Cocktail Corner: Festive Drinks for the Fourth

Posted on July 3, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

What better time to raise a glass than on the 4th of July. Here a few fun recipes to impress your guests, both this weekend and throughout the entire summer!

True Blue Cocktail, courtesy photo

True Blue Cocktail

1 oz. CÎROC Vodka

1/2 oz. Blue Curacao

1/4 oz. Grapefruit Juice

1/2 oz. Simple Sugar

Mix ingredients and serve in a martini glass.

Grand Lemon-Peach Sparkler

Grand Peach Lemon Sparkler, courtesy photo

1/2 oz. simple syrup

1 oz. Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach

1 oz. fresh lemon juice

2 oz. Chandon Limited Edition American Summer Rosé

Lemon wedges for garnish

Pour the Grand Marnier Raspberry Peach, lemon juice and simple syrup into a rocks glass. Stir to combine. Add the Rosé. Fill the glass with ice and add a lemon wedge. Serve with a straw.

Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade, courtesy photo

Hendrick’s Cucumber Lemonade

3 parts Hendrick’s Gin

2 parts fresh lemon juice

2 parts simple syrup

Sparkling Water

In a long glass combine ingredients. Add ice, top with sparkling water, give a gentle stir and garnish with a cucumber spears.

Hard Shandy

Hard Shandy, courtesy photo

1 ½ Oz Tullamore D.E.W. Original

1/3 Oz Freshly squeezed Lemonade

8 ½ Oz Wheat Beer or Hefeweizen (Fill remaining of 10.5 Oz glass)

In a pilsner glass add Tullamore D.E.W. followed by lemonade. Finish with beer and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Long Island Iced Tea, courtesy photo

Long Island Iced Tea

0.5 Oz Reyka Vodka

0.25 Oz Hendrick’s Gin

0.25 Oz Milagro Silver Core Tequila

0.75 Oz Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

1 Oz Lemon Juice

0.75 Oz Honey

3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

1.5 Oz Ginger Beer

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into tall glass with ice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with mint sprig.

White Star Peach cocktail, courtesy photo

White Star Peach

1 oz CÎROC Peach

0.25 oz Apple Liqueur

0.25 oz Rioja White Wine

1.5zoz Ginger Ale

0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Combine ingredients on the rocks and garnish with a slice of ginger and a lime wheel.

Berry Explosive, courtesy photo

Berry Explosive

4 parts Milagro Silver Tequila

1 part Fresh Lime Juice

2 parts Agave Nectar

8 Raspberries per batch

12 Blueberries per batch

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Fill two glasses with crushed or shaved ice and pour over. Top with raspberries and blueberries.

Solerno Blood Orange & Berry Punch

(Serves 25 people)

1 Bottle Lillet Rouge

Solerno Blood Orange and Berry Punch, courtesy photo

12 oz. Red Zinger Tea (brewed at 2x strength)

6 oz. agave nectar

6 oz. fresh lemon juice

6 oz. berry blend puree (Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Red Grapes)

Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl and stir well. Float an ice block in the center and garnish with floating blueberries, raspberries, halved grapes, blood orange slices and a few mint leaves

Lillet Rouge Sangria, courtesy photo

Lillet Rouge Sangria

3 parts Lillet Rouge

½ part fresh lime juice

Lemon-lime soda (2 – 2 liter bottles)

Diced fresh fruit of choice (blueberries, raspberries or blackberries and oranges, etc.)

Build cocktail over ice in a wine glass or Collins glass and stir to combine. Top with lemon-lime soda and garnish with an orange slice.

Flor de Caña Pineapple Daiquiri

Flor de Caña Pineapple Daiquiri, courtesy photo

2 parts Flor de Caña 7 Rum

2 parts pineapple juice

1/3 part fresh lime juice

2/3 part extra-fine sugar

Combine the pineapple juice, rum, lime juice, sugar, and ½ cup ice in a cocktail shaker and shake to chill. Strain into a stemmed cocktail glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge.

Have a wonderful holiday. Cheers!

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Recipes courtesy Susan Magrino Agency and Ciroc.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinabergwrites magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on July 3, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: A New Chapter in Cool Cocktails at CPK

Posted on June 29, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Revamped bar menus at California Pizza Kitchen sport hand-shaken cocktails like this California Roots drink—made with Svedka Vodka, fresh avocado and mint, fresh Agave Sour with a fennel salt rim. Photo courtesy CPK.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Trust me, I do realize that cool cocktails are not the first thing you think of when you think of California Pizza Kitchen, but a recent foray to check out their updated decor and menu (both of which are swell) yielded some surprisingly creative and fun libations on the cocktail menu, as well as in the kitchen!

