Do You Like to Cellar, or Enjoy Now? We've Got You Covered.

What a week we've had!  Lots of new beer deliveries this week.  Be sure to follow our stores' Instagrams for even more new brew!  Here's just a sampling of what came in on the trucks this week.  As always, please call the stores if you're coming in for something specific, as our beer departments move fast and things tend to sell out quickly!

21st Amendment Blood Orange IPA
Our newest beer to be released in March. Brewed with real blood oranges with a base of Brew Free or Die IPA. We added some additional Citra hops to compliment the oranges.  7% ABV

Avery El Gose
A timeless, traditional tart gose (goes-uh) with its zesty and salty disposition is brightened by a tangy citrus twist. A bier for every día! 4.5% ABV

Avery Uncle Jacob's Stout
In the quest to create a collection of barrel-aged beers to be reproduced annually, Avery Brewing Company is releasing Uncle Jacob’s Stout, the second member of its Annual Barrel Series. The collection began with Rumpkin rum barrel-aged pumpkin ale in the fall of 2011, and now continues with this 17.4% ABV stout that was aged in first-use Bourbon barrels for 6 months. While the Avery Barrel-Aged Series features one-time-only batches, such as the recent Muscat d’Amour and Récolte Sauvage, the Annual Barrel Series features a selection of cellarable barrel-aged beers that fans can return to and get to know every year.  17.1% ABV

Flying Dog Numero Uno
This beer was originally released in the summer of 2014 as part of our Brewhouse Rarities series. It's the artisanal answer to the easy-drinking, south-of-the-border light lagers. So drink up; there's no beach required. 4.9% ABV

Stone Enjoy By 420
This exquisite liquid patchwork of more than a dozen hops is a devastatingly fresh double IPA. Freshness is a key component of many beers – especially big, hoppy IPAs – but we've taken it further, a lot further, with this one. We brewed this IPA specifically NOT to last. We've gone to extensive lengths to ensure you get your hands on this beer within an extraordinarily short window, and we've sent a very clear message in the name of the beer itself that there is no better time than right NOW to enjoy this IPA! 9.4% ABV
Other beers to note in Lawrenceville: Avery: Barleywine, Apricot Sour, Vanilla Bean Stout and Weyerbacher Cinnsanity

Other beers to note in Woodbridge: Evil Twin Lemonade IPA, Carton Cosmonaut, Manayhnk El Rio and Side Piece, Westbrook Siberian Black Magic Panther

Slainte!

Top o' the Mornin', craft beer lovers!  Check out some of what's been delivered to both of our stores this week!  This is just a small sampling of what's new, so be sure to stop in and check out our full selection.  As always, if you're coming in for something in particular, give the store a call to make sure it's still in stock.  Our craft beer departments move fast, and things sell out quickly!

Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter
This porter (6.4% ABV, 30 IBUs) is based on malt flavors of roasted nuts, crème brulee, cocoa, and caramel, extracted from English and German roast
ed and caramel malts. Hotbox Roasters then crashes the party and infuses potent, cold-extracted coffee from Burundi and Ethiopian beans and deals out flavors and aromas of dark plums, chocolate, and hints of blueberry.  6.5% ABV

Riverhorse Raspberry Tripel Horse
Year after year, the fan favorite at our cask festival is always our Tripel Horse Belgian Style Ale with raspberries. So we figured why not run with it! We've added 14 pounds of raspberries per barrel to our original Tripel Horse recipe and bottled it for you to enjoy at home. The label may be loud - but the raspberry is perfectly balanced in this smooth Belgian style beer.  10% ABV

Two Roads Road Jam
A wheat ale fermented with real red and black raspberries and accented with fresh lemongrass. It has a stunning red color and mouth-watering berry aroma. Fruity and refreshingly dry. 5% ABV

Two Roads Beer Bus Variety Pack
Variety pack featuring Honeyspot Road White IPA, No Limits Hefeweizen, Ol' Factory Pils, and Road Jam.  ABV Varies.

Additionally, the following are available in Lawrenceville only as of the time of this writing.

Kentucky Bourbon Vanilla Cream Ale
Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale is our take on a classic American style of beer. We took a cold-conditioned cream ale, brewed with a hint of flaked corn and bourbon vanilla beans, and aged it in freshly decanted bourbon barrels for a minimum of two months. Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale's medium body and 5.5% ABV make it the perfect barrel-aged beer for an all day event.

Neshaminy Creek The Shape of Hops to Come
“Can I scream….” for more hops? You sure can. Two row American barley jammed packed with as much Apollo, Newport, Simcoe, Topaz, and Citra hops we could get our hands on, The Shape of Hops to Come is an 8.5% ABV American-styled imperial IPA hopped with Apollo, Newport, Simcoe, Topaz, and Citra hops that’s got a ton of bitterness, along with juicy, dank resiny pine-like, and citrus forward hop character that is worthy of it’s name. Dry hopped for two weeks this hop bomb has as much hop power we can muster!
Smuttynose Blackberry Short Weiss
The clean, tart acidity of our lactic fermentation process contributes massive refreshment to beer drinkers. Aging the beer on blackberries adds a delicious flavor nuance that’s pure berry deliciousness. The lightweight can package means you can take this fruity refreshment anywhere or just keep a few on hand for spring yard work. 52% ABV

A Parade of Big Beers

Another week, another truck full of fresh craft beer deliveries.  Be sure to check the event calendars for information on tasting and other beer events we've got going on!  For Lawrenceville click here, and for Woodbridge, click here.  As always, be sure to call ahead if you're coming to the store for something specific, as our beer departments move quickly and stuff sells out fast!

