I recently wrote about how I got started with writing about and studying wine. Made me think about how I got started with drinking both wine and spirits. Had a chat with my husband Eddie, and a boozy trip down memory lane, and this is where it started and led me:
Spirits And Wine
Eve at Del Dotto, into caves with winemaker Gerard Zanzonico, circa March 2012.
When I was in high school and underage drinking was at every party, I have seriously no recollection of imbibing but I’m sure I did – and God knows what. My earliest memories of booze include Bartles and Jaymes Wine Coolers, wine spritzers, as well as Mateus and Blue Nun wines. Not a fan of beer but I did enjoy Mickey’s Big Mouth malt liquor at least once.
Fast forward to my early 20s and I enjoyed Myer’s Dark rum with orange juice, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitans, Tequila Sunrise and Kahlua with milk, cream and/or vodka. So yea, I wanted sweet cocktails, preferably ones that hid the flavor of the base spirit.
When I met Eddie his mother introduced me to Vodka Tonics. Later came single spirits, for Eddie it was Chivas Regal blended Scotch whisky, for me my tastes evolved much later, into single malt, as there’s what Eddie became more interested in. I was covering cocktail events, which we both loved, and then whisky events. In both I was learning more and more about the spirits, and how to make cocktails with them. While I prefer gin cocktails like a Negroni or a Martini, Eddie prefers whisky. So added to my home-bartending recipes are the Sazerac, Old Fashioned and Manhattan.
Only Wine
I never drank White Zinfandel. When that was introduced I was enjoying red Zinfandel. I can remember being at Sutter Home in Napa and everyone ordering White Zinfandel, it was the moment I had to start saying “red” before the word Zinfandel to get what I wanted. Thank God that craze is over.
After we got married my sister-in-law and her husband invited us to a vertical wine tasting at Concannon. I didn’t know what that was at the time but quickly learned that we were to taste the same wine from the same winery over several years. It was U.S. my a ha moment as we carefully studied the difference in each vintage. A few years later, during our first trip to France, I wanted to visit Willi’s Wine Bar that I had read about in Wine Spectator. I’ve written about Willi’s several times over the years, suffice it to say that being introduced to the perfect Chateau Lynch Bages Bordeaux with owner Mark Williamson was a turning point for me.
Around the same time my first wine classes were via The Wine House in West Los Angeles: starting with sparkling wine and junk food, Chardonnay Fests, Cab Fests, and a few weeks worth of classes just on France. It would be decades later, after already obtaining my WSET Level Two that I would return there for classes held there by the North American Sommelier Association and my Level One Sake Certification.
Now, how did you get started?
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
New Deal’s founder, head distiller, and self-proclaimed “young Tom”, Tom Burkleaux tinkered and experimented with this gin recipe for years before finally making it a part of New Deal’s permanent line of spirits this past May. Embracing their proximity to the Willamette Valley, this final rendition of Old Tom Gin is aged in Oregon wine barrels and slightly sweetened in the traditional style, creating a warm, toasty, and highly sippable spirit. Burkleaux explains that “while Old Tom is not a new style of gin, it is a style that’s continually evolving. Old Tom is a large and diverse category that has historically encompassed both barrel aged and sweetened gins, and we set out to combine the two.”
According to Cosmopolitan editors, “The flavor of MYX Light is gentle, sweet, and, dare I say…fun?! Plus the can is petite, cute, and pairs well as an accessory for any Friday-night outfit, on or off the red carpet.” 
“After last year’s overwhelming response to Peppermint Mocha Hard Latte, we took inspiration from the holidays’ most recognizable and festive flavors to spark innovation for our winter seasonals,” said Michael Sargent, senior brand manager, Twelve5 Rebel Hard Coffee. “Every flavor in the Winter Wonderland Hard Latte variety pack emulates holiday moments from relaxing with a hot cup of cocoa with marshmallows after a cold day of sledding, to the familiar aroma of cinnamon in the kitchen after baking cookies, and of course the classic holiday tradition of eggnog, there is something for everyone.
‘Vinaya’, a Sanskrit word meaning respect and gratitude, pays homage to the original founders and the distillery’s heritage, and is a No Age Statement (NAS) whisky. It is the second NAS single malt whisky in the portfolio, following the 2018 release of Samsara. The 11 and 14 Year Olds are aged single malts that will be annual releases in the ongoing portfolio.
As with the other expressions in the Burnside portfolio, Burnside Black was rested in select Oregon white oak (Quercus Garryana) barrels, but it is special because it was also Bourbon Cask-Matured, resulting in a very distinctive flavor profile. Notes of green grass, wildflower honey, toasted hazelnut, leather, and honey caramel with a mellow tannic finish makes the release a stunning representation of Burnside’s meticulously blended whiskeys. As with all the releases, the Burnside Black uses pure Mt. Hood, Oregon water for superior taste and quality.
Created from some of the last remaining barrels of Watershed Distillery’s original five grain mash bill of corn, wheat, rye, barley, and spelt—an ancient grain grown primarily in Ohio and nod to the distillery’s craft roots—Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 002 was created from copper pot-distilled bourbon aged four years in virgin char #4 White Oak barrels and finished for 34-45 months in Watershed’s own Ohio apple brandy casks. Bottled without chill filtration at 120.8 proof, this rare and complex spirit was created from barrels 100% distilled, aged, and bottled on-site, and represents the oldest bourbon ever released by Watershed Distillery.
”Aromatic and giving on the nose. The palate is elegant yet rich with fresh walnuts, spicy nutmeg and cinnamon wrapped around caramelised oranges and orange peel. This is so well balanced with great acidity. Complex example with depth and a long finish.”
The unveiling of Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon comes on the heels of Blue Run’s inaugural release in October of 2020. 