We tasted a few different things, including my personal fave, the new California Crush, made with Absolut Mandarin, Absolut Citron, Muddled Mint and Fresh Orange and Lemon. It’s a perfect summery cocktail. It goes down easy with just enough tartness to make you go “yum!”

Fresh new cocktails from California Pizza Kitchen, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Also quite tasty, the Hand-Shaken Agave Mojito, with Bacardi Superior Rum, Fresh Agave Sour, Fresh Mint and Lime and Organic Hawaiian Sugar Cane, and the super pretty Blueberry Ginger Smash, with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Monin Organic Agave Nectar, Domaine de Canton Ginger, Fresh Blueberries and Lime, and Cranberry Juice.

Certainly one of their most unique new items is the California Roots cocktail, which includes mashed avocado—as well as Svedka Vodka, fresh avocado and mint, and fresh Agave Sour with a fennel salt rim.

Blueberry Ginger Smash, courtesy CPK

California Pizza Kitchen (located here in Santa Barbara at 719 Paseo Nuevo) also has a nice, Seasonal Harvest Sangria, made with Bacardi Superior Rum, St. Germain Elderflower and Kendall Jackson Chardonnay with Muddled Grapes, Basil and fresh Agave Sour.

Their solid, California-focused wine list is also good and they offer a “wine adventure guarantee,” which means if you taste a new wine and aren’t thrilled, they’ll replace it for free. Not bad way to end (or start) a day of shopping at Paseo Nuevo!

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 26, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Posted on June 22, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

“The Magnificent Seven” (left to right) Ken Brown, Bob Lundquist, Richard Sanford, Jim Clendenen, Drake Whitcraft, Doug Margerum, and Fred Brander – a veritable ‘who’s who’ of Central Coast winemakers, will all be at this year’s Santa Barbara Wine Festival again – for the 28th year. Photo by Joni Kelly.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

The beautiful grounds of Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History are a wonderful spot to appreciate being out in nature, and what better way to enjoy a summer weekend than sipping wine underneath the oaks along Mission Creek? Especially when the proceeds go to support the work of the museum.

Santa Barbara Wine Festival, photo by Bob Dickey

“Santa Barbara Wine Festival is a wine-focused festival,” says Festival Chair, Meridith Moore. Indeed, more than 50 wineries will be pouring at the museum, including some of our favorites like Santa Barbara Winery, Arthur Earl, Grassini, Kita Wines (Chumash Tribe), Palmina, Alma Rosa, Koehler, Au Bon Climat, Babcock, Sunstone, Fess Parker, Andrew Murray, Margerum, Jamie Slone, Beckmen and Whitcraft, to name just a few.

There are plenty of tasty bites at Santa Barbara Wine Festival as well. “We have a large array of top-shelf food purveyors, many of whom are especially paired with wineries that complement one another,” says Moore. “It is exciting because many of the winemakers and chefs are present and available for the guests to meet and discuss the qualities of their varietals and menu items–just another example of why this has become one of the most beloved wine festivals on the Central Coast and the one to attend.”

Scrumptious samples from local food purveyors will complement the wines poured at the Museum’s annual event. Photo by Valentin Mendoza.

Among the yummy items on the menu are: Braised Short Rib Meatballs (Michael’s Catering); Oyster Shooters (Brophy Bros.); Homemade Tamales (Santa Barbara Tamales To Go); Sage and Butternut Squash Raviolis (Ca Dario); Cheese Tastings from around the World (C’est Cheese); Hand-rolled Truffles (Jessica Foster Confections); and Mini Cupcakes (Coveted Cakery), to name a few.

Santa Barbara Wine Festival takes place at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (2559 Puesta de Sol, 805/682-4711, sbnature.org) on Saturday, June 27 from 2-5 p.m.

For more information and to purchase admission for the Santa Barbara Wine Festival, please visit sbnature.org/winefestival.

Hope to see you there. Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 19. 2015.

Cocktail Corner: SB Passport … to Libations!

Posted on June 6, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

As far as I’m concerned, there’s almost nothing better than the buzzy fun of enjoying summertime cocktails with friends—but one thing that does beat that is getting a great DEAL on summertime cocktails with friends.

