aperitifs

National cheesesteak day lands on March 24th, and we're celebrating the Philadelphia foodie favorite with Del Rossi's Cheesesteak Company's owner, Nish Patel.  Nish, who acquired ownership of Del Rossi's Cheesesteak Co pre-pandemic, completely renovated the space and its menu.  After bringing Chef Gregorio Fierro on as his confer, Chef Fierro implemented changes to the dough that inevitably enhanced the flavor & profiles of their menu.  Included in some of the changes made were artisanal options as well as sourcing their ingredients from the freshest and highest-quality purveyors, which garnered the tastiest Pizzas, Cheesesteaks, and coming-soon: Calazones, around!

We then spoke with one of Bilal's Bakery & Deli co-owners, Chef Jamela Bilal.  This is not the first time one of the Bilal family members opened an eatery, nor their first business. Chef Bilal, whose parents also own and run a cleaning business in the Philadelphia region, has deep roots within the culinary community. Jamela's roots are within the Halal community, of which she owns and operates Halal To Go.  In addition to running her business, Chef Bilal also works with her family to run Bilal's Bakery located in Jenkintown, PA. A year-plus since they held their Grand Opening, the multi-generational family-owned Bilal's Bakery joined us on Food Farms and Chefs to discuss their baked goods; pre-packaged foods; and the impact that they have on their community as well as information on Ramadan and the schedule they'll keep during the month-long period of reflection, prayer, fasting. 

This week's episode of Food, Farms, & Chefs is perfectly timed, since it also falls on International Whiskey Day (March 27th)!  As such, we spoke with New Liberty Distillery's Director of Visitor's Experience, Jacob Looney.  Together, we unraveled the lengthy history behind New Liberty Distillery and their Owners, and even included their close-knit bond with Ireland. Collectively, Robert Cassell and Steven Grasse own several Distilleries in the US, and collaborate with a company called The Connacht Distillery in Ireland.  The duo operates under their parent company, named Milestone spirits Group, offering a wide variety of whiskeys; bourbons; liqueurs and aperitifs.  So if you fancy a flight of whiskey, set up a tour at New Liberty Distillery with Jacob, and afterwards feel free to taste their award-winning libations for yourselves. 

When you think of aperitifs, it's a fair bet that Mistelle is not one that you've come across very often. A type of fortified aperitif, Mistelle originated in France where grape juice and other fruits, are mixed with some sort of locally made spirit. 

While this style of drink has a long history in the grape-growing regions, today, we are looking at a Mistelle created by award-winning Australian bar, Bulletin Place. Adapting the style, while adding some good old Australian irreverence, the team created Rhubi Mistelle. 

To understand more about this aperitif, we talked to award-winning bartender and Bulletin Place's own, Tim Phillips, about history, taking a product to market and the cocktails you can make with it. 

In most states, you can't buy liquor on the internet, but you can buy Haus. Haus exists inside a loophole of the traditional alcohol model. It bypasses all the rules of what Helena Price Hambrecht calls the alcohol mafia.

Before launching the California aperitifs brand (just a few months ago!), Helena lived many lives in tech. You may know her from Techies — her photo project spotlighting people who are underrepresented in tech. Her husband and Haus co-founder, Woody Hambrecht is a grape farmer. When you combine their shared passions and skillsets, you get Haus. Helena is using her experience in tech to guide how she markets the brand, raises money, and creates real life, lasting experiences with customers. 

Find more links and images from this episode on the Lumi blog. 

As Vermouth comes back into favour, we talk to Mark Ward, from Australian Vermouth brand Regal Rogue, about their Bold Red expression. As a 'dry' red vermouth, Bold Red often has people a little confused, so we ask Ward to explain why it was created, what flavours dominate it and in what cocktails it can be used. Additionally, we discuss the future of Aperitifs, new world Vermouth and the brands' soon-to-be-released organic wine based Vermouth. 

On this week's episode of The Speakeasy, Damon is joined in the studio by Katie Parla, co-author of Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City. Tune in to hear them discuss her book release, Italian cocktails, how Italians drink compared to Americans, and maintaining sanity while being on the road and traveling.