A Drink A Day
Drink When You Fly
Do you know what makes a cross-country flight on a Saturday afternoon better? Wine. It’s a fact. Actually a drink on any flight is great. I mean think about it. You are FLYING. In the sky. Very fast. It’s a freaking miracle for Pete’s sake! Who are you NOT to sit back and enjoy if over a glass of some mid-range non descript blended wine from a plastic mini bottle poured into a plastic cup? The point is, take a moment for you at 30,000 feet and think about what you are taking part in as you sip some fermented grape juice. Its all about the little victories.
-by Brian Aufdenberg
Big Ass Glass of German Beer
I love wine. A lot. I like Whisky, Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon as well. A lot. However, from time to time, life just calls for a big ass glass of good German beer. A liter to be exact. I do not even recall exactly which beer this was because this day, I did it the right way, and I drank 4 different liters of strong and fresh German beer. The point I am trying to make here is sometimes you have to just get in there and enjoy a well-crafted beer. Or 4. Either way, go out, watch soccer (Or Football, or footy if you prefer to call it), get loud, and drink beer. If there is a good metal show following, I highly recommend you carry on there afterwards.
-by Brian Aufdenberg
Elderflower
I am not the biggest on flowery drinks to be honest, not when it comes to my booze anyway. However, I do know enough to trust the great folks at Farmers Cabinet in Philly to let them do their magic, and what ever it is they are going to come up with, is going to be fucking good. This drink is proof.
It has just the right balance and mix of Rittenhouse Rye, Amaro Nonino, Amontillado Sherry, Benedictine, St. Germain, and a touch of Angostura bitters. Just enough heat to let you know your having a classic Rye, but a great floral blend of liqueur and fortified wine to really make this smooth and refreshing. Another kick ass drink from Farmers Cabinet.
-by Brian Aufdenberg
2004 Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey
Its not a big secret in this world that I have a sweet tooth. Maybe not so much when it comes to wine, but I can get down with the Sirens call when it comes from a good desert or ice wine. After such a great meal and the bottle of 2008 Patriarche Gevrey-Chambertin we had just finished, and seeing this great treat on the menu, I knew I had to have just one nice cool glass of this Sauternes.
It was all one could want in this fabled wine. A wonderful warm honey yellow color, with a nose of honey, apricots, pineapple, peaches, vanilla and saffron. There was no doubt that this was a Noble Rot wine. There was no denying the botrytis here! It had a medium plus sweetness to it with good acid and long finish. It tasted just as it smelled and I smiled the whole time this was in front of me. Sauternes can be too sweet for many, but for those of you that like them as much as I do, you know the sweet secret they can reveal. This is a great Sauternes for the price, especially considering what top end versions can run you.
by Brian Aufdenberg
2008 Patriarche Gevrey-Chambertin
After a slightly longer than expected break to peruse my academic side of wine, spirits, and drinks, we are back at it here at Drink A Day. I figured I would start it all of in 2013 with what I have to say was the BEST bottle of wine I drank in all of 2012.
On our last night in Berlin this past summer, Heather and I treated our selves to one hell of a meal at a lovely French restaurant. It was a bit touristy, but the food was wonderful and the wine list was a dream come true. I will skip the back-story and just say this wine was mislabeled on the menu and we were able to get a premium bottle of this fine wine at half the price. Once the bottle was brought over, and opened a bit, what followed was pure heaven. The wine had an amazing cherry color that is a trademark of this Burgundy Pinot Noir. The nose was a strong intoxicating blend of red cherries, strawberries, red fruits, and a hint of menthol. It was rich and complex bouquet that made my mouth water and my whole body smile. Then came the moment of truth of the first taste. I took a nice drink and just closed my eyes, smiled to myself and just let the world disappear. The taste matched the nose but added in some lavender and slight oak to round it out and add to its complexity. If there was a god, this would be what they lived on.
If you are a nerd like me, you will be happy to know that there was a perfect level of acid to this wine with a velvety, almost background tannin. This was a spot on, wine typical of a premium Pinot Noir from Cote de Nuits. Order a case of this and send me a bottle or two as a thank you……
-by Brian Aufdenberg
A Drink A Day
Here we are sharing our wide spectrum of enjoyable liquids through our community of international friends. As Humphrey Bogart once said: "The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind." So we’re doing our bit.
Our latest feature:
The Evolution Of Albam
Opening its doors in 2006, Albam has evolved from a humble upstart to one of the best respected contemporary British brands. Albam’s modern crafted clothing brought a fresh yet simplistic aesthetic to the table. In recent years, this aesthetic has often been mimicked but rarely surpassed. It is apparent that, for Albam, quality product takes [...]
Our other columns:
