Blanco de Madera

While it's easy to compare the production of most spirits to Scotch or Bourbon, we've always felt the production of Tequila is far more comparable to wine, where the focus is more on the fruit—in this case, the agave—and where it's grown, how it's harvested, and ultimately how it's fermented.

In the case of wine, for example, the flavor difference between a Chardonnay fermented in stainless steel versus one fermented in wooden barrels can be dramatic. Whereas the neutrality of the steel allows the wine to showcase its freshness and its acidity unadulterated, the oak influence of the barrel can soften and round out some of those higher-toned characteristics in the early stages.

If you're curious as to how a Tequila fermented in stainless steel would taste, versus one fermented on wooden vats, today is your lucky day. We've long been obsessed with Felipe Camarena's G4 Blanco Tequila, made at the world-renowned Destilería El Pandillo, NOM 1579. Fermented in stainless steel, it's one of the cleanest and purest Tequilas in all of Jalisco, racking up legions of superfans (me included) over the last few years.

Today, however, we are excited to offer you the new G4 Blanco de Madera: the wood-fermented version for your own side by side comparison!

10,000 hand-numbered bottles were made from this initial batch, of which only 550 landed in California. We were lucky enough to get a large chunk of that allocation because of our partnership with G4, but we don't expect these to last long. There is a 1 bottle limit per person (all additional orders will be canceled immediately). Bottled at 90 proof, this is an old world blanco that will most certainly go down as one of the most exciting new Tequila releases of 2022.

-David Driscoll

French Typicity

When you’re in bed for days at a time, you quickly run out of new TV shows to screen. I blew through The Old Man with Jeff Bridges, and cleared out all eight episodes of The Bear in the span of a single day. The Old Man is like a modern day version of John Rambo spliced with Bryan Mills from Taken, so it’s very entertaining. The Bear, on the other hand, caught me completely off guard with its combination of brilliant acting, cinematography, musical ambiance, and deeply emotional writing. It’s about the struggles of a chef, cooking in the high-stress kitchen atmosphere that numerous chefs have written about over the years. I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

There are several themes running through The Bear that I relate to on a very personal level, and after finishing the season I was in a contemplative state for hours. Thinking about what originally inspired me to dig deeper into the wine and spirits industry, I ended up going back through some of the early Anthony Bourdain episodes in Paris. Immediately, two things jumped out at me: 

First off, Bourdain had a huge chip on his shoulder with his “love” of weird organ meat, reminiscent of so many people I know in the wine industry. In each episode, he’s constantly signaling his preference for things like veal kidneys or head cheese, which separates him from “other Americans.” I was cringing in retrospect. Second, in an episode with Éric Ripert, the theme of classic vs. modern French cuisine comes up over and over, to the point where Ripert has to defend his three Michelin star rating from a new generation of anti-authority cooks who feel his cooking is too old school. But, as we know, newcomers will always attack the status quo when they lack the talent to compete head on. 

Which brings me to French wine!

Part of what turns people off when it comes to French wine is the snobbery that surrounds it, but let me be clear with you: that is distinctly an American invention, created by pedantic and insecure people who are embarrassed about their own lack of culture and are projecting that self-imposed shame on to others. Don’t let those personalities get between you and what is, by far, the world’s greatest national wine producer. In addition, don’t get caught up in the anti-authority, new radical movements that need to attack the integrity of their predecessors, but in reality are just less impressive versions of a classic model at a higher price point. You’ve already experienced this phenomenon with craft whiskey, right? Or maybe natural wine?

We just got in a ton of classic, authentic, and distinctive French wines from all over the map, all for prices that are more than reasonable. Beyond their value propositions, each of them tastes exactly like what a wine from the region is supposed to. If you've ever wanted an easy, by the glass example of French typicity, you're about to get it. Every one of these bottles brought me immense joy and I can’t wait to tell you about them:

Bordeaux

2016 Château de Cugat Bordeaux Supérieur $12.99 - When I was working in the Bay Area, we always had sub-$15 Bordeaux in the store, but it was rarely wine that we were excited to drink ourselves. Oftentimes, it was some flabby, Merlot-driven wine that tasted like incense from the addition of oak chips during the finishing process. When I tasted the 2016 Château de Cugat recently, I was completely taken aback by not only the wine’s quality, but also the old school and classic nature of its profile. You really get the earthy, almost funky notes that Bordeaux classicists like myself gravitate towards in pricier releases. Yet, here you get it for less than fifteen dollars. 2016 was also one of the best vintages of the last ten years for Bordeaux, if not the best. Break out your cast iron grill pan, cook up a few steaks, and decant this baby for an hour beforehand. You won’t be sorry. 

Burgundy

2020 André Bonhomme Viré-Clessé “Les Pierres Blanches” $21.99 - As anyone in the wine business will tell you, there are no deals in Burgundy. It’s just flat out expensive. There are a few secrets, however, and Viré-Clessé is one of them. You don’t see many labels from this part of the Maconnais, where almost all of the wines are Chardonnay. The key to the quality of the appellation is the combination of hillside slopes with small pebbles for soil (hence the name “Pierres Blanche” or white stones). The combination of richness and minerality in the Bonhomme is truly spectacular, similar to the dynamism of Sherry and peat in a Scotch whisky. The ripeness of the Chardonnay contrasts against the salinity and the freshness of the wine, offering tropical notes along with racy acidity. If you’d like a sneak peak into what white Burgundy can offer, this is just the edge of the rabbit hole.

Loire Valley

2020 Domaine Daulny Sancerre $21.99 - Sancerre was the wine that originally bit me. After my first bottle, I was infected with a curiosity and passion that saw me turn down my law school acceptance to work at a wine store instead. Instead of reading about torts, I read about the diversity of wines in the Loire Valley. While Sancerre is delicious, it’s the idea of terroir that really gets your mind working. Planted in stony, rocky soils, the Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre tastes like citrus and stone fruit with a minerality that tastes a wet river stone. The 2020 Daulny has all of that classic character for a price that truly delivers. Considering the sources of the fruit that goes into this cuvée, it should be $30+. You’ll never go back to oaky California Chardonnay after drinking this. 

2021 Domaine Adèle Rouzé Quincy $17.99 - The Loire River valley is home to a multitude of varietals, but I am a true believer that it is the spiritual home of Sauvignon Blanc. California makes some good SB, as does New Zealand and South Africa, but they don’t haunt your dreams the way Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs do. Quincy doesn’t carry the reputation that Sancerre does, but the wines are unique in their own way and can be just as delicious. Adèle Rouzé only makes one wine, this one, and it’s a snappy, citrus-filled, crisp and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc that lights up your taste buds with every sip. If you’re into goat cheese at all, that’s what you pair with this. Do goat cheese on crackers, goat cheese in a salad, goat cheese in a tart—however you want it! The pairing is magical. 

Gascony

2020 Domaine Duffour Côte de Gascogne Blanc $9.99 - We all know that Armagnac is distilled from wine, but do you know what that wine is? If you’ve never tasted the ridiculously inexpensive and insanely quaffable splendor that is Côte de Gascogne Blanc, then now is your chance. This wine has to travel from Armagnac to port, across the Atlantic, and through the American three tier system—and it’s still just $9.99!! This wine is a blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc and it’s everything you want on a Wednesday evening. Clean, pure flavors of stone fruit and melon, refreshing acidity, and no frills. 

Provence

2020 Les Vignobles Gueissard Bandol Rosé $17.99 - If Provence is the mecca of rosé for wine drinkers, then Bandol would be its epicenter. The appellation is renowned for its Mourvèdre-focused rosés that showcase both elegance and finesse. If you want to know the foundations of what many people think rosé is supposed to taste like, then you need to try a bottle of Bandol. Guessard was started by Clement Minné, who interned at Domaine Tempier—one of the most prestigious producers in the region. Pale peach-pink in color with aromas of tart strawberries and a zesty, citrus-y finish. Don’t be fooled by its subtlety. That’s exactly what you’re paying for!

-David Driscoll

Off The Strip

I’ve been out with COVID this week as my recent excursions in Las Vegas infected me with my first-ever bout of the virus. Not that I wasn’t expecting it; if anything I was hoping to get it out of the way so I could enjoy the rest of the summer without worry. Since I’m working from home (feeling fine) on the computer today, I thought I’d tell you about a recent discovery from this last trip: Ferraro’s, a classic Italian restaurant off the strip that absolutely wowed me from top to bottom, front to back.

Some of you know that I owned a house in Vegas for a few years, so I’ve spent plenty of time out in the desert. How I missed out on Ferraro’s until this past weekend is still a mystery to me, but the important thing is I know about it now! Located on the east side of Las Vegas Boulevard, in a strip mall at the corner of Paradise and Harmon, it’s my new favorite restaurant in Sin City and my top recommendation for anyone headed in that direction. Even if you just hit the bar for happy hour, the drinks and the appetizers are top notch and the bartenders are fantastic. My wife and I spent an hour at the counter, munching on arancini and nibbling on veal-stuffed ravioli before sitting down to a formal prix-fixe dinner.

We were already buzzing from the incredible hour we spent at the bar, but when I saw the wine list my head started spinning; especially after noticing that Emidio Pepe Pecorino was marked down to cost. For those of you who don’t drink fancy Italian wine, imagine getting a discount on Weller 12 or Blanton’s, let alone a fair market price. Crazy! I wasn’t about to pass up on that. Eight years old, fresh as a daisy, and so intense on the nose, this was my wife’s first glass of the Pepe and her eyes lit up like a pinball machine. Always extremely allocated and hard to find, I would go back to Ferraro’s just based on the access to Emidio Pepe, let alone the food.

The prix-fixe menu had the choice of soup or salad, and two soups to choose from: tomato bread and white bean. We did one of each with the white wine and it was a dynamite pairing. I love hearty soups and I love them even more with a great bottle of vino.

Neither me nor my wife are ever going to turn down fresh black truffles with sage and butter if they’re on the menu. And they were. Tossed in a delicious home-made fettuccine, we were savoring every bite. Dessert was a plate of house-baked cookies with a glass of sweet Vin Santo, which we took our time savoring. While the food and drink was outstanding, the service at Ferraro’s is what really stood out to both of us. It’s an old school atmosphere with 60+ year old Italian guys in suits coming by to check on you, talking about their families, and making sure you have plenty of pepper and parmesan on everything. If you’re in the mood for a long, slow, decadent meal without the hassle of the strip, or the rushed atmosphere of the casino hotspots, Ferraro’s is the place for you.

I can’t wait to go back. As soon as I get over COVID!

-David Driscoll

Classic Achievements

Los Angeles is literally littered with burger joints. It’s the fast food capital of the world. There’s a burger spot on every corner. If it’s not burgers, it’s pizza. If it’s not pizza, it’s tacos.

As a devotee of all three foods, I follow countless local restaurants on social media, always on the hunt for the next great bite. I will drive across town for a life-changing meal, so long as it’s an outstanding version of a classic profile. I’m far less interested in fusion or extreme versions of anything. I don’t want a deep-fried taco with an extra layer of cheese, or a guacamole burger stacked with bacon and other accoutrements. I don’t want anything on my pizza other than the classic staples.

When you find something incredible that achieves new heights by simply creating a better version of a time-tested formula, it’s exciting. That’s how I felt eating at Burgers Never Say Day on Glendale for the first time. Two patties, smashed and flattened, along with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions. That’s it. What makes it so good? Balance and texture.

The same analogy works for booze. Some brands enter the market with a radical interpretation of a classic profile hoping to shock and surprise consumers, while others hype their crazy cask enhancements and Frankensteinian maturation process untested by most sane humans. Yet, there is nothing—and I mean NOTHING—more impressive than a brand that grabs your attention with a knockout version of a proven concept that's simply better than the iterations which proceeded it.

Enter the Cotswolds Dry Gin, without a doubt, bar none, hands down, the best gin I've tasted since Four Pillars launched with the Rare Dry some years back. Granted, it's been available here in the states for a few years now, but I'm late to the game. Since I got my original sample bottles at the end of May, I've consumed at least 25 Cotswolds gin and tonics at home after work. It makes the most delicious, most fragrant, insanely pungent cocktail that still tastes like a classic gin and tonic, and not some new interpretation of gin that I'm going to lose interest in a few weeks from now.

Using a 100% wheat base spirit and a 15 hour botanical soak, part of Cotswolds secret is the single shot distillation which sees a single heart cut captured at 83% ABV, rested for five days, then diluted to 46% with no chill filtering. Beyond a little lime and pink grapefruit peel, there's nothing out of the ordinary in the botanical recipe. It's a juniper and lavender-focused gin that sources from locally-grown herbs and spices in the British Cotswolds. But, man, it is just outstanding. Why is it so good? Balance and texture.

There’s a reason some recipes have stood the test of time. Improving on them isn’t easy, so when you see it done right, you have to tip your hat.

-David Driscoll

A Sad Day For The Liquor Industry

Back in the summer of 2018, I had reached a tipping point with the Bay Area and it was time to put up or shut up. Not one to remain quiet for long, I decided to put up, so my wife and I packed our things and moved to Los Angeles. The guys at Pacific Edge importation and distribution had offered me a gig as their sales director and I was excited to learn a new position and a new geography. There was only one looming problem: I didn’t know anyone in LA and, on top of that, I didn’t know where anything was. No problem, they said. We’re gonna put you in the car with Dean Berger for a few months. You’ll know everything after that.

Dean Berger wasn’t just the nicest and most selfless person in the booze business, he was a throwback to a lost era of salesmanship. The kind of guy who walks into the building with two boxes of donuts for the staff. The kind of guy who calls you on his way home to ask about your family and genuinely wants to know. The kind of guy who’s familiar with every lunch spot, in every neighborhood, in every town between Ventura and Palm Springs, from Bakersfield to San Diego. More importantly, the kind of guy who makes friends for life wherever he goes, and who knows everyone by name no matter where he is. You could walk into an Italian deli in Simi Valley and they all know Dean. A taco shop in Hemet? They all know Dean. A Chinese restaurant in San Gabriel? They all know Dean.

When I got the news yesterday that Dean had passed unexpectedly, I was devastated. After spending a good hour in tears, connecting with friends and colleagues to let them know the news, I began searching my phone for old pictures, combing through our text history for forgotten memories. I realized that I had over 100 unopened voicemails from Dean because I would invariably just call him back rather than listen to them. On one of them he talked for an entire two minutes about smoking ribs in his backyard. On another, he asked about my cat and what he was doing that day. My boss Vic, the owner of Mission and one of Dean’s oldest friends, sent me a video of Dean singing happy birthday to him just a few weeks ago. “I’ve been watching it all morning,” Vic said to me; “I’m in so much pain.”

For those of you who don’t work in the liquor industry and have never met Dean, it’s hard to truly explain in a few paragraphs how beloved he was in our business and exactly why he was so important to us. What I will say is that I would not be with Mission today if it wasn’t for Dean. I wouldn’t be thriving in Los Angeles if it wasn’t for Dean. I wouldn’t have the friends I have today if it wasn’t for Dean. Even now, when my wife discovers a cool restaurant or specialty grocer she wants to visit, my usual response is: “I’ve been there already with Dean.” The months I spent driving around Southern California with him were some of the best times I’ve ever had. The friendship we developed during the course of that experience is something I treasure.

I only knew Dean Berger for three and a half years, but he was one of my best friends. I can only imagine how his companions of ten, twenty, or thirty years are feeling today. The stories they must have and the tales they could tell are probably legendary at this point. It’s only been twenty-four hours since I learned Dean was gone and I already miss him so much. He was a rare source of joy and light in a world that has become increasingly dark. I know I speak for dozens of friends and colleagues when I say we will think about him and remember him fondly for as long as we live. We lost a true booze industry icon this week. There will never be another like him.

-David Driscoll

100 Years Of Horses

A photo of jockey Russell Baze on the wall at the Derby in Arcadia

In 1934, a gentleman named William Kyne purchased an airfield in San Mateo, CA and turned it into a horse racing course called Bay Meadows. For decades, it was home to some of the most famous thoroughbreds in history, including Seabiscuit, and for about five years I was able to thoroughly enjoy its nostalgic atmosphere. My girlfriend at the time (now my wife) and Russell Baze’s daughter were roommates, so we spent a number of incredible evenings down at the track. We’d walk through the stables, gossip with the trainers, and soak up the scene: old school gamblers with vintage comb-overs, $2 beers that went through you like water, betting sheets littering the floors like confetti.

In 2008, however, San Mateo decided it needed more housing for the growing tech community and demolished the aging Bay Meadows facility. Seventy-five years of iconic Bay Area memories were destroyed to make way for cheap track homes and corporate apartments, centered around a new Whole Foods and chain restaurant strip. As I mentioned in my last post about iconic Southern California steakhouses, the San Francisco peninsula doesn’t have room for its history anymore. Nothing new can be built unless something old is torn down. That’s why a 100 year old, horse-themed steak house along Route 66, near the historic Santa Anita racetrack that continues to operate today, gets me all excited. As Cinderella’s Tom Keifer once sang, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone.

When jockey George Woolf purchased the Derby back in 1938, he intended for it to be a hangout away from the track, where the horse racing community would gather before and after the races. That same year, Woolf would ride Seabiscuit to glory, which only made the Derby that much more attractive to patrons. In 1946, Woolf was killed after being thrown from a horse at Santa Anita, but the Derby lived on. A century after its initial founding, the walls are lined with thoroughbred iconography, a tribute to its lasting legacy.

I didn’t have any trouble making a reservation for two on a Friday night, but I’m glad I planned ahead. We walked into the Derby at 6:45 on the dot and it was absolutely slammed, families waiting in the lobby, a packed lounge full of locals, and servers running everywhere like ants in a colony. There was a couple leaving as we entered the bar, so we moseyed up to the counter and ordered a cocktail. My wife asked the bartender if Russell Baze had any representation on the wall, and he explained with a smile that Baze was a bit too Bay Area for the Derby, but did indeed have a photo in the hallway. We ordered a second round before dinner and continued to check out the vibe.

After a few drinks, we took a seat at our table and were treated to complimentary garlic bread from our server. One thing I truly love about the SoCal steakhouse scene is how many restaurants pride themselves on their own unique interpretation of this simple starter. Whereas the Smoke House does a sourdough loaf cut in half with cheesy powder along the top, the Derby slices its bread into sandwich style servings for a softer texture. I cannot stress enough how incredible the Derby’s garlic bread is, with its buttery richness and concentrated decadence.

The signature side dish is also an important staple of the historic steakhouse, and the Derby’s paramount accessory is the Romanoff potatoes: cheesy, buttery, lava-hot starch with bacon bits intermixed. My wife savored each and every bite along side her shrimp scampi.

I went for the bacon-wrapped filet mignon with onion rings, along with a heaping glass of Bordeaux to wash it all down. Every bite was an utter joy.

After stuffing our faces with bread pudding for dessert, we decided to cruise down the old Route 66 through Arcadia. Outback, BJ’s, and other national chain establishments are indeed speckled along the historic roadside, but not at the expense of the Derby. After 100 years of continuous operation, this institution is more than holding its own.

Drop by Mission on your way over and grab a bottle of wine to have with dinner!

-David Driscoll

3+ Year Old Single Barrel Organic Tequila For $39.99

Boy, do we have the deal of the summer for all you Tequila fans out there, thanks to some warehouse spelunking we did this past winter!

While meeting with the Tres Agaves sales team earlier in the year, we learned they had bottled a single barrel añejo expression for another client, but due to a cancellation had yet to find a home for that cask. After we saw the price and then tasted it, we jumped all over it. With an autoclave onsite in addition to brick ovens, and a roller mill press rather than a tahona wheel, NOM 1522 Hacienda de Oro might be short on romanticism for all the agave nerds out there, but with an organic certification and clean production this single barrel of Tres Agaves is both diffuser and additive free: the starting point for any discussion about quality Tequila.

Barrel #105 was aged for 42 months and 23 days, making it an extra añejo by definition as it’s over 3 years of age. With a yield of just 192 bottles, this Tequila is brimming with butterscotch and vanilla from the oak with just the right amount of spice. The palate brings more herbaceous notes of black pepper and the finish is super clean, dry as a bone. Nothing about this new single barrel expression is going to change your life, but in the new recession/inflation era it's a pretty nice value for those who drink Tequila regularly and utilize it in a number of ways. You can sip it, pour it over the rocks, throw it into an old fashioned cocktail, or even a Cadillac Margarita, and know that you didn’t overspend in the process.

To be clear: this is an organic, single barrel, 3+ year old Tequila for $39.99—less expensive than many top blanco Tequilas, let alone reposado or añejo. We’re not splitting hairs here, comparing it to Don Julio 1942 or Fortaleza. We’re too busy drinking and enjoying it.

-David Driscoll