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Big Joe’s Top 5 Favorite Cocktails for a Perfect Summer Experience
The weather this summer has been brutal. It has been hot, and we have had our expected thunderstorms that may have altered our summer plans just a bit.
In the dog days of summer, I always found respite in a good refreshing cocktail. It is an experience where the coolness of the drink pauses, refreshes, and makes you able to cope with the brutality of summer weather and rushing around.
You would be surprised how much running around you do in the summer because you want to get it all in before another school year or enjoy your week off work.
A nice refreshing cocktail will allow you to decompress. I put together a list of my top 5 summer cocktails that I think will give you cause to refreshen, decompress, sit back, and enjoy the summer.
Remember ice management is key throughout the summer, always have plenty of ice ready to go. You will be happy you made that decision, trust me.
I try to make these cocktails simple enough so that you can enjoy it.
I am not a spritz guy! That is until I started drinking these absolutely refreshing cocktails that are easy to make and taste exceptionally good. The way I make them is so that they are not too sweet, and the bitterness and sweetness of the Aperol is balanced with the Prosecco and club soda.
This is a cocktail that is a fan favorite in Italy. If you take a walk through the piazza in Rome, Italy all you see at the cafés is the pink colored glass filled with an Italian spritzer. Forced to try one I have never looked back.
I use a large wine goblet for this as it suits the drink best (if you don’t have a goblet, a pint glass works too).
I enjoy a good sangria because it complements most summer dinners and is a crowd-pleaser before dinner, at the beach, for lunch, and at summer parties. Once it’s prepared, the only thing you need for your next glass of sangria is ice, leaving you more time to relax or enjoy your summer event.
You might wonder why not stick to the standard sangria recipe with either white or red wine. The answer is that this peach sangria is more refreshing and enjoyable. I’ve had red sangria on occasions during the fall and with a good Mexican meal, but red sangria is more suited to the fall and winter than summer.
White sangria is decent, and it certainly qualifies as a summer drink, but adding peach or white nectarine takes it to another level.
I like to make the peach puree in a blender, but you could also buy fresh peach juice or puree in the store. To make it at home simply peel the skin, remove the pit and blend until smooth. Add the peach puree to a large pitcher.
Slice the other two peaches into slices and add to the pitcher. Now add everything else, the brandy, Grand Marnier, tequila, liqueur, and wine. Stir gently with a wooden or plastic spoon, do not use a metal spoon.
Chill for at least an hour; add a splash of ginger ale to each glass before serving. Enjoy.
This is a new addition to my summer regiment because I always thought that it was tougher to make than it is. The wonderful thing about this cocktail is that the espresso coffee comes in cold brew and is readily available so that you do not have to make the espresso.
One other ingredient that I found to be a good addition to this cocktail is a little chocolate syrup drizzled on top of the cocktail.
Pour all ingredients in a shaker filled halfway with ice. Shake very well. Once chilled completely, strain into a chilled martini glass (I always keep my martini glasses in the freezer) garnish with three coffee beans (odd number) and drizzle chocolate syrup if desired.
This is a great easy refreshing cocktail to make that allows you to feel a little elegant and the cocktail will take you to its origin of Florence, Italy.
For the summer you need to have a bottle of gin. If you do not have a favorite brand I recommend Gordon’s gin. It is very cost efficient, and it is not as perfumy as Bombay, Hendrick’s, or other higher end gins. Gordon’s is a dry gin and will go very well in this cocktail.
Three simple ingredients make it easy to “refresh” your drink when the time is right.
Pour in:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass with ice and garnish with a slice or just the peel of an orange. Enjoy!
The summer screams a good cool margarita. A drink that you can enjoy by itself or pair with a great summer meal. It is the cocktail that keeps on giving. The trick to a good Red Ruby Margarita is the fresh-squeezed red grapefruit.
I know it is a pain, but you can do it ahead of time and leave it in the fridge till your company comes over or when you are ready to enjoy this very refreshing margarita. I like a red ruby margarita with chips and salsa and good guacamole.
Throw in small appetizers and you will be in paradise. Be careful though, these margaritas go down awfully smooth and quickly. They are so good.
