Review -Baltika Beer

Tonight I had the pleasure of trying Baltika Russian Beer. I thought it was surprisingly light, flavorful and strong. Unlike most light beers, this really packs a punch. I didn't just stumble upon this beer is was recommended to me by the friendly bartender at "Uncle Vanya's Cafe." They offer authentic Russian food along with a variety of Russian beer and wine. They do not serve hard liquor or vodka. They really do have a wide selection of beer that can't be found in most liquor stores. The food and prices definitely make this worth the trip.


Uncle Vanya's Cafe
315 W 54th St
New York, NY 10019-5137

(212) 262-0542

Product - Wine Label Removers

This is a great product to use on wine/beer bottles to remove the label so you can have the product information for future purchase. You are basically removing the label from the bottle and laminating it.

Use this link to purchase from amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Wine-Label-Remover-Kit-REMOVERS/dp/B000UVJP6O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1320540389&sr=8-3

Action - Petition for purchases online to be home delivered

Over the past 10 years, online wine purchasing has increased in popularity. However there are only 38 states that allow consumers to purchase wine online for home delivery.

Currently the following 12 states do not legally allow online wine purchases; AL, AR, DE, KY (felony), MA, MS, MT (consumer permit - no carrier), NJ, OK, PA (special interstate by 3-tier only), SD, and UT (felony for winery to direct ship). If you live in one of these states, like me please petition you local congressman to change this law.

Follow this link http://capwiz.com/freegrapes/issues/alert/?alertid=12725801

Thanks for helping!

Recipe - Maker's Mark Milkshake

Now that the Iron Skillet Competition is over, the winner has been announced and the new Maker’s Mark Milkshakes have been sampled. I am finally able to share the recipe with you. It got raved reviews at the party. Enjoy!

Bourbon Butter Pecan Milkshake

Recipe:

• 1-1/2 parts Maker’s Mark® Bourbon
• 1-1/2 cups butter pecan ice cream, packed
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons toasted pecans
• 1/4 vanilla bean, scraped, seeds only, or ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon Lyle’s Golden Syrup or maple syrup

Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree on the highest speed until smooth and creamy. Pour into a large pint glass or two 8-ounce glasses. Serve immediately.

Review - Eileen's Chocolate Bourbon Cheesecake

I had the pleasure of serving Eileen’s Chocolate Bourbon Cheesecake at Monday’s Iron Skillet Cook Off. It can be described as rich in flavor and surprisingly soft, it tasted like eating an ice cream cake. I definitely recommend you stop by their bakery and try a slice or a full pie.

Some popular flavors include blueberry, amoretto, coconut, rocky road, pumpkin.

Check out this link for more options Mail Order

Eileen’s

17 Cleveland Place, New York, NY 10012
Phone:212-966-5585
Email: info@eileenscheesecake.com
Mon-Fri 9am-9pm,Sat & Sun 10am-7pm

Daily delivery is available in Manhattan; overnight delivery to anywhere in the U.S.A.

Call 212.966.5585 or 1.800.521.CAKE.

Like Eileen's on facebook for access to daily specials.

"Check in" and mention FACEBOOK to receive a FREE Cheesecake tart with any purchase of $5 or more!!

Event- Around The World in 80 Sips- 11/04/2011

On November 4th, Bottlenotes will host it's 3rd annual Around the World in 80 sips. The night will include a tasting of 80+ great wines, wine notes, artisanal cheese, charcuterie, and more.
I have attended the previous "Around the World" events and really enjoyed them.

Tickets are $75 for general admission, $125 for VIP.
You can use code NYC25 to get $25 off general admission or code NYC50 for $50 off VIP admission through October 30th.
Tickets are available by clicking this link. www.bottlenotes.com/80sips

Around The World in 80 Sips
Friday, November 4th, 2011
6:00-7:00 pm VIP/Press Tasting
7:00-9:00 pm General Admission

Espace
635 West 42nd Street
New York,NY 10022

Website - Wine Woot!

