Something tells me, the less said, the better.
Nice Jugs is California wine produced by Kaz, of Kenwood, California.
Censored is made by Crushpad in San Francisco, California. This location and the ropes remind me of SNL’s excellent skit about Nancy Pelosi.
Marion Berry Wine
Consider this a public service announcement, so you will never face the awkward predicament of confusing one of these for the other, especially since TTB has approved wines made from dozens of different types of berries. We will try to show many of them, starting with these.
The berry on the left is the marionberry. It is used to make this wine from Scatter Creek of Tenino, Washington. This berry is closely related to the blackberry and “the relative complexity of its flavor has led to a marketing label as the ‘Cabernet of Blackberries.’ The more powerful flavor of the marionberry has led to it dominating current blackberry production.”
It is not to be confused with Marion Barry, Washington, DC’s practically unstoppable mayor, from 1979 to 1999.
On the right is a thimbleberry. It is used to make this Threefold Vine wine in Garden, Michigan. Wiki says “Thimbleberry fruits are larger, flatter, and softer than raspberries, and have many small seeds. Because the fruit is so soft, it does not pack or ship well, so thimbleberries are rarely cultivated commercially.”
Nutty Beer
Yesterday we showed a couple of beers made with chestnuts. It was not a fluke, and there are a great many other malt beverages made with nuts. All of these will bear a prominent warning about nut allergens someday soon.
Today we have two beers made with pecans (as opposed to pecan flavor). The Shiner Holiday Cheer is Ale Brewed with Peaches and Pecans. The 512 Pecan Porter is a Malt Beverage Brewed with Pecans. 512 is a microbrewery in Austin and apparently takes its name from the telephone area code. The owner explains that “brewing brings together both my passionate, creative side and my organized, controlled and diligent nature. Engineering + cooking: a real dream job!!”
Chestnut King
Maybe it’s time to give the good old chestnut a chance. I have walked right by the roasted chestnut vendors of Manhattan on innumerable occasions. Halfbakery explains the allure:
I live in NYC and I love roasted chestnuts. In fact, many people love roasted chestnuts in NYC. There’s nothing better than walking along the crowded streets on a cold, wintery day holding a hot bag of chestnuts and plunging your teeth into naturally sweetened and soft chestnuts. The only problem is they’re sold only in midtown Manhattan by those street vendors who sell hot dogs too. More specifically, on 5th avenue and 53rd street. That’s the only place in Manhattan you can get these goodies. It’s a shame more New Yorkers can’t enjoy roasted chestnuts more frequently. … My point is is roasted chestnuts are a blessing and should be shared. That’s it.
B. United International seems to be well aware of these charms, and has a good handle on malt beverages loaded with chestnut. Palanfrina is Ale Brewed with Chestnut Flower, Dried Chestnuts, Chestnut Honey and Chestnut Jam. It’s made by Birrificio Troll in northwest Italy. The back label has a more detailed ingredient list.
Similarly, Birolla Malthus is Italian Chestnut Ale Brewed with Chestnut Meal and Honey. It’s made 186 miles north, in Como, Italy and it is also imported by B. United.
Cassava Beer
BusinessWeek recently reported that SABMiller is looking at several low-cost alternatives to barley. Cassava is one of the most promising. Cassava is the third largest source of carbohydrates for human food in the world. This woody shrub yields more food energy per acre per day, compared to almost any crop other than sugarcane. SABMiller is also looking at sorghum as a much lower-cost alternative to corn and barley, at least in poor countries.
The Hooligan label is way ahead of the trend here, using both cassava and sorghum. It is likely that this Widmer product was too early. Under this 2008 TTB Ruling it is unlikely TTB would re-approve the product, and this may explain why the current status of this label is “surrendered.” TTB requires “beer” to be made with malted barley and hops.
Fine Swine Wines
There are several pig-themed wine (and beer) labels this year. Maybe they are around every year, but we never quite noticed them until all the swine-induced hysteria. It so happens that the SWINE Festival is coming up next month, smack dab in the center of Iowa. The label says SWINE is nothing less than “Iowa’s premier pork and wine event.” No word yet on whether the flu situation is hurting or not hurting this event. Both the orange label, and the green label, are Iowa rosé made by Madison County Winery of Saint Charles, Iowa.
