"The Bourbon King was the first ambassador of reason and human happiness"
-Heinrich Mann
It's a chilly and drizzling kind of day here in the Seattle area. Don't get me wrong, I haven't a single complaint. We had a beautiful summer with heatstroke inducing days, the rain held off this long, and I must profess that I am ready to don jeans and sweatshirts for comfortable nights in or out in the warmth of raised whiskey glasses and good fellowship.
My drink preferences ebb and flow with the seasons like the tides. Cold beer that progresses from light and crisp German witbiers to ever darker porters, stouts, and bold gin in the summer/fall, while winter and spring belong to red wine and fiery whiskey. Well, whiskey is an all-year-round love affair for me if you can't tell by my previous posts.
Tonight, (K) and I gather with the Seattle Whiskey Collective to celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with a night of barbecue and whiskey. Tonight's tasting is hosted by local Ballard barbecue joint, Kickin' Boot Whiskey Kitchen, with special guest Dave Kearns (@realwhiskeydave), whiskey specialist for Beam Suntory.
I would just like to start with a great big thank you to Dave for his time, his knowledge, and most importantly, some of the best Bourbon I have ever tasted. And let's not forget the Seattle Whiskey Collective for putting this excellent evening together, once again proving that membership in the Seattle Whiskey Collective is a better investment than a gym membership, HA!
So let's jump into this thing!
The Santa Fe Café has been called "a Seattle institution". It has also been called a home away from home for those like my family and I who have ventured away from the "Land of Enchantment". Since leaving the warmth (weather and food) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, nearly 14 years ago, we have longed for a true taste of home that you cannot find here in the Pacific Northwest. The Santa Fe Café is, without doubt, the best place to help in our long adjustment to life without easy access to Hatch chile, posole (hominy stew with tender pork), and sopapillas (Indian fry-bread, or something like "elephant ears" as they are known here, minus the sugar and cinnamon).
A Sad Day
Yesterday at 4:15pm, it was announced that Mr. Drew Bloom, current owner and operator of the Santa Fe Café, and his wife have decided that it is time to sell the café after 6 1/2 years of ownership, and a whopping 30 years of business. The demands on his time, family, and the desire for a slower pace of life have prompted his decision.
"I went to brush something off my cheek, and it was the floor."
-Raymond Chandler
Have a gander at this:
There is a little town in Oregon called Bend. The main attraction here is something known as "The Bend Ale Trail". This is a brewery pilgrimage that lists 17 local breweries, all within pretty close proximity to one another. When you look up the trail online (Bend Ale Trail), you are given a complete rundown on how one should go about hitting all the breweries, where to get your official "Ale Trail Passport", along with pertinent information like cab companies, eating locations, places to stay, etc.
"VINI, VIDI, VICI", my friends.....well, 7 out of 17 isn't too shabby (1 wasn't even open to the public and another other was in Sisters Oregon). Besides, some of the ale trail breweries just didn't capture my interest... (cough, cough) Deschutes and McMenamins...
The ale trail pilgrimage begins with picking up your passport at the Bend Visitor Center, or printing online. When you have made it to each brewery, they give you a stamp to show you have been there. Once you have collected all the brewery stamps, you return to the visitor's center to collect a "prize" of some sort at the end. As if copious amount of beer and the experience isn't prize enough, right?
It is said that one can tackle the entire trail in a single day. We are choosing to divide it a little. No sense in going buck juicy wild here. Besides, pacing myself has never been my strong suit.
Keep reading so we can get to the real nitty-gritty and start talking beer, brewery reviews, food, and FUN!