There’s a new player in town—The Santa Barbara Passport—that offers great deals on drinks this summer at 28 establishments for just 20 bucks. This cleverly illustrated, pocket-sized booklet offers loads of drink deals—you receive a stamp in your booklet upon redemption—and the specials will run all summer through Labor Day (September 7), providing ample time to collect stamps and explore.

It even includes a section on Beer 101 and Wine Labels for Dummies, as well as cocktail fundamentals for making—and ordering—classic libations like Negronis, Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

Courtesy Santa Barbara Passport

“The Passport is the friend that helps you decide where to go for happy hour, on a date or a Sunday afternoon,” says Casey Berry, co-founder of the Passport Program, who describes it as “a curated guide to the beverage culture of Santa Barbara.”

Indeed, participating venues include some of my favorites:

Corks n’ Crowns: Gold or craft brew flight for 50% off

Pure Order Brewing Company: Pint for 50% off

“Santa Barbara offers not just a great nightlife, but the drinks culture is so diverse that you won’t be disappointed when sipping a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon in the Funk Zone or a cold White Rascal beer at American Ale,” says Jane Pimcomrie, city manager for the Santa Barbara branch of the Passport Program. “The Santa Barbara Passport features enough wineries for wine-lovers, breweries for after work socializing, and unique bars for cocktail and spirits junkies. Plus it will make the heat of summer that much more enjoyable.”

Can’t argue with that logic. For more information or to purchase a passport, go here.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine on June 5, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Passport Weekend at the Urban Wine Trail

Posted on May 29, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Urban Wine trail 2015 passport-poster-v3 A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Have you been wanting to check out what’s new on Santa Barbara’s Urban Wine Trail? If so, then the upcoming passport weekend (June 5-7) is your perfect opportunity.

The annual festivities feature a Passport to the Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail for the weekend, and a Red & White AVA Seminar. TheSanta Barbara Urban Wine Trail Passport will be happening all

Lafond Winery tasting room, photo by Mercedes Lowe

Lafond Winery tasting room is one of 26 wineries featured on the Urban Wine Trail’s special passport event June 5-7, photo by Mercedes Lowe

weekend long—Friday to Sunday—at all of the 26 tasting rooms. The Passport includes special wine tasting opportunities and complimentary tastings, including the chance to meet winemakers, reserve vintage exhibitions, light bites and live musical entertainment. Passport holders will also get a 10% discount on wine purchases at all member tasting rooms that weekend.

Guests begin their wine tasting adventures by picking up their Passport and signature logo glass at any one of the three check-in points, including Carr Winery, Santa Barbara Winery and Margerum Wine Company.

The tasting kicks into high gear on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Wine Cask restaurant with the Red & White AVA Seminar featuring eight of Santa Barbara’s top winemakers. I went last year and this is a MUST ATTEND event for wine lovers who want to learn more about our region.

Guests can sip through and learn about all of the AVA’s in Santa Barbara County. Each of the eight winemakers will share one of their finest wines that represent the AVA where it was grown. Mitchell Sjerven, owner of the renowned Bouchon restaurant, will moderate the seminar and guide guests through each of these unique and notable wines.

Last year’s Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail red and white AVA seminar, photo SB Urban Wine Trail Facebook.

Presenting winemakers are some of the most respected names in the business: Margerum Wine Company – Doug Margerum; Santa Barbara Winery – Bruce McGuire; Pali Wine Co. – Aaron Walker; Sanford – Steve Fennell; Carr Vineyards & Winery – Ryan Carr; Jaffurs – Craig Jaffurs; Kunin Wines – Seth Kunin; and Riverbench – Rawley Hermreck.

Passport tickets are $75 and AVA seminar tickets are also $75, or you can purchase a VIP All Access ticket for $125, which includes both events.

Photo courtesy Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail.

Urban Wine Trail member wineries include: Area 5.1 Winery, Au Bon Climat, Carr Vineyards & Winery, Cebada Vineyard and Winery (inside Isabella Gourmet Foods), Cottonwood Canyon, Deep Sea Tasting Room, Fox Wine Co., Grassini Family Vineyards, Happy Canyon Vineyard, Jaffurs Wine Cellars and Kalyra Winery.

Kunin Wines, Lafond Winery, Margerum Wine Company, Municipal Winemakers, Oreana Winery, Pali Wine Co., Riverbench Winery, Sanford, Sanguis, Santa Barbara Winery, Silver Wines, Summerland Winery, The Valley Project (a.k.a. AVA Santa Barbara) and Whitcraft Winery are also on the trail.

For more information visit, www.urbanwinetrailsb.com.

Cheers!

