Kosher for Passover Wines

Next week is the Jewish holiday of Passover, and the wide selection of Kosher wines at Joe Canal's has been a hot topic these past few days.

Wine is an important element in the traditional Passover Seder. During the Seder, everyone present must drink four cups of wine during specific points in the dinner, each representing one of the four expressions of deliverance promised by God.

What makes a wine Kosher? Laws involving kosher wines are more concerned with who handles the wine rather than what they use to make it. To be considered Kosher, a Sabbath-observant Jew must be present for the entire winemaking process, from grape harvesting to the sealing of the bottle to ensure that no non-Kosher ingredients go into the wine. Now, while grapes, sugar and alcohol are considered Kosher, certain stabilizers that normally go into wine may not be, such as casein or gelatin. Wine that is labeled as "Kosher for Passover" must adhere to the above and go one step further: It must have been kept free from contact with bread, grain and dough.

We carry a great selection of Kosher wines for you at Joe Canal's! In addition to the well-known Manischewitz, we also carry brands such as Hai, Barkan and Ness.

Happy Passover!

Still time to register for our Balvenie Tasting & Seminar!

Balvenie Scotch
Tasting and Seminar
Wednesday, April 4th
6:30 pm - $10 per person
Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Outlet - WOODBRIDGE Location
Deadline to reserve is 12:00noon
Tuesday, April 3rd

Please join us as we welcome Nicholas Pollachi, Brand Ambassador from The Balvenie to lead us in a seminar and tasting through Balvenie's line of Scotches!

As a world traveler, spirits expert and single malt obsessive, Nicholas has spent his career committed to educating, entertaining and illuminating crowds across the planet. From his native Scotland to the four corners of the globe, Nicholas has developed the kind of expertise and knowledge that makes him the perfect Brand Ambassador for The Balvenie. Nicholas' journey started almost a decade ago, as the bar and spirits director for Bar Soba, one of Scotland's top cocktail bars. From there, he took his skill for education to its logical next step and assumed responsibility for the promotion and marketing of the Bacardi portfolio of rums in Scotland. His next role saw him returning to his passion for Single Malts, where his work for the Edrington Group saw him managing the promotion of the company's Single Malt portfolio throughout the world, first as the global PR manager and next as a training and education manager. His new role as Balvenie Ambassador has allowed Nicholas to marry his zeal for Single Malts with his ability to bring the world of whisky to life, as he travels the western and southern United States spreading the gospel of the most handcrafted Single Malt.

The Balvenie is unlike all other single malt Scotch whiskies, thanks to a unique combination of human craft and natural alchemy. Neither our craft nor nature’s mysteries have changed in over a century.

Scotches we will be tasting include: Balvenie 12, 14, 15, 17 and 21.

Also at the event will be the Morgan 8. A veritable museum on wheels, our Morgan Plus 8 is a piece of automotive history. Beautifully made by hand in Malvern, England since 1968, this open-top two-seater is the quintessential British sports car, always managing to attract attention.

Availability is limited so secure your spot today!!

Reservations can be made by phone or in person at Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Outlet:

489 US Route 1 South
Iselin, NJ 08830
732-726-0077

Riddle Me This

Riddling is the term for gradually turning and upending bottles of Champagne and other sparkling wines while it rests in the winery's cellars. The reason for riddling is to concentrate yeast at the tip of the bottle. Sparkling wines go through two fermentations, the second of which is in the bottle and creates the bubbles. After this fermentation, yeast cells remain trapped inside the bottles. Until the mid-19th century sparkling wines were always cloudy, because no one had figured out a way to get the yeast out of the bottle.

A solution was found when the winemakers realized that if they turned the bottles a little each day and slowly tilting them until they rested upside down, the yeasts would slide down the bottle and collect in the neck. When the necks of the bottle were frozen and the bottles opened, the frozen plugs of yeasts flew out of the bottle. A good riddler could turn 50,000 bottles of sparkling wine per day.

