Vodka Cruiser and Traffik Unveil New Flavours with a Fusion of Technology and Music
Clemenger Group’s Traffik has unveiled a five-meter-long music installation with 61 speakers and 7500 watts of power to launch the new Vodka Cruiser flavours range.
Dubbed The MixMachine, the unique installation came to life with the help of production powerhouse Made and was centre stage at the flavours launch.
The MixMachine mixes Vodka Cruiser flavours with soda water using vibrations from the music via the built-in speakers.
Traffik creative director Mark Held said: “Everyone knows and loves Vodka Cruiser as a pre-mixed drink. We needed to highlight the new format.”
“And 12-inch sub woofers did the job just perfectly.”
Made This head of creative technology Marie-Celine Merret Wirstrom said: “To materialise the concept, we used cymatics – the study of wave phenomena for sound and their visual representation.
“To get the effect we wanted, we took a lot of time in research and development with all the subject matter experts collaborating very closely. When you blend science, technology, and creativity, a lot of interesting things happen, and this mixing machine was truly one of a kind and a dream project to work on.”
The night was complete with guests being treated to DJ sets by Ayebatonye, Benson, and Winston Surfshirt.
Vodka Cruiser marketing manager Monique Di Gregorio said the creation of the MixMachine installation helped demonstrate just how versatile the new Vodka Cruiser flavours range is.
“Remixed by Music was the perfect way to celebrate the new range of Flavours with our fans, elevating drinks with fun, flavour, and colour,” she said.
Credits:
Client: Vodka Cruiser
Creative and production lead: Traffik
Specialist production and Content: Made This
Influencer + PR: Mango
Cymatics/sound design: Electric Sheep Music
Specialist fabrication: Yipee-Ki-Yay
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Rosie Drew is the senior reporter at Mumbrella. She joined in May 2024.
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Nolensville Residents to Vote on Wine in Grocery Stores Referendum This November
NOLENSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nolensville voters will have the power to allow grocery stores to sell wine in November, the Williamson County Election Commission announced.
Resulting from a signature-gathering campaign, the question of whether to allow wine in grocery stores (WIGS) will appear on the town’s ballot in the Nov. 5 general election.
Williamson County Election Administration Chad Gray issued a memorandum confirming that his staff validated enough signatures to meet the petition threshold for the question to appear on the general election ballot. Per state law, a certain minimum number of Nolensville registered voters had to sign the petition in order to get the initiative on the ballot.
PREVIOUS: New Nolensville grocery stores may be unable to sell wine
One group celebrating the referendum’s appearance on the ballot is the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association.
“Nolensville shoppers are one stop closer to being able to buy wine where they buy their food,” Association President Rob Ikard said in a statement. “We are excited that the Town of Nolensville will likely join the more than one hundred fifth communities statewide that have adopted wine in grocery stores.”
The Williamson County Election Commission is set to approve the petition results at its upcoming meeting, which should be held no later than August 19.
“We are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response we received in the petition effort, but it is now up to the voters of Nolensville,” Ikard said. “Those who want to be able to buy their wine where they buy their food must make their voices heard on November 5.”
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
The referendum is timely, as the town recently announced plans for two new grocery stores that would otherwise have not been able to sell wine when they opened. Both Publix and Kroger are currently in the works in Nolensville, with estimations of opening in the next year and a half.
News 2 has reached out to Nolensville officials for comment, but has not heard anything back as of publication.
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For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Lagavulin Offerman Edition #4 Review: A Caribbean Rum Cask Adventure
Celebrity collaborations in the spirits world are often met with skepticism, but a consensus seems to exist among whiskey enthusiasts and spirits writers that Nick Offerman’s association with Islay’s Lagavulin is a notable exception. The beloved Parks and Recreation actor has been a dedicated Lagavulin enthusiast for decades, long before he entered into any formal partnership with the brand. Offerman’s genuine passion for this particular whiskey is endearing–and lucrative, considering Diageo’s marketing resources. Bringing him onboard officially was an obvious choice when the distillery launched its Lagavulin Offerman Edition series.
So far, there have been three previous Offerman Editions, each focusing on an 11-year-old Lagavulin single malt, positioning it perfectly between the brand’s 8-year and 16-year main offerings. The first edition was a standard Lagavulin single malt, while the second edition underwent secondary maturation in Guinness Stout casks. The third edition ventured into the wine realm with STR casks–wine casks that are “shaved, toasted, recharred.” Now, the fourth Lagavulin Offerman Edition explores the Caribbean with a Rum Cask Finish, inspired by Nick’s time in Puerto Rico while filming Peacock’s underrated psychedelic mystery series The Resort.
Similar to other editions, this whiskey was aged 11 years in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry oak before an additional 8 months of secondary maturation in Caribbean rum casks of undisclosed origin. It was bottled at a slightly higher strength of 46% ABV (92 proof), which is a bit above average, and has an MSRP of $90. How does the classic, smoke, and peat-heavy Islay single malt scotch profile blend with the rum cask influence? Let’s taste and see.
On the nose, this expression offers a bouquet of rich, sweet smoke, aromatic wood, and vibrant fruitiness. The fruity notes encompass roasted pineapple, lemon, and baked apple, enhanced by hints of cardamom buns and vanilla buttercream. There’s also a maritime character with seaweed-like brine, balanced by seasoned firewood and sweet smoke. The overall intensity of the peat/smoke presence is actually more subdued on the nose than one might expect, especially compared to other Lagavulin products, and it all feels nicely mellowed by the rum cask influence. Overall, it’s a very inviting nose.
On the palate, though, things take a bit more of an aggressive turn. Some of the fruitiness remains, but in more of a poached pear/apple sense, met by more green, briny and spicy character. The smoke that was more mellow on the nose strides to the forefront and is significantly more aggressive, even a little bit harsh at times. I’m getting aromatic wood and lots of toasted spice–especially singed cinnamon stick and black pepper–along with more seaweed like brine. Sweetness up front is moderate, but it’s counteracted by a lingering, prickly, somewhat bitter dimension to the smoke on the palate, which also favors a hot-and-spicy characteristic. In general, I like aspects of this profile–the classic Lagavulin peatiness is certainly present–but I wish that it reflected the more gentle and fruity nature of the nose a bit more. It feels like the nose promises a more exotically transformed Lagavulin experience, but then the palate doesn’t quite take you to where you think you’re going.
All in all, though, lovers of heavily peated Islay single malt scotch whisky will likely still find plenty to love here. It’s not the scotch I would choose as someone’s introduction to peated single malts, but devotees of the style will likely relish the smoky intensity of the palate in particular.
Distillery: Lagavulin (Diageo)
Region: Islay, Scotland
Style: Single malt scotch whisky
ABV: 46% (92 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $90 MSRP
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.
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Hulk Hogan Set to Visit Metro Detroit and Launch New Beer Following Memorable RNC Speech
A little less than a week after WWE legend Hulk Hogan tore his shirt off in honor of former President Donald Trump and earned a rousing chant of “U-S-A” at the Republican National Convention, he’s bringing his “Real American Beer” to Michigan.
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, launched the American-style light lager earlier this month and plans to appear in metro Detroit this week as part of the beer’s rollout.
“If the Great Lakes State is anything like what we experienced last week in Missouri, Michigan better get ready brother,” Hogan said in a news release announcing the plan.
Hogan is expected to make an appearance at all 11 events scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, said Kameron Baetge, a public relations representative for Real American Beer.
The Wednesday stops, as released by the beer team, are at:
The Thursday stops are at:
The beer is 4.2% ABV and is described as having a light body and crisp, clean finish while using 100% North American ingredients.
Embark on a Unique Whiskey Tasting Adventure Aboard the World-Famous Skunk Train
A SPIRITED SYLVAN ADVENTURE: The World-Famous Skunk Train, or “Skunkie” if you prefer to be more familiar when addressing the legendary locomotive, is known for whisking adventuresome riders deep into the beautiful forest as it wends its scenic way from Willits or Fort Bragg. Call the celebrated Skunkster one of the best ways to connect with the seasons while in Mendocino County; you’ll enjoy the outdoors while also savoring, quite frequently, a special seasonal theme. And while the holidays always inspire the Skunk Train team to create seasonally inspired trips on the choo-choo, there are, on occasion, popular pop-ups created just for grown-up guests. Raise a dram, for one of those special events is just ahead: It’s the Whiskey Train.
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WILLITS… is where your experience will begin, an outing that will involve a trip to the line’s summit as well as beautiful Noyo River Canyon. Along the way, a whiskey expert will lead the tasting of four whiskeys from Tamar Distillery/Mendocino Spirits. And the tasting glasses? You got it: They’re keepers, and they’re customized, too. The price for the two-hour tasting is $124.14 and you’ll want to book your spot soon. But perhaps you are eager to know more about special trains on the Skunkie, which can “track” its history back to the 1880s? Check out the calendar here, which includes information about the attraction’s popular railbikes.
Unlocking the World of Whiskey: How Subscriptions Work and Why They’re Worth a Try
These days, there are subscription services/boxes for just about everything. You can even build a day around them, starting with coffee in the morning, some cheese for an afternoon snack, then some spirits for a delightful nightcap. There are also subscriptions that focus on one specific spirit — whiskey. Despite all falling under the broad category of whiskey (or whisky), there is actually a large range in whiskies (such as Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Japanese whisky, bourbon, and rye, among others). In the same vein, there are many different whiskey subscriptions. So how exactly do they work and should you try one?
If you enjoy whiskey and are interested in expanding your palate, knowledge, or collection, then the answer is yes, you should try a whiskey subscription. Most subscriptions will send either a full bottle or sample size bottles at a set interval (like monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly) throughout the subscription period (which could be a quarter, half-year, or year). These bottles are sometimes accompanied by tasting notes or cocktail recipes. Certain subscriptions also offer additional perks such as special discounts, access to limited releases, early or priority access to new releases, virtual tastings, exclusive events, and more.
Read more: The 27 Best Bourbon Brands, Ranked
First, it’s important to narrow down your taste preferences. Are you open to trying different types of whiskies or are you just interested in one type, say Scotch whisky (try the Scotch Malt Whisky Society), Irish whiskey (try Irishmalts), or artisan whiskies (try Craft Whisky Club)? Next, you should decide how frequently you want to receive bottles, and whether you would prefer full-sized bottles, samples, or both. Some subscriptions are month-to-month while others lock you in to a six- or 12-month period.
Price is also a consideration, and subscriptions can range from under $50 to more than $500. Another consideration is whether you want the bottles to be curated by someone else (which is usually the case) or customized for you (as in the case with Bounty Hunter). Some subscriptions (such as Pour More) offer different tiers for different levels of expertise while others (such as Spirited Gifts) are more beginner friendly. Also consider how important factors such as community (both virtual and in person) and access to certain releases (such as private barrel and limited editions) are to you. Finally, bear in mind that certain subscriptions only deliver to certain states, so be sure to check whether your state is included.
Also be sure to check out our round-up of the 10 Best Whiskey Subscriptions for more information and to help narrow your choice now.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Stuga Vodka Makers Return ‘Home’ to Kansas, Craft Corn-Based Spirit
LINDSBORG — Meaning small house or cottage in Swedish, the word “Stuga” is all about home.
Now the word has taken on a new meaning, as a brand of homegrown and crafted, corn-based Kansas vodka.
The idea for a corn-based vodka came from husband and wife Hilary and Erin Condren after finding themselves back “home” to the family farm in Lindsborg during the height of the COVID pandemic.
“The world’s falling apart, we’re in California … and we decided to go home to Lindsborg, Kansas, embrace our roots and figure out what in the world is happening before we make any next decisions,” Erin Condren said.
Condren is the fifth-generation owner of the farm after her family left Sweden in 1869 and found themselves staking claim in Lindsborg under the Homestead Act.
The Condrens decided that if they were going to take over and steward the family farm, they wanted to find a unique way to make use of the crops that helped her ancestors flourish.
At the same time, the Condrens also partnered with Dani Greene to take over the Öl Stuga bar in Lindsborg, and things started aligning to begin this new adventure into distilling.
“It all sort of came together where we took over the bar, took over the farm, took over the crops,” Condren said, “and we thought let’s do something cool.”
Lovers of vodka, the Condrens realized that Tito’s was really the only brand that was using 100% corn, and decided it could be something they could do to add to the market, using Kansas ingredients.
“We knew we wanted to be Kansas-made,” Condren said. “We knew that we had Kansas corn (to use) and even if our farm didn’t produce enough Kansas corn we wanted to align ourselves with others who had Kansas corn.”
They also wanted to make sure Stuga would be made in Kansas, so they looked around the state and eventually partnered with Boot Hill Distillery in Dodge City to house the operations.
“We felt immediately a connection to Hayes Kelman and his team at Boot Hill,” Condren said. “We walked through, legally, how we were going to create an alternating proprietorship.”
She said the two are distinct companies, but Boot Hill and Stuga share facilities and teams.
“We worked through renditions and formulas until we came up with what we wanted to put out into the world that Kansas could be proud of,” she said.
More: See ‘Kansas from Above’ with drone footage documentary at the Salina Art Cinema
After refining the product, she said they wanted to find a Kansas distributor to get their vodka on shelves and they found that with Lenexa-based Worldwide Beverage Group, and the product launched in May 2024.
Though they have a distributor, Erin Condren mentioned that she and her husband still prioritize personal interactions, often calling and visiting stores to pitch their vodka in person. Their product is now available in 132 stores across the state.
“There has not been one store that has said no to the product,” she remarked.
Beyond their straight 80 proof, six-times distilled corn vodka, Stuga also offers canned vodka soda cocktails. These come in five variations: Rain, an unflavored vodka soda with sparkling water; Farm, which includes grapefruit juice; Harvest, featuring blood orange; Lake, with lime flavor; and Sun, which utilizes lemon juice.
“We’re releasing a sixth canned cocktail this fall called ‘Hunt’ with cranberry,” Erin added. “It will be available in October or November.”
For more information about the company, visit its website at www.stugaspirits.com. Stuga also regularly posts information and updates on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Stuga Vodka finds a ‘home’ in Kansas, making spirits with local corn
What’s Hitting the Shelves? Exciting New Beverage Launches: From Rum to Coffee
22-Jul-2024
– Last updated on
22-Jul-2024 at 08:42 GMT
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Rum Co. of Fiji is rejuvenating its presence in Australia with a rebrand of its RATU and BATI ranges (pictured above).
Now available on Australian shelves, the updated look transitions from tribal to tropical, encapsulating the spirit and heritage of Fiji.
Produced in Fiji, Rum Co. of Fiji honours its heritage through a distinctive Fijian style of rum-making. This process respects the tropical landscape, from hand-cutting sugar cane grown in volcanic soil to distilling it at the foot of the iconic Sleeping Giant Mountain.
The rebrand pays homage to the brand’s deep connection to Fiji: with the new design pack featuring cultural patterns, the iconic Sleeping Giant Mountain, and a bright tropical palette. A new logo, now featuring sugar cane and a cane knife, also incorporates the fitting slogan “Paradise Distilled” symbolizing the essence of the island and craftsmanship for the rum.
Both BATI and RATU ranges are now on Australian shelves at Dan Murphy’s, First Choice Liquor, and independent bottle shops.
Rum Co. of Fiji is owned by Paradise Beverages, part of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
BODYARMOR Sports drink has teamed up with the sports and comedy group DUDE PERFECT to launch an exclusive new flavor and bottle, available for a limited time in US stores this summer.
Perfect Pop is a nostalgic, refreshing flavor inspired by the classic cherry and berry ice pops, maintaining BODYARMOR’s commitment to real ingredients, real flavor, and nothing artificial.
The Dudes were actively involved in the creation of this new launch – from testing flavors and designing labels to collaborating with the BODYARMOR team on developing a go-to-market strategy for Perfect Pop.
Perfect Pop is available now through the end of August (or until supplies last) and can be found online or at major retailers, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, Albertson’s, and more.
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BrewDog Distilling Co. has announced the addition of five new RTD cocktails to its Wonderland Cocktail line-up.
The new flavors – Cosmo, Whisky Sour, Strawberry Daiquiri, Watermelon Margarita and Long Island Iced Tea – are available to purchase online in the UK at £3.90 each or from BrewDog bars.
The drinks come in 125ml cans and have an ABV of 10% – 14%, depending on the flavor.
Steven Kearsley, Managing Director of BrewDog Distilling Co., shared: “We launched Wonderland Cocktail Co. in October 2023, and since then we’ve achieved over 3,000 new distribution points for our bar-quality canned cocktail range. A few months back, we ran a poll on Instagram giving people the chance to vote for the serves they want to join the range – and we’re responding by making them!”
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These new cocktails join the existing Wonderland Cocktails range: Mojito, Cantarito Paloma, Espresso Martini, Passionfruit Martini, and Margarita.
Food and beverage company Agus is launching Hello Day! Magico – a drink that combines natural fruit juice and crunchy coconut chunks (nata de coco) across Europe this month: starting in Netto, Kaufland and other retailers and distributors.
The new drink is currently available in three flavors: mango, lychee, and coconut.
Warsaw-headquartered Agus – whose portfolio includes beverages, snacks, and dairy – says the new launch illustrates its strategy to grow, develop, and think outside the box: “Biting into and chewing springy coconut bits is at the heart of the beverage’s pleasure, providing unexpected experiences,” notes the company.
The drinks branding has been created by Italian agency Break Design: with ‘magico’ coming from the English words ‘magic’ and ‘coconut’ – or, quite simply, the word for magic in Italian.
The drink contains less than 5g/100ml of sugar, aligning it with health recommendations and minimizing exposure to sugar taxes (depending on market).
Lewis Hamilton’s alcohol-free spirit brand Almave has launched its second expression: tying in with his British Grand Prix win at Silverstone earlier this month.
The brand is the creation of the Formula 1 superstar and Mexican spirits group, Casa Lumbre, and is distributed in the UK by Mangrove Global.
New launch Almave Blanco complements its sippable predecessor as a liquid that’s designed to be mixed. It captures a naturally balanced sweetness against herbaceous flavors from the agave and a refreshing acidity. Where Almave Ambar reflects the same qualities as a reposado or Anejo tequila or mezcal, Blanco is designed as the ideal base to mix into alcohol-free cocktails.
Agave flavors are captured thanks to the uniqueness of Almave’s distillation: much like tequila, the liquid is distilled from real agave in the Jalisco region of Mexico and is created using an entirely new process that’s based on age-old Mexican traditions.
According to research carried out by the IWSR, the UK’s low and no-alcohol market is expected to see a volume growth of 10% between now and 2026.
Almave Blanco will RRP at £24 and is now available to the on and off-trade through Mangrove Global.
V Rum, a new premium, sustainable British rum brand, is launching in the UK with two expressions.
Founded by British husband-and-wife entrepreneurs, Nicole and Carl Churchill, the brand made its debut on Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, championed by Ian Burrell, The Rum Ambassador.
The spirit is made from scratch using locally sourced, premium natural ingredients; and brought to life by Head Distiller, Mikey Melrose, at the brand’s sustainable distillery in Hampshire.
V Rum’s founders launch with the intention of becoming a mainstream British rum brand, while championing a focus on sustainable production. Entrepreneur Carl Churchill launched his first internet business aged 12 and was later tipped as ‘one to watch’ by the Sunday Times Rich List in 2003.
V Rum launches with a Premium White Rum (40% ABV) and an Overproof White Rum (60% ABV), designed for cocktail mixing or sipping neat.
The brand’s cosmic theme and unique recipes come from a 2009 discovery by astronomers and astrobiologists that ‘space smells like rum’.
V Rum’s distillery uses 100% renewable electricity, green gas provided by Ecotricity, an advanced heat recovery system to mitigate emissions, and uses molasses from UK sugar production to limit air miles. The emissions that V Rum cannot avoid are offset via Ecologi’s carbon avoidance initiative, which contributes to tree planting to support future mitigation. Future plans include solar panels and lighter packaging options.
UK coffee company Little’s is launching a new Chocolate Coffee Pod Variety pack, retailing at £4 per pack of 10 Nespresso compatible capsules.
The new pack contains two flavors for mocha lovers: with Mexican chocolate and rich mocha capsules.
Little’s mission is to ‘get you as close to a cup of specialty coffee as possible from the comfort of home’, for as little as 64p a cup: with a range of premium instant coffee, coffee capsules, and ground coffee. It hopes to appeal to Gen Z with the same agility, novelty, and sense of fun as coffee shops; but via the grocery aisle, which is still dominated by instant coffee.
In 2022, it moved its coffee capsule manufacturing from Europe to the UK to reduce transportation and is the only brand to manufacture capsules in the UK.
The brand uses fully traceable specialty grade Honduran coffee for all flavored ground and capsules and is en route to becoming carbon neutral.
Looking for more beverage inspiration?
Take a look at last week’s round-up of new beverage launches.
