The Gourmez

Alley 26 320 East Chapel Hill St. Downtown Durham Website $9 to $12 per drink 4 pm to 2 am (May I take this moment to say I love a bar that posts a closing time?) To my disappointment, Alley 26, Durham’s newest upscale bar, is not located in an alley. It takes up actual [...]

Little Fŭk’ər The Borough Downtown Raleigh $6.50 I’ve been to the Borough twice now, and I love it as a casual night spot to relax with slightly trussed up comfort food and a good drink list. This is my second time drinking the Little Fŭk’ər as well. It’s made with bourbon, red apple Schnapps, butterscotch [...]

Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey Kentucky 45% ABV This winter wheat, small-batch whiskey is made in the same style as bourbon but the wheat is 51% of its makeup rather than corn. Its color is lovely, reminding me of opaque almond brittle, not the creamy stuff. It is significantly sweeter to smell than most bourbons. That [...]

Midtown Grille 4421-115 Six Forks Road North Hills, Raleigh Website Entrees: $19 — $29 Closed on Sundays I had never heard of the Midtown Grille before the Angus Beef night at Fire in the Triangle. Chef Scott James did not win the night, but as you can read in my write-up on Durham Foodie, I [...]

It’s a Thursday, and the first one I’ve blogged on in a while. That’s what vacation will do to you. ,)  Speaking of vacation, I had another WRAL review published while I was gone, and it’s this Thursday’s bragging post. This one was cocktail-centric and focused on evaluating whether Bowbarr is a good spot to [...]

Buffalo Trace Bourbon Kentucky When tasting bourbon, I generally get a smell from it that I call “bourbon.” Fancy, I know. So from this point on, I think I’ll only comment when a new bourbon has a smell element to it beyond that distinctive bourboness. And Buffalo Trace does: a little bit of citrus that [...]

b. a. b. c. Revolution, Downtown Durham Restaurant Review $9 The b. a. b. c. is a delicious cocktail made by the talented folks over at Revolution. Many people love their drink list, but it’s been hit and miss for me. File the b. a. b. c. under hit. It’s made with bourbon, mole bitters, [...]

Corner Creek Reserve Bourbon Whiskey Bardstown, KY A bourbon in a wine bottle? Why not? It’s enough of a novelty to make me interested, at least. Plus, the label art is pretty—I find simple ink or pencil drawings best for selling me wine or liquor, with three to four colors at most. Yes, I just [...]

Southern Hot Toddy Alivia’s Durham Bistro/My Review Brightleaf, Durham It’s been over a month since I tried the Southern Hot Toddy at Alivia’s Durham Bistro, so don’t be surprised if it was just a passing winter’s fancy on their drink list. It was made with Jim Beam Bourbon, orange wedges, sugar, and hot herbal tea. [...]

Mirwinator Blu Seafood 9th Street, Durham $9 The mirwinator is made of Evan Williams brandy, thyme, orange juice, and lemon juice. Except for the thyme, that’s a pretty standard list of ingredients, and there’s a reason for it. The combination of those flavors always makes for a first-rate cocktail, and the mirwinator is no exception [...]