It is only appropriate that the icon of the cocktail world has it’s own day and this Wednesday is it, National Martini Day. It is a day to celebrate this fantastic drink in whichever way you please.

The first printed recipe for a “Martinez” cocktail appeared in a bartending manual published in San Francisco in 1887. However, historians disagree over whether the beverage actually originated on the West Coast. In 1911, a New York City bartender named Martini di Arma di Taggia began serving a cocktail made with gin, vermouth, orange bitters, and an olive garnish. The martini gained widespread popularity among Manhattan socialites, and has been associated with New York ever since.

Today, 50% of all cocktails are served in a martini glass. Some of the most famous (historical and fictional) martini lovers include: John D. Rockefeller, Humphrey Bogart, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Clark Gable, Ernest Hemingway, and James Bond.

The classic Martini is one of the drinks that every bartender should know. There are many ways to make a Martini: gin or vodka, little or no vermouth, stirred or shaken and an olive or lemon twist garnish. One drink, so many options.

Many other drinks are referred to as a Martini. Although this recipe is the original, we must go along with society in some respects and here are more of those Martini recipes.

View Video: (from about.com)  The Modern Martini, What Makes a Martini Dry or Dirty?, Top 5 Martini Cocktails

To celebrate National Martini Day, enjoy a refreshing martini in the company of friends. Cheers to that!

• 2 1/2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 1 green olive or lemon twist for garnish
• Orange or Angostura bitters (optional)

Preparation:

Whether you are a Mom or a Dad, do not miss this Weekends Father’s Day wine tasting, on Saturday June 15th from 12 – 3 pm in the wine room. Gene from Major Brands will be sharing several new wines and a few great traditional wines for your tasting pleasure.

 Stonestreet Fifth Ridge Red Wine

Fifth Ridge is a blend of Merlot (54%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (46%). The wine pours almost black into the glass. The initial smell was blackberry and chocolate with that sweeter finish to suggest molasses or chocolate. Initial taste was a bit acidic, some tart black fruit, but mostly there was smoke, leather, and tobacco on the front, with some muted blackberry showing up in the middle along with some baker’s chocolate and forest floor leading to a spicy but dull finish.

La Crema Pinot Gris
“Bright and balanced, this wine opens with aromas of fresh white peach, Meyer lemon and subtle floral hints. The lush palate is layered with flavors of ripe pear, yellow plum, baking spice and exotic tropical notes. Mineral undertones are evident in the lengthy finish, further defining this wine as classic Monterey.”

Silver Palm Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color, with aromas of Bing cherry and cassis. Flavors of menthol, spice and oak with round firm tannins lead to a soft, silky, lingering finish.

Silver Palm Chardonnay
Silver Palm Chardonnay glistens in the glass and greets the nose with the perfume of apple blossom and pear. On the palate, ripe flavors of white peach, Gravenstein apple and Meyer lemon glide seamlessly like a silk ribbon. A near flinty finish provides balanced acidity and leaves the palate yearning for another sip.

Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay
“Rich tropical fruit intertwines with grapefruit, lemon and candied lime peel. Elegantly layered, this wine exhibits a lush texture and firm backbone with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon spice to round out the long finish.”

Don’t know what to get dad for Father’s Day?  Come into Macadoodles to see a wide array of gifts dad will love!  You could pick him up a fine Single Malt Scotch, a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon to go with steaks on the grill, or even a six pack of his favorite craft beer!  We carry a wide assortment of cigars, some great flasks, and even camo coozies and hats to match!  Make Macadoodles your one stop shop for everything dad wants.

Oh…..don’t forget a beautiful Kentucky Bourbon for the true Southern gentleman.

Check this out!  

Macadoodles is having a “Summer Slim Down” wine event where you will find hundreds of wines at incredible values!  From cellar wines  to fun everyday wines, we’re sure you’ll want to stock up at these incredible values. Hurry in for the best selection!