Today, while the idea behind the process is the same, many wineries that produce Champagnes and sparkling wines have automated machines that ever so slowly turn the bottles and collect the yeast. The up-ended bottles are dipped into a solution that freezes them, and the machines pop them open and eject the yeast.

What happens to all that yeast? Most of it gets sold to companies that make Champagne Vinegar!

Joe Canal's Presents Absolut Grapevine!

The newest member in the ABSOLUT family is ABSOLUT Grapevine, a new vodka that offers the true taste of white grape, balanced with notesGrapevine of dragon fruit and papaya. It is made from all-natural ingredients and contains no sugar.

Matt Pomeroy, Global Brand Ambassador at The Absolut Company, is an experienced mixologist. His favorite ABSOLUT Grapevine cocktails include:

GRAPEVINE BAY BREEZE
1½ part ABSOLUT GRAPEVINE
2 parts Cranberry Juice
2 parts Pineapple Juice
Build over ice in a high-ball glass, and stir. Garnish with fresh pineapple.

GRAPEVINE COSMOPOLITAN
2 parts ABSOLUT GRAPEVINE
2.5 parts Light cranberry juice
½ part light Orange Juice
¼ part Lime juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

March-tini Madness - Last Call!

In case you haven't heard, all month long we've been collecting your best Martini Recipes for our March-tini madness contests!


In April, we'll choose a favorite recipe for each store! The winner in Woodbridge will receive a 32" Samsung LCD TV, and Lawrenceville's winner gets a Nintendo Wii prize pack including a Wii Fit Plus and Sports pack! Both winners will have their pictures and drink recipes featured in our store!

Visit the links below for a printable entry form that you can fill out and drop off the next time you stop in. But hurry, the contest ends this Saturday, March 31st!

March-tini Madness - LAWRENCEVILLE

March-tini Madness - WOODBRIDGE

Fundraiser Tasting in Honor of Cpl. Kevin Reinhard

On March 22, 2012, we hosted a fund raiser in our private room we call the Liquid Learning Center. Debbie Meehan from The Colonia Corner newspaper decided to raise money to build a gazebo in Charlie Shaughnessy Park, Colonia in memory of Cpl. Kevin Reinhard, a Marine who was recently killed in Afghanistan. The gazebo will cost around $6,000 and all the materials and labor are being donated.

We served 10 wines and 10 beers along with a big spread of appetizers ranging from cheese and crackers to bruschetta and mini cupcakes. The food was donated by customer John Balestracci who owns Johnny B’s catering company.

80 guests arrived including Cpl. Kevin Reinhard’s mom and family, the Mayor of Woodbridge, John McCormack, Woodbridge Council Woman Brenda Velasco, representatives from the Avenel Detachment of the Marine Corp. League, the Avenel VFW, the Avenel Firehouse, some regular Joe Canal’s customers and quite a few new faces.

Around 7pm, a local bagpiper who recently played in the Woodbridge St. Patrick’s Day parade, walked through the doors of Joe Canal’s playing his bagpipes and played all the way through the back of the store to the Liquid Learning Center where he continued to play the Marine Corp. Hymn, America the Beautiful and a medley of various American songs. He stopped briefly to ask everyone to raise a glass to honor the Cpl and continued playing as he walked back through the store and didn’t stop until he walked out the exit.

You can watch the video here:



If you were unable to attend and you would like to donate to the gazebo project, please contact Debbie Meehan at 732-382-0273.

For more information on how you can have a private event at Joe Canal’s, contact Debbie Miller Nelson at 732-726-0077 or dnelson@joecanals.net

Upcoming Seminars at our Woodbridge Store!

We have two very special events coming up in Woodbridge! Next week, on Wednesday, March 28th at 6:30 pm we'll have Milagro brand co-founders, Daniel Schneeweiss and Moises Guindi to lead a tequila seminar and tasting!

Upon arrival, everyone will receive a taste of the Fresh Margarita – Milagro Silver, Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice and Agave Nectar. We'll also be serving cheese and crackers, and tasting through Milagro's great tequila line*:

Milagro Silver
Milagro Reposado
Milagro Anejo
Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Reposado
Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver

Everyone who attends will receive a sample of Milagro Agave Nectar and a hard cover recipe book!

