A note about our beer selection and don't forget about sale week
Preamble by Kati Spayde
I wrestled the reins away from Steve for a week to point out something that I, your friendly neighborhood beer buyer, finds to be pretty cool. For the second time this month over half our beers come from small distribution companies and self-distributing breweries. What does this mean to you as a consumer? Well frankly, that your are not going to find them at a big box store.
Small businesses helping small businesses stay relevant in an age where big box stores are trying to grab more of the market share. So I just wanted to give a thanks and encourage you to try something new, even if you don't recognize the brewery. You might just find your new favorite.
Featured Wines of the Week
Longevity, 2018, Chardonnay, California, $14.49/750ml- Made with 13 percent Viognier, the wine has a nose of melon, pear, pineapple, and a touch of toasted oak. The palate is clean and bright, with flavors of honeydew and lemon and a finish lengthened by balancing acidity.
Longevity, 2017, Cabernet Sauvignon, California, $14.49/750ml- A Bordeaux-inspired blend with a twist, this wine is a tad over 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance of mixed red grapes including the rare Arinarnoa. The plum-colored blend has vivid black cherry fruit, finishing with subtle oak, light vanilla, and soft tannins.
Masi, 2018, Bonacosta, Valpolicella Classico, Itay, $16.29/750ml- made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara this wine exhibits an intense bouquet with ripe cherry aromas. On the pallet it is fresh with good acidity and soft/silky tannins. Cherries are the dominant flavor with hints of vanilla.
Riebeek Cellars, 2019, Cape Rose, South Africa, $12.19/750ml- Riebeek Cellars Collection Pinotage Rosé is elegant and vibrant. The Pinotage vineyards are farmed specifically for producing Rosé. The berries are fuller and juicier and harvested at a naturally lower ph. to produce a light, lively wine. Tasting Notes: Vibrant strawberries and ripe cherries are balanced by a fresh, dry finish.
Featured Spirits of the Week
Novo Fogo, Silver Cachaca, Brazil, $31.59/750ml- The purest representation of organic sugarcane from Southern Brazil, this silver cachaça proves that terroir matters. The aroma of bananas immediately present, followed by pleasantly floral rainforest notes that shine through the spirit. Sea salt balances the cachaca’s tropicality, adding a savory quality and settling the overall impression to a mouth-watering sweet red pepper. This cachaça is rested in chemically-inert stainless steel tanks for one year to smoothen it without changing its flavor.
Novo Fogo, Barrel aged Cachaca, Brazil, $36.89/750ml- We age our organic cachaça distillate in 53-gallon American oak bourbon barrels that have been taken apart, sanded, and re-toasted. The 2-3 year process takes place in the heat and humidity of our home in the Atlantic Rainforest. The result? Banana bread, with notes of chocolate, cinnamon bark, and coffee. Nuances of pepper remain, but the cachaça’s time spent in wood changes its spiciness from fresh red pepper to toasty black pepper..
Appleton Estate, 8yr reserve, Jamaica, $29.49/750ml- Crafted by our Master Blender to commemorate our 250th Anniversary, this versatile expression is aged a minimum of 8 years in the tropical climate of Jamaica. A beautiful expression of Appleton Estate, with aromas of spicy fruit and oak, followed by hints of honey, vanilla, holiday spice and our signature orange peel note.
New and Returning Products
Batch Festbier, $2.99/12oz - A traditional German Festbier brewed by Detroit's first nano-brewery
Bells Double Creme Stout, $2.29/12oz - Named for its velvety smooth, creamy texture, this incredibly rich stout is brewed with 10 different specialty roasted malts chosen that impart notes of rich mocha and espresso. Dark and sweet tones intermingle with a soft, roasty finish.
Blakes Apple Lantern, $2.09/12oz - It’s the season of campfires, sweaters & pumpkin carving. Experience the warming flavor of our handpicked apples balanced with the oven roasted richness of pumpkin. Refreshingly crisp & perfectly spiced our Apple Lantern brings you the taste of autumn that can only come from Blake’s Orchard.
Boulevard BBA Quad, $4.69/12oz - Based loosely on the Smokestack Series’ The Sixth Glass, this abbey-style quadrupel is separated into a number of oak bourbon barrels where it ages for varying lengths of time, some for up to three years. Cherries are added to make up for the “angel's share” of beer lost during barrel aging. Selected barrels are then blended for optimum flavor. The resulting beer retains only very subtle cherry characteristics, with toffee and vanilla notes coming to the fore.
