Food + Booze
The Beerhunter: Over the Borderline
Filling a glass where Connecticut meets Mass Most night owls are easy when it comes to shifts in ambience, but I can’t say that many of us thrive under fluorescent light. That might have been why, on Wednesday afternoon, my editor found me sighing heavily at my desk....
Winter Arts Preview: Top Valley Events (Jan-Mar 2017)
A Spirited DebateOne of two things will happen to you when confronted with the bold and brassy acts of clairvoyance that Rebecca Anne LoCicero whips up onstage. One will be a sense of reluctant amazement. The other will be a deep, head-shaking skepticism. LoCicero has...
Can All-Natural Kava Really Soothe Anxiety?
Chocolate is a treat, but when you add kava, chocolate is medicine. At least that’s what Rachael Gibney, a reiki healer from Shutesbury says. She is mixing a bowl of raw cacao with ground kava at a workshop at the Bower Studio in Pelham, showing people how to make...
The Pour Man: Cheap Chianti for Sophisticated Adults
My first recollection of Chianti, as it is for many people, was the iconic straw-wrapped bottle, not the wine. Occasionally, an unopened bottle would show up at our house, usually a gift from a friend coming to dinner, and by the end of the adult evening, it would be...
The Pour Man: Wines With Turkey
Finding a wine that goes with every course of the Thanksgiving dinner can be a bit dodgy because the meal is a hodgepodge of dishes with distinctive flavors. Viognier, Cava, Pinot Noir and Cotes du Rhone have been my favorites in the past, but this year I’m trying a...
How to talk politics with your family on Thanksgiving: an Advocate chat
The Valley Advocate is starting up a new feature: chats! Our inaugural chat will be about mixing family and politics during Thanksgiving. If you want to hear about some of our coping strategies, read on! The conversation has been lightly edited. dave.eisen (Dave...
The Beerhunter: The Pumpkin Beer Taste Test (Round 2)
When I think back to last fall, and the dozen taste tests I did of pumpkin-flavored beers, my tongue conjures flashbacks of bad and bewildering brews. What can I say? I’m a glutton for punishment. Or maybe I’m an optimist, holding onto a hope that there are pumpkin...
At Beerology, Homebrewers Can Go Local, Too
At Home with the Brew Local beer ingredients abound, but commercial brewers aren’t the only ones who can get their hands on them. Fun and creative brewing starts at home, too — and many in the Valley have taken up the calling. Mike Schilling has been homebrewing for...
What’s in an “All Local” Beer, Anyway?
From the Valley, Born and Brewed The crafty little explosion of local breweries up and down the Valley over the last 20 years has become a point of pride for neighbors and travelers alike. But as local craft beer markets across the country have matured from clusters...
If You Brew It, They Will Come: Tree House Brewing in Monson attracts international recognition
It isn’t hard to pick Dean Rohan out of a crowd. He’s the tall guy with glasses in the muck boots and ratty work pants. And he’s wearing a red T-shirt with his own face on it that reads “I’m with Dean.” Today, he’s overseeing the arrival of a tanker truck filled with...
Dry Weather, Drought a Mixed Bag for Northeast Vineyards
Grape harvests are underway at vineyards in the Northeast where unusually dry warm weather this summer was ideal for growing grapes. But in parts of New York and southern New England, where drought struck, some growers are seeing decreasing yields. New York, the...
The Pour Man: Edna Valley is Back
A couple of decades ago, back before the brand hit the skids, Edna Valley Vineyard Chardonnay was a treat, a wine I couldn’t afford, but would occasionally enjoy at a South Carolina restaurant owned by friends Louis and Marlene Osteen.The Osteens knew their wines, so...
Real Wine and Beer Pairings for Real Life: because Steel Rail needs Skittles
Talk to Pour Man Warren Johnston if you want excellent suggestions for which wine to serve at your next dinner party. Hit up Beerhunter Hunter Styles to find the best brews to drink with your buds. But if you want to know the best way to pair wine and beer with the...
Beerhunter: Hartford Beer Fans, Take Heart
In the two years since I took on the role of Valley beer reporter, I’ve tried to keep things local whenever possible. Aside from an international sojourn or two — like when I tried a mug of saliva-fermented ‘chicha’ corn beer in Peru last year — I’ve generally been...
