February 2018 – Mystic Wine Shoppe

Brewery Spotlight: Jack’s Abby

The uniqueness of Jack’s Abby has always been strongly linked with the story of lager brewing. Jack’s Abby brews lagers, and only lagers. Born in the high alps of Bavaria over 200 years ago, lagers became a beloved brew all across Europe. Lagers feature a distinctive smoothness and fullness that no other beer has, and we think everyone deserves.

Jack’s Abby was founded in 2011 by three brothers, Jack, Eric and Sam Hendler. Together, they have made this brewery a widely popular place of the craft brewing scene in the Northeast and nationwide. Their mission is to create truly distinctive lagers featuring locally grown ingredients, traditional German brewing standards, and American innovation.

Their product line consists of Core Lagers, Seasonal, Specialty Seasonal, Limited Specialty and currently available. This month we’re highlighting their core lagers, but the possibilities are endless.

Core Lagers:

Hoponius Union- India Pale Lager: Their India style Pale Lager is like a traditional IPA but with a twist – it’s fermented cold and aged for extended periods. A blend of classic American hops creates a huge tropical fruit and citrusy hop aroma. A dry finish accentuates the pleasant bitterness and hop profile.
Smoke & Dagger- Black Lager: The use of a small percentage of traditional Beechwood smoked malt adds complexity and balances the liberal use of chocolate malt. Notes of roasted grains, beechwood smoke and coffee accompany a full bodied and sweet chocolatey malt character.
House Lager- Bier: This Lager is sweet and golden with a full malty body that comes from using a traditional German malt variety. A special beer for year-round enjoyment
Calyptra- Session IPL: This hoppy lager is brewed with two intense and aromatic hops, Calypso and Citra. It’s an easy drinking brew that balances dominating fruity, citrusy, and tropical aromas with a sessionable malt body.
Excess IPL- India Pale Lager: Various methods of hopping throughout the brewing and lagering process maximize the aromas. With bold hop aromatics and flavors, this India Pale Lager is packed to the brim with intense hop goodness.
Post Shift- Pilsner: Brewed with Bavarian malt and hops, this everyday Pilsner is bright, crisp and refreshing. We think it’s the perfect way to end the work day. Clock out, post-up and enjoy!

Jack’s Abby attends all kinds of events across the northeast. Tap takeovers, beer dinners, tastings, lectures, beer festivals—if there’s beer they’re there. They provide a list of events so that it’s easy for everyone to find them and go have a drink.

Interested in learning more about Jack’s Abby and what they have to offer? Visit their website

February 28, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Weekly Wine Pick: The Chateau de Paraza 2014 Cuvee Speciale

Opening a new bottle of wine is like going on a blind date. Is it worth the time and money? What is it really going to be like? I have an idea about what to expect from the profile – nice label, deep ruby color, French – but what do I really know about this bottle?

Well, put your worries aside, I am the matchmaker you have been searching for! This is the type of wine you have when you come home from a long day, you put on your slippers, grab a nice soft brie or Saint Andre cheese from the frig and collapse on the couch to savor the good things in life. No worries about that blind date going horribly wrong – this wine is totally mellow and easy. You might even ask afterwards, is this too good to be true?

The Chateau de Paraza 2014 Cuvee Speciale is a wine with a long pedigree from one of the warmest parts of France, the Languedoc Wine Region or the more painterly name of Le Midi, where famous artists have flocked for generations. The Chateau de Paraza lands have been planted with grapes and olives since the Roman times. The Chateau itself hosted the civil engineer during the reign of Louis XIV who built the Canal du Midi which links the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean. While it may have run into problems over the last century, it was revived in 2005 as a family-run winery dedicated to high-quality wine that reflects the beauty of the local vineyards.

The wine itself is a brilliant, dark ruby color – with the wonderful spicy and fruity flavors of its blended grapes. 40% Syrah, 40% Grenache and 20% Mourvedre. It has a nose redolent of dark cherries spiced with nutmeg and clove. On the palate, you get a rounded sensation of wild blueberries and black cherries. The tannins are supple, leading to a fresh, fruity finish.

And to top it all off, it is a bargain!

Your wine expert, Seema

February 28, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer

Porter vs. Stout

What is the difference between stouts and porters?

