Posts made by Lauren Buzzeo:

Many women (and some men) already know about the members-only designer and luxury flash sale site appropriately called Gilt. I confess I was a huge fan of the concept, especially when it was launched in 2007, but my obsession slightly dwindled when I finally came to the realization that my closet was bursting with garments and I couldn’t possibly fit another pair of shoes under my bed. Kinda like my wine cellar… although I always somehow manage to find room for more in that.

But then they threw me a curve ball.

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The holidays are undoubtedly a special time of year. What other time do you spend thinking about the cherished people in your life, thoughtfully planning out the best presents to get them, until you get so frustrated and/or annoyed that people seemingly already have everything and conclude there’s nothing you can give that they don’t already have? So you settle into familiarity with another bottle of that fabulous wine they love, or the newest, most innovative corkscrew to add to the collection, or some more fabulous stemware to fill the bar shelves. Joy to the world, indeed.
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Statistics released last week by the Beverage Information Group indicate that overall beer consumption in the U.S. is down, as it has been trending over the past few years. It would be easy to jump to conclusions and fret that the beer boom is over, but a closer look at the numbers shows just the contrary: Although the Light segment continues to decline and contribute to the overall losses in the industry, growth in the Craft and Import segments remain significant despite their higher-priced items.

What does this mean, in a nutshell? Americans might be drinking less, but we’re drinking better! Hooray for us!

That’s right: More Americans are trading in fizzy yellow stuff for flavorful, artisanal selections created by brewers both abroad and across our great nation, looking for exciting selections and interesting, complex flavors that they’ve never experienced before. And with the most domestic breweries the U.S. has had in over 100 years (since about 1905) producing the widest array of styles, we have more delicious options available to us than ever.

Of course, the fabulous breweries that started this current craft trend about 25 to 30 years ago deserve the majority of the credit, followed closely by their later-blooming brewing brethren, but I have to believe that education has played a major role here as well. Associations like the Brewers Association and their array of consumer-education driven events like the Great American Beer Festival (which is coming up next week in Denver, CO) and Savor, homebrew groups and competitions throughout the country, savvy restaurateurs and programs like the Cicerone certification, and yes, media outlets including newspapers, magazines and even television shows have all helped to get the word out to consumers that there’s a world of flavor to be had for beer lovers.

And it seems like the people have heard. We all knew with the economic turmoil over the past couple of years that this transition wasn’t going to be easy, but it seems apparent now that while people are not as willing to spend more on alcoholic products, as they maybe once were, they’re comfortable getting less quantity for overall better quality.

But there’s still so much to learn, and so many beers to try. So keep up the good work, America. Keep drinking new and exciting brews, especially those made by small brewers right here in the USA.

To celebrate tonight, I’m gonna head to my local distributor after work and pick up something I’ve never tried before.  I’d love to hear what’s in your glass!

Cheers!

Calling all hopheads! In case you haven’t heard, allow me to fill you in: Today is International IPA Appreciation Day. That’s right… today is the day to break out your favorite IPA from around the world and Facebook, Tweet or Google + all about your experience drinking it and how much you love it. Why? Essentially, to promote the consumption of delicious, flavorful beer and strengthen the voice of the discerning craft beer drinker.

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This Monday, June 6th, marks the launch of the Sud de France Festival in New York. The month-long festival, now in its third year, encourages attendees to experience the spirit of the Mediterranean lifestyle, complete with fine wine, foods and entertainment from the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It allows people the opportunity to learn more about the culture and specialties of the region through a convivial approach of tastings and experimentation, all at exciting venues with welcoming ambiance and alongside local winemakers and artists.

For a region with so much to offer, the concept behind the annual festival couldn’t be more appropriate.

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With the Jewish holiday Passover starting tonight, this past weekend was filled with questions about what wine to pick up for consumption during the traditional Seder. I’m sure I’ll get my fair share of these questions today as well, as people make their way to their local wine shops to pick up some selections before sundown. I don’t mind answering these queries; in fact, I love when people ask and I get the opportunity to geek out a bit. What I don’t like is how these questions, especially when it comes to kosher wine, are proposed.

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I’ve sat by (mostly) quietly this week while listening to people complain about Valentine’s Day. It’s standard fare for the holiday: people either go gaga for it or completely despise the thought of it. When I was younger, it seemed clear that most of the people who didn’t share the joy were simply jealous because they were alone, and vice-versa those who treated it like the most important day on Earth were usually madly in love. Now, as I converse with friends, coworkers and colleagues alike, I find that those lines are, and probably always were, blurred.

