Truro Vineyards+South Hollow Distillery (Twenty Boat Rum): A Beautiful Day Down the Cape

"Down the Cape", "On The Vineyard", "In The Hamptons", "Down the Shore"- these phrases dredge up such nostalgia for me -having grown up in Northern New Jersey and living in Boston for nearly 8 years now!

For the first Spring/Summer trip of the year "down" the Cape, we certainly chose a winner! 

The day started off a bit dreary and gray as we arrived at South Station to await the private van/bus service to take us to Truro, Mass.

Joy Richard prepared a lovely daiquiri using Twenty Boat Spiced Rum in these fun flasks! 

We met up with new and old industry friends as this particular trip was sponsored by USBG Boston (United States Bartender's Guild, Boston Chapter), of which I've been an 'Enthusiast' member for a year- though Troy Clarke (Past Chapter President) and others have been encouraging me to join for several years now.  

I've enjoyed several educational and entertaining booze events before and during my membership with USBG.  This one was quite unique.

My fun plus one!

After the unbearable winter we suffered in Boston this year, literal green pastures is going to be phenomenal to the eye for quite some time.  

Stepping off of the bus, we were greeted by the sun attempting to peak through the stubborn clouds.  
Less than a mile from the coast/beach, salinity was in the air and I anticipated what interesting flavor profiles this would impart to the products we were about to sample.

Jonathan Pogash, The Cocktail Guru, hosted our experience just mere hours after his arrival back to homebase from Ireland!

What a good sport! 

Photo Courtesy of Megan Lambert

We began the tour near the distillery where Jonathan greeted us with a refreshing, effervescent, spiced mojito-style cocktail created in collaboration with Joy Richard, Tyler Wolters, Oriana Conklin, and Shannon Higgins. 

Image from Truro Vineyard+South Hollow Distillery Facebook Page

Nicole Gelinas greeted us and excitedly lead us to the distillery.

The space was cool and clean with wafting aromas one can only describe as earthy, spicy, rustic.

As we prepared to taste the Twenty Boats rum, we received one of the most fascinating rum history lessons I've ever received in Massachusetts.

The property has a nearly 200 year history.  It originated as a farm, was once a bed and breakfast, which was purchased by the Roberts family in 2007 to begin producing a number of varietals.

Once rum began to be distilled at the property, the family decided to honor the bootleggers of Cape Cod, in particular, an elusive group of 10 men who were arrested for 
rum-running in 1930. 

 They were captured and released on bail.  

Shortly thereafter, they fled in their previously confiscated motor boat through the heavily monitored harbor (20 Harbor Police and Coast Guard boats were in pursuit).  
The bootleggers somehow evaded capture.  
They docked in Provincetown Harbor and fled on foot without a trace.

The history of booze, but in particular of rum in New England, is always fascinating!

History of the property 

(per Truro Vineyards website):

Truro Vineyards has been in existence since 1992 but the 

house and the estate date back nearly two centuries.

Built in 1813, the square dignified Federal house was part of a farm from its earliest beginnings. First owned by John and Hannah Hughes, the property was later purchased by Captain Atkins Hughes. It was in turn given to his daughter, Amelia and her husband Michael Rich. Rich became a prosperous farmer selling grain, coal and milk from the estate. His hard work and ambition earned Michael the reputation of being “the busiest man in the village”.

In 1930 famed artist Edward Hopper was inspired by the property and painted “Rich’s House”. He returned a year later to paint “Rich’s Barn”.

During the 1940’s Elton and Margaret Rich were in stewardship of the property. During that time the Richs produced magnificent cantaloupes grown in the estate’s warm, well drained sandy soil. Later, this same soil and site would prove to be a perfect spot for growing grapes. In 1964 the property was sold to Burton and Maxine Rice.

The Chinese Mulberry tree that graces the property to the right of the front door was brought over by a ship’s captain around 1850. It has been carefully preserved and maintained. Our most frequently asked question is not about our wines, but rather: “What kind of tree is that?”

About the Rum:

South Hollow Distillery makes 2 different styles of Twenty Boat rum.  They are using both American organic sugar and molasses in a hybrid copper pot/column still leading to the product being twice distilled.  The sugar cane juice is said be be used to mellow out the flavors. 

Distiller's Notes:

Dave Roberts, Jr., the distiller or Twenty Boat Rum, had been a home beer brewer turned professional for over 8 years- having worked as a brewer for Flying Monkey in Kansas and Sweetwater Brewery in Atlanta, wine and beer have been a part of his DNA through David Roberts, Sr. (former CEO of United Liquors) and exposure for half his life.

Dave states that the new charred whiskey barrels are typically at a 3-4 char level and the rum is then filtered through cartridges at 2.5 microns, then 0.8, then o.4 microns.

The spiced rum (a beautiful creation) is seeped in various spices sourced locally from Atlantic Spice Company, a spice shop just up the road in Truro.   

