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Beer and The Blues at Newburyport Brewing Co

Beer and the blues go together like face masks and hand sanitizer. So, when my band, Bees Deluxe, was invited to play outdoors, on a socially-distanced stage at the Newburyport Brewing Company, we jumped at the chance. Especially since, along with being paid, the brewery promised us free beer and a six-pack to take home.

Chris Webb, owner of NPBC gave us a choice of dates. We picked the earliest one, betting on sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures. Good thing we are musicians and not professional gamblers because when we pulled into the parking lot at the brewery, the sky was steely gray and Weather.com said it was 45 degrees in Newburyport. 

“No one is going to come to sit in the cold, drink beer and listen to us, “ I grumbled as I positioned the tip bucket at  front of the stage.

I was wrong. People started filling in seats at the well-spaced picnic tables. The brewery staff pulled out propane heaters and fired them up. People wrapped up in blankets. And people drank beer. Anchor Pizza’s truck pulled up and slices of gooey, hot pizza were passed around. 

The crowd was great. They left their blanket cocoons and got up to dance. They bought CDs. They wore their masks!  They tipped! We made new friends, saw a few familiar faces, and, after the first set, decided to sample some beer.

I’ve been a big fan of the NPBC’s Greenhead IPA— it’s my go-to where ever it’s on tap. Hoppy and bright, without being too grapefruity, Greenhead delivers a delightful bite.  Plus I like the name.  So, I was delighted to discover that they carry it, and several other NPBC brews, at Mystic Wine Shoppe. And, fresh from the tap, just feet from where it’s brewed,  the Greenhead didn’t disappoint. Sitting under the heater, with the fragments blowing in the breeze behind me, I felt almost transported to a summer day on Plum Island. Almost. Paul, the drummer, and bass-player, Aldo, both chose the hazy Plum Island Belgian White. 

The Belgian White has hints of coriander and citrus. It won a Bronze medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup. The guys concurred that it was award-worthy. Our lead man, Conrad, went with the Joppa Grande Stout. A hardy coffee stout that pours dark with a tan head,  it impressed even our resident Brit.

It was hard for us to put down the beers, go back on stage and pick up our guitars and harmonicas, but the crowd was ready for more music and we aim to please.

We played for two more hours and were surprised that most everyone there stayed for the entire show. Maybe they were grateful for the rare chance to hear live music or maybe… it was the beer.  

You don’t have to travel all the way to Newburyport or brave the cold to sample their beer or hear great acid blues, you can pick up Newburyport Brewing Company beers at Mystic Wine Shoppe — including my favorite, NPBC’s Greenhead IPA and for music to go with the beer, check out www.beesdeluxe.com.

Thanks for reading!

Carol, your MWS beer & wine enthusiast

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Cocktail of The Month: Bloody Mary

With the holidays coming up and everyone spending more time at home with less travel, we thought a bloody mary recipe was just what everyone needed! No?!

There are so many variations you can make of a bloody mary, but making sure you have the right flavor and toppings are crucial to getting it just right!

We made a variation of this recipe and loved it –

Bloody Mary Mix: For 6 ppl

  • 1 48 ounce can of tomato juice or about 6 cups
  • 3 tablespoons prepared creamy hot horseradish
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons celery salt
  • 3 teaspoons garlic salt
  • Tabasco sauce (to taste)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Titos Vodka

Make it: Mix all ingredients together and add 2-ounces of vodka per drink

Garnish: We used olives, bacon, celery, and pickles to make this more than a drink but a tasty snack!

 

Let us know what your go-to Bloody Mary Recipe is?

Thanks for reading, Mystic Wine Shoppe

 

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WHO DO YOU INVITE TO A HOT DOG DINNER? ANGELS & COWBOYS.

These days, I try to find any opportunity to feel normal. So when a day of working at home, washing my hand, and sitting in Zoom meetings gave way to an unseasonably warm evening and an invitation to eat hotdogs with friends, I jumped at the chance.


Good friends don’t have to impress each other. Good friends don’t need a formal invitation or fancy food. They can get together at the last-minute and make hotdogs for dinner. Because with good friends, it’s not about what’s on the table, it’s about who’s around the table. It’s the company and the conversation that matters. Of course, the wine matters, too.

That’s why, when I hung up the phone, I grabbed a pack of Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs and a couple of bottles of my new favorite red wine: Angels & Cowboys Proprietary Red, 2018, walked over, and settled into my friend’s backyard.


As the hot dogs came off the grill, I opened both bottles, poured (into disposable plastic) glasses for my friends, slipped off my mask, and took a sip.

From Sonoma Valley, Angels & Cowboys Proprietary Red is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Verdot, Sangiovese, Petite Sirah, and Malbec. Founded in 2014, Angels & Cowboys is a collaboration between Yoav Gilat, founder of Cannonball Wines, and Michael Schwab, a graphic designer from Northern California. Maybe that’s why the label is so simple and appealing. Out of the bottle, the wine is a beautiful deep garnet color and tastes like autumn in a glass. I sniffed, I sipped, and immediately detected a tangle of berry and plum flavor with spicy notes of cardamom and mineral creating earthy robustness that I welcomed after a summer of drinking chilled whites, rosés, and fruity pinot noirs.


This was my first taste of the 2018 Angels & Cowboys Proprietary Red. Since that evening, I’ve shared bottles with friends from the neighborhood and beyond and enjoyed I’ve it at home with my family and with the presidential candidates during the debate. It’s my new house wine and because it’s less than $20 a bottle, I can afford to drink it with a roast of lamb, as the winemaker suggests, or pair it with hotdogs. It goes perfectly with both.

By Carol Band, our Wine Connoisseur

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