With all the focus on turkey, mashed potatoes and yams, one important part of a Thanksgiving meal is often overlooked: the cocktails. Thankfully, Drambuie Liqueur and William Grant & Sons Distillers gave Blast some delicious and festive drink recipes for you to sip before, during, and after the best meal of the year.

Solerno Celebration Punch

1 bottle Solerno

1 bottle Lillet Rouge

1 bottle dry, sparkling white wine

16 ounces freshly brewed, strong, chai spiced black tea (no cream or sugar added)

8 ounces Fever Tree Ginger Beer

8 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice

16 dashes Angostura bitters

Over a large block of ice in a punch bowl, pour all of the ingredients and stir to combine. Garnish with thinly sliced orange wheels. Serve in punch cups with a cinnamon stick and small wedge of orange.

Cranberry Sauce Cooler

1 ounce Solerno blood orange Liqueur

1 ounce Hendrick’s Gin

2 barspoons Solerno Cranberry Sauce*

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

2 ounces soda water

Shake Solerno, Hendrick’s, lemon juice and cranberry sauce* over ice and strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Fill with soda water and stir to incorporate.  Garnish with a fresh cranberry and an orange twist.

Solerno Cranberry Sauce*

1 bag of fresh, organic cranberries, washed

3/4  cup organic sugar

1/4 cup Solerno

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup Lillet Rouge

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest

1 pinch ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice, Solerno and Lillet Rouge.  Add the spices and orange zest, stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.

First & Last

2 part apple juice

.5 part lemon juice

.5 part simple syrup (1:1 ratio)

1 part Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

.5 part sparkling wine

In a punch bowl, add juices and syrup together over ice. Add rum and stir gently.  Slowly pour sparkling wine into punch.  Add sliced oranges and apples to punch bowl and serve cold.

Milagro Horchata Punch

6 parts Milagro Anejo

2 parts Averna

2 parts lime juice

1 part almond syrup or Orgeat

6 parts Horchata

8 Thai basil or basil leaves

2 parts pear juice

8 dashes barrel-aged bitters

1 part water

Mix all ingredients in a large punch bowl, allowing two hours for basil to infuse. Remove basil before serving. Serve over ice with a garnish of pear slices and cinnamon.

Hot Gin Punch

24 ounces Hendrick’s Gin

24 ounces Madeira wine

6 lemon twists

1 orange slice

3 large chunks pineapple

3 ounces honey

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

3 cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Add all the ingredients to a large saucepan over low heat and simmer for 20 minutes. To serve, strain and pour the hot mixture into a punch bowl or teapot and garnish with orange slices studded with cloves.

Drambuie Toddy with Ginger and Green Tea

1 1/4 part Drambuie

2 thin slices fresh ginger

1 thin slice lemon

6 parts green tea (piping hot)

In a large mug, add all ingredients. Stir, then let steep for 1 minute. Serve hot.

Drambuie & Cider 

1 part Drambuie

4 parts hot cider

Pour ingredients into a mug. Stir and serve with a cinnamon stick.

My dad drinks Scotch, so I drink Scotch.

Odds are, you have a similar tale. Scotch, single malt, bourbon — our dads seems to be whiskey guys, and there’s something tough and sophisticated about that.

And that means I drink whiskey too. Where do we begin? Well Charlie Whitfield, a brand ambassador for The Macallan offers a few tips on whiskey drinking and whiskey etiquette that perhaps will make you outshine your father in whiskey appreciation … one day.

BLAST: What are some of the common whiskey terms? What do phrases like “single malt” and “cask strength” mean?

CHARLIE WHITFIELD: Cask Strength – for this style of Scotch the whiskey comes straight from the cask and has no water added to it. Normally water is added to bring it down to bottling strength, usually to around 40-43 percent alcohol by volume. In the case of The Macallan Cask Strength, it is bottled at original cask strength, 59 percent ABV, without chill filtration or the addition of water. This delivers an exceptionally rich Macallan, wonderfully rich in color with dried fruits, spice and chocolate orange, best enjoyed with a splash of water to release the complex and sumptuous flavors.

Blended Scotch (like The Famous Grouse) which makes up around 90 percent of the Scotch whiskey industry, is a mix of different types of grain, corn, and single malt whiskeys and can come from any number of distilleries (anywhere from two to sometimes 50). A single malt making up around 9 percent of total Scotch production, can only come from one geographical location (one distillery) and can only be made using malted barley, water and yeast.

Vatted Malt is a blend of two or more single malt whiskeys.

Cask Maturation — Over 60 percent of all the aroma and flavor in Scotch comes from the interaction between the oak casks and the spirit during the maturation process. Therefore it is vital to use oak casks of the very best quality. The Macallan currently invests around $20 million dollars into our oak casks each year, hand crafting and picking each and every one.

BLAST: What kind of glass should one drink Scotch in?

CW: Whatever drinking vessel you can get your hands on! Whiskey is a drink to be savored, time spent enjoying the flavors on the nose are equally important as those on the palate. It is down to personal preference, though I would recommend a glass that tapers towards the mouth, the result being that it captures the delicious and varied aromas in your Scotch. They say that there are around 150 different flavor compounds in a single malt. The Glencairn style glass would be a good example to start with.

BLAST: What’s the difference between Scotch and other whiskeys?

CW: In order to be called a Scotch, the whiskey must be made in Scotland and matured in oak casks for at least three years. Whiskey is also made in other countries such as America, Canada, Ireland and Japan.

BLAST: What is a good intro-scotch for a young person to get started with?

CW: I would recommend a lighter style Scotch with more fruity and floral flavors. This style is much more accessible to someone new to Scotch and not too overpowering and rich on the palate. The Macallan Fine Oak range fits this style profile perfectly. The Macallan Fine Oak 15 is currently my wife’s favorite.

BLAST: How should a person drink Scotch? Ice or no ice?

CW: At the end of the day it is your Scotch, you should drink it however you enjoy it! I would suggest trying it neat to start with, so you can enjoy it in its truest form. Adding a couple of drops of water actually opens up the bouquet of the Scotch and releases the full aroma profile. Adding ice slightly numbs the aromas and flavors but is a refreshing alternative. The Macallan Ice Ball machine creates perfect spheres of ice, which due to less surface area, melt much more slowly, chilling your Scotch to perfection without turning it into a diluted mess!

BLAST: Why Macallan?

The unrivaled quality and consistency of the brand, combined with the unique history and heritage of the distillery. Just as important to me are the people who represent The Macallan and the “family” approach I’ve already noticed to the way we do business.

My first memories of Scotch whisky are more for it’s medicinal purposes, helping me to sleep, whilst at anchor during particularly stormy nights when sailing off the West coast of Scotland. It has now become my drink of choice.

Unofficially I’ve been associated with The Macallan since I was two years old! My granny entered me into a raffle and I won first prize, two cases of The Macallan 10 Year Old. My father drank one case but gave me the remaining case when I reached legal drinking age! The Macallan also played a part in my proposal to my American wife last year, in the snowy Highlands of Scotland, but that’s another story!

NEW YORK — We enjoy wine and the camaraderie it inspires. Gathering to share a bottle, we forget our differences and revel in our similarities. But we’re also Bostonians, which means we can’t pass up the opportunity to participate in the time-honored rivalry of comparing anything in Boston to anything in New York. So when we found out that Second Glass Wine Riot, a wine-tasting event that began in Boston, was branching out to other cities (Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Washington, D.C.), we simply had to see how Wine Riot New York stacked up to our experiences in Beantown.

Wine Riot New York took place Sept. 23 and 24 (two evening sessions and one afternoon session, which we attended) at Skylight One Hanson in Brooklyn, the site of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank. The venue was easy to find and very accessible to public transportation, even for outsiders like us. As an event space, it seemed right in line with the look and feel of the venues used for Wine Riot Boston: the Cyclorama at Boston Center for the Arts and the Park Plaza Castle.

One difference in New York was that the winery booths were spread out between two levels, which at first seemed inconvenient but later proved to be an advantage. Each floor had its own vibe, and the layout helped to break up wines by regions, which included France, Italy, Germany, California, New York and South Africa. Being packed into just one level in Boston, we felt somewhat overwhelmed and crowded, but in New York we felt there was plenty of space to explore and taste every wine.

The bathrooms were a bit lacking in New York — with just a few stalls in one ladies’ room, the lines (particularly later in the four-hour session) were rather long. We discovered that a men’s room had been converted to a ladies’ room in an attempt to alleviate the problem — which, although unfortunate for male attendees, speaks to the event staff’s attentiveness.

Second Glass goes out of its way to make Wine Riot fun and accessible. In both Boston and New York, the event staff was readily available and very helpful. We enjoyed the funky perks that make Wine Riot ideal for the young, hip oenophile: Free snacks (Pretzel Crisps and Cabot cheese). Food vendors for those who want something a bit meatier to accompany their sipping. “Crash Courses” for learning more about what you’re drinking. Temporary tattoos (we both emblazoned ourselves with the design of a tiger encouraging all to “Drink more wine!”). A DJ spinning an upbeat soundtrack. And to make sure your Wine Riot experience is forever preserved, a photo booth — where you’ll put down your glass only for a moment to throw on a feather boa or captain’s hat and pose with your friends. Not only is your photo posted online for you to share with everyone you know, but you also have the convenient option (new to the event this year) of receiving a glossy printout within seconds.

One of Wine Riot’s major features is friendliness with technology. Second Glass developed its own mobile app, which allows you to rank the wines you taste and remember them later when shopping or dining. We found that in New York, as in Boston, the app was easy to use and a great help in making the event truly interactive, although on the basement level of the New York venue, a lack of cellular signal unfortunately made the app unusable.

We recommend that if you attend a Wine Riot in any city, it’s best to plan ahead. Second Glass makes this easy by posting maps of the venue layouts and lists of the participating wineries on the website. Four hours is enough time to see (and taste) everything, but to use it most effectively, think ahead about what wines and wineries intrigue you most, so you can be sure to visit their booths first — lest you get caught up in the Wine Riot spirit and end up chatting with one purveyor the entire time.

Overall, we really enjoyed our Wine Riot experience as Bostonians in New York. Alhough we always can (and will) lay claim to its origins, we see no problem with sharing “our” great event with other cities. That said, as Wine Riot seems to only be growing, we highly recommend you not rest on your laurels (or grapes, as it were) when it comes your way next year. We’ve seen tickets sell out in Beantown. Grab yours while you can!

For more information:secondglass.com/wineriot.

I’m the Scotch guy at Blast. As editor, I don’t part with any of the whiskey samples that come into the newsroom.

And all of a sudden, a rare whiskey with the most complex taste ever comes around.

The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3 is a $250 whiskey. I don’t expect all of you (nor I) to go around buying it up, if we can ever find it. But it’s a singularly good whiskey that has a vanilla start and a very complex finish with a bite and very strong oak taste.

“We’re fortunate to have some very old and very rare whiskey maturing at The Balvenie Distillery,” said Balvenie malt master David Stewart. “We’ve identified what we believe to be a fantastic range of liquids that will complement one another completely. The result is a marriage where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The tun is hand-filled and it takes some doing. The tun has a capacity of two thousand liters so filling it is pretty thirsty work I assure you, but a fantastic and rewarding process none the less. As with everything we do at the distillery, it’s very hands-on but it makes the end result all the more worthwhile.”

You’ll hear all kinds of pairing suggestions, but let me save you the time: filet mignon. If you’re paying this much for Scotch, go buy a $50 dry aged filet and broil it. Pour some butter over before you broil it. Once it’s cooked, pour warm cognac over it and light the cognac on fire. Then drink this Scotch with that buttery, boozed steak filet. I think death row inmates order this.

The Tun 1401 comes from a range of casks/barrels including Hogsheads, Sherry butts, and American oak barrels that date many years apart. The contents are placed in the distillery’s Tun 1401, a large marrying vessel that lets them settle before the bottling process.

The whiskey is 50.3 percent alcohol by volume. Drink it neat or with a cold element like the Skybar Chill Cubes from my friends over there. at Skybar. These solid metal cubes get cold in the freezer but don’t melt and dilute this amazing liquor with water.

Frank Zoll at work. (Courtesy of Zoll Cellars.)

On Wednesday, the Boston Center for Adult Education (BCAE) will be hosting Frank Zoll of Zoll Cellars in Shrewsbury as part of a two-part winemaking class. The two classes will feature Frank, who is the owner and primary winemaker at his vineyard, directing students in the creation of wine, from the crushing of grapes to the bottling of their very own homemade bottles.