Blend ingredients for about 30 – 45 seconds.
Fill pitcher halfway with ice, cubes, not crushed, add blended ingredients to ice-filled pitcher, stir well. You can salt the rims of your glasses or if you don’t like salt, you can lightly sugar the rims instead. Using a strainer, pour into chilled glasses and garnish with a slice of lime or grapefruit.
Serve immediately and often. Enjoy!
Gallery Credit: Jordan Jansson
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host Big Joe Henry. Any opinions expressed are Big Joe’s own.
From Humble Beginnings in a Beer Garden: The Evolution of Krug Park into ‘Omaha’s Polite Resort’
Krug Park was known as “Omaha’s Polite Resort,” “Everybody’s Playground,” “Home for Picnics,” and “Omaha’s Joy Acres.”
The taglines varied during the time the amusement park, situated northwest of 52nd and Maple Streets — the current location of Gallagher Park — was operational, with some interruptions, from 1897 to 1939.
Within its 20 acres, the park featured a one-acre swimming pool and beach with bath houses, bowling alleys, athletic arena and ballfields, a ballroom, picnic grounds, a roller rink, and carnival rides.
Krug Park’s third management invested $300,000 in a swimming pool, bathhouse, and beach, as shown in a July 3, 1919 photo.
Among the rides was the Big Dipper, on which four people were killed in 1930 in what remains the deadliest roller-coaster accident in U.S. history.
Krug Park supplanted the Tietz Park beer garden started by German immigrant Charles Tietz sometime before 1885, when the Military Road had its share of roadhouses and saloons outside the western city limits of Omaha.
“A pleasant and desirable place for families,’’ an early newspaper ad proclaimed. Every Sunday there was a concert by a military band.
Carriages and the Benson electric streetcar shared the road passing the Krug Park entrance in 1900.
Tietz Park could be a family place. The Jolly Painters of Omaha had their July Fourth celebration in 1893 in the park, with “dancing, base ball, foot ball and amusements of every description.” A bowling alley was among the amusements.
But the park also condoned illicit activity such as dog and cock fights and boxing. At least three men leased the park between 1887 and 1894.
“(It’s) wide open every Sunday and beer and whisky flow free,’’ The World-Herald reported in 1893. “It is a rendezvous for ex-pugilists and men of very shady character.
“It has been the only available place to obtain liquor Sundays and as a result fully 100 men are found there gambling and plying their nefarious games. It is a great resort for lewd women and has answered splendidly for a place of assignation.”
Charles Tietz had his share of tragedy. His first wife died in 1886, leaving eight children without a mother. He accidentally, fatally, shot an employee, Hans Puls, the next year.
After several citations for selling liquor without a license, Tietz in January 1895 sold the remaining 16 acres from his 1873 purchase of 40 acres to the Fred Krug Brewing Co. for $12,000. Tietz relocated to Papillion, where he tended bar before his death in June 1897.
The Krugs saw Tietz Park having the potential to be a park with entertainment and high-class musical and refreshment features. Said William Krug, a son: “I want to make this the most beautiful place of the kind in the world. I want to make it even rival the famous old Kroer garden of Berlin and if I live I shall.”
Improving the old grounds — and the park’s reputation — took several years. In 1897, the year the name changed to Krug Park, residents of the West Omaha precinct that included the yet-incorporated village of Benson objected to the Krugs getting a liquor license.
In 1898, some of the area’s earliest bowling competition — 3-, 4-, 9- and 10-pin games — were held on the Krug Park alleys in the winter and spring. The outdoor facilities at the “Great Family Resort,” including swings for the kids, opened on June 5. Sunday band concerts came back.
Donkey rides in 1899 were the first step toward a true amusement park. “Beautiful Krug Park” was open afternoons and evenings for 20 weeks starting in May, with the bowling alleys reserved for ladies only on Wednesdays. Omahans seeking relief from the heat could board the Walnut Hill trolley car and transfer to the Benson electric cars that passed the park.
