Tonight, Friday, April 29th from 6 to 8 pm BRIX South End will be hosting Vermont-based Caledonia Spirits, which happens to make my favorite gin, Barr Hill Gin. I liked it so much that I actually wrote about it last September, here.
Friday, April 29th from 6 to 8 pm at BRIX South End
Not a gin drinker? No worries, Caledonia Spirits makes a range of spirits so stop by for a quick visit to sample some of their drinks. I bet you’ll love them too.
Bear-Naked Chef Adrian De Berardinis, who I’ve obsessed over in recent posts sat down with Logo / NewNowNext in an exclusive interview talking about what he’ll be serving for dinner on New Year’s Eve at his West Hollywood home along with his De-“Bear”-A-Tini, which is an interesting Champagne-based cocktail.
You can read the full interview here.
That 30+ something group of gays a.k.a. The Fellows are hosting holiday cocktails at The Emerald Lounge in Boston’s Theater District / Bay Village.
Cocktails with The Fellows
Wednesday, December 16th / 7:00 – 9:30 PM
Emerald Lounge at 200 Stuart Street
If you’ve never attended one of The Fellows socials, give it a try. I’ve attended a couple of their socials and the crowd is always friendly and welcomes even those in the 40+ crowd like yours truly.
The Fellows do ask that you RSVP. For more information (and to RSVP) link here: The Fellows December Cocktail Party at the Emerald Lounge.
One of my favorite social groups in Boston, Opus Affair, is hosting a cocktail party at one of the coolest hotel lounges in the city – W Boston Hotel on Monday, November 16th.
Take the opportunity to swing by solo or with friends for a drink or two and mingle with this group which is a mix of artists and those who appreciate the local art scene. There is no cost to attend but to help them keep track of RSVPs, please register on their eventbrite page here.
Enjoy this new take on a classic cocktail. Caledonia Spirits Barr Hill Gin from Vermont makes an unique gin that incorporates raw honey which gives it a subtle floral quality. I suggest combining it with a quality tonic water and meyer lemon. Although this is a classic summer drink, I’ll be enjoying it through out the fall.
I was first introduced to this gin at Mare Oyster Bar in the North End. They have modified a popular vodka drink, The Moscow Mule, and use Barr Hill Gin with Ginger Beer, Lime, Black Tea Syrup and Boston Bitters to make their cocktail, Boston Buck, which I posted on Instagram, here.
Both cocktails are delicious, but my mixing skills are somewhat remedial so I’ll be sticking with the classic G&T this weekend.
It is surprising to me how few people in the neighborhood seem to be aware of Cinquecento’s patio bar which is made from a repurposed shipping container. The 12-seat bar complete with comfortable patio furniture is Sergio and my favorite place to grab a drink outside.
Boston Magazine had a great write-up about their bar in June; complete with far better photos than the one I asked Sergio to take on my iPhone (when will the iPhone come with a decent camera?) If you’ve not checked out the bar, I’d suggest giving it a try. It is the only outdoor bar that I know of in the neighborhood.
Tomorrow after work, Opus Affair will host a social at Scholars Boston Bistro located near Downtown Crossing at 25 School Street. This gregarious group attracts artists and those who appreciate the arts community to their monthly social. If you’ve never attended be certain to give their Punch Bowl Fund a try. Your purchase of their punch bowl will go to something they call the Punch Bowl Fund where you get to designate a ticket to one of three arts charities. At the end of the night the charity with the most tickets from the punch bowl drinks gets to take home that month’s “donation”.
Scholars Boston Bistro at 25 School Street in DTX
Tuesday, April 28th from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Make sure to RSVP (There isn’t a cost – it is just to help keep count!)
Who is Opus Affair? They are a community of artists and friends who love the arts and gather together for cocktails to chat about the arts scene and make new friends. If you’ve never been to an Opus Affair social come and check them out.
Join the Sam Adams Brewery for “Flight Night” every Wednesday from 5 pm to 7 pm during the Spring and Summer.
Flight Night at Sam Adams Brewery
Choose from Sam Adams wide assortment of beers, which range from experimental brews to their flagship Boston Lager and seasonal collection. Having a drink with friends in their beautiful brewery in JP is a great way to end your day and celebrate hump day.
