Category: Good Taste

Bourbon is rapidly becoming more popular, thanks in part to replacing vodka in the preference of many bartenders as well as appearing on popular shows such as Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire. Consumers might be skeptical at first but often find that there is a richness and subtlety that high quality bourbon offers. The “Official Spirit of America,” bourbon must be made of at least 51% corn and aged in a new charred oak barrel for at least two years. It is becoming more common for bourbons to be aged for four years or longer to gain color and flavor from the American White Oak barrels.

Jack Rose Dining Saloon, with over 2,500 total whiskeys, is a must for the bourbon enthusiast. In D.C. Jack Rose has some of the rarest bourbons in the world since the owner William Benton ‘Bill” Thomas travels across America in search of historical bourbons that have a different style and flavor than many found in this day and age. It has been described as part museum, part whiskey love affair and educational.

On the west coast the place to go is Canon: Whiskey and Bitters Emporium in Seattle. Canon competes in terms of number of labels with what founder Jamie Boudreau bills as the largest spirit selection in the west. There are more than 700 American whiskeys including unique bourbons and historic bottles such as the Valley Forge from 1906.

The Silver Dollar in Louisville might not have the collection of the previous bars but it has all the feel and style of a place where bourbon should be drank. There is vintage country music on vinyl, delicious southern food, and only Kentucky made whiskeys available including over 80 bourbons with 30 rye and unaged whiskeys.

Enjoy a classic cocktail that makes use of the spirit such as the Mint Julep, Whiskey Sour, Old Fashioned or Manhattan. These can be a great introduction to bourbon and an easily accessible way to celebrate National Bourbon Day on June 14th. Cheers!

As the weather turns sunny and warm it is time to fire up the grill and enjoy a pastime idolized in popular culture and rightly so. To cook outdoors over an open flame is thousands of years old and yet rare for most people these days. National Hamburger day kicks off summer, and now that barbecue season is back it is the perfect time to start getting creative and adventurous.

There are several burgers that go above and beyond decadent to compete for the world’s most expensive hamburger. The first is the Fleurburger at the Fleur de Lys at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Chef Hubert Keller, author of several books and winner of numerous awards, has created a Wagyu beef burger with foie gras, shaved black truffles, topped with a special sauce and served on a Brioche truffle bun. It comes with a bottle of 1995 vintage Chateau Petrus served in Ichendorf Brunello glasses which diners keep as a memento for this momentous meal. Coming in at $5000 USD it is by far the most expensive hamburger but since the wine is included another burger has to be in the conversation.

The Glamburger at the Honky Tonk in London was designed by Chris Large who, originally from Australia, created a truly multicultural hamburger expressing the diverse community in London. This sumptuous creation starts with Kobe Wagyu beef from Japan topped with New Zealand Venison. The Glamburger is seasoned with Himalayan salt served with Canadian Lobster poached in Iranian Saffron. A hickory smoked duck egg, black truffle brie, beluga caviar, and bacon coated in maple syrup add level after level of flavor to be enjoyed savoringly. For even more elegance the bun is seasoned with Japanese Matcha, cream mayonnaise and coated in gold leaf, garnished with mango and Champagne jus and grated white truffle. Wow. At $1770 USD this burger weighed in with top points for mouthwatering appeal and creative genius.

Perhaps ambitious for the home barbecue but these lavish, luxurious meals give great ideas to experiment with. Happy Hamburger Day!

April 19th is National Amaretto Day and though it is uncertain why this date has been chosen, it is certainly a reason to try an Amaretto cocktail! Italian for “a little bitter,” Amaretto is traditionally made from bitter almonds and sometimes from apricot kernels.  The nuts are infused with pure alcohol or brandy and provide bittersweet almond and vanilla flavors.

Legend has it that this spirit was created in the small town of Saronno in Italy, Saronno of the popular Disaronno brand. Bernardino Luini, a disciple of Leonardo da Vinci, was commissioned to paint the sanctuary and frescoes of the church. He needed a model to help him depict the Virgin Mary and found a young widowed innkeeper. In some versions of the legend she became more than a model for him.  Grateful for having been chosen as a muse she wanted to give Luini a gift, her secret blend of brandy and almonds.  

While the almond flavor might not be for everyone, in most drinks it is subtle enough to add a nice undertone without overwhelming the senses. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth the Italian Sunset scores well on presentation and taste.  

Italian Sunset Recipe

Combine:

-Fill a tall glass with crushed ice

-Pour in 2 ounces of amaretto

-Slowly pour 3 ounces of orange juice and then 3 ounces of club soda to add layers.  