A new neighbor for Krug Park was the Omaha Country Club, which built its first golf course in 1900 across Military Avenue from it. Parkgoers that year could bowl, shoot billiards or stroll the grounds while children partook of the swings, “goats to drive and donkeys to ride.”
By 1901, Krug Park was said to be Omaha’s answer to Denver’s Elitch Gardens. William Krug took ideas from a visit to the best parks in Europe. He added a merry-go-round, a menagerie exhibit of rare birds and animals, and shooting galleries. He installed more than 1,000 electric lights on the grounds and brought in weekly entertainment acts and had a 30-piece house concert band play daily.
Under the management of the new Western Amusement Co., “Omaha’s Polite Resort” (1901) touted balloon ascensions (1901), reproductions of the Oberammergau Passion Play (1901-06), a soda fountain, fine dining featuring sirloin steaks and mutton chops (1902) and its first rollercoaster (1903).
The first of the park’s several setbacks was a fire before its opening in 1904. On Friday the 13th, the flagpole on the roller coaster tower was blown over and damaged the ride. Several picture machines fell out of a wagon.
Bad omens. For the next day, with defective wiring blamed, the new $15,000, 700-seat pavilion with a second-floor café (no alcohol served) seating 200, the bandstand, the bowling alleys, the stables and sheds and all buildings along the east boundary except the office were destroyed. The insured loss was estimated at $25,000.
The park opened for the season on time on Memorial Day. It also withstood a brief tornado spin-up a month later that destroyed the big top of the Kilpatrick Brothers circus that was the week’s attraction.
Krug Park built an early version of Disney’s Small World ride in 1905 with Wonderland, a half-mile artificial river ride winding through caverns, bowers and grottos. It was among 100 other attractions.
In July 1908, however, the lights went out, the rides were turned off and the new Japanese tea garden shuttered. A temperance movement in Benson, which had annexed the park, challenged the park’s liquor license renewal and won in court on a technicality. The park, which lost money the previous year, needed beer sales for sustainability.
Brothers Joseph and Herman Munchoff re-opened the park in 1912 on a five-year lease from the Krugs (William Krug died the year before in an Omaha auto accident). Among the new rides at “Everybody’s Playground” were a carousel, ferris wheel, miniature railroad and roller rink.
The park was closed for the 1917 season, with Prohibition on its way and the Munchoffs moving on to build Lakeview on Carter Lake in East Omaha.
It reopened in 1918 by the Ingersoll Amusement Co. of Detroit on a 20-year lease.
Brothers Fred and L.F. Ingersoll spent $200,000 on the “New Krug Park” just in 1918. They obtained the carousel from the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. The mile-long roller-coaster was proclaimed by designer John Miller of Chicago his best work. Danceland was a pavilion that could accommodate more than 1,000 couples.
The next year’s outlay — by the Krug Park Amusement Co. that L.F. Ingersoll and two others from St. Joseph, Missouri, formed — was $350,000 for “American’s Largest Swimming Pool” ($300,000) and the water ride “Swanee River” ($50,000).
It was the Roaring Twenties and Krug Park, “The Home of Picnics,” was thriving. In 1925, park attendance was 555,672. The roller coaster grew longer and more thrilling.
But what goes up usually comes down. Fred Ingersoll committed suicide in a park concession stand in 1927.
Then came the tragic evening of July 24, 1930. Our narrative picks up there next time.
That idea to move traffic from 30th Street has been bandied about since the 1930s.
Many Omahans of a certain age remember visiting Santa at Toyland in the Brandeis department store. The tradition dated to the 1900s when J.L. Brandeis and Sons were the proprietors of the Boston Store.
The Benson and the Hanscom are just two of the more than 70 theaters that emerged outside downtown Omaha during the first half of the 20th century. Most of these theaters opened — and subsequently closed — during the era of silent films.
Omaha’s first auto club, established in 1902, comprised 20 of the city’s 25 car owners. Their inaugural event was a road rally to Blair and back.
Explore the history of the Chermot Ballroom and some of the famous names that graced its stage.
The New Tower’s front lobby featured a Normandy castle theme with grand stone walls, heraldic crests, and a wood-burning fireplace. This majestic style extended into the Crest Dining Room with its massive beams and lofty ceilings.
