Big B’s

Posted on May 14, 2018 by melsmosaic

Awhile back when I was in Steamboat (Springs), CO, I checked out one of the local liquor stores and came across a hard cider I had never seen or heard of before — Big B’s. They are located in Hotchkiss, CO and have a variety of apple-related products.

The cider I found is the Harvest Apple from their Orchard Series. This one is “created by using a perfect blend of fresh pressed apples. This is a semi-sweet hard cider and has a bold and refreshing apple taste.”

It was great because it hit semi-sweet perfectly. Nice and crisp, giving a bit of dryness, but not too much based on its category, and also no overkill on sugar. Comes in convenient cans, too.

I’ve only found it in one place in the Ft. Collins area, so far, which is Supermarket Liquors, so glad that’s easy accessible.

Cheers!

Horsetooth Bloody Mary’s

Posted on May 13, 2018 by melsmosaic

Love supporting local businesses. Also love Bloody Mary’s. A new mix for such concoctions I have stumbled upon since moving to CO is Horsetooth Hot Sauce‘s. They have two levels of it.

I aim towards the milder side of things, so go for their ‘Dog That Bit You’ — You woke up licking your wounds from a night of excess imbibement. Perhaps you need a little hair of the dog that bit you? That’s where our The Dog That Bit You Bloody Mary Mix comes in, with just enough of our Rubin’s Red hot sauce to help you forget the pain from the night before.

They have a hotter level, the ‘Wake Up Call‘ — The Wake-up Call balances delectable spices with our infamous Rubin’s XXX hot sauce to give you a fiery flavor that will get your engines revving.

The mix has great tastes and all you have to do is add that vodka! I picked some up at the local farmers market, but it’s also available in some retail locations.

They also have some other drink mixes, as well as BBQ and hot sauces. Check them out and support the local Ft. Collins guys.

Laundry

Posted on April 20, 2018 by melsmosaic

Laundry doesn’t normally sound like a good thing. But in Steamboat Springs, CO it’s something that is not so bad. Visited Laundry Kitchen & Cocktails one evening to check out the latter part of their name.

We arrived not long after they opened and (nonetheless) had to wait awhile for a couple seats at the bar. Fortunately that gave us some time to pour over the menu. So, when we were able to snag some seats, we were ready to place our orders.

We opted for:

Fresh & 43 — Berry infused vodka, licor 43, fresh lemon juice, orange bitters, soda water, fresh fruit garnish

Smoke & thyme — Finlandia vodka, pear/apple puree, St. Germaine, mezcal, fresh lemon juice with a raspberry, thyme sprig garnish

Both were amazing. So fresh, so much flavor. Definitely unique. One of the best parts was watching the bartender make them. One of those seasoned guys who can make any and everything and has a great time doing it. We would have loved to stick around for longer and even order some food, but had to get back to the house for dinner. Will definitely head back there for another round and to check out the dinner menu. Cheers!

Bloody Mary

Posted on January 2, 2017 by melsmosaic

A great way to start the new year is by enjoying a delicious Bloody Mary. I like doing this because the bubbly was enjoyed on New Year’s Eve, so no need for mimosas right now.

I happened to get some delicious mix for said drink in my stocking so it was even easier to concoct this beverage. Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning is amazing stuff. Great spices (with 14 natural ingredients) and taste, all you need is that tomato juice, vodka, ice and any adornments (I had some nice green olives to toss in). Cheers!

Brazil Flashback

Posted on August 12, 2016 by melsmosaic

I have been thinking back to my trip to Brazil several years ago while watching the Olympics. Most of it came while watching a soccer game the other day, which was played in Manaus. I took a week-long trip in the Amazon on the Rio Negro. We were on a 16-person vessel with a trip through REI. This river begins in Manaus and heads north. The sight of it is amazing because when it and the Amazon intersect the difference is so distinct — black and brown. This is because of the speed of the water, not because of the direction of the currents.

Aside from some of the great sights, the fun food pieces were:

Piranha fishing. Oh, we got to go for them. You literally have a stick and tap the water and they eventually bite the lure. And the best thing — you eat them, they don’t eat you. Check out the teeth! They really do have them.

On the boat we could have beer and wine. What was the beer that we enjoyed at lot, as we were so close to the equator? Yes you’re reading the can right…Antarctica. Just a light one, great for the hot days. It’s a pils. And unfortunately in the whole grand scheme of the beer world, Budweiser owns this beer.

