Monthly Archives: October 2018

Nelson’s Blood

26 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by musingsonthevine in Uncategorized

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In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte anxiously planned the invasion of England. Having neutralized the continent of Europe, Napoleon looked to solidify his position of power by invading France’s long term enemy. What stood between Napoleon and victory was the English Fleet, led by Admiral Horatio Nelson. In what would become one of history’s greatest sea battles, Lord Nelson stemmed the tide of Napoleon’s quest, by defeating the combined French and Spanish Navies off the west coast of Trafalgar. Nelson would receive a mortal wound during the battle. His body was rumored to be transported back to England in a cask of Rum, which led to the spirit’s nickname, Nelson’s Blood.

In celebration of a true naval hero, I present Nelson’s Blood…

2 oz. Pusser’s Naval Rum

2 oz. Ruby Port

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Napa – Bordeaux Shootout VIII

14 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by musingsonthevine in Wine Events

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Napa-BordeauxVIIITableNapa-BordeauxVIIICockpitNapaBordeauxVIIIBlind

What is now becoming a regular event at Musings on the Vine is the Napa-Bordeaux Shootout.

This past weekend, on October 13, 2018, installment number eight took place, with France just edging out Napa for bragging rights to yet another win.

Napa-BordeauxVIIICheeseNapa-BordeauxVIIIFlight

The results of the tasting were thus:

NapaBordeauxVIIIResults (2)

Well, as you can see, this was a close contest. Despite Napa having wines scoring in second and third place, France managed to garner more overall points.
So, after eight installments, the results stack up as follows:
France’s lead is a strong 6 – 2 in overall wins. Point-wise, the French have 282 points to Napa’s 238 points, a widening margin.

A few observations are in order…

  • In prior meetings, it was clear that Napa was sometimes hampered by wines that did not age as well as their French counterparts. At this installment, to “level the playing field,” wines were staggered in age, with the French wines being on average a decade older than their American competitors. It appears to have helped the Americans by keeping the scoring close.
  • None of the wines had scored over 90 points when they were first reviewed upon release. Also, none of the wines are considered “trophy” wines. Despite their lack of “star power,” the flight showed that you don’t always need to be a star to shine.
  • I was again pleased with the 1989 vintage. The Olivier showed considerable aging potential despite being 29 years old. Another surprise? The 1988 Gloria… tons of aging potential left in this wine, a true testament to the quality of St. Julien Bordeaux.

NapaBordeauxLaLaguneNapaBordeauxMagnificatNapaBordeauxClosPegaseNapaBordeauxGloriaNapaBordeauxOlivierNapaBordeauxJosephPhelpsNapaBordeauxFarNienteNapaBordeauxPavie

Where does it go from here? Well if history repeats itself, I imagine a ninth match-up in the not too distant future…

Should be fun, as usual!

Penicillin

12 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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I can count on one hand the number of Scotch-based cocktails worth mixing. Scotch does not “play well with others,” which is okay by me.

Among those Scotch-based libations that are worthy, Penicillin is a refreshing drink that smoothes out the rough edges and wets one’s whistle quite admirably.

This version is a subtle variation. Usually made with honey-ginger syrup as the sweetener, I substituted Canton (Ginger Liqueur) instead. It achieved the same goal of providing a gingery sweetness against the lemon Juice, and brought a few percentage points of alcohol to the party.

I bring you Penicillin:

2oz. Blended Scotch (I used Chivas)

3/4oz. Lemon Juice

3/4oz. Honey-Ginger Syrup (I used Canton)

1/4oz. Islay Malt

Shake everything but the Islay with crushed ice. Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe and float the Islay on top of the cocktail. Garnish with dried ginger.

Cin-Cin!

Brasserie Jo… Bon jour, mon ami…

07 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by musingsonthevine in Restaurants

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I have fortunately, or unfortunately, been at many a great restaurant’s final meal… Colorado Public Library, Fantasia’s, Walter’s, the Pillar House, Maison Robert and Cafe Budapest… great institutes of gastronomy that left an indelible stain on my tablecloth of fine dining.

This weekend was the final hurrah of Brasserie Jo, the 20+ year-old French Bistro at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay. A long time fixture for theatre-goers and revelers, Brasserie Jo has been witness to much of Boston’s culinary history.

Distinctive for their embrace of the real Parisian experience, for the better part of a decade, Brasserie Jo satisfied Francophile taste in style.

While bittersweet, this “last supper” was replete with all the trappings that made Brasserie Jo a celebration of life.

One should take away a lesson… all good things come to an end, but the remembrance of those special moments are what preserve a life well-lived…

Merci pour tous ces merveilleux souvenirs!

Napoleon’s Revenge

05 Friday Oct 2018

Posted by musingsonthevine in Cocktails

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Last week I posted a fun libation called The Star Cocktail. Based on Calvados, the apple flavor made a perfect introduction to Fall.

I admit, I was quite taken with the Calvados as a base spirit and I had to experiment. I poked around the liquor cabinet looking for erstwhile partners… at first I thought Ginger Liqueur, but relented because of the candied sweetness. I then entertained all manner of Amari, but their fullness and bitterness shattered the delicacy of the Calvados. And then I stumbled upon a few comely dance partners… Mandarine Napoleon Liqueur, and Martini and Rossi’s new Ambrato Vermouth. The requisite combination yielded a wonderfully balanced cocktail with charming apple, orange peel and lemon notes. Lighter than The Star, and very apropos for Fall.

I present Napoleon’s Revenge:

1-1/2 oz. Calvados

1 oz. Mandarine Napoleon

1 oz. Martini & Rossi Ambrato Riserva Vermouth Bianca

Shake with crushed ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange and lemon twist. I had to use a Luxardo cherry…

Cin-Cin!

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