A generation of Omahans — and newcomers to the city — likely are unaware that Peony Park, the major amusement spot from the 1930s through 1994, was at 78th and Cass Streets.
Pardon the pun, but another of my deep digs has turned up forgotten burial grounds across Douglas County.
The fame of Curo Springs was so far-reaching that in pioneer days — every fall and spring — people from 100 miles away (some crossing the Missouri in crude boats) would come to load up with the water.
Here are some books relating to Omaha and Nebraska history, many by local authors, to check out.
They were the twin banes in Omaha’s pioneer years. One of them came back to life during the nighttime deluge that hit the area last weekend.
The Omaha Chamber of Commerce was prepared to remove its $35,000 hangar — built in modular sections — until the city was ready to build a municipal airport. Then came back-to-back windstorms.
Research has turned up a juicy nugget — the whereabouts of the burial site of Omaha, the Triple Crown horse in 1935. Hint: there are people resting every night on top of it.
Keystone has become the name applied to the area bounded by 72nd and 90th Streets, Maple Street, Military Avenue, and Fort Street. It has expanded since Keystone Park was platted in 1907.
Ezra Meeker’s crusade is credited for reawakening awareness of the Oregon Trail in the early 20th century. In the process, he erroneously linked Omaha to the trail and others took his word for it.
An Omaha real estate firm had the idea in the heyday of the ’20s that it could sell 1,500 cottage lots platted away from the lakes and the Platte River. So what happened?
Check out a glimpse of Omaha’s Black history before 1880.
The Dan Parmelee-Tom Keeler feud, which included an Old West shootout on the outskirts of old Elkhorn in December 1874, left Keeler dead and made news nationwide.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Omahans had their pick of drive-in movie theaters. Cars with families and cars with teens — some watching the film and others, well, you know — side by side, wired speakers hanging inside a car door.
Clontarf never was incorporated as a village, but functioned like one and wielded political clout larger than its 47 acres. There was a lawless element, too.
‘Mascotte was a big joke but it looked good while it lasted.’ The village had a factory, railroad depot, hotel, general store, school and about 40 cottages. By 1915, it was all gone.
West Dodge Road has been rebuilt over and over. And along the way, the Old Mill area has lost its mill, its hazardous Dead Man’s Curve and the most beautiful bridge in the county.
With a weekly newsletter looking back at local history.
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The Art of Decanting Whiskey: Is It Worth It?
Whiskey gives off a certain air of class and intrigue, which is often reflected on the big screen by characters like James Bond taking sips of the spirit between fighting off villains, or Officer K of Blade Runner downing a glass after hunting replicants. But should you add even more sophistication and decant your whiskey?
These vessels, typically made from glass or crystal, are an eye-catching way to store alcohol, typically wine, though some have started to try it with the spirit, too. So, does decanting whiskey help, or is it spoiling your hard-earned bottle of booze? In short, the experts say it’s fine, though not necessary.
Decanting is known for improving wine by allowing it to breathe and remove sediments, but the same benefit doesn’t really hold true with spirits. “Unlike wine, decanting whiskey won’t change the flavor much,” say Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder, co-founders of Lodestar Whiskey. But, they say, there’s no harm in doing so. “If you’ve got a decanter you love and it looks awesome on your bar, go for it.”
Read more: How To Make 30 Classic Cocktails: An Illustrated Guide
Whether you’re thinking of decanting a favorite bottle, or something from a cocktail expert’s must-buy whiskey list, there’s no need to overly stress about it. Traditionally, decanters had a more practical origin, used to draw whiskey straight from the aging barrels. Although today, they are much more of a decorative choice for storing the spirit. “If your decanter has a good seal, you can store your whiskey in there for a long time, years even,” according to Wendelin von Schroder and Anna Axster.
Unlike whiskey, the reason decanters are needed for wine is because the fermented grape drink can change drastically with time due to the tannins it contains, something that is found in very low levels in whiskey. Instead, the high alcohol content in whiskey (and lots of other popular spirits) means the likelihood of oxidation is low.
The only time you have to worry about your whiskey’s quality lessening in a decanter is if you give it years to potentially spoil. Sitting in a half-empty decanter with lots of air exposure will only affect whiskey over an extended period of time. It’s typically after about two years that you may begin to see some discoloration and degradation of flavor from your spirits.
Using a decanter for your whiskey can make at-home tastings a little more special and is just one of the many tools to level up your bar cart. And it doesn’t matter how much money you’ve dropped on a particular variety of whiskey, either. “For us, decanting whiskey is all about the look and experience,” say experts Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder. “Any whiskey you think is special deserves the fancy decanter treatment!”
If you’ve decided to take the leap and decant your whiskey, there are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for the perfect vessel. The shape of the decanter can range from square to globe, and everything in between, but the biggest thing to look for is a quality seal on the lid to help prevent oxidation and keep pests out. Whatever variety of decanter you choose, once you’re done pouring with it, be sure to store it in a cool place away from direct sunlight.
The most important attribute of the decanter you purchase should be ensuring that it’s lead-free. “We found out some crystal decanters have trace amounts of lead, and you definitely don’t want that mixing with your whiskey over time,” von Schroder and Axster share. This problem is typically found in antique crystal decanters, but if you’re unsure if your container has lead, don’t use it more than a few days to store liquor.
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Read the original article on Food Republic.
OPINION | Carin Schoppmeyer: Center for Hunger Relief Brings Hope, While Art of Wine Enriches Minds
Though Art of Wine guests didn’t have to pack up to go to summer camp, their support will help the arts organization Pack the WAC by raising more than $65,000.
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Court Hears Accused in Murder Case Likely Used Rum, Molly, and Ecstasy for Dutch Courage
MONTEGO BAY, St James — A murder accused who has been described as being under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time he allegedly committed the crime will go before the Circuit Court for trial on September 16.
During Wednesday’s hearing to determine whether or not Daniel Jones has a case to answer, defence attorney Chumu Paris argued that his client did not discharge the firearm. However, presiding judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton ruled that Jones should face trial.
Jones is charged with the murder of 24-year-old Shacqkim “Teeno” Lindsay of Shanty Town, Paradise Norwood, in St James. However, his lawyer told the court the fatal shot was fired by another man.
“The gun was taken from one of the assailants who was in pursuit of a robbery. The accused had been drinking rum all night, two victims were robbed of cellphones when shots were fired and Jones ran… At the time of the incident, he did not encourage the commission of the murder,” Paris argued.
The clerk of court had a strong rebuttal.
“This accused was not armed with a weapon, but if you read the question-and-answer statement you would have seen that this accused spoke to the fact that they [Jones, Tippy, and a man named Jay] were in the gully drinking rum and using ecstasy and molly. He said he gave the gun to the mad man, and the man brought it up to a section up there… All three of them went up there; the intention was to rob, and the gun was always present,” she said.
“I will submit that this statement is an exculpatory statement and the Crown has a duty at the appropriate time to admit it into evidence. In these circumstances, the Crown is relying on joint enterprise common design… He robbed the man of his phone. He took a wallet from this other young man, who appears to be about 16… The gun came into play and that was when Tippy fired the shot,” the clerk added.
The clerk maintained that Jones supported and encouraged the offence and suggested that the case should be transferred to the St James Circuit Court.
In her remarks, presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce stated that it is clear from the statement that robbery with aggravation was on the mind of the defendant.
“He came there high on rum, molly and ecstasy, which a jury might find to be Dutch courage to carry out a robbery later that morning. He went home with the gun, gave it to someone else, and then decided to speak with the police,” Grant-Pryce said.
The judge noted that she lacks the authority to prevent the case from proceeding to the Supreme Court. She explained that the matter at hand falls under the jurisdiction of a jury trial.
She then ruled that the matter be committed to the Circuit Court for trial on September 16. Jones was remanded in custody until then.
According to the police, Lindsay was killed near the gully bus stop in St James around 4:00 am on January 5.
Residents reportedly heard explosions and alerted the police.
When the cops arrived, Lindsay was found lying on his back with gunshot wounds to his upper body.
