The Grab Bag

Generally speaking, this is our favorite blog post to write. It works well for our short attention span, as bouncing from topic to topic is perfectly fine in this format. So let's bounce.

In-Store Events

In this week's switcheroo, we covered upcoming events in Wednesday's blog post. Click here for that post, which details the important events already scheduled for both stores. At the top of the list, of course, is Ladies Night Out, in Woodbridge on Sunday.

Until the end of October, we'll continue selling pink ribbons for a $1 donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Ask any cashier or manager for assistance. The ribbons will be on display in the store, and you can write a personal message on your ribbon.

                         New Products

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale. Winter Solstice® is our take on the classic style of “winter warmer.” Boasting a deep amber hue and rich mouthfeel, its creamy finish will lift your spirits. Hints of toffee, spice, and caramel tease the senses making this the perfect ale to share with friends and family during the cold days and long nights of winter.

Pair with roasted almonds, candied yams, baked spiral ham, pumpkin pie, brie or aged cheddar. Serve in a pint glass. 6.9% ABV, 6 IBU's. Available in bottles and cans.

As we've been telling you, the holidays are basically here. If you want an unbelievable price on a knockout Champagne, we have just the thing.

Chassenay D'Arce Brut Champagne Cuvée Première NV. "Lightly floral and delicate overall, this is nonetheless focused by a firm frame of well-meshed acidity that drives the flavors of white raspberry, apricot, candied lemon zest and biscuit. A fine aperitif. Drink now through 2017." - Wine Spectator, 90 points. Only $29.96 in the Bottle Club®. Also look for the Chassenay D'Arce Brut Rose, at the same price.

The Chassenay d’Arce Champagnes reflect the specific landscape of the Côte des Bar. There, from season to season, bunches of grapes grow, ripen and the cuvees are elaborated.

The influence of the climate in the very South of the Champagne region, the vines'exposure - south-southeast - in a sheltered valley - Vallée de l'Arce - and the nature of the soil mean that the grapes can be harvested at full maturity at the end of the summer.

Cuvèe Première Brut is the flagship of the House. It is the essential expression of the nobility of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and of the Arce Valley’s soils.

Assemblage: Dominance of Pinot Noir, 60% combined with the mineral freshness of Chardonnay, 40%. A blend of several harvests.

Johnnie Walker Select Casks – Rye Cask Finish is a Scotch Whisky blend that showcases the best of Scottish blending and maturation expertise. With Cardhu single malt at the heart of the blend, Johnnie Walker’s Master Blender Jim Beveridge used whiskies matured for at least ten years in first-fill American Oak casks to create this blend.  He finished the Scotch in ex-rye whiskey casks, creating a complex new whisky with rich layers of flavor starting with creamy vanilla notes and transitioning to a spicier finish.

$39.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Ripped from the Headlines

We already can't get enough Pappy to meet demand. Now supplies will be even tighter? Click here for the story.

U.S. Spirits Will Outperform Beer And Wine For The Fourth Consecutive Year in 2015. 

The U.S. spirits market is expected to expand once again this year, albeit by a modest 1.3% in volume terms, representing its 20th consecutive annual gain, according to Impact Databank. Wine is projected to increase by a mere 0.2% in the U.S. in 2015, while beer is expected to register a 0.5% decline. Most of the spirits market’s growth can be attributed to projected solid gains from flavored whiskies, Cognac, Bourbon, Irish whiskey, super-premium Tequila and single malt Scotch whisky. Declines are expected from blended whiskies, gin, rum, imported vodka and pre-mixed cocktails.

Fireball is projected to become one of the five largest-selling labels in the spirits market this year, and the fastest ever to reach 5 million cases overall. Other fast-growing brands include Crown Royal, primarily due to its Regal Apple line extension, and two vodka brands: New Amsterdam, which is projected to be among the 10 largest-selling brands in just its fourth full year on the market; Tito’s, which is expected to become the third-largest-selling domestic vodka brand in 2015 (behind only Smirnoff and New Amsterdam); and Hennessy, with strong growth primarily from its VS variant.

Other brands marking significant milestones include: Svedka, which in 2015 is projected to become the market’s largest-selling imported vodka brand ahead of Absolut (which has been number-one since 1985); Crown Royal, which is expected to be the U.S. market’s number-one brand overall in value terms this year (ahead of Smirnoff), marking the first time since the mid-70s that a whisky brand will lead the market by value; Fireball, which is expected to join seven other spirit brands valued at over $1 billion at retail; and Captain Morgan, which surpassed Bacardi as the largest rum brand in value terms last year.