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    Drink Up

    Make spirits bright this year with premium gifts made for festive sipping

    CultureMap Create
    Dec 20, 2021 | 12:30 pm

    'Tis that special time of the year, when you can ensure your loved ones can cheers with the best. And with all the holiday spirit in the air, what better gift to bring to family and friends than a bottle of premium liquor?

    Help make spirits bright this season with these suggestions:

    Bacardi Reserva Ocho|Shop here
    Aged a minimum of eight years under the Caribbean sun, this Puerto Rican rum boasts warming notes of butterscotch, nutmeg, and dried apricots.

    The rum's uncompromising quality rivals that of cognacs and older scotches, and is enjoyable on its own, on the rocks, or in a delicious Old Fashioned.

    Grey Goose vodka |Shop here
    Those who fill your life with joy deserve nothing but the finest: the finest French winter wheat from Picardie and the finest limestone-filtered spring water, all distilled only once to honor the flavors of these exquisite ingredients.

    From the pop of the cork, you can give the gift of Grey Goose vodka knowing that every element is created and crafted in France to the highest standard.

    And what better way to showcase the aroma and flavor than with vodka's most iconic cocktail, the Grey Goose vodka martini?

    Simply add 2.5 oz of Grey Goose vodka, 0.5 oz of extra dry vermouth, and a dash of orange bitters to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir deliberately, and strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass. Finish by adding a twist of fresh lemon. Vive le Martini!

    Bombay Sapphire|Shop here
    Unwrap the festivities with a Bombay and tonic, the ultimate expression of the quintessentially classic cocktail.

    Orris root and Angelica bring Bombay Sapphire its floral earthiness and enhance the bright, fresh flavors of citrus and juniper. Brilliantly straightforward and satisfying, this drink is always welcome at the party.

    Cazadores tequila| Shop here
    Cazadores Blanco starts in the agave fields, using 100-percent Blue Weber agave from the highland region of Jalisco. The agaves have a minimum maturity of six years to ensure high sugar content and excellent quality.

    After a seven-day double fermentation process and two rounds of distillation, Cazadores Blanco is immediately filtered and bottled. The result? A tequila in its purest form, without aging, for intensity and real flavor of agave.

    Citrus fruits, fragrant herbs, and the customary smooth finish make Cazadores Blanco excellent for cocktails or sipped neat.

    Dewar's 12 year old |Shop here
    Founded in 1846 by John Dewar, Dewar's has grown from a small wine and spirits merchant shop in Scotland to one of the largest Scotch whiskey brands in the world.

    Best known for its iconic Dewar's White Label, it has expanded its family to create a portfolio of premium and super premium whiskies.

    The signature Dewar's 12 is a luxuriously fruity and smooth blend that's perfect for the holidays. An approachable, premium trade-up for curious scotch drinkers, Dewar's 12 offers a richer profile, with fuller and more rounded aromas of honey dried fruits and vanilla.

    This satisfying flavor results in Dewar's 12 being the ideal serve for any occasion: drink it on the rocks, neat, in an Old Fashioned, or an aromatic highball.

    Angel's Envy bourbon| Shop here
    The holidays are all about tradition, and this top-shelf whiskey puts a new spin on a Louisville classic.

    Finished in port wine barrels, Angel's Envy is complex yet approachable and reinvigorates your favorite seasonal sips.

    Aberfeldy 12yo single malt whisky| Shop here
    Nestled within a lush valley in the foothills of the Central Highlands of Scotland, Aberfeldy Distillery is in the quaint village of Aberfeldy, Perthshire.

    Aberfeldy whisky is known as the "Golden Dram." Golden for the distillery’s water source, which is the famous Pitilie Burn, renowned for its water quality and famed for its rich deposits of alluvial gold.

    Golden, for Aberfeldy continues to be awarded gold and double gold medals in international spirits awards. Golden, for every sip laden with honey, spices, citrus, and hints of vanilla.

    Aged for 12 years and scented with spices and honeyed plump fruits, with a taste that's syrupy with lots of vanilla and fudge and a whisper of smoke on the finish, the 12yo Aberfeldy is sure to be a treat for all.

    Cazadores Blanco owes its intensity and smooth finish to its precise filtration process.

    Cazadores blanco tequila
      
    Photo courtesy of Bacardi
    Cazadores Blanco owes its intensity and smooth finish to its precise filtration process.
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    What's Eric Eating Episodes 459 and 460

    Meet the men behind Houston's most under-the-radar Italian restaurant

    CultureMap Staff
    Apr 18, 2025 | 5:00 pm
    Fernando Rios Mike Sammons Mimo
    Courtesy of Mimo
    Chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons are this week's guests.

    On this week’s episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” sommelier Mike Sammons and chef Fernando Rios join CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss Mimo, their Italian restaurant in the East End. The duo, whose history goes back to when they worked together at iconic Houston fine dining restaurant Da Marco, opened Mimo in 2023.



    The conversation begins with Rios explaining the progression of a career that took him from Backstreet Cafe to Da Marco to Weights + Measures, where he worked as the chef de cuisine while Sammons was a partner who oversaw the beverage program. Since they both live in the East End, they saw an opportunity to team up by claiming the former Kanomwan space on Telephone Rd.

    They discuss several aspects of the restaurant’s business, including Rios’ changes to the menu, the evolution of Mimo’s wine list, and how its been received by residents of the East End. A digression about Da Marco prompts Sandler to ask about its chef-owner Marco Wiles, who generally stays out of the media spotlight. Sammons shares that Wiles is the only chef or restaurateur who makes him nervous when he dines at Mimo.

    “He’s really not forgiving about things. This is very consistent with the Italian way of looking at things — there’s a right way to do things and that’s it. If it isn’t done that way, it’s wrong. A lot of my other mentors and friends can be more forgiving, but the standards Marco has kept for years has motivated me,” Sammons says.

    “He’s still the same way,” Rios adds. “That was insane to me. I thought, you get older, you’d be more relaxed, but the way he looks at you makes you nervous. Working in the kitchen, there was times he’d throw all my stuff away and say ‘start over.’”

    Was he right, Sandler asks.

    “Absolutely, yes. He was right all the time. I just think he was one of the best to do it,” Rios affirms.

    Listen to the full interview to hear both men discuss the one thing they’re most proud of about Mimo. They also discuss their plans for the future.



    In this week’s other episode, Sandler and co-host Mary Clarkson discuss the news of the week. Their topics include Houston’s finalists in this year’s James Beard Awards, the owners of Jūn adding a daytime concept called Third Place, and Aaron Bludorn promoting chef Allie Pena to be Bludorn’s new executive chef.

    In the restaurant of the week segment, Sandler and Clarkson visit Camaraderie, chef Shawn Gawle’s new restaurant in the Heights. They share their thoughts on the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, as well as its decor and beverage offerings.

    -----

    Subscribe to "What's Eric Eating" on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hear it Sunday at 9 am on ESPN 97.5.

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