The Good Stuff

Not every wholesaler is closed this week, and we've also gotten some beer deliveries, so we ought to take a look at our newest arrivals.

A quick aside: our store hours on Labor Day will be 9am-6pm.

You don't have to pay close attention to beer seasons, because we do that for you. We all know that, according to the calendar and the weather, there's still plenty of summer left. However, that's not at all true of our summer beers and ales. With Labor Day arriving late this year, if you want to mark the unofficial end of summer with a summer brew, you ought to start shopping now. There just aren't many choices left.

On the other hand, the end of the summer beers means the start of the autumn beer season. Oktoberfest beers, pumpkin beers and ales and other fall seasonals are now available. Not everything is currently in stock, but the process is underway. In fact, yesterday's Bottle Club® email featured Sierra Nevada's first-ever Oktoberfest beer, brewed in collaboration with a German brewery.

Saucony Creek Maple Mistress Ale. In the autumn of 1720, Captain Jack Rachman and his pirate-mates were celebrating their victories in typical hard-drinking tradition. Suddenly a British Navy sloop surprised them. The drunken pirates hid below deck, leaving Captain Jack’s mistresses Anne Bonney and Mary Read to defend the ship. The women shared a reputation as “fierce hell cats,” but the British Navy eventually overtook the pirate ship. Captain Jack and the pirates were sentenced to hang. Anne visited her lover in his cell before his execution, and instead of loving words her scathing comments live on throughout history, “Had you fought like a man, you need not have been hang’d like a dog.” Their legacy inspired us to brew an equally ferocious Imperial Pumpkin Ale brewed with pirate rum spices. We added a touch of autumn flavor with roasted butternut squash and natural maple syrup.

San Matteo Gavi DOCG. A delicately balanced white wine that is characterized by its remarkable freshness. It goes with all the starters and all types of fish. Excellent as an aperitif. Made from 100% Cortese.

This wine offers an intense scent of white flowers, pear, mineral notes and of green almond. On the palate, you'll get a soft first impression, with crisp acidity and freshness, very well balanced.

This will be great for those final summer sunsets, at only $12.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Nebraska Brewing Wick for Brains Pumpkin Ale. Wick for Brains is our classic and painstakingly produced Fall Pumpkin Ale.  Instead of simply using spice, we use real pumpkin which lends a sweetness and pumpkin flavor not found in many Pumpkin Ales. Wonderful pumpkin pie spice intertwined in an Amber Ale creates a pumpkin sensation which is elegantly crafted.  Notes of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger and Allspice blend perfectly in this seasonal Ale. There are many Pumpkin Ales out there crafted by some wonderful breweries – we feel that ours stands among them and in some cases – stands apart. Available in cans only.

Calera 2012 Jensen Vineyard Pinot Noir. Beautifully integrated eccentric aromas of cherry, raspberry, red licorice, charcuterie and fine saddle leather lead into a soft round mouthful of black raspberry, rhubarb and a hint of steak blood. This wine is a fascinating combination of deep, tart fruit, tension from mineral and a savory, soy accent. This wine will gain even more complexity with time. Rated 95+ by Vinous Media. We have a small quantity available, for $84.99 in the Bottle Club®. Organically farmed and certified by CCOF.

We've also received similarly small amounts of the 2012 Calera Pinot Noir from their Reed and Ryan Vineyards. All of these are allocated wines, so speak with a manager to see what we have left in stock.

Green Flash Green Bullet Triple IPA. With the aim of finding new and unique ingredients, we honed in on New Zealand grown Pacific Gem and Green Bullet hops to create this adventurous Triple IPA. Green Bullet leaps onto your palate with bold, spicy pine and citrus flavors including tropical notes of mango and pineapple. The aggressive yet well-balanced finish will stun the senses of even the most skilled hop hunter.

Brewmaster notes: "Appearance—Deep amber, honey color with off-white beer foam. Aroma—Super pungent pine and evergreen hops with tropical notes of mango and pineapple. Flavor—Tongue-gripping bitterness, pine and pineapple flavors with a back note of honeyed malt character. A long lingering New Zealand hop finish shows how intense the Green Bullet really is."

Limited availability. 100+ IBU's. 10.1% ABV.

That's seven fresh reasons to stop in at Joe Canal's.