Fall Finds at Captain Morgan… Captain Morgan has two specialty rums for the fall you can’t miss and they both come in collector bottles. The Cannon Blast is sweeter than the Captain Morgan Rum you are used to, with hints of maple and vanilla. It doesn’t need a lot of mixing. Just add in some soda – even plain seltzer – or juice to Cannon Blast . The company recommends cranberry juice for a Crannon Blast and I agree. Jack-O-Blast is the perfect pumpkin accompaniment to your fall bar. I’m ready to continue it through the winter, leaving egg nog behind and sprinkling a little cinnamon and nutmeg on the chilled cordial. (It’s also going to keep me warm at night in coffee or hot chocolate.) A New Perspective from Locations Wine… Winemaker Dave Phinney decided to prove that one winemaker could bring out three different wine regions by working a little different than most wineries. He decided to represent the actual location of the wine, rather than a specific grape or wine...

As far as I am concerned, every day is champagne day, but today is actually the official day of celebration for this bubbly from France. I’ve spent a lot of time with one of my favorite beverages in the past year. Last fall, I left my home in Champaign, Illinois, and took a trip with the French tourism board to Champagne, France. I spent four days there learning all about the beverage and the region. During that trip I was able to spend a wonderful night at the Veuve Clicquot estate, Manoir de Verzy. I also had a tour of the winery and went through my first champagne cave. My trip to Champagne also included a chance to sit down with the Krug winemaker Julie Cavill and learn about the process of making champagne. I came home with a bottle of their Grand Cuvee and opened it up on my birthday (it’s wonderful). Krug Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn had his own celebration in New York a few weeks ago when he was honored for his lifetime achievements. In March, I had the pleas...

The prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) award for the Best Bartender in France went to Stéphane Ginouves, the head bartender at Hotel Fouquet's Barrière in Paris. Ginouves won the competition, which only takes place every four years, based on his speed, organization, knowledge, respect for trade rules and final taste. His winning cocktail was called Beautiful Day and it was made from mango and strawberry nectars, cognac and Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge. Before coming to Barriere, Stephane Ginouves worked at Disneyland Paris, Hotel Westminister and Warwick Champs-Elysees. Numerous chefs and mixologists were honored at the annual Taste of the Caribbean event in Miami with top honors going to… Caribbean Culinary Team of the Year: Trinidad & Tobago Culinary Team. Bahama Breeze® Island Grille Caribbean Chef of the Year: Mitchell Husbands, Barbados. Albert Uster Imports Caribbean Pastry Chef of the Year:   Kunal Chakrabarti, U.S. Virgin Islands. Car...