In the summer of 1784, Alexander Hamilton sat down in New York to write one of the stranger letters of his early legal career. The recent peace had allowed transatlantic wine commerce to restart, British blockades had vanished, and claret could once again reach the palates of the American elite in place of rum. Hamilton’s client, a London wine merchant named Hugh Seton, was owed 7,400 pounds — roughly half
This article is part of our Cocktail Chatter series, where we dive into the wild, weird, and wondrous corners of history to share over a cocktail and impress your friends. A Chicago dog is a rainbow served in a paper tray. A strict set of criteria rule the Windy City’s hot dog: It must be an all-beef frank enveloped in a poppy seed-studded bun topped with diced white onion, neon-green
Wineries of all types strive to develop an estate identity through their liquid, but nowhere is that brand recognition as important as it is in Champagne. The flagship product for most Champagne maisons is the “house style,” a proprietary blend of grapes from assorted plots and vintages. No two non-vintage recipes are the same. Beyond the stipulation that a wine must be produced in Champagne to be labeled as such,
Buffalo Trace Distillery is resurfacing five historic American whiskey brands for the third installment of its Prohibition Collection. This year’s edition features a lineup of five distinct whiskeys, including a high-proof rye, an uncut bourbon, and a blended whiskey, each representing a now-defunct brand that operated during Prohibition. The five whiskeys represent brands — Cove Spring, Henry Watterson, John G. Carlisle, Kentucky River, and Walter B. Duffy — produced under
All roads lead to Manhattan. At least, that’s the case when considering the cocktails named after New York City neighborhoods. While longtime cocktail monikers like the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned make up the global beverage lexicon, New York City — one of the hottest hubs of contemporary mixology — has a set of unique concoctions inspired by its many neighborhoods. Many of these arose from the early aughts cocktail
Craft beer has become ubiquitous in bars and restaurants across the country. Even the most staunch, old-school dive bar has probably offered a craft option on tap or in cans at some point. The brewers who make these beers need to have well-honed palates, sharp skills, and a sense of what will make their particular brew stand out in the crowd. But what about the big guys? The beers you
Busy restaurants have imposed time limits on diners for decades. Yet bars have historically operated in such a way that once you get a seat, and as long as you’re behaving, you can stay as long as you like. But in this new era of reservation-only bars, some are starting to impose time limits on patrons. Today on the “VinePair Podcast,” Adam, Joanna, and Zach discuss whether bars imposing time
With one hour left on the clock, the scoreboard goes dark. There’s no guaranteeing a win now, only blindly ordering pints of beer until a champion is revealed. A frantic set of neighborhood locals, brand reps, and loyal fans crowd the bar purchasing one frothy glass after another, eager to raise the score by just a few more points. Some customers gulp back brews to show their support, while others
If you asked the average American what happened in 1976, you’ll likely get an answer related to the country’s bicentennial. This is a sensible response, especially since the country is turning 250 this year so commemorations involving the U.S. and nice, round numbers are top of mind. Asking an American wine enthusiast or someone in the domestic wine industry the same question may yield a different response. The legendary Judgement
Paris again banned public drinking this weekend in response to the record-breaking heatwave engulfing parts of Europe. First responders and hospitals are already fighting a weather-induced influx of patients, Paris police chief Patrice Faure says, and the drinking ban is a move to prevent further hospitalizations, according to The New York Times. The ban on drinking takeaway alcohol in public began at noon Central Europe Time today and will end