Settling back into my seat, I languidly surveyed my surroundings. Luxembourg’s CafeKonrad is quite the place to enjoy a cozy afternoon with friends and enjoy some fine liqueurs. My thoughts drifted back to California. Growing up in Los Angeles, I never would have thought I would adjust so well to the harsh winters of Europe….
In November of 2012, George Washington’s fabled Mt. Vernon Distillery was reopened. Today a meticulous recipe of the popular 1799 blend by our first president, is taking the rye whiskey market by storm. I have it on good authority that the president’s whiskey was not only the rage of the day, it made Mr. Washington…
Throughout my travels, I am constantly asked two questions with regard to vodka. The first, what is my favorite vodka? The second question, where did vodka originate? The first question is easy to answer. Without a doubt, my favorite vodka is Polish Starka. The answer to the second question is not so simple. By now,…
In this, the eighth annual LA WineFest to hit the historical Raleigh Studios the first weekend in June, my husband had this comment, “Joel’s doing a great job of introducing wine to the hipsters.” The “Joel” is Dr. Joel Fisher, the founder of the event, and he continues to find new wines and spirits every…
When one considers France, what often comes to mind is exceptional wines, fine Champagne, and Cognac, the crème de la crème of brandy. Yet let’s not forget France’s other premier spirit, Armagnac. Today I am in the southwest of France, in the Gascony region. This is the land between the Ardou and Garonne rivers which…
Who actually first distilled vodka? This is a hot point of contention between the countries of Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. The word vodka comes from old Slavic, “voda,” meaning “ water.” The earliest documented evidence that mentions vodka comes from Poland. Dating back to 1405, in the Akta Grodzkie, the court documents from the…
A thin cover of snow veiled the west Ukraine city of Lviv. Now that winter slowly gave way to spring, I once again found myself on the road. A scant forty miles from the Polish border, this part of Ukraine has a long history of being conquered by other nations. Dating back to antiquity, various…
I’ve been a fan of Ventura Limoncello ever since I tried it at the LA Wine Fest some five years ago. I feel in love with all three flavors (Original, Creamy and Blood Orange) and what I can’t find locally, I’ve traveled over thirty minutes to get my hands on. For locals that want a…
Our founding father’s certainly appreciated quality liquor. Most did not follow the colonial custom of drinking rum. Benjamin Franklin brewed beer. Thomas Jefferson was also a brewer and set up large vineyards at Monticello. George Washington had his own recipe for porter, a dark brown bitter beer brewed from malt that has been partly charred….
I was in Denver for a couple of days, practically trapped in a hotel room as we were without a car, while my husband attended a convention. I tooled around the State Capitol, 16th Street Mall and Larimer Square. I tried lots of local restaurants and the locally made pale ales and barley wine. But…