DOWNEAST Winter Blend Cider

I must preface this post by saying I have never been a big fan of hard cider...until... I tried Downeast Winter Blend Cider. It had everything I wanted and more in a 4 pack: fresh-pressed apples, natural ingredients and cinnamon spices! Not to mention it is made in Boston and I always enjoy a local product. 

Downeast cider sets itself apart from other cider houses by pressing fresh local apples and by using ale yeast instead of white wine or champagne yeast. The result is a refreshing taste and great unfiltered color. 

As I mentioned before I almost never drink hard ciders, but my craft salesman assured me that this winter blend was worth a try. This seasonal apple cider is fermented with ale yeast then aged on toasted oak chips, cinnamon bark and nutmeg. The all spice flavoring is what I truly enjoyed smelling and sipping on with the turkey I made for dinner. A 6.5% alcohol ABV gave this gluten free beverage an extra kick perfect for chilly nights. 

Have you tried Downeast cider yet? Have a great weekend!    

Bully Boy Hub Punch

 Today's post is inspired by a recent in-store tasting with Bully Boy Distillers. My store has been supporters of Bully Boy's craft spirits since its 2010 launch and are very proud of their success. My town is neighbors to where Will and Dave Willis', creators of Bully Boy, story begins. Their family owned a farm in Sherborn, MA which was home to a secret vault/speakeasy of local spirits during Prohibition. The vault was rediscovered about 70 years later and became the inspiration for Boston's first craft distillery. Their focus is on hand-crafted, premium spirits produced in small batches. The product line up includes Vodka, Boston Rum (aged), White Rum, White Whiskey and American Straight Whiskey. 

The latest Bully Boy creation brings consumers back to the early 1800s with the release of Hub Punch. This rum based product, infused with fruits and botanicals, was a popular drink many Bostonians consumed until Prohibition hit the city. Bully Boy has revived this classic libation for new generations of Bostonian drinkers to enjoy! 

In terms of specific tasting notes, this spirit starts off as Bully Boy's aged Boston Rum then is stepped with orange peel, lemon peel, raspberry as well as other botanticals and herbs. This part of the recipe is not disclosed. The end result is a fruit forward rum designed to mix well with both dry and sweet mixers. Aside from using soda water, ginger ale, iced tea or lemonade, I have included some suggested recipes below to try!  

The Hub Punch

1.5oz Hub Punch

3oz ginger ale

3oz Soda Water

Squeeze and garnish with a lemon wedge

The Sagamore

Muddle ten mint leaves

Add ice

1.5oz Hub Punch

3 oz lemonade

3 oz soda water

Optional: two dashes Angostura bitters

Have a great day!  

Meiomi Pinot Noir

The holidays are here and I must apologize for not staying on the ball with blogging. I have not quite figured out how to juggle blogging and the busy holiday season at work so please bear with me! 

Smooth. Fruit-forward. Delicious. My hands down favorite Pinot Noir under $25 that I love to put in my customers hands is none other than Meiomi. This Pinot from the Wagner Family of Wines delivers intense fruit flavor and a velvety smooth finish. It is a blend of grapes sourced from Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Monterey, which are all regions known for quality Pinot Noir production. 

When I first tried Meiomi it was still under the Belle Glos label, which makes unbelievable Pinot Noir! It's major success has paved the way for its own line with an extension of a new grape: Chardonnay. Everything that the Wagner Family creates always makes the top of my wine wish lists (i.e. Caymus Mer Soleil, Conundrum and Belle Glos). 

The new 2013 vintage continues to deliver a fruit-forward style made for easy drinking. I slightly prefer the 2012 vintage as the new vintage is quite ripe. With that being said I suggest you decant this wine and let the air open it up. It can be enjoyed without food or with a wide array of food. Meiomi pours a rich garnet color and delivers wonderful cherry, ripe berries and vanilla notes. These aromas carry though on the palate and compliment the rich, smooth texture. Its fresh fruit flavors and sweet oak on the finish allow for this wine to age further, yet is mature enough to open for dinner tonight! 

If you do not believe me how great this wine is, then you can trust the experts. Meiomi was awarded the prestigious 2014 Market Watch Wine Leaders Choice Award for “Wine Brand of the Year.” Have you tried Meiomi Pinot Noir yet? Have a great day!

Happy Veterans Day!

I wanted to take a time out from the usual review today and wish all of the men and women of the armed services, past and present, a Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to keep this nation safe! 

On this day, as well as Memorial Day, I think of my grandfather, Vincent Palumbo. Not only did he start the business that is now my career, he was a WWII veteran. He has always been an inspiration in my life and always love sharing his story whenever I can. 

On June 3, 1943 in Big Spring, Texas my grandfather, 22 years old, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Air Corps. As a bombardier with the Eight Air Force and part of the 306th Bombardment Group, my grandfather risked his life for our country in WWII. While on his B-17, nicknamed the “flying fortress,” I am proud to say that he accomplished 32 combat bombing missions over Germany and German occupied countries. My grandfather would often share stories with me about the war and his time as a bombardier, but I will always remember the diagrams that he would draw me when he would explain the flight formation and how the bombs were dropped. I loved when he did this because I was so proud of his position as the bomber on the lead plane. Wherever my grandfather dropped his bombs is where the rest of the bombardiers would drop their bombs. He had to be incredibly accurate and on target for all 26 missions as a bombardier in the lead planes and he was. My grandfather earned the rank of Captain and was awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross. 

