Gin mastermind Charles Tanqueray can be a mysterious player in the world of liquor. Nearly 200 years after he crafted one of the world’s most lasting booze brands, there are few details about Charles that follow his green barrel-shaped bottles around the world. In a phone interview, Tanqueray’s current Master Distiller Tom Nichol gave me some insight into the legendary man.
Meet Jack Daniel: History in a Bottle
It occurred to me recently that outside of the iconic square bottle with the black label marked “Old No. 7,” most guys don’t know a lot about Jack Daniel. Like many other distillers, particularly those in the age before multi-billion dollar liquor conglomerates, Jack is a fascinating guy to learn about.
Engineering the Perfect Brisket?
Pitmasters labor their entire careers to make the perfect brisket but a Harvard engineering class seems to have done just that in a single semester. It’s the sort of problem I would have loved to have faced in a college class. Unfortunately, my biggest post-high school food problem was what to mix with the day’s ramen noodles so that it tasted less like prior day’s ramen noodles.
‘Nduja – a Unique Hot Sausage
If you visit Calabria, particularly for the Peperoncino Festival in Diamante, you’ll sooner or later discover an interesting pork sausage named ‘Nduja. This is a spreadable sort of salami that has been made in southern Calabria for hundreds of years.
La Dolce Vita en Bardolino
For the past few days we have been staying with our good friends Harald and Renate Zosche in their house beside Lake Garda in Bardolino, Italy. Here are some of the delicacies we’ve been indulging in. More goodies in next week’s newsletter. Ciao!
Paella Pandemonium: Lodge’s 15″ Skillet
I don’t own a paella pan but recently discovered an alternative… the Lodge pre-seasoned 15-inch seasoned steel skillet. It can be used on induction, ceramic, electric and gas cooktops, in the oven, on the grill, or even over a campfire or fire pit.
Elevate Portable Grill: Burn! Tested
I have a lot of grills and smokers – I mean really a lot. I recently received something new that I didn’t have: a portable “Elevate Grill” by PointElevate. I’ve used the throw-away kind (the one that looks like a large aluminum turkey pan that is pre-filled with charcoal) at the pond for an impromptu cookout but the Elevate Grill is a real grill with two cooking surfaces powered by a small propane tank.