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East Coast Celebrity Chef Explores Oregon Wine Country and Savors Portland Pizza
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Erin French, the chef-owner of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, is shown at a cookbook-signing event in Freeport, Maine. Portland Press Herald via Getty
Since opening her restaurant, The Lost Kitchen, in her hometown of Freedom, Maine, chef Erin French has become well-known for her cooking, her personal story of overcoming struggles to find success, and also for how difficult it is to snare a reservation at The Lost Kitchen, the mill-turned-restaurant that requires would-be diners to mail postcards requesting reservations, in the hopes that their postcard will be among those chosen at random.
The Lost Kitchen has gained national renown as high-profile figures such as Martha Stewart have visited, and French has authored books and hosted her own TV series, which airs on the Magnolia Network, the media joint venture between Chip and Joanna Gaines (of “Fixer Upper” fame) and Warner Bros. Discovery.
French’s media footprint has expanded even more with the arrival this summer of a new series, The show, which premiered on the Magnolia Network and the Max streaming platform on June 23, finds French and her husband, Michael Dutton, driving their Airstream trailer across the country to visit cities and states where French hopes to find fresh inspiration for meals served at The Lost Kitchen.
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So far, French and Dutton have visited Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, and California. In the episode that aired Sunday, July 21, the couple came to Oregon, on what they said was the first day of spring.
The couple set up camp on a site overlooking Illahe Vineyards, in the Dallas area. The winery is, French said, one of their favorites, “that we procure wines from for The Lost Kitchen.”
French said in the episode that Oregon is producing all the things that go together. “This is the week of hazelnuts and wine and pasta and open fire cooking, pizza — there’s scene here. We’ve got to check it out.”
Before all that, though, French went on a “truffle foraging adventure,” though her husband, who wasn’t feeling well, stayed behind in the trailer. French met up with Elan Hagens, owner and founder of Temptress Truffles, and Kevin McFarland, who breeds truffle-sniffing dogs and guides truffle hunting excursions.
Hagens told French that the Willamette Valley is one of the “most fruitful regions” for truffles, and the trio, accompanied by a truffle-hunting dog, walked through a wooded area, searching for black truffles and Oregon winter white truffles.
Then, French drove to Portland, where she stopped in at Pastificio d’Oro, for a lesson in preparing hand-made pasta.
“I’ve always wanted to learn how to make handmade pasta, but I’m intimidated,” French said.
French met Chase Dopson and Maggie Irwin, noting that Chase and Maggie are partners, in that he takes care of the pasta, and she takes care of everything else. Dopson demonstrated his technique, which involves using a mattarello, a handmade wooden rolling pin.
French confessed that she’s never made pasta, and has felt “mortified and embarrassed” about it. Following Dopson’s directions, French rolled out pasta dough, and said, “I can already feel my mistakes.”
Both agreed with Dopson’s observation about cooking — “your mood is in your food.”
After cooking granola, with chopped hazelnuts and Oregon honey among the ingredients for breakfast at camp, French was joined by two visiting Lost Kitchen employees, Alex Burnham and Lauren Crichton, as they went to Illahe to preview some wines they might want for The Lost Kitchen.
When they started the wine cellar at The Lost Kitchen, French said, they wanted to have wines that you couldn’t find all over the place. “We wanted it to be like it came from these small vineyards that were doing thoughtful things,” she said. “And Illahe has been on our list since then.”
Karen Richards, of Illahe, poured a number of wines for French, Burnham and Crichton, and talked about the Illahe commitment to sustainability and natural growing practices.
Sitting outside, under a cloudy Oregon sky and with lush greenery in the background, French tasted one wine, and said, “Oh, we know this. This got us through the pandemic.”
A post shared by Tournant (@tournantpdx)
French’s next stop was Tournant, where Jaret Foster and Mona Johnson told French how they went from working in “classic kitchens” to meeting at the Portland Farmers Market, to starting a “farm to fire” dining business, where food is often prepared over an open fire.
Then it was back to Portland, where French was now joined by Dutton, as they walked with the St. Johns Bridge in the background. They agreed they had to go try “some West Coast pizza.” They went to Gracie’s Apizza, where owner Craig Melillo was making pizzas with seasonal ingredients.
“Apparently, Portland, Oregon is like the pizza spot on the West Coast,” Dutton told French. He lived and worked in New York for years, Dutton said, and loves New York pizza. “Let’s see how good it is” in Portland, Dutton said, and added that he bet Melillo was from the East Coast.
