There have been lots of mergers, consolidation and acquisitions in liquor industry over the last 20 years. Some have worked out and some have not. I think that the reason for the success with some is that they start with a quality product. One of the world’s most tried and true brands has undergone management and ownership changes over its lifetime, yet regardless of who is in charge the product has maintained, and perhaps improved, its level of quality.

The brand of course is Guinness which celebrates it’s 250th Anniversary celebration this year. There are numerous celebrations that will be conducted at the brewery, St. James Gate in Dublin, but if you can’t make it to Dublin you can celebrate with a couple of Anniversary releases now available.

First is a very limited two bottle pack that follows the exact recipe used by Arthur Guinness in 1759. The beer itself is a little stronger and more robust than today’s version, and was brewed in very limited quantities. Not only do you get the two bottles, but you also get to commemorative glasses and a certificate of authenticity.

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 8 units, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 8 units, Liquor Plus Saanich 6 units. Not available in Government Liquor Stores.

Price: $29.99 + deposit.

The second features 2x 500ml cans, a commemorative classic Guinness Pint Glass and warm and cozy Guinness 250th Anniversary Jersey.

Availability: Liquor Plus Douglas 20 units, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 20 units, Liquor Plus Douglas 10 units.

Price: $27.99 + deposit.

For those that don’t below is the abridged edition of the history of Arthur Guinness and the Guinness Beer.

Did you know that the most famous stout on the planet owes it’s creation to the porters at Covent Garden in London. 

The son of Elizabeth and Richard, Arthur Guinness, the founder of the Guinness Brewery, was born in 1725 in Celbridge in County Kildare, Ireland. 

In 1759 Arthur made a real estate deal that would make Donald Trump cry. He signed a 9000 year lease for buildings and land where the Guinness Brewery now stands. Here is the kicker, the down payment was L100 with annual rents of L45. The deal still exists today. 

In the 1770’s Arthur was locked in a battle with the City of Dublin over water rights, all the while a new brewing craze was sweeping the UK. 

The porters of Covent Garden in London had made a new style of ale, porter, all the rage in England and in downtown Dublin. Dublin Stout was on the street within days. 

By 1799 the success of Dublin Stout and other porters, made Arthur abandon the production of his other ales to concentrate on his stout. The result was Guinness Stout. 

Guinness Stout was first exported in 1811 to Lisbon, Portugal and is now available in 151 countries around the world. 

The beer itself is unique in its texture, aroma and taste. Just watching a Guinness being poured, either from a can or tap is an event.  As the beer and its head separates you see a storm of activity that builds your anticipation for your first heavenly sip. 

Did you know… 

• 116 pints of Guinness are consumed around the world every second of every day. 
• There are fewer calories in 1 pint of Guinness than there is in most lagers, skim milk or orange juice – 196 total calories 
• A pint of Guinness has less carbonation than almost all other beers and therefore doesn’t fill you up. 
• The perfect pour will takes 119.5 seconds. 
• Over 1 million pints of Guinness will be poured in Canada on St. Patrick’s Day.

Let me first start with the fact that I am not a medical professional and I am basing my statements on my years of experience and not anyone scientific body of knowledge.

One of the most questions that I get is “I love red wine, but I sometimes get terrible headaches even after 1 glass. Is there a red wine that will not give me headaches?” A similar question is “I get a headache from red wines and I think it is because of the sulphites. Is there a red wine that has either low or no sulphites?”

Sulphites are naturally occurring in all wines; white and red. Sulphites are added to allow the wines to maintain their quality as they travel around the corner or around the world, and sulphur is often used around harvest to prevent the spread of mildew and other bacterias that can negatively effect a wine. The fact is that there are more sulphites and sulphur in pre-packaged salads or dried fruit that you can get in any grocery store. If you don’t get headaches from either of these items, it is not likely that sulphites are the issue.

Havinng said that there are lower levels of sulphites in organically grown wines, and there are wines on the market that promote themselves as sulphite-free (A Norte Terre from Oregon comes to mind; it is really not that good).

