Made with Beefeater Gin and Noilly Pratt Ambré Vermouth which provides an interesting variation of the traditional 6 pm restorative. Ambré gave the icy potion a richer and more earthy feel compared to NP’s original citrusy freshness.

Not sure I want it every day but definitely worth exploring, if you can find it.

What I Drank Last Night – the Bethel Heights Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2008 was perfect with the Chicken Grand Mere at Matisse, a real bistro in mid-town east serving real bistro food like the chicken Grand Mere, the personification of French comfort food. Matisse has a commendably liberal BYOB policy so I took along the Pinot and the two made a perfect pairing.

Actually for lunch yesterday at the Pig’s Ear in Chelsea, London, Courage Directors Bitter from the cask, along with a rich game pie with a genuinely excellent golden pastry crust. For a brand that’s been batted around like a corporate shuttlecock for the last 25 years, it was pleasingly malty and authentic.

Real Beer

Real artisanal Sake is not hot jet fuel! All explained in my new article for Four Seasons Magazine.

What I Drank Last Night – a super daiquiri at The Bar Downstairs in the Hotel Andaz NYC where the friendly, hyper-efficient bartenders mix traditional cocktails with a creative flair without straying too far from traditional roots.

Eight years old and it still took 24 hours to open up and reveal its Bordeaux-like sous-bois gravitas. A reminder of how great Napa winemaking could be if only it were to  shake its addiction to cola wines.

Clos du Val Cab and Boeuf Bourgignon

Catch my new article on Oregon Pinot Noir in the December issue of US Airways Magazine.

Elk Cove Pinot Noir, Windhill 2004 from Oregon, perfect with cold turkey and cranberry sauce in a sandwich of crunchy seven grain bread. About as good as it gets in New World PN, rivals all but the very best Burgundy.

What I Drank Last Night – A sumptuous Alsatian Riesling, the Vielles Vignes 2010 from Domaine Ehrhart. A luscious fruitiness combines with bright acidity and the focused concentration of old vines for a mind-blowing wine at an everyday price.

What I Drank Last Night – The best martinis in NY, or at least the most generous.

At the Bemelman’s Bar, the venerable Upper East Side institution at the Carlyle Hotel, martinis are effectively two-for-one – the second half comes in a mini-carafe nestled in a larger glass of crushed ice so your next see-through is ready and waiting, fresh, chilled and undiluted just when you need it. Such thoughtfulness when it comes the supply of martinis is not unappreciated by the neighborhood’s WASP regulars.