Ballast Point Bonito Blonde Ale
Old Chicago exclusive.  Inspired by a California sunny day. Golden color and soft malt character with a light mouthfeel, subtle hop bite, and dry finish.  4.5% ABV

Ballast Point Sea RoseAmerican Wheat Ale with Cherries & Pomegranate.  4% ABV

Dogfish Head Saison du BuffThis beer is collaboration between Dogfish Head, Stone Brewing Co. (Escondido, CA) and Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown, PA).  Saison du BUFF is a 6.8% ABV Saison brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. The beer is brewed three times, once at each brewery using the same recipe.  6.8% ABV

Lagunitas Davey Murray's Best Scotch AleThis Scotch Ale is sweet, but not cloying. It's strong, but not brash. It's smooth and smokey, like a good dram among friends. Cheers!  9.5% ABV

Neshaminy Creek Leon Russian Imperial StoutLeon is a big beer. So big, it has twice as much malt as any other beer we brew.. On top of the copious amounts of two row barley, Munich, Victory, Chocolate, Black Patent, and Caramel 80 malt in this beer each 15 barrel brew has 50 pounds of freshly in-house handmade marshmallow fluff as well as 16 pounds of bittersweet bakers chocolate, and 30 pounds of crumbled graham crackers. Leon clocks in at just over 80 IBUs and 11.6% ABV. Does it taste like a Smore’s? That’s for you to decide, but either way this is one fun beer to make, not to mention drink.  11.5% ABV

Lost Abbey Carneval
Brewed in celebration of Lent and Easter season, Carnevale is light bodied Saison, using Brettanomyces along with Amarillo and Simcoe hops to generate flavor and depth. Carnevale’s complexity grows with time. The citrus notes tend to wane and the wild yeast rears its wonderfully tasting head.  6.5% ABV

Stone Tangerine Express IPA
This ain’t no just-add-juice approach. This one is for adults. We use bountiful whole tangerine purée, which brings pithy, crisp bitterness to the citrus flavor. In addition to the complexities of the tangerine — the likes of which you can only get by using the whole fruit — we judiciously employ just a hint of whole pineapple for a backnote (you’d likely not even pick it out of the mix if we didn’t tell you it was there). We’re not looking for a sweet concoction to appease the “I want my beer to taste like fruit juice” crowd. This is Stone. We like our IPAs to taste like IPAs. Big, bold and not for kids.  6.7% ABV

Our Craft Beer Department is Hot, Hot, Hot!

Another week, another batch of great new craft beer.  Below is just a small sampling of what we're having delivered this week at Woodbridge and Lawrenceville.  As always, our craft beer department moves fast, so if you're looking for something in particular, you'll want to call us at the store to make sure your item of choice hasn't sold out.

Alesmith Brewing Speedway Stout
Speedway Stout’s ominous, pitch-black appearance has become a hallmark of this modern-day classic. Chocolate and roasted malts dominate the flavor, supported by notes of dark fruit, toffee, and caramel. A healthy dose of locally-roasted coffee from Ryan Bros. Coffee, Inc. added to each batch brings out the beer’s dark chocolate flavors and enhances its drinkability. Despite its intensity, Speedway Stout’s fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink. This beer ages very well and will continue to
mature for many years to come. 12% ABV

Allagash Brewing Mattina Rosa
Raspberry defines the flavor, aroma, and hue of Mattina Rossa. After adding raspberries during the brewing process, the beer sits in stainless for primary fermentation with our house yeast. Next, Mattina Rossa goes into red wine barrels—with a mix of Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and Brettanomyces—to age and sour for around eighteen months. We finish by mixing the beer back into a stainless tank with fresh, local raspberries. Fully matured, Mattina Rossa is a fruity, funky beer whose tart notes of lemon rind, raspberry, and pomegranate precede a biscuity finish. 6.6% ABV

Ballast Point Brewing Mango Even Keel

Our Mango Even Keel is the ideal beer for easy drinking. This hoppy, session ale gets a flavor boost from mango, which perfectly plays off the citrusy hop bouquet. With fruit, hops, and a low ABV, this beer truly is on another level.  3.8% ABV

Bear Republic Brewing Grand Am IPA
Inspired by our team’s passion for racing, Grand-Am™ is an American Pale Ale worthy of the “Racer” family. True to our roots, this sessionable yet assertive ale balances both classic and new American hop varieties with a di
stinct malt backbone. Start your engines... 6% ABV.  93 points RateBeer!

