Until several decades ago, pairing wine with food was an exercise with its own set of sacred rules. In recent years those rules have been challenged and broken—partly because the nature of restaurant cooking has changed, but also because of consumer empowerment. Mark examines a few of the traditional and modern approaches, and exposes some myths of food and wine pairing. He talks with New Zealand native Matt Lambert, chef and proprietor of The Musket Room in lower Manhattan, who has partnered with the Nobilo winery to create recipes that accompany some of the wines in their portfolio. Matt discusses how he came up with the recipes, and how he paired components of the dishes to elements in the wine. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark discusses two of the stranger beer stories that have recently surfaced: the Japanese popularity of flavored beer processed through Slurpee machines, and an Alaskan company that has developed a dehydrated beer for hikers and campers.

LINKS:

The Musket Room—Link to: http://www.musketroom.com

Nobilo Winery—Link to: http://www.nobilowines.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:
http://www.iconicspirits.net