Setting the Bar
| By Erin Madsen |
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You’re probably not going to change Aunt Ethel’s love for a stiff Fuzzy Navel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try. How about offering her a swill of Cline Viognier, a delicately sassy white wine out of Napa that’s heavy on stone fruit? Or introduce your light-beer-chug-a-luggin’ cousin to the finer points of Belgian-inspired brews like Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence (we hear it’s great with shortbread)? If you’re on drink detail this holiday season, consider this your survival manual. Here we bring you expert recommendations from three of Surdyk’s heavy-hitters —owner Jim Surdyk, wine consultant Nicholas Livingston and beer manager Mark Selner—on what’ll impress your guests and maintain your sanity.
LIQUOR
Infused vodkas like the X-Rated brand ($24.99), which comes in flavors like blood orange, mango and passion fruit, are huge this season and are meant to be served (and consumed) straight up like a martini. Don’t forget the twist.
Single-malt scotch remains a must-have for any get-together, so go ahead and get what Jim Surdyk himself serves: The Balvenie ($39.99), a 12-year-old scotch whisky that’s aged twice: first in oak then in cherry casks.
Sure, margaritas are forever delicious, but sip-worthy tequila has really started to catch on stateside. Everyone knows and loves Patron, but don’t deny yourself the authentic Mexican equivalent: Tequila Cazadores ($24.99).
Cordials have made a comeback, and some new labels, like the creamy Coole Swan ($29.99)—not unlike Bailey’s—have people talking. If all else fails…there’s always Absente ($34.99)!
WINE
For a classic French sparkler, Nicholas Livingston recommends Champagne Pierre Peters ($53.99), a grower-owned, estate-bottled winery known for its 100-percent blanc du blanc version. It’s versatile and works well as an aperitif or alongside a buttery pastry. On the more economical side, go for a Valdoro Prosecco ($14.99) from northeast Italy—interesting, effervescent and perfect in champagne cocktails.
The 2003 Fichet Meursis Tesson ($72.49) white burgundy is perfect for those looking to splurge on something that’s big, buttery and complex with a balance of acidity and depth of fruit not found in chardonnay; try it with roast goose or turkey. Another food-friendly option is the oak-free Cline Viognier, an American take on the great Northern Rhone version; it’s dry, medium bodied and smooth.
Spanish and Portuguese reds make for excellent holiday-dinner wines: They’re reasonably priced, have a great flavor intensity and won’t overpower the meal. Torre Oria Reserva 1999 ($15.99) is an oak-aged tempranillo blend from Spain that softens as it ages and offers up a unique savory complexity. The Portuguese So Touriga Nacional ($23.99), which Livingston describes as “Napa Valley lured into Europe,” is ideal for roasts and other rich meals.
BEER
Whether you’re a novice or total beer snob, Belgian beers (a.k.a. “the Cadillac of beers,” in Mark Selner’s words) really are hard to beat. Brouwerij Lindemans makes popular, fruity lambic brews ($9.49/bottle; the raspberry is everyone’s favorite) that are best served chilled in a champagne flute. Trappist ales like Chimay ($9.49) and Westmalle ($9.88) and the supremely smooth Deus Brut des Flandres ($27.99—no, that’s not a typo) are next to impossible to beat.
It’s thanks to excellent specialty microbrews that beer has been elevated from a workingman’s drink to its current more-refined status; as with wine, pairing beers with food has become anything but weird. Some good ones to try with whatever’s on the menu include Rogue Double Dead Guy ($11.29/bottle), Left Hand Brewing Co. Milk Stout ($10.29/six-pack) and Boulevard Smoke Stack Series ($8.49/bottle), an American series trying to emulate Belgian beer, and succeeding.
A little closer to home, check out the Brau Brothers Brewing Co. line of beers—cream stout, scotch ale, pilsner, pale ale and strawberry wheat ($7.99/six-pack)—made in the tiny southwestern Minnesota town of Lucan. +
Surdyk’s 303 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.379.3232
LIQUOR
Infused vodkas like the X-Rated brand ($24.99), which comes in flavors like blood orange, mango and passion fruit, are huge this season and are meant to be served (and consumed) straight up like a martini. Don’t forget the twist.
Single-malt scotch remains a must-have for any get-together, so go ahead and get what Jim Surdyk himself serves: The Balvenie ($39.99), a 12-year-old scotch whisky that’s aged twice: first in oak then in cherry casks.
Sure, margaritas are forever delicious, but sip-worthy tequila has really started to catch on stateside. Everyone knows and loves Patron, but don’t deny yourself the authentic Mexican equivalent: Tequila Cazadores ($24.99).
Cordials have made a comeback, and some new labels, like the creamy Coole Swan ($29.99)—not unlike Bailey’s—have people talking. If all else fails…there’s always Absente ($34.99)!
WINE
For a classic French sparkler, Nicholas Livingston recommends Champagne Pierre Peters ($53.99), a grower-owned, estate-bottled winery known for its 100-percent blanc du blanc version. It’s versatile and works well as an aperitif or alongside a buttery pastry. On the more economical side, go for a Valdoro Prosecco ($14.99) from northeast Italy—interesting, effervescent and perfect in champagne cocktails.
The 2003 Fichet Meursis Tesson ($72.49) white burgundy is perfect for those looking to splurge on something that’s big, buttery and complex with a balance of acidity and depth of fruit not found in chardonnay; try it with roast goose or turkey. Another food-friendly option is the oak-free Cline Viognier, an American take on the great Northern Rhone version; it’s dry, medium bodied and smooth.
Spanish and Portuguese reds make for excellent holiday-dinner wines: They’re reasonably priced, have a great flavor intensity and won’t overpower the meal. Torre Oria Reserva 1999 ($15.99) is an oak-aged tempranillo blend from Spain that softens as it ages and offers up a unique savory complexity. The Portuguese So Touriga Nacional ($23.99), which Livingston describes as “Napa Valley lured into Europe,” is ideal for roasts and other rich meals.
BEER
Whether you’re a novice or total beer snob, Belgian beers (a.k.a. “the Cadillac of beers,” in Mark Selner’s words) really are hard to beat. Brouwerij Lindemans makes popular, fruity lambic brews ($9.49/bottle; the raspberry is everyone’s favorite) that are best served chilled in a champagne flute. Trappist ales like Chimay ($9.49) and Westmalle ($9.88) and the supremely smooth Deus Brut des Flandres ($27.99—no, that’s not a typo) are next to impossible to beat.
It’s thanks to excellent specialty microbrews that beer has been elevated from a workingman’s drink to its current more-refined status; as with wine, pairing beers with food has become anything but weird. Some good ones to try with whatever’s on the menu include Rogue Double Dead Guy ($11.29/bottle), Left Hand Brewing Co. Milk Stout ($10.29/six-pack) and Boulevard Smoke Stack Series ($8.49/bottle), an American series trying to emulate Belgian beer, and succeeding.
A little closer to home, check out the Brau Brothers Brewing Co. line of beers—cream stout, scotch ale, pilsner, pale ale and strawberry wheat ($7.99/six-pack)—made in the tiny southwestern Minnesota town of Lucan. +
Surdyk’s 303 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.379.3232
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