72 Bottles of Spiked Seltzer on the Wall: My 30 Day Challenge Comes to an End

My trusty companion on the train to NYC!
Since bars there don't serve Spiked Seltzer (yet), I brought my own! 

It's already December, and my challenge, to switch from beer to Spiked Seltzer for a full 30 days, has come to an end. I've been amazed at the total lack of the usual negative side effects of alcohol in the past month. I have not experienced any morning headaches or sluggishness from a night of drinking, i imagine thanks to the low sugar content in Spiked Seltzer (and it's gluten free).

Though I am a beer lover, the light, crisp flavor of Spiked Seltzer is deliciously addictive, and certainly more refreshing than a heavy beer. I love that is isn't sugary sweet at all. Now I find myself drinking club soda instead of a second beer when I'm out at a bar. Hooray for fewer calories (and less money spent)!

Drinking in style, as always... :-)

Beyond the fact that it tastes good, and didn't ever give me a hangover, I am also pleased to report that I lost a couple pounds. I usually drink double IPAs, but Spiked Seltzer is only 140 calories, and I saved about 100 calories per drink by making the switch!

If you're in the New England area, give Spiked Seltzer a try - even the most loyal beer drinker may find themselves converted!

Click here for a list of retailers and restaurants that offer Spiked Seltzer.

Black Hog Brewing at Spotted Horse Tavern: Drink Local and Eat Well!

Connecticut is delightfully awash with breweries, some new and some more established, and I am always thrilled to try the output of any of them. I recently had the pleasure of receiving an invitation from George O'Connell, owner of Spotted Horse Tavern in Westport, CT, to attend a beer dinner with Black Hog Brewing. Co-owners and brothers Jason and Tom Sobocinski, who also own two great spots in New Haven, Ordinary and Caseus, were in attendance (head brewer Tyler Jones was not, but it's clear from his beers that he's quite the talented guy) and offered a great education about each of their featured brews for the evening. 

With my fitness blogging, beer appreciating friend Courtney in tow, I headed to Westport ready for a great meal and new beer experiences. Our first beer of the evening was Strawberry Gose, a German style wheat beer with pink Himalayan salt, coriander and over 100 lbs of fresh organic strawberries from Massaro Farm (Woodbridge, CT) added during secondary fermentation. It was light (4% abv.), drinkable, and delicious.

Next, we headed out to Spotted Horse's cozy covered patio and began the dinner portion of the evening. More beer arrived, "Easy Rye'Da" session IPA. Jason Sobocinski is a motorcycle enthusiast, and a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of Easy Rye'Da goes to the national motorcycle safety foundation. This easy drinking hoppy brew was paired with warm soft pretzels and a bacon cheddar dipping sauce. Yum. They were so well received that George decided to add them to the regular menu!

Oktoberfest Pretzels

We then enjoyed a fresh, light kale salad with cranberries and roasted squash. I liked the use of baby kale instead of full grown kale, which can sometimes be overwhelming. So much chewing! This course was accompanied by "Autumn Nugget," a wet hopped ale with vanilla pean, pink peppercorns, nutmeg, and cinnamon. I was surprised by how intensely it smelled of vanilla, but I couldn't taste it once I took a sip - instead, the spices really came through. This is a complex beer, and great for the winter.

Tuscan Kale Salad

We were offered a choice of either smoked and grilled pork chop with apple chutney, red cabbage, and potato pancake or seared scallops with wine and caper reduction, julienned vegetables and sweet potato mash. Luckily, Courtney wanted the pork and I wanted both, so I got to steal some of hers. Both dishes really were excellent, and everyone turned their full attention to their plates, creating a silence punctuated only by occasional comments on how delicious everything was. This course was paired with my favorite beer of the night, "Ginja Ninja," a red ipa brewed with 6 lbs of fresh ginger in every batch and hopped with centennial, cascade & bravo hops. This beer was originally created for head brewer Tyler's wedding! 

Grilled Smoked Pork Chop

Seared Diver Scallops

Stuffed to the brim, our final beer arrived alongside an indulgent warm brownie with ice cream. It was torture being too full to finish it, but the bites I managed to take were happy ones. The beer, "Nitro Coffee Milk Stout" made with brewed Organic Columbian Supremo and Espresso Roasted coffee, was rich and creamy, and if it wasn't socially inappropriate, you could drink it in the morning instead of coffee, I swear. So so good. 

Black Hog Brewing may be new to the scene, but they hold their own against more established breweries. I look forward to seeing them continue to grow! Their brews are inventive and delicious. Spotted Horse Tavern was already one of my favorite spots in Westport to grab a drink, as their bar is cozy and unpretentious, but now that I have had an opportunity to try the food, I'll be going there for dinner too. Many thanks to Jason, Tom, and George for a wonderful evening. 

