Four Seasons’ Philipp Blaser on Why Hotel Bars Are the New Cool
You may not know his name, but Philipp Blaser is the man behind a bar or restaurant at which you’ve probably spent quite a bit of time. As Global Senior Vice President of Food & Beverage for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Blaser is in charge of over 600 bars and restaurants across 130 hotel…
Review: Flora Springs 2023 Soliloquy and 2021 Trilogy
Flora Springs may be an old school label — its been around for 45 years — but don’t say this brand can’t learn new tricks. Flora Springs began what it describes as an “evolution” in 2019, selling off its old buildings and transitioning to a smaller winery with a more focused approach to winemaking. With…
Review: Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Favourites 10 Years Old 2024
It’s greatest hits time for Laphroaig with its latest Cà irdeas special edition, a whisky which celebrates 30 years of the Friends of Laphroaig program by revisiting two beloved Laphroaig releases from the past: 2019’s Triple Wood and 2021’s PX Cask. It is “married together by Master Blender, Calum Fraser, as an aged statement [10 years…
Review: 2021 The Tease Cabernet Sauvignon by Strip House
So, interesting story behind this wine. It’s made by our friends at Boisset’s Raymond in Napa Valley, but you can’t buy it there: It’s an exclusive to the Strip House steakhouse, which has locations in New York and Las Vegas. The wine is a 100% cabernet sauvignon “sourced from two adjacent vineyards in the heart…
Review: Le Gin 13
Le Gin 13, as the “Le” might suggest, hails from France — specifically the cellars of Châteauneuf-du-Pape-based maker of the wines Les Cailloux and Cuvée Centenaire, André Brunel. The gin is made from a base of organic grapes and includes 13 botanicals all grown in the Rhone Valley: juniper, coriander, angelica root, cinnamon, orange peel,…
Review: Elysian Juice Dust
Never before has a brewery hung so much of its identity on the concept of “dust.” Space Dust, Dank Dust, now Juice Dust, all beers from Elysian, and all riffs on the IPA theme. Juice Dust falls in the Imperial Juicy IPA category, of course, and the orange-themed cartoonery on the label should cue you…
Review: Crown Royal Single Malt
Crown Royal, the Canadian whisky powerhouse, extends its line into something entirely new for the brand — and not all that common in Canada, to be honest. So here it is: Crown Royal’s first single malt. Made from 100% malted barley, the whisky is “crafted in the Canadian cold,” which is perhaps the brand’s way…
Review: 2021 Tapestry Red Blend Paso Robles
Let’s clear up some things to start. Not to be confused with Beaulieu Vineyard’s other wine named Tapestry (a longtime favorite from the brand), the new Tapestry is also made by a winery owned by BV… though it doesn’t carry their name anywhere on the label. Perhaps that’s because this new Tapestry is made in…