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Bars & Spirits

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  1. Wine of the Week: 2009 Marqués de Cáceres Crianza

    05/21/13 Bars & Spirits By Colette and John Bancroft

    This week we are pleased to call to your attention a splendid Rioja from Spain, the 2009 Marqués de Cáceres Crianza, readily available around Tampa Bay at wine shops, wine-savvy markets and some supermarkets from about $11 to $15.

  2. Three great reasons to toast to the Pier: Columbia, Jonny Reno's and Cha Cha Coconuts

    05/16/13 Bars & Spirits By Justin Grant, Times correspondent<br /><br />

    It's time to say goodbye to the Pier.

    St. Petersburg's most iconic landmark is closing at the end of this month, so if you haven't been in a while, there's still time to check it out before everyone's favorite inverted pyramid disappears forever.

  3. Alabama, Mississippi enter an era of craft beer enlightenment

    05/16/13 Bars & Spirits By Justin Grant, Times correspondent

    At the beginning of this month, brewing beer in your kitchen was as illegal as producing bathtub gin if you happened to live in Alabama. In early March, the same could be said for your neighbors next door in Mississippi.

  4. Wine of the week: 2012 Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay

    05/14/13 Bars & Spirits By Colette and John Bancroft

    We spend a lot of time, figuratively speaking, in the foothills of the Andes, where Argentina's high and dry Mendoza region produces some of the world's most reliable wines, many of them value priced. The splendid 2012 Domaine Bousquet Chardonnay (about $12 at wine savvy markets) comes to us unoaked and fermented on the …

  5. Hogan's Beach: Theme-park vibe adds to beach-party atmosphere

    05/09/13 Bars & Spirits By Justin Grant, Times correspondent

    As a kid growing up in California in the '80s, it's not surprising that I went through a wrestling phase. I spent many weekends watching VHS rentals of old WWF Wrestlemania events with my friends, and countless more hours playing the Nintendo game of the same name.

  6. Wine of the week: Gnarly Head 2011 Authentic White

    05/07/13 Bars & Spirits By Colette and John Bancroft

    Gnarly Head Old Vines Zinfandel long has been one of our favorite everyday reds, coming out for solo sipping in cool weather or to quaff with burgers or pizza. Now we have another favorite from this California winery in its 2011 Authentic White (about $9 to $10 at big box stores), a blend made for sipping in the summer …

  7. Catrina's Cocina y Galeria: Drink in the culture of Mexico

    05/02/13 Bars & Spirits By Justin Grant, Times correspondent

    Cinco de Mayo is this weekend, a celebration second only to St. Patrick's Day in domestic popularity and overall ignorance of its origins. I'll cop to this — my typical Cinco de Mayo festivities are made up mostly of tequila, mariachi music and chips and salsa served in a plastic sombrero that plays La …

  8. Beer 'best by' dates often worth heeding

    05/02/13 Bars & Spirits By Justin Grant, Times correspondent

    In the past week, you may have caught wind of a popular beer from Escondido, Calif.'s Stone Brewing Co. hitting the shelves in the bay area. The arrival of this beer played like a special event at local beer bars such as the Ale and the Witch and Willard's Tap House, with customers eager to try it. Even though we get …

  9. Wine of the Week: 2012 Santa Marina Pinot Grigio

    04/30/13 Bars & Spirits By Colette and John Bancroft

    To avoid the thin and rather sour pinot grigios often found at the value end of the price scale in the United States, we've found that the best bet is to go Italian. At about $7 at local wine savvy markets and wine shops, the 2012 Santa Marina Pinot Grigio, from the province of Pavia in Northern Italy, is an excellent …

  10. World of Beer closing in New Tampa

    04/25/13 BarsTimes staff

    It's last call for World of Beer in New Tampa. The bar at the Pointe shopping center in Tampa Palms is closing on Sunday. Co-owner Phillippe Theodore said the company had asked to reduce its rent but was not able to negotiate an amount with the landlord. The lease was not immediately up for renewal. "We were paying a …