Hi Friends,
You just gotta believe that the right people will find you, ya know?
This was my little mantra as I pitched the idea of PAIRINGS, a lecture series-meets-listening bar pop up that would break through the snobbiness of both things and make space for the curious. A couple people really were not into it.
But then Stockade said yes - for the next six months. Sam Hewitt of Shattered Wine said yes. Joe Pirrotta — whose whose unhinged voice and excellent taste has been fueling our music column since we launched — said yes. Skurnik Wines & Spirits also said yes.
And now the tickets are live!
In our inaugural pairing, Sam is presenting her spin on the New York Sour — a cocktail with history appropriately couched in immigration — and Joe is spilling some unofficial history of the early aughts NYC scene. We talk about what makes the pairing work. Then we drop the needle. What you do after that is entirely up to you. Mingle. Dance. Bring a book and absorb it from a barstool. All (over 21) are welcome: singles, pairs, groups, and strangers who need something to talk about with new friends.
The right people are finding each other. We hope you’ll be one of them.
Sponsored by our friends at Boutique Wines, Spirits and Ciders
MAL BIEN MEZCAL AND CHEESE
Speaking of pairings, wine and cheese has been happening as long as spirits and music. Mezcal, not so much, unless we’re talking about a nice cotija crumble on your taco alongside a marg.
For years, Mezcal has been pitched to us as "mexican scotch" because of a "smoky profile". But this isn't a great parallel. Mezcal isn't always smoky, and is much more relatable to wine in terms of both varietal diversity and terroir.
Enter Julia Gross, Mezcal specialist and renowned NYC based cheesemonger. Julia has been doing classes focused on Mal Bien, a brand of Mezcal, celebrating different micro producers who might not ever make it to market on their own, and cheeses that pair with them. In multiple locations in NYC Julia has been taking her combined areas of expertise showing people how cheese and mezcal can each elevate each other on your palate.
Julia is making a trip to the Hudson Valley this Saturday, July 11th, from 4-7pm and will be pairing 4 beautiful Mal Bien Mezcals with 4 artisanal cheeses. Admission is free, Just make your way to Boutique Wines, Spirits, & Ciders located at 18 Westage Drive in Fishkill NY.
Thursday, July 9
Stockade Works Make Local Work Summer Benefit at Arrowood Farms in Accord — Cajun music from Lapin Coquin, bites from Phoenicia Diner, Aloha Tacos and Eat Church, with founder Mary Stuart Masterson and honorary hosts including Paul Rudd, Amanda Seyfried and Vera Farmiga. Proceeds fund film-industry scholarships. 6-9pm.
Shattered: Georgian Wine Class at Chleo in Kingston — A class on Georgian wine history, indigenous grapes and the rituals around drinking, with a flight of four. 4pm sharp, $35.
Vael Sarela y Su Orchestra + Jairito y La Onda at Tubby's in Kingston — A Latin fusion double bill: merengue, salsa and cumbia with jazz and hip hop.
Friday, July 10
Patty Griffin with Lucy Wainwright Roche at Bearsville Theater in Woodstock — Two songwriters' songwriters in one of Woodstock's best rooms. Doors 7, show 8pm.
Thai Food Pop-Up by Sirilat & Frumpy Grain at Starlite Motel in Kerhonkson — Sirilat teams with the Catskills Cocktail Club, their first pop-up since having a baby. The Sirlat folks had the baby, NOT the CCC folks. Brendan and Lisa have their hands full babysitting the adults every Friday. 5pm til sold out.
Rot & Fallow Night Market at Kingston Midtown in Kingston — Local makers, food, vintage and art on Broadway for the second Summer Fridays edition. 5-9pm.
Culinary Market & Pizza Party at Bread Alone in Boiceville — Browse a market of Tivoli Mushrooms, C. Cassis, Chaseholm, La Salumina and Steelbow from 12-4, then a pizza party built around those producers at 6.
Introspection and the Shared Table: Jeanette Montgomery Barron at Neverstill Wines in Hudson — The Warren St tasting room opens Barron's Mirrors and Table Tops series. Share a glass and stay for the pictures. 5:30-7:30pm.
Dante Al Dente: Poetry & Pasta Making Workshop at The Spark of Hudson in Hudson — Make Sicilian pasta with Salvo Pluchino, feast on cavatelli al ciliegino, and write verse with poet Lou Craft. 6-8pm, $30.
Ice Cream Social & Community Screenprinting at Neighborhood Print Studio in Kingston — BYO T-shirt or tote, silkscreen a Kingston image, and cool off with ice cream while you print. Free, all ages.
Stissing House Summer Cooking School with Clare de Boer in Pine Plains — A cooking class that doubles as a dinner party: de Boer demos four dishes, you cook along, then everyone eats.
Five Questions and a Beer LIVE at The DRAW in Kingston — The podcast records a live episode with guest Chewy Altamirano. Donation-based, 6:30-8pm.
Bed Bugs and Bats: Bronck Museum Curator Tour in Coxsackie — A two-hour tour through the less-flattering history of trying to get a decent night's sleep in centuries past. 2-4pm, $25.
Saturday, July 11
Mal Bien Mezcal & Cheese at Boutique Wines & Spirits in Fishkill. Expert in both areas, Julia Grass (great name for a cheesemonger) will guide you through this surprisingly perfect pairing, with plenty of samples.
Vintage in the Hudson Valley Festival at Ulster County Fairgrounds in New Paltz — 200+ vintage vendors, food trucks, classic vans, a kids' marketplace. $10, kids under 12 free.
The Six Bells Countryside Inn 1st Birthday Jubilee in Rosendale — Complimentary pours from Klocke, Return and Whitecliff, live music, lawn games and light bites. 4-6pm.
Chronogram x CO.Mingle Dance Party + Issue Release at CO. in Rhinebeck — Food trucks, DJ sets and local vendors for the July issue release. 5:30-10pm.
Currantalia: Garden Book & Seed Swap + Herbalism at Current Cassis in Milton — A garden book swap, seed swap and herbalism session with Earth Trauma. Currant leaves for sale, frozen drinks in hand.
House Play at The Ellis in Newburgh — A two-peak Afro, Latin, funk and disco-infused house journey. 8pm-1am.
Dream Come True Closing Reception at The DRAW in Kingston — Last chance to see Good Neighbor Kingston's 1st Birthday art show.
Atmosphere: All-Vinyl Night at Brunette in Kingston — Slim Corvelli spins jazz, psych, dusty library and dub. First record 6pm, no cover.
Sunday, July 12
Hot Pot Sunday at Lone Wolf in Kingston — Simmering broth, handcrafted cocktails and a table full of people. 3-6pm, tickets on Resy.
Nature Walk & Picnic with Zoe Keller + Zaneta Sykes at Israel Wittman Sanctuary in Saugerties — A low-key hike through Woodstock Land Conservancy's 210-acre preserve, then a BYO picnic in the forest.
HAUS: Yoga, Sound & Daylife at The Ellis in Newburgh — Starts as yoga and a sound journey, then evolves into a full daylife celebration with dancers and aerialists. Doors 2pm.
Monday, July 13
No Detention Center Town Hall at Newburgh Town Hall in Newburgh — Newburgh Rapid Response organizes against a proposed detention center. Meeting room, 1496 Route 300, 7pm.
Tuesday, July 14
Fantzye Burger Night in Kingston — Smash burgers on sourdough brioche buns, plus veggie and GF options. 5-9pm, reservations recommended.
EMEFE + The Brighton Beat at The Colony
Here is a thing that happens now that didn't used to be possible: a band breaks up and the internet drags them back to life kicking and screaming. EMEFE is an Afrobeat-rooted, horn-heavy band that called it quits in 2016. Apparently a deep cut from their 2015 album has all the things that the Spotify algorithm craves. That deep cut subsequently racked up millions and millions and millions of streams on every permutation of “funky music” “jazz funk” “vibes” type playlist. The band was off living their lives while the algorithm turned a B-side into their calling card.
So now they're back and playing at the Colony on Saturday, alongside The Brighton Beat's even bigger horn section. Anyway now I am gonna make a ham-fisted segue into how great playlists are and how you should come to the Makers and Lovers playlist and Pairings event on Wednesday. Maybe I will put an EMEFE song on the playlist for good measure since it fits the brief.
MAKE LOVE THIS WEEK
Make somebody a three-song playlist and text it to them with no explanation.
Cheers,
Amy
A Maker and Lover