Cocktail of the Month Club: A Piney October Surprise
“Riding the Pine” Brought to you by Lincoln Allen, bar manager at The Alvah Stone in Montague. Ingredients: 1 ½ Ounces St. George Terroir Gin 1 ounce Zirbenz Pine Liqueur ½ ounce yellow chartreuse ¾ ounce lemon juice Lemon peel garnish To Make: • Mix in...
The Pour Man: Stupid Label, Great Wine
Mionetto Gran Rosé is a very good sparkling wine with lots of rich fruit flavors that reflect the expertise of a master winemaker and the continued quality of one of Italy’s top wine producers. In fact, this widely available wine is an excellent bridge from the...
Best of 2016 Readers’ Poll Winners (Now a Board Game!)
Game by Kristin Palpini, Kyle Olsen, Jennifer Levesque, and Hunter Styles In celebration of the Annual Manual — a condensed version of the Advocate’s yearly Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll — we’ve created a board game featuring some of the Best Of...
Artifact Cider Project pours local heritage by the glass
Good Apples A scientist and a farmer walk into a bar. The scientist orders a pint of craft beer, locally made and small-batch brewed. The farmer, on the other hand, can’t drink beer — he has just been diagnosed with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder caused by a...
The Pour Man: California Red, Family Style
Sometimes finding the right name for a child, a pet or even a wine can be difficult.Naming can take long, grueling hours of trotting out candidates only to have them dismissed by others for lacking originality or humor, or being downright dumb. The process can take...
This Weekend in Greenfield: Blues, Brews, and BBQ
Here’s the Beef It’s hard to believe that Greenfield’s Riverside Blues, Brews, and BBQ Festival is already in its sixth season. We’ve barely finished the heaping pile of brisket on our plate from last year. But it shouldn’t be too hard for us to get back into the...
Cocktail of the Month Club: Cranberry Cinnamon Whiskey Sour at Osteria Vespa, Amherst
September marks the end of the summer and evenings are starting to bring with them a subtle autumn chill. Chase it away with this month’s cocktail, a cranberry-cinnamon whiskey sour that’s sure to warm you up, brought to you by Josh Draghe, head bartender at Osteria...
Hot Damn! Sunderland’s ChiliFest is Coming
Hot Diggity Could it be that the lingering heat wave of the past week was due to the potency of the peppers newly ripening at Kitchen Garden Farm in Sunderland? Probably not, but we hear these little devils are hotter than ever — and just in time for ChiliFest....
Pour Man: Finally, A Sweet Wine That Delights
When someone suggested that I try MAN Family Wines’ Chenin Blanc, my first reaction was that I don’t like sweet wines. Although Chenin Blanc grapes are often used to make excellent sweet wines in France and elsewhere, I was assured I’d find this South African offering...
Staff picks: Get out there and hang with the Dude
Retrofaire 2016 Open Air Market • Saturday Fan of vintage fashion, jewelry, hard-to-find music gear, vinyl records and live jazz? The Northampton Arts Council presents the third annual RETROFAIRE, held in the space between Thornes Marketplace and the Northampton...
Review: Not My Mother’s Kitchen, a cookbook by Rob Chirico
In the world of food, there is nothing more contentious than “traditional” Italian cooking — everyone with an ounce of olive oil in their veins thinks their family recipes are Old World classics. This is, in part, because Italian nonni rarely write down how to prepare...
The Lush Garden: Cocktail Recipes
A guide to summer cocktails from the garden It’s hard to imagine a better way to top off an afternoon in the garden than by settling into a lawn chair with a refreshing summer cocktail and admiring your work. Even better if you can actually harvest a few ingredients...
The Pour Man: Grand Cru Challenge Accepted; Lucky Us
In the early 1970s when I was first widening my wine experience beyond the California jugs and the Portuguese roses, I discovered a French wine in a 2-liter plastic bottle. It cost about $1.50. It wasn’t very good. It had lots of strange residue in the bottom of the...
Taste-Off: Crunchies for the Munchies
One classic question among lazy, hungry people goes like this: if you had to pick one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be? It’s a fun question — and, if the Trumpocalypse triggers the end of global food supply lines, possibly a relevant one. But...
Scene Here: On Tap Festival at Berkshire East
Last Call, Franklin County This past Sunday’s inaugural Franklin County On Tap festival drew over 400 intrepid fans of craft beer, cider, and mead to Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont to sample brews from a dozen local operations, including the...
The Pour Man: Graduate to New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
Nobilo, Sauvignon Blanc, 2015; Marlborough, New Zealand; $13.99 During the last couple of decades, some of the world’s top wine critics have declared that the best Sauvignon Blanc comes from New Zealand, and I would agree with them.However, I also realize, as with...
The Pour Man: Champagne Chuck; inexpensive bubbly
Dibon Brut Reserve Cava, of Penedes, Spain; $12.99 I’ve been thinking about sparkling wine lately because it’s well suited for steamy summer nights; just one glass will go a long way to ease the heat. Sparkling wine also came to mind because someone gave me a bottle...
Vodkamelons: Fact or Fiction?
The staff at the Valley Advocate have been to many picnics, parties, hootenannies, hoe downs, shindigs, and festivals, but only one of us has ever tasted the infamous vodkamelon.Amanda Drane, our Third Eye Roaming yogi, claims to have made a vodka infused melon with...
The Beerhunter: Five O’Clock Everywhere: Western Mass Beer Week June 11-18
The Beerhunter’s ears are always pricked to news of local craft beer happenings, and this month, they’re positively tingling. All that excitement in the air is thanks to the first-ever Western Mass Beer Week, a series of events at breweries, bars and restaurants all...
Oh, Honey: Can spoonfuls of the all-natural sweet stuff help ward off allergies?
Ah, spring: The time of year when nature wakes up from its deep winter slumber: birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and allergy sufferers are miserable. A runny nose, itchy eyes, and constant sneezing are facts of life for the nearly 8 percent of Americans that...
The List: Pioneer Valley Farmers Market Where and When 2016
It’s time, everyone! Spring is well under way and summer is just around the corner (or maybe it’s already here, judging by last week’s heat wave). Time to supercharge your shop local skills and hit the streets (and fields, and parking lots) for the Valley’s spring and...
The Pour Man: Mark West Pinot Noir Redemption
On separate occasions during the last six months, a couple of friends have recommended that I try Mark West Pinot Noir, and although I respect their taste in wines, for some reason I didn’t get around to drinking it until recently.Maybe it’s because I see Mark West on...
Scene Here: Afternoon Nighthawks
A crisp smack of cold beer hits my palate; a dark, hearty rye. I’m engulfed by laughter and spirited conversation, lost in the dull roar, a wave washing over me. A sudden crash, a peaceful respite as it rolls back, redoubling its efforts at sweeping me away …...
Hidden Franklin County gems
It’s 3pm in the hilltowns. Bright sunshine warms the Ashfield Lake, and the reflected light bounces up through the windows of the three-story Lakehouse, into the quiet bar and dining room. I’ve caught the tail end of Friday lunch, and the mood at the bar is calm. A...
South River Miso Taps the Ancient Art of Fermentation
Highly Cultured Christian Elwell swings open a small, heavy door, and I glance in at the crib. The temperature inside this humid little room is about 90 degrees, and the wooden trays stacked in towers along the wall give off the smell of warm, steamed brown rice. In...
Pour Man: A White Wine for Late Winter
My mother raised me right, schooled in the proper Southern custom of not wearing white from after Labor Day ’til the dogwoods bloomed in March.Until a couple of years ago, I held to the standard and applied its rigorous dictum to wine: white would not cross my lips...
Beerhunter: Franken-Steins (Have wacky beer ingredients gone too far?)
The dumbest thing I ever did on a date was to invite my lucky lady off-campus for an Indian dinner of vindaloo. The dish was so spicy that I spent half an hour struggling to force small talk out through my seized-up throat (luckily, the chili peppers hit her just as...
Curry in a Hurry: With Bombay Royale, Northampton finally has an Indian lunch buffet
I’m usually a patient guy, but I don’t understand why it takes people so long to order from restaurant menus. I often fight the urge to lean across the table and suggest to befuddled lunch buddies that they needn’t divine the one perfect dish. For crying out loud,...
The Pour Man: Bogle Old Vine Zin’
During a recent visit to the North Carolina mountains, my wife and I were lucky enough to be part of a small dinner party with friends who make their living in the food and wine industry. It was one of those evenings, full of laughter and great stories, with a...
Snug ‘n’ Glug: Local restaurants and bars with cozy fireplaces
There’s something unnatural about strolling downtown in the dead of winter wearing a spring jacket and feeling a warm breeze on your face. Still, snuggling by the fire is a thing enjoyed in spring. So, whatever the weather feels like when these words reach you, dear...
