Peas n’ Picpoul: A Summer Food & Wine Pairing

peas wine pairing

Peas have arrived! Forget about those frozen peas you have the rest of the year, and enjoy super fresh peas grown right here in little Rhody. This is the newest edition of our series of seasonal food and wine pairings. Today, we’re pairing peas and Picpoul de Pinet, a wonderful French white wine.

In Season Now: Peas
June – September

There’s nothing quite like freshly picked peas! Snack on them fresh, cook them as a vegetable side, or make a soup, purée or pesto with this light & lovely veggie. Pick your own peas at Rhode Island farms from summer to early fall, or visit your local farmer’s market if there’s no time for pea picking in your schedule. English peas, sugar snap peas and snow peas are some common varieties. Sweet, tender, and a characteristic green color, peas are best enjoyed young and right after they’ve been picked.

Wine Pairing

Picpoul de Pinet is a French white wine. Picpoul is the grape varietal, Pinet is a town near the Mediterranean Sea in France. Light and fresh, summery and lemony, Picpoul and peas are a great summer food and wine pairing. A staff favorite here at Bottles, St. Peyre’s Picpoul de Pinet is medium-bodied with flavors of melon, grapefruit, and lemon.

Recommended Wine: Saint-Peyre Picpoul de Pinet
  • In a region well-known for great red wines, Picpoul de Pinet is a curious, and delicious, exception to this association.
  • Pinet is actually a small fishing village, with vineyards extending all the way down to the sea shore.
  • Impress your friends with this relatively unknown but fantastic white wine!
Visit our store to get this wine!

 

Rosé Wine Pairing with Littleneck Clams


Littleneck clams are a classic Rhode Island dish. They’re even better with a bottle of crisp wine! Keep reading for a fantastic clam recipe from Edible Rhody and our pick for a rosé wine pairing.

Rosés make great partners with food because they are, in the way they’re made, right in between a red and white wine. Dry, not sweet, and full of light berry and citrus flavors, rosés are a lovely summertime wine.

Edible Rhody Magazine‘s summer issue includes a great Littleneck Clam recipe by Amy McCoy of poorgirlgourmet.com. She cooks Littlenecks with choriço sausage and vine-ripened tomatoes, which pairs perfectly with Ferraton ‘Samoren’ for a magical mingling of flavors.

2012 FERRATON ‘SAMOREN’
Côtes du Rhone, France

Rosés from the du Rhône region are rich and fruity without being cloyingly sweet. Composed of a blend Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, this rosé has a rich sherbet color. A wonderful mineral finish lends itself to seafood dishes such as littlenecks and the Grenache/Syrah power duo gives the wine weight to stand up to  warm flavors such as spicy tomatoes and garlic. 
Visit our store to get this wine. (Or, have it delivered to your door if you are located in Rhode Island!)
Photo by Amy McCoy
LITTLENECK CLAMS with
GRILLED CHORIÇO & TOMATOES
By Amy McCoy, author of Poor Girl Gourmet and founder/blogger PoorGirlGourmet.com
The lemon zest and lemon juice add bright acidity to this dish. For a heartier meal, serve the clams and broth atop linguine.

 

INGREDIENTS

½ pound mild choriço sausage, casing removed, sliced in half lengthwise
1 pound vine-ripened tomatoes (Roma or other sauce tomatoes are ideal)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, trimmed and sliced lengthwise into ½-inch wedges
4 medium cloves garlic—2 minced, 2 left whole
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, coarsely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
24 Littleneck clams, scrubbed clean
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 thick slices good-quality crusty bakery bread
Grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 4 lemon wedges for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the grill to medium heat or prepare coals.

Grill choriço until it is lightly charred; remove and cool slightly, then slice it crosswise into ¼-inch half-moons. Likewise, grill the tomatoes until they are lightly charred and their skins are peeling off; remove and allow to cool. Discard skins, core and coarsely chop, reserving any liquid.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy stockpot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and oregano and sauté 1 minute.

Pour in wine. Add tomato flesh and accumulated juices. Add the choriço and stir to combine.

Place the clams in pot, increase the heat to medium-high until the liquid begins to steam. Cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the clams have opened wide, 10–12 minutes. (Discard any unopened clams.) Season to taste.

