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Wine and Spirits

History Of Beer

Don't ask me why, but I've sometimes daydreamed of building a working 17th century-style malting house. The malt produced could be used for onsite brewing demonstrations using 17th century techniques and recipes, with the resulting brew given out as samples or sold to the populace.
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Sherry Wines

Wine is very much a product of the moment. Similar to music, it can be enjoyed even more when you are with good company. Conversely, a great wine can seem mediocre when you're not in a pleasant mood, or if things aren't just right....
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The Wines Of Spain

Spain is a country rich in culture, history, culinary artistry, and of course, wine. Within the past decade, Spain has undergone a renaissance in their wine industry. ...
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The True Story About Tequila

You probably, like many other people do, think that Tequila is just another fashionable and cheap spirit from an exotic country which is just intended to get you drunk and of course give you a really bad headache....
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Unraveling the Complexities of Burgundy

The term "Burgundy", in the minds of the American masses, has come to denote generic red wine. Mediocre restaurants often use the term to signify their mundane house red. But this is analogous to using the term "Coke" to designate all cola drinks. Yet Coke tastes different than Pepsi, which in turn differs from the supermarket brand. For the cola connoisseur, only Coca-Cola is real "Coke." Such is the case with Burgundy....
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Red Wine and White Meat

Beaujolais, (boh-zhuh-LAY), like most French wines, is named for the region of France, not the grape, from which it emanates. Beaujolais is a 35 mile strip of granite hills, containing over 55,000 acres of vineyards, between the towns of Lyons and Macon in eastern France....
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Champagne

Another New Years Eve is upon us and countless people the world over will celebrate it with Champagne, or should I say sparkling wine? OK, let's clear this one up right from the get-go. ...
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Of Barley and Hops - Tasting and discovering beer

Beer is often taken for granted. It is the everyman's beverage, while wine is noble, but beer has a wonderful complexity; a complexity that rivals that of wine. It comes in hundreds, if not thousands of styles, each one unique, from light and effervescent to dark, creamy and rich. With such diversity, there is a beer out there for everyone. The key is understanding the role that each ingredient plays in the making of beer and how each of those ingredients effect the end result. ...
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Vodka - Cheers Comrade

Vodka is a clear, neutral and nearly pure spirit due to the high proof distillation process. Early vodkas however, were crude and nearly unpalatable. They were often mixed with herbs, spices or honey to mask the offensive taste and harshness. Then, in the early 1800's, it was discovered that filtering it through activated charcoal created a significantly refined, smoother, and purer product....
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Bordeaux Wines

Bordeaux, (Bor-DOH), is one of the world's best wines. But Bordeaux's geography, nomenclature, grape varieties, and outdated classification system is confusing enough to drive you to drink....
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