Wine Woot is one of my favorite websites for buying wine. Their motto is "One Day, One Deal," which is exactly what they offer. They offer one daily deal, which you need to purchase before the offer runs out. They offer $5 shipping on all deals but no return option. I guess they are looking to take advantage of impulse buyers.
They do offer a great selection of wines and wine related products. I have seen glasses, decanters, spices, cheese, etc. If you are not interested in purchasing online they are good for product research and also have a blog with past offers.
Wine.Woot.com

Coupon - Heartland Brewery October 1-31, 2011

The Heartland Brewery is giving away 1 free beer to anyone who likes them on Facebook. This offer is good only for the month of October. In order to redeem you must show a print out or be able to show them on your smart phone.
FREE Pint of BEER!

Event - NY Cider Week - 10/16-23/2011

New York City will host Cider Week from October 16th through the 23rd.

Cider or cyder (pronounced /ˈsaɪdər/sy-dər) is a fermented beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine." (From Wikipedia)

There are many different types of events; including cider tastings, apple pie contest, workshops where you can learn to make cider, etc. Some events are free and some require a ticket. Please visit the Cider Week Official Website for more information.

Website - Local Wine Events

Local Wine Events is a great website for finding upcoming beer, wine, & spirits events. Events are posted by state and can be filtered to search by price and type of event. There are many free events listed, and local liquor stores also use this site to post free wine tastings.

There is no need to constantly visit the site, just sign up for their newsletter. Visit this link to sign up for "The Juice."

Interview - Olive Garden @ Woodbridge Mall, NJ

The Olive Garden has always been one of my favorite Italian Restaurant Chains. It’s ranked right up there with Bertucci’s and Romano’s Macaroni Grill. The Olive Garden by far has the best wine menu of the three. I was ecstatic when I received a call from the manager, John, requesting an interview for a bartending position. Shortly thereafter, I was on the Olive Garden website reviewing their beverages. Not surprisingly, their wine selection is almost exclusively from Italy, It doesn’t get any more authentic than this.

The Olive Garden also has a wide selection of specialty mixed drinks, frozen drinks, smoothies, beer, and Italian soda & cream drinks. They can be found following this link http://www.olivegarden.com/Menu/Beverages/

In order to prepare for the interview I am reviewing and memorizing the menu, practicing my basic drinks and researching the history of the store. More importantly, I am preparing a list of questions to ask. Like when is happy hour? Is there a trivia night? Live music? Ladies’ night? Contests/giveaways? Game night? I’m thinking this interview won’t be so bad. The only thing I'm worried about is the “specialty coffees.” Will he ask me to prepare an espresso, macchiato, cappuccino, latte? My friend who works in Starbucks never did get around to helping me with this. Wish me luck!

Olive Garden Woodbridge, NJ
510 Woodbridge Center Drive
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
(732) 726-3191

Event - Cask Fest, Uno Chicago Grill Metuchen NJ 10/08/2011

On Saturday October 8, 2011 "Uno Chicago Grill" in Metuchen, NJ will be hosting it's annual Cask Festival. Cask Ale refers to unfiltered and unpasteurized beer that is fermented and served from the cask with out additional carbon dioxide pressure. Meaning it is matured in the container it will be dispensed it.

This is currently the only location of "Uno" that house a brewpub, where they brew the following beers:
1 - Brown Ale
2- Coffee Stout
3- Hefeweizen
4- Ike's IPA
5- Oatmeal Stout
6- Oktoberfest
7- Rye Beer
8- Wee Heavy
In addition to serving the beers mentioned above, the festival will showcase beers from other NJ, NY and PA breweries. Including Yards, Weyebacher, Climax and Riverhorse.

The festival starts at 11:30 am and all beers are pay as you go.

Uno Chicago Grill Metuchen
61 US Highway #1
Metuchen, NJ 08840
732-548-7979

Beer Notes - Central Jersey Charity Beer Festival

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Central Jersey Charity Beer Festival. It was a great day and the proceeds went to benefit a local family in need. My picks from the Festival are:
1- Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat
2- Keegan's Mother's Milk
3- J.J. Bitting's Bad Boy Oktoberfest
4- Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale
5- High Point Brewing Co's Ramstein Classic

The Event was sponsored by J.J. Bitting Brewing Co. They offer a great selection of house brewed beers and are the home to the "The Whales" home brewing club. Check out their website for more info, menus, and weekly events.
http://www.njbrewpubs.com/
33 Main St. (Next to the Woodbridge Train Station)
Woodbridge, NJ 07095
(732) 634-2929
Don't forget to friend J.J. Bitting on Facebook for updates.

