Rant: DON'T DRINK & DRIVE.....OR ELSE!

It's the holiday week and nearly all of you are planning to attend festive holiday parties with family and friends. I want to give you an important piece of advice.

Now, it couldn't be any simpler so please listen carefully. This is one of the most important pieces of advice you'll receive this holiday season. Please, please, please give this your full attention!

If you've had too much alcohol to drink, if there's any, absolutely any, doubt in your mind, don't drive. Just don't do it! Any questions? 

Once again, I step forward with probably my most important Rant of the Year. It's an absolutely vital issue for everyone who enjoys alcohol of any type, from wine to beer, from Scotch to hard cider. With the imminent advent of the holiday season we reach a potentially dangerous period for those people who over indulge, who drink too much at parties, feasts and gatherings. There is nothing wrong with that, and you can drink as much as you desire, as long as you give up your keys to someone who is sober, and you do not drive.

As I've said multiple times before, and which I'll repeat year after year, "If there is any question, no matter how small, whether you are too intoxicated to drive, then don't. If your family or friends think you have had too much to drink, don't drive. Just don't. It is not worth the risk by any calculation." Err on the side of caution so that if you have any doubt of your capacity to drive, then please don't drive. Take a taxi or Uber, catch a ride with someone else, walk or sleep it off. Just don't drive!

Rationally, we all know the dangers of drinking and driving. We endanger our own lives as well as the lives of others. Every year, we hear multiple news reports about terrible auto accidents, some with fatalities, that occur because a driver was intoxicated. Families are torn apart, lives are ruined, and much more. Why don't we learn from all these incidents? Even if you don't get in an accident, you might get arrested for drunk driving, with all the attendant high costs, and not just economic. You might even end up in jail.

About 17,000 people are arrested for drunk driving in Massachusetts each year. That's a huge figure, showing that far too many people still don't understand that they should not drink and drive. Did you know that if you only had two drinks in a hour, you might still have a blood alcohol level over the legal limit? How difficult is it to understand? DON'T DRINK & DRIVE! I'm sure drunk driving incidents in other states are just as significant.

As a more sobering statistic, 13,524 people (including over 280 children) in the U.S. were killed in drunk driving accidents in 2022, a slight increase from the prior year's fatalities of 13,384. Such deaths shouldn't increase at all, and it's obviously there are far too many deaths. It needs to be change and change now. Back in 2007, there had been a historical high of 13,041 drunk driving fatalities, and the number of fatalities had been decreasing until 2020. And then, there was a 14% increase in 2021.

The statistics are going the wrong way! More people are dying because of drunk drivers and that needs to stop. Each time you drink and drive, you endanger yourself, your passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, and people in other vehicles. Let someone else drive you, whether it be a friend or family. Take an Uber or public transportation. Leave your car where it is parked as you can always pick it up the next day. You have plenty of options so there is absolutely no reason to drink and drive. Be responsible.

I don't want to lose any family or friends this year due to a drunk driving accident. I don't think anyone wants to lose their loved ones either. Your family and friends would rather you didn't drink and drive as they don't you to die in a terrible drunk driving accident. So please just don't!

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Kyuramen, a Ramen restaurant with locations in Brookline and Winchester, is now offering a Holiday and New Year Prix-Fixe Menu, available from December 18 to January 1, 2025. This festive menu offers an affordable way to celebrate with friends and family over the holidays.

For just $32.99 (regularly priced at $40+), diners can create their own three-course meal, choosing one option from each of these four categories:
Appetizers: Takoyaki Balls, Fried Gyoza Dumplings, Popcorn Chicken, or Spicy Bamboo Shoots
Ramen: Signature bowls such as Tokyo Tonkotsu Shouyu, Sapporo Miso, Japanese Curry, or Chicken Ramen
Desserts: Matcha Pudding with Red Beans or Japanese Cherry Blossom Jelly
Drinks: Thai Iced Tea or Amazing Lemonade

I may try to check out the new Winchester location soon.

2) Eggnog has a lengthy history, and its connection to the holidays is at least a couple hundred years old, if not longer. You'll find plenty of commercially produced eggnogs on the market, but they just don't compete with homemade version. Want to make your own Eggnog this season? Then check out the recipe from Chef Joe Carli of A Tavola in Winchester. His special Eggnog Recipe was featured on Lexington Living. You can keep it nonalcoholic, or add your alcohol of choice. Chef Carli prefers some Bourbon, and I'd agree with him that it's an excellent choice. 

Boston Wine School: Wine Festival at the Stone Zoo

Next year, on March 8, 2025, the Boston Wine School will be holding a Wine Festival at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham. You'll be able to taste 80+ wines from around the globe, along with food from a number of  gourmet food partners. Plus, there will a number of wine classes offered, led by Boston Wine School founder Jonathon Alsop. offering an array of flavors to elevate your tasting experience. In addition, you get the chance to wander around the zoo, perusing the various animal exhibits.  

