February 2012

Cork and Rind: Wine-ing about Cheese


by Shawn Croft, Twin Liquors #3

 When I talk to people about eating cheese and drinking wine I always see people’s faces light up. Who doesn't like wine and cheese right? This episode I want to try out a few wine pairings with blue cheese. Blue cheese is a complicated family; most people I talk to either love it or cannot stand the sight of it. What makes blue cheese different from other cheese is the specific species of mold allowed to grow inside the cheese; this is done by piercing the rind of the cheese and allowing oxygen to reach the interior. When you look at a blue cheese notice the dark channels of blue, those are where the cheese maker pierced it before aging. If you have always thought you didn’t like blue cheese give it another try. Most people only have exposure to blue cheese crumbles or blue cheese dressing; neither of these is usually made with real blue cheese. Try these artisanal blue cheeses from around the world with the wines I have selected and see if you do not fall in love with this category as much as I have.

Three Cocktails for Red Wine Drinkers

by Sandra Spalding   

Last weekend at the San Antonio Cocktail conference I attended a seminar on the Old Fashioned cocktail. The seminar itself left a little to be desired, but it was interesting nonetheless. Specifically, there was a moment when I started thinking about the fact that the Old Fashioned is the type of cocktail that changes over time. As the ice melts, it "opens up" and mellows, while getting richer in flavor.

This got me thinking about the nuances of certain cocktails and why I started really loving them in the first place.