Review - Johnny Rocket's Sports Lounge

On a recent trip to Johnny Rockets, Altantic City NJ location I decided to take a seat at the counter. I was pleasantly surprised when my waiter offered me a drink menu and a list of drink specials. Among the offerings were beer, wine, and spiked shakes. This is a welcome change to one of my favorite restaurants. While doing some internet research I noticed that Johnny Rockets, has actually open some "Johnny Rocket's Sports Lounge" Locations. These locations offer the regular menu, along with bar food and a full bar.



If you are in NYC, this is something worth trying.

1134 1st Ave (between 62&63rd)
New York, NY 10065

(212) 434-0000

Event - The Rat's Beerfest - October 8, 2011

The Basics . . .
Who? The Rat (95.9 WRAT)
What? 2011 Beerfest
When? October 8, 2011
Session 1 -12:00PM-4:00PM
Session 2 - 6:00PM-10:00PM
Where?Conventional Hall
Asbury Park, NJ
Why? Fun of course
How? Purchase Tickets Here
$25 In Advance Ticket
$30 At The Door Ticket
$10 Designated Driver Ticket
For a limited time, order through Ticketmaster,
get $9.59 off the price! Promo code, “BEER”.

Event - Central Jersey Charity Beer Festival - September 24, 2011

The 5th Annual NJ Beer Festival will be held on Saturday September 24, 2011 from 1-5p.m. This event is hosted by J.J. Bitting Brewery Co. in Woodbridge, NJ and will be held at Parker Press Park. Beer from J.J. Bitting will be on hand, along with other NJ microbreweries and pubs.

Currently J.J. Bitting brews the following beers, which can be found on their website:

Victoria’s Golden Ale: Our lightest ale is a blend of pale malt and unmalted wheat. This beer is lightly hopped with German varieties and fermented slightly cooler for a crisp finish. Straw-colored and lower in alcohol (4.2%), this is a flavorful session beer.

Raspberry Wheat Ale A domestic interpretation of the fruit flavored beers that made Belgium famous. Very light and crisp with low hop bitterness, this beer gathers it’s flavor from fresh Raspberries that are used in place of flavoring and aroma hops. (4.2%ABV)

Avenel Amber A medium hopped, light-bodied Amber lager.This brew derives its flavor from American grains with emphasis on domestic caramel and toasted malts.Oregon-grown hops abound, providing 28 IBUs.I hope the Avenel gang enjoys this one. Cheers from James the Brewer. (4.7%ABV)

X-DUFF BEER Only Homer Simpson could describe it best - “UMMM BEEEERRRRR” This is an American light lager. Smooth and crisp, with a slight fruity aroma. Domestic beer lovers will love this style. (ABV 4.5%)

Woodbridge Lite New to the JJ’s Line up. This Light American Lager is palate cleansinng, very crisp, and refreshing. Also, it’s the lightest beer brewed in Woodbridge weighing in at 128 calories per pint. (3.8%ABV)

Dunkel-Weizen Our dark wheat beer features the same yeast as our hefeweizen but adds the character of crystal and chocolate malts to give it a unique flavor and aroma. Lightly hopped and served unfiltered it’s a rich full bodied delight... (5.0% ABV.)

Tickets are $25 and include a souvenir sampler glass.
Tickets for non-drinkers are $15.
Kids under 12 are free and must be accompanied by an adult.