Melillo served up a hazelnut pizza with balsamic vinegar; a daily pie with green garlic pesto with kale, pickled chiles and potatoes; and a tomato pie with green garlic and Pecorino cheese.
French and Dutton chowed down. “Nice thin crust,” Dutton said, approvingly. “The pizza is legit,” French said. “We got some real talent on the West Coast for pizza. Might be giving the East Coast a little run for the money.”
Dutton then shared his theory with Melillo, that Portland is gaining a reputation as a pizza place because people are bringing their skills and talents from the East Coast.
Melillo said he grew up in Connecticut, just outside of New Haven, but added that Dutton’s theory was wrong. “I don’t think that’s exactly why it’s really good here,” Melillo said. “The thing about here is the ingredients are so good. Particularly in my case. Every cheese you’re eating, except the Pecorino, is from the Pacific Northwest.”
French concluded that a theme of the week in Oregon was, it’s not about how many people can you feed, “it’s about how many people can you do something really special for.”
Back at their camp, French invited some of the locals she met to share a meal she prepared, including duck breast, onions, hazelnuts, pears, truffles and pinot noir.
“I feel like we don’t ever want to leave,” French said.
The “Oregon: Wine Country” episode of “Getting Lost With Erin French” is “The Lost Kitchen” is
— Kristi Turnquist covers features and entertainment. Reach her at 503-221-8227, kturnquist@oregonian.com or @Kristiturnquist
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The Top Pilsner: Winner of the U.S. Open Beer Championship
The best pilsners of 2024 came in a variety of sub-categories.
The best pilsners in various sub-categories were announced by The U.S. Open Beer Championship in early July. The Ohio-based beer festival is one of the most prestigious in the world and along with the World Beer Cup and The Great American Beer Festival, is one of the big three beer festivals in the U.S.
This year judges tasted more than 9,000 beers across 170 styles submitted from breweries across the U.S. and globe. Though the competition gets the majority of its submissions from the U.S., it has also seen beers submitted from countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and elsewhere.
The competition was founded by brewer Dow Scoggins in 2009 and Scoggins recently told me the festival has always prided itself in the diversity of the categories it judges. You can see that when it comes to pilsners. The festival has five pilsner categories and a sixth category that can go either to a lager or pilsner (pilsners are a type of lager so although all pilsners are lagers, not all lagers are pilsners).
This year many major beer festivals have seen an uptick in pilsner submissions reflecting growing interest in the category from consumers. Many brewers I speak to have long preferred the subtle yet complex pilsner category to the more in-your-face IPA category which had come to dominate beer sales. In part because of this, these days pilsners are starting to take some market share from IPAs, though they are not yet as popular.
The pilsners below were all gold medal winners at this year’s U.S. Open Beer Championship, meaning they were deemed the best of the best by the festival’s panel of judges.
This popular Denver brewery with several locations is no stranger to success with several previous medals from prestigious beer competitions to its name. These include a 2024 bronze medal from the World Beer Cup for a beer called Smooth Exportations, a German-Style Oktoberfest. Here it took home the top prize in this competitive light and crisp lager category.
This brewery Czechs all the marks (get it?) for lovers of Czech/Bohemian pilsners with Czech Republic ingredients including the quintessential pilsner Saaz hop. Per the brewery, this beer has “a slight honey-like sweetness and toasted cracker flavor from the lightly kilned malt and a wonderfully spicy, herbal, and floral hop aroma.”
Only a true pill wouldn’t like this pils from Riverlands Brewing Co. that is made with German pilsner yeast and a mix of American Sterling hops and German Saphir hops. The brewery’s tasting notes say this beer features “a beautiful blend of floral, spice, lemongrass, and citrus hop flavors,” and “a pleasant bitterness.”
This gets the gold medal from me for best name on this list, which is all the more impressive because the brewery that released it, Taproom Beer Co., doesn’t exactly earn creativity points for its name. Getting back to this beer, it’s made with a new experimental hop called HRC-003 from the Hop Research Council and per the brewery “boasts [a] bouquet of tropical, stonefruit, and berry qualities.”
The latest award-winning brew from this critically acclaimed brewhouse and movie theater is named for the nickname given to the main character in the iconic Rocky franchise. Not only is this beer and many others from the San Antonio beer award-winning, I’m betting it pairs well with popcorn.
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