The Aftermath

Spotted Horse Tavern is located at 26 Church Lane, Westport, CT
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Black Hog Brewing is located at 115 Hurley Road, Building 9A, Oxford, CT

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Spiked Seltzer 30 Day Challenge

Connecticut is awash with fantastic craft breweries, and I'm always ready to try a new brew. Thanks to food blogging, covering food festivals, and enjoying checking out new restaurants and drinks in general, I end up drinking a fair amount, and it's 90% beer. Then I saw a post on Spiked Seltzer's facebook wall about a challenge: they were looking for a beer drinker willing to switch to their product for 30 days.

I had experienced Spiked Seltzer a few times already; the company was offering samples at The Greenwich Wine and Food Fest, Moffly Media's Best of the Gold Coast Party, and is always one of the drink choices at The Aldrich Museum's First Friday Cocktail Parties. It's light and refreshing, very different from my usual strong IPAs, but I really like it. It's also much lower in calories than the average IPA, gluten free, and still pulls off a 6% abv, the same as my usual brews. I was intrigued to give this challenge a try, and was pleased when the company told me I had been chosen to take it on. 

I try to stay active, go to the gym (though I don't go nearly as often as I should), and eat healthy, but it's pretty difficult when there are so many fun events based primarily around food and drink. In the year and a half since I began really getting involved with food blogging, I've gained about 8 pounds, which on my small frame is enough for me to notice. I've done the math, and if I drink Spiked Seltzer instead of beer (I'll use the calorie content in a Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, as that's what I drink most often at bars), I should save about 4,000 calories over the course of 30 days.

I'm 12 days into the challenge, and it's turned out to be a great experience so far. I have only had one hangover, and it was the morning after I cheated and drank beer. Otherwise, I've felt great, and that means I've been healthier in more ways than just cutting calories: waking up with no trace of a hangover means I don't eat junk food in the morning and I don't feel as sluggish and therefore unwilling to work out. 

So far, I'm a big fan. I won't give up beer forever, and there's nothing like a glass of red wine with a steak, but I absolutely will replace some of those drinks with Spiked Seltzer after the challenge ends. It also makes a nice mixer, and I'm going to start experimenting with some cocktail recipes. 

Stay tuned!

Cheers!

Fall Wine Dinner at Picador in New Canaan: an Intimate Evening of Fine Fare and Libations

Picador in New Canaan already has a solid standing on my list of favorite restaurants, and after their Wine Dinner earlier this week, my enthusiasm has only increased. The evening ran so smoothly, and I learned much more about wine than I have at any wine tasting. The Head Chef, Frank Barrese, outdid himself with the evening's menu, and it was a pleasure to overhear the comments of other guests; I was clearly not the only one who had a fabulous time.

Upon arrival, guests were welcomed by Picador's owner, Ray Rivera, directed to a lovely spread of cheeseboards, and handed a glass of Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs. Jana Waite, a representative from Eder Brothers, shared details and tasting notes about each wine throughout the evening, and explained that Schramsberg is served at the White House to international guests. The room buzzed with anticipation and guests mingled happily. As the restaurant filled, we drifted to our seats, and soon the main event was underway.

                 

A delicious glass of Stags Leap Chardonnay set the stage for the first course of the evening, seared diver scallops with butternut squash and borsin au gratin. I was excited to try these from the moment I first saw the menu, as I had experienced some of Chef Barrese's other scallop dishes, and this interpretation lived up to my high expectations. The scallops were tender, delicately sweet, and quickly gone from my plate.

                

While we ate, Jana explained that the Chardonnay we were drinking was a great choice for this kind of meal, as it goes well with both seafood and meats, as it is crisp and not too sweet. The flavors of the wine, she continued, open up as the wine warms to room temperature, and she was absolutely right. I am a Chardonnay drinker, and this was excellent. 

                

The second course, braised oxtail stew, arrived next. I was impressed by the timing of the courses; often at these kinds of dinners, everything arrives too rapidly, and you feel both rushed and stuffed right away. The leisurely pace of Picador's dinner made for a markedly more pleasurable experience. 

Callejo Crianza accompanied the stew, and when Jana stopped by our table, we asked several questions about what it means when wine has "legs" and why you tip the wine to the side of the glass to see the color of the liquid's edge. Jana is a great teacher and is amazingly knowledgeable; she explained that the longer a wine is aged, and the warmer the climate, the more it evaporates and becomes thick, which is why it both clings to the inside of the glass and doesn't have a clear edge when tipped in the glass.

                

My taste buds, already thrilled, found themselves in heaven upon tasting the third course, a dry brined bone in rib eye with foie gras twice baked potato and rosemary demi glace. This was the best steak I have ever had. It was tender, juicy, and incredibly flavorful. I completely ignored the rest of my group and gave all my attention to this dish, all social graces forgotten. The twice baked potato was equally enticing, and I finished it and then stole some of my date's, too. Paired with a glass of Silverado Cabernet, the flavors came together for a seriously memorable main course.

               

The man behind the magic, Head Chef Frank Barrese, emerged shyly from the kitchen at the urging of Ray, and accepted his well deserved applause from the room. Everyone was impressed. Barrese is a gifted chef, and I have yet to be anything less than wowed by his creations.

