Distill America: Get in the SPIRIT to celebrate.

It was not that many years ago that American made distilled spirits were not very easy to come by. Oh sure, the legendary Bourbon producers down in Kentucky were cranking out whiskey by the barrel full. Beyond that though the pickins were pretty slim.

Fast forward to today when there are nine liquor companies right here in Wisconsin. They make a variety of wonderful spirits, something to please every palate. From whiskey, to rum, to honey liqueur, to apple brandy, to absinthe, to horseradish vodka, and the list goes on and on and on.

This is not just a Wisconsin trend. It is happening all over the country with new distilleries popping up like weeds. Take Vermont Spirits for example, they are from Vermont (surprise) and make a vodka based in maple syrup. Take Rogue Distilling from Oregon, long known for making interesting and innovative beers now they make a whiskey that is aged in barrels in the Pacific Ocean.

It is not hard to see how this movement parallels the craft beer movement that today is experiencing a golden age. If you looked at the United States in 1980 you would have been hard pressed to find beer that was not made by one of the giant macro producers. Today we know that a beer drinker could go a whole year and never drink the same beer twice. That same thing is beginning to happen with spirits.

Trying all the different spirits can be a bit more daunting than try a bunch of different beers though. Spirits tend to be more expensive and they certainly have more kick. Also people tend to find their favorite when it comes to liquor and they are less likely to change unlike the adventurous world of craft beer buyers.

Well...that is where Distill America: A Celebration of American Distilling comes in. The Madison Malt Society has put together a tasting event that is held every February that brings together all the best spirits the good ol' USA has to offer. With close to 40 tables there is bound to be a treat there that you enjoy. Many of the tables are manned by the distillers themselves to give you a real chance to ask questions and find out what it is that you love so much.

This years tasting is at the Edgewater Hotel on February 17th. Tickets can be purchased at Star Liquor, Barriques locations around Madison, The Malt House and Merchant.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to attend this wonderful event.

If you want more info check out www.distillamerica.com

Every One Loves the Gift of Booze!

So with the month of December now in bone-chilling full swing we are probably all feeling the nervous tension that almost always leads up to the holiday season. We are out trying to find that special gift for that perfect person. The staff at Star wants to make gift buying a little bit easier for you. We have the gifts that everybody loves and nobody returns. Whether you are trying to impress your boss, or bring a tear to the eye of a loved one, Star can help.

Do you have a wine lover in your life?

Oh, there are so many wonderful wines you can give as a gift. Bottles of all styles, all prices. If you are really feeling saucy ask to see our secret wine cellar. There are bottles down there that are so good just thinking about them makes me a little misty. You can also take advantage of our month 15% off on the 15th special. Take 15% off all of your wine purchases on Wednesday, December 15th. It is the perfect excuse to splurge a bit or to just stock up for the season. If there is one thing you can count on at Star it is that whether you are buying that dream bottle from the cellar or you are just looking for something to go with pizza tonight we can help you find it.

Need a gift for the spirits drinker in your life?

Whether it is single salt scotch, or something made closer to home we have the bottle to make them happy. There are spirits like gin, vodka, apple brandy, rum, honey liqeuer, whiskey and many others being made right here in Wisconsin and in small craft distelleries across the country. We have a huge selection to choose from. Of course our good friends from down in bourbon country in Kentucky are turning our some prized spirits and we have tried them all. Feel free to pick our brains to find just the right ones. Maybe you need a gift for someone who loves them all and dreams of tasting as many as possible. This person needs a ticket to Distill America: A Celebration of American Distilling in February. You could give them their ticket into a room filled with the finest spirits made right here in the U.S. and the people who are responsible for making them. We have tickets available now at Star.

Maybe you need something for that special beer geek on your list?

