Drink
Beyond Grapes: It’s Wine, But Not From the Vine
The first thing that comes to mind at the mention of wine is "yes, please." The second is "grapes." And the last thing might have been pumpkins—until this week, when I tasted pumpkin wine
May 18, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
The Next Generation of Vending Machines
Is this the next logical step in our ongoing quest for convenience or does it make accessing foodstuffs more complicated than it should be?
May 10, 2011 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Inviting Writing: Addicted to Tab
For this month’s Inviting Writing, we asked for memories of forgotten or lost foods—things that are no longer available, hard to find, or that just don’t taste as good as they once did. Reminiscing about the distinctive packaging, bitter taste and earworm jingle of an almost-lost soft drink, writer Kelly Robinson takes us back to [...]
May 02, 2011 |
By Smithsonian Staff
Way-Underage Drinking: How Young Is Too Young?
How young is too young to drink alcohol? The answer differs in various cultures, but most would probably agree that a child who hasn't yet developed fine motor skills shouldn't drink anything that would impair them. Even in European countries that have looser attitudes than the U.S. about youthful ...
April 15, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
We're Number One! America Overtakes France in Wine Consumption
Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending a "One-Hour Wine Expert" seminar at Lake Placid's Mirror Lake Inn with Kevin Zraly, author of the best-selling Windows on the World Complete Wine Course and the 2011 recipient of the James Beard Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. I don't know if th...
April 08, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
Coffee, Tea and Me: Getting That Caffeine Fix
I'm a Southern boy. Iced tea is part and parcel of my existence—a sweet and robust ying to my yang. It is the yardstick I use to judge restaurants—if it tastes a little off, it means the carafes probably aren't clean or the brew has been sitting out too long, which leaves the mind to wonder how the...
February 10, 2011 |
By Jesse Rhodes
Pints, Liters, Pots and Schooners: Beer Size Matters
Beer is the only consumable I can think of that is so associated with its standard serving measure that you can say, "let's go for a pint," and everyone knows what you're talking about—it's not a pint of milk.But is a pint always a pint? It depends on where you are. Some countries legislate the siz...
February 09, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
Put Another Beer-Can Chicken on the Barbie
Anyone who watched American television in the 1980s probably remembers the Australia tourism commercials with Paul Hogan (aka Crocodile Dundee) saying he'd "slip another shrimp on the barbie" for us. Never mind that Australians don't use the word "shrimp"—they call them prawns—the catchphrase stuck...
February 08, 2011 |
By Lisa Bramen
In Texas, a Locavore’s Liquor
Microdistillers are making their mark around the Lone Star State
February 04, 2011 |
By Jon Brand
Beer Batter is Better; Science Says So
Do you have what it takes to be a food scientist? If you would like to find out, perform the following simple exercise, which was designed and executed by a team of professionals led by Fred Shih of the USDA's Southern Regional Research Center. By the end, you will know (a) the difference between b...
January 14, 2011 |
By admin
An Ancient Wine from Cyprus
A question for the end of the year, a time to look back: What's the oldest kind of wine still in modern production?If you answered "Commandaria," I'm impressed. I had never heard of such wines until a few weeks ago, when I attended a Smithsonian Resident Associates lecture about the cuisine of Cyp...
January 04, 2011 |
By Amanda Bensen
Toast With Beer This New Year's Eve, Not Champagne
Perhaps it is because I associate it with that stomach-ache-inducing sparkling grape juice I gulped down during so many New Year's Eves as a kid, but I am not a huge fan of champagne.So my ears perked up when I heard that the Boston Beer Company (the maker of Samuel Adams) and Germany's Weihensteph...
December 30, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Games to Play Around the Dinner Table
Entertaining friends and family is a big part of the holiday season. In my family, after we have nibbled on appetizers and enjoyed a meal and the dessert plates have been cleared from the table, it’s game time. Literally.*If you are a game lover (or are just looking for some excitement), consider p...
December 28, 2010 |
By Megan Gambino
Holiday Gift Guide: A Food Book for Everyone On Your List
As Christmas draws closer, have you finished your shopping yet? If not, try turning to your local bookstore to find something for nearly everyone on your list:The Aspiring Home CookRadically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease, by Rozanne Gold. All the recipes in this lovely cookbook a...
December 17, 2010 |
By Amanda Bensen
Inviting Writing: First Tastes
For the next round of Inviting Writing, and to celebrate the impending new year, we're seeking your stories about "first taste" experiences.To be considered for publication, please e-mail your submissions to FoodandThink@gmail.com by this Friday (Dec. 17) morning. We'll read through all of them and...
December 13, 2010 |
By Amanda Bensen
Pass the Posset: The Medieval Eggnog
When ye olde tavern keeper asked his patrons, "What's your poison?" their answer may very well have been, "Posset, please." The warm, creamy forerunner to eggnog was "all the rage in the late Middle Ages," according to The Glutton's Glossary, by John Ayto.In Shakespeare's Macbeth, the poison was mo...
December 08, 2010 |
By Lisa Bramen
Eight Cocktails of Hanukkah
Look up "holiday cocktails" and most of what you will find, understandably enough, is geared toward Christmas—eggnog and glogg and other names that require the entire Scrabble supply of Gs. Not that these drinks have anything to do with the birth of Jesus, but through tradition they have become ass...
December 01, 2010 |
By Lisa Bramen
Maple Vodka: A Sweeter Spirit
Remember that alphabet of maple treats I posted earlier this year? I have a new "V": maple vodka from Vermont.On a trip home, I discovered Vermont Spirits, a small St. Johnsbury distillery that makes vodka from the fermented sugars of maple sap instead of potatoes or grain, the usual suspects."We'r...
November 18, 2010 |
By Amanda Bensen
October 28, 1919: The Day That Launched a Million Speakeasies
It was 91 years ago today that Congress overrode President Woodrow Wilson's veto of the Volstead Act, which spelled out the enforcement of Prohibition. To commemorate the anniversary of the act's passage (or the fact that it no longer applies), the Woodrow Wilson House in Washington, D.C. is holdin...
October 28, 2010 |
By Lisa Bramen
Orange Wine: What's Old Is New
Some people prefer red wine. Some swear by white. A few like rosé. Personally, I like 'em all (or at least some kinds of each color). And I just discovered another color to add to my wine palette: orange.So-called orange wine is not made from oranges (although, apparently, some people do make such ...
October 27, 2010 |
By Lisa Bramen