Make sure to thank both past and active duty men and women for their service today! 

Luxury Italian Wines at the Liquid Art House

A couple weeks ago I had a rare opportunity to taste truly wonderful wines at the Liquid Art House in Boston. I dragged my best friend out with me at 10:00 at night (a late night wine tasting...a first for me!) to swirl and sip fine Italian wines. The location for the tasting added a great vibe to the event. If you are looking for an interesting restaurant, this would be the place to go. This unique gallery-restaurant concept showcases pieces from local, emerging and established artists for your viewing/eating pleasure.      

One of the wines that I was looking forward to tasting was Luce, which the distributor above proudly showed off. Luce is a Montalcino, which is a blend of nearly equal parts Merlot and Sangiovese. It is unique because it was the first wine created in Montalcino by combining these two grapes. The Merlot lends its softness while the Sangiovese grape provides structure and elegance. Luce displays delicate notes of wild berry fruit including black cherry, blackberry and black currant. Notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg also linger on the nose. The palate is elegant and soft with silky tannins, great structure and a touch of mint on the finish. It is completely sold out in Massachusetts but the 2012 vintage is set to be released late-Spring 2015!    

While I had many favorites...not difficult to do when all the wines score over 90 points and are $$$...my budget friendly choice was the Montesodi Chianti Rufina from Marchesi De' Frescobaldi. It is 100% Sangiovese grapes hailing from Tuscany. The Frescobaldi family has been making wine for more than 700 years. Their wine-making philosophy is that each of their nine estates operates independently with the goal of making wine that best represents the site of its origin. 

From the Castello di Nipozzano estate, Montesodi is produced from grapes grown in the Montesodi vineyard, which is regarded as the finest on the Tenuta for growing Sangiovese. It's wine profile was described by the man pouring as velvety, supple and well-balanced. On the nose I detected notes of blueberry, black berry and raspberry fruits. Also some violet floral notes with a spiciness from black pepper. The finish is long and elegant dominated by licorice undertones. A great buy if you are looking for a Chianti for a special occasion! 

Have a great weekend! 

Sweet Basil Birthday Celebrations

Ready to dive into this tasty meal!

Mike cutting into his ribeye steak.

Pesto spread, fresh bread, homemade pottery and a cozy atmosphere are all things that make up one of my favorite dinner spots. Mike and I celebrated his birthday at this Italian eatery, Sweet Basil, in Needham. It is a first come, first serve no reservation situation, but a small wait is completely worth it! I always leave happy and pleasantly full, which usually means a doggie bag for lunch the next day. 

We ordered the calamari fritti with a spicy tomato sauce for an appetizer. Mike chose the ribeye steak with spiced onion rings, roasted cauliflower and bleu cheese-horseradish aioli on top. He graciously gave me some to try and wow! The onion rings melted in my mouth. I went with the sauteed veal cutlets with mushrooms and figs in a port wine sauce and side of handmade pesto pasta. Everything was so delicious! 

Now for my absolute favorite part of Sweet Basil, you can bring your own wine!! For a $5 corkage fee you can skip the high mark-up prices and bring your favorite bottle. This means the sky is the limit for me and I wanted to bring something special in honor of Mike's birthday. I chose a bottle of Faust Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2007. 

Across the board the 2007 vintage was considered nearly perfect for cabernet sauvignon, especially from the Napa Valley region. After aging in the bottle, Faust poured balanced and elegant. The red fruits were dark and complex yet so silky and smooth. It is still big bodied and full with some smoke and spice on the nose along with the red fruits. The tannins are well integrated with the oak and the finish is long. Overall, a wonderful bottle accompanied by delicious food and even better reason to celebrate!  

Two Roads Roadsmary's Baby Pumpkin Ale

 

Happy Halloween! I saved my last pumpkin beer to review in honor of the holiday. I still hold Southern Tier's Pumking as my all time favorite pumpkin seasonal, but I wanted to try out a new pumpkin ale from Two Roads Brewing.

I did a post a while back on Two Roads Brewery located in Stratford, Connecticut. Ever since then I have been excited to try their pumpkin ale cleverly titled Roadsmary's Baby. The packing immediately enticed me with its Halloween colors and its pumpkin inspired baby carriage. The name and the carriage of course playing homage to the 1968 movie Rosemary's Baby starring Mai Farrow. 

The main reason behind my excitement for Two Road's pumpkin seasonal is due to the unique brewing process. The beer is aged in Caribbean rum barrels and is made from REAL pumpkin, vanilla beans and spices. 

It pours a clear, dark copper with a small head. Aromas of pumpkin are the first thing to hit my nose. What really drew me in was the vanilla, cinnamon, spice and sweet molasses notes. I do have a sweet tooth so I enjoyed the sweet caramel and brown sugar flavors that accompany the mild pumpkin taste. Coming in at 6.8% alcohol there is some heat present and a mild rum flavor. The finish is my favorite part with a strong vanilla presence that lingers. 

I only question the length of age in the rum barrel, because a tad more rum flavor would have been nice. Otherwise, I enjoyed this interesting take on a pumpkin ale. Just the right amount of sweetness, pumpkin and spices for it to all come together nicely!