Category Archives: Other

Three Whites & a Rosé for Easter

Springtime celebrations, Easter being among the first this year, call for sprightly wines that revive our taste buds after a winter of more weighty flavors. In spring, we look for zing and zest, bright fruit and floral aromas to match the young season’s flavors of lamb, fresh greens, ham and fish.

Here are the three white wines, and one of the many rosés we have in store, that are perfect for your Easter and spring celebration tables.

drpaulyDr. Pauly Bergweiler, Dry Riesling, Mosel, Germany
Proof positive that not all rieslings are sweet. Gobs of ripe peach flavors with an unbelievable amount of zingy freshness will make your taste buds sing with glee! The good Dr. pairs really well with ham, lamb and spring-y vegetable side dishes.

joseJosé Pariente, Verdejo, Rueda, Spain
Perhaps the best white wine to come into the store in a long time.  Ethereal and sublime, this falls under a “sensation” rather than a wine.  A slam dunk with ham or anything else that marries salty and sweet.

firesteedFiresteed, Pinot Gris, Rogue Valley, Oregon
Fun and light but expressively zesty with flavors of ripe lemon/lime and fresh melon. Mouthwatering and enticing, this will be right at home with any spring dish, especially first-of-the-season asparagus, ramps & fiddleheads.

rosatoTintero Rosato, Red Blend, Langhe, Italy
A wine that is as fleeting and beautiful as spring flowers.  Bright, tart and lively with zippy acidity & a peek-a-boo raspberry flavor that weaves in and out of a mouth-watering, fresh citrus zing. If that isn’t enough to convince you, it’s also Frizzante — just a touch fizzy! A great picnic wine, and a terrific way to kick off Easter dinner!

Next week we’ll share our picks for the top reds to go with ham, lamb and the glorious springtime weather.

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The Irish Mountain Marma

We loved the Irish Whiskey-based cocktail that Lily created for us last week so much so we asked her to do another.

To complement the whiskey, Lily used a pantry staple – marmalade. The drink is sweet & tart, with wonderful aromatics from rosemary and a slightly bitter finish thanks to the addition of Montenegro amaro. It’s delightful anytime of the year, not just on St. Patty’s Day.

powers_lemon
The Irish Mountain Marma
makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Powers whiskey
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Montenegro
1 tbsp marmalade*
1 small, 1″ sprig of rosemary
1 larger sprig (for garnish)

*For this recipe, orange marmalade was used but lemon grapefruit marmalade is also quite nice.

Place small sprig in shaker, add Montenegro and gently muddle once with a muddler or wooden spoon to release the rosemary flavor.
Add whiskey, lemon, and marmalade.
Fill shaker with ice and shake until frost forms on the outside of the tin.
Double-strain into a tumbler, garnish with remaining sprig of rosemary and ice.

Enjoy!

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9 Great Irish Whiskeys, Part One

Last week we gave you the who, what, where, when and hows of Irish Whiskey, and presented our case for why we believe many can stand up to many of the best bourbons and single malts on the market today. Here’s further proof.

powers_gold
Powes Gold Label
A complex blended whiskey matured in American oak, full of spice and honeyed notes. Aromas of cinnamon, apples, pears and charred oak lead to flavors of pepper, nutmeg, orchard fruits and toasted wood.


Powers Single Pot Still “Signature Release”
This “Signature Release” is intense, rich and complex thanks to its aging in American oak and first-fill Oloroso sherry casks. It’s redolent of herbs, nutmeg, figs and black pepper, and is round with flavors of vanilla, black licorice, fresh melon and green apple.

wers_john
Powers John’s Lane
A special whiskey whose distillate is matured for no less than 12 years in American & Iberian oak. It’s earthy, with aromas of leather, tobacco, dark chocolate and toffee and is thick with full-bodied flavors of spice, vanilla, honey and dried apples.


Redbreast 12-year
A favorite of whiskey lovers everywhere, the 12-year is getting harder and harder to come by, unfortunately. It garners its trademark full-bodied fruitcake character and robust flavor from the distillate, which is matured in Oloroso casks.

redbreast_15
Redbreast 15-year
This full-bodied, mellow and succulent whiskey, aged in Oloroso sherry casks & bourbon barrels, has a rich, spiced flavor, with notes of toasted wood.

redbreast_21
Redbreast 21-year
A beautiful example of the signature sherry style of whiskey with aromas of fresh, lush tropical fruits, and notes of vanilla, toasted oak and licorice. Flavors of luscious fruit round out the creamy mouthfeel. One of a kind.

