CRUSH bin #084 - March 2010
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NIMAN RANCH: A Story Of Humanity
By Laurie Gilchrist
[Excerpt] "In the modern era of American life, the vast majority of U.S. citizens have become completely ignorant of the source of their most basic need: food. At least some of this ignorance must be deemed willful, perhaps even calculated. Turning a blind eye to the distasteful, even shocking state of the typical commercially raised-for-profit steer, chicken, hog, sheep, etcetera is convenient. It spares us the uncomfortable knowledge that we as a society are perpetuating (by the seemingly benign act of eating) the, for lack of a better word, "inhumane" treatment of millions of animals raised for our consumption. Of course, there are those who maintain that because of population explosion (ironically in many ways due to industrialized farming) and simple economics, there is no other way to feed the nation than through massive "monoculture" farming and animals forced to live in, at the very least unnatural - and some would argue many times horrific - conditions. Others would have us believe that since these animals are ultimately destined for slaughter, it essentially is inconsequential how they are treated since the end result (death) does not change. Should we remain ignorant or unmoved by "modern" farming practices based on purported necessity or food chain hierarchy? Should we accept cattle crammed by the thousands in fetid, stinking feedlots, denied their natural roaming and grazing behaviors; hogs in "factory farms" forced to live on concrete with no access to sunlight and fresh air, no way to express their innate need to nest, root, or wallow? After all, we are the dominant species and they are "only" animals, aren't they?"
GREG BLANCHARD OF SMUTTYNOSE
By John Gilchrist
[Excerpt] "At the age of 18, Greg Blanchard wasn’t disappointed when his father, a professor of mycology (the study of mushrooms and fungi), failed to use that year’s Christmas gift from his son; a home beer-brewing kit. Greg happily used it for himself, beginning his journey into the wonderful world of beer. Realizing quickly that the home-brew kit left a lot to be desired, Greg slowly added to his pile of equipment and started brewing some exceptional beers. " PLUS: 7 questions with Greg Blanchard
BRUERY: Orchard White (5.7% abv)
By Sir Lucky Day
[Tasting Note] "Pours a cloudy light caramel yellow with a generous bubbly head that recedes in short order. The nose is very floral leaning heavily towards lavender, with a bit of coriander spice, and a subtle wafting of lemon. The mouthfeel is carbonated and light. The flavor is bready and dry, with lingering lemon and orange on the back of the tongue. There is the lightest hint of bitter that quickly dissipates. There is a mild to medium amount of spice that, like the other flavors, do not overwhelm the tongue or overstate their presence. There is a strangely tannic sensation to the beer, though not off-putting. This is a soft beer that is pleasing throughout. An afternoon-long drinker that brought a smile to my face."
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
- Retail Wine Selections
- The Cigar Bar's Cigar of the Month: CAO's la traviata
- The return of Chef Brooke
- Twilight Chef's Market
- Calendar of Events