Back in the day, my junior and senior high school days to be exact, I was a lifeguard at the local Country Club. Before my days as a CC employee, I’d spent plenty of summers running around the side of the same pool, practicing my swan dives and playing games of chicken thanks to my grandparent’s membership.

But now that I think back on it, I was an employee spending her summers yelling at rug rats, “Don’t run!” while I wished for my friends to show up and give me some relief from the whining children and leering male members who casually stalked the pool during the 90-degree plus days.

I loved being a lifeguard. Soaking up the sun or playing with the kids in the pool, coaxing them to make that very first jump off the diving board while their parents immersed themselves in the social scene without a care of what their youngins were up to. Even the time I spent skimming the pool put me in some kind of zen state.

While I garnered a killer tan every year, and made plenty of friends since they had a free entrance to a great place to cool off, one of my favorite memories of working at the pool was the snack bar, complete with the greasiest burgers I would rarely eat (but would send me straight to beefy heaven when I did) and the most refreshing Lime Rickeys I’ve ever sipped – the perfect topper to a hot day at the pool.

Thus my divine inspiration for this cocktail was born. Even if it did take me 20 years longer to recreate the classic Lime Rickey, at least this time it’s with an adult touch.

Heidi Larson is the blogger/photographer behind Foodie Crush.

What is Bordeaux Blanc:

When you hear the word Bordeaux, what comes to mind? If you’re like most of us, you think of a well-balanced red wine paired with a savory French meal. Red Bordeaux (Bordeaux Rouge) is available almost everywhere, and it’s hard to find a bad one. But did you know the Bordeaux region also produces some awesome whites?

The problem is, you may have to wade through quite a few bottles to find a good Bordeaux Blanc – a whole lot of bottles to find a great one. And if you’re trying to find a good bottle on a budget, the odds are not in your favor. But luckily for you, I can’t resist a good wine challenge, so I’ve taken it upon myself to sort through a few white Bordeaux bottles across the price spectrum to find a solid bottle you can rely on.

In very broad, general terms, French wines are meant to be enjoyed with and to complement food. Unlike their brash American cousins, most French wines are not intended to be the center of attention, and few are meant to be enjoyed “cocktail style” while waiting for the meal to start. They often lack the bold, stand-alone punch of their new world counterparts; they are subtler, more genteel, and more elegant. This is true whether you are talking red or white Bordeaux, but it means the food pairing can be important.

However, you don’t need a gourmet meal to enjoy French wine. To prove this point, my friends and I decided to taste Bordeaux Banc with more traditional American picnic cuisine like fried chicken and potato salad. It’s that time of year, so why not find an awesome bottle to take on your summer outings?

The Story:

Our planning started the week before our Sunday evening meal when I asked my chef friend, Ben, if he was good at frying chicken. He looked hurt.

“Yes, I have a delicious recipe,” he informed me. “But,” he continued tentatively, “chicken frying is really messy and will stink up your house for days. What if we buy it instead?”

My first thought was of a red and white paper “bucket” picturing a southern Colonel, and while I have no problem burying my face in one of those buckets when I want to hide from the world, it is not exactly the fried chicken I had in mind. But then he mentioned Lucy’s Fried Chicken and my attitude changed completely. Lucy’s is delicious, and face it, if any of us are going on a picnic with our busy schedules, are we really going to fry the chicken?

“Let’s do it!” I told him. “And while you’re at it, Whole Foods makes awesome potato salad. The mustard-based kind, please. Like my mama used to make.”

He enthusiastically agreed.

In choosing the white Bordeaux, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. I haven’t tried that many of them, mainly because there are not that many available, relatively speaking. Only 10% of the grapes grown in Bordeaux are white, and the wines produced from them do not often make their way to American shelves or restaurants. I decided we’d taste three I’ve never had before.

With a bit of research, I knew I wanted predominantly Sauvignon Blanc and wanted three bottles at varying price levels. Other than that, I was shooting in the dark. But that is one of the fun aspects of drinking wine; it’s always an adventure.

What Wine Made it Home with Us?

