Your Summer Bar

Summer is the time for entertaining. There are barbecues and pool parties, Sunday morning brunches and Saturday night gatherings. A backyard bar is necessary. Guests want a cooling drink and it's up to you to provide some fun and fruity libations.

What should a summer or backyard bar have? A good mix of alcohol and non alcoholic beverages. Champagne should be on hand.It's an exciting twist to a Saturday night get together and is needed for Sunday brunch mimosas and Bellinis,If it's too expensive , then try sparkling wines such as Prosecco and Asti Spumanti. Lighter wines are also a must.Pinot noir is a good choice on a hot night.It's a red that will go with bold steaks and juicy hamburgers.A German Reisling white can be good with grilled chicken along with any kind of fish or seafood. Try it when you serve grilled lobster tails or scallops. If you want to vary it, then choose a Chardonnay to go with barbecued meats and seafood.It's also good with any kind of ham or toasted food such as almonds or baked goods - think mini quiches.Of course there should be beer. Everyone's favorite is Corona - with a slice of lime . What does it go with besides Mexican dishes? Gazpacho shooters which are easy to make along with grilled chicken wraps. As for the usual fare try pale ales with the burgers and dogs.Other kinds  of alcohol to have are vodka and rum, along with bourbon and tequilas for cocktails and shots.

A summer bar should have extras for mixers and non-drinkers. Plain and flavored seltzers are a must.One of the best and most flavorful is Bubly. The brand has a myriad of flavors from an intense cherry to a zingy grapefruit. Buy a number of flavors for your guests' many tastes. Of course there should be soda. Stick with the classics Coke and Pepsi which you can add rum to for a fun rum and Coke.What about fruit juices?Lemon and lime juice should always be on hand. You can buy bottled juices or have the fruit  ready to be cut and squeezed. Include oranges too. A bottle of the pulp free is needed for tequila sunrises, screwdrivers and mimosas. Pineapple juice ,reminiscent of luaus and exotic climes , can add spark to any summer cocktail. Imagine grilled ham steaks served with pina coladas or mojitos. Sub in grapefruit juice for a real change. Just remember these two won't get used as much as other juices. Buy small bottles if you're planning on using them.You can't go wrong with a bottle of cranberry juice.It's good on it's own or mixed with vodka.If you're planning on a brunch , then buy a bottle of tomato juice for Bloody Mary's.

A well stocked summer bar is the key to a good warm weather get together. Have the appropriate wines and hard liquor on hand as well as the extras. Your  thirsty guests will appreciate the variety.

Crazy Grapes

Grapes have always been a fun snack and a neat addition to dessert plates. Now there are some new hybrids that are going to ran up the excitement around them. These will definitely be the new favorites.

I discovered one strain while food shopping at the Stop &Shop. There are only so many peaches one can eat, and as much as I love them, they can be tiresome. The grapes beckoned  - and these were not just any grape. They were long tubular ones, sort of looking like pudgy little fingers. They were the Moon Drops, a pretty name for a pretty fruit. The grapes' color is a rich deep purple - think a midnight mixed with eggplant. They're the size is about two Concord grapes long with blunt, rounded ends. The flavor is sweeter than the average grape,think homemade grape jam. Sweet but not cloying. They are an offshoot of the common grape - vitis vinifira and the name was trademarked by The Grapery,a California based grower. Their odd shape might make people think they've been genetically modified   but they're not. The breeding technique did require human intervention howeve. An embryo rescue occurred, This is when the breeding process involves pollinating a flower and then growing the embryo seed in a laboratory test tube. Eventually the seedling is planted in soil and grown in the traditional manner.Unfortunately they're not really good for jams or wine. Eat them fresh , by themselves or with cheese.

Another crazy grape causing a buzz is the cotton candy grape. This hybrid is yet another product of The Grapery., and have been out since 2011 (I'm late to the party with these). They look resemble "white "or the pale green variety save for one important aspect - they taste exactly  like cotton candy. How is this possible? Again, as with the Moon Drops, there was no GMOs or even sugar injections to boost the taste. It seems it was a hit and miss with flavors.The growers didn't set out to create that particular one. Consumer testers gave them that name. Warm, they have a caramel or toffee flavor but chilled, as they were first eaten - and the cotton candy taste comes out.Again, like their unique  cousins, they can;t be made into jam or wine. Just eat them as a fun dessert when they're in season,. Supermarkets usually sell them during their harvest months of August and September. Another wild globe from The Grapery is the teardrop grape. This is a deep purple chili pepper looking grape that were originally named Witch Fingers which would be a cool name for them around Halloween. Like their cousins, they're best on their own or better yet on a cheese or charcuterie  plate. Harvest time for them is mid Spring, around June.

