A Decade of Sublime Imbibing
10 years ago, while living with my parents (and with little else to do) I decided to turn my crappy Blogspot whim into a more serious website. “Sipping With Smoth” became “Sublime Imbibing” (although you can still enjoy the original moniker as a category on…
Drinking in Emirates First Class: What to expect
Two years. 14 credit cards. Hundreds of thousands of Alaskan Airlines points. That’s what it takes to fly from Toronto to Dubai in first class on Emirates, if you’re not amongst the “what could a loaf of bread possibly cost? $50?” crowd. But with Covid…
Five Years of Sublime Imbibing: New Look, Same Booze + My 5 Fave Drinks
Five years ago I bought a domain. I didn’t know how to make a website, or really what to do with one. I had a blog at the time which some of you may remember “Sipping with Smoth” hosted on Blogspot and looking closer to…
A Portrait of the Modern Sommelier: An Interview With Kat Woods from Winebox Valparaiso
In February, my partner and I went on the trip of a lifetime to Chile for food, hiking and — of course — wine. While trips to vineyards and many bottles of vino stood out, no wine experience was more profound than our guided tasting…
Sipping With Smoth: Homemade “Irish Cream” With Papa Smith
It’s been a holiday tradition in the Smith household for years — come December, my Dad prepares his famous “Smith Cream.” Very similar to Irish Cream, it eschews the conventional Irish Whiskey for a 100% rye alternative. It is absolutely delicious and a fantastic beverage for…
Sipping With Smoth: Getting Guinness and Understanding Stouts
Approaching a stout can be off-putting for the average lager-swiller. The dark, roasted malt is as unfamiliar to most as a cup of black coffee is to a double-double drinker. Over the years, I’ve developed a deep love and respect for these black beverages, and…
Why I Blog About Booze: My 100th Post
It was two years, 99 posts and 11,000 views ago that I wrote my first blog post about booze. Now, in the triple digits, I’ve taken some time to reflect on what exactly has compelled me to keep writing, and — surprise, surprise — it’s not crippling alcoholism….
Sipping With Smoth: Visiting Nicholson Ranch Winery in Sonoma
Let’s say you’re vacationing in California. A trip to the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma is basically a foregone conclusion, so the only real question is, “Where do I go to drink some damn good wine?” Let me help you out with one solid tip:…
What’s the Best Whiskey Glass?
It’s a question all whis(e)y drinkers ask at some point — what do I drink this damn stuff out of? With the profusion of glasses and styles to choose from, it’s not always clear cut. Many whiskey aficionados favour the classic Glencairn style, while the…
Sipping With Smoth: Making an Old Fashioned Cocktail
One of my all time favourite cocktails is the classic Old Fashioned. I learned the principles of this famous drink from the same generous gentleman who shared his Talisker 57° North with me, although I’ve put my own spin on it. While the traditional Old…