Sip This: Angel's Envy Bourbon

Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon: Very few whiskeys can claim to be GMO-free, given the altered state of corn in the United States. And even fewer can claim to be finished in ruby port barrels. But Angel’s Envy, the new liquor from Lincoln Henderson, former head distiller at Brown-Forman, lives up to both those claims.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Should the Local Food Movement Include Wine?

Finding the word "local" on a menu is practically cliché; there may be a day when vegetables grown in a restaurant's own garden won't be enough anymore. We might wind up at "micro-local" soon: "We grew the greens for your salad in a pot at your table."

Given that focus on food, it seems strange that restaurants might not feel the need to serve local wines, too. Matt Kramer of the Wine Spectator wrote a recent column asking, "Do wine directors and sommeliers have any obligation to champion nearby wineries?" Since he focused on Northern California and Oregon, I thought it might be illuminating to examine the issue in Southern California.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Sip This: Cutler's Stagecoach Whiskey

Cutler’s Artisan Spirits Stagecoach True American Whiskey: When Santa Barbara’s Ian Cutler decided that his 33 Bourbon Whiskey needed a lighter, summer-sippable cousin, he crafted Stagecoach.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Great Grills of Fire

(photo: Paul Wellman)

There’s something about the smell of oak smoke that draws us in, holds us to dreams of summers past and delicious repasts of the future. It’s intimate by nature, a good BBQ, since somebody spent the better part of his or her day making special somethings just for you.

So while our 6th Annual Sizzling Summer BBQ Contest, held at Oak Park on June 18, featured a shorter-than-usual list of competitors vying for the charcoal, beef-focused crown, it wasn’t any less wonderful or impassioned. And that’s what makes BBQ best.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

Drinking Red, White, and Blue

This most patriotic of weekends tends to leave me in a tough spot, as it seems to me there's nothing better to drink while picnicking than rosés. But you can't be a commie pinko on the 4th now, can you? Plus I just wrote about rosés, so you need some new suggestions to fuel your Fourth. I figure, why not be a true American and go simple? Here are ways to drink red, white, and blue for this weekend.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.

Sip This: Meiomi Chardonnay

Meiomi Chardonnay 2013: A blend from coastal vineyards (“meiomi” comes from a native American word for coast) in Santa Barbara (49%), Sonoma (30%), and Monterey (21%), this Chardonnay will please lovers of bigger styles of the varietal even though the fruit comes from cooler climate vineyards.

Want to read the rest then do so at the Independent's site.

A Rosé Explainer and Buying Guide

To be just a mite fanciful, one could consider rosé the platypus of wines. Neither red nor white, it's cute and interesting (and good by a pool), but hard to figure. So we here at KCET decided it's time for a rosé explainer, followed by some of the better Southern California versions you can get right now. And while they can age if you can keep your hands off them, they are meant for instant seasonal pleasure.

Want to read the rest then do so at KCET's Food Blog.