You've probably gathered that I'm a fan of Bourbon and Rye, both of which, technically speaking, are Whiskeys. There's an entire family of cocktails called "sours," closely associated with Whiskeys (and with the family of cocktails knowns Collins). They are a very traditional cocktail, so traditional in fact, that they're included in the 1862 book How to Mix Drinks, by Jerry Thomas. A "sour" is a cocktail that contains a base spirit (typically bourbon or another whiskey, but possibly gin, tequila, vodka, or even brandy) a citrus juice (lemon or lime, or orange—hence the "sour") and some form of sweetener—triple sec, simple syrup, grenadine, or pineapple juice are the most common. Technically, a Margarita and a Sidecar are both "Sours." Brandy was initially favored in the mid-1800s for Sours, but by the end of the century Bourbon was the popular spirit.

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When most people hear the words "Irish Whiskey," they think of Jameson's or Bushmills. That's a start, what they should be thinking about is a pot still. Pot still whiskey, the traditional way of making Irish whiskey, is made from a mix of malted and unmalted barley (the mix details is a distillery trade secret) that's distilled in a pot still. It's a uniquely Irish method of distilling. Irish pure pot still whiskey is a single, unblended small-batch whiskey. The "Pure" indicates that it was produced by using only barley, no other grain, and using a mixture of malted and unmalted barley, and distilled in a pot still. The use of the unmalted or "green" barley gives the pure pot still Irish whiskey a characteristic "peppery" quality that some have compared to the peppery quality of pure American rye.

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I've been trying martinis for a couple of years now. I started with the traditional gin and vermouth martini, moved on to variations including the vodka martini and even tried a chocolate martini. So far, I'm really liking the olives and their effect on a martini, and while I very much like a gin and vermouth martini, lately I've enjoyed "dirty" martinis made with vodka and a splash of olive juice. I'm picky about the vodka, though I'm quite enjoying Koenig's Idaho potato vodka.

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Bärenjäger today is a 70-proof honey-based spiritous liquor, loosely inspired by a traditional honey liqueur made in the fifteenth century in Eastern Prussia. Bärenfang was the traditional name ("bear trap" in German) but the most common version in the United States is that distilled by Teucke & Koenig, a German company in Steinhagen, Germany. Bärenjäger ("bear hunter" in German) was so successful in the U.S. that the bottle design, a glass bee hive, was trademarked and other, similar liqueurs appeared. There's Wild Turkey American Honey Liquor, based on bourbon. Evan Williams has a honey based bourbon too; Evan Williams Honey Reserve.

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I've been favoring Rye lately, even over the otherwise sacred Maker's Mark, and while I prefer Rittenhouse Rye, I find Old Overholt more than palatable. But last I tried to buy Old Overholt, the only Rye the store had was Jim Beam's Yellow Label, which, frankly, I'd rather not. They had a small display set up of George Dickel Tennessee Sour Mash Whisky "Cascade Hollow," and so we decided, for sixteen bucks, we'd try it. I note that elsewhere it's sold for around $10.00.

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In the middle ages in Europe when local economies were driven as much by barter as by hard currency, food found its way into the wages of everyday laborers as much, if not more often, than precious metals. Some fiefdoms ended up having to deal with drunk workers because many of them were paid in high-quantity spirits like beer. After all, alcohol kept for a long time and could be parceled out in discreet packages like bottles, bags and jugs. For your average feudal worker, an ale today had more value than a coin to be spent tomorrow. And why not get a little sloshed when there's wood to be cut and fields to be plowed? An alcohol buzz is distracting, pleasantly or otherwise. Though we today aren't permitted to drink on the job, there are plenty of us who would gladly take the opportunity to do so.

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Crane Lake is very much a budget table wine label. It's one of Frank Franzia's labels, part of his Classic California group, and owned by Bronco, best known as the makers of Charles Shaw wines, the "Two Buck Chuck" wines sold exclusively through Trader Joe's. I've been seeing Crane Lake at the local RiteAid at two bottles for $7.00, and I have to confess, I turned my nose up, after a less than positive experience with Charles Shaw wines. All of the Crane Lake wines (but not Crane Lake Down Under) are California wines.

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This is the second part of a two part series on Crane Lake wines; this one is on the Red wines. The first part was on the white wines, and you can find it here. Crane Lake is a budget tier table wine, one of the Bronco wine labels owned by Frank Franzia, part of his Classic California group. Bronco is best known as the makers of Charles Shaw wines, the "Two Buck Chuck" wines sold by Trader Joe's. These are all California wines.

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I've been seeing Crane Lake wines at the local RiteAid for three or four months now, at the bargain price of two bottles for $7.00. I confess that, after a less than stellar experience with Charles Shaw, I turned up my nose. But when this interestingly honest label turned up at the local Bargain Grocery Outlet, well, for $3.99, I figured why not?

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With the holidays in full swing and everyone getting into holiday party mode, it's no doubt the lists for food and drinks to serve are growing rapidly. Champagne is one of those tried and true drinks, especially popular for toasting at the start of the new year. And while adding ingredients to this bubbly beverage can turn it various champagne cocktails, it may also be used in food recipes perfect for entertaining. Thanks to websites like epicurious.com (one of my favorite websites for recipes) you can find more uses for bubbly than just drinking. This tasty shrimp appetizer is surprisingly easy to make, delicious and beautiful when plated.

Marinated Shrimp with Champagne Beurre Blanc

Sauce Base:

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