Buckbean Beer, a Nevada craft brewer, uses
cans for its Black Noddy Logger and Orange
Blossom Ale. Photo courtesy of Buckbean
Beer.

Is canned beer making a comeback among those who enjoy the finest? More craft brewers are turning to canning their brews. In the past, canning lines weren’t made small enough to handle small craft beer lines, so brewers had to use glass; glass became associated with quality beer.

While canned beer comprises a fraction of craft brews, some companies have started canning their beer exclusively, for environmental reasons as well as for consumer convenience:

(Although note that beer should be drunk fresh and not stored longer than six months, so this should be a theoretical argument. Resist the temptation to buy more beer than you need in any given month.)

On October 23rd a competition of canned craft beers, CANFEST, will be held in Reno, Nevada. Beer seminars, beer and food pairings, tastings of the competing beers and a forum of brewers are planned; celebrities from the beer world will judge the beers. A sample of the entrants includes Big Sky Brewing Company, Buckbean Brewing Company, Maui Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Oskar Blues, Rochester Mills Brewing Company, Surly Brewing Company, Ukiah Brewing Company and Uncommon Brewers. Ticket prices are $35 and room packages will be available. For more information, email Constance Aguilar, constance@abbipr.com or call 1.775.323.2977.

You don’t have to travel to France for a truffle fix. Just head to Eugene, Oregon for the fifth annual Oregon Truffle Festival this January. You’ll be able to join in on the truffle hunting, cooking demonstrations and, best of all, dining on fabulous truffle dishes. Mark your calendar for the weekend of January 29 through January 31, 2010. Consider it a late holiday gift or an early Valentine’s celebration—but do consider it!

This will be the fifth Oregon assembly of truffle enthusiasts, truffle hunters, truffle growers and the chefs who make magic of it all. Imagine three days of tastings, tours and workshops that celebrate Oregon’s prized native fungus: black, white and brown truffles. The only truffle festival in North America, it will also feature experts from France, who will bring some of their famed French truffles to share.

Is it just coincidence that Oregon truffles pair perfectly with Oregon’s fine wines? You’ll have to go to the festival and develop your own informed opinion. For information and tickets, visit OregonTruffleFestival.com. And please, take us with you!

The interior, or glebe, of a beautiful brown
Oregon truffle. Photo courtesy of Oregon Truffle Festival.

During the weekend of October 2nd-4th, the 27th American Wine & Food Festival is serving up a world-class culinary celebration, benefiting Los Angeles Chapters of Meals On Wheels.

The Saturday evening event at the Universal Studios Back Lot.

According to a colleague who attends each year, even for $350 a ticket, the Saturday night event is one of the best foodie deals you can find: more than 50 of the best chefs in America personally serving their favorite dishes as top wineries pour fine wines, all in the fabulous ambiance of the Universal Studios back lot. You can read the full list of marquee names on the website, but a sampling of participating chefs includes Tom Colicchio, Larry Forgione, Ilan Hall, Thomas Keller, Nobu Matsushisa, Mark Miller, Mark Peel, Stephen Pyles, Lidya Shire, Joachim Splichal, Jonathan Waxman, Alan Wong and Sherry Yard. For information and tickets, visit http://www.awff.org.

Whisky “on the rocks.” Photo courtesy of Tullamore Dew.

Where can you find more than 200 of the world’s rarest and most expensive whiskies in one place? At America’s largest whisky celebration, WhiskyFest, taking place for its third year in San Francisco on October 16th. Attendees can not only sample the revered spirit, but can learn how to identify, sniff, swill and taste it, see how its made, and discover everything else about whisky, through speakers and seminars and from leading industry experts, master blenders and distillery managers.

“It gives whisky enthusiasts the chance to taste some incredibly rare whiskies and meet the makers behind the barrels,” says John Hansell, Publisher of Malt Advocate magazine, which sponsors the event. The whisky celebration doesn’t start with the festival; the week leading up to it will feature events related to the spirit and promotions at popular nightspots, restaurants and bars.

For more information on ticket sales or event information, visit WhiskyFest.com.

You may notice the different spelling of “whisky” versus “whiskey.” In Ireland and the United States, the word “whiskey” is spelled with an “e.” The British, Scots and Canadians use “whisky.” Etymologists don’t know why. The best explanation is that the Irish had whiskey first, and when the Scots started to make it, they left out the “e” to point out the difference between their spirit and Irish whiskey.

Sail the epicurean seas when the Marina debuts in 2010.

The Love Boat was the cruise ship for those seeking love (at least in the fictitious world of TV). If you’re looking for a great food experience, head for Oceania Cruises’ Marina, the new Regatta-class flagship, when it launches next year. You’ll be able to cook in the state-of-the-art Bon Appétit Culinary Center, receiving hands-on cooking instruction under the guidance of master chefs. Working at your own fully equipped work station, complete with an induction cook top, this is no passive, “watch the demo” from the audience, experience. It’s like going to culinary school, and is a first at sea.

The cooking curriculum, designed in part by Bon Appétit magazine, will cater to all levels, from beginners to master chefs, and will encompass all types of cuisines. Classes will range from 45 minutes to 3 hours, and will include shore tours to shop for ingredients at local markets.

If, like us, you can’t get enough Asian food, opt for the five-course tasting menu at Red Ginger, which will feature Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine (you can have sushi a la carte, or anything else from the ample menu). Other dining venues include restaurants well known to those who have sailed the cruise line’s other ships: Polo Grill, Toscana, Terrace Café, The Patio and the Grand Dining Room. There will also be a French bistro, Jacques (named in honor of the great chef Jacques Pépin, a consultant to the culinary program), and the Yacht Club for enlightening wine and food pairings. You can gather at Biscottos Coffee Bar for gourmet coffees and snacks.

The maiden voyage of Marina is in Winter 2010. You can register to receive Marina updates and become part of the Priority Reservation list. An epicurean cruise will make a memorable holiday gift for someone special.

If you love a glass of red and aren’t limited to a stay-cation these days, Inter Beaujolais and Destination Beaujolais have developed the first-ever Beaujolais wine tourist route to help you explore France’s Beaujolais region. Discover the “real” Beaujolais—it bears little resemblance to the fresh juice that is Beaujolais Nouveau. You can even start your wine-cation in Burgundy, to the north; then pick up the Beaujolais route where the Burgundy wine route leaves off. Crossing through 36 villages, you can hit all the “must-see” destinations of Beaujolais: the 12 appellations including Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages and the 10 Cru.

Imagine yourself in Beaujeu, the historical capital of Beaujolais in the heart of the Beaujolais “crus” region. Traveling on to the village of Vaux-en-Beaujolais (a.k.a. Clochemerle), past the Romanesque cloisters of Salles-Arbuissonas and Villefranche-Sur-SaĂ´ne—the economic capital of Beaujolais. Visit the “land of golden stones,” le Pays des Pierres DorĂ©es, where you’ll find the village Oingt, which has been called the most beautiful village in France. Your Beaujolais tour ends in the gastronomic capital of Lyon—France’s second-largest metropolitan area, which is older than Paris, has more Roman ruins and a host of 1-, 2- and 3-star Michelin restaurants,including the 3-star Paul Bocuse.

Start at the top of Beaujolais and taste your way down to the restaurant capital of Lyons.

You can download a copy of the guidebook from www.beaujolais.com. Please, take us with you!

And be sure to prepare for your trip with our Pasta Glossary.

- Study up! Prepare to impress the cheese-makers by mastering THE NIBBLE’s Cheese Glossary.

- Think you know enough about Swiss cheeses? Test yourself.

- Fondue originated in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. To savor the tastes of Switzerland from home, try this classic recipe for Swiss Fondue.