LUSH Interview: 10 Questions with Joncarl Lachman

September 3rd, 2010

Ten Questions With…

Joncarl Lachman

Chef/Owner, Home Bistro and Vincent

One of our favorite people in the world, Joncarl Lachman is currently the Chef/Owner of Home Bistro (HB), a unassuming but altogether spectacular BYOB in Boystown. Opening Vincent in Andersonville next week, Joncarl is making his mark on Chicago; there is great anticipation of this American/Dutch inspired spot. We at LUSH cannot wait, and we wish the bubbly and Burgundy-loving Joncarl the best of luck with his new endeavor!

1) What is the best thing you’ve drank in the last week? What about in the last year?

Best thing I drank, this week.—being the chef of a BYOB with lots of very friendly regulars (Jane [manager at LUSH, ed.] included), who are aware of my Champagne addiction, I am very well treated!!!…This week alone I got tastes of a ‘95 Dom Perignon rose (from a group of lovely ladies from the green city market) and a demi of a delicious KRUG!
This year—another regular brought in a bottle of “OUDE TWAALF JENEVER”…a fantastic aged Jenever from Holland…don’t get me started in this!!!! YUM!!!

2) What do you think is the most underrated grape varietal or region? Overrated?

Overrated region…Bordeaux
Underrated…Langedoc

3) Who are your favorite food and wine writers?

JodyRobbins as been a great friend to HB…
I am also a big fan of Anthony Bourdain’s approach to food.

4) What are your three favorite food cities?

AMSTERDAM…great street food…frites, herring, febo…plus the best Indonesian cuisine.
PHILADELPHIA…again, great street food…pretzels, water ice…and the best BYOB city in the country.
SINGAPORE…again with the street food….I had a fish ball soup that changed my life!!!

5) Top three restaurants you revisit all the time in Chicago?

Svea, for breakfast.
Taste of Peru….delcious byob in Rogers Park.
Avec…when I have some $ in my pocket…I always spend so much money there.

6) What is your most memorable dining or drinking experience?

Eating paella seaside, in Majorca with a group of good friends.

7) Between wine, beer, and spirits - when do you reach for each? If you HAD to do without one, which would it be?

Hands down I love my grape…wine, especially sparkling, is what I reach for….
If I had to go without one…I would probably chose beer….because going through life without tequila seems highly unfortunate.

8) What is the best thing about your job?

The wonderful support that we get from our regular guests at HB.

9) If you had to describe yourself as a certain wine, what would it be? (i.e. Australian Shiraz - spicy, bold, and seductive. German Riesling - sometimes sweet (but hard to predict if it will be), elegant, and requiring of patience.)

I am sparkling!

10) You’re on death row (sorry). What’s your final meal?

A  huge bowl of steaming cherrystone clams, with lots of crusty bread.

Things I heart, take 7

August 19th, 2010

by Ms. Kelly

Things I heart, take 7: 2007 Vinedos de Ithaca ‘Odysseus’ Pedro Ximinez

Sigh, this wine is so good.  It’s so good that I’m tempted to take a bottle home with me and skip my plans for the gym!  Hailing from the Gratallops in the Priorat region of Spain, this is one winery not to be overlooked.  I am not alone in my love for this winery as it seems to be a constant favorite among the lushes.  The young rockstar winemaker, Silivia Puig, is creating some fascinating wines that are truly unique - I mean, how many other dry Pedro Ximinez do you find around?  This wine is just beautiful with a little hint of petrol on the nose, lots of minerals with some nice floral notes and citrus fruit while being soft and pretty on the palate.  It is really well balanced with a little hint of oxidation coming through.  BEWARE though, this wine is so delicious that when followed with a…hmm, lesser quality wine I suppose I would say…it really shows how extremely well balanced and beautiful the PX is and makes it a little sad to drink anything but that!  As normal, my recommendation would be to stop by and pick up a bottle of this as soon as humanly possible, you never know when I’m going to win the lottery and buy all that’s left!!

Cheers, KC

The Rosé of the Summer

August 2nd, 2010

This has been the summer of the rosé. More than in previous summers, all I want to do is drink pink wine. Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe it’s all the veggies I’ve been eating, or maybe it’s the influx of high quality rosé in the market…whatever the cause, rosé has been my go-to beverage this summer. I am not too discriminating when it comes to rosé; I like them all. Pale pink blends from Provence, robust salmon-colored rosés from the States (Washington State and Virginia at the top of the list!), bubble-gum hued Spanish rosés, lightly effervescent Txakolina rosés, and even some elegant pink Champagne when I’m feeling indulgent.

