Coffee
AEROPRESS
The AeroPress is not the only piece of coffee brewing equipment that looks like it belongs in a science lab. But unlike the others that fit this description, the AeroPress is as versatile as a beaker. Visually and practically, it’s a coffee syringe. You pour in coffee grounds of any level of coarseness, add water of any degree of heat, wait any measure of time, and then press the one part into the other as brewed coffee filters through the perforated cap and into your cup or decanter. Brew it right side up or inverted, stir or leave it in peace – and whatever way you brew it, it’s easily cleaned by a simple rinse with water. Tinker with the variables of set-up, grind setting, water temperature, and brew time and the AeroPress can create anything from a short, sharp espresso to a soft, smooth filter coffee. Albert Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge – indeed the desire to play and create sets the only limit on what the AeroPress can brew.
NITRO COLD BREW
A head of foam cascades down the side of the chilled beer stein. The deep chestnut of the cold brew glimpses through fractures in the frost that coats the heavy glass. As the Guinness-like head rolls down, you can see the swirl of colors dancing down through the drink. Nitrogen provides the music for the dance, infusing the cool coffee with effervescent life. The champagne of coffees, Nitro Cold Brew brings an exquisite silken smooth and creamy mouthfeel to the coffee experience. The Nitro ushers in a sense of occasion and luxury with every sip – its beer-like appearance keeping it down to earth in spite of its splendor.
Liquor
WHISKY
If the tarte à l’abricot could be captured in liquid form and imbibed from a hefty crystal glass, savored one slow and purposeful sip at a time, it would be found in the 15-Year-Old cask strength Ben Nevis whisky. The potent liquor pours thin like warmed honey but is heavy on the tongue like molten gold. It’s sweet, spicy and tart all at once. A completeness of flavor lingers long after the mouthful is swallowed. This limited edition whisky embodies all that is delightful about the tarte à l’abricot.
VODKA
Distilled from organic wheat and infused with white truffles, Under Oak vodka is musky in its aroma and has a delicately earthy taste. A smooth finish balances out the rich flavor and makes for an exceptionally crisp and clean vodka. The white truffles are imported from the mountainous Piedmont region of northern Italy and the wheat is harvested directly in California’s Central Valley, making Under Oak vodka the perfect marriage of ingredients from two of the world’s best-loved sun-kissed lands.
Wine & Beer
WINE
Yet another good year for Domaine Mont Lazard’s 2010 Cabernet Merlot cuvée spéciale – a consistently approachable and rewarding signature wine from the long-established Bordeaux winery. A compelling composition of the choicest of their Cabernet and Merlot grapes – this wine’s approachability comes from the delicate balance achieved through the masterful blending of Mont Lazard winemaker Jacques Tertoit. The Cabernet brings the structure and exceptionally smooth tannins, while the Merlot lends its characteristically generous juicy fruit flavors to the blend. Barrel aged in American oak for 16 months, the warming notes of vanilla and a subtle spice complement the deep cassis and black cherry flavors. Now aged to its prime, this cuvée spéciale comes into its finest this year.
BEER
Upstream Brewery and Southern Drawl Coffee Roasters partnered again to produce another coffee beer they baptized The Twins. Both the malt used in brewing the beer, as well as the green coffee that is added at a later stage, are left to rest for 21 days in old bourbon barrels before being toasted and roasted with artisanal precision. Notes of whiskey come as a double kick to lace this milk stout, while the Kenyan Arabica beans are unable to hide their signature deep berry notes. The milky texture carries the berry and bourbon flavors through to tell you that if you’d ever tasted a berry cocktail milkshake, this would have been your taste experience.
Dessert
DARK CHOCOLATE
The singular dark chocolate square is not your ticket if what you’re looking for is a dessert from the banana split family – something opulent with a superfluity of sugar. But if you’re drawn to a pure simplicity of appearance and ingredients, you will hit gold in the Von Allmen dark chocolate squares. At 78% cocoa solids, the Von Allmen squares push the dark chocolate minimum up to a level where the high-quality cocoa is really allowed to shine through. And still, the bitterness does not overpower the distinct floral flavors unique to this Madagascan Criollo cocoa. ‘Less is more’ rings the anthem of the Von Allmen dark chocolate squares. They limit the ingredients for this fine after-dinner treat to the pure essentials of a classic dark chocolate: cocoa mass and cocoa butter, butterfat and sugar. Where Von Allmen’s master chocolatier indulges the process is in the ample conching time of 100 hours – which gives the dark chocolate square its inimitable smooth texture and further allows the fine Criollo flavors to shine through. Less is truly more – one square of Von Allmen’s dark chocolate masterpiece is enough to satisfy the palate’s appetite for ‘just that little something’ to round off a superb meal.
COEUR A LA CREME
Something about preparing any dish with a cheesecloth makes it feel rustic and vintage and, in that, absolutely endearing. Coeur à la Crème has its roots in the lower Loire valley in France, as alleged by its Anjou residents who claim this dessert. It’s a luxurious mix of cream cheese and crème fraîche, sweetened with powdered sugar, seasoned with a pinch of salt, a zest of lemon and a healthy dosing of vanilla. Strained through a cheesecloth that is nestled into a heart-shaped mold, it becomes its name: Coeur à la Crème. Like a crustless cheesecake, this rich and textured treat is singular and becomes the perfect pleasure when served with a homemade raspberry coulis. To savor this full-bodied, creamy indulgence one delicate bite at a time also takes you back to slower days gone by.