Apple-Brandy Hot Toddies

Oct 11th, 2010

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups apple brandy, preferably Calvados
  • Eight 3-inch cinnamon sticks

  • Directions

    In small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey until dissolved. Stir in the lemon juice and apple brandy. Set a cinnamon stick in each of 8 mugs or heatproof glasses, pour in the hot liquid, serve and enjoy!

    Source & Image:  foodandwine.com

     

    Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

    Name: BLUEDONNAY

    Alcohol content: 12.5%

    Price: $14.99

    Description per label:  The Maine blueberry is not overly aromatic nor sweet.  The winemaker therefore needs to carefully draw out the subtle flavors from this reluctant berry.

    Review:

    Last weekend was The Bar Harbor Sommelier Invitational. The countries top-tier sommeliers gather at this exclusive annual event to sample fine wines and discuss industry trends. Unfortunately, I was discouraged from attendance due to some unsavory behavior I allegedly displayed the previous year. The complaint letter to the New England Sommelier Society alleged, among other things, that I incoherently berated several wine aficionados while standing naked atop a tasting table. I was also implicated in the “gross removal” of a chandelier and the discharge of two fire extinguishers. Let it be known that through my attorney I’ve flatly denied all allegations.

    Determined to stay current, I conducted my own version of this esteemed event at the lesser-known Otter Creek Motor Lodge which is located a few miles south of Bar Harbor. At best, the lodge’s decor would be described as minimalistic.  The room I shared with five of my fringier sommelier friends had sheets as soft as cardboard and a lingering aroma of four-day-old lobster stew. We sampled literally hundreds of varietals over the course of two days without cessation.  As the sun rose over Otter Creek, Samuel unveiled a bottle of Bar Harbor Cellars Bluedonnay. Upon sampling this deep indigo wine, the aroma was elegant with subtle touches of fruit. The taste on the front pallet was tart yet surprisingly smooth.  It got so foul on the backside, though, that I was forced to remove my sommelier tasting glove in order to slap Samuel about the head, neck, chest and breast.  The Robitussin-like finish leaves you with the sensation of being french kissed by a monkey with halitosis.

    On the SMS scale (1-10) I’d rate this blue bullshit a 2.

    Suggested pairings:  moose nuggets, cold clam chowder and a sinus infection.

     

    Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

    Name: Middle Sister (Rebel Red) California Red table wine

    Alcohol content: 12.5%

    Price: $12.99

    Description per label: A sassy blend of our three favorite red varieties perfect for sipping before, during and after our favorite family meals.

    This week’s review is my tribute to the life of Mrs. Vera Eleanor Moroni (1918-2010).

    Review: I’d just opened a 2006 cabernet and was savoring it on my veranda when I saw the paramedics carry away Mrs. Moroni from her abode. She appeared ghastly white, clutching a small flowered blanket, and was positioned at a rather unnatural angle on the gurney. At the pace the ambulance driving orderlies moved, I could tell this visit would be their last. I realized then, with a heavy heart, I was losing my pinochle mentor, poker partner, fellow wine enthusiast and cherished neighbor. For a 92-year-old she had a tolerance for wine and an appreciation for spirits I’ve seldom observed in my notable career. She held court at the card table and maintained her lady-like decorum after a dozen or so glasses of her favorite red table wines.  She separated many a fool from his money in her hay day. Sadly, towards the end she was dabbling in Internet poker without much success and had run into financial straits. Never one to miss an opportunity, I surreptitiously purchased the tax lien on her residence.

    Her most recent wine fixation was Middle Child Rebel Red. Mrs. Moroni was in fact a middle child and an obvious rebel. I’ll miss our days spent gambling, drinking and smoking good cuban cigars. She was a lady well ahead of her time.

    This California red blends zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. After tasting thousands of varietals I can say with almost metaphysical certitude, this is a California table red suitable for the person that is keen on table wine. The cost is fair, the alcohol content run of the mill, and the experience is, well, “table winey”. When sampled, the aroma underwhelms.  It presents a mildly sweet berry-like effect on the front palette with a hint of lingering spice falling flat on the backside. All in all, a typical wine that can meet most any drinking occasion. I would however give the caveat, this is no morning libation. The flavor doesn’t suit breakfast fare.

    On the world-renowned SMS Scale (1-10) the wine scored a 5 and Mrs. Moroni a perfect 10.

    Suggested pairings:  Italian comfort food, card games, and  Cohiba Torpedos (cigar).

     

    Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment

    Name: Menage a Trois Rose

    Alcohol content: 13.5%

    Category: other reds (Rosé)

    Description per label: Good rosé is like a carnival in your mouth—and not one of your low rent carnivals. We’re talking about your really classy, country fair kind of carnival.

    Price: $10.99

    Review:  First allow to me apologize for the late post. I’ve been on holiday and there has been much wine to sample. So this is a special commemorative missive.

    There is a fisherman I sometimes sample wines with who tells me wild stories of his exploits and conquests. He drives a modified tricycle that accommodates a large cooler, two rods, a tackle box and a cast net. I only know the Gent as Mullet Man, a name I bestowed upon him after one particularly long wine and scotch sampling session on our community seawall. Due to his proclivity towards storing his mullet and spirits in the same cooler I usually supply the beverages. By his own proclamations, Mullet Man was a Don Juan of sorts, globally romancing women from fishmonger’s wives to high society types. He claims the years spent as a sea captain with the merchant marine forged him into a salt-scaled sexual titan of sorts. I always interject, “a sexual titan with remaining teeth as brown as barnacles” and laugh jubilantly. He often tells anyone who will listen, of the time he orchestrated a Ménage a Trios’ with an Austrian duchess and a French chambermaid. The mental image makes me throw up a little in my mouth but to the dockside Don Juan I tip my fedora and dedicate this review.

    The Mullet Man in full jubilation.

    This Rosé should not to be confused with the pedestrian white zinfandel of the same color.  The blend of Merlot, Syrah and Gewürztraminer presents a dry but thinly sweet flavor. Upon sampling this provocative spirit, the aroma is robust and fruity with hints of melon and strawberry through the finish.  I’ve found a bottle or trios (3) refreshing enough to cool down three sweaty wine enthusiasts or one Mullet Man. It’s ideal to keep chilled and on hand in lieu of sports beverages.

    On the SMS scale (1-10) I’d rate this wine rock-solid 7.

    *Suggested Pairings: pizza, Tom’s pork rinds, smoked mullet dip, and orgies.

    *This week’s suggested pairings were courtesy of the Mullet Man himself.

     

    Written by Lea Barlow • Leave a comment