TASTE News Service May 30, 2014 - Belgium’s image abroad is one of a country full of bars and expressing a very tolerant view towards alcohol. Today, the legal age for being served alcohol in Belgium is 16 years and, public alcohol consumption is also permitted, though public intoxication is prohibited. These tolerant policies are fairly recent; during the course of the 19th century, the government declared open season on genever, the country’s traditional spirit. Distilled from grain nurtured in the soil of Belgium and the Netherlands, genever embodies the spirit, creativity, and resiliency of the culture that created it.…

Vieux Cognac Grande Champagne Fine ‘Clos de Griffier’ Café Anglais 1788 PHOTO © 2012 Christies The oldest cognacs from the cellars of the Parisian restaurant La Tour d’Argent, on auction at Christies in London, were snatched away in the blink of an eye by Dutch collector Bay van der Bunt in December. In spite of his recent announcement to sell his world’s largest collection of Old Liquors, the experienced bidder was quick to raise his paddle and call for ‘all lots’ when the 6 bottles of the prized pre-Revolutionary Vieux Cognac Grande Champagne Fine ‘Clos de Griffier’ Café Anglais 1788…

By Dan Clarke   A very special whisky.Spending $7000 for a bottle of whisky seemed preposterous to me. Accepting an invitation to taste from that bottle was a different matter. Some years ago I joined a small group of wine and food writers and restaurateurs to sample a number of single-malt Scotch whiskies, among them a 40-year-old Bowmore which was indeed retailing for $7,000. That its bottle was cut-glass and came in its own handsome wooden cabinetry (with brass lock), mitigates the price somewhat. Oh, and the purchaser received an invitation for an overnight stay at the distillery. However, the…