Veronica Meewes/Topo Chico

We recently caught up with Gail Simmons and wanted to know about her latest culinary obsession. While we were expecting for the “Top Chef” judge to wax poetic about some decadent dessert, we were surprised to hear her excitement about a sparkling mineral water from northern Mexico called Topo Chico.

“I had never heard of Topo Chico before I tried it and fell in love,” she told TODAY.com. Topo Chico is distributed all throughout Mexico and a majority of the United States, but is much more widely known in the Southwest. Though she hadn’t picked up a bottle while filming “Top Chef” in Texas last summer, Simmons discovered it while in Austin for the Food & Wine Festival recently.  “All of a sudden, it’s all I want to drink!” she raved. 

So just what is it that makes Topo Chico the champagne of water for Simmons? “It is so delicious and I think that is because it is the right balance of perfectly sized bubbles, a little bit salty and perhaps a little hint of citrus in the after taste,” she explained.  “It is fresh and clean, but NOT at all the ‘fancy’ sparkling water that costs a fortune in restaurants. (And) it’s more refreshing than club soda.”

Backing her up, Momofuku Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi also mentioned her love for the drink when she was demonstrating dessert techniques in Austin.  “I’m bringing a case back (to New York),” she affirmed.

“I am plotting ways to have it shipped to New York City even though that is not so eco-friendly of me,” disclosed Simmons, who clearly isn’t a paid spokesperson for the company (or she’d have enough Topo Chico to bathe in).  “I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I left…”

Simmons and other fans won’t have to plot too hard, as various purveyors offer nationwide delivery.

In the comments below, tell us what ingredient, dish or product you are obsessed with right now!

More from TODAY Food:

• Gail Simmons is over cupcakes
• Giada's food obsession: Buttery croutons
  
• Fabio Viviani would knock you out for Nutella
• Video: Try Gail Simmons’ super spinach stew 

TODAY.com/Featurepics

There is one overriding reason people will consider buying the new white wine with the big “B” on the label, and it can be summed up by the name above it: Barrymore. Drew Barrymore has gone into the wine business, and her first release is not from California, where so many Hollywood and other celebrities have dabbled in wine, but from Italy.

While the marketing notes declare that “the discovery of new wines, new regions and new vintages is what keeps wine exciting to novices and enthusiasts alike,” Barrymore has turned to the familiar: She has given us another pinot grigio. And while her motto is “from our family to yours,” don’t be misled. The actress may have put her name and her family crest on the label, but the wine is made by Decordi, a large winery in Lombardy in northern Italy. They have produced a wine that is good, if not great -- a solid “B,” so to speak -- which may nonetheless be good enough for many starstruck Americans lured by the Barrymore name and willing to pay a premium for it (the $20 suggested price is higher than many pinot grigios on the market).

Barrymore’s 2011 Pinot Grigio delle Venezie has notable minerality, which lingers in the mouth and is its strong point. Some fruit notes, particularly apple and citrus, emerge as the wine warms up a bit, but I would have liked even more fruit. There’s also an ample herbal note. Beyond obvious fish pairings, it would work well with an asparagus risotto. It’s certainly drinkable, but I have enjoyed other pinot grigios more – for less. (In a quick check at one wine store in my Manhattan neighborhood, I found 11 pinot grigios, nine of them under $20.)

Barrymore is just the latest celebrity to turn to wine. This week, Wine Spectator reported that Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie has bought a vineyard in California’s Santa Ynez Valley and plans to make syrah, cabernet sauvignon and viognier under the Ferguson Crest label.

If Frances Ford Coppola is the “godfather” of the celebrity wine movement, others who have followed him more recently include Madonna, who, with her father, is involved in Ciccone Vineyard and Winery in northern Michigan; Wayne Gretzky and Dan Aykroyd, who produce wine under their own labels in Canada;  Nancy Pelosi, who owns two vineyards that supply fruit to other wineries in California; Jeff Gordon, who has a passion for fast cars and also for making high-end California wines; and Dave Matthews, who owns Blenheim Vineyards in Charlottesville, Va., and also has a collaborative effort in California with Steve Reeder, the winemaker at Simi Winery in Sonoma.

Matthews’ California label is called The Dreaming Tree (named after one of his songs), and there are three $15 wines. The other night I bought Dreaming Tree’s 2009 Crush, a North Coast blend of merlot and zinfandel, hoping for something that would rise above the ordinary. But it, too, was just OK. Its dark berry fruit, relatively soft tannins and considerable oak influence could describe dozens of comparably priced California reds competing for shelf space, many of them with similarly catchy names.

