What I was Drinking (a little while ago!)

 Smith Haut Lafitte 2000

 What a tasty--relatively affordable (~$100) --Bordeaux from an excellent vintage!  This wine showed its age while still being youthful (a very agreeable quality). Initially I tasted it following a potent sazerac, and was worried that it had passed its prime or developed a vinegarish quality. But as I ate (and cleared my sazerac-laden palate), the wine opened up and demonstrated a complexity hard to find in more youthful wines. It was also more well-rounded and subdued than the California Cabernets I've been drinking recently (and forever).  The wine was full bodied, yet restrained. I would not hesitate to buy this and let it age another 7-10 years. The 2000 Smith Haut Lafitte definitely equals beauty in a bottle.  

I enjoyed the wine with my parents at Vizard's on Magazine Street. We brought the bottle from home and Vizard's did not charge us corkage.

This wine goes remarkably well with rich seafood dishes. I drank it with a tomato, shrimp, and lump crab meat salad with mayo and a horseradish vinaigrette. (It's already tomato season in New Orleans, so don't think snide thoughts!) Individually and paired with the salad this wine proved quite tasty. Following the salad I had crispy eggplant with crab meat and mushrooms. This dish was pretty rich, and went well with the wine. The eggplant had a powdered sugar component that I found a little overwhelming.

For dessert we all shared a simple creme brulee. The custard was tasty and the burnt sugar topping was neither overly burned nor tasting like propane. Well done.

After dinner, at home, we had Armagnac. My mother opted for the simple Chateau de Laubade  X.O. that showed nice, rich caramel notes. I chose the more complicated 1977 Domaine de Peyrot. My Armagnac may have had more complexity, but it also came with more alcoholic overtones.

On the whole a nice and tasty evening! (Please note the Fleur de Lis on the wine bottle!) So:With a tasty wine, and a tasty dinner, and a playoff game looming, I say: Who Dat?!!

What I'm Drinking (Tonight!)

Avery Brewing Co. Hog Heaven Dry-Hopped Barleywine Style Ale
This is a beer I grabbed in Colorado before heading to the land of shrimp and rice.* I don't see a date anywhere on the 22 ounce bottle, but I've had it for at least 9 months.

Avery's (faux) barleywine is pretty tasty. The bitterness was a bit of a turn off, at first. Its 104 IBUs are neither subtle nor masked. But once over my initial shock, I'm going to have to say, "This is one tasty beer!" I guess it's similar to some people...it just takes time to warm up a bit. The 9.2% ABV definitely brings the warmth on rapidly though. The hoppiness probably adds to the addictive component. (Unless of course that's the alcohol.)

The beer pours a clear, copper-amber color with a nice head (which dissipates rapidly, but not entirely). It has rich caramelish undertones that help alleviate the ale's bitterness.

I very much enjoyed drinking this strong ale. It's a definite yes for all the barley swines out there!

Pairing Suggestions: Try hard cheeses aged at least a year (think Parmigiano, Cheddar). Or pasta dishes heavy on the cheese.

*note: not craft beers

Meleagris gallopavo Cocktail

Here's to Michael P. Branch and his wild bird concoction!  His is a special drink for the Presidential Pardoning Ceremony which will take place Wednesday, November 23rd, the morning before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients & Directions
"stout tumblers of what I call Meleagris gallopavo cocktail, which is Wild Turkey straight up, the "cock-tail" mixed in only as an avian pun.  After all, nothing is more threatening to one's mental health than to be caught uncomfortably sober when it comes time for the leader of the free world to issue a televised and legally binding pardon to a bird."

Thus he wrote in "Free Birds: A Thanksgiving Lesson in Forgiveness"; Orion, November/December 2011.

Scuppernong Mocktail

With fresh scuppernongs now hitting markets here in the South, it is a perfect time to explore the possibilities of this flavorful grape.  For this mocktail simply muddle five scuppernongs in a glass and add a few ice cubes.  Pour chilled sparkling water over the concoction, mix, and enjoy!

For a real cocktail add an ounce and a half of Oronoco or Ten Cane rum and you are good to go!  The smoky flavor of these two rums will perfectly complement the scuppernong.  You can garnish with an orange or lime slice for a classy touch.