Zoll’s passion for food and beverage began as child, when he would make bread as a hobby and continued when he attended Johnson & Wales in Providence, Rhode Island, graduating in 1997. In 2001, while he was pastry chef at The Marriot Marquis in New York City, often cooking for up to 3,000 people, Frank began making wine in his parents’ kitchen. Starting with grapes he’d procure from California, Massachusetts, and New York, Zoll began making more and more wine until, in 2008, he planted his first vineyard in Shrewsbury. The next year Zoll Cellars was a genuine winery and has continued to grow since the first Zoll Cellars bottles were introduced to commercial market in late 2010.

Zoll Cellars grows roughly 25 percent of the grapes they use for the wines in their repertoire. The varietal grown in Shrewsbury is Traminette, which is a French-American hybrid that shares many characteristics with a Gewurztraminer, strong and heady with a heavily perfumed scent of grapefruit, honey, and peach. Frank contracts most of the other grapes, including Riesling and Cab Franc, from other states.

Wines produced on the East Coast and in the middle of this country do not have a reputation for yielding the highest quality wines; that distinction has been bestowed upon California, Oregon, and Washington, but Zoll is looking to open people’s eyes to the growing quality of local wines.

“I want to show people what is growing around them, we can make good wine in this region,” he said. “We have an Alsatian like terroir with an elevation of 500 or so feet. It is similar to a Zone 5, French varietals grow well in Massachusetts.”

Currently Zoll Cellars distributes to nearly 20 wine and liquor stores across Massachusetts and is expanding. In 2011 they have sold over 500 cases.

Zoll is teaching the wine class at BCAE because he has noticed how much people enjoy consuming wine and that there has been a rising interest in the industry as a whole. On October 12th at 6:00pm Zoll will bring in a between 400 and 500 pounds of Riesling and a 30 gallon ratchet-press to the BCAE and instruct the students while they crush the grapes by hand. “We’re going to put the Riseling into fermentation for four weeks at room temperature, then bottle it in November,” says Zoll. “Each student will take home six bottles just in time for Thanksgiving.”

The second class, on November 15, will involve the bottling of the wine. Zoll chose Riesling because it pairs well with the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. “It’s similar to a nouveau style of Riesling,” he said. “It goes very well with both roasted turkey and butternut squash.”

You can sign up for the class online at the BCAE website.

One of the best things about living in a loft is the open-floor living room. But it’s not a cakewalk trying to organize and design functional spaces within this sort of blank slate that a loft gives you.

For example, part of my living room exists under a staircase. What exactly are you supposed to do with that?

Build a bar.

So I took the opportunity to browse rooms on IKEA Share Space for inspiration.

I had already used IKEA’s BILLY shelving system to create a veritable library of books, movies and knickknacks against one wall, so going back to IKEA for the materials for my home bar was a natural choice. There are plenty of pre-made home bars available at stores and online, but a lot of them feel cheaply made and are extremely small for the $1,000-$4,000 price tags. A pre-made bar also is hard to customize and make “yours.” I also am not interested in a walnut, cherry, or oak finish, which is all colors that the modular bars seem to come in.

To start, a lot of measuring was needed. I only had so much depth to work with under the stairs before the bar would interfere with the walkway between the kitchen and the entryway. I used two AKURUM 39″ x 13″ horizontal kitchen cabinets with frosted glass doors up top, with two AKURUM 12″ x 30″ kitchen cabinets and a PERFEKT end wall unit to give me some additional shelves on the bottom. I covered that with a 97″ NUMERAR black countertop that was cut to fit the 12″ width.

That covers the rear. For the main bar, I took two simple AKURUM 24″ base cabinets and screwed them together with a 50″ NUMERAR countertop. Using CAPITA brackets I was then able to create a seating area, with a third piece of countertop, just above the “main bar.”

And that’s your basic bar. Lighting was a challenge, because I could not add new hard-wired wall light fixtures. I used six GRUNDTAL lights, mounted below each cabinet, to illuminate the space.

I had some more space on the right side of the area, above an air conditioning return. I obviously could not put shelves or a cabinet over the return, so I mounted another piece of NUMERAR to the wall using IKEA’s EKBY wall brackets. That gave me a perfect space for a wine refrigerator and some bottles. I also mounted four IKEA LACK shelves on the left side of the bar, where the staircase starts to slope. This was perfect for storing bottles or red wine.

Assembling the cabinets was surprising easy, especially after I had finished the first one. The key for me was to take my time, resist the urge to use power tools, and then double-check the graphical directions. I did require some home delivery for the entire order, as the countertops would not fit in my car, but the cabinets would have been easy to transport in their signature IKEA flat boxes.

I also purchased extra shelves for the base cabinets and the 30″ wall cabinets, for added storage ability.

I rounded out my living room with two IKEA “tree” houseplants, two LACK side tables and a LACK coffee table.

I had planned on putting the bar project off until next year, depressed at the prices online. Adding all this lively surface area to my loft is a real jump-starter for parties and holidays, and having a home bar, that’s twice the size of the more expensive “ready made” bars is a dream come true. After going to IKEA, seeing the prices (the grand total for my custom bar was $812.88), and learning what I could do, I was really motivated to get the project done.

My advice is to spend some time in the store, if you have one locally. There are a lot of products, and you should not let yourself get overwhelmed. Take your time, measure everything twice, and pick a design that suits you. Just make sure you have someone to give you a hand mounting cabinets to the wall. They get heavy, and that’s not the kind of thing you want to do twice if you mess it up.

Want to see more of the finished design? Take another look at my finished bar on IKEA Share Space at: theshare-space.com/Spaces/blastmagazine

Note: The artwork on the wall is a digital image created by concept artist Andrew Kim for the video game Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It is printed on canvas.

IKEA is sponsoring this article, but the designs and opinions are my own.

Boxed wines have many environmental advantages over bottled, but some of the plastic bags inside the boxes contain BPA, a synthetic chemical that has been linked to a range of human health problems. Bota Box, pictured here, and many other box wines come in BPA-free packaging. The simple way to know is to read the labels when you’re wine shopping. (Peter Knocke via Flickr)

Does boxed wine use BPA-free plastic?

The short answer is: “It depends.” A fairly recent innovation in wine packaging, the so-called Bag-in-Box (BIB) dispenser makes use of a plastic bag with a nozzle surrounded by a corrugated cardboard box. The whole package sits easily on a shelf and usually features a built-in spout for easy pouring and resealing. The main benefit is that each box can hold about four bottles-worth of wine, and the BIB technology prevents oxidation, keeping the wine fresh for up to six weeks after the seal has been broken initially.

Besides costing less to manufacture than glass bottles, the Bag-in-Box apparatus, invented by Scholle packaging a half century ago, weighs significantly less, stacks more efficiently (meaning more wine can go with each container load) and will not shatter if dropped. As such, they are easier to transport, which keeps costs down and reduces the carbon footprint of the entire distribution process. While U.S. wine buyers traditionally have viewed wine in a box as cheap and unsavory, several American and European wineries are working to turn that view around by putting out award-winning vintages by the box. Eco-conscious yet no less discriminating wine consumers are helping to drive the growing demand for boxed wines in the U.S., which currently command about 10 percent of U.S. supermarket wine sales.

But boxed wine may have an environmental dark side: Some of the plastic bags inside the boxes contain Bisphenol-A (BPA), a synthetic chemical that has been in use for four decades to strengthen plastic food containers and other items but recently has been linked to a range of human health problems. “A growing amount of scientific research has linked BPA exposure to altered development of the brain and behavioral changes, a predisposition to prostate and breast cancer, reproductive harm, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease,” reports the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The bags are made out of #7 plastic, a catchall category typically containing mixed types of plastic (“polycarbonate”), combined for various practical reasons. As more and more research comes to light, many environmentalists and public health advocates are warning consumers to avoid storing any food or drinks in containers made out of #7 plastic, as there is likelihood that BPA could be part of the mix.

Most wineries offering boxed wines make it clear if their plastic bags do not contain BPA. For one, Scholle Packaging, inventors of the BIB system and one of the largest wine box manufacturers, uses only BPA-free #7 plastic in their bags. Perini, Campo Largo, Bota Box and many other box wines come in BPA-free packaging. The simple way to know is to read the labels when you’re wine shopping.

Also, don’t think that by avoiding boxed wine you are necessarily avoiding BPA. Researchers have found that the plastic stoppers so many of us use to cap an unfinished bottle, not to mention the lining of concrete vats used to store wine at many wineries, contain and can leach BPA into your glass. That’s not to say that all wine contains BPA; quite the contrary, in fact, as most bottled wine still never comes into contact with plastic and as such does not carry any BPA-stigma. Regardless, the more you know, the safer you can be—so that the worst thing you get from your wine is a hangover.

CONTACTS: Scholle, www.scholle.com; NRDC, www.nrdc.org; Bota Box, www.botabox.com.

Amy Winehouse’s family blames her abrupt withdrawal of alcohol, not drugs, for killing her. The cause of her death will not be known for weeks, pending the completion of toxicology tests.

Amy Winehouse at Kalemegdan Park in Belgrade, Serbia. This was the singer's last live concert performance before her death on July 23, 2011.

The 27-year old ignored doctors’ advice to steadily cut back from her heavy drinking. Instead of listening, she went cold turkey. Her family believes this was too much of a shock for her system.

Sam Zakhari, director of the metabolism and health effects division at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said, “People who drink heavily and stop suddenly may go through alcohol withdrawal, which can cause symptoms ranging from anxiety to tremors to full-blown seizures and delusions,” adding, “Sometimes, this can affect the heart, causing cardiac arrhythmia, and in rare cases, this can be fatal.”

Usually the death of abusers is due to an excessive amount of alcohol or drugs- even a combination of the two. This is a rare case where someone did die from quitting suddenly.

Winhouse also had issues with an eating disorder, destructive relationships, and abortive performances. These dangerous habits may have damaged her body to the point where she could not recover, even after quitting alcohol.

Zakhari said all alcoholics should taper off slowly and quit under a physician’s supervision to avoid severe symptoms. Prescription medications like benzodiazepines may be useful to calm the brain and counteract the stimulant effect that kicks in when the body is no longer getting a depressant, such as alcohol.

If Amy quit under the supervision of a physician, heart risks based on family history and other factors would have been considered when providing treatment.

If you have a teen struggling with a drug or alcohol addiction, consider a teen rehab as a treatment option.

In a continuing story, the Kings of Leon’s cancelled U.S. tour is now said to be due to alcohol.

Caleb Followill at the 10th anniversary party of TAO New York at on October 16, 2010. (WireImage)

“They are trying to get Caleb to rehab. That’s why they ended up cancelling the whole tour,” says one source. “He drinks like a fish.”

As a result, recent shows were cut short.

Another source adds, “It’s true. Caleb’s drinking is out of control and they are trying to get him into rehab. It’s a dark demon he has been fighting for awhile.”

Meanwhile, representatives for the band defend Caleb Followill saying he is under doctor’s orders for vocal rest. “They feel terrible about cancelling. They look forward to getting back on the road at the end of September.”

Caleb’s brother and band member, Jared, has been tweeting about his brother’s conflict. After news of the cancelled tour was made public, he tweeted, “Utterly depressed. It’s completely out of my hands. Family has to come 1st.”

LOS ANGELES — From her big house to THE big house?

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan will be in court today, and judge may just send her to jail if it is determined that she broke her probation.

Lohan, 24, under house arrest for theft, tested positive for alcohol earlier this month after a barbeque hosted at her house, according to TMZ.

Prosecutors are expected to ask Judge Stephanie Sautner to take Lohan off her plush house arrest and put her in an L.A. County Jail.

Pimm’s Cup

8 oz. Pimm’s No. 1

24 oz. chilled lemon-lime soda

Add mint, cucumber, orange and strawberry.

Mix in a pitcher (call it a “jug” if you want to impress the queen) filled with ice.

Serves 8. Cheers!

‘Tis the season to rejoice with good company and a stiff drink! When planning a holiday party, creating the cocktail menu can be difficult. An open bar is costly and unoriginal, whereas having just one signature drink lacks diversity to suit your guests’ alcoholic desires.

The most effective solution is to create a small, cost-efficient drink menu with items that everyone can enjoy, whether their preferences are spicy, sweet, or a little bit of both. The menu should contain unique cocktails that will separate your drinks from the boring Irish coffees, eggnogs and spiked ciders of parties past.

Trina Sturm, owner of Trina’s Starlite Lounge in Somerville, Mass., and a front-runner on drinkboston.com’s Best Boston Bartenders list, has a solution to this drink dilemma. Sturm has created a menu of three holiday cocktails with distinct yet related tastes that are sure to please your guests without sticking to the ho-hum classics and throwing creativity out of your tinseled window.

