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the dosage*
(doh-zahzh)

Somm Book Club: Hood by Alison Kinney

2/9/2016

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Bear with me y’all, I’m trying something new here. Each month, I will discuss a different book and a bottle of something delicious. Drink stuff, learn stuff. ​
I wish I had some Armagnac.
​

I’m out of Armagnac. It’s the only thing I can think of that can stand up to the depth and provocative structured elegance of Alison Kinney’s Hood. And I’m not just saying that because we’re friends and she invited me to a “Lord of the Rings” trilogy viewing party (complete with themed food!). Naw, I respect Alison far too much for that. Her writing speaks for itself. The very first chapter includes lines such as: 
“The history of the hood is danse macabre, where the hooded living and dead join hands. We all wear hoods, but our hoods evoke everything from recess and the wind chill factor to executioners and cross burning. They provoke poetry, legislation, and playful or fatal speculations on what exactly hooding means."

​

​ Say what?! And that’s from Chapter 1, y’all. A few pages later, Kinney goes on:​

via GIPHY

“To accurately identify the sources of authority, danger, terror, and difference, when so much turns up on a flap of fabric, is the problem of the hood itself.”
The experience of a good Armagnac similarly makes one stop and reconsider WHAT JUST HAPPENED. Aromas of baked pear, quince, roast chestnuts, prunes, and even caramel reach out of the glass and grab your nose before the first sip. Did you smell the vanilla, too? And what about that note of candied pineapple? The first sip or two delivers on the complexity. Those aromas turn into flavors on the palate, and still there is more to discover. There are flowers, slightly dried, and hints of cocoa, toffee, buerre blanc, and perhaps other things that call to mind the colors yellow, orange, and gold. The finish? Warm and cozy, but strong, kind of like a really great easy chair. You sink into it, sigh, and relax.

Yep, there’s a lot going on in the glass, just as there is a lot happening in Kinney’s sentences. In that first example from Chapter 1, she somehow managed to connect the present with the distant past, the banal with the sacred, civility and the arts with rebellion and destruction.

Now, I know that at least a metric ton of research, time, and excellent writing went into the making of Hood. I also know that Armagnac is carefully produced, often according to family tradition, from a blend of grapes. Ugni blanc makes up most of the blend, but there can be up to 11 other white grapes in the mix, including folle blanche, colombard, and Baco blanc. Now, if that ain’t a recipe for nuance and complexity, I don’t know what is. (Being a #weeniesomm, I can’t quite speak to the prevalence of each yet, but you get the picture, right? Right?)
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Now, add to this blend the craftsmanship of the people in the vineyards, which are in Gascony, France, a somewhat pastoral farming community about 100 miles south of Bordeaux. There are three main areas in this region: The Bas-Armagnac, located to the west, the Ténarèze, located further east and at slightly higher in elevation, and the Haut-Armagnac, which is to the east of Ténarèze, to the south of the Bas-Armagnac. Haut-Armagnac is the largest of the three regions.  
 ​Armagnacs tend to reflect the rustic nature of their homeland, but that’s not to say there’s no finesse. After all, duck confit and foie gras are traditional foods in Gascony—these folks have a handle on finesse. There’s a smoothness to a good Armangnac. The flavors are integrated and finely honed, kind of like that easy chair I talked about earlier. Or, the ideas in a thoroughly well-crafted book of history, like Hood.
​
Hood is just one book in Bloomsbury’s “Object Lessons” series, which includes titles such as Bookshelf, Drone, and Hair. While I've only read Hood so far, I’m willing to bet the other books and essays are just as scintillating. Armagnac is available in a few ways. It may be blended from several grape vintages and released under special names that denote how much time the youngest portion of the blend has spent in barrel (i.e VS, VSOP, Napoléon, XO, and XO Premium). It can also be labeled vintage. Vintage Armagnac must be made from grapes blended in a single year, and aged for at least 10 years in a barrel.
​Drink This:
­­­Marie-Duffau Napoléon Bas Armagnac
Price: ~$38.00
Where to get it: 
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Read This: 
​Hood, by Alison Kinney
Price: ~$16.00
Where to get it: Bloomsbury, Greenlight Bookstore, Amazon 
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#OscarsSoWhite (Again). Cheers!

