It's hard to believe I've been on the road for 5 weeks now. Serpentining through the Midwest, I've encountered all sorts. Rural farms, state high points, vegan restaurants, breweries and wineries in all states. National Parks. Art museums and sculpture gardens. Cute trendy neighborhoods and seedy ghettos. Craft cocktail dens. Water parks and arcades :-D

I'm now headed West, and as I sit in a cafe drinking a Chai and writing my masterpieces in Lincoln, Nebraska I feel very weary. I can't wait to see mountains again! Right now I feel like I could sleep for days. And then some more. But I have faith the West will revitalize me, and this is prime time to get up high in the mountains. I'm not sure where I'll head after the visit to Colorado. I would like to continue to the Northwest and California and catch up there on sights still unseen and revisit the beloved old. 

I'm currently at 22 out of 50 State high points reached and 14/54 Colorado "14-ers" submitted and I plan to knock so many more out by the end of the year. But so much is up in the air, will I continue to freelance, living out of my Jeep around the US indefinitely while I write my scripts and books, and ever studying for the Advanced Level Sommelier level that I took the course for earlier this year? Will I take some high mountain or National Park work for the end of the season? Or will I move into a Wine Director or Beverage Manager position at the right place, wherever that might be in the country?

Many options to consider, and none of them bad. But, for the time being, I can return to Boulder and the Rockies, climb, hike, clean up, regroup, take a couple art and guitar classes to brush me up and set me moving ahead better artistically. Figure out finances after draining myself down now. I'm exhausted but excited. Dreaming ahead. And putting pen to paper (or words on a laptop, more appropriately…) in documenting my strange and beautiful life. 

Just a few teaser photos for now, but soooo much more to come, I promise!

God Bless and safe travels!

Two and half weeks ago I set out for a cross country adventure, leaving my comfy zone of Boulder, CO. In that short time a hell of a lot has happened. There might be a book in this adventure. Way more than I can discuss here, although I could probably break it up nicely into segments. Every day has so much to talk about! I left with very little money, and a lot of faith, and abandoned some people I love, and took a chance on going totally broke on the road. I turned down some good job opportunities to do this. But it has been overdue. Visiting all the places I've meant to see for some time now. And I've been doing it. I'm still out here. Living the dream out of my Jeep (I could go for a shower and a movie at home). 
The Black Hills. Midwestern wine and beer. Chicago. Minneapolis. Fargo. Mosquito Heaven while hiking in Northern Minnesota. Flat tires in the middle of nowhere. Caves, praries, cornfields, badlands. State high points. Vegan soul food. Farmer's markets. Fights with ex-s. Craft cocktails. Museums, old homes, gardens, police encounters;on and on and on…
Life is fun with me. It's spontaneous, but kinda planned. It's challenging yet rewarding. It's expensive, but I find the deals. I secret shop. I meet people. I find the good and the bad. I've had some existential breakdowns and some renewed belief in the people in this country; sometimes I have both in the same day. It happens. I'm still searching for "something" out here, on top of the joy of going places I haven't been. But I'm figuring out what I need to figure out. I feel God with me. Thanks for flying with me…
B

As a long time bartender and mixologist, I was unfortunate not to be exposed to the famous Peruvian (and Chilean) brandy Pisco until moving into the SF Bay Area several years ago. Upon being handed a glass of Puro (straight Pisco) at Cantinna in Union Square on an unexpected visit while on a night out on the town in SF with fellow bartenders, I was turned on to this little elixir none-too-soon. I'm now creating Pisco cocktails, sipping on an ORO Italia puro at the end of my nights, researching the Pisco Punch and Sour, reading the exhaustive Guillermo Toro-Lira books on the subject,studying the terroir and production, visiting the bartenders cocktail lab at ORO on Treasure Island,going to trade events, etc., etc..., of this spirit that gained fame in American (and is still the leading US consumer) culture in San Francisco, a mainstay there since the Gold Rush days. After this introduction I will be heading into a 3-part article on Pisco. Part 1-Book reviews on several Pisco books and a review of the basics of laws and tastings of Pisco. Part 2 will visit several local and well-known San Francisco bars and labs with a Pisco focus and a look at the bartenders who love the magical stuff, and the cocktails they make. Part 3 will take us into the heart of Peru and Chile to explore the land is comes from, and the bars that focus on it's homeland spirit, meeting the faces and places that make it special.

Today welcomes the premiere of my new cocktail list for Mankas Tapas and Steakhouse in Suisun Valley just north of Fairfield. Inspired by what local and seasonal, as well as twists on classics, I've brought my own sense of distinctive, unique and tasty cocktails to the world in Sonoma County, Napa Valley, cocktail competitions, and now to Solano County. Featuring 16 libations, they include drinks made with house-infusions (such as tequila infused with roasted padrone and jalepeno peppers and vanilla bean), fun non-alcoholic refreshers (such as vanilla-thyme lemondade), and cocktails perfectly crafted to complement the restaurant's famous steaks (such as the peppery, basil and bourbon based My Suisun Vice, picture below). As I prepare to launch the list today and train the fellow bartenders on the new bar program that is the first of it's kind in the County, I will launch a more extensive preview here on my site in the next couple of days. Cheers!