This was one of the most aromatic, fragrant domestic spiced rums I've ever tasted with beautiful, numerous spice, fruit, and herbal notes on the nose and palate- cardamom, clove, nutmeg, anise, black pepper, pineapple, orange zest, vanilla and more.

It is taken off the still and spice bags used in 250 gallon drums for seeping over three weeks.  Dave tugs on the strings attached to the spice bags daily-as you would a teabag-to impart as much flavor as possible. 
Color is imparted by the spices only. There's no caramel color in this product as is common place with other mainstream/popular spiced rums.  
The spiced rum, unlike its amber counterpart, never sees oak.  It is not aged in a barrel.  
The bottles are hand-filled, labeled and sealed.  A handwritten batch label is carefully placed on each bottle.  The spiced rum is 95 Proof.

We were able to smell the canvas bags of spices used for seeping and creating the spiced rum. 

Here's my friend Keyse of the Crocodile Tears Vintage Pieces and Handmade Jewelry Blog, enjoying the spice bags: 

The amber rum is noticeably milder and mellowed.
  Aged in Truro vineyard toasted chardonnay and charred bourbon barrels (the latest batch sourced from Jim Beam) which are blended together for the final product, it boasts caramel and more nutty, vanilla, white pepper, and mildly woodsy flavors. 
Batch #1  (aged for 12-14 months) is currently on the market, while Batch #2 (aged for 15-18) was being processed/produced as we visited. 
  The amber rum is 84 Proof.

We then ventured over to the tasting/barrel room for a sampling of various wines produced at Truro Vineyard.  A full review may follow.  Here are a few snapshots of the beautiful space.

Photo Courtesy of Megan Lambert

Blackfish's food truck (Crush Pad) prepared delicious bites on site!  They are now open 7 days per week.
We enjoyed spectacularly fresh seafood, meat, and veggie dishes with specially prepared cocktails and wine by the glass. 

Image courtesy of Truro Vineyard Facebook page

Charred Broccolini with General Tso's sauce, cashews and scallion

Beef taco with purple cabbage slaw and chipotle sour cream 

Cold lobster roll on brioche with fried cauliflower 

Grilled Kale salad

On the property, lives a beautiful, young Newfoundland.  I snagged a pic with her (via my friend playing paparazzi) near the outdoor wine/cocktail bar.

Can't ever take my veterinarian hat off. Loved this Newfie!

Before leaving, we split into teams and participated in a scavenger hunt where we had to take a selfie with a squirrel, a bird, a yellow flower, and one with the entire team in downward dog...

Good times with good people.  That's what life is all about!

If you haven't visited Truro Vineyards+South Hollow Distilleries, you must visit very soon!

For the time being, Twenty Boats rum can only be purchased in Massachusetts.

A Collection of the Ramen, Pho, and Other Noodle Soups I've Enjoyed Over My Past 6 Month Obsession

My 6-7 month (As of May 2015) ramen and other Asian noodle bowls obsession all started in Boston, but I soon thereafter traveled to Paris.  
I always take a trip, typically, an international trip for my birthday, and birthday #35 was no exception.

Also check Tokyo from 2015: http://www.travelingfoodie2006.com/2015/11/drfoodie-goes-solo-in-tokyo-part-one.html
Here's my journey:

Paris, France

Sapporo Japonaise

The first bowl of ramen I experienced was simply a shock to the system because I didn't realize that the person I was staying with lived in the section of the 1st Arrondissiment, which is an Asian-French neighborhood boasting a variety of Asian delights from sweet bakeries to savory ramen and gyoza shops.

We only ventured a few blocks from her apartment to sample my first bowl of ramen in Paris!

The broth was thin, but flavorful, the veg abundant and fresh, with slabs of pork.  

The gyoza at this joint was the real star of the table.

Higuma

Higuma is one of Paris' Asian chain restaurants and I was much more impressed with their offerings.  I visited the one in the Opera neighborhood at 27 Boulevard des Italiens.

The broth was spicy, the veg bright, crisp, and abundant. It was vibrantly colored and they didn't spare on the seafood- calamari rings, shrimp, even bits of tender pork.  

Service was upfront, somewhat quick, and polite.

Miami, Florida

Momi Ramen in (Brickell)

I must say that I was the very least impressed with the ramen at Momi Miami.  I'd read a few reviews early this year while I was in South Florida visiting family and escaping the bitter Boston winter for a few days.  

I was unable to get there back in January, but knew that it was the first place I wanted to head to after my flight arrived.

My mother and I planned a spa weekend on South Beach and I looked forward to starting it off sharing one of my recent food obsessions.

The Tonkotsu broth was not the slick, creamy broth one would expect from broth may from boiled down pork bones and marrow.  There were no beautiful fat droplets.  I ordered the pork belly ramen and even that was a let down.  I don't think I've ever had dry pork belly.  Where was my fatty layer?  I wanted to demand a do over.  Survey the kitchen for what could have possibly gone awry.  I'd been thinking about Momi for months and being that it was the first thing I sought after landing from Boston, made the disappointed a much harder blow.