Beer geek is not a derisive term at Star. It is what we are and we are proud of it. There is a seemingly never ending supply of new and exciting beers out there. They get released every week and there is truly something for everyone. Mixed 12 packs from some of our favorite brewers have always been a holiday tradition at Star and this year is no exception. You can also make your own gift pack by picking a variety of 6 packs from our selection.

So as you can see there is something for everyone at Star.

Come and see and let us help make your holiday gift giving more pleasant.

See you all soon.

FREE Tastings at Star

Hello friends. Here is a little explanation about how our free tastings at Star work. They have become very regular things for us and we enjoy them quite a bit. Based on the number of people who join us it is safe to say that you do too. If you have never been to one let me ask…What the heck is wrong with you? It is free beer or wine. HA!

FREE BEER TASTINGS

Free beer tastings happen at Star nearly every Friday night of the year. Sometimes a beer tasting will happen on an off day if there is a conflict or a special event. They take place from 4pm to 7pm and they are usually conducted by someone from the brewery. Often times it is the head beer maker or sometimes it is a sales rep. What these people know is that when they come to a Star Liquor beer tasting they had better know their stuff. That is because you guys are going to ask real questions and expect real answers. You are not going to get away with marketing pitches when you pour your beer at Star. We get fantastic responses from the brewery folks that pour here. They are always so amazed at how willing our customers are to try new things and how interested they are in how these beers are made. So keep up the good work and we will keep trying to bring in new and exciting beers and beer makers for you to sample and meet.

FREE WINE TASTINGS

Free wine tastings happen every month on the 15^th regardless of the day of the week. The beauty of this is as all you wine fans well know the 15^th also means 15% off all your wine purchases. Usually we select a variety of wines from one of our wholesalers and they join us and pour for you and answer all your questions. All of our wine reps are very knowledgeable and love talking to the public about their products. Occasionally we will have a special wine tasting because someone from a winery is in town for a visit as we did with Carla from Trapiche. Those you just have to keep your eyes open for.

How can I find out about upcoming tastings?

Well, we always have signs posted in the store. You can email Star at starliquor@tds.net to get added to our email list. You can also become a fan of Star on Facebook where we offer constant reminders of upcoming events www.facebook.com/starliquor.

Remaining Beer Tastings for 2010:

Nov 5 – New Glarus

Nov 12 – Furthermore

Nov 19 – Hinterland

Dec 3 – Founders

Dec 10 – Sierra Nevada

Dec 17 – Capital

Remaining Wine Tastings for 2010:

Monday November 15th and Wednesday December 15th

See you all there!

Whiskey and Whisky

At Star Liquor we sell a lot of whiskey. A whole lot of whiskey. We also sell a lot of whisky. So have I lost you yet? If I have it is because of some of the subtle differences that if you are not in the business of knowing, you might miss completely.

Nowadays whiskey comes from all over the place. You can get bourbon from Kentucky, or New York. Scotch only comes from Scotland but Single Malt can be had from Japan and India and it is pretty darn good. Here is a little breakdown on some of the different whiskies that can be had at Star Liquor.

Single Malt Scotch is a type of whisky (notice that the “e” is missing, this is a spelling used in Scotland) that is made in a single distillery in Scotland. Made with malted barley, single malt scotch is distilled twice. It is then aged in seasoned (or used) oak barrels for at least 3 years and one day, though it is usually aged much longer. It is not uncommon to see a 25 year old or older scotch. If it is not from Scotland it is not Scotch, it is Single Malt Whiskey.

Irish Whiskey comes from Ireland. (HA HA duh!) Ireland is the country that gave whiskey its name. The word whiskey is an Anglicization of the ancient Gaelic term "uisce beatha" which translates as "water of life". Irish whiskey is believed to be one of the earliest distilled beverages in Europe, dating to the mid-12th century. Irish Whiskey is usually triple distilled which accounts for its easy drinking smoothness.

