Thursday May 27, 2021
.. Paloma time.
This Week: Finally... Memorial Day Weekend! For us Minnesotans, that means 95% of us will be around water of some form, likely on a boat. And at a cabin. Or in a park by a lake. You know.. anything outdoors. Weather permitting.

You know we were gonna say it: we got drinks for that. See the staff reviews if you need help brainstorming. Also, be sure to admire Nick's amazing can puns. Todd has his love for a crisp pilsner on display and our bartender friend Nikola will tell you how to whip up a Paloma.

Mind our modified holiday hours! Regular hours all weekend. On Monday (Memorial Day) we will be open 9am until 5pm.

Stay safe this weekend. Wear sunscreen. And your mask.

Cheers,
The Team at NL Wine & Spirits

EXCITING NEW WINE!
If you like California Pinot Noir, you need to try these. Both Sonoma Coast. Cool climate Pinots showing with beauty and elegance. Get them while you can. The Ceritas is particularly scarce and allocated.

🍇: Ceritas - CuvĂ©e Anabella 
🍇: Ceritas - Costalina 
🍇: LaRue Wines - Sonoma County 
🍇: Larue Wines - Rice-Spivak Vineyard
Perfect for a Hot Day: Grab a Pilsner!
Bonus points for drinking local.
Pilsner is quite possibly the most iconic beer style in modern history. From the widely available, mass produced beers to local small batch iterations, pilsner is a style that showcases what beer is meant to be. As we enter summer in earnest we all reach for something delicious and refreshing. Pilsner’s light body and crisp finish make this drinkable style a go to for a hot summer day. Fortunately, we have a variety of excellent options from local breweries.
 
Fair State Brewing Pils
Fair State’s Pils is a crisp beer with a grassy hop aroma and a short finish. This beer pairs well with chicken, fish, or the company of good friends. Available year round, but perfect for Memorial Day weekend. $10.49 for a four pack of 16 ounce cans.
 
Utepils Czech-Style Pilsner
This offering from Utepils is brewed with Czech grown barley and hops, and fermented with a Czech yeast strain. This pils is a bit drier and more crisp than the German style pilsners (like the one offered from Fair State). $10.49 for a four pack of 16 ounce cans.
 
Pryes Pragmatic Pils
Pryes Pragmatic Pils is also a Czech style pilsner. Crisp and easy drinking, this beer is perfect for a day at the lake. Or grilling in the backyard. This beer is a perfect choice in almost any setting. $10.99 for a four pack of 16 ounce cans.

-Todd
Or.... Have Yourself a Paloma.
An ode to a tequila classic from Nikola.
Palomas have been getting increasingly popular as a summertime sipper since people have been seeing them on cocktail lists around town. It is also a really nice change up from the Margarita (which is great but it's nice to have another option for your tequila). Palomas are a tart tequila cocktail with grapefruit, lime and soda. There are a lot of different recipes for palomas that go from tequila and Squirt (Grapefruit soda) to tequila with fresh juice and who knows what else - the world is your oyster.

We are going to play a little bit with the Paloma recipe to step it up a notch. We will be using a Blanco (unaged) tequila. In this case, I am using Don Julio Blanco which has a nice clean agave and vegetal taste with an earthy finish. Perfect for mixing. We will be using fresh grapefruit juice (It's better than grapefruit soda), fresh lime juice and for sweetness we are going to add Tres Agaves Agave Nectar (which is a great more natural alternative to simple syrup and it works great with tequila). 

So, the plot twist: we are going to be adding a bit of Tattersall Bitter Orange Liqueur. It mimics the grapefruit by adding some depth and sweet citrusy bitterness to your cocktail. Then we will top it with a little Fever Tree soda water and garnish it with a grapefruit peel that will enhance the bouquet of the cocktail. 

This is a perfect cocktail for a hot summer day on the patio or a cookout.