                 

Spanish sherry and a goat cheese custard topped with strawberries and hazelnuts finished off the meal, and Jana shared some final words about the great wines we had experienced, all of which are available at Stewart's Wines in New Canaan. Ray, always a gracious host, continued to mingle with guests, and the beaming smiles on everyone's faces served as further proof that the evening had been a great success. 

If you missed this dinner, never fear - there is a beer dinner in the works! Sign up for Picador's newsletter to be alerted when more details are available. 

Picador is located at 15 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT

Call 203 972 9999 for reservations, or find them on opentable

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Sinfully Good Sips at South End in New Canaan

South End, a restaurant and bar in New Canaan, Connecticut, is a can't-miss spot no matter what your restaurant "must haves" are. From a casually upscale interior to Chef Nick Martschenko's menu of dishes that are so good you could just close your eyes, point, and be pleased, and a bar program that's a Fairfield County standout headed up by the charming Sean Nye, its no wonder that it's a hopping spot every day of the week.

While I could wax poetic about Chef Martschenko's cooking (Try the meatballs. Just do it.), my most recent visit focused exclusively on their cocktails. Sean Nye, the face of South End's inventive cocktail menu, treated me to a memorable flight of 5 drinks, some of which are new additions for spring, while others, like the bloody mary, are ongoing house favorites.

As Nye began mixing, grabbing bottles, clinking ice into glasses, shaking, and stirring, he explained some of the things that make the cocktails at South End unique. First, his personal philosophy that it's possible to make a great tasting drink that's still nice and boozy. It's not necessary to mask alcohol with syrupy sweetness or make a drink palatable for an inexperienced drinker by going light on it, but on the flip-side, he doesn't make drinks that feature alcohol as their primary flavor note. Lucky me, as my favorite drink is one where I know it's good and strong, but it's flavorful enough to be pleasant to drink. Yes, I can appreciate the flavors when drinking whiskey neat, but it's not something I find particularly pleasurable. 

The second standout element of the bar program at South End is the use of fresh and house-made ingredients. The bacon in the bloody mary is house smoked, the mix is made from scratch, and it's topped with bright green micro-cilantro. The pineapple juice in the Mai Tai isn't from a can, it's juiced right there. The difference is clear. You're drinking a quality product, made with care and thought. 

On to the drinks. First, a refreshing concoction (as of now, still unnamed - Nye takes the time to invent creative monikers, usually with a touch of sass or humor) of Giffard Pamplemousse Rose Liquer, Vizcaya Cristal Rum, and a touch of Hum Botanical Spirit. I was genuinely blown away by this one. The first sip tastes like the offspring of grapefruit juice and lemonade, and a second sip reveals the undertones of vanilla in the rum (oak barrel aged, then filtered so it's completely clear) and the interesting combination of hibiscus, ginger, cardamom and kaffir lime in the Hum Liqueur. It's the kind of drink that makes you pause and think as you try to discern all the things you're tasting. I've really never had anything like it, and I could really feel my brain cells firing as it tried to categorize the various elements. I'd happily buy a jug of this drink and then take it to a sunny field for the best picnic libation I have yet to encounter. Sangria, step aside! Chardonnay, to the left!

Next, in the spirit of cocktails meant for sunny days and warm breezes, Nye mixed a hibiscus margarita using a larger amount of the same Hum spirit he used in the previous drink. The difference was surprising; the ginger and hibiscus came through much more than the first drink, and of course, the color was gorgeous. It made for a great twist on a standard drink, and it would be all too easy to put away several of these at a rapid pace. It went perfectly with the fish tacos we had ordered for lunch. 

Next, an in-house barrel aged Manhattan that blows, but by, every other Manhattan I've had out of the water (and I've had quite a few, from California to Connecticut). After aging for several weeks in an oak barrel, the drink is smooth, drinkable, and complex, with a lightly sweet aftertaste. If you like Manhattans, get in the car now and order one. If you don't like them, you need to give this one a try.

Nothing like day drinking! Photo courtesy Jason Varga

Moving along, I tried two very popular drinks: a bloody mary, and a Mai Tai. As I mentioned before, they're both made with fresh, house-made ingredients. The bacon on the bloody mary, smoked in-house, is to die for. This is a great accompaniment to South End's bustling Sunday brunch, and Nye says they have to make many gallons of the "liquid salsa" mix to keep up with the demand.

We ended on a tropical note with the Mai Tai; it's visually pleasing and absolutely delicious. Thanks to the use of fresh pineapple juice as opposed to canned, it's vibrantly pineapple-y and refreshing. Careful, it's strong! Rum mixed in, and a dark rum float.

Good thing there was delicious food to soak up the alcohol: fish tacos and meatballs. From start to finish, at brunch (try the whole wheat oatmeal pancakes with lemon curd and blueberries), lunch or dinner, South End is memorable. Take the trip to New Canaan, order a cocktail, settle in, and prepare to be impressed.

South End is located at 36 Pine Street, New Canaan, CT 06840. Call 203-966-5200 for reservations.

Cocktail photos courtesy South End