It’s not often that I get offered “moonshine,” but at lunch the other day, a shot glass filled with crystal liquid appeared at the end of the meal. Lifting the glass to my nose, I was smacked in the face with the scent of nutmeg and a hint of vanilla sweetness, so I sipped. Catdadyy is a completely drinkable, clear as ever (or is that Everclear) moonshine that blew me away. The nutmeg scent tasted distinctly floral and the sweetness was light, not cloying. According to one web site, “The Piedmont Distillers plant in Madison, NC, is the only legal distillery in the state. Piedmont does not readily reveal the ingredients of Catdaddy, but moonshine was traditionally fashioned from corn mash, which is a mixture of corn, malt, and sugar. Catdaddy is a private batch recipe made in an authentic copper pot still in Madison’s former train station built in 1915.” For more info on moonshine and catdaddy, click on www.catdaddymoonshine.com.

In case you didn’t know, May 6 is Derby Day. Of course the mint julep cocktail is virtually synonymous with the Kentucky Derby, but it wasn’t invented for the race or by a race-course bartender. Legend holds that the word julep comes from the French which in turn is derived from the Arabic or Persian julab, meaning ‘rose water.’ The drink we know today is an American invention believed to have first appeared in 1803 Virginia as a morning tonic. There are some who claim that the drink’s history is even older and although the modern version is a mix of bourbon, simple syrup and mint, early mint juleps were likely made with rum, brandy or rye. Some mint julep recipes call for crushing or “muddling” the mint with the sugar syrup, while others declare that the mint sprigs must reamin whole. There is also an argument about whether to drink a julep through a straw or straight from the glass, nose to the mint. The flavor of a mint julep is so distinct, fragrant and delicious, it makes for a great mint julep ice cream and/or sorbet.

EMERIL’S MINT JULEP

MINT JULEP ICE CREAM

MINT JULEP SORBET

While Louisiana is in the peak of its strawberry season, local micro-brewery, Abita Brewing Company has taken advantage of the season and the bumper crop with their Stawberry Harvest Lager. Made with real Louisiana strawberries, Abita Strawberry Harvest Lager is a light, crisp beer with the barest, yet distinct and delicious hint of ripe strawberries. This is beer is not only great to slug back, a bottle or two, reduced to intensify the flavor, makes a great ice cream - like a strawberry malted. Yum.

We all know that green tea is the drink. Not only in its original form, but as an ingredient in cocktails, smoothies and bubble teas. Now you can sip green tea liqueur. Suntory International and Allied Domecq have released Zen Green Tea Liqueur - a blend of high quality green tea leaves, herbs and natural flavors. More info is at www.allieddomecq.com. In more green tea news, Starbucks is rolling out their new Tazo Matcha Green Tea Latte. Early tasters report that this drink is quite good, both hot and iced.

A friend of mine turned me on to Flying Dog Brewery’s In-Heat Wheat Ale. I knew the weekend weather was going to be perfect for beer (not that I need weather to guage my beer quaffing) and so I grabbed a six-pack and headed to the register. As I made my way to the front of the store, I was stopped several times with comments like, “That is the best beer,” “Ooh you’re gonna love that!” The verdict on this beloved beer? The graphics on the bottle are great and the beer inside is bright and light with a hint of lemony/banana flavor, classic of Hefeweizen, a german-style malted white wheat ale known for its smooth mouth-feel and unique flavor. I paired this beer with white chocolate and bbq, both stunning. Squeeze a wedge of lemon into the bottle (or glass if you pour it out) for more intensity. More info on this and other Flying Dog ales can be found at www.flyingdogales.com

Happy St. Paddy’s. Start the celebration with an Irish Coffee - strong coffee, a shot of Irish whiskey, some sugar and a thick layer of lightly whipped cream - sure to bring out a wee bit o’ the Irish in everyone.

The invention of the Irish coffee dates back to 1943 and is credited to Joe Sheridan a chef at Ireland’s Shannon Airport who is said to have created the drink to warm weary American travelers. Sheridan brought his drink recipe to the US in 1952 and the rest is history.

In December, the Coca-Cola company introduced its latest product, Coca-Cola Blak. According to the company’s press release, Coca-Cola Blak is “an invigorating and stimulating blend that has a perfect balance of the efferevescent taste sensation of Coca-Cola and natural flavors, with real coffee.” Coffee? Yes, coffee. This drink is a fusion of cola and coffee which “reaches out to new audiences” and is “a whole new drinking experience.” The first to get Coca-Cola Blak was France. The US is slated to get in on the act this spring, and although the official launch was last night in atlanta, I don’t expect to see it in New Orleans for quite a while. Early reviews are mixed with some calling it “Coca-Cola Blech,” while others loved the fizzy fusion.

By the way, on this date in 1923, the Coca-Cola 6 bottle carton was introduced.

Regular readers of this space might recall my discussion of edible goldleaf (Oct 15, 2005 - “A Little Gilt-y”) used in contemporary dishes. Well, last month I was reading my favorite UK food magazines and noted that the bartenders across the pond were sprinkiling cocktails with 23K edible goldleaf. Just yesterday I read a popular celebrity magazine and noted that barteders on this side of the pond have picked up on the trend and are dusting goldleaf on high-end martini cocktails and other libations.

A friend in the wine industry turned me on to a delicious late harvest Zinfandel called Liquid Love. From Paso Robles, California, this is the perfect wine for Valentine’s Day - deep rich blackberry color and big, plummy flavor. It pairs beautifully with serious dark chocolate desserts like a flourless chocolate cake. Liquid Love and chocolate - how does it get better than that?!

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Two clever bartenders, one from New Orleans, the other from DC, brainstormed, taking inspiration from the recent comments of New Orleans’ famous and infamous Mayor to create a cocktail called the “Ragin Nagin - A Delicious Chocolate Drink” Composed of chocolate liqueur, Creme de Menthe, vodka and a garnish of grated chocolate and a vanilla bean, the drink is not only delicious, it’s hilarious.