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Everything You Need To Know About Italian Pilsner

Seeking Amarone: Grace and Beauty of Cesari Amarone Bosan

What do you think of Amarone? I know that some people simply dismiss it as an alcohol bomb, as many Amarone wines nowadays are sporting 16.5% ABV, and winemakers blame climate change. Okay, climate change is not the subject of this post, so let’s quickly rewind before we go too far. Let me repeat the […]

Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe: A Lighter Take On a Classic

Did you know that this popular dish found on South Asian menus was created in Glasgow, Scotland? And that tikka means “piece” or “chunk” and refers to the charred morsels of tender chicken?!

Easter Mocktails You Need To Make

Celebrate Easter with these 5 Easter mocktails you need to make! These easy alcohol-free drinks are perfect for brunch or spring gathering.

Do You Need a License to Bartend in Arizona?

Do you need a license to bartend in Arizona? Learn the requirements, Title 4 certification rules, and how to become a bartender in Phoenix with ABC Bartending School.

Fort George Brewery celebrates 2026 Vortex Month w/ five Vortex IPA variants

FIVE VORTEX VARIANTS FOR FIVE YEARS OF VORTEX MONTH Fort George Brewery out of Astoria, Oregon has announced their 2026 Vortex Month celebrating their flagship IPA with five special variants and a series of events. More from a press release: Over 19 years of making beer, Fort George has worked on a lot of IPAs. At least a few thousand. But by far the IPA they've worked on the most is their bestselling  Vortex IPA .  Vortex  has been a Northwest favorite for nearly two decades, at the top of the charts from the Fort George taproom in Astoria to the shelves of your local bottle shop.  Vortex  was one of the first beers brewed on the Fort's 8.5 barrel brewhouse which still stands at the back of their Pub in Astoria, cranking out small batch experimental beers. It’s an ever-changing IPA - evolving in response to the tastes of people looking for a new and innovative beer, while maintaining its distinctive, unifying, familiar flavor across all of its many iterations.

13th Annual BourbonGuy.com Brackets: Round 1d: Redemption Bourbon vs Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

Hello again my friends! We are back with the final of our Round 1 Competitions. These were tasted in an order only known to my wife as another bit of obfuscation to hide what was being tasted. So Round 1 of the 2026 BourbonGuy.com Brackets continues with Division 1’s Number 1 seed, Early Times Bottled-in-Bond taking on Number 4 seed, Redemption. This is an interesting competition as it featured the highest proof pour versus the lowest proof as well as the two least expensive pours in the competition. Fun fact, each of these pours seem to be brands in transition as we will detail below. This bottle of Redemption is a two year old sourced bourbon from Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, producers of Bib & Tucker, Masterson’s Rye, Gray Whale Gin, and Josh Cellars wine. Redemption is sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. We are featuring a slightly older bottling as it looks as if the brand may have updated their bottle and possibly reformulated their bourbon since this bottle was produced

De Lancellotti

Great photo of the De Lancellotti family. For years I have admired the wines by De Lancellotti. This is an outstanding, remarkably consistent house that is producing pretty, beautifully textured Pinot Noir. Paul and Kendall de Lancellotti founded their own winery nearly two decades ago. They chose to plant their own vineyard in 2001 which was 16 acre Chehalem Mountain parcel focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. It was 2005 when this house started, utilizing the winemaking talents of Robert Brittan who serves as consulting winemaker and works with Paul to craft the wines together. The new wines come from the warmer 2024 vintage. They are round, generous and remarkably consistent. I love the 2024 De Lancellotti ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (OB, 94) which has tons of cellaring potential and comes of pretty, round and generous. Learn more about these great wines at  http://www.delancellottifamilyvineyards.com/ Here are the great new wines by de Lancellotti. 2024 De Lancellotti ‘Famiglia’&nbs

How to Plan a Paso Robles Wine Tour (Self-Guided and Guided Options)

Planning a Paso Robles wine tour? Learn how to build a self-guided route or book a guided wine tour, plus insider tips for getting the most from wine country.

Hibiscus Heat Paloma: Spring Cocktails for April Events in DFW

Looking for spring cocktail ideas in DFW? The April Bloom Paloma combines tequila, hibiscus, grapefruit, lime, and agave for the perfect event-ready drink.

3/31/26: Northern Row's Cooper Heller Bock

You didn't really think I'd let March slip away without a bock post, did you? Because there's no way I'd do that. Sure, the bock drought I noted in previous years is still going on (for some reason), but that's not enough to dissuade me from trying at least one new-to-me variant of this spring varietal! After some serious search, I found a single can of Northern Row's Cooper Heller Bock. See that goat-disguised barrel on the label art? Yeah, I think this one'll fit this month's bill just fine. Northern Row Brewery & Distillery lives in a pre-Prohibition stock house within Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. They specialize in traditional-style beers that pay homage to Cincinnati's heritage (meaning they do up a mean German-inspired ale or lager). Head over to their website to find out more about them and their whole distilling deal . Cooper has a spot at the bottom of the brewery's "Seasonals" page . Here, showcased with what I assume is the bock's old label art, it's listed

Additives in Spirits: Does Caramel Count?