-Add a dash of grenadine and garnish with an orange slice.  

-Do not stir and you have a cool, colorful cocktail to enjoy!

For those looking for a more sophisticated beverage to enjoy, the Marsala Martini has distinctive flavors and is well balanced. Featuring dry Marsala (an Italian wine), gin and dry vermouth as well as almond bitters there is a lot to enjoy and explore with this cocktail.  

Marsala Martini Recipe

Combine:

2 ounces Gin

1/3 of an ounce Marsala secco

1/3 of an ounce martini extra dry vermouth

a splash of amaretto

almond bitters (optional) 

Shake with ice or stir and strain into a chilled glass. 

Chicago can claim to have one of the few truly iconic American culinary meals with their deep dish pizza.  It speaks to a reckless abandon and optimistic outlook. Worry not about the future and enjoy the present thoroughly, deeply.  For those who have not tried a deep dish pizza, it is an experience.  It is almost not comparable to other pizzas, enjoy it for what it is: rich, decadent, heavy, delicious, over the top.    

Usually served in a cast iron pan, cutting out the first cheesy slice makes for a great picture.  Although there are so many quality pizzerias in Chicago, a couple in particular always top the lists.  

Lou Malnati’s sets the standard and also produces the most with over 50 stores in the Windy City.  Most people recommend it and for good reason.  The Lou has the signature buttercrust, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes and three cheeses.  Lou Malnati’s uses California vine-ripened tomatoes and Wisconsin Mozzarella and their buttercrust, which is trademarked, is crispy on the bottom and can handle the heavy ingredients. 

Pizzeria Uno is the actual birthplace of the Chicago deep dish style pizza and continues to provide excellence in every pie.  Rudy Malnati Sr. (father of Lou Malnati) was the pizza chef and one of the inventors of this recipe.  A crispy short dough for the pie is covered with cheese and crushed tomatoes.  Any topping is liberally applied but the sausage adds a thick savory layer to an already solid pizza.  

Where can one find the best deep dish outside of Chicago?  San Francisco has a pizzeria named Capo’s (presumably for Al Capone) owned by Tony Gemignani.  A 13 time World Pizza Champion, Tony has won all sorts of awards for his pizzas as well as Guinness world records.  Capo’s uses Ceresota flour from one of Chicago’s oldest mills and a mix of butter and lard in the crust for ideal flavor and consistency.  

Celebrate Chicago’s namesake pizza, on this, the day of the deep dish pizza. 

March brings two seasonal favors – the luck of the Irish and over-the-top, sumptuously delicious whiskey cocktails. And with so many spirits to choose from, and to keep the SPIRIT high, Ocean Blue World has rounded up 3 favorites from around the world. Cheers!

Here’s the scoop:

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Nothing says let the good times roll more than the city of New Orleans. And with a straight rye whiskey that’s been rooted in the magic city since the 1800’s – when saloons found refuge in quaint coffee houses – there’s no better drink of choice we can recommend than this vanilla meets licorice smooth whiskey blend. What’s more, the Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey became so beloved by Royal Street locals that they even named a cocktail after it, the “Sazerac,” America’s first branded mixed libation. So if you’re looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a cocktail just as rich in history as the Irish culture, than tempt your taste buds on this big easy original.

The GlenLivet 18 Year Old Whiskey

An ultra luxurious whiskey that’s elegantly colored in gold and apricot and filled with notes of sweet oranges, fruits, and toffee. The GlenLivet 18 Year Old Whiskey is a potion palate puncher that every man should keep on store. Suggested to pair with a fillet mignon or foie gras, this succulent sip is one that’s meant to be adored. And on St. Patrick’s Day, what better way to give it pride of place than to heading to your favorite Irish tavern, feasting your eyes on a gastronomic plate, and righteously ordering a glass to taste.

Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The Kentucky Derby’s oldest friend. Woodford Reserve. The official bourbon whiskey of the thoroughbred’s most iconic racetrack, Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a sip to savor. Comprised of over 200 notes, from bold grain and wood to sweet and spicy aromatics, this premium spirit is ideal for a cozy winter evening. So we recommend snuggling up next to the couch and surprising your loved one with a bottle of Woodford Reserve. We assure, it will be their lucky day.

Ask me about my favorite wine, and I’ll say “the kind that comes in a bottle … with a cork!”. Pressed to be more specific, I’ll confess a secret adoration for anything sweet. Imagine my delight at the discovery of ice wine – eiswein in Europe, or icewine as trademarked in Canada.