Boulevard Hibiscus Gose, $1.89/12oz - When you pour Hibiscus Gose, expect a beer with a bright pink body and creamy white head to fill your glass. A slightly salty aroma with a touch of coriander and citrus/cherry notes wafts from the beer. The leading flavor is a lemony tartness obtained from the brewhouse souring process with subtle salt and coriander notes. Hibiscus Gose finishes crisp and dry with a slightly lingering sourness that’s tempered by the sea salt, coriander, and hibiscus flowers.
Boulevard Whiskey Barrel Stout, $4.69/12oz - Over-the-top but surprisingly approachable, this twist on the classic style starts with several types of malted barley, rye, oats and wheat. Robust flavors of vanilla, espresso, whiskey, chocolate and roasted grain are balanced by hints of date and plum, with just enough hops to round it all out. Roughly one-third of the final blend is freshly brewed beer; the rest is aged for up to a year (or more!) in both first and second use whiskey casks.
Ellison Citra Evolution, $3.19/16oz - The second iteration of our Evolution IPA series, this Citra hopped beer blasts out of the glass with tropical fruit, tangerine, and passion fruit.
Fair State Festbier, $3.29/16oz - A German style party lager! This is the only lager we make that is decocted, which is an extra-special process where part of the mash is boiled, which gives it an incomparable depth of malt flavor, without a lot of heaviness or sweetness.
Fair State Jiggleproofer, $3.29/16oz - A collaboration with the lager masters at Live Oak Brewing (Austin, TX) Jiggleproofer is a wheat lager with American hops. Crispy, like, maximum crispy. Crackery wheat malt character, big lemony hop aroma, tight bubbles.
Frankenmuth Oktoberfest, $ 2.09/12oz - Brewed in true Bavarian fashion, our Oktoberfest Lager is one of our most popular seasonal releases in the fall. This Märzen-style Oktoberfest Lager uses German noble hops and four different malts to create its trademark copper color and flavor.
Green Bench Bench Life, $1.89/12oz - Dry, bubbly, drinkable, and undeniably refreshing. Built to be enjoyed in our wonderfully tropical paradise, this American Premium Lager is brewed with a blend of malted barley, flaked corn, and US grown Mount Hood hops.
Green Bench Coffee Pot Bayou, $2.19/12oz - Coffee Pot Bayou is our Stay Dry Stout aged on locally roasted and blanded coffee and espresso beans.
Green Bench Happy Hermit, $2.19/12oz - A sessionable, hop forward approach to the style that is a perfect match for a breezy St. Petersburg afternoon, and, like Silas, is one of a kind.
Green Bench Push It, $2.19/12oz - A sour wheat beer spiced with Pink Peppercorn and Himalayan Pink Salt. Unlike Coriander, Pink Peppercorn is a spicy, juicy, and fruity berry that was brought to Florida in 1598 from Brazil that eventually became invasive and is known as "Florida Holly."
Green Bench Skyway, $3.29/12oz - Equally as beautiful to behold is our New England-style double dry hopped Double IPA with five of our favorite tropical and resinous hop varieties. This Double IPA is al smooth as they come. Built to be uniquely drinkable, Skyway can be enjoyed year round in our beautifully tropical climate.
Green Bench Sunshine City, $2.19/12oz - Packed with hop flavor and aroma, we double dry hop this beer with equal parts Mosaic, Citra, and Azacca hops, for an intensely tropical profile reminiscent of tangerine, nectar, papaya, peach, kiwi, and pineapple.
Greyline Green Jackalope,
Hopewell Alpi, $3.29/16oz - Alpi is an Italian-style Pilsner with an aromatic hop profile and a crisp, lean body. Floral and spicy with a touch of cracker malt for balance.
Hopewell Cruising Speed, $3.29/16oz - Cruising Speed is a Helles Lager built for the long haul. Light and bright with a touch of malt sweetness, complemented by subtle notes of floral, spicy hops and an ultra clean finish. A beer for any pace.
Middle Coast Fall Fest, $2.79/16oz - A slightly hoppy version of a german classic with a rich malt backbone and a note of citrus.
Mikkeller Citra Commander, $5.99/16oz - A clean West-Coast IPA dominated by amazing Citra greatness. Big notes of lime, pineapple, and tree resin dive into a moderately bitter mid-palate which finishes dry with a mellow bitterness. A round malt character is built in to create structure and a notion of softness - but this is no slouch! A super fresh entry to our burgeoning West-Coast IPA line!
Mikkeller Guave Gang, $3.89/16oz - There is nothing more lovely than a juicy, sticky, freshly chopped Guava right from the grove nestled in a bowl of mango sorbet and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. A new favorite, Guava Gang is the evil cousin to our beloved Passion Pool Gose - highlighting our delicious kettle soured ale, expect a fully saturated experience of pineapple flesh, oranges, and of course Pink Guava. Perfect for the everlasting summer in San Diego.