Bear Republic Brewing Café Racer
Café Racer 15™ features aromas of bright citrus and resinous pine from the generous use of Citra, Amarillo, Cascade and Chinook hops which are complimented by a dry malt finish. The result is a high revving Double IPA that is loud and assertive, much like the rebellious street racers who inspired it. Never ride alone... 9.75% ABV

Rogue Brewing Sriracha Hot Stout
ROGUE Sriracha Hot Stout Beer, made from Huy Fong original hot chili sauce and sun ripened Rogue Farms ingredients, is ready to drink with soups, sauces, pasta, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chow mein, or anything you'd like to wash down with a spicy kick. 5.7% ABV

Rogue Brewing 4-Hop IPA
An approachable and aromatic session IPA. 4.44% ABV

Rogue Brewing 6-Hop IPA
This IPA features a big, beautiful bite. 6.66% ABV

Saugatuck Brewing Neapolitan Milk Stout
A perfect blend of classic dry stout character with brilliant flavors of Neapolitan Ice Cream. Experience the nostalgic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry all in one glass – because sometimes ice cream just isn’t enough.  6% ABV

Sixpoint Brewing C.R.E.A.M.
You started with cream in your coffee, now have coffee in your cream ale. Pour up a bright blonde coffee ale and end your day the way you started it. With a delicious craft brew. It's Mad Science. 7.2% ABV

Here Come the IPAs

As the weather starts to warm, we see more lighter beers like IPAs, and less stouts, porters and the like.  If that's your thing, or you're just ready to break away from the winter brews, you'll want to stop in this week and check out what's new!  As always, our beer departments move fast, so if you're coming in for something specific, give us a call at the store to make sure we still have it in stock.

Green Flash Palate Wrecker
Palate Wrecker was originally brewed for the Hamilton’s Tavern 2nd Anniversary celebration. It’s the most complicated West Coast–inspired IPA we have ever brewed—mashing and sparging with hopped wort, in addition to our hop layering regimen for IPA. We use almost 6 lbs/bbl of Columbus and Centennial hops to create this very bitter hop monster (tested at 149 IBU and no extracts in case you were wondering). By popular demand, it is now released for the world to enjoy (even though this beer isn’t for everyone, only the real hop heads!!!). Cheers! 9.5% ABV.  99pts RateBeer

21st Amendment Brewery Blah Blah Blah
We are huge fans of IPA and love our hops like anyone else, but we also like to have fun. Our Blah Blah Blah IPA is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the popularity of this style and all the sub-styles that have become part of craft beer conversations and offerings. This is a deep gold color, double IPA (of course) and jammed packed with hop flavors and aromas. With nine different hop varietals, on top of late-kettle boil additions, this beer has a juicy, hop chewy flavor. IPAs are here to stay and Blah Blah Blah in many ways is a tribute to their prevalence and popularity and we love it. So, grab yourself a Blah Blah Blah IPA and celebrate this plentiful style and hoppy indulgence. 8% ABV


Demented Brewing Scarlet Knight Amber Ale
Sailor take warning: Whether our neck of the Raritan River is where you live or work, play or study of this we’re certain… Scarlet Night is a beer everyone can enjoy. Our American Red Ale is a liquid tribute to all that we love about Middlesex, the Hub City, and being local. A blend of five different malts gives this brew intense red color and complexity, a medium body with light caramel sweetness and a feint roast finish. Just enough hops balance it out with a slight bitterness and great flavor that trails into an earthy floral nose. Red sky at night… a beer drinker’s delight.  5.8% ABV

Dogfish Head Beer to Drink Music To 2017
Music has been a part of Dogfish Head since before Dogfish Head. So it’s a natural fit for a brewery that makes ‘Analog Beer for the Digital Age’ to be the Official Beer of Record Store Day, a celebration of the unique culture of record stores and the special role they play in their communities. Of course, as the Official Beer of Record Store Day, we had to create a special brew for the occasion! Now for the second year, that’s just what we’ve done with Beer To Drink Music To. In volume two of this celebratory ale, this Tropical Blonde is brewed with hibiscus flowers and kiwi juice. It’s the perfect marriage of beer and music and best when paired with some of your favorite tunes.  Beer To Drink Music To ’17 is a pinkish-red brew with forward notes of tropical fruits with hints of berries and floral. 6.8% ABV

Stone Pataskala Red IPA
Pat-ASK-ala? Pata-SKALA? Pa-TASK-a-la? While those in the know favor the third pronunciation, no matter how you say it, this is a unique red IPA. The beer was first brewed in September 2015 to support music and arts education programs in Pataskala, Ohio, where Stone co-founder Greg Koch grew up. People there loved it, so we added the beer to our seasonal lineup. The deep crimson hue is courtesy of a fairly new special German malt variety by BESTMALZ called Red X. Dry-hopped with Mosaic, Cascade and Amarillo hops, this beer is incredibly citrus-forward, rounded out with biscuit and toffee notes. We think you’ll find this red IPA to be quite deliciously satisfying, no matter how you choose to pronounce it.  7.3% ABV

Stone Jindia Pale Ale
Tired of being in the beer slump dumps? Looking for that certain sprightly spring sprig? Well search no further! One bottle of this aromatically fragrant, ginger-spiced lupulinicious liquid is all it takes to appease even the most rambunctious of palates. This is no snake oil philter good friends. We have the masterful inclination to call it exactly what it is – EXCITEMENT for your taste buds!  Made from the exotic ginger root, juniper berry tincture and a citrus peel duo of lemon and lime, these botanicals mix miraculously well with a double dose of the most delectable hops known to mankind. Be sure to crook that elbow of yours, for one gloriously refined swig! You’ll find that another is certain to follow as if by divine influence. Good for everything a beer ought to be good for. Beware of Jindia Pale Ale counterfeits from hucksters and mountebanks, and accept only this genuine article. 8.7% IPA

Troegs First Cut Mango IPA
Each Spring, hop growers dust off their pruning shears and trim the first shoots, bolstering the bines for a rich growing season. First Cut - a mouthful of mango - is a nod to this ritual, without which the world would be a less hoppy place. 6.2% ABV

In the Mood for Something Different?

 

This week's craft beer deliveries feature some interesting new brews!  Check a few of them out below.  As always, please call the store if you're coming in for something specific - our Craft Beer department moves fast and things do sell out quickly!

 

Did you know that February is Pet Rescue month at Joe Canal's Woodbridge and Lawrenceville stores?  Our friends at Tito's Vodka are matching your donations, up to $5000!  Check out your store's webpage for more information: Woodbridge or Lawrenceville.

 

Now, on to the beer!

 

Allagash St. Clipperstein
At the brewery, we celebrate St. Klippenstein day to commemorate our love of free ham, pot lucks, and strong stouts. In honor, we brewed this Belgian-style strong stout aged in bourbon barrels. Rich cocoa brown in color, the first sip of this beer opens with a complex chocolate and roasted aroma. Notes of vanilla, coconut and o

ak infuse the palate and lead to a smooth, warm finish. This full bodied beer is brewed with an array of dark roasted malts: dark chocolate malt, roasted barley, chocolate malt, and brown malt. After being hopped with Chinook and Northern Brewer, and fermented with a trappist-style yeast for a month in stainless, the beer spends three months aging in bourbon barrels.  11% ABV



Ballast Point Red Velvet Nitro
Our Red Velvet oatmeal stout is a mind-bending beer. Like the cake that inspired it, the deep red color comes from beets, which add a rich, earthy character that complements the chocolate flavor and aroma. The foamy head of the nitro pour is our “icing”, adding a creamy smoothness to the mouthfeel. But this liquid dessert still finishes like a beer – not sweet, but just as satisfying. 5.5% ABV

 

Flying Dog Lucky SOB Irish Red Ale
Lucky SOB is an Irish Red for those whose lives always fall into place…and also for the rest of us who curse those blessed bastards. Brewed with real four-leaf clovers, it is perfectly poised to bring the “Luck of the Irish” to those who drink it. With a rich amber color, its toasted and honey malt flavors are balanced with a subtle hop bite. Not to mention that its clean and refreshing finish is the perfect accompaniment to chants of “Erin Go Braugh.”  5.5%

 

Demented Brewing Donar's Oak
Our Oud Bruin, a flanders brown ale was fermented with brett and bourbon barrel aged. Expect a sweet and sour profile with notes of dark fruit and caramel.  7.2% ABV

Smuttynose East Coast Common Lager (LAWRENCEVILLE ONLY)
East Coast Common is a nod to those uniquely American lager beers – fermented warm, in the San Franciscan-style. One sniff of the heady aroma tells you this isn’t a utilitarian, washing machine-variety beer. Our brewers infuse significant quantities of late-in-the-boil and post-fermentation dry hops to make sure you know East Coast Common is a New England original. 7.4% ABV

 

The Bruery Orxata
Horchata is a traditional, sweet, milky drink originating in Spain and Latin America that has become quite popular in Southern California, particularly with Mexican cuisine. Our take on the traditionally non-alcoholic drink is a blonde ale brewed with a heavy dosing of rice, cinnamon and fresh vanilla beans along with lactose for a little extra creamy character. If you didn’t know better, you’d think it was carbonated horchata. The flavor is hard to describe, but for those who know it, you know you love it. 7.1% ABV

 

And available Friday exclusively in our WOODBRIDGE location is Carton Unjunct Stout cans!
The thing about stouts made with additions of things like coffee is, while they taste “just like coffee,” they taste just “like coffee.” A well constructed stout is a study of potential flavors. Both bitter and sweet at once, with just four ingredients aromas can ping-pong between: coffee, chocolate, vanilla, smoke, dark fruits, molasses and myriad others without running over each other. Drink Unjunct and don’t ask us to treat this one.  8.5% ABV

 

 

The Comeback

Well, not only was there a big football comeback over the weekend, your regular blogger also came back -- from maternity leave.  It's hard to leave a new baby and return to work, but it's also good to be back "in the know" on all the fun new stuff coming out in the craft beer world.  We've got deliveries of fresh product every week, and I'll always post them here, so check every Wednesday to be the first to know what's hot!

Here's what's being delivered this week!  Lawrenceville should have most of these in stock already, and Woodbridge expects their delivery on Thursday.  As always, please call the store if there's something specific you're coming in to grab - our craft beer department moves fast and things sell out very quickly!