Bourbon, most people think, must come from Kentucky. Not true at all. Bourbon must come from the United States but about 95% is made in Kentucky. Bourbon must contain 51% corn and be aged at least 3 years in charred new oak barrels. Since barrels can only be used once for bourbon and barrels must be seasoned to age scotch, most used bourbon barrels are shipped to Scotland. Wild Turkey for example, ships many of their used barrels to Glenlivet. Bourbon also cannot be distilled higher than 160 proof and must not have any added colors or flavors.

Of course this is very rudimentary and completely ignores Blended Scotch, American Blended Whiskey, Canadian Whiskey and I am sure others, but those are maybe for another blog.

How to order a barrel of beer from Star Liquor.

So the only reason to write this blog is because Star is not what you would call a barrel store. What that means is we do not keep a large number of varied beers in different size kegs on hand. The reason this is true is our cooler is not very big.

We will work very hard to get you the barrel that you want but in return we need a couple of things from you. Advanced notice and a little patience. If you can supply those two things we will go out of our way to get you the beer you need.

The advanced notice that we need means that you need to call Star by 3pm on the Monday before you need your barrel. That is when you can talk to Adam (the beer guy) and he can talk to his salespeople to get you your beer. The more notice you give the better chance you have of getting your beer.

The patience part involves us finding out if the beer you want comes in the barrel you need. Many people think that any beer you see is available in barrels. That is not always true. Especially when dealing with smaller breweries or more eclectic beers. Most everything can be had but it takes time especially if the brewer is from outside Wisconsin.

One of the most important things to remember is just how much beer is really in a barrel of beer. Do you really need that much? How much do you and your friends drink these days?

Some rough numbers to remember:

½ barrel (the largest available thru retailers) = roughly 180 12oz beers

¼ barrel = roughly 90 beers

1/6 barrel= roughly 65 beers

You would be amazed how many kegs come back to Star half full. So maybe you just need bottles of beer. That allows for variety and allows for the leftovers to stay in the fridge for a later date.

So remember, call ahead, if you want something unusual call way ahead, don’t be surprised if what you want isn’t available, and be prepared with some options. That way you and your friends can be drinking icy cold tap beer when your party starts.

A visit to Trapiche

Adam here. In April of 2007 I was lucky enough to be invited by Fredrick Wildman Wine Imports to travel to Argentina to visit a couple of the wineries that they represent. I of course jumped at the chance. I had never been to South America before and goodness knows I was fond of the wines. I figured since Carla from Trapiche was coming to visit Star this week I would tell you about my visit.

After spending some time in Buenos Aires as well as a few days in the Cafayate Valley we finally arrived in Mendoza, the Argentine city that is considered the heart of wine country. Despite a population of over 4 million people Mendoza has a very laid back quality to it. Sidewalk cafes are everywhere and they are shaded by large leafy trees making them a great spot to relax with a nice pisco sour or Fernet and Coke. The first thing our tour leader Francine warned us about were the irrigation ditches that ran along the side of the street. These ditches are about 3 feet deep and she told us she was not fishing any of us out if we fell in after too many drinks. Fair enough.

Trapiche is located right near the foot of the Andes mountains and they have growers at all different elevations. We visited the Dos Palmas vineyards which are very close to the winery. Our tour of the vineyard was given by Carla herself, which is why we are so looking forward to seeing her again.

One of the most striking this about the vineyards in Argentina is that the grapes actually need to be protected from getting too much sun. So they grow the vines onto trellises and allow the leaves to shade the grapes. I had never seen this before. However since the Argentine wine country is on the edge of some of the largest, steepest mountains in the world it does make sense. These mountains block almost all of the percipitaion that would otherwise be coming from the Pacific Ocean. Rain and clouds are a rare thing here. All the water for irrigating the grapes and everything else flows down out of the mountains. Hence the forementioned irrigation ditches.After seeing the vineyards we went to the winery for a tasting and a tour followed up by lunch. The first thing we noticed when we arrived at the winery were 2 goats being roasted on spits over an open fire. (They looked like they were being crucified.) So we knew we were in for a good time. When I visited Trapiche had yet to build their gorgeous new visitor's center which Jerry saw this last spring but that did not take anything away from the winery. The cellars which were stacked with barrel after barrel of wine aging away were decorated with large pieces of artwork at the end of each row. Just stunning.

