When people talk about stills in Mexico, you hear “Filipino” and “alambique” a lot … “Mongolian” a little. And it’s been suggested that the Filipino still was the first to arrive the Americas’ What makes it Filipino? How did it get here? And what’s it got to do with coconuts? Food writer Nic Stevens joins me this week to talk about that plus vino de coco, vino de cana, and the origins of distillation in the Americas!
Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest NC Stevens!
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@drinkingfolk
For @readeighty , I waxed a bit more abstract and philosophical on the topic of stillness—both as it relates to tea and as it relates to life. The moment tea erupts from the spout of a kettle. The practiced pose of a life drawing model. The inner repose of mindfulness.
Get a copy of Issue 17 of the evocative magazine to dive into the beautiful photography and writing that flanks my work!
Orange juice has long been one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Here in the US, Floridians pioneered the preservation and distribution of the juice in a concentrated, frozen format. No other brand in the category was as prominent as the eternal sunshine of Minute Maid.
But this April, Coca-Cola, who has owned Minute Maid since 1960, will discontinue all frozen juice products. The cylinders of OJ that once stocked American freezers and thawed in time for a pancake breakfast are no more. Minute Maid has run out of time.
Read the piece @slate !
A fun round up of brandies with some surprising provenances! Thanks to mankind's love affair with wine, the grape vine has girdled the globe. Most oenophile's appreciate the delicious diversity of an Australian Shiraz, an Argentine Malbec, and a Californian Cabernet Sauvignon, but what about brandy?
Wheresoever there are grapes, there is brandy. Beyond cognac and armagnac, grape spirits are incredibly varied. There's Andean Muscat singani and there's Kentucky bourbon barrel aged brandy. There are Georgian indigenous grapes and there are legacy South African varietals.
Read the piece @the_unicorn_review !
Like many other disappointed Patriots fans, I paid close attention to the commercials airing during February's Super Bowl. Above all else, I was struck by the advertisements for some of the country's most popular beers.
America's two largest brewers had surprisingly similar commercials depicting older Hollywood legends coaching young, fish-out-of-water bar goers. As I looked around the world of light beer marketing, I found several more examples of this intergenerational plot being used in ads.
Are big breweries relying on our elders to teach young consumers to drink beer again? More importantly, is it working?
Read the piece @slate !
My latest for @slate explores the increasingly swole numbers on our drinks. 8G, 15G, 30G. Grams of protein, that is.
From coffee to milk, from water to @bwwings "Espresso Proteini," all kinds of drinks are beefing up with protein offerings to appeal to consumers. Do we need this much protein? Probably not...
Read the full piece at Slate.
For Dry January, I traced the connection between the 1990 Anheuser-Busch launch of O'Doul's and the current non-alcoholic beer renaissance. It's almost humorous to see advertisements in the early 90s encouraging drinkers to have non-alcoholic beer while exercising. “Whether beer drinkers are working out or out working, they enjoy having a few O’Doul’s," Anheuser-Busch said. Miller coached, “Next time you work out, change your routine and grab a Sharp’s from Miller.” But how different is this from today, when the country's most popular non-alcoholic beer is literally called Athletic? Fitness, it turns out, has played an important role in the salience of near beer.
Read the piece @slate !
My latest for @slate recounts the surprisingly old history of Christmas and punch. Since the late 1600s, the drink has been associated with the festive occasion. From India to the world, punch has served countless thirsty party-goers, but the modern moment demands more. We can't offer our guests an array of hors d'oeuvres, a spread of small plates, and a dessert buffet, and only serve one big bowl of punch to drink. It's time to leave the mystery mélange behind in favor of more interesting and diverse drinks for our dinner parties.
Just in time for Christmas mass, a new piece for the Financial Times Weekend Magazine on the Finger Lakes, our new American Pope, and America’s oldest dedicated sacramental winery, O·Neh·Da Vineyard. When Pope Leo XIV was elected back in May, I reached out to the vineyard to learn more about the market for sacramental wine in America. Before I knew it, I was swept up in vintner Will Ouweleen’s effort to get his wine to the Vatican. It wouldn’t be the first time a pope had blessed his wine during the holy sacrament of Eucharist.
In the fray of the holiday, we often forget the significance of the food on the Thanksgiving table. Almost all of it is made from ingredients—plants and animals—that are native to the Americas. But what about the microbes that produce our favorite drinks?
Often overlooked, but fundamental to many of our foods and drinks, yeast and bacteria were also exchanged between Europe and the Americas. The ways in which they may have changed our fermentations will surprise you. Read the piece @slate !
Thank you to @intergalactic_yeastie_boy and @el_tiburolobo for their insights into this underappreciated topic!
My Thanksgiving drink recommendation is as functional as it is delicious. While wine pairs well with the decadent meal, it doesn't help to wash it down beyond the mouth. Instead, a digestif is preferred for a feast of such magnitude. Why not turn to a festive and nutty nocino or a rich creme de noyaux to top off the turkey dinner this year? Read the short recommendation @slate !
For @slate , I got to explore the pay-to-play business of the prestigious Michelin Guide as their French army of anonymous restaurant raters advances its march on even more American cities. I also got to tell the story of Charles Goodyear and the discovery of rubber vulcanization in the hometown of my parents, Woburn, Massachusetts! How do rubber and fine dining mix? Well, I would argue, maybe they shouldn't...
