New for Memorial Day

We'll preview several new products today-a little something for everyone. ICYMI, click here for additional staff recommendations for your Memorial Day weekend activities. Please note our holiday weekend hours:

Friday 9am-10pm (regular hours)
Saturday 9am-10pm (regular hours)
Sunday 9am-7pm (regular hours)
Monday 9am-6pm (holiday hours)
These hours apply to both our Lawrenceville and Woodbridge locations.

New Products

New Amsterdam Apple Vodka. The story behind our premium vodka and gin isn't a history. It's a story that celebrates what's next. It's not about where you've been as long as you make an entrance.

We craft spirits for the places that move fast and don't look back. The places where the city is celebrated.

Available in 750ML and 1.75L sizes.

Sean Minor Four Bears Chardonnay. Golden straw color with aromas of apricot, apple and honeydew, with subtle notes of butter. On the entry, tropical fruit notes with green apple flavors are framed by nice acidity

which integrates well with the medium body mouth feel. A portion of the wine went through malolactic fermentation, which softens the wine and provides a perfect balance.

This had been exclusive to our Woodbridge store, but we've had so many requests for this that we are now stocking it in Lawrenceville as well. And everybody gets the new, lower Bottle Club® price of only $11.66.

Joel Gott Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2012 Washington blend has aromas of ripe berries, cherry pie, and cola with hints of sweet oak. On the front of the palate rich black currant flavors are followed by a sweet mid-palate with soft tannins and a juicy finish.

To make this well-balanced red wine, we blended Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a small amount of Malbec from the Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope appellations located within Columbia Valley, a sought-after location for red varietals. The wine was aged for 14 months in new and 2-year-old American oak barrels, helping to complement the tannins and soften the mid-palate. Only $12.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Dogfish Head Bière de Provence Saison. Inspired by the fields of Provence in

southern France, Bière de Provence begins with 2-row wheat and rye malts, and Jarrylo hops. A bounty of herbs, including lavender, bay leaf, marjoram and chervil, gives it a floral and spicy nose. With a hazy golden appearance, Bière de Provence is fermented using a Belgian yeast strain lending to a sweet and malty flavor profile. This summer saison has a smooth finish with a flavor that’s just as complex as it is crisp and refreshing. Dogfish Head officially calls this a "Limited Release," so please check with our beer team for availability.

Locations P-4. The concept of Locations is quite simple but ultimately made complex while retaining fun at the core. Simple in that the ethos is to make the best possible wine from a given country or location. The complex is tracking down vineyards that contribute

to the blend while keeping the soul of the wine in place. The fun is traveling around the world and meeting incredible people while tearing down the "rules wall" and making the wine the way Dave Phinney (of Orin Swift fame) wants to.

The inaugural release of Locations Portugal: A blend of Touriga Naçional, Trincadeira, and Touriga Franca sourced primarily from the northern region of Douro, with the remainder coming from the Alentejo region to the south.

The glass opens with a triple layered aroma of savory peppercorn and cocoa, jasmine flowers, and black fruit. The immediate dark chocolate structure provides the canvas on which black cherries, roasted lamb, and exotic spices intermingle. It finishes with the tapering dark chocolate structure and culminates with hints of vanilla. $15.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Nothing Old, Something New

We're really going for plural with "new," but we couldn't keep the wedding theme, so we'll just leave it as an almost mixed metaphor. Today, we'll take a look at some of the newest arrivals at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge. Yesterday's post was the Craft Beer Corner. where we introduced several newly-arrived craft beers. Click here to review that post.

Chateau Puyanche Francs Cotes de Bordeaux Blanc 2014. 90 points from Wine Enthusiast. "This 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon blend has hints of toastiness and spice along with ripe yellow fruits. It is still young, the texture coming together with acidity and spice mixing with the fruitiness. Drink this fragrant wine from the Arbo family's tiny 3.7-acre vineyard from 2016." Only $13.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Platinum 7X Vodka. Distilled seven times for exceptional purity and a smooth, polished finish, Platinum 7X Vodka has raised the bar on what it means to be smooth. This is an American-made vodka (from grain) with a smooth, clean and crisp style. Sip it chilled or enjoy it in a cocktail. Available in 750ml and 1.75L sizes.

Bodegas El Nido "El Nido" Jumilla 2013. The grapes for this wine are made from 12 Ha -29.65 acres- of Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and 32 Ha -79 acres- of very old Monastrell, with a very low yield. The grapes are harvested with small baskets to prevent bruising. The bunches are brought to triage tables where the best ones are selected. It spends 24 months in French and American new oak barrels where it gets a very typical complexity.

Glass-staining purple. Explosive, alluring scents of blueberry, boysenberry, pipe tobacco, licorice and vanilla bean. Lush and broad but juicy and firmly built, with suave candied dark fruit flavors accented by sexy floral and Asian spice qualities. Finishes broad, juicy and impressively long, with echoing boysenberry and spice notes.The blend is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell.

Food pairings: Rice, pasta, (noodles, spaghetti, macaroni), vegetables, mushroom, stewed meat, sausage, pork, roast meat, red and/or white meat with sauces, grilled meat, short or medium cheeses. Only 4 bottles available per store. $106.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Epic Brewing Sour Apple Saison. Sweet, yet dry and tart, apples spiced with coriander, grains of paradise, anise, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger. There is no wrong way to enjoy this Saison Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale! Serve in a pint or tulip glass. Pair with savory and fatty meats, salads, and tart desserts. Limited availability, in 22oz bottles.

Find Them Fast

Your blogger likes to offer reminders about the limited availability of many of the items that we carry. With vintage wines, every one eventually runs out. Craft beer, especially seasonal offerings, are severely time-limited. Without even worrying about how the angel's share robs us of aged spirits, there's only so much room available to most distillers who age their products. As we've also recently seen with Bourbon and Scotch, unexpected increases in demand also cut into available supplies. That's all to reinforce the point that if you see something you'd like to get, you should act quickly.

And most of the products we'll discuss today have limited availability.

Prairie Organic Vodka. Attention to detail is a big reason why we make Prairie Organic Vodka the way we do. We take the time to handcraft its naturally smooth taste, so you can take the time to enjoy drinking it. Prairie’s single vintage organic corn is distilled to taste, not a prescribed number of times. That’s because climate, soil, and moisture levels give each small batch its own unique character. We're also carrying Prairie Cucumber Vodka. In Lawrenceville only.

Codice Red Rioja. We also include returning products under the "limited" umbrella. For example, we're about to accept delivery on a shipment of the Codice Rioja, and we haven't carried the wine in about 2 years.

"Aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and then moved into French and American oak barrels for another six months): Bright violet color. Black and blue fruit aromas are lifted by a peppery nuance and a hint of fresh flowers. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering juicy boysenberry and mocha flavors and a bracing kick of spiciness. Finishes silky and precise, with lingering spiciness and smooth tannins. An off-the-charts value." - 90 points, Vinuous Media.

COMING SOON! Actually, the sale date is a little under a month away, but New Jersey is finally getting New Belgium's Fat Tire Ale.

Named in honor of New Belgium's co-founder's bike trip through Europe, Fat Tire Amber

Ale marked a turning point in the young electrical engineer's home brewing. Belgian beers use a far broader palette of ingredients (fruits, spices, esoteric yeast strains) than German or English styles. Together with co-founder Kim Jordan, they traveled around sampling their homebrews to the public. Fat Tire won fans with its sense of balance: toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness. Fat Tire: Pairs well with people.

The nose is sweet biscuity and caramel malts, with subtle notes of fresh fennel and green apple. On the palate, toasty malt, gentle sweetness, and a flash of fresh hop bitterness. The malt and hops are perfectly balanced. 5.2% ABV, 22 IBU's. Look for a mid-March roll-out, and more information about Fat Tire will be posted in the coming weeks.

Resonance Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton District Résonance Vineyard 2013. "Light and focused, showing distinctive subtlety. A layer of crinkly tannins underlies a pulsing core of mineral-accented cherry and red berry flavors, hinting at cinnamon as the finish lingers gently. Best from 2017 through 2023." - 93 points, Wine Spectator. Extremely limited availability.

The Resonance Vineyard Pinot Noir showcases Maison Louis Jadot’s longstanding tradition of making terroir driven wines from the best vineyards. Although clearly new-world, Resonance has old-world Burgundian influences that are seen throughout the wine. Pairs well with grilled or roasted red meats, game, and poultry.

MYX Moscato. MYX Fusions revolutionized the wine industry by leveraging the explosive popularity of Moscato and improving on the experience of drinking it, becoming the fastest

growing wine beverage in America.

MYX Fusions Moscato is an all natural and refreshingly carbonated fruit infused Moscato. The seductive taste of Moscato Wine is enriched with hints of apricot, vanilla and honey. Natural fruit juices and effervescent bubbles refresh the palette and leave with a sweet and subtle finish. We're also carrying the Moscato & Coconut, as well as the Moscato & Peach. Woodbridge only.

A Clear Classic

The ultimate expression of a luxury vodka is the classic martini, garnished with three olives. That bred America's fastest growing super-premium vodka brand - Three Olives® Vodka.

Flavors came along in 2001, three years after the launch, creating a cult-like following of fans around the country. With nearly two dozen bold and intense flavors, there are endless cocktail possibilities. And while other vodkas are all about their serious side and exclusivity, Three Olives® guarantees to deliver an experience that helps you and your friends celebrate the best, most fun and exciting times of your lives.

Three Olives® Vodka is nut free, lactose free, vegan, and has been processed to remove gluten.

Our current special offer is on the Three Olives® Classic Vodka. The Bottle Club® Price for the 750ML size is only $16.88.

And since Three Olives® Classic Vodka is so mixable, we'll offer a couple of cocktail recipes.

 The Surfer's Sunrise

2 parts Three Olives Vodka
2 parts orange juice
2 parts pineapple juice
Splash of grenadine

Mix first three ingredients in a glass filled with ice. Add a splash of grenadine.
                                
Garnish with a cherry .

Laid Back Lemonade

2 parts Three Olives Classic Vodka
1 part orange juice
1/2 part fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Mix all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake and serve on the rocks. Garnish with an orange slice.

What To Watch For

With the Memorial Day holiday, it was a slow week for new wine and spirits items. Here's a quick look at what's just arrived, or will arrive shortly.

Belvedere Mango Passion

Tropical fruit is a natural for the summer, and Belvedere Mango timed its arrival perfectly. Not even white sandy beaches say summer like Belvedere Mango Passion. This guilt-free creation is made with real fruit and contains no artificial flavor or added sugar of any kind. Belvedere's unparalleled maceration process of soaking mango, passion fruit, tangerine, mandarins and lime directly into the vodka, has created the ideal summertime beverage.  Perfect with tonic or ginger ale and a slice of lime.

Hints of mango, supported by notes of ripe passion fruit and a zest of mandarin is sure to please the most finicky of noses. Tropical fruit bursts onto the palate, as snaps of mango and zesty lime battle for your attention. Luscious fruit notes, tempered by soft tangerine and a hint of sweet spice, lead to a lingering finish of juicy mango and aromatic passion fruit with a refreshing lime lift. Available in the 750ML size for only $33.99.

It might not be Mixology Monday, but here's a great recipe for the Belvedere Mango Passion. I think it just became 5 o'clock here!

Poolside Passion Pitcher

6 oz Belvedere Mango Passion

Top with fresh pressed lemonade

Combine ingredients with ice in a large pitcher and serve with slices of fresh mango. Serves 4-6.

Cameron Hughes Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Lot 395

If you're grilling salmon or chicken this summer, and that covers most everyone, you'll need a Pinot Noir. Look for Cameron Hughes Lot 395, a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, as the perfect partner for those grilled meals. 

Inviting aromas of fresh raspberry, cherry and cola spice swirl around a dark earth core of forest floor, black fruits, and wet stone. Beautifully aromatic and intense. On the palate, a juicy texture is supported by dark fruits and cherry spice along with well-integrated French oak. Terrific structure is perfectly balanced by broad sweeping tannins. No need to decant - just pop and pour!

When you can find an outstanding Pinot Noir for under $20, grab it. Lot 395 is available for only $16.96 in the Bottle Club®.

Midweek News

Here's a quick whip-around look at some of our newest products:

Bruichladdich Islay Barley Rockside Farm 2007

Bruichladdich has some of the most interesting whiskys on the market now.

The wild west Atlantic-facing coast gave birth to this third release in Bruichladdich's uber-provenance Islay Barley series.

Harvested in 2006 and distilled in 2007, the grain for this iconic whisky was grown for Bruichladdich in the Minister’s Field at Rockside Farm by Mark and Rohaise French.

A painfully slow distillation to gently coax the delicate oils and flavor compounds from the barley, coupled with casks carefully selected to preserve those flavors, has resulted in a whisky of exceptional complexity.

Bruichladdich believes terroir matters. Distinctive, authentic and unique, this is land and dram united. 50% ABV.

The texture is rich and robust with the maltiness of the barley very much at the fore. There is a natural innocence and purity to this spirit that brings an unbelievable depth and complexity to the palate. For a spirit so young it is outstanding.

The oak has been waiting patiently and now it cradles all of the aromatics. This malt is in so perfect a place at this time that one cannot ever recall such a pleasurable taste experience. The flavors of this Island detonate across the palate. Made and matured by the ocean by real artisans, working with Victorian equipment. It’s the start of a journey that few have ever dreamed about and now it’s possible to walk with this young Ileach as he challenges the shaman and their marketing myths.

Available at $60.99.

Cherry Pie Cherry Tart Pinot Noir

While walking through a new vineyard for his now famous Cherry Pie Single-Vineyard Pinot Noir, Winemaker Jayson Woodbridge was struck with a new concept: applying his “micro fermentation” technique used on Cherry Pie to three vineyards, in order to create a “Multi-Single-Vineyard blend”. Utilizing the unique taste and flavor profiles of three single vineyards, combined with the artisan micro winemaking approach of its namesake Cherry Pie, small individual lots are micro fermented in puncheon barrels. The result: Cherry Tart redefines artisan Pinot Noir.

Cherry Tart Pinot Noir exhibits notes reminiscent of cherry pie, plums, cranberries and a hint of wild strawberries. This beautifully rich, pure Pinot Noir offers abundant aromas of cloves, sweet apple skins and Rainier cherries. Full bodied, a rich texture with fresh flavors of Bing cherry and red plum lead to a long finish. Vanilla oak and lively acidity round it out and leave you wanting more.


Only $17.49 in the Bottle Club®.

Two New SVEDKA Flavors!

SVEDKA Strawberry Lemonade is a contemporary twist on the wistful, classic lemonade drink. Infused with aromatic, ripe berries, the blend boasts notes of juicy lemon pulp with a crisp, refreshing finish. Just in time for the warmer weather that will arrive any time now. 

SVEDKA Mango Pineapple retains a tropical island aroma, as the infused vodka is mingled with warm, tangy notes that produce a bold entry of juicy, sweet pineapple and succulent mangoes trailed by layers of a sweet tropical fruit bouquet.

Each new flavor comes in the 750ML size, and is priced at $12.99.

La Tancia Chianti 2011

Your new everyday red. From the heart of Chianti, at a site where they've been making wine for 250 years.

The wine has a ruby red color tending to garnet with aging. Intensely vinous with violet profumoda, has a dry, fruity, harmonious and slightly tannic feel, which over time will be soft and velvety. 95% Sangiovese and 5% Canaiolo.

Only $9.96 in the Bottle Club®.


When you're next in Joe Canal's, please take a moment to find these great new items, and enjoy them at home.

Please Allow Me To Introduce...

It's been a busy week back at the receiving dock. Let's unpack some of our newest products that are ready for you to enjoy.

In stock now, in both Lawrenceville and Woodbridge, is Beluga Noble Vodka (Beluga Gold should arrive within the next day or two). The Gold and Noble are available in very limited quantities, so act fast.

Beluga Noble was first produced in 2002, and its refined, rich taste is due to the malt spirit and pure water from Siberian artesianal wells. That helps smooth the taste. The vodka is triple filtered and aged for 30 days, softening the aromas and flavors.

Beluga Gold is made similarly, but is filtered five times. The packaging is also upgraded, with a wax seal, and a hammer/brush combo to clean the wax. Beluga Gold has been routinely special-ordered, and it's sure to sell out.

Over in the wine aisles, look for Chateau Jean Faux Bordeaux Superieur. Just outside the appellation limits of Castillon, this property is located on fairly steep slopes protected by pine trees. The 25 year old vines are planted on clay and limestone plateaus. The 2010 vintage is a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc.

"This is quite ripe, with almost flashy plum, raspberry and boysenberry flavors, but they stay focused and driven, with mouthwatering anise and apple wood notes that cut through the middle and extend the long, fleshy, polished finish. A latent minerality chimes in at the very end, boding well for the future. Drink now through 2020." - Wine Spectator 92 points. With a regular price of $26.99, the Chateau Jean Faux Bordeaux Superieur is only $23.99 in the Bottle Club®.

Looking at brown spirits, arriving soon will be Jim Beam® Single Barrel Bourbon, the Pride of the Rackhouse.

For those who take their bourbon a bit more seriously, there’s Jim Beam® Single Barrel.

The master distillers carefully select each barrel by hand—less than one percent are chosen for Jim Beam® Single Barrel—ensuring the highest quality and craft. No two barrels are the same, and each is individually bottled, labeled and hand-numbered so that its heritage is unquestionable.

Every glass is full-bodied and smooth, with attributes of oak, vanilla and caramel. Sip it neat or savor it on the rocks. After all, it’s some of the very best bourbon that the Beam family has ever produced. Only $33.99 in the Bottle Club®.

You can collect it, or drink it, or both: Three Olives® Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Flavored Vodka. It's an incredible blend of imported English vodka and the natural taste of fresh coconut water. The one-liter bottle is priced at $19.99 in the Bottle Club®, and it is currently in stock.

Three Olives® Elvis Presley™ Coconut Water Flavored Vodka makes a spectacular base for easy and imaginative cocktails. Grab a few recipes here.

  

 

Olympic Spirits

Image by Benziger Family Winery

With the Olympic Games taking over prime time TV, we thought we'd offer a guide for those who might enjoy an alcoholic beverage with the television coverage.

To stay true to the choices normally associated with the host country, saying "Na zdrovya" (To Your Health) with vodka (think Stoli or Russian Standard) is appropriate. And since the Olympic Games started in ancient Greece, a nice bottle of Greek wine would also be fitting.

The rings are normally blue, black, red, yellow and green, on a white flag, so that at least one color of every nation's flag is included. So to really get into the spirit of the Games, drinks in those same colors are suggested. With an assist from Rachel Ray, here are some recipes:

Blue
Rim the glass with blue sugar
1 1/2 oz. vodka (Stoli or Russian Standard)
3/4 oz. orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec or Cointreau
3/4 oz. cranberry juice
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Combine the vodka, orange liqueur, cranberry juice and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. Makes 1.

Yellow
 Rim the glass with Lemon Jell-o powder
2 oz. vodka (Stoli or Russian Standard)
1 oz. simple syrup
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. Cointreau
Combine the vodka, simple syrup, lemon juice and Cointreau in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. Makes 1.

Black
Rim the glass with black salt

Make a margarita:
1 lime wedge, plus 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
Ice
2 1/4 ounces Camarena  silver tequila
1 1/2 ounces triple sec
3/4 ounce Simple Syrup

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice; add the lime juice, tequila, triple sec and Simple Syrup. Cover; shake vigorously until cold, about 15 seconds. Strain into the salt-rimmed glass and toss in the lime wedge. 

 

Green

Rim the glass with minced fresh mint & sugar 

Make a pineapple mojito (serves 8):

1 bunch fresh mint, stems discarded
2 limes, cut into 8 wedges
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup canned crushed pineapple
1 cup Bacardi Silver Rum
4 cups ice cubes
1 cup club soda

In each of 8 highball glasses, crush together one-eighth of the mint leaves, 2 lime wedges and 1 tbsp. sugar. Stir in 2 tbsp. pineapple juice, 2 tbsp. crushed pineapple and 2 tbsp. rum until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1/2 cup ice cubes and a splash club soda into each glass. 

 

Red

Rim the glass with Old Bay 

3 oz vodka (Stoli or Russian Standard)
1 oz Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz olive brine

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker half-filled with cracked ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with an olive, and serve.

After all that effort, give yourself a Gold Medal and relax!

 

 

Fresh Drink Recipes

We're still in the party season, so we'd like to help boost your "bar appeal" by offering a few additional drink suggestions from our partners.

The Twisted Ginger
by Kate Bennett, Domaine Carneros

Ingredients:

4 oz. of Domaine Carneros Brut Vintage Sparkling Wine
1 oz. of Ginger Beer 
1 sugar cube (raw sugar preferred)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
(Lemon Twist for garnish)

• Place a single sugar cube in base of the sparkling wine flute (minimum 6 oz. capacity).
• Pour chilled Domaine Carneros Sparkling Wine into the sparkling wine flute.
• Pour lemon juice into the sparkling wine.
• Float Ginger Beer on top of the Sparkling Wine/lemon mixture.
• Place tightly twisted lemon twist across the top of the flute, as a garnish.

Since we've been seeing recipes for the Moscow Mule everywhere, we checked with Tito's Vodka for their take on this cocktail classic:

Tito’s Kickin’ Mule

• 1 1/2 oz. Tito’s vodka
• 1/2oz. Freshly squeezed lime
• 3oz. Ginger beer
• Lime wedge for garnish
  
  Serve in a mug or Collins glass

These Fireball Whisky recipes allow us to combine two of our favorites!

Hot Cherry

1 part Fireball Whisky
1 part Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Shake the ingredients, pour over ice into a rocks glass.
Garnish with a lemon slice

Because, Fireball, here's another:

The Man-Mosa
3 oz Brut Champagne
1.5 oz Fireball Whisky
Orange Juice

Pour the chilled champagne into a flute glass (6 oz capacity), add Fireball, top off with OJ. Because guys just can't order a Mimosa. 

Please drink responsibly!

Something Different in the Vodka Section

You might think that vodka is maxed out, with so many variations of so many vodkas. A new arrival to the shelves at Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge shows that the category has more room to grow.

Joe Canal's has a limited supply of Soyombo, a Super Premium vodka from Mongolia.

Soyombo is made from native organic wheat and pure spring water, distilled six times, and filtered for five days over charcoal, quartz, diamonds and silver. It's made in small batches to maintain quality and consistency. The regular price for a 750ml bottle is $27.99, but it's currently in the Bottle Club for only $24.99.

What does a Mongolian vodka taste like? There's an elegant, medium-bodied mouth feel, creaminess that soon opens up with growing creamy anise, accompanied by light-medium sweetness, and a hint of underlying dryness, followed by a hint of luscious citrus with bread notes slowly emerging. Becomes slightly fuller on the palate while retaining elegance. In a word: delicious! And it won a 2012 World Spirits Gold Medal.

How about a Soyombo Royal Mongolian, served in a 12 oz Highball glass? Here's the recipe:
2 parts Soyombo Super Premium Mongolian Vodka
1 teaspoon of Cynar OR 3 dashes Angostura bitters
1/2 part Aperol
1/2 part Maraschino cherry liqueur
top with tonic water
Garnish with a lemon wedge
Rub a slice of orange peel on the rim of, and over, the glass
(please note that all of the ingredients, except for the fruit, are available at Joe Canal's)

More drink recipes are available on the Soyombo web site.

Spirits for the Season

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel to Kentucky and Tennessee, as part of a company trip. In addition to the great distilleries that we visited (documented in earlier BottleBlog posts), we had some time to explore Nashville.

Fans of the American Pickers TV show may know about their retail location in Nashville. We waited in line for about 15 minutes before we could finally get in the store. The store is located in Marathon Village, a former auto manufacturing facility that's been rehabbed into modern stores and offices.

Prior to the trip, I'd done a little research and found a craft distillery located in that very same building. I'd arranged for a tour of Corsair Artisan Distillery, which we took shortly after leaving the Pickers store. Early in the tour, we got to see their Pre-Prohibition still:

Here, Distillery Ambassador Will Atkinson explained how the still survived Prohibition (it was shipped to Canada), and how it had to be modified (the column had to be bent) to accommodate the historical building where it's currently at work.

Craft whiskey is a hot category, and Corsair is one of the hottest distillers, with a broad range of products beyond whiskey. At Joe Canal's in Lawrenceville and Woodbridge, you can find their Gin, Unaged Rye, Triple Smoke Whiskey, and Vanilla Bean Vodka. We were able to sample a number of their products during our visit, including their (pink!) absinthe:

My favorite was the Triple Smoke Whiskey. It does resemble an Islay whisky, with a twist. They use malted barley, but only 1/3 is dried by peat. Another 1/3 is dried with Cherry wood, and the final 1/3 is dried with Beechwood, making this an incredibly complex, uniquely American whiskey. That's me with a bottle of the Triple Smoke, in their barrel room:

At the time of our trip, Corsair's products weren't available in New Jersey. Thankfully, soon after we returned, Corsair signed on with a local distributor, allowing us to share this great discovery with you. Look for the Corsair Artisan Distillery products on our shelves on your next visit.