Dogfish Head Seaquench Ale
SeaQuench Ale is our session sour quencher made with lime peel, black lime and sea salt. It’s a citrusy-tart union of three German styles of beer blissfully brewed into one. We begin by brewing a straightforward Kolsch with lots of wheat and Munich Malt, then we brew a salty Gose with black limes, coriander and our sea salt. We follow it all up with a citrusy-tart Berlinerweiss made with lime juice and lime peel. All three beers are then blended together in the fermentation tank to create this German hybrid.  4.9% ABV  Ratebeer 92pts!

The Hop Concept Dank & Sticky IPA
Our inaugural release boasts aromas of citrus, and dank, resinous pine. As the flavor opens, huge notes of stonefruit and dank resin give way to a juicy malt backbone and drying hop bitterness on the finish. 8.5% ABV Ratebeer 98pts!

Lost Abbey Deliverance
A blend of bourbon barrel-aged Serpent’s Stout and brandy barrel-aged Angels Share, Deliverance is the epic battle being waged between heaven and hell for the souls of mortal men… and your enjoyment in a glass. 12.5% ABV Ratebeer 100pts!

Lost Abbey Lost & Found
Modeled after the great Trappist and Monastic beers that inspired the founding of our brewery. A richly deep garnet colored ale created from a blend of Domestic and imported malts. As part of our commitment to interesting brewing endeavors, Chef Vince created a special raisin puree for this beer. Malts, raisins and a fantastic yeast strain working in harmony produce a beer of amazing complexity and depth.  8% ABV  Ratebeer 96pts!

Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
The history of the bible and religion is indeed the struggle of good vs. evil. Our Serpent’s Stout recognizes the evil of the dark side that we all struggle with.This is a massively thick and opaque beer that begs the saints to join the sinners in their path to a black existence.  11% ABV  Ratebeer 100pts!

Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout
Sunday Morning Stout is an American Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels. The result? A beautiful ebony pour with a large, creamy, off-white head that lasts and lasts. The aromas of roasted coffee and bourbon awaken your senses while their flavors blend with hints of chocolate, roasted malt, vanilla and caramel.  12.7% ABV Ratebeer 99pts!

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
Brewed with boatloads of roasted coffee in each batch for that extra Krunk… this Mondo Coffee Stout will leave you wondering whether you're coming or going. Available in 22oz bombers mid-winter…ish.  9.1% ABV.  Ratebeer 95pts!

Also, our Beer Manager in Lawrenceville wanted to pass on that Nugget Nectar cans are back in stock!

Meet the New Boss

Very much the same as the old boss. Your blogger wraps up his maternity cover duties today, and returns you to Shannon, your regularly scheduled blogger. We've had fun back here in the Craft Beer corner, but you can still find us at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville. Please enjoy (responsibly!) these new craft beer deliveries. Note that some will be delivered Tuesday,. and some will arrive on Friday.

Lagunitas High West-ified Imperial Coffee Stout. This beer couldn't have been done without the help from our friends at High West Distillery in Park City, UT and Chicago's-own Metropolis Coffee. We brewed a rich, malty Imperial Stout with some of Metropolis' Spice Island blend, then let it vintag-ize in High West Rye and Bourbon Barrels for up to 17 FREAKING MONTHS. It's good to have friends! Limited availability, at 12.2% ABV and 39.6 IBU.

Avery The Maharaja. Maharaja is derived from the sanskrit words mahat, meaning "great", and rajan, meaning "king". Much like its namesake, this imperial IPA is regal, intense and mighty. With hops and malts as his servants, he rules both with a heavy hand. The Maharaja flaunts his authority over a deranged amount of hops: tangy, vibrant and pungent along with an insane amount of malted barley – fashioning a dark amber hue and exquisite malt essence. Welcome to his kingdom! 10.0% ABV.

Rogue 6 Hop IPA. A big, beautiful bite. 6.66% ABV, 87 IBU. We're stocking this in cans. Look also for the arrival of Rogue Dead Guy in cans.

Dogfish Head Flesh & Blood IPA. Now available in cans! Flesh & Blood began with a ton of real citrus including lemon flesh and blood orange juice—hence the name—plus orange and lemon peel. Then the brewers began searching for the perfect combination of hops to perfectly complement the citrus flavors. After trialing number of different hops one-by-one, they emerged with Warrior and Centennial.

So what does this focus on simple, pure unadulterated fruit mean in terms of the aromatics and flavors in this beer? Flesh & Blood balances the resinous hoppy characteristics of an American IPA with the explosive zesty fruitiness and subtle drying tartness of citrus to deliver a highly quaffable ale that’s incredibly unique and lovely to down the whole year round. 7.5% ABV, 45 IBU.

Cheers! See you in the store.

The End is Near

The end of our temporary stewardship of this blog, that is. We have been here on a maternity cover, and your regular blogger will return the week of February 6. We have some great additions for this penultimate Craft Beer Corner. Please note that due to inventory at our Woodbridge location this week, the delivery schedules for both stores are disrupted. Regardless, everything listed should be in stock by Friday, January 27.

