Sam's Upstate Blog – Thoughts and Reflections from Upstate New York

Downtown Chicago Architecture

I had an expected opportunity to visit a small part of downtown Chicago last week. I was impressed by how quiet it […]

This one is a variant of the Old Fashioned. I’m calling it the Weathered Beekeeper—a nod to the honey and smoke flavors, […]

In honor of National Bourbon Day today, I thought I’d try something new: the Improved Whisky Cocktail. It’s been around since at […]

I’ve been drinking exclusively NA beer for three months now, and this porter from Deschutes Brewing is the best I’ve encountered thus […]

Today’s bake followed Paul Hollywood’s recipe for white tin bread. I’ve made it before, and it’s a great simple loaf (easy enough […]

This was my first attempt at creating a non-alcoholic cocktail using a “non-alcoholic spirit.” The name is a nod to the fact […]

This is a pretty solid version of ordinary Guinness (which is already a fairly low ABV at 4.2%). It’s not quite as […]

This was my first attempt at mixing a cocktail that used a spirit “alternative” (something deliberately created and marketed as a non-alcoholic […]

I was impressed by this one. Despite what the brewer says, it’s more in the style of a schwartzbier than a porter […]

Not bad overall. It lacks the crispness I usually associate with an Oktoberfest or märzen-style beer, and it was rather more hazy […]