Linie Aquavit  -  $29.99
Aquavit is a traditional potato-based distilled liquor steeped with caraway seeds and other exotic spices. Linie is one of the best brands out there. They age their Aquavit in large, used Oloroso Sherry casks which travel around the world on the bottom of ships. Something about the heat and the gentle rocking motion of the open sea softens edges and perfectly integrates the heady spices with the rich nutty sherry tones. On top of being an integral ingredient in the Harvey Milk it is a delicious substitute for Vodka in a Bloody Mary or served slightly chilled as a digestif.

Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao –  $36.99
Tempus Fugit Spirits is the result of two famed cocktail historians who aimed to recreate forgotten cocktail ingredients from golden era of cocktails Pre-Prohibition. Creating the Crème de Cacao from a hand-scrawled 19^th century recipe was two-parts meticulous sourcing of ingredients and one-part tweaking the method to get the luscious texture just right, and the outcome is the most delicious example we’ve tasted. The base is intensely sweet pure cane sugar, with the added complexity of bitter cocoa notes and creamy vanilla bean. It’s delicious chilled on its own, or the perfect nightcap with your ice cream sundae!

Tempus Fugit Gran Classico  -  $36.99
Based on the original lost “Italian Bitter of Turin” recipe from the 1860s, Tempus Fugit Spirits painstakingly recreated the bitter liqueur based on 25 different herbs and roots including rhubarb, gentian, orange peel and hyssop – some say this was the original Campari. The result is a versatile mixer that is perfectly sippable on the rocks or substituted in any cocktail calling for Campari. Gran Classico is an important ingredient in any serious cocktail enthusiast’s collection!

Bodegas La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry  -  $12.99
Bodegas La Cigarrera has been around since 1758, making delicious, bright, briny fortified Sherry in the coastal idyll of Sanlucar de Barrameda. The wine is made from the local grape Palomino Fino grown in chalk-white soils called “albariza”. The resulting wine is lightly fortified and then aged under a natural veil of yeast called a “flor”. This allows the wine to mature while protecting it from the elements. Manzanilla describes this light-colored, light-bodied style of sherry; its brightness and refreshing splash is reminiscent of biting into a green apple. Manzanilla is best consumed 2-3 days after opening. Enjoy it with cured meats, aged cheese, marcona almonds, or seafood, especially crunchy fried smelt!

Upcoming Tastings at 18 Reasons:

18th Hour Cafe - Every Thursday, 6-10PM, Drop-In

18th Hour Cafe will host this month’s featured winemaker, Kenny Likitprakong of Hobo Wine Co., on Thursday, June 20th. Come by to meet Kenny and taste his wonderful wines!

Wine Appreciation: Palate Development School with Oliver McCrum – Mondays, June 17th and 24th, 6:30-9PM, Ticketed

Sour Beer Class with Master Cicerone Rich Higgins – Tuesday, June 25th, 7-9PM, Ticketed

Valdeon is a mixed milk blue cheese, made with cow and goat milk, and oh-so-Spanish!  It’s beautifully wrapped, and begging for either a savory tomato salad or a drizzle of something sweet like honey or fig jam. I admit, mixed milk cheeses pull on my heart strings, and the Tres Leches is a fantastic blend of goat, sheep, and cow milk that’s interesting and easy to enjoy before dinner.

For those who prefer a pure sheep milk cheese, check out Roncal, Spain’s first DOP cheese, and one I think of as Manchego’s more austere and reserved cousin.

Vare is an equally lovely first cheese made of goat’s milk and balanced between sweet and tangy notes. Gardunha is classic Portuguese – rather than traditional animal rennet, a thistle flower is used as a coagulant. This imparts a distinct vegetal quality to this goat cheese; a fun contrast to its unctuous texture.

And though cow’s milk cheeses make up a minority of Spanish cheeses, Mahon Reserva is a treat with a little bit of bite!

Fast-forward ten years, and Kenny uses only organically-grown fruit and native yeasts, and he assiduously sources vineyards far and wide in order to find the best fruit available. Chenin blanc from Mendocino? Gewurtztraminer from Monterey County? This stuff is no Napa Chard, but each wine has a sense of place. By letting the wine make itself, by intervening as little as possible into the wine “making” process, Kenny is able to offer a lineup of wines whose common thread is like a neighborhood of old Victorians – each with a different façade and paint, distinct and beautiful on their own.