The most likely cause of headaches coming from red wine and not whites is found in the grapes themselves. Histamines are naturally occurring in the skins of grapes and in many of the soil types in which grape vines are grown. Although red & white wine grapes will have histamines, red wines are those that give headaches because red wines are made slightly differently than white wines.

White wines are brought into the winery after harvest, crushed and the skins are separated from the juice. The juice is then fermented into wine. On the other hand, to get colour, red wines are fermented with the juice remaining in contact with the grape skins. This means that red wines will naturally have higher levels of histamines as there is more time for histamines to leach out of the skins and into the fermenting juice.

Another big influence on the amount histamine in a red wine is the thickness of the grapes skins. Generally thicker skin grapes contain 1) more colour and 2) more histamines. This means that grapes with thick skins like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Nero D’Avola, Malbec and Merlot will have higher histamine levels than Grenache, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir, or Barbera which have thinner skins.

One of the other issues surrounding headaches is your hydration level. If you are dehydrated you are far more likely to get immediate headaches than you are if you drink 8 x 8oz. glasses of water each day. In fact there are very few incidences of headaches in many of the ‘Old World’ wine regions like Italy or France, because water, like wine, is a part of the meal.

I can empathize with anyone who suffers from headaches as I have suffered a few migraines in the past and it is not fun. However if you don’t suffer after white wine, eating pre-packaged salads or dried fruits from the grocery store, then the culprit is likely histamines. First try some reds with thin skins, but always make sure that you properly hydrated.

Cheers

Rod Phillips

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein $29.99 Australia

The temperature has dropped, the clouds are rolling, and the rain periodically makes its presence felt. These are the kind of evenings that we can expect from now through the end of April of next year. One of the most common ‘winter’ food is pasta with a meat sauce. This usually involves tomato sauce, tomato paste, lots of herbs like oregano, and perhaps some garlic. Here are my top 5 wines for settling down to a heaping plate of pasta and meat sauce.

#1 Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein (Australia $29.99).I once had lunch with Ben Glaetzer, the winemaker for Heartland, Glaetzer & Mitolo wineries, and I asked him what was on his kitchen counter in terms of wines. He confessed a love for classic Italian wines like Nebbiolo, Chianti, and Dolcetto. He loved the ripe fruit and bright acidity that make these wines so good with food. In Australia it is pretty hard to bring out the delicacy of grapes like the Dolcetto or Lagrein. However Ben has a little pocket in a vineyard that nestles up to the hills in the Barossa Valley that is protected from the sun and has average temperatures far lower that the rest of the valley. Thus he is able to craft immensely delicate wines such as this. The wine is medium bodied and sports refreshing red fruit flavours like raspberry, currants and cranberry. The acidity if wonderful which makes it a good pairing for past with meat sauce. Enjoy!

#2 Villata Valpolicella Ripasso 2006(Italy $22.99). I just love this wine… it is likely to be in many TOP 5’s as it would be delightful when paired with hockey games, fireplaces, nuptials, Sunday dinner, and of course pasta with meat sauce. I understand that there is not a lot of stock around so get it while you can.

#3 Masi 2007 Bardolino(Italy $18.99). Another Italian… I am seeing a trend here. Bardolino is a classic pairing with all things Italian, especially the foods of northern Italy where more meats and cured hams are present in everyday fare. If you add a little pancetta, bacon or prosciutto to your pasta with meat sauce, the get the Masi Bardolino.

#4 Montellori 2006 Chianti(Italy $16.99). What another Italian? Yup… classic Chianti. Classic Chianti means everyday enjoyment, where it is less about the food and the wine, and more about the people around you. This wine will certainly delight on its own, but when you are surrounded by your family for ‘pasta night’, it somehow makes hearing about the latest drama from grade 3 that much more enjoyable.

#5 White Bear Riesling(BC $12.99). It is funny how we all believe that Riesling is sweet, light bodied wine, whereas most of it is dry, minerally, and fruit driven. One of the best white wines to pair with heavier, meatier foods is Riesling, and this wine is better than most at the same price.