In my research, I found dozens of celebrities who are attaching their names and their money to wine. But I also found very few doing so in the under-$20 category. And that may be just as well. Beyond the boldface names on the labels, it seems to me, celebrity wines, at least on the value end, don’t have a lot to offer. (The Barrymore wine was received as a press sample.)

Wine drinkers, what do you think? Would you be more willing to buy a wine with a celebrity name? Tell us in the comments.

Edward Deitch is a James Beard Award-winning wine critic. Find many more of his wine reviews and commentary on his blog, Vint-ed.com, and follow him on Twitter.

More from TODAY Food:

• A stand-out $16 California cabernet
• Try these two $10 hits from Austria
• Sips that hit the sweet spot
• Video: Celebrate spring with wines under $20  

Getty Images

This is the fate that awaits beer snobs.

Something happened this week that made me feel like a real beer snob, and that’s a bad thing. Beer snobs corner people at parties and tell them why the brew they’re enjoying is awful. They give unsolicited advice to fellow shoppers in the beer aisle.

I was perusing the winners of the 2012 World Beer Cup, a competition which recognizes top brews from around the world. Held this past weekend, this year’s event was the biggest ever, with 3,921 beers from 57 countries competing in 95 categories. It’s like the United Nations, but with cooler facial hair.

The competition is run by the Brewers Association, whose purpose is “to promote and protect small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.”  They are the good guys, the folks who have helped to foster the success of the craft beer movement in the United States. 

I was scanning the results, realizing that I’m unfamiliar with many of the winning beers (new breweries to explore!), when I came across some VERY familiar names:

 Category 43: American-Style Lager or Light Lager, 39 Entries

• Gold: Coors Light, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO
• Silver: Michelob Ultra, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO
• Bronze: Michelob Light, Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, MO

 Category 44: American-Style Premium Lager or Specialty Lager, 37 Entries

• Gold: Steel Reserve, Miller Brewing Co., Golden, CO
• Silver: Evans Original, Cervecería Mexicana, Corona, CA
• Bronze: Icehouse, Miller Brewing Co., Golden, CO

When I read this, my inner beer snob, the one I keep chained in a cinderblock room in the basement of my brain, burst out of captivity. Coors Light for the gold? Seriously? I know the mega brewers have been winning these categories for years, both at the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival, but this year it struck me – why? 

Why is the Brewers Association, an organization dedicated to promoting and protecting small brewers, handing out gold medals to mega-corporations?  Haven’t they seen Beer Wars?  Don’t they know that the big boys would like nothing more than to wipe craft brewers off of the face of the earth?  Why give them the chance to market their beer as gold-medal-worthy, just like Miller Lite does in this TV spot? 

Looking for answers, I reached out to Charlie Papazian, the president of the Brewers Association and the unofficial grand poobah of the craft beer world.  I asked him why the big boys were allowed to compete at the World Beer Cup, and he said it’s all about being fair.

“The World Beer Cup is an international competition for all brewers and their beers worldwide,” Charlie said. “Because it embraces both big and small, the competition provides a level playing field or should I say a ‘level table of beer’ for all to participate.” 

I get it, if you want your American-Style Lager to be the best in the world, you have to beat all comers, including the big boys. I just find it hard to believe that there wasn’t a craft beer amongst the 39 entries tastier than Coors Light. 

Q&A: Why is "big beer" invited to the World beer Cup?

I also asked Charlie if handing out gold medals to the mega-brewers is helping or hurting the promotion and protection of small brewers, which is the whole purpose of the Brewers Association.  He said that a rising tide lifts all ships. “Winning in a competition is more than a statement of achievement,” he said. “It enhances the image of beer everywhere.”   

If a wine lover saw the Miller Lite commercial where they crow about winning four WBC gold medals, do you think he or she would be convinced to put down their wine glass and pick up a mug? Or would they simply think that the world of beer must be pretty lame if Miller Lite is the best of the best? If anything, giving gold medals to industrial light lagers sends the wrong message. It lowers the tide for all brewers.

And we come full circle. Making such proclamations is something a beer snob would say. It kills me that I just did, but this is what went through my head when I saw the winners of Category 43 and 44.  Guilty as charged. Try not to hammer me too hard in the comments below.

