boston liquor store – Page 4 – Mystic Wine Shoppe

Blueberry Holiday Cocktail

We’re getting into the holiday spirit with our November Cocktail of The Month! This delicious and easy-to-make cocktail is sure to be a holiday hit at your Thanksgiving table or at your holiday bash.

Ingredients:

Triple Eight Blueberry Vodka – We had leftover from our “Go Patriots” cocktail so we used that
Frozen cranberries & blueberries
Sparkling Cider

Make it:

Place 8-12 frozen berries into glass cup
Pour 2 ounces of blueberry vodka into glass
Top it off with sparkling cider

We hope you find this cocktail makes the perfect addition for your holiday get-together! If you’re looking for a great hostess gift, stop into Mystic and pick-up a holiday gift basket or charcuterie board. Not into cocktails, check out our Turkey Day Wine Guide!

Cheers!

November 20, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer, Monthly Brewery

Brewery of the Month: Peak Organic Brewing Co.

Local, local, local! Peak Organic Brewing Co. is dedicated to creating the most fantastic brews straight from their designated, local farmers from all around New England. “The idea is simple. Find the best ingredients being grown to create amazing flavor and truly delicious beer.” Each farm that Peak utilizes focuses on quality versus quantity. Peak has a passion for sustainability rooted in the way they run their company.

Peak likes to participate and dedicate its efforts to innovating new flavors that have never been done before. They achieve this by collaborating directly with their local farmers, chefs, and other organizations connected to sustainability as well. This company background and passion for being different, guarantees a unique, well-crafted taste when you give their brews a try! (If you’re a fan, you know that already!

Here are some of the delicious, specialty beers Peak Organic Brewing Co. has to offer!

Peak IPA: This is Peak’s classic, signature brew. Their India Pale Ale contains a flavorful initial taste thanks to the Amarillo and Simcoe dry hop. No bittering needed, just an abundance of floral and citrus flavors.

The Juice: This WICKED dry-hopped pale ale provides aromas and strong zests of tangerine and berry notes. The carefully brewed mix contains amarillo, simcoe, and hints of Azacca hops.

Happy Hour: Here we have Peak’s signature pilsner. Crisp and clean, this light brew makes it impossible to pass up more than one. “This beer is easygoing and pairs well with everything, including another beer! With this new pilsner, it’s always Happy Hour.”

Sweet Tart Cranberry: We’re drooling just at the name of this brew. This Cape Cod Sour Ale ties together tangy, cranberry, and sour flavors into a refreshing first sip. The locally sourced Cape Cod cranberries provide a special rose-like effervescence for this perfect, light-bodied brew.

Winter IPA: ‘Tis the season! Peak’s hazy, New England Style IPA was created to lighten things up as the cold weather starts to hit. With a bright, juicy mix of Calypso, Azacco, Simcoe, and Citra hops, this brew will help you survive the winter by hinting at springtime.

The story behind Peak Organic Brewing Co. is an inspiring, lovely New England story. By choosing their brews for your next holiday or tailgate, not only are you supporting sustainability, but you’re guaranteed to find a light, new favorite. Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe to pick up a pack to try! It’ll be the ~peak~ of your day 😉

(all photos and quotes taken from Peak Brewing)

November 8, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Pairings, Wine

Turkey Day Wine Guide

Thanksgiving is around the corner (we can’t believe it either)!!! Don’t procrastinate this year… get ahead of the game and shop our delicious wines that pair perfectly with appetizers, turkey, and dessert. We’re making it easy for you with our Turkey Day Wine Guide!

Aperitifs:

Riva Rosé is a delicious sparkling rosé from the Mediterranean. The wine displays delicate yet persistent bubbles. The nose exudes aromas of small red fruits such as strawberry and raspberry. The palate offers refreshing notes of grapefruit and spice. Perfect for aperitifs and to possibly drown out the noise of your relatives… haha, just kidding!