The origins of this heavenly-sweet wine are up for debate. Sometime between 1794 and 1830 in Germany, some grapes were frozen on the vine, hurriedly harvested and then crushed while still frozen. The process has been finessed since then, and ice wine is now produced in a deliberate but risky decision to leave the grapes unharvested long after they are ready. Hungry wildlife and falling fruit take their toll on the harvest volume. And then there’s the timing: temperatures need to be cold enough (around -7º C) to ensure a good freeze, but not so severe that the little frozen orbs are unpressable.

Since a large portion of the water content in the grapes remains frozen, and only the sugary syrup is forcibly extracted – breaking a few wine presses in the process – vintners have just a modest amount of liquid left to ferment. The high sugar content results in a long, slow fermentation process of several months, followed by a languid repose in the barrels.

The outcome of all this reduction is that ice wine is seldom sold in measures exceeding 375ml. And with a price tag to match. Those elegantly narrow bottles hold the promise of a dessert wine so outrageously sweet (anywhere from 32–46 Brix), you have to pair it with something mild, a good chunk or artisan cheese, or nothing at all. Ice wine packs intense flavor into each silky sip. Depending on where its produced and the cultivars used, expect a range of berry and stone fruit notes, but ice wine can be unexpectedly acidic. Be sure to leave your glass in the fridge while you wait for the wine to chill.

Ice wine production has grown steadily, with several wineries artificially forcing the process by freezing the grapes after picking. This reduces the risk of missing the “cold, though not too cold” weather window, but wine made this way can’t legally be called icewine. You’ll know it as iced wine or icebox wine and is marginally easier to find at your local merchant. While you’ll enjoy satisfying examples of ice wine from Germany, Austria and the US, Canada has undoubtedly won at this game. As an extraordinary indulgence to end off your next dinner party, look out for Inniskillin Gold Oak Aged Vidal Icewine, Dr Loosen Riesling Eiswein, Magnotta Vidal Ice Wine, Weingut Markus Huber Berg Riesling Eiswein or Peller Estates Signature Series. Totally worth the spend!

Wine lovers rejoice! If you needed another reason to enjoy a fine glass of red or white, here’s to raising a toast in honor of National Drink Wine Day. Cheers!

Château d’Yquem – Sauternes 1976

One of Château d’Yquem’s twin titans of 1975 and 1976, by all accounts the Sauternes ’76 is a flawless treasure, and well worth the effort to get your hands on a bottle. One look at the dark golden liquid lets you know its going to be angelically sweet. Gifted by the noble rot Botrytis, with an intense floral nose and notes of apricot and honey, Crème brûlée and brown sugar, and a surprisingly long finish. Sauternes is produced in southern Bordeaux, taking its name from the village of Sauternes. Made from Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, it is among the most famous of the world’s favorite dessert wines. Traditionally paired with fruity desserts, Foie gras or a rich Roquefort, Sauternes also play well with an exotic main course, or just to keep you company with a good book and candlelight.

Viña Cobos – Cobos Volturno 2010

“A very sexy wine” – several reviewers had the same thing to say about this Argentine beauty, a complex Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blend produced in Perdriel just south of Mendoza. An adrenaline-pumping mouthful of chocolate and coffee; well-balanced, extremely smooth with dark ripe fruit (cherry, blackberry, plum, raspberry), tobacco, liquorice, cassis vanilla, and old leather. Every sip reveals a new blend of flavours that stay with you for a leisurely finish. Cobos Volturno is a beautifully rich and elegant wine: very port-like with its high alcohol content, it pairs well with venison, a good cut of beef, slow-cooked lamb or even poultry. A great conversation starter, make sure you have more than one bottle available because everyone will want a top up!

Château Rayas – Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé 2005

Rated among top 1% of all the world’s wines, the Château Rayas Réservé 2005 is a well-loved vintage and winner of Vivino’s 2018 Wine Style Awards in the Southern Rhône Châteauneuf-du-Pape Red category. Ready now to enjoy over a long, slow evening as the flavours evolve after decanting, but it could do with a few more years in the cellar, if you have the patience. The Réservé has a surprisingly light ruby colour considering the bouquet it presents – from soft dark fruit to candy, chocolate, spices and old leather! If you enjoy Grenache, you will fall deeply in love. Smooth, elegant and yet powerful on the palate it feels more like a Burgundy than a wine of the Southern Rhône.

Music Icon Jon Bon Jovi & Son Jesse Bongiovi, On Their Top Ranking Rosé, Hampton Water

The godfather of rock and roll, Jon Bon Jovi, and son Jesse Bongiovi, are showing New York locals and global Billboard music fans how to sip and be served the Hamptons bon vivant lifestyle, with their newly launched, top ranking rosé wine, Hampton Water.

And if you’re wondering how this father son duo plans to step up New York’s blush colored water game, it’s with the perfect blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes grown in the French Mediterranean mixed in with family memories from their long island seaside playground.

“The Hamptons has always been a special place for me, it’s where my family goes to slow down from our busy lives and just spend time together,” said Bongiovi. “We call it the exhale. Essentially, we wanted to bottle up that feeling of enjoying life and making memories with the people you love most. Hampton Water represents that sense of place, not necessarily geographically, but emotionally.”

It was these summer memories – wrapped in a light pink bottle – that initially fired the Hampton Water lightbulb.

Over a glass of rosé, on a warm summer night, Bongiovi and his dad joked that rosé was the water of the Hamptons.

“He challenged me to come up with a business plan and the rest is history,” said Bongiovi.

Nearly one year later, after launching at Miami Beach’s illustrious Casa Casuarina, with partner and acclaimed French Winemaker, Gérard Bertrand, Hampton Water has been named the top ranked rosé and #83 wine in the world by Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2018.

“To be recognized by this esteemed organization at all, especially in our first year, is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Bongiovi.

Now available online at winesale.com or in stores in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, DC, Florida, Illinois and Nevada, Hampton Water is rapidly expanding throughout the US with plans for global expansion in early 2019.

And with the fall release of the Pink Bottle Boys Dinner Party with business partner and fellow Hampton Water co-founder, Ali Thomas, Bongiovi is making it his mission to change the narrative around rosé and rosé season.

“We’ve been working with prominent local chefs to build seasonally inspired Hampton Water pairing menus that utilize Hampton Water as an ingredient,” said Bongiovi. “We just had our second dinner at Le Turtle in New York City.”

Executive Chef of Le Turtle, Victor Amarilla, curated the menu with the help of one ingredient, Hampton Water. Bongiovi particularly favored the Roasted Cauliflower with Hampton Water emulsion, Seared Scallops with Hampton Water curd, and the Mushroom Risotto which had a Hampton Water sauce.

“So good!” said Bongiovi.

And if you’re still eager to hear the results on Bongiovi and his father’s challenge, take it as complete.

Because of the great success behind the opening of the #OfrendaBar of Veuve Clicquot, the brand reinvents this amazing space to present the “Madame Clicquot Bar,” a new spot to enjoy any occasion.

Madame Clicquot Bar will live in the heart of one of the most beautiful streets of Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma, in the St. Regis Hotel from the 14th of November to the 15th of December in a schedule from 8:00pm to 2:00am. Let yourself be led by Madame Clicquot through a tour of extraordinary flavors where you will find unique creations, classic drinks with the entire portfolio of Moët Hennessy and above all, many bubbles.

Some of the cocktails you will find are “El Beso” that has Belvedere Vodka, “Délice Spritz” with Chandon Délice, the “Pepita Romero” with Glenmorangie Whisky, “El Coco” with Hennessy Very Special, the “Cáliz” with Volcán de mi Tierra, but the one that you can´t miss in your visit to this spectacular place is the cocktail of the house, the “Mariposas Amarillas”, which has a mixture of Veuve Clicquot champagne, Hennessy Very Special, Yellow Lemon Juice and natural syrup and is inspired by the famous Colombian author, Gabriel García Márquez.

This great character of Hispanic literature was a huge fan and consumer of Veuve Clicquot. It is said that during meetings to which he was invited, he could not attend without arriving with a bottle of the brand. His followers, knew of the writer’s predilection for yellow, and in his home never went missing the yellow roses and at public events he was always seen with a flower of the color overlapped in his coat.

“As long as there are yellow flowers, nothing bad can happen to me. To feel sure I need to have yellow flowers (preferably yellow roses) or be surrounded by women “ -Gabriel García Márquez.

You can also find a wide variety of food that is going to be prepared by the distinguished Chef David Izquierdo, who marrys perfectly with the cocktails and drinks of the place. Try some cochinita, empanadas or tamales of Iberian sobrasada, or some taquitos of piglet Beijing, some patatas bravas, and more delicious options.

Reserve your space at +52 (55) 5080.4900 and get to know the house of Madame Clicquot in Mexico. Spend an unparalleled time between bubbles, extraordinary flavors and incredible music.

A globalized world, where competitiveness and the quest to take full advantage of all the opportunities for growth that emerge out there, do not always get to match with the desired expectation about the personal growth of the employees, their well-being and the longed dream that a young entrepreneur built some day in their imagination of the future, to make this world, something better.

However, there are success stories that prove it is possible. This is the case of Clase Azul Spirits, the company that produces the emblematic tequila and mezcal Clase Azul. This 100% Mexican company, is not only an example of good operating practices achieved to position itself as one of the top luxury brands in the world, but, also, it has taken the flag of human well-being as one of its priorities to achieve such success.

 Its purpose: To initiate a shift from our current reality to encourage individual transformation. “Success for me is based on happiness, on the possibility of transforming lives in a positive way”, shares Arturo Lomelí, founder & CEO of the company.

Clase Azul Spirits ranked at the top of the best companies to work in, under the GREAT PLACE TO WORK certification; It is an inclusive company where 60% of the employees are women, a large part of them from the Mazahua indigenous culture, who handmade each of the liquors that contain Tequila and Mezcal Clase Azul completely by hand. The physical disability has not been an impediment to the hiring of its staff. The focus is on people, their well-being, the care of their time and the balance of life in their personal, professional, familiar and spiritual spheres. “Everyone is important in the company, we do not use numbers, we use names to identify ourselves.” (Arturo Lomelí).

 Even the company has a not profit organization named “Fundación con Causa Azul” that with a 100% focused team dedicates its days to the support of Mexican artisans, their training and promotion of their hand-crafts, looking that way, to keep our culturally exquisite Mexico alive.

This is how Clase Azul Spirits adopts this philosophy and life style as part of its business strategy, as part of its added value. Having happy employees, proud of their company and their work, employees who, motivated and grateful for that well-being, give their maximum effort, can almost automatically lead to business success, achieving a dream that is not only accounted for in profitability, but also in shared happiness. 

A road trip devoted entirely to lobster rolls? Where do I sign up for that? We embarked on a virtual road trip to map out the best places along the coast to have a “meet and eat” with the finest crustacean sandwiches in the Northeast. Here are three standout establishments that answer the question, “where do I find a great lobster roll in coastal Maine.”

The Clam Shack in Kennebunkport

This institution in Kennebunkport opened in 1968, and is known for its fresh lobster meat coated in a unique mayonnaise and melted-butter blend. But not just any old butter. Owner Steve Kingston sources Kate’s Homemade Butter from Maine at $110 a case. He says that’s what makes the taste so distinct. Kingston defies the norm with a non-traditional round roll. Kingston says of the dish, “I’m very fanatical about a very simple sandwich.” He plucks his lobsters from Kennebunkport’s Cape Porpoise Harbor and has them delivered to his seafood market, which is next-door to the restaurant. There, he steams the lobsters in ocean water and takes the meat off by hand. A laborious process that demonstrates there’s a lot of painstaking detail behind every sandwich sold here. It pays off. In the summer months, The Clam Shack sells an upwards of 500 rolls.

Five Islands Lobster

Perched on an active fishing wharf, skirting Sheepscot Bay is this standout lobster spot that claims to own the title of “best lobster shack in Maine.” The surrounding Five Islands’ waters are some of the coldest and deepest around—ideal for nurturing healthy meaty lobsters and lots of them. Lobsters go straight from “water-to-table” and are never stored in tanks. In fact, you’ll be able to watch the lobster boats pulling away from the dock from your table. This is an authentic coastal Maine dinner at its best.

Red’s Eats

Right off Wiscasset’s Main Street and operating for 78 years now, Red’s Eats resembles a red caboose plucked from the railroad tracks and left resting underneath a Siberian Elm tree. It’s basically a trailer with a striped red-and-white awning serving sandwiches out of a small window. The ambiance is all around you though—Red’s is perched on a corner overlooking the Sheepscot River. The spot is known for its huge rolls overflowing with meaty lobster—a tourist stopover and a locals’ favorite. Author and seafood expert Mike Urban said about the place, “If you can handle the hour-plus wait in line or on the sidewalk along busy U.S. Route 1, your sweet reward will be a magnificent lobster roll known far and wide as one of the best in Maine.”

While everyone lays claim to having the best lobster roll, it’s probably a good idea to embark on a New England adventure and draw your own conclusions. Just be sure to pack a big appetite.