New Brews Abound at Lawrenceville!

While the staff at Woodbridge is focusing on their 10th Anniversary Celebration this week, the Beer Department at Lawrenceville is hopping!  Stop by and check out what's new, as well as some returning favorites!  As always, if you're looking for something in particular, give us a call ahead to make sure what you want is still in stock, as many items are limited and sell out quickly.  Here are just a few that our Lawrenceville location has got in stock:

Clown Shoes Whammy Bar IPA
Soulful tunes and good beer touch the best part of us here at Clownh Shoes. Whammy Bar is brewed in a West Coast style, dry hopped with Galaxy, Ella, Mosaic and Columbus hops, then balanced with song from a cast of characters that composes our orchestral team. We encourage those of you who drink this beer to listen to the music that you love most.  7.5% ABV

Great Lakes Nosferatu Imperial Red Ale
Don’t be afraid of things that go hop in the night! Rich roasted malt flavors haunt the shadows of our Imperial Red Ale’s bitter teeth.  Ruby red in color with a toasty malt body lurking beneath a stunning hop bite.  8% ABV

Baxter Stowaway IPA
Baxter’s flagship Stowaway India Pale Ale put Maine on the IPA map in 2011 and there’s been no looking back. Double-dry-hopped with close to 500 pounds of hops per batch, Stowaway’s bitter character is of course enticing for any veteran hop head. BUT, the solid malt backbone makes this beer approachable enough and drinkable enough for any beer drinker to tackle, even with its don’t-mess-with-me 7% ABV.  To top it all off, after a long, full three weeks in the tanks, this full-bodied beer has a dry, crisp finish virtually unheard of in the style category.  It’s no wonder Stowaway is the best-selling Maine Made IPA in the northeast! 6.9% ABV

Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout
Big Bear is a big, black, stout you can really sink your teeth into. The bold, roasty, caramel malt flavor is balanced by Centennial and Cascade hops. 8.1%$ ABV

Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker
We’ve kicked it up a notch by adding a tropical twist to this refreshing ale. Get amped on Passion Fruit Kicker—a jaw-dropping, mouth-watering, smooth brew with sweet, tart, fruity flavor. We layer passion fruit tea and passion fruit juice with wheat malt and 2-row malted barley to bring you this exhilarating crowd pleaser. Your palate will do a 360 for more of this luscious wheat ale. Appearance—Hazy pale yellow with white beer foam. Aroma—Passion fruit pungency and fruit Belgian yeast esters similar to bubblegum. Flavor—Flavor has a prominent sweet tart passion fruit character that mingles with the Belgian fruit bowl esters. Note: This is different than the previous beer under this name which was a higher gravity ipa with brett blended with a wine barrel aged beer. 5.5% ABV

Lagunitas Stoopid Wit
This UNFILTERED Belgian-ish Wit-ly-esque-ish-ness brew features a dry twang of hoppy bitterness and is perfect for the summertime drinking!  6.3% ABV

Bronx Brewing No Resolutions Double IPA
If you are looking for a beer to satisfy your New Year’s resolution, make no mistake - this isn’t it. The brew brings hop aromas and bitterness in a big way - a variety of hops create a spectrum of aromas ranging from citrus, pine, musky, tropical fruit to lemon grass. With a 7.6% ABV and a heavy hop guarantee this is the ideal beer for those who go No Resolution. Cheers!

Our Pumpkin Patch is Growing...

As the temperatures reach record highs this week, our beer delivery trucks are chock full of autumn favorites!  We know it's early, but stock up soon because these go fast!

New products just in:

Dogfish Head Punkin' Ale
A full-bodied brown ale with smooth hints of pumpkin and brown sugar. We brew our Punkin Ale with pumpkin meat, brown sugar and spices. As the season cools, this is the perfect beer to warm up with.  Punkin Ale is named after the seriously off-centered southern Delaware extravaganza Punkin Chunkin. In fact, Punkin Ale made its debut as it claimed first prize in the 1994 Punkin Chunkin Recipe Contest. Yes, that was a full 6 months before we even opened our doors for business!  Punkin Chunkin has grown in size and scale, with pumpkins now being hurled more than 4,000 feet through the air! If you come down to see if for yourself, drop by and visit us.  7% ABV

Southern Tier PumkingAll Hallow's Eve is a time of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent.  It is thought that we harness this magic to brew our powerful pumpkin ale.  Not so, but it is with great respect to the magic of their trade that our brewers produce this fine beer.  Take a whiff of this complex ale and your journey has just begun.  At first sip, a magical spell will bewitch your taste buds, yet another victim enraptured by the Pumking.  8.6% ABV