Meanwhile, grill the slices of bread over medium heat until they are just toasted, 1–2 minutes per side. Rub one side of each slice with peeled garlic cloves.

Divide clams and broth among 4 large warm, shallow bowls. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve with a slice of grilled bread and lemon wedges alongside. Serves 4.

VISIT

How to Make a Pineapple Cup for Tiki Drinks!

how to make a pineapple cup instructions

With Tiki drinks in revival, you’ll probably need a great tiki cup to go with your concoctions. What better way to celebrate summer than with a real pineapple cup in hand? Watch our instructional video tutorial showing an easy way to core a pineapple. All you need is a pineapple corer tool, a little technique, and a Tiki party to celebrate! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is.

pineapple corer slicer
Pineapple Corer

How to Make a Pineapple Cup

Directions:

  1. Slice off the pineapple top
  2. Center the pineapple corer
  3. Twist. Go almost to the bottom of the pineapple
  4. Lift out pineapple slices with corer
  5. Fill with your favorite tiki cocktail
Use the pineapple slices as garnishes or for a tasty snack.
and pick up your pineapple corer!
Pineapple cups are perfect for Tiki drinks!
Need some Tiki drink recipes?
Click below to download & print this classic tiki recipe card!
 
 

How to Infuse your Booze


Infusing spirits is easy! Time and the ingredient do all the hard work for you. Infusing is also a great way to use seasonal herbs and berries, and a way to add that special touch to summer cocktails.

Simply pick a base alcohol (such as vodka, gin, or tequila) and add your favorite aromatic, such as fresh strawberries or basil. Experimentation is key! Once satisfied with how your infused booze tastes, strain it, and then use it in your favorite cocktail recipe.

1. Start with a Base Spirit.
  • You don’t have to spend a fortune on a base spirit! Vodka and Gin are classic choices, and White Vermouth is another great light slate to work with.
  • Add your spirit to a canning jar or closed, food-grade container or pitcher.
 
 

2. Add your ingredients.

  • Basil or cilantro are two of my favorites with vodka to create a delightful Bloody Mary. Another great spring herb is chervil, which adds a licorice flavor for a really interesting gin gimlet. 
  • Berry infusions take a little longer, about a week but the results are heavenly. Strawberries work well with reposado tequila to create a fresh margarita! Just chop them up before adding to the jar.
  • Jalapeños added to tequila also make great margaritas! Slice crosswise or lengthwise.
  • Experiment and try combining flavors! Cilantro and lime, cucumber and melon, chai tea leaves and basil…the possibilities are endless!

3. Shake or stir.

  • Give it good stir before closing your container and putting it in a cool, dark place (closets and cabinets work well).
  • Once a day, gaze at your creation, give it a good shake and put it back in the cabinet.

 

4. Strain when finished.
  • How will you know when your infusion is ready? Well you must try, try, try your infusions everyday. A very tough job! It’s remarkable the difference in taste between day one and day three. The flavors become stronger and really pop.
  • When your infusion is ready, take a coffee filter and be sure to pass the infusion through multiple times, straining out any solids.
5. Use it in cocktails for a new twist.
  • Strawberry Tequlia Margarita!
  • Basil Bloody Mary!
  • Chervil Gin Gimlet!
  • Lime Rum Mai Tai!

Looking for more ideas?

Our friends at Edible Rhody Magazine have provided a great basic recipe for infusions.

Sisters Alicia & Erin have a great blog “Boozed and Infused”, which has a ton of recipes and photos detailing the process.

Cheers!
-Joanna

Rosé Wine Pairing with Peach Barbecue Ribs

bbq ribs recipe wine pairings
Photo by Chip Riegel

What wine is essential for summertime? Rosé! Right between a red and white wine, rosés are dry, and not sweet like White Zinfandel or Blush wines. Rosés have a light berry flavor, which comes from contact with the red grape skins during the winemaking process. But unlike a red wine, rosés are very crisp and full of pep, vigor, and light citrus flavors. They also happen to be great partners with food for your next party!