We then had a tasting of all of Trapiche's wines. This is at least a dozen or so wines. Most wine professionals will spit every single drop at a wine tasting so as to keep their head completely clear. Dear friends when you are from Wisconsin and many of the other people on your trip are from all different parts of the U.S. it becomes clear right away that our tolerance for alcohol is much higher than anyone else's. It may sound like an old wives' tale but I have seen it proven again and again. So I will admit that I did not spit everything. Anyway we were having lunch right after the tasting, right?

I will not take the time here to review all the wines. Join us on Thursday and try them for yourself but I do want to mention the Single Vineyard wines. Trapiche makes a lot of wine. So they have a lot of growers. Every year each grower submits a bottle of his Malbec for a blind tasting. Out of all these wines they pick 3. They are then bottled and sold as Trapiche Single Vineyard Malbec with the grower's name on the label to distinguish one from the other. Oh Mama are these wine good. It is my personal opinion that if these wines were from California or France they would fetch around $100/bottle. Since they are from Argentina they go for about half that. Make sure you try these on Thursday because they are stunning!

Now it was time for lunch. We started with empenadas. Which are everywhere in Argentina and everyone will tell you that the ones from their region are the best. Honestly, I loved them all. People fighting over which meat pie is best and they want me to try them all and decide. Done and done! At Trapiche they cooked the empenadas in a large stone oven on the deck near where we had done the tasting. They were darn good but most of the excitement came when the trellised vines above the deck caught fire because the stone oven had gotten too hot. No worries though disaster was averted and lunch continued. Those goats were indeed for us along with probably a half dozen other roasted meats, which is how we ate the whole time in Argentina. The wine and laughter flowed as the afternoon wore on. We tried port and grappa the winemaker was experimenting with and they were wonderful. We ate desserts made with dolce de leche which seems to be in every sweet treat made in Argentina. No problem there though because it is yummy.

Finally our visit came to an end. It was also almost time for us to head home to the U.S. of A. but we all knew that our experience here had been worth the whole trip. We had met wonderful people and drank wonderful wine. We had feasted and laughed until our bellies were full and our faces hurt from smiling so much. As we drove away in the bus I for one made a promise to myself that someday I would visit again. Until that day I have the wonderful wines of Trapiche and all of Argentina to spark the great memories.

Now for the shamless plug:

FREE TRAPICHE TASTING at Star Liquor

Thursday, August 26th 4pm to 7pm

15% off all Trapiche Wines!!!

MEET Carla Castorina the winemaker who was nice enough to show us around.

Sample many grilled goodies to go along with these great Argentine wines!!

BE THERE!!!

It truly is a GREAT taste!

Remember when you were a kid, what it was like to wake up on your birthday? For the first couple seconds the day was just like any other. Then you would realize that it was a special day and all kinds of great fun and good stuff was coming your way. Well my friends, that is what it is like to wake up on the morning of the Great Taste of the Midwest.

After many years of attending this event there are a few things I have learned. First, a good breakfast is important and will help one prolong the enjoyment of their day. Second, applying sunscreen is a must. Even if the sun is not out when you leave the house it may come out later when you are in a less practical mindset. Finally, did I mention breakfast? Oh, yes I did.

Once you arrive at the park it is important to remember to have a plan of attack. Then once you have a wristband and glass you should take that plan and throw it away because there is way too much good beer and are way too many cool people for your silly plan to hold up. Seriously, nice try. Maybe next year it will work. With the number of really awesome and special brews available it is often just a matter of being in the right place at the right time. This year I had a good friend and brewer pour me half a glass of 3 Floyd’s Dark Lord 07 just because I missed it and he didn’t. Then you have all the people telling you about things you just have to try. I always try to heed this advice unless said beer is too far away. Then I just duck into the nearest tent and hope I make it around to their suggestion later. So it goes at the Great Taste.