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin AleEarly American colonists, seeking natural ingredients for brewing ales, turned to pumpkins, which were plentiful, flavorful and nutritious. Blended with barley malt, pumpkins became a commonly used beer ingredient. Post Road Pumpkin Ale brings back this tasty tradition. Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins are blended into the mash of each batch, creating a beer with an orange amber color, warm pumpkin aroma, biscuity malt center, and crisp finish. 5% ABV

River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern Imperial PumpkinAle brewed with pumpkin, molasses, and a variety of hand-crushed, whole spices set up an impressive aroma and well balanced taste.  8.5% ABV

Cinco de Mayo Preview: Cerveza

Since we're about two weeks away from Cinco de Mayo, we thought this was a good time to (briefly) review the history of the holiday, and also review the excellent Mexican products that we have available.

Cinco de Mayo is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.

You already know about Corona and Dos Equis. We do have a number of other Mexican beers in stock.

Modelo Especial is a pilsner-style lager whose original recipe was first brewed in Mexico in 1925, under the vision to create a ‘model’ beer. Modelo Especial is made with filtered water, malted barley, hops, corn and yeast. Modelo Especial is a rich, full-flavored pilsner beer brewed with premium two-row barley malt that gives it a slightly sweet, well-balanced taste with a light hops character and crisp finish.

Negra Modelo has been brewed the same way since 1925. This Munich Dunkel (dark) style is characterized by its liberal use of roasted or toasted malts. The slow roasting of the malts alone makes the brewing process last twice as long as other beers, producing its signature reddish color and hint of sweetness. Negra Modelo is made with filtered water, malted barley, hops, rice and exceptional yeast varieties, which give way to the balanced flavor and remarkably smooth taste you can only find in a Negra Modelo. Hints of caramel sweetness and dark chocolate balance out this smooth, medium bodied beer.

Sol traces its roots to 1810. 300 years of thick Spanish beer. What a nightmare. Until in 1810 a Mexican, maverick priest, Father Hidalgo, put together a rag tag army and ignited the fire of revolution. Fast forward to 1899. Fresh, light, this beer was different. As if a message from deceased Father Hidalgo, a beam of light pierced through a hole in the brewery’s roof, illuminating its golden colour. They named it "El Sol".

Pacifico beer was first introduced to the US through California surfers. Many ventured into Baja Mexico, and tried this local beer in tiny cantinas. Bringing cases back home, these were the first importers of Pacifico. It’s quite light but has a great, crisp flavor that will quench your thirst any time of day, any time of year.

Tecate, the beer con carácter, brings a masculine wit to those everyday situations that call for character. Tastes best ice cold, with a lime and salt if you prefer. Tecate is also great to make your own micheladas.

President's Day Blog

We've all had a brain freeze from ice cream, but this is getting ridiculous. We'll just tough it out-there can't be that much winter left, can there?

Before we move into today's topic, a quick beer note: We are having a special Mid-Winter Tapping at our Woodbridge store this Saturday, February 21. The graphic should give you a nice hint, but please click here for the details.

In honor of President's Day, we wanted to highlight some of our relevant, patriotic, in-stock items.

Yards Ales of the Revolution are modern recreations of recipes brewed by our forefathers. Included in the series are:

General Washington's Tavern Porter. Detailed in a letter from the General to his officers during the war, Washington’s recipe employed molasses to aid fermentation and give rich caramel notes to this robust, roasty ale. The recipe reflected his admiration for Philadelphia-style porters, especially those brewed by Robert Hare (whose original brewery stood just blocks from where Yards is now). This Tavern Porter, inspired by Washington’s, is dark, smooth, and complex with just a hint of dried fruit in the finish.

The porter’s dark malts and molasses help complement rich and roasty flavors. Try with a burger topped with Gruyere and caramelized onions, a large Sunday pot roast, and make sure to save some for any desserts involving chocolate and vanilla.

Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale. This powerful and complex golden ale pays homage to Founding Father and fellow brewer Thomas Jefferson. The Yards Brewmaster, Tom Kehoe, worked closely with Philadelphia’s historic City Tavern to recreate this recipe, employing honey, rye and wheat, just like the beer Jefferson made at Monticello.

Although Jefferson may have preferred to snack on the bounty of vegetables and herbs from his garden in Monticello, you may want to offset this beer’s high potency with something hearty, filling, and dare we say “fatty” like roast duck, pork chops with sage butter, and all types of charcuterie.