Read Boston Magazine’s article penned by Christopher Hughes, A Chef’s Guide to Eating Well in the South End. Hughes, the magazine’s online food editor, asked Ken Oringer (Clio, Uni & Toro) and Top Chef season 10 winner Kristen Kish to share their favorite South End spots.
The article really illustrates how lucky South End residents are, showcasing a wide variety of options. If you are curious where Oringer and Kish go for cocktails and / or cuisine check out the article. My only surprise – even though I agreed with many of their choices – was how many other options we have in this tiny neighborhood that went unmentioned.
How can anyone overlook such neighborhood gems like Formaggio with their superior selection of cheeses and meats or Brix with their unique selection of small vintage wineries? Restaurants and bakeries like South End Pita, Orinoco, Elephant Walk and Render Coffee add color and options that most neighborhoods would kill to have but the South End has such a rich collection it is easy to forget all the markets, restaurants, bakeries and cafes crammed into this tiny n’hood.
Tonight, Opus Affair will ring in the New Year at Stoddard’s in Downtown Crossing, where three years ago they started their now famous Punch Bowl Fund. This month’s Punch Bowl is featuring: Bridge Rep of Boston, Girls Rock Camp, and Opera on Tap.(Note: there is no cost to RSVP – it is just to help keep count!)
Who is Opus Affair? They are a community of artists and friends who love the arts and gather together for cocktails to chat about the arts scene and make new friends. If you’ve never been to an Opus Affair social come and check them out.
Click on image to enlarge
Vinepair has created a map to show the the drinking preferences of Americans by state. The states are classified into four different colors to show their preference in wine, beer, spirit or other alcohol.
What do you make of your state’s preference? While I do like beer, I have to admit I’m far more likely to have either a glass of wine or dry martini.
This past week I purchased a bottle of The Prisoner at the Whole Foods in my neighborhood. The wine is named after the winery “The Prisoner Wine Co.” and was ranked #89 on the Wine.com 100 of 2014, but it was the brooding rendering on the label that intrigued me enough to make the purchase.
The wine is a blend that mostly comprises Zinfandel but also includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Charbono, and Grenache. Upon pouring a glass of the wine the aroma made my mouth water. Hints of cherry and licorice are followed by others that are hard to place but not hard to enjoy.
Although this would be an easy wine for me to have on its own, I paired it with a d’affinois cheese with truffles (similar to a very creamy brie). If you enjoy reds and creamy brie cheese you may want to consider opening this when nobody else is around so you needn’t share. The Whole Foods South End has The Prisoner on sale for $39.99. Online prices for the 2013 bottle ranging from $39.99 – $50.00.
The Prisoner wine and d’affinois cheese with truffles and crackers
Last week, local blogger, Richard Auffrey, wrote a post on his blog, The Passionate Foodie, that wine lovers in MA need to know about called, Rant: A Plea To Wine Lovers In Massachusetts.
In his post, (which I encourage you to read – use the link above), he explains some of the details of our state’s new Direct Shipment Law. However, what I wanted to focus on was his plea that wine lovers contact their favorite U.S. wineries and tell them you want to be able to get their wines shipped to you. These wineries need to know that a demand for their wines exists and it will be financially advantageous to apply for a Direct Wine Shipper license.
Write a letter or email to your favorite wineries or contact them through your preferred social media outlet and most importantly – get the word out to your friends to do the same.
Although on our most recent visit we didn’t have a chance to go to Spot, I thought I should write about this restaurant and bar since it is a favorite. You will find more than a few handsome men at this gay friendly restaurant conveniently located just a block off of Paulista Avenue near MASP.
The first time I visited Spot was probably ten years ago. We arrived at 11PM on a Friday night and asked for a table for four. The handsome host smiled and said the wait was 2 hours, but encouraged us to order drinks from the bar and enjoy the outdoor patio while we waited. We didn’t take him seriously until he came to seat us for dinner at 1 AM (at which point there was only a 30 minute wait).
While the food is good it is the people watching that makes this a great place to either nab a cocktail or have dinner with friends. Main dishes at Spot run from $30 – $50 Reis (with the current US exchange rate of 2.5 that equates to $15-$20).
BosGuy 