Rum BBC
2 oz. Old Monk rum
1 oz. cinnamon syrup
3 oz. hot water
top with bar spoon of bourbon butter

The Adirondack
2 1/2 oz. butter-infused bourbon
1/2 oz. pure maple syrup

Santa’s Little Stinger
3 oz. candy cane-infused VS Cognac
serve with a mini candy cane

Each of these options toy with the season’s favorite flavors while forming a cohesive holiday-themed drink menu. The Rum BBC is spicy whereas the Adirondack is sweet, but both boast the smooth undertones of buttery bourbon. Santa’s Little Stinger is a happy balance of the Rum BBC and the Adirondack, with the cognac’s spicy peppermint and sweet smooth vanilla flavors complementing its woodiness.

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or you don’t believe in the old guy, the “J” Connection wants you to get out of your pajamas on Christmas Eve and into your cocktail attire. It’s time for the 15^th annual J Ball!

The “J” Connection, a Boston-based organization for Jewish professionals, is hosting two parties: a rock star bash at The Estate for party-goers in their 20s and 30s and a 40-plus dance party at the Kiki Lounge. Guests at both events will enjoy complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres until 9:30 p.m.

All guests will be entered to win tickets to the Resolution Ball New Year’s Eve event!

Details

Guests of all religious persuasions are invited to attend, but they must be 21-plus!

When: Friday, December 24, 2010. 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Doors open at 8 p.m.

Where: The Estate and the Kiki Lounge, One Boylston Place, Boston

Tickets: $25 in advance or $30 at the door. For tickets and more information, go here or call 781-444-7771.

According to a November 2009 cable from the American Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, put online by Wikileaks on Tuesday, the elite young people there “party like the rest of the world.”

“Behind the facade of Wahabi conservatism in the streets, the underground nightlife for Jeddah’s elite youth is thriving and throbbing. The full range of worldly temptations and vices are available — alcohol, drugs, sex — but strictly behind closed doors. This freedom to indulge carnal pursuits is possible merely because the religious police keep their distance when parties include the presence or patronage of a Saudi royal and his circle of loyal attendants…”

Jeddah is on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest port on the Red Sea and second largest city in Saudi Arabia. The population is about 3.4 million.

The party scene has recently been pushed further underground due to a recent increase in religious conservatism, the cable reads.

On Halloween 2009, Consulate employees attended a party with more than 150 young Saudis, mostly in their 20s and 30s, at a house of a Saudi prince.

“…the scene resembled a nightclub anywhere outside the Kingdom: plentiful alcohol, young couples dancing, a DJ at the turntables, and everyone in costume. Funding for the party came from a corporate sponsor, XXXXXXa U.S.-based energy-drink company as well as from the princely host himself,” the cable reads.

The party was under a strict guest list, and Saudi religious police, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, were nowhere to be found.

Young people try to throw these kinds of parties at the house of a Saudi prince or elsewhere as long as a prince attends. There are more than 10,000 Saudi princes, so finding one is not difficult.

The cable also says that drugs and prostitutes were readily available.

Alcohol, though strictly prohibited by Saudi law and custom, was plentiful at the party’s well-stocked bar, well-patronized by Halloween revellers. (SIC) The hired Filipino bartenders served a cocktail punch using “sadiqi,” a locally-made “moonshine.” While top-shelf liquor bottles were on display throughout the bar area, the original contents were reportedly already consumed and replaced by sadiqi. On the black market, a bottle of Smirnoff can cost 1,500 riyals when available, compared to 100 riyals for the locally-made vodka. It was also learned through word-of-mouth that a number of the guests were in fact “working girls,” not uncommon for such parties. Additionally, though not witnessed directly at this event, cocaine and hashish use is common in these social circles and has been seen on other occasions.

“Saudi youth get to enjoy relative social freedom and indulge fleshly pursuits, but only behind closed doors — and only the rich,” the cable reads toward the bottom.

Wine lovers on a budget have a reason to celebrate this holiday season: Italy’s Cantina di Soave winery has released two new wines that are now available in Massachusetts and across the country. The best part? They both cost just $9.99.

The new Re Midas Soave 2009 and the Re Midas Corvina 2009 wines are produced in the small Italian village of Soave, and are made with 100 percent Garganega and Corvina grapes grown in the region’s rich volcanic soil.

Re Midas Soave is a light-bodied white with a floral and lemon aroma and flavors of citrus and toasted nuts. It pairs well with seafood, shellfish, grilled vegetables, grilled chicken and pork.

Re Midas Corvina is a medium-bodied red with a spicy aroma and the flavors of ripe cherries and fruit. It pairs well with grilled beef, pasta and risotto dishes and mild cheeses.

The new Re Midas wines are sold at the following locations in Massachusetts:

Community Package

Domaney’s Liquor

Fallon’s Wine & Spirits

Spirited Gourmet

Yankee Spirit (all  three locations)

A Mary Pickford, sans cherry

January 16 1920 was a dark day for America that had little to do with the winter blues. The teetotalers had their way and for nearly fourteen years the Volstead Act and the 18th Amendment ensured that the church had enough wine but that local bartenders were stripped of their licenses and livelihoods. It was still possible to possess alcohol for personal consumption but distribution meant jail time. Thus, the illegal speakeasies with their live music, smoky rooms and password intrigue were born.

HBO’s new blood-bath drama, “Boardwalk Empire,” and its portrayal of Prohibition-era Atlantic City overrun by the mob-run liquor racket has inspired a reawakening of the 1920s image. From fashion to alcohol (it must have something to do with all the rum-running), the television show has influenced the revolution of classics becoming new again.

What better to do with your cronies during the latest episode, while you all don your cloister hats and ragtime suits, than to mix up some Prohibition-style cocktails? Forget the single shots of cheap whiskey in dimly lit bars. These are the subtle drinks that defined a decade. Sip them slowly, that giggle water liable to burn your gullet on the way down.

French 75

This bathtub-gin cocktail did not go on to be the official drink of the generation like the Sidecar or the Gin Swizzle (where the term “swizzle sticks” comes from). It was named after the World War I monolith canon used to combat trench warfare. Be careful with that first bubbly sip, it could hit you in the face with all the grace of the American artillery.

Shake well with cracked ice:
1 1/2 oz London Dry Gin
1/2 oz Fresh-squeezed Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Strain into highball glass full of cracked ice and top off with chilled champagne.

Sidecar (Boston)

This Boston version of the original Sidecar, created by Sam “Suck it” Treadway, is a spinoff of the most popular drink of the Prohibition era. There are currently at least 14 different Sidecar recipes employing the use of various liquors but always with similar flavor profiles. Unlike the Treadway original, Boston’s drink deviates from the traditional Cognac and orange liqueur allowing for deeper flavors with a punchy burst of citrus.

Mix in a cocktail shaker with ice:
1 oz Light Rum
1/2 oz Brandy
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
Strain into a chilled, sugar-rimmed cocktail glass

Mary Pickford

“America’s Sweetheart” and “the girl with the curls” were just two of the ways Mary Pickford was portrayed during the silent film era of the early 1900’s. Although this drink is sometimes misappropriated as a 1940’s creation, it’s actually from 1920 at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba in Havana. This homage is a fruity drink that mixes all the sweetness of pomegranate syrup and the subtlety of light rum.

Stir well with cracked ice:
1 1/2 oz White Rum
1 oz Unsweetened Pineapple Juice
1/2 teaspoon Grenadine
Strain into chilled cocktail glass and drop in a maraschino cherry.

Ward 8
This will put some hair on your chest. Although this cocktail originated in 1898, its popularity peaked during the Prohibition. Don’t be fooled by its milky exterior. Just because it looks like a fruit smoothie does not mean it is good for your digestion. If you’re blood isn’t built for whiskey you might want something a little more forgiving but, with all of the effort put into sweetening down the heavier oak and molasses notes this drink is usually friendly to beginners.

Mix:

2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz Lemon Juice
3/4 oz Simple Syrup
Dash of Grenadine
Orange Slice for garnish
Maraschino Cherry for garnish

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass

Coffee Cocktail

Your mother probably told you not to eat raw eggs as a child—but she also said no dessert before dinner, pfft! Some of the more straightforward cocktails rely on pure alcohol content while this drink uses the flavors of each alcohol to play off of each other with the egg binder to produce a heady coffee-like drink. Although I wouldn’t usually recommend a spiked breakfast drink this one would go well with some waffles and whipped cream.

dash of Bitters (optional)
1 Whole Egg
1 tsp Simple Syrup
1 1/2 oz Brandy
1 1/2 oz Port

Whisk egg with other ingredients and shake until frothy. Strain and serve. (Bartenders make sure to wash your shaker thoroughly after this one. The vegans of the world will not be pleased with egg in their drinks!

Blast does not endorse eating raw or undercooked food.

Dear EarthTalk: I see more and more organic wines on store shelves these days, but what options are out there today for organic beer? — Ken Strong, Wichita, Kan.

Some 80 million Americans drink beer, yet organic beer represents still only a sliver of the $7 billion U.S. craft beer market. But this sliver is quickly turning into a slice: Between 2003 and 2009, according to the Organic Trade Association, U.S. organic beer sales more than quadrupled from $9 million to $41 million.

According to Seven Bridges Cooperative, which has been selling organic brewing ingredients for a decade already, organic beers tend to feature exceptional clarity and a clean, flavorful taste. “On a more technical side, organic malts on average have a lower protein content which produces a clear mash and less haze problems in the finished beer,” reports Seven Bridges. “Organic malts and hops have no chemical residues to interfere with fermentation to give the organic brewer a clean, unadulterated beer.”

Seven Bridges mail you all the ingredients you need to brew your own organic beer at home, but most of us would rather just enjoy the finished product. Depending on where you live, you might have dozens of organic beer brands available in bottles and even on tap at your favorite watering hole.

One of the most visible is Fortuna, California-based Eel River Brewing Company, founded in 1996. Eel River has the distinction of being America’s first certified organic brewery. Their IPA, Pale Ale, Porter, Amber Ale, Blonde Ale, Old Ale and Imperial Stout are all crafted from organic hops from New Zealand and organic grains from the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

Butte Creek Brewery, established in 1998 in Chico, California, brews organic Pilsner, Porter, Pale Ale and India Pale Ale. Their award-winning beers are distributed internationally. Olympia, Washington-based Fish Tale Organic Ales has been brewing ales, porters and stouts to rave reviews since 1993, and introduced its first certified organic beer in 2000. And Otter Creek Brewery in Middlebury, Vermont produces a line of organic ales called Wolaver’s, which includes an Oatmeal Stout and a Pumpkin Ale.

The UK’s Samuel Smith Brewery turns out a full line of acclaimed organic ale, lager and fruit beers. Other popular choices include Pinkus Organic Munster Alt, Peak Organic, New Belgium’s Mothership Wit Wheat Beer, and Lakefront Organic ESB, among others. And Whole Foods Markets now produces its own private label organic beer called Lamar Street, which is known for its rich flavor and low cost.

Not surprisingly, even the big boys are beginning to jump in. Anheuser-Busch is pushing its Stone Mill, Wild Hops and Green Valley organic beers. And Miller’s Henry Weinhard’s Organic Amber, on store shelves since 2007, is brewed with local ingredients by the Full Sail Brewery in Hood River, Oregon.

One way to sample dozens of organic beers at once is to attend the North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF), held every June in Portland, Oregon. Whether you clue into organic beers at this event or just at your local pub you can’t go wrong by spreading your eco-consciousness to your beer drinking.

CONTACTS: Organic Trade Association, www.ota.com; Seven Bridges Cooperative, www.breworganic.com; Eel River Brewing, www.eelriverbrewing.com; Butte Creek Brewing,www.buttecreek.com; Fish Brewing, www.fishbrewing.com; NAOBF, www.naobf.org.

Environmentalists want to put a monetary value on the negative impacts of industrial activities, such as polluting, and to force offending companies and utilities to compensate society for the harm they do (Thinkstock Image)

Dear EarthTalk: In my business courses in college, we were taught that ecological degradation was an “externality”—something outside the purview of economic analyses. Now that the environment is of such concern, are economists beginning to rethink this? -- Josh Dawson, Flagstaff, Ariz.

By definition, economic externalities are the indirect negative (or positive) side effects, considered un-quantifiable in dollar terms, of other economic acts. For example, a negative externality of a power plant that is otherwise producing a useful good (electricity) is the air pollution it generates. In traditional economics, the harmful effect of the pollution (smog, acid rain, global warming) on human health and the environment is not factored in as a cost in the overall economic equation. And as the economists go, so go the governments that rely on them. The result is that most nations do not consider environmental and other externalities in their calculations of gross domestic product (GDP) and other key economic indicators (which by extension are supposed to be indicators of public health and well-being).