2/2/2016

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​In just a few weeks, peeps around the world (at least the peeps who are interested in movies, celebrities, and fashion) will stop, look, and listen as the winners of the 88th Academy Awards are announced. There will be fanfare as far as the eye can see, beautiful suits and gowns, and White people. Lots of White people.
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​Oh sure, there will be some colored folk about. The host, Chris Rock, for one. And maybe a few of those great actors everyone talks about, like Denzel Washington, Forrest Whitaker, and Lupita Nyong'o. But nope, nobody who's up for an award THIS year. In fact, for the second year in a row, every actor nominated for an Oscar award is White, despite the critical praises of such films as "Beasts of No Nation," "Straight Outta Compton," and "Creed" (and also, "Concussion," which everyone seems to have just plain forgotten about, as though they too had been hit repeatedly in the head).

​Reactions range from wide-eyed puzzlement to rage and resigned bitterness about the glaring omission of films led by Africans or African Americans. "Is it the members who vote on the Oscars, the films, the campaigns behind them or something else?" one recent NY Times article read. “Industry critics were asking how filmdom’s top awards could be so narrowcast a second year in a row.” Jada Pinkett and Spike Lee are calling for a boycott. 

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Don Cheadle cracked a darkly bitter joke. Stacey Dash said a bunch of highly offensive and utterly foolish things. And Gabrielle Union, bless her gorgeous hair, cast what might be the most brilliant piece of shade EVER in response.

For my part, ​I read the news of this year’s nominations with the same heavy heart and sense of hopelessness as I read last year’s. No, strike that. It was more like a sense of fatigue. I’m so tired of explaining why it’s NOT OKAY to nominate the white screenwriters of “Straight Outta Compton” while failing to recognize the work of the African American actors who brought those words to life. I’m tired of explaining that yes, Leo did a great job in “The Revenant.” But so did Idris Elba in “Beasts of No Nation” and Michael B. Jordan in “Creed,” so they should be recognized, too. And I’m really tired of seeing that old, brown people’s adage, “you have to work TWICE as hard for HALF as much,” played out not only in my experience, but in the very epicenter of high fantasy, Hollywood. Movies are where I turn to get away from everyday nonsense. To be honest, the whole thing made me want to have a drink. Or three.
​But hey, why dwell on the rampant inequality and racism around us? When life gives you lemons, use ‘em to garnish a drink. So, in honor of the great Oscar “White Out” of 2016, and the inevitable desire for many drinks as Hollywood congratulates itself for being the White BET Awards, here are a few cocktails based on white, clear, or light-colored alcoholic liquors. Let’s start at with the host, shall we?
Chris on the Rocks
This vermouth cocktail is clean and smooth, with a touch of citrus and elderberry on the nose and a kick you may not see coming, kind of like Oscar host Chris Rock’s comedic style.

 
1 ½ oz. Dolin dry vermouth
1 ½ oz. Dolin Blanc sweet vermouth
Splash, club soda
Dash, Angostura bitters
Brandied cherry, for garnish
 
Combine the vermouths and bitters in a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with the brandied cherry.
Straight Outta Consideration
For this cocktail, inspired by the Klondike Strike and classic gin and juice, I chose Remy Martin, a longtime connection of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube and orange juice. Just who decided that “popular” movies are not worthy Oscar consideration anyway? “Straight Outta Compton,” despite the glaring failure to address Dee Barnes and other victims of domestic abuse, chronicled a huge moment in arts and American history: that time when a bunch of poor black kids talked about their lives in their city, and the world didn’t just listen, it danced.
2 oz. Rémy Martin “V” eau-de-vie de vin
6 oz. orange or grapefruit juice
Splash, Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth (optional)
Orange peel, for garnish
 
Pour the eau-de-vie into a cocktail glass over ice. Top with the fruit juice and sweet vermouth, if using. Stir gently, laid back, with your mind on your money and your money on your mind. Garnish with orange peel.