By now, you're probably aware of the Sierra Nevada recall. Click here if this is news to you. We've checked our inventory, and what we have for sale is safe. Check the codes (there's information in that article about what to look for) on any relevant Sierra Nevada product that you may have purchased elsewhere, and contact that retailer, if necessary.

Troegs Nugget Nectar. We're not burying the lede here; let's start with the most requested beer of the month. It’s impossible to forget your first squeeze. Once a year, as the newest humulus lupulus harvest arrives at Tröegs, we blend these super-fresh hops into an Imperial Amber Ale. Excessively dry-hopped, Nugget Nectar is an explosion of

pine, resin and mango. 7.5% ABV, 93 IBU. In bottles and cans.

Sixpoint Hi-Res. Another annual release, back for a limited run. To see the hop cone up close, we zoomed in microscopic, and found a hi-res view. In Hi-Resolution, the hop optic was magnified; our perception, fully amplified. It's microscopic. It's telescopic. It's off-topic. It's Mad Science. 10.5% ABV, 115 IBU.

We don't have proper tasting notes yet, but we're scheduled to receive Flying Dog Salt & Pepper, from their Brewhouse Rarities series, and Denali, from their Single Hop series.

Weyerbacher Sunday Morning Stout? Not yet. The exact delivery date isn't clear, but should be within the next two weeks or so.

River Horse Hippo's Hand Double IPA. New England style IPA brewed with Buddha’s Hand fruit and dry hopped with Mosaic, Citra, and Lemondrop hops. Left unfiltered, it has a hazy golden appearance and a delicate citrus nose. The Buddha’s Hand fruit lends big citrus notes complimented by the Citra and Lemondrop hops. Not overly sweet and not overly bitter, this is an extremely balanced, smooth and refreshing double IPA.

Until next week, cheers!

Zany Weather Corner

The weather has always been one of your blogger's favorite topics. it's easy conversation, since pretty much everyone experiences the weather. And in the winter, when there are days that we only venture outside to shovel sidewalks or scrape ice, coming back inside to a great craft beer is one of the simple pleasures.

If you shop at our Lawrenceville store, please note that we will be closed for inventory on January 17. That's our regular craft beer delivery day, so these selections will not arrive until Friday. That same format will repeat next week, but in Woodbridge, where the store will be closed on January 24. One final housekeeping note: Beginning Monday, January 16, Woodbridge will close at 9pm every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The store hours will otherwise not change.

Ballast Point Manta Ray Double IPA. This new IPA rises above the rest. We’ve developed many IPA recipes in our R&D program, but right from the tank, our Manta Ray Double IPA was a winner. Aromas of fresh, citrusy tangerine, melon and light pine leap from the beer and linger over a smooth finish. Like its namesake, this brew can sneak up on you – a big beer without a bite. 8.5% ABV, 70 IBU.

Pair with Chinese Salt and Pepper Wings, Bay Blue Cheese, or Dungeness Crab

Cakes.

Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s Imperial IPA (8% ABV, 85 IBU) was born at the cross roads, in a juke joint, as if Dale’s Pale Ale sold its soul to balance Deviant’s foreboding aromas of citrus, grapefruit rind and piney resins with a copper ball-of-fire color and inscrutable finish. The 2011 Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal Winner (American IPA Category) is the Devil incarnate with untold amounts of malt and hedonistic Columbus dry-hopping. Limited availability.

Yards Golden Hop IPA. This light-bodied IPA soars with the tropical notes of tangerine, mango and grapefruit from Mosaic and Amarillo hops and bright
floral and citrus undertones from Cascade in the hopback. 6.0% ABV, 55 IBU.

Golden Hop IPA's crisp melon and citrus flavors pair well with acidic, tomato-based foods like Italian cuisine. Try with bruschetta or Lasagne alla Bolognese. Cin cin!

Troegs Nugget Nectar. Not yet. Should be available to us in about 2 weeks.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid. Now available in 6-packs. A Double-Barrel Dose of Malt and Hops. The beer with a guarantee built right into the name, this one is destined to blast through the flavors from the night before. Massively dry-hopped for your aromatic pleasure. 8% ABV, 102 IBU, and 99 points at RateBeer.

These bombers are also scheduled to arrive this week: Cascade Apricot, Founders Frootwood, and Green Flash Nuevo Tarte. Also just arrived (in 12oz 4packs) is Dogfish Head Olde School.

Cheers!

Back to the Corner

Your blogger is back in New Jersey and ready to discuss some of our latest additions. Before we do that, however, here's an important reminder. We publish money-saving coupons on our website every Tuesday, and on Twitter every Thursday. Our website coupons almost always include craft beer, and the Twitter coupons may also include ciders or national brands. Go to our website and save.

Here's what's new at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge:

River Horse Chocolate Porter. We start with a brown porter brewed with dark roasted malts, and add one pound of chocolate per barrel. We then throw in some Madagascar Vanilla beans to accentuate the chocolate flavors, resulting in a decadent porter. 6.5% ABV.

We're also anticipating delivery of their all-new Hippo's Hand Double IPA, so it's an exciting week for anyone who enjoys local craft beer.