Since the dawn of drinking beer, this question has perplexed many, but the answer is both complex and simple. Porters were first brewed in 18th century London and were made to be a dark, medium bodied, malty beer with lots of hops to balance it out. As the Porter became more popular, brewmasters started to experiment with their recipes making stronger Porters with higher alcohol. So traditionally, Stouts are just stronger Porters. In fact, Stouts used to be called Stout Porters. However, nowadays the answer isn’t as easy.

Many breweries make Porters that are stronger than Stouts and Stouts that are weaker than Porters. The one difference that most brewers still seem to agree on is that Porters are made with malted barley and Stouts are made with unmalted roasted barley giving Stouts that rich coffee flavor. However, brewers also continue to blur the line between these distinctions making Porters with unmalted roasted barley.

So is there a difference between Porters and Stouts? The best way to answer that would be to say kind of and sometimes. Ultimately the only thing that matters is how the beer tastes and the modern beer world is in no short supply of delicious Stouts and Porters. Don’t worry about the silly distinctions and drink up!

February 20, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Spirits

Valentine’s Day Gifts You’ll Love

We know that Valentine’s Day can be a tad bit stressful. From not knowing if flowers, candy, or champagne are the right gift to knowing if you should plan for a night-in or a night-out, there are a lot of decisions to make. We can’t help you with all the details, but we can help you find a great bottle of champagne or sparkling wine to cheers your loved one to. Check out our recommendations (below) that will impress any valentine out there.

We also have great gift baskets for sale too!

Gruet Brut Rosé: A beautiful garnet in color, this Rose NV has a delicate, fine mousse and rich, fruit flavors. This full-bodied sparkler starts with floral and berry aromas which introduce flavors of cherry. raspberry and wild strawberry, finishing delicately with zesty acidity.
Francis Coppola Sofia Blanc de Blancs: Fruity and refreshing, Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a rare blend of Pinot Blanc, Muscat, and Riesling. Mellow flavors of apples and pears are topped by a hint of citrus and honeysuckle. Elegant in character, this wine is lightly textured and vibrant through the finish.
Royal Provence RivaRose: A gorgeous bottle of Provence rosé with a fine and elegant sparkle. The nose offers up a fresh, soft scent of strawberry, raspberry and a little cherry. The mousse is mouth filling and fine. Flavors of red berries and a little spice. Delicious and refreshing.
Flama D’Or brut: Fresh and pleasant. Well balanced, good structure and well integrated carbonic elements. Pleasant aftertaste of medium intensity, where the aromas of nose and mouth are repeated harmoniously.
Li Veli PRIMEROSE: Bright pink with salmon and raspberry reflex; fruity bouquet, with delicate red fruit and flower notes; in the mouth it is balanced, pleasant and full, with a fresh acidity. Fruity aftertaste.

Looking to make Valentine’s Day extra special with a certain little question? Pick-up an extra special bottle to celebrate with –

Cristal Brut: White peach and acacia blossom aromas accent the flavors of poached apple, gingersnap biscuit, pastry cream and spun honey in this harmonious Champagne. The satinlike mousse caresses the palate, while firm, focusing acidity drives the lasting finish. Drink now through 2030.
Dom Perignon: Dom Perignon only creates vintage wines; it is an absolute commitment. Only the best grapes of the most exceptional years are used, making each vintage distinct. It is the perfect embodiment of the Power of Creation – an act of creation that elevates the mind and enlightens the world.

Stop by our Champagne Tasting on Feb. 13th and try a few of these delicious champagnes. Thanks for reading!

February 8, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Monthly Cocktail

Cocktail Of The Month: Sweetheart Cocktail

Valentine’s Day is just next week! What are you treating your sweetie too? We suggest making our special concoction that is SO EASY to mix up, yet has a very special feel to it. We used Flama D’Or Rosé Brut in our drink, as it’s reasonably priced and has notes of dark red fruits on the nose with a beautiful, dry finish. Affordable and delicious =perfection!

Ingredients:

Flama D’Or Rosé Brut
Frozen Cherries
Sugar and honey for the rim

Directions: This one’s an easy one!

Choose a fancy glass
Dip rim of glass into honey and then into sugar (see photos below to see how to do it)
Drop in 3-4 frozen cherries (or berry of your choice)
Poor in Flama D’Or Rosé Brut to the top
Make a glass for you and your sweetie and enjoy!

We wish a lovely Valentine’s Day,

Your friends at Mystic Wine Shoppe

February 6, 2018/by Eric Faiola