Wrong Creed
This is a Pennsylvania-inspired twist on the classic Boilermaker, which incidentally was the professional nickname of James Jackson Jeffries, winner of the one of the most famous heavyweight title bouts in Brooklyn back in 1900. Since his work as Wallace on “The Wire,” Michael P. Jordan has been delivering knockout performances. He should be recognized, not rendered invisible. Note: There are two ways to enjoy this cocktail, both of which would make Rocky proud (ICYMI: Sylvester Stallone was nominated for an Oscar in this year's Best Supporting Actor category.)
 
8 oz. Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale
1 ½ oz. Thistle Finch Small Batch White Rye Whiskey

  1. Drink the beer. Then chase it with the rye.
  2. Pour the rye into the beer. Bottoms up.
Valhalla
An Oscar nominee for Best Picture, George Miller’s “Mad Max: Fury Road” came out with guns (and everything else) blazing. It was awesome. I hope the desire to maintain the status quo in Hollywood will also go out someday in a shiny, sprayed on, shiny blaze of ill-begotten glory.
 
2 oz. Linie Aquavit
1 oz. Bols crème de cassis
Club soda
Orange peel, for garnish
 
Combine the Pernod and the crème de cassis in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass over rocks. Top with club soda, then flame a slice of orange peel for garnish.

The Martian Red Cloud
This drink is inspired by the classic Red Cloud cocktail, made with apricot brandy and grenadine. Matt Damon’s Mark Watney had to do A LOT of science to survive on Mars. But you know what? Fostering diversity isn’t nearly as complicated. All anyone has to do create movies, TV, education and job access in a way that reflects the way the world actually looks, multi-colored folk, LBGTQ, and all.
2 oz. gin
1 oz. Bols Pomegranate Liqueur
1 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice (you can substitute blood orange juice, if you’re feeling adventurous)
1 t simple syrup
Dash, Angostura bitters
 
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass over ice. 

​The Revenant
After seeing this movie, which is beautifully shot and super intense, my corpse needed some reviving, and this cocktail was born. Alejandro G. Iñárritu did an outstanding job helming this film. Now, just imagine what would happen if more film directors of color were not left out in the wilderness like Leo DiCaprio, willing their art to live.
 
1 oz. Neversink spirits apple brandy
1 oz. Fernet-Vallet
1 oz. Bols white crème de menthe
 
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass over ice. 
Man O’War
This cocktail is inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s “Hateful Eight,” as several of the main characters are men of the Civil War. As Samuel L. Jackson’s Major Marquis Warren and Walton Goggins Chris Mannix illustrated, confronting racism and prejudice turns us all into warriors, and sometimes we have to fight together.
 
2 oz. Kings County Distillery Moonshine
1 oz. Cointreau
½ oz. Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
Lime slice, for garnish
 
Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

​Angel’s Tit, or
​Cate Blanchett Kissed a Girl

In “Carol,” Cate Blanchett calls Rooney Mara her “angel, flung out of space.” Romantic, ain’t it. Maybe the angels will fling some quality roles toward the many fine actors of color with boobs out there. Someday.
 
2 oz. DeKuyper or Bols white crème de cacao
½ oz. heavy cream
Maraschino cherry or thinly sliced strawberry, for garnish
 
Pour the crème de cacao into a very cold cocktail glass. Gently float the heavy cream on top, and garnish with a Maraschino cherry or thinly sliced strawberry.
​Stacey Dash aka The Bronx Cheer
Baby gurl, go sit DOWN before you hurt yourself, I thought after seeing the video of her comments for the first time. This final cocktail was inspired by the outspoken “Clueless” actress and Fox News commentator, who was actually born in the Bronx. Unlike Dash, the Bronx is a borough that knows itself and its history. I imagine folks there might have something to say about her shallow and ill-researched rhetoric.
 
2 oz. Bols apricot brandy
Raspberry soda,
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Add the apricot brandy to a mixing glass filled with ice. Top with the raspberry soda, then stir gently and finish with a few raspberries.  

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So, about that whole Bed-Stuy thing...

8/22/2015

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I have a confession to make. For someone who's running about town as the Bed-Stuy Somm, it bears noting that I'm not actually from Bed-Stuy. I grew up in East New York. Close, but not the same.  
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Yerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp, Boulevard Houses

 Nevertheless, I've lived in the Stuy for nearly 10 years and call it home these days. I hope to call it home as long as I can afford to do so. 

