Publication: Worth magazine

10 Essential Bottles for Your Bar

Stocking a superlative liquor cabinet boils down to two categories: spirits meant to be sipped and those ideal for mixed drinks. Add some exquisite modifiers— we suggest Antica Formula Red Vermouth, Noilly Pratt Dry Vermouth, Angostora Bitters and Orange Bitters and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur—and you’re ready to offer anything from a killer martini to an epic margarita.

By Claire Willett

1) Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Oak
(Scotch)
Every single malt connoisseur has his favorite, but you can’t go wrong with this smooth, perfectly balanced Scotch from one of Scotland’s oldest and most revered distilleries. A quarter century in Spanish sherry oak casks gives the Macallan its lush coppery hue and heady, ginger and cinnamon nose. Thanks to a mellow, baking spice and fig palate, it drinks like a brandy, but with a lingering, smoky finish.
~$650/750 ml

2) Brugal 1888
(Rum)
Sure, a mojito makes a refreshing end to a hot summer’s day, but Brugal’s latest release is a year-round pleasure. A double distillation and anywhere from five to 14 years of cask maturation in both American white and Spanish oak results in a top-notch rum whose aroma is deliciously leathery  and layered with notes of coffee beans, raisins and dried fruit.
$49.99/750 ml

3) Partida Reposado
(Tequila)
The agave used in this barrel-aged tequila grows for 10 years in volcanic soil, which allows the plant’s sugars to concentrate and gives them a distinctive mineral, briny flavor. While you could use it in a margarita, a reposado of this complexity is best savored undiluted.
~$49.99/750 ml

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Publication: Worth magazine

Sleep disorders affect more than 60 million Americans, and we’re sleeping 20 percent less than we did a quarter-century ago. How much sleep do we need and how can we get it?

1. Most of the day, I’m sitting behind a desk—how much sleep do I really need? Sorry, desk jockeys: “You still need good sleep no matter what you do during the day. Your body has a biological need for sleep that is based on how long you have been awake,” says Dr. Bryce Mander of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. He recommends seven to nine hours for most adults.

2. I don’t sleep much at night, but I nap frequently. Will that work? While sporadic catnaps can help in the short term, they’re not a healthy longterm option. “It’s best to get a good amount of ‘anchor sleep’ at night,” says Dr. Mander.

3. I’ve read that sleep boosts memory. True? Absolutely. Dr. Elizabeth Kensinger, an associate professor of psychology at Boston College, notes that “sleep can help to improve our memory across a range of domains,” including motor skills, new knowledge retention and creativity. Read the rest of this entry »

Publication: Worth magazine

Walt Disney holed away with Hollywood bigwigs at Club 33, Parisian cinephiles built a cinema beneath the Trocadéro. International artists create forever hidden work in abandoned New York subway tunnels. Man’s fascination with the clandestine is strong. Today, secret places are more likely to be luxe and exclusive than dangerous or debauched. The following 10 have the additional bonus—and challenge—of being rather difficult to find. Something hidden this way lies …

01. CURIO AT GILT BAR, Chicago

Curio, the basement lounge tucked beneath popular gastropub Gilt Bar, is not for the faint of eyes. Not that you’ll find any shocking activities taking place on the cognac tufted leather couches—but in the dim candlelight, you wouldn’t be able to see them anyway. In constructing Gilt’s little sister, owner Brendan Sodikoff was inspired by the tavern La Louisianne in Inglourious Basterds (though the end result is a bit swankier). Depending on where you stand you may catch glimpses of a functioning Victrola, a curio cabinet stuffed with vintage trinkets, and, at the bar, a magnificent century-old brass cash register.

230 W. Kinzie St., 312.464.9544, giltbarchicago.com

SITE: Chicago

NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS: Proficient

ENTRY BARRIERS: None

02. WOLVESMOUTH, Los Angeles

Fun fact: Canis lupii have very refined taste buds. Just ask one of the diners lucky enough to score seats at Wolvesmouth, Craig Thorton’s spectacular underground supper club. If the formula is simple—open your kitchen to the public, hire a friend to help clean up—the 10 to 15 courses of “reflective cooking” are anything but. The former personal chef to Nicolas Cage has a way with molecular gastronomy, and gelées, ices and foams abound. In a dish Thorton calls Wandering the Forest, an upturned rabbit haunch lords over a black truffle “soil” studded with douglas fir needles, chanterelles and cipollini onions. What you pay for it is up to you, but unless you’re booking a private dinner, the amount of time you’ll have to wait for a seat (up to a year), alas, is not.

thewolf@wolvesmouth.com for reservations and address, wolvesmouth.com

SITE: Los Angeles

NAVIGATIONAL SKILLS: Novice

ENTRY BARRIERS: Reservations, waiting list

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Publication: Worth magazine

The camps on this list provide opportunities for your children to develop their passions, whether they’re travel or sports, computers or the outdoors. But if you’re interested in signing your child up, don’t delay—slots in these camps don’t stay open long.

01 THE EXPERIMENT IN INTERNATIONAL LIVING

The Experiment in International Living offers a monthlong adventure in the country known as the Land of the Blue Sky. Orientation takes place amid Ulaanbaatar’s humming outdoor food and crafts markets and solemn monasteries, and participants will see Mongolia’s famed wrestlers, archers and jockeys during Naadam, the country’s Olympics. Then it’s off to the steppes, where students join in the life of the Mongolian frontier, bunking with Mongol families in gers (round tents).

Contact: Chris Frantz, 800.345.2929, chris.frantz@worldlearning.org, experimentinternational.org

SITE Mongolia AGES Completed grades 9 to 12 DURATION One monthCOST $6,600 (includes airfare)

02 LEADERSHIP IN THE BUSINESS WORLD

From September through May, Wharton is populated by future masters of the universe, but in July one of the country’s top business schools turns its Philadelphia and San Francisco campuses and faculty over to a handful of elite high school kids. “Leadership in the Business World” makes good on its title—courses focus on leadership and management, and the group business plan competition, judged by a panel of venture capitalists, has fostered viable ideas like low-cost prefabricated housing and Medsafe prescription safety cards. Although the requirements for getting in are steep—top-notch SATs, a personal essay and two letters of recommendation—those accepted are treated to guest lectures by various luminaries (past speakers have included the CEOs of Overstock.com and Tower Investments and top execs at Google and Deloitte) and site visits to Wall Street firms and Google.

Contact: Dr. Anne Greenhalgh, 215.746.8765, greenhaa@wharton.upenn.edu, wharton.upenn.edu/academics/lbw

SITE San Francisco, Philadelphia AGES Completed grade 11 DURATION One month COST $5,500 ($75 application fee)

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