what’s for sipper?

What’s for Sipper, Stevie & Josiah?

by whitney on March 20, 2013

I’ve got a San Francisco wine couple treat for you on this edition of What’s for Sipper. Stevie Stacionis is a wine writer and the Director of Communications for Corkbuzz. Her husband, Josiah Baldivino, is head sommelier at Michael Mina in San Francisco. Together, they are the parents of a new online wine show called A Drink with Friends. Watch it! They are funny and smart and have great taste in wine. Did I mention they are funny?

Hometown:

Stevie: “Hometown” is a funny notion. I moved all over growing up, but my “formative” years (middle and high school) were in a suburb of Minneapolis. Today, home is absolutely San Francisco. I will never leave.

Josiah: I started in Jacksonville, Fl, catching water moccasins. Then I moved to a mountain community in southern California, catching lizards. Now I’m very much at home in San Francisco, catching crabs. Not that kind of crabs!
Favorite Spring beverage:
Stevie: Loire Sauvignon Blanc! It screams of spring herbs, vegetables and clean days after a fresh rain.
Josiah: Soda water with lime.
Favorite cocktail or spirit:
Josiah: Manhattan.
Stevie: Tequila!
 Favorite place to grab a drink:
We love stopping in for a quick cocktail or bottle of white Burgundy at Zuni. It’s one of the most iconic San Francisco “scenes,” and you feel all chic, like you’re a part of this great city and its incredible food/beverage community. You can order a heaping plate of their matchstick fries or a bunch of oysters, have your drink, watch the city roll by, and then head back out on another adventure.
Favorite toast:
Toast? Like “way to clink glasses with friends”? Or toasted bread? Not big toasted bread fans here. We usually “clink glasses” by looking in each other’s eyes and making a comment about something we’re grateful for. Usually our health, our family, our incredible friends and community. Looking in the other person’s eyes is very important!!
 Favorite post-dinner drink:
Josiah: Ramazzotti Amaro
Stevie: Madddeeeirrrrraaaa
Favorite food and beverage pairing:
French fries, prosciutto and fines herbes aioli with rosé Champagne. For supreme enjoyment, this must be consumed at the bar at Bar Boulud.
If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink, where would you go?
New Zealand. Or Japan.
What’s for sipper?
Robitussin and hot toddies. We’re sick, damnit. But there’s a bottle of Croatian Zlahtina on standby as we’re pretty floored by the quality coming out of Eastern Europe right now.

{ 0 comments }

What’s for Sipper, Dustin Lancaster?

by whitney on February 5, 2013

Dustin Lancaster is the man behind many of Los Angeles’ most popular places to gather for a fine beverage and a bite to eat. In the past few years he has built a mini empire- Bar Covell, L&E Oyster Bar, and The Hermosillo Club. Someone needs to stop being such an overachiever and making me feel like a loser. Mkay?

Hometown:  Deer Creek, Oklahoma

Favorite Fall beverage: Red Wine! All of it.  Every country and region.  Cold weather is red wine weather.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: An Eastsider.

Favorite place to grab a drink: Is it too shameless to plug the new wine bar we opened upstairs above L&E! Too late, just did!

Favorite toast: “To Health.” Can’t ever have too much of that!

Favorite post-dinner drink: I really don’t do after dinner drinks.  Mostly stick with whatever wine I’ve been drinking.  Perhaps a Madeira if the mood strikes or someone orders dessert.

Favorite food & beverage pairing: Sancerre and Oysters.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go? Australia.  Never been but hearing marvelous things about the food and wine culture there.  They are doing some really progressive things on both fronts.  Sounds delicious!

What’s for sipper? Most likely a Pinot from Russian River or Willamette.  That’s what I’m feeling at this exact moment.

Photo by Lauren Wang 

{ 4 comments }

What’s for Sipper, Alie & Georgia?

by whitney on September 19, 2012

Hey dudes! It’s time for an introduction, as is typical with this here blog series. Meet Alie Ward and Georgia Hardstock, also known simply as Alie & Georgia. They are two super hilarious ladies starring on their very own Cooking Channel series called Classy Ladies as well as hosting the uber cozy pajama-wearing podcast Slumber Party. They make crazy cocktails and look pretty dang good while doing it.