He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
According to court records, Jones was apprehended in Rose Heights two weeks later; he was among one of three men spotted on a roof. The police were alerted and a chase ensued. Jones ran and brandished a gun that had fallen from his pocket. The police recognised him as a person of interest in a murder that occurred near the gully bus stop. He then volunteered to tell the police what transpired.
Spice Up Your Drink Menu: 5 Savory Cocktails You Must Try
Savory cocktails are having a moment. Last year saw an uptick with them in the hipster communities of New York City, Los Angeles and even DC. The super sweet staples like Cosmopolitans are still popular, so don’t worry…but drinkers are expanding their palate past sugary flavored beverages. The Bloody Mary has been the poster child for savory drinks with its tomato goodness. The dirty martini is another popular order at bars. And summer brings the bitter Aperol Spritz. But these recipes add another whole taste profile, are you open to try one of the savory cocktails?
RELATED: The Best Hydrating Cocktails For A Hot Weekend
Some could call the Bullshot a cousin of the Bloody Mary. This cocktail’s origin story starts in Detroit, the Motor City. The drink emerged around 1952 with the help of John Hurley, a regular at the newly opened steakhouse, the Caucus Club (still a city favorite). John Hurley, a regular at the steakhouse, was an advertising executive and had a new client Campbell’s Soup. They were launching canned bouillon and Hurley needed to sell a lot of cans, and the Bullshot is one of the marketing ideas which became a bar staple.
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The everything bagel has spawned an entire mini-industry. Some cooking influencers have said they only use the “everything bagel” spice and Pringles has come out with an everything bagel chip. The super savory cocktail almost acts like an appetizer.
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This drink makes the most of trips to the Farmer’s Market. First made at Dukes, the produce forward eatery in Healdsburg, California. It is almost like a club version of a smoothie!
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Carrot Syrup Ingredients
Create Carrot Syrup (Makes enough for 6 cocktails)
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Why not cut the sweetness of an old friend? The classic mint julep can be refreshing – but what about giving it a deeper, richer flavor by muddling a jalapeño into it and cutting some of the sugar?
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After exploring these recipes, are you interested in trying one of the savory cocktails?
Comparing the Cost of a 16-Ounce Beer at All 32 NFL Stadiums in 2023
People go to NFL games for fun and enjoy themselves before at tailgates — often with a beer in hand. Once inside the venue, though it’s not B.Y.O.B., so fans are left having to pay a pricey amount for a brew at the stadium concessions. How much does a 16-ounce beer cost at each NFL stadium?
Here’s the breakdown…
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $6.26
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $6.59
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $7.50
(Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8
(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8.13
(Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8.40
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8.50
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8.63
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $8.80
(USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $9.29
(Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $9.50
(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $9.56
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $10.50
(Kevin R. Wexler-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $11
(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $11.50
(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $12
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $13.75
(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Cost of a 16-oz. beer: $14.67
This article originally appeared on List Wire: The cost of a 16-ounce beer at all 32 NFL stadiums
Uncorking Memories: A Toast to My Favorite Wine Experience
What’s a wine memory?
It’s an incredible experience that involves a remarkable wine.
And this recollection is one wine lovers are eager to share — they love revisiting that place in time and they want to take you with them.
Wine memories take us to all corners of the world and hearing these stories invites us to learn about extraordinary, as well as unusual, wines.
Here are a few colorful wine memories from Sonoma County wine aficionados.
“Kristine Anderson, please report to the office.”
When Anderson, a seventh grader in 1968, was summoned to the principal’s office during a school assembly, many of her schoolmates in the small town of Gwinn, Michigan, thought she was in trouble.
As she reached the office, the secretary said, “Your father is on the phone.”
Thankfully, there was no bad news from home. Instead, her father asked if she wanted to accompany him to Washington, D.C., that afternoon. He needed to pick up eight to ten cases of 1963 Château Margaux from a distributor.
The world-renowned Château Margaux wine estate is located in the appellation of the same name in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France. It has been making full-bodied Bordeaux red blends for centuries, with notes of leather, smoke, and earth.
