Featured Skurnik Unfiltered
Many know rice as one of the great staple crops of the world; it provides essential calories for more than half of the world’s population, and outside of Asia it is one of the fastest-growing foods. Japan has a particularly strong history with rice which dates back 3,000 years, and since its introduction from mainland … Read More
Chu-Hai — don’t respond with gesundheit! By now you must have read our Intro to Shochu: Japan’s Terroir-Driven Spirit. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into one of Japan’s (and now our) favorite drinks: the Chu-Hai — a shochu highball. Shochu has long been consumed with mixers, even before WWII. It’s been said that the … Read More
Never is the creative energy of the East Coast’s cocktailing community more palpable than in the Fall. The change in season cracks wide open the range of flavors that might catch an imbiber’s fancy, and tastemakers in every style of bar, restaurant, and retail shop are ready to oblige by offering dazzling elixirs showcasing recipes … Read More
Pictured above are Francesco and Sergio Minuto. These days, it’s hard to fathom there was a time before international businessmen were trying to scoop up farms in Piedmont to add to their investment portfolios. We feel the region’s fame is well-deserved, and so we were sort of shocked in 2014 when we heard an astonishing … Read More
Jamie-san with a group of producers at our 2019 Grand Portfolio Tasting! Although sake has been sold for decades at Japanese restaurants around the country, consumer awareness of ‘craft sake’ has been low until very recently. Great sake is surprisingly versatile, and its qualities can be showcased beyond the standard pairing with Japanese cuisine (sake … Read More
Today may very well be the Golden Age of French wine, full stop. There has been no better stretch of great vintages or more exceptionally talented growers at the height of their powers than TODAY. 2019 is, as we speak, shaping up to be another glorious vintage in France. Every grower we spoke to views … Read More
2019 has been a rollercoaster for our some of our favorite producers in France, as Mother Nature has again thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at them this growing season. This year extreme weather has been the norm. Spring frost has now become an annual danger, hitting once again, though not as severely as years past. … Read More