It’s bold and it’s briny, or it’s smooth and it’s grassy, or it’s a riot of campfire and a hint of the sea all in a glass. It’s Scotch and, like bourbon, Irish whiskey, Dickel and Daniels, it’s whisk(e)y. What makes Scotch unique in the whisk(e)y family are the rules around its distillation. Scotch is…

We’ve invited Nina, the founder of Buty Winery, in for a special 5-course dinner. You will taste your way through a full Buty wine lineup paired with a special menu created by Chef Varin. Space is limited (only 25 spots), so book soon! Please RSVP to Justin at jroberson@conrests.com   Buty Wine Dinner Menu 5-Course…

Beverage Director Amanda Reed loves rum. Asking her to choose the best is like asking what her favorite wine is. That, or the fact that the categories of rum are so different, may explain why our downtown Seattle restaurant has more than 40 rums on the menu. A Rum Primer Fundamentally, rum is a liquor…

Recently, beverage director Amanda Reed was thinking spring drinking and Beaujolais—the light, red-fruited, gamay from France—came to mind. If the flavors of fresh strawberries and earthy mushrooms work so beautifully in those wines, she imagined they’d work well in a cocktail too. So, she added some grassy rhum agricole and savory fennel and a fresh…

Beer week is here, and though we love tasting our way across Seattle one funky IPA after another, our palates could use a break. Which is why we asked Amanda Reed—inventor of the sublime Wanderlust and that tantalizing Original Provision beer cocktail pairing—to save us. What’s the secret to making a great beer cocktail? “There…

It’s the New Year, new resolutions have been made, and many of us are taking a sober look at the world. Or, at the very least, at our glasses. Whether you’re going dry for January or just want something refreshing yet alcohol-free, Beverage Director Amanda Reed has a decadent solution: a shrub drink. A shrub…