My
Mom was in traveling party of the month club back in the day and she said this
group of theatre and book lovers considered themselves connoisseurs of beer.
This was the ‘60s an ‘70s where readily available options included your
national labels and some seasonals.
When
we invited her over to sample a six-pack of Texas craft beers I’d won in a door
prize, she scooted on over and we tried blends with funny names, hearty flavors
and unique blends. Banana and candy? I like the darker ones and my husband
prefers lighter, and the fun part was finding out that you may not prefer the
one you thought you’d like best and vice versa.
It
was a fun night that also included rounds of duck on crackers, pretzels,
pumpkin-spiced nuts and a Field Roast vegan loaf. It was a “different” sort of gathering to have small bites
spaced out over the evening and every new thing sparked another turn in the
conversations.
Here’s
what was in the pack:
Ale
Mary, El Hefe Weizen from No Label Brewing of Katy
Legal Holiday is a
Winter Warmer style beer brewed by Legal Draft Beer Company in Arlington,
Ale
Mary is a Belgian Pale Ale style beer brewed by New Republic Brewing Company
in College Station, TX
Crush
City IPA is a American IPA style beer brewed by Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co in
Houston, TX.
Mionetto
holiday
Mionetto
Prosecco is promising “luxury wines at various price points” to “sip away”
while interacting with fruitcakes, as in the literal hard-as-rock ones and the
various personalities in families.
I used to wonder why people raved about
Champaign for the holidays, but now that I’ve discovered the sparkling joy that
is prosecco, I’m board. Look for distinctive Mionetto bottles for your own
enjoyment or as valued hostess gifts. I tried the classic Prosecco DOC Treviso Brut with a suggested retail price of $14. This is what you get: “Aromatic
notes of honey, black licorice, and acacia blossom appealingly mark the palate
of this cuvée. This wine can be served chilled on its own or used to create
your own holiday cocktails.” Try Mionetto’s Chin Up cocktail, from master mixologist Justin Noel. It’s a combo of
scotch, honey and apple juice.
Mionetto Rosé Extra Dry goes for about the same price as does DOC Organic Extra Dry Prosecco . The latter merges delicate fragrances of acacia blossoms
and strong tastes of golden apple, pineapple and orange. Can you believe all
that can go on in a glass?
Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore
DOCG (suggested retail
price $19) even brings wildflowers into the mix.
Now the Mionetto’s Cartizze DOCG Dry (SRP $35) has a ribbon embedded
into the bottle, so no wrapping needed. This is the stuff to enjoy when you can
truly concentrate on all the bubbles and flavors. Please, use your best glass
for this one and enjoy with cake. Expect this: “A multi-faceted bouquet
releases seductive impressions of apple and pear, alongside notes of citrus and
glazed almond. On the palate it is crisp, well balanced, and elegant.” Can you
stand it? Get shopping.
Darragh Doiron is a Port
Arthur area foodie who is taking extra walks to keep up with holiday feasts.
Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com
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