Lost in the Trees Fullsteam Brewery Central Park District, Durham $8, which included the glass and a bottle of beer. I had been dying to try this beer made with figs. Almost as badly as I’m dying to try Fullsteam’s permission persimmon beer (thanks for catching that typo, Marc! Though permission beer might be even
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Tres Pinos 2009 Red Wine San Luis Obispo, CA This wine is from my stomping grounds, though I didn’t know much about wine back when I stomped there (that’s only been marginally improved). There is a sharp cranberry smell followed by the lush scent of fresh, moist dirt—a great nose, as far as I’m concerned.
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Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe 431 West Franklin, the Courtyard Downtown Chapel Hill Website $7–$17 Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe has been in Sandwhich’s old space in the Chapel Hill Courtyard plaza since July. It is an Indian, order-at-the-counter restaurant, and we were excited to find a sitar player providing music on the evening we went. This is a
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The Old Ceremony Motorco Central Park District, Durham $6 As you can see, I’m not talking the band here, which I happen to love, but the shooter named after them by Motorco. The first time I went to Motorco, I thought naming shots—there’s no cocktail list here, just fancy shots—after local bands was a fun
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Modern Paloma Rockfish Grill, Durham This cocktail—I hesitate to call it a margarita, though I think it was under that heading in the restaurant’s drink list—is made with Milagro silver tequila, Licor 43, and red grapefruit, orange, and lime juices. A paloma, I’ve just learned, is a popular Mexican cocktail made with tequila, grapefruit soda
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Three Knights 2006 Russian River Valley Merlot Sonoma, CA Prunes and strawberries dominate the nose. There’s a crushed mint flavor that accentuates the wine’s primary notes of pepper and a bright berry somewhere between blue and boysen. Plenty of dry mouth left when the wine’s been swallowed.

El Capital Dos Perros, Durham $10 Wow, this New Year’s Eve special cocktail takes its description as a twist on a Manhattan seriously! It’s a very strong drink—assuming Dos Perros adds it to their specials list on occasion, only order it if you like a stiff drink. Luckily, I do! It’s made with hornitos anejo
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Quarles Harris Ruby Porto Gaia, Portugal The smell of this port is unappealing, like glue. Luckily, I already know it isn’t a bad bottle, because I used it in a cranberry curry sauce the other day, and there was no sign of foul tastes, so I’ll carry on past the nose—okay, I’d carry on past
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