Maybe not domestic products, but there's also Presidente beer, from the Dominican Republic. Presidente is a Dominican icon of quality and pride. This leading product of great tradition has maintained a vigorous presence in the local market for almost seventy years and has kept a strong linkage with freshness, entertainment and young adults. Presidente is a Pilsner type beer made from top quality raw materials that definitely makes it the best beer, the real taste.

And we wrap up the international category by noting Presidential Porto, and we carry both the Ruby and Tawny.

Presidential Ruby Porto has a classic deep ruby color. This delicious dessert wine combines youthful fruitiness with a surprisingly soft complex style rarely found in younger Portos.

Presidential Tawny Porto reveals a supple, fruity, style of Tawny. It combines velvety sweet nut and fruit flavors with good balance and a long pleasant finish.

A Celebration

Our Beer Gift Sets make for some of the best sharing opportunities. Today, we're showcasing the Duvel Gift Set, which comes with 4 bottles of their Golden Ale, to share in whatever way the math works for you.

Are you truly passionate about something?  Then you must possess ‘Love-what-you-do-ness.’  Are you willing to take all the time necessary to perfect your passion?  Of course that means you demonstrate ‘Wait-wait-wait-ness.’  Dedicated to absolute craftsmanship without compromise, no matter what?  Then your approach certainly reflects a ‘Devils-in-the-details-ness’ attitude.

Everyone is a master of something in their world and Duvel is keen to celebrate the one-of-a-kind nature and achievements of its fans and lovers – be they achievements or talents grand or small.  Whether you are a beloved bubble-blower or a perfected potato-peeler you’ve achieved mastery in the same fashion Duvel has – with a passion, commitment and dedication to be the absolute best at something.  Our masterfulness is beer. What is yours? Share your #Masterfulness on Twitter!

Many years ago, Duvel boldly went where no other brewers had gone before. We invented our own category of Golden Ale. It takes confidence to stand out from the crowd. So thanks for doing you own thing by drinking our own thing.

If you've ever done something in a hurry, you know it often ends in disappointment. So here's to an unhurried pour.

The Duvel Gift Set includes four bottles of Golden Ale, along with an Art Series Glass. $13.99. While supplies last.

Thirsty Thursday Brew Review

This week's beer deliveries were mostly about re-stocking the existing labels. We did, however, receive one new arrival beer newly returned to the US: Lion Stout, from Sri Lanka.

The dark caramel, large dense headed brew, with its 8.8% alcoholic content, is unique due to its sweet notes of chocolate and coffee interspersed into a foundation of dark roasted barley. Symbolic black to denote leadership, power, focus and strength, is dominant in the labeling as the lion journeys in the twilight unafraid, unbowed and unchallenged.

To celebrate the return of Lion Stout, we're also offering a $1.00 off coupon. Click here for the coupon page on our website. (Although that's the Lawrenceville page, the coupon will work in Woodbridge as well). The coupon expires at the close of business on Monday, September 8, so act quickly!


In Lawrenceville, the Craft Beer Keg Blowout Sale is still on. With the NFL regular season starting tonight, you can have a kick-off of your own with one of these great brews. Click here for the list of what's available.

As we move to the calendar start of Autumn (September 22), we're noticing that our Autumn Seasonal beers are finding their way into more shopping carts, so get them before they're gone. To see what's available in Lawrenceville, click here. For Woodbridge, click here.

 Cheers!

Beer Season, No Reason

In other messages and postings, we've noted that the beer calendar doesn't align with the regular calendar. And while enjoying a spring seasonal during a February snowstorm is an excellent foreshadowing device, we've heard that some of us just don't want the summer to end.

The best answer is to grab your Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers now, and hold them until the weather really turns. Some of us (blogger looks into the mirror here) don't have that kind of will-power, so we'll just enjoy the new seasonal brews now.

This is a brief list of the Fall seasonal brews that are currently available both in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Seasonal offerings are typically produced in limited quantities, so we suggest calling to confirm that we still have what you're looking for before taking a special trip.

Brooklyn Oktoberfest

Curious Traveler Jacko

DuClaw 31 Pumpkin Ale

Fegley's Devious Imperial Pumpkin

Harpoon Octoberfest

Long Trail Pumpkin Ale

River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern

Sam Adams Fall Variety Pack

Sam Adams Oktoberfest

Shiner Oktoberfest

Southern Tier Pumking

Southern Tier Warlock

Terrapin Pumpkin Fest

Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin

Each store will also have other Fall Seasonal brews that are not listed here, so come on in and see what's new.

New Brew Preview

Here's a quick look at what's scheduled for delivery to Joe Canal's this week.

Yards PYNK

"Yards PYNK is a beer like no other. We add 3,300 pounds of sour and sweet cherries and raspberries to each batch, resulting in a tart berry ale that’s effervescent and pleasantly pink in color. Delighting the palate, this light-bodied brew finishes refreshingly dry. We are proud to donate $1 from every case sold to breast cancer research and awareness. So when you drink PYNK, you are helping us do more good. Cheers to that! 5.5% ABV."

Pair with fresh cheese or panna cotta.

Better still, use the coupon posted on our website for an additional discount on your purchase of Yards PYNK. At our website, select the Customer Service tab, then select Weekly Coupons. We usually offer three new beer coupons every Tuesday, and one more comes out every Thursday via Twitter, so follow us!

Green Flash Road Warrior™ 

"Our Imperial Rye IPA is brewed in the name of our Road Warriors—the sales team who tirelessly hit the streets, traveling from town to town and pub to pub sharing the Green Flash experience. Road Warrior™ charges full flavor forward. Columbus and Mosaic hops, rich crystal and spicy rye malts pave the way for Mosaic and Amarillo dry-hopping to boldly shine through in the finish. Raise a glass to those who never settle!"

9.0% ABV, 80 IBU's.

Pumpkin Beer!

Woodbridge will release their stock of pumpkin beer on Sunday, August 10, as part of the Beer Camp celebration. Click here for details. Among other brews, look for...

River Horse Hipp-O-Lantern: Imperial Pumpkin Ale

A festive Ale brewed with pumpkin and molasses.  A variety of hand-crushed, whole spices set up an impressive aroma and well balanced taste.  8.5 ABV, Available August - October.

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Schlafly Pumpkin Ale blends the spices of the harvest with full-bodied sweetness for a beer that tastes like pumpkin pie. Pounds of pumpkin form a malty foundation that supports the fall flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.

While pumpkin beers were produced in the early days of the American colonies, they were different from the pumpkin beers brewed today.  Colonists used pumpkin and squash as the fermenting medium, since malted barley was scarce.  Once malt became more readily available, it replaced these alternatives to grain.  In the 1990’s, American craft brewers reintroduced the style to the delight of pumpkin beer drinkers.

8.0% ABV, 16 IBU's.

Please note that many of our beers are allocated, or otherwise available in limited quantities. Please call to confirm availability of any beer or ale.

The New Brew View

We'll take a look at some of the beer, ale and malt beverages that have just arrived, or are about to arrive, in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Generally speaking, these are available in limited quantities. If you see something you like, call first to confirm availability, then go grab it!

For you seasonal beer lovers, here's your notice that pumpkin beers are due in any day now.

Allagash Fluxus

Fluxus is a beer brewed every year to commemorate the anniversary of the first beer sold by Allagash in July 1995. The name Fluxus is Latin for continuous change, something we all seem to find ourselves in. Every year, Fluxus is brewed with a different recipe, giving our brewers a chance to push the limits of beer.

Allagash Fluxus is brewed to help fund a scholarship set up for pediatric nurses at The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital at Maine Medical Center.

Maine Beer Co. Mo

This is Maine Beer's first run at an American Pale Ale.  Flavors and aromas of zesty citrus, passionfruit, and pine present themselves throughout. A very subtle malt sweetness for balance, but this is intended to finish dry. 6.0 ABV.

Stone Unapologetic IPA

A collaboration between Julian Shrago Brewmaster & Co-owner, Beachwood BBQ, Jamil Zainasheff Chief Heretic & Brewmaster, Heretic Brewing Co. and Mitch Steele Brewmaster, Stone Brewing Co.

Tasting Notes, by Brewmaster Mitch Steele

Appearance: Pours golden with a creamy white head.

Aroma: Intensely aromatic with stone fruit, white wine and berries driving most of the hop character. Lots of yeast esters, a touch of alcohol, and a nice malt backbone follow after the hop aromatics.

Taste: Fruity, strong melon, tropical, and hints of citrus with a balanced malt character.

Palate: Dry and very bitter. Just the way we like it!

Overall: When Jamil, Julian and I first started discussing this beer, I don’t think we even considered brewing anything other than a double IPA. So the question became: “How do we make this beer unique and something that reflects all of our approaches to brewing this wonderful beer style?” Julian suggested first wort hopping with Chinook and using a four-way blend of hops in the whirlpool and dry hop. Jamil suggested the malt bill, which includes the use of biscuit malt, something I’ve never used before in an IPA. As a result, the beer has a great blend of fruit flavors and an intense bitterness coming from the hops, which the three of us love.

Glutenberg IPA

The Glutenberg IPA brings hops, flavor and gluten-free brewing to a whole new level. The IPA has everything to become a fan favorite: an aromatic nose full of citrus, lemon and floral notes, a crisp and sharp mouthfeel paired with light caramel and hoppy flavors. A flavorful, very flavorful quencher.

6% ABV, 44 IBU's. Pair this with ceviche or carrot cake.

Celebrate the Suds

Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge stocks New Jersey's best collection of craft beers. From the highly allocated to the widely distributed, we take pride in our offerings, which we back up with an extremely knowledgeable staff. Whether it's bottles, cans or Growlers, Joe Canal's can't be beat for selection, price, and customer service.

From time to time, we'll draw your attention to beer festivals that are within a reasonable distance of our stores. After all, if you sample something at a festival that you like, we think it's important that you be able to find that brew at one (or both) of our stores.

You'll have to cross the border into Pennsylvania for this first event, which is happening this weekend. The Great Allentown Brew Works Cask Festival will include some of our favorites, like Fegley's, Flying Fish, Neshaminy Creek, and Weyerbacher. You'll be able to sample from nearly three dozen craft and/or cask creations.

On the first weekend of April, beer lovers will have the opportunity to Do AC, with the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival. This year is the 9th anniversary of the festival, which hosts three separate four-hour sessions.

About four dozen different sponsors (food and products) will participate, along with well over 100 breweries. Local favorites like Clown Shoes, River Horse and Sly Fox are scheduled to participate, along with national-level breweries like Abita, Anchor, and Kona. The international brewing community is represented by Harp, St. Bernardus and Unibroue, among so many others.

Closer to home, and by that we mean "in our stores", we have our weekly specialty Growler tappings, as well as some additional tastings. We do a specialty tapping at 5pm every Friday in Lawrenceville, and 6pm every Friday in Woodbridge. For the month of March, our featured brewery at both stores is the DuClaw Brewing Company.

In Lawrenceville, we'll have a tasting of Shiner Ruby Redbird and White Wing on Thursday, March 27, from 6-8pm. We'll offer the same tasting in our Woodbridge store on Thursday, April 3, also from 6-8pm. And on Saturday, April 5, there will be a tasting of Miller Fortune at our Woodbridge store, from 5-6:30pm.

At Joe Canal's, we remain your beer, wine and spirits Superstore.

Weekend Head Start

Since we're at the cusp of the weekend, it's a good time for us to review our Friday-Saturday agenda. That way, when you see the events that you're interested in, the schedule is right here for you. And if your Saturday night includes wine or beer with dinner, you'll be able to stop in and sample. Oh, and don't forget that these tastings are free*!

On Friday, both the Lawrenceville and Woodbridge store will have a wine tasting that runs from 4-6pm. Click here to see the tasting menu for both stores. In Lawrenceville, 3 out of the 4 wines have Bottle Club® prices under $10.00, with the fourth wine priced under $25.00, making them all great choices for any day of the week. One of those sub-$10 wines, the Charles & Charles Red Blend, rated 90 points from Wine Spectator.

In Woodbridge, two of the wines are Bottle Club® priced under $11.00, and another wine is one of the absolute best values in the store (Ridgeline Napa Cabernet Sauvignon).

The action next moves to the Growler station at both stores. At 5pm in Lawrenceville, the final Goose Island specialty tapping of the month will be the Bourbon County Stout. In Woodbridge, the 6pm tapping will be Slumbrew Snow Angel. Both stores will have new featured breweries for March, so keep watching the web site for the important details.

We welcome you back on Saturday, for another round of tastings. Here, Woodbridge goes first, with the wine tasting running from 1-3pm. The tasting menu will be the same on both Friday and Saturday. The scenario, however, is different in Lawrenceville.

The Saturday tasting in Lawrenceville will run from 2-4pm, as usual. The tasting menu, on the other hand, will be completely different, as we welcome 90+ Cellars for a tasting of their wines. 90+ Cellars are known for delivering Saturday night taste for a Tuesday night price. To see the tasting menu, please click here.


Make sure to mark your calendar for our upcoming tastings and events. In addition to our regular Friday/Saturday wine tastings, here's the agenda just for March:

In Lawrenceville:
Friday, March 14, tasting of Punzone Lemoncino and Originale Liqueur
Friday, March 21, tasting of Dad's Hat Whiskey
Thursday, March 27, tasting of Shiner Ruby Redbird & Shiner White Wing

In Woodbridge:
Friday, March 28, tasting of Dad's Hat Whiskey

*As we noted above, these tastings are free; 21 & older, with valid ID, of course.

