by Sandra Crittenden

  National Scotch Day is celebrated every year on July 27. On a Monday at the end of the hot month of July in Texas, it doesn't sound like the best day to celebrate but the day was chosen because it is the anniversary of the day when Scotland's whiskies were first taxed in 1494.    Having grown up in The Lone State, Scotch was not a part of my alcohol introduction when I came of age. In Houston, young drinkers are more likely to start with beer and tequila than wine and Scotch and if a whiskey is on the table, it is much more likely to be Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey. As I became older, I gravitated more to wine with the occasional margarita or martini.  But, as chance would have it, one day in the early new millennium, I walked into a restaurant bar in Sugar Land, Texas, and ended up sitting next to a Scottish gentlemen who was struggling with making a wine selection from a California centric wine list. I overheard him asking for something white  "like a Sancerre". T

Patio dining in Houston in the summer can be brutally hot, however, I have found that if you choose your time frame wisely and dress for the weather, it is possible to stay reasonably cool. Though I have dined inside at a few places during the Covid-19 pandemic, I still feel safest outside on the patio during these uncertain times. If you are looking to beat the heat while enjoying al fresco dining at responsible and delicious places, stay tuned! I will be posting on more of the restaurants that I enjoy most. Eunice at 11:00 am on Tuesday:   Upon arrival to this Upper Kirby area restaurant, I could see about seven well-spaced seated tables inside and no one opting for a patio table outside. This remained true for the duration that my daughter and I were there. I've eaten at this restaurant numerous times but I had never eaten outside before. What we discovered was that the large oak trees that line Buffalo Speedway kept us well-shaded throughout our meal. We sat along the

  This is a cocktail that was created and named by me. I have enjoyed this at home before dinner several times this summer. It has a very refreshing lemonade-esque flavor with floral and herbal notes. If you like your drinks sweeter, then increase the St. Germain or add simple syrup.     There are an array of "blonde" cocktails that you can find recipes for online: The Dirty Blonde , The French Blonde , Blonde Redhead , Blonde Russian , etc. and each are unique without too much tying them together, my version is inspired primarily by the French Blonde.   I call it a Bordeaux Blonde because Lillet is made in Bordeaux from the local white grapes, there are towns in Bordeaux called Saint-Germain-du-Puch and Saint-Germain-de-la-Riviere although I believe the liqueur may be made in the French Alps, and the best Gins are from Britain which has a long history with the Bordeaux region, and, although lemons are not indigenous to the region, they have been in the area for an ex

  In honor of the July 4th holiday, I wrote about the drinking habits of the Founding Fathers. I included modern wine recommendations based on the imported wines that we know they enjoyed drinking from Bordeaux, Champagne, and Madeira. While no one should consume as much as they apparently did, you can see a picture of the tavern bill discussed in the on-line version, we can all take tips on the best wines to enjoy on Independence Day. Read the printed version below or follow the link to the online magazine spread.  Galveston Monthly - The Tastes of an Independent America