Posts made by Lauren Buzzeo:

They converge upon the Colorado Convention Center with such number and force, one never knows what to expect. Hotels are flooded with everyone from beer-belly twenty-somethings to groups of women looking to broaden their knowledge and affluent couples traveling from abroad with the event as the only item on their itinerary. The city of Denver becomes filled with locals and tourists alike, all carrying little 3 ounce tasting glasses with the same ubiquitous logo as the countless banners that adorn the streets.  With 462 breweries pouring over 2,200 beers, there’s a reason this event is listed as one of the top 1,000 places in the US to visit before you die and is the Guinness World Record holder for the most beers tapped in one location as well as the largest selection of American beers gathered together on the globe.

The Great American Beer Festival: need I say more? 

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Always a popular summer destination, the Hamptons promise a beautiful warm weather getaway for city dwellers and tri-state residents alike looking to get away from the grind without the necessity of hopping on a plane. Located on the South Fork of Long Island, New York, there are gorgeous beaches to choose from, fabulous shopping opportunities and a bevy of food and drink options to cater to every crowd of any preference. While there are a plethora of wineries located on the North Fork, and some situated on the South Fork (like Wölffer, Channing Daughters and Duckwalk), my most recent trip out to the Island focused on trying new restaurants across the Hamptons to recommend. Here’s what I came up with:

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One of my favorite things to come out of the rise and proliferation of social media is the online or synchronized tasting. Whether it’s for wine, beer or spirits, online tastings have become one of the best ways to share the same bottle and informative experience with hundreds or even thousands of people simultaneously all over the world. Through the use of networking sites like Facebook and Twitter as well as personal blogs and organizational sites, people can share comments and opinions about a beverage and learn from participating representatives or producers all from the comfort of their home. Aside from being there one on one with the respective producer, what could be better than that?

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Here’s a cure for your Monday blues… today marks the beginning of the annual American Craft Beer Week, taking place across the country from May 17th to 23rd. Organized by the Brewers Association, the week-long festivities were designed to celebrate small and independent craft brewers from across the nation, promoting the spirit and value of America’s craft beer scene. The week became the largest national effort focusing on domestic craft brewers in 2006, and remains so even to this very day.

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I’ve always had a soft spot for Cabernet Franc. To me, it’s one of the more seductively refined yet pronounced grapes used to make great wine. It speaks of its terroir like few others, painting a landscape of its origins through varying characteristics and intensity. It is a significant component to some of the world’s greatest and most sought-after wines, particulary Bordeaux blends, like Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone. It can also be used to produce a single-varietal wine, of which there are stunning examples made throughout the world including California, Washington, New York, Italy and Canada, among others. Given its prominence and permeation, why does the grape get such little respect?

It’s time for us all to Franc-ify ourselves. But where to begin?

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I’ve been contemplating all week what to drink for Valentine’s Day this year. Sure, sure, typically most people go to their favorite retailers in search of a sparkler or some sort, but if that’s not your bag (which, typically, bubbly is not mine) then where to turn? A lush, rich red wine? A decadent, buttery, full-bodied white? A dry, Champagne-esque bière brut á-la-DeuS? Decisions, decisions!

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Every year, I review Israeli wines for the April issue of our magazine. I do this because the majority of wines from Israel are Kosher, and a lot of Kosher wine is purchased and consumed in the month of April for the Jewish holiday Passover (September is also a busy season for the category with the High Holy Days including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). Every year, I have noticed an improvement over the previous vintage, and marvel at the fact that some fabulous winemakers are creating beautiful stuff that too many people are unfamiliar with.

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While New Year’s resolutions frequently involve promises of eating less, giving back more or finally kicking that terrible habit, if you’re not ditching booze altogether it might be the best time to take a look at your beverage routines and question whether they are in need of a shake-up of their own. If you think about your purchasing, education and consumption rituals and realize that you have not bought anything different, learned anything new or shared anything spectacular with friends or family, then you might in fact be stuck in a drink rut. Lucky for you, I’m here to help; adopting these 5 simple and fantastic resolutions is certain to spice up your consumption lifestyle, liberating you from monotony and reminding you about all of the possibilities and pleasures you once yearned to find in the world of fine wine and craft beer. Here’s to a happy, healthy and fun new year!

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Last night, I had the great pleasure of going out with a group of friends to celebrate the holidays. It was nothing ridiculous, just a group of nine guys and gals meeting for dinner at a local restaurant, each armed with a bottle of wine and rapier wit. It’s a tradition for this somewhat random group of friends to meet every year in December, and as we gathered in the private room we so appropriately (and thankfully for the other patrons of the restaurant) occupied, I couldn’t help but smile at the understanding that this is what it’s all about.

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Last year, I wrote a blog called “Without Beer … Would We Be Celebrating Thanksgiving?” While no one knows for certain the validity of the claim that without beer (or the need for it) we might not be celebrating Thanksgiving on the day that we do, the main point of the blog remains a valid one: do as the Pilgrims and celebrate with some brews!

This year, instead of providing you with some more recommendations of my own (regardless of how fabulous they are), I decided to reach out to some of my favorite beer authorities to see what frothy goodness they like to recommend for the big Turkey Day feast.

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