 

Current location: Los Angeles
Hometown:  

Alie: San Francisco, CA. Please nobody call it Frisco? Okay?

Georgia: Born in Los Angeles, raised begrudgingly in Orange County.

Favorite Fall beverage:

Alie: I was just making a cup of hot green tea and realized that I really missed it all summer. In colder months, my blood is actually 40% green tea.

Georgia: I love a Hot Toddy, which is really just a sick person’s excuse to drink whiskey.

Favorite cocktail or spirit:

Alie: I had a drink at The Office, which is tucked below Aviary in Chicago, and it involved wheated bourbon, tobacco, allspice, pomegranate, maple, and Meyer lemon. It was the most complex and leathery, woodsy beverage I’ve ever had and it’s absence in my life will haunt me forever. I want to go back to Chicago just got this drink. But I’m always open to Negronis in hot weather, and a good sippin’ Sazerac in colder weather.

Georgia: We took a trip to London recently thanks to Plymouth and Beefeater gins, and learned all about the junipery spirit, which was something I had never really enjoyed. That trip changed my mind, and not just because they treated us like freaking royalty. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with gin and tonics. Beefeater 24, Fever Tree tonic, and a slice of lime. Perfection. I enjoy simple, classic cocktails that are mixed well and use quality ingredients (said the girl who created a kettle corn cocktail).

Favorite place to grab a drink:

Alie: Did I mention I’m obsessed with The Office in Chicago? But I also love Eveleigh, which is located on the cultural skidmark that is the Sunset Strip, or Library Bar in the bottom of the Roosevelt.

Georgia: Big Bar in Los Feliz is a great place to grab a well made cocktail and relax in a lovely setting. What I want in a bar changes from day to day, though, so sometimes a dark Mexican restaurant and a strong Margarita (rocks, salt) is all that will do, and I’ve never met a dive bar I didn’t like.

Favorite toast:

Alie: Drunk Oktoberfest chicken Dance. Easy.

Georgia: I can’t take a sip of a drink without clinking glasses, I just love the tradition. Eye contact and a hearty “cheers” or “to life” are also necessary. That said, people who get fancy and say “cin cin” or something pretentious like that drive me crazy.

Favorite post-dinner drink:

Alie: I had Averna and Suze mixed together recently and it was sweet and herby and bitter and wonderful. Pour any amaro in a glass and let me sip it like an old dude and I’m stoked.

Georgia: Anything with bitters works for me. An Old Fashioned is a pretty perfect ending to a nice dinner…or a bad one, too, I guess.

Favorite food & beverage pairing:
Alie: My favorite meals in LA have been by Miles Thompson at the pop-up Vagrancy Project. His pairings are always insanely awesome, but my dream meal involves a perfect delicate seafood dish of his plus a vino verhde. Straight up drooling thinking about it.Georgia: How crass would I sound if I said beer and wings. Very? Ok, then how about an assertive glass of red wine and a huge bowl of squid ink pasta.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go?

Alie: I’ve never been to Spain but hot damn I’d love to be eating and drinking there.

Georgia: I’ve sat here for five minutes trying to narrow it down to just one place. Japan was my first thought, so lets go with that. I love their whiskey and of course their food, and I’m currently obsessed with Yuri Kato’s Japanese Cocktails book.

What’s for sipper?

Georgia: Beer, to be honest. Tonight is the first Giants game of the season and my fiance would leave me if I didn’t participate in the celebrations. At least there’s beer and lots of snacks. Later in the night I’ll be at The Spare Room in the Roosevelt Hotel, so I can sip one of their punches and pretend I’m classy and didn’t eat tons of chips and dip earlier in the evening.

