Binny's Blog

Matteo Meletti joins Barrel to Bottle to discuss his family's 155 year history of making amaro.

If you like juicy IPAs, why not try some actual juice? Specifically, hard cider, likely America's first alcoholic beverage.

Our resident loud amaro lover Pat is back to torture Roger with twelve different Amari, running the gamut from extremely bitter to refreshing and subdued.

How did an outwardly Italian man end up in Eugene, Oregon making amaro? Find out as we talk with Elixir Spirits co-founder Andrea Loreto.

Celebrate Cider Summit with this recipe for Apple Walnut Bundt Cake with cinnamon-cider whipped cream.

The constant turnover in beer and cider, along with many breweries abandoning the concept of flagships, has made it really tough to keep track of the latest releases in this category. But we're here to help with six beers and two ciders that should be sticking around for a while.

Last week it was new wines, this week it's new spirits. Pat once again overdid it and brought too many new items for us to sample.

We use the phrase “Flavor Blasted” a lot, usually in jest. But more and more, we are seeing products that are catering to fans of candy and desserts. Basically, almost everything is flavor blasted these days from beer to seltzers to ciders and meads. So many beers, ciders and meads have fruit in them; to the point where a “plain” beverage is the oddity.

Pat is constantly extolling the virtues of aromatized wines. Finally, we have a guest who will actually agree with him and won’t just make fun of him. Jake Parrott is a friend of the pod and the Whiskey Hotline and is also the national sales director of Haus Alpenz. What Jake sells, and Pat loves, is woefully esoteric. But Binny’s customers, and Barrel to Bottle listeners, are enthusiasts.

Luce Del Sol is Italian for sunlight - and this cocktail reminds us of just that. It is full of lemon candy and floral flavors. The amaro adds a light bitterness that is just enough to round out the sweetness of the Limoncello. Best enjoyed as a post-dinner treat.