Beer: Mr. Pineapple Wheat Brewery: SanTan Brewing Co. Style: Fruit wheat beer ABV: 5 percent Last week, I bought a pineapple. It was an impulse buy, driven in part by its alien appearance and by the realization that I rarely eat the fruit. I bet I can make some interesting…
It’s pretty rare that we get to talk about clothing here at Chow Bella, which is probably a good thing — most of our writers’ wardrobes could be accurately described as “clearance rack chic.” But today — on Earth Day, no less — the good folks at Bonobos have given…
Yesterday we met Rob Samuels, grandson of the creator of Maker’s Mark Whiskey and current chief operating officer of the distillery. You would expect a family with such a rich, bourbon-soaked history to know a few good whiskey recipes — and you’d be right. Rob’s father, Bill Samuels Jr., perfected…
Rob Samuels comes from a long line of whiskey-makers — the Samuels clan has been distilling as far back as the 1500s in Scotland and was making whiskey in America before the country was founded. Bill Samuels Sr. (Rob’s grandfather) began producing Maker’s Mark in 1954, and Rob took over…
We’re currently in what we like to call the Dead Zone of sports. The early season of baseball is worthless. College and pro football games don’t start for another five months. And with the giddy high of March Madness fading fast, fellow fans are already going through some serious action…
The 34th Annual Scottsdale Culinary Festival began on Tuesday, and we chose to kick the weeklong celebration off the same way we would any soirée — with a few drinks. Not your simple liquor-plus-mixer drinks, mind you. There was a time when the cocktail was as essential to living as…
Beer: Imperial Java Stout Brewery: Santa Fe Brewing Co. Style: American Imperial Stout ABV: 8 percent Beer: It’s what’s for breakfast. It’s also for second breakfast, brunch, lunch, second lunch, first dinner and dessert, but today it’s mainly for breakfast. And when a beer is for breakfast, there’s only one…
Yesterday we told you about our experiences with coconut shampoo rum and the surprisingly similar Malibu Red, a blend of coconut rum and tequila. Dedicated tasters that we are, we tried the drink in many forms: neat, on the rocks, mixed with coke, and in the many cocktails posted on…
Years ago, I went on a spring break cruise with a group of my hard-drinking friends and, broke college kids that we were, we dedicated the days leading up to the vacation to finding every possible method of smuggling booze aboard. Clear plastic water jugs, giant blue containers of Listerine,…
Just like the people who partake in them, not all triathlons are built alike. There is, of course, the Ironman — the 140-mile showcase of endurance and masochism that takes over Tempe every fall. But triathlons of different lengths are also available for the less self-punishing. Held at Tempe Beach…
Beer: Trappist Westvleteren 12Brewery: Brouwerij WestvleterenStyle: QuadrupelABV: 10.2 percent It usually follows that the most highly rated beers in the world are also the hardest to get. This shouldn’t be surprising; as a beer’s acclaim grows, demand for its flavor will eventually outstrip the supply. This is less of a…
On Friday, 11 of Arizona’s top chefs flexed their food-pairing muscles at the second annual Epicuriad, the Beer for Brains Foundation’s dinner event that pits beer against wine in a food fight to the finish. Chow Bella was provided a media pass to document the deliciousness, and with almost 30…
Yesterday we discussed Pisco (the Peruvian and Chilean liquor made from distilled grape juice) in the general, and Pisco Porton (the most recent addition to the range of Piscos available in Arizona) in the specific. Today we show you the best possible use for Pisco Porton — the Pisco Sour…
It would seem from looking around the shelves of bars or liquor stores that Europe holds a monopoly on the production of spirits made with grapes. France gives us Cognac and Armagnac; Spain produces a fair amount of brandy; Italy has its grappa. But drinkers do themselves a disservice if…
Trust us: With all the superb food festivals we have in the Valley, it’s not easy to make it onto Chow Bella’s radar. But the Epicuriad is no ordinary event. On the strength of its unique premise — top local chefs match dishes with beer and wine in an all-out…
They don’t crown just anyone a King of Comedy — the throne must be earned through years of making people laugh. From his roles in hit films such as Barbershop, Be Cool, Johnson Family Vacation, and Madagascar to the stand-up documented in The Original Kings of Comedy that started it…
Beer: 7 Wives Saison Brewery: Sonoran Brewing Co. Style: Saison ABV: 5.2-ish While brewers I’ve talked to usually sing the joys of collaborating with others in their craft, a few have confessed that the process is a pain. Attention spans are short among beer-makers, they say, and coordinating a…
While there were several entrants in the Campari Cocktail Competition we told you about yesterday, there could only be one victorious drink: the Agave Gusto, created by Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center bar manager Tony Tuttle. Today, Tuttle shares the history and recipe for his conquering beverage…
Sai Campari? The Italian aperitif (that is, a drink served before a meal to stimulate the appetite) was created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari, who crafted the beverage using a secret recipe of herbs, aromatic plants, and fruit infused in alcohol and water. Today, the distinctive red bottle is a…
According to legend passed down by the Hash House Harriers, a female newcomer was once invited to a hash in San Diego and, completely unaware she was about to run a trail, showed up in a red dress. Despite being mocked for her ensemble, the fabled female ran the trail…
Beer: Big Sky KriekBrewery: Big Sky Brewing Co. Style: Fruit BeerABV: 10 percent As with restaurants and hotels, there’s a wealth of consumer-generated review content floating around the interwebs that pertains to beers. From video reviews to expansive rating databases, sites available at your fingertips can tell you whether that…
If you were born after 1985, Sinbad probably had a greater impact on your life than other single-name celebrities. Was Madonna in Jingle All the Way? Nope. Did Fabio have his own TV show? Nuh-uh. And you can bet your ass Cher didn’t play a role in Good Burger. Packing…