My mother order the Peking duck ramen and experienced the same-dry, chewy duck meat!

NYC

Momofuku Noodle Bar (East Village)

Momofuku is a ramen-lover's dream!  Service is supreme and so are all of the dishes we sampled.  You can read my full review, here. 

Classic Momofuku Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen

Ginger Scallion Noodle Bowl (Mazeman)

Grandma's Dim Sum (Queens, NYC)

Me and my best friends since childhood come together to eat around NYC every 3-4 months or so.  During our last visit in March, we focused on Asian restaurants around Queens.

We had plenty of great dishes at Grandma's Dim Sum, however, the beef noodle soup was just so-so with good noodles and beef, but the broth was a let down.  

Read my full review, here.

Quincy, MA

Pho Linh Vietnamese Restaurant

I adore this place.  Quick and friendly service and great soup!  My recent favorite is the Pho Bo Kho, a spicy beef stew with large slices of carrot and lemongrass.

Pho Bo Kho

Pho Bo Kho

Pho Chin Nac

Shabu Quincy

I returned from Paris the week of Thanksgiving and was way too tired to join anyone's family for a festive dinner, so decided that hot pot would be a great alternative.

Boston, MA

Totto Ramen

Totto Ramen has 3 locations around NYC.  I love the Boston location.  Watching the cooks preparing noods and torching pork is quite the treat when sitting at the noodle bar.

Their broth is full of flavor and their is an abundance of toppings from which to choose.

Char Siu Pork Ramen

Paitan Ramen- straight noodles cooked in chicken broth

Spicy Shredded Char Siu Pork Ramen

Allston, MA

Pikaichi

Pikaichi is one of my latest favorite spots to grab a bowl of ramen when I'm craving it the most!

Their Spicy Miso ramen has a luscious, dense consistency and great flavor.  Their noodles are perfectly toothsome. I always add an extra butter cube!

Spicy Miso Ramen

Chinatown, Boston

Shojo

Chef Mark O'Leary is one of my favorite chefs in Boston.  He's talented and down to earth.  His creations can be mind-blowing and his ramen in no exception.

Have you ever had squid ink ramen noodles?  No? He did that!  You can read my review of my last review of dinner at Shojo, here.

Squid Ink Ramen noodles!

Jersey City, NJ

Union Republic

Union Republic is one of the places I go to before leaving NYC or NJ.  

The nose-to-tail ramen with seared, sliced pig's heart, crisped pig's ears, and pork belly is phenomenal!

I could eat the crisped pig's ears every day of my life!

You can read my full reviews here and here.

Nose to Tail Ramen

Spicy Ramen with chorizo, citrus yogurt, shredded daikon radish, and a soft egg

Breakfast Ramen (Mazeman)- Pig's ears and Egg

Breakfast Ramen (Mazeman)- Pig's ears and Egg

Philly

Morimoto

Iron Chef Morimoto's first U.S restaurant still looks very 1999.  It's like walking into a time machine. There are sleek lines on the translucent tables and booths.  The neon lights that change color every so often are confusing and kind of "sleazy Miami night clubish". The phallic wavy carving in the walls made us giggle a bit, but the food!  The food coming out of this kitchen is brilliant.  Full review coming soon.  

Here are ramen shots!

Cambridge, MA

Sapporo Cambridge

In the C Mart food court, Sapporo is slinging some damn good ramen.  Full review coming soon!

Washington, DC

Daikaya

Daikaya serves a great variety of broths from classic Shoyu and Spicy Miso to Mugi-Miso (a barley miso broth) and a 100% Vegan Broth! 

They finish the soy beans and veggies in a wok adding smoky notes that adds to the depth of flavors in the broth.  
I thoroughly enjoyed my bowl and their pork gyoza were hearty and flavorful as well.

Boston, MA (South End)

The Beehive

Not known for their ramen, but rather their live music in their sexy grotto space, Beehive's menu has always boasted multi-cultural dishes.  
I had friends visiting from out of town (Atlanta) and my college friend, Cynae Tarver and I both ordered the dish.  Her colleague, Montez ordered a largely portioned classic roasted chicken dish.

Mazeman style (the noodles were not covered in broth, just barely bathed in it), their noodles were perfectly toothsome with bouncy give.  It was topped with a more than generous amount of pulled pork, beautiful watermelon radish, pickled onion, and greens.  
The buttery sauce and broth was so rich and delicious, Cynae absolutely needed more.  Initially, we were told it was impossible, but then came an angel from the kitchen informing us there had been a terrible mistake, we could have extra broth after all!

To quote a Facebook post made by Sapporo Ramen in Cambridge: 

"Ramen is nature's way of making up for Mondays."