Stay tuned. Next week we’ll reveal the three remaining whiskeys we think are among Ireland’s best.

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The Irish Butter Cup (of Coffee)

This delicious recipe, reminiscent of the classic Irish Coffee drink, is the latest from Bottles’ in-house cocktail guru, Lily. It relies on iced coffee, rather than hot-from-the-pot joe, which means it’s not just for brunch or after dinner. The less conventional choices of butterscotch and sea salt combine to make a delightful iced Irish Coffee with a satisfying creamy texture.

powers_buttercup
The Irish Butter Cup (of Coffee)
makes 1 cocktail

1oz Powers whiskey
1 1/4 oz butterscotch schnapps
3 1/2 oz cold brew medium or dark roast iced coffee
3/4 oz light cream
1 small pinch of sea salt

Add ingredients into shaker, and top with ice.
Shake until frost forms on the outside of the shaker.
Pour over ice into a highball, and spoon the remaining whipped cream froth atop the ice.
Garnish with a straw and add a few additional grains of salt over the top if desired.

Enjoy!

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Irish Whiskey 101

Irish Whiskey is surging in popularity across the globe and no wonder, says us: we believe that a well-made Irish Whiskey is delicious, and stands on it’s own against the best Bourbons & Single Malts the world has to offer.
irishwhiskey101_web

 

Irish Whiskey has been around forever. It’s a widely held belief (among all except the Scots), that it was the Irish who were most likely to have started distilling whiskey, as the Bushmill’s Distillery in Northern Ireland is the oldest licensed distillery in the world, dating back to 1608.

And since then, up until only the past few years, all of the Irish Whiskey available, no matter the brand name, came from one of only three distilleries on the island: Bushmill’s, Midleton, & Cooley. Today, to the joy of Irish Whiskey lovers everywhere, that number has expanded to 12, with nine new distilleries that have been built, or will soon be completed: Echlinville, Kilbeggan, Teeling, Glendalough, Tullamore, Alltech, Blackwater, Dingle, & West Cork.

Many today find it hard to believe that Irish Whiskey was once the hottest style of whiskey in the world, with a popularity that dwarfed other styles. In the early 20th century it began its decline, in two main waves:

1) The Easter Rising & the Irish War for Independence. As punishment, England levied trade embargoes on the Irish, which kept their whiskey from entering England, and therefore much of the rest of Europe.

2) Prohibition. (Oops.)

At the start of this century, a resurgence in interest for Irish whiskey came about, presumably as a result of several factors including its price (Irish is usually cheaper that it’s Scottish counterparts), a resurgence in the popularity of Bourbon (which shares many similar flavor profiles), a market of curious consumers eager to try something “new,” and the wider availability of quality-made whiskeys from Ireland.

Here are our favorites:
–Power’s Gold Label
–Power’s John’s Lane (limited importation – get it when & if you can)
–Green Spot (if you can find it – extremely limited importation)
–Glendalough Triple Barrel
–Knappogue Castle 12 Year Single Malt
–Redbreast 15 Year

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, and Slainte!

 

A Hot (and Spicy!) Chocolate Bread Pudding Pairing

We dare you to read through this post and not want to indulge in this pairing this weekend. No, in face we double dare you.

The recipe for this entirely satisfying bread pudding is from the winter issue of Edible Rhody, and Jennifer Borden, Owner of Provender Fine Foods, Tiverton Four Corners.

Wrote Jennifer: “This recipe is a wink to my beloved mother. I grew up on a small farm in north central Massachusetts, where it seemed we always had lots of extra milk and leftover bread. My mother was a master at trying to use everything, hence we ate a lot of bread pudding. My favorite was her chocolate bread pudding. This is my take, with just a little more spice.”

