I will never complain that from time to time I receive some free alcohol to sample in exchange for writing something up about said liquor. With that, I’m going to talk about three such liquors and what a novice mixologist like me did with them. And when I say novice, I’m talking still-in-the-womb novice. Most of my experience with booze is opening up some beer or wine, but occasionally I step out of my comfort zone. But at least you know that going in.

First, I was sent three different types of tequila from Hornitos–Reposado, Plata, and Anejo. I’m looking forward to having a Mexican themed party with margaritas and Coronas, but meanwhile, I used the Plata (clearest form of tequila) for the following recipe sent to me by the rep for X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and substituted the Hornitos for the tequila they suggested:

The Garden Fresh Skinny Summerita

By Travis London

1 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1 oz. (Hornitos) tequila
Juice of half a lime
3 sprigs fresh cilantro
3 thin slices of fresh cucumber
3 thin slices of a fresh jalapeño pepper
Cucumber wheel for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker (except cucumber wheel) filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with cucumber wheel.

I will say this–it’s not a sweet fu-fu drink. With the jalapeno in there, this is a downright spicy drink, but it’s also extremely refreshing. If you can take the spice, you can probably drink three or four of these without blinking on a hot summer day. And let’s face it–it’s freaking hot everywhere in the country right now.

Then there is this drink I created using SKYY Infusions Coconut vodka. I’m a big coconut fan, so it was easy for me to like this one. I’m also a big fan of flavored carbonated water, and for this one I used La Croix Coconut and Lime flavors:

Mikey’s Lime in the Coconut (make sure the Harry Nilsson song “Lime in the Coconut” is playing when you drink this)

1 oz. SKYY Infusions Coconut vodka
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. sugar water (1 tsp. of sugar dissolved in 1 oz. water)
1 oz. La Croix coconut carbonated water
1 oz. La Croix lime carbonated water

Combine vodka, lime juice and sugar water in a shaker with some ice. Shake vigorously and pour into a glass with ice. Slowly pour in the seltzers and stir before serving. Garnish with a slice of lime.

This one was pretty refreshing as well, but perhaps it could use a touch more sugar. Or maybe more vodka. Hey, I told you I was a novice!

Okay, so this is really cool. TastingRoom.com is an online service where you can purchase wine by the glass. Imagine that. How often do you open a bottle, have one or two glasses and then dump the rest of the bottle? I know I’ve done it, and then before you know it you have red wine vinegar. This way, you get a single serving and then can even try a different glass of something else, or open up a second single serving bottle of the same wine.

However, what they sent us to sample was something even cooler–the Wine for Dudes Sampler. It’s a flight of six different wines, all from California vineyards, but in 1.7 oz. bottles that are perfect for tasting. If you’re looking to get hammered, look elsewhere, but if you are expanding your horizons and learning more about wine as you get older (yeah, I’m looking at you….as well as in the mirror), this is a great way to try some new wines. The flight was put together by blogger and wine expert Gary Vaynerchuk, and includes a message on the packaging that it’s “dude season–baseball, boating and good times,” and that the sampler is meant to expand our palates and exposes us to wines that we guys may not normally try.

Oh, and the wine itself? The wines are a Bugay Rose Syrah, a pink wine that most guys wouldn’t be caught dead drinking, but it’s really not bad; a Francis Coppola Winery Chardonnay that was smooth and refreshing yesterday when it was 80 degrees and sticky outside; Twisted Oak red blend, which was a light red like a chianti; Easton ’06 Zinfandel, which had a touch of that oak-y flavor associated with dark reds but was still smooth; a Jake Ryan Cellars ’07 Zinfandel which was bold and tasty; and a Feather ’07 Cabernet, which said, aptly, that it has hints of “blackberries and slight oak.” This sampler accomplished for me what it intended–trying wines I would not normally try. But they were all good and I’d drink them again. Well, maybe not the pink one.

TastingRoom.com has many other samplers and wines by the glass and is worth checking out, especially with Father’s Day around the corner. Cheers!

Mrs. Mike and I rolled into Chicago last Friday night, sans kid–that meant that it didn’t matter how late we arrived, that we could just drop our luggage and go grab some grub. And we did just that as the clock struck 10pm. The first place we intended to check out was called The Purple Pig–and their theme is “swine, wine and cheese.” It sounded too funky and cool to pass up. So we were disappointed at the 60 minute wait. However, the hostess assured us that a lot of folks did not stay, so that it could be much less than 60 minutes.

We thought about not staying, but then decided to just have a drink and see what happened. Turns out 60 minutes was more like 3 minutes, and we were thrilled. Then we got a look at the crazy menu–which had sections such as appetizers, fried items, sandwiches, cheeses, sausages, and main courses. It is a tasting menu too, with most dishes being small portions that are meant to be shared.

Okay. So we ordered some wine, and then chose a few food items–salt roasted beets with goat cheese and pistachios; fried manchego cheese; fried olives with chorizo; a coppa, cheese and fennel panini; and a JLT–their take on a BLT with the J standing for “jowels,” i.e. pork cheeks, i.e. just real tender ham-like meat. Anyway, Mrs. Mike was willing to try the fried pig ear and/or the bone marrow, but not me. The jowels were the extent of my ambition.

Anyway, the beets were sweet, salty and had the creamy cheese–a crazy combination of flavors that just worked. The cheese was in squares and along with the really tasty olives were like sophisticated bar food. Seriously, that was some killer fried cheese. The panini was good, but the JLT was better–and the duck egg on top was the weirdest part of it. So much for tasting menus– we were rolling out of there, and ordered dessert to go–a nutella, banana and whipped cream panini–that I could not force a bite of until the following morning.

But the meal itself, and especially the experience, was a great start to our weekend in Chicago.

When sampling wine from italy, you wouldn’t exactly expect it to not be awesome. But VOGA wine has exceeded expectations. They sent us two bottles to try–the merlot and the moscato.

The Merlot is not too dry and not bitter like some merlots are, but had a pleasant, smooth taste, sort of like a Chianti but with more of a kick. And just like most bold reds like this, it goes great with Wisconsin cheddar cheese, something I’ve become a bit of a snob about.

The Moscato was not something I typically drink. It is white, but has some fizz. It’s not an obnoxious fizz like champagne, but more of a subtle carbonation, more akin to what might happen if you added seltzer to wine, like my parents used to do. Anyway, it also has a real mild flavor, almost like they just squeezed grapes right into the bottle. On ice, I could probably down the whole bottle on a hot day, it was that good.

One of the best parts about VOGA wine, though, is the bottle. There is a cork, yes, but on top of that is a screw top. So after you remove the screw top and cork, you then replace the screw top to keep it fresh. Freaking brilliant.

Anyway, I’m anxious to try the other flavors. Other VOGA varieties are Pinot Grigio and Quattro, as well as two other sparkling ones. Give it a try if you see it, even if you’re a wine snob.

For more information, visit www.vogawine.com

No, really. I venture to say that when you’re drinking a wine that is called Sledgehammer, no one can call you a girly man. I reviewed this wine on the Bullz-Eye blog a few months back, and they are still in the same vintage–2007. But these folks were kind enough to send me more of this bold and awesome red wine when I told them about Mikey’s Kitchen. So here we are. I mean, I’m not drunk from having slammed two bottles of wine just now. I enjoyed them 1-2 glasses at a time. Okay, maybe three glasses.

But here is the best part–living in Wisconsin, I’ve become somewhat of a cheese snob. I can’t with a clear conscience munch on store brand or even Cracker Barrel’s most sharp sharpy cheddar. I have to buy my cheese at Brennan’s, a Madison institution and a place that has some of the most kickass cheese around, even for Wisconsin.

And yeah, I’ve become a snob, but by no means am I an expert on wine and cheese pairing. I do know what I like, however, and what I chose recently at Brennan’s went perfectly with the Zinfandel and Cabernet the folks at Sledgehammer sent me. I paired them with a 5-year cheddar and a butterkase. The cheddar is bold, super-sharp (like Cracker Barrel on steroids), and that means it’s got a natural zing and tang to it — which of course goes perfectly with a bold red wine.

Butterkase is something I stumbled upon by accident, and I would imagine it would go well with white wine too, since it’s a light colored cheese that could be from either the Swiss or provolone families. But trust me, it’s not wimpy like those cheeses can be in the store–butterkase is soft, but it has this big, giant flavor that hits you after about 15 seconds, and it’s just delicious. Even better, the fact that it’s bold despite being soft and white, is that it too pairs nicely with a bold red wine like Sledgehammer.

Okay, then. Your wine pairing class for the day is adjourned. But let me say again, it’s not because they sent me free wine. Sledgehammer is one of the best reds I’ve tasted. Heck, even Adam Carolla endorses it! And if you don’t live in Wisconsin, fear not–Brennan’s ships out of state.