A Whiskey a day ...

What I'm sippin on: Manhattan made with Four Roses bourbon and a few extra dashes of bitters
Fun fact o' the day: Whiskey is actually beer (minus the hops) that has been distilled at least 2 or 3 times


... How does that saying go? Maybe it wasn't whiskey ...

Nonetheless, let's pretend it was. And if it's "a whiskey a day" you are looking for, you MUST check out one of San Francisco's newest additions: Hardwater.

Located on SF's well-known Pier 3 (steps away from another great place I'll delve deeper into another time - La Mar), Hardwater serves up a Louisiana-style food menu with a pairing of over 150 whiskeys/bourbons to fit every palate, and EVERY price-range.

The place itself is very simply-designed, yet includes a few touches that subtly embrace its location and make for a pleasant, cozy yet comfortable setting to enjoy a few cocktails and some food items you can't get just anywhere.

If you know me (and you probably don't, yet, but you certainly soon will) you know I appreciate a GREAT Old-Fashioned. In my book, a perfect Old-Fashioned needs only 3 ingredients:
1) a tasty whiskey or bourbon that can hold its own
2) bitters, either aromatic or  flavored
3) simple syrup, agave, or a sweetener of choice to tie everything together

 

No cherries? No muddled orange and sugar cube? Nope! And oh has my interpretation of this cocktail changed over the years...

Circa 2010, an old-fashioned was one of the more repulsive concoctions I knew...

Come 2011 and I was starting to like them, yet my recipe was entirely flawed. Let's just say I used to shake my whiskey, and add ungodly amounts of club soda.

In 2012, I let go of the additional water, as well as the shaking, but thought I was on the right track when I replaced maraschino cherries with the much more refined morello cherry. Still not correct.

Finally in 2013, I think I've got it.

And Hardwater has got it, too.

Those behind the bar at Hardwater are not simply drink-poureres, they are truly bartenders at their finest. And they definitely know their whiskeys.

Food?

I love trying new things, so when I saw alligator on the menu, I had to indulge. There, it's served as an appetizer - breaded and fried in little bite-sized pieces with a tangy aioli. (Just now, I went to their website to get a better description and, alas, it seems they have removed this item from the menu!!) Nonetheless, very tasty, and quite reminiscent of chicken.

Also tasted was their gumbo - filled with all sorts of bounty from the sea in a rich creole sauce. It felt unhealthy, which I'm sure it was, but I liked it anyway.

I'll be back more for the drink than the food, but alcohol always brings on some sort of hunger, so I'm sure I'll be tasting more of what they have to offer. 

Cheers!

Wine Wednesday? Why only ONE day each week?

What I'm Sippin' on: Donnafugata Anthilla (Italian white wine)
Fun Fact o' the Day: A “cork-tease” is someone who constantly talks about the wine he or she will open but never does

Today's entry will come in the form of a brief, yet refreshingly delicious wine review.

After work yesterday afternoon (and an annoyingly hot, tiring commute that was about 3x longer than usual - still no idea why), I found myself craving a crisp, cool white wine to sip my way into relaxation mode.

Whole Foods happens to be the most convenient, direct stop for wine/produce on my route home, so that's where I decided to go. Not a bad place to get your hands on some unique and tasty wines, by the way.

Being the compulsive "googler" that I am, I of course did a minute's worth of preliminary research on my way (googling and driving? no... not a chance...). My search brought me to this page, where I quickly selected two bottles I knew would satisfy my craving.

A label always gets me, even though sometimes it can be completely deceiving. Not always is a catchy label a sign of a good wine. In the case of "Donnafugata Anthilla", however, it is. I admit, it wasn't the just the label that drew me in. Whole Foods' wine flavor profile read: "fresh farm grass on the nose, elegant fruit, tiny hint of Mediterranean salt". Yeah, it's the mention of salt that got to me. I'm a dirty martini lover at heart, what can I say? I had to try it!

So how was it, you ask? Perfect. In my opinion, the colder the better, for this wine. Right away, my mouth was struck with that tingle that only a white wine can provide. Definitely reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc, this wine screams fresh, zesty, and summer. As for the afore mentioned salt, I didn't really get it. Maybe it would be brought out more with some complementary food? Too late to tell now - the bottle is GONE.

As for the second bottle I mentioned caught my eye ... we'll wait and see. :-)  


Overall:
Nose: lemongrass, papaya, grapefruit
Taste: crisp, zesty, with a long earthy finish
Price Point: $13-$18 (and worth it)
Versatility: Definitely drinkable by itself or with food
Pairing: Bright summer flavors, seafood, fresh herbs and salads

Addendum: What you'll find in EACH AND EVERY post here

Just to add a little to my brief introduction, I wanted to set up a little list of expectations for both you, the reader, as well as myself, your somewhat scatter-brained author.

In each post, I will lead with "what I'm sippin' on" (self-explanatory heading) as well as a fun food/drink relate fact of the day that I most likely will be "borrowing" from other internet, TV, radio, and print sources.

Down the line, maybe I'll come up with a day-of-the-week themed posting regime, or something of the sort, but I'm not there yet.

Any suggestions? I'm open to them!

Cheers!