Ommegang BBA Three Philosophers, $5.49/16oz - Aged for six months in freshly emptied bourbon barrels, our beloved blend of quadrupel ale and authentic Belgian kriek delivers notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, molasses and oak. At once profound and profane, it is truly a decadent delight.
Shipyard Pumpkin Head, $1.99/12oz - Pumpkinhead is a crisp, refreshing wheat ale with delightful aromatics and subtle spice flavor. To celebrate the fall season, we enhance the pumpkin flavor with a proprietary blend of spices including cinnamon and nutmeg.
Singlecut Dean Mahogany, $3.89/16oz - A TRUE TRUE SINGLECUT OG, DEAN is our loving tribute to the Amber/Red Ales that we loved from the Pacific Northwest- rich and complex, a toffee malt aroma with a long beautiful linger of grapefruit, gently spicy pine, and a super satisfying quench. You may have forgotten, but this beer is goooooooooood. A Brewer’s favorite for great reason.
Singlecut Psychedelic, $5.99/16oz - And another in our Genre series: PSYCHEDELIC! which is brewed with mind-melting hops from New Zealand. Smooth, soft, creamy malt is followed by waves of peach / mango / mild blood orange and grapefruit zest. See new worlds with each sip of this exceptional IIPA.
Two Guys Bad Dupa!, $4.69/16oz - a 9.7% Imperial Polish lager that really is pretty bad ass
Two Guys Dark in the Park, $3.49/16oz - A richer, fall version of a lager, this munich dunkle has just the right amount of roast
Two Guys Gemini Quest, $3.89/16oz - A single hopped IPA brewed using all Michigan Gemini hops for a unique fruity taste
Two Guys Just Missed Bruce, $4.69/16oz - a 7.8% Rye IPA to make your taste buds happy
Two Guys Paradigm Quest, $3.89/16oz - Great Lakes Growers provides all the hops for this single hop IPA that has notes of stonefruit and melon
Two Guys Zom! Helles, $3.19/16oz - Named for the man himself, this classic helles lager is clean and crisp with just a hint of citus
Uncle Johns BlossomBlend, $3.89/16oz - Our blossom blend cider combines our traditional apple blend with wildflower honey, grapefruit and a hint of orange. It is left unfiltered on purpose. Each keg may have slight differences – reminding us that no two blossom seasons are the same.
Uncle Johns Sidra de Tepache, $3.89/16oz - In this blend, we combine our traditional Apple Hard Cider with pineapple juice, piloncillo sugar, and season with cinnamon sticks and whole clove. Traditionally “tepache” is a fermented pineapple drink dating back to the 1600’s. It is common to natives of Mexico, Latin America and the Mexican communities of the U.S.
Uncle Johns Strawberry Lavender, $3.89/16oz - Although sweeter than most of our ciders, the Strawberry Lavender does not stray from the Uncle John’s style – perfectly balanced and always showcasing the fruit. We use our traditional apple blend and sweeten it with strawberry juice. To switch things up a bit, we add lavender to give it a slight herbal touch.
Weihenstephaner Festbier, $2.19/12oz - This is a full, rich-bodied, hoppy, seasonal lager that is especially brewed for the Festbier season. This beer truly represents the Bavarian way of celebrating. Deep gold color, great mouthfeel and lots of flavor. Prost!
Wellbeing Heavinly Body, $2.49/12oz - based on a Great American Beer Festival award-winning recipe. This American-Style Wheat has more flavor than its light lager cousins. We add a hint of Cascade and German Traditional hops for a slight citrus character that balances the lighter malts. It's dry, crisp and smooth, with a full-bodied mouthfeel.
With only 68 calories, this is the perfect NA craft beer for after sports, yoga, marathon training, or anytime you are taking care to watch what is going in your heavenly body.
Wellbeing Hellraiser, $2.49/12oz - is the beer to drink when you are out with your friends ready to have a great time. This hop-forward amber has the perfect balance of floral aroma and spicy hops to delight the palette of craft beer enthusiasts everywhere. And...NA craft beer is good for your health too!
Whiner Monsieur Monster, $3.09/12oz - A riposte of tart and fruit, Parry your thirst monster with this Pineapple Berliner Weisse. A song of fresh Pineapple in the aroma, a dance of juicy tropical fruit, tongue tingling tartness, and crackerbread maltiness on the finish, will leave you feeling fresh AF
Whiner Polly, $3.49/12oz - Straight up 'booch! Polly is our first release in our line of Hard Kambuchas. Once again we use our mysterious coolship to spontaneously ferment our "Back of the yard booch." Our hearty Saison yeast and a dash of fresh Grapefruit peel finish the job, creating dry, spicy, citrusy, probiotic goodness. Crush 'em cold!