Call JJ Bitting Brewing Co. at 732-634-2929 or follow the link below for more details.
J.J. Bitting

Drinking Game - Football

Football Drinking Game

Take one drink for:

Winning the coin toss/loosing the coin toss, giving up a run of 10 yards, a pass of 20 yards, a sack/ tackle for a loss of 2-10 yards, make a field goal of 45 yards or more, missing a field goal of under 50 yards or a 5-10 yard penalty

Take two drinks for:

15+ yard penalty, giving up a touchdown and any turnover

Take three drinks for:

Your team losing on a fourth down situation or making a touchdown of over 50 yards

Take four drinks for:

Giving up any return for a touchdown and/or any reverse plan taken in for a touch down

Event - Iron Skillet Cook Off - October 24, 2011

The World Cares Center was formed after 9/11 to promote social, emotional and physical healing for the entire responder community. Since then it has grown to a global organization training communities in disaster relief and preparedness.

The Iron Skillet Cook Off is an event created to benefit the World Cares Center and it's support of NYC's emergency response team. The cook off pits 7 of New York City Fire Department's top firehouse chefs against their local restaurant counterparts.

I will be serving "Maker's Mark Milkshakes" at this years Iron Skillet Cook Off. This is a new recipe for Maker's Mark that will be sampled at this event. The recipe is a secret, sorry I can't tell you want goes into those Milkshakes, I can only tell you how delicious they are!

For more information check out the World Cares Center's link below.
Iron Skillet Cook Off 2011

Tickets are $200 each and $100 for firefighters and their spouses.

Event - Union County Musicfest - September 14-18

Come to the Union County Fair on September 14-18 in Oak Ridge Park, Clark, N.J. Musicfest is sponsored by the Union County Preforming Arts Center and Overlook Medical Center, both great causes. The UCPAC is selling individual sponsor tickets at $30/40 per day. To purchase follow this link "Friends of Musicfest." This includes access to the Jack Daniels lounge and 3 drink vouchers.

Plus I will be serving Beer in the Musicfest Beer Garden. There are many other reasons to make the trip to Musicfest besides the beer. There will be carnival rides, a petting zoo, food & craft vendors, and non-stop live music. Any one looking for a good work out should sign up for the fifth annual Love Hope Strength Rock On! Walkathon or 5k Rockin’ Run to benefit Union County Love Hope Strength and other New Jersey-based cancer charities.

This is a free event with live music every day. The current weekend lineup is:
Friday, September 16
Collective Soul
LIVE's Ed Kowalczyk

Saturday, September 17
Mike Peters performing with School of Rock
Nicole Atkins
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Paul Rodgers
Neon Trees
Blondie

Sunday, September 18
School of Rock Tribute to Bruce Springsteen
The Smithereens
Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes

Click the below for more information.
Musicfest 2011

Beer Garden Review - Boardwalk Beer Garden

If you are heading down to Atlantic City for the weekend don't forget to check out the new "Boardwalk Beer Garden" located on the boardwalk at Caesars Hotel and Casino.

Currently the beer garden varies their beer selection weekly so you can try something new each time you visit. On average they have anywhere from 20-30 beers to choose from, including microbrews and craft beers.
Unlike a typical beer garden, their beers are sold by the bottle. Beer prices are $6 domestics, $7 imports, and $8 craft/microbrews. They also offer nightly specials, and happy hour Monday-Friday from 4pm-7pm. Since the beer garden is outdoors they have a special “When it rains, we pour” promotion where bud and bud lights are $3 during all rain storms.
If you or your friends are not into beer, they offer a full bar and a frozen drink selection as well. For now the food menu is somewhat limited, with a choice of hot dogs or Philly pretzels. Nothing beats a drink on the boardwalk, the view of the beach and music in the background.

For more information please check out their website below.
2100 Pacific Avenue, Suite 100

Atlantic City, NJ 08401

609-345-BEER (2337)

http://www.boardwalkbeergardenac.com/

Beer Garden Review - Zeppelin Hall

In 2009 Zeppelin Hall opened as the first Beer Garden in Jersey City. A beer garden is an open air area where beer, drinks and food are served that is typically connected to an indoor beer hall. Beer gardens are traditionally German, but today can be found around the world. Zeppelin Hall is conveniently located 4 blocks from the PATH train.

