We are thrilled to partner with blogger/author/bon vivant David Lebovitz to bring you the Drinking French pack, an ensemble that features his new guide to all libations French (signed), plus an assortment of bottles that will help you make some of his favorite tipples at home. You may not be able to while away the hours in a Parisian cafe, but you can at least drink like it!
Read MoreWhether you’ll be spinning a dreidel, rockin’ around the Christmas tree, lighting the Kwanzaa candles, or simply enjoying Winter Solstice, we have something that can make your celebration special, and, though the times were strange in 2020, the wines were superb.
Read MoreAs we navigate new import tariffs, it is worth taking the time to discuss with transparency what to expect with this tenuous situation. We will continue to update this post as we have more information so that you can shop with confidence and clarity.
Read MoreFor Cinco de Mayo today, I asked our spirits specialist in SF, Jackson Lee, for the perfect margarita recipe. Among the more common cocktails, this one has the potential to be either incredibly delicious or shockingly bad. At its best, it is a refreshing combination of sweet and sour, layered with a rich complexity from quality tequila. But served wrong, it can be either cloyingly sweet or overly acidic. The secret, Jackson shared with me, is a lemon-lime “Oleo Saccharum” simple syrup.
Read MoreRoger Morrison and Marshall Dawson were passionate about cocktails and the flavors of the Golden State, and they wanted to make something that tasted like it: grapes, fresh Pacific air, the grassy valleys, citrus groves, and eucalyptus. They started working on the blend for Jardesca, a series of red and white wine-based aperitifs each with a distinctively California personality.
Read MoreThe French 75 cocktail dates back, at least, to Harry’s Bar in Paris in the 1900s, but it didn’t appear in print until the Roarin’ 20s, when they knew how to make drinks that packed a punch (apparently this is the only classic cocktail officially born in America during Prohibition). Her’e’s Will’s take, adding festive elements such as pink lemonade, raspberries, and rosé Champagne. It’s downright delicious and is the perfect way to bid adieu to 2018.
Read MoreSake is one versatile beverage that has my attention as of late. Stylistically it ranges from robust and savory to delicate and fruity, and depending on the style, it can be served chilled, piping hot, or anywhere in between.
Read MoreAfter reading David’s piece on the independent bottler L’Encantada in the sprits journal, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a bottle. My birthday was this weekend, and my father was coming to town (our birthdays are only four days apart and we always celebrate together) which is a perfect occasion for a great spirit. When my dad arrived in town, his first stop was K&L, and I talked him into buying a bottle of the 20 Year Old "Bellair #36" Bas-Armagnac, which was distilled in 1997.
Read MoreWhen K&L Champagne Buyer, Gary Westby, asked if I had any thoughts on a cocktail for using the Baron-Fuente Grande Reserve bottles I knew I had a shortlist of recipes that I wanted to try, but I ultimately settled on the Champagne Old Fashioned, or as I fondly refer to it: That Old Fashioned Champ. As its name implies, it riffs on one of the most classic of all cocktails, and just as the traditional Old Fashioned relies on simplicity of function to let the few ingredients shine beautifully, this Champagne version takes the same approach so you can appreciate each element that contributes to the beverage.
Read More“Chartreuse, the only liqueur so good they named a color after it.” –Death Proof, script & film by Quentin Tarantino
Conceived 400 years ago as an elixir of long life, I suspect that the mention of Chartreuse in Death Proof is allegorical for the film’s theme of immortality and invulnerability. Having returned to fashion in recent years, this fascinating liqueur drew me on an inconvenient and magnificent side-trip during my recent time in France. In the sub-alpine city of Voiron, the distillery of Chartreuse Diffusion includes the largest liqueur cellar in the world... for now.
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