1. Chateau Carbonnieux 2006 (U.S. $46.00)

2. Chateau Suau, Bordeaux Blanc Sec 2011 (U.S. $14.99)

3. Armond Roux, Verdillac 2011 (U.S. $9.99)

The predominant white grape grown in Bordeaux is Sauvignon Blanc, second is Semillon, and third is Muscadelle. Sauvignon Blanc, a yellow-green skinned grape, is actually native to Bordeaux. Most white Bordeaux wines are a mix of majority Sauvignon Blanc and lesser amounts of Semillon. Some of them also add Muscadelle. If you’re lucky, the bottle will spell out the blend, but don’t count on it. If not, know that the typical dry (sec) white Bordeaux blend has anywhere from 60% – 90% Sauvignon Blanc, down to a minimum of 25% required by French law.

Back to the Story:

Of course, Ben had to cook something from scratch, so this time it was two appetizers – bacon-wrapped dates and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus (the recipes can be found below).

The first bottle we tried, just as Ben placed the broiled, bacon-wrapped dates on the counter, was the Chateau Suau 2011, Bordeaux Blanc. Fortunately, it took very little digging to discover the blend percentages (55% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Semillon, and 10% Muscadelle); they were printed on the back label.

As expected, the Muscadelle gave the wine a floral aroma and an initial taste of over-ripened fruit. But that quickly gave way to a smooth, round, semi-dry middle, then a dry finish. Its color reminded me of Citrine crystal, and the lingering taste had a hint of citrus and freshly mowed hay. This is a light, eventually unremarkable wine that one dinner guest described as a gulping wine, meaning it is light enough and refreshing enough to drink quickly, but that’s not always a good thing if you have to work the next day. While decent, it was almost too simple, even though it did pair well with the bacon-wrapped dates. Bottom line, for the price, this is a very decent bottle to serve, but we were hoping for better.

About the time Ben placed the Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus on the table and put the chicken in the oven to warm, we opened our second bottle – the Armond Roux, Verdillac 2011. This was by far my favorite, even though at first I was not sure why. Unlike the Chateau Suau, the grape percentages appeared nowhere on the bottle. It wasn’t until I spoke to the distributor on the phone that my fondness of it made sense.

“We custom blended this wine ourselves at the commune in France,” said Bret Tisdale, partner in Makin Wines International, LLC. “And unlike the usual dry white Bordeaux, which is typically around 75% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon, and oak barrel aged, we made our Verdillac from 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes and aged it in stainless steel.” Both Bret and his business partner live in Texas, and as Bret explained, they were aiming for a “clean, refreshing wine with lively fruit and higher acidity,” and one that held its own in the 100° plus Texas summer heat.

I’d still say that Bret and his partner more than hit their mark. It was crisp, yet flavorful, with a fruit forward edge that gave it depth and complexity and enough acidity to keep it interesting and tight.

With our chicken and potato salad, we opened our last bottle, the Chateau Carbonnieux Pessac-Leognan 2006. At $46.00 a bottle, it is not exactly an “affordable” wine, but now and then the price difference can be worth it. Unfortunately, this time it was not. Only one of my friends chose this wine as his favorite.

What’s the Verdict?

Of the three wines we tasted, the Armond Roux, Verdillac 2011 was the closest to a traditional white Bordeaux blend. Most white Bordeaux are crafted to be drunk young. A few higher-end bottles, however, do better with aging. But those are usually majority Semillon blends. Majority Sauvignon whites do not often age well, and a 2006 is not a young white wine. This bottle, however, wasn’t so much too old as it was possibly over oaked. It had a strong taste of what I could only describe as Cognac, as if the wine itself was aged in a discarded cognac barrels (a technique actually used by some whiskey makers but not winemakers). And the oak left a thick creaminess that coated the tongue. Similar to a stereotypical malolactic California Chardonnay, it felt like chewing pure, unsweetened butter. Even the savory chicken and mustard-tinged potato salad could not sharpen the flabby roundness of this wine.

Just to make sure, we all took another sip of both the Chateau Suau and the Verdillac with a bite of our entree. Both went well with the spicy crusted chicken and tangy potato salad, but even then I thought the Verdillac simply had more there.

What’s the Takeaway?

If you’re planning a picnic this season, keep in mind the Armond Roux, Verdillac. Even though at 100% Sauvignon Blanc, it is not a typical Bordeaux blend, it is a very respectable wine at a great price.

Recipes for Dishes Mentioned:

1. Bacon Wrapped Dates w/ Marcona Almonds
   (recipe by Ben Morton)
   The pitted dates are each stuffed with a Marcona Almond and wrapped with a short, thick slice of artisanal smoked bacon. They are placed on a sheet pan and roasted on 375 degrees, rotating as needed for even cooking, until bacon is lightly crisp.  Plate on a bed of arugula for color and a pepper bite.
2. Prosciutto Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
   (recipe by Ben Morton)
   
   
   Cut off the rough end of thin, fresh asparagus spears and place onto a sheet pan.  Drizzle a buttery olive oil over all and sprinkle cracked fresh peppercorn and coarse sea salt over all along with thinly minced rosemary and thyme.  Toss for even coating and roast on 375-400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until bright green.  Remove and chill in refrigerator to be wrapped in thinly sliced strips of prosciutto just before serving.

As Americans, we pride ourselves on making things bigger, bolder, and better. What was once a simple quarter pound hamburger, small fry, and twelve ounce drink is now a belt-expanding monstrosity. It’s now a full pound Angus beef patty piled high with grilled onions, bacon, three different cheeses, and barbecue sauce with thick cut heavily-seasoned potato wedges to fill a bucket and a forty-four ounce sugary soft drink (actually, that sounds pretty good right about now!). However, our love for the over-indulgent has created some pretty choice goods, my favorite being barrel-aged beers. There is nothing more palate-pleasing than a well-balanced, heady brew with subtle nuances of cherry, smoke, and vanilla.

Throughout the last fifteen years, barrels that housed scotch, chardonnay, and bourbon have been incorporated into the brewing arsenals of the industry greats. Not surprising, the cocktail world followed suit with British mixologist, Tony Conigliaro. Tony has been aging batched Manhattans for several years now, and this simple, yet unorthodox, method has taken the spirits scene by storm. Since its inception, the concept has caught on to other renowned craftsmen, most notably Jeffery Morgenthaler, the captain behind Portland, Oregon’s, Clyde Common.

Let me say that when I make this again, I will do so in proper fashion with a true one liter American Oak barrel from Tuthilltown Spirits (stay tuned for future posts). This company makes barrel-aging accessible for home use, and at just sixty dollars, it opens the door for infinite experimentation. To make the process a little more user-friendly, I simply purchased bags of medium char American and Hungarian oak cubes from my local homebrew supply store. Couple those with a one and a half liter Weck cylindrical jar, and you have yourself a “barrel” system!

The Negroni is the perfect cocktail to barrel-age, as it only requires three ingredients: gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari. It is essential to use the best ingredients you can afford when crafting cocktails. Knowing that the oak nibs would impart a rich, bold flavor on the end product, I used Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, which has a slightly sweet, yet dry, character; Campari is the go-to for a classic Negroni (although it is fun to experiment with other bitter liqueurs like Cynar and Aperol) as is Carpano Antica Formula, which is hands down the best sweet vermouth money can buy. Get it. Use it. Love it!

Well well well. TGIF, as they say? Come settle in, and let’s enjoy a round of the Internet on me, dears. Once again, I’ve spent too much time knocking around on it so you don’t have to! Let’s dig in, shall we?

Reasons to Drink (in case you do these things by occasion):

1. This Sunday, June 16th, is Father’s Day in the United States, and whether you have daddy issues or a deep and loving respect for the man who helped bring you into this world– well, there’s more than enough reason to drink on either account. Try these:

• A Campari Mojito, brought to you all the way from London, via The Kitchn
• For dads who do not indulge, try this Rosewater Limemade from Mom Foodie. What, doesn’t sound manly enough for you? Real men drink what’s refreshing, chump, and don’t worry about whether or not their drink is “manly.” Honestly. (Consider this a bonus tip.)
• Don’t like either of my selections? Here are seven more choices. Even picky dad-child duos should find something they like in there. If not? Well, we have an archive here you know.
• Don’t have a gift for dad yet? Tell him it’s on its way, and order this Illustrated Guide to Cocktails. Be sure to watch the book trailer; it contains a recipe for my very favorite cocktail.

2. You’re smart. No really, apparently that’s a reason. Science says so. Thank you science, we’ll take it. And take this Cucumber & Thyme Sangria, because you’re smart enough to know that departures from the usual can be rewarding.

Around the Internet | Booze-related and otherwise

To read: The Travel Ninja walks you through the process of using all of your allotted liquids on a flight for transporting mini bottles of booze. If you’re one to frequent a minibar at your destination and don’t care about having cologne or mouthwash on hand to charm others, blaze that trail m’dears.

To play with: Mapping the Rise of Craft Beer from The New Yorker. 

The weirdest thing I found this week: This.

And last, but certainly not least, your weekly tip on How To Be A Man, From A Woman: take Ron Swanson’s Test of Manliness. Just don’t take it too seriously.

That’s it for this week, darlings. I’ll see you back here next.

Photo Credit: NYPL Digital Gallery 

The Story:

“Watch your step,” my partner Ken says to me as we walk from the car onto the cliffs lining California’s iconic Highway 1, a gorgeous though sometimes treacherous stretch of asphalt running right along the far edge of the rough-hewn Central Coast. You can hear the violence of the oddly named Pacific crashing somewhere down below. But up here all you can sense is the sweet light and the briny mist of yet another perfectly golden afternoon.

We’re making a rather mechanically gutsy road trip in my 1974 MGB convertible. We have the vague idea we might stop at a winery or two to pick up a few bottles of something local for the weekend, but our plans are fluid so we pull over to take in the view.

Our destination is Cayucos, an under-the-radar beach town and a secret favorite of mine. It’s a sleepy place that seems trapped in a simpler time – a single strip of pavement that runs in fits and starts at the very edge of the sand. It’s lined with antique stores, surf shops, and kitschy seafood shacks – all of them throwbacks to a 1960s California surf culture.

The car is behaving, and I’m eager to get back on the road, hoping to catch the sunset from Cayucos’ charming wooden pier. But the view from here is too tempting. The chance to stretch our legs and feel happy to be alive wins out for the moment. We find ourselves standing on the edge of the world feeling both minuscule and powerful.

The quality of the light reminds me of when I lived in Santa Barbara, the gateway to the Central Coast and an hour south of here. I would drive my convertible up and over the Cachuma Pass. It was a terrific way to leave the Santa Barbara coastal haze behind, vaguely hungry for a little adventure and a lot of food. Back then, Highway 154 meandered over the mountain and slowly drizzled down into the Santa Ynez Valley. It was there in the valley I’d pick up chewy, meaty sandwiches stuffed full of Santa Maria-style tri-tip barbecue served with a side of indigenous pink pinquito beans. I could make the two hour round-trip to Mattei’s Tavern past bean fields and pumpkin patches, enjoying the chalky bluffs of the Santa Ynez River and still make it to my retail job at the mall before noon.

I don’t know why I made those Sunday morning drives so regularly. I was a college student with two jobs. My time was precious. But so were those drives, and I’m grateful for the memory of them. They’re when (and why?) I fell in love with California. The textures of the passing images whizzing through my dashboard are burned into my mind to this day. The gold and green of the oak strewn slopes and the chromium-blue mountain air didn’t seem to belong on the same canvas together; but there they were bright and bold. I also remember a few small vineyards from those days, but I never gave them much thought.

As it turns out, those scattered vineyards of the 1980s were a harbinger of what was to come. So was the barbecue I drove so far to enjoy.

Food and Drink:

Part of this trip was designed to let the grown up me experience both of these pleasures together. Starting with traditional Santa Maria-style BBQ beef (not necessarily tri-tip, although some will insist that it must be). It’s a style that started with the vaqueros (cowboys) in the 1800s. Their big, beefy cuts of meat were rubbed with a blend of spices and grilled blazing hot over native red coastal oak (and only red oak). The tradition continues and finds itself perfected in those delicious plates of smoky meat that captured my attention all those years ago.