The Main Meal:

Pinot Noir Wines are a perfect pairing for turkey! Here are two that we love –

Elouan Pinot Noir Dark: Shimmering ruby red. Deep notes of plum, red cherries and blackcurrant jam with subtle touches of toasty vanilla and spice. Rich, ripe fruit flavors of plum, cherry, mixed berry jam, and blackberry. Smooth tannins round out the mouthfeel.
Beaujolais-Villages Sélection Georges Duboeuf: An intense, brilliant cherry color with purplish tints. Complex nose with red and blackberry aromas. A smooth wine with fine tannins, harmonious and complete.

Along with a good red, we also love a good white wine to pair with turkey. Here are two delicious white wines from Trimbach.

Trimbach Reisling: The nose shows restrained citrus and a slightly lifted, very slightly aromatic touch of conifer. The palate is taut and slender, presenting sober, clean citrus flavors. This stands upright and has a wonderful backbone of freshness.
Trimbach Gewurztraminer: A very shy nose just releases the most teasing hint of peach. The palate is utterly restrained: peach flavors are dry and brightened by lemon and have a wonderful lightness of touch. The finish is dry, clean and long.

Dessert/After-dinner Drink:

You can’t forget about the post-feast wine! A great dessert wine is in order

Haut Charmes Sauternes 2015: Haut Charmes is a very special Sauternes bottling, made from the younger vines of the region’s most legendary château. While we aren’t allowed to actually reveal the source, it’s safe to say its location in the Ciron Valley exposes the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon fruit to conditions perfect for the development of botrytis. Charming, elegant and an exceptional value for what’s in the bottle.

Not in love with these wines?! Head on in and let us help you choose the perfect wine. Our educated staff is always happy to help!

Thanks,

The Mystic Wine Shoppe Team

November 1, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Events, Wine

Grand Wine Tasting Event Recap

What an event!!! On Saturday, October 13th we held our second annual Grand Wine Tasting event at Mystic Wine Shoppe. We had customers from near and far, including dogs and babies, come sample over 20 delicious wines with us. This year we held the event in our attached garage to allow plenty of space for sampling. It was a great turnout and we’re so thankful for all the support.

Did you miss the event? Don’t worry, we hold weekly wine and beer tastings. Plus, make sure you reserve your ticket for our Dec. 6th Bourbon Tasting.
Thanks again for everyone who joined us!

October 25, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Monthly Cocktail

Cocktail of The Month: Spiked Hot Cocoa

The days are getting colder, leaves are falling and carving pumpkins is on everyone’s to-do list… fall is officially here! We’re not sure about you, but we love this time of year! If you’re looking for a warming cocktail to enjoy this fall, try our Spiked Hot Cocoa. It’s delicious and easy to make.

We used The Irishman Irish Cream to make this cocktail and it didn’t disappoint. You could also replace with Bailey’s Irish Cream and possibly add some Kahlúa (yum).

Ingredients:

2 ounch of The Irishman Irish Cream
Hot Chocolate Mix
1 cup of milk
Handful of Marshmallows (or more if you’re really crazy.. :))

Directions: Combine all ingredients and enjoy! We suggest grabbing some fun Halloween decor to create a fun and festive evening!!

Do you love making themed cocktails? Tell us, what is your favorite?

Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe and grab all your cocktail needs!

October 16, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Weekly Wine Pick, Wine

Appassimento

Raisins are nature’s candy. The dried, sugary essence of a grape, concentrated into one little morsel. It seems hard to imagine a wine made from such a thing, but there are actually many. The most famous ones are from Italy, specifically the majestic Amarone, a blend of grapes used to make the very light and delicious Valpolicella wines and Vin Santo, the sweet, luscious desert wine the Italians eat with little biscotti called “cantucci.”

There are other wines made from shriveled grapes – mostly those affected by “noble rot” or botrytis and some “icewine,” made after the water has frozen in the grape so that you when you cold-press the grapes, you just get the sugars and acids and none of the frozen liquid. Excellent examples of these techniques come from Bordeaux in the form of Sauternes or Barsac and Germany, with their Trockenbeerenauslese (dry-berry harvest), but also in the Finger Lakes and the Niagara area where the grapes hang until they freeze before harvesting. I have an on-going love affair with all raisinated, botrytized and frozen wines, but they are all “special occasion” wines, so not on the regular rotation of every day wines.

But this wine is something new, that maybe you could drink more regularly. