This site on hiatus.

Another Lake George restaurant week nears

LAKE GEORGE, NY -- The second Lake George Region Restaurant Week of the year is set to begin Sunday, September 9, and run through September 15.

Each of the 15 participating restaurants will be offering special three-course meal menus for $20.12 per person (tax, tip and beverages separate.) Reservations are recommended.

The participating venues:

LAKE GEORGE VILLAGE

Adirondack Pub & Brewery
33 Canada Street
668-0002

The Boathouse Restaurant
3210 Lake Shore Drive
668-2389

East Cove Restaurant 3
873 Route 9L
668-5265

Giovanna's On The Lake
384 Canada Street
668-5401

Lobster Pot Restaurant
81 Canada Street
668-2429

Log Jam Restaurant
1484 State Route 9
798-1155

Mama Riso's Restaurant
2119 State Route 9
668-2550

Mario's Restaurant
429 Canada Street
668-2665

Moose Tooth Grill
327 Canada Street
668-0007

TR's Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Resort
2223 State Route 9
668-5781

Village Blacksmith Steakhouse
48 Canada Street
668-3165  

BOLTON LANDING

Algonquin Restaurant
4770 Lake Shore Drive
644-9442

La Bella Vita at The Sagamore
110 Sagamore Road
743-6101

Mr. Brown's Pub at The Sagamore
110 Sagamore Road
743-6101  

QUEENSBURY

Adirondack Bar & Grill
982 State Route 149
743-8593

City distillery to join Kentucky Bourbon Trail

Photo: Kentucky Distillers' Association

LEXINGTON, KY -- The Kentucky Bourbon Trail is about to get a new member from an unusual venue.

Alltech’s Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co., maker of Town Branch bourbon, will join the Trail in October when it opens its new $6 million distillery. The bourbon name is a nod to the stream that runs under downtown Lexington.

The 13-year-old Bourbon Trail currently is dominated by high-volume brourbon producers such as Jim Beam, Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve, unlike the downtown Alltech complex all located in rural spots.

Alltech also produces beer and malt whiskey, and for several years has been making its small-batch bourbon at a location opposite the new facility. Its other spirits brands are Pearse Lyons Reserve malt whiskey and Bluegrass Sundown, a bourbon-infused coffee drink. And, its brews include Bourbon Barrel Ale, Kentucky Light and Kentucky Ale.

Distilleries along the trail have recorded more than 2 million visits in the past five years, including 450,000 last year, according to Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association. Kentucky produces 95% of the world’s bourbon supply.

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ON THE WEB
• Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• Urban Bourbon Trail
• Kentucky Distillers' Association

Wherever we are, we have BBQ in common

Photo: April L. Dowd

On the first day of spring back in March, I had gazed at the snow piled deep on my backyard deck and thought, “Better get ready for barbecue season.”

It wasn’t a matter of denial. It was the sight of the charcoal grill peeping out from the snowdrift, that shiny, dome-topped apparatus I never did get around to dismantling and putting away for the winter. Again.

Unlike some of my neighbors who swear by the use of gas grills and use them year-round, I favor the old-fashioned charcoal version to be used "in season." The kind that provides leaping flames that help whet the appetite and add flavor to the meats, fish and vegetables grilled on it that I can never fully discern from foods cooked over propane jets.

True, this preference can occasionally lead to experiences that evolve into legend among people in my circle. Such as at the wine tasting/barbecue gathering I hosted and forgot I already had put starter fluid on the charcoal. A second dose and a flick of the butane lighter resulted in a roar of flames so high we feared planes overhead might mistake them for a landing beacon.

But, I assure you that was an aberration. What normally happens is a smooth-running event, be it for the immediate family or an extended circle of friends and acquaintances. The key is planning.

So here we are at the Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional time for prepping the swimming pool, checking the tire pressure on the bikes, cleaning up the garden and handling a hundred and one other chores, pleasurable and otherwise. And, most of all, time to begin barbecuing.

It’s a task, or a pastime, that has intrigued me since childhood. My first Boy Scout merit badge was earned by cooking a four-course meal unassisted over an open campfire, no mean feat at age 11.

In many American backyards grilling remains stereotypically a man’s domain. You know the old saying: “Give a man barbecue and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to barbecue and you’ve kept him out of your hair all summer.” However, the inexorable blending of gender roles in our society is changing that job. Bobby Flay, high-tech grills and accessories that mimic indoor stoves and ovens, and a return to group dining that had faded for a generation or so are encouraging that change.

Which seems only right. Cooking over an open flame and eating together have been a human communal event ever since Ooog the Hairy accidentally dropped a hyena steak on the fire and everyone in the cave crowded around to discuss what happened.

Barbecue -– or barbeque, BBQ, bar-b-q, barbie or however one cares to spell it -- has become a word that refers to both an event and a style of cooking, although there are purists who insist one should always say grilling  when cooking and barbecue for the style. The more you travel, the more variations you find on the zen of barbecue or the local equivalent of the term. And, the more you know about them the more fuel you have for barbecue party conversation.

For example, during a trip through rural parts of Kentucky and Tennessee I availed myself of one heaping platter after another of “barbecue,” but there the term referred to pulled pork with a barbecue sauce ladled over it rather than being restricted to meats grilled after being soaked in the tantalizingly stereotypical vinegar-based Southern marinades.

In most of Spanish-speaking South America, the term churrasco refers to a cut of grilled beef; in Portuguese-speaking Brazil it refers to the actual process as well. In Hong Kong, outdoor barbecue grills fired by coal are popular. Even in old civilizations such as the United Kingdom where outdoor cooking was anything but commonplace, the influences of American, Australian and Caribbean barbecue cultures have resulted in a boom in backyard barbecuing since the late 1980s.

Most commercial barbecue operations try to differentiate themselves from the others by emphasizing one style of cuisine over another -- St. Louis, Memphis, Southwest, Texas, Cuban, Cajun, whatever. However, in most parts of the country barbecue remains primarily a backyard event and those who take it seriously go far beyond the standard burgers, hot dogs, chicken and steaks no matter how much we love them.

The rise in fish consumption, for example, has impacted grilling. Tender fishes cooked in foil packets with onions, peppers, herbs and a dot or two of unsalted butter is an easy dish. Swordfish, ideal for grilling because it takes to marinades well and is dense enough to keep from falling apart when cooked directly on the grill, is popular. It also is ideal for cutting into chunks and being threaded on skewers with vegetables and fruits.

Speaking of skewers, the increasing ethnic diversity of the American population also is affecting what we eat.

An influx of people from cultures that have clung for centuries to cooking over open flames rather than “rediscovering” it as a seasonal backyard thing has broadened our menus. Ethnic food stores are allowing local residents to obtain the ingredients to mimic what they’re experiencing in ethnic restaurants. We’re seeing such toothsome items as doner kebabs from Turkey, usually lamb or tightly-packed ground chicken loaf slowly roasted on a vertical rotating spit then sliced very thinly as it cooks and served on pita bread with a salad and fries. Or seekh kebabs from the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East, marinated in spiced olive oil, grilled on skewers and served with sweet-and-sour fruit salsas or chutneys.

Beyond what you’re cooking, drawing up several checklists, mental or otherwise, can save a lot of trouble in how you’re cooking it.

The most important of these actually is good practice for any type of cooking, indoors or out. It is mise en place (MEEZ awn plahs), a French term referring to having all your ingredients selected, measured, cleaned, sliced, chopped or whatever you need to do to them up to the point of combining them into your dishes. Just as your favorite TV cooks have many of their ingredients laid out for them by their crew before taping a show, this is one way to have family or guests have fun helping do the prep work, making it a true communal experience without losing control of the process to well-meaning hands that can otherwise get in the way.

• Having a written menu plan, including specific amounts of food to properly feed the size of the group you’ve invited, is a must. It helps you in shopping and in preparation. The latter is particularly important if you’re the lone chef because in some instances you may be simultaneously cooking indoors and out -– grilling your kebabs on the deck but cooking the rice to go with them in the kitchen, for example. Your menu should take such things into account.

• Mise en place also can cover making as many things in advance as possible –- the marinades, the cooked-ingredient salads, the cleaned and cut-to-size fruits and vegetables you’ll be cooking on skewers or in a metal grilling basket.

• Have all your seasonings on a tray at your fingertips –- the salt, pepper, paprika, lemon or lime wedges, etc.

• Have all your cooking implements –- long-handled fork and knife, tongs with insulated handles, spatula, etc., handy. Better still, if your grill did not come equipped with an implement holder, pick one up at a home supply store. It keeps utensils from “walking away” at crucial times.

• Particularly if you use a kettle-shaped barbecue, be sure to get cooking baskets with angled handles that allow you to place the entire basket evenly over the flame. Straight-handled baskets tend to keep food tilted over the fire at varying distances, making for uneven cooking.

As with so many things, your menu comes down to a matter of taste. Even budget doesn’t have to factor into it because marinating, slow cooking over low or indirect heat, and plenty of patience can make even less-costly cuts of meat tender and appealing.

Pairing up the main dish with traditional make-ahead items such as baked beans, potato or macaroni salad, crusty artisan breads with herbed butters and some sliced tomatoes and onions drizzled with olive oil and fresh-cracked black pepper can result in a “wow” factor meal that looks complicated but isn’t. Which will leave you time to enjoy your guests and the results of your own labors.

One final observation. While I enjoy a bowl of greens as much as anyone else, when it comes to a backyard barbecue it’s all about the meat and sides. As some movie macho guy once said, you don’t win friends with salad.

DO's & DON'Ts

DO be sure to clean up your grill if you procrastinated on that chore at the end of last grilling season. Soap and water, steel wool, scrapers -- a lot of things can be used to clean the non-cooking surfaces. To cleanse the parts that come in contact with food, try one of several things. (1.) Use an indoor oven cleaner spray, letting the sprayed grill sit in the sun for a half-hour, then thoroughly wash off the cleanser with soap and water. (2.) Cover the grills with aluminum foil, turn the propane up, and let it work until any leftover particles turn to white residue, which can be brushed away.

DO discourage chipmunks, squirrels and other rodents from gnawing on your gas hose to get at the barbecue drippings by at least occasionally wiping down the hose with ammonia water when the grill is cool.

DO look into the newer types of ready to-light charcoal even if you’ve been dissatisfied with the older versions that imparted an unpleasant taste to some foods. I’ve found the current versions, particularly Kingsford Match Light, quite satisfactory and a definite timesaver for after-work grilling when you don’t want to wait forever for the fire to be ready.

DO keep a spray bottle of water handy to quickly put out any flare-ups that might char the food or be a danger to anyone.

DO use apple juice or flat beer as a spritzer liquid on chicken, ribs or any slow-cooking meats to keep them moist. Both liquids are thicker than water so they last longer without turning instantly to steam, and they don’t negatively affect the taste.

DO soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before putting ingredients on them for cooking. That will prevent the skewers from burning through and breaking during the grilling process.

DON’T ignore your grill owner’s manual. You might be surprised the things you’ve forgotten, or neglected, when it comes to upkeep and operating maintenance. Like replacing a gas grill’s lava rock more than annually if it becomes saturated with drippings. That keeps the heat even and avoids flare-ups.

DON’T forget to use the proper ventilation setting on your charcoal grill to maintain proper airflow for even burning. Top and bottom vents should be fully open while cooking, and closed only when you are ready to extinguish the flames or want to lower the temperature for slower cooking.

DON’T slather your meats, fish and poultry with sauces too early. Unlike marinades that have permeated the food, most of the sauces tend to merely cook away or get excessively caramelized. It’s best to brush on the sauces late in the process.

DON’T be reluctant to use wood chips to add smoky flavoring both in charcoal or gas grills. Soak the mesquite, applewood or hickory chips in water for at least 20 minutes before using. For charcoal grills, shake excess water off the chips, then sprinkle them evenly atop the cook-ready coals. For gas grills, wrap the moist chips in aluminum foil, poke several holes in the foil, and place the packet directly on the lava rock or ceramic briquettes.

DON’T cook everything right over the heat source. Some foods need direct cooking, but others should be cooked indirectly, meaning food is placed to the side of the heat source. A good rule of thumb: If foods take less than 25 minutes to cook (steaks, burgers, boneless chicken, etc.) use the direct method. Others (roasts, whole fowl, etc.) should be cooked indirectly.

DON’T put cooked foods back on plates that have held raw foods or you may pick up dangerous bacteria.

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ON THE WEB

• The Barbecue Bible
• National Barbecue Association
• Barbecues & Grilling
• So You Wanna Learn to Barbecue
• Dowd's Guides

Historic whiskey site in controversy

Museum workers sort through artifacts.

SCOTTSDALE, PA -- West Overton Village and Museums, established as an agrarian museum, will have a new new mission when it reopens in 2013 after a renovation project.

At that time, it will refocus on the western Pennsylvania village's rye whiskey distilling history.

Meanwhile, however, a controversy has arisen over the sale by Executive Director Kelly Linn of numerous artifacts that are the property of the 18-building museum complex.

West Overton Museums operates on $80,000 a year from the Henry Clay Frick foundation and from public donations. It receives no state funds. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is part of the American Whiskey Trail that includes museums, distilleries and visitors centers in five states.

West Overton Village is the birthplace of industrialist Frick, who spent the first 30 years of his life here. The village was founded in 1800 by Abraham Overholt, Frick's grandfather. Overholt began making rye whiskey under the name Old Overholt, which now is distilled by Jim Beam.

TribLive.com has a thorough story on the controversial sales.

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ON THE WEB
• West Overton Village and Museums
• American Whiskey Trail
• Dowd's Guides home page

23rd Boston Wine Festival a 45-day event

Chef Bruce

• From CBS Boston

BOSTON -- Boston has no shortage of wine events: from free tastings at boutique stores to the appropriately-named Wine Riot to tours and classes, there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for something on the less riotous end, the Boston Wine Festival might be for you. In its 23rd year, the festival spans all the way from January 6 to March 30, comprised of 45 wine-related dinners, tastings, and seminars. The price tag for many of the events is steep, but the payoff is high for wine connoisseurs.

The Boston Wine Festival was created by Daniel Bruce, executive chef of the Boston Harbor Hotel (which houses the festival). Over the lifetime of the festival, Bruce has created over 3,000 original dishes to pair with the wines.

The festivities kick off with an opening reception on January 6 which includes tastings of more than 50 wines from featured vineyards as well as tastings of some of Bruce’s creations. At $100, this is the least expensive event in January. On the higher end, the month ends with "Super Tuscans," a $295-per-person four-course dinner paired with Tuscan wines, such as Ornellaia, Brancaia, and Sassicaia. Another January pick is the Battle of the Cabernets (January 12 or 13, $225-per-person): Napa Valley cabernets, food pairings, a blind tasting led by a cabernet expert panel, and a vote for the favorite. Châteauneuf-du-Pape more your style? A seminar and dinner on the January 20 highlights this region; the event is hosted by Ambassador Alain Junguenet and his son, John ($185).

[Go here for the full story and schedule.]

Happy birthday, dear Guinness ...

Arthur Guinness

Pssst. See that guy over there on the right? He's responsible for the Irish government's major income stream, something more important than ever now that the economic chaos that has roiled around the world has hit Ireland a rollicking good thwack.

Today is the 252nd anniversary of the founding of the iconic Guinness Brewery at St. James's Gate in Dublin by that fella, a man by the name of Arthur Guinness. At one time, it was the largest brewery in the world.

Guinness Brewery (Travelpod photo)

Guinness leased the property for a term of up to 9,000 (no kidding) years at an annual rent of £45 per year. That means the lease will come up for renewal in the year 10759 A.D.

The adjacent Guinness Storehouse is Dublin's No. 1 tourist attraction. The converted brewing factory is a seven-story Guinness museum, the topmost of which is home to the Gravity Bar, where visitors can get a free pint of "the black stuff," as the dark Guinness stout is known.

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ON THE WEB
• The Official Guinness Site
• Touring Dublin
• Dowd's Guides main page

Sacramento board encouraging wine tourism

• From Eat, Drink, Explore

SACRAMENTO, CA -- The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors have voted to adopt new zoning code amendments designed to encourage local wine tourism.

The amendments set development standards for wineries that will grant smaller-scale grape producers the right to produce and bottle their own wine.

“We feel this is an important step to encourage economic growth, job creation and keep tourism dollars in our County,” said Don Nottoli, Supervisor for District 5. “By reducing regulatory obstacles, we can help Sacramento County become an important part of the wine tourism industry.”

In a press release, the supervisors said the streamlined codes can save business both money and time. They board also pointed to the "grow local, buy local" movement saying the amendments will "help keep agricultural entities viable in Sacramento County."

Details of the Draft Zoning Code Amendments:

• Allows some agri-tourism uses by right in certain zones and allow others through the use permit process.
• Creates specific parking and signage development standards for wineries, farm stands and farm stay operations.
• Outlines additional permitting requirements from other County departments.
• Provides four classifications for premises that sell produce that would be permitted by right in agricultural zones if the sales areas do not exceed 1,500 square feet.
• Allows small wineries by right in agricultural zones provided they have tasting rooms under 1,500 square feet.
• Allows small wineries to host special events without a conditional use permit, with the size of events dependent on the size of the property.
• Allows Farm Stays (similar to Bed and Breakfast Inns with focus on farming activities) with five or fewer rooms in agricultural zones by right.

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ON THE WEB
• Sacramento: Discover Gold
• Dowd's Guides home page

Harry's NY Bar celebrates its 100th in Paris

Inside Harry's New York Bar.

PARIS -- Harry's New York Bar turned 100 on Thanksgiving Day, one more milestone in the storied history of the iconic watering hole.

Harry's claims to be the home of the Bloody Mary, was a favorite stop for the author Ernest Hemingway, home to expatriate Americans and the glitterati.

As the establishment explains in its capsulized history, "In 1911, a former U.S. jockey convinced a friend who owned a bar in New York to dismantle it and to shift it Rue Daunou in Paris. Harry MacElhone is then approached to open the bar on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November 1911. The adventure starts!

"Since then, generations succeeded one another in this mythical place. Authors such as Hemingway, Sartre or Blondin came to taste a few of the most famous cocktails in the world which were created here, e.g the Bloody Mary or the White Lady."

Originally, the establishment was called simply the New York Bar. Harry MacElhone later added his own name.

"The MacElhone family is still at the helm of this legendary bar with the assistance of an excellent team fully dedicated to the bar and its customers. Harry transmitted the reins to Andrew who in turn passed them on to Duncan. Franz-Arthur, Harry's great-grandson, was born, like him, on June 16, 98 years down the line."

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ON THE WEB
• Harry's New York Bar home page
• Dowd's Guides home page

'Road Trip Experience' in one NY county

Visitors gather lakeside at Long Point Winery.

Fresh local cuisine.

Merchants and facilities in the Cayuga County area of Upstate New York have come up with an interesting marketing push to promote tourism -- a fusion of wine tasting, dining and leisure experiences reminiscent of bygone times.

Visitors to this slice of the Finger Lakes region can be involved in a wide range of wine and culinary events and experiences being promoted as an "American Road Trip Experience."

Here is a checklist of of recommended sites:

✔ Where to Wine Taste:

Heart & Hands Wine Company offers a hands-on winemaking opportunity during the harvest season. Participants discover winemaking activities including picking fruit, sorting grapes, daily punchdowns, lab analysis, pressing grapes and equipment cleaning. Their limited production, currently under 1,500 cases, allows for an intense focus on quality. Committed to producing cool climate wines which authentically express the character of the Finger Lakes, Heart & Hands Wine Company is located in a serene setting overlooking the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake.

Bet the Farm features a farm winery, regional wine shop and gourmet market. Their wines are sold alongside a premier selection of other Finger Lakes wines at their shop in the village of Aurora. In addition to wine, they offer gourmet foods produced throughout the state.

King Ferry Winery -focuses on Chardonnay and Riesling varieties. It offers "Taste the Artistry," a series of of Treleaven wines in the company of works by local artists in the Tasting Room gallery and gift shop.

Long Point Winery winemaker Gary Barletta focuses his attention on dry reds such as Merlot and Syrah.  Wife Rosemary serves up her specialty sandwiches in Amelia's Deli. Located just off scenic State Route 90 the winery overlooka Cayuga Lake.

Insider Winery Tips:

• Most wineries have a small tasting fee which often is refunded with a purchase of wine.

• Cheeses can be found between wine tastings along the Cayuga Scenic Byway. Go to the Finger Lakes Cheese Trail website for details.

• Escorted wine tours are a safe way to indulge while letting someone else do the driving. You can get information on rates and hours from Big D's Limo Service in Auburn, Experience! The Finger Lakes in Ithaca, or Quality Wine Tours in Pittsford.

✔ Where to Eat:

Aurora Inn -- Seasonal American cuisine made with fresh regional products and paired with a large list of  Finger Lakes wine. Indoor dining room as well as lakeside dining.
on their spacious veranda, perfect for taking in Finger Lakes sunsets.

Moro’s Table -- Finger Lakes ingredients are used to create American-style cuisine.

Pumpkin Hill Bistro -- Comfort food "with a twist" in a unpretentious atmosphere. Cayuga Lake wines can be paired with the dishes, and diners can take advantage of the antiques and gifts at the Country Store.

✔ Where to Pick & Buy Local:

Long Point Orchard -- Fruit enthusiasts can pick their locally grown produce or purchase it from the farm stand located at 2007 State Rte 90 in Aurora. Closed on Mondays.

Grisamore Farms -- Featuring an array of fruit crops from strawberries to sweet cherries to blueberries. Want to bypass the picking process? The farm store is located in a 19th Century dairy barn and equipped with an array of delectable items for sale.

The Produce Place -- Specializing in fresh, local produce as it ripens -- sweet corn, tomatoes, etc. -- plus pies and custards.

King Ferry Farmer's Market -- This pop-up marketplace located just off of Route 90 sells farmstead cheese, organic flour, organic vegetables, plants and flowers, fiber art, pottery and jewelry among many other locally grown and produced items.

✔ Where to Stay:

Aurora Inn, set on the shores of Cayuga Lake in a heritage village, has a pedigree dating to 1833. The original Finger Lakes inn, built in Federal style with red brick and wide columned balconies, has been restored as a bed and breakfast.

E.B. Morgan House, formerly the home of Colonel Edwin Barber Morgan, co-founder of The New York Times and American Express. The house offers seven guest rooms, living spaces, porches that overlook the lake and lawns and a collection of original modern art.

Dill’s Run Bed & Breakfast and Vineyard is located on the east side of Cayuga Lake on State  Route 90 in the Town of Ledyard. The Italianate Victorian house was built in the late 1830s and has recently been restored. It sits on a 15-acre plot four miles north of Aurora. It also has a vineyard that produces grapes for its own wines.

Cayuga Marina and Campground is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake, a short distance from Lock One, Seneca Canal, and the Montezuma Wildlife Preserve. Good for an overnight, weekend or week-long stay for outdoor sports enthusiasts and those who just appreciate the countryside and lakeside atmosphere. Seasonal guest accommodations and marina services for patrons.

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ON THE WEB
• Cayuga County Tourism
• Finger Lakes Travel
• Dowd's Guides home page

Whiskey anthology perfect for holiday gifts

Here's a thought for an easy holiday gift. Pick up copies of my new book, "Barrels & Drams: The History of Whisk(e)y In Jiggers and Shots," just released by the New York publisher Sterling Epicure.

The suggested retail price for the hardcover book is $18.95. You can get a copy, often at a discounted price, via such online sites as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart and others.

Bill Dowd

I selected, edited and co-wrote this collection of essays from numerous writers famous in the field, from F. Paul Pacult to David Wondrich, and such multi-field notables as Tom Wolfe to Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Okrent of The New York Times.

Through them you will discover the spread of whiskey throughout the world and how it helped build countries. Read profiles of some of the most famous giants of the industry as Jack Daniel, George Smith and the Beam family.

Plus, go behind the scenes of Prohibition to check out the legendary gangsters, small-time rumrunners, and a famous NASCAR champion who made his mark as a moonshine runner. And, you'll get insiders' looks at legitimate whiskey-making in such diverse spots as Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., South Africa, India and Japan, as well as how the infamous Whiskey Ring scandal almost brought down a U.S. presidency.

Carnival ships revamping drinks venues

Last year I finally broke down and took my first "pleasure" cruise. I hated it.

From the time we set foot on the Norwegian Cruise Lines love boat it was one non-stop bazaar, with staffers of all sorts trying to sell you an array of goods and services. Before leaving the Port of New York, we decided to check out the cocktail lounges, since we were waiting to meet up with some friends and we had been promised at least six different bars by the NCL literature.

What we found, besides poorly stocked bars that couldn't come through on my first two drink orders taken directly from the menu, was that one bar had been divided into three parts and given three different names and decors. Six bars, my eye.

Now I read that a fleetwide overhaul plan for Carnival cruise ships unveiled this week includes plans for five new branded drinking venues to be installed on multiple Carnival ships over the next four years as part of more than $500 million in upgrades.

I hope for the sake of Carnival's customers, these bars -- three of the designs are shown below -- are indeed standalone venues.

Incidentally, among other Carnival changes are a deal for on-board burger joints created by TV personality Guy Fieri and hiring entertainer George Lopez as its creative director for comedy and the rebranding of its shipboard comedy clubs around the star.

Red Frog Rum Bar design.

A sports bar branded around video game manufacturer EA Sports. 

The Library Bar with automatic wine dispensers.

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ON THE WEB
ª Dowd's Guides home page

Final days for whiskey book discount

My new book, "Barrels & Drams: The History of Whisk(e)y In Jiggers and Shots," will officially be released on September 6.

The retail price then will be $18.95, but you can get a hefty 33% pre-release discount from Amazon.com by going here.

It is a collection I co-wrote and edited with essays from numerous writers famous in the field, from F. Paul Pacult to David Wondrich to Tom Wolfe.

You'll discover the spread of whiskey throughout the world and how it helped build countries. Read profiles of some of the most famous giants of the industry as Jack Daniel, George Smith and the Beam family.

Plus, go behind the scenes of Prohibition to check out the legendary gangsters, small-time rumrunners, a famous NASCAR champion who made his mark as a moonshine runner. And, you'll get insiders' looks at legitimate whiskey-making in such diverse spots as Scotland, Ireland, the U.S., South Africa, India and Japan.

The Return of the Copacabana

NEW YORK -- OK, first things first. It's not on East 60th where the original was. And, it's not on 34th Street and 11th Avenue where it once was. But, dammit, the Copacabana is back!

For those of us of a certain age, the Copa was the height of New York nightclub fashion back in “the day.” The headwaiter, Manny, lived across the street from me in a Long Island suburb, and his status was as great as that of any rock star in those days before the term “rock star” was the epitome of fame. His wife, Eleanor, ran the coat check concession and even she was at least a minor deity.

The Copa dancers, the fascinating orchestras, the pretty-good-for-a-nightclub food, the fantastic cocktails ... . It was all a whirl of colors, flavors and fashion. Barry Manilow's anthemic "At the Copa" hit some years afterward captured a bit of the excitement.

Last night, the Copacabana officially opened in its new Times Square location with Willie Colón as the headliner.

This spot at 268 West 47th Street, in the former China Club space, is the fourth Copa reincarnation. It's on the fourth floor with a dance  club, restaurant, rooftop cocktail/dining space. A VIP room is scheduled to open in September.

The Copa dates to 1940, when it opened at 10 East 60th Street, welcoming such performers as Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Tito Puente and others over the years.

The  new Copa is offering live Latin music nights on Tuesdays, Fridays and  Saturdays and has revived its famed Copa Dancers, guys and gals specializing in everything from salsa to merengue to bachata and cha-cha-cha.

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ON THE WEB
• Dowd's Guides home page.

How to create a regional museum

Visionary John Adamski.

• From The Corning (NY) Leader:

BLUFF POINT, NY -- A few years ago, freelance writer and photographer John Adamski spent a few vacation days exploring the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake and The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, which delve into the culture and history of the North Country.

"It got me thinking," Adamski said. “I said to myself, 'Why don’t we have a place like this that tells the story of the Finger Lakes?' "

Upon returning home, Adamski wrote an essay for Life in the Finger Lakes magazine, pitching his idea.

Before he knew it, he was the board president for the Finger Lakes Cultural and Natural History Museum, an ambitious $30 million project slated to open in 2014 in Keuka Lake State Park in Yates County. ...

ElevenFinger Lakes (Conesus, Hemlock, Canadice, Honeoye, Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga, Owasco, Skaneateles and Otisco) will be prominently featured.

The flora and fauna native to the region will also be highlighted, along with the people that have called the Finger Lakes home, including Native Americans, early white settlers, Amish and Mennonites.

Many of the displays will be interactive, Adamski promises.

“We’re going to redefine the word 'museum,' " he said. “It won’t be looking at old sticks and bones, but a place where people are educated about their environment."

[Go here for the full story.]

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ON THE WEB
• Keuka Lake State Park
• Dowd's Guides home page

Fed grant to bring local foods to NY B&Bs

• From the Albany Times Union:

A $73,824 federal matching grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program will help local food producers and tourism by encouraging bed and breakfast operators to feature locally produced food and agricultural products, State Agriculture Commissioner Darrel Aubertine said Monday.

The Department will receive the grant in cooperation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, which will lead the two year project, NOFA-NY, the Empire State B&B Association, Central New York Bounty, the New York Small Scale Food Processors Association, and the University of Illinois Extension.

New York is one of 19 states to receive 25 grants. The grant money will be available for the entire state.

Producer organizations and B&B owners are encouraged to participate in the project, which will begin in the fall.

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ON THE WEB
• Times Union home page
• Dowd's Guides home page

Culodden visitors center a site to behold

William M. Dowd photos

CULODDEN, Scotland -- Bonnie Prince Charlie was the icon of 18th-century Jacobites who wanted to put him on the throne of Scotland, freeing the nation from the shackles of the ruling English crown.

After all, they reasoned, he was a descendant of the Stuarts, a clan descended from the almost mythical Scottish hero Robert the Bruce. And the English were ... well, they were the hated English.

The movement had a few problems. For one, Charles Edward Stuart Louis John Casimir Silvester Maria Stuart, born in Rome in 1720, was not much of a hands-on guy as uprisings go. He spent only 12 months of his 68 years in Scotland, living a big chunk of the final 20 in Rome as the Duke of Albany. For another, any overt sign of allegiance to him could be punishable by death.

The high point of the Stuart uprising was 265 years ago. It was on April 16, 1746, that an English force led by the Duke of Cumberland crushed the massed Highlanders on a battlefield here less than 35 miles from Inverness, with 1,500 or so Scots killed in less than an hour compared to about 50 Redcoats.

It was the last battle on British soil, and ushered in a long period of English moves aimed at tearing apart the Scottish clan system that was the central nervous system of the country.

A definitely state-of-the-art visitors center was opened here in April 2008 on the anniversary of the battle. After touring it, I feel comfortable predicting it will be used as a prime example of what today's visitors centers should look like.

The multi-level structure is designed to take advantage of today's visually-oriented society to tell a centuries-old story. As visitors are led through the center, the English side of the story is told on one wall, the Scots' side on the other, with a variety of displays in the center of each corridor.

Included are opaque screens offering silhouettes of combatants and others who "come to life" when an interactive screen is touched. They tell the story of Culodden and the times from their points of view, often in words taken from actual diaries of the times.

In the "immersion room," visitors are led into a seatless space with projection screens on each wall. Each shows a different angle of the battle; you can watch on one screen an English cannon being fired, then turn and look at the opposite wall and see its impact on the Highland forces. The sound and fury are designed to give the visitor an idea of the noise and confusion inherent in a battle.

Among the numerous displays are several glass cases filled with weapons of the sort used in the mid-1700s. Rather than being lined up in precise lines as is the case in most museums, a guide explained, "these should be viewed as being brandished the same way they would be in battle, but then remove the people from the equation and leave the weapons as they would be then."

Other artifacts on display are several pieces from the glassware collection owned by the Drambuie Liqueur Co. Ltd. of Edinburgh. (Drambuie is a Scottish liqueur based on the recipe imparted by Bonnie Prince Charlie to one Makinnon of Skye for assisting him in the uprising of 1745. The Makinnon family to this day owns the exclusive Drambuie franchise.)

The complete collection includes some items with beautiful, swirling designs of leaves, grapevines, birds and other nature elements. Others have numerous designs peculiar to the Jacobite movement, usually etched into what were called "Amen'' toasting glasses that were stored in secret lest the English authorities see the pro-Prince Charlie designs on them.

For example, such words as redat (may he return) and revireseat (let it grow again) on the glasses were notes of support for the exiled Stuarts. The six-petaled white rose, another Jacobite symbol, is a common design as well, and a wide variety of intricate swirls, legends and designs make one long to hoist a Drambuie or two in honor of the craftsman if not of the Stuarts.

Once outside, visitors are given GPS-connected handsets to carry as they walk through the battlefield where red flags indicate the English lines, blue flags the Scots'.

As one reaches a point of interest, the GPS is triggered and the handset broadcasts information to the visitor who can take advantage of on-screen prompts to get additional information.

Only one building from the battle period remains on the land, and even that may have been rebuilt from the stones used in an earlier building. But, it gives visitors a feel of the type of structure common in the area at that time.

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ON THE WEB
• Culloden Battlefield Site
• Battlefield video before the new center
• Dowd's Guides home page

The grand dames of Southern hospitality

The Hermitage Hotel main lobby, complete with stained cut-glass ceiling.

In a nation replete with motel chains slugging it out for the public’s dollar, the thought of staying in a luxury hotel with pedigree probably doesn’t occur to most travelers.

This is neither about the overwrought décor of the sort commonplace in lavish Las Vegas hostelries, nor about having to re-mortgage your home to raise the money to underwrite a night for two in such a place.

At one time, a young and rambunctious America thought nothing of wild spending to replicate in some form the visual amenities and creature comforts commonplace in the grand hotels of Europe. Most, however, have fallen victim to the wrecker’s ball, the flight to the suburbs and the rush to architectural sameness.

The George V in Paris, Claridge’s in London, the Hotel Bristol in Vienna, the Medici in Rome … . They and their ilk have persevered through world wars and economic upheavals to remain in the upper echelon of grand hotels and their names are familiar to most travelers, by reputation if not from personal experience.

For the most part, the grand hotel concept does not apply in American towns and cities outside New York and Chicago, for example. That makes the exceptions all the more remarkable.

In a still-young country, the East Coast is our “old society,” so you’ll tend to find a few more of the surviving grand dames built during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Take Nashville, Tenn., and Louisville, Ky., for example. Each a center of Southern pace and style, each with a core activity that carries its own special cache and its own financial lifestyle that can help support grand hotels.

In Nashville, the global center of the country music industry, stands the Hermitage Hotel, located on Sixth Avenue North across from the Tennessee state capitol. It marked its 100th birthday in 2010, although it was closed from 1977 to 1981. Luckily for those who enjoy such places and traditions, Historic Hotels of Nashville purchased the property in 2000, ran it for several years, then closed it and put $18 million into a nearly year-long restoration effort.

The result is a breathtakingly elegant 123-room facility offering accommodations ranging from the 2,000-square-foot presidential suite to a trio of 1,000-square-foot executive suites and 120 other rooms, a grand ballroom, the mezzanine-level Governor’s Salon where the legendary pool player Rudolf Wanderone Jr., better known as Minnesota Fats, held forth on his own table against all comers when he lived in the hotel for several years in the 1980s.

Today’s sporting activities lean more toward the National Football League (the Tennessee Titans), National Hockey League (the Predators) and NASCAR.

Nashville has always been a major city in the pre- and post-Civil War South, home to two presidents – Andrew Jackson, after whose home, The Hermitage, the hotel was named, and James Knox Polk -- and a hotbed of politics.

Today it is the quintessential country music spot with, according to The Encyclopedia of Country Music, 90 record companies, 174 recording studios, 5,500 union musicians, 24 talent agencies, nearly 300 music publishers, 17 professional music organizations and 104 film and video production companies.

The famed Music Row anchored by the Ryman Auditorium, original home of the Grand Old Opry, isn’t glamorous until the sun goes down. Then the neon lights and the cruising traffic cover up the drabness of the strip. I found I quickly forgot about the outdoor ambiance once I caught some hard-charging country-rock bands at places like Tootsie’s, where I recommend the proximity to the cramped stage, or Robert’s, where a decent sized dance floor is a big lure.

But way back when, Nashville was more a gathering place for musicians and singers involved in big band music, when hotel orchestras were being broadcast nationally. The Francis Craig Orchestra reigned at the Hermitage Hotel’s famous Grille Room and Oak Bar from 1929 to 1945 and was broadcast over NBC Radio for 12 of those years when. It was Craig who introduced a shy local singer named Dinah Shore to America’s listening audience.

Those performers who could afford to flocked to the Hermitage Hotel to drink in the luxury as well as the cocktails at the Oak Bar.

Architect John E.R. Carpenter, a native Tennessean who had studied in Knoxville, Boston and Paris before setting up shop in New York City where he became known for his apartment building designs, designed the hotel. He utilized the lines of Beaux Arts classicism, which he had studied in depth at the Les Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris.

The interior, restored to its original style and color palette, is elegance personified. Grecian and Tennessee marble accentuate the soaring lobby, which is topped by stained cut glass. The Grand Ballroom is paneled in Circassian walnut from Russia and, like many of the building’s public spaces, has an ornate handcrafted ceiling.

Arched openings between coupled columns and extravagant decorative detailing in the French Renaissance style lead visitors from the lobby to the lush mezzanine as well as the eating and drinking areas. The Capitol Grille is a AAA Four Diamond-rated restaurant that serves nothing that has ever been frozen except ice cream. And even that is made on premises.

On the upper floors, the guest rooms are spacious and plush. Anxious as I was to see the sights and sample the nightlife of Nashville, the huge, cushy beds and spacious baths plus all the other room amenities tempted me to linger.

One might think all this history and luxury would be prohibitively expensive. Not so. While full suites range from $550 to $1,259 a night, you can book a perfectly nice deluxe room with a king or two queen beds, plenty of amenities including complimentary wi-fi for those who can’t live without Internet availability, for just $209 a night for a couple. And, there are numerous room and meals packages available, always worth considering when the establishment is known for good food as is the Hermitage. So, take that, Manhattan.

The Seelbach Rathskeller

Three hours’ drive north on I-65 is Louisville, in the heart of Kentucky’s bluegrass country. Home to the Kentucky Derby, the Muhammad Ali Center, University of Louisville basketball and Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.

And, of course, the Seelbach Hilton.

This grand hotel has attracted the rich and famous for more than a century. F. Scott Fitzgerald was so taken by its posh look that he had his “The Great Gatsby” characters Tom and Daisy Buchanan marry there. Gatsby himself, it is said, was based to some degree on George Remus, a personable Cincinnati mobster who liked to make the easy 90-mile drive from his home turf to Louisville for bourbon and cigars at the Seelbach, pastimes Fitzgerald also enjoyed.

While Nashville’s Hermitage has had plenty of famous visitors, the Seelbach tops it. Its location in bourbon and horse country and its proximity to Cincinnati, Baltimore, Richmond and other sizable cities made it a mecca for the literary, gambling and bootlegging sets before Prohibition and a cast of equally colorful characters afterward.

The Seelbach is a descendant of Seelbach’s Restaurant and Café, an exclusive gentlemen’s club that was opened in 1874, the year before the first Kentucky Derby, by Louis Seelbach, who had emigrated from Bavaria.

Five years later, he brought his younger brother, Otto, to Louisville and they opened a larger establishment, with 30 guest rooms over the bar. Over the years, the business kept expanding until a brand new Seelbach Hotel opened in 1905. It was such a smash hit an additional 154 rooms were immediately added.

But, as with most undertakings, the Seelbach ran its course and was repeatedly sold or leased out. It finally closed in 1975 as business began moving to the newly emerging suburbs. It reopened in 1982, run by a subsidiary of Radisson Hotels, and became a successful convention venue as well as a hotel.

The Seelbach you see today, owned and operated by the Hilton company, has been restored to its original grandeur. In 1996, its Oakroom Restaurant reopened and earned the AAA 5 Diamond Award. In 2001 it was named to the Fine Dining Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News. It also has been named to Conde Nast Traveler magazine’s gold list of “The World’s Best Places to Stay.”

Curious yet about price? Details on that in a moment. There are a few other things to know about the Seelbach.

For one, it is located at 500 Fourth Street, a prestigious spot in Louisville because of something called ''Fourth Street Live,'' the city’s premier entertainment and retail district located right across the street between Liberty and Muhammad Ali Boulevard.

Restaurants and nightclubs such as the Hard Rock Cafe, Red Cheetah dance club, Parrot Beach, Howl At the Moon and the Maker's Mark Bourbon House & Lounge that is run by the bourbon maker of the same name make finding something to do impossible not to.

Actually, you don’t even have to leave the premises. The Old Seelbach Bar, named to several “Best Bars in the World” list, is a study in old-fashioned comfort and ambiance. Low lights, soft leathers, dark woods and an excellent line of drinks make it a great place to while away some leisure time. I recommend the house special, the Seelbach Cocktail, a delicious combination of bourbon, champagne, triple sec and Peychaud and angostura bitters in a champagne flute.

Like the Hermitage in Nashville, the Seelbach is on the National Register of Historic Places. Unlike the Hermitage, its rooms are a bit on the small side. However, they’re fully appointed, immaculate and up to date without losing the period feel.

Price? You can stay there for as little as $219 a night for two people.

Old-fashioned Southern charm, modern conveniences, easy access by air or by car, all in affordable packages. Who says the era of the grand hotel in America is over?

The main entrance to the Seelbach Hilton at night.

The ornate lobby of the Seelbach as seen descending the staircase from the guests' rooms.

The famous Oak Bar at the Hermitage.

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ON THE WEB
• The Hermitage Hotel
• Give Me Nashville
• Seelbach Hilton
• Louisville.com
• Dowd's Guides home page

On the trail of musical heritage

On this website, we deal mostly with matters of taste concerning food and drink, as well as some cool destinations.

On this post, we digress to deal with a matter of musical taste -- Appalachian music, to be more specific.

We're all used to hearing about wine trails, sometimes even beer, cheese, fruit, farm and other sorts of trails that link like-minded businesses in an effort to attract and guide tourists.

In the southwestern part of Virginia, we see something called "The Crooked Trail," subtitled "Virginia's Heritage Music Trail."

Its website deals with workshops, conventions, concerts and other activities involving bluegrass, old time and traditional country music. We highly recommend you visit it by going here.

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ON THE WEB
• Ralph Stanley Museum & Traditional Mountain Music Center
• Dowd's Guides home page

Airlines hoping to lure passengers with wine

Andrea Robinson working.

• From The Associated Press

ATLANTA, GA -- Delta Air Line's master sommelier Andrea Robinson opened up bottle after bottle of white and red wine from France, Italy, Australia, the U.S. and other parts of the world.

As she tasted them, a blue bucket sat on the table next to her. It was there so she could spit out each sip, ensuring she didn't get tipsy and could distinguish between the different wines. By the time she's done in the next few days, Robinson will have tasted and smelled roughly 2,000 bottles.

The delicate work of a sommelier has become more important as U.S. airlines fight for premium passengers willing to shell out up to thousands of dollars to fly business class on international and transcontinental flights. The idea isn't to make money on the wine — the passengers in those seats drink for free -- but rather to keep those customers coming back and encourage their well-heeled friends and co-workers to join them.

Other airlines including United Airlines and American Airlines also work with wine experts to help them choose what to serve on their flights.

And there's a market for it: According to the International Air Transport Association, through the first four months of this year, there was an 8.5% increase year-over-year in premium passenger traffic, which includes business class and first class seats. Those seats are among the most pricey and profitable for airlines. The trade group expects fuel costs to weigh on premium traffic, and stronger growth in the second half of the year will depend on how well the economy holds up.

[Go here for the full story.]

Queen Mary 2 is a dirty, filthy girl

Queen Mary 2 sails past the Statue of Liberty.

• From The Mirror of London

NEW YORK -- Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 has failed a hygiene inspection by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, scoring a shocking 84 out of 100.

Fruit flies and cockroaches in a storage locker, sediment in ice-making machines, and a "filthy" swimming pool were among more than 60 violations cited in the report on the inspection, carried out when the ship was berthed here on June 10.

The 3,000-passenger ship has passed every previous CDC inspection, scoring a perfect 100 on three occasions. It has only once before scored less than 92 in 15 checks carried out during the last seven years. Anything below 85 is counted as a fail.

The unwelcome visitors were found in a locker in the Kings Court buffet restaurant. Ice machines in Kings Court and in the Commodore Club bar needed cleaning, and a human hair was found under the lid of an ice maker in a crew galley.

Draught beer lines in the casino bar and Golden Lion pub were found to be "heavily soiled," and the inspectors criticised the storage of food on wine directly on open decks. and various chemicals stored near napkins, paper cups and utensils.

Tiles and water in the Minnows splash pool were said to be "filthy with dark materials and hairs."

Cunard say some staff have been disciplined and re-trained as a result of the inspection. A spokesman said: "The poor assessment resulted largely from one small area of the ship's overall operation. All the issues raised in the report were immediately addressed and have now been corrected.

"Ship and shore management have now redefined certain roles and responsibilities to clarify accountability and the company's already rigorous training schedule has been stepped up."

The CDC carries out surprise Vessel Sanitation Program checks twice a year on all ships using American ports. No other cruise ship operated by a major line has failed a CDC inspection during the past three years .

A Dowd's Guides note:

The Queen Mary 2 also made news in May when a Malaysian man was arrested for  smuggling nine Chinese illegal Chinese immigrants into Brooklyn. They were not stowaways and their names appeared on the ship's manifest, but they were found to be trying to get onto U.S. soil without proper documentation.

Seen on our travels

Chinese top 'world's highest bar' list

Ozone, 118 floors up in Kowloon.

A few years back, I reported on the world's smallest bar, a former railroad structure in Cleethorpes, England. Now comes word of the world's highest bar, a title that has come to be dominated by the Chinese.

Ozone, at the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong hotel, presently reigns as the highest -- on the 118th floor of the International Commerce Centre in Kowloon.

The new spot moved ahead of 100 Century Avenue on the 92nd floor of the Shanghai Park Hyatt which itself had edged out Cloud 9, located on the 87th floor of the Shanghai Grand Hyatt.

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ON THE WEB

• Dowd's Guides
• Shanghai Travel Guide
• Touring Kowloon

Wild Turkey latest to spread its wings

Visitors flock to new Wild Turkey distillery.

If you've heard about the periodic, albeit brief, shortages of bourbon in some markets, you know the demand for the iconic American spirit continues to grow.

The latest expansion in the production process went on line this week with the dedication of the expanded distillery that produces Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, KY. The new $50 million distillery will be able to produce twice as much bourbon as the old one.

Eddie Russell

Kentucky produces 95% of the world's bourbon and the spirit has become globally in demand.

"The export market is so great for us," said Associate Distiller Eddie Russell, "and bourbon has had a resurgence in the U.S., so it lets us be prepared for the next 20 to 30 years."

Maker's Mark is working on a $50 million expansion that will boost production by about 50% and expand bottling capacity at its operations near Loretto, KY. It plans to build 20-25 new warehouses needed for storing barrels of whiskey that will age at least six years.

Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc., whose brands include Evan Williams bourbon, added two storage warehouses earlier this year, boosting its capacity by about 40,000 barrels at a cost of about $5 million.

Also, several bourbon makers have expanded, or are expanding, visitors facilities as whiskey tourism continues to grow.

There now are more than 4.7 million barrels of bourbon aging in warehouses across the state, the highest inventory since the early 1980s.

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ON THE WEB

• Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• Dowd's Guides

Tullamore building new visitor center

Manager D.E. Williams' name was the basis for the "dew" in the brand.

TULLAMORE, Ireland -- Since new owner William Grant and Sons took over Tullamore Dew, not all the changes are behind the scenes.

The decade-old Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre is to be upgraded as part of the company's aim of making it a major tourist attraction in the Midlands.

The original center was opened in the old bonded distillery warehouse in 2000 as a joint venture between C&C -- which then owned the brand, and the tourism support service Fáilte Ireland.

The new center will include an interactive Tullamore Dew history, a whiskey tour and expert tasting sessions. The company hopes it will be completed in time for peak tourist season in 2012 and attract 40,000 visitors annually.

Tullamore Dew is the second largest selling Irish whiskey in the world, behind Jameson's. It was purchased by William Grant and Sons last year. The distillery was founded in 1829 by Michael Molloy in County Offaly.

Contrary to popular belief, the "dew" in Tullamore Dew isn't totally an homage to Irish moisture. The initials of Daniel E. Williams, the distillery's general manager in the late 1800s, were used as the brand of whiskey he created.

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ON THE WEB

• Dowd's Guides
• Fáilte Ireland

A tour through English wine country

Visitors tour the Biddenden fields.

• From The Independent UK:

By Sally Hawkins

"English wine," emphasized Nigel, my guide at Biddenden Vineyards [in Kent], correcting my mistake. "British" wine, he was keen to point out, can be made using grapes flown in from anywhere in the world. 

As we wound our way through Biddenden's vineyard, I began to understand his eagerness to clarify my misapprehension.

While the Romans had vineyards spread widely across Kent by A.D. 250, they left no legacy of winemaking. So, when the Barnes family planted their first acre of vines in 1969 they were true pioneers, going about it through a process of trial and error. The biggest question hanging over them was whether it was really possible to grow vines in the English climate: a late or early frost can ruin a crop. 

Four decades on, and Biddenden now is the oldest commercial vineyard in the county, with 22 acres of vines. Kent now has more than 350 acres of vineyards, and English wines are raking in international awards (including two gold, 14 silver and 20 bronze medals at the 2011 International Wine Challenge, the Oscars of the wine world). 

It's all very exciting for oenophiles. As Julian Barnes, second-generation winemaker at Biddenden, explained: "While the varieties of grapes are German [such as ortega and dornfelder] or French [such as pinot noir] they are grown in England -- and the local conditions and soil influence the flavours of the wine." 

In Biddenden's farm shop, shelves heave with local produce including the farm's own wines and ciders,  all free to taste. 

"What produce is Kent famous for?" asked Nigel. "The same nutrients they take from the soil are going into the grapes that make the wine." With one slurp of the Gribble Bridge Ortega 2009, I understand: apples, pears, elderflower. The 2007 Pink Sparkling has hints of strawberry. You can't get more English than that.

[Go here for the complete story.] 

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ON THE WEB

• Official Kent Tourism Site
• Dowd's Guides

Pittsburgh getting new micro-distillery

PITTSBURGH, PA --  The city's first distillery in nearly a century will open in the Strip District this summer.

Wigle Whiskey, a micro-distiller, will operate on the ground floor of the Pittsburgh Wool Co. building. Its owners, Eric Meyer and his father, Mark, and other family members named the whiskey after Philip Wigle, one of two men convicted of treason and sentenced to hang for his role in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.

The last legal distillery in this part of the state was the Schenley Distillery in Armstrong County which closed in the 1970s. The last distillery in the city is believed to have been Joseph S. Finch, which closed by 1920 and moved its operations to the Schenley plant after Prohibition ended.

The Wigle hanging is commemorated in the new company's label, with the rope incorporated into the name. Incidentally, the aforementioned Strip District is a popular mile-long dining and nightlife neighborhood that runs along the Allegheny River just northeast of downtown. Many of the businesses are in former warehouse and industrial buildings.

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ON THE WEB

• Pittsburgh neighborhood tours
• Historic Attractions Near Pittsburgh
• Dowd's Guides