All Things Joey
Who doesn’t like food?
I certainly do and I spent too much time talking about it, traveling to it, and reviewing it in text or in video.
While I still love food tourism, I am learning how to incorporate it into a healthier lifestyle.
( @zanelamprey, #MacMurray )
Drinking Made Easy has posted another article. This one is about my trip to MacMurray vineyard in California. Check it out:
Also since the good people at Kress made this article possible, if you are in South Jersey, stop by today and during the holidays to get a nice bottle of wine by good people. You know they are good, I married into their family đ
( @victorybeer, #DarkIntrigue )
Drinking Made Easy published a story I wrote a few weeks ago about Victory Brewing Company’s Dark Intrigue Beer.
Check it out: DME: Creating Dark Intrigue with Victory Brewing Company
I have another related article with the brewer Jordan next week, so check back!
( @drinkingmadeeasy, #HendricksGin )
Drinking Made Easy posted an article I wrote about Hendricks Gin and making G&Ts for my dad. Give it a read!
Celebrate Father’s Day with Hendrick’s Gin
Update: It looks like DME’s website upgrade broke the links, so here is the whole article.
With Fatherâs Day approaching and the weather heating up, I have been thinking about gin. When I was a kid, my old man used to ask me to make him gin and tonics when he got home from work or after he mowed the lawn. I started adding little dashes of cranberry juice for color which earned me a compliment or two. This encouragement led to a long running tradition of playing bartender at parties, which stands to this day.
I donât always drink mixed cocktails, but if I do, it is almost always a gin and tonic. Tonic water and gin do nothing for me independently, but by their powers combined, they form pure boozy magic. It is the perfect combination of bitter and sweet flavors. A few weeks ago, I was talking to a well versed friend (the same guy that recommended Zing Zang in my Bloody Mary article) about my love of G&Ts; he recommend Hendrickâs Gin. After telling me about it, he brought a bottle over and it blew my mind.
Hendrickâs gin was established in 1999. The whole origin of the company and its 150-year-old still can be found on their website. The story confirms what my mouth has already told me – this gin is really smooth. It was so good that I felt bad mixing it with tonic water. I loathe martinis, but a spritz of vermouth and slice of cucumber radically changed my position on the drink and gin (independent of tonic water) in general. When I finally did overcome my hesitation about mixing it, I was blown away by the difference in quality and flavor. Simply put, this puts my fatherâs nasty ass bottle of Beefeater to shame.
If you are looking for a nice gift for your father, you canât go wrong with Hendricks gin. Itâs delicious and the bottle is unique (it looks olde-timey and medicinal), hell, you can even get it with an attractive carrying case. I purchased a bottle for my father because I canât mock his Beefeater without providing a superior replacement (plus I get bragging rights for finding something better). As we all celebrate our dads this Sunday, just focus on the fact that if they didnât have a favorite drink, we might not be walking around today.
( #KingVineyard, @drinkingmadeeasy )
Drinking Made Easy was kind enough to publish my story about a visit to a Virginia Vineyard, check it out:
Drinking Made Easy: A Visit to King Family Vineyards
Update: It looks like DME’s new website broke the links to the articles, here is the whole story:
The term wine country might invoke visions of the French country side or the sunny hills of Napa Vally… now allow your mind to think about Virginia. Not following? I recently took a trip to Charlottesville, VA to visit family. Knowing that I write for this blog, they suggested a trip to King Family Vineyards to sample the local wines and have a nice day in the sun, how could I resist?
Like most of you, Virginia is not my first thought when it comes to vino. But why not? My home state of New Jersey is making excellent progress in wine production and quality (another article for another day – I promise), why should Virginia be ignored? When I pulled into the vineyard, it looked like a massive outdoor picnic was taking place: families had blankets laid down with baskets of cheese, crackers, and (of course) bottles of wine. Children were playing ring toss and throwing around bean bags. Several dogs were lazily dozing under a large tree enjoying the sun.
A lovely picture, but what about the wine? It was very good. I introduced myself to a young lady presenting a sampling and she gladly allowed me to join the group. She handed me a glass of their Roseland 2010 and I was on my way. I donât typically drink white wine (preferring red), but the Roseland had a pleasant sweetness that was not overbearing. Making my way through their entire series of whites, I was impressed with the variation and flavor. Another stand out was the 2010 Crose which was light and tangy.
I feel like I need to state that I am not a wine expert by any stretch of the imagination. I enjoy wine and I even make it yearly with my family, but I do not have the most refined palate: if I like it, I like it. I was ready for the red wine by the time the hostess opened the first bottle. The standout of the red sampling was Kingâs 2009 Meritage. It featured hints of sweetness with an undercurrent of spice. Around this time my father-in-law walked over with cheese and crackers and informed us that he had found a table. I attempted to make contact with a vineyard representative for an interview, but they were really busy that day (I called ahead, but they warned me it would be tough). Instead of stressing about it, I walked over to my father-in-lawâs table and he greeted me with an open bottle ready to be poured. He filled my glass and I sat down thinking I couldnât find a nicer way to spend an afternoon.