The currently offer over 50 types of beer on tap and beer can be purchase either by the glass or by the pitcher. Prices vary based on the brand of beer a typical pitcher is around $18.
The menu consists of giant pretzels, french fries, burgers, a variety of sausages and Belgium waffles.

Zeppelin Hall Beer Garden
88 Liberty View Drive
Jersey City, NJ 07305
(201) 721-8888
Monday-Friday 4pm-2am
Saturday & Sunday 12pm-2am
Family friendly: bring kids ’till 9pm

Recipe - Mint Julep

This is the official drink the "Kentucky Derby"
4 fresh mint springs
2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
1 tsp powdered sugar
2 tsp water

Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a collins glass.
Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon.
Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig.
Serve with a straw.

This year the Kentucky Derby is May 7th from 5-7p.m. Click the link below for a full schedule.
Kentucky Derby Official Site

Review - Labatt Blue Light Lime

This is my first post in April, it has been a very busy month. I decided to make time to go down to "Joe Canal's Discount Liqour Outlet" for their weekly free Thursday Beer Tasting. They showcase a different beer every Thursday from 5:00-7:00pm. Don't get too excited, the beer is served in a small shot glass.
Today's Beer was Labatt Blue Light Lime. This was a refreshing, light beer with lime flavoring that was not too overpowering. The best part is there are only 115 calories in each bottle. I think this is a great summer beer!

This puts Blue light lime in the same category as other great light beers.
Miller Light is 96 calories per bottle.
Coors Light is 102 calories per bottle.
Bud Light is 110 calories per bottle.
One of my personal favorites is Bud Select 99, with 99 calories per bottle. Budweiser also makes Bud Select 55, with 55 calories per bottle, but most of the flavoring is lost in this beer and it tastes too 'watered down'.

http://www.labattbluelightlime.com/the-beer
6 packs: $6.99
24 pack (case): $24.99

Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Outlet
489 US Route 1 South
Iselin, NJ 08830
732-726-0077

Coupon - Hearland Brewery good until March 31, 2011

There is still time to claim your coupon for a free order of wings with the purchase of 1 pint of beer at Heartland Brewery.

Use the link below.
http://www.heartlandbrewery.com/wings.html

Heartland Brewery brews their own selection of Craft Beers with seasonal additions through out the year. My personal favorites are the Red Rooster Ale and the Full Moon Barley Wine. The current Beer offerings are Indian River Light, Corn husker lager, Harvest Wheat, Red Rooster Ale, Indiana Pale Ale, Farmer Jon's Oatmeal Stout, Bavarian Black Lager, Grateful Red Lager, Mother's Milk Maiblock, Old Red Nose Ale, Smiling Pumpkin Ale, Stumpkin, Summertime Apricot Ale, Full Moon Barley Wine, Not tonight Honey Porter, Empire Premium Beer, The Beer Goddess. Not sure where to start you can order the "Voyage of Beer," this is six 5 oz. beer samples of your choice for only 12.95.


The menu can be found on their website.
http://www.heartlandbrewery.com/

Event - Cocktail Jam @ Astor Center March 28, 2011

On Monday March 28, 2011 from 6:00-9:30pm the Astor Center will host the 3rd Annual United States Bartenders Guild "Cocktail Jam."

This is a great Food Network Style competition. Twelve of the best United States Bartenders Guild members will try to create the most delicious cocktail ever.

The celebrity judges for the night are New York's:
Giuseppe Gonzalez from Dutch Kills and Painkiller
Thomas Waugh from Death & Co.
Phil Ward from Mayahuel
Stephanie Moreno from Brooklynwino

The winner gets a $2000 scholarship to the esteemed cocktail conference, Tales of the Cocktail.

50% of all ticket proceeds benefit Action Against Hunger (Tsunami Relief) and the USBGNY, and afford you samples of the nights cocktails.