To be fair, I’m complaining about two out of the 95 World Beer Cup categories here, so on balance it’s still a pretty awesome event. The winners list is an excellent way to discover new and wonderful beers. As Papazian said, “the big picture and purpose [of the WBC] is to elevate the image of beer and provide values for the responsible enjoyment of beer worldwide. It celebrates the tastes, flavors, diversity and character of beer.” That’s a mission that the World Beer Cup has been accomplishing for over 15 years, even if they let a couple of clunkers slip through the cracks.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go catch my inner beer snob and get him back in his cell.  I think I need thicker chains…

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits.

More from TODAY Food:

• Where a dad at Disney gets a brew: An oasis of craft beer
• Beer lover's dilemma: Can you diet without going dry?
• Video: Martha Stewart throws a beer party

Courtesy of Junior Merino

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, NBC Latino is devoting an entire week to celebrating the food of Puebla. They asked several Mexican-born and Mexican-American chefs to share their personal stories and memories of Puebla, along with a favorite recipe from the region, one of Mexico’s most important culinary hubs.

Here, renowned mixologist Junior Merino writes about Mexico’s oldest spirit, pulque.  

Growing up on a large ranch in Puebla, an abundance of fresh, local food was always within reach. Whether it be corn, homemade cheeses, tomatoes or chiles, our life revolved around the crops, the changing seasons and festive family celebrations. And for every baptism, wedding and joyous gathering, my father would make a special batch of milky, sweet pulque. Rather than bottled tequila or distilled mezcal, pulque, the most ancient of Mexico’s spirits, was what we used to toast in our home.

Patti Jinich makes mole poblano 

Pulque (prounounced pul-kay) is made from the fermented sap of the maguey, or agave, plant. Unlike tequila or mezcal, which is made from cooked sap to produce a strong spirit, pulque is made by a much simpler process by virtue of the lucky accident through which it was discovered. The birth of pulque isn’t well documented, but legend has it that over 2,000 years ago, some agave juice happened to have been left out in a bowl. When the liquid was found days later — foamy, milky-colored and with a relatively low alcohol content of about five percent — the indigenous Mesoamerican people at once deemed it sacred.

Pulque is very simple to make, like the wine my Italian ancestors surely made before settling in Mexico during a wave of Italian migration to the Americas in the 1800s. You cut the flower off a mature agave plant, scraping away at the heart of the plant and collecting the juice that drips from it. One agave plant can yield up to four liters of the juice we call the agua miel (honey water), and once left in a wooden barrel or bucket, it will begin to ferment naturally thanks to its high sugar content. In my early childhood the drink was considered the poor man’s alternative to more costly beers thanks to its similar alcohol content and foamy cap. I remember when I was first given a sip by my father when I was 6 years old; it tasted oddly slippery.

Make sweet Mexican cookies 

I never once thought that when I said good bye to my family in Mexico at 15 years old, that it would be the last I would see of pulque for almost a dozen years. Just like my large, extended family was absent from my early years in New York City, so was pulque. It wasn’t until 2005, when the Mexican government asked me to make a pulque cocktail, that I revisited my memories of beverage. It’s more readily available than ever before, thanks to new artisanal pulquerias that have been quietly replacing the thousands that once existed in 20th century Mexico City. Over the past year, the trend has swiftly made its way north to the United States, where you can purchase pulque by the can (look for the brand Nectar Del Razo Pulque at small Mexican grocery stores) or even order the beverage online thanks to Mexican pulque producers like Pulque Hacienda 1881.

How to make the perfect guacamole

These new pulques are smoother, more balanced than the rustic version my father made, and by adding aloe vera and lemon grass syrup to my cocktail, the viscosity and vegetal flavor of the pulque comes through beautifully. I call my drink The Mercenario, and it’s perfectly balanced: a touch of sour and sweet, plus a hint of bitter. Drinking it for Cinco de Mayo makes this celebratory holiday a special occasion — just like the ones I remember back in Puebla.

The Mercenario

• 1 Tejocote (a wild mexican apple easily found in Mexican stores)
• 2 bar spoons of nixtamal (the acidulated corn used to make tortillas)
• 2 oz pulque
• 1 oz mezcal blanco
• 1/4 oz Dainzu Aloe Vera & Lemongrass Syrup
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 oz St. Germain

Muddle the tejocote, nixtamal, and syrup in a mixing glass. Add the rest of the ingredients, ice, and shake. Double strain into a tall glass full of ice and rim with salt.

For more on Latino food and recipes, head to NBC Latino. 

More from Bites

• Cinco de Mayo party? A chips and salsa buying guide
• Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with corn elotes, margaritas
• Video: Skip the shots and start sipping tequila 

Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

After a few days in Disney World, you may find yourself in need of a good brew.

At Walt Disney World, a beer geek can get pretty thirsty. I came to that realization this past week when I was there with my family. We had no car and no easy way to get off of Disney property to check out the burgeoning craft beer scene in Orlando. We were trapped in the Disney bubble.

While it’s a bastion of family entertainment, the house of the mouse is a veritable desert when it comes to craft beer. There are many stands that sell beer throughout the Disney parks, but these are dominated by industrial light lagers. Sure, you can get Newcastle and cans of Guinness Draught in the England section of Epcot, but if you’re craving a hop bomb or a craft brew gushing with malty goodness, you’re out of luck. Well, almost out of luck.

There’s an oasis in the desert that is the Disney beer scene: Nestled in the bosom of Disney’s Boardwalk hotel is the Big River Brewing Company, an honest-to-goodness brew pub, complete with a 10-barrel brewing rig and, depending on the season, five or more very good craft beers on tap. The brew pub has been at the Boardwalk since 1997, when Disney approached Big River’s parent company, Gordon Biersch, about creating a brewery in the park.

Jim Galligan

Kent Waugh, Big River brewer, poses with his serving vessels.

I caught up with Kent Waugh, Big River’s brewer. He’s a one-man band at the restaurant, in charge of all of the brewing, equipment cleaning, and management.  It’s a lot of work, but it’s a labor of love.

Story: 3 best vacation beers I've ever had

When I arrived, Kent was cooking a batch of Rocket Red, a red ale that won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2011. The place smelled like heaven to my craft beer-starved senses.

Kent mills his own grains and brews all the beers on site, then transfers them to one of six fermentation tanks. Once fermentation is complete, Kent transfers the beers to tanks he calls “serving vessels” because the beer flows directly from them to the taps in the restaurant. It doesn’t get any fresher than that.

I sampled all the beers Big River had on tap, and they were all good – it was like a cool drink of water for a man dying of thirst.

I ordered a sampler, starting with Big River’s biggest seller, Southern Flyer Light Lager, a craftier version of what the big boys brew. It was refreshing and smooth, with a nice hint of caramel down the middle of the flavor. Next up was Gadzooks Pilsner, a crisp take on a Czech pilsner that had a very nice Saaz hop kick on the back end. That was followed by the award-winning Rocket Red Ale, a caramel treat chock full of crystal malts that are chased by a Cascade hop finish. I had no idea how much I was craving hops until I sipped it.

I didn’t have high hopes for the next beer in the sampler, the Magnolia Brown Ale, because I’m not a fan of brown ales, but this one won me over with its rich malt character and sweet finish. Maybe it was my craft beer withdrawal, but this is a beer I’d happily order again.

The final beer in the sampler was a seasonal offering, a Maibock with a huge and sweet malt body and a slightly boozy finish. It was wonderful, and I wound up ordering a full glass of the stuff, as did my wife.

The one beer I didn’t get to try that first go-round was Steamboat Pale Ale, which along with the Rocket Red is a favorite amongst beer geeks. Kent told me that they had lost the last batch, but a fresh tankful would be on tap the next day.

I stopped by to give it a whirl, and I wasn’t disappointed. It had a lush malt backbone that served as a springboard for a heady kick of citrus and pine hops. This was the exact flavor I had been missing in Disney, and my spine tingled with pleasure as I quickly drank it down.

We had dinner at Big River on a Thursday night, and the restaurant was packed. We came back again the next night; me for the beer, and my wife for the food, which she declared to be the best she’d had at Disney. It’s mostly simple bar fare, but after eating very average meals at very expensive prices in the parks, it was nice to have a well-made, affordable meal.

If you’re a beer geek headed to Disney World, you have to put Big River Brewing Company on your list of destinations. Kent is there on weekdays from the time the place opens until late afternoon, and loves to sit down and talk beer. Be sure to ask him about his brewery days out in Colorado in the mid-90s; he was in the center of a pretty amazing scene.

And wait a few days into your trip before checking the place out – you’ll want to give your thirst for good beer the chance to build up a bit. When it comes to craft brews, absence makes the heart grow fonder!

UPDATE: Gerard from Road Trips for Beer just clued me in to an iPhone app called Beers and Ears which shows where you can find great craft beers hidden away at various restaurants and bars within the Disney bubble. I wish I had this when I was down there, especially considering that it's free. If you have an iPhone and plans to visit Disney, you should definitely check it out. Happy hunting!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits.

More from Bites:

• Home-brewers' beers hit the big time
• Beer lover's dilemma: Can you diet without going dry?
• Homer, drop the Duff and try some real Oregon beer
• Video: Martha Stewart throws a beer party

Ljupco Smokovski/FeaturePics

This is NOT Jim Galligan's beer belly, and he'd like it to stay that way.

I’ve gone on a health kick lately, replacing my late-night TV marathons with early morning workout sessions and my fast-food lunches with homemade turkey sandwiches. While I have my diet and exercise routine worked out, I still need to figure out what to do about my obsession with craft beer.  Delicious, calorie-laden craft beer. Ideally, I’d like to be able to drink a 12-ounce can or bottle of beer each day and still slim down.

Some might say, “Give it up altogether, beer boy!” but there’s no way that’s happening. First off, I write about beer almost every day, and consumption is part of my ongoing education about the world’s greatest beverage. Secondly, I’m not about to give up living just because I’m trying to get into better shape – that’s a recipe for failure. 

Instead, I have to find a way to moderate my craft beer calorie consumption, to live within my means. My goal is cutting back to around 750 beer calories a week, which is about the most I can bear to blow on beer as I’m trying to get back into shape. 

If I want to have a beer a day and I distribute my 750-calorie limit equally across seven days…hold on, I’m doing the math…each beer I drink will have to contain fewer than 107 calories.  Hmm, I don’t think that’s going to work.  The reason is simple: I can’t think of a beer that fits within this calorie limit that’s worth drinking.

My go-to house brew these days is Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, a delicious canned offering that balances a delightful piney hop profile with a solid malt foundation that smacks of biscuits and caramel. There are 150 calories in each 12-ounce can of Dales, which adds up to about 1,000 calories each week. And forget about other favorites like New Holland Dragon’s Milk or Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout, both of which pack double the calories per serving over Dales. Even the lighter beers I enjoy like Victory Lager (a bready, hopped up version of a helles-style lager) have too many calories on board. Bummer.

Jim Galligan

The only craft beer I can find near home that fits within my 107-calorie-a-day limit is Yuengling Light lager, which has only 97 calories per 12-ounce serving, but just doesn’t have enough character.  If I’m giving up flavor, I’d rather make my decisions based on calorie count, opting for a Miller Genuine Draft 64, which packs 64 calories a bottle, or a Bud Select, which has 55 – I could have two of those each day and almost be within my limit.  

But beers I don’t enjoy simply aren’t worth the calories; I’d rather have water and save up for the brews I love. And that’s the plan.  I’ve decided to go beer-free during the week and save my beer calories for the weekend. While there’s a downside (no beer during the week!), there are a few distinct advantages to this approach.

First, it allows me to have beers I like, which is the whole point. Also, not having a beer in my hand on a weeknight makes me less likely to go into the mancave and stay up late watching TV, which could make it hard to wake up early the next morning to work out. Plus, as TODAY diet and nutrition editor Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom noted when we discussed the beer diet, alcohol lowers your ability to resist temptation, like the siren song of those cheese slices in the fridge, or the pack-mate of the beer I just had. No weeknight beer, no weeknight fridge raids. 

 I’d rather save up my beers for a time when I get the most enjoyment out of them, like Saturday night when I’m hanging out with my wife after the kids are in bed. I’m a firm believer that if you’re counting calories, you should make your calories count.

So that’s the plan – keep the beer drinking to the weekends and drink the stuff I like. Hopefully I’ll keep to my 750 calorie limit, but as long as I’m close, I know I won’t be nitpicking.  Instead, I’ll do my best to stick with the plan and forgive myself if I fail a little bit. After all, how much damage can one fella do on the weekend?

What do you do about beer when you’re trying to lose weight? Share your tips and trip-ups below!

Jim Galligan is co-founder of the Beer and Whiskey Brothers blog, where he and his brother Don cover the ever-evolving world of craft beer and distilled spirits.

More from TODAY Food

• The 'beer diet' exists, and it's a bad idea
• Homer, drop the Duff and try some real Oregon beer
• Is there such a thing as a good gluten-free beer?
• Video: Martha Stewart throws a beer party