Wednesday Grab-Bag

Topics have been piling up like the snow has this winter, so I think we need a grab-bag to clear off my car, I mean, my desk.

Scotch Dinner on April 9

This dinner will feature an exceptional meal paired with The Macallan Single Malt (12 year, 15 year and 18 year) and the Famous Grouse. Dinner will be held at Centro Grille in Robbinsville. Space is limited, so call Centro at 609-208-9300 to RSVP. Questions? Ask at Customer Service in Lawrenceville, 609-520-0008.

The Macallan’s curiously small spirit stills are the smallest on Speyside. Their unique size and shape give the spirit maximum contact with the copper, helping to concentrate the ‘new make’ spirit and provide the viscosity and rich, fruity, full-bodied flavors so characteristic of The Macallan. There are fourteen of these curiously small stills, crafted from copper, each holding an initial ‘charge’ of 3,900 liters. These stills are so famous that they have appeared on the back of a Bank of Scotland £10 banknote!

New Products

While we're on the subject of Scotch whisky, we've added the BenRiach 15 year Madeira Finish to our shelves. Matured in the traditional style in American bourbon barrels, this whisky is then finished in Madeira barrels, sourced from the semi-tropical Portuguese island of Madeira, hundreds of miles off the coast of north-west Africa, in the Atlantic Ocean. During this second period of maturation the whisky derives many interesting characteristics specific to the Madeira barrel. The nose offers vanilla and spices with watermelon and peaches, with a rich backdrop of Madeira and oak wood. An avalanche of butterscotch, hazelnuts, peaches and spices, with a rich Madeira finish envelop the palate.

Flavored vodkas are still going strong. In stock now in Lawrenceville, and coming soon to Woodbridge, is the Smirnoff Sorbet® Light Pineapple Coconut. This is a full-flavored, sorbet-inspired vodka with natural fruit flavor, containing juicy, ripe pineapple and creamy toasted coconut notes.  It offers sophisticated fun with only 78 calories per 1.5 fl. oz.

Try this cocktail recipe: Weekend in the Tropics

1.5 oz Smirnoff Sorbet Light® Pineapple Coconut
1.5 oz pineapple juice
1.5 oz mango juice

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the above ingredients. Stir, then garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Tastings and Other Stuff

We understand that warmer weather will get here eventually. When that happens, you'll enjoy a clean, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, either with a light meal or on its own. Our distributor is discontinuing Omaka Springs Sauvignon Blanc, and we just made a big buy on this wine. At only $10.98 in the Bottle Club®, Omaka Springs will please your wallet and palate. Omaka Springs Estate Sauvignon Blanc shows the best that Marlborough has to offer.  This wine displays a burst of tropical fruits - guava, passion fruit, and a hint of ripe melon, complimented by a vibrant acidity, herbaceous tomato stalk notes and nuances of green capsicum.  The careful addition of a small amount of Semillon lends good structure and adds to the texture and length.

Both stores will have a tasting of Shiner Ruby Redbird & Shiner White Wing. The tasting will first land in Lawrenceville on Thursday, March 27, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Next will be Woodbridge, on Thursday, April 3, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The tastings will be at the Growler station.

Ruby Redbird is their summer seasonal, brewed with tart Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit and a "kick" of Ginger. White Wing is a year-round Belgian white, brewed with authentic Belgian yeast, along with hints of coriander and orange peel.

Our final tasting note is a Woodbridge-only event. On Saturday, April 5, from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, we'll pour samples of Miller Fortune.

You first notice Miller Fortune's distinctive malty aromas, backed with subtle citrus notes. The taste is nicely balanced, with hoppy tones and a restrained sweetness that matches its light body. The crisp, clean finish is in keeping with the 6.9% ABV.

We hope you'll join us for these tastings, as well as our regular weekend wine tastings.

Snow Grumble Grumble Snow

We don't remember moving to Siberia; that's our best explanation for this weather. Can we please trade this mess in for a warm summer day?

So if we're going to get you to come visit us, we'll make the trip worthwhile. In Lawrenceville, we have a free wine tasting today, from 4-6pm. The tasting menu is here. Also today, at 5pm, we're tapping Matilda, from Goose Island, our featured brewery in February, at the Growler station. You can find tasting notes and pricing information here. The scheduled events wrap up on Saturday, with another free wine tasting, from 2-4pm.

At our Woodbridge store, things are similar, but still different. Our free Friday wine tasting also runs from 4-6pm, and the tasting menu is here. At 6pm, while the wine team is cleaning up, our beer team steps up with a double tapping of Slumbrew, our Featured Brewery for February. We'll tap Trekker Tripel and Sittin' On Hop of the World. Tasting notes and pricing information can be found here.

