The Gourmez

Broadbent Vinho Verde Portugal I love Vinho Verde. Wine made from its or Torrontes’s grapes convinced me I’d given white wines too hard of a time when they became popular in the last few years. So I’m always happy to try another bottle of the stuff. The Broadbent Vinho Verde has a delicious nose of [...]

Seigneurs de Bergerac 2011 Bergerac Sec Dordogne Valley, France This wine was part of a value pack from my wine shop up the street. It’s pale yellow. The nose is a well-blended mix of flowers and minerals. Mildly sweet, and tannins play against that sweetness for a nicely balanced body. The lime is perhaps too [...]

Caipirinha Calavera (my restaurant review) Downtown Raleigh $8 First things first: the rum-soaked sugar cane. It is both visually pleasing and an essential garnish for this cocktail. Caipirinhas are a favorite in my cocktail repertoire, so I am always happy to try a new one, and having one from Calavera’s impressive bar just made sense [...]

Gregoria’s Kitchen 2818 Chapel Hill Road Rockwood/Lakewood, Durham $11—$21 Dinner only Gregoria’s Kitchen is a Cuban restaurant in a historic home/restaurant just south of where Chapel Hill Road crosses 15-501. There is not much parking in back so park at the Yates Baptist Church across the street or use their complimentary valet. First and foremost, [...]

Bobbi’s Rum Punch West 94th Street Pub Woodcroft, Durham Website   Bobbi’s Rum Punch is silver rum with orange and pineapple juices and a floater of Bacardi 151 and grenadine. Well, it is supposed to have a floater, but based on the lack of layers and its singular color, I’d say all those ingredients are [...]

Tico Fresco W XYZ Lounge Aloft Hotel, Chapel Hill $9 The Tico Fresco is a beautiful cocktail made with Myer’s dark rum, fresh watermelon and lime juice, and jalapenos. It is a dark-rose pink, and the flavor of watermelon comes through strongly then is chased away by the tingly heat of jalapeno. The rum and [...]

Espiral Vinho Rosé Gaia, Portugal Apologies, but I have no wine label to share with you. This is a bottle I picked up at Trader Joe’s — hopefully, that helps if you’re interested in it? Espiral Vinho Rosé is a rosé version of vinho verde, and I was super excited to see it. I love [...]

Mexicano Mojito  Bandidos Woodcroft, Durham $5.95 There are two things you can count on a Bandidos drink being: stiff and affordable. The Mexicano Mojito fulfills both of those qualifications, though it leaves something to be desired in the flavor department. That’s because the strong alcohol from three, count ‘em, three rums—Bacardi Light, Bacardi Dark, and Bacardi [...]

Corn ‘N Oil Geer St. Garden Central Park District, Durham $8 This unique cocktail was recommended to me by the lovely @nutellaisevil after she tried Geer St. Garden for the first time on the same day that I was about to do the same. It’s a simple mix of blackstrap rum, falernum syrup, and fresh [...]

The Floridita Cuban Revolution American Tobacco District, Durham This cocktail, an alluring deep brown, was made with Bacardi Select dark rum, sweet vermouth, lime juice, and crème de cacao. If you’re thinking that’s an odd mix of ingredients, you’re right! But it’s a combination that works pretty well. The rum absolutely dominates the drink, and [...]