Slashfood

• Raising the Bar: Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask
  

  Filed under: Recipes, Books, Cocktails, Raves & Reviews, Raising the Bar

  Long before there was a Kevin Bauch circumnavigating the globe to cure his thirst, there was the inimitable Charles H. Baker, author of my current favorite cocktail book The Gentleman's Companion - Being an Exotic Drinking Book or Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask.
  
  Charles H. Baker Jr. (December 25, 1895 - November 11, 1987) was a true bon vivant who spent most of his adult life traveling the globe, collecting food and drink recipes, the most famous of which being his chronicles on cocktails. Many of those recipes found in...
  



• Review: Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager
  

  Filed under: Beer, Fruit, Raves & Reviews

  When last we left fruit beer reviews, I doled out major praise to Bar Harbor for balancing blueberry fruit flavor while maintaining a solid level of traditional craft beer appeal. Based on a recommendation, this weekend I thought I would take a stab at Louisiana brewery Abita's Strawberry Harvest Lager. After my first sip, I realized it would be perfect... for a counterpoint example of why fruit beers often get a bad rap!
  
  The nose is an overwhelming burst of strawberry. It's too much by any standards (except maybe for Kool-Aid Man: Oh yeah!), but what's most unfortunate is...
  



• Review: Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale
  

  Filed under: Beer, Fruit, Raves & Reviews

  Ok, so I haven't tried every blueberry-flavored beer in the world (though trust me, that is my goal). That said, I can tell you what my favorite of the ones I have tried is: Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale.
  
  Last week you may remember I gave a few deductions (too much Olympics!) to Blue Point Brewing Company's Blueberry Ale for balance -- pointing out that many times it can be hard to organically match malt and hops to fresh fruit flavoring, especially with extremely light ales. In my opinion, the best fruit beers tend to be unfiltered wheat...
  



• Review: Blue Point Brewing Company Blueberry Ale
  

  Filed under: Beer, Fruit, Raves & Reviews

  "Our distributor asked us to do something like that," says Alan Brady, Head Brewer for Long Island, New York's Blue Point Brewing Company. "Now it's one of our top sellers."
  
  Ah, what inspiration: I've heard more passion in bank transactions. But who can blame him: Blue Point's flagship beer Toasted Lager is a World Beer Cup winner. Now he has silly bloggers wasting his time asking questions about this fruity brew. Even the official description is somewhat backhanded: "Blue Point fresh Blueberry Ale offers an unusual twist on brewing that turns...
  



• Review: Bud Light Lime
  

  Filed under: Beer, Raves & Reviews, New Products, Summer

  Going nationwide last July, Miller Chill quickly became ubiquitous at stores. This summer, Anheuser-Busch tried targeting the flourishing lime-flavored beer market as well, launching Bud Light Lime in April with $35 million in advertising. Since then, the macro-brew's been bragging about its success crediting the roll-out for an increase in 2nd quarter profits and summer market share.
  
  Enough jabber-jargon... Do I want to drink it??
  
  Personally, my taste buds sour at the mere thought of giving a Bud Light spin-off the full taster's treatment, but just for kicks, let's...
  



• Elevate your summer cook-out with gourmet hot dogs
  

  Filed under: Beef, Poultry, Pork, Raves & Reviews, New Products

  
  I remember once, while I was around 7 years old and playing at a friend's house, my mom stopped by with lunch for me (they were doing her a favor by watching me and she didn't want to impose on them to feed me as well). It consisted of a napkin-wrapped hot dog that she pulled out of her purse. I remember looking at with distaste, as the hot dog was wrinkled and grey, and the bun was also a sad affair. It was edible, but certainly not exciting. That experience colored my perception...
  



• Raising the Bar: Blogging from Tales of the Cocktail
  

  Filed under: Tastings, Cocktails, Raves & Reviews, On the Blogs, Spirits, Festivals, Raising the Bar, Summer

  The boozefest that is Tales Of The Cocktail has been everything I thought it'd be, and I have to admit it's nice, for the moment, to be relatively sober. You see, you can't go very far in New Orleans without being tempted to have a drink. When you throw the world's biggest cocktail and spirit schmoozefest/symposium, it is definitely hard to hold on to your sobriety. Not that any of us want to, of course.
  
  This is just a reminder of something I posted...
  



• Starbucks' new Vivanno Nourishing Blend
  

  Filed under: Coffee, Juice, Raves & Reviews, New Products

  
  There are few corporations as polarizing as Starbucks. Even on this blog, it is the rare Slashbucks post that doesn't incite a ruthless comments war. Yet there is no denying that Starbucks is a fast food force and their products deserve coverage like everybody else, so simmer.
  
  Today Starbucks is introducing yet another beverage to their liquid arsenal. Though frozen and blended, the new Vivanno isn't another tired variation on the -ccino theme. Nope, this is Starbucks' answer to Jamba Juice: A protein-packed smoothie.
  
  Here's the scoop:
  
  • One whole - real!...
    
  
  
  
  • Drink and ride in Vieux Carré?
    

    Filed under: Lush Life, Cocktails, Raves & Reviews

    

    So I'm guilty of impaired riding. Carousel riding that is. Like many fans of the Cocktail, I'm down in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail for the next week and having a blast. Within a few minutes of getting to my hotel in the French Quarter, the Hotel Monteleone, I was sitting on a carousel and bellied up to the bar all at the same time. The famous carousel bar in the hotel turns at a leisurely four times per hour, which is negligible at first, but seems to speed up as the drinks slide down. I ordered one...
    
  
  
  
  • Unappealing candy from Archie McPhee
    

    Filed under: Candy, Raves & Reviews, On the Blogs

    I never thought I'd come across a candy that didn't sound at least somewhat appetizing. I've heard tell of the vomit flavored jelly beans, but I've never encountered them, so it doesn't quite count. However, this review of Chum Bucket candy from Candy Addict was enough to give me sympathy nausea.
    
    The seafood flavored candy is made by Archie McPhee, whose company mission it must be to create candy that's only fit for gag gifts. I'm sure they don't intend their products for actual human consumption.