Tickets are $35 and can be purchased using the link below.
http://www.astorcenternyc.com/class-cocktail-jam.ac

Beer Event - Altantic City Beer Festival April 1 & 2

"THE TOP TEN REASONS TO GO TO THE ATLANTIC CITY BEER FESTIVAL"

10. The Atlantic City April Fools Run on April 3
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=125465964190142
9. Kozac the Magician @ the Tropicana
http://www.tropicana.net/Atlantic-City-entertainment/comedy_stop.htm
8. The Price is Right Game Show hosted by Joey Fatone @ Ballys
http://www.ballysac.com/EventsDetail.do?locationCode=BAC&detailName=price-is-right-live-stage-show-detail&eventTitle=The%20Price%20Is%20Right%20Live
7. Buddy Guy @ House of Blues in the Showboat Casino on April 2
http://www.houseofblues.com/tickets/eventdetail.php?eventid=67746
6. To win big in slots or poker!
5. The Atlantic City Beach
4. The Atlantic City Boardwalk Rodeo is the same weekend
http://acboardwalkrodeo.com/
3. AC Brewers Brunch @ W.L. Goodfellows on April 3
http://www.wlgoodfellows.com/brewers-brunch.html
2. To see the band "Go Go Gadjet" on April 2
http://drinkingisasport.blogspot.com/2011/03/beer-event-atlantic-city-beer-festival_13.html
1. Unlimited Beer with the purchase of your ticket
http://www.celebrationofthesuds.com/default.asp

Beer Event - Atlantic City Beer Festival April 1&2

The Atlantic City Beer Festival being held on April 1 & 2 has just released more detailed information of the entertainment and seminars offered.

Session 1: 7pm to 11pm

7:00 The Founders (Opening Crowd March)
7:15 Lifespeed (Music Stage)
7:30 Mark Haynie "History of NJ Beers" (Demo Stage)
8:30 Rocky Fino cooking with beer demo (demo stage)
9:15 The Founders (Music Stage)
9:30 Gary Monterosso "Artisan Beers" (Demo Stage)
9:45 Lifespeed (Music Stage)
10:00 Sam Morgante cooking with beer demo (demo stage)

Session 2: 12pm to 4pm

12:00 The Founders (Opening Crowd March)
12:15 GoGo Gadget (Music Stage)
12:30 Mark Haynie "History of NJ Beers" (Demo Stage)
1:30 Rocky Fino cooking with beer demo (demo stage)
2:15 The Founders (Music Stage)
2:30 Gary Monterosso "Artisan Beers" (Demo Stage)
2:45 GoGo Gadjet (Music Stage)
3:00 Sam Morgante cooking with beer demo (demo stage)

Session 3: 6pm to 10pm

6:00 The Founders (Opening Crowd March)
6:15 Burnt Sienna (Music Stage)
6:30 Mark Haynie "History of NJ Beers" (Demo Stage)
7:30 Rocky Fino cooking with beer demo (Demo stage)
8:15 The Founders (Music Stage)
8:30 Gary Monterosso "Artisan Beers" (Demo Stage)
8:45 Burnt Sienna (Music Stage)
9:00 Sam Morgante cooking with beer demo (demo stage)

More information can be found on the festival website below.
http://www.celebrationofthesuds.com/default.asp

Beer Event -Atlantic City Beer Festival April 1 & 2

Friday April 1st and Saturday April 2nd marks the 6th Annual Atlantic City Beer Festival. There are three sessions of this festival.
Friday April 1st Session #1 at 7pm to 11pm
Saturday April 2nd Session #2 from 12pm to 4pm
Saturday April 2nd Session #3 from 6pm to 10pm
Tickets are $45 in advance or $50 at the door. Tickets can be purchased online at
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Atlantic-City-Convention-Center-tickets-Atlantic-City/venue/16397
The highlight of the festival is over 75 breweries from around the world showcasing a variety of craft beers. I look forward to trying beers from some local NJ and NY breweries. Local breweries that will be in attendance are Itica brewery, Flying Fish brewery, Brewery Ommegang, River Horse Brewery, Tun Tavern, Shmaltz Brewing Co. (makers of Coney Island lager), Cricket Hill Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, South Hampton Brewery, and the NJ Beer Co.
More information can be found on their website below.
http://www.celebrationofthesuds.com/default.asp

Wine Event - Merchants NY Cigar Bar March 24, 2011

Sorry boys, this is a women's only event.