A perfect food and wine pairing we’ve had are BBQ ribs and rosé. Edible Rhody Magazine was kind enough to let us share with you a fantastic Peach Barbecue Ribs recipe. Written by Chef/Owner Nick Rabar of Avenue N American Kitchen in Rumford, Rhode Island, these ribs use a simple dry rub and a barbecue sauce to swoon over. Reward yourself for a job well done with a bottle of Mulderbosch Rosé!

mulderbosch rosé wine pairing

2012 MULDERBOSCH ROSÉ
Stellenbosch, South Africa

Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Mulderbosch has produced a rosé that’s both sturdy and seductive. The dark pink color lets you know you’re in for a seriously good treat. On the nose, expect blood orange, cherry and sandalwood. Look for bold flavors of ripe black cherries and herbs balanced by zesty acidity. This powerful rosé will love hanging out with you and your ribs.

Visit our store to get this wine
(Or, have it delivered to your door if you are located in Rhode Island!)

peach barbecue ribs recipe wine pairing
Photo by Chip Riegel
 

PEACH BARBECUE RIBS
Chef/owner Nick Rabar, Avenue N American Kitchen, Rumford

This is the perfect recipe for summer when my grill and smoker are cooking at full throttle. It makes an ample amount of the dry rub and sauce—which go well with chicken too. Feel free to halve the recipes or save the extra for more good stuff on the grill.

INGREDIENTS

3 racks lamb ribs or pork baby back ribs (approximately 6 pounds)
1½ cups dry rub*
2–3 cups peach barbecue sauce*

DIRECTIONS

Coat ribs with dry rub and let stand for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 325°. Place ribs in baking dish and bake for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Heat grill to medium or prepare coals. Place ribs on grill, mopping with barbecue sauce until sauce has caramelized and ribs are tender and sizzling, being careful not to burn. Remove and serve with extra sauce. Serves 6.

Note: For smokier flavor, omit the oven step and prepare fire by banking coals to 1 side of the grill. Cook ribs wrapped in foil off the direct heat for two hours, adding coals as needed for a steady, even heat. (Or use top rack on a gas grill.) Finish over heat as directed above.

*Dry Rub
½ cup kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon each chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, ground ginger, mustard powder
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped fine

*Peach Barbecue Sauce
3 strips bacon
1 Vidalia onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 quarts (8 cups) ketchup
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup brewed coffee
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons honey
3 dried chipotle chiles, ground in a spice mill or with mortar and pestle
2 cups peach juice or nectar

For the dry rub, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix, taking care to break up brown sugar. Store in container with tight lid.

For the barbecue sauce, sauté bacon in a 4-quart stockpot until fat is rendered, removing bacon and saving for another use. Add onions and continue to cook until caramelized. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat, stirring often. Makes 3 quarts. Can be made in advance. Refrigerate for 1 week or freeze up to 6 months.

 
VISIT
 

An Iuka Grogg Cocktail: Make a Classic Tiki Drink

Join the revival of Tiki cocktails! From Jeff “Beachbum” Berry’s book, Remixed: A Gallery of Tiki Drinks, we’re featuring a new recipe called an Iuka Grogg (spelled with an “I”). Enjoy this enticing combination of lime, pineapple, and passion fruit flavors, topped off by a rich, caramel, dark rum aroma. The quintessential tiki cocktail to have all summer long!

Pay us a visit in Providence, Rhode Island to browse our in-store display of Tiki drinks. Not in around RI? Learn more cocktail recipes on our YouTube channel to look like a pro at your next get-together. Joanna, our resident cocktail expert, will show you how to make a classic Trader Vic Mai Tai and a simplified “Beachbum” Berry Zombie drink.


How to Make an Iuka Grogg

Iuka Grogg

INGREDIENTS
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
3/4 oz pineapple juice
1/2 oz passion fruit syrup
3/4 oz dark rum
3/4 oz demerara rum

DIRECTIONS
Shake well with ice cubes. Strain into a chilled tiki mug, or serve in pineapple to make a splash at your party! Or to just to feel special.


tiki drink cocktail recipes

Visit us to pick up all the ingredients you need! Just look for the large Tiki Bar display.

     



 

A Zombie Drink Recipe for a Tiki Party!

