Champagne Campaign
Bocage's first in a somm series, Single in Saratoga's Spa City debut and spooky seasonal treats.
“This is only the beginning!” And as simply as that, Bocage’s Zac Denham kicked off the Champagne bar’s first guided wine tasting, something I’ve been really, really, really craving since moving here from Northern California—where wine is food and going to tastings is a way of life. The bar’s first event in a sommelier series focused on, yup, Champagne. (The event sold out so fast that a 5pm class had to be added for the overflow.) “Champagne can be scary for people,” Zac said, as I looked around perplexed. (Who’s scared of Champagne?!) “But we’re here to tell you that you can drink Champagne on a Tuesday.” Spread the word, Zac.
If you haven’t met Zac yet, he’s a force of smiley, sky-high energy, so it’s no surprise that the sommelier he brought in for the class was the same. Megan Anderson lit up the room as the first bubbly was being poured and she walked the group through the very basics (aka the difference between Champagne from the Champagne region and sparkling wines from other parts of the world, including France outside of the Champagne region).
From there, things got a little (wine) geekier, diving into my happy place of terrior talk (Champagne is known for its chalky soil), Méthode Champenoise and the cooler, hillside climates that allows the pinot noir grape to thrive. As we traveled from Blanc de Blancs to Blanc de Noirs and my favorite demi-sec on the planet (hello, old friend!), Bocage’s chef, Jacob Myers, served up delicious food pairings: crab with tarragon and jalapeño, served on endive with crème fraîche; smoked pork served with a cider-based sauce de Normandy; and a yummy, flaky dessert with brown butter-poached apples.
After class, we made ourselves comfortable and stayed a little too late for a school night, chatting about bubbles and wine country travel. After all, that’s the beauty of Bocage—you really do feel like you’re in someone’s (immaculately decorated) living room. Besides, amongst the talk of grower vs house Champagnes and vintage vs non-vintage, Zac and Megan reminded us that “Champagne is a symbol of celebration!” And celebrate we did.
—Abby
Quote of the Week
“Never touch another man’s pawn.”
—Overheard at an impromptu Saratoga Lake chess tournament
Guy Trouble
OK, men of Saratoga—what’s the deal? On Wednesday, Saratoga Living hosted the first-ever Single in Saratoga mixer event at Bailey’s, an evening we figured would draw about the same number of men and women. But on Wednesday morning, when our male-to-female ticket-holder ratio was 41:7, we realized something was up. For a bar scene dominated by men, especially during track season, where were all the dudes?
“Men are cowardly creatures that I’ve managed to live most of my life without,” one Saratogian told me.
“They just sit at home and play Call of Duty,” another said. “It’s actually sad. Tinder has ruined real life.”
“This just goes to show that men are too big of wimps to show up to something like that,” said one particular single man upon being invited to the event. “Myself included.”
Other men just didn’t show up, even with the knowledge that there would be 40-plus single women there. Some even sat outside the event and failed to cross the threshold.
In the end, though, there were a dozen or so brave male souls who did show up, and as was expected, they had a grand old time, playing beer pong and board games, sipping on Deep Eddy Vodka cocktails, snapping pics in the Saratoga Photobooth and trying to find their “celebrity match” (each attendee received a picture of one half of a celebrity couple, and was tasked with finding the other). “Do you have a megaphone?” said the attendee holding a picture of Prince Harry. “I can’t find Meghan anywhere!”
“I don’t know who this is,” one woman said upon receiving her picture. “That’s Jada Pinkett-Smith,” her friend said, before turning to me to whisper, “she needs help."
One attendee, Mary, had a few ideas for how to get men at the next singles night (save the date for December 7)—send flyers to the firehouses, police stations and hospitals. “A lot of guys I know aren’t on social media,” she said. “They’re not very smart, but they’re cute!”
See more singles night party pics by Konrad Odhiambo here.
—Natalie
Save the Date
Yes, we know we just told you to save the date for December 7, but we’ve got another can’t-miss event before that. Saratoga Living is once again teaming up with First Fill Spirits to host the second annual Whiskey Night in Saratoga on Wednesday, November 16 at Putnam Place. Keep an eye out for the ticketing link and more details next week!
Brew Crew
In case you’ve been living under a rock and have somehow missed all the hoopla—Druthers opened its fourth Capital Region location this month, and the people can’t get enough. Some Capital Regionites—including a cohort from Northwest Mutual’s Albany office—are already making the pilgrimage to Clifton Park for the second time to gobble up that famous mac ‘n’ cheese in the trendiest new spot in town. Expect to wait for a table, but expect to have fun doing it—customers are welcome to grab a drink outside and pass the time with a friendly game of corn hole.
Dangerously Delicious
This week, Boca Bistro announced its Killer Food Box, a totally terrifying takeout option that will be available starting Tuesday. Inside? a Monster House Burger, Freddy Chicken Fingers, Devil Eggs, Killer Chocolate Chip Cookies and Scary Spice Popcorn. Pre-order online at order.bocabistro.com…if you dare.
This Week in Saratoga Living After Hours
On Monday, we sunk our teeth into some Saratoga food scene trivia, past and present.
Then, on Tuesday, we recapped weekend one of the Saratoga Showcase of Homes.