Month: September 2021

Eataly End of Summer Festa

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

Eataly is a chain of large space supermarkets that got its start in a former vermouth factory in Turin, Italy (which I’ve been to). They’ve expanded worldwide opening stores in North America in Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto.

The first New York City store was opened in 2010 in the Toy Building on 5th Avenue in the Flatiron District of Manhattan and became an immediate success. A second store, Eataly Downtown was opened at 101 Liberty Street across from the Freedom Tower.

Periodically, at the Downtown location they host a food and wine festival and, after a year long hiatus, hosted the End of Summer Wine & Food Festa on September 17th. The Festa featured over 40 Italian wines that were paired with appetizer portions of food.

The Festa was held in the store with various stations of food and wine scattered around the store. This made for an experience that had you walking around the store to sample the various wines and food. This was much more fun experience than having everyone crammed into one room.

Some wines I sampled:

2020 Firriato Etna Bianco2018 Domenico Clericco Langhe Nebbiolo Capisme
2013 Cesani Merlot “Cellori”2020 Marziano Abbona Roero Arneis “Tistin”
2020 Tornatore Etna Bianco 2019 Allegrini Valpolicella
2017 Allegrini La Grola2018 Poggop al Tesoro Toscana Mediterra
2019 Tredeberri Barbera d’Alba2014 Il Pavone Barolo
2016 Il Pavone Langhe Nebbiolo2016 Il Pavone Barbera d’Alba Superiore
2016 Pasque Amarone della Valpoicella2015 Villa Cafaggio Cortaccio Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Castello d’Ama San LorenzoNV Il Mosnel Franciacorta
Chianti Classico Gran Selezione

Eats:

Nodini Di Mozzarella E PestoParmigiano Reggiano E Prosciutto
Focaccia ClassicaFocaccia Rossa
AranciniBresaola E Rucola
Arista Di MaialeAgnolotti Con Tartufo
Castagnole Con GelatoTiramisu Della Nonna

The Whisky X

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

The Whisky X is a Whisky “experience” promoting “whisky, music, food and style”. It’s a traveling whiskey and concert event stopping in Chicago, Austin, Denver and Las Vegas.

On September 10th the tour stopped in Brooklyn. It was held at Industry City which is a huge arts and entertainment center near the waterfront in Sunset Park featuring “eats, drinks and play”.

There were 60+ whiskies and cocktails to sample at the outdoor courtyard and indoors with a good selection of American whiskies, Irish whiskies, Scotch whiskies and for some reason, a table of rum. If you were in the mood for haircut with your whisky, there were a couple of barbers on hand to give you one.

Unlike most of these events there was a live band performing later in the evening. That band that evening was “Guster” and while I didn’t stick around for the concert, they did have an impressive collection of musical instruments on stage.

Some whiskies (and an outlier rum) that I sampled:

Calumet: small batch blend, straight bourbon, 15yr bourbonHudson Whiskey NY: Do the rye thing, bright lights big bourbon
Blackened: Kentucky straight rye, whisky blendWoodinville: 100% Rye, straight bourbon
Roe & Co: Irish whiskeyThe Irishman: Single malt
Busker: Single grain Irish whiskeyTeeling: Single batch Irish whiskey
McConnel“s: Irish WhiskeyJim Beam: Kentucky straight bourbon
Basi Hayden’s: Kentucky straight bourbonKnob Creek: Kentucky straight bourbon
Whistle Pig: Piggy back 6yrClyde May’s: Straight rye, straight bourbon
Gosling’s: Old rum, papa sealLegent: Bourbon

Rum Fest 2021

Published on by Bruno DonaggioLeave a comment

RumLab is a website dedicate to rum and to the people involved with it. They sponsor a travelling Rum festival stopping in San Juan, Chicago, San Francisco, Miami Beach and after a year hiatus, in New York City on August 21st.

It was a tasting that featured 100+ rums from several countries in all styles. There were also several seminars throughout the afternoon.

The event was held at the popular event space, the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 West 18th Street in Manhattan.

Rum is made from molasses or free run sugar cane juice which is then fermented and distilled in either a column still or a pot still. Not surprisingly, production is centered in the Caribbean countries though it’s made worldwide as well. The rum comes out of the still clear and aging (or adding additives like caramel color) adds color to the rum. The various styles of rum include light rum, gold rum, dark rum, black rum and spiced rum.

Personally, I save the white rums for the pina coladas and rum and Coke while I believe that aged rum is one of the most underrated spirits in the world. It’s something you sip neat while watching the sun go down with bonus points if you are smoking a good cigar.

I particularly enjoy the Rum Agricole that are produced in the French West Indies. They generally have more character with earthy and grassy notes and a lighter texture than rums made from molasses.

Last years tour was another victim of the pandemic so a good crowd showed to the event to sample what was offered, though I did notice that there were fewer producers on hand this time around than in previous years.

Some rums I sampled:

El Dorado 15yr, 21yrClement 10yr, 15yr
Chairman’s Reserve Legacy, 1931Bounty Officer’s Release, Dark Rum
Smith & Cross Traditional Jamaican Ron Abuelo 7yr, 12yr
Maggie’s Farm Single BarrelRhum JM 2002, VSOP
Montanya Oro, ExclusivaBarcelo Imperial
Long Pond 15yr Single MaltClement Canne Bleue, XO
Holme’s Cay Guyana 2005, Belize 2006, Barbados 2005Plantation Jamaica, Australia, Trinidad
Don Q Anejo, XO