We invite you to join us for this very special event! The cost is $10 per person, and availability is limited so secure your spot today!

Reservations can be made by phone (732-726-0077) or in person at our Woodbridge store!

The following week, on April 4th at 6:30pm, we welcome a Nicholas Pollachi, Brand Ambassador from The Balvenie to lead us in a seminar and tasting through Balvenie's line of Scotches!

THE BALVENIE is unlike all other single malt Scotch whiskies, thanks to a unique combination of human craft and natural alchemy. Neither our craft nor nature’s mysteries have changed in over a century.

Scotches we will be tasting include: Balvenie 12, 14, 15, 17 and 21.

Also at the event will be the Morgan 8. A veritable museum on wheels, our Morgan Plus 8 is a piece of automotive history. Beautifully made by hand in Malvern, England since 1968, this open-top two-seater is the quintessential British sports car, always managing to attract attention.

Cost to attend this class is $10 per person, and reservations can be made by phone (732-726-0077) or in person.

Old Vines

There are many wines on the shelves of Joe Canal's that are labeled as "Old Vine." What constitutes an old vine, and what's so special about them?

While the term old vine has no legal definition, the common consensus is that a grapevine that's over 40 years of age is considered an old vine.

A 120+ year old grapevine at Kunde Winery in Sonoma, California

As a grapevine gets older, it yeilds fewer grapes each season, so it's more economical for the wineries to pull out vines after 35 years or so and replace them with new ones. Old vines are a lot rarer than new vines, that's why they're less common to see. In the U.S., the most common old vines are Zinfandel, because in California vineyards up to 125 years old are still bearing small amounts of prized Zinfandel fruit.

Historically in Europe, older vines were always thought to result in better-quality wines. Old vine wines aren't necessarily "better" than new vines in terms of quality, they just have a different character. Because of the smaller yield, old vine wines tend to be intense, bold wines that are deep in color with concentrated dark fruit flavors.

Joe Canal's Presents Cupcake Angel Food

Cupcake Angel Food

Made with premium chardonnay grapes as a base, this proprietary white blend is luscious, aromatic and delightfully reminiscent of an Angel Food cupcake. Flavors of baked Granny Smith apple and hints of toasty vanilla combine for a creamy mouthfeel that has become a signature of Cupcake Vineyards. A heavenly pair with white cheddar fondue, pancetta wrapped figs or simply as an aperitif.

Our proprietary Angel Food wine is a delicate blend of white grapes where each variety shows structure, aroma and depth of flavor with a long creamy finish. The grapes are harvested from vineyards in some of California’s finest viticultural areas, each picked for their ability to engender these grapes with distinct characteristics. Each varietal is fermented separately, blended and then put through a unique oak regime that imparts a certain creaminess.

Try it today for only $8.49 in our BottleClub!

Slainte!

We'd like to wish everyone a very happy St. Patrick's Day! Don't forget to stop by, we're your destination for Guinness, Harp, Irish Red beer, Bailey's, Jameson, and other Irish Whiskeys!

Joel Gott's visit to Joe Canal's!

This past Wednesday, we were lucky enough to be graced with the presence of winemaker Joel Gott in our Woodbridge store! He stopped in to say hello and check out our store, and we were lucky enough to get him to talk to us on camera for our very first Winemaker Video Shelf Talker. Check it out!

Miscellaneous Wine Facts

I've been collecting miscellaneous wine factoids for a while, and I thought it would be fun to list a few. These are great to tuck into the back of your mind, never know if they might come up in a game of Trivial Pursuit!

*The Ancient Egyptian term for wine was irp, and it was reserved for only the elite members of society at festivals throughout the year.

*The yeasts that wine are made with, like bread, contribute flavor to the wine, albeit subtle.

*Clear brandy, an unaged neutral spirit, is used to fortify Port wine. When added to the wine, it increases alcohol levels, which kills the yeasts, stopping fermentation and resulting in a fortified wine with residual sugar.