… on a cold, wet Victoria night.

#1 Cream Liqueur. Your interior should be kept as snuggly as your exterior so pour a glass of Cream Liqueur, add an ice cube if you like, and

feeney's Irish Cream 750ml $22.99

 snuggle up. My specific recommendation Feeney’s Irish Cream $22.99. Feeney’s recently won Double Gold at the San Francisco

 International Spirits Competition beating the likes of Bailey’s and Carolans, and it is about $5.00 less a bottle. Who knew?

#2 Coffee or Tea Based Drinks. I love the warmth and flavour of a classic Blueberry tea on such evenings. On the other hand I am pretty drawn to the creamy warmth of a coffee drink with Cream Liqueur in it. Oh heck… have both. My specific recommendations are Blueberry Tea which is made with Grand Marnier, Amarettoand Earl Grey Tea. For coffee drinks I like the Monte Cristo which made with Grand Marnier, Cream Liqueur and drip coffee.

#3 Big, Peatty, Scotch Whisky. The smokiness of a big peatty scotch is warming to just think of it. My specific recommendation is the Laphroaig Quarter Cask $79.99.

#4 Porter Beer. Porter is named after the original brewers of this style. Back in the 1700’s the Porters at Covent Gardens in London brewed a dark, rich, malty beer that became the evny of a fellow by the name of Arthur Guinness. He also has a famous beer… if only I could remember the name of it…hmmm. My specific recommendations are Driftwood Brewing Blackstone Porter $5.99. This is the classic London style of Porter. The other one I love is the Phillips Longboat Chocolate Porter $5.29. It has all the rich malty creaminess but with the added touch of chocolate on the finish.

#5 Big Ass Shiraz. A big ass shiraz from either the Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale are warming, flavourful and always make me smile. My specific recommendation is the Finders & Seekers Old Vines 2006 Barossa Shiraz $18.99

Driftwood’s Blackstone Porter 650ml is hitting Liquor Plus stores today Nov. 4, 2009. This is a ’seasonal’ beer from Jason Meyer,

Driftwood Blackstone Porter 650ml $5.99

 Brewmaster, that is perfect for snuggling up in front of the fire on a wet, chilling winter’s eve.

This is a London style porter that has a lovely flavour of bittersweet chocolate. Serve this just below room temperature and you will get the deep creamy, malty sweetness and the fullness of the body.

I would have this with a great big stew, or a grilled steak. I particularly enjoy the Blackstone with a healthy slice of aged Gouda, aged Cheddar and some quality Beemster. In fact I think I will do that tonight.

Price: $5.99/650ml Bottle

Availability: The plan is to make enough to have from now through March. Liquor Plus will carry this as long as there is stock available. Liquor Plus Douglas 60 bottles, Liquor Plus Royal Oak 60 bottles, Liquor Plus Saanich 36 bottles. Not available in BC Government Liquor Stores.

Service: Just below room temperature or just slightly chilled. If it is too cold you will miss out on the smooth creamy body and chocolate tones from the malt.

Reservations: If you would like to reserve some bottles of the Driftwood Blackstone Porter please contact me via e-mail at askrod@liquorplus.ca, or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Rod_Phillips, or by writing on our Facebook wall under the post for the Blackstone.

Cheers

Rod Phillips- Buyer

You know how sometimes we just chalk an ‘ailment’ up to getting older? I had just that experience this summer.

It was a hot day and I had just finished cutting the grass and cleaning up the yard. The whole time I was labouring I was thinking of the ice cold beer that I had in the fridge waiting for me. My daydreams created a very romantic interlude between myself and that beer (frankly I don’t even remember the beer’s name). I finished my tasks, removed all dirt and grass before entering the house (I am well trained), got changed, grabbed the book I was reading at the time (Cellist of Sarajevo – great read and the author lives in Richmond), went to the fridge and opened the door.

I swear that streams of light flew out of the fridge, there was a light breeze that blew  tufts of my hair back. My eyes met the bottle which, in anticipation of our meeting, had a hint of condensation beading around its neck.

I gently put my hands around the bottle and gazed longingly at its label. As I opened the top, the sounds of angels rang in my ears. I lovingly poured it into my glass and as the golden nectar of the gods filled the glass, a chill grabbed the glass as if to say ‘hold me, love me.’

Bard's Gluten Free Beer

I proceeded to the deck, arranged a chair for the best view, and allowed my lips to touch the glass. As the brewed ambrosia cooled my body I sat back with a contented smile and thought ‘I am the master of my domain.’

I drank about half the bottle when my peace was broken.

About 20 minutes later I was not feeling well. I had some heartburn, felt really bloated, and more dazed than usual.

This was not the first time this had happened after having only a few sips of beer. I started to notice the same feeling after having bread, pasta, and anything, as it turns out, that contained wheat… gluten.

Since then I have dramatically reduced my intake of gluten and have never felt better. I have lost weight, I don’t have ‘food comas’ in the afternoon, and most importantly, I no longer need my medication for acid reflux.

I started to look into gluten free beverage alcohol products and found some very interesting facts.

#1 Anything not made with wheat or barley contains no gluten. This includes wines, rum, gin, brandy & cognac and most liqueurs.

#2 Anything distilled, even if the base product is wheat or barley, contains no gluten. This means Scotch, Rye, Irish Whisky, Bourbon and wheat Vodkas contain no gluten.

#3 Beers made from rice or sorghum, do not contain gluten.

All the above would be fine for those who wish to reduce or control the amount of gluten in their diet. However they can not be certified as gluten-free.

Items can only be certified as gluten free when there is zero threat of any resulting product being ‘contaminated’ with gluten. That means if there is barley or wheat, or any gluten products in the winery, distillery or brewery, that facility cannot be certified as gluten-free.

This certification is very important to those who suffer from Celiacs disease or have significant gluten intolerance.

At present there are a very few items that are certified as Gluten-Free. This designation is relatively young and like organics, there are different certification boards and standards around the world.

There are only a few beers currently available in B.C. that are gluten free and they are generally more expensive than others, given that they have to do their own malting of sorghum. However we will continue to seek out more and, I suspect that in the years to come demand will be high enough to encourage a reduction in prices and appropriate labelling.

Tinhon Creek Gewurztraminer - Canada's only Carbon Neutral Winery

Although the day is starting out to be a brilliant fall day, here are my TOP 5 for Blue Mondays.

#1 Simple Pleasures. These seem to be the best cure for Blue Mondays and in my world this means a decent glass of wine with a simple meal, like pasta or chicken wings, or leftovers from Sunday night dinner. Whatever it is make it a simple pleasure. My specific recommendation is Bodegas Cortes Tinto ($8.99, Spain).

#2 Build Karma. Mondays are great days to build a little Karma, as it may be that little bit of Karma is what gets you a better parking spot, or stops the rain for 5 minutes when you are taking out the garbage. My specific recommendation is Tinhorn Creek Gewurztraminer($17.99 B.C.) Tinhorn Creek is B.C.’s only carbon neutral winery.

#3 Something New. Getting something new always seems to brighten the day just a little. My specific recommendation is the Masi 2007 Bardolino($18.99, Italy). Not only is it new to our stores, but new to B.C. as well.

#4 Build Character. Blues Mondays seem to be the perfect day to build character. My Dad always said, the measure of a person is not what happens to us, the measure of a person is how we deal with it. My specific recommendation is Tree Brewing Character 8 Pack($15.99 Kelowna). Not only are you buying Character, but you also get the new Tree Brewing Hophead 45 which only comes in the Character Pack.

#5 Do something for others. My spirits are always lifted when I can do something for someone else. We are doing a fundraiser for the Greater Victoria Down Syndrome Society, where $1.00 gets donated, and you save $1 when you buy specific products. Given that we are trying raise spirits my specific recommendation is Alberta Pure Vodka 750ml ($23.99 Alberta).