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on May 29, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: The California Directory of Fine Wineries

Posted on May 22, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

CA Directory of Fine Wineries

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

The newest volume of The California Directory of Fine Wineries: Central Coast Edition (Wine House Press) takes a good thing and improves upon it, which isn’t always that easy to do.

Editor Tom Silberkleit has the tough job of navigating through hundreds of Central Coast wineries and tasting rooms and selecting the very best places to sip and savor throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Then writers K. Reka Badger and Cheryl Crabtree (both frequent Santa Barbara Seasons contributors), joined for this edition by Daniel Mangin, get to write profiles of the top 50 destinations, which each feature lush, full-color photographs by Robert Holmes, along with sidebars listing locations, specialties and nearby attractions.

It’s no surprise that this beautiful, visually-appealing book is featured in most of the top hotel rooms in the county. It would also make a great gift for the wine-loving people in your life.

Carhartt Vineyard tasting room, courtesy California Directory of Fine Wineries Facebook page

Among the Santa Barbara County wineries that made the cut are Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Beckmen Vineyards, Blair Fox Cellars, Byron, Cambria Estate Winery, Carhartt Vineyard and Carr Vineyards & Winery.

Also featured are Costa de Oro Winery, D’Alfonso-Curran Wines, Demetria Estate Winery, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery, Foley Food & Wine Society and Foxen.

Grassini Family Vineyards, Hitching Post Wines, Loring/Cargasacchi Tasting Room, Pali Wine Co., Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Silver Wines and Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards are also featured in The California Directory of Fine Wineries.

Byron tasting room, courtesy California Directory of Fine Wineries Facebook page

“There’s a lot more activity in the Funk Zone this time around,” says Crabtree, who wrote the majority of Santa Barbara County entries. The update includes the addition of a number of Santa Barbara urban wineries, including Pali, Silver Wines and Blair Fox in the Funk Zone, and Grassini, in the downtown El Paseo Wine Collection. There is also the addition of the Foley Food & Wine Society at the Bacara Resort & Spa, where you can taste from a large portfolio of Foley-owned wineries.

This visual feast of a wine book is available at Chaucer’s Bookstore, 3321 State St., as well as some of the local tasting rooms and wine-related venues.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 22, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Carr Winery’s New CrossHatch Label

Posted on May 18, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Winemaker Ryan Carr’s new CrossHatch label, photo courtesy Carr Winery

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Creativity can often come from shaking things up a bit, which is exactly what winemaker Ryan Carr has done with his new label, CrossHatch, a project focusing on co-fermented blends from Santa Barbara County vineyards. After making only single varietal wines for 11 years, Ryan wanted to try something different. He and his wife Jessica came up with the idea of CrossHatch, inspired by cross hatching, an artistic technique that uses closely spaced intersecting lines to create shading, definition, and form in a drawing.

2012 CrossHatch Rhone Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, courtesy Carr Winery

Ryan adapted this technique to the winemaking process by harvesting multiple varietals on the same day then crushing and fermenting them together.

According to Carr Winery Marketing Manager Kayla Bonnin, “the idea of co-fermented wine is nothing new. Some of the best and oldest wines in the world are made this way, but with the microclimates of Santa Barbara it really adds another layer to the process. Co-fermentation brings out and creates flavors in the wine that would not have existed otherwise. This makes the CrossHatch wine truly one-of-a-kind.”

The labels are also quite unique, inspired by the antique winemaking equipment Ryan and his dad have collected over the years and created by local artist, Thomas Van Stein, who used the crosshatch technique to draw the crusher, corkscrew and basket press labels.

2012 CrossHatch Bordeaux Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, courtesy Carr Winery

There are three blends in the first CrossHatch portfolio (and lucky me, I got to try—and give a thumbs up to—all three:

2012 CrossHatch Bordeaux Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $28 bottle 250 cases produced

Made of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, these two Bordeaux varietals add up to a beautiful garnet color with notes of cherries and jalapeños.

2012 CrossHatch Rhone Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $25 bottle 225 cases produced

Made of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah to create a big, bold and spicy wine. It paired perfectly with Santa Maria style tri-tip.

2014 CrossHatch White Blend, Santa Ynez Valley – $17 bottle 154 cases produced

Made of 70% Viognier and 30% Marsanne, it’s not wonder that the makers described this white blend as “sunshine in a bottle. ” It’s a perfect summer wine with a beautiful golden color and a crisp finish.

For more information, visit www.carrwinery.com.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 15, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Lights, Camera, Cocktails

Posted on May 2, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Grassini’s beautiful tasting room in El Paseo was one of our stops on the Eat This, Shoot That! tour. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Wining and Dining With Eat, This Shoot That!

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Jamie Slone was a fun wine tasting stop on the Eat This, Shoot That! tour. Photo by Leslie Dinaberg.

Combining food and wine with photography is a great way to tour Santa Barbara, even for locals. We recently went on the new Eat This, Shoot That! trek through the Presidio neighborhood and the new Wine Collection of El Paseo and it was so much fun.

Led by photographer and foodie Tara Jones, owner of Eat This, Shoot That!, our tour met up at the historic De la Guerra Plaza, then we made our way to Hoffmann Brat Haus in Paseo Nuevo, where we were treated to a sausage sampler, including the classic German Hoffmann Brat, the Beer Brat, the Spicy Brat and the Mango Habanero, among others. Not only was the food tasty, but Jones offered some useful photo tips like, “when photographing food you should try different angles to put the plate in the foreground and the setting in the background,” and “spritz a little bit of water or lemon on the items to make them look even more appetizing.”

Our next stop was Jamie Slone Wines, (23 E. De la Guerra St.) a beautiful tasting room where, in addition to tasting limited production varietals from the best local vineyards, they also had visual aids—big, beautiful maps—to help explain the terroir and terrain and relate it to the excellent wines we were tasting.

Jim Clendenen’s Au Bon Climat was our next stop, and his distinctive wines—we tasted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir—didn’t disappoint. Nor did our much-needed nibbles at C’Est Cheese, just a quick walk through the Presidio neighborhood. As we walked the cobblestone pathways of this historic area, Jones offered local lore about the area’s rich culture, as well as pointing out a few short cuts that were new to me!

Some of the nibbles from C’Est Cheese. #regram @fit_lexy.

Margerum Wine Co. was our next tasting spot. Owner/winemaker Doug Margerum (one of the top local names in the industry) was there to greet us that day, which made our stop even more special. We also enjoyed tasting wines at Grassini Family Vineyards, (El Paseo, Suite 6) always a welcoming and charming experience, and Happy Canyon Vineyard, where Executive Winemaker Sean Pitts shared both wine and horse (the family is every bit as passionate about polo as they are about wine) stories with the group.

It really was a great way to spend the afternoon! To learn more, visit EatThisShootThat.com.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons on May 1, 2015.

Cocktail Corner: Brunch at the Outpost

Posted on April 20, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Outpost cocktails, courtesy photo

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

While I’m not quite one of those people who believe that brunch without booze is just a sad, late breakfast, I do believe that just about everything is better with bacon, especially day drinking!

Outpost, at the Goodland Hotel in Goleta, is a great place to hang out any time of day, but their recently added brunch is particularly delish. Sit outside if you can; poolside is a perfect, relaxed place to start your day with one of mixologist Chris Burmeister‘s creative concoctions like the Oaxacan Bracer, made of Mezcal, cantaloupe juice and lime, or the Corpse

Outpost brunch, photo by Leslie Dinaberg

Reviver #2, with Gin, Orange Curacao, Cocchi Americano, lemon juice and absinthe rinse (to get you in touch with your inner Van Gogh, who was known to indulge from time to time). They also have bottomless Mimosas, along with Bloody Marys, Bellinis and more creative Chevy Chasers like the Knickerbocker (made of Rum, dry Curacao, raspberry and lemon), the Red Snapper (with Gin, smoked oyster, horseradish, caper and cranberry juice) and the Smokemosa (made with Scotch, orange juice and sparkling wine).

I’m guessing Chef Derek Simcik might have had a cocktail or two to warm up his creative juices when he developed the brunch menu. I don’t know how else to explain the impulse to create a housemade “pop tart,” chock full of straight from the farmers’ market filling! Trust me, they’re delicious! (and I’m not usually a fruity sweet person).

The patio at the Goodland, photo by Amy Barnard

Actually it’s all delicious. We loved the Buckwheat Griddle Cakes, made with candied pecans, white chocolate custard and whipped brown sugar butter; the Market Benedict, with asparagus, Serrano, poached eggs, crab béarnaise and hash browns; the Chilaquiles, made from corn tortillas, avocado puree, crème, chorizo salsa and a sunny side up egg, and of course the bacon, available with a traditional egg, toast and hash brown combo; on a torta with scrambled eggs, avocado, queso fresco, black bean puree and hash browns or as a little something on the side.

The Outpost at the Goodland is located at 5650 Calle Real in Goleta, 805/964-1288, Outpostsb.com. Brunch is served on weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on April 17, 2015.

Leslie Dinaberg

Cocktail Corner: Good Wines, Good Causes

Posted on April 10, 2015 by lesliedinaberg

Fork & Cork 2014, photo by Eric Roland Photography

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Santa Barbara winemakers are a generous bunch. They constantly get hit up to donate wine to charitable events, and do so with stunning regularity, often pouring the wine themselves, and always with affable smiles on their faces.

A few causes that are particularly near and dear to the wine/food community have their own fundraising events coming up soon, and lucky us, we get to sip and savor and support them in style!

Coming up on May 3 is the 2nd annual Fork & Cork Classic, which brings food and wine aficionados together to benefit Santa Barbara County Foodbank. Held at the Montecito Country Club, this delicious fundraiser features tastings from an array of select wines and special dishes prepared by over 20 of Santa Barbara’s top restaurants and chefs, including Bella Vista at the Four Seasons, Blue Owl, Ca’Dario, Empty Bowls Noodle Bar, Finch & Fork, Industrial Eats, Jessica Foster Confections, Julienne, Montecito Country Club, Patxi’s, Santa Barbara Yacht Club, Succulent Cafe, The Secret Ingredient, The Pasta Shoppe and Whole Foods.

Participating wineries include Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Ampelos Cellars, Beckmen Vineyards, Blair Fox Vineyards, Consilience, Marianella & Tre Anelli, CORE Family Winery and Deep Sea by Conway Family Wines.

Additional wineries include Falcone Family Vineyards, Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, Nagy Wines, Pegasus Estate Winery, Scott Cellars, Silver Wines LLC, Turiya Wines, William James Cellars, Whitcraft Winery and Zaca Mesa Winery & Wineyards .

Also pouring are Ascendant Spirits, Caribbean Coffee Company, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, Island Brewing Company, Pressed Juicery, The Real McCoy Rum and Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

100% of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Foodbank’s 300 local nonprofit partners who supply nutritious meals to Santa Barbara County residents. Last year alone, the Foodbank served 140,575 people—over 25% of the local population, including 50,000 children. For more information or to purchase tickets visit http://www.forkandcorkclassic.org.

Fork & Cork 2014, photo by Eric Roland Photography

Also back for the second year at the Bacara Resort & Spa is the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend April 16—19 . I’ve written about this before but this is a great event for a good cause: The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. Child herself created the foundation, and the mission is to honor and further her legacy, which centers on the importance of understanding where food comes from, what makes for good food, and the value of cooking. It is a grant making, nonprofit which primarily funds research and scholarships for professional culinary training as well as other activities in the fields of gastronomy and the culinary arts.

Among the highlights this year is a special Saturday Night Grand Dinner & Reception with Kurt Russell featuring GoGi Wines, Hudson Bellamy Wines (inspired by actress Kate Hudson), and Ampelos Cellars. Russell will tell the stories behind the wines, their inspiration and their unique qualities driven by how they are grown and blended in the renowned Sta. Rita Hills AVA and there’s also a VIP access-only wine reception with live music followed by a four-course “ranch to table” dinner with his wine pairings.

Also on tap for the event is an educational lunch with Los Angeles power couple and celebrity chefs, Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC & Tavern) and David Lentz, chef/owner of Santa Barbara’s The Hungry Cat; cooking classes with famed chefs and cookbook authors, including Jim Dodge, Anne Willan and Virginia Willis; a Neighborhood Tasting & Market that explores Santa Barbara’s top up-and-coming food regions, including Los Alamos, Arts District and the Funk Zone and while lot more.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit BacaraCulinaryWeekend.com.

Kurt Russell, photo by Isaac Hernandez

Cheers! Click here for more cocktail corner columns. Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on April 10, 2015.

LeslieDinaberg.com

Leslie Dinaberg Editor & Writer

Category Archives: Cocktail Corner

Cocktail Corner: Festive Drinks for the Fourth

Cocktail Corner: A New Chapter in Cool Cocktails at CPK

Cocktail Corner: Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Cocktail Corner: SB Passport … to Libations!

Cocktail Corner: Passport Weekend at the Urban Wine Trail

Cocktail Corner: The California Directory of Fine Wineries

Cocktail Corner: Carr Winery’s New CrossHatch Label

Cocktail Corner: Lights, Camera, Cocktails

Cocktail Corner: Brunch at the Outpost

Cocktail Corner: Good Wines, Good Causes

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