Stocking Wine on your Bar
When company is coming, such as an event, party or dinner, you may want to have a wine offering in addition to an assortment of fine liquors and liqueurs. There are a couple of considerations to help in your selection.
Bottle Size: Think carefully about the size of the bottles you choose.
750ML : (also known as "Fifths") size bottles generally cost more on a per-ounce basis, but if it doesn't get used at your dinner or party, storing it half-used can have an impact on the flavor quality.
1.5L : For large crowds, the best choice may be the 1.5L on a cost per-ounce basis, but if it doesn't get used at your dinner,party, or event, storing it half-used can have an impact on the flavor quality.
Variety: At parties and events, it's typical to offer one red and one white wine. Typical choices are a Chardonnay (a white wine, generally dry) and Merlot (red wine, typically semi-sweet). At such parties and events, a "table" or "grocery" wine is a frequent choice - there are some quality table wines that will not break your budget. Some suggestions are Yellow Tail, Woodbridge, or Barefoot, for starters. Be sure to ask your retailer about case discounts and be sure to order ahead in case your retailer does not have enough in stock.
For dinner parties, you may want to select a wine based upon the dinner menu. Use a Wine Pairing Guide to assist with this choice. Many wines compliment the flavors and textures of food if chosen correctly. Be sure to take advantage of case discounts and be sure to order ahead in case your retailer does not have enough in stock. Extra wine bottles not used at the dinner party can be sent home as gifts with special guests.
Wine for your wet bar or wine cellar is very much a personal taste and we would not deign to insult your palate by arbitrary suggestions, except to say that you should have at least one selection of red and one selection of white wine. We also recommend attending local wine tastings and/or asking your winebar bartender for his/her recommendations. You may also want to explore online reviews and pricing on wine websites such as WineZap or Wine-Searcher .
Featured
Absinthe made with Wormwood now legal in the U.S.:
Absinthe History:
Absinthe, originally from Switzerland, was banned there in 1907. It was then banned in the US in 1912, and in France in 1915. The bans were a result of temperance movement, which sought to ban all alcohols worldwide. This temperance movement distributed highly charged propaganda attributing all of the world’s sins to absinthe. At the heart of the anti-absinthe propaganda was the claim that thujone, a substance found in absinthe, caused hallucinations, delirium, and even death. Thujone is found in various common herbs such as tarragon, thyme, rosemary, sage, juniper, and wormwood.
Lucid Absinthe Supérieure is a traditional, French-made absinthe verte (green absinthe), whose formula was first approved in 2006 after being developed by Ted (T.A.) Breaux. It was granted a COLA (Certificate of Label Approval) in the United States on March 5, 2007, making it the first genuine absinthe to gain approval for legal distribution in the U.S. since 1912.
Lucid Absinthe:
Lucid represents a breakthrough product for the U.S. market, as it was the first true, Grande Wormwood-based Absinthe of its type released since before prohibition. Unlike imitators in the U.S. and the many so-called "Absinthe" products that litter the international markets, Lucid is crafted directly from select whole herbs, including Grande Wormwood, and never from cheaper assemblages, macerations, extracts or oils.
The recipe includes Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), along with green anise, sweet fennel, and other herbs, and was developed by T.A. Breaux, an absinthe expert and historian.
At Frank Richards Beverage, Lucid Absinthe Supérieure (750ML) is available in a gift set that includes an absinthe spoon and glass. Because of the premium nature of this product, stock is limited - pre-paid special orders get a discount, call us today at (803) 695-9600 to order it!
UpSynth Absinthe:
An elixir of rare, and fine herbs, macerated in a neutral spirit and then carefully re-distilled. The secondary distillation is a painstaking process which defines the Absinthe, and is an integral part of it's creation. This, and the quality of ingredients, gives Upsynth Original its characteristically smooth finish, so ideal for use in cocktail. The unique Upsynth is produced under the most strict and rigorous protocals, it's taste is exquite, refined and natural, derived exclusively from the most precious and elusive Austrian Alpine herbs
References to Absinthe can be found in the Vorarlberg chronicles from the middle of the 18th century. In 1868, Kaspar Alois Greber developed the first main features of today’s Upsynth Original absinthe. The mild alpine climate of western Austria played a key role in the development of Absinthe, due to the wide variety of fruits, herbs and meadow grasses used as ingredients. Local customs also played a role in the development of the spirit, as farmers enjoyed distillation rights, and thus were able to create a wide variety of homemade schnapps and bitters, using cherry, pear, raspberry, apple, rowan berry, gentian to name but a few. These skills and techniques were later applied to the art of fine Absinthe distillation.
Upsynth Original, the authentic Absinthe of Austria. A timeless spirit double distilled with tantalising alpine herbs.The secret of the Upsynth brand is that it is distilled from twenty different herbs, including wormwood, fennel, anise and gentian. Some of the herbs grow high in the mountains, at heights of up to 2000 metres above sea level. Reactionary opponents of absinthe succeeded in making the product illegal in many countries, although, interestingly, it has always been legal in the United Kingdom. In the 1970s, Christian Greber was given the recipe as had been the family tradition. The 21st century saw absinthe regain legal status in most countries where it had been banned. Enjoy with mixers or straight over crushed ice
.