La Paloma (the Dove)
1.5 oz Don Julio Blanco Tequila
.5 oz Tattersall Bitter Orange Liqueur
.5 oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.75 oz Tres Agaves Agave Nectar
Top w/ Fever tree Soda Water

Directions: Add all ingredients except the soda water into your cocktail shaker. Add ice, do a quick light shake (you don't want to shake too long because we are adding soda water and we don't want a watered down drink) Next you want to strain over ice into a "Tall Glass". Next we are going to top with 1.5 to 2.5 oz of soda water. Give the drink a quick swizzle to mix the soda with the rest of the cocktail. Then with a vegetable peeler, peel north to south on the grapefruit to make a long thick peel. Squeeze the peel over the drink to vest the oil all over. Then slide it down the side of the glass. Then, it's on.

You can always tweak the recipe by adding more or less agave nectar or by adding some of your favorite bitters. My favorite to add is Bittercube Orange bitters or Fee's Bros. Grapefruit bitters.

Enjoy!
Cocktail by Nikola Govich, your bartender friend.
Staff Picks: What to Drink This Week
Things our staff thinks you should drink.

2019 Domaines Felines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet - $11.99
This bright aromatic white is a great wine to kick off the summer patio season over Memorial Day! Pear and white flower aromatics lead to a refreshing palate full of citrus fruits and honeysuckle, dancing with bracing acidity and minerality. From a collection of 3 different vineyard sites near to the Mediterranean coast the Piquepoul grapes soak in the sun on warm to hot days but benefit from the cool evening breezes off the sea. Cold fermentation in stainless steel helps to retain the fruit's freshness and aging on the lees adds more complexity and depth. This is a great value French white at only $11.99 a bottle! Enjoy with Shrimp and Sea Bass cooked with Pernod and fennel!
-Patrick

Alloy Wine Works: Pacific Bloom Sangria, Central Coast California - $8.99 (375ml Can)
It's officially sticky and gross outside.. so it's time for some refreshing and tasty beverages to cool off with. Many of us will try to be on a boat this weekend (weather permitting) and many of us will need said tasty beverages. There is no better option for a hot, humid day than a crisp can of Sangria (Cangria!?). We all love sangria, but we're all too lazy to make it..luckily Alloy Wine Works has us covered! Their Sangria starts with a base of Zinfandel then adds fresh cranberry, blood orange, lemon juice and spices. This leads to what one might call THE MOST DELICIOUS SANGRIA IMAGINABLE! If you're adverse to wine in a can, then you're simply wrong.. If you're a can enthusiast (Canthusiast!?) like myself then you'll revel in joy in the plethora of fun and exciting wines that are conveniently canned for our boating/fishing/gardening pleasure!
-Nick Z.

2019 Sonoma-Cutrer, Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast - $26.99
The Chardonnay produced by Sonoma-Cutrer is a classic example of what American wine is. As the temperature continues to rise into Summer, there are few better ways to cool down than with a nice glass of wine. This rich textured chardonnay is showing very well in its youth, and is proving great for dinner pairings and just by itself. You and your friends should drink this throughout the summertime at any occasion requiring a refreshing glass of wine.  
  -Samuel Phillips   

2020 Figuière, Mediterranée Rosé - $17.99
We are in full-on rosĂ© season and it's also a long holiday weekend. So, we need an affordable rosĂ© with no tools required, stat! Figuière MediterranĂ©e rose with a screw cap is just the ticket. Many of the 2020 French rosĂ©s are on the literal slow boat (thanks container shortage) and haven't landed yet but don't panic because we still have dozens to choose from with more landing every day. I'm a sucker for the Art-Deco label evoking breezy French sea-sides and the juice is great, too. A blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon is summer in glass from the original home of rosĂ© in the South of France, Provence. White flowers, orange skin and peach with refreshing acidity and salty minerality thanks to the influence of the sea makes for perfect sipping this weekend on the boat, golf course or patio. Salut!
-Angie

Keush Origins Methode Traditionelle Brut, Armenia - $22.99
Made from grapes indigenous to Armenia, this bubbler is a true value. Head and shoulders above most at this price point! It exhibits bright citrus fruit, minerality and a fine lengthy finish. It's the elegant layer of light toast from 24 months of lees aging that really sells this wine and makes it my overall pick for best traditional method wine under $30.
-David
Cheers everyone!
-The Team at North Loop Wine & Spirits