|
I am working on a proper January update that I will post later this week, but I did want to get a quick note out about the Level 3 Wine Exam and Tasting workshop that I will be hosting on Saturday Jan 18 (this week).
We have a number of students that are currently signed up and attending, but the new space we are using for our classes and exam at Worldwide Wine & Spirits in Southington, Ct, has a fantastic classroom with tons of space. Whenever I do one of these quarterly workshops, I like to extend the opportunity to anyone interested in attending to join us. There typically is a charge for the course (I do have costs involved), but since I am already committed to hosting the event, I have added a sale price on to the normal $99 attendance fee, dropping it to $49.50. This means you get to hop on to a full day of tastings and discussion with some wine theory thrown in as well, all at the WSET Level 3 course material. So if you are currently studying or considering joining a level 3 course, or perhaps just simple like to taste wine in a more organized and professional setting, please consider joining me this Saturday. We start at 9:30 am. Typically break for lunch at 12:30. Finish up by about 3 pm, or so. Taste four flights of wine with presentation and group discussion and a breakdown of each wine in a blind tasting format, working through the WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting. For any questions please reach out to me. To register for the workshop - please use this link: Tasting Workshop and Exam Prep - WSET Level 3 Wine (18-Jan-2025) Cheers, BMitch
0 Comments
I recently had a request to add the Hugo Spritz to my corporate cocktail library.
But what is this Spritz and who is Hugo? Doing a quick search on line you get a mix of ideas and uses. Some people consider the Hugo to be the Alpine Spritz, where you are working with alpine flavors and aromas to achieve a different variation on the Spritz. Essentially using Elderflower as the base rather than Aperol. This is because the drink originates in the Alpine region of northern Italy called the Dolomites. Elderflower and similar floral ingredients are more common than the citrus used for Aperol's flavor. Not really sure who Hugo is, though. I'll get back to you on that one. But I recently had a drink that I liked very much called an Alpine Spritz made with Braulio Amaro, Cardamaro, and a touch of lemon juice + lemon swath as garnish. Served in a footed glass – you can use a wine glass or simply use a highball as well, depending on what you have available. I tested the recipe out and I basically got to about ¾ oz each on the Braulio and Cardamaro with ¼ lemon juice, topped with Soda. Like all cocktails though, you can adapt based on yoru personal preferences. Braulio is a great Amaro, and this drink can be a great cooler weather addition/alternative to the Spritz category. I would like to see more additions with Amaro and Fernet (not just Branca) to the drink category offerings at more restaurants and bars. These are great Sessionable Cocktails styles with lower abv for the Sober-Curious. And they are great aperitif cocktails, as they are refreshing, slightly bitter (kind of mouthwatering like acidity in a white wine), and help to get your palate ready to eat. Lower abv also means you can have a drink, and then maybe another, without a major impact on your senses, so to speak. Here are a few of my standard recipes fo these drinks... Hugo Spritz 1/2oz St Germain or other Elderflower liqueur 1 spring mint muddled with Elderflower in glass 4oz Prosecco 1oz Club Soda to fill Lemon and Mint Spring for garnish Build in wine or other short footed glass, or in a highball Alpine Spritz 3/4oz Braulio Amaro 3/4oz Cardamaro 1/4oz Lemon juice Club Soda to fill Large lemon swath expressed and to garnish Build in Highball or footed beer glass or wine glass Fernet con Coca Fernet and Coke anyone? 1.5oz Fernet of choice 4-5 oz of Cola Lemon wheel garnish I have a growing collection of Amaro and Fernet on my kitchen bar. I am slowly posting thoughts on these items on my Substack, so check it out if you are interested. Jose Andres is one of the most creative and inspiring people in the culinary world. With a background that includes El Bulli, he emigrated to the US 30 years ago, and has gone on to build a global restaurant empire rarely seen. I have eaten at several of his restaurants and the experience was at the top of my list. I cannot wait for it to happen again.
Additionally, he is a humanitarian through and through. The releaf organization he supports - World Central Kitchen - is as inspiring as it gets. Often being one of the first NGOs on the ground in disaster areas, they support people at their worst moment, virtually anywhere. Serving meals is one of the best means of support that people in a disaster can be helped with. We are deep into Dry January in the short term, and an increasingly sober-curious world in a broader sense. Being in the drinks industry this causes me some obvious conflicts in how to approach things, but I have had to adapt and embrace this trend. I have long held to the system of drink less, but drink better in my personal life. Many of us in the industry feel as though we are truly a generation or two away from seeing this trend work it way through. It feels as though it be a long time before a plateau and a correction might occur. Don't get me wrong - people are still drinking - but what they drink and how often they drink has definitely shifted, especially among younger generations. Industry pros are learning and addressing this trend head-on. If you are not, then you are being left behind. This week, Jose Andres posted a great note on Substack discussing current trends in the low and no alcohol drink conversation. I think it warrants a read. Here is the link... A great cocktail program is intentional. https://open.substack.com/pub/joseandres/p/what-does-drinking-look-like-in-2025?r=17ewma&utm_medium=ios |
ABOUT THE Author
Brian Mitchell runs The New England Wine Academy, and is responsible for the content of this blog. With 30 years of drinks industry experience, Brian has learned a few things, but everyday he is learning more. This blog helps to bring that knowledge to you. Archives
March 2025
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Copyright 2018 > 2025 by New England Wine Academy, LLC
we advocate making responsible decisions
we advocate making responsible decisions