*One oak tree will yeild two to four wine barrels.

*Traditional mead is made with only honey, yeast and water. Mead with grapes or grape juice added is called pyment.

*The straw basket-like wrappings you see on some Chianti bottles is called a fiasco.

*The wire "cage" used to wrap the top of a Champagne or other sparkling wine bottle is called a muzzle.

*There are approximately 1/2 pound of grapes in a standard 5 ounce glass of wine, and approximately 2.5 pounds in standard 750ML bottle.

*The wine regions of California, Oregon and Washington were born more than 100 million years ago, when the tectonic plates shifted, melting rocks into magma which formed a chain of volcanoes.

Joe Canal's Presents Pinnacle Atomic Hots & Berry!

Pinnacle does it again with two awesome new vodka flavors, and we're excited to bring them to you! Introducing Pinnacle Atomic Hots and Berry!

Pinnacle is the ideal French vodka – clean, smooth and extremely mixable. Every sip of Pinnacle is inspired by a time honored recipe handed down from generation to generation. Pinnacle is made with a traditional and ancestral recipe ensuring the highest quality. Handcrafted in small batches and quadruple distilled with the spring water from the northern region of France, this unique spirit has a smooth, balanced finish that will please any connoisseur.

Atomic Hots is Pinnacle's spin on a candy favorite: Atomic Fireballs. The super hot cinnamon flavor will warm you from head to toe! Try an "Atomic Coffee": 2 parts Pinnacle Atomic Hots, and a splash each of coffee liqueur, Irish Cream, and Cream. Shake with ice, strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a cherry. Mix it with coke for a "Cinna-Cola," or prepare it simply in a glass with club soda and ice.

Berry is just that! A blend of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, this would be awesome mixed in your favorite fruit punch, or added to a nice, tall glass of lemonade or iced tea for a kick on the hot summer days that will be here before you know it!

Try Pinnacle Atomic Hots or Pinnacle Berry for only $12.99!

The Dry Gin Martini - Part the Second

It's March-tini Madness at Joe Canal's! We're collecting your best Martini recipes and a winner will be chosen at each store! Click here for info about the contest in WOODBRIDGE! Click here for info about the contest in LAWRENCEVILLE! Here's the second part of our Martini series for you to get some "gin-spiration"!

Boy-O-Boy, do I like gin. There is just something in that crisp, dry, aromatic flavor that opens up my taste buds and prepares me for a terrific dining experience. I can’t remember my first Martini, but for as long as I can remember it has been my aperitif of choice. Oh, I change it up from time to time. A Negroni here, a Manhattan there, even a Daiquirí on occasion, like the one I had this past weekend at Cuba Libre in Philadelphia. Not the frozen one with the little umbrella in it, but the real Daiquirí that Papa Hemingway would have had at the Floridita Hotel in Havana, Cuba. But I digress...

The name gin comes to us courtesy of either the French genièvre or the Dutch jenever both of which mean "juniper". One encyclopedia states that it comes from Geneva, as in Switzerland. OK, I guess, but even that name comes from the innocuous little berry that has brought such happiness, and also much misery, to the world.

Gin is first attributed to Franciscus Sylvius, a late sixteenth-century Dutch professor of medicine, who thought he had found a remedy for the Bubonic Plague. HAH! Gin, unlike bourbon or whiskey, has very little in common with the grain it is actually distilled from. Yet unlike vodka, which by design has no color, flavor or odor (at least it shouldn’t), gin is diluted alcohol flavored with juniper as well as a host of other plant extracts and herbs. There are different styles of gin and I could write a small novel about the production of London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin, and Dutch Genever, but basically it comes down to the number of aromatics and the amount of residual sugar that is left after fermentation. London Dry Gin is what we typically see on the shelves as Tanqueray, Bombay, etc. Genever is slightly more aromatic in nature and can actually be a little sweet. Old Tom Gin, which some have dubbed "The Missing Link," is somewhere in the middle.