But there was one rosé that stood above them all. Yes, I will say it, this is my Rosé of the Summer: the 2009 Sperino Rosa del Rosa. A blend of 85% Nebbiolo, 10% Vespolina, 5% Creotina from the Piedmont region of Italy, this wine is wildy aromatic: raspberry, red cherry, and pomegranate fruit on the nose, with a burst of ripe fruit on the front palate, softening up to a leesy bitterness at the back. I can’t get enough of it.

What’s your rosé of the summer?

hum, ineeka, and a spirited dinner…tonight!

July 27th, 2010

TONIGHT, July 27th, 2010.

Kith and Kin will be hosting a 6-course dinner together with The Hum Spirits Company, Rare Tea Cellars and Ineeka Organic Green Tea.

http://thechicagofoodie.com/2010/07/

Tea, botanical spirits and regional American cuisine come together in food and cocktails at Kith & Kin, where the restaurant’s poised to serve a spirited dinner on July 27. Executive Chef David Carrier is teaming up with Adam Seger of HUM Spirits, Rodrick Markus of Rare Tea Cellar, and Shashank Goel of Ineeka Organic Tea to create six courses of HUM- and tea-infused food with cocktails.
The evening will begin with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7:15 p.m. First course is a “Southern Buffet” of pimiento cheese crock, egg salad, biscuits with smoked mullet and wasabi-smoked oysters served with HUM sweet tea, ice cold barley pop beer and Ineeka Organic Green Tea bier.

Second course is a summer soup of chilled jasmine-infused sweet peas poured around lamb carpaccio, mint and toasted Parmesan. Southern Belle is the accompanying beverage made from jasmine tea, HUM botanical spirit and Champagne.

Rod & Reel is the third course, consisting of tea-poached halibut, Pharoah’s Lemon tea hollandaise and tea-blanched asparagus. The plate is paired with Organic Fizz, a blend of Ineeka Green Tea bier, HUM, egg white and Rare Tea Cellar’s Pharoah’s Lemon tea.

Fourth course is Barbecue Kith & Kin Style. The jerk spice-inspired dish features spit-roasted wild boar sausage and stuffed goat with yucca puree, paired with Not Yo Mama’s Colada, made from HUM, pineapple, lime, raw coconut nectar, bitter lemon, ginger, thyme and Comet’s Tail cracked pepper.

The cheese course is dubbed Damn Good Cheese, featuring Asher blue cheese, HUM-infused chutney and grilled bread. The accompanying Fancy Adult Tea is a HUM-spiked Rare Tea Cellar Vintage 2008 Blood Orange Pu-ehr.

An adult Brown Cow float is for dessert, made with housemade tea ice cream, HUM and Ineeka Green Tea bier.

Cost is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (773) 472-7070.

School of LUSH: Summer courses

July 23rd, 2010

RSVP to kelly@lushwineandspirits.com

SCHOOL OF LUSH:
Class is in session. Get schooled, LUSH style. Our classes are firing up, so check out our course offerings below for a good schoolin’. Plaid skirts are NOT required, but an open mind and palate is. Stay after class for extra tutoring and chat with the geeky squad of Lush lecturers. Come on in to see how Lush does school, a no-nonsense, down to earth wine course that is perfect for those who enjoy drinking wine, eating delicious food, and talking about it. We will taste through a carefully chosen selection of hand-crafted wines designed to demonstrate the simplicity of understanding vino while breaking it down Lush style. Come to our class and find out what wine is all about! Please email or call Kelly (kelly@lushwineandspirits.com, 312.666.6900) to ask questions or reserve your seat in class by credit card. All classes are 6:30-8pm, unless otherwise noted. All classes will be taught at our WEST TOWN location (1412 W. Chicago), unless otherwise noted. *Read the fine type or suffer the consequences! The class in non-refundable, so go all in or not at all. CLASS costs $35. MINIMUM of 10 students.

THE WIDE WORLD OF SAKE — rescheduled, stay tuned!
We are excited to welcome guest lecturer Mason Horowitz to LUSH to talk about all things sake! Mason works for Joto Sake, one of the premier sake importers to the United States. Joto is Japanese for ‘highest level’ and it quite aptly describes Joto’s producers as well as their aspirations as their importer. Joto’s breweries could also be described as jizake, or ‘local.’ They are located in different regions of Japan, produce their sake in small batches and primarily use locally raised rice. They have unique stories and contrasting flavors and styles. Joto makes a point to not only select the finest breweries, but also put an emphasis on educating the public on the oft-misunderstood sake. Join us as Mason takes us through the ins and outs of this delicious rice beverage and snag a bottle or two for your next BYO sushi excursion.

AUSTRALIAN WINE 101 — Sunday, August 1st

There is more to Australian wine than meets the eye. Between the mass-produced world of Yellow Tail and the cult-status stylings of Penfolds and Ben Glaetzer lies a whole world of terroir-specific, hand-crafted, artisinal wines that you don’t hear much about. Shiraz is the big name grape, but Australia also puts out some of the finest New World riesling, cabernet, chardonnay, grenache, and semillon. Australia is also a treasure-trove of experimentation: you’ll find such grapes as zinfandel, albarino, verdelho, pinot gris, and gamay being planted. There is much to know in terms of regions too: Barossa Valley might be the most famous, but the regions of Australia offer a case study in different climates and landscapes. From Hunter Valley to Margaret River, Adelaide to McClaren Vale, there are distinct regional differences around the country. The wines of Australia have gotten a reputation as being flashy and chock full of alcohol and fruit, but they can also display finesse, elegance, and a distinct expression of place and variety.

AMERICAN WHISKEY — Sunday, August 22nd
Scotch has certainly earned its spot at the top of the whisk(e)y hierarchy, with centuries of distillation and tradition, but American whiskey is nipping at its heels. Right now, if you haven’t noticed, there is a bit of an aged American whiskey shortage. No one knew ten — or even five — years ago that these spirits would be so popular! Bourbon and Rye are taking center stage in the American cocktail Renaissance, along with being many connoisseurs’ sippers of choice. We are also seeing incredible innovation — ’single malts’ from Oregon and Colorado, wheat whiskey from Kentucky, and small batch ‘four grain’ bourbon from upstate New York, among others. It is an exciting time to be making and drinking American Whiskey, and there is much to know. We’ll go through the history of our homegrown spirits, how they’re made, and how best to drink them (this will be the most fun part!). Jump on the bandwagon, and discover what all the fuss is about.

VINOS DE JEREZ — Thursday, August 26th
The ultimate wine geek wine, Sherry — aka ‘Vinos de Jerez’ — is one of the most (if not THE most) misunderstood beverages on the planet. When I say Sherry, you think of something that Grandma drank or Mom added to her cooking. But there’s another side to these wines that the Spanish cognoscenti has been trying to tell us about for years. In the multitude of sherry types and styles lays a plethora of mind-blowing, meal-matching, and palate-pleasing wines. Slightly fortified, with varying degrees of oxidation caused by the mysterious and elusive yeast film called flor, vinos de Jerez are perhaps the most unique and site-specific wines made. Trust us on this one. This class will open you up to a whole world of wines you never knew existed.


*CUSTOMIZE your own class. Bring some friends…pick a date and a course topic. Email kelly@lushwineandspirits.com to find out more details.

LUSH & Mollydooker blending seminar and pig roast

July 23rd, 2010

RSVP to kelly@lushwineandspirits.com

LUSH University Village
hosts MOLLYDOOKER Winery
‘Blend a Hand’ Seminar


MOLLYDOOKER (Aussie for left hander),  is a cheeky, fabulous winery in McClaren Vale, Australia, under the brilliant hands of Sarah and Sparky Marquis.  This dynamic duo is a remarkable husband/wife team that loves what they do and have fun doing it, and make wines that definitely exhibit that passion.  Wines are crafted with the ‘wow’ factor in mind, and each bottle is totally intent on shaking things up a bit.  Sparky created a specialized watering program and an entire new measuring system to better translate the science behind the big flavor punch and luscious textures of the Mollydooker wines.  Let’s get a bit messy and wild…

