For the last couple summers, my friend Carole and I have selected a “drink of the summer.” It all began when I spent my 30th birthday in Hawaii a few years ago and declared the “summer of the mai tai.” Other recent DOTS have included the mojito and huckleberry vodka. That’s not to say these are the only libations we drink all summer long, and you can’t always find some of these drinks at your average neighborhood bar, but when we can’t decide what we want or we encounter a bar where our DOTS is one of the bar’s specialties, or when we are drinking at home, the DOTS is the drink of choice. It also makes for an interesting topic of conversation and leads to fun adventures (like ‘borrowing’ fresh mint from a farmer’s field near my parent’s house in Idaho to make a fresh mojito).
Two weeks ago, I was excited to discover that my favorite grocery store in Phoenix, AJ’s, has started carrying my current wine of choice, which I had previously only been able to get through the mail (a challenge given Arizona’s absurd protectionist laws about shipping wine). Bitch, co-produced and imported by the geniuses at The Grateful Palate (creators of the Bacon of the Month club), is an incredible Barossa grenache that I discovered at one of David Greggory’s Bacon Aphrodisiac dinners last year.
“90 points – A spectacular bargain, this 100% Grenache (from 40-year-old vines) has nothing “bitchy” about it. Gorgeous kirsch liqueur intermixed with pepper and soil undertones result in an Australian Grenache that tastes like a Vacqueyras on steroids. Medium to full-bodied, supple-textured, and silky, this is a stunning example of a value-priced Barossa red. The good news is that there are 4,000 cases, and the packaging was designed by someone with considerable imagination. Drink it over the next 1-2 years. – Wine Advocate (October 2006)
I’ve been obsessed with this wine lately, have purchased several cases of it over the last few months, so it is highly appropriate (on a few levels) that it would be our 2007 DOTS.
But this summer we’ve decided to take a slightly different angle (and throw bacon into the mix, of course). Carole and I always talk about how we should barbeque more often, so we are going to indulge our primal instincts and brave the unbearable summer heat of Arizona as we do a deep dive into the world of barbeque. And everytime we barbeque, at least one of the things we cook will involve bacon. So the summer of “Bitch and BBQ” has begun. As you can see from this photo, I’m in the process of stocking up on Bitch before AJ’s sells out (I’m sure they’re wondering what the hell is going on with their inventory since I buy at least 3 bottles everytime I go to the store).
We will chronicle our adventures (and misadventures) here on Bacon Unwrapped. There are sure to be some fun and interesting twists and turns in store. Hope you enjoy.