Wine Situation Final Five (Now With Drunk Dialing!)

The Wine Situation hosts everyone from winemakers to writers to find out what a person’s situation is…with wine. It’s the solo season, as host Ellen Clifford is in quarantine, but listen in with a glass, and nobody is drinking alone! In lieu of guests, at the end of every action packed episode Ellen is phoning a friend with her Final Five questions. This week Ellen talks to Kara Newman, the spirits editor of Wine Enthusiast and author of many cocktail books, the latest of which is Cocktails with a Twist! Click here for the full episode. THE FINAL FIVE (Ever so slightly edited for length!): QUESTION ONE Ellen: Whatcha drinking these days? Kara: Right now I’m obsessed with sherry vermouth. Vermouth made with a sherry base. I’ve been drinking Lustau and Gonzalez Byass and it’s just one of those things I’m enjoying drinking straight up and mixed into martinis, it makes killer martinis. It’s kind of a new category; I would love to see more of it. I’m really truly loving it. QUESTION TWO Ellen: Nice. Question number two is what is the best or most interesting pairing you’ve ever had? Kara: I’m kind of old-school when it comes to pairings. I do like the whole idea that what grows together goes together and I honestly, right now in the middle of lockdown, I am craving my favorite Italian restaurant. Literally it’s right across the street. It’s not a famous place or a fancy place, but my favorite treat that I’m craving right now is any kind of Italian appetizer like arancini with Italian wine. And really my favorite treat is something like Valpolicella . So good, so velvety. You can just kind of sink into it. That’s what I’d love right at this moment. QUESTION THREE Ellen: The next question you can take literally or metaphorically, but the next question is up or on the rocks? Kara: Up, definitely up. I’ve really been wanting Nick and Nora glasses. I have this theory that they make everything taste better. I want a perfectly chilled martini in a Nick and Nora glass. QUESTION FOUR Ellen: That does sound good. Question number four is—and I loved your cocktail books, Road Soda is one of my favorites—your books are so much fun. I was curious, do you have anything in the works? Kara: I’m actually in between books right now. My latest is Cocktails with a Twist, and I don’t have another cocktail book coming out right now. Ellen: Well you only released five in like three years. Kara: I’ve been pretty prolific, I’ve really been lucky that way. QUESTION FIVE Ellen: Question number five is the classic we’ve been asking since the dawn of the show and that is what’s bringing you joy these days? Kara: Other than the sherry vermouth, right now what’s bringing me joy is just the ritual of happy hour in general. Right now I’m very much—I’m in New York and right now I’m very much in deep end lockdown quarantine mode and I’m really cherishing that ritual, you know, transitioning from the work day, when every work day bleeds into the other, to the end of the day and having something to really help me transition from work to leisure. I never knew I could derive so much joy from preparing and drinking a solitary cocktail. Want to drink cocktails devised by Kara? And look for her books on bookshop.org to support local book stores! Check out the previous Wine Situation podcast with Victoria James here .