One Stop Shopping

Although the calendar meme tells us that it's Thirsty Thursday, we know that you like a little something to eat while you're enjoying the wine, beer and spirits that are available in our store. Since we all like the convenience of one stop shopping, Joe Canal's stock a wide range of food items that you may not know about. Your blogger is here to introduce you to those other products.

DIY

We support the home brewer community. You can find several different Brooklyn Brew Shop kits in our stores. Beer has been made for thousands of years, and up until prohibition in the US, it was just another part of keeping a house. Almost everyone made beer or at least had a friend that did (possibly because it was safer than water in a lot of places).

We think you should brew because there's nothing better than inviting friends over, giving them a beer, and saying "I made this!" It's carbonated. It's alcohol. It's beer, and because you used fresh, whole ingredients and brewed it the way people have for centuries, it's really good beer.

Cold Case

Not the old TV show, but the best way to present and preserve cheese, meats and spreads. Wine and cheese, of course, is a classic combination, but craft beer and whisk(e)y also happen to pair exceptionally well with cheese, meat and spreads.

While stock varies between our two stores, you'll find roughly two dozen different cheeses on hand at any given time. Our selection typically includes Cheddar, Gouda and Parmesan, along with other varieties like:

Cheese case in Woodbridge

Cotswold is a variation of Double Gloucester, which has been supplemented with chopped onions and chives for added flavor. The taste of Cotswold is creamy, buttery, sweet and mild yet full-flavored like cheddar. The savory taste of chives and onions gives it that extra zing. This variation of Double Gloucester pairs well with beer, Zinfandel or Shiraz and is popular as a pub cheese in England.

Maytag Blue cheese is ripened over six months during which it develops a dense, crumbly texture and semi-sharp flavor. Every bite of Maytag melts in the mouth releasing a slightly tangy flavor with a lemony finish. With its pungent odor, the cheese might not suit everyone’s tastes. The cheese tastes delectable when crumbled into salads, crackers or melted onto a burger. Try it with glass of ale or lager.

Cheese case in Lawrenceville

Morbier is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. The cheese has an ivory color, and it is a bit soft and fairly elastic. It gets immediately identified because of its black layer of tasteless ash, which separates horizontally in the middle.

Together with 45% fat, it is protected by AOC designation. Morbier has a rich and creamy flavor with small eyes or holes. Sometimes, the cheese leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste and has strong aroma as well. Try this cheese with Gewurztraminer or Pinot Noir.

Prima Donna. Firm and slightly oily, a bit of salt in the finish. The only cheese that approaches Parmigiano Reggiano in sales. This is essentially Gouda made with starter cultures that are typically used in northern Italy.  These cultures result in a sweeter cheese than you would typically find in Holland. Pair with most beers or red wines.

Sweet or Hot Abbruzze Sausage, salami and other meats are also available in the cold case.

Roasted Garlic & Herb Cheese Spread. Rub-a-dub dub, this little tub. Savory herbs join garlic and onion in a cheddar-based spread that’s anything but short on flavor. Our classic recipe in its mild edition, Garlic & Herb Spread delivers a generous dose of your favorite flavors in a snackable little tub! Like all of the spreads we carry, these also go well when scooped with a Di Bruno Bros. Crostini.

Olives. Whether you use them as a cocktail garnish, cook with them or just pop 'em, we've got them vacuum-packed and ready to go.

Hot Stuff

BLiS Blast Hot Pepper Sauce is a secret blend of chipotle, arbol and cayenne chilies aged for up to a year in seasoned oak barrels that once held Kentucky bourbon, BLiS maple syrup and Founder’s Kentucky Breakfast Stout. The result is a complex hot sauce with a kick of chilies combined with hints of chocolate, maple, hops, garlic, vanilla, wood and spice in one giant blast of umami. In Lawrenceville only.

In other postings, we'll talk about pickled items, chips and pretzels, mixes and more. We know that plenty of additional great and delicious products are being added to our current stock, so stay tuned! For now, putting this post together has gotten us hungry, so it's blogger snack time.