Cream of Asparagus soup, Breuckelen Whiskey on the rocks, Anthony Bourdain on the TV. All served on a Wine Spectator placemat.
Soup and Whiskey
Oct 19th, 2011 by David Flaherty
NY Post: Cider Week Rules
Oct 15th, 2011 by David Flaherty
I was fortunate enough to lead New York Post writer, Chris Erikson, through a tasting last week in anticipation of NY Cider Week; we had a blast (final article above–click to enlarge).
Over the course of two hours, I poured eight different hard ciders from around the world and circled back to illustrate how the New York cider producers fit into the cider world at large.
Here’s what we tasted:
- Warwick Valley Winery, Doc’s Draft Hard Apple Cider, New York (4.5% abv)
- Sarasola Sydre, Natural Apple Cidre, Basque Region, Spain (6.0% abv)
- Westons, Stowford Press Export, England (6.0% abv)
- Etienne Dupont, Cidre Bouché Brut du Normandie, 2009, France (5.0% abv)
- Farnum Hill, Extra Dry Sparkling, New Hampshire (7.5% abv)
- J.K.’s Scrumpy, Farmhouse Organic Hard Cider, Michigan (6% abv)
- Eve’s Cidery, Northern Spy, New York (10% abv)
- Warwick Valley Winery, Doc’s Draft Framboise, New York (5.5% abv)
I’ve written a few geeky posts on cider in the past, so if you’re so inclined to dig deeper into the apple’s core, check these out:
- “NY Cider Week: Flood the Torpedoes” NY Cork Report (10/11/11)
- “A Cider Laboratory in a Chocolate Factory” (3/2/11)
- “Ciders: How do you Like Them Apples?” (11/6/09)
A Shot of Limoncello in the Cliffs of Cinque Terre
Oct 13th, 2011 by David Flaherty
A view from high up on the trail (all photos by Kat Bryant)
There is a hiking trail that skirts the cliffs between the town of Monterrosso and Vernazza in the Cinque Terre region of Italy’s Ligurian coast.
Taking approximately two hours, its winding path hugs the coast line of the Meditteranean and bobs and weaves through olive groves and steep vineyards. To this day, it is one of the most beautiful hikes I’ve ever taken—and trust me, after growing up in Colorado and being a merit-badge hungry, scarf-wearing Boy Scout, I have done me some hikes. But this post is not about hikes…
My sister did this same hike a few years ago and before I left the country, she told me of her journey. Along the path, she met an old woman who took her into her home, dusted off some quirky glasses and poured some of the wine she had made—from grapes that grew right next to the trail. My sister assigned me the task of having my own brush with a local producer along the trail…which I did.
Hiking? How about a nice shot of booze to keep you going?
The Greeks and their Silly Coffee Drinks
Oct 8th, 2011 by David Flaherty
NY Times, cheese danish, sunny patio in Astoria and the first Frappe I’ve had since we left Greece. I heart New York.
Steve Jobs: the Pirate We Would All Pillage For
Oct 6th, 2011 by David Flaherty
My colleague, Steven Solomon, our esteemed and talented designer for Hearth & Terroir (and by “talented,” I mean “borderline psychotic”; and by “esteemed,” I mean “capable of striking terror in the hearts of the holiest”) did this fine homage to Steve Jobs today. It’s clean, it’s simple and it’s powerful…much like the creative products this man seemed to spin so effortlessly in his wake.
Rest in peace, sir, knowing you have inspired millions…
The Best Bathroom Sign Ever?
Oct 4th, 2011 by David Flaherty
The Monks Got Nothing on these Nuns
Sep 30th, 2011 by David Flaherty
Afraid it had lost its sparkle due to being moved from cellar temperature to refrigerator temperature, back to cellar temperature and then fridge again–plus with about six months of age–I thought this beer was toast. So, as it was the last one in our beer room at Hearth, I bought it from the restaurant and toted it home to see if life remained…
Made by the nuns of the Reutberger Kloster (“nunnery” in German), the Reutberger Export Dunkel is my favorite Dunkel-style beer (a German dark lager). Add the fact they’ve been producing beers since 1677, and its a shoe-in for one of the most unique beers on the planet.
Oh, and back to tonight’s test…drum roll please. The answer? It’s drinking fantastic. Way to go, sisters of the Reutberg cloister. You brought a smile to this New Yorker’s face.
Good Stuff Comes in Big Bottles
Sep 27th, 2011 by David Flaherty
This wee little malty gift has made me a VERY happy man.
Ladies and gentlemen, weighing in at a whopping 10.5% abv, it’s the Southampton Abbot 12 Quadruple.
The First Beer to Flow from the Tap
Sep 22nd, 2011 by David Flaherty
After months of hard work, followed by weeks of stress and feeling like our world had been placed between the plates of a slowly tightening vice, we are coming up for air and the new Terroir Murray Hill is prepared to open its doors. Minutes ago, I was fortunate enough to drink the first beer (and wine) through the system.
Alone in the bar, I paused, held the glass up to to the heavens and took a moment to pause and reflect. This Saturday night, Terroir Murray Hill opens to the masses. But tonight, the first liquids flowed from the system. In homage to my Colorado roots, I poured a tall, cold one of Great Divide Rumble Oak Aged IPA. And, damn, it tasted good.