One of the most amazing things about the Great Taste is how smoothly it runs considering how much people are drinking. People generally hold it together pretty well and have a pretty great time. There is always an idiot or two but out of 6000 people that is not too shabby. Just don’t be that person and your day will be awesome.

For as hard as it is to get tickets and as much as people build this up to be a fantastic time every single year it lives up to expectations. It usually even surpasses them.

Tickets go on sale Sunday May 1st, 2011 at noon. The first people got in line at Star this year at about 11pm. The fest itself is on Saturday August 13th, 2011. It will be awesome.

See you there.

(photos courtesy of Lyndsey Winchel)

This Is A League Game, Smokey. (Part 1)

Day 1 - The Garden Party & Movie Screening

I know, I know. You really want to know how Lebowski Fest was. Well, if it's any indication, the recovery period is just about over. Only took a week and a half!

It was nothing less than perfect that the hotel we were residing in was literally next door to Executive Lanes, the home to the 9th Annual Lebowski Fest.

Staying at the hotel was a treat in itself.

It was impossible to avoid the large number of Achievers swarming the hotel. Between the Caucasians, Lebowski-related shirts, or flat out costumes, it certainly wasn't hard to recognize who was around specifically for the festival.
Quotes from the movie could be heard at nearly any moment, whether it be in the pool, in the elevator, in the cocktail lounge, in the cocktail lounge, or even in the cocktail lounge.

For those of you who just plain aren't familiar with the Big Lebowski, what are you doing? Go rent / buy / netflix / pirate it immediately. It's important. Consider it essential knowledge for the growing mind.

For those of you who just aren't familiar with Lebowski Fest, allow me to break it down. It's made up of two main ideas.

Idea #1 is typical festival activities. Games, Live Music, Contests, Drinking, Eating, Dancing.

Idea #2 is all things Lebowski. Costumes, Trivia, Bowling, Caucasians, Abiding.

It's a simple concept, and a great time.

Friday evening we arrived just in time to catch the Felice Brothers begin there set. Obviously very influenced by bourbon and Bob Dylan, they danced around the stage and serenaded the crowd with great songs about folk tales and whiskey drinkin'.

Following the concert, Jim Hoosier, (also known as Liam, Jesus' bowling teammate from the movie) came out to introduce the movie and thank everyone for coming. If I recall correctly, which I doubt, he mentioned it was his 6th Lebowski Fest. That's a lot of Caucasian's, Jackie.
Scott and Will, the founders of Lebowski fest, came out and presented Jim with what could possibly be the most important film award ever created. 'Best Supporting Actor In A Non Speaking Role'. Naturally, in the form of a replica Oscar.

Than the main event of Friday's activities.

A giant projection screen was rolled out, the tension built, and beers were hastily refilled as 20 minutes of technical difficulties stood between the lawn full of drunken Achievers and Sam Elliot's strict southern voice telling us about a man they call The Dude. Finally, the Universal Pictures Intro music began and the lawn erupted in raised glasses and deafening applause.

Sam Elliot (The Stranger) began his narrative, and a buzz rode through the crowd as a few hundred people helped him tell the story. And I can't imagine Bob Dylan wouldn't have smiled and raised his chin to the boisterous rendition of "The Man in Me" that was sung collectively by a lawn full of traveled Achievers.

It's definitely an interesting experience watching a movie with a large crowd of people that a high percentage of actually do know every line. I can't possibly imagine that watching that movie in any other way will ever compare to collective fun that the Garden Party brought with it. But than again, we'll just see what happens next year.

Day 2 recap is coming shortly....I just have to find some Kahlua.

