’s Watching? appeared first on VinePair .
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The Differences Between Soju, Shochu, and Sake, Explained
It’s no secret that Asian spirits are on the rise. And the growing presence and popularity of AAPI-owned and -operated bars and restaurants have introduced many American palates to spirits like Korea’s native soju and Japan’s shochu and sake. But despite their rising prominence stateside, the three spirits are still often confused. But these centuries-old beverages are worth getting to know. Not only do they originate from vastly different countries, but they’re each made through their own distinct distillation methods and carry their own flavor profiles. What’s the difference between sake and shochu? And how does soju play into things? The article The Differences Between Soju, Shochu, and Sake, Explained appeared first on VinePair .
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Go Inside the Historic Breweries and Intimate Izakayas in Fushimi, Kyoto’s Under-the-Radar Sake District
Kyoto is best known for its wildly beautiful architecture, like the Fushimi Inari Shrine and Fushimi Castle, also known as Momoyama Castle. Travelers who dig a bit deeper into the city’s Fushimi district, however, discover another key aspect of its cultural identity: sake. As legend has it, Fushimi sake is especially good because of its water. Expert sake production began with Gekkeikan, a brewery helmed by the Okura family since 1637. The article Go Inside the Historic Breweries and Intimate Izakayas in Fushimi, Kyoto’s Under-the-Radar Sake District appeared first on VinePair .
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Sommelier Kim Prokoshyn Comes Clean About Her ‘Forever Wine’ and Love of Mezcal Margaritas
Like most of us who studied the humanities in college (hello, postcolonial studies), Kim Prokoshyn didn’t turn her art history degree into her career. At least, not directly. Prokoshyn is head sommelier at Scampi, a southern Italian restaurant that opened near Manhattan’s Union Square last December. Prior to that, she worked with mentor Patrick Cappiello at NYC wine destinations Rebelle and Pearl & Ash restaurants. The article Sommelier Kim Prokoshyn Comes Clean About Her ‘Forever Wine’ and Love of Mezcal Margaritas appeared first on VinePair .
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Why You Should Never Pour Your Own Sake
All drinking culture is rich with tradition. Unspoken codes and customs find us clinking glasses, buying rounds, and tapping the bar before taking a shot, regardless of our surroundings. The primary ritual to keep in mind when drinking sake, the Japanese beverage in the midst of an American renaissance, is to never pour your own glass. The article Why You Should Never Pour Your Own Sake appeared first on VinePair .
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Japan’s Après-Ski Scene Has Rare Whisky, Raucous Pubs, and Epic Bragging Rights
Eskimos have 50 words for snow, but the French encapsulate a lot of what makes winter awesome in one hyphenate: après-ski. The French term for “after-skiing,” it’s what elevates any ski trip beyond a mere day on the slopes. The phrase emerged in the 1950s to describe the festivities that ensue when the chair lifts close. This post-skiing, extended happy hour features plenty of alcohol and the eating that comes with it. The article Japan’s Après-Ski Scene Has Rare Whisky, Raucous Pubs, and Epic Bragging Rights appeared first on VinePair .
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Ashtin Berry Loves Dive Bars, Would Bring Champagne to a Desert Island
Those who claim that NYC’s music scene is dead haven’t yet scored a seat at Tokyo Record Bar. A riff on a type of Japanese bar, at which owners painstakingly curate evening soundtracks, this Greenwich Village spot invites patrons to request one song each to hear during their meals. The considerable vinyl collection spans The Bee Gees, Queen, N.W.A., and Bill Withers, and was reportedly donated by an enthusiastic Sony A&R executive. The article Ashtin Berry Loves Dive Bars, Would Bring Champagne to a Desert Island appeared first on VinePair .
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Americans Love Pairing Sake With Sushi, But It’s a Big Mistake
Sake is having a moment in the U.S. We are currently Japan’s largest export market for its traditional rice beverage, sipping nearly 5,000 kiloliters per year. Small wine shops sell unfiltered nigori sake alongside hipster varietal wines. Restaurants like Oberlin in Providence, R.I., Catbird Seat in Nashville, and Banyan in Boston, pair sake by the glass with everything from tacos to Buffalo chicken to red-sauced pasta. The article Americans Love Pairing Sake With Sushi, But It’s a Big Mistake appeared first on VinePair .
