We’ve all asked. Why is it that when you take off the lid of your morning take-out trying to get a sip of coffee, your met with a blast of steam that lets you know you’ll be waiting at least 15 minutes before the stuff is even remotely drinkable? Commercial drive-thru coffee isn’t just warm, … Read more
When we sit down in a bar or a trendy burger and encounter a word like bespoke on the menu, things seem amiss. Is there a fashion show happening? You may even be quizzed by a mixologist who asks you three questions about your childhood before mixing you a “bespoke cocktail.” Or have to pay … Read more
In the age of internet debunks and retroactive cynicism, a popular narrative has taken hold about Patrón tequila. A story about two American entrepreneurs who put an average spirit in a hand-blown bottle, slapped on a $40 price tag, and “convinced the world that tequila could be premium.” This neat and tidy tale, however, relies … Read more
It’s one of the most famous tea blends in the world. It’s also one of the most prestigious. Yet, the origin of Earl Grey tea is murky and subject to myth and storytelling. It’s history is shrouded by competing corporate claims and fanciful tales of appreciate Asians. Even its signature flavoring, bergamot, is open to … Read more
The public is divided on the subject of American cheese. You either have nostalgic affection for a childhood grilled cheese, or intense disgust toward what you believe is “fake, plastic food.” Food purists dismiss it as an industrial chemical creation and many insist that it isn’t real cheese at all. American cheese, however, isn’t a … Read more
Take a sip of an imported green-bottled Heineken in the United States, and you might immediately notice a sharp, pungent, sulfurous odor. For decades, this distinct aroma has left beer drinkers split into two distinct camps: The short answer? You aren’t imagining it, and the beer isn’t a bad batch. What you are smelling and … Read more