Allagash Hoppy Table Beer. While Hoppy Table Beer was inspired by the Belgian tradition of low-ABV, easily drinkable beers, it still occupies a hop-forward spot all its own. Brewed with our 2-row malt blend, Maris Otter malt, and oats, the beer is then spiced with a subtle addition of coriander. We ferment it with our house yeast for classic Belgian citrus aromas. Hoppy Table Beer is hopped with Chinook, Cascade, Comet, and Azacca hops, then dry hopped with more Comet and Azacca. A mildly hoppy aroma full of grapefruit springs from this straw-colored, light-bodied ale. Flavors of pine and stone fruit balance the beer’s clean, slightly bitter finish. 4.8% ABV.

Lagunitas Citrusinensis. A Pale Ale brewed with natural blood orange flavors. We took some fresh Sanguinello Blood oranges, juiced 'em, concentrated that juice (without heat) and threw it into a wheatier version of our New Dogtown Pale Ale. The end result? A refreshingly hopped pale-ish ale with a huge citrus burst! 7.7% ABV. In 12 ounce bottle 12-packs.

New Belgium Dayblazer. A deliciously refreshing golden ale, brewed with the finest malts and hops giving a sweet, crisp citrus finish with just a hint of honey. Blond, with uniform medium haze. White foam and light lacing. Low overall aroma built on malt in the form of corn chips, cereal, vanilla and honey; balanced with some flinty sulfitic, isoamyl acetate, and herbal grassy hop aroma. Light initial sweetness followed by a subtle hop bitterness, neither overpower. It's effervescent, with a clean fast finish. 4.8% ABV.

We also expect delivery of Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine within the next few days. Please ask a beer team member for assistance. Cheers!

Road Trip!

Over the years, your blogger had had the opportunity to visit about a dozen different breweries, from local craft brewers like River Horse and Weyerbacher to the national brands like Coors and Anheuser-Busch. Every visit, official or not, has been a lot of fun, and sampling fresh beer is a great way to spend an afternoon.

We've just had the opportunity to visit Ballast Point, at their flagship location in Miramar. While it's located in a not-very-scenic corporate/industrial park, the inside is ultra modern, reflecting the fact that this particular venue (one of six Ballast Point locations in the San Diego area) is only a couple of years old. There is a restaurant and gift shop, to go along with the brewing facility.

What was particularly interesting was the more than a dozen R&D beers on their menu. These may or may not actually be available for sale one day, but they are delicious. Among our samples were the Manzanilla Pilsner, Twelve Guinea Wee Heavy, California Kolsch and Sour Wench, which is a Berliner Weisse with Blackberry.

Following our tasting, we took a tour of the brewery. Southern California brewers benefit from being able to have fermenters outside the building, and Ballast Point takes full advantage of this added space. While our shelves have been missing some of their selections, we can tell you that they are working at capacity to replenish the stock. We also made sure to let them know of the Sculpin shortage. Their canning (pictured here) and bottling lines were humming right along.

The Southern California weather might not have been pleasant on our trip, but the warm hospitality of the Ballast Point team made up for that.

Later in the day, during a stop at San Diego's Liberty Public Market, we discovered a Stone Brewing restaurant/micro brewery, which meant more beer!

Since this was an unexpected discovery, we limited ourselves to simple choices: the brown ale and Xocoveza! It was cold enough that the outdoor tables had portable heat lamps, so these two heartier choices were perfect. And a quick trip to the bottle shop gave us something to look forward to later.

In our view, the best road trips balance the planned activities (our visit to Ballast Point) with time for new discoveries (the Stone Brewing venue). Whether you're doing a weekend out here in New Jersey, or something a little more exotic, there are great breweries (plus wineries and distilleries) waiting for you.

Happy New Year Corner

We'd like to wish you a Happy & Healthy New Year, from everyone on the team at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. We work hard to make sure that you have a great place to shop for the best, freshest craft beer, and we appreciate seeing so many familiar faces stopping in every week.

While we have no brand-new craft beer deliveries this week, we do have plenty to discuss. First on the agenda is New Year's Eve. We know that you might enjoy some sparkling wine this Saturday night. Click here for a basic outline of sparkling wine types and a few staff suggestions. With all the college football bowl games coming up, we also suspect there will be pizza on many tables in the coming week. Click here for craft beer and wine pizza pairing suggestions.

Statistics show us that roughly 1000 people visit this blog every Friday, and we're glad that you do. We'd like to crowdsource some additional suggestions. Please use the Comment section below to let us know what your favorite craft beers were in 2016. We know that some of the allocated items aren't currently available, but maybe you can help someone find a new favorite from the year-round portfolio of Ballast Point, Lagunitas, River Horse, Stone, Weyerbacher, or any one of our other fine craft brewers.

Our distributors and the local brewers who self-distribute will continue to surprise us, so please ask a member of the beer team if you're looking for something that we might have to hide in the back. We hear that the Maine Beer Company might be a little more aggressive about deliveries in 2017, so we're hopeful on that.

Thank you for continuing to read our blog, and thank you for shopping with us at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge.