The Wine Festival will be divided into two separate 2.5 hour sessions, one from 3pm-5:30pm and the other from 6pm-8:30pm. Tickets, which are purchased online, cost $65 per person. You can also purchase a VIP Ticket, for $99 per person, which allows you access to the special VIP line, so you can be one of the first to enter the event. VIP tickets also include a free entry to the "Come to Cheeses" wine class. 

There's even a Pride of Lions VIP Ticket, for $249 per person, which includes: Wine pairing dinner at Angelo's Ristorante in Stoneham on Friday, March 7, from 6-9pm; a VIP wine class on Saturday, March 8, from 2-3pm; a 3-5:30pm Festival ticket and Festival logo wine glass; Welcome bag from vendors with special discounts, samples, 2-for-1 wine tastings & classes, and more; Insulated logo grocery tote; Wine tasting journal; and a Free VIP raffle ticket. 

There will be four Wine Tasting classes, each which costs $29 per person. The classes include Come To Cheeses and The Best New Wines, and each class is held twice. 

Tickets to this Wine Festival would make for excellent holiday gifts.

Notes: All Guests must be at least 21 years of age. Parking is Free and the Zoo’s parking lot is directly in front of the entrance and there is also an overflow parking across Pond Street. The Wine Festival tickets are non-refundable and all sales are final.

The Boston Wine School was founded in 2000 by wine writer and author Jonathon Alsop, and its mission is to "make wine fun, inclusive, and accessible." The "school serves as a snob-free zone for wine lovers at all levels, from curious beginners to seasoned aficionados. The school’s guiding principle is that wine is not just for connoisseurs—it is for everyone." 

I've attended a number of classes here in the past, and Jonathan is a knowledgeable, personable, and fun person. I believe this will be a very good event in a cool setting. What wine pairs with watching monkeys at play? 

The Boston Wine Expo: Once Again In April 2025

The Boston Wine Expo is returning in 2025, back at the Park Plaza Hotel, on Saturday, April 5 and Sunday, April 6. The 2-day event will feature over 100 participating wineries from all over the U.S. and select international ones as well. The new Expo is organized by Raffaele Scalzi, the Boston Wine Expo Show Director and Founder of Scalzi Hospitality Corporation.  

There will be two Grand Tastings on both Saturday and Sunday from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. At each Grand Tasting, you will be able to taste many different wines, to expand your palate and experience wines that are new to you. Please note that tickets to one Grand Tasting do not allow you access to any of the other Grand Tasting events. Tickets are now available HERE and cost $95 per person (the same price as last year). 

There are also currently 4 Tasting Class events scheduled, including The Grand Crus of Spain, History/Evolution/Revolution--Australian Wine Today, Champagne-Beyond the Bubbles, and French Wine Essentials. Each class lasts 90 minutes, and tickets cost $75 per person. I'm sure that additional Tasting Classes will likely be added in the near future. So, just keep an eye on their website to learn what new Tasting Classes get added.  

A list of the participating wineries and distributors has not yet been released. When that information becomes available, I will post an article with my own recommendations for the wine and spirit booths that Expo attendees should visit. 

I've attended the last two Boston Wine Expos, and overall, I've been very pleased to see its return. It's a smaller, and more intimate event than what the Expo used to be when it was at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center. I have tasted numerous excellent wines at these events during the last two years. In the near future, I'll also post my advice and suggestions for making the most of your Boston Wine Expo experience.  

For additional information, sponsorship + exhibitor opportunities, and to purchase tickets, please visit Boston Wine Expo. 

The Final Monday Rant?

For over fifteen years, since June 2009, I've been posting my "Monday Morning Rants." When I began this regular column, I initially wrote: "Mondays often seem the most difficult day of the week, the start of the work week after the weekend. I hear more complaints from people about Monday than any other day of the week. And I too sometimes dread Mondays, especially after a particularly fun and relaxing weekend. So, maybe Mondays are the best day for a rant."

I also previously wrote, "There are issues about food, wine and spirits which sometimes irritate me, which irk me with their inanity. I get upset when soundbites are promoted over logic and analysis. Sometimes I get annoyed by rampant ignorance. Someone needs to step forward to speak out about those matters, to oppose these problems. And I am going to try to do just that, every Monday."

My Rants range from very important issues, such as Rant: DON'T DRINK & DRIVE.....OR ELSE! to relatively inconsequential matters, such as Rant: I Want Iced Tea In The Winter! Some Monday Rants are inspired by events or thoughts that occurred over the prior weekend, while others have percolated over time, finally getting turned into written thoughts.

As 2025 approaches, I've been pondering over my blog, assessing it, considering possible changes. Thus, I have been thinking about my Monday Rants. Are they still necessary? Do they still serve a purpose? Do my readers still want to read the rants? Can these rants still spark interesting conversations and debate?

I understand my own thoughts on this matter but want to hear from my readers. How do you feel about the Rants? Would you like to see them continue? Do you have suggestions for their improvement? Are there topics you would like to see me Rant about in 2025?