Hot dogs and July 4th
Today is the 246th July 4th since the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. Happy July 4th.
I am going to visit food and beverage today, and I realize most of you have already made preparations, but the suggestions apply to any summertime gatherings. First, some thoughts on today.
Since that first July 4th, our country has grown from 13 colonies with about 2.5 million people to 50 states and 14 territories with more than 330 million people.
We enjoy a 24 trillion dollar economy, the largest and most robust on the planet.
Advances in public health and health care have cut the childhood mortality rate from 45% to less than 1%. We live more than 35 years longer than our forebears in 1776.
From rutted dirt roads, we have built some four million miles of paved roads and more than 5,000 public airports.
Almost three million miles of power line electrify almost the entire country. Some 85% of households have access to broadband internet and 95% of households have at least one computer.
In 1800, 95% of us lived in rural areas. Today 83% of us live in urban areas.
A lot has changed and much of it for the better since courageous rebels decided they wanted control over their own affairs in 1776. That’s what we celebrate today.
Now, on to celebration ideas.
Wine suggestions for July 4th are fraught with pairing perils.
The day is hot, the food is kitschy stuff like hot dogs laden with mustard and sauerkraut, throw in salty chips, grilled onions, and a watermelon. My prudent course is to recommend beer.
But prudence did not win the American Revolution. Onward into wine-hot dog July 4th suggestions:
• Sparkling wine. You already know sparkling goes with almost anything and is a party-starter. The bubbles and acidity will cut the frankfurter fattiness, while the citrus will play well with salty stuff. Pop some patriotic bubbly.
• Gewürztraminer. The aromatic wine is a star in Alsace and Germany, areas known for sausage, so it’s a country-food pairing. More full-bodied than most whites, gewürtz’s apple and lychee fruit flavors can be a nice counterpoint to bratwurst’s brawn.
• Rosé. There are a range of rosé plays, from white zin to sparkling rosé to still rosé. Avoid sweeter versions. Opt for drier rosés made from grenache or merlot or sangiovese. Savor the cherry and strawberry notes while you toast the red, white, and blue.
• Riesling. Its gentle sweetness works with dogs, and its citric tang mellows mustard. Again, go for drier versions.
• Oaked chardonnay. The chard-wiener pairing is only passable, but buttery oak and bread work well together, and—hey—the bun is half the hot dog experience, too.
• Malbec. Malbec will not maul the hot dog’s flavors; cabs and shiraz will. Frankly, franks cannot stand up to monster tannins and jammy fruits. Malbec’s velvety, spicy black fruits and plums can run with the big dogs.
Final note of caution: If your Fourth fling involves chili dogs, forget about wine. Chili dog fire will vanquish vino. Go beer or margarita. Or put the chili crock pot on a pickup’s tailgate for louts pulling beer can tabs, while the gentry savors finer things from a tasteful table.
In the end, lift a toast to union and Old Glory. We fought a revolution so beer drinkers and wine drinkers could enjoy whatever they wanted without snob masters giving orders. It’s in the Constitution (Amendment 21).
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Links worth exploring
Diary of a Serial Hostess is a weekly column about the ins and outs of entertaining at home plus witty anecdotes of life in the stylish lane. How-to advice from the Serial Hostess.
As We Eat is a multi-platform storytelling project exploring how food connects, defines, and inspires.
Balanced Diet by Charlotte Rutledge is a rotating selection of original recipes, curated links pertaining to the food system, and recipe reviews.
Hot dogs and July 4th