For decades environmentalists have argued that economics should take into account the costs borne by such externalities in order to discern the true overall value to society of any given action or activity. The company or utility that operates the polluting factory, for instance, should be required to compensate the larger society by paying for the pollution it produces so as to offset the harm it does.

So-called “cap-and-trade” schemes are one real-world way of monetizing a negative externality: Big polluters must buy the right to generate limited amounts of carbon dioxide (and they can trade such rights with other companies that have found ways to lower their carbon footprints, thus creating an incentive for polluters to clean up their acts). While cap-and-trade was invented in the U.S. to clean up acid rain pollution, it is a model used in Europe but not yet in America, which has yet to pass legislation mandating it. Until Congress acts to regulate the output of carbon dioxide in the U.S.—via cap-and-trade means or others—such emissions will remain “external” to the economics of carrying on business.

Recent news that has many greens excited is that the World Bank, the leading financier of development projects around poorer parts of the globe, is starting to think outside the traditional economic box. This past October, World Bank president Robert Zoellick told participants at a conference for the Convention on Biological Diversity (an international treaty signed by 193 countries—not including the U.S.—that went into effect in 1993 to sustain biodiversity) that “the natural wealth of nations should be a capital asset valued in combination with its financial capital, manufactured capital and human capital.” Zoellick’s comments are the first sign from the World Bank of its recognition of the need to consider externalities in any overall economic assessment. “[We] need to reflect the vital carbon storage services that forests provide and the coastal protection values that come from coral reefs and mangroves,” he added.

Critics are still waiting to see if the World Bank will walk its talk. “It’s a fine rhetorical start,” says the New York Times’ Andrew Revkin in his blog. “But the  announcement by the bank of a $10 million ‘Save Our Species’ fund, with the United Nations Global Environmental Facility and International Union for Conservation of Nature, seems quite piddling in a world where money flows in the trillions,” he adds. Indeed, we may still be a ways off from including our environmental impacts into our measures of social wealth and health, but at least the World Bank has gone on record as to the need to do so, and you can be sure that environmental advocates will be working to hold its feet to the fire.

CONTACTS: World Bank, www.worldbank.org; Convention on Biological Diversity, www.cbd.int.

Terence Winter, of “Sopranos” fame, has made it through an entire 12-episode season of “Boardwalk Empire.” Since its premier in September, critics of all walks have been jumping over themselves to praise this Prohibition-era period piece about corruption and mob-run liquor rackets in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It seems only fitting that the one hour finale took place on December 5th, Repeal Day, in celebration of the 1933 ratification of the 21st amendment and the end of Prohibition. Too bad Nucky Thompson and his swill-cronies have thirteen more years of government crackdowns and the psychotic stalking of Agent Van Alden to look forward to.

So what does that mean for all of us living in the land of couches and non-government regulated beer? Well, for this fanatic I found myself surprisingly underwhelmed. Maybe it was the complete lack of naked Steve Buscemi or that the only graphically violent scenes came as a montage to a slanted speech, but I found myself missing the usual firework antics. Winter, instead of leaving the audience with some kitschy, overdone cliffhanger, chose to focus on the intricacies of character relationships and gently build tension toward next season. Perhaps this is the poison of the times. So many shows require flashy stunts and over-the-top flare to keep the attention of the plugged in generation, which ultimately left this “finale” feeling oddly lackluster.

You see, I’d gotten used to the ridiculous peppering of explicit sex scenes, the brain-bursting headshots, and rampant flaunting of liquor in front of corrupt government officials. It was spunky, even endearing at times how raw this show purported itself to be. Instead, I found myself more interested in the two minute “and that’s what you missed” opening sans the Glee gasp. My disappointment aside, there were some powerful scenes that should be recognized and at least one twist that made me laugh with schadenfreude-style giggles. What were they you ask? Let’s go to the run down to find out.

The finale opens with a lot of tension dangling from the previous episode. Nucky and Margaret are falling apart now that she’s finally acknowledged his illegal activities. He also doesn’t believe it should be her choice not to have more children (my feminist brain is writhing, but I’ll hold comment on gender dynamics of the 20’s for another time). Van Alden has drown/baptized his corrupt partner and slept with former mistress Lucy giving into some sort of crazy-person “divine temptation”. Jimmy’s common-law wife, Angela, failed to leave him for her Parisian-bound lover and Rothstein is getting ready to be prosecuted for fixing the World Series. Did I mention that the Commodore is still dying because he’s too stubborn to see a doctor?

What it boils down to is that change is coming for Boardwalk. Jimmy Darmody says it best during his drunken stupor, “You’re like a machine, completely devoid of emotion…you’ll use anyone Nuck: man, woman, thirteen year old girl.” In the background of Nucky’s happy carnival the Commodore, Jimmy, and Eli are plotting what we can only assume is Nucky’s downfall and the potential for Jimmy to take his place. So often the Commodore has scowled from his bed claiming that “the wrong man” is running Atlantic City. We’ll just have a wait until season two to find out just how the right man is.

If the ritualistic scarring, hyper-religious ranting, and psychotic breaks haven’t turned you off Agent Van Alden yet, I’m not sure what will. He is the creepy glue that holds this show together and is slowly becoming just as warped as the city he’s entrenched with. It’s spoiler time: he got Lucy Danzinger, the pouty-lipped moaner pregnant. Congratulations Daddy Van Alden, your sign from God to keep you in Atlantic City is an illegitimate child.

Let’s not forget about the relationships powering this show. Angela and Jimmy are still struggling to find some kind of balance between her loathing of the man he’s become and his holding back on PTSD from the war. Angela’s lover has fled to Paris and she’s left behind with Jimmy. Her passive-aggressiveness knows no bounds. Trying to destroy her marriage from the inside, Angela coddles Jimmy during his painful recounts of the war and his dreams of her sleeping beside him, her hair across his chest. But the next time he sees her, her long locks have been cut short and he can only run a hand through them, confused and hurt. It is a sniping rejection.

The Darmody’s make a lovely foil for Thompson and Schroeder. Like Angela, Margaret is finally given the story of her man’s off-screen past and is given the choice to understand and forgive him, or continue to push him away. Though Margaret is reluctant to become the kept woman she despises, the fear of being destitute sends her running back to Nucky. It’s obvious in the final scene, the pair looking out at their future in the Atlantic City twilight, that their unsure faces mean trouble. Just how much longer can they pretend that Nucky’s choices won’t put the both of them in danger?

So Chalky and Nucky got there revenge on the D’Alesio brothers. Rothstein isn’t going to jail. The Commodore’s downtrodden maid was slowly poisoning him with arsenic and only succeeding in killing his dog. The women have the vote and are using it just as poorly as the men. There’s a new stooge mayor and the philandering Warren G. Harding is president.

Basically, nothing huge or particularly surprising happens. It was a solid episode of human interaction and subtlety but felt more like something that should occur halfway into the season, not the whiz bang at the end. I can only hope that next season’s opener is as riveting as the pilot to keep me trusting Terrence Winter and his latest bloodbath baby.

(Media Credit/www.whippedlightning.com)

Add an extra buzz to your cup of hot chocolate, your slice of apple pie, or your favorite cocktail with Whipped Lightning, alcohol-infused whipped cream that comes in a variety of mouth-watering flavors.

Dubbed “whipahol” by its makers, this sweet fluff claims to be the world’s first of its kind. Whipped Lightning’s Web site lists the following flavors, each ranging from 16.75 percent to 18.25 percent alcohol per volume, the equivalent of more than three beers: German Chocolate, Caramel Pecan, Hazelnut Espresso, Amaretto, White Chocolate Raspberry, Spiced Vanilla, Tropical Passion, Coconut, and Strawberry Colada. Yum!

But in light of the recent federal crackdown on caffeinated alcoholic beverages that led to some states banning popular drinks such as Four Loko, this product is sure to have parents and school officials concerned. Lucky for them (but bad for those of us who are 21 and over), some states are devoid of this flavorful beverage-topper. To find out where to buy it near you, go here. The prices are not listed on the product’s Web site, but a quick Internet search shows that prices can vary from $7.99 to $12.91.

But for those of us who are of age, “whipahol” is a delicious and decadent addition to our liquor cabinets. That’s right: there’s no need to refrigerate  it. This brings us to the slightly disturbing fact that the FDA does not need to regulate “whipahol” because it’s considered an alcoholic beverage and not a food product. But is there even any actual cream in it? Is it super fattening? Apparently we don’t need to know, and this will surely open a whole new can of worms — delicious, creamy (or should it be “creamy?”), alcoholic worms at that.

Taylor Momsen attends the Material Girl collection launch at Macys Herald Square on September 22 in New York. (WireImage)

Controversial actress, Taylor Momsen, 17, has been sort of gone this season on “Gossip Girl.”

Momsen is contracted through season seven, but she has been sidelined for most of this year.

Us Magazine reports that she simply doesn’t care about the plot or the other “Gossip Girl” members.

Momsen, who also fronts the rock band Pretty Reckless, has grown up and changed a lot since her debut at age 7 in “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”

Us Weekly even reports that she flashed her breasts to the crowd at her Oct. 21 Pretty Reckless concert in NYC.

Momsen had requested that her dressing room include a full bar. The request was denied.

Lucky for all you sophisticated Scotch Whisky drinkers out there, the company behind the world’s most handcrafted Single Malt, The Balvenie, has released two new creations: the Caribbean Cask, aged 14 years, and the limited edition Peated Cask, aged 17 years. The Peated Cask, made from just a single batch, is available at select locations for a limited time — once it’s gone, it’s gone!

The much-anticipated Peated Cask Single Malt is complex, rich, spicy, and smoky to both the nose and the palate. The nose also picks up an aroma of violet, lavender, honey, vanilla, and oak. Its taste is prominently of smoke, which then reveals a blend of oak, honey, and vanilla. The spices of cinnamon and nutmeg develop with time. Its finish is sweet and spicy, with a hint of smoke.

The Caribbean Cask was aged in traditional oak casks for 14 years and was then transferred to rum casks, adding notes of toffee and fruit to the smooth, honeyed character that’s inherent in The Balvenie Single Malts. Its taste is rounded with vanilla and sweet oak, and a fruity character develops in time. Its finish is soft and lingering.

The award-winning Balvenie Distillery, located in Speyside in the Scottish Highlands, is a family-run business that has been making quality spirits for five generations. The company prides itself on — and has been applauded for — the fact that it grows its own barley and malts in its own traditional floor maltings. The company has coopers who tend to the casks, and coppersmiths who maintain the stills.

Andrew Weir, The Balvenie’s brand ambassador for the Eastern U.S., says that the company is “not just about the bottom line; we’re also about investing in the future.”

Especially with the holidays just around the corner, Weir hopes that The Balvenie drinkers embrace and explore the many flavors and aromas that Scotch can bring to a meal.

“People don’t think about Scotch Whisky when it comes to food,” he says. “Instead, they tend to think about wine. But Scotch can go with so many types of food. Chefs have realized that there’s more flavor variety with Scotch than there is with wine.”

When pairing food with Scotch, says Weir, “it’s important to decide if you want to bring out the flavors of Scotch or complement the flavors of the food. For example, spicy food will make the palate less able to taste Scotch’s flavors. But pairing Scotch with food really is a feast for the senses.”

The limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Peated Cask has a recommended retail price of $129.99.

The 14-year-old Balvenie Caribbean Cask has a recommended retail price of $59.99

On the next “Hannah Montana:” Hannah cracks open an ice-cold Corona.

Miley Cyrus was photographed, beer in hand, at a club in Madrid Friday night.

In Spain, the legal drinking age is 18. Miley is 17.

The story was first reported by TMZ.

She is currently in Madrid for MTV’s European Music Awards tomorrow night.

The pop princess is presently dealing with a lot of stress since she has broken up with Liam Hemsworth, 20, and is also dealing with the split of her parents Billy Ray and Tish, as we previously reported.

Her behavior might be risky in every way but at least we hope she had a good time last night?

Supporters claimed victory last Tuesday night on Massachusetts Question One, which exempts alcohol from state sales tax.

“We are grateful to our customers, who supported us in this repeal of the double tax on alcohol,” said the Yes on One Committee in a statement. “The voters supported Question One because it’s unfair to double tax one product and because it was putting too many local businesses at a competitive disadvantage.”

Opponents argued that the sales tax helped fun alcohol treatment programs. Massachusetts added a sales tax on alcohol last year. It had already been subject to a special excise tax.

“We certainly support the continued funding of substance abuse programs, which have been funded by the state for years and were funded at the same level this past year. We will work to make sure they maintain at least the same level of funding,” The Yes on One Committee said.

Matt Coughlin of Aquitaine Bistro pours his winning cocktail, Lion's Mane, at The Good Life on Oct. 11

BOSTON — Drambuie Liqueur invited Blast to help judge the two-night “Nail or Fail” cocktail competition in the search to find Drambuie’s next signature cocktail. The event, which was held at The Good Life and at Lucky’s Lounge, featured the talents of 16 Boston-area bartenders.

Each competitor was asked to create a drink that celebrates the flavors of Drambuie, a scotch whiskey liqueur with hints of honey and a blend of herbs and spices. They were judged on presentation, taste, and creativity by a panel of three VIP judges and by the lucky guests of the event who made the list. Guests were treated to free samples of Drambuie’s classic cocktails: the Rusty Nail (Drambuie and scotch), the Crushed Nail (Drambuie, club soda, and middled limes), the Ruby Nail (Drambuie and cranberry juice), and the Iced Nail (Drambuie and iced tea). Once the competition got started, guests were also offered free samples of the bartenders’ unique creations.

Dave Delaney from The Citizen Wine Bar, who came in first place at Lucky’s Lounge, said that when creating his winning drink, the Highland Swizzle, he wanted to make smoke the main flavor focus. “I picked up some Lapsong Souchong Tea, which is a black tea that has been smoked over pine needles,” he said. “My first experiment was simply brewing the tea and adding a shot of Drambuie.  It was beautiful; they complimented each other perfectly.  Now was the challenge of making it into a cocktail.”

Guests enjoy free Drambuie cocktails at The Good Life on Oct. 11

His efforts resulted in his first win at a cocktail competition. “I take a lot of pride in what I do,” he said. “I pay specific attention to detail of ingredients and presentation, and I told myself that I was gonna show up, do what I do to the best of my ability, and hope that the judges will see my passion for the craft.  I’ve come in second in a few competitions, so when they announced my name it was like a huge weight off my shoulders.  There is really no way to describe the feeling; it was overwhelming.”

The competition, which has already occurred in Phoenix, Denver, Columbus, and Milwaukee, will continue on to Philadelphia, New York, Austin, and Portland. The final winner from all nine locations will be determined by bigwigs at Drambuie and Bacardi.

The winning cocktails

Monday, Oct. 11 at The Good Life

First Place: Matt Coughlin  of Aquitaine Bistro

Lion’s Mane

.75 oz Drambuie

2 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin

.25 oz Lemon juice

.75 oz Yellow raspberry puree

Orange zest

People’s Choice: Domingo Barreres of W Lounge

The Great Pumpkin

1.25 oz Drambuie

1 Egg yolk

1 oz Spiced pumpkin syrup

1 oz Condensed milk

½ oz Bourbon vanilla extract

3 oz Whipped egg whites

Fresh grated nutmeg

Build all ingredients except egg whites into a pint glass, add ice, shake vigorously, strain back into pint glass, add whipped egg whites, fold together, pour into chilled martini glass, garnish with fresh grated nutmeg.

Tuesday, Oct. 12 at Lucky’s Lounge

First Place: Dave Delaney of The Citizen Wine Bar

Highland Swizzle

1.5 oz Rye whiskey

.75 oz Drambuie

.5 oz Lapsang Souchong Tea syrup

.75 oz Fresh lemon juice

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 Drambuie soaked raw sugar cane stick

1 Sprig of mint

Serve over crushed ice, swizzle with Drambuie soaked raw sugar cane stick, garnish with sprig of mint.

People’s Choice: Kevin Bogner of The Whiskey Priest

Skye Cider

1 oz Drambuie

1 oz Scotch

dash Pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp Vanilla extract

2 Cinnamon sticks

3-5 oz Apple cider

Heat cider on low-medium heat, add cinnamon sticks and allow to soak. Add vanilla extract, put Drambuie and scotch in coffee mug, then add hot cider and dash pumpkin pie spice.

Gone are the days of displaying boring plain old empty liquor bottles to prove that you like to party- — that’s so freshman year of college.

1800 Tequila is offering a chic, grown-up way to spice up your liquor cabinet: the limited edition Essential Artists Series, a collection of 12 bottles designed by up-and-coming artists from all over the country.

Eleven original, cutting-edge designs were chosen from over 15,000 online submissions. The 12th bottle was designed by a “celebrity artist” from Studio Number One, a group founded by artist Shepard Fairey (you know, the talented guy who was arrested for creating outdoor art in Boston).

The Essential Artists Series bottles are sold at an average price of $24.99. To find out more information about the featured artists and where you can find the Series, visit 1800Tequila.com. The website also has a “design your own bottle” feature, and 1800 Tequila plans to hold another contest at the end of the year. One lucky artist took home $10,000 as the grand prize winner.

Recipes

Maracas Margaritas

1 oz. 1800 Select Silver Tequila

.25 oz. Pear Puree

.25 oz. Fresh lime juice

.25 Agave nectar

Splash of Chambord

Combine the first four ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake vigorously and pour into a lightly salted high ball glass.

Float with Chambord for a drizzle effect.

1800 Fr­o Limonada

1.5 oz 1800 Silver Tequila
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz club soda
6 medium-sized mint leaves

Muddle mint with simple syrup in a tall glass.

Perfect Pear Margarita

1 oz. 1800 Silver Tequila

.25 oz. Pear Puree

.25 oz. Fresh lime juice

.25 oz. Agave nectar

Splash of Chambord

Combine first four ingredients in a cocktail shake with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a lightly salted high ball glass.  Float with Chambord for a drizzle effect.

Passion Caipirinha

1 oz. 1800 Select Silver

1 oz. Passion fruit juice

1 oz. Agave Nectar

5 Muddled Limes

Drizzle of Raspberry liquor

Muddle limes and agave nectar in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add ice and all other ingredients besides the raspberry liquor. Shake and pour contents into a rocks glass and drizzle with the raspberry liquor.

When most people hear about my 100 bars/100 days journey they assume I am a raging alcoholic. If I was not in college they might have a point. However, the idea started not from my need to consume mass amounts of alcohol, but instead my curiosity and sense of adventure.

At the beginning of the semester I was counting the days that I had left until I graduate from Suffolk. It was about 100 days and some change. I had been talking about how after turning 21 in November I wanted to see all that Boston nightlife had to offer instead of simply going out to the same bar or pub every weekend. Putting the two of these concepts together, a hundred bars in one hundred days was created.

I made some informal rules for the goal I set. Number one, I must have at least two drinks at each place. Secondly, all of the bars must be in the Boston metro area (including Cambridge). I can go to as many bars in a day as I want. I do not have to go to a bar every single day as long as I go to the hundred within the one hundred days. However, repeat bars do not count more than once. But what are rules if not meant to be broken right? The only one I am slack with is the first rule. And for good reason—if a bar is too expensive or unbearable I have left after one drink. However, this rarely happens.

Since beginning this crazy idea I have had many ups and downs. Some days I wake up and remember what an idiot I made out of myself and want to quit drinking and find the lord. Other days I laugh all morning reminiscing about the drunken chaos that always seems to follow me around. Most mornings, I wake up not remembering much at all.

It is not much of a surprise that I have quite a collection of outrageous stories from the 100 Bars/100 Days. One of my favorites is pretending to be Irish at An Tain. It is a dive to the max which made it even more ridiculous because of the clientele. Between yelling profanities (I found they were the only words I could actually make sound Irish) and the free shots of Jamison it is a night I will never forget. The craziest stories always seem to come from the trip home from the bars. They have been known to include: unnecessarily running from the cops, "christening" the hoods of stranger’s cars with water, throwing pizza off bridges, hugging strangers at McDonalds, and getting chants started and/or singing with people on the streets of Boston.

I must admit it has gotten to the point where I wonder what I was thinking taking on such shenanigans. Luckily, most of the time I get feedback from friends and people I have met along the way that helps to push me forward. My friends have been a huge support and probably the most important key to reaching my goal. It’s those terrible Tuesday nights that I just want to go to bed at 6:00 that they pull through and ask that question: "So where we heading tonight Renee?" and off I go onto another episode.

I just concluded the adventure on April 30th at The Top of the Hub. We ran up a tab of over $500 with champagne flowing freely. I am pleased with my choice to stay classy for the last bar. It was a view and atmosphere I can rarely afford. I went to the Hub Pub afterwards and it was amazing. I was impressed with the number of people who came out to give me cheers for my success. I feel strangely empty now that I have completed my goal. After all, life does not get any more exciting than a wild, reckless spree of binge drinking in Boston. I suppose life will go on, but this is definitely one of the better tales I can tell the grandkids.

Children who watch R-rated films are more likely to start drinking alcohol at an early age, according to researchers at Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H.

Researchers at the Department of Pediatrics and Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth Medical School questioned almost 3,600 middle-school students in 15 New England schools, and followed up with them 13 to 26 months later. During that time, only 3 percent of children who said their parents never allowed them to watch R-rated films also said they had started drinking alcohol. Comparatively, 13 percent of those who had responded that their parents sometimes allowed them to watch R-rated films said they had started drinking, as well as 25 percent of those who said their parents always let them watch R-rated films.

"The research to date suggests that keeping kids from R-rated movies can help keep them from drinking, smoking and doing a lot of other things that parents don’t want them to do," Dr. James D. Sargent, a pediatrics professor at Dartmouth Medical and an author of the study, told Bloomberg Businessweek.

The findings were published in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. The article’s introduction stated prior research has linked various forms of entertainment, including R-rated, or "restricted", films to personality and behavioral changes in youth, including aggression, sexual behavior and tobacco use.

"We think seeing the adult content actually changes their personality." Sargent said. The study’s introduction also discusses the consequences of those personality changes: those who start using alcohol earlier are five times more likely to develop adult alcoholism, with a subsequent increase in alcohol-related injury and death.

Sargent told Bloomberg depictions of alcohol consumption occur in about 90 percent of R-rated films, which might be one reason adolescents who watch R-rated films are more drawn to drinking. The Motion Picture Association of America ratings board issues film ratings for all films distributed in the US, bans children under the age of 17 watching an R-rated film in theaters without supervision. But in the end it is parental judgment that dictates what a child will or will not be able to watch.

"We think this is a very important aspect of parenting, and one that is often overlooked," Sargent said.

A study appears in the Annals of Internal Medicine conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical school purports to show that people’s alcohol consumption habits are the direct result of the people they associated with.

The study, which analyzed the drinking patterns of 12,000 people, concluded that people are 50 percent more likely to drink heavily if they have friends or relatives who are heavy drinkers also.

The study also shows that even if you’re just surrounded by heavy alcohol consumption, your drinking will go up by about 70 percent, while your drinking will drop in half if you’re around people who aren’t drinking.

I just got a Facebook invite to a St. Patty’s Day party, and I had to check two different calendars to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. Oh hello St. Patty’s Day, when did you sneak up on me?

Granted, it’s been a cyclone of a semester, but I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that it’s almost the middle of March. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a delightful fact. Warmer weather? Yes, please. In copious amounts if possible. I mean, no — I love dirty gross snow all the way into April — and sopping wet socks as they squish around in my UGGs — and accidentally ending all my phone calls because my bulky gloves make me push two buttons at once — that’s totally why I go to grad school in the Northeast

… yeah.

But seriously, I love this holiday. Irish boys, Irish beer, and an excuse to drink on a weekday…yes, waitress, you can place that glorious order right here.

So how to save money on a holiday in which your sole purpose is to drink as much as you can without needing to be taken to the hospital and paying for an expensive ambulance ride? Damned if I know.

Well, you could always find a party. Parties have kegs and the price to get into the party (possibly just bringing a back-up supply) is likely less than what you’d rack up at a bar. But you also don’t get variety with a keg. Oh whatever, if you want variety, go buy a bag of Skittles. You can pop a couple when you need to get the taste of keg beer out of your mouth.

It’s a holiday so you’re going to need to dress up for the occasion, which for this day means wearing green (possibly the most unnecessary sentence I’ve ever written?). It’s just too bad none of the Boston sports teams use green as one of their colors. Right. So yeah, borrow a Celtics shirt and you’re set. Besides, it’s really the green plastic necklaces and sparkly green hat that make the outfit. How can anyone have a bad time in a sparkly green hat? Um, they can’t.

All right, time to decorate your apartment to help get you in the spirit of the day. No problem there, just haul out that box of decorations you stowed away from last year. What? You’re telling me you didn’t save anything? Oh I’m sooooo surprised. Go run out and buy some (cheap) stuff and green-up the place. Just save everything this time. We’ll call it an investment and leave it at that.

It’s always nice to kick off the festivities with a little Bailey’s in the morning coffee. But that stuff isn’t exactly the price of Banker’s Club gin, ya know? So go halvies (or quartersies) with your roomies. You’re just looking to start off the day, that’s all. Don’t want to jump into the heavy stuff too early. I mean, remember last year? Hah, no, I guess you don’t. The pictures are classic though…

But maybe leave the camera at home this year? It’s nice to document these things, but if you’re going to be out in the city, the chances that you make it back to your spot with your camera- and in working condition- eh, I give it an “unlikely.” So don’t bother with it. Besides, it frees up a hand for double fisting.

Hah, I like that last one.

Happy St. Patty’s Day, Boston!

“Guinness: It’s good for you!” was the advertising motto of the world’s most popular stout for a good part of the 20th century. As a 13-year old drinking my first pint of it in a Dublin pub, I came up with my own slogans. “Drink this stuff from the River Liffey, and you’ll be sick, in a jiffy” was one. “It’s foaming head kills bugs dead” was another. But soon I learned not only to love this stuff (an event that occurred before the very pint I was mocking was half-gone) but I came to favor this style of beer in general.

Once you go black you can’t go back, and for me there was no returning to the canned piss water that is most of the beer sold in the United States. Lagers, even really good ones, remain my least favorite beers. There are lots of ales that are delicious, but my heart belongs to porter specifically. Stout, porter, beer, ale — what does it all mean? Pour me a pint and I’ll tell you.

Ah, good. Well, first I’m obligated to say that like most systems of nomenclature, there are some inconsistencies and vagaries. But I still feel confident — and more confident with every sip — that I can give you the suss on these basic terms.

Beer

It’s all beer, so don’t let anyone convince you that a certain brand “is an ale (or whatever) and not a beer.” You don’t have to take a swing at them, just don’t believe it. According to Michael Jackson (an Englishman who is as famous in the beer world as the identically-named King of Pop was in the music world), six centuries ago there was a distinction, briefly, but it’s long gone.

Dark beers get their color from malt, germinated grains that resemble bean sprouts one finds in a salad. The malt is cooked before it’s added to the brewing process. For lighter beers, care is taken to avoid carbonization that will add pigment to the finished product. For darker beers, the idea is to toast the malt so that a dark color — and more importantly a deep, dark flavor — is the final result.

There are three principle types of beers — lager, lambic, and ale — and one can’t always tell which is which by looking at it. One can’t always tell by taste either, although maybe the English Michael Jackson and other experts at that level are able to.

Lager

With few exceptions, when a beer is brewed so that all the gross vomity-looking yeast that gets thrown away sinks to the bottom, that’s a lager. Of the three principle types of beer, lager is the youngest. Developed in Austria and Bavaria in the mid 1800s, it soon became the lifeblood of the whole German beer culture of gigantic steins and the Reinheitsgebot laws that had already been laid down centuries before.

Pilsner is one of the first distinct types of lagers developed; Heineken is an example of it, as is the Chinese beer Tsingtao. Bock, a sometimes-dark lager that has managed to grow testes, is still another. So are the “American-style lagers” I previously compared to diluted urine. In fact, lager is the most popular beer in the world.

To my own pallet, Asian lagers such as Singha (Thailand), Kirin, Suntory (both from Japan) and Tsingtao taste better (i.e. less bad) than other non-Bock lagers. I have no explanation for that nor expectation that your own taste buds will agree; try them yourself.

Lambic

Another type of beer is lambic. Except for a very few adventurous microbrewers elsewhere, lambic is a peculiar creation that only comes from certain regions in Belgium.

Rather than relying upon added yeast, lambic is a result of the untamed yeast molds and bacteria that are already found on the barley and wheat used to make it. It has a fruity taste reminiscent of wine or hard cider, and many lambics are so loaded with raspberries or other fruits that they fall into the category of “Belgian fruit beers.”

When I first staggered out of a drinkery in Brussels full of this tasty sweet but un-beer-like stuff, I thought all Belgian fruit beers were lambics. Only recently I learned plenty of Belgian fruit beers are actually ales, the type of beer most germane to discussion of Guinness and its swarthy kin.

Ale

Remember that putridness that sinks to the bottom when lager is brewed? When brewing ale, that yucky gunk floats at the top. Premium beers associated with Trappist monks in Belgium, such as the Chimay brands, are ales. So are barley wines, potent potables that substitute grains for grapes. Bitters are a pale ale overloaded with hops, while other ales, such as the various brands of “India Pale Ale” very popular with hobby brewers, aren’t hella different from certain lagers.

Ales, compared to lagers, more often have a dark color and flavor. Bass Ale is a darn good beer, and Smithwick’s (a similar beverage from Ireland) is even better. Newcastle Brown Ale is tasty, but none of these dark ales compares to Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale — divine nectar I tend to think is overpriced until it hits my tongue and reminds me otherwise.

Porter

Even though I’m beer savvy, I can’t taste the line where dark ales end and porters begin, and I suspect any division imposed between them is arbitrary. What is definitely true is that many or most of the darkest, malty-est, most flava-ful ales are classified as porters, the story of which will bring us back to Dublin via London.

Supposedly, the term “porter” takes its name from the people who drank it the most, the porters (i.e. dockworkers, teamsters) who lifted cargo off ships and carried to it locations around London like two-legged mules. Maybe, but always be suspicious of this type of etymology; even when these explanations appear in writing around the same time as the coinage, as they’re often what scholars politely call “fanciful” (and what most folks just call “fake”).

So never mind where the term “porter” came from, just know it’s a particular dark beer that seems to have appeared in London around 1700, give or take a generation. It was almost immediately popular not just because it’s delicious, but because it had a better shelf life. Other beers around at the time were shipped to pubs while they were only half-brewed. This meant that as soon as they finished becoming beer, they could be consumed before they spoiled.

Not so porter. It could finish brewing at the brewery and then be bottled up for consumption whenever. It was easy to make in large quantities, and booze-wise it was strong stuff too. Soon people where getting rich from brewing it and even more were getting rich in spirit from drinking it.

Some distinct types of porters have been identified. “Baltic porter” is a high-proof porter from the neighborhood of Russia, Poland, and Scandinavia. This stuff is a great example of why beer nomenclature is so slippery. Not only do some folks consider the traditional Baltic porter to be a stout, most Baltic porter nowadays is brewed with the sludge at the bottom. That actually makes it a lager if one accepts the technical definition.

Porter was also brewed in the American Colonies before the Revolutionary War, and “Pennsylvania porter” is a representative of this New World beer. But it’s an extra-hefty style of porter, discussed next, that’s the best known example.

Stout

There’s wide (but not universal) agreement that all stouts are porters, but not all porters are stouts. The debate about this is neither lively nor interesting, so let’s just skip it and look at the history instead.

The 18th century popularity of porter spawned variants. Some beer drinkers who favored the dark and yummy porters weren’t afraid of too much of a good thing, and increasingly darker and yummier porters grew in popularity. These roasty-good beers were dubbed with names like “double porter” or “stout porter.” That second term, when shorted, gives us “stout.”

In “Finnegan’s Wake,” the cheerily macabre 19th century Irish tune that inspired James Joyce’s eponymous Dublin epic, we’re told that Tim Finnegan is laid in his casket with a bottle of porter at his feet. “Guinness Extra Stout” was known as “Guinness Extra Superior Porter” until about the same time as this song was composed. Accordingly, there’s little reason not to think it was this same quintessentially Dublin drink that lay at the foot of poor Tim’s coffin.

The idea that “Guinness is good for you” (fearr de thº Guinness for those who “have Irish” ) wasn’t just a successful ad slogan. The company based it on some pretty shady “market research” in the 1920s in which people were asked how they felt after drinking it. Big surprise: they said they felt good. People took the idea literally and it was consumed in great quantities by nursing mothers and those with failing health. Eventually more modern sensibilities (and governmental regulations on advertising) took hold.

Guinness is the most famous Irish stout, but it’s not the only one. Its two traditional rivals, Murphy’s and Beamish, are both from Cork (Ireland’s “second city”). When I lived there doors away from the Murphy’s brewery, the smell of it and other beers brewed on-site assailed my nose as soon as I’d step out my door. The gaseous byproducts of the brewing process have an unmistakably distinct sweet scent. The odor can be nauseating, especially full on, but it’s also something I came to enjoy and, eventually, miss. In Cork City, the drinking of Guinness rather than one of the native stouts is a slightly traitorous act even though many locals themselves have actually switched to foreign-born lagers — such as Heineken and Budweiser — that are made in the same local breweries.

Some think these two Corkonian stouts are less bitter than Guinness, and Murphy’s based an ad campaign around this idea, but I’m not so sure. All three are a complex symphony of smoky tastes both bitter and sweet infused by the malting process. In describing what the non-visual senses perceive, people often fall back on comparisons. When discussing stouts, Irish and otherwise, “coffee” and “chocolate” are often mentioned, but this is more metaphor than similarity. Again, taste for yourself.

Besides these brown beers from the Emerald Island, there are stouts from elsewhere in the world. As said, the previously-mentioned “Baltic porter” is considered a stout by some and it’s similar in style to the “Imperial stouts” associated with Russia. Both share a high alcohol content that helps them survive the winters of Northern Europe without freezing.

“Milk stout” or “cream stout” is made with lactose, a sugar extracted from milk, and is sometimes called “sweet stout” for the resultant effect. “Oatmeal stout” is made from… can you guess? “Oyster stouts” hail from a bygone era when shellfish were a popular pub grub. Sometimes the name just implies it’s to be enjoyed with oysters, but in many cases those same mollusks are part of the brewing process. What does that taste like? I don’t know and I don’t want to know.

“Chocolate stout” and “coffee stout” are typically just terms referring to particularly dark and aromatic stouts. Less often, it means a tiny amount of that ingredient is part of the brew process. That, and especially the bit about the oysters, makes me see the sense of the German beer laws.

Drinking it

The proper pouring of certain beers, especially Guinness, is considered essential by many. In its most dramatic expressing, the act of drawing a good point takes on the ritual of a Japanese tea ceremony. I wouldn’t say you can completely ruin a beer by pouring it wrong. I do think the texture of the beer can suffer, especially during the initial sips, and you only get one chance to make a first impression.

But it’s beyond debate that a decent beer deserves a glass. Beer from a bottle is acceptable if you’re trying to play beach volleyball at the same time as you drink, or if you’re underage and drinking on the roof of someone’s garage, but there aren’t many other situations that justify it.

Beers, especially good beers like some of those I mentioned, have multiple layers of flavor that kick in at different times. A taste of a well-crafted beer is like a firework that rises to the air in a trail of green, explodes red, explodes blue, dances around, explodes gold, and then surprises you with a shower of orange after you thought the show was over.

This party in your mouth can take place because your taste buds aren’t evenly distributed. The guys who taste sweet cluster in one place while the guys who taste sour hang out in another, and so on. Drinking beer from a bottle is like listening to music with the bass turned all the way off or having sex with a condom. Why do it if there’s no good reason?

Summary

Beer is beer. What different styles are called is sometimes a matter of debate. When gunk sinks to the bottom during brewing it’s lager, and if it floats to the top it’s ale. Certain dark ales are known as porters, and the darkest and creamiest porters are called stouts. Don’t drink from a bottle. Guinness is good for you.

Winos flocked to the Seaport World Trade Center this weekend for a truly intoxicating time as the 2010 Boston Wine Expo took over town. Over 1,800 wines were available for sampling, along with mouth-watering bites to soak up that oh-so-addicting alcohol.

Experts were on hand to teach seminars such as Wine Spectator’s "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Wine, but Were Afraid to Ask," and "The Wines of Loire Valley." The Culinary Theater boasted live demonstrations by some of Boston’s hottest chefs. It was truly heaven for all food and wine enthusiasts.

Blast’s favorite wine expert, Kevin Zraly, was also in the crowd. What featured vinos did he delight in the most? "Nada," the author of “Windows on the World Complete Wine Course,” admitted.

But, he corrected himself; one winery did stand out. Chateauneuf Du-Pape pairs perfectly with Dan Brown’s new thriller, “The Lost Symbol.” That’s right, this wine doesn’t need to be enjoyed with a light fish or a flank steak. Rather, Zraly recommended curling up with a good book when sipping this wine.

"To me, everything is about a story," he said. His new suggestions match a glass of wine with a book you can enjoy while drinking. The Lost Symbol is a good match here, he explained, because of something to do with the Pope. Frankly, the story was too complicated for us buzzed Blasters to follow…but we were willing to taste test the wine (shocking!). The verdict? Just as we suspected, Zraly is The Man.

But he wasn’t the only celeb wine-ing away at the expo. Believe it or not, Blast was lucky enough to chat with Germany’s very own Wine Queen (she was happy to correct us when we mistakenly referred to her as a "Princess").