Still Poised to Pour: Discount liquor licenses in Holyoke haven’t attracted buyers
Most restaurants rely on liquor sales for survival, which is why the city of Holyoke acquired 13 additional all-alcohol licenses to sell on the cheap as part of an urban renewal plan. But that was over a year ago and no one’s biting yet. At least one of the former...
Madame Barfly: Mixing Beer? Have Fear
Naturally, I was really excited about the whole beer cocktail thing. Beer is good, and cocktails are good, so how can we go wrong, right? As it turns out, some beer cocktails are good and others are downright disgusting. The Beerhunter and I put our booze brains...
The Pour Man: Wine that Celebrates ‘Crime’ and Springfield’s John Boyle O’Reilly
A wine with a good back story is one thing, but when you find a good wine with a great back story, it makes the drinking all the better. The South Eastern Australian line of wines 19 Crimes — a red blend and a Cabernet Sauvignon — are well crafted and honor the...
More Than Granola: With corporate chain stores selling natural foods, co-ops double down on community ties
Steve Alves rolls up an chair, sits down at his desk, and opens a spreadsheet of every food co-op in America. He has been compiling this list for years. As his finger flicks the scroll wheel, hundreds of rows spill upward on the monitor: co-ops in states like Idaho,...
Shhh! The Library keeps it classy in Easthampton
Cottage Street in Easthampton is a busy street on any night, and this New Year’s Eve is no different. I approach The Library’s front door and am warned by its words that I must be properly dressed to enter. Given the holiday — luckily — I’m dressed for the occasion,...
Average Joe: In defense of downtown Springfield’s coffee shops
Can Springfield’s Main Street ever hope to attract more foot traffic? At a brainstorming session on Dec. 17, MassDevelopment posed the question to residents and stakeholders. What’s missing from sidewalk life? One common response: good cafes and coffee shops. The idea...
The Pour Man: Good Bubbly for $12?!
Finding a well-crafted, dry sparkling wine in the $10 range can be difficult. There are plenty of good Italian Prosecco and Lambrusco wines in the range, and I tried a number of them this year in an effort to discover an inexpensive sparkler for the holidays, one that...
Pie vs. Cake
The Thanksgiving feast has been devoured, and now it’s time for dessert. There’s two pies and two cakes on the table. Now, you must choose. Who knew mom was setting us up for this debate all along? It’s the holiday season, so it’s the perfect time to hash out the...
A Red Wine From a Noble Spanish Grape
In recent weeks, I’ve tried a couple of excellent Spanish wines made from 100 percent Garnacha, a grape with a long, colorful history. The wines are full- bodied, inky red and have a lot of fruit flavor, and they’re affordable. Each comes from a different region of...
Not All Candy Canes are Created Equal
Santa Claus and his elves make a fine traditional candy cane, but after a couple of centuries of Christmas, it’s time to shake up the cane game a bit. Enter Hammond’s, a Colorado-candy maker that distributes widely throughout the Valley and has a penchant for cranking...
We Went Vegan … for lunch
If you’ve ever worked in restaurants, you probably know that vegan is a five-letter-word often unwelcome among chefs. But veganism is gaining steam. A recent World Health Organization study disappointed bacon-lovers everywhere when it reported an 18 percent increase...
Tips for Getting Tipsy
Some of us don’t get out much. I’m lookin’ at you, worshiper of the porcelain goddess. You look like you could use some help. Most adults have learned how to hold their liquor, while others of all ages are still learning. Plus, braving the crowds isn’t always easy....
The Pour Man: Wine for Holiday Meals
Picking a wine for a holiday feast can be a bit tricky, and many wine experts are reluctant to select one universal wine to go with the meal. The problem is winter celebrations offer a cornucopia overflowing with tastes, flavors and smells that can overwhelm many...
Happiness is a Cold Smoothie
Can we talk about smoothies for a minute? Not milkshakes — ice cream is a topic for another delicious food column. And I’m not including protein shakes, although those are the only reason I go to the gym. I’m just talking about smoothies — that sublime blend of milk...
Stoneman Brewery is a Beershare Off the Beaten Path
I drive until I lose cell service, then I keep driving. Downtown Colrain falls away behind me as I follow the North River up into the wooded hills. I park my car on a quiet road, two miles from the Vermont border, at Justin Korby’s house. Colrain’s small population is...E-Edition
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