LUSH adores the punchy labels and indulgent wines of Mollydooker, and sent out a big, loud invitation to Sarah and Sparky to come on by, in person, and hang with the Lushes. It is an incredible honor to welcome Sarah and Sparky to the shop to not only share their wines with us, but also to teach us some of the secrets to blending great wine. This seminar is totally hands-on and folks will have the opportunity to actually blend their own wines under Sarah and Sparky’s guidance. So, join LUSH for a crash course seminar in blending (tasting, drinking, and nibbling) with Sparky. There will, of course, be plenty of  wine to sip on.  AND, in true LUSHified style, with will be throwing down and hosting a 4 course PIG ROAST, as well. Expect yummy, wine-friendly food (the menu will be all along the lines of meatmeatmeat and finger-licking good barbecue on the grill with all the fixins’). This seminar is going to be crazy fun and super informative, as well as tasty, and we really want y’all to come play with us! Shake up your routine, blend your own wine, and love learning.  EAT.  DRINK. Grab a few friends, your mom, or a hot date and get on down with Mollydooker.  This is education the fun way…casual, interactive, and extremely delicious. Reservations are required, and registration will close on July 31st.  $75 inclusive of tax and tip. Please RSVP immediately to kelly@lushwineandspirits.com.

DETAILS:
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010
6pm - 8:30pm

Open to 100 guests, $75 each [inclusive of tax & tip]

LUSH University Village
1257 South Halsted
Chicago, IL 60607
312.738.1900

Field Trip: Puerto Rico

July 14th, 2010

by Ms. Rachel Driver

Recently, I ran away on a brief whirlwind of a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a wedding and mini-vacation.  And, I realized how easy it is to get to PR, minus a passport, and within about 6 hours of travel.  Must go back. Often.  Read the rest of this entry »

Introducing Armagnac

June 18th, 2010

Everyone has heard of Cognac. Now it’s time to meet Armagnac the lesser know French brandy. Armagnac is located in South West France. There are three delimited regions, Haut- Armagnac, Bas-Armagnac, and Tenareze. Bas-Armagnac is the lowest elevation area, has sand soil, and some of the best producers. Tenareze is where most of the negociants are from. Haut-Armagnac has the least production, but is said to be the most striking area.
Grapey goodness. Eleven different grapes are approved for Armagnac production. For the most part only three grapes are used, the same basic grapes of Cognac. St. Emilion (Ugni Blanc), Folle Blanche (Picpoul), and Colombard are the fabulous three. The grapes are generally harvested mechanically and then made into very acidic wine. With the use of a continuous still the wine is transformed into brandy. The double distillation does not create a product as pure as gin or vodka, but that is a good thing. This is what you want. You want the flavor and character left behind.
Aging happens in black oak casks. This type of oak is sappy so it matures the Armagnac quicker than Cognac would. The casks are purposely no topped off to allow some oxidation. This creates the signature taste of Armagnac. No caramel or sugar is added. The age is indicated on the bottle. *** is aged for a minimum of two years. VO and VSOP spends a minimum of four and a half years in cask. XO, Vieille Relique, Tres Vieille Reserve, and Napolean spend a minimum of five and a half years in cask. Hors d’age spends a minimum of ten years in cask. Something to consider, Armagnac will not continue to age and improve in the bottle. Once it is bottled it is ready to drink. So there is no reason to wait. Open that puppy up and drink.
No special glassware needed. If you have glasses that taper towards the opening, perfect. If not a champagne flute works well. You can put it in a normal rocks glass, but you won’t be able to enjoy the aromas quite as much. Speaking of aromas…WORDS of WARNING…do not directly inhale. You will burn your nose off. First put the glass up to your chest and inhale. Then bring the glass up to your chin and inhale. This way you can smell all the wonderful aromas without assaulting your nose. Armagnac has wonderful aromas of toast, caramel, vanilla, white flowers, spices and more. There is always something delicious and exciting in every bottle.
So Very nice to meet you Armagnac.

Green Tea Meets Ginger Meets Beer–Happiness Ensues: Tasting Ineeka’s Organic Green Tea Bier

June 3rd, 2010

I have to admit to being a little perplexed when we got our first batch
of Ineeka beer in at Lush–I knew Ineeka as  the locally based company whose tea we
sell in the shop– now they were making beer? My confusion grew when I saw
“Product of Holland” stamped on the beer bottles–so Ineeka
was making Dutch beer? Was Ineeka Dutch? Had they always been Dutch? Eeek! Confusions! Read the rest of this entry »

Road Trip: Paso Robles, CA

May 26th, 2010

A lesson in Wine, a lesson in Driving.

This is the travelogue of a 9-day road trip out West with 5 German guys, a Honda luxury minivan, and three imperatives:

1) Stay one night in a Las Vegas hotel suite

2) See the Grand Canyon & Death Valley Nat’l Parks

3) Visit vineyards in Paso Robles, CA Read the rest of this entry »