Monthly Archives: September 2010

Book Review: The Quick-Fix Hangover Detox

quick fix hangover detox Book Review: The Quick Fix Hangover DetoxSubtitled “99 Ways to Feel 100 Times Better,” this slim tome (just 99 pages long including the index) is a straightforward list of recipes and advice for correcting the worst part of drinking: the hangover.

The advice is split into three sections – before, during, and after you drink – and the advice varies from simple to obtuse. Lots of this stuff you already know: Drink lots of water. Take B vitamins. Don’t drink too much.

Some of the advice will likely be new to you: Drink a mixture of blended lettuce, broccoli, and spinach. Eat celery to help with nausea. Gin and tonic is a depressant.

Still more of the advice is contrary to what you probably think you know: Don’t take pain relievers in the morning. Caffeine is bad for hangovers.

Even more of the advice you can safely dismiss: Use crystals to help recovery the next day.

Some of the advice isn’t hangover advice at all: Drinking is fattening.

There’s no telling how much of this information is legit, but it mostly sounds OK and the bulk of it comes down to not drinking too much and making sure you eat lots of fruit and vegetables during your recovery. Good advice, I suppose, provided you’ve read this tome and stocked up well before that big night out gets underway.

C / $10 / [BUY IT HERE]

Review: Patron Silver Tequila

For many, Patron is the gold standard of premium tequila. And indeed, Patron has done for the tequila market what Grey Goose did for vodka. Whether you like them or not, they have convinced the world that there were people out there who would pay for expensive versions of what many had previously assumed only came in two versions: Cheap and cheaper.

As a pioneer in mass market premium tequilas, Patron took the approach of using 100% agave, crafting a fancy bottle with a little ribbon around the neck and a real cork for a stopper, and charging a premium price for it all. It has worked: Patron is now one of the best-selling tequila brands in the world, and it’s expensive.

And yet, when you get down to it, Patron is honestly nothing special. The tequila offers a big, and somewhat nutty and woody nose (though the spirit is not rested in wood like some blancos), with pronounced agave notes. The woody character continues on the palate, but it’s overshadowed by a pretty heavy bite and burn, suggesting that Patron is a tequila for those that grew up on rotgut tequilas and have graduated, but still wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t have to gasp for air after doing a shot (and let’s be real, no one sips Patron). The texture is full-bodied, but somewhat oily.

All said, this is not a bad tequila, but there are many better blancos out there, and at better prices that it’s silly to recommend it unless there’s absolutely nothing better on the shelf. 80 proof.

B / $38 / patrontequila.com

patron silver tequila Review: Patron Silver Tequila

Review: 2009 Caminada Chardonnay Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina

Caminada is a Mendoza, Argentina-based winery which sources fruit from the mountains above the Uco Valley. The wine (along with its Malbec) is simple and uncomplex. There’s citrus and lemon on the nose, pairing well with a decent, fruity body. No real finish to speak of, Caminada ends short and simple. Wood aging is limited, and its impact here is light, which is good news for those who aren’t fans of overblown Chardonnay. All told, it’s a pretty easygoing Chardonnay for the price. The trippy label, though, gave me nightmares.

B / $11 / pl360bev.com

Caminada Chardonnay Review: 2009 Caminada Chardonnay Uco Valley Mendoza Argentina