Liquor News From Southern Spirits!
10 Jun, 16 / 
Hey there booze fans, is it Thursday already? Some weeks I think, what on earth am I going to write about this week??? Is this the week I tell them about some terrible dates I went on, or how my scooter was stolen as a kid, or the time I wrestled my college professor to the ground (he was drunk and belligerent). Should this be one of my philosophical ones (in this simulated universe whisky is my chief argument that we are all really here)? Should this be one of my preachy ones (if you don’t use the right glassware you might as well just dump the bottle down the sink!)? Uh oh, clearly this is a meta boozeletter, Joss Whedon would be so happy! The purpose of the boozeletter is to inform (99% success) and to entertain (37% success). I want
to alert you to tastings that I have spent time and energy booking. I want to inform you of new arrivals because most of them I chose because I want to share them with you. I put in Keith’s Cabinet because people would ask me, “what do you drink Keith?” (okay it was only person, but still!) I put the humor in here (is there supposed to “humor” in here) because comedy has always been important to me. I put the anecdotes in here because booze has always been more of an experience for me. The shared moment has always been more important than the booze itself. For example, I once gathered friends together to try the most expensive wine I had ever purchased and it was corked! Everyone was trying to be nice but as soon as I saw their faces I knew that it was bad. Despite that big disappointment the bottle I returned it for turned out to be one of the best wines I have ever had in my life! Smith-Haut Lafite 1996!! Okay, now I can cross the meta blog off of my list. Next week, it could be a batman theme!
TASTINGS
FRIDAY WINE 4:00-6:00
MINER VIOGNIER: This criminally underrated grape was almost lost to the wine world forever, but luckily a few dedicated wine makers kept it alive and now it is starting to flourish. It is a great and lively summer wine, that I think you will enjoy.
CA LOCATIONS: Orin Swift has made this white blend from a variety of California grapes for your enjoyment. I have not tried it, but I am certain it is big and fruity!
P LOCATIONS: Orin Swift has a red blend from Portugese grapes. This is a good idea, as Portugal 
actually makes lot of excellent red wines that no one in the U.S. drinks. They are famous for Port but there are many tasty non-fortified wines from there as well.
TRIVENTO GOLDEN RESERVE MALBEC: Now that things have calmed down in the Malbec market, they are no longer putting out their wine seconds after bottling it! One of the reasons why Malbec became such a big hit in the first place is that you could get a quality wine, with some age, for a very reasonable price.
SATURDAY MUDDY RIVER 2:00-5:00
Muddy river is back! Why is Muddy River back? The answer is simple, it is local, it is delicious, and they are lovely people! I would happily have them come back as often as they like. It is about being a part of something for me. There are new distilleries popping up at an amazing rate, but they are not all good. This distillery is making very high level booze that people would drink all over the world if they could. Also special guest Tony, here to talk about his delicious local Amaretto!
KEITH’S CABINET: WHAT KEITH IS DRINKING NOW
JEWEL OF RUSSIA RED BERRY: I really love this vodka, the fruit is dominant but not sweet. It has a lower abv, which makes it perfect for afternoon drinks.
DENIZENS RUM: This white rum, is so good at making cocktails and totally affordable. We made tasty Mojito’s on Saturday. Good tip, freshly grown mint is twice as powerful as the stuff from the store!
G VINE: This grape based gin from France makes a very tasty gin and tonic! I meant to make a martini as well, but I ran out of gas (it happens from time to time).
NEW ARRIVALS:
STIRKS GIN: What if you aged your gin in used Scotch barrels? Then you would have a half gin/half whisky, and all amazing gin! I could not be more excited about this bottle of wonderful!
CROWN CORNERSTONE 8 YR: The folks at Crown continue to try new expressions, but I really wish they would just bring back the Cask 16 already!
LEDAIG 10 YR: Peat fans rejoice, this is another winner! From the Isle of Mull, it is not famous, just delicious. There is a nice butterscotch element to counter balance that beautiful iodine, smoke, and peat.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
GREYHOUND
1.5 OUNCES OF GIN (Flight 69, St. George Botanivore, Edinburgh)
5 ounces of Grapefruit Juice
Serve on the rocks or in a chilled glass.
Some weirdo’s insist on using vodka instead of gin.