2012 Banyan Gewurtztraminer  -  $11.99
Banyan is Kenny’s homage to his Southeast Asian heritage. When he discovered an old Gewurztraminer vineyard in Monterey County, he decided to produce a wine that would pair well with the foods he loved to eat, both in flavor and in price! This Gewurztraminer is a killer value and is full of exotic tropical fruit aromas including pineapple, lychee, and lemongrass. The palate is dry and crisp, with great white pepper and honeysuckle flavors. A surefire match with any spicy Asian dish!

2012 Folk Machine Jeanne d’Arc  -  $16.99
Folk Machine is Kenny’s line of Central Coast, cool climate wines. This savory, skin-fermented white might fall into the “curiosity” category if it weren’t for the fact that it is so darn delicious. It’s 100% Chenin Blanc that’s had 20 days of skin contact giving it an enticingly hazy orange hue. Notes of apples, pears, and cinnamon combine with a cider-like intensity of texture for a food-friendly experience. Try with a hunk of Camembert cheese and just let it wash over you.

2012 Folk Machine Pinot Noir  -  $19.99
Kenny’s Folk Machine Pinot Noir is made from grapes sourced mostly from vineyards in the Central Coast with a splast of Mendocino fruit. The focus here is cool climate, early-picked Pinot. Juicy red fruits, bright acid, and a beautiful light translucence. Serve this lightly chilled with a summer lunch of little gem lettuce salad and Taleggio grilled cheese with caramelized onions.

2010 Ghostwriter Santa Cruz Pinot Noir – $24.99
It’s no wonder that this wine made the list in Jon Bonne’s Top 100 in last year’s SF Chronicle lineup. Ghostwriter Wines are Kenny’s wines from the cool-climate Santa Cruz Mountains. His Pinot Noir has a density of fruit that will please lovers of CA Pinot, but enough earth and forest floor herbal aromas to woo those Burgundy-philes too. It has a light, bright finish, and is a steal for delicious CA Pinot Noir. Get it while it’s still around!

Upcoming Tastings at 18 Reasons:

18th Hour Cafe will host this month’s featured winemaker, Kenny Likitprakong on Thursday June 20^th from 6-10pm. Come by to meet Kenny and taste his wonderful wines.

18th Hour Cafe - Every Thursday, 6-10PM, Drop-In

Producer Dinner: Forlorn Hope Winery – Friday, June 7th, 7-10PM, Ticketed

Wine Appreciation: Palate Development School with Oliver McCrum – Mondays, June 17th and 24th, 6:30-9PM, Ticketed

Sour Beer Class with Master Cicerone Rich Higgins – Tuesday, June 25th, 7-9PM, Ticketed

“In the West, whiskey’s for drinkin’ and water’s for fightin’ over.”
-Mark Twain

The Gallery at 18 Reasons is proud to present DELTA, a solo exhibition by Adrian Mendoza, running through July 30, 2013 and curated by Nicole Markoff and Casey Carroll.

Opening Reception:
Thursday, June 6
6-9pm
Gallery at 18 Reasons
3764 18th Street (between Guerrero and Dolores)
San Francisco
map

Adrian Mendoza’s photographs of the California Delta reflect his practice of aerial photography and passion for water issues by drawing attention to and crediting the actual location of our culinary abundance. In his words, DELTA is “an accurate and comprehensive time capsule of the California Delta, a region impacted by climate change and water privatization interests.” The other-worldliness of these images and their aerial perspective cultivate a deeper understanding of the delicate ecological system that is the main and vital resource of California agriculture.

For this opening, we are collaborating with 18th Hour Café, whose offerings will feature a special menu ($3-20) inspired by DELTA

This exhibition has been made possible in generous partnership with Food and Water Watch.

New at 18th Street and Divisadero are a range of locally-grown flowers in a palette of brilliant pink, red, gold, and purple.

Dahlias are beginning to reach their ideal size and color for the season. Just in today are dahlias from Lupe Farms in Daly City, a local grower we love.  Lupe Rico has just a couple acres of land, and uses it to grow dahlias ($9.99/bunch), hydrangea ($14.99 for a big beautiful bunch), strawflower ($7.99/bunch), and many other blooms. Dahlias will continue to come in over the next couple of weeks, so expect lots of different colors and varieties soon.

Peonies ($3.99/stem) are still blooming strong, including my favorite, the coral charm variety.

Another cool find at the flower market this morning: flowering artichokes! These large blooms are a brilliant neon violet and make a real impact as a single stem or in a bouquet . ($4.99/stem).

Stop by for a bunch!

King Salmon season is at its peak of bounty and flavor! This Saturday, Sunday, and Monday ONLY, we are offering fillets of fresh-caught wild King Salmon at just $19.99 per pound–the lowest price of the season for this local fish. Just caught in Half Moon Bay and San Francisco’s Pier 45 and brought to us by our longtime friends at All Seas, this fish is great for grilling, broiling, and even poaching for brunch. King Salmon lovers will also enjoy this quick video of Bi-Rite head butcher Chili demonstrating his filleting technique. And try your salmon with his easy recipe for miso glaze.

The ideal California wine to pair with this gorgeous California fish is 2009 Handley Pinot Noir, also $19.99. Lovingly crafted by winemaker Milla Handley in small lots in beautiful Anderson Valley, CA, this wine packs flavors of red berries and spice.

Perfect seasonal fruits to accompany your King Salmon and Pinot Noir pairing are apricots and blackberries. Try the extra-tangy, CCOF-certified Robada apricots from Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood, CA, and Free Spirit Farm’s organic blackberries; these large, plump berries are exploding with juice and lightly-tart flavor.

This exceptional value on King Salmon is only available Saturday, June 1 through Monday, June 3, so be sure to stop by in the next three days! We look forward to seeing you.

 Raw-milk guzzlers celebrated a Wisconsin farmer’s acquittal on three of four counts related to selling unpasteurized milk and cheese, bolstering hopes for legalization beyond the current legislation which for many states allows consumption on the farm, but not sale: (Wall Street Journal)

 I take the ever-changing buzz on foods-to-avoid with a grain of salt, but there seems to be some pretty graphic evidence against soda: (Fast Company)

 Although Wal-Mart has built its success on mastering logistics and supply chain, it’s had trouble keeping stores stocked amidst cutbacks on workers per store; a new program involving shelf audits shines a light on the importance of inventory in retail: (Bloomberg)

I love musing on caffeine’s habit-forming, personal nature–and what caffeine rituals say about our attitudes toward money and routine: (New York Times)

 In the spirit of Friday night, join me on the Amaro train! Here a skeptic starts by describing the stuff as ” bittersweet couplings of cough syrup and weed juice” but comes around to the magic they bring to a cocktail: (New York Times)

We’re not shy about having a soft spot for the Savoie here at Bi-Rite. This small region of Eastern France tucked into the Alps has a long history and a great food and wine tradition. In particular, the village of Ayse has faced major challenges: The once thriving wine industry in the region was nearly wiped out by a combination of disease and two World Wars. 375 hectares planted in Ayse in the 1760s were reduced to just 19 remaining hectares in 1962.

2009 Belluard Mont Blanc Zero  -  $34.99

Named for the iconic highest elevation in the Alps, Mont Blanc, this bottling is from a single low-yielding vineyard parcel. It’s a vintage bottling, unlike the Ayse, and is aged for 4 years on the lees before being disgorged. The term ‘Brut Zero’ refers to the fact that this sparkling receives no dosage (the mix of extra wine after disgorgement that is sometimes used to add some sugar back into the wine). The result is an absolutely bone-dry bubbly with fascinating balance of lush yellow plum, ginger, and tropical flavors alongside austere minerality and a crisp finish.

Only 3 cases available (at 18th location).

