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I've been making a cocktail I've titled the Bohannon which features star anise simple syrup, Rittenhouse 100 rye, and a nice wide strip of orange zest.

I've even got my wife hooked, and whiskey is about the last thing I'd expect her to enjoy.

Hmmm, these are a few of my favorite bars:

The Map Room, Chicago - awesome setting and beer selection. I feel like I'm drinking in an Indiana Jones movie.
Monk's Kettle, San Francisco/The Trappist, Oakland - Love both of these places for the same reasons: Great people behind the bar, great light, great beer list.
Bar UnCommon, New Orleans - A very chic look without feeling stuffy (this is New Orleans afterall) and simply put the best cocktails I've ever had.
Carousel Bar, New Orleans - Marvin makes a mean Pisco Sour.
Tria, Philadelphia - A very well edited beer list, great small plates, a well-lit open atmosphere.
Barcade, Brooklyn, NY - Beer and videogames.

The flavors of this sandwich were undeniably great, but the time I had it the broth was served so insanely hot that after it finally cooled enough for me to take a bite, the bread had completely soggified. Out of our party of four, this sandwich still took 3/4 favorite votes, but my favorite was the cuban. Overall, Xoco is still one of my favorite places in the city. Expensive? Yes, but worth it for the quality ingredients and bold flavors.

I'm always drawn to recipes like this, but the major setback is the fact that most people don't have access to things like merguez. I'd love to make this dish, but I'd probably have to mail-order the merguez, so in the end it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

Well I made this drink last night using pear juice instead of beet juice and pasteurized apple cider. I added another .5 oz. of rye and pear juice. I used 2 T of anise seed and strained it out using a fine strainer into a plastic squeeze bottle.

It was really nice, especially after it warmed up a bit. I think I used too much ice in my shaker as my first few sips were relatively bland. The subtler flavors emerged as it warmed. When I make it again I might use sparkling cider or some lemon juice as I felt it needed a little something to cut the sweetness. I also might drop in a few brandied raisins or a cinnamon stick. With a little work, this recipe has the potential to be great.

It would be stacked with Tartine's Morning Buns and City Bakery's Pretzel Croissants. Alright, and it'd serve City Bakery's hot chocolate too.

I'm not sure I can obtain beet juice, fresh squeezed or otherwise, can you recommend any suitable substitutions? I was thinking maybe cranberry juice... Or pear?

While shopping for my wife's 30th birthday dinner we sampled an amazing pecorino toscano that's marinated in olive oil for... 6 months I think. It paired amazingly well with kalmata and green olives, and fresh bread dipped into spiced olive oil. We've gone back to it a few times and I think we're both addicted.

I wonder if the threw that Welch's in there because hes a spokesperson. Nonetheless, a good interview. Alton Brown is certainly one of my favorite food personalities. My co-worker just recommended I check out the Coq au Vin episode. Thanks for all the great tips over the years.

I'm really surprised you guys mentioned Defenstration. When I visited RRBC back in August, it was one of the few beers I sampled that really missed the mark. Of their -ation beers I really enjoyed Consecration, Damnnation, Supplication, and Temptation. I also realized that Pliny the Elder, while good, is seriously overrated.

I'm envious of your beer samplings, some of those brews had my mouth watering. Thanks for the recap.

I hope this article is a lead-in to a Pumpkin Ale tasting. I just compared Pumking and Punkin, and Pumking was the clear favorite. I might enjoy Punkin more if I paired it with some appropriate food, but by itself I wasn't too crazy about it. I'm glad it only came in a 4-pack.

+1 @beersnob. As with most Stone brews I also felt this one was just a bit unbalanced due to it's hop-forwardness. It had so much potential, but unfortunately it just didn't come together in the end.

I went through a similar evolution, although, for me, cocktails play a very close second to microbrews. In terms of cocktails I evolved from the Bacardi and diet (oh, how I've changed) to the Rob Roy, to the Manhattan, and finally to the Mint Julep, made with Maker's Mark.

Now I know Maker's Mark isn't the end all be all bourbon, but I haven't really had the opportunity to go bourbon tasting. I prefer my spirits smooth and slightly sweet (Cragganmore is my scotch of choice), so I haven't really felt the need to explore past MM. Plus, if you're lucky, it'll be served in a nifty copper mug, and I just think thats the tops.