The Saturday wine tasting in Woodbridge is a departure from our routine. The time is different (5-7pm), and the wines will be different than what we're tasting on Friday. We'll offer samples of four different wines from 90+ Cellars. 90+ Cellars offers Saturday night taste at a Tuesday night price. To see the full menu, with pricing information, please go here.

At Joe Canal's, we're committed to offering the best products at the best prices. And having the opportunity to sample products before you buy is one great way for you experience that. Because at Joe Canal's, the Good Times Start Here...For Less!

Greatest Hits

We routinely introduce you to new products. Given that some are available in limited quantities, we think it's important to get that information out as quickly as we can. That being said, we're also going to re-visit some of the items that we currently carry, as a reminder that we have the best variety and value in New Jersey!

With Valentine's Day coming up next Friday, a sparkling wine is a great place to start this review. We know that lots of sparkling wine will be opened on February 14, and we think you ought to start with a Champagne.

L. Aubry Fils Champagne has already established itself as a top seller, and it's a great value as well. This non-vintage Champagne rated 92 points from Wine Advocate, and is only $34.99 in the Bottle Club®. That great price point makes it one of our most affordable true Champagnes. Citrus and mineral notes take the lead with green apple and pear flavors in the background.  A slight ginger note takes hold on the finish.  Aubry has a dry, clean style that has a very attractive green apple juiciness that keeps you coming back for more.

From the Wine Advocate review: "This contains just one-quarter each Chardonnay and Pinot; 45% Meunier; and a mixture of Arbanne, Petit Meslier and Fromenteau (a.k.a. Pinot Gris). Nearly half of it is reserve wine, and more than half of that from a solera going back to 1998. If that sounds like a recipe for delivering complexity, you’re right and won’t be disappointed! Bittersweet perfume suggestive of gentian and iris mingles with intimations of fresh lime and sea breeze that in turn manifest themselves on a seductively silken palate in both juicy, vivacious exuberance and mouthwatering saliva-inducement. A scallop-like sweetly saline and mineral amalgam takes hold in a vibrant finish that leaves me caught between the urge to linger and the urge to take the next sip. This exceptional value by appellation standards is almost sure to prove worth following for several years, even if, sadly, few wine enthusiasts are likely to put that prediction to the test."  

A personal favorite is the Mocali Fossetti Rosso. As an everyday wine, this hits the intersection of quality, value and taste just about perfectly. This is 100% Sangiovese Grosso, the grape used to make Brunello.  This smells like a Brunello and even drinks like one, but the Bottle Club® price of $10.46 can’t be beat.

The 100% Sangiovese Grosso in fermented solely in stainless steel.  This is a deep hearty glass of Tuscan wine with wonderful freshness of fruit.  Made from all Montalcino fruit; it's an incredible value from this zone.  Sangiovese Grosso has thicker skins and smaller berries, yielding a more structured wine with deeper fruits, all that is present here with spiced aromas and dusty tannins.  A wonderful introduction to the wines of Montalcino.

Italian wines are all about Amore, and that's perfect for Valentine's Day.

Of course, the French know about love as well. If you want a very nice red wine for dinner, after the Aubry Champagne aperitif, the Pierre Henri-Morel Côtes du Rhône Villages Signargues is a great choice. Signargues is the furthest South of all the appellations in the

Côtes du Rhône, and consists of four communities.

This also scored 91 points from Wine Spectator, making it another great value at only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®. From their review: "An elegant style, with silky texture and pure, unadorned bitter plum, blood orange and singed alder notes all racing along through the rooibos tea-tinged finish, revealing a buried mineral accent. Drink now through 2016." Our team adds, "Very silky and interesting.  It keeps changing in the glass.  Enjoy with pork, chicken or beef stews."

Our posts haven't given enough love to our beer department, so we want to mention one of our newer beers, Miller Fortune. Chris Spicacci, the Beer Supervisor at our Woodbridge store, just enjoyed a 6-pack and had this to say: "Miller Fortune is a golden lager brewed in part with Cascade hops to give it a citrusy bite and caramel malt to impart an amber hue. The flavor is moderately bitter with hints of sweetness, resting somewhere between a full-flavored craft beer and a light lager. 6.9%ABV."

Miller Fortune is available in 12 ounce bottles, 6- or 12-packs, as well as 24 ounce cans. The 6-packs are priced at $6.99, the 12-packs at $13.49, and the cans are $1.79 each. Miller Fortune is about instigating whatever the night has in store.

We hope that our gentle reminder about Valentine's Day will be helpful. As always, if you have questions, please ask our store staff.

Taste, Win, Taste, Win

We've got a busy weekend for you at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Weekends are for relaxing? Not if we have anything to say about it.

Let's talk about what's happening in our Lawrenceville store first. The busy starts this afternoon at 4pm, with our free wine tastings. Click to see the available selections, which range from the everyday to special occasion wines.

Friday also continues our Big Game specialty Growler tappings. At 5:00pm, we'll tap a keg of Weyerbacher Quad. From the brewery tasting notes: "Big and delicious, QUAD is an elegant dark ale. Rich with complexity and flavor, try savoring it with a fine dinner. You also might enjoy it as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to a dessert, but QUAD stands alone quite well. We recommend enjoying QUAD in a brandy snifter or wineglass so you can drink in the aroma of this fine ale."

And as if that wasn't enough, we also have our raffle drawing tonight at 9:00pm. The prize is this DeSean Jackson autographed Philadelphia Eagles helmet.

His hand-writing might be iffy, but the #10 is perfectly clear.

In Woodbridge, we also have a full agenda. Tonight, we start with our weekly wine tasting, from 4-6pm. Click to see the available selections, which includes the Downton Abbey Blanc.

We also have our regular 5pm Friday night tapping. We're continuing with Founder Brewing as our brewery of the month, and we're tapping a keg of Centennial IPA.

Tonight wraps up in Woodbridge with a raffle drawing, with the prize being an Antonio Cromartie autographed NY Jets football helmet.

No purchase is necessary for any of our Big Game week raffle drawings. The complete list of drawing dates, prizes and Official Rules for Lawrenceville can be found here, and for Woodbridge, here.

That was all just Friday. Wait 'til you hear about the rest of the weekend! We'll keep you updated here, on our Facebook pages, and in our Twitter feeds.

Big Game Big Beer Night in Woodbridge

Beer is an important part of any Big Game event, and we're here to help the craft beer aficionado in the run-up to February 2nd. Our Big Game Big Beer Night in Woodbridge will be January 29, and here are the details.

We are going to raffle off the opportunity to buy some extremely allocated, painfully hard-to-find beers, beginning at 6pm on January 29.  Raffle winners will have the opportunity to purchase one bottle of:

Terrapin Cinnamon Rolled Wake and Bake
Terrapin White Chocolate Moohoo
Fifty Fifty Eclipse  (only 3 bottles to raffle)
Founders Sweet Repute (2 bottles to raffle)
Firestone Velvet Merkin (3 bottles to raffle)
Stone Crime (2 bottles to raffle)
Brooklyn Black Ops (2 bottles to raffle)
Sam Adams Utopias (1 bottle to raffle)

Only one raffle win per person. 

We will also have limited quantities of these beers available for purchase, first come, first served, one bottle per person limit:

Dogfish Head 120 Minute
Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Vintage 2012
Great Divide Old Ruffian Vintage 2012
Dogfish Head Olde School Vintage 2012
Sierra Nevada Narwhal Vintage 2012

No purchase is necessary to participate in the raffle. You must be 21, with valid ID (if requested) to participate in the raffle or to sample any alcoholic beverage. The agenda is subject to change without notice.

Big Game Big Beer Night in Lawrenceville

Beer is an important part of any Big Game event, and we're here to help the craft beer aficionado in the run-up to February 2nd. Our Big Game Big Beer Night in Lawrenceville will be Thursday, January 30, and here are the details.

We are going to raffle off the opportunity to buy some extremely allocated, painfully hard-to-find beers, on January 30.  The program will start at 6pm, and the drawing will begin at 7pm. Raffle winners will have the opportunity to purchase one bottle of:

Terrapin White Chocolate Moohoo

Terrapin Cinnamon Rolled Wake n Bake

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

Goose Island Barleywine

Goose Island Rye

Founders Sweet Repute

Stone Crime

Stone Punishment

Sam Adams Utopias, Vintage 2013 (1 bottle to raffle)

Only one raffle win per person. 

We will also have limited quantities of these beers available for purchase, first come, first served, one bottle per person limit:

Fifty Fifty Eclipse (All barrels)

Firestone Anniversary

No purchase is necessary to participate in the raffle. You must be 21, with valid ID (if requested) to participate in the raffle or to sample any alcoholic beverage. The agenda is subject to change without notice.

The Big Game Big Beer Night is free to attend, but due to space limitations, your RSVP (name and phone number) is requested by January 29. Please email tcarver@joecanals.net or ldaly@joecanals.net to reserve your place.