2011 Belluard Le Feu  -  $44.99

This is the newest vintage of the Belluard’s bottling, Le Feu. The name translates to ‘The Fire’ and refers to the iron rich clay soils of this vineyard which dye the earth a fiery red color. This vineyard is also the Belluard’s best site with a steep south-facing slope and their oldest vines. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged in concrete eggs. The nose has aromas of singed herbs, lemon, white flowers, and almonds. The texture is mouth-coating with layered flavors of white peach, dried herb, and a lingering stone-like minerality.

 

Upcoming Tastings and Events at 18 Reasons:

 

• 18th Hour Cafe - Every Thursday, 6-10PM, Drop-In
• Producer Dinner: Forlorn Hope Winery - Friday, June 7th, 7-10PM, Ticketed
• Wine Appreciation: Palate Development School with Oliver McCrum - Mondays, June 17th and 24th, 6:30-9PM, Ticketed
• Sour Beer Class with Master Cicerone Rich Higgins - Tuesday, June 25th, 7-9PM, Ticketed

On the Grill

We have gorgeous, fresh (just caught yesterday!) wild local King Salmon from Half Moon Bay–grab these fillets while you can. Chili recommends preparing this exquisite fish with tangy and sweet glaze for your broiler or grill.

Just in time for grilling season, we’re offering beef from Five Dot Ranch and SunFed Ranch in ribeye, porterhouse, New York strip, and rib chop cuts. Just ask our butchers which cut is best for your get-together. These meats are great with SFQ San Francisco-style Barbecue Sauce. And don’t forget to pick up Acme burger and hot dog buns, and all your condiments!

On the Side

For sides, try some organic CA-grown bi-color corn – just arrived today! These ears are sweet and crunchy and the first of season. We also have peaches – perfect for grilling. Our produce team recommends yellow peaches; they’re firm and not overly-sweet. Yellow peaches stand up well to cooking and grilling, which brings out their natural sugars. We have two varieties from Balakian Farm: Super Rich and Spring Lady. Pair them with some tangy, creamy Point Reyes mozzarella cheese, hand-pulled by our friends at Farmstead Cheese Company. Short on time? In our cold case, you’ll also find our house-made Cabbage Slaw, Classic American Potato Salad, and a wide selection of ready-to-serve salads and fixings.

To Drink

A perfect libation to enjoy this holiday weekend is our May Cocktail of the Month – the Copa di Sangue. This summer-y creation comes to us from bartender, Jackie Patterson. Jackie has been on the SF bar scene for some time, having crafted cocktails at Orson, Heaven’s Dog, and Smugglers Cove. She’s won numerous awards for her inspired drinks and is now the National Ambassador for Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. Her Copa di Sangue is a variation on a Pimm’s Cup with fresh strawberries and Meyer lemon. Come see us at either Market to grab everything you’ll need to mix up Jackie’s refreshing cocktail for Memorial Day Weekend!

Something Sweet

For a delicious dessert on a beautiful day, nothing beats strawberry shortcake. Fresh from the Creamery, our buttery shortcakes are just the ticket. Pair them with farm-direct strawberries and a scoop of seasonal strawberry balsamic ice cream for an unforgettable treat. Also new this weekend? Cheesecake with rhubarb swirl – dense, creamy and decadent.

You’ll find everything you need at our 18th St. Market and our Divisadero Market – have a yummy holiday weekend!

 Michael Pollan reconsidered the human body as “an elaborate vessel optimized for the growth and spread of our microbial inhabitants” and wonders whether the time has come to embark on collective “restoration ecology” in the human gut: (New York Times)

 As industrial agriculture and animal feedlots have spread around the globe, dead zones have spread exponentially along with them; can we save our coastal waters before they choke to death? (Food & Environment Reporting Network)

Speaking of dead zones, turns out the acidic whey created as a byproduct of yogurt can’t be dumped, as its decomposition robs oxygen from streams and rivers and can destroy aquatic life (unfortunately Greek and other strained yogurts increasingly in demand create the most whey): (The Atlantic)

A study released Wednesday documented for the first time how fish and other sea life have been moving toward Earth’s poles in search of cooler waters for decades, with broad repercussions for fish harvests worldwide: (Washington Post)

And if you’re wondering whether you’ve been in the Bay Area gastro-bubble long enough to lose perspective, scan through this reality check for food snobs and see how you measure up! (Grub Street)