Vermouth: Imbibe Imbue

I’ll admit to not paying much attention to vermouth. All I knew is that I like a little dry in my martini and a little sweet in my Manhattan. But after recently trying imbue vermouth, I think I may have found my new favorite drink.

A wonderfully fresh and fragrant blend of Pinot Gris, brandy, and an assortment of botanicals, imbue does (as promised) have a wonderfully balanced bittersweet quality. Even better, it’s made right here in the Pacific Northwest; both the wine and the brandy are from Oregon. I though it was great just chilled and poured into a glass, but I’m envisioning a summer of imbue with rocks, a splash of soda, and a twist of orange. I’ll have to break this news to white, sparkling, and even rosé (gasp!) wine gently; they won’t take too kindly having to step aside for the new kid on the block.

I highly recommend picking up a bottle and creating your own cocktails with this delicious vermouth. What drinks would you make with a bottle of imbue?

Cochon 555 Seattle: Wine and Pork Galore

What can I say about Cochon 555 in Seattle? A lot. But I’ll let the photos do most of the talking. Not only was there Buty and bacon, but also delicious wines from K Vintners, Domaine Serene, and Syncline:

Charles Smith of K Vintners was on hand to pour the Phil Lane Syrah:

The hacksaw came out for a butchering demo courtesy of Tracy Smaciarz from Heritage Meats:

The menu of Spinasse and Chef Jason Stratton plating:

Here’s the skin and ear salad with cherry bomb chiles:

The trio of offerings from Lark:

And here’s what they looked like. Are you hungry yet?

There was palate-cleansing beer courtesy of Charles Finkel from Pike Brewing. (Where do I get one of those beer-dispensing backpacks?)

Cafe Juanita had a menu both instructive and delicious:

Of course there was dessert:

How did Ethan Stowell color his ravioli dough? The secret was pig blood.

Joule had wonderful sauces to accompany their roasted pork. I had the one on the left with serrano chiles and fish sauce. (At least that’s what I thought it was. Regardless, it was fantastic.)

Thanks for being awesome, Cochon 555. See you next year?

Full disclosure: Cochon 555 provided me with a ticket to this event.