The Spirit World

An Organic and Biodynamic Wine Cellar Created by Scott Pactor of West Chelsea’s Appellation Wine & Spirits
Bright, Modern, and white, it’s exterior wall of glass, Appellation Wine & Spirits – in eco chic, delightfully designed West Chelsea, is the first Biodynamic Wine Boutique in New York City.
Opened in September 2005, Appellation has established itself as […]

The “he” in question is Sam Calagione, a craft brewer and founder of Dogfish Brewery, which sells more than a million six-packs annually of its “off-centered ales for off-centered people.” The “she” is Marnie Old, an oft-quoted sommelier and director of wine studies at French Culinary Institute in New York City. Their book, the illustrated […]

There never seems to be a shortage of wine guides, but a recent publication, Hip Tastes: The Fresh Guide to Wine by Courtney Cochran, seeks to demystify the seemingly impenetrable, dizzyingly complex world of wines by explaining terms, types, and things such as terroir to the uninitiated, the curious, or those who might otherwise be […]

Small Plates, Perfect Wines, a new cookbook from Andrews McMeel Publishing, featuring mouthwatering recipes and wine pairing tips, is now on bookstore shelves and available to order online.
Meze, tapas, antipasti, antojitos–no matter what you call them, small plates offer big flavor, and this is a style of dining and entertaining that has taken the country […]

It wasn’t that long ago that the majority of cocktail books verged on the side of being comical in nature, with little in the way of any substance beyond simply trotting out a variety of fanciful drinks. It was usually even suspect if the author had even tried, much less even familiar with, the drinks […]

It is fair to say that there are thousands, no several thousands of different cocktail recipes out there, and it often seems like more and more being concocted every day. It is equally fair to say that far more than just a small percentage of those really never deserve to see the light of day. […]

It would be difficult to pay attention to bartending and mixology, without running across the name “Cheryl Charming.” Her first book, published in 2000, was “Miss Charmings Book of Bar Amusements,” and was a collection of the various magic tricks, amusements, and challenges that some bartenders use to entertain their customers, and some customers use […]