So what is this whole Bed-Stuy Somm thing about anyway? First and foremost, it's about booze (cuz I'm a Certified Sommelier and I drink stuff). Wine mostly, spirits and other drinkable stuff like coffee and tea. It's also about education (cuz I'm an educator and writer, and I teach stuff). One of the first things I learned from my mentor, Master Sommelier Scott Carney, was that a good sommelier is humble, hard-working, and ever curious. Snobs and know-it-alls to the left. 
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Baby somm, back in the Boulevard days.

via GIPHY

Probably the second thing I learned from Scott was that people can drink what they like, price, quality, and trendy grapes be damned. It's the sommelier's job to help her or his guests have an incredible and enriching experience by helping them find and learn about what they like. 

I dig this philosophy. To me, it means that wine and spirits is not just for the upper and upper middle classes; booze is a solidly proletarian experience, much like the heart and soul of Bed-Stuy. 


Probably the third thing I learned after wine school was that the wine and booze business has a rep for being pretty stuffy, pretty white, and historically male. This flies in the face of the groovy philosophy above. How can wine and booze be for everyone -- from the bourgeoisie to the bros, to the brothas, and all their homies -- if EVERYONE isn't represented in the business? 


Well, that did it, in my mind. It was time to change the world. I decided to start in my world, Bed-Stuy, where the wine, crime, food, and community, vary block-by-block. (Besides, East New York Somm didn't have the same ring to it. But I've got your back, Boulevard.)

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This Post Is Not For You.

7/27/2015

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Originally published at ledosage.wordpress.com

"Well, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it." That is the almost reflexive response to hearing something offensive in polite society. It comes with a slight tightening of the mouth and maybe a sigh. "Well, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it" was my initial reaction to this headline last April, which lead into an article about the brilliant mural outside of The Musket Room, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Nolita.

The headline, which featured a label above it called "Culture Quotient," for me carried a distinct note of unwelcome. As if hip-hop and good food are at odds. As if black culture and fine dining are naturally at odds. What are *you* doing here? It seemed to say. How funny. You like the fine dining.

According to the article, Matt Lambert, executive chef and co-owner of The Musket Room, came up with the idea of beautifying the corrugated sheet metal gate with a piece of art. Painted by graffiti artist Fumero, the mural, with its jewel-toned, stained glass palate, depicts the Notorious B.I.G at the height of his prose and swagger. Its design commemorates the 18th anniversary of the rapper's death on March 9, 1997.

It's a cool idea. The article does a nice job of piquing my interest in Fumero and The Musket Room. One of these days (after I do my Johnny Kemp dance, let's be real) I hope to visit the restaurant for dinner. But that headline, tho... 

But I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it.

Still, the feeling sucks and part of me  protested: I like delicious food and I'm black! I'm black and I think wine is delicious! I've even got a pin! I belong here too, seeeeeeeeee?

Another other part of me was thoroughly vexed. Why do I feel the need to defend Biggie's presence? Or mine, for that matter. Why did the magazine's editorial staff see fit to question it?

I'm positive that when I do visit The Musket Room, I'll sample Chef Matt Lambert's delicious food and I'll find a delicious wine that compliments it perfectly, and no one will be daft enough to question the culture that Biggie and I call home to my face in the manner that headline did. After all, the point of the article was the beautiful art that draws people in and draws them together, which is kind of the point in this crazy business called Hospitality.


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Le whut the ... ?

7/10/2015

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Le Dosage is the term for a mixture of wine and sugar (or sugar syrup)  that is used in the production of Champagne and other sparkling wines to balance acidity and, some say, flavor. Le dosage is added as the wines are nearing the end of the fermentation process. 

That’s the idea behind this blog. Le Dosage is my attempt to add something extra — reflections on wine and culture — to discussions I see in the world of wine.

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    A Little Something Extra in the World
    of Wine

    *The dosage also called liqueur d’expédition, but I thought that would be a bit precious for a blog. I mean, for real…

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