Photos courtesy of Cooking Channel and Megan McIsaac for Storyboard

{ 1 comment }

What’s for Sipper, Maggie Hoffman?

by whitney on August 30, 2012

Introducing a lady that knows her beverages, give a big hello to Maggie Hoffman- the founder and editor of Serious Eats: Drinks. She recently left NYC and headed west to a lovely little city called San Francisco, where she has already hit the ground running eating drinking. The answers she gave to my little questionnaire have made me realize that we are either the exact same person or meant to be friends forever. Without further ado!

Hometown: Portland, Oregon. Current location: San Francisco, CA

Favorite Summer beverage: In the morning: double espresso on ice. Afternoon: a super-fresh IPA while sitting in a beer garden or backyard. Evening: Riesling! My recent what-I-drank-on-my-summer-vacation report is here.

Favorite cocktail or spirit: I tend toward sours, anything with tart, fresh citrus.

Favorite place to grab a drink:  I’m missing the balcony I had in New York, and I’m missing Ward III in Tribeca, but I’m sure I’ll find new favorites in my new home city.

Favorite toast: Hm. Not sure it matters what you say. But it does matter who you’re with.

Favorite post-dinner drink: Amari. It’s fun to explore a range of them.

Favorite food & beverage pairing: I’m into dark beer and chocolate, and I’m really into sherry and fried olives.

If you could travel to one region of the world right now for its food and/or drink where would you go?  I’m lucky enough to get to travel quite a bit for work, and I’m headed to Germany soon. I’m so eager to put a picture to the vineyards I’ve read about and tasted through.

What’s for sipper?  Last night I went over to make dinner with Stevie Stacionis of Corkbuzz. She always has fun wine to try. We made grilled corn with homemade basil mayo, and drank Zanotto Prosecco Col Fondo, a delicious bottle fermented, lees aged, unfiltered wine that was just the ideal summer-evening sip.

{ 1 comment }

What’s for Sipper, Christy Frank?

07.19.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Christy Frank?

It’s been too long since we last got nosy and asked wine peeps about what they put in their glass and all sorts of other prying questions! So, let’s get to it. Christy Frank owns a little gem of a wine shop called Frankly Wines in Tribeca, NYC. The last time I was in the [...]

Read the full article →

What’s for Sipper, Charles Neal?

06.07.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Charles Neal?

Pull up a chair. Sit down a while for about 2 minutes and get to know Charles Neal! Charles is one cool dude. He is also an importer of some pretty cool French wine, including that fine Bugey Gamay I wrote about the other day. And this one too! Monsieur Neal is also an author [...]

Read the full article →

What’s for Sipper, Pascaline?

03.14.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Pascaline?

Everyone say salut to the lovely and talented Miss Pascaline Lepeltier, beverage director of Rouge Tomate in New York. In 2008, Pascaline placed second runner-up as Best Sommelier in ALL of France, the highest ranking by a woman in that competition EVER. That’s pretty baller right there.  She also loves to surf and plays the [...]

Read the full article →

What’s for Sipper, Zane Lamprey?

02.12.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Zane Lamprey?

You guys. It’s ZANE LAMPREY!!! That’s me screaming and freaking out that I got Zane Lamprey to answer my stupid questions. I’ve been a fan of Zane’s ever since a friend told me about his TV show, Three Sheets, 4 years ago. It’s one travel adventure drunkfest of a good time and you actually LEARN [...]

Read the full article →

What’s for Sipper, Dylan Bean?

01.31.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Dylan Bean?

Introducing the man with a name fit for a movie title. The Curious Case of Dylan Bean. The Legend of Dylan Bean. Dylan Bean & The Chocolate Factory. The Dylan Bean with A Dragon Tattoo. All right. I’m finished. So. Dylan is a recent NYC transplant and works with me at good ole Domaine LA. [...]

Read the full article →

What’s for Sipper, Talia Baiocchi?

01.10.2012
Thumbnail image for What’s for Sipper, Talia Baiocchi?

While we’re talking stylish wine ladies, here’s another! Talia Baiocchi is one of my favorite wine writers out there right now. She’s young, she’s funny, she’s way smarter than me, has great taste and a super fresh perspective on all this wine stuff. She is currently the wine columnist at Eater.com and contributes to a [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries