Edible Austin Beverage 2015 by Edible Austin

edible

No. 40 May/June | Beverage 2015

Austin

速

Celebrating Central Texas food culture, season by season

The

BEVERAGE Issue

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CONTENTS beverage issue 6

Publisher’s Note

Notable Mentions

On the Lege

HB 1616 would feed Texans better food.

Notable Edibles

Cuvée Coffee’s Black & Blue, Sway Water, Lauren’s Garden Fresh Squeezed Bloody Mary Mix.

Edible Spotlight

Local heroes.

Edible Endeavor

Shine on with Hill Country Distillers.

Edible Roots

Jacoby’s.

Edible Books

Q&A with Russell D. Kane.

Cooking Fresh

Take me fishing.

Hip Girl’s Guide To Homemaking

Mixer elixir.

La Casita de Buen Sabor

May wine.

The Directory

Notable Mentions

BEVERAGE features 16

by Knoxy.

Lewis Wines The new kids on the Texas wine block.

18 Stirring Tradition Quench your thirst with a homemade horchata.

22 Liber & Co. High-quality syrups for your home bar.

26 Pigskin for Grape Skin Chill with retired Oakland Raider’s wine.

38 A New Gineration How gin is capturing local distillers’ imaginations.

46 Pursuing Independence

Continued.

COVER: W inemaker Alphonse Dotson (page 26). Photography

An evolution at Independence Brewing Co.

Spin the Bottle Dublin Bottling Works moves beyond Dr Pepper.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

WATER TO WINE “Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” —Galileo Galilei, astronomer

PUBLISHER Marla Camp

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Jenna Northcutt

EDITOR Kim Lane

o matter how much you try to sugarcoat it, agriculture is a tough row to hoe in a drought.

Texas didn’t have the “damn-near disaster” year that farm manager

Jerry Schlitz of La Jolla Farming, a Central California Valley vineyard, described on NPR’s Morning Edition when the news of California’s record-low annual snow pack was announced in March, foretelling another miserable year for farming. But more than half of our state is still in some form of drought and you hear that same level of frustration in the voices of Texas farmers. Carol Ann Sayle of Boggy Creek Farm recalls an old saying, “Never was a rain a farmer liked. Too much or too little.” She adds, “Even a nice soft rain often turns vicious, especially if you compliment it. The weather, after all, controls everything, for good or for bad.” Unlike California, which sources much of its water from those snow packs in the Sierras, most of our water comes rolling into the state in rivers or seeping out from underground aquifers. But like California, water in Texas is controlled by a convoluted mess of state

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dawn Weston

COPY EDITOR Anne Marie Hampshire

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Melinda Barsales, Claire Cella, Dena Garcia, Cari Marshall Michelle Moore

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Susanna Cassady

ADVERTISING SALES Curah Beard, Valerie Kelly, Christine Kearney

and federal regulations, leaving many on the receiving (or not) end of things at a loss as to where to find solace amid the vagaries of the weather and the water districts. Not to make light of a serious situation, but this is where wine comes in.

“A waltz and a glass of wine invite an encore.” —Johann Strauss, composer It is not likely that the readers of Edible Austin need to be educated about the virtues of drinking wine. However, it has been our mission—since our second issue in the Fall of 2007 when we wrote about natural wine vintner Lewis Dickson of La Cruz de Comal winery near Canyon Lake—to educate ourselves on the virtues of supporting the wine and grape-growing industry in Texas. We started writing about Texas winemakers

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Greg Rose

ADVISORY GROUP Terry Thompson-Anderson, Paula Angerstein, Dorsey Barger, Jim Hightower, Toni Tipton-Martin, Mary Sanger, Suzanne Santos, Carol Ann Sayle

and vineyards that were getting it right when there were few champions of Texas wine, and nary a selection to be found on restaurant menus or quaffed in popular wine bars. Thanks to the research and passion of regular Edible Austin contributors such as Russ Kane (whose book “Texas Hill Country Wineries” is excerpted on page 50 in this issue) and Terry Thompson-Anderson (named a 2015 James Beard Award finalist for her book, “Texas on the Table”) we have learned a great deal along the way. And thanks to restaurateurs such as Ross Burtwell of Cabernet Grill in Fredericksburg and Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due in Austin, you can now dine out in top restaurants featuring exclusively all-Texas wine lists. What can those of us who have little control over the drought do to help our Texas farmers? Follow water conservation measures and drink more Texas wine. Cheers!

Edible Austin is published bimonthly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $30 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2015. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us.

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notable MENTIONS CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CENTRAL TEXAS JAMES BEARD AWARD FINALISTS Every year, the James Beard Foundation awards American food and beverage professionals with the highest honor in the industry, highlighting outstanding individuals including chefs, restaurateurs, cookbook authors, food journalists, restaurant designers and humanitarians. In late March, author Terry Thompson-Anderson, whose stories you may regularly read in Edible Austin, was announced as a finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook of the Year award. Her book, “Texas on the Table: People, Places, and Recipes Celebrating the Flavors of the Lone Star State,” published in the fall of 2014, features 150 recipes that showcase the bounty of Texas and shares the stories of those who cultivate, nurture and inspire the state’s culinary heritage. The final award will be announced April 24. Thompson-Anderson says of her nomination, “I was honestly never expecting this honor, so I must say it is a very gratifying acknowledgment of a long career.” In addition to Thompson-Anderson, other Austin-area finalists are Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine for the Best Chef: Southwest category. These winners will be announced May 4.

GOOD TASTE: PICNIC IN THE PARK On Sunday, May 31, pack your picnic, gather around a blanket with friends and family, and Marcus Sculpture Park at The Contemporary Austin’s historic Laguna Gloria campus. Co-presented by Edible Austin, Good Taste: Picnic in the Park will feature local sweets and treats by Make It Sweet and Pogue Mahone Pickles, and refreshments by High Brew Coffee, Independence Brewing Co., JuiceLand, Paula’s Texas Spirits and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Visit thecontemporaryaustin.org for more information.

Mark your calendars:

May 16th, 2015 Visit Historic Hico

Enjoy the best steak and wine Texas has to offer

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FredericksburgFarmersMarket.com

Meet the farmer that planted the seed that grew a tomato that went to market for you to choose to put on your table

for you to eat.

Tom Friedman, Looking Up (see page 82).

explore the picturesque Betty and Edward

NEW FARMERS MARKET AT THE DOMAIN North Austin residents will have a new weekly farmers market to call their own when Texas Farmers’ Market at Domain launches on May 10 from 3 to 6 p.m. on the lawn by the iPic Theatre. This Sunday afternoon market is the third weekend market for Texas Farmers’ Market (TFM). The success of Texas Farmers’ Market at Lakeline, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, and Texas Farmers’ Market at Mueller, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays—has fueled the organization’s quick evolution. “We are thrilled with our growth over the past five years,” says Carla Jenkins, TFM’s founder, “and how these successful producer-only, verified-vendor markets are leading the expansion of local, sustainable and artisan foods into new areas around town.” The market will open with around 40 vendors, with additional vendors coming soon. Visit texasfarmersmarket.org for details.

TEXAS OLIVE FEST RETURNS TO DRIPPIN’ The Texas Hill Country Olive Company once again celebrates all things olive with the 3rd Annual Texas Olive Fest in Dripping Springs, May 28-31. Set amid 17 acres of organic olive orchards in

EDIBLE ESCAPE Contest Photo

the Hill Country, the festival features food and wine vendors, music, orchard tours, olive education seminars, olive tree sales, cooking demonstrations, a kids play area, movie night and even a short opera inspired by Julia Child. Visit texasolivefest.com for details.

BUDS AND SUDS IN BLANCO The picturesque Hill Country town of Blanco hosts a flurry of fun events this time of year. On May 16, Bicycle Sport Shop’s Real Ale Ride returns, where cyclists can “Up the hills and down the beers!” This bicycle ride for all levels has distances of 15, 30, 50, 65 and 80 miles. Routes are fully supported and end at the Real Ale brewery in Blanco for a post-ride celebration with local beer and barbecue. The ride benefit nonprofits Bike Austin and Friends of Blanco State Park. And then there’s the popular 11th Annual Blanco Lavender Festival, June 12–14. Visitors can enjoy free tours of Hill Country Lavender and Imagine Lavender Farm, shop at the Lavender Market on Blanco’s historic town square, hear speakers and watch cooking demonstrations and taste special dishes from local restaurants, all featuring the fragrant native flower at the height of its season. Visit blancochamber.com for more.

SPRECHEN SIE CRAFT BEER? The first-ever Wurstfest Craft Beer Festival will take place on the Wurstfest grounds in New Braunfels on Saturday, May 9. Enjoy craft beers on tap,

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brewery tastings under the Stelzenhaus and music from The Texas Tornados, Two Tons of Steel, Tom Gillam’s Kosmic Messengers, and Kori Free & The Groove Hounds. The festival will also feature a homebrew competition with the Best in Show prize being the winner’s beer professionally brewed and served at Wurstfest 2015 (November 15–16). Visit wurstfest.com/craftbeerfestival for tickets, including a limited number of VIP passes and a complete schedule. Find more Notable Mentions on page 81.

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on the LEGE FEEDING TEXANS BETTER FOOD Austin’s own Eddie Rodriguez (D-Austin) has proposed a bill before the Texas Legislature that could change the way low-income Texans shop for food. If passed, House Bill 1616 would create a pilot program allowing recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as “food stamps,” to double the value of their benefits if they shop for produce at farmers markets. Under the proposed Double Dollars pilot program, low-income families would have the option to, for instance, spend $40 throughout the course of a month at a supermarket or $80 on fruits and vegetables at their local farmers market. By leveraging public and private resources, the Double Dollars program takes aim at socalled “food deserts,” that is, census tracts with high concentrations of poverty and with little or no access to healthy food vendors. After the success of a similar program—the 2009 Double Up Food Bucks program in Michigan—SNAP incentives received a boost in 2014 when the U.S. Congress appropriated $100 million for the newly created Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program, which provides funds to organizations across America that offer SNAP incentives. The strategy embodied by SNAP incentives—enticing people to eat healthily as opposed to punishing them for unhealthy eating—is a dramatically different approach than the spate of high-profile efforts by local governments to either ban or impose “sin taxes” on trans-fat, soda and other junk foods. So far, the carrot has proved more politically palatable than the stick. The fracas that ensued after New York City and Berkeley, California, imposed soda taxes stands in sharp contrast to the broad-based, bipartisan support that SNAP incentives received in the U.S. Congress. Indeed, SNAP incentives were one of the few issues on which Democrats and Republicans were able to see eye-to-eye during the 113th Congress. Incentivizing people to shop at farmers markets not only wins the approval of SNAP recipients, but farmers as well. Michigan farmers— the first to reap the benefits of the program—report outselling farmers in neighboring states without the program. In a city like Austin, which takes pride in supporting local businesses, SNAP incentives would allow both shoppers and taxpayers to keep their dollars local. Fiscal conservatives in the Texas Legislature may take heart in the prospect that SNAP incentives could save Texas money. Taxpayers in the U.S. currently spend upwards of $100 billion per year treating obesity-related conditions that arise from poor diets. Because Double Dollars funds can only be used to purchase fruits and vegetables at the markets, the increased consumption of produce among SNAP recipients has the potential to drive down the costs of Medicaid, Medicare

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and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In 2013, 93 percent of participants in Michigan’s Double Up Food Bucks program reported eating more produce, as well as experimenting with a variety of new fruits and vegetables because of incentive dollars. While SNAP incentives are not a panacea for all of America’s food ills, they are an innovative policy solution that both stimulates local economies and combats food insecurity. — Alex Canepa

notable EDIBLES

CUVÉE’S NITRO COFFEE IN A CAN

f a beer snob can learn to like brew in a can, why can’t a coffee drinker? That’s what Cuvée Coffee Founder Mike McKim bet

on when he launched his new Black & Blue as a cold and canned

“The bright lemon character of Sorachi Ace subtly shines in Brooklyn’s saison.”

coffee last November. “Several years ago, the idea of craft beer

MEN’S JOURNAL

in a can was crazy,” says McKim, who launched Cuvée in 1998.

“Catapults the senses to an unexpected destination ...Teriffic stuff.”

“Then Oskar Blues Brewery started canning and people were like, ‘Holy shit! It’s so much better!’” The craft beer industry inspired more than Black & Blue’s container. McKim liked what the injection of nitrogen did for Left Hand Brewing’s Milk Stout Nitro and thought it would bring the same zip to coffee. “It adds texture, mouthfeel, tactility,” he says. It’s not a bad visual effect either—cascading as thick and creamy as a Guinness when poured. McKim spent time at Oskar Blues learning the ins and outs of canning and nitrogenation, but to arrive at Black & Blue’s distinctive flavor profile, he applied the artistry of “variable temperature brewing”—adding just the right combination of hot and cold water at just the right moments. But what about the can itself ? What’s the advantage? According to advocates, cans cool faster and protect what’s inside from the ill effects of UV light.

EATER

“Fruity, spicy and refreshing...The brightest saison we’ve ever had.” DRAFT MAGAZINE

“I’ve become slightly obsesses with Brooklyn Brewery Sorachi Ace.” ANNE BECERRA FOR SERIOUS EATS

They’re also friendlier than glass for both the environment and an active lifestyle. “When I go camping, I’m not going to bring glass anything with me,” says McKim. “If I can roll over in my tent in the morning and pop open a can of coffee, that’s magic for me.” —Steve Wilson For more information, visit cuveecoffee.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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UNDER THE SWAY OF H2O

hen you’re caught up in the romance of a honey-

moon, even the water at a restaurant can seem special. For Albert Swantner and Sarah Syma, the water on their post-nuptial trip wasn’t just special—it was a business opportunity. The couple couldn’t get enough of the cucumber-infused water they’d sipped at a Quebec City restaurant in 2013, but when they came back to Austin thirsty for more, they never found anything to match the flavor. “We tried what was out there and realized none of them were doing it right,” says Swantner, a mobile app developer.

I found

my fire at the Blanton.

–Aaron Franklin

What will you find?

“We thought we could do it better.” Together with their organic farmer friend, Paul Westbrook, the couple developed an artisanal fruit-infused water they call Sway. Unlike other flavored waters out there, which tend to use chemical extracts, Sway gets its zing from real organic fruit. “The whole

Photo by Wyatt McSpadden

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fruit,” says Swantner. “No artificial anything.” Sway comes in four flavors—strawberry rosemary, cucumber mint lime, grapefruit basil and lemon ginger—each designed to “sway” the drinker’s emotions one way or another. To ensure its more sensitive customers won’t be swayed toward anger, the company has made the

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operation as sustainable as possible. Swantner and crew use purified Austin tap water, local fruits and recyclable glass bottles, and they compost the leftovers from processing. And aside from the reverse osmosis machine that gussies up the water, they do everything by hand—using human manpower to steep the fruit and bottle the finished product. “It’s like tea; a simple process,” says Swantner. Since the first batch rolled out in October, Sway has flowed through the refrigerators of places such as JuiceLand, VertsKebap, Thom’s Market, Wright Bros. Brew & Brew and Skinny Limits. They even pay customers 25 cents for every bottle redeemed. What’s more to sway? —Steve Wilson For more information, visit swaywater.com

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HOT TOMATO

hat kick in the palate from your bloody mary might be packing more than just tomato and spices. Most bloody mary mix-

es on the shelf come chock-full of sodium and preservatives, and maybe even some MSG for good measure. “They’re pretty nasty for you,” says Lauren Kelleher, founder of Lauren’s Garden. “They’re made to exist on the shelf for a year.” Imagine Kelleher’s surprise when her Travis Heights neighbors—celebrating their annual garden tomato party—made her a version of the cocktail using fresh ingredients. “They would juice the tomatoes themselves to make the bloody marys,” she recalls. “I was so amazed by how light and refreshing and healthy it tasted.” Determined to bring that experience to the grocery store aisle, Kelleher left her job in marketing at Dripping Springs Vodka and bought an industrial-grade juicer (plus lots of tomatoes). With just the right addition of lemon and lime juices, pink Himalayan sea salt, ground celery seed, horseradish and other spices, she came up with the Southwest’s first all-natural, gluten-free bloody mary mix made from freshly juiced tomatoes. Lauren’s Garden Fresh Squeezed Bloody Mary Mix stuffs a whopping three pounds of tomatoes (sourced locally most of the year and from Marfa in the winter) into each 1-liter bottle, and with a little pressurization to destroy bacteria, the mix can survive refrigerated for up to eight weeks. Since launching in October, Lauren’s Garden has found its way into Friends & Neighbors on East Cesar Chavez, Wahoo’s Fish Taco on South Congress, Farmhouse Delivery, Whole Foods Market and five farmers markets: Lone Star Farmers Market in Bee Cave, Texas Farmers’ Market (TFM) at Mueller, TFM at Lakeline, TFM at Domain and Barton Creek Farmers Market. And now, Kelleher—who can wax easily about “deep, warm, earthy flavors” and “sweet roundness” like the wisest sommelier—has crafted new mixes beyond the original flavor. She’s thrown in freshly juiced serrano peppers in one version, and has a new batch in the works for this summer that will blend oranges and jalapeños. “A little like a sangrita,” she says. But perhaps it’s her recent habanero edition, the spiciest of all, that proves she knows her local market all too well. “Texans really like a lot of heat and spice,” she says. —Steve Wilson For more information, visit laurensgardenmix.com

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edible VINTNERS

LEWIS WINES BY K R I ST I W I L L I S • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY W H I T N EY M A RT I N

Owners Doug Lewis (left) and Duncan McNabb share a toast.

he large warehouse home of Lewis Wines just outside

wanted to start a winery when they made their first batch of wine

Johnson City isn’t especially picturesque. Yet the happy

in the attic of Pedernales Cellars in 2010.

customers standing around tasting tables tucked in be-

Lewis had discovered Texas wines through a roommate who

tween wine barrels and tanks don’t seem to mind one bit. It ap-

worked for Llano Estacado. “He would bring home the sample bot-

pears that what the facility may currently lack in curb appeal is

tles after a tasting at H-E-B or Randall’s, and I got curious about why

more than made up for in craft. Owners Doug Lewis and Duncan

I liked one more than the other,” he says. His curiosity led him to

McNabb, college buddies who met playing soccer, are relatively

volunteer for the harvest at Pedernales Cellars, and the winery hired

new kids on the Texas wine block, and weren’t even sure they

him the next week. Over the next two years, he worked harvests and

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“The easier it is to grow and make good fruit, the better the wine gets. There may be a market for a hundred-dollar cabernet sauvignon, but if the grape isn’t growing well or won’t ripen here, then it doesn’t matter.” —Doug Lewis all able bodies pitching in to get the crops picked from both vineyards before the grapes became overly ripe. While Lewis Wines waits for its vines in Johnson City to become productive (it takes three years for plants to yield quality grapes), they’re using fruit from the Round Mountain vineyard as well as from grape growers across the state. Often new winemakers have to choose from what growers have available, but Lewis Wines’ steady production of 3,000 cases per year, and widespread praise, have made it easier to convince growers to take a chance on grapes they might not otherwise choose. “This season, a grower sent us a list of what they were planning and asked what we wanted on the other hundred and fifty acres,” says led tastings and tours. He’d caught the wine bug, and asked permis-

Lewis. “We used to have to pay for the vines up front, and now I

sion to make his own wine in an unused attic nook of the winery. But

have a grower asking what I want. That’s amazing.”

the process was more labor-intensive than Lewis had bargained for,

Blanc du bois grapes from East Texas have been high on the

and he asked his buddy McNabb to come out and help. McNabb’s

winery’s shopping list because it’s the primary grape in its pop-

chemistry degree came in handy as the pair learned the ins and outs

ular Swim Spot Vinho Verde. A glass of the crisp, acidic, slightly

of vinification, and soon McNabb was hooked, as well.

effervescent white wine is a perfect foil to the Texas heat, and has

After that first batch, Lewis and McNabb decided to start a small

been popping up in wine shops and on restaurant menus across

brand. In 2011, they began managing a vineyard in Round Mountain

Austin. “We love Vinho Verde,” says Lewis. “If your choices on a

in Blanco County. They also bought property in Johnson City and

hot summer day are a light beer or a Vinho Verde, well, you know

slowly settled in to the business of winemaking—focusing on the

what we’d pick.”

varietals that thrive in the unpredictable Texas weather (Spanish

Ideally, Lewis would like to can the popular wine to make it

and Portuguese varietals, such as tempranillo, touriga nacional and

easier to carry for summer outings, but with the 10 percent alco-

tinta cão). “The easier it is to grow and make good fruit, the bet-

hol content (versus 5 percent for beer), they’d need to use a small-

ter the wine gets,” says Lewis. “There may be a market for a hun-

er can. Unfortunately, the area canning units only accommodate a

dred-dollar cabernet sauvignon, but if the grape isn’t growing well

standard 12-ounce can, not the 6-ounce cans used by a few other

or won’t ripen here, then it doesn’t matter.”

winemakers such as Coppola.

Lewis had learned this lesson early on. That first year man-

In the meantime, Lewis Wine fans will have to settle for bot-

aging the Round Mountain vineyard, he came home from an ear-

tled wine, which they can buy in an increasing number of Austin

ly-July trip to Argentina to discover an unpleasant surprise. When

venues. The Whip In, Travis Heights Beverage World and East

he checked on the vineyard, the grapes were ripe four weeks ear-

End Wines carry the brand, and diners can find it on the menus

ly. He called Pedernales Cellars to see if they were in the same

at Dai Due, Salt & Time and other local restaurants. Better yet,

situation and learned that most of their vineyard staff was also

make an appointment (and the short trek out to Johnson City) to

on vacation. It was all hands on deck for everyone around, with

visit Lewis, McNabb and the crew to see their new tasting room. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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edible TASTES

STIRRING TRADITION BY L ES M C G E H E E • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY W H I T N EY M A RT I N

Christina Torres, Aurelio Torres’ daughter-in-law, stirs the special family recipe for horchata served at Mi Madre’s. 18

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“The best way to quench your thirst…is with an agua de horchata” —Mando Rayo

h, the cool environs of Mi Madre’s restaurant. This first warm day of the year in near East Austin is a little too warm, actually…hello, Texas. But the bricks of the lovely,

small, meticulously clean and inviting restaurant, along with the low-wattage string lights, create an easy, dreamy interior—a floating, happy cool. Just after the breakfast rush, Mando Rayo—local author, social activist and self-proclaimed “Taco Professor”—sits chatting with Mi Madre’s owner, Aurelio Torres. Part of the welcoming chill in the room emanates from the beautiful alabaster glass of agua de horchata on the table, at which Mando keeps smiling, a cinnamon stick visible under the frosty rich goodness like a yum stalk ready to blossom into salivary satisfaction. Aurelio looks comfortably proud. He knows that his handcrafted version of the beloved sweet rice-milk drink is a fresh and robust example of the fluffy down pillow of a beverage that’s been pleasing a multitude of cultures and palates, young and old, all over Austin and points beyond. Mando hums as he takes his first sip. “For me, horchata is a staple—ever since I was a kid going to the mercado with my family in Mexico City, and later, Juarez. Picture a hot day, the city is bustling as everyone makes trips to el mercado to get stuff they need for their home and work. So it’s hot, busy, and the smells are intense from the market and the puestos [stands] lining the street as you get near the market…from the city, the flautas, the menudo…the butcher stands!” (He accentuates with a scrunchyface and mini-shudder.) “The best way to quench your thirst and manage the aromas is with an agua de horchata.” Mando knows what he is talking about. He’s no stranger to answering the frequent pleas to act as Mexifood tour guide and cultural ambassador for visiting groups—even giant food companies—

be found in all Hispanic cultures. The drink can be traced back a

that come to Austin hoping to better understand our mash-up of

thousand years to barley horchata from Valencia, Spain, where it’s

Mexican, Tejano and South American-derived foods and traditions

now regulated as to which towns may produce which varieties—

that are, albeit thoroughly Austin, a more accurate descriptor of

with pride—as though they were wine regions. Nowadays, the re-

our culture and history than most other research materials com-

gional Spanish horchata is typically served with fartons. (Shut up.

bined. The requests keep Mando pretty busy. And Aurelio is busy,

They’re long spongy donuts perfect for horchata dipping.)

too—making his rounds from table to table, getting community

Our part of the world loves the drink over ice, while other

updates and shaking hands—gently stirring the restaurant’s atmo-

horchatistas prefer it warm in the wintertime. In Austin, you’ll

sphere and the diners’ experiences in the same conscientious and

see it ordered by itself, with a meal, after a meal or even as part

purposeful way he stirs horchata. It’s a perfect scene representing

of a cocktail. And while Texas and Mexico tend towards an horch-

the cultural crossroads via food that Mando preaches so well.

ata that’s sweet with condensed milk and cinnamon, other Lati-

Of course, horchata is definitely one of the things preached. He

no cultures have their own spin on the ancient recipes. “Central

speaks fluently about the known benefits—of both the medicinal

America uses things like pumpkin seeds,” says Mando, through an

and hedonistic varieties—and how versions of the beverage can

horchata moustache. “They create different colors of horchata. It EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2015

just depends where you grew up and what was available.” As Mando tips his glass to get every last drop, Aurelio circulates back to our table. “We make horchata the way my mother made it,” he says. “Lots of people nowadays take the easy way with mixes and processed flours. It should be made fresh!” With the help of Aurelio’s daughter-in-law, Christina Torres, who also

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works at the restaurant, the family puts theirs together the night before. “Everything good takes work!” Okay, horchata, you win. We love you and your sweet evocation, and we’ll continue to enjoy you as a cool treat, a rich lunch beverage or a stirrer of memories as we see fit. We will give you to our children and then add alcohol to our own, or not. And we promise to gaze lovingly at, and pull often from, the clear beehive jars and captivating spinning machines that cradle your sweet nectar. Today, you’ve made Aurelio Torres immensely proud and sent Mando Rayo back to work with a refreshed demeanor and a warm heart.

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edible ENDEAVOR

LIBER & CO. BY C L A I R E C E L L A • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L

alking back to the production room, Chris Harrison

key ingredient to be cinchona bark and promptly ordered a

abruptly glances at the slender silver cup he’s holding. “I

shipment. He shared the information with his friends, and after

just realized I’m drinking coffee out of a cocktail shaker!”

months of nightly phone conversations—sharing the details of

he says with a slightly embarrassed laugh. The mix-up seems funny

each other’s successes and failures making the syrup—they de-

at first, but for the cofounder of craft-cocktail-syrup-producer Liber

cided to try to bottle and sell this passion.

& Co., it’s actually quite apropos.

In 2012, the three convened in a steamy, crowded corner of a

The inspiration for the syrup business was born in late 2011, the

luxury hotel kitchen in Lawrence during dinner service—stirring

result of a “collective light bulb” of Chris and two friends, brothers

their first official batch of tonic syrup. Chris’ neighbor was the

Adam and Robert Higginbotham. During their years as students

executive chef at the hotel and had allowed them to use the space

at the University of Texas at Austin, the three often cohosted din-

for production. They made about 20 cases of syrup that weekend,

ners and barbecues at their home—mixing simple drinks for their

and christened the new endeavor with the name “Liber” in honor

friends using herbs they’d snipped from their own backyard gar-

of the Roman god of viticulture, wine, fertility and freedom, and

den. As the trio grew progressively more curious about, and inter-

the patron deity of Rome’s plebeians. They flew back to their re-

ested in, making authentic cocktails, they also became frustrated

spective homes with the bottles tucked in their checked luggage.

by the lack of quality ingredients available in liquor stores.

The defining moment for the trio happened when Robert

After graduating, Chris and Robert pursued careers in Kan-

took a case of the syrup into P&C Market, a gourmet grocery

sas and Washington, D.C., respectively, while Adam remained

importer near Capitol Hill. Armed with soda water, gin and their

in Austin. But the three stayed in touch and continued to swap

new tonic, he mixed a drink for the owner—explaining how their

cocktail recipes. It was Chris who stumbled upon a house ton-

tonic could enable the re-creation of quality bar drinks at home.

ic syrup used in a local craft cocktail bar in Lawrence, Kansas.

The owner wrote a check on the spot and made it out to Liber &

Intrigued, he researched how to make tonic syrups, found the

Co.—an entity that didn’t even have a bank account yet.

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From left: Adam Higginbotham, Chris Harrison and Robert Higginbotham.. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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enjoy the heat! 3/22/15 8:37 PM

Adam says there was never a discussion of whether or not to keep things moving but how, considering they all lived in different states. For consistency and quality control, they decided to reunite in Austin (Adam with Chris in 2013, and Robert joining in 2014) and brew, bottle, label and ship from their own production space. In ad-

increase your

Tex Appeal

dition to the inaugural spiced tonic, the brothers now offer five other essential and elemental cocktail staples, including classic gum syrup, real grenadine, pineapple gum syrup, fiery ginger syrup and Texas grapefruit shrub. Their syrups are made using the highest quality ingredients available, such as cinchona bark that can only be found in Latin America, Imperial sugar from Sugar Land, Texas, pomegranate juice from a family farm in California and grapefruit from the Texas Citrus Exchange in Mission, Texas. In a fortunate turn of events, as Liber & Co. has expanded, its path has run parallel to the renaissance of the cocktail culture, which includes a democratization of access to craft products; a focus on community building and savoring experiences; and a resurgence in consumer concern for the source, creation and quality of ingredients. In the beginning, the brothers had one simple mission: to make essential cocktail syrups that would allow hosts at home to mix cocktails as good as those at exclusive bars. But since bottling the first batch, and the thousands that have followed, they’ve realized that they have the ability to empower and educate well beyond the home mixologist. Their tonics can be used in bars, as well— equipping both the small everyman bars and the high-volume bars that lack access to staff knowledge, fresh ingredients and time, with the products to compete and contribute to the cocktail revival. Increasingly, Liber & Co. is embracing this second educational mission aimed at mentoring and motivating a generation that cares about the quality of what it consumes. Quality mixers, Adam notes, are the staple ingredients for a good cocktail, and the company’s handmade and natural syrups support the caliber of the exceptional gins and small-batch, barrel-aged bourbons already seen in the industry. “What I would love to see,” Adam adds, “is people opening up their pantry or fridge, taking stock and being able to make something that’s not only good but maybe even creative, because they see the opportunity with what they have.”

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FARMERS diary

PIGSKIN FOR GRAPE SKIN BY ST EV E W I LSO N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY K N OXY

“I asked [my grandfather]: ‘You can grow grapes in Texas?’ He looked at me and smiled.” —Alphonse Dotson 26

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hen retired Oakland Raider Alphonse Dotson told his family they were moving from Acapulco to start a vineyard in Texas, they didn’t buy it. “The kids were like, ‘He’s

gonna get out of the hammock and stop drinking mescal and playing chess all day?’” Dotson recalls. “No, that ain’t gonna happen.” True, the former defensive tackle had been leading a relaxing lifestyle in the resort town for a good 15 years, but nobody could argue he didn’t have drive. After Dotson’s mother caught him forging her signature to get on the football team of his Houston high school, he made it up to her by graduating in the top 10 of his class of 400. Though courted by the likes of University of Michigan upon graduating, he chose Grambling State University because “they were fast, agile and a little mean.” When he broke his foot and had to return to the team’s third string, he pushed himself so hard that he made first-team all-American. Even after going pro in 1964, he had to go through a couple of teams (“I would get verbal with the managers.”) before finding a home with the Raiders. “The team I’d been taught to hate turned out to be the one I loved,” he says. high school marching band planted 6,800 cabernet sauvignon, Gridiron to Grapevine

chardonnay and merlot vines. The 30 acres yielded 27 tons in

Dotson stayed driven outside the field, too. In the off-sea-

1998, 50 tons in 1999 and 110 tons by 2002. Fall Creek Winery

son, he taught art and then special education at a high school

liked the quality of Certenberg’s crops so much that it struck up

in New Orleans. Leaving football in 1971, he worked with at-risk

a partnership to become the vineyard’s sole client.

youth as a juvenile probation officer (“I only lost one kid to the

Then came the challenges. Late freezes dropped the yield to

system.”) and as a staffer at Julia C. Hester House community

two tons for the next seven years. Dotson installed drip irriga-

center back in Houston. When his attempted oil field trucking

tion and overhead sprinklers to fight off the frost, removed the

business imploded after his partner disappeared with a 20-ton

moisture-sucking mesquite from adjacent land and cut back 10

poll truck, he flew to Acapulco to calm down. “I wasn’t there to

acres to redevelop the plants. But to really save the operation, he

chase women, just to cool out, to keep from doing 5-10,” he says.

took a more risky step: he created a full-fledged winery.

Instead, he wound up meeting and marrying Martha Cervantes, an internal troubleshooter for a hotel and resort company.

A Vintner by Necessity

Dotson and Cervantes merged their families from previous mar-

Dotson and Cervantes launched Wines of Dotson-Cervantes

riages in a house with a great view of the Pacific. But after more

in 2009—signing an alternating proprietorship contract to be-

than a decade as a stay-at-home dad, Dotson’s old drive returned.

come an independent winery within Fall Creek. Dotson-Cervant-

This time, he got the bug to create a vineyard. Though he took a

es rolled out Gotas de Oro (“drops of gold”), a muscat canelli,

research trip to Napa Valley, Texas was the only place he ever con-

later that year, followed by last year’s cabernet-merlot blend,

sidered—having been dazzled as a child by the grape arbor over

Something Red. Both wines have won various awards around

his grandfather’s carport. “I asked [my grandfather]: ‘You can grow

the state and beyond, thanks in no small measure to Dotson

grapes in Texas?’” Dotson says. “He looked at me and smiled.”

and Cervantes’ constant weekend trips promoting their product. The winery, which runs a tasting room in Pontotoc, Texas,

Peel Me a Grape, Y’all After a lot of homework and visits with several experts around the state, Dotson zeroed in on Lubbock, the Red River Valley

sold 1,100 cases last year—a number Dotson would like to get up to “a solid 2,500,” but no higher than 4,300. “We don’t want to mass-produce,” he says. “We’re somewhat small and quaint.”

and the Hill Country as potential vineyard sites. The three ar-

Small, quaint and always there when his children need a place

eas have the kind of sandy clay loam that retains nutrients but

to “cool out.” They’re all grown and out of the house, but they

drains away excess water—perfect for grapevine roots. With an

know there’s room to come back for a spell if they need to. “I

agent commission he earned when he helped his son sign with

wanted to develop this not just for myself, but for my family, so

the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dotson bought 83 acres in Voca (off

the youngsters would always have a place to come back to and

Highway 71, his jersey number) in 1996—christening the land

regroup and revitalize,” says Dotson. “But for now, it’s ‘Hey, get

Certenberg Vineyards. The next year, he, his family and the local

your ass out!’’’ EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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edible SPOTLIGHT

LOCAL HERO AWARDS BY C L A I R E C E L L A

ast fall, we asked Edible Austin readers to vote for their local food heroes—those who are making significant contributions to our food scene. We’re honored to present

the winners of our 2015 Local Hero Awards, with a peek into why they’ve become such an integral force for good and deliciousness in Austin’s community.

FOO

ocal Her D SHOP

FOOD SHOP Antonelli’s Cheese Shop

ocal Her

When Antonelli’s Cheese Shop opened in Hyde Park in 2010, CH

/ R E S TA U R A

CHEF / RESTAURANT Chef Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due Jesse Griffiths and Dai Due have been a large part of the culinary dialogue in Austin for years—ever since Dai Due was but a humble booth at the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown in late 2000 and hosted supper clubs and workshops. Recently recast as a restaurant and butcher shop, Dai Due continues to be regionally sourced, seasonal, savored and sought after. On the menu, Griffiths’ craft appears both classic (think biscuits and gravy, pastrami

its essential draw was the ease with which customers could simply pop in to find a plentiful assortment of carefully chosen and artfully placed cheeses from both near and far. Owners John and Kendall Antonelli represent a passionate font of knowledge about their curated collection: Don’t be surprised if a quick trip turns into a prolonged stay when they practically pull up a chair to make you feel right at home while you savor the sharp scents, velvet interiors and sometimes pungent samples. And the couple has expanded their love via classes at the shop; creative collaborations with other chefs and restaurants; and through events such as the Cheers! to Cheese series, pop-up picnics on the city’s lawns and beer pairings with local breweries.

sandwiches and fried chicken) and mythic (cemita with veni-

FOOD ARTISAN

son barbacoa, pon haus and queso flameado)—appealing to the

confituras

eccentric tastes and eager expectations of Austin’s denizens. Still known for multicourse nightly supper clubs, Dai Due is now open

It’s an unfortunate reality that fresh food doesn’t last forev-

for breakfast and lunch every day except Monday, and the front

er, but this shortcoming has created opportunity for Stephanie

butcher shop and market are there to tempt the appetite with the

McClenny. If you want figs in the dead of winter or strawber-

likes of goat chops, porchetta, bone broths and pickled vegetables.

ries in the scorching summer, she can help. Since 2010,

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of fresh produce; a popular morning market to socialize and spend time together; a backyard space that has hosted events from weddings to pig roasts; and partnerships with some of Austin’s most prestigious farm-to-table restaurants. But when they started the farm more than seven years ago, they hoped to do even more. Now, through their educational food, music and arts events, the Foores show others the powerful way food can galvanize community, culture and compassion. By encour-

ocal Her

aging and inviting people to visit and experience an urban farm through tours, fundraisers, weddings and supper clubs, the Foores further the awareness and the appreciation of the local

A RT I S A N OOD

food scene, which in the end, helps us all.

McClenny has packaged precious and petite jars of jams, jellies, marmalades and most recently, salts—allowing consumers to capture the tangy zest of a Meyer lemon and the ruby-red blush of a grapefruit long past their local seasons. What these little jars lack in size, they make up for in flavor and flair. McClenny makes her creative concoctions in small batches with ingredients sourced organically and from Central Texas whenever possible—exercising with success the adage of quality over quantity. All one needs is a simple schmear of McClenny’s bourbon brown sugar peach preserves on toast, or a pinch of cowgirl salt on a piece of Gulf fish, to appreciate the magic she’s managed to catch and can. And while she seals her jars tightly, she’s not one

craft to others through seasonal canning classes and demos.

R A G E A RT I S

BEVERAGE ARTISAN Tipsy Texan There’s a resounding theme in this year’s local hero awards. Not only are the winners masters at what they’ve devoted themselves to—from farming to cooking to canning—

ocal Her

Photography of Jesse Griffiths by Jenna Northcutt and of the Antonelli’s by Kate LeSueur

ocal Her

to bottle up her knowledge. McClenny generously spreads her

F RM / ARMER

but they’re also willing, and often overwhelmingly eager, to share this mastery. In the beverage scene, David Alan is no exception. This professional and personable mixologist, who goes by the moniker “Tipsy Texan,” has been teaching and training Austin’s barkeepers and bar patrons for the past 15 years. In doing so, Alan uses his other expertise—conviviali-

FARM / FARMER

ty—to encourage the use of fresh fruit juices, in-season herb-

Glenn and Paula Foore of Springdale Farm

al infusions and local liquors and beers. His 2013 book, “Tipsy Texan: Spirits and Cocktails from the Lone Star State,”

Glenn and Paula Foore, the owners of Springdale Farm, have

is a Texan tippler’s bible—offering readers a tour of our best

provided the community with so much: over 75 different varieties

distilleries, bars and bartenders, and the foundational lessons EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2015

needed to re-create the same cocktails and spirits at home. Alan even created a comprehensive educational program called Tipsy Tech to teach the history behind spirit distillation and the practice of using these spirits in mixology.

L the natural choice.

NON

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ocal Her PROFIT

NONPROFIT Sustainable Food Center Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve undoubtedly heard of the Sustainable Food Center (SFC). This nonprofit and its dedicated staff of program directors, garden managers, farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; market coordinators and educators have their figurative hands deep in almost everything related to local food and sustainability that occurs in Austin. A large part of this is literal, too, and involves showing people how easy it is to roll up their sleeves and plunge their hands into real dirt. SFC was founded over two decades ago in 1993 with the mission of cultivating a community that not only has access to nutritious and affordable food, but also participates in the local food system through gardening, cooking and, most importantly, confidence. Armed with the core values of fun, empowerment, collaboration, integrity and resourcefulness, SFC has been creating and providing opportunities for children and adults alike to learn and grow. Among their endeavors are programs such as Grow Local (which offers the resources necessary to start gardens in backyards, in schoolyards and within communities), Farm Direct (which connects and delivers local and farm-fresh produce straight to consumers), the Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre (which empowers people through community cooking, nutrition and skill-building classes to be self-sufficient in the kitchen) and of course, hosting the beloved weekly farmers markets.

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SHINE ON BY T E R RY T H O M PSO N -A N D E RSO N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A N DY SA M S

his is a story about moonshine, but not the unregulated, illegal corn-squeezin’s made deep in the woods by someone’s grandpappy. No, this high-octane elixir is 100 percent on the up-and-

up, and it’s made by John and Cayce Kovacs in Comfort, Texas. Of course, the Kovacses never intended to get into the moonshine business, but one day back in 2012, Cayce visited a friend in Bandera and was treated to some homemade distillation made from prickly pear cactus pads. Despite the eyebrow-curling level of alcohol, Cayce was very impressed by the smooth taste of the liquor, and when she returned home, she urged her husband to try to make some of it. To learn the process the right way, the couple traveled to the Kentucky woods, where moonshine still reigns. Through sources that wish to remain anonymous, John and Cayce were able to speak to some of the best moonshiners in the area and study their operations. Many, of course, wouldn’t allow photos to be taken of themselves or their equipment, but they shared advice. And although these distillers were using corn mash to make their ’shine, the couple wondered about the possibility of using a prickly pear cactus pad mash from Texas, instead. They followed up by sending samples of the pureed cactus mash to several of the distillers and all agreed it was entirely doable. In September of 2013, Texas state law changed to allow retail sales and sampling of distilled spirits at the site of a distillery. The couple named their operation Texas Hill Country Distillers and received their state license in December of 2013. It took another six months to get their federal license, and even more time to get their label approved. And they admit there were a few bumps along the way. “What we wanted to do really didn’t fit into any of the gov-

ernment categories, so they didn’t know how to classify us,” John recalls with a laugh. “We weren’t making vodka…or gin…or whisky. So we applied to make moonshine and were finally approved. Our

“Our operation is much closer to those guys in the woods in Kentucky making ’shine than to big distilleries.” —John Kovacs 34

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operation is much closer to those guys in the woods in Kentucky making ’shine than to big distilleries.” Currently, the Kovacses produce prickly pear cactus and jalapeño moonshines under the label Texas Moonshine Company. The cactus is hand-harvested on Texas ranches and the jalapeños are grown for them by a farmer in Comfort. The prickly pear pads (thorns and all) and the jalapeños (seeds and all) are chopped by hand in the fermentation room at the distillery by two guys in rubber slicker suits who wear very heavy gloves and goggles. Sugar, rather than corn, is used as the fuel for the fermentation along with yeast

and a secret ingredient. The water is purified Texas rainwater that comes from a 30,000-gallon rainwater collection system at the Kovacses’ home. After a two-week fermentation, the mash is strained and distilled only once, and the finished product is unfiltered. Both moonshines are as smooth as fine-aged whisky. The prickly pear cactus version has an aroma much like tequila, but the taste is of an earthy vodka. The jalapeño ’shine has a definite nose of fresh jalapeño, but there’s very little heat left on the palate as the capsaicin dissipates during the distillation process. Be forewarned, though, the prickly pear cactus moonshine weighs in at 102 proof and the jalapeño version at 80. To showcase their products, the Kovacses purchased the old Comfort Cellars Winery property and renovated the tasting room that’s situated in a charming old home on Comfort’s Front Street. Visitors can taste the straight moonshine, or meander over to the cozy bar and purchase from a selection of mixed drinks made from it. There’s a lounging room adjacent to the bar, with plush leather chairs and couches, as well as outside seating. Tours of the distillery are also available. But the couple feels like they’re just getting started. Moon-

3D mammography is at HCM. 3D technology captures images of the breast from different angles to produce

shines made from Fredericksburg peaches, Medina apples and

a highly accurate picture. This allows

Poteet strawberries are in the works, and they’re developing a

radiologists to see smaller cancers with

line of products they call “dulces” that have a cactus-moonshine

much more detail than a traditional

base mixed with lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit zest, aged for

2D mammogram.

30 days, then strained—it’s their own twist on limoncello. They’re also working in conjunction with several Texas wineries—helping them distill their wines into brandy for use in fortified ports. When asked what the future holds, Cayce says they’ve been amazed by the growth of the craft distillery industry in Texas since the groundbreaking law change in 2013, and they’re very excited to continue to be part of that growth. “We think that we’ve achieved a unique niche within the industry,” she says. “We eagerly look forward to growing our moonshine brand in many new directions.”

Schedule today! HCM BREAST CENTER

(830) 990-6181 Brune Professional Building 808 Reuben St, Fredericksburg hillcountrymemorial.org/bc

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edible ROOTS

JACOBY’S BY E L I Z A B E T H W I N S LOW • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY T H O M AS W I N S LOW

hat if you could cap-

where everything began, and it’s

ture the essence of a real

what ties us together.” But Jacoby’s

Texas cattle ranch—the

creative director, and Adam’s part-

wide-open skies; the acres of grass-

ner, Kris Swift, is quick to point

land stretching to the horizon; the

out that in Melvin, it’s not just the

herds of roaming cattle; the feeling

longtime presence of the ranch

of history held in the earth and the

and family that connects and helps

old weathered buildings that dot the

build the community but, perhaps

landscape? Adam Jacoby, owner of

even more so, the beloved mercan-

Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile,

tile and café that serve as a vibrant

has managed to do just that, and

and vital social hub. There, locals

more, via an old commercial building

gather—sometimes visiting every

on East Cesar Chavez overlooking

day—to catch up on family stories

the banks of the Colorado River—

and gossip, pick up a few supplies

barely a stone’s throw from down-

and grab a bite to eat. The mercan-

town Austin.

tile and café represent not only the

The new business was inspired by

Jacoby family’s ongoing commit-

the generations-old, 6,500-acre Jaco-

ment to the area but the very beat-

by family ranch and the Jacoby Feed

ing heart of Melvin’s community

& Seed Mercantile and Café in Mel-

and character.

vin, Texas. Both entities are deeply

Adam and Kris have a dream to

embedded in the fabric of that West

recreate a similar social hub expe-

Texas community, and Adam grew

rience here. Perhaps for good luck,

up in the family businesses—working the ranch and helping out

a sense of familiarity, or both, they brought pieces of the ranch back

at the feed store and café. Of course, you won’t find actual seed or

to Austin. “I still think about us being driven around the ranch, sit-

cattle at this new restaurant, but you will find a strong, ranch-bred

ting in the bed of the pickup, drinking a cold beer,” Adam says with

commitment to tradition and doing things right.

a laugh. “And me looking at Kris and saying, ‘We’ve got to get that

Jacoby Ranch was settled in the 1920s by Adam’s great-grand-

to Austin! I’d yell to my dad who was driving, ‘Dad! Can you get this

parents and is now owned and managed by his dad Jason. It has

to Austin?’” “It was obvious to me what had to come,” Kris concurs

always been a cattle ranch. That kind of deep commitment and

with a smile. “You couldn’t have replicated it. The pieces we want-

connection to the land made an impact on the man Adam became

ed were the ones used in the daily workings of Jacoby Feed or the

and on the business he’s created here in Austin. “The ranch has

ranch. The character and history of pieces like that are powerful.”

inspired me in many different ways,” he says. “The most powerful,

And they are; Jacoby’s interior is a thought-provoking, eclectic,

I’d say, is the dedication it takes to make it your life. It takes blood,

freeze-frame of West Texas history played out in reclaimed ranch

sweat, tears, heartache and triumph, all in one. The kind of passion

materials. Jason Jacoby had hoped that he would pass on a sense of

it takes to make it work, alongside the respect you have to have for

respect for history, the land and the family business to Adam, and

the land; that’s what inspires me.”

he’s proud to see that his son is indeed carrying the family’s ear-

Of course in Texas, land is often associated with strong familial

nest commitment to community forward—in his own way. “When

and community bonds, and this is certainly true of the Jacobys.

you grow up around farming and ranching,” Jason says, “it’s in a

“The land is a source of sustenance for our family,” Adam says. “It’s

person’s blood. You do whatever you can to continue the business.”

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“When you grow up around farming and ranching, it’s in a person’s blood.” —Adam Jacoby

Upper left: Jacoby’s owner Adam Jacoby (left) and Creative Director Kris Swift. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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edible SPIRITS

A NEW GINERATION BY B I L L N O R R I S • P H OTO G R A P H Y BY J E N N A N O RT H CU T T

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Seven Central Texas gins bring their special signatures to the table

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hen Tito Beveridge negotiated Texas’ governmental red tape and was able to sell his first case of Tito’s Handmade Vodka in 1997, no one could have predicted the

nationwide craft-distilling explosion that has led to local spirits popping up all over the country. In Central Texas, other producers followed in Tito’s footsteps with liqueurs, more vodkas, rums and whiskeys entering the fray. But gin took a little longer to capture our local distillers’ imaginations. First out of the gate was Waterloo Texas-Style Gin in late 2011. Produced by Treaty Oak Distilling Co., makers of Treaty Oak Barrel Reserve Rum, Graham’s Texas Tea, Starlite Vodka and Red Handed Bourbon, Waterloo starts with a neutral spirit made from corn and wheat and is flavored with a mixture of traditional and nontraditional botanicals—including local juniper and lavender; zest from oranges, lemons and grapefruits; rosemary, anise and coriander; licorice and ginger roots; and pecans. Bottled at 94 proof, the nose shows a moderate juniper character, undercut by pervasive floral notes, with citrus flower and zest sitting atop an almost smoky earthiness. The licorice root makes its presence felt on entry and leads into a nicely balanced mix of juniper, citrus and spice. It’s all anchored by an alcohol-heat finish carried by baking-spice notes, and followed by a long finish that’s properly “oily” and somehow reminiscent of barbecue—perhaps from the pecans. Waterloo also produces Waterloo Antique Barrel Reserve Gin, that’s aged in charred American whiskey barrels for one to two years before being blended and bottled. Also released at 94 proof, it looks like a young whiskey in the glass. The nose is chock-full of vanilla and baking spice upfront, with the gin botanicals lurking in the background. In the mouth, it’s the love child of

riander, but Genius is supplemented with lime peel, lime leaf and

whiskey and gin, with big clove flavors from the barrel showing

lavender to round out the flavors. This is extremely well-balanced

first, and the spice botanicals of the base gin enhanced—especially

on the nose and dominated equally by lime-driven citrus and juni-

the coriander and licorice. The floral notes mutate into something

per with an almost haunting floral hint lurking in the background.

more akin to Meyer lemon blossom or honeysuckle before the ju-

That balance extends to the mouth where the spice notes also make

niper kicks in on the oily finish. This is a complex spirit with huge

themselves known. But it’s the constant interplay between the lime

cocktail potential, even if it doesn’t show as a traditional gin.

and juniper that really stands out before the lingering, well-inte-

Just after the launch of Waterloo, Bone Spirits in Smithville

grated floral-ghost finish.

launched their Moody June Gin in 2012. Made with a true farm-to-

Genius Navy Strength adds orange peel, ginger root and cubeb

glass ethos, Moody June—labeled as an “American dry gin”—starts

(a spice native to Java and Sumatra that tastes like a cross between

with a base liquor fermented and distilled in Smithville from Texas

allspice and black pepper) into the mix, and is bottled at a more

corn. The gin is flavored with locally grown botanicals wherev-

robust 114 proof. The nose shows more spice than the standard bot-

er possible—including hand-picked Texas juniper; orange, lemon

tling, with noticeably more alcohol heat, but it still maintains the

and lime peels; coriander and cinnamon; and licorice and angel-

incredible balance. The higher alcohol also carries greater inten-

ica roots. Bottled at 84 proof, the nose shows muted juniper and

sity of flavor in the mouth, but still hits juniper and citrus, while

is dominated by floral citrus notes with the spices lurking in the

being rounder, with nice bass notes of earth and spice leading the

background. In the glass, it pops with bright citrus, especially or-

way into a long, coating finish.

ange, upfront, with mid-palate notes of juniper before the earthy

In the spring of 2015, Genius will release an oaked gin, with

kick of the spices. The licorice and angelica show on the moderate,

French oak chips steeped in the Navy Strength formula for three to

oily finish. Less juniper-forward than the other local gins and with

five months. A prerelease sample shows enhanced spice notes on the

a noticeable sweetness, this is an excellent starting point for the

nose, with the ginger really singing and the orange peel coming to

gin-phobic.

the fore. In the mouth, the cubeb asserts itself more strongly, along

In 2013, Genius Gin launched two gin labels and there’s a third

with some caramelized orange notes, before the juniper leads the

on the way. Genius starts with a neutral spirit distilled from sugar

way into a finish that’s more creamy than oily, and with a profile

and is made, from fermentation to bottle, in South Austin. Its stan-

that’s much more recognizable as gin than the Waterloo Antique.

dard strength begins as an homage to classic London Dry gins that

Revolution Spirits launched their Austin Reserve Gin in 2014.

are built around the botanical mix of juniper, cardamom and co-

Bottled in the neighborhood of 100 proof (Batch 16 is 100.2 proof),

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LADY LAVENDER PUNCH Serves about 12–15 Peel from 3 lemons (avoid the pith) 1 c. sugar (preferably Sugar in the Raw) 4¼ c. double-strength Zhi Tea Lady Lavender White Tea 1 c. fresh-squeezed lemon juice 1 bottle (750 ml.) Waterloo Texas-Style Gin

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5 lb. ice block (place a large bowl or Tupperware container filled with water into the freezer for a few days) A day in advance, use a swivel-handled vegetable peeler to carefully remove the peel from 3 lemons. Reserve the lemons for juicing. Combine the lemon peel and sugar in a container large enough to hold the entire recipe, mix well, cover and allow to sit overnight. Brew the Lady Lavender White Tea by doubling the quantity of tea and allowing to steep for 20 minutes. Strain out the tea solids, pour the still-warm tea over the sugar and lemon peel mixture and stir to dissolve the sugar. Before serving, stir the lemon juice and gin into the tea and sugar mixture and pour into a punch bowl with the ice block to cool for about 30 minutes. Ladle into tea cups to serve.

Now Open Late Night, Friday & Saturday until 2am Dinner everyday starting at 5pm Lunch M–F at 11:30am | Sunday Brunch at 10:30am 1201 South Lamar | oddduckaustin.com Revolution starts with a base of neutral distilled Missouri corn and leans toward the “new gin” profile with a botanical mix of juniper, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, grapefruit peel and pink peppercorn. Unabashedly nontraditional, the nose has very muted juni-

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per, with moderate citrus and floral notes, and a hint of spice. In the mouth, the light body—surprising for a 100-proof gin—continues with citrus and floral notes anchored by bass notes of juniper and spice, which lead to a pleasant, though short, finish that lacks the coated, oily character associated with traditional gins. 2014 also saw the entry of Dripping Springs Gin into the market. Made from the same neutral, Midwestern, non-GMO corn spirit that serves as the base for Dripping Springs Vodka, it’s produced in 40-gallon batches, and designed to be juniper-forward like a London Dry-style gin, but with more pronounced floral notes, softer spice and bright citrus from the Rio Grande Valley. Bottled at 85 proof, the nose shows juniper upfront, with a hint of citrus and noticeable hints of lavender. The mouth shows a pronounced sweet-citrus character, with a juniper and spice backbone, and finally those lavender notes lead into a moderate finish that’s less oily than some other gins. Because of the different variables in gin production—base spirit, botanical mix and bottle proof among them—it’s the most versatile of all the white spirits. You may only need one brand of vodka on the shelf, but different gins will show better in cocktails depending on the other ingredients in the glass. While you could, in theory, use any of these local gins in any gin-based cocktail, when mixing, it’s best to try to enhance the flavors promoted by the distiller.

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ANTIQUE BEE’S KNEES Makes 1 cocktail For the honey syrup: Combine 2 parts Good Flow honey and 1 part water in a saucepan. Heat gently and stir to combine without boiling. When integrated, allow to cool, then bottle and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. For the cocktail: 2 oz. Waterloo Antique Barrel Reserve Gin ¾ oz. fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice ¾ oz. honey syrup Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until ice cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fresh-cut Meyer lemon twist after expressing the oils over the rim of the glass.

WITCHY WOMAN

NAVY STRENGTH 50-50

Makes 1 cocktail

¾ oz. Revolution Gin ¾ oz. Strega liqueur ¾ oz. Luxardo maraschino liqueur ¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1½ oz. Genius Navy Strength Gin 1½ oz. Dolin dry vermouth 2 dashes Regans’ orange bitters Combine the gin, vermouth and orange bitters in a mixing glass with cracked ice. Stir until extremely cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist after expressing the oils over the rim of the glass.

Combine all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until ice cold. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with an edible flower, such as lemon blossom, honeysuckle, etc.

MOSCATO MAMA Makes 1 cocktail 1½ oz. Dripping Springs Gin 1 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice ½ oz. simple syrup 1 oz. Moscato d’Asti wine, chilled Combine the gin, lime juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until ice cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Top with the Moscato d’Asti and garnish with a thin-cut lime wheel floated on the drink.

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RIO GRANDE GIMLET Makes 1 cocktail For the ruby red grapefruit cordial: ¾ c. fresh-squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice, strained of pulp and seeds ¼ c. fresh lime juice 1 c. sugar 1 makrut lime leaf (optional) Zest of 1 large or 2 small ruby red grapefruits (avoid pith) In a saucepan, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, sugar and makrut lime leaf (if using) and gently bring to a boil—stirring occasionally. When the syrup just starts to boil, add the zest and remove from heat. When the syrup has cooled to room temperature, strain out the solids, bottle and store in the refrigerator for several weeks. For the cocktail: 2 oz. Genius Gin 5 oz. ruby red grapefruit cordial Combine the gin and grapefruit cordial in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until ice cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a thin, quartered slice of ruby red grapefruit or lime leaf.

JUNE AND TONIC Makes 1 cocktail 2 oz. Moody June Gin ¾ oz. Liber and Co. Spiced Tonic Syrup 2 dashes Scrappy’s Lime Cocktail Bitters Chilled Topo Chico Fill a 10 oz. Collins glass with ice cubes. Add the gin, tonic syrup and bitters and top with the Topo Chico. Stir gently to combine and squeeze a lime wedge into the glass.

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PURSUING INDEPENDENCE BY M AT T M C G I N N I S • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A L I SO N N A R RO

ust three days before the grand opening party for Indepen-

system—a modification required by bureaucratic finagling from

dence Brewing Co.’s new tasting room, heaps of dirt and

the City. Yet, Amy Cartwright, president of Independence Brew-

concrete lie mounded on the floor next to the unfinished

ing, looks absolutely unruffled as she surveys the mess with the

bar that’s in the process of being adorned with reclaimed long-

ticking of the clock pounding in her ears. It’s a composure that’s

leaf pine taken from an 1800s-era cotton gin in Coleman, Texas.

been honed over a decade of facing the daily challenges of run-

A huge gash has been ripped in the floor to install a new drainage

ning one of Austin’s first craft breweries, and she’s undoubtedly

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learned how to roll with the punches of change in the market and growth of the brewery. Amy and her husband and business partner, Rob, have witnessed firsthand the explosion of the local craft beer industry since opening their brewery in 2004. In the first five years of business, Independence Brewing attempted to sell beer to Austin consumers who either weren’t familiar with craft beer, or perceived local beer to be inferior to beer from out of state. “When we first started, everybody thought we were crazy,” says Amy. “There was doom and gloom in the industry. At the time, brew pubs like Yellow Rose and Balcones Fault had closed. Southwest Brewing News ran a story saying ‘Is Craft Beer Dead?’ Only a handful of bars in Austin had more than five taps and they were dominated by Budweiser, Miller and Coors products. Live Oak, St. Arnold and Real Ale were the only craft brewers going on.” Grit, determination and passion got them through the early days. “There is a poem by Arthur O’Shaughnessy,” Amy notes, “that says, ‘We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams ….’ I would always tell people that when they asked me why I wanted to be a brewer.” But the market conditions for craft beer have changed dramatically in the past five years. The surge of support for local breweries in the U.S., and particularly in Austin, has increased the demand for Independence Brewing’s beers so much that it’s undergone a massive expansion. The tiny 15-barrel brew system that the Cartwrights previously used simply couldn’t keep up. “We scrabbled together everything to start the brewery,” says Amy. “Rob did the construction and put the first brew system together. It was challenging to brew with it and it was hard to grow with that system. We added fermenters and brew shifts to grow, but that wasn’t enough.” Over the past two years, Independence Brewing has doubled the space the brewery occupies in a large industrial building on the East Side, and installed a gleaming new 60-barrel brewhouse system. It was a long and involved process to get up and running, but it was worth the wait. “Now we are able to brew like we want,” Amy says. “We built it the way we wanted, with the right instrumentation, to help us consistently make good beer. Before, we were eyeballing everything like a chef without a recipe. Sure, we measured our ingredients, but we didn’t have the precise sensors and thermometers to give us the ability to control each process. When our brewers successfully transferred to the new system, it was seamless and the beers improved. I’m proud of the team for that.” Along with the increased interest in craft beer has come an insatiable appetite for a wider variety of flavor profiles. People are better educated about beer styles and are eager to try new ones. And Independence isn’t resting on its laurels. “When we first started,” says Amy, “we had Bootlegger Brown, a pale ale, and Freestyle, a filtered wheat. We discontinued it, but I bet it would be popular now with people drinking session beer and embracing EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM NOR_EdibleAustin_MayJune2015_3.625x9.875.indd 1

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lager traditions. Over time, we added to our lineup with everyday beers and fuller flavor beers like Stash IPA. Rob used to call Stash our ‘Shut the fuck up beer’ because it’s what he would give people

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when they would ask for a bigger beer than an amber.” Independence now brews six beers year-round and four seasonally. In the past few years, the brewery has introduced White Rabbit White Ale and Power & Light Pale Ale—both proving extremely popular. Soon, they’ll release Red Bud, a Berliner Weisse-style with lemony, tart flavors. They’re also installing a smaller, 3.5-barrel system for pilot projects that will only be served in the tasting room. Amy doesn’t think the exploration of new beer styles will take them too far afield, though. “I catch myself thinking about how to

District proudly

stay true to my own vision and not getting caught up in any trends,”

partners with local

she says. “I don’t want to put out thirty releases.”

farms and

While the brewery has grown and the beer lineup has evolved

businesses to

with the changing market, the vibe of Independence Brewing still

create an eclectic

feels just as South-Austin-chill as it did 10 years ago. The Cart-

seasonal brunch

wrights have shaped the character of the brewery, but Amy in-

and dinner menu.

sists the personality is molded by the entire team. “As our team

The industrial-style

has grown to twenty-three people, the brewery has just gotten

decor makes for

better,” she says. “We have some amazingly talented people work-

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ing here. We have a common idea and a shared creative vision that everyone can get behind, while letting individuals make their mark. The original beers were developed by Rob, but now Brandon Radicke, our head brewer, has a strong influence on the direction of the beer. Max Saballett, who used to work for four-star Michelin restaurants and is a bad-ass chef, assists the brewers immensely with the brewing process.” It’s clear that Independence Brewing is evolving in the right direction—they’ve won a prestigious Good Food Award three

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edible BOOKS

Q&A WITH RUSSELL D. KANE BY T E R RY T H O M PSO N -A N D E RSO N

EA: When doing research for the

oted Texas wine writer

book, were there any surprises lurk-

Russell D. Kane, author of

ing in the history?

the 2012 best-selling “The

Wineslinger Chronicles: Texas on

RK: The first was finding the

the Vine”—a thorough and colorful

remnants of the old German win-

history of the birth and growth of

eries in Austin and Columbus

the Texas wine industry—has just

Counties and discovering that they

released his newest book, “Texas

were connected to the Germans

Hill Country Wineries.” In it, Kane

that eventually came through New

uses his decades-plus experience

Braunfels and on to Fredericksburg

and an in-depth knowledge and un-

and recorded making wine in the

derstanding of the Hill Country and

1880s. Then, finding the Vorauer

her people to expertly map the wine

family in Fredericksburg, whose

production region against a back-

ancestors founded the Texas Win-

drop of almost 200 images, both past

ery that lasted until the mid-1950s.

and present. The result is a front-row

This was like finding a missing link

seat to the places and faces whose

in the evolution of Texas between

hard work and passion have helped

the immigrant farmer and the mod-

make the area a booming wine des-

ern winery period of Texas wine-

tination. Sure to be an important re-

making. Then, I learned that their

source for years to come, the book is

son, Michael, was one of the first to

a must-have for wine trekking in the

make wine at Teysha Cellars (now

Texas Hill Country.

CapRock) in the 1980s and then again much later, when he returned

Edible Austin: What was your

as winemaker to CapRock around

motivation for writing this book?

2009. He has since moved on to

Russell Kane: The Texas Hill Country wineries, as a group, have received many accolades in recent years, none greater than the inclusion in Wine Enthusiast’s 2014 list of top 10 must-see international wine destinations. I’ve found

make wine in the northwestern part of the U.S. EA: What kind of feedback have you received from readers?

that many people assumed that this group of wineries just popped

RK: For those who are already aware of the Texas Hill Coun-

up all by themselves, and secondly, there are many new wineries in

try wineries, they’ve found the two initial chapters of historical

the Hill Country that people don’t know about. I saw this book as a

information surprising. Also, the feedback from people I’ve run

way to provide historical information, while also breaking down the

into at the wineries, including winery staff, say the book pro-

group of 40 to 50 wineries in the region into smaller trails based on

vides useful information, and that the picture-storytelling for-

their location. It’s like a birder’s guide, but for Texas wine tourists

mat makes important information approachable and fun. Before

and aficionados. It’s packed with historic and current photos, and I

going through the book, most readers didn’t realize all the his-

try to indicate what special things make each winery a unique expe-

torical threads of wine culture there were in Texas, going back

rience. This book is a convenient reference for the wine traveler on

to the late-1600s through the 1800s, and how they came together

a weekend trip and useful for planning a week in our wine country.

to weave the tapestry of wine, cuisine and tourism we see today.

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EXCERPTS FROM TEXAS HILL COUNTRY WINERIES Many Texas wineries were in “dry” areas, where the sale of alcohol was not legal. Winery owners Dr. Bobby Smith of La Buena Vida (right) and Ed Auler of Fall Creek (second from right) worked with Texas legislator Bob McFarland (second from left) to get the Texas Farm Winery Act signed by Gov. Dolph Briscoe (center); on the left is Jim Cooper, Smith’s pilot. This act allowed wine made in dry areas to be sold in “wet” areas, where the sale of alcohol was legal. (Courtesy Dr. Bobby Smith.)

The “father of the modern Texas wine industry” was Dr. Clinton “Doc”

In 2013, Fall Creek Vineyards owners Ed and Susan Auler made

McPherson, a professor in the chemistry department of Texas Tech

a bold move by hiring a talented international winemaker, Sergio

University in Lubbock. He, along with professors Robert Reed, Dr. Roy

Cuadra, from Chile, to lead their winery into the future. In less than

Mitchell, and others, started research programs to investigate Texas

a year, Cuadra (shown here with Susan Auler), with his global per-

grape growing and winemaking. Some of the first “modern” Texas

spectives, championed a new red GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah and

wines were made in a basement laboratory in the university’s chemis-

Mourvèdre) for the winery and obtained a double gold for his Fall

try building. McPherson is seen here in 2010 with his son Kim.

Creek Texas Sauvignon Blanc.

For natural wine, see Lewis Dickson (by appointment) at La Cruz de Comal Winery in Starzville. He is shown here in his vineyard with wine journalist Alice Feirling. Since 2001, the winery has been a collaboration between old friends: California winemaker Tony Coturri and Texas lawyer and wine enthusiast Dickson. Their wines are made with local grapes, native yeasts and no sulfite additions. These wines are literally still alive in the bottle.

Reprinted with permission from “Texas Hill Country Wineries,” by author Russel D. Kane. Available from the publisher online at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling 888-313-2665. 52

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EA: Any future plans to write about the other wine-producing regions in Texas? RK: That’s a good question. Perhaps something on the High Plains in the Texas Panhandle from Lubbock to the New Mexico border? This area is developing rapidly as the major wine-growing region, feeding wineries around the state with quality wine grapes. EA: Whom did you see as your target market for the book? RK: In one sense, it’s a guide for wine tourists from Texas and those coming to Texas, one of America’s top travel destinations.

Kuhlman Cellars provides intimate and unique sommelier guided wine tastings including chef designed bites with each wine.

Originally, I thought of this book as simply a guide to wineries. As the project evolved, so did my vision. I was able to include historical references and photos regarding wine culture in Texas during the Spanish missionary period (1600s–1700s) and later, the European immigrant farmer period (mid- to late-1800s); they really put the modern Texas Hill Country wine experience into context with the legacy of wine in Texas.

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EA: How did you gather all of this information? RK: Honestly, I pursued any and all sources. During the first two months of this project, I frenetically cast a wide net somewhat

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like a fisherman. It was fascinating to see what was out there. When

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a project like this is started, you really don’t know what will be available and what juicy items will be found and what people are

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willing to share. My sources included various archives like newspapers from back in the 1800s through the 1980s; historical societies; personal family records and photos; stories and photos from wineries and their founders; and Texas journalists and bloggers.

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EA: What’s the future for the Texas Hill Country wine industry? RK: The future is the big mystery. It’s somewhat like it was in Napa and Sonoma, California, when I first went there in the late 1970s. Their wineries were riding the crest of the wave after winning the “Judgment” of Paris, but many of those winery owners didn’t have any idea of where it was going to go or what those regions would become. We’ve seen similar accolades in Lyon, France, bestowed on Texas Hill Country wineries for their viognier wines a little more than a year ago. Just like in Napa and Sonoma way back

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then, these are still the early days of the Texas wine experience. It’s a period of experimentation with the unique growing conditions we have. It includes different grape varieties with a strong emphasis on those from the Mediterranean, grape-growing techniques for our variable weather and winemaking methods that will eventually elevate the industry to what it will become 20 or 50 years from now. Maybe in 20 years I’ll have the opportunity to write a second volume of this book to capture the future evolution of this new, dynamic and exciting international wine region we have in the Texas Hill Country.

Page 50: This image was used by Fall Creek Vineyards in a poster for its winery and wine label art, “Where the Sky Fell in Love with the Earth and Gave Birth to Wine.” The poster was made from a tapestry assembled by artist Shannny Lott. (Courtesty Fall Creek Vineyards.)

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COOKING FRESH

TAKE ME FISHING BY E L I Z A B E T H W I N S LOW • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY J E N N A N O RT H CU T T

hen summer temperatures start to climb, we look for

fan of the smoker, Chef de la Vega gravitates to dishes partially

new ways to chill out. Popsicles and ice cream provide

“cooked” with acidic citrus juices. Both cooks are happy to let

sweet relief, but what about lunch and dinner? Casting

the citrus notes take the lead when choosing beverages to serve

our nets wide for recipes that won’t heat up the kitchen, we discov-

with their recipes—try an albariño or txakoli from Spain or a

er a world of seafood dishes from Scandinavia to tropical Mexico

frosty hefeweizen in a cold mug. Texas wine pairings, suggest-

that leave us cool and collected come the sultry sting of summer.

ed by Terry Thompson-Anderson, accompany these recipes as

Some might think that cooking fish is fussy or difficult, but

well, and the recipes all can be adapted according to personal

they should think again. We checked in with local chefs Iliana

preferences and using what’s on hand. We plan to return to them

de la Vega of El Naranjo and Zack Northcutt of Swift’s Attic for

again and again to help us survive the hot and humid months of

tips and ideas to keep things easy and light. While Northcutt is a

summer. Elegant, easy and cool—get hooked!

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TUNA CONFIT Makes 1 lb. This recipe does canned tuna one better. Slowly poached in oil, the fish turns silky and tender. Serve dressed as a traditional tuna salad or toss with capers, parsley, minced shallots and a squeeze of lemon, and heap on a toasted baguette. 1 lb. fresh tuna 1 c. olive oil 2 garlic cloves, smashed 3 sprigs thyme Zest of ½ lemon, cut into wide strips (use a sharp peeler to get only the yellow zest) Cut the tuna into several large chunks and place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight. Place the tuna and oil mixture in a saucepan small enough to hold the fish snugly with oil covering it. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the oil for 30 to 45 minutes. Use right away or store in the oil in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To serve, drain off the oil, flake the fish with a fork and toss with the condiments of your choice. (See photo on opposite page for finished presentation.)

GRAVLAX WITH TEXAS HERBS Serves 12 This home-cured salmon is the perfect showcase for Texas-grown herbes de Tejas. The floral notes of dried lavender add a nuanced summer bouquet. We love it on toasted rye bread with a dollop of crème fraîche and snipped fresh summer herbs. /³ c. salt ½ c. sugar 3 T. pink peppercorns, cracked 3 T. dried Lake Travis Lavender herbes de Tejas (substitute herbes de Provence with an additional pinch of dried lavender)

3–4 lb. salmon filet, skin on Combine the salt, sugar, pink peppercorns and herbs. Rub the fish with the mixture and place in a shallow dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 36 to 48 hours. To serve, shake the salt and herb mixture off of the fish and wipe with a dry paper towel. Cut into paper-thin slices on the diagonal and serve. Suggested wine pairing: Fall Creek Vineyard’s newly released 2013 Chardonnay (Certenberg Vineyards).

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CEVICHE

BY ILIANA DE LA VEGA AND ISABEL TORREALBA

eviche needs little to no introduction, and it’s the perfect fresh and light dish for a warm day. But for those who’ve somehow managed to miss the joys of this amazing Latin

American staple, ceviche is basically a dish made with semi-raw fish that’s been marinated or “cooked” in lime juice. It’s believed that this cooking method originated when the Manila Galleons (Spanish trading ships) introduced Mesoamerican indigenous cultures to citruses and onions. To be fair, the fish in ceviche isn’t actually cooked, despite the term implying that some sort of heat has been applied. In this case, the fish changes to a whitish color as the acid in the juice elevates the pH of the meat—making it appear cooked. (In Peru, the combined lime and fish liquids are referred to as “tiger’s milk.”) To make a delicious and, let’s face it, safe-to-eat ceviche, fresh fish is an absolute must. Look for fish that doesn’t have a lot of bones so that it can be cut easily into small cubes, strips or thin slices (when in slices, it’s called tiradito.) We recommend marinating the fish just minutes before serving, so that the freshness, flavor and texture can be enjoyed to the full-

(generally lime juice but orange, lemon or grapefruit juice works,

CEVICHE A LA MEXICANA CON AGUACATE

too), onions, herbs such as cilantro or basil, dried or fresh chilies

Serves 2

est, and it’s best to have all the other ingredients ready to go before preparing the ceviche. The essentials should include citrus juice

such as jalapeños or de árbol, and maybe some fruit—we like oranges, mangoes or pineapple. Go crazy! This is a good dish with which to get creative: At El Naranjo, we feature a different ceviche recipe every week. To prepare the dish, place the fish cubes, strips or slices in a nonreactive dish made from stainless steel, glass or ceramic. Add some sea salt to break down the protein and mix well. Add the citrus juice and let the fish sit for a few seconds, or more if you prefer it more “cooked.” Add the remaining ingredients, mix and serve immediately with crisp corn tortilla chips. One slight variation of ceviche is coctel campechano—a cold, seafood cocktail appetizer, often served in a parfait glass, which can include shrimp, oyster, crab and octopus. Unlike ceviche though, most of the seafood in campechano is cooked and cooled before mixing and serving. Whichever version you choose, these dishes are cool, refreshing and perfect for warmer weather.

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¼ lb. fresh white fish (any kind), cut in ½-inch cubes Salt to taste ¼ c. fresh-squeezed lime juice 2 T. olive oil 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 2 T. chopped white onion 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro 1 serrano chili (or to taste), chopped 4 large green olives, pitted and chopped 2 t. nonpareil capers ½ avocado, diced Place the cubed fish in a glass bowl, sprinkle with salt and cover with lime juice. Marinate for at least 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients except for the avocado. Mix well. Carefully mix in the avocado without mashing. Adjust the seasonings and serve in cold glass bowls with tortilla chips on the side.

EL NARANJO CAMPECHANA Serves 8 ½ lb. fresh white-flesh fish, cut in ½-inch cubes Salt, to taste 1 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice 6 oz. small shrimp, peeled, deveined, cooked 8 oz. octopus, cooked, diced 24 fresh-shucked oysters 24 fresh-shucked clams ½ lb. cooked crabmeat, picked over 1 lb. Roma tomatoes, peeled, diced ½ lb. white onions, finely diced 3 pickled jalapeño chilies, chopped 3 T. chopped fresh cilantro Place the diced fish in a glass bowl, season with salt, add the lime juice, mix well and marinate for 5 minutes. Drain the fish but reserve the juice in a separate bowl. Add the shrimp, octopus, oysters, clams and crabmeat to the marinated fish. Season with salt, then mix in the tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro. Add as much of the reserved juice as you like and taste for salt. Serve with tortilla chips or saltine crackers and bottled Mexican hot sauce such as Cholula. (Note: The fish can also be poached in salted water and, once cooled to room temperature, mixed in with the remaining ingredients.) Suggested wine pairing: William Chris Vineyards Cinsault Rosé.

CEVICHE WITH TUNA, CUCUMBER AND ORANGE Serves 6 ¼ lb. fresh tuna, cut in ½-inch cubes Salt, to taste ¼ c. fresh-squeezed lime juice 2 oranges, supremed (save any juice and mix with the lime juice) 1 cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, diced 2 T. chopped red onion 1 serrano chili (or to taste), chopped 2 T. olive oil 2 T. chopped fresh cilantro Place the tuna in a glass bowl, sprinkle with salt and cover with the lime and orange juices. Marinate for 3 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients, season with salt and mix well. Serve in a cold glass bowl with tortilla chips on the side. Suggested wine pairings: McPherson Cellars Albariño, Pedernales Cellars Albariño and Fall Creek Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

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SMOKE IT

SMOKED TROUT SALAD WITH VANILLA CITRONETTE Serves 4

BY ZACK NORTHCUTT

his recipe is one of my favorite summertime salads—light, re-

For the smoked trout: 4 trout fillets*, around 5 oz. each, skin on, pin bones removed 1 c. salt ½ c. brown sugar ¼ c. chopped rosemary

freshing, crisp and with fresh flavors. It’s a great seller at Swift’s

Zest from 1 lemon and 1 orange

Attic through the week and weekend, and brunch patrons enjoy

it as a lighter option that’s still substantially filling. If you don’t have a smoker at home, a simple pan sear works best. Just cook fully, skin side down, to get it nice and crispy. Quality Seafood Market and Whole Foods Market usually have a great selection of fresh trout.

Combine the salt, brown sugar, rosemary and zest in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap and sprinkle a thick layer of the cure mixture onto it—roughly the size of 1 trout fillet. Lay a fillet on top of the cure then top with another layer of the cure. Wrap the fillet nice and tight and try to get all of the air out. Repeat the process with the other 3 fillets and place them in the refrigerator for 2 days to cure. Rinse the fillets well before smoking. Trout is so delicate that it’s important to smoke it at the lowest temperature possible (around 100°) and always smoke the fish with the skin side down to protect the meat. After the curing process, it isn’t difficult to impart the smoke flavor (I prefer applewood)—it should only take about 45 minutes. As soon as the white proteins, or albumen, begin to seep out from the fillet, it’s ready to remove from heat and chill for later use. *C an substitute any local white fish that is under 3 pounds such as bass, snapper, drum For the vanilla citronette: ¼ c. orange juice ¼ c. lemon juice 2 T. whole-grain mustard 2 T. fresh thyme leaves 1 vanilla bean, split, scraped, pod discarded ¾ c. extra-virgin olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. For the salad: Splash of extra virgin olive oil 2 c. frisée 2 c. arugula 2 oranges, supremed 4 shallots, sliced thin Add a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to a large, nonstick pan set over medium heat. Gently add the trout fillets to the pan, skin side down, and let them sear for around 3 minutes to crisp the skin—this adds great texture and amazing flavor to the salad. Place the greens, oranges and shallots in a large bowl, add citronette to taste and toss. Divide the salad onto 4 plates and top each with 1 fillet, skin side up. Suggested wine pairings: Lost Draw Cellars Gewurztraminer, Hilmy Cellars Do Zwa Do (Chenin Blanc blend), Duchman Family Winery Vermentino, William Chris Vineyards Cinsault Rosé.

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SPIN THE BOTTLE BY A N N E M A R I E H A M PS H I R E P H OTO G RA P H Y BY J E N N A N O RT H CU T T

Raising Cane Based on the original recipe developed by pharmacist Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas, Dublin Dr Pepper was always made with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar from Sugar Land, Texas, even after almost all U.S. soft drink bottlers (including “corporate” Dr Pepper) switched to high-fructose corn syrup in the ’80s. (Although at that time it cost Dublin 7 cents more to make each Dr Pepper than the company got for it, Dublin persisted—never compromising quality for the latest marketing trend.) Dublin Bottling Works still makes all of its sodas with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar. 62

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t’s bright and sunny in Dublin, Texas—a perfect afternoon for

2012, when the tiny bottler settled a trademark dispute with parent

a guided tour of the beloved bottling plant famous for getting

company Dr Pepper Snapple Group and was forced to relinquish its

Texans hooked on Dr Pepper. The tour proves fascinating, with

franchise. But not before a bootstrap, David-meets-Goliath-style ef-

a knowledgeable young guide and animated tales of how the behe-

fort to save the business was orchestrated by the folks who call Dub-

moth bottling machinery works, how reusable bottles are washed

lin home. Money was raised for a legal defense fund; endless bake

and sterilized, how the syrup and carbonation are combined into a

sales, raffles and a rally were held; a protest song was recorded (“A

fizzy elixir that must be spun exactly three times to attain drinkable

Big Fan of Small”); and an “I Support Dublin Dr Pepper” Facebook

perfection and how the capping machine is a bit of a widow-maker.

page was launched (with more than 24,000 likes as of March 2015).

Beyond the bottling area, there’s a separate space dedicated to an

Despite all the love and cash that poured in for the underdog,

extensive and entertaining collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia that

when the dust settled, the battle ended with the Dublin plant getting

bedecks every wall and fills every inch of every shelf and display

the short end of the stick. It could no longer bottle or distribute its

case. Old Doc’s Soda Shop is next door and the plant’s museum annex

beloved Pepper Upper, but at least the bottling plant and memorabilia

sits right across the street. It’s a carefully curated time capsule of Dr Pepper through the decades housed on one city block—from clocks, thermometers and calendars to posters, photos and promotional items—and a loving homage to the profound impact Dublin Dr Pep-

Ten, Two & Four

per has made on this quaint town and its loyal fans around the state.

The “Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2 and 4” slogan was born in

Conspicuously unavailable, however, is an actual Dr Pepper.

the ’30s, after research showed that 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m.

Not only can Dublin no longer bottle the beverage for which it’s

and 4:30 p.m. were the times of day when blood sugar was

been known for more than a century and which helped the small

at its lowest. How does one fend off the resulting lack of

town (about 150 miles northwest of Austin) become a destination

energy and productivity? Not with food! By drinking a Dr

for more than 70,000 tourists a year, but you’d be hard-pressed to

Pepper at the “Three Good Times to Enjoy Life More.”

find a Dr Pepper within the city limits at all—and more than a few locals will tell you that’s on purpose. For soda enthusiasts around the world—but especially in Texas—Dublin Dr Pepper was an institution, the embodiment of a singular Texas pride and passion. And to a Dublin Dr Pepper fan, one’s passion was made more intense by virtue of being a member of an exclusive club devoted to a microbrand and a bottling plant that had been in continuous operation since 1891—the oldest soda-bottling facility in Texas, the first to bottle Dr Pepper and one owned and operated by a total of two families. That all came to a tragic end in

Bottling Machinery Dublin Bottling Works museum features three bottling machines used in past production and still fired up every now and again: a 1965 Miller Hydro Bottle Washer, which washed the reusable bottles after they were returned; a 1930 Cem 320, which applied the syrup and carbonation to each bottle before capping it (3 refers to the number of syrup heads and 20, the number of carbonation heads); and a 160 Mixer from the ’30s, which spun each bottle 360 degrees three times to mix the syrup and carbonation.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF DUBLIN BOTTLING WORKS 1885: Pharmacist Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas, sets out to invent a soda syrup that tastes as delightful as the soda fountain in his drugstore smells—both fruity and spicy. When the results of his experimentation with the syrup’s chemistry prove wildly popular, his boss, Wade Morrison, begins selling the syrup to other drugstore soda fountains. Word spreads about the new, yet-unnamed soda, which was often ordered simply by calling out, “Shoot me a Waco!” And although multiple origin stories abound, the folks at Dublin say that Morrison was madly in love with a certain Miss Pepper back in Virginia and wished to curry favor with her physician father. He named the drink after the good doctor—but never got the girl. 1891: Morrison and business partner Robert Lazenby, a beverage chemist, set up the Artesian Manufacturing and Bottling Company in Waco, which later becomes the Dr Pepper Company. Meanwhile, while visiting Waco, entrepreneur Sam Houston Prim tastes the fizzy drink and is determined to sell it through his new soda-bottling plant in Dublin. Prim and Lazenby shake on it—and Dublin becomes home to the oldest soda-bottling facility in Texas. 1904: Dr Pepper goes global at the 1904 World’s Fair Exposition in St. Louis, along with a couple of America’s other soon-to-be were spared. Reverting to its original name, Dublin Bottling Works, the company now produces (through an offsite bottler) 13 flavors of soda using custom-crafted syrups (still made at the Dublin plant) and—as always—Imperial Pure Cane Sugar, and is on track to reach its goal of 125,000 cases a year in the very near future. Its rainbow of retro-designed bottles lining the shelves

true loves: hamburgers and hotdogs. 1925: Dr Pepper franchising begins; Prim is given first choice, and he formalizes a territory of a 44-mile radius around Dublin (the distance a horse and wagon could travel and return in one day) that includes Stephenville, Tolar, Comanche and Hico.

of Old Doc’s Soda Shop includes Dublin Cherrywine, Dublin

1946: Sam Houston Prim dies and passes on the family business

Vintage Cola, Texas Root Beer, Retro Grape, Retro Crème Soda,

to his only child, Grace Prim Lyon, henceforth known to Dubliners

Cherry Limeade, Vanilla Cream, Orange Cream…the list goes on.

as the “Dr Pepper Lady.” She runs the company alongside W.P.

Distribution, which is no longer restricted by franchise agree-

Kloster (“Bill”) who had worked at the plant since he was 14

ments as it was in the Dr Pepper era, includes many Texas neigh-

years old and who became general manager after he returned

borhood convenience stores, H-E-Bs, Central Markets and a host

from a World War II tour of duty.

of local restaurants. And the company has big plans for the future: It expects to become completely self-sufficient in 2016, with a new line of bottling machinery that will enable it to produce, bottle and distribute all of its sodas on-site at the Dublin facility. For all the nostalgia bottled up in its history and products, Dublin Bottling Works has not only moved on, it’s crafted a new sweet spot for its identity—reinventing itself as a major regional player in the retro-soda scene.

1970s–1980s: Because of the rising price of sugar brought on by a sugar embargo, coupled with the cheap price of corn because of government subsidies, almost all U.S. soft drink bottlers switched from cane sugar to high-fructose corn syrup. Lyon and Kloster refuse to change their formula in spite of the cost. 1991: Lyon dies on the morning of the company’s 100th birthday celebration, leaving the family business to Kloster—known to Dubliners as “Mr. Dr Pepper”—who would run the company until

W.P. Kloster Museum The on-site museum at Dublin Bottling Works, named for Mr. Dr Pepper himself, holds Kloster’s private, extensive collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia—from vintage calendars and clocks from the ’20s and ’30s and nearly every decade since, to an accurate replication of his original office. It’s an impressive and loving homage to what Dr Pepper has meant to the Kloster family and the city of Dublin.

his death in 1999. His son, Bill Kloster, now runs the company with his grandson, Jeff Kloster, serving as vice president. 2012: Dr Pepper Snapple Group settles a trademark dispute with the Dublin bottlers, acquiring the rights to the franchise. Dr Pepper Bottling Co. reverts to its original name, Dublin Bottling Works, and continues to produce its own brand of soft drinks sweetened with pure cane sugar in addition to operating Old Doc’s Soda Shop.

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reshness is a passion for today’s food lover—it’s driving menu trends everywhere. But when most people think about a food bank, images

of canned goods, rice and dry beans usually come to mind. While such foods are still an important part of what we distribute to those in need,

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things have changed dramatically in food banking over the past several years. These days, when we ask our clients what they want from food pantries, fresh fruits and vegetables consistently top the list. It seems that the desire to eat better cuts across every segment of society. Unfortunately, not all of our friends and neighbors have easy access to fresh, nutritious options, and we need to fix that. Maria is one of our clients for whom fresh food is a priority. She visits her Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) partner agency to receive fresh pro-

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duce, frozen protein and dairy products—in addition to other shelf-stable items—that allow her to prepare complete, nutritious meals for her three children and hard-working husband. “I never thought of us as poor, but in the last few years, when our expenses got higher, that’s when I needed the extra help,” says Maria. Unfortunately, when many people facing hunger do eat, they frequently eat the inexpensive, processed, high-calorie food that’s most readily available to them. Clients of Texas food banks report that purchasing such food is their primary hunger-coping strategy. For many families like Maria’s, who are barely making ends meet, it’s often cheaper and more filling to turn to the nearby fast food chain or convenience store. That’s why the CAFB is always looking for ways to get more fresh food onto the tables of folks like Maria and her family. Last year, from a warehouse designed to handle 24 million pounds a year, we distributed a record 31 million pounds of food. Nearly one-third of that was fresh, nutritious produce. But despite our best efforts, there’s still a significant hunger gap in the region—one that’s growing at nearly twice the rate of the general population. We know Central Texas has the resources, but we don’t have the capacity we need to take in and distribute the additional food—especially fresh produce—that’s needed to meet the growing demand. It’s time for a fresh approach. That’s why we launched the 10x10 Campaign for a Hunger-Free Community last September. Our goal is to raise

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plete the new facility and take the fight against hunger to the next level. With your help, that goal is within reach. The stakes are too high if we don’t do it—families like Maria’s are counting on us. For more information, visit cafb10x10.com

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MIXER ELIXIR BY KATE PAYNE • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JO ANN SANTANGELO

in and tonics are the perfect summer drink—bristling with fresh botanical notes of aromatics such as juniper and balanced by tart, crisp and sweet tonic mixers. Despite tonic’s seemingly second-fiddle

role in this classic cocktail, its roots are unsurprisingly medicinal and, at the drink’s advent, the roles of the two ingredients were reversed. Gin was the mixer of choice for the daily doses of intensely bitter, quinine-laden tonic imbibed by early-1800s British colonizers to fend off malaria. Of course, by the time the colonizers had become wise to quinine, the quinine-rich bark of the South American cinchona tree (with dozens of assorted shrubs and trees within the Cinchona genus) had already been in use for centuries—first by Andean tribes (who called it the quina-quina tree) for fever and heart issues, and then throughout the 17th century for malaria after a Jesuit priest discovered its anti-malarial effectiveness. The tree was renamed in the mid-18th century by Europeans after the bark cured a Spanish countess suffering from malaria. A spoonful of sugar did indeed help the medicine go down with a splash of soda water, but the addition of gin was the beginning of tonic’s transition from medicine to standard bar staple. As a result of World War II and quinine shortages, synthetic alternatives became the standard in modern commercial tonic waters. But thanks to the cocktail revolution of the early 2000s, discerning tonic drinkers now have an array of artisanal tonic water brands to choose from— most of which are made from cinchona bark and without highly processed ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup.

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Cinchona bark’s bitterness makes it a suitable ingredient in aromatic bitters, vermouth and other digestive liqueurs, too. Making tonic water at home is a way to craft the mixer to complement its glass-mate. The end result is an amber-colored syrup that adds a layer of tart and zing to a simple glass of soda water, dresses up the classic colonial cocktail and allows the

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home mixologist a new layer of flavor to explore with other libations. To take handcrafted tonic to a Chinese medicinal definition of true tonic, try adding tonic botanicals such as ginseng root, hawthorn or goji berries or dried blueberries. These add a powerful mini-cocktail of compounds that are used in Eastern medicine to address overly stressed immune systems and support the body’s ability to produce and build cellular structures. Cinchona bark powder and flakes can be found online and from herb shops. If using the flaked form of the bark in the recipe below, use a spice grinder to grind the flakes into a powder. Citrus and lemongrass and citric acid are standard in all the recipes I explored. The best place to find citric acid is in the bulk section of larger grocery stores. The aromatics in the recipe are relatively easy to find and I encourage experimentation in this realm—the possibilities in flavor are endless.

TONIC SYRUP

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Yields about 3 cups 2½ c. water 2 T. cinchona bark powder* Zest of 1 organic lime 3 T. organic lime juice Zest of 1 organic lemon 6 T. organic lemon juice Zest of 1 organic grapefruit ½ c. organic grapefruit juice

3 stalks of lemongrass, minced 1 Ceylon cinnamon stick, crushed 8 allspice berries, crushed 8 coriander seeds, crushed 1 small star anise Sugar or agave nectar Citric acid

Combine the first 13 ingredients in a medium-sized pot. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep, covered, for an additional 30 minutes. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into a quartsized measuring cup. If time allows, let the mixture sit overnight in the refrigerator to let sediment settle to the bottom. Using basket-shaped coffee filters (try securing the filter over a small, round, fine-mesh strainer and placing the strainer over a vessel that will hold it upright), strain the mixture again, in ½-cup increments, with each batch using a new coffee filter (this will take up to two hours, but the process doesn’t need to be carefully or cautiously monitored, just checked on now and again). Measure the volume of the completely strained concentrate. For every cup of strained concentrate, add ½ cup sugar (or ¼ cup agave) and ½ t. citric acid. Stir to incorporate and dissolve any sugar granules. Pour the syrup into an airtight jar and refrigerate where it will keep for several months if using sugar, or several weeks if using agave or other sweeteners. To make tonic sodas, use 4 parts carbonated water to 1 part syrup—taking care not to shake the bottle of syrup when pouring as it will stir up any cinchona bark residue settled at the bottom of the jar. * Cinchona bark may be unsafe for some—especially those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Please read warnings before using.

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Thanks Austin! We use Fair Trade organic cane juice not just because it tastes better — it helps farmers stay on their land and funds schools, hospitals and equipment in Paraguayan communities where the sugar is grown.

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LA CASITA DE BUEN SABOR

MAY WINE BY LUCINDA HUTSON

or centuries, many Germans have heralded the merry month

welcome addition to my repertoire of signature punches and cock-

of May by sipping Maiwein, or May wine—an aromatic liba-

tails flavored and garnished with fresh herbs and flowers.

tion made from young Mosel or Riesling wines. Some fortify

Recently, the handsome label of Treaty Oak Distilling Co.’s

it with brandy, making it reminiscent of Spain’s sassy sangría, though

Waterloo Antique Barrel Reserve gin caught my eye. I’m clearly

May wine typically showcases fresh spring strawberries instead of

a white-spirits kind of gal—favoring the clean, bright botanical

citrus. Its intrigue and distinctive flavor come from steeping the

flavor profiles of gin and tequila blanco over aged brown spirits

wine with a wild herb called sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum).

like bourbon, scotch and dark rum. Still, I was intrigued. A bar-

This trailing herb with whorls of pretty emerald star-shaped leaves

rel-reserve gin handcrafted in a true Texas style? One that sings

and tiny white flowers carpets the Bavarian forest and other wood-

of fragrant lavender, pecan and resinous juniper berries, all found

land environments at this time of year. When fresh, its aroma and

growing in the Texas Hill Country sunshine? I wondered if this

flavor are rather elusive, but once dried, sweet woodruff emanates

spirit could lend its woodsy, herbaceous, sweet spice and aged-oak

scents of sweet hay, chamomile, nutmeg and honey.

flavor to my May wine as a substitute for sweet woodruff. It would

When I first wrote “The Herb Garden Cookbook” over 30 years ago, I found several sweet woodruff plants (known as Waldmeister

certainly be far more aromatic than brandy, and give May wine a decidedly Texas twist.

or “master of the forest” in German) from a local grower. I coddled

I soon discovered that this amber-colored gin has pronounced

the little transplants and gave them rich soil and dappled light, but

citrusy overtones balanced with honey-floral notes, and discernible

this native of sylvan surroundings quickly croaked, unable to master

hints of coriander, rosemary, anise and orange peel. Those are fol-

the Texas heat. (Only rarely have I seen this herb available in lo-

lowed by a peppery, herbaceous-yet-smooth taste and a mellow fin-

cal nurseries, though you may find transplants or the dried herb in

ish with nuances of cinnamon, nutmeg and leather. I’d finally found

mail-order catalogs.) Instead, I substituted Mexican mint marigold

a substitute for the brown spirits in classics like Manhattans and

(Tagetes lucida, often called “Texas tarragon”) and called my ver-

Old Fashioneds, and something new to mix with Texas ruby red

sion “Mexican May wine.” For years, it’s been a beloved celebratory

grapefruit and other fruit juices! Indeed, this sippin’ gin is made for

punch served at weddings, showers and spring-to-summer fêtes—a

a snifter, or to splash on the rocks. But most of all, I’d discovered the

BEVERAGE 2015

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BEVERAGE 2015

secret ingredient for my new Texas May wine. (For even more flavor, I infuse the wine with sprigs of spring herbs, though you may choose to simply let the botanicals in the gin shine through.) One sip of this May wine sends me back in time imagining a Gaelic Beltane festival (celebrated on May 1, or halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice)—a melding of druid and Roman traditions that welcomed the pastoral summer season. I think of medieval villagers reveling in pagan fertility rites of spring, with maidens twirling around a maypole laden with garlands of flowers, hoping to catch the eye of a potential mate. I imagine children scampering away from unseen witches and fairies (also known to frolic on that day), and a straw effigy of Old Man Winter (or perhaps a witch?) ablaze in a bonfire, over which some frenzied folks leap to ward away evil spirits. And I picture farmers spreading the ashes from that fire on their fields to invite fecundity. Bring out your grandmother’s crystal punch bowl set, or pour the May wine into a tall glass pitcher or wide-mouthed jar and garnish with whole strawberries, rose petals, purple pansies and fragrant herb sprigs. Add a generous dose of chilled dry rosé bubbly right before serving and raise a glass to the season! Bring on the maypole!

TEXAS MAY WINE Serves 8–10 3 bottles of chilled German Riesling, young Mosel or a favorite fruity Texas white wine 1 small fist-sized bouquet of sweet woodruff* or fragrant sweet herbs—2 or 3 long sprigs of intense herbs such as lavender and Mexican mint marigold, filled in with plenty of sweet-flavored lemon thyme, lemon balm, salad burnet and pineapple sage (optional) ¾ lb. organic strawberries, crushed with several tablespoons of sugar, to taste (reserve 6 whole) 2 c. (or more) Treaty Oak Antique Barrel Reserve gin 1 bottle chilled rosé cava (such as Jaume Serra Cristalino) or other bubbly 1 lb. (or more) whole organic strawberries with hulls for floating in punch and to garnish glasses Pour the wine into a large glass container. If using aromatic herbs, tie them with twine, crush lightly to release flavor and steep in the wine for several hours or overnight. (Remove them if the flavor gets too strong.) Poke the 6 reserved strawberries with a fork to release flavor and add them to the wine. A few hours before serving, remove the herbs and discard. Remove and crush the 6 reserved strawberries, adding them to the sweetened and crushed strawberries, and then add the whole mixture to the wine. Chill well. To serve, make a small slit in the whole strawberries (with hulls) and “hook” them onto the edges of long-stemmed wine glasses before filling. Or pour the May wine into a pitcher or punch bowl and float whole strawberries, rose petals, Johnny jump-ups, pansies and/or wild violets and pretty blue star-shaped borage flowers. (Note: Do not add ice to the punch bowl or pitcher, but add a few cubes to each glass.) Liberally splash each serving of May wine with sparkling rosé and enjoy! *Should you find sprigs of fresh sweet woodruff, make sure to dry them overnight to bring out the flavor. 72

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A New Infusion for an Old Friend

General Store

501 Bastrop Hwy, Austin 512-385-3452 Monday-Saturday 8am to 6pm

Gifts • Housewares • Garden • Hardware • Feed

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edible MARKETPLACE Hill Country Lavender blanco, texas

The perfect gift.

Texas 1st Commercial Lavender Farm

Farm Store & Blooming Season

Opening Mid May - July Fri & Sat 10-4 / Sun 12-4 Come enjoy the beauty of our lavender field and full line of handcrafted lavender products.

Blanco Lavender Festival June 12th - 14th Visit our year round location at Brieger Pottery, Blanco TX call 830.833.2294 or Shop Online www.hillcountrylavender.com

Uniquely delicious rum cakes made in Austin.

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High quality, free-range venison, antelope and wild boar meat from truly wild animals. And Diamond H Ranch Quail!

Order Online www.brokenarrowranch.com

Open Year Round Market Hours: Tuesday: 2-6 Saturday: 10-2

Secede Responsibly

Buy Local-Eat Fresh

Bastrop 1832 Farmers Market 1302 Chestnut St. Bastrop, TX Next to the Convention Center

Visit us soon & discover a wide variety of fresh, locally grown vegetables & fruits, grass-fed beef, eggs, local honey, herbs, plants, prepared foods, baked goods, breads, artisan wares, & more! www.bastrop1832farmersmarket.org

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Soup, Salads, Sandwiches, Local Beer & Wine

12 of Blanco’s Real Ale beers on tap Mon. - Thur. 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Fri. - Sat. 10:30 am - 9:00 pm & Sunday 10 :00 am - 3:00 pm

featuring local lavender lemonade. 830-833-0202 / www.redbud-cafe.com

Visit Bug-Bouncer.com to find a local retailer near you

gifts party ideas & more

C E L E B R AT I O N S

Boggy Creek Farm

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Celebrating the Local Food Culture of the Capitol Region, Season by Season

Mick Klug on Peaches

Refresh: Cold Summer Soups T H E H E I R LO O M TO M ATO

SUMMER 2014

•

A MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

•

ISSUE 24

Support Local Community, Food & Drink Member of Edible Communtiies

Good food. Good drink. Good read. • No. 25 • Summer 2014

edible Toronto Member of Edible Communities

AND THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE

No. 15 • Spring 2011

edible TULSA

Inspired | Informative | Influential

Spring’s Bean Sprung! Overindulge in Asparagus while the Local Pickings are Good Romance the Palate, Latin American Style Taste Prince Edward County Resurrect Tradition

Support Local Community, Food & Drink Member of Edible Communities

THE DIRECTORY ARTISANAL FOODS Antonelli’s Cheese Shop We love cut-to-order artisanal cheese and all that goes with it. Order a picnic platter, take a class or host a private guided event. Free tastings daily. 512-531-9610 4220 Duval St. antonellischeese.com

Broken Arrow Ranch We field harvest truly wild animals for high-quality free-range venison, antelope and wild boar meat. Diamond H Ranch Quail from Bandera also available. 800-962-4263 3296 Junction Hwy., Ingram brokenarrowranch.com

The Culinary Factory

Royers Pie Haven Royers Pie Haven is a place you can come grab a slice of handmade sweet and savory pies, amazing coffee and sweet treats. 512-474-2800 2900 B Guadalupe St. 979-249-5282 190 Henkel Circle, Round Top royerspiehaven.com

BEVERAGES Becker Vineyards Winery, vineyards, and tasting room with wines for tasting and for sale. Lavender fields, lavender products and annual Lavender Fest. 830-644-2681 464 Becker Farms Rd., Stonewall beckervineyards.com

Retail and food service co-packers for individual companies and restaurants, full service commissary kitchen and fulfillment center. 512-289-1282; 3913 Todd Ln. #203 theculinaryfactory.com

Brooklyn Brewery

Lick Honest Ice Creams

A low calorie, cold-brew coffee made of the highest quality ingredients in a handy 8 oz. can providing a smooth, bold experience that is Better, Not Bitter™. 512-853-9696 highbrewcoffee.com

Artisan ice creams celebrating the finest ingredients Texas has to offer! Handmade in small batches in our shop, locally sourced and seasonally inspired. 512-363-5622 2032 S. Lamar Blvd. ilikelick.com

Lone Star Foodservice Lone Star Foodservice is a famly-owned wholesale meat company, whose mission is to source and deliver the finest cuts of natural beef, pork and lamb to tables across Texas. 512-646-6218 1403 E. 6th St. lonestarfood.com

Texas Olive Ranch Fresh Texas-grown extra virgin olive oil from Carrizo Springs, infused olive oil and balsamic vinegar at farmers markets in Austin, SA, NB, Houston, Dallas. 877-461-4708 texasoliveranch.com

BAKERIES Blackbird Bakery Blackbird Bakery is the premier supplier of prepared gluten-free pastries, breads and gluten-free flour blends in Austin. 512-971-7955 blackbird-bakery.com

Blue Note Bakery Blue Note Bakery is Austin’s premier custom cake shop, meticulously creating one-of-akind desserts for your special occasions. 512-797-7367 4201 S. Congress Ave., Ste. 101 bluenotebakery.com

Leading the world in beers made in Brooklyn. 718-486-7422 brooklynbrewery.com

High Brew Coffee

Hill Country Distillers Our distillery, tasting room, cocktail bar, outdoor patio, and courtyard invite you to prop up your feet, stay a while, and enjoy some great drinks. 830-995-2924 723 Front St, Comfort hillcountrytxdistillers.com

Kuhlman Cellars Join us Friday-Sunday for an intimate Sommelier guided wine tasting including chef-designed, small-bite, cuisine custom paired with each wine. 512-920-2675 18421 E. US 290, Stonewall kuhlmancellars.com

JuiceLand JuiceLand serves fresh juice and superfood smoothies in 10 Austin locations and one in Brooklyn, making people feel better all the time! Drink fresh juice! 512-480-9501 1625 Barton Springs Rd. 512-628-0782 2307 Lake Austin Blvd. 512-243-5719 701 Capital of TX Hwy. 512-284-9044 2422 Ranch Rd. 620 512-494-6905 2828 ½ Guadalupe St. 512-373-8731 9901 Brodie Ln. juice.land

Maine Root Beverages

Wedding Oak Winery

We’re based here in Austin and make fair trade certified, organically sweetened soft drinks and lemonades available in bottles and fountain syrups. 512-517-3158; 1000 E. 40th. maineroot.com

Texas winery using 100% Texas grown wine grapes located in a historic 1926 building. Open 7 days a week. Specializes in Mediterranean varietals. Great patio. 325-372-4050 316 E. Wallace, San Saba weddingoakwinery.com

Paula’s Texas Spirits Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur & Paula’s Texas Lemon Liqueur—all natural and handmade in Austin since 2006. Available throughout Texas. paulastexasspirits.com

Real Ale Brewing Co. Handcrafted beer that is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and only in Texas. Visit us in Blanco for pints, flights, and free tours 11am - 5pm, Thu - Sat. 830-833-2534 realalebrewing.com

BOOKSELLERS BookPeople Texas’ leading independent bookstore since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years! 512-472-5050; 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com

CATERING AND MEAL DELIVERY

Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods

Firehouse Libations

Family-owned since 1962, Spec’s offers expert service and Texas’ largest selection of wines, spirits and beers along with gourmet foods and more! 512-366-8260 4978 W. US Hwy. 290 512-342-6893 10515 N. MoPac Hwy. 512-280-7400 9900 S. I-35 512-263-9981 13015 Shops Pkwy. 512-366-8300 5775 Airport Blvd. specsonline.com

Authentic craft cocktail catering service with stylishly furnished bar arrangements. 512-992-5670 605 Brazos St. firehouselibations.com

Texas Coffee Traders East Austin’s artisanal coffee roaster and one-stop shop offering a wide selection of certified organic and Fair Trade options for wholesale and retail. 512-476-2279; 1400 E. 4th St. texascoffeetraders.com

Texas Hills Vineyard Winemaking, wine sales, tasting room, patio for picnics, gifts, award-winning wines, fun-loving staff and a beautiful place to visit. 930-868-2321 878 RR 2766, Johnson City texashillsvineyard.com

Thirsty Planet Brewing Co. Thirsty Planet Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Austin, TX. Now available in bottles! Brewed with passion, committed to the planet. 512-579-0679; 11160 Circle Dr. www.thirstyplanet.net

Twin Liquors Family owned and Authentically Austin™ since 1937 - Twin Liquors helps customers match wine and spirits to every occasion. 75 Central Texas locations. 1-855-350-TWIN (8946) 512-451-7400 1000 E. 41st St. #810 512-402-0060 12528 Texas 71, Bee Cave 512-872-4220 210 University Blvd, Ste. 120, Round Rock twinliquors.com

Pink Avocado Catering A custom catering company specializing in tailored menus, incredible food and surprisingly personal service. 512-656-4348 401 Sabine St. Ste. B pinkavocadocatering.com

Spoon & Co. Catering It’s our business to delight you with the details, memorable events with mindfully chosen, prepared and presented food and a caring crew! 512-912-6784 spoonandco.com

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Texas Oven Co. Experts in designing and building wood-burning ovens. Our handcrafted ovens are fire-breathing works of art. We are also a Forno Bravo pizza oven dealer. 512-222-6836 texasovenco.com

Troo Designs We are a local design studio that specializes in creating the home you dream of with our passion in kitchen, bath, and interior design. 512-596-2927 4646 Mueller Blvd., Ste. 1050 troodesignskbi.com

EDUCATION The Natural Epicurean At The Natural Epicurean, we train professional chefs, health coaches, and consumers in plant-based health-supportive culinary techniques. 512-476-2276 1700 S. Lamar Blvd. naturalepicurean.com

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EVENTS

FARMS

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

LANDSCAPE AND GARDENING

Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce

Burg’s Corner

Austin Skin Studio

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Fredericksburg peaches. Local fruit and vegetable stand. Peach ice cream. Peach Cider. Over 100 Texas gourmet jarred products. Sweet snacks and gifts. 830-644-2604 15194 E. US Hwy 290, Stonewall burgscorner.com

Laser Hair Removal, Skin Tightening, Brown Spot Removal, Spider Vein Removal 6012 W. William Cannon, Suite B101 512-574-3949 austinskinstudio.com

The Wildflower Center is a native plant botanic garden, a university research center and one of the 1,000 places to see before you die. 512-232-0100 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org

830-693-2815 marblefalls.org

Recycling The Past Architecture, design and nature all collide at our 12,000 sq. foot sales and event venue in Round Top, TX. Procurers of architectural salvage and oddities. 609-618-7606 1132 N. FM 1291, Round Top recyclingthepast.com

Texas Hill Country Olive Company The 3rd Annual Texas Olive Festival takes place May 28-31 and features cooking demos, food and wine tastings, live music, kids activities, and more. Tickets available now! 512-607-6512 2530 W. Fitzhugh Rd. TexasOliveFest.com

The Texas Steak Cook-off and Wine Festival Hico EDC hosts the largest steak cookoff in Texas. The event, the Texas Steak Cook-off, has over 100 backyard chefs competing for over $11,000 in prizes. 254-796-4620 ext. 4 Downtown Historic Hico texassteakcookoff.com

FINANCIAL Capital Farm Credit Capital Farm Credit is your financial lending partner, providing loans for recreational land, home loans and small and large acreage tracts. 512-892-4425 5900 Southwest Pkwy., Ste. 501 512-715-9239 301 W. Polk St., Burnet 979-968-5750 456 N. Jefferson St., La Grange 512-398-3524 1418 S. Colorado St., Lockhart 830-626-6886 426 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels capitalfarmcredit.com

GROCERS Farmhouse Delivery

FARMERS MARKETS

We bring the farm to your door, offering home or office delivery of local produce, meat, dairy, eggs, and local, artisanal products. 512-529-8569 farmhousedelivery.com

Lone Star Farmers Market

Royal Blue Grocery

Providing fresh fruits, vegetables and quality products. Located at The Shops at the Galleria every Sunday from 10 am–2 pm in the Lowe’s parking lot. 512-924-7503 12611 Shops Pkwy., Ste. 100, Bee Cave lonestarfarmersmarket.com

Sustainable Food Center SFC cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. 512-236-0074 400 W. Guadalupe St. 3200 Jones Rd., Sunset Valley 2835 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 4600 Lamar Blvd. 2921 E. 17 St., Bldg C (Office) sustainablefoodcenter.org

Texas Farmers Market Cedar Park (Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm, Lakeline Mall) and Mueller Farmers Markets (Sundays, 10 am–2 pm, the historic Mueller Hangar). Open year round, rain or shine. 512-363-5700 1-1200 Lakeline Mall Dr., Cedar Park 4550 Mueller Blvd. texasfarmersmarket.org

Downtown Austin’s neighborhood grocer—with dairy, prepared foods, beer and wine, Royal Blue has it all, in a convenient and compact format. Catering too! 512-499-3993; 247 W. 3rd St. 512-476-5700; 360 Nueces St. 512-469-5888; 609 Congress Ave. 512-386-1617; 301 Brazos St., Ste. 101 512-480-0036; 51 Rainey St. royalbluegrocery.com

Wheatsville Food Co-op Serving up local, organic, sustainable and humanely raised food since 1976. Full service deli, hot bar, salad bar, espresso bar and eating area with wi-fi. 512-478-2667; 3101 Guadalupe St. 512-814-2888; 4001 S. Lamar Blvd. wheatsville.coop

Whole Foods Market Selling the highest quality natural and organic products. 512-542-2200 525 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-345-5003 9607 Research Blvd. 512-206-2730 12601 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave 512-358-2460 4301 W. William Cannon wholefoodsmarket.com

Hill Country Memorial Hospital Hill Country Memorial is a nationally recognized nonprofit hospital in Fredericksburg with a reputation of delivering remarkable care. 830-997-4353 1020 S. State Hwy. 16, Fredericksburg 830-428-2345 1580 S. Main St., Ste. 101, Boerne 844-362-7426 1331 Bandera Hwy., Ste. 3, Kerrville 830-693-7942 2511 US Highway 281, Ste. 800, Marble Falls 830-798-1821 204 Gateway N., Ste. B, Marble Falls hillcountrymemorial.org

Peoples Rx Austin’s favorite pharmacy for more than 30 years, Peoples integrates nutrition, supplements and medicine with natural remedies and custom Rx compounding. 512-219-9499; 13860 Hwy. 183 N., Ste. C 512-459-9090; 4018 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-444-8866; 3801 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-327-8877; 4201 Westbank Dr. peoplesrx.com

Wiseman Family Practice Wiseman Family Practice is an integrative medical practice in Austin, Tx that focuses on health education and natural approaches to wellness. 512-345-8970 2500 S. Lakeline Blvd. Ste. 100, Cedar Park 3345 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. 101 3801 S. Lamar Blvd. wisemanfamilypractice.com

HOUSEWARES AND GIFTS Callahan’s General Store Austin’s real general store…hardware to western wear, from feed to seed! 512-385-3452; 501 Bastrop Hwy. callahansgeneralstore.com

Der Küchen Laden Retail gourmet kitchen shop, featuring cookware, cutlery, bakeware, small electrics, textiles and kitchen gadgets. 830-997-4937 258 E. Main St., Fredericksburg littlechef.com

Barton Springs Nursery Locally grown Texas native plants. Organic pest management. Environmentally friendly soil amendments. Beautiful gifts. 512-328-6655 3601 Bee Caves Rd. bartonspringsnursery.net

Backbone Valley Nursery A destination garden center with over 14 acres of plants, vegetables, orchids, trees, and landscape supplies. Once you find us you won’t forget us! 830-693-9348 4201 FM 1980, Marble Falls backbonevalleynursery.com

The Great Outdoors Nursery A garden store and so much more! 512-448-2992 2730 S. Congress Ave. gonursery.com

Natural Gardener We are a garden center and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic time-tested gardening practices. 512-288-6113 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. naturalgardeneraustin.com

LODGING AND TOURISM Bastrop Culinary District With over 18 restaurants and 11 food related businesses, historic downtown Bastrop has something for every palate. Come visit and experience the food! 512-303-0904 visitbastrop.com

Brenham/Washington County CVB Visit Brenham and Washington County, home of the birthplace of Texas, Washington-on-the-Brazos State historic site. scenic drives, wineries, great lodging. 979-836-3696 115 W. Main St., Brenham visitbrenhamtexas.com

The Herb Bar

Blanco Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau

Best place to cure what ails you and a healing resource center since 1986. Our Optimal Health Advisers are highly trained, knowledgeable and compassionate. 512-444-6251 200 W. Mary St. theherbbar.com

Discover the fun and beauty of the Texas Hill Country in Blanco. We are your source of where to eat, shop, stay and play in Blanco. 830-833-5101 312 Pecan St., Blanco blancochamber.com

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Deer Lake Lodge and Spa Deer Lake is an organic spa and resort. We offer a full service spa and salon, juicing classes, yoga, weekend retreats and a respite from every day life. 936-647-1383 10500 Deer Lake Lodge Rd, Montgomery deerlakelodge.com

Fredericksburg Conference and Visitors Bureau Visit Fredericksburg, a small gem nestled in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy eclectic shops, diverse lodging, amazing restaurants and Texas wines. 866-997-3600 visitfredericksburgtx.com

Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm Cooking Classes, beautiful dining room venue for private events, hill country cabin rental. 830-833-0910 5818 RR 165, Dripping Springs juniperhillsfarm.com

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART Blanton Museum of Art The Blanton Museum of Art, one of the foremost university art museums in the country, offers all visitors engaging experiences that connect art and ideas. 512-471-7324 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. blantonmuseum.org

The Contemporary Austin The Contemporary Austin reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education and the collections. The Contemporary aspires to be an essential part of city life. 512-453-5312 700 Congress Ave. 512-458-8191 3809 W. 35th St. thecontemporaryaustin.org

Marta Stafford Fine Art Located in the Texas Hill Country, housed in a historic early 1900s bank. Work by national & regional artists. Figural work, Impressionistic landscapes and more. 830-693-9999 200 Main St., Marble Falls martastaffordfineart.com

REAL ESTATE Green Mango Real Estate Boutique firm specializing in Central Austin since 1987, especially the 78704 where we have sold more homes than any other single realtor. 512-923-6648 905 Avondale Rd. greenmangorealestate.com

RESTAURANTS Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Locally-sourced lunch and dinner. Craft brewery, live music, good people, dog friendly, creative community. #beermakesitbetter #ouratx 512-298-2242 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com

Barlata Tapas Bar Located in the heart of South Lamar. Barlata offers a variety of tapas, paellas, regional Spanish wines and cavas. Come and enjoy a bit of Spain with us. 512 473-2211 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 150 barlataaustin.com

Barley Swine / Odd Duck Inspired by our farmer friends. Check out oddduckaustin.com for our latest menu offerings. Make your reservation at barleyswine.com for our tasting menu. Odd Duck: 512-433-652 1201 S. Lamar Blvd. oddduck.com Barley Swine: 512-394-8150 2024 S. Lamar Blvd. barleyswine.com

Baxters On Main Casual fine dining restaurant and catering. We welcome private parties. Catering for all of your needs. 512-321-3577 919 Main St., Bastrop baxtersonmain.com

Buenos Aires Cafe

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Austin-grown Argentine restaurant. We use only the freshest ingredients available and make an effort to support local farmers. Food made with love daily. 512-382-1189 1201 E. 6th St. 512-441-9000 13500 Galleria Cir., Bee Cave buenosairescafe.com

Austin Label Company

Cafe Josie

Custom Labels up to 10 x 20 on paper, foil, synthetics, multiple adhesives, embossing, hot foil and UV coatings. Proud members of Go Texan, FTA and TWGGA. 512-302-0204 1610 Dungan Ln. austinlabel.com

Established in 1997, Cafe Josie strives to provide our guests with a memorable dining experience focusing on using locally sourced ingredients. 512-322-9226 1200 B W. 6th St. cafejosie.com

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Chez Nous

Jack Allen’s Kitchen

A casual french bistro, serving Austin since 1982, Chez Nous offers a delectable selection of regional french cuisine and wines in a relaxed, convivial and intimate atmosphere. 512-473-2413 510 Neches St. cheznousaustin.com

Texan in spirit and local in source, Jack Allen’s Kitchen serves up Texas-inspired cuisine, fresh cocktails, cold beers and good times daily. 512-852-8558 7720 W. Hwy. 71 512-215-0372 2500 Hoppe Tr., Round Rock jackallenskitchen.com

District Kitchen + Cocktails District proudly partners with local farms and businesses to create an eclectic seasonal brunch and dinner menu. The industrial-style decor or the huge tree covered patio makes for a great dining atmosphere. 512-351-8436 5900 W. Slaughter Ln., Ste D500 districtaustin.com

East Side Pies We’ve got homemade, thin crust pizzas with local veggies and meats. Gluten-free options, too! 512-524-0933 1401 Rosewood Ave. 512-454-7437 5312 Airport Blvd., Ste. G 512-467-8900 1809-1 W. Anderson Ln. eastsidepies.com

Finn & Porter Finn & Porter is fresh and modern. Locally sourced and exquisitely presented. The freshest seafood, steaks, sushi and produce the state of Texas has to offer. 512-493-4900 500 E. 4th St. finnandporteraustin.com

Green Pastures Located in old South Austin a mile-anda-half south of the river on 5 acres. Offering lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Catering and events on and offsite. 512-444-4747 811 W. Live Oak St. greenpasturesrestaurant.com

Hoover’s Cooking From scratch Texas home cooking. Serving comfort food favorites like CFS, meatloaf and southern-style veggies; vegetarian options. BBQ, Sat. and Sun. breakfast. 512 479-5006 2002 Manor Rd. hooverscooking.com

Jobell Cafe & Bistro We offer a carefully selected and prepared take on French bistro fare with wonderful wines all served amidst the intimacy and charm of Texas Hill Country. 512-847-5700 16920 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley jobellcafe.com

Kerbey Lane Cafe Kerbey Lane Cafe is a local Austin haunt serving up tasty, healthy food (mostly) 24/7. Stop by any of our 6 locations for a delicious stack of pancakes! 512-451-1436 kerbeylanecafe.com

The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery Serving the Texas Hill Country fresh and seasonal favorites using local ingredients. 512-847-7327 111 River Rd., Wimberley leaningpear.com

Lenoir Lenoir is an intimate, family-run restaurant offering a weekly, local prix-fixe menu, great wine and friendly service. 512-215-9778 1807 S. 1st St. lenoirrestaurant.com

The Mercantile Wine and tapas bar located in Dripping Springs. 512-829-4723 211 Mercer St., Dripping Springs mercantileonmercer.com

North Italia A modern take on the best of traditional Italian cuisine, North is a neighborhood restaurant made for sharing, sipping, and savoring. 512-339-4400 11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 124 northitaliarestaurant.com

Otto’s German Bistro Hut’s Hamburgers An Austin Tradition since 1939 featuring Grassfed Longhorn Beef and bison burgers. 512-472-0693 807 W. 6th St. hutsfrankandangies.com

Otto’s offers German-inspired fare in Fredericksburg, Texas. Featuring locally sourced produce and meats. Local beers and wines on tap, handcrafted cocktails. 830-307-3336 316 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg ottosfbg.com

Red Mango - The 704

Vaudeville & V Supper Club

Red Mango has a variety of nutritious options for the 704 community. Known for all natural frozen yogurt, fresh juice, protein smoothies and more! 512-356-9574 3421 S. Lamar Blvd. facebook.com/redmangoatx

Vaudeville is the foodie Mecca in the Hill Country. You will find under one roof a bistro, wine and gourmet market, a fine dining restaurant and much more! 830-992-3234 230 E. Main, Fredericksburg vaudeville-living.com

Ronin Cooking, LLC

Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar

Chef Brian Light and his wife Amanda operate out of an old barn converted into a commercial kitchen. Full Moon dinners on their farm and other special events. 979-574-8745 RoninCooking.com

The daily menu is based on local artisans. Wink happily embraces omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, pescetarians and special dietary issues. 512-482-8868 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. winkrestaurant.com

Salt & Time Butcher Shop & Salumeria

SPECIALTY MARKET

notable MENTIONS TEXAS WINERIES WIN GOLD Viticulture in Texas continue to attract industry-wide accolades: 23 Texas wines were recently recognized with gold medal awards at the 2015 TEXSOM International Wine Awards (TIWA), a highly respected worldwide competition. Of the 215 Texas wine entries, 157 earned medals from judging panels of master sommeliers, winemakers and wine journalists. From the final list of the 23 gold medal winners, the sommelier panel and Texas Monthly further compiled a selection of nine wines they deemed best in show and thought best represent Texas’ ascending wine standards. We are proud to say that most of these standouts hail from Central Texas, including: Bending Branch Winery Estate Tannat,

A full service Butcher Shop and restaurant, 100% locally sourced meat and produce, house made deli meats, charcuterie and salumi. 512-524-1383 1912 E. 7th St. saltandtime.com

che); Duchman Family Winery Montepulciano Oswald Vineyard, Buffalo Exchange New & Recycled Fashion. Buy, sell, trade designer wear, basics, vintage, and one-of-a-kind items. You can receive cash or trade for clothing on the spot! 512-480-9922 2904 Guadalupe St. buffaloexchange.com

Thai Fresh Thai Fresh offers authentic Thai food, cooking classes, coffee bar, gluten free bakery. We source locally grown and raised ingredients. 512-494-6436 909 W. Mary St. thaifreshaustin.com

ThunderCloud Subs For fresh, fast and healthy, head on over to your neighborhood ThunderCloud Subs, Austin’s original sub shop. Now with 30 locations in Central Texas. 512-479-8805 thundercloud.com

The Turtle Restaurant Your destination for food prepared from locally available, seasonal ingredients. 325-646-8200 514 Center Ave., Brownwood theturtlerestaurant.com

2012 (Driftwood); Lewis Wines Round Mountain Vineyard Reserve, 2011 (Johnson City); Messina Hof Cabernet Franc Barrel Reserve, 2012 (Bryan and Fredericksburg); Pedernales Cellars Viognier, 2014 (Stonewall); and Perissos Vineyards Aglianico, 2013 (Burnet).

STEAK COOK-OFF IN THE COUNTRY Hico, Texas, may be in the “middle of nowhere”—nestled between

Sweet Ritual Artisanal microcreamery featuring 17 flavors of alternative ice cream - made with cashew, almond and coconut bases. Gluten-free options. Dairy and egg free. 512-666-8346 4500 Duval St. sweetritual.com

2012 (Comfort); Brennan Vineyards Super Nero, 2012 (Coman-

For Goodness Sake Natural Foods Family owned and operated health food store featuring high quality supplements, all-natural and organic bodycare plus unique grocery items. 830-606-1900 1306 E. Common St., Ste. 101, New Braunfels naturalfoodsnewbraunfelstx.com

Dublin and Meridian, about 100 miles northwest of Austin—but on Saturday, May 16, historic downtown Hico will be a hot spot for foodies with the 12th Annual Texas Steak Cookoff and Wine Festival. This family-friendly event includes steak dinner, hors d’oeuvres, artisan vendors, local shopping and, of course, a chance to look on as backyard chefs from all over the Southwest compete to see who cooks the best steak in Texas—a tall order out there in cattle country! The event also features live entertainment for the whole family, and an optional wine tasting featuring

Make It Sweet At Make It Sweet, you can find tools, supplies and ingredients to make cakes, cookies and candies and learn fun, new techniques in the classes offered. 512-371-3401 9070 Research Blvd. makeitsweet.com

a wide variety of Texas wines. Visit texassteakcookoff.com for tickets and more information.

SPEND A MIDSUMMER EVENING IN NATURE Summertime abounds with opportunities to enjoy the weather and explore nature in new ways. With this in mind, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Nature

TreeHouse At TreeHouse, We specialize in high preference, design, and outdoor solutions and products for the home. 512-861-0712 4477 S. Lamar Blvd. Suite 600 treehouse.co

Nights are the ideal way to take advantage of free time and balmy evenings to learn about local Texas plants, animals and ecology. For six Thursday nights from 6 to 9 p.m., beginning on June 11 and extending to July 23, families and friends can gather for engaging presentations, hikes with nature specialists and arts and crafts activities for all. Each night will feature a different theme, including plants, pollinators, snakes, water ecology, fire prevention and birds of prey. Admission is free, and children 12 and younger receive a free gift. Visit wildflower.org/nature for more. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2015

Tom Friedman, production maquette for Looking Up, 2015. Stainless steel. 390 x 130 x 90 inches. Edition 1 of 3, 1 AP. Artwork © Tom Friedman. Courtesy the artist; Luhring Augustine, New York; and Stephen Friedman Gallery, London. Image courtesy Walla Walla Foundry.

ART DE TERROIR

Good Taste: Picnic in the Park Sunday, May 31 | 12:30–3 pm

| Laguna Gloria | Co-presented by Edible Austin

Pack your picnic, gather on a blanket with friends and family, and explore the picturesque Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park to discover newly commissioned sculptures. Taste local sweets and treats by Make It Sweet and Pogue Mahone Pickles, plus refreshments by High Brew Coffee, Independence Brewing Co., JuiceLand, Paula’s Texas Spirits and Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Advance tickets recommended. $12/$10 for members and available at thecontemporaryaustin.org.

Jones Center 700 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 512 453 5312

Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park / Laguna Gloria 3809 West 35th Street Austin, TX 78703 • 512 458 8191

thecontemporaryaustin.org

Art School 3809 West 35th Street Austin, TX 78703 512 323 6380

Real food. Real health. Real medicine.

CEDAR PARK | WESTLAKE | SOUTH LAMAR Book Now: 512-345-8920 or WisemanFamilyPractice.com

America’s Healthiest Grocery Store® wfm.com/valuesmatter DOMAIN: Just off Mopac, North of Braker | NORTH: Gateway Shopping Center | DOWNTOWN: 6th & Lamar SOUTH: William Cannon & Mopac | WEST: Hill Country Galleria @wholefoodsATX

BE A TH�RN IN TIME'S SIDE