King Family Vineyard is located in Crozet, Virginia and is about a 20 minute drive from downtown Charottesville. If you happen to find yourself in the area, I recommend you take a drive to the vineyard and enjoy a nice glass of Virginia wine.
( #BeerPong, @drinkingmadeeasy )
Image Credit: Joseph Mollo
Drinking Made Easy posted my article about a $750 beer pong table.
Check it out: Upscale Beer Poing
Update: The DME link is down, so here is the full story…
Beer-pong gets a bad wrap. Often associated culturally-devoid fraternity âbrosâ, many of my peers scoff when I suggest playing a round. Playing beer pong doesnât have to be relegated to shamed exile in a dank basement, especially if you have one of these. A talented young man named Joseph Mollo created an extraordinary beer pong table that is not only classy, but offers new innovations to the game.
Drinking Made Easy had a chance to speak with the Mollo about his creation. The 21-year-old has a family background in woodworking that gave him access to tools and materials. He put those skills to good use with this recent creation: âI was inspired to build a table that would not only be an exceptional playing surface, but hold its own as a furniture piece when not in use. Its a conversation piece that draws attention for anyone whether or not they have had any beer pong experience.â
The table is comprised of quality wood and incorporates attractive lights into the design. Joe says it takes him 7-10 days to create a table from start to finish. This quality work comes with a hefty price tag – $750.00 (USD) plus shipping. Joe says âthe cost is based on quality materials, time, and craft.â
Thanks to Molloâs unique design, the table creates new game-play elements. Joe says âthe tableâs design introduces a new shot to beer pong called the skeet shot shown in the video I provided. The ball is thrown into the curve and launches off the opposing side into the cup for 2 cups. Swatting is encouraged (for all the traditionalists looking for a new).â
While the table may be expensive, the craft and creativity of the creator cannot be denied. It is a beautiful piece of furniture that any social drinker would be proud to feature in their home. Creators like Joe are will beer pong out of the frat houses and basements and into the parlors and game rooms of the masses. If anyone else has a customized table, let us know in the comments section, we would love to hear about your designs.
( @drinkingmadeeasy, @beerby )
My reign of terror over at Drinking Made Easy continues. This time I discuss social drinking apps for your smart phones and hint at my disdain for hipsters!
Read More: Drink Socially…Alone?
Update: DME’s links are dead, here is the full article…
A few years ago, I met my friends at the local pub for a beer or two almost every night. That was then. Between work, kids, and household projects (those damn shelves wonât hang themselves), I donât see my friends as much as I used to. Just because my friends are not around, I havenât stopped drinking. In fact, since I have been left to fend for myself, I have found some excellent beers by chance.
My less adventurous friends and colleagues often ask me what beer I am stocking my fridge with. The first few times made for an enjoyable conversation, but after a while this small talk became tedious and repetitive; enter social media! Leveraging Generation Yâs inability to look up from their smart phones to hold a conversation, everyone can now share what beer they are enjoying at any given moment via a few difference social apps.
Social drinking apps like Beerby (http://www.beerby.com) and Untappd (http://untappd.com/) allow you to tell your friends what beverage is in your hand (the hand that doesnât have the phone in it) as you are enjoying it. Beerby integrates with an existing Foursquare account allowing drinkers to log and comment on the beverages they are enjoying. The program has over 30,000 beers in its database and growing. Untappd seems to be the newcomer in social drinking apps, but it offers a nice interface and community. Beerby seems more focused on you and what you are drinking, while Untappd has more of a social focus (what your friends are drinking).
At the moment, I prefer Beerby over Untappd. I had some issues getting Untappdâs location based services to work properly (could have been my phone), which gives me the impression that Beerby is a little more polished. Another smart feature from Beerby is that system allows a user to simply rate the beer in addition to making comments. Both apps feature rewards/badges for tracking certain kinds and different numbers of beers, which is great because it encourages consumers to try out new beers.
Untappd and Beerby have an excellent feature that allows you to determine what bars near you stock/serve your favorite brews. I assumed this would be great news for all the emerging micro-breweries, but Beerbyâs top beers are:
1. Yuengling Traditional Lager
2. Pabst Blue Ribbon
3. Miller Lite
4. Coors Light
5. Bud Light
This leads me to the drawbacks of social media: who gives a damn if you are drinking a Miller Lite or PBR? They are perfectly fine beverages, but they are nothing to tell the world about. Broadcasting that you are drinking Bud Light is the social media equivalent of tweeting that you are going to the bathroom. I want to know about all the other beers that I never heard of. I want to know who is drinking Rogueâs Chocolate Stout or who serves Duvel in my neighborhood. Isnât that what social media is all about… letting people know about something that was criminally overlooked?
Any Drinking Made Easy readers up for the challenge of knocking the big three (Miller/Bud/Coors) out of Beerbyâs top 5? Feel free to comment below on your favorite beers, and any other social drinking applications you are using.