Letter From the Editor, Drinks 2014

Following national trends, Boston’s local food community has fully embraced its area bartenders, brewers and distillers. There is excitement watching the interplay between kitchens and their bars. More and more, local restaurants, brewers of beer and distillers are reaching out to local farmers as suppliers and the drinking public is increasingly getting into it by crafting their own beers and cocktails. To celebrate these new relationships, Edible Boston joined in the party by creating this special Drinks edition. The research for the issue started out when Edible Boston’s staff went on a field trip to Hopster’s Brew and Boards to experience what was involved in brewing beer. Michael and Adam of our creative group have been experimenting with home brewing but the rest us were novices. The day was both fun and helpful, we now understand why home brewing has caught on. We created eight different Edible brews that we will share with our members at a special event in late February. I can’t wait to sample the results of our collaborative efforts!

I’ve also been fascinated with the increasing collaboration between restaurant kitchens and the restaurant’s bartenders. As Charles Draghi of Erbaluce explained, “Too many cocktails, before the current resurgence, were cloyingly sweet or else overpoweringly alcoholic. You wouldn’t want a diner to be drinking mudslides, say, or straight vodka martinis before a nice meal.” In this issue, we’ve highlighted only a few of the many bartenders in our area who succeed at making cocktails part of the entire dining experience.

Not wanting to ignore our wine community, we also take a look at the challenges facing Massachusetts’ winemakers who day-to-day find themselves going up against strong beliefs that good wine comes from far way. They are making inroads in changing people’s perceptions and we want to help!

Cheers!

Ilene Bezahler Publisher/Editor