The thing about Santa Maria-style barbecue is this: despite its simplicity of ingredients, it’s amazingly bold. When you include the array of traditional sides, you get a huge spectrum of flavors that can call for a variety of wines. Steakhouse reds pair perfectly of course – California’s Central Coast produces some outstanding Cabernets and Syrahs. But rich, oaky Santa Barbara County Chardonnay goes surprisingly well with this style of barbecue too. These are all great choices, but if you know the Central Coast, then you know the lore of its famed Pinot Noir. So Ken and I made a special stop at the Hitching Post II, in Buellton. It’s a simple steakhouse featuring BBQ in the style that we have been discussing including steak, tri-tip, artichokes – even garlic bread. They all get kissed by the blazing heat of a wood-fueled fire. It’s also a place known for its Pinot Noir. So we pick up a couple bottles to carry to our final destination.

Which is why with wine and dinner hours away and Cayucos still miles ahead, I find myself beside Highway 1 staring out over the ocean. The time for contemplation has passed. We pile back into the MGB. The light is taking on that special glow – both crimson and gold. I was serious when I said I wanted to make it to Cayucos in time to watch the sunset over the pier. California sunsets mark more than just the end of the day. They mark the beginning of Happy Hour. I’ve brought provisions for something with a crimson hue that sparkles gold in the setting sun. We’ll sit on the hotel’s balcony and toast our day, our drive, and our time along California’s Central Coast.

One of the best parts of summer is the abundance of fresh fruity produce, and we are really loving berries this season. What a better way to use up a few extra blueberries hanging out in the fridge than to whip up a crisp summer mojito. Between the pop of blueberry and the refreshing mint, we’re not sure what part of this Blueberry Mojito we like most (though, it probably has something to do with the rum).

Check out this summer chiller over at Jessica’s site, The Novice Chef, and consider getting your muddler out while your at it. You’re going to need it.

When I think of summer, I think of drinking outdoors, preferably surrounded by friends and smoke wafting off a grill nearby. I’ll never turn down a good, ice-cold beer at a summer barbecue, but sometimes, your party is calling for something a little different – something a little bit more grown up. You might be thinking that a sangria or a homemade spiked lemonade would be the best option, and those are all certainly valiant contenders, but this cocktail, the Rebujito, introduces you to what I think is going to be the thing to drink in the next year: Sherry.

What is Sherry?

Sherry (also known as Jerez in Spanish) is a fortified wine made primarily from Palomino grapes that grow near the town of Jerez de la Frontera in the Andalucia region of southern Spain. After the juice fully ferments, Sherry is fortified with a grape spirit and then left to age. While most people think of Sherry as being an after-dinner spirit, similar to Port or Madeira, it actually comes in a range of styles starting with the aperitif-worthy crispy and dry Fino and Manzanilla varieties to the darker and more intense Amontillado and Oloroso varieties. In keeping with my theme of aperitifs, for this cocktail I like to use Manzanilla, an especially light and floral type of Fino that is made around the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda.

The Rebujito

Now, let’s get to the drink. A longtime favorite of outdoor festival goers and sun-soaked afternoon revelers throughout Spain, the Rebujito is a spritzer made of dry Sherry, typically served in a jug, topped off with an equal amount of lemon-lime soda, and poured over ice. Light, refreshing, and low in alcohol, this might just be the perfect summer drink. Instead of opening a bottle of pre-made soda, this version is slightly (and I mean slightly) more elegant and festive, using muddled lemons and limes, along with a homemade simple syrup, so you can control exactly how sweet or tart you want it. You notice the distinct dry, nutty flavor of the Sherry in the background, making this drink a unique (and less labor intensive) alternative to sangria. It’s just as easy to make as it is to drink, so keep a few bottles of Sherry nearby, and you’ll be able to make another pitcher in no time.

Photo by Alessio Fangano

Summertime cooking down south means some good brisket in a smoker, slaw in the kitchen, and a cobbler in the oven. Nothing finishes out a good barbeque better than a blackberry cobbler, so in honor of this desert, I created my own blackberry liqueur for a sweet refreshment.

A standard liqueur is any distilled spirit that has been flavored with a fruit, spices, nuts, or any assortment of other ingredients and has been sweetened. Knowing this, creating your own DIY liqueur is simply a matter of playing with various ingredients and experimenting to find the formula that matches what you are looking for. Fruit liqueurs are easier to make than many other liqueurs, because they do not take as long for the flavours to soak into your vodka. Usually, it will only take about 3-5 days for the process to complete. You can add fresh blackberries, spices, or other liqueurs to experiment on your own, but I recommend starting with frozen berries, because I have had a lot of success in the infusion of flavors with them.

After trying six different recipes, changing the ingredients between sugar, honey, Benedictine, and vanilla, this recipe is probably my favorite. It only uses sugar, frozen blackberries, water, and vodka. It is simple, easy, and holds onto a sweet blackberry flavor. The liqueur you make can be served neat, over ice, within a cocktail or, just like a blackberry cobbler, with some vanilla ice cream. I look forward to trying out some new variations, and encourage y’all to do the same.

Photo by Alessio Fangano

It’s that time again, my darling clementines. Gather round with something cold in hand (unless you’re in the Southern hemisphere or a penguin- in which case, congratulations on operating the world wide web with flippers!- then you might want something warm) and let’s take a magical ride around the Internet superhighway. As usual, I’ve spent too much time online so you don’t have to!

Reasons to Drink (in case you do these things by occasion):

Let’s be honest: sometimes you’re just thirsty. Try these to quench your parched little throat:

• Blueberry Mojito from The Novice Chef: mmmm sounds refreshing, doesn’t it? That goes on the porch drink roster for sure.
• Citrusy Champagne Sangria from Kiran Tarun: a sparkly twist on a summer favorite. 
• If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, season three of the show comes to a close this weekend and perhaps you’ll want a cocktail to season with your inevitable tears. Try Fire & Ice from Guys Gab. (Bonus: if someone screws it up you can look at them and say “You know nothing [about cocktails] Jon Snow”.) 
• Pair with this Game of Thrones drinking game, and try not to die. 

Around the Internet | Booze-related and otherwise

To read: apparently people are smoking alcohol now? I feel like somebody’s grandpa, shaking my head at Them Kids Today. Make a cocktail shaker out of a mason jar, you hipster youths, and get drunk the old fashioned way.

To do: speaking of: Make a DIY Cocktail Shaker From a Mason Jar, you hipster youth.

A do good initiative: take a SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge. Can you eat on $4 a day? Many do.

The weirdest thing I found this week: Chicken Chicken Chicken: Chicken Chicken. Chicken?

And last but not least, your weekly tip on How to be a Man, from a Woman: 5 Things Men Should Start Doing Again. There’s nothing wrong with a little presentation, gentlemen. Aside from impressing the gender of your choice, it will just make you feel good about yourself. (Bonus: your mom will be really proud. Send her a photo. You’ll probably find it on the fridge next time you go home.)

Until next time, my turtledoves. Be lovely to one another, and to yourselves.

Photo Credit: NYPL Digital Gallery 

(PS: The image up there has medieval wine-making happening on your left, and apparently hog-slaughtering happening on your right. That hog looks more like a donkey, but we’ll let that slide because everything was harder back then, just watch the historical documentary Monty Python.)

We’re celebrating summer by taking pizza to the backyard, grilling it, and topping it with fresh summer ingredients! This Grilled Vodka Caprese Pizza is loaded with fresh mozzarella cheese, vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and, of course, a spicy vodka tomato sauce that ties all the flavors together to create a pizza you won’t be able to resist.

When we think of summer, a couple of things come to mind: warm and sunny days, trips to the beach, and light, refreshing food. We’re talking picnics in the park and backyard grilling, and chilled booze-filled drinks are definitely a must. Today, we’re combining all of those wonderful summer things we love into one fantastic recipe.

Pizza is one of those classic foods we can never say no to. It’s perfect for any season and any time of day. But what happens when we ditch the oven and take the dough to a hot fiery grill? We get crispy pizza dough with unbelievable flavor, and don’t forget about those classic grill marks. If you’ve never thought about grilling dough before, now is the time to start. Summer is finally here, and we should be spending the long evenings outdoors with great food, awesome friends, and delicious cocktails, making memories that will last a lifetime. Happy grilling!