And the pairing is from our own Eric Taylor, who chose the Lustau ‘Los Arcos’ Amontillado Sherry. It’s quite an intriguing (read: intellectual) match: The Los Arcos has just a hint of honeyed sweetness and is a wee bit briny with flavors of roasted walnuts, golden raisins, and orange peel. It’s a little sweet, a little savory, a little umami and great with the spicy chocolate flavor.  Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding

4 disks (5.4 ounces) Taza Chipotle Chili Chocolate, chopped fine
3 cups half & half
Unsalted butter for greasing soufflé dish
6 cups cubed good-quality country white bread (1-inch cubes)
4 ounces Valhrona (or other good-quality) 70% chocolate, chopped, 1 tablespoon reserved
4 large eggs, plus 1 yolk (room temperature)
¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved
¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Hot water for water bath
Vanilla ice cream (optional for serving)

Place Taza Chocolate and half & half in a medium saucepan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°.Generously butter a 2-quart soufflé dish and set aside.

In a large bowl toss bread cubes with chopped 70% chocolate and then spoon into the soufflé dish.

In a medium size bowl whisk together eggs, yolk, both sugars, vanilla and salt.

Gently whisk hot chocolate into egg mixture a little at a time, until all the liquid is incorporated. Ladle custard over bread cubes. Let stand 15 minutes, pressing down on the bread with a spatula every 5 minutes or so.

Chop reserved tablespoon chocolate as finely as possible and mix with reserved tablespoon of white sugar and brown sugars. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the pudding.

Place soufflé dish in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Fill pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the roasting pan.

Bake pudding in the water bath for 60 minutes or until a clean knife inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean.

Serve pudding warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream and a glass of the Los Arcos. Enjoy!

 

A Valentine’s Love Potion

honey cocktail
JWessel Photography for Gracie’s and cocktail by Kristi Dukoff

post by guest blogger Jessyloo Rodrigues of www.herbaloo.com

This cocktail does not contain chocolate or roses.

Nope.

Instead I’m getting you sultry in your pantry with plants that have long been considered aphrodisiacs.  The Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, is associated with many exotic herbs & spices that stimulate and excite. If you’re looking to “spice” things up on Valentine’s Day, you needn’t travel much further than your kitchen spice rack.  Ginger’s aromatic roots are warming and stimulating: your olfactory system gets turned on, your temperature heats up, and your blood gets pumping. Honey is a collection of the sensual dance between bee and flower and represents the sweetness of life. The Peach is revered in China as representing vitality and longevity.

Thanks to Kristi Dukoff, Bar Manager at Gracie’s in Providence, we have a delightfully invigorating cocktail to share with you, which features honey, ginger, and peach.

Honey for My Honey
1.5 oz Barr Hill raw honey-distilled Vodka
0.5 oz Barenjager honey liqueur
1 oz Peach Ginger tea (available in most grocery stores. Or DIY it by muddling peaches & ginger into black tea.)
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters

Prepare by steeping the tea for 4 minutes in 6oz of hot water. (Or, steep black tea for 4 minutes in 6oz hot water and muddle a few peach and ginger slices once cooled.)

Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove debris. Mix equal parts tea to honey to make a syrup.

Add 1oz of the finished syrup and the remaining ingredients into a cocktail shaker, and shake with your most seductive dance moves.  

Pour into a 12oz collins glass over ice and top with soda water. You can also double the recipe into a 24 oz cocktail shaker and pour for two.

Come by the store to pick up the spirits needed for this romantic drink, or, give it a try at Gracie’s, where it’s a featured cocktail for the month of February. For more information on locally grown herbs and their uses, check out guest-blogger Jessyloo’s fantastic website: www.herbaloo.com.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Drink Your Chocolate

Skip the chewable chocolate this Valentine’s Day and give your sweetie the sippable sort. We’re crushing on a few bottles made with real chocolate and genuine skill, those that are good enough to be enjoyed year-round.

