Win Ritter, our Beverage Manager, has lost his mind!  We’ve all gotten caught up in the Holiday/Christmas spirit but when 6, count ‘em, 6 Christmas Beers showed up today.  Win has obviously gone nuts…or, since it’s beer, hops! 

When asked politely what the heck was he thinking…Win replied,”I just couldn’t make up my mind.  It’s so hard to choose just one or two.  All of them have unique character and flavor profiles.  I couldn’t resist!”

 So, now we have 6 really pretty amazing beers for Christmas! 

Shiner Bock Christmas:  From Shiner, Texas, they put peaches and pecans in this thing!  Crazy but it sure tastes good!

 Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale: those California boys shur know how to make beer: full bodied with plenty of hops for those Hop Heads

 Dos Equis Noche Buena: made seasonally since 1927 dark ruby red hue, exceptionally smooth drinkability  which you would expect and this beer delivers!

 Samuel Smith Winter Welcome Christmas Ale: thought of Mother England spring to mind, deep coppy color, malty up front, hints of fruit and holiday spice

 Delirium Noel:  a Belgian ale, definitely the biggest beer, in a big battle, in malt taste and in alcohol level…definitely a winter warmer

Rogue’s Santa’s Private Reserve Red Ale:  organic grains and hops from brewery owned farms.  This was what made the last beer dinner’s cheese soup so delectably delicious!

 Limited Availability.  Win was only able to get a few cases of each so they won’t last long…  Let the Holiday’s  BEGIN!

 Tequila used to be produced in three types: blanco – white – right out of the distillery tap into the bottle; reposado – rested – aged a few months up to a year in oak barrels and anejo – aged – aged over a year.  Now, I see Anejo Claro – aged clear.  The rich mahogany color has been filtered out.

 Vodka used to be colorless, odorless and flavorless.  Perfect for ‘getting the job done’ easily and quickly.  Now, the array of flavors is too long to list and the colors are more reflective of an artist’s palette than a simple sparkling crystal.

 Gin – Dry Gin – is a distillate flavored with herbs and berries, including a distinctive tasting, smelling juniper berry.  Now comes Aged Gin.  Aged! Taking on the golden color and nips of oaky flavors coming through.

 Whiskey was the epitome of brown liquors.  The real American products of Bourbon and Rye were distinctive.  Suddenly, there is unaged ‘white’ whiskey.  This ‘white dog’ is straight from the still, clear in color and as raw as a sandpaper burn over the back of your hand.  Yes, the flavor of the grain of choice usually comes through more directly but, come on!  This is moonshine!

I just don’t understand.  Is this change for change sake?   I’m sure there are appropriate marketing angles the producers are working but I just get the feeling:  It ain’t right…..

Mr. Strenk’s article cites examples of specific producers but you can just google the key words to see for yourself.

 This 2010 bottling of Gruner Veltliner by Paragon Vineyards in California is far from conventional. The label “Zocker” is Austrian for gambler.   And, I admit the concept does seem like a gamble, but, having tasted the wine, I think it’s time to double down, baby.   Nice stuff.

 I can see the food pairing potential is definitely there.  Dry, medium bodied but with anexcellent mouth feel.  The first swirl yields aromas of earth, then the notes change to grassy, green  then tropical fruit notes appeared to me.  The first sip maybe not described quite as rich but certainly wealthy!  The winemaker calls the taste steely.   My taster says mineral. It’s crisp and clean with a zippy, almost peppery finish.  Lightly detectable fruit notes.  Very light to me.

There just before the swallow, I feel tropical fruit.

 I would recommend this wine with our Besame Chicken – spicy food and zippy wine.  MMMMM!

Win Ritter, our famous Double Eagle Beverage Guru,  has brought in Anchor Steam Beer for the fall.  Excellent choice.  Any beer guy or gal who has been to San Francisco has tried – and undoubtedly fallen in love with -this brew.  Virtually hand-made in copper brewing kettles from an all-malt mash since 1896, the wonderful resulting brew can’t be compared to the standard, mechanized, high volume breweries.  Anchor Brewing Company had ‘steam’ attached to its name soon after starting production.  ‘Steam’ was the name for 19^th century beers brewed up on the West Coast under primitive conditions and, usually with no ice or refrigeration.  No one today knows why but the name stuck.  So, Anchor Beer became known as Anchor Steam Beer and the company finally gave in and just added Steam to the label.

I think you will find the word ‘rich’ describes this beer perfectly.  Dark, clear amber in color, poured correctly it yields up a thick, micro-bubbled creamy head.  The flavor profile shows a definite dose of hops but the bitterness seems to glide over your tongue as a wonderful partner to the grain in this tasting experience.  It’s like the two are skipping lightly through your taste buds before disappearing in a crisp, quick, clean finish.