For one, Tito’s Handmade is just that – it’s micro distilled in small batches in an old-fashioned pot still, a technique that, for the care and labor it requires, tends to be reserved for liquors with a lower output, like expensive cognacs and single-malt Scotches.  And unlike its Russian and Polish forebears, Tito’s isn’t made from wheat or potatoes, but rather all-American yellow corn, resulting in a vodka that’s not only gluten-free, but genuinely unique.

Now you may be thinking whaaaaat?  Texan corn vodka made in a bootlegging tradition?  Well, even though Beveridge’s brew may be concocted in cow country, it has won some outstanding awards, like Double Gold Medal at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco, the unanimous judges choice. And that was up against 72 vodkas around the world including flavored vodkas.

Tito’s is as smooth as any vodka on the top shelf and less expensive.  And the novel corn fermentation process has a subtle, pleasant effect:  The taste is curiously, mildly sweet with a very clean finish.  Tito’s is by all means a sipping vodka, best savored ice cold and neat.  Consider this…. The best vodka on the market might just be purely, proudly Texan.  Isn’t it time you tried Tito’s?  Titosvodka.com

Thursday, May 30th at 7:30 pm, we welcome Bill Johnapeter from Terra Firma, USA who will be tasting lovely French wines from Luxco Importers.  Following is a list of wines to be tasted – and space is limited so sign up now!

Baron De Luze Bordeaux – 2008

Baron de Luze red is a brilliant, intense ruby color with purplish tints. The initial fine, pleasant aromas give way to a light fruitiness and elegant aniseed notes. Initially clean-tasting, rounding to a good balance between ripe fruit and mellow tannins. The elegant oakiness and slight toasted aroma are signs of a good-quality barrel. The tannins are still young but hold out promise for the future. Red berry flavors are gently revealed in a harmonious finish and satisfying balance. Serve with terrines, barbecues, fricassees, and firm cheeses.

Chateau La Petite Borie Bordeaux 2010 (translated from website)

Mainly located in the municipality of Mouliets et Villemartin, south Castillon-la-Bataille, the castle is near a major Gallic site. The excavations established the area was an important crossroads river and road for trade.

The vineyard is grassed a rank two, the other being worked. Mechanical harvesting waits for the precise moment when the grapes reach optimal maturity together with perfect health.

In the glass, it shines with a beautiful cherry color, dense, with bursts of youth. The first pleasant aroma is fruity and develops beautifully – evoking candied cherry and cooked prune. The balanced palate is powerful. The tannins are present, providing good future for this bottle.

Served at room temperature 17/18 ° C, it can be drunk as an accompaniment to meats, grilled red meats and medium cheeses.

Chateau Raze Beauvallet – 2006

Chateau La Raze Beauvallet, meaning “Beautiful Valley”, is located in the heart of the Medoc peninsula. The Chateau was originally classified “Cru Bourgeois” in 1932, and has recently been listed within the new Cru Bourgeois classification. Only 25% of Chateaux in the Medoc receive this status due to their wine quality. This is partly due to the Sourice family, who bought the estate twenty years ago and completely renovated the vineyards and cellars with state of the art equipment.

Composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot, this is a rich, full-bodied red with pronounced notes of plum and black fruit on the nose and palate. Enjoy with hearty beef entrees or creamy pasta dishes.

Chateau Sylvain Raymond White Bordeaux – 2009

The 2009 Chateau Sylvain Raymond is a white Bordeaux from the Graves Appellation.  French wine makers often do not display the blend of grapes on their bottles.  The Chateau Sylvain Raymond is no exception.  White Bordeaux wine can be a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Ugni Blanc.  Yes, some unfamiliar names!  This wine certainly has Sauvignon Blanc in it and a little of the Muscadelle too.  It is dry but fruity, crisp and leaves a delightful fresh impression on the palate.  A very refreshing wine!

Chateau Senailhac Bordeaux Superiore – 2005

Speaking of the real deal, the Chateau Senailhac 2005, Bordeaux Superieur — from a great vintage in Bordeaux — is the real deal as far as merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc are concerned. In fact, unusually for Bordeaux Superieur, this wine contains all five of the classic Bordeaux grape varieties: 43 percent merlot, 25 percent cabernet sauvignon, 23 percent cabernet franc, 7 percent malbec and, finally, a 2 percent dollop of petit verdot. At six years old, the wine displays a transparent medium ruby color tinged with brick-red/garnet at the rim; classic, too, is this bouquet of spiced and macerated black currants and black cherries with hints of cedar and tobacco, black olive and bell pepper and a touch of walnut shell and brambles. The wine offers slightly fleshy and meaty flavors of black currants and plums encompassed in a dense and chewy structure that’s firm and close to velvety without being heavy or obvious; tannins are mellow and a little chewy, a bit gritty with dusty graphite-like minerality that extends through the finish. Chateau Senailhac 2005 is drinking beautifully now and should do so through 2014 to ’16. Alcohol content is 13 percent.

So come on it to try something new and you just may find your new favorite!

On this day, May 24th, 1976 the Judgement of Paris tasting was held.

Organized by British wine writer Steven Spurrier, the event was a blind tasting that pitted famous French wines against the more nascent Californian industry.

The French line-up included 1970 Mouton Rothschild, Montrose and Haut-Brion in the red category and 1973 Beaune Clos des Mouches from Joseph Drouhin and Batard-Monrachet from Ramonet-Prudhon in the white selection.

The Californian pretenders included 1973 Stag’s Leap, 1971 Ridge Monte Bello and 1970 Heitz among the reds and 1973 Montelena, 1974 Chalone Vineyard and 1972 Spring Mountain among the whites.

There were 11 judges overall, although only the scores of the nine French judges were used to calculate the final results.  When the results were revealed many of the French judges were shocked to discover how highly they had ranked some of the US wines and that Montelena had won in the white category.

Although dogged by some controversy later, the tasting is generally held to be a pivotal moment in the emergence of the US (and the New World more generally) onto the international wine scene.

The tasting has been recreated several times and is often used as a benchmark and model for other regions seeking to prove their worth.

SOFA KING BUENO!!!! It’s back in stock so come and get yours today – quantities are limited.

Let us introduce you to your new favorite day.

Moscato has really risen in popularity over the last couple of years due to various songs about Moscato and people discovering it’s great taste. Moscato wine seems to be the latest taste trend that new wine drinkers, as well as wine connoisseurs are raving about. Moscato is generally known as sparkling wine that goes best with desserts or after a meal that was heavy — although it also complements spicy meals.

Last year, Moscato sales grew by 73 percent in food, drug, convenience and retail chains, the largest gain of any varietal, according to Nielsen Co. statistics.

From About.com:

Aromatic and Flavor Profile of Moscato:

“Moscato is known for its surprising perfume-like fragrance, light-body, semi-sparkling, spritzy character (frizzante, lower alcohol content (typically to the tune of the around 5-8% abv) and its dazzling fruit-forward palate profile with a welcoming sweet factor. The wine’s color steers towards straw yellow with occasional tinges of gold. Moscato’s inherent aromatics are simply stunning – orange blossom, honeysuckle, almonds, ginger and ultra expressive fruit dominated by green grapes, citrus tones and ripe peach nuances. On the palate, you can expect an impressive lineup of fresh, forward fruit with sugar levels ranging from semi-sweet to sweet and wrapped in medium acidity. From pear and apple, to orange and lime with consistent appearances in the ripe, juicy peach and apricot category, Moscato’s flavors are extraordinarily fruit-filled. The delicate cascade of bubbles, light body and sweet surprise culminate to woo and win many unsuspecting palates to the wide world of wine.”

So there you have it.  We dare you to go grab a bottle (or five) of Moscato and chill it. Make (or order) something ridiculously delicious with a hint of spice – or throw together a creamy, savory cheese tray. Invite some friends over and have your own Moscato tasting party.

Seriously, do it.