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The Secret to Reading Sake Labels
Sake is often misunderstood. To many Americans, the Japanese beverage is only consumed hot or dropped into a beer after pounding the table and yelling, “When you say sake I say bomb! Sake! Bomb!” That’s starting to change. Restaurants in major cities are increasingly featuring sake menus with a range of options. The article The Secret to Reading Sake Labels appeared first on VinePair .
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Sake Is Emerging From the Shadow of the Sushi Bar
For years Americans only knew sake in cheaply mass-produced iterations. We dropped shots of it into pints of Kirin, screaming “sake bomb!” to no one in particular; or sipped hot, boozy versions in strip-mall sushi joints. The latter comprised my introduction to the category. As a college undergraduate I went to dinner with a roommate’s very generous parents to a very terrible sushi counter in Worcester, Massachusetts. The article Sake Is Emerging From the Shadow of the Sushi Bar appeared first on VinePair .
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How to Decode a Sake List
The first sake I ever had was in a Japanese restaurant in Maine. It was served warm and was unlike anything I’d had before – not really beer, not really wine – but so complementary to the rice and fish it accompanied. Outside major cities, the sake selection at most restaurants is limited to bottles that are easy to find and often low quality. The article How to Decode a Sake List appeared first on VinePair .
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Ask Adam: Do I Have to Buy a Round if I’m Done Drinking?
Send all advice to advice@vinepair.com I was out with a group of friends for brunch that turned into afternoon drinks. Three of my friends bought everyone a round, by which point I’d had enough. But when I got up to leave, they insisted I buy a fourth round, even though I didn’t want another drink. Were they right, or was I? You are absolutely, unequivocally wrong. The article Ask Adam: Do I Have to Buy a Round if I’m Done Drinking? appeared first on VinePair .
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The Expert Guide To Pairing Sake With Japanese Food
Is there anything better than fresh, well-made sushi? I pretty much want to eat it whenever possible. Ramen is also one of the most satisfying foods—a hot bowl of soft noodles in pork broth, yes please! But I’ve only been exposed to these foods here in the U.S.; I’ve never been to Japan. When it comes to pairing a drink with my sushi or ramen, I’m completely stumped as to which sake to pick. The article The Expert Guide To Pairing Sake With Japanese Food appeared first on VinePair .
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Myth Busted: Sake Isn’t Wine
For a drink that’s so very everywhere, sake’s pretty misunderstood. And unless you’ve grown up with the stuff—or become one of a few certified sake sommeliers—it actually makes sense to not quite get it. As consumers, we’ve been sold a two-dimensional sake experience: hot or cold, served with sushi, and, yeah, that’s pretty much it. The article Myth Busted: Sake Isn’t Wine appeared first on VinePair .
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Ever Wonder How Hot Sake Gets Heated? The Answer May Surprise You.
Like wine, sake presents a different personality at different temperatures, allowing for distinctions between chilled, room temperature, and warm sake. The warm variety has been enjoyed by nobles since the Heian era, and made its way to the Japanese everyman during the Edo (Genroku) period. Eventually it crossed to the ocean to the US, and on a crisp fall night, there’s nothing quite like ramen and warm sake. The article Ever Wonder How Hot Sake Gets Heated? The Answer May Surprise You. appeared first on VinePair .
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Where The Hell The Sake Bomb Came From: A Lesson In Irony
If you attended college in the US, you probably found yourself hanging out at a cheap karaoke bar at some point, eating mock crab California rolls and pounding sake bombs. If you’ve never had a sake bomb, you can either consider yourself as having missed out or, alternatively, greatly privileged. Sake bombs, typically comprised of cheap beer and cheap sake, are unpleasant, both in taste and consumption method. The article Where The Hell The Sake Bomb Came From: A Lesson In Irony appeared first on VinePair .
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Sake Used To Be Made With The Saliva Of Virgins
Over the years, various religions have had booze hangups. While religions like Judaism place an emphasis on the importance of wine and other drugs, other religions are anti-alcohol. The same goes for sex and virginity: the two intertwined topics are long discussed and debated, with many traditional religions concluding the same thing – abstaining before marriage is a good thing. The article Sake Used To Be Made With The Saliva Of Virgins appeared first on VinePair .