Monthly Archives: February 2011

A big thank you to Anne, Ethan, and Marcella and her team for putting together a fantastic event this past Sunday!

I remembered to take a picture before diving in.

This was the line-up:

1^st pairing
rupert
consider bardwell farm
west pawlet, vt
raw cows’ milk
–
mellow corn
heaven hill distilleries
bardstown, ky

 2^nd  pairing
cabot clothbound cheddar
aged by jasper hill farm
greensboro, vt
pasteurized cows’ milk
–
hudson four grain bourbon
tuthilltown spirits
gardiner, ny

3^rd   pairing
pleasant ridge 16mo.
uplands cheese co.
dodgeville, wi
raw cows’ milk
–
us * 1: unblended american whiskey
michter’s american whiskey co.
bardstown, ky 

 4^th  pairing
winnemere
jasper hill farm
greensboro, vt
raw cows’ milk
–
mckenzie rye whiskey
finger lakes distilling
burdett, ny

5^th   pairing
bayley hazen blue
jasper hill farm
greensboro, vt
raw cows’ milk
–
templeton rye
templeton rye spirits
templeton, ia 

6^th    pairing
shaker blue
old chatham sheepherding co.
chatham, ny
raw sheeps’ milk
–
death’s door white whiskey
death’s door distillery
madison, wi

Ethan and Anne doing their thing. Anne told us about the 22,000 sq ft cheese-aging cave in VT, how cheddar is made (did you know cheddar is both a noun and a verb?) and how those blue-green veins get into the center of a big wheel of cheese. Ethan compared the harmony of wine and cheese pairing to the grace that Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire shared, while noting that pairing cheese with whiskey was more akin to the "grace" that Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield shared.

Happy guests Tim, Michael, John and Alice

Some take-aways:

*When you pair Winnemere with McKenzie rye, the finish is similar to an atomic fireball (in a good way).

*The surprise pairing hit was #6:  white whiskey and strong blue – who would have thought? 

*I need to get a bottle of Mellow Corn and Michter’s #1 for my house.

Looking forward to the next Salon in 60 days!

From the website of Union Square Wine & Spirits:

Event Date: Saturday, February 05, 2:00pm – 5:00pm

Description of tasting:

Join USQ to kick off Superbowl weekend with one our most spirited tastings of the year! Martini Bowl 2011 is set to erupt with over one dozen selections offered in classic and seasonal martinis!  Whether you like them dry, extra dry, dirty, or totally twisted, cocktail connoisseurs are encouraged to stop by The Salon for an afternoon of imbibing pleasure!  Attendees may look forward to Swedish stylings from Martini Bowl 2010 champion Karlsson’s Gold Vodka and Heavy Water Vodka, a juniper-fueled UK Invasion from the #1 contender for the 2011 title Bulldog Gin and Hendrick’s Gin, as well as righteous elixirs from Uluvka Vodka, DH Krahn Gin and Double Cross Vodka!  This year’s Bowl features a full roster of New York State spirits as well!  Supporters of local libations will be pleased to sip and savor Finger Lakes Distillery’s Seneca Drums Gin and Vintner’s Wild Berry Vodka, Westchester’s own Comb Vodka and Comb 9 New York Gin, Long Island’s LiV Potato Vodka, Breuckelen Gin, and the Hudson Valley’s Core Apple Vodka!

Here’s what we’ll be serving:

Come join us for a tipple this weekend!