The unofficial results of the Arizona election are in:
Govenor: Johnette Napolitano* (Dem)
Secretary of State: Jan Brewer (Rep)
Attorney General: Terry Goddard (Dem)
Prop 104 (school money): Pass
Props 200, 201 (more gambling): Fail
Prop 202 (casinos on reservations): Pass
Prop 203 (regulate drugs): Fail
Judge Joseph Heilman: Retained!
It's really Janet, and she does sing, but I love Concrete Blonde so Arizona's Gonna Rock!
Ferment Update!
(The whole story has been collected here.)
The raisin beverage has been in the fridge for nearly a week now and it's looking pretty clear. Clear enough to drink anyway (although I wouldn't want to bottle it yet.) So drink it I shall, since it's election day, and this being Arizona, you can't buy so much as a beer. (The states founding fathers wisely saw that the politicians would get us all drunk on election day, so they dried up the state for a day.)
Here's the bottle of juice:
And here I am, tasting the stuff:
And liking it:
Tasting notes:
The beverage is acidic, almost as much as grapefruit juice. There seems to be no volatile acidity (vinegar) though, so it presents no fault. It is fruity yet too tart to be sweet, with a decidedly appley nose. The aforementioned acid dominates the first sip, but quickly gives way to a complex mix of fruit - citrus and plum - which dissipates into a roasted grassyness. It is not at all unpleasant, and if left to stabilize for a month or so, I'm sure the acid would have become tame.
Rather than just rely on my bare buds, I tasted the liquor with a number of foods:
Beef Jerky: acid overrides the meat but mellows quickly.
Celery: surprisingly, a nice accompanyment to this otherwise bland vegetable
Chese: it blends right in with a Colby, a sharp cheddar would also be nice
BBQ Chicken: I thought this would work, but instead it was a bitter clash.
Apple: no good.
I also tried Spanish Peanuts and the result emphasized the vegital finish of the beverage, quite nice.
Three bucks and two weeks for one bottle of very passable hooch. Not bad, and fermenting alcohol is one of the most spiritual processes a human can undertake. Now I want to hear about Andy's beer!
