What's in the Glass?

Hello EPN Blog Readers,

My name is Jenn and I’m an event planner here at EPN. I’m going to contribute to our blog periodically, reviewing both a cocktail and a wine.

 

What qualifies me to do this, you may ask?

 

I have no specific qualifications, like bar tending experience or education as a sommelier.

 

I am however the mother of 2 little boys (Why, yes, I’d love a drink!) and am the wife of a city police officer (Thank you sir. May I have another?). I’m also reading “Wine For Dummies”, just to give myself a little credibility.

 

Where cocktails are concerned, I have one rule: I never, ever use mixers.

If I can’t make it from scratch, I’m not making it. I was never a drink snob until someone told me how to make margaritas without using a pre-made mixer. I tried it and have been a converted purist ever since.

 

In defense of mixers, if you’re entertaining a group and don’t want to spend your entire evening making a single drink at a time for each person, they can be a huge time saver. However, they should be in a container labeled “In Case Of Emergency”.

 

Wine, on the other hand, is very subjective. According to “Wine for Dummies”, a wine can be a very good wine (i.e. good growing season in the region, lush vines, good soil, smooth finish, etc.) and still not taste good to everyone who tries it. At least not to someone who doesn’t know what they’re supposed to be looking for.

 

Take this example: An acquaintance of mine raved about a Spanish wine I had to try because it was the best wine he’d ever had. I thought, “Great! This guy has a wine cellar! He studies opera! He has to know his stuff. This is going to be a nearly religious experience!”. Sadly, there was no religious experience for me. I didn’t even finish the glass. I hated it, in fact. It was way too dry for me and had a very nasty finish to it.

 

Or this example: In my early 20’s, my girlfriends and I would each get a bottle of Boone’s Farm (Strawberry Hill anyone?) for $2.99 and spend the day by the pool. I’m not saying it was fit to be served at say, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, but it tasted good! And we were happy.

 

Every few weeks, I’m going to make a new cocktail and pass along the recipe to you. I’m also going to purchase a bottle of wine from the liquor store based on either clever name or eye-catching bottle. Simple, yes. But admit it, we’ve all purchased wine that way. I just know that not every good bottle of wine has to cost $35+ and have a famous name attached to it and I’m out to prove it!

 

Before I go,  a friend of mine gave me this recipe for mulled wine. I made it on New Year’s Day and loved it. It’s great for a cold night. Let me know what you think!

 

Mulled Wine

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoon whole cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

 

1 sliced orange

¾ cup sugar

½ cup orange juice

 

½ gallon red wine (I bought a jug of Ernest Gallo Burgundy)

 

Use a coffee filter to make a spice sack (or cheese cloth if you have some) with the first 3 ingredients. Add it to the orange, sugar and orange juice in a pot on the stove and boil for 3 minutes. Turn down the heat and add the wine. Don’t let the wine come to a boil, but let everything sit on low heat for a bit. When you’re ready to serve it, strain the wine and pour it into mug. It's wonderful!

 

Enjoy and thanks for reading! 

 

Until next time, cheers!

Jenn

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Bridgit]

Amen, sister! I too was a fan of Boone's Farm during my college years. On paydays, I splurged on Arbormist. Can't wait to read more!