The Wine Queen has been a German tradition for 50 years. Each of the 13 wine regions has one. Anna Saum was in Boston after beating out hundreds of hopefuls for the title of "Frankische Weinkonigin 2009/2010."

She travels the world drinking wine and looking beautiful, and she does it way better than Paris Hilton. She’s beautiful, smart, funny and charming — all qualities the Wine Queen must possess. When we practically forced her to let us take a picture, she didn’t forget her royal duties for a second. "Let me get my crown," she said.

We found some favorites and learned a bit about the local talent, but you’ll have to stay tuned for all that. February’s Put A Cork In It wine column will be full of expo info, and special articles are to come. For now, sip slowly and dream about being a Wine King or Queen. "It’s a pretty good job," Saum said.

Um, duh.

Blast editor John M. Guilfoil contributed to this report

Wine has been around for a long time, and I’m not talking about that half-consumed bottle of Merlot you’re still saving for when your current love interest kicks you to the curb (have some confidence!). We don’t know when wine was first made, but we do know that it has been enjoyed by everyone from the Greeks to the ancient Egyptians to the Babylonians, who even ran a type of wine shop. But only now is wine becoming as popular in the U.S. as it deserves to be. It’s time for everyone to educate themselves about something so rich in history — and flavor — since it’s quickly becoming a part of American culture the way it always has been in Europe.

This month, Blast asked Julie Bonaventura, the creative director of Busa Wine and Spirits, to help us get down to the basics of vino.

Lesson One: Choosing and buying a wine

"All you have to do is just sip and see what you like," said Bonaventura. It’s that simple. Once you’re aware of what flavors you tend to like, let the experts take it from there. Most stores, like Busa, have educated wine experts on their staff who are happy to help. Tell them what flavors you enjoy, specific wines you like, and your price range.

"Say, ‘I don’t want red wine.’ Then you’ve eliminated half of the search. Then let them know, ‘I like spicy’ or ‘I like fruity.’"

If you choose to go it alone, consider trying different wines from one brand you know you like, suggests Bonaventura. They’ll most likely carry a range including a pinot grigio and a chardonnay and then move to red with a Shiraz, a Merlot and a Cabernet. This way, you’ll be comfortable with both the brand and the price.

When picking out a bottle, don’t be sucked in by a sexy label. "People tend to go for a fun label or something that they know, and really the best thing to do is just flip that bottle around and read the back, because the back is going to tell you what it goes well with and what kind of flavors the wine will bring to you," said Bonaventura. She noted that if you’re shopping for a dinner party, make sure you have a sense of what you’ll be serving so you can pair the food and wine accordingly.

If you’re picking out a gift or something for a holiday party, go for a nice neutral wine. Bonaventure especially loves the Coppola’s line — as in Francis Ford. They have a nice variety with nothing too overbearing. She raved: "I love his movies, and I love his wine!"

Also, be sure to look at the points a wine has been given. Many stores advertise the wine rating. Only buy wine with a rating of 90 or above — you’ll be able to find every price range.

"I don’t feel you have to be an expert to buy wine; I don’t feel you have to be an expert to buy the best wine either,” Bonaventura said. “The best wine is whatever you enjoy. You don’t have to buy a $40 bottle of wine to think it’s the best. You might buy a $50 bottle of wine and not enjoy it.”

Lesson Two: Drinking at dinner

When you’re serving wine at home, be sure you’re serving it properly. A white wine should be chilled for at least 20 minutes before you serve it. A red wine should be decanted right before your guests arrive. "It’s breathing, just how you and I breathe," said Bonaventura. "Air is going in and air is coming out." You can buy a decanter at places like Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, and HomeGoods.

Before you sip, cleanse your palette. You don’t want any other flavors interfering with the taste of the wine. Water works fine. Then take a sip and let it sit on your tongue. It should tingle and taste all the different flavors. Never gulp your wine. Next, take a bite of food and then another sip of wine. "If it’s a perfect pairing, you’re actually not even going to notice a change,” said Bonaventura. “If there’s a difference in the wine — if it strikes you differently — then that’s a negative reaction."

When pouring wine for your guests, only fill the glass halfway. Red wine glasses are made bigger and rounder so the wine can breathe, with the intention that it will not be decanted.

One last tip for your holiday parties: Red wine spills can be tough to battle. So what’s the one thing that always gets out red wine? White wine! Just get to it right away.

Okay, so now you’re the perfect host, but you’re still overwhelmed when you crack open the extensive wine list at your favorite restaurant.

Remember: Go with what you know you like and take your time ordering. Asking your waiter is the best way to navigate the list. One thing you should always do is ask for a taste. Most restaurants offer tastes of any wine offered by the glass. "There’s nothing wrong with doing it. It’s perfectly free, and more people need to take advantage of it," said Bonaventura.

But, go for the bottle over the glass. There is a massive markup on wine in all restaurants, so you’ll get more for your money this way. Don’t think you’ll drink it all? No problem — most places will re-cork the bottle for you and let you take it home.

Most importantly, consider your meal when ordering wine. Ask your waiter what pairs best and check to see if the menu offers suggestions for each entr©e. "I think a lot of people don’t realize that wine can actually ruin your food, too,” said Bonaventura. “If you choose a wine that’s not complementary to the food, the wine will change its flavor. So, you might think the wine has gone bad, but really it’s not the best pairing."

Lesson Three: Rules are made to be broken

It’s extremely important to pair wine and food accordingly. You’re probably familiar with the old “white goes with fish, red goes with meat” rule. Disregard it completely. Nowadays, it totally depends on the wine. Many whites are heavier and can nicely complement something with cream or meat. Reds have so many different varieties these days, and many lighter ones pair beautifully with fish. Try a wood smoked salmon with a heavy, oaky chardonnay, then try it with a medium-bodied oaky red. Both will pair nicely. "I definitely don’t think those rules are valid anymore, and rules are always made to broken — especially with wine," said Bonaventura.

Other rules to ignore?

One of the biggest misconceptions about wine is that it always gets better with age. In fact, most wines are meant to be drunk within a couple of years. A great example of a wine that breaks all the rules is Beaujolais Nouveau. This wine is released annually on the third Thursday of November and offers a glimpse at the European vintage (this simply means the year — in this case, 2009). It’s bottled as soon as the grapes are squished. Beaujolais Nouveau is recognized around the world as a fantastic wine. This year, especially, it is being praised. Head to your local liquor store and pick up a bottle for about $8.99. Yup, you can get a wine lauded by connoisseurs for under $10. This red wine also pairs nicely with a salad or fish. "It’s great tasting, it’s really, really fresh, and you can taste that in your glass of wine. I don’t think for beginning wine drinkers that it’s important to look at the date or to see when it’s bottled. They really need to focus on what they like," said Bonaventura.

Another rule some people blindly follow is to throw out a bottle when the cork breaks. Bits of cork floating in your wine do not mean the bottle is “corked.” It’s fine. An actually “corked” bottle of wine means the wine has been contaminated with something called TCA — and you’ll smell it. (Don’t worry about what TCA is. It involves fungi and mold — ew.) To avoid corked wine, winemakers are using plastic corks and screw tops more and more. These don’t mean the wine is cheap or crappy. You just don’t have to worry about your bottle being corked!

More winemakers are also doing boxed wine. Again, this doesn’t mean the wine is of poor quality. When wine is boxed, it’s vacuum sealed so the flavor is locked in and your wine lasts longer. It’s also not breakable (perfect for those out-of-control wine ragers).

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to wine. As the industry evolves, everything changes. Not sure what to believe? Comment below and we’ll de-mystify the myth.

Lesson Four: Learning about wine

Taking a class is, of course, a great way to learn. But if you’re looking for something a little less expensive, you can’t go wrong with wine tastings. They’re free to attend. You can go online to find out when their next tasting is. Experts are always on hand to answer any questions you have.

Bonaventura also recommended keeping a wine journal. Tear off labels and paste them in your book. Record your thoughts on the wine — how it tasted, smelled etc. Many wines have easy tear-off labels for this very reason.

There you have it! Now that you really have the basics down, we’ll step it up a notch next month. Happy New Year. Cheers!

Busa Wine and Spirits has six independently owned and operated locations in Salem, Reading, Woburn, Burlington and two in Lexington.

What is it about the holidays that just makes us want to suck down alcohol like so many candy canes and fatty meals?

Whatever the reasons, there are plenty of fine alternatives to the old brandy-in-egg-nog mixture that I can never seem to think about without throwing up a little in my mouth.

I found some cocktails that not only whet the whistle, but they just give you that warm, fuzzy, holiday feeling. You know, the kind that makes you forget you troubles like that speeding ticket from the Statey who didn’t want to hear your lame ass excuses on the Pike, or the hot blonde with the rack that never called you back last week, even though she seemed totally excited when you bought her a drink down at one of the Faneuil Hall bars and gave you her number before her giggling gaggle of girlfriends dragged her to the next bar.

Drink up, my friends.

If you happen to find yourself down in Dot, don’t miss the Ashmont Grill. Not only is the food great and the service fantastic, but the drinks shouldn’t be missed. The Berkshires Manhattan is a vanilla-infused bourbon mixed with apple cider reduction, Markers Mark, and orange bitters. This one is really different because is mixes the flavors and really hits the pallet. And one for you rummies: The Ashmont Apple Toddy is steamed apple cider, brown sugar, and Captain Morgan.

If you really want to try something wacky, and a little scary at first glance, UNI Sashimi Bar in The Eliot Hotel on Comm. Ave. has a $17 346 Below. Its Hammer & Sickle Vodka straight up with liquid nitrogen. By the way, if you drank liquid nitrogen straight, youd die, so dont try to copy this one at your next party.

For a hint of high class, UNI also has the Monarda: St. Remy Cognac, bergamot syrup, whiskey bitters and a splash of Louis Bouillot Cremant be Bourgogne (a pink sparkler).

If you’re a fan of pumpkin pies and all those great holiday desserts and need a cocktail to pair with them, head north to Za Za in Saugus. The Pumpkin Patch Martini combines vanilla vodka, pumpkin spice liquor, cream de cacao, and pumpkin pie filling and finishes it with a dollop of whipped cream and a candy corn to create a great spiced after dinner drink that’s good with dessert. But lets be real, youre really going to Saugus to scoff down some Sonic burgers. If you class it up at Za Za afterward, we wont tell anyone.

Back on the subject of rum for a minute, I always lumped rum in with tequila as a summer booze. Its in those hilarious buckets of booze you can buy at the supermarket, and you put it in daiquiris. And I do enjoy the occasional Captain and Diet. But I never really thought of rum as something to reach for during the cold weather months. Burtons Grill in Fenway found a way to change my mind. The Burtons Hot Buttered Cider combines Captain Morgan, Stoli Gala Apple, Navan Cognac, apple cider, cinnamon, sugar, and butter and makes something that will warm your stomach. Its $9 and available through December 31. Heres how you can make it yourself:

For one drink, you need:

75 oz Captain Morgan
.25 oz Navan Cognac
.5 oz Stoli Gala Apple
1 oz Monin Cinnamon Simple Syrup
6 oz Hot Apple cider
1 100 scoop of whipped butter (yes, actual butter)
Cinnamon sugar rimmer

In an Irish coffee mug, rim with cinnamon sugar. Combine all ingredients except butter in mug. Stir to mix. Garnish with a scoop of butter.

John M. Guilfoil runs BlastMagazine.com and is a freelance news reporter in Boston. He can be reached at guilfoil.j@blastmagazine.com.

Last month’s column established a major point regarding our wine knowledge: we don’t have any. But, like all good semi-alcoholics, I crave understanding about my hobby as much as I crave the magical elixir itself. In order to gain some basic knowledge, Blast spoke to international wine expert Kevin Zraly, author of the eternally best-selling book “Windows on the World: Complete Wine Course.” He wants us all to know a thing or two:

1. Taste what you like

“The biggest thing I learned in my early days was that no one tastes anything alike. There are no standards, so to speak, of taste,” Zraly said. He stressed that following the tastes you like will lead to a better appreciation and understanding of wine. Drink the type of wine you think simply tastes the best. Go with whatever region you like.

“Whatever you like, you like. If you like white wine, stick with it. If you like red wine, stick with it.”

Zraly also noted that 95 percent of taste is smell. Your sense of smell peaks at around age 32, so consider these your rookie wine-tasting days. You will get better. Even Zraly, who just finished touring the world and visited over 100 wine regions, tasting 5,000 wines, admits he still can’t discern all the flavors in a sip of wine.

2. Know your terms

But don’t get bogged down in useless lingo. There are four major components in a bottle of wine that you should be familiar with: fruit, acidity, sweetness and tannins. Obviously, you’re looking for that fruit flavor. You can taste acidity off to the side of your mouth and sweetness on the tip of your tongue (though most wines don’t have much sweetness at all).

