Flight Savor Fare

Global Surplus of Delicious Wines = Drink Well for Less

The Wine Spectator, October 15 issue, lists 500 great buys in wine right now. Some are grocery store wines (Barefoot, Little Penguin), some are boxed wines which according to WS, are getting better and better and some you can get by the case from Flight. (828-694-1030).

Reds- 90 points and higher

Peter Lehmann – Shiraz Barossa 2006. 91 $16

Yalumba – Grenache Barossa Bush Vine 2008 90 $17

White – 90 points and higher

Villa Maria, Riesling Marlborough Private Bin 2008 91 $18

Beaulieu Vineyard, Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros 2007 90 $17

Chateau St. Michelle is Washington State’s values powerhouse for both red and white wines, according to WS.

Jill, a Flight bartender, dresses the part of a dry martini

The street was filled with pumpkins, goblins and martinis.  The deejay rocked and the little girls sang while the little boys danced although some could barely walk.

Pirates, and pumpkins and goblins

Flight's patrons enjoyed watching the little monsters.

November Cocktails

Cran-Peartini

2 anjou pear slices

juice of ½ lime

1 oz cranberry juice

1 ½ oz citrus vodka

½ oz triple sec

3 cranberries on cocktail pick for garnish

In mixing glass, muddle pear slices, lime juice and cranberry juice. Add vodka and triple sec. Add ice to tin. Shake well. Double strain into glass, using the strainer over the shaker while pouring contents thru a sieve placed over the glass.

The Toasted Almond

A relaxing sippers with a nice almond-coffee flavoring and are really nice on chilly fall evenings by the fire.
Ingredients:

* 1 oz vodka
* 1 oz coffee liqueur
* 1 oz Amaretto
* milk or cream

Preparation:
Build the vodka and liqueurs in an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.
Fill with milk or cream. Shake by placing a mixing tin over the glass and giving it one or two good shakes.

The Winter Cocktail

is a classic recipe from the first part of the 1900’s that would use ginger brandy, which is relatively scarce now, but the new Canton ginger liqueur is a perfect substitute and if you cannot find pimento dram another allspice liqueur will do. The Winter Cocktail is a wonderfully warming drink that is one of those gems lost to time but worth the reintroduction.

Ingredients:

* 2 oz rum
* juice of 1/2 lime or lemon
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 tsp ginger liqueur (Canton)
* 1 tsp pimento dram
* 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters

Preparation:

Pour the rum, juice, sugar and liqueurs into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass. Add dashes of bitters on top.

Thanks to cocktails.about.com for these recipes.

I’m always quoting Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, wine columnists for the Wall St. Journal, because they are so readable and their advice so on target. Recently, they printed a letter they received from Nathaniel Haines, a student at UNC-Chapel Hill. Nathaniel wanted to know how to shop for decent wines on a college kid’s budget. Here’s what they told him, more or less:

Find a good wine shop, set a budget of $120 for a case. (We’ve had four children at Chapel Hill, one is still there and $120 for a case of wine made my eyebrows go through the ceiling, but I digress) That averages $10 a bottle (and should last them a semester, no?). It’s cost effective though — you’ll likely get a case discount and you will have better wine than if you rushed out to by a bottle at the last minute.
Taste and take notes! Make certain to get all the information like vintage year as wines can vary greatly by year. Sip and enjoy!

There are times when only a big jug of vino will do…like at a Halloween party where there isn’t much savoring and swirling going on. Where the main course is burgers or chili. Most would drink beer. But what if you prefer wine??

Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, authors of the column, “Tastings” in the Wall St. Journal offer 5 tasty wines in big jugs for just those times:

Concha y Toro “Frontera” Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Chile) about $9. “This wine is a steal!”

Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio Nonvintage (CA) about $11.

Folonari Soave 2007 (Italy) about $12

Bolla Bardolino 2007 (Italy) about $14

Citra Montepulciano d”Abruzzo 2007 (Italy) about $10

/>Iron Horse Vineyards

The Russian River Valley Pinot Forum invites 60 sommeliers each summer to join 20 wineries to learn what makes the Russian River Valley area of Sonoma County, California, so special for growing grapes and making world class wine. Flight’s sommelier, Nan Jennings, attended last month, and the answer is “Fog.” Napa and Sonoma are parallel valleys and look like they would have the same climate, but Sonoma, especially the Russian River Valley, is visited almost every morning by a thick layer of fog off the Pacific. This keeps the grapes cooler and more moist, perfect for Pinot Noir.
This is your expression after sampling Pinots all day! Nan Jennings and Elliot Chandler

Gala Pinot Forum events included a lavish dinner at MacMurray Ranch Winery, with a tour of Fred (My Three Sons) MacMurray’s home, and Bacchanalia, Mardi Gras beads and all, at Arista Winery, with workshops and tours of many other wineries during the days.

Merry Edwards and Nan Jennings

Firefly Palmer
Sweet Tea vodka and lemonade

The Sidecar
Cognac, triple sec and lemon juice

Cosmopolitan
Triple sec and cranberry

4th and Main

is an article from the blogsite, The Art of Manliness. According to the article, every man should know how to make these classic cocktails, but first, you need to drink them! (insert commercial for Flight’s wonderful bar, great atmosphere, amazing bartenders and bar snacks unlike any you’ll find around town for only $2 — more on bar snacks later.)

Here are the recipes for the Classics and the cocktail/martini specials at Flight for the month of September —

The Old Fashioned

Image by Made in Mississippi

The Old Fashioned is a bourbon based cocktail, but try it with any whisky. You may find you like the sweeter taste of a Canadian whisky, the more sour taste of the Tennessee stuff, or, for some complexity, use rye. This drink uses a short round glass, sometimes called an Old Fashioned glass, after the drink itself.

Put 1 sugar cube in glass

Add 2-3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Add 1 Splash of Soda Water

Muddle (smash) until sugar is dissolved

Fill glass with ice cubes

Add whiskey to the top of the glass, stir

Garnish with an orange slice and maraschino cherry

Notes on Muddling: To muddle just means to smash. You can use whatever is at your disposal. Some bartenders muddle with the back of their bar spoon for light muddling and use a muddler (basically a wooden dowel about the width of a broom handle) for more intense smashing.

The Manhattan
(or Rob Roy)

Image by larryvincent

Another whiskey based cocktail, more of a variation on a Martini. Where the Martini is gin and dry vermouth, the Manhattan is whiskey and sweet vermouth. And don’t forget the bitters! Angostura or Peychaud’s works fine.

3 parts Canadian or Rye Whiskey

1 part Sweet (Red) Vermouth

1 dash bitters

Make in mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until very cold (stirring is very important to help the ice melt to water it down a bit and make it more palatable). Pour into cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Variations:

Trade the whiskey for scotch to make it a Rob Roy. Trade with brandy for a Metropolitan. If you desire the drink to be sweeter, add some juice from the maraschino cherries.

The Sidecar

A popular French cocktail, as it uses two liquors made in France. Can be served in a sour glass (a smaller version of an old fashioned glass) or up in a cocktail glass.

1 part Cognac (brandy will do, but Cognac is best)

1 part Cointreau (Grand Marnier or other triple sec)

1 part lemon juice

Shake over ice and pour into sugar rimmed glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

Check out the website to see the other two classics.

according to Jonathon Miles in the NYT

Upside Down Martini

3/4 oz gin
3 3/4 oz Noilly Prat vermouth
Lemon twist garnish

In a martini glass or on the rocks (see photo)

one serving

Would love to hear what you think of this drink. Should we special it next month?

Pomtini

3 oz. Absolut Citron

2 oz. Pomegranate juice

1 oz. of Cointreau.

Or
* 2 fluid ounces vodka

* 2 fluid ounces orange liqueur

* 2 fluid ounces pomegranate juice

* 1 cup crushed ice

* 1 twist lemon zest

Maximillian Affair

1 1/4 oz mescal or tequila

3/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur

1/2 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Punt e Mes)

1/4 oz fresh lemon juice.

Shake with ice and strain into a stemmed cocktail glass.

Watermelon Margarita

4 watermelon cubes (1 inch, seeds removed)

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 ½ oz sour

1 ½ oz silver tequila

½ oz triple sec

watermelon wedge for garnish

In mixing glass, muddle watermelon cubes and lime juice. Add sour,

tequila and triple sec. Add ice. Shake all.

Rim recipe (not necessary but thought I’d give you the recipe in case you want to try it)

4 bar spoons super fine sugar

1 bar spoon sea salt

1 bar spoon pink peppercorns (crushed)

lime wedge