Towards the end of the trip we had true local drinks. We were taught how to make Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail. The key ingredients — cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage. The first night our guide showed us how to make the great drink then on the final night we got to make them ourselves.

Bidwell

Posted on February 18, 2015 by melsmosaic

Recently found out about a newish (one year old) restaurant in DC at Union Market. It’s a growing area and Union Market alone has tons of great little (food) shops. The restaurant is Bidwell, and there is also a restaurant by the same chef in NYC. They have a garden on the rooftop and in the summer grow their own herbs and veggies — nice!

Our ‘table’ was great — right in front of the kitchen so we got to watch all the action take place. It was a busy night, they didn’t expect it, so stuff was a bit under par, but that just meant we got to watch more of the fun take place.

It took awhile to get our cocktails because they had one bartender but I eventually received my City Sage.

Quite unique. I’m not a huge bourbon drinker but that sage intrigued me. Was totally worth trying it!

For an appetizer, we tried some of the highly-kitchen-rated Brussel sprouts. So nice and crisp and crunchy — give me more!

We then had to try the kale salad, just super fresh, with pine nuts and a nice vinaigrette (that had anchovies in it to give it a perfect saltiness).

To cap it off, went with the salmon served over cauliflower. Again, very good — after I received it 3 times over. They initially told me there was no dairy, but that white stuff at the very bottom is mostly dairy. The second time I got it, the cauliflower should be outside right now (freezing), the third time, delicious!

Overall, I will totally check this place out again. The manager apologized for the slow service but the food was delicious. If you’re in DC and can make it to Union Market, check this place out.

Pour me, pour me, pour me…another G&T

Posted on December 22, 2014 by melsmosaic

The name of the blog makes me thing of two songs:

“Pour me, pour me, pour me, another shot of whiskey.” –Trick Pony (yes, I’m a country fan)

or much more appropriately

“A Malibu & Coke for you, a G&T for me.” — Barenaked Ladies

So, get to where I’m staying in Ft. Collins and that evening it’s happy hour! Of course the family’s liquor cabinet is never under par (where do you think I learned to provide info about food & alcohol)?

Several members of my family love martinis, super dry. I can’t stomach them. But, I love a Gin & Tonic. Well, apparently a new gin was recently purchased that was definitely not martini material but perfect for a G&T! My new taste test — Few Standard Issue Gin.

Found out it’s a special release spirit. Ok, 114 proof (57% alcohol by volume), wow. Very unique — it’s thick/syrupy (more so than a ‘regular’ gin). Great flavor, definitely the nice juniper and some fennel notes. Perfect way to start the evening. More cheers and happy holidays.

Bootlegging

Posted on October 28, 2014 by melsmosaic

Was at the Navy Football game the other day, with of course some great tailgating, and was introduced to a distillery put together by some former Midshipmen. Go Navy! It’s Prohibition Distillery, based out of New York. We had the chance to enjoy some of their Vodka and Gin (not mixed together), both named Bootlegger 21. The vodka was used to make some amazing Bloody Marys, which were strategically blended and poured back into a Vodka bottle.

For the Gin, I heard that it makes a very nice G&T but I enjoyed a sample of a lime, lemon, mint and some other (non-alcoholic) stuff. Unique and quite good. I would not want more than one of them, though.

I would recommend giving this stuff a try. Hopefully you can find it in your area if you’re so inclined to do so.

Anejo & Vino

Posted on October 26, 2014 by melsmosaic

The other night I went out to celebrate a friends 40th birthday at The Lounge at Bourbon Steak in Georgetown, in DC. Quite the place. I had never been there and it’s always nice to check out something new. And, it was amazingly nice for late October so we were able to sit outside, fully aware that they had those huge heaters for when it cooled down. The lounge had quite the menu and instead of going straight for wine, several cocktails caught my eye and I opted for the Morning Dew to begin. Not quite a margarita, but close. It was a perfect blend of anejo (tequila), fresh grapefuit, lemon and ginger on ice.

When that was done and more people arrived and wine was in full force, I went to California for some great vino. I found a Zin I’d never heard of, Seghesio Sonoma Zinfandel. Fruity, leathery, very nice. Looking it up, it can range from $20-$25. I’m going to grab a couple bottles.