The Off Topic Topic

[celedhring]

Huh, they seemingly just introduced the Priorat vermouth over here in 2015...can't say it's anything to write home (or Catalunya) about, especially considering the price point and pretentious aura of the bottle.

Do you get Izaguirre over there? Best mass-produced Catalan vermouth by a mile. I love the stuff.

[DGuller]

I won:

3) Most genuine

Only the master troll can take it that far, J.

Jaron can be as genuine as you want him to be,

[Jaron]

When they said that, one of my co workers I troll endlessly on Facebook roared with laughter and told everyone they don't know me as well as they think they do.

[Capetan Mihali]

Huh, they seemingly just introduced the Priorat vermouth over here in 2015...can't say it's anything to write home (or Catalunya) about, especially considering the price point and pretentious aura of the bottle.

Do you get Izaguirre over there? Best mass-produced Catalan vermouth by a mile. I love the stuff.

I've never seen it...   But some Googling suggests that a few specialty liquor stores primarily around NYC carry it.  And it's not terribly priced, considering it's a faddish import ($23.99 for a liter; so about the same as what I splurge on, Cocchi, which is about $17.99 for 750ml at the supermarket.  By comparison Antica Formula is $36.99 for a liter at the big liquor store nearby, while Martini Rossi and Cinzano are both about $7.99 for 750ml). 

If I went to a wine shop regularly and didn't do all my purchasing at the local supermarket, I bet they'd special order it.  I love vermouth and although there are some domestic "micro-vermouths" popping up,  I hope it never really becomes trendy over here like Fernet Branca did, because it's still a deal.

[celedhring]

Huh, they seemingly just introduced the Priorat vermouth over here in 2015...can't say it's anything to write home (or Catalunya) about, especially considering the price point and pretentious aura of the bottle.

Do you get Izaguirre over there? Best mass-produced Catalan vermouth by a mile. I love the stuff.

I've never seen it...   But some Googling suggests that a few specialty liquor stores primarily around NYC carry it.  And it's not terribly priced, considering it's a faddish import ($23.99 for a liter; so about the same as what I splurge on, Cocchi, which is about $17.99 for 750ml at the supermarket.  By comparison Antica Formula is $36.99 for a liter at the big liquor store nearby, while Martini Rossi and Cinzano are both about $7.99 for 750ml). 

If I went to a wine shop regularly and didn't do all my purchasing at the local supermarket, I bet they'd special order it.  I love vermouth and although there are some domestic "micro-vermouths" popping up,  I hope it never really becomes trendy over here like Fernet Branca did, because it's still a deal.

I pay around 9€ for the stuff, but that's liquor imports for you. When I lived in NYC procuring proper cava for parties was a pretty expensive affair.

[Capetan Mihali]

Freixenet is the sparkling wine I usually buy when I'm trying not to look totally cheap...it's around $10 most places I've been.

[celedhring]

Freixenet is the sparkling wine I usually buy when I'm trying not to look totally cheap...it's around $10 most places I've been.

Freixenet  Throw that down the sink, please.

Marquès De Gelida was carried in several liquor stores when I was in NYC (12$ a bottle, although that was 6 years ago), and is way better. Their export bottles were really tacky though.

Freixenet is the Miller Lite of cava.

[Jacob]

I've never seen it...   But some Googling suggests that a few specialty liquor stores primarily around NYC carry it.  And it's not terribly priced, considering it's a faddish import ($23.99 for a liter; so about the same as what I splurge on, Cocchi, which is about $17.99 for 750ml at the supermarket.  By comparison Antica Formula is $36.99 for a liter at the big liquor store nearby, while Martini Rossi and Cinzano are both about $7.99 for 750ml). 

How does Cinzano rate in that lineup?

[celedhring]

I have never thought much of Cinzano, but I have only tried the red. I'm told that the white has way more personality, but I rarely drink white vermouth.

I'd say Martini Rosso is better, if we're talking easily available Italian vermouths. From that list, I'd tentatively say that Antica Formula is the best, but priced accordingly. But I'm not familiar with Cocchi, so I'd defer to Mihali.

[Capetan Mihali]

As an estadunidense, I think both Cinzano and Martini are both perfectly fine with a couple ice cubes, some seltzer, and maybe a squeeze of orange or lemon.  And definitely both are fine for a Manhattan or somehing, as long as they're fresh and kept in the fridge -- the proof just isn't high enough to leave them lying around on the shelf for months like spirits or even stronger fortified wine.

Vermouth's a bargain for the quality, IMO, the only one I think is legitimately crap is the Gallo stuff that costs $4.99 a liter.  And that is basically a more herbified "bum wine," like Taylor port, but which bums don't even drink.

[derspiess]

Freixenet is the sparkling wine I usually buy when I'm trying not to look totally cheap...it's around $10 most places I've been.

Freixenet  Throw that down the sink, please.

Marquès De Gelida was carried in several liquor stores when I was in NYC (12$ a bottle, although that was 6 years ago), and is way better. Their export bottles were really tacky though.

Freixenet is the Miller Lite of cava.

In terms of price/quality and availability, it's tough to do better than Freixenet for inexpensive bubbly here.  Wife likes it, and my wine geek father in law will drink it without complaining.  To move up from that and get a decent tasting bargain California sparkling wine I have to pay twice as much a bottle.  If I'm buying multiple bottles for company or whatever, Freixenet fits most occasions just fine.

[derspiess]

Read this the other day.  Apparently the Battle of Sedan was a big enough deal to the Kraut immigrants in Cincy that they had a permanent building set up in 1885 to house a panorama painting (or whatever it's called) depicting the battle.  People got bored with it after a couple years so they replaced it with a Gettysburg cyclorama. Then people got bored with Gettysburg and the building was torn down in 1889.  Wish that building was still here

http://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/cincinnati-curiosities-battle-of-sedan/

[Legbiter]

Spending the next week in Barcelona. Will probaly go through a pound of various bits of local ham & sausage a day along with whatever wine grows in Catalonia. 

Be sure to try the pulpo.

Will do. 

Done. Quite good. In general Spanish food looks bad (iberico ham excepted) but tastes great whereas Italian food can often look good but taste bad.

[The Larch]

To hear that our food looks bad from someone from a country where they eat rotten shark is quite precious. 

[mongers]

Anyone seen Kronn recently, he hasn't posted in a while?