At 12 years old, Anderson knew very little about wine and hadn’t heard of the legendary Château Margaux. But she was up for a trip to D.C., replied “sure” to her father on the phone, and then rode her bike home.
Once her mother had packed a small suitcase for her, Anderson and her father drove to Marquette, Michigan, where he kept a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche airplane.
After an eight-hour flight, they landed in D.C. in the late afternoon, checked into the Shoreham Hotel, where they had dinner while Peggy Lee performed that night.
The next morning, before they went to pick up the French wine, they went on a whirlwind tour of the capital — they drove past all of the monuments, visited the National Air and Space Museum and Arlington Cemetery, and saw George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon.
The father and daughter arrived at the wine distributor around 3 p.m., loaded up the wine and flew home. By the time they arrived back in Michigan, they had only been gone for 30 hours.
Fifteen years later, Anderson’s parents bought 40 acres of land in Napa Valley where they founded Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards. And, sometime in the 1990s, Kristine Anderson got to finish off the last bottle of the 1963 Château Margaux together with her parents.
By that time, the wine had become much softer but it had held up well and was a pleasure to drink, Anderson said. The Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet that they were drinking alongside the Château Margaux tasted very fine, too, she added.
When Fred Levin of Santa Rosa visited Hungary with his family several years ago, a server suggested a somewhat unusually named wine to pair with their meal. It was a bottle of Egri Bikavér, also known as Bulls Blood (“bika” means bull, and “vér” means blood in Hungarian).
Egri Bikavér is a red blend that is made in Szekszárd, in the south of Hungary, as well as in Eger, in the northeast part of the country.
The town of Eger was the site of a 16th century battle between the Hungarians and the Ottomans — or “the siege of Eger.” Despite being vastly outnumbered by the Ottoman forces, the Hungarians defeated the attackers, forcing them to retreat from the Castle of Eger. The Hungarians’ unexpected victory, according to the Ottomans (and legend), was due to their habit of drinking bulls blood.
Whether the legend is true or not, Levin enjoyed the Egri Bikavér, its aroma, rich full body and pleasing aftertaste. In fact, he liked it so much, he ordered another bottle. But no battles were fought at the end of the meal.
In 2006, when Susan and Dean Nowacki of Santa Rosa were traveling to China for the first time, they had been advised to stick to beer because Chinese wine, according to friends who had visited previously, tasted terrible.
The Nowackis heeded the advice. But, halfway through the trip, just as they had arrived in Xi’an to see the famous army of terra-cotta warriors, Susan had an unexpected wine moment.
While waiting for their luggage to arrive at the hotel, the couple joined a group of other travelers at the bar. Curious, Susan picked up the wine list and — to her amazement — it featured a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay. She had two glasses.
Maybe it was the Kendall-Jackson magic, maybe it was the excitement of traveling and exploring new and historic places, but, to this day, Susan Nowacki considers those glasses of Chardonnay sipped some 6,000 miles from home the best she ever tasted.
The next time you uncork a bottle with friends, ask them about their favorite wine memory. Then sit back and expect to be entertained. You’ll find the stories compelling and, best of all, you’ll walk away with a curious palate.
You can reach wine writer Peg Melnik at 707-521-5310 or peg.melnik@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pegmelnik.
I Tested the Viral “Vodka Hack” for Wrinkle-Free Sheets: Here’s What Happened
Making the bed — especially after washing and drying my sheets — is my least favorite part of housework. I put it off as long as possible, then often let my bedding sit in the dryer for hours, sometimes days, after the cycle has completed. As a surprise to no one, it’s a wrinkled mess when I take them out of the machine.
After hours of labor, I make the bed, and it still lacks allure. The sheets are clean, but they don’t look smooth or call my name in a way that hotel beds seem to. I’m not the type to break out an iron, so I accepted that I’d never have the perfect, wrinkle-free bed I enjoy on vacation. That is until I came across a video on Instagram showing me that it’s possible.
In this video, Annalora Vanderbeek (@annivanderbeek) shares her hack for achieving wrinkle-free sheets without touching an iron or steamer. She mixes a recipe of vodka, water, vinegar, and fabric conditioner, and sprays her sheets with it before smoothing it out and letting it dry. I already had all the ingredients at home and couldn’t wait to give it a try.
The measurements were unclear, but after watching her video several times, I eyeballed it and came up with this: In a spray bottle, combine one cup of distilled water, a half cup of vinegar, and a quarter cup of vodka. Vanderbeek shares that the vinegar will help “relax the fibers in your bedding” while the vodka will keep linens fresh.
“A lot of theaters use vodka to deodorize the costumes — it’s a natural deodorizer, and it dries down without a smell,” she says in the video. Even the Denver Center for the Performing Arts swears by a vodka refresh for its costume department when they can’t perform a proper machine wash.
As an optional step, Vanderbeek says you can add a tablespoon of conditioner (or, in my case, three pumps) to help “pack a punch in the de-wrinkling.” Vanderbeek used The Laundress Fabric Conditioner but says any type of conditioner (hair or fabric) can work — just be sure that whatever you use is colorless to avoid staining your sheets.
I shook my old Dollar Store spray bottle to mix the contents, and it took a while for the conditioner to break down. I got to work with a cloudy, slightly sudsy mixture with still a few conditioner lumps floating at the top.
I tried the spray on the expensive linen sheet set by The Citizenry I invested in, which is meant to look lived-in, but as I’ve experienced, there’s a difference between “lived-in” and messy. I worked one section at a time, spraying the sheets until the surface was damp but not soaked. I stretched the fabric with one hand while I spritzed with the other, then smoothed out the surface with the palm of my hand.
In less than five minutes, all the wrinkles and fold marks had been released from half of my bed. I proceeded to de-wrinkle the other side, and voilá, my bed-making skills have leveled up to Hilton status — all because of this liquid wonder. I can’t believe how this homemade recipe made my luxury sheets feel infinitely more luxurious.
The spray smelled nothing like vodka, though I initially got a whiff of vinegar. Once it dried, though, there wasn’t any kind of lingering scent, not even from my conditioner. I’ll definitely be keeping a bottle of this on my nightstand and have even ordered a cuter option from Amazon.
I may consider adding a few drops of essential oils or scented linen spray to make my sheets smell better, but the concoction (even with some simple eyeballing) was easy and quick to make, didn’t require a trip to the store, and worked surprisingly well.
Exploring the Timeless Beauty of Jordan’s Wadi Rum Desert
Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon, offers an unforgettable journey through vast, echoing landscapes and towering cliffs.
This desert in Jordan is not just a natural wonder but a historical tapestry, with petroglyphs and inscriptions that date back thousands of years.
Its unique terrain has attracted filmmakers, adventurers, and those seeking solitude under its expansive skies.
Planning your trek through Wadi Rum is essential due to extreme temperatures and scarce water.
It’s wise and respectful to hire a local Bedouin guide for safety and to discover hidden spots.
Pack essentials like water, sunscreen, hats, and walking shoes.
Light packing is recommended to navigate the desert’s challenges comfortably while ensuring you’re prepared for the journey.
Experiencing Bedouin hospitality is essential in Wadi Rum.
These indigenous people, in harmony with the desert for centuries, offer a unique stay in their camps.
Travelers can enjoy traditional meals under the stars and hear stories passed through generations.
It’s a deep dive into human history and nature, connecting visitors with the ancient ways of life.
After sunset, Wadi Rum transforms into one of the world’s most spectacular planetariums.
The absence of light pollution reveals constellations and galaxies sprawling across the night sky.
It’s a perfect time for photography enthusiasts or anyone who appreciates the quieter moments in life.
Lying on soft sands while gazing upwards offers a profound sense of peace and insignificance in the universe’s vastness.
Wadi Rum’s landscapes are canvases for ancient civilizations, with rocks showcasing petroglyphs and inscriptions that narrate long-forgotten tales.
These artworks offer insights into early human life and beliefs.
Guided tours decode these ancestral messages, providing an educational journey into the past.
Beyond breathtaking views, Wadi Rum invites deep exploration of its majestic terrains and introspection within oneself.