There are some sure signs of Spring in this part of the country: The snow melts, those first little signs of green start peeking through the bare earth, you can hear the soothing sound of Jim Nantz all weekend long and the anticipation of the Kentucky Derby does nothing to curb the whiskey craze (see below). Here are some of our thoughts about the rest of 2015.
Pink Wine – It’s Cool, Drink It
We once witnessed a male patron in a high-falutin’ restaurant order a Cosmopolitan; you know, that drink that can be delicious when made with quality ingredients and a balanced recipe? Oh yeah, it’s pink too. This gentleman didn’t want to be served a pink cocktail so he asked for white cranberry juice…you get the idea. Pink wine— a.k.a Rosé, Rosato, Rosado or Vin Gris (grey wine)—from all areas of the globe has gained a serious place in the market over the last few years. All serious restaurants pour one (or 5) by the glass and some retail shops carry as many as 50 throughout the year. This isn’t a fad. Pink wine is becoming an all year round phenomenon. If you don’t respect the Cosmo as a proper cocktail, remember that a Jasmine is a classic, the same color as a Cosmo, and you can’t make it with white Campari.
R(h)um
We have talked about this topic before and without beating a dead horse, we’ll talk about it again. A local icon in the cocktail scene asked the other day “eventually people will get bored with Bourbon, right?” After some nervous laughter and the quick admission that it probably wouldn’t happen anytime soon (and we agree that whisk(e)y is here to stay) we talked about the possibility of rum as a new player in the brown spirits market. Rum actually has a deeper history on the American continents than any other spirit, the diversity of styles from across the Caribbean is truly intriguing and it has a versatility in production of both stirred and shaken drinks…and don’t forget about frozen cocktails (with or without the use of a blender); they’re making a comeback.
Hipsters
We recently found a T-Shirt sent by one of our winery partners that says “Don’t Feed the Hipsters” and then diagrams how to spot a hipster based on fashion choices, trendy cheap beer, etc. This got us to thinking, the term “hipster” seems to have a negative connotation and while we agree that whiny pretension is never a good thing, the hipster has also become synonymous with new development of some urban neighborhoods. Chances are, if you “spot a hipster” or 2, you can probably get a really good sandwich, bowl of ramen, locally-roasted espresso or a tasty cocktail. There might be an urban garden around the corner, an independent record store, a food truck that serves grilled cheese and tomato soup or a bar with a bunch of vermouth and craft beer. Does anyone really have a problem with that? Find a hipster and say thank you.