I should probably get back to the Martini, which was the purpose of this blog to begin with, but it is easy to get side-tracked when discussing my favorite spirit. Did I mention that I liked gin? Anyway, on to the origins of the Dry Martini which are not necessarily shrouded in mystery, but shrouded in memory. There are several "origins" of the Martini and it is possible that they are all correct. It seems that no one can remember the "first" one, and once the cocktail was firmly fixed as the country’s preeminent libation and gift to the drinking world, everyone who knew someone who had a drink with gin in it staked their claim to its invention.

Here are just a few:
According to the book. Shaken Not Stirred by Anastasia Miller and Jared Brown, Johann Paul Aegius Schwartzendorf is the only so-called "inventor" who was a drinker rather than a bartender. Johann, a musical prodigy, was born in Germany in 1741 and was the organist at a local Jesuit seminary by the time he was ten. Striking out to try to make a name for himself in France, he befriended an organ maker named Dupont who convinced him to change his name to Johann Paul Aegide Martini, evidently because he thought the Italian composers were getting the best gigs. Well, ultimately he scored big, musical pun intended, and found great success which included writing a sonata for Napoleon’s wedding. But ol' Johann boy also liked to throw back a few after a hard day at the symphony. According to one biographer, his drink of choice was a drink made with genièvre and dry white wine which his friends named after him. Legend has it that after his death in 1816, when French musicians and artists sought their fortunes in the New World in the 19th century, they imported this recipe from home.

One of the more popular theories is that it was created by none other than legendary bartender Professor Jerry Thomas who purportedly invented the “Martinez” cocktail when he was working as a bartender at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco between 1860 and 1862. This concoction was made with Old Tom Gin, sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and orange bitters. However, this doesn’t quite ring true for me. Thomas produced the first addition of his landmark treatise on all things slurpable, The Bartender’s Guide and Bon Vivant Companion, in 1862. If he invented the Martinez, he certainly would have included it in that tippling tome. Still, the cocktail is terrific and Joe Canal’s just started to carry orange bitters which I heartily endorse.

There are many, many more origin possibilities. For instance, let’s not forget Martini di Arma di Taggia, a bartender at the long-gone Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City, who purportedly invented the drink for John D. Rockefeller in 1910. Or even the corporate spin from the likes of the Heublein Company, who were already making pre-mixed Martinis back in 1892. Or the citizens of Martinez, California, who say it was a local bartender, Julio Richelieu who first made it in 1870. Some even credit Martin & Rossi, the vermouth maker, for coming up with the cocktail.

Well, you get the idea. However it was created, the Dry Martini still remains the world’s most prominent cocktail. So simple to make, so elegant, so steeped in history, so delicious... hmmm. I think gin is in Aisle Six.

The Martinez Cocktail
-2 oz gin
-3/4 oz sweet vermouth
-1/4 oz maraschino liqueur
-1 dash orange bitters
-lemon twist for garnish

The Rockefeller
created by Martini di Arma di Taggia for John D. Rockefeller
-3 oz. London dry gin
-3 oz. Italian dry vermouth
-a splash of orange bitters
-Garnish with a large thin slice of lemon peel and an olive

The Gimlet
-1 1/2 oz. gin
-1/2 oz. Rose's lime juice
-Lime-wedge garnish

"A real Gimlet is half gin and half Rose's lime juice, and nothing else. It beats martinis hollow." -Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye, 1953

Corned Beef and Cabbage Pairings

This weekend I plan to pick up the ingredients for next week's Irish feast! I usually spend my Sundays cooking a big meal, and St. Patrick's weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I love to bring out my big stock pot, and slowly simmer corned beef and cabbage all day long! I love the way my house smells of pickling spice soda bread (and I love how the smell lingers for a few days).

While many think that the only acceptable beverage on St. Patrick's Day is Guinness, the truth is that there are a lot of great options on what to drink with the traditional St. Patty's day meal!

If you want to go the wine route, whether you're feeling like red or white, choose a wine with a medium body, forward fruit flavors and a nice acidity. Stay away from the oakier wines as you'll want something that will play nicely with the high saltiness of the meat, and the unique flavors of bay leaves/peppercorns/pickling spice used to cook the meal.

For whites, try an off-dry Riesling or a Sauvignon Blanc. Reds to consider would be Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or fruity Grenache.

Beer is always an option! You can't go wrong with the aforementioned Guinness Stout, but there are plenty of other Irish and Scottish options that go perfectly with the meal. Irish Stouts provide a counterpoint to the saltiness of the meat, and work well with the simplicity of the boiled veggies. Scottish ales are less bitter than the Stouts and more sweet, so they contrast nicely with the salt. Finally, Irish Red Ales are a nice midpoint between the thick stouts and sweet reds.

Whatever you choose, may the Luck O' the Irish be with you, and Slainte!!

Early St. Patrick's Day @ JC's!

Joe Canal's Lawrenceville:
Friday, March 9, 2012
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Joe Canal's Woodbridge:
Saturday, March 10, 2012
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

We're starting our St. Patrick's Day Celebration a week early by welcoming our friends from Jameson! We'll be pouring samples of three great Jameson Whiskeys: Jameson, Jameson 12 Year Old, and Jameson Reserve. We'll also have some fun giveaways for everyone, so make sure to stop in!

Our specialty taps for the week will be Sixpoint Resin in both stores. The kegs will be tapped on Friday @ 6:00pm. This beer is very limited to be sure to hurry in for your growler! Click here to visit our specialty tappings page @ jcanals.com for all the information.

Also don't forget about our regular weekend wine tastings: Friday from 4:00pm - 6:00pm in Woodbridge, and Saturday from 2:00pm - 4:00pm in Lawrenceville! Click here to visit our Wine Tasting page @ jcanals.com to see what we'll be pouring for you!

Have a great weekend!

Announcing Video Shelf Talkers!

In the coming weeks, you may notice some new signage popping up at Joe Canal's in Woodbridge and Lawrenceville that looks like this:

These are our new video shelf talkers!  If you have a smartphone: iPhone, Blackberry, Android etc, simply download a QR code reader, available for free in your app store or market.  While you're browsing, simply launch your QR reader app and scan the box to the right of the sign.  You'll be taken right to the video and you can watch your favorite managers talk about the wines!

If you don't have a smartphone, don't worry - you can still view our Video Shelf Talkers, as well as other great content, on our YouTube page.  We'll be adding new Shelf Talkers and informational content all the time, so be sure to follow us and check back often.

Joe Canal's Presents Parker's Heritage 5th Edition!

Parker’s Heritage collection is a series of rare, limited edition American Whiskeys offered as a tribute to sixth-generation Master Distiller Parker Beam for his 50 years of distilling experience.

This series will tempt the growing number of Straight American Whiskey enthusiasts with something that only Heaven Hill could offer—a chance to sample choice barrels that represent every major style of American Whiskey. As the only remaining national distiller that produces Bourbon, Rye, Corn and Wheat Whiskeys, Heaven Hill will release various super-premium styles under Parker’s Heritage Collection.

Parker has been practicing his family craft of distilling, aging and selecting some of the world’s most critically acclaimed Bourbons and American Whiskeys since he began working alongside his father at Heaven Hill Distilleries in 1960.

Two great distillers have collaborated to create an extraordinary taste profile for the fifth offering in Parker’s Heritage Collection – Parker Beam, Heaven Hill Distilleries’ 6th generation Master Distiller & Alain Royer, innovative French Cognac blender. Their product: Cognac Finished Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Royer’s long family history and expertise in the French Cognac industry aided in the selection of two-to-three-year-old Limousin oak casks from the House of Frapin. The Grande Champagne Cognac, which had aged in those casks, permeated the wood with it’s very light, floral and evanescent bouquet. Meanwhile, Parker Beam carefully hand selected a very limited number of the finest, super-premium barrels of 10-year-old Bourbon. The Bourbon was then finished for six months in Limousin oak casks to take on some of the Cognac’s characteristics. Bottled without chill filtering to preserve the unique taste and aroma, this Cognac finished Bourbon is a rare treat for every Bourbon collector.

Take a bottle of Parker's Heritage 5th Edition home today for only $75.99!

The Dry Gin Martini - Part the First

With our MARCH-TINI Madness drink recipe contest in full swing, I thought it fitting to resurrect this blog post from our General Manager for inspiration. Stay tuned for part two next week!

Be sure to submit your drink recipes by the end of the month! Click here for Woodbridge contest info! Click here for Lawrenceville contest info!

* * *

"I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad.”

Ok, I really wish that was me that opined about aperitifs, but it was actually none other than James Bond in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale, Bond's first adventure. The drink he was referring to was not a Martini, per se, though it was shaken, not stirred. Bond ultimately called it the Vesper, after Vesper Lynd, the female lead in the story. It consisted of:

"...three measures of Gordon’s, (gin), one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, and then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

In this case, the Kina Lillet he was referring to is an interesting aperitif, somewhat similar to Vermouth, perhaps, though flavored with quinine and sweet as opposed to dry. Kingsley Amis, a noted British author in his own right, and Fleming’s biographer, thinks he got it wrong. Amis thought that Lillet Blanc was what should have gone into his drink as the quinine would have made the drink too bitter. Either way, this sure makes a terrific pre-dinner cocktail and is a high spot in cocktail lore.

For me personally, I am a purist and Gin, and Gin only, is the primary component of the Dry Martini. We Martini devotees believe firmly that Vodka and dry vermouth is only a variant of the Martini called the Vodkatini. Ironically, I can probably blame Mr. Bond for the blurring of lines of these two cocktails. In the original Bond movies, 007 routinely orders a "Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred." This was helped along by Smirnoff, who scored big by getting the rights for product placement in the movies. In the early sixties, vodka, particularly Smirnoff, was quickly supplanting Gin as the hip spirit of choice, instigated in no small measure (pun intended) by the immense popularity of the Moscow Mule, quite a refreshing quaffer in its own right.

The Dry Martini has gone through many changes since its inception, with the most discernable difference being the ratio of Gin to Dry Vermouth. I must admit it saddens me that 99.9% of the barkeeps I encounter must be told to add some Vermouth to my Martini. As if the green bottle in the speed rack was just for decoration or European tourists. (Order a Martini in Europe, instead of a Dry Martini or Martini Cocktail, and you’re likely to get a glass of Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth).

Vermouth, sweet or dry, is fortified wine which over time has been flavored with such aromatics as coriander, nutmeg, juniper, orange peel, cloves, marjoram, cinnamon and even wormwood, the component in Absinthe with alleged psychotropic properties. In fact, the word vermouth comes from Wermutkraut, the German word for the Wormwood plant. These flavorings were probably just a way to hide the poor taste of the cheap wine made in large quantities, but today it absolutely gives the Dry Martini a very distinctive flavor; one that enhances the already aromatic nature of Gin. Without Vermouth, the Martini is simply chilled Gin.

The original Martini probably had as much Vermouth as Gin and this does seem a little excessive to me. I prefer a ratio of 6:1 which works quite well, in my opinion. As for garnish, a twist of lemon is certainly acceptable, though there is nothing like a couple of juicy olives when you’re hungry and waiting for your table.

My Dry Martini
-6 measures of Gin: I prefer Bombay Sapphire though locally made Bluecoat is excellent
-1 measure of Dry Vermouth

The size of the measures should be directly proportionate to the size of the shaker, the glass, and the company you're with.

Pour both ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. I prefer stainless steel. Shake like you mean it. You won’t bruise the gin and I love the miniscule flakes of ice that float on top when poured into a well chilled martini glass. The goal of course is to ensure the drink is cold from first sip to last.

Garnish with twist of lemon or green olives, the ones that are stuffed with something interesting if you have them handy.

Moscow Mule
-2 oz Vodka: Smirnoff for the romantic or those willing to pay homage to the drink's origins
-2 oz lime juice: Rose's Lime Cordial can work, but there is nothing like freshly squeezed lime juice
-4 - 6 oz ginger beer: Ginger Ale is frequently substituted, but Joe Canal's carries Ginger Beer and I recommend it

Pour vodka and lime juice in a rocks glass filled with ice and top with Ginger Beer. Garnish with a sprig of mint or slice of lime. Originally, the Moscow Mule was served in copper mugs, an idea from the inventors back in 1941 in Los Angeles. But that is a tale, a cocktail actually, for another day.

In my next installment, I will discuss gin in greater detail as well as the origins of the Dry Martini whose theories of origination are legion. For now though, remember the words of humorist and author James Thurber who said, "One Martini is OK, two is too many, and three is not enough."

Joe Canal's Woodbridge Growler Expansion!

We're excited to announce the unveiling of six new taps at our Growler Station in Woodbridge! We're going to be able to bring you even more great craft beers. Now, with 14 taps to choose from, there will always be something new to try!


Beer Manager Zack Goldberg is ready to pour you a cold one!

This weekend we're celebrating the expansion by offering you a great selection of Limited brews, including Well's Banana Bread Beer, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Uinta Dubhe Black IPA and DFH T'weason Ale!

The new taps open today, Friday March 2nd @ 6:00pm! Check out the Growler Page at jcanals.com to see what we'll be pouring this weekend! Remember, many of these kegs are limited and could run out before the site is updated, so be sure to call the store first if there's something specific you're coming for.

Debbie Miller Nelson's DRC Tasting Experience

I'm always telling everyone how much I love my job, And, it really is true. A rare opportunity was presented to me last week and I would have been a fool to say no. Some of my best customers are now oozing with jealousy. The opportunity was so prestigious that the hosts only allowed us one seat for our two stores.


I attended the 2009 Domaine Romanee-Conti tasting in New York City at the New York Palace Hotel. This Burgundy producer is commonly referred to as DRC. For those of you not familiar with these wines, they are some of the rarest, most collected, most sought after wines in the world. They are also probably some of the most expensive. Why? Small vineyards, not many bottles produced and exceptional wines. These wines are really hard to obtain and highly allocated.

When I was in France last summer, we passed the DRC winery a few times and even stopped to take a picture in front of one of their vineyard sites. Remember this picture? That trip made me appreciate this tasting so much more.



At the tasting I met the current DRC Co-Director, Aubert de Villaine. Aubert led a group of 90 people in the industry including retailers, Sommeliers and press like Ray Isle from Food & Wine Magazine. This was a seated tasting with 8 red and 1 white pre-poured. After Aubert said some words, he left the group to taste on our own. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Seriously, if each glass was one bottle, I probably had about $30,000 worth of wine in front of me. Me excited? You betcha!

From left to right, the line-up was the Vosne-Romanee, Corton, Echezeaux, Grand Echezeaux, Romanee-St.-Vivant, Richebourg, La Tache, Romanee-Conti and Montrachet. In layman's terms, these names are villages classified as Grand Cru or Premier Grand Cru, the highest government classsification for the best of the best. DRC has 25 hectares around the village of Vosne-Romanee and La Tache and Romanee-Conti are monopoles (not owned by anyone else). Each single vineyard is very distinctive and this is the first year that Corton has been produced, Corton is a cuvee of three vineyards in the Cote de Beaune, not near the other villages which reside in the Cote de Nuits. When the vines are more mature, DRC intended to bottle the three vineyards separately,

Aubert compared the 2009 vintage to the 1959 vintage because it was plentiful, enjoyable and have the same characteristics. These wines are exactly 50 years apart and Aubert said they are both tender, feminine, and full of charm and seduction.

I started by smelling each wine to see how one was different from the other. Then I went back and re-smelled and tasted. At these tastings, spitting out the wine is common practice, even expected from people in the business. But, I have a secret. No one did! After taking all my notes, I went back and tasted more for the enjoyment and to appreciate them They were all delicious, but my favorite was the Richebourg which constantly changed aromas in my glass and the one white, Montrachet which was heaven in a glass. It was probably the best wine I think I have ever had in my entire life. But at almost $4000/bottle, it had better have been!