Zombie Cocktail Recipe

If you haven’t heard yet, tiki parties are back! Just in time for the season of backyard shindigs and warm summer evenings on the patio, we’ve put together an instructional video on how to make your very own Zombie drink.

Stop by our Providence, Rhode Island store to browse a display with all the ingredients you need for your home tiki bar. Not in the area? Visit our YouTube channel for Mai Tai cocktails and more, and be sure to watch Jo (our resident cocktail culture expert) make a delicious Zombie cocktail in the video below.

Zombie
simplified by the Beach Bum

3/4 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz cinnamon-infused sugar syrup or Don’s Mix
1/2 oz gold rum
1 oz dark rum

Shake with ice cubes. Pour unstrained into a tiki mug. Add your favorite garnish or mint sprig!



zombie cocktail drink recipe

Visit us to pick up all the ingredients you need! Just look for the large Tiki Bar display.

     

Tips for a Home Tiki Bar >                How to Make a Mai Tai >

 

 



Wine Pairings for Striped Bass Season in Rhode Island

food and wine pairing idea striped bass albarino

It’s striper season in Rhode Island! You might have read our previous posts featuring food and wine pairings as they come into season in little Rhody. This week, we’re all about this mouth-watering combination: Striped Bass paired with Albariño, a white wine from Spain.

In Season Now
June – September

Striped Bass is a classic Ocean State food, and the Rhode Island state fish! Now is the season for catching your striper in the Narragansett Bay. Not a fisherman, or just unlucky? Pick up a few filets from local  fishermen such as The Local Catch at your farmer’s market. The Local Catch also has a Community Supported Fishery (CSF) program, sign up today!

Mild and sweet, light and flaky, Striped Bass tastes great cooked right on the grill, or pan-seared (in filet form!). Just add your favorite fresh herbs, lemon, olive oil or butter, and season to taste for the perfect Rhody summertime dish.

Read Edible Rhody Magazine’s simple Grilled Striped Bass recipe or Striped Bass with Tomato Basil Relish and Sweet Corn Purée recipe.

Wine Pairing

Albariño is a native grape of the Ríaz Baixas (pronounced “ree-ass by-shuss”) region on the Galician Coast of Spain. White wines from this region are delicate, lively, and aromatic. Ríaz Baixas is also a region with an ancient, pre-Columbian history of fishing and seafood. If it grows together, it goes together, so enjoy this fantastic wine with striped bass this summer!

Recommended Wine: Santiago Ruiz

Photo: Santiago Ruiz
  • History of the label: Santiago Ruiz’s daughter, Isabel, was celebrating her wedding at the winery house, and drew a little map to help guests find their way. Santiago saw it, added his handwritten text, and chose it to be the label for his wine.
  • Upon retiring at the age of 70, Santiago Ruiz dedicated himself to his true vocation and followed in the winemaking tradition of his ancestors. His maternal grandfather was one of the first to produce and bottle wines in Galicia in 1898.
  • Read more about Santiago Ruiz at www.bodegasantiagoruiz.com
Visit our store to get this wine
 

Tiki is Back! Basic Bar & Drink Ideas for Summer Parties

vintage tiki drinks party idea

What’s old is new again…and tiki is back! There’s really no better way to enjoy summer outdoors and in the backyard than relaxing with a deliciously smooth tiki drink to sip. All you need are some funky tiki decorations like leis, mugs, and tiki torches, and of course, great tiki cocktails. Keep reading to learn how to create a basic home tiki bar that will last all summer long.

tiki cocktail ideas

A Basic Tiki Bar – Rum is essential! Since rums age very quickly in heat and humidity, even a 3 year old rum is comparable to a whiskey aged 6 years, resulting in a more mellow taste at an affordable price (pictured above are El Dorado rums).Beside a dark, gold, and white rum, you’ll also need some syrups. Below are 5 that make up many classic tiki recipes. Stock up on these for a solid start onto making your own delicious drinks at home!

