Jayme Henderson

You may think that crafting a mimosa requires nothing more than simply splashing cheap bubbly wine into orange juice, but if you take a little extra time, source quality ingredients, and embrace a creative spirit, you can very easily take this brunch staple to the next level. When shopping for a dry, sparkling wine to use in my mimosas, I tend to stay in the $10 to $25 range. I like to provide a delicious option for those brunch guests, who might want to simply sip on sparkling wine, sans juice.

Who: Happy Leaf Kombucha What: Organic, small-batch kombucha and taproom Where: Denver, Colorado’s River North Art District Read the series: Part One Do you remember your first impression of kombucha, that famous fermented tea? Or perhaps you haven’t tried it yet and have a few questions: What’s it made of? What does it taste like? And — what everyone always wants to know — what exactly is that hazy blob suspended within the drink?

Who: Jenni Lyons and Mike Burns of Happy Leaf Kombucha What: Organic, small-batch kombucha and taproom Where: Denver, Colorado’s River North Art District Read the series: Part One and Part Two Maybe you haven’t tasted it, but at least you’ve heard about kombucha by now. Some of us are even brewing it at home. Emma shared a detailed tutorial on how to make kombucha that gave me a little more confidence to try making it myself.

Who: Happy Leaf Kombucha What: Organic, small-batch kombucha and taproom Where: Denver, Colorado’s River North Art District Read the series → Part One, Part Two, Part Three Last week I visited Happy Leaf Kombucha, a small-batch kombucha brewery in Denver. Over the course of my visit I learned a few things about kombucha that I hadn’t known before, including the fact that you can eat scobys! (Say what? Yes, it’s true.) Here’s what I learned from visiting the pros.

Advice from: Mike Burns and Jenni Lyons of Happy Leaf Kombucha Read the series → Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four I sat down with Mike and Jenni of Happy Leaf Kombucha and asked them how they creatively use kombucha in their kitchen. Which foods naturally pair best with its flavor profile? How did they incorporate kombucha into recipes? Their eyes immediately lit up as they shared their favorite ways to use kombucha. Kombucha-braised chuck roast? Kombucha frozen yogurt floats?

Who hasn’t tried Chardonnay? While it is the first wine that many of us ever taste, at its pinnacle, it is also the wine that many connoisseurs consider the single greatest white wine in the world. Think of Chardonnay as a set of pearls: versatile enough to wear with your favorite pair of jeans and elegant enough for the most formal, black tie affair. Over the past century, no other white grape has captivated the world’s attention as Chardonnay has.

Red Burgundy is synonymous with Pinot Noir, yet no other region conjures up so much confusion to novice drinkers, while providing so much fascination for wine lovers. What is it they know that you don’t? And how can a region that revolves around primarily one red grape seem so intimidating? A few weeks ago, I broke down the styles of white Burgundy (Chardonnay).

It’s summertime, and that means that it’s officially rosé season, a bright, sunny window of time where pink wines make their appearance. This seasonal specialty pops up around March and lingers well into the sweltering summer months. Rosé has rightfully earned its position as white wine’s summertime partner in crime: it is crisp, refreshing, and a versatile pairing for warm weather cuisine.

If you are anything like me or my friends, deciding what to do with an unfinished bottle of wine is a problem that rarely arises. But maybe you had a few people over for a dinner party, or maybe you are a light drinker, or maybe you just wanted to open both a red and a white for pairing options. Regardless of the scenario, we all want that opened bottle of wine to taste as fresh and delicious tomorrow, as it does this evening. Here’s how to make sure that happens.