Posts Written OnJanuary 18, 2010

By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist St. Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, is a magical figure, the bringer of gifts and an icon of holiday spirit. Forgotten by most is his evil side kick and enforcer of ‘the list.’ — Krampus. European tradition says while St. Nick is busy delivering presents to good little boys and girls, Krampus hands out punishments to the bad. A fanged, goat-horned bully, the Christmas Devil uses sticks and chains to beat the naughty children. Dark malts and aromatic hops create the diabolical spirit of this brew. It is finished with lager yeast and aged cold for…

By Julia Burke, Niagara Escarpment Correspondent Editor's Note: Julia left for South Africa yesterday, but we're hopeful to get some stories from her down under experience. For the next few months, my NYCR contributions will be few and far between and will include words and phrases that don’t normally show up in New York wine industry parlance, such as “bush vines,” “pinotage,” “Cape blends,” “sun damage” and “penguins.” This is because I ship off to Stellenbosch, South Africa this weekend, where I’ll be a harvest intern at Blaauwklippen Vineyards for the 2010 vintage. Feeding both my South African wine obsession…