Drink
Exploring Burgundy Côte d’Or with seven wines
When my brother asked me to teach him and some friends about “serious” Burgundy, I was worried. How could I possibly walk them through the Côte d’Or without bankrupting the family...
In with the old
At a recent wine tasting in Boulder, there was a rarity being poured. We were all assured of it. The wine was made from 100 percent bobal grapes, a red varietal that is rarely seen in the U.S. on its own and is often used in blends. It’s mostly grown in Spain, where ...
Looking for a wine list bargain?
One recent Saturday morning, a friend sent me the wine list for Green Zebra, one of Chicago’s top vegetarian restaurants, and asked for my advice. He was dining there that evening with friends who enjoyed wine but weren’t obsessive about it. So he would be tasked ...
Turning green with beer
Beer lovers rarely need an excuse to toss back a few pints. But if you’re looking for one, Saint Patrick’s Day (Monday, March 17) generally qualifies. And there’s some decent happenings this week to toast the patron saint of green on green outfits and bad decision ...
This hat is money
At face value, the Bourbon and Bacon Fest, which was held at the McNichols Civic Center in Denver on a late January Saturday afternoon, is what shows up in the dream catcher. It’s two hours of unlimited samples of about 50 bourbons, and variations on bacon ranging ...
Sports and wine
About 50 million cases of beer were purchased on Super Bowl Sunday. It’s no wonder Anheuser-Busch, America’s largest brewer, purchased three and a half minutes of ad time during the big game...
Prince-worthy findings at Smiling Toad
My brewery tour companion and I approached the door to the Smiling Toad Brewery in Colorado Springs with expectations that were ... let’s call them modest. When I spotted the sign from the street, a little A-frame by a skinny sidewalk that read “brewery” and drew ...
Make it stop
Saturday morning in Boulder. Your eyes are bloodshot. Your mouth tastes like the venue. When you try to stand up, it feels like food poisoning on a ship in bad weather. But you promised yourself you wouldn’t waste this Saturday, given last weekend’s take out-and-...
Autumn alternates
Like the leaves on the trees outside, beer aisles have turned orange over the last few weeks with every Tom, Dick and Harry’s take on pumpkin beer. I’ve got nothing against pumpkin beer and enjoy it to excess like everyone else, but the ubiquity of the variety seems ...
It’s medal time
The first Great American Beer Festival (GABF) was held in the Harvest House Hotel in Boulder in 1982. The motley collection of 22 breweries brought 40 beers, and the 800 people in attendance can say they sampled the beginning of the craft beer revolution...
To tap or not to tap?
The contrasting mission of college academics and college sports is about to be highlighted at the University of Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 13 with the Buff ’s first home game of the season...


