Meletti Cioccolato
Thick, dark, creamy, this Italian liqueur is pure pourable decadence. It’s made in Italy with milk and Dutch chocolate, sugar and alcohol, and is intensely rich and smooth with a balanced sweetness. We’re crazy for the Cioccolato any way it’s served: cold & neat (think adult pudding pop), warmed, over ice cream, or as a mixer in any number of cocktails.
vday_meletti

 

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
This full-flavored dark beer made with chocolate malt and real chocolate is luxurious without being overtly sweet. It’s certainly a satisfying treat on its own, but for something special, consider combining it in a frosty mug with vanilla ice cream and bourbon for the ultimate grown-up float.
vday_stout

 

Nickle Creek Decadence
A Rhody original, from Foster! This beautiful bottle, reminiscent of Port, has warm flavors of cherry and plum that make way for a dark, bittersweet chocolate finish. It’s a delicious way to end a romantic dinner.
vday_decadence

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Super Bowl Party Pairings

So your team hasn’t made it to the big game. So what. We can think of at least one reason why this could be a good thing: You now have more time to pay attention to the food on the table and the drink on the bar than the action on the field. And sure, yes, ok, your standard suds will be just fine with traditional game day fare. But put in a touch of extra effort, people – it’ll make game day that much more delicious.

Here are the brews we’ll be drinking when watching the two teams vie for their big fancy rings.

superbowl_snack_sausage

Smokey Sausages with Doppelbocks. The German beer’s big, strong and dark maltiness is a natural fit with the smoky meaty flavor of cocktail sausages & pigs in a blanket. We’re reaching for the  Weihenstephan Korbinian Doppelbock for its figgy, nutty roastiness.

superbowl_snacks_chili

Bowls of Chili with Big IPAs. A classic marriage of a hot-spicy chili with the hop-spicy IPA. We’re going for the sticky, hoppy, bold Lord Hobo Boom Sauce IPA.

superbowl_snacks_wings

Buffalo Wings & Blue Cheese Sauce with German Pilsners. The crisp, floral and refreshing German pils will balance out the wings’ addictive cheesy, spicy goodness. And the classic Bitburger Pilsner fits the bill for us every time.

superbowl_snacks_dip

Potato Chips & Onion Dip with Saisons. Nothing’s easier than ripping open a bag of chips and dipping them into a can of good old creamy, herbal onion dip. Nothing, that is, except cracking opening a bottle of a saison, whose herbal and spicy notes will balance that creamy dip. Allagash Saison, anyone?

Enjoy the game and may the best team win!

A Pair of Pear Cocktails

This time of year we’re always on the lookout for easy-drinking, flavorful cocktails that don’t pack a killer wallop, i.e., those that we can sip on all weekend long. This pair of pear cider cocktails make great companions for strenuous Sunday relaxation activities such as marathon sessions of book-reading, Netflix binge-watching, and backgammon-playing.

The following recipes were created by our newest team member, Lilian Rogers, a truly skilled cocktail-crafter whose passion for the culture of cocktails is infectious. Enjoy these, and stay tuned for more from Lily!

smokymule

The Smoking Mule (photo above)
This drink is earthy, smokey and creamy with tart pear notes. The ginger beer ice cubes take their time to melt, making it a great slow-sipper. Makes 1 cocktail.

4oz Sonoma Cider’s “The Pitchfork” Pear Cider (hard cider)
1oz mezcal
.5oz freshly-squeezed lime juice
.75oz vanilla simple syrup (or, regular simple syrup with 2 drops of vanilla extract)
4 – 6  ice cubes made from ginger beer
1 fresh pear, for garnish

Fill a high-ball glass with the ginger beer ice cubes. Pour in mezcal, lime juice, and vanilla simple syrup, and stir once gently to combine. Top with the pear cider, and garnish with a slice of ripe pear and a straw.

 

The Garden Trowel
Ethereal with beautiful, complex botanicals, this cocktail is creamy and balanced by crisp pear notes. Makes 1 cocktail.

4oz Sonoma Cider’s “The Pitchfork” Pear Cider (hard cider)
1oz botanical gin (such as Uncle Val’s Botanical, Hendrick’s, Farmer’s Organic Botanical)
.75oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
.75oz vanilla simple syrup (or, regular simple syrup with 2 drops of vanilla extract)
1 fresh pear, for garnish

Combine gin, lemon juice, and vanilla simple syrup into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until slight film of condensation forms on the outside of the shaker. Strain into a rocks glass (8oz or larger), top with 4 oz pear cider. Garnish with a slice of ripe pear.

Cheers and Enjoy!