Whiskey fan? No matter. An article in this month’s Wine Spectator, “American Spirit: The Whiskey Renaissance Continues in Bourbon and Beyond,” is speckled with enough American history and sippable lore to capture your late night attention. As author Lew Bryson explains, “It’s a rags-to-riches and all-the-way-around-again story.” Somewhat like cocktail hour, you might say. Only here, Happy Hour begins as a backyard brew before becoming the patriotic American tipple in the 1770s.
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Ben O’Donnell posted a piece on Wine Spectator’s blog earlier this week discussing the idea of an ancient “cult” wine, Falernian, that’s worth a look (thanks to a reader for pointing it out). Here’s a particularly entertaining excerpt, as we all know a Trimalchio character or two: “Falernian from 121 B.C. (the vintage of a lifetime!) was celebrated for decades; multiple ancient sources mention having the chance to taste the wine 200 years after its vintage date. (Writing in the first century, Pliny the Elder acknowledges that the wine was a bit past its peak by then.) Gaius Trimalchio, the new-money buffoon of Petronius’ comedy Satyricon, acts the big shot when he serves this vintage—by this time 180-year-old vinegar—at a dinner party.” Get the rest of the story on Wine Spectator, and here’s to wishing you a Trimalchio-free weekend.
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