Tannins are important. They come from the skins, pits and stems of the grape, as well as the oak barrels the wine is aged in. Certain kinds of oak give off more tannin, such as French versus American oak. Newer and smaller oak barrels create more tannin, which are often more prevalent in expensive wines.

If you’re looking to be super savvy, know that the best new value wines are coming from Chile and Argentina these days. Zraly also counts South Africa as a current hot spot.

3. There’s a lot of good and not much bad

Just don’t call them cheap. Value wines combine quality and a good price — and a connoisseur can appreciate them just as much as we can. According to Zraly, the best value wines are within the ten to 20 dollar range. There are $20 bottles out there that taste like a good $50 bottle. “There are some masterpieces in that 10 to 20 dollar range,” Zraly said.

So what makes a wine bad? It’s obvious. “Poor wine making, start with that. If you want to go further, bad grapes.” In addition, if a wine smells oxidized or like vinegar, it’s “corked,” which means the cork is no good. It doesn’t have anything to do with bits of broken cork in the wine. “I very rarely come upon what I would call ‘bad wine’ anymore. I think that the modern technology of stainless steel fermentation tanks have saved the day,” Zraly said.

If you’re looking for good, yet basic or cheap wines, Zraly has one tip: “The best suggestion is to find the best retail store. I would say that’s like you’re finding the best grocery store. You’re going to the best place they cut your hair. Put your faith in the retailer. Now, 20 years ago I wouldn’t have said that. Twenty years ago they didn’t know what they were doing. But today’s wine retailer is much savvier than they’ve ever been.”

4. Wine is food. Eat!

“I grew up starting with wine as a food,” said Zraly. “It is a food. Wine is a food and it deserves to go with food. Wine will make food taste better and food will make wine taste better.” We’ve heard this before, but is it true? We’ll test all the wine-with-food rules in an upcoming column, but for now, take Zraly’s word for it. “If I went to a bar, I’d probably have a beer, but when I have food, I’m always having a glass of wine or two,” he said.

Don’t put so much pressure on it. Wine isn’t as complicated as you think. You don’t need to buy expensive bottles and put them away for years. In fact, only about ten percent of all wines should be kept for more than year. You should drink 90 percent of what you buy right away! Sure, it’s fun to savor those few special bottles, but don’t worry about that now, says Zraly. “Most people in their 20s, they’ll drink the wine. In their 30s, they’ll start thinking about putting it away because now they’re getting more disposal income.”

5. Relax, it’s just wine

Wine is wine. Even Zraly isn’t a wine snob, so we certainly don’t need to be. “Have a good time. Don’t get caught up in all the lingo. It’s just a bottle of wine. 86 percent of a bottle of wine is water to begin with, so now you’re left with 14 percent of other good things,” said Zraly.

“Good things.” We like that. More good things? Taking wine classes — something that Zraly highly recommends. Check out The Cambridge Center for Adult Education or Boston Wine school. Visiting wineries will also help you learn what you like, and Mass has around fifty. The Coastal Wine Trail of Southeastern New England offers a variety to visit. Check out coastalwinetrail.com for more.

“The more that they do (visit wineries), the more fun it will be, the more educated they will be, the less money, in essence, it will cost them to get a good quality wine. And of course tell them to buy my book,” Zraly said. So, yes, buy it. And be sure to flip to the back for an extensive list of cheapies that taste better than you’d expect. Zraly’s wine journal is a great way to keep track of your tastings. Save your labels and paste them in the book, along with your rating.

So, there you have it fellow winos. Thanks to Zraly’s expertise, we can enjoy our next bottle with a little more knowledge of what, exactly, we are pouring down our throat (not that it really matters).

On October 29, the Stella Artois World Draught Master competition crowned a new winner in New York to epitomize the company’s never ending dedication and passion for superior beer.

Avril Maxwell of New Zealand won the competition, now in its 13th year, and will now embark on a journey to more than 20 different countries as a Stella Artois ambassador, guaranteeing that every chalice of Stella Artois is poured properly and served just right.

The competition included a jury panel to select individuals who could display true dedication and perfection in the “Passion Test”, and saw contestants from 26 countries, converging in New York to compete for the nine step pouring ritual.

Global Marketing Manager of Stella Artois, Alexander Lambrecht, said: “The World Draught Master competition is integral to our ongoing quest to deliver superior beer experiences the world over, ensuring that Stella Artois is served with the same care, consideration and craftsmanship as has gone into more than 600 years of brewing…we (also) wanted to create a global conversation about the Stella Artois World Draught Master competition by inviting people into the event via live streaming and providing an opportunity for them to decide on what competitor embodied perfection.”

Maxwell’s trophy was designed by New York fashion designer Tim Hamilton as part of a unique collaboration with Stella Artois. Hamilton also created a limited edition chalice glass in honor of the World Draught Master 2009 competition.

Runners up included Joe Oppedisano of Canada (2nd), who also won Online Fans’ Choice award, and Alexey Shtukarev of Russia (3rd).

The Boston Beer Company, brewers of Samuel Adams, announced this week that it would put out a limited release of a new Samuel Adams Barrel Room Collection beers.

The collection includes three oak-aged beers that were brewed and aged here in Boston. These join the Samuel Adams Triple Bock and very limited Utopia collection of aged beers. The collection is available at the brewery on Germania Street in Boston as well as select retail locations in Massachusetts, Hew Hampshire, Maine and Denver at $9.99 for a 750ml bottle.

The new beers are called New World Tripel, a cherry flavored American Kriek and Stony Brook Red,

“(The beers) are a result of years of experimentation by the brewers at the Samuel Adams Boston Brewery,” the company said in a statement. “The trio of brews have been aged in Eastern European oak barrels, originally used to age brandy in Italy, imparting a subtle sweet, toasty note to each beer. The barrels also allow a small amount of oxygen to slowly seep in to the brew, smoothing out the flavors in the beer.”

“For years, we’ve been playing with barrels at the brewery, aging small batches of beer in our Barrel Room. Before now, these beers have only been available at beer festivals or to a few lucky visitors to our Boston Brewery,” said Jim Koch, Brewer and Founder. “Our Boston Brewery is where every Samuel Adams style of beer is dreamed up and nurtured. It has been our hub of innovation since I started brewing here in 1988; I like to think of it as the ultimate brewer’s workshop.”

For an optimum drinking experience, the brewers at Samuel Adams recommend serving each brew in a traditional Tulip-style beer glass.

Samuel Adams New World Tripel: Pale gold in color, this ale is big, flavorful and complex. A special Belgian yeast strain adds tropical fruit and spice notes to the crisp dry ale, while Saaz hops add a subtle herbal note. (~10% ABV)

Samuel Adams American Kriek: The intense black cherry character in this beer comes from Balaton cherries, which were discovered in Hungary and are now grown in Michigan. These special cherries are prized for their depth of flavor. The tartness from the cherries is balanced by a rich, malty character with toasted oak notes added from the barrel aging. (~7% ABV)

Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red: This unique brew defies traditional beer style definition. The rich, malty brew combines notes of tart fruit from the yeast with a toasty oak character from the barrel aging. The long dry finish is almost wine-like. This is a beer that is satisfying on its own and also pairs well with many foods such as braised or roasted meats, beef stews and strong salty cheeses. (~9% ABV)

With more and more wineries offering organic varieties to lower their eco-footprint, it’s no surprise that they’re looking at the environmental impacts of their packaging as well. The making of conventional glass bottles (and the corks that cap them) uses significant quantities of natural resources and generates considerable pollution. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the process of manufacturing glass not only contributes its share of greenhouse gas emissions but also generates nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and tiny particulates that can damage lung tissue when breathed in.

Beyond manufacturing, the transport of wine in glass bottles across the country and around the world also takes its environmental toll. According to wine writer Tyler Colman, upwards of 90 percent of American wine is produced on the West Coast, but then shipped to the East Coast where the majority of wine consumers live. Trucking all these heavy glass bottles generates a much larger carbon footprint, ounce-for-ounce than the transportation of much lighter boxed wine. Almost half the weight of an ordinary case of wine comes from the bottles; about 95 percent of the weight of a case of boxed wine is the wine itself.

“A standard wine bottle holds 750 milliliters of wine and generates about 5.2 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions when it travels from a vineyard in California to a store in New York” reports Colman, who blogs at DrVino.com. “A 3-liter box generates about half the emissions per 750 milliliters.”‚  He concludes that switching to wine in a box “for the 97 percent of wines that are made to be consumed within a year” would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about two million tons, or the equivalent of removing 400,000 cars from the roads.

According to the Wine Group, the third largest wine company in the world by volume and a big advocate for switching away from glass bottles, there are other advantages to boxed wine (which typically includes a plastic bag within a cardboard box). The vacuum packaging of boxed wines allows the contents to stay fresh for up to six weeks in the fridge once the seal is broken and the first glass has been poured. The Wine Group has launched the “Better Wines Better World” website in an attempt to curry public favor for technologically advanced, environmentally friendly and economically practical boxed wines.

Still, despite the benefits, boxed wine may still be a tough pill to swallow for many wine connoisseurs still bent on tradition. “Even those traditionalists who are coming around to the idea that maybe screw caps are fine for some wines, balk at the idea of a cellar full of cardboard boxes” says wine writer and vineyard owner Lee Asbell. “It is difficult to imagine how wine service at fine-dining establishments would handle such a change.” For now, boxed wine is still the domain of cheaper brands. But that could all change as more and more wine makers and drinkers take up the mantle of saving the Earth.

Crown Imports, which brings us La Cerveza mas Fina, announced that Corona Extra and Corona Light will start shipping in 24-ounce can packages.

The move comes as single-serve beer sales reached $3.2 billion in the industry.

“Our consumer research indicates these consumers see Corona as a reward. Our 24-ounce cans offer a new trade-up option for drinkers looking for a premium beer experience,” said Jim Sabia, executive vice president of marketing for Crown.

The company is already rolling out the Corona Extra 24-oz can in 26 markets, including Massachusetts. Corona Light will follow in a few weeks.

Here at Blast, we all have one thing in common: Class.

Because nothing says classy like primate sex, porn parodies and cocaine.

So maybe we are lacking a little bit in the area of sophistication, but that’s about to change. This new column is about one of my favorite things. It’s classy, sophisticated and delicious. I’ll drink it by the bottle, by the box — hell, I’d drink it by the can if I had to (again, class all the way). But, I’m actually pretty clueless about it, and I’m guessing many our age are as well.

We’re talking about WINE.

Now, I’m not looking to become a wine snob. I just want to fully appreciate my favorite alcoholic beverage. What should I drink with my favorite dish? How do I properly taste wine? Where is Bordeaux?

So, here is what most of us probably already know (or think we know):

• Red wine goes with meat. White wine goes with fish.
• We know which wines we generally like. For me, it’s Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Chardonnay
• We know whether we like our wine sweet, dry, fruity, etc.
• We know much we can afford to spend on a bottle (Trader Joe’s two buck chuck, anyone?)
• We know which countries produce our favorites (though some of us may still be hazy on this)

I’m right there with you, but that’s all about to change. Just for you, I’ll spend as many months as it takes sipping (okay chugging) wine and learning all there is to know (you can thank me later, it’s a tough job). We will be novices no more!

Coming in November, Blast has an exclusive interview with international wine expert and best-selling author Kevin Zraly. There is no one better to teach us about delicious vino.

So buy a few bottles, invite a few friends over (or don’t, we won’t judge) and get a taste for your favorites!

Cheers!

Do you have a burning question about wine? Comment below, and I’ll ask Kevin Zraly your question.

Certainly riding the coattails of the massive success of Bud Light Lime, and the popularity of Coors’ Blue Moon, Anheuser-Busch is rolling out Bud Light Golden Wheat, an unfiltered wheat beer brewed with citrus and coriander.

Bud Light Golden Wheat hits store shelves nationwide today. We’ve tried it, we like it, and there will be more on that later.

“Bud Light has the unique ability to introduce wheat beers to a broader audience of beer drinkers” said Mike Sundet, senior director of Bud Light brands. “With the personality of Bud Light, Bud Light Golden Wheat appeals to light beer drinkers who seek a variety of flavor options from their beer.”

Busch recommends garnishing it with an orange or straight from the bottle.

“Bud Light Golden Wheat is not a craft beer, but captures the refreshment of the wheat beer style while remaining consistent with Bud Light’s product attributes that beer drinkers enjoy” Sundet said. “Our Innovations and brewing teams have worked for almost two years developing Bud Light Golden Wheat from consumer insight and perfecting it to Bud Light standards.”

So let us know. Have you tried it? Seen the commercials? What do you think of Bud Light Golden What?