On March 24, 2011 from 6pm -8pm Merchants NY Cigar Bar will be hosting a Cigar & Wine tasting event. Cigars will be provided by Miami Cigar Company, and wines from Lieb Cellars. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres will be served.

Lieb Cellars is a local vineyard from Mattituck, NY (North Fork). If you can't make it to this event, their tasting room is open on long island year round and provides samples of the complete line of Lieb wines. More information can be found on their website.
http://www.liebcellars.com/our-winery.htm


"NYC's Bravest Calendar Men" will be on hand to sign calendars. This event will benefit the Thomas R. Elasser fund, which assists the families of deceased FDNY firefighters.

click the link below to purchase tickets. They are $100/person and all proceeds go to benefit the Thomas R. Elasser fund.
www.cityofthebrave.com/Merchants

Term - SLAINTE

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner so it's time to learn a drinking term "Slainte."
Sláinte is commonly used as a drinking toast in Ireland and Scotland. Literally translating as "health."
Common Variations are:

1- It can for be expanded to sláinte mhaith "good health" in Irish

2- The basic Scottish Gaelic equivalent is slàinte mhath (same meaning) to which the normal response is do dheagh shlàinte "your good health".

3- Another Scottish variation is air do shlàinte "on your health!" with the response slàinte agad-sa "health at yourself!"

4- Another Scottish vatiation is slàinte mhòr "great health" which is also used as a Jacobite toast with the alternative meaning of "health to Marion", Marion (Gaelic Mòr) being a Jacobite code name for Prince Charles Edward Stuart.

5- The Manx Gaelic form is slaynt vie. Alternatively, corp slaynt "healthy body" is also used in Manx.

Sound familiar?? In modern Romance languages, the word descended from salus (such as salud in Spanish, saúde in Portuguese or santé in French) are used as a toast.

From Wikipedia

Beer Event - Get Real NY March 19 & 20, 2011

The "Get Real NY" Beer and Food festival will be held on March 19 and 20 at:
THE ALTMAN BUILDING
135 WEST 18TH STREET
NEW YORK, NY 10011
Tickets are $65 for general admission and $80 for VIP admission.
There are 2 Saturday Sessions on the 19th from 12-3 P.M. and 5-8 P.M.
There are 2 Sunday Sessions on the 20th from 12-3 P.M. and 5-8 P.M.
There will also be a VIP session each day from 4-8 P.M.

The ticket includes beer from over 80 breweries, unlimited samples from nyc eateries, and live music.

Check out this trailer below.

Beer Event - Atlantic City Beer Festival 2011

Along with the Beers mentioned in my previous post, this event will also be showcasing live music.

Session 1 Act (April 1st 7-11pm):
Life Speed












Session 2 Act (April 2nd 12-4pm):
Go Go Gadjet












Session 3 Act (April 3rd 6-10pm):
Burnt Sienna







Did I mention "Go Go Gadget" is one of my personal favorites. This band is a relative new comer from the Philadelphia, PA music scene. They are essentially a cover, who makes an effort not to imitate the original artist, but to create a song that sounds completely their own. This is a band worth seeing live.

Store Review - Penn Wine & Spirits

"Penn Wine & Spirits" is a wine store located in Penn. Station, New York. The Store can be found on the L.I.R.R. level between tracks 16 and 17, in the corridor adjacent to Starbucks.



They carry an interesting selection of wines from around the world, with emphasis on the rarer brands. Making this the perfect store to shop for that one of a kind gift. I was lucky enough to wonder in on a Wednesday, when they were conduction a wine tasting of two red and one white wine. Tastings are held every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. With Friday's tasting run by the distributor's themselves, they showcase wines made at the same vineyard.




My favorite wine from the tasting was a 2006 Chateau Les Grandes Mottes Bordeaux Superior (Cab/Merlot Blend) on sale for $14.99 a bottle. Here are some tasting notes: "Deep cherry in color, it has an earthy smell. It's a medium bodied wine with ripe cherry and black teaflavors. There's also a strong tannic structure that you get full blast if you swish it around a while before swallowing. It's an interesting wine."