I wrote a story for AlcoholProfessor.com about additives in rum. The initial point of the story was that the term “additive-free” has become charged due to its use in the tequila industry, and now the term is spilling over into rum. I learned in the process of reporting the story that some brands have used […] The post Additives in Spirits: Does Caramel Count? first appeared on Alcademics .

How to Make an 8 Layer Pousse-Cafe in Under a Minute

For AlcoholProfessor.com I wrote a story about the Pousse-Cafe, they layered drink that many of us have seen but never tried. I have never had one! I wrote a bit about the history, but the real bang for your buck is learning how Jack Sotti and his team at Archive & Myth in London have […] The post How to Make an 8 Layer Pousse-Cafe in Under a Minute first appeared on Alcademics .

Hotaling Closes Junipero Distillery

I’m very late on reposting this to my website, but in February I wrote about the closing of the distillery on Pier 50 in San Francisco where Hotaling & Co produces Junipero gin. Read it here in the San Francisco Chronicle. (paywall) The post Hotaling Closes Junipero Distillery first appeared on Alcademics .

The Ultimate Guide to Hosting a World Cup Watch Party

Looking for a bartender for your World Cup party? DFW Bartending offers mobile bar services, custom drink menus, and professional bartenders for private and corporate events in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Mosmieri Georgian Wine: Boutique Excellence from the Heart of Kakheti

Mosmieri Winery is a boutique gem located in the Tsinandali micro-zone of Georgia’s Kakheti region, a place recognized as the birthplace of wine. With over 8,000 years of winemaking tradition, Georgia remains a global leader in Qvevri wine production, and Mosmieri stands out as a modern yet culturally rooted winery producing exceptional Georgian wines. A Unique Blend of Tradition and Innovation At Mosmieri, winemaking is an art. The winery combines: Ancient Qvevri techniques – Fermentation in...

Featured Winery April 2026 – Equilibrium Makers, Martinborough

THE BALANCE OF THE FORCES – Here’s a little story about how an Italian man and a French woman found their balance, far from home. This is the story of Simone and Lucie, the team at Equilibrium Makers in Martinborough, New Zealand. In January this year I posted and shared my review of several wines […]

Grapes for Humanity Announces 2026 Fine Wine Auction

Featuring over $1 Million in Rare Wines, Dream Lots, and Unforgettable Experiences With wine donations up more than 200%, the April auction will support climate action alongside Grapes for Humanity’s core pillars of health, education, and humanitarian relief Toronto, ON … Continue reading →

Trade Friction Cuts Into U.S. Spirits Exports

A combination of ongoing trade friction, retaliatory actions, and a sagging economy combined to cut U.S. spirits exports in 2025 by 3.8%, according to new… Read More

With ‘High Voltage,’ Shock Top Follows Voodoo Ranger up the ABV Ladder

Now that a slew of popular craft beer brands, including Voodoo Ranger and Dogfish Head, have put out high-ABV new releases, Shock Top wants in. The brand debuted High Voltage, which comes in at 9.6 percent ABV, in Southern California markets today, making this new offering the brewery’s product with the highest alcohol content yet. The beer will reach shelves nationwide beginning in May. The article With ‘High Voltage,’ Shock Top Follows Voodoo Ranger up the ABV Ladder appeared first on VinePair .

Burgundy, Demystified: Why I’m Starting This Journey

Burgundy has a reputation—and in many ways, it has earned it. At its finest, Pinot Noir from Burgundy can be extraordinary: nuanced, layered, and capable of expressing place with a level of precision that few wines achieve. It is also, … Continue reading →

Reintegrating livestock in a specialized vineyard region: unravelling actor perceptions in southern France

This study by Ryschawy, J et al., (2025) published in Agronomy for Sustainable Development, found that reintegrating livestock into vineyards in southern France provides ecological benefits such as improved soil and vegetation management, but adoption is limited by weak coordination, economic constraints, and mixed stakeholder support. Headline Findings Methods Results Read the original study here. The post Reintegrating livestock in a specialized vineyard region: unravelling actor perceptions in southern France appeared first on Regenerative Viticulture Foundation .

✨ April at Wildside: Make Your Plans

April at Wildside is where everything starts to come alive again. Longer days, fuller tables, and a calendar that gives you more than one reason to come out. Whether you’re here for a midweek reset, live music, thoughtful gatherings, or something a little magical… it’s all happening this month. ‍♀️ Midweek Rhythm Wine Down Wednesday | Winery (Versailles) An all-levels yoga flow designed to help you reset midweek—followed by a glass of wine and a slower pace for the rest of your evening....

Albariño: the grape & wine

Albariño : the grape & wines Many white wine drinkers reach instinctively for familiar favourites like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, or Pinot Grigio. There is nothing wrong with any of these well-known varieties but looking further afield there is a world of exciting alternative white wines. None of these alternatives is more refreshing, versatile and food-friendly than Albariño (pronounced phonetically as Alba-reen-yo). If you’re looking to expand your palate and discover a white wine that balances elegance with vibrancy, Albariño may be exactly what you are missing. In my opinion, Albariño, especially from the Rías Baixas DO, is one of the best Spanish (and Portuguese) still white wines today. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll explore everything you need to know about the Albariño grape and its wines — from its origins and flavour profile to food pairings and buying tips—so that you can skip the Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot shelves and find a great bottle of this delicious wine ins