Flash in the Pan

With the review bottle of Knob Creek Kentucky Bourbon that came in for testing, my wife has declared that I've turned her into a bourbon drinker, with the caveat of her being a "drinker" is a highly relative term. In this case, she's tried adding it to eggnog. I've done the same, but prefer Knob Creek at a cool room temperature and straight up for sipping. I've had bourbon before, but rarely tried one that I'd want without some kind of mixer. Knob Creek is relatively mellow, so you're not choking on the vapors, but still a bit assertive and smoky. Aged nine years, I've probably had older ones, but this certainly holds its own. Although one cute feature is no longer available in time for the holidays, you can order a bottle and add a personalized note right on the label -- good for gifts.

Labels: alcohol, beverages, bourbon, liquor, reviews

The New York Times has two drink-related articles - one on people trying to position bottled water as something that can make the world a better place, and a second one on bourbon.

Regarding the first, oh, please, give me a break. Yes, water can taste noticeably different depending on the source, and, yes, it's an amazing substance, but why must everything become an earth-shattering marketing tool? Please, let the water be water, and let people enjoy it. How about a freeze on the hype?

The bourbon article I found interesting, though the initial web home page description got me frowning: "Complexity and elegance are qualities that have rarely been associated with bourbon." But getting into Eric Asimov's article was more telling - that bourbon had sat in the "unpretentious" brand category, and so couldn't underscore complexity. But things have changed, and now you can have a glass of a good bourbon without feeling the need to dress down and wear a pair of sunglasses. A tasting panel went through a number and has some recommendations - I can personally vouch for Elijah Craig.

Labels: bourbon, spirits

A weekly round-up of food and drink oddities:

• Bottle Wrapper Bourbon manufacturer Jim Beam is putting a 40 story-tall ad on the side of the RIO All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. We're waiting to see which hotel becomes the glass. (Press Release)


• Cheeseburger Diet A woman in Cheshire, England lost 63 pounds on a cheeseburger diet. What, no double patties? (Ananova)


• Chocolate Not Addictive A University of Bristol psychologist says that chocolate is not addictive. Clearly he can give it up any time he wants. (Reuters)


• Drive-Through Run Down A man tried to run down a Burger King worker in Syracuse, NY after a dispute. What, it wasn't after he tasted what he bought?(AP)


• Pasta Strike Many Italians boycotted buying pasta last Thursday in protest of planned price hikes. A saucy move. (Reuters)


• Garlic Stomp A worker the Great China Buffet in Nanuet, NY was caught crushing garlic by stomping on it in an alley. Don't ask about the sausage. (AP)


• High on Education A former student of Lake Highlands High School in Texas pleaded guilty to delivering marijuana-laced muffins to the teacher's lounge. The instructors didn't notice, being too amazed at the vivid colors of the text books. (AP)


• World's Largest Sundae About two dozen people in Canada set a new world record for ice cream sundaes at almost 55,000 pounds. Who set the record for the spoon? (The Calgary Sun)


• And a World Record for Soup Venezuelan officials claimed a new record for a pot of soup at 3,960 gallons with 6,600 pounds of chicken and 4,400 pounds of beef. It was to make a political point. Anything for politicians to stay out of hot water. (AP)


• Dog Beer Festival The Bunter Hund cafe in Vienna will serve special beer for dogs during Oktoberfest. Aged in dogwood kegs? (Ananova)

Labels: bourbon, burger, Burger King, diets, dogs, garlic, pasta, record, soup, sundae, weird