Journey to Bourbon Country Day 4

Day 4 was a day to explore Louisville's more non-whiskey related side. "WHY?!?" you may ask. Well it turns out there is some very cool stuff to see here.

The day started in the Highlands area of Louisville. An area of the city that is not unlike the Willy St. neighborhood. Lots of quirky independently owned shops and a lot of hip young people walking around. Lots of fun and life here which made it a truly enjoyable place to explore. Our first scheduled stop of the day was to be at Lynn's Paradise Cafe. Lynn's had been featured on the Food Network on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" when Lynn's French Toast beat Bobby's. The picture should show you why. Lynn's had been described as "Pee Wee's Playhouse with pancakes and it truly did not take us long to figure out why. Colorful would be a bit of an understatement. Sometimes when places are this famous and quirky the food suffers. Lynn's does not have this problem.

After breakfast and a bit of shopping in the Highlands we were off to Churchill Downs to check out the Kentucky Derby museum and take a behind the scenes van tour. Even if you have no interest in horse racing it is hard not to be swept up by the over all pagentry and majesty of this place. Despite the near heat stroke from the weather it was a really neat tour. The horses are really beautiful and they are treated like the world class athletes they are.

After a period of rehydration and rest it was finally time for Lebowski Fest. We made our way over after the sun had gone down. It was still really, really hot but sometimes you just have to sweat to have a good time. We made it in time to see the Felice Brothers who rocked it hard and to sit and watch the movie with about 500 people out on the lawn.

Big FUN!

Journey to Bourbon Country Day 3

Day 3 in Kentucky and it is hot. Really hot. It is really easy to see why these distilleries close down for a couple months each summer. It would not just be uncomfortable it would be dangerous to work under these conditions. We asked Jimmy Russell on Day 2 if the closure was more about the ability to make quality bourbon or more about the discomfort of the warmth in the distillery? He said it was some of both.

Despite the fact that these places are not up and running at the moment there is still a lot to see. We had on Day 3 a bit of a wide open schedule which allowed us the opportunity to check out a whole bunch of places in very short visits.

The day started in Frankfort with breakfast at the White Light Diner. This place came up in every search of the internet of places to eat in Frankfort. We later discovered that it is going to be featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on the Food Network on July 26th. It is not hard to see why. This place has a lot of character and everyone who works here is a character. Rick the owner greeted us and found out where we were from and then told us good luck with the food because he was not cooking today. HA! He headed out and we were left in the capable hands of his wife. Now I wouldn't exactly call the service friendly, it was more like they were tolerating us being there but that is kind of the charm of this place. You can get a PBR for breakfast and there is an airhorn on the back counter I am assuming in case anyone gets out of line. We may need to get one of those at Star.

After breakfast we headed off to the Buffalo Trace distillery. We did not have a meeting set up here but we figured we should see as many places as we can on this trip. The thing that is stunning about Buffalo Trace is how BIG it is. There are rickhouses upon rickhouses (all made of brick by the way) just full of barrels of whiskey waiting to be ready for you and me.

Then it was back on the road for a trip to Woodford Reserve. If Buffalo Trace is big and industrial then Woodford is laid back and bucolic. There is just absolutely no way you can visit without taking some time to sit on the deck and look down the hill at this picturesque distillery So that is just what we did. Even in the heat a nice cold Ale 8 1 (A late one), the soda of Kentucky, was a great way to spend a little time.

Next on the distillery visit list was Heaven Hill and their Bourbon Heritage Center. This might be the best museum dedicated to an alcoholic spirit ever. The place offers all kinds tours and exhibits about whiskey and in some cases the history of Kentucky and America. Truly worth the visit if you ever find yourself in this part of the world.

Now we are in Louisville and dinner tonight is at Jack Frye's a favorite from our visit 5 years back. Then tomorrow and Saturday are all about LebowskiFest. A little reward for all the hard work we have been doing. Big fun will be had by all. If there are any pictures that are family friendly enough we will post them.