Bari’s wine bar is now a no-smoking zone… I was in for dinner last night, and the dining room was empty at 8:30… but there were a few parties in the enoteca.

I’ve been exploring rose lately, there’s a whole crop of pretty pink wines that are crisp and dry. Tried a nice Italian rose at Bari last night, which worked swell with my clam linguine.

What’s your fave rose?

The most ridiculously entertaining story from last week had to be hip-hopster Jay-Z getting all bent out of shape after a marketing guy from the makers of Cristal didn’t send out enough love, essentially saying the house didn’t too much care for the rap/hip hop crowd in da house… Jay Z is leading a boycott of that high-end bubbly…

I think POP… the cleverly packaged Champagne from Pommery (pop stands for Product of Pommery)… might be a good alternative choice. It’s a little lighter, slightly fruitier than the typical brut… and you can buy it in a four pack, which comes with straws. Shocking! Well, not exactly. Coppola came out with a similar sipper a few years ago. Hey, you’ve got to give newbies an alternative to Mike’s Hard Lemonade!!

I tried POP (without the straw) and it was pretty darned tasty. What do you think? Is Champagne something that’s best reserved for special occasions? Can you see yourself sipping it through a straw?

Wanted to share a couple interesting drink recipes, in celebration of this weekend’s Kentucky Derby… the mint julep really intrigues me since it infuses the mint in the bourbon… I sure do love those silver julep cups! This recipe serves a bunch:

In a large mixing bowl, pour in the entire contents of one 750 ml bottle of Maker’s Mark Bourbon.

Place a small bore straw into the cup and cut it off about ¾ of an inch above the top of the ice.
(This is so you put your nose into the mint sprig while enjoying the Julep.)

Anybody having a party on Derby Day?

At the recent Craft Brewers Conference in Seattle, Chuck Skypeck of Boscos Brewing Company was given The Brewers Association Recognition Award, cited as “an individual whose inspiration, enthusiasm and support have contributed to the development of the North American craft beer movement.”

Quite a feat to be singled out in that discerning crowd.

Let’s raise a glass to this talented and generous brewmeister who regularly gives Memphis a good name in the hand-crafted beer world…

… was my touchstone my post-college, margarita-swilling years living in Grand Junction, Colorado. I was a parrothead before there was a name for that affliction, sticking paper umbrellas in my retro bouffant before going to see the perennially cheerful performer in concert.

I’m not sure why, but Jimmy and I have grown apart. Well, maybe it’s because he hasn’t put out an original album in decades. The oldies are still the goodies.

Can you guess where I’m going with this bout of nostalgia?

Last night, I had a margarita at the new Mexican restaurant in my hood, Las Margaritas on Union and McLean… and it was just fine. Sat out on the patio, which could use a few plants, but the music was cranked just enough to drown out the traffic on McLean… though not enough to muffle the shrieks of the kids running around. (Where’s my pocket Miss Manners when I need it? Excuse me, would you mind keeping your children under control?)

This trip was just a happy hour excursion, but I did like the chips and salsa… and the extras I ordered: good guacamole and pico de gallo.

Isn’t this the perfect weather to sit outside and have a cold, frosty drink? Where’s your favorite spot to sip a margarita? And, while we’re at it, what’s your favorite Jimmy Buffet song? (Put me down for “Pencil Thin Mustache” from A-1-A…. )

… going to a party this weekend, and wanted to bring a pitcher of something fun when the unofficial cocktail Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Contest. It’s a little like a spiked Shirley Temple…

A internet search led me to a pretty cool site with an encyclopedic list of boozy stuff called drinksmix.com… click here for the recipe.

Do you have any favorite drink sites? Well, take a swig and pass it on!

Just got a news release saying sauerkraut sales have soared… following word that that pickled cabbage might help protect you from bird flu… guess I must have missed that report.

One of the recipes included involved stuffed green olives with kraut (Frank’s kraut out of Ohio to be precise…) and marinating them overnight in vermouth. Then garnish your gin martini with the stuffed olives… though, if you wait to eat the olives until after you’ve drained the glass, it’s likely that you wouldn’t be able to tell kraut from pimento from blue cheese (my current obsession on the olive front…)

A favorite uncle used to make us sauerkraut and franks every week when I was a kid… and I do love sauerkraut on a Reuben. Here’s your Tuesday afternoon brain teaser: Come up with a unique way to use sauerkraut… these recipes might get things percolating…

Looking out the window at the serious weather, couldn’t help wonder if there was a drink named after a twister?

Anybody seen a funnel cloud touch down?

Had a drink on the deck at the Bayou Bar and Grill over the weekend and despite the heat, stayed pretty cool thanks to the misting system that turns that part of the restaurant into something that looks like the set of an Ingmar Bergman movie.

Any place else got outdoor seating that’s bearable this time of year?

Please forgive my horrible Spanish and listen up to a question posed by Susan:

“A friend and I had dinner at Margot Cafe in Nashville recently and fell in love with the sangria. What a
fabulous summertime drink!

Do you know of any restaurants in Memphis that serve sangria?”