Grapes are a nice addition to any table - no matter what the time of year. MoonDrops are big right now. Enjoy them at a fall  picnic or gracing a cheese platter full of Bries and cheddar.

The Perfect Wine Shop

We all  know what makes a good food store. We know it;s a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, good customer service and a welcoming atmosphere. Now what makes a good wine shop? Ask anyone and they'll draw a blank. What does make a liquor store stand out?

The answer was a very good article in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Eric Asimov wrote about it in  his Pour Column and it's worth saving. Many people just walk into their local liquor store and overlook the obvious signs . One , the ambient temperature should be fifty four degrees - the temperature of a wine cellar. If your local wine shop feels a bit too warm , then walk out  and find a moderately cooler one.Also, another bad sign is if the place is flooded with sunlight.  A liquor store should be dark, otherwise  the light can damage the wine,especially if it's in clear or light blue bottles.
Dusty merchandise is also a telling sign, The staff has been lax in upkeep and possible negligent with inventory. Another sign of an attentive sales force. Look at the description listed under the bottles.Staff written ones means they're personally involved and a distinct point of view. They'll also offer you advice on what to  buy  and even offer samples.Buyers should also note if the bottles are laying down or standing up. It's a good sign if they're placed on their side, this way the cork won't dry out  and let in oxygen.This can oxidize the wine.

Mr. Asimov also visits some of the better wines shops across the country. He visits Bay Grape in San Francisco which even has wifi and tables  There are also discussion groups with sales people leading them and teaching shoppers about different types. All of this has made Bay Grape a popular wine shop with a loyal clientele. New York City also has wine shops that are much more. Take Black Label Wine Merchants..Sales clerks will either  engage shoppers in conversations to determine their likes and dislikes or back away from the more distant ones. Some stores even track their shoppers purchases, to better anticipate their next trips to the store as well as help them in the future. Wine shop owner.Vanessa Moore, of Unwined In Alexandria Virginia,trains her staff to recognize customers by name and get to know their tastes. There's also another family aspect  in the sense that she only buys from family wineries. She does change brands frequently  which can turn off devotees of certain wineries. Greenwich Village's Some Good Wine offers wines from places that normally aren't associated with wine making, from the Canary Islands, Corsica and the Czech Republic, thanks to owner Jeremy' Blocks passion for exotic wines.This means his customers can also expand their repertoire too.

A good wine shop has to have several different components to be successful. The bottom line is both the merchandise and the customers  have to be treated special. This translates into a liquor stoe with a long life and a loyal follwing.

Your Holiday Liquor Cabinet

Even though it's early December it's never too soon to stock up on holiday libations. We tend to focus on the foods of the season as opposed to the drinks which means it's a quick run to the local liquor store on the night of any holiday celebration . Be ready and fully stocked for your gatherings .

By now most hosts and hostesses have a good idea of what type of get together they'll be having. If
it's a formal sit down dinner with the boss and coworkers then think about getting a case of good wine.It's always impressive to have a bottle of one of the best to offset  a good roast or capon. Think about buying the organic kind whether it be white or red. They're made with grapes that haven't been sprayed with any pesticides or chemicals. They also contain no allergy causing sulphides either.If you're serving one particular meat such as beef or pork, you may want to have a variety of different reds to suit your guests tastes.

Of course nothing beats an at home  cocktail party, complete with a variety of different mixed drinks. . Go out and buy the staples  the usual, whiskey, ryes  and gins along with some of the flavored vodkas. For this last you can try a taste test to see what  vodka flavor works (there are so many of them these days with flavors running from cotton candy to blueberry). If you're planning on making punch or egg nog then stock up on a few bottles of rum. Also if you have a few wine drinkers in the crowd then buy  a mix of Cabernets and Merlots . If there's any toasting to be done then get that crate of champagne. Also some people may just prefer it or a sparkling wine as opposed to any mixed cocktail so have a few extra single bottles somewhere so that you don't run out.,

It's time to start shopping - for alcohol. Before the parties and dinners start make sure your wine cellar orliquor cabinet is fully stocked. Nothing ruins a gathering more than running out of the bubbly or closing the bar.