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Every year, the CIVL (The Conseil Interprofessionel des Vins du Languedoc) organizes the Languedoc Ambassador Wine Tour, a trade and media tasting designed to promote the great diversity and superb quality of AOC wines found in the Languedoc wine region. This year is no exception, with fantastic wines announced today as the official CIVL Ambassador Wines of 2011.

It’s fantastic exposure for an oft-overlooked region.

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Halloween is one of those strange holidays that people either do really well or not at all. To me, there’s no going halfway here because if you try to cut corners and just come up with a costume in five minutes (i.e. sheet ghost) you inevitably just end up feeling stupid for even bothering while marveling at other people’s elaborate costumes as they look at you and think “what a weak, lazy costume.” Awful.

Nope, for me and my loved ones, Halloween is all about fun and getting into the spirit of things, because while it might be a pain in the you-know-what to get your act together, the payoff in laughing and smiling with kids, family and friends makes it all worthwhile in the end.

First off, I make (as in sew) a fair portion of my costume every year. I don’t really believe in spending more than $50 on a costume, and by making a good part of it on your own you bring down that total expenditure to even less while keeping the integrity of the design in tact. The best way to do this? Set a date with a group of friends who also need to get crafty either for themselves or their kids, break out the sewing machines and a couple bottles of wine. For some reason, I find that a crisp, refreshing white like an Albariño from Rías Baixas or Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa really helps to get those creative juices flowing, and doing it with friends is just all the more fun.

Then, there’s the actual Halloween festivities. Of course if you have kids and must go trick or treating with them, there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a good time too. Dress up! Try something silly and adventurous. You’ll be an awesome parent for being fun and a great spouse for letting loose and maybe putting something on outside your comfort zone of the traditional post-7pm tee and sweats. The kids will get candy, and you can treat yourself to some hot buttered rum or a black martini after the sugar rush subsides and they finally fall asleep.

But the best way to celebrate is undoubtedly to have a Halloween party. You get to laugh (or cackle) with friends and family and take some awesome pictures, as well as make some crazy fun drinks. Here are some of my favorites:

Halloween Harvest Punch – Because you should ALWAYS have a giant bowl of booze.
Combine 1 part melon liqueur, 1 part dark rum, 1 part light rum, 2 parts white cranberry juice, 1 part unfiltered apple juice, 1 part simple syrup and juice of one lemon in punch bowl. Garnish with apple slices, blueberries and melon balls.

Dracula’s Kiss – delicious and deadly
Rim glass in thick red-colored simple syrup (not necessary, but definitely has a cool effect). Coat the bottom of the martini glass with ½ ounce grenadine. Add ice and 1 ounce black cherry vodka. Fill glass with cola and garnish with maraschino cherries.

Ghostbuster – I ain’t scared of no ghosts
Pour 1 ounce peach schnapps and 1 ounce melon liqueur into shaker with ice. Shake and strain into glass. Add 3-5 drops of Irish cream liqueur drop by drop into the center of the glass. Watch the ghost dance.

Walking Dead – For the zombies that need to pull an all-nighter
Half fill highball glass with Newcastle. Add 1 shot of chilled brewed espresso, 1 ½ ounces (a shot) of Jack Daniel’s and fill with red bull. Stir, drink and get ready to stay awake. (Note – The Newcastle DraughtKeg is especially useful for these, with less bottle waste and no flat half bottles lingering around. Also people can just have a regular beer if they don’t really want to stay up all night.)

In addition to cocktails, be sure to check out winemag.com’s article on hosting a Halloween party with tons of recipes and tips.

So, how will you wake the dead this year? Are you ready to take Halloween to another level? What are your favorite spooktacular drinks?

Photo courtesy, Brewer's Association/Jason E. Kaplan

Let me rephrase that… reflections on the beer fest. Last week was the 29th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado, America’s biggest beer festival and Guiness record holder for the most beers tapped in one location as well as the largest selection of American beers gathered together on the globe. With close to 50,000 attendees over the course of four sessions in three days (Saturday afternoon is for Brewers’ Association members only), this is by no means a small production. Considering the amount of beers to try (over 2,200) and new experiences and information to be absorbed, all I can say is, good thing they give you a tasting book with the names of all the breweries and beers!

It’s a lot to take in, but after a week the haze begins to clear and coherent reflections can be assembled. Here are some of the highlights and epiphanies I experienced that I can’t wait to examine further:

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