Welcome to Sparkling Wine Week

Not as dramatic as Shark Week, but we think that Champagne Sparkling Wine Week is much more delicious. With New Year's Eve just a few days away, we thought we'd offer some thoughts on the bubbly. How about some basic definitions to start?

Champagne is a specific type of sparkling wine, made a certain way, from specific grapes, in the Champagne region of France. There are still a few products that use the name "California Champagne" (like Korbel), to prevent any possible confusion.

Cremant is the name associated with sparkling wines from other regions of France, such as Alsace or the Loire. We have a nice selection of these sparkling wines, which are typically at a very affordable price.

Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine. Principally made from the Glera grape, from northeastern Italy.

Asti/Asti Spumante/Spumante are essentially interchangeable categories of sweet sparkling wines from Italy. Verdi and Martini & Rossi fit here.

Cava is Spanish sparkling wine, from Catalonia. Cava can be rose or white, and is made from indigenous grapes like the macabeu.

Domestic Sparkling Wine. Many of our domestic producers (Gruet, Mumm Napa, Schramsburg and others) do make their sparkling wine in "Methode Traditionelle," which mimics the way Champagne is made (secondary fermentation in bottle, etc.). There are a number of Champagne producers, such as Mumm, Roederer and Tattinger, who product Methode Traditionelle sparkling wines in California, in the $20 range.

With that brief outline, here are some sparkling wines that we think will rule this New Year's Eve. Or any time you want some bubbly.

Vollereaux Brut Champagne. "Rich and refined, with layers of pear pastry, black cherry, hazelnut, lemon cream, honey and floral notes. A spicy thread of minerality winds through this wine, as does the precise and seamlessly integrated acidity." - Wine Spectator, 92 points.

This is a very recent addition, and we have a limited supply. Only $28.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Isabelle Brut Classique. Lawrenceville Senior Wine Manager Brandon Bartfalvi's review: "A deliciously tempting sparkling wine from New Mexico. This full-bodied sparkler offer flavors green apple and pear with a bit of toastiness on the finish. Dry, crisp and refreshing!"

Isabelle is made in the traditional Champagne style. One of our Preferred Selection wines, Isabelle is available for only $16.97 in the  Bottle Club®.

Fioretti Prosecco. A classic prosecco showing a light and refreshing palate filled with apple and pear flavors and a hint of floral notes. The persistent bubbles are refreshing and delicate ending in a clean finish.

Please check our Bottle Club® email this week, as we'll have special offers on other sparkling wines in this lead-up to New Year's Eve.

It's The Last Minute

If you haven't started your holiday shopping yet, you either are very busy, or have nerves of steel. Maybe there are other options, but we're still going to tell you that it's time to get that list checked off. We still have quite a few choices in gift sets and other items that are holiday-appropriate, but some are running out. Here, we'll take a look at some new products, and some holiday specials, so you have even more options.

Bellissima Brut Prosecco, from Christie Brinkley, is now in stock-just in time for gifting or enjoying.

Given Christie Brinkley's commitment to creating and preserving beauty-in herself, in others, and in the natural world—it's no surprise that her line of 100% organic Prosecco and sparkling wines are imbued with her Bellissima spirit. As she says, "Dream big Bellissima dreams, and may they all come true!"
Brut is the driest (i.e. least sugary) version of Prosecco, and ours is aromatic and elegant, with delicate scents of green apple and freshly baked bread.

Uncorked at the very last minute, Bellissima Brut is fabulous to sip alongside seafood, particularly shellfish, sushi, and sashimi.

Made from 100% organic Glera grapes.

Acqua Della Vigna Pinot Grigio. Did we mention holiday specials? if you're having a party or other gathering, grab a case of this at under $5/bottle, priced in the Bottle Club®.

This refreshing Italian Pinot Grigio is one of the best values in the store!  Bright citrus fruit and subtle peach and pineapple flow seamlessly from nose to palate.  Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, grab a case of this to have on hand to enjoy with poultry dishes, seafood scampi, or fresh summer salads.  At this price, you just can't go wrong!

Robert Mondavi Private Selection Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon. Did you miss out on this spectacular wine earlier this year? Don't miss it again. It's due to arrive Wednesday or Thursday, and we'll have a very limited supply.

It’s about 2,500 miles from Kentucky Bourbon country to our Coastal California vineyards. But one sip will tell you, it’s one long-distance relationship that was always meant to be.

SEE: Deep cherry red
SMELL: Toasty vanilla, brown sugar
TASTE: Black cherry, blackberry
PAIR: Bourbon glazed grilled ribs, charcuterie board

Beelgara Estate Shiraz 2015. The Brolga (Grus rubicunda) formerly known as the "native companion", represents our Beelbangera origins with our proud Australian heritage.Originally situated in the village of Beelbangera, the place name derived from the local Aboriginal word meaning "native companion", the Beelgara Winery has a history that dates back over 80 years.

This Shiraz has generous plum fruit aromas enhanced with a hint of cracked pepper and sweet French oak. This full bodied wine is well balanced with sweet plum and elegant soft tannins on the finish. Enjoy with richer foods such as roast beef or mushroom risotto.