Devour Queens! Stop #3: Little Pepper
Sep 11th, 2011 by David Flaherty
What lies at the end of a rainbow? This pot o' crabs.
Within minutes, I felt the sweat beading up on my brow. Twenty minutes in, my sinuses began to eradicate themselves of all fluids. I was a sweaty, sniveling mess…but the smile on my face was apparent. We were now tit-deep in the spicy broth of Sichuan Ma La cuisine.
For stop #3, we made our way to the College Point neighborhood of Queens to Little Pepper. We were not there for the mismatched paintings on the walls— seemingly acquired at random from the $1 sale bin at the flea market. We were not there for the basic table and chairs acquired from the back recesses of the Bowery restaurant supply stores. We were not there for the Chinese television program being shown above the register. Nope. We were there for the spice. We were there to send our palate through the flavor gauntlet, to hit it with so much heat we wouldn’t whistle for weeks. And we weren’t disappointed…
Under a bright, neon glow lies the awning of Little Pepper
Little Pepper is bright, clean and (according to long-term fans), an upgrade from its previous location in a dingy Flushing basement. But once the food hits your mouth, the atmosphere fades away and you’re focusing only on the food. Stay on target! Stay on target! Because this food is spicy. Known as Ma La, this is Sichuan-peppercorn crack rock for heat (and flavor) junkies. But don’t be frightened, my friend. This is the not the kind of heat akin to a wildfire hitting your mouth as soon as the first bite hits. You will not be immediately reaching for a cool glass of milk. Nope. It’s a different sensation; it creeps up on you. Smooth, slow and steady. Like a peppercorn/chile seduction leading to a fierce romp.
Shayna's reaction to us possibly ordering "Spicy Intestines"
Brew York X is Nigh
Sep 9th, 2011 by David Flaherty
It’s Friday morning. Throughout the city, a die-hard group of craft beer junkies prepares. Each is toting bags of malty booty to their various jobs and counting the hours until go time. This evening, at an undisclosed location in New Jersey, Brew York X goes off.
My contribution to the evening: the Nebraska Melange a Trois (aged in Chardonnay barrels) and an aged Ommegang Three Philosophers from 2007. Its time to start hydrating.
Rum Punch: Man Your Battle Stations
Sep 5th, 2011 by David Flaherty
We descended on the house like General Patton’s Third Army, and quickly fanned out to our battle stations.
The grill, the kitchen, the bar; each was quickly manned. I took to the jiggers and the citrus reamers; I was now in charge of keeping the group primed and oiled with libations. A misstep at the bar can mean troops left behind. And we don’t leave troops left behind…
For Labor Day weekend, I decided to punch it up. You’ll find countless various of Rum Punches here, there and everywhere, but I took my lead from two classic sayings of yore.
There is an old recipe for The Baja Rum Punch that made its way around the Caribbean: “One part sour, two parts sweet, three parts strong, four parts weak.” You can mix different items you have on-hand but the overall formula must be obeyed.
And in the NY Times in 1908, the following recipe was the first to occur in print of the famous Planter’s Punch (with a nice set of rhyming couplets to boot):
PLANTER’S PUNCH
This recipe I give to thee,
Dear brother in the heat.
Take two of sour (lime let it be)
To one and a half of sweet,
Of Old Jamaica pour three strong,
And add four parts of weak. Then mix and drink.
I do no wrong — I know whereof I speak.
Devour Queens! Stop #2: Fu Run
Aug 30th, 2011 by David Flaherty
I will be haunted by you for quite some time. You’ve got your fatty, rich, spicy fingers under my skin and I can’t shake you free. In fact, I should just name this piece after you: ‘Ode to Muslim Lamb Chop’ (see pic below).
For stop number two, we drove into Flushing to visit Fu Run restaurant. The tasty cuisine of this Chinatown outpost comes from an area in the far-away reaches of Northeastern China called Dongbei (formerly known as Manchuria). We came curious. And we came hungry.
Duck Feet here! Get your Duck Feet here! Step right up, son.
We pulled up in front of the windowed facade topped with the bright yellow, neon sign and I felt like it wasn’t enough. We can’t just get out of the car, go into the restaurant, eat our faces off and then load back in the minivan. That’s sort of fraudulent; we are here to experience a new side of Queens, a deeper layer to the borough I call home. And so, we strolled down the surrounding streets before entering. The streets were abuzz with people of all race and creed. Shops with countless jars of herbs and spices abutted open kitchens with various roasted meats hanging by hooks over steaming woks. For the first time in my life, I considered purchasing a whole roast duck to just gnaw on in the backseat like a savage. I was transfixed by the smells and the sight of perfectly browned flesh. This has to be equivalent to the plumes of cotton candy I craved as a kid.
An essential companion on your journey
After making an eventful loop, we ended up inside our destination restaurant. A fluorescent-lit affair, Fu Run was near jumping with only a handful of open tables. The obligatory TV played next to a lone single beer tap, which I would later find poured only Budweiser (no thanks, I’ll stick to the bottles of Tsingtao).
Aviations While Hurricane Irene Flies In
Aug 27th, 2011 by David Flaherty
Water rations: check. Food rations: check. Aviation cocktail rations: check. Just another lazy Saturday at the Flaherty household.
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