*”Way back when, grenadine was made from freshly crushed pomegranate seeds…But over the years, this bold concoction has devolved into a cloying, artificial taste. Naturally, our version is the exception. Our Authentic Grenadine uses only pomegranate and pure cane sugar – no high fructose corn syrup – to produce the originally intended result: a pleasantly sweet pomegranate flavor as bold and potent as its distinctive red color.” – Stirrings 

Why All the Syrups? Well, in tiki drinks you are using several types of rum to create a cocktail with many dimensions of flavor. The syrups bind the sometimes disparate tastes in tiki drinks together, to create a smooth and sometimes deceptively strong cocktail. Yes, you will have to invest in a few new ingredients for your bar to recreate these vintage concoctions, yet the magic and fanfare you create by serving a Mai Tai in a festive tiki mug make a little bar stockage worth the while.

Basic Bartender Tools – Having a few basic bar tools will not only make you look like a pro, but help you construct great cocktails with ease. We first recommend investing in a cocktail shaker. Good cocktails are cold cocktails! Another great investment are ounce measuring cups, like these pictured in the photo below, to the right of the tiki statue.

vintage tiki party bar
Tiki statues add to the tropical party atmosphere!
Pineapple Corer
Easy, quick, and does all the hard work for you! Make an amazing edible punch bowl, create garnishes from the perfectly round pineapple slices, and add some extra fun to your Tiki party! What better way to celebrate the return of sunny, summer days than a glass of grog served in a pineapple?
pineapple corer edible punch bowl

Handheld Citrus Reamer

Nothing better in a cocktail than freshly squeezed juice! This handheld reamer gets every last drop out of your limes for a perfect Mai Tai. 

citrus reamer for tiki bar
 

Tiki Party Decor

Having a tiki party is pretty easy! Now that you have a basic bar, you’ll just need fun decorations to match the cocktails. Pick up variety of tiki mugs in which to serve your fabulous drinks, and choose colorful garnishes or straws. Leis can be party favors and an accessory for guests to wear.

making a tiki bar at home

Whether your tiki party is in the backyard, patio, or porch, luau themed decorations will set the celebratory atmosphere. Add grass luau skirts to the tables, get tiki torches for lighting, and sprinkle in fun accents like wooden tiki statues, hula girls, tropical flowers, and foliage.

summer tiki bar party

Classic Tiki Recipes

Have the recipe for a Mai Tai, Zombie, and Iuka Grogg on hand! We’ve made a free printable tiki drink recipe card to make home bar-tending a little easier. Click below to download the PDF file, and then print it on your home printer. For extra vintage flair, print it on ivory card-stock!

If you are having trouble opening the recipe card, make sure you have a PDF reader such as Adobe Reader, available here for free.

DOWNLOAD >
A free printable tiki recipe card! 

Tiki Cocktail Recipes

A World of Tiki Drinks

The Tiki + App

Though we’ve helped you out by picking classic tiki drinks to start out with, Jeff “Beachbum” Berry also has a extensive library of recipes. Download Jeff’s app, Tiki +, if you’re looking to expand your tiki drink repertoire. Take a simple backyard cocktail hour to the next level with over 150 recipes in the palm of your hand!

Visit Our Store
Pay us a visit at our Providence, Rhode Island store and stock up on your grenadine, orgeat, demerara rum, and tiki bar essentials. Once you have these basic building blocks for a quality tiki bar, the possibilities for different tiki drinks are deliciously endless. Just look for the large tiki display, we’ll have everything you need! Cheers!
    
(401) 372-2030
info@blog.bottlesfinewine.com

 

How to Make a Mai Tai Cocktail: An Easy Tiki Drink!

mai tai cocktail recipe

Tiki is back! Summer has arrived, and so has Mai Tai season! Along with featuring Tiki party ideas and bar basics in our Providence, Rhode Island store, we’ll be offering a series of easy Tiki drink recipes on this blog and on our YouTube channel. Watch Joanna’s video below to learn how to make a your own Mai Tai at home!

MAI TAI
by Trader Vic

INGREDIENTS
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz orange curaçao
1/4 oz orgeat syrup
1/4 simple syrup
1 oz dark rum
1 oz gold rum

DIRECTIONS
Shake well with plenty of ice. Pour unstrained into an awesome Tiki mug. Add your favorite garnish!

Visit us to pick up all the ingredients you need! Just look for the large Tiki Bar display.

mai tai tiki drink ingredients
mai tai recipe
   

Tiki Home Bar Essentials >       How to Make a Zombie Drink >