The Gourmez

Leopold Bros. Absinthe Verte Denver, CO 65% ABV This American-made absinthe (Batch #48) is the product of using a Chilean pisco base spirit that is distilled with fennel, anise, grande wormwood, and other herbs then coloring it with even more herbs to give it a traditional absinthe tinge. The color is a dusty yellow in [...]

Terrenal Macabeo and Chardonnay 2009 Carinena, Spain The nose of this wine reminds me of donut peaches and a certain friend from the produce department at Safeway that used to always cut me samples of them. The taste is not nearly as exciting as that whiff or that memory. This is my first experience with [...]

Saketini Shiki Sushi Southwest Durham Website $8 This is a very simple martini, consisting of vodka and Gekkeikan nigori sake, which is the creamy type for those of you not up on your sake terminology. Frankly, there’s no need to have a martini this simple; you might as well drink vodka or sake on their [...]

Karen “Coy” Junmai Sake Niigata, Japan Note: In no way, shape, or form are those quote marks of my generation. The rose-colored bottle is very pretty, which counts for automatic bonus points—I’m not afraid to admit it. As the bottle description says, it smells like lychee, with a bit of cream in the nose, too. [...]