Nomadic Tropical Trip

Abomination Brewing Company
Tropical Fog
Tropical Edition
Milkshake Style DIPA with Pineapple, Coconut & Milk Sugar
8.6% ABV
Brewed at Twelve Percent Beer Project
New Haven, CT
Co-founders and nomadic brewers: Joe Feldman and Josh Arno

Hazy golden orange murky tropical punch with a active white head, The scents full on hit you as soon as you pop the can. It’s a super cool tropical punch just like the can says…pineapple, coconut, creamy, and a bit hoppy. First sip and damn that is active and is really something. As before there’s pineapples, coconuts, punchy and mellow at same time. Also tangerine, singed orange peels, and a little bitter herby hoppity hop. This should be served out of a coconut with a little umbrella, and don’t forget your sunhat and shades.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Pulls forward the coconut and makes it more bitter, so I have to give it a thumbs down and don’t pair.

So Abomination Brewing, is a nomadic brewery and they love hooking up with like minds and working across the beer community. During our pandemic world, they had to come up with a way to create a social distance collaboration brew with a DDH DIPA, and have a slew of breweries that are joining them and putting their own spin on it too. So check out these on IG: @saintsrowbrewing @KinsmenBrewing @hoofheartedbrewing @henorthbrewery @breakerbrewing @rotundabrewingcompany @evergrainbeer @pilgerruhbrewing @ten7brewingco @frontporchbrewing @tatteredflagbrewery @icarusbrewing @bolerosnort @lost_tavern_brewing I think this is a great way to bring people together even though we are still so far apart. So crack a can and raise a glass to Abomination, their creativity, and their beautiful beers.

@abominationbrewingco @BeerBoutiqueInc @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro @abomination_josh @hkarlphoto @cheezits #beer #DIPA #IPA #wine #winestagram #cheezit #instawine @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #beerlife #beermonster #milkshake #SocDisBeer #NewHaven #CT #tropicalfog

A Good Slow Burn

Wandering Barman
FOMO
Sling made with vodka
20% ABV
Ridgewood, NY
Mixmasters/founders: Julian Mohamed, Roxane Mollicchi, and Darren Grenia

This is one dark oro cocktail. So many scents! There’s turmeric, hot pepper, pineapple, sweetness like sugar cane (if you grew up in the south you know what I mean, and chewing it fresh), a little apples, maybe coriander. It’s an inviting tropical encounter. Shaking it around in the ice and then kicking a little back and there’s a turmeric/pineapple hot and sweet/sour mix. The hot pepper lingering in the back grows and grows and slow burns and then keeps firing back. Oh, here comes one more…a very light candied apple. This is just so deliciously fragrant, and I could totally use this recipe to soak chicken in before slow cooking. Yeah, this is going to be a repeat order for me.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: cough makes the heat explode cough cough…water please

This is my second from Wandering Barman, and I’m impressed. Like I said in my previous post, I had questioned cocktails in bottles. So used to sitting at the bar, and having them mixed by people I knew at my local, which I miss. Well, FOMO is a great stunt double at home, the only thing you’re missing out on is the conversation. I think it’s time to pull out the fancy glasses, Skype a few friends, and have a virtual happy hour. Cheers!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @wanderingbarman @cheezits #cheezit #wine #cocktails #cocktailsofinstagram #spirits #bitters #vodka #worldbyglass @worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #fomo #ridgewood #Brooklyn #newyork #wanderingbarman

Sometimes It Was Always Meant To Be

Pray Tell
Red Blend 2018
Willamette Valley, McMinnville, Oregon
Pinot Noir 60%, Gamay 40%
Organic and biodynamic
Winemakers: Tom Caruso and Jess Arnold

Shiny ruby glass with purple pops. Breathing in wondrous roses and spring meadow flowers. singed orange peel, cherries and full on ripe plums. First sip and smooth baby smooth. There’s plums, dried mission fig, tart and sweet cherries, something creamy….maybe a smidge of vanilla, cherry cola, and earthy goodness to give that oomph. I am so glad I waited till now to open. It’s such a special treat. As a child I would dream of a dark chocolate fudge, but now this is a much better prize than that.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: richer…deeper…delicious

Sometimes life has its path already drawn out. Loving the story of Tom and Jess and how it all fell into place. According to their site, Tom was plunked into it as a kid due to his Philly winemaking Grandpa. So endearing that he still has their old equipment (small hand crank destemmer and basket press). He tried to leave it behind by book editing in NYC, but as it seems he got called back in and went to wine school and met the woman that would end up by his side today, Jess Arnold. She already had a lot of wine knowledge from CA and NY, and with both of their backgrounds and passing their exams, it was inevitable that they would head out to find their wine future. From what I’m reading they ended up back in CA and finally settling in Willamette Valley, where they now have Pray Tell, married life, and a pug. Sounds like a pretty sweet story of living the dream to me, and I wish them the best on their future vintages.

@vinewinenyc @praytellwines @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #redwine #cheezit #organic #natural #biodynamic #gamay #McMinnville #Portland #Oregon

A Town in an Organic Bottle

Celler Batea
Sense 2019
100% Garnatxa Negre
Batea, Terra Alta, Spain
Organic, vegan, unfined, unfiltered, and native yeasts
Winemaker: Judith Folch

A glass of deep cheerful ruby. First sniff and there’s cherries and plums. Next is cinnamon/cloves and as it warms some honeysuckles, magnolias but delicately hiding in the background, and vanilla. It’s dreamy! Oh here’s juicy cherries, plums, raspberries and blueberries just dancing on my tongue along with a hint of super dark chocolate. There’s also a bit of anise. Wrap me in velvet. As much as I’d like to say a Snuggie, this is more refined and deserves a royal robe, some slippers, and a roaring fireplace.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Doesn’t change except makes all deeper

I got quite a surprise when I started looking into Celler Batea. It wasn’t a family run winery, but a co-op and a town that has a long history. This tale goes back as far as the Phoenicians and their trade route, but truly was sparked later in the 1950s. Wine was becoming more and more important financially, so winemakers/farmers bonded together…101 of them! I can only imagine how at first it must of been like herding cats. Eventually they got Celler Batea, up and running while still tending their own vines, and by 1961 were rewarded with their first vintage. Now there are 208 in the bunch and 250 hectares, and all of them take great care to keep it organic. That must be such hard work but shows such a pride and love of Terra Alta and its produce. Celler Batea has continued to listen to voices of change and in 2019 had their first wines with no added sulfites, in their Sense Blanca and Garnatxa Negre. And as I can attest, the Negre rocked my world, but you don’t have to take my word, they ended up with two gold medals: Gilbert & Gaillard, 2019 and Catalan Wine and Cava Contest, Girovi 2020, and I won’t be surprised if there are more to come.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @cellerbatea @steephillwine @antosicurezza  @cheezits #wine @worldbyglass #redwine #cheezit #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #GarnatxaNegre #Batea #TerraAlta #Spain

It’s Alive!

Domaine Didon
Bourgogne Rouge 2019
Pinot Noir
Chassey-le-Camp, Côte Chalonnaise, France
Biodynamic, whole bunch fermentation, and vineyard is worked by horse and hand
Winemakers and owners: Naïma and David Didon

Bright shimmering purple with garnet sparks. Breathing in cherries, blueberries, a little smoke, a blend of rosemary, savory, and tarragon. Also leather motorcycle chaps. I used to have the best pair, and wonder where they are today. Would they fit? Yes. Would it work in my new world…hmmmm…maybe. Back to tasting the wine and there’s sweet berries, blueberries, strawberries, tingly tart cherry with a little burn that mellows and again tarragon and rosemary for a moment at the end. It’s just a burst of flavor that’s light and fragrant and so very alive. It seems like a call to Spring and giving a finger to Punxsutawney Phil.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: bouncy juicy fruit

David Didon’s biodynamic tale starts with a simple class in school when he knew he was interested in organic farming. All it takes is a little spark like that and look at him and his wife Naïma now. They have their own little historic plot after buying a farm in  Chassey-le-Camp in Côte Chalonnaise. Now there were twists and turns on that road. Working on varying farms, learning from mentors, David declining military life by being a conscientious objector, working and learning more in the organic/bio wine world, and eventually making his way to Beaune and his future wife. Their little 2 ha lieu-dit, is fully biodynamic and no tractors allowed. This is a horse and hand operation, just like the days of old. Cellar keeps to “hands off” as much as possible and NO added sulphur, which I dearly love. Stay true to the land, stay true to the fruit and stay true to life!

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @domainedidon @jeffreyalpertselections @cheezits #wine @worldbyglass #redwine #cheezit #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #PinotNoir #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #Bourgogne #Burgandy #cotechalonnaise #France #PunxsutawneyPhil

From Biology to Brews

Brasserie Dieu du Ciel!
Solstice d’Eté
Sour Berliner Weisse brewed with raspberries
Freestyle Series
5.9% ABV
St. Jerome, Quebec, Canada
Co-Founders: Jean-François Gravel and Stephane Ostiguy

A vibrant raspberry-rose pour with light bubbles, and the last pour shows just how unfiltered it is. Inhaling raspberries, strawberries, and a smooth candy. As it opens, more yeasty scents pop. On to that beautiful sip and it’s tingly and awakening. There’s those raspberries again but now sweeTart sour, and a delicious lemon-lime aftertaste. Quite a little fun character living in this bottle.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: yuck! Noooooooooo do not try

Dieu du Ciel! Had humble home brew origins with Jean-François tinkering alongside his studies in Applied Micro-Biology. Next came a research project that brought Stephane Ostiguy into the brewing plans. Time and other people have been in and out of the picture and a business/brewery was built by hand in Montreal. Eventually it came time to expand to the St. Jerome microbrewery. You can grab brews and chews at both spaces, but keep your eye on their site for hours due to well, the situation the world is in. Reading more on their site and am touched that they care about their workers. That is so incredibly important to listen, care, and all work together. Here it is in their own words, “Respect, communication, initiative, and passion are the essential ingredients of our business. Our employees are at the heart of our progress. Starting with our established recipes, it is through collaboration that we manage to constantly innovate and expand to new frontiers.” They even say their team is as unique as their beers, which if you look at their beer list, they must all be pretty darn cool.

@brasseriedieuduciel @BeerBoutiqueNYC @cheezits #beer #ale #sourale #sour #frambroise #wine #winestagram #instawine @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram #montreal #StJerome #Quebec #Canada #dieuduciel

A Young, Bright “Heavenly Sky”

Mother Rock Wines
Force Celéste
Cinsault 2019
W.O. Swartland
Swartland, South Africa
Organic, dry-farmed, native yeasts, unfined and unfiltered
Winemaker: Johan Meyer, AKA “Stompie”

Beautiful stained glass window ruby color. Fragrant roses, magnolias, cherry, and lots of spice still sorting and part of it is cinnamon. Also funk and hay and someone has turned on the wood smoker. Wonder what’s in there cooking. Now onto the taste…tart cherry, fuuuunky natural hay, hay, hay. Orange peel, young plums, skittles – taste the rainbow, black and white pepper, and tingle brightness with dry finish.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: kills the hay

Mother Rock Wines is Johan Meyer’s (Stompie) collaboration with UK importer Ben Henshaw of IndigoWines, and after doing a long search on him, he’s as about as natural as they come…resembling some of the “dudes” I went to college with back in Athens. He now has gotten his hands on his own farm and planting his own vines (hoping for fruit for the 2023 vintage), but this Cinsault came from other reliable organic sources. He also has a penchant for whole bunch pressing or fermenting and native yeasts which explains all that super natural hay. It must be truly exciting for him to now full out own his own land, to work it, and to introduce the first vines to this clean fresh land. Looking forward to following his new venture/adventure and taste his little part of Swartland.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @VineStImports @jhmeyerwines @indigowine_uk @cheezits #pairswithcheezits #wine #cheezit  #redwine @worldbyglass #needmorewine #organic #naturalwine #winestagram #instawine #Cinsault #MotherRockWines #ForceCeléste #Swartland #SouthAfrica

There is Always Resilient Hope

Flat Brim Wines
Not Tragic
Pinot Noir Rosé 2020
Willamette Valley, Portland, Oregon
Sustainably sourced grapes
Winemakers and Owners: Ian and Becky Atkins

A glass of red/orange streaked sunrise. At first I thought buttery and that of all things turns into toffee then chewies (I’ve mentioned before). They’re not blondies, they’re brown sugar goodness that look like light beige brownies. After that there’s cherry/strawberry reduction, scratch of that orange peel, and yeah, smoky Twizzlers. Sipping and these babies have been smoked but in a good way…cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and Lady apples. There’s a creaminess, a little cloves, and a nice last ember.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: I don’t even know how to put it other than everything becomes more. More smoke and sweeter, bolder fruit

You’re experiencing what happened on the west coast. The fires engulfed and destroyed lands, houses, and vineyards. Smoke drifted and traveled and touched many grapes, and out of tragedy came a blossom of hope. Yes, it was smoked but it grew, developed and was nurtured (and boy was this really thought out work) into this bottle. Ian and Becky Atkins took a great chance with these grapes, but as the old adage goes, “ when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Ok, so this is far better than lemonade. Last night after the first glass, I put in an order for a 2nd bottle, and that should say something. Honestly, I would love a case! Hopefully though, the west coast will not see the destruction and devastation again.

@vinewinenyc @flatbrimwines @coeurwineco @cheezits #wine #winestagram #instawine #worldbyglass #needmorewine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #organic #natural #sustainable #pinotnoir #rose #Rosé #FlatBrim #WillametteValley #Portland #Oregon

 

Guided by the Stars

Antica Tenuta Pietramore
Methode Ancestrale
Pét Nat 2019
100% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo
Colli Aprutini IGT
Abruzzo Italy
Organic, biodynamic, hand-harvested, and indigenous yeasts
Winemakers: Maria Pia Leone & Massimiliano Bartolomei

Light straw yellow with seriously active bubbles and some sediment, and the final pour is dark gold orange with crystal sediment. After popping the cap off, wow! Hadn’t even poured it yet. There’s exotic flowers, a whiff of hay/yeast that comes and goes but this is the first glass and later it has drifted away. Next comes pears, honey, lemon zest, salt, and something herby like a pinch of some oregano and rosemary and oddly a hint of cinnamon. Sipping and exciting tingling on my tongue. Those bubbles keep rocking. Again pears, golden apples, Valencia oranges, a good squeeze of lemon, light honey, salt, and a faint Italian herbal shaker mix. There’s also dryness and at end a bit of ginger. Whoof that’s a whole lot, but is such a delicious song when you drink and don’t dissect, it’s just amazing. I really enjoyed Vanita but this is a whole different beast.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: Bring’s on the zest!

Pietramore’s wines have the most beautiful bottles, with a different stone and constellation on each bottle. Andrea Castelletti (art and creative director) took the name of the winery: Pietra – stone and amore – love; then brought in their biodynamic aspects of cultivation and winemaking which I’ve mentioned before, including the pass of the moon, the connection of the earth and sky,…. and is also represented through these ancient constellations. Many constellations have a mythic tale, but Chamaeleon was designated by Dutch navigators who often chose exotic creatures to help them traverse the seas at night. This little lizard combined by the slice of stone on the label holds a little secret too…it glows in the dark! Leave the bottle out in the light for a while, then find the darkest spot in your home, and you’ll get to enjoy this little surprise too.

@docwineshop @docwinebarny @Pietramore @communalbrands @andreacastelletti @cheezits #wine @worldbyglass #cheezit #needmorewine #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #sustainable #biodynamic #organic #vegan #abruzzo #italy #ColliAprutini #trebbiano #PétNat #petnat #Chamaeleon #chameleon #constellation

A Phantom Dance of Life and Death

Nightmare Brewing Company
Colombian Necktie
Gose Ale
Soured on Mangoes, with Lulo, Soursop, and Colombian Lime Zest
7.2% ABV
Brewed & Canned by Dorchester Brewing Co. for Nightmare Brewing
Boston, MA
Founder and Phantom Brewer: Billy Powell

Very deep orange/deep gold with a small head, dancing bubbles, and some light sediment has settled the bottom. Scents of exotic mangoes, pineapple, and limes. This is a beautiful tropical drink! Transports me to a warm island, and would be wonderful with fish grilled on the beach under the stars. Glassful of mangoes, lime, strawberries, pineapples, rhubarb, kiwis and the bubbles make it so elegant. What a crazy description for a Gose named, “Colombian Necktie”. Although, after doing a little poking around, I did find this beer is influenced by Champús that has ties to funeral rituals in South America, which would explain the “necktie”. It was/is a form of tortuous death used to send a message and sometimes would be done post mortem, and appears to have started in Colombia during their La Violencia, civil war (1948–1958). Well…death may be the inspiration, but this goes is full of life.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: brings out the lime

2019 was a smashing year for Nightmare Brewing (Farmingdale, NY). They were named Best New Brewer in NY, Best New Brewer in US, and 2nd Best New Brewer Worldwide, and they keep cranking out the hits. All inspired by horrific history, mythology, torture, and of course death. What else would you expect though from Death Metal brews…cute puppies and unicorns? Oh, definitely not, just check out their labels (collaborations with metal artists) that leap off the shelf at you. This can has a concept sketch by Billy Powell after a break with his original artist this past summer, and is the last label that he calls, “sketched like a toddler”, because he’s found wonderful new artists after a post on IG. Bravo for the move, Mr. Powell!

@NightmareBrewing @BeerBoutiqueInc @DorchesterBrewingCompany @twelve.percent.beer.project @twelve.percent.nyc.metro  @hkarlphoto @cheezits #beer #Gose #sour #wine #winestagram #instawine #cheezit @worldbyglass #pairswithcheezits #craftbeer #beerstagram #beersofinstagram