Last night, Win was offering tastes of the Anchor Steam to the staff and explaining the beer’s characteristics when I walked up.  Matt, our bar-meister, opened a new bottle and poured a dash into the cold glass for a taster for me.  I looked at him.  He looked at me and he, wisely, decided to pour a little more.  I looked at him.  He looked at me and he, very wisely, decided to pour the whole bottle into the glass.  He looked at me.  I smiled at him.  Win, seeing Matt had not followed standard taster protocol and poured the whole bottle in one glass, said, to Matt, ”Wait! You poured the whole bottle!”  I said, ”Win, I know you’re concerned the beer in the glass will get warm before I drink it all.  I appreciate that, I really do, but, please, don’t worry.” And I walked into the TV Room. With my glass of beer.

 Win –always watching costs – kept telling Servers to go into the TV room and taste my beer instead of opening another bottle.  The Servers, extremely wisely, absolutely refused.

 So: Fair Warning!   If you come in and want a taste of my Anchor Steam – just to try it, of course – you ain’t a gonna get one!

We could all stand to drop a pound or two so, when the idea of a ‘skinny’, that is, a lower calorie Margarita first appeared in the trade magazines about trends in the liquor industry, I thought, “well, taste will be the deciding factor.”   If the industry can come up with a mix or a product that provides the right taste, people will buy it.  Notice I used the word people – not ladies or women.   Industry experts say that men and women will buy a skinny margarita. 

 Bartender Matt said he could whip up a skinny margarita with half the calories of a regular margarita!  I said do it!  He had a margarita half the size of the regular one.  Matt can certainly be described as witty or, as we say here at the Double Eagle, a smart ass.

 Beverage Manager Win Ritter started getting samples and recipes last year and has been conducting taste testing with customer groups to find that product with the ‘right taste’.  And, sure enough, Win came up with a Margarita which can truly be described as Skinny!  Turns out that one of the first products to hit the market was the one that really caught national attention since it was discussed on the Housewives of New Jersey.  The Skinny Margarita is the actual name of the product. 

 Every woman tasting it, loved it.  I do admit that several men did find the taste slightly ‘off’ but it was a very small minority.  And, to meet the 119 calorie goal, we did have to put the cocktail in a 10 oz glass instead of our 12 oz standard margarita glass.  The larger serving would still have been under 150 calories but Skinny Margarita is advertising the 119 calorie thing and we don’t want you to feel like you heard about the 119 then we switched you into the 150 calorie thing….some people are very, very serious about every calorie….

It is worth a taste. Price is right at only $6.50 a drink.  And, Happy Hour Monday thru Friday from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM to Close makes that price even sweeter!  Made for ladies but men like it, too!

 Come on by today and order a Skinny Margarita!!

She’s had a tough time this year.  Starting on December 31, 2010 – her and husband James’ wedding anniversary – things just did not go Bobbie’s way.  James felt ill and went to the emergency room that evening – ended up in the ICU with heart problems for 7 days.
On the seventh day, Bobbie, who had been at the hospital most of that time, collapsed in the ICU waiting room and
ended up across the bay in ICU from James.  A severe infection had set in and there were complications from her
diabetes.   Several days after Bobbie was admitted, James passed away and Bobbie began a series of close calls
with death.  But, she slowly came back to us and months later was released into a rehab facility and months after
that was allowed to go home.  

Now, Bobbie is driving herself and visiting us at the Double Eagle.   There have been numerous Bobbie sightings around
town reported to us.  “Guess who I say today!” has become a routine greeting from many of our regulars.  She’s back to
her normal smartaleck self.  She still has a way to go physically but she’s working on that, too!

Bobbie has always enjoyed going to the movies and she called me last week, saying she wanted to go to see one now showing.  I said
I would enjoy going with her and we met at a local eatery near the theater.  Bobbie enjoyed her first alcoholic cocktail since being
released from the hospitals – a tart and tangy Bloody Mary, if you please!   Her enjoyment was obvious.  So, we went over to the theatre
and – OK, I’m not as swift on the uptake, I guess – but we were about to hand our tickets to the taker when I realized what she had done.

I have been Bobbie’s boss for many of her 25 years and only about to go into the theatre did I realize the significance of which movie she had chosen….Horrible Bosses was the movie!!   She knew it had clicked from the look on my face and Bobbie just laughed and laughed.   “Light bulb’s getting a little dim there, Jerry?” she asked.  She got me good.   It turned out the movie was funny and we enjoyed.   As we were walking out, I turned to her and said, “Well, I’m glad you chose this movie after all.  Although I admit, it hurt my feelings a little at first.  I want you to know I’ve made some notes – taken some lessons – from the Bosses in the movie and I can’t wait to get you back to work so I can try some things out….on you!”   We both laughed again, apparently pretty loudly, making others in the theatre lobby turn and look.

So, when this beer popped up on the available list, we jumped on it.  It’s a large bottle of lager, 18.2 oz.  I’m sure that’s something in milliliters.
Light, perfect for summer sipping!  Drop by and enjoy.

Frizzente’s Caposaldo Moscato Blanc 2009 

Veneto is a ‘state’ or region of Italy whose capital is Venice.  Perhaps the romance and grace associated with that city of elegance and canals influenced the Frizzente winery in producing their Caposaldo Moscato.  Caposaldo is the name of the race horse who won the most races ever in the Roman Colisieum and, in Italy, at least, evokes the pride and honor of a champion.  It is aptly applied to this Muscat grape creation. 

Typical of Muscat grapes, this wine’s nose is definitely floral.  Sit back on your patio in the hills of northern Italy, surrounded by acacia trees in full flower and inhale the lovely scented air as you look over the city of Venice and the Adriatic Sea.  Heck, I don’t know what acacia blossom smell like but, if it’s anything like this wine, I want a couple of trees in my yard! We are off to a wonderful start! 

Take a sip. MMMM, bubbles.  Lightly effervescent, the wine burbles and bobbles over your tongue immediately sending images of sweet, ripe peaches and apricots to your mind. Light bodied and smooth, I also get a zip of tangerine, the flavor of dark desert honey and creamy vanilla – but, that’s just me.  The finish is nicely crisp and the wine leaves your mouth wanting more.

 Excellent as an aperitif or paired with a dessert of cheese and nuts….say, a nice nutty Swiss and toasted almonds.   You could pair with an entrée course of fish – say red snapper or trout sautéed in butter with some wilted spinach on the side. But, you’d need to be with friends who are adventurous instead of the old stick-in-the-mud group who don’t/won’t drink anything but Chardonnay. 

Try this Moscato by the glass.  While supplies last.  6.50 a glass.

Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo 2009

 Visualize the windswept, arid plateau of central Spain.  Sandy soil well mixed with stones and rocks and boulders popping up.  See the 50+ year old gnarled vines struggling to produce their bounty.  This is La Mancha, Spain.  Yes, that La Mancha.  Don Quixote rode the rustic rural routes, sipping a local wine and tilting at windmills.  So, fair warning about what the tempranillo grape can do!

 Nice full bodied wine – one could call it a big wine. With supple tannins. Meaning the tannins are there but not overwhelmingly so.  Enough to yield a spice note, not peppery really but a sweet exotic Moroccan spice.  Dark fruits – ripe plum, black cherry.  Earthy without being musty. Appealingly easy on the palate.  

Perfect choice for grilled, aged steaks – wrapped in bacon and green chile, cowboy style.  Perfect for fajitas, red chile, green chile dishes.   Perfect for an afternoon cocktail wine, sipping with some deep flavored cheese, red chile almonds and crusty sourdough bread.

Yes, Kentucky has another winner in the whiskey category.  You may have heard of Bulleit Bourbon.  This new entry is definitely different.  95% rye with 5% malted barley.   90 Proof which is high but not a bad thing.  Aromas of oak, dark summer fruits, light notes of vanilla.   Mouthfeel starts surprisingly smoothly with cherry notes right up front, hints of tobacco, nuts, toffee and, mmmmmm, spice pops up.   Mid palate moves to a buttery smooth, well balanced with sweet n spicy elements.   Finishes with cinnamon red hots candy, a bit of a kick – definitely whiskey – and – promise not to laugh, I swear to you – hints of candied fennel.  I am not kidding.  Well, taste it yourself, then. 

 Excellent sipper.  Bangers in a Manhattan.  Say, here’s my Louisiana heritage coming out – anyone know what a Vieux Carre cocktail is?  Invented in New Orleans and named after the main square of the French Quarter, I believe.  I remember it being:  shot of rye whiskey, shot of cognac, shot of sweet vermouth, ½ shot of Benedictine, dash or two of bitters and a lemon twist stirred into the drink – all over ice.  Those New Orleans people know how to drink, I tell ya.  After two of these on Bourbon Street, you’re not just calling out for the strippers, you ARE the stripper.  Not that anything like that ever actually happened to me. Really.  No.  Not me.  Really.

Impress people when you know how to say it: Vee-yo-N’YAY.  Think of yourself as a French man or woman from the south of France and say it with a French accent.  Kind of snearing and dismissively as the French do when speaking to Americans. 

From California’s most ancient grapevines – well, OK, kind of old grapevines – 80 to 120 years old – this is a Rhone-style wine.  Rhone is a region in the south of France specializing in Syrah and Viognier grapes.  The region produces a number of red, white and rose wines, most recognizably the blend Chateau-neuf-du-Pape. 

This is a great wine choice instead of a Riesling.  Slightly sweet, off-dry as the wine snobs say, with a lush mouth feel, a crisp finish and a touch of citrus-y/pineapple-y acid.  When drinking this: expect visions of summer-ripe peaches; tangy apricots; sharp, sweet orange blossoms; spicy, floral, sweet honeysuckle. 

Food Pairing:  anything with chile – red or green, jalapenos – spicy food, blue cheese crumbles or dressing on the salad,  chile rellenos, fajitas, Mexican combo plates 

A good afternoon sipping wine. 

Hint: most restaurants, including us, serve this wine too cold.  Well, people like cold stuff in the summer.  Order this and restrain yourself for about 5 minutes after it’s served.  Let it warm slightly.   You know how you’re supposed to hold the stem not the bowl of a wine glass so your hand doesn’t warm the wine?  Well, go ahead and hold the bowl of this wine glass.  Just take that deep chill off.   Test:  when served, sniff the wine then wait 5 minutes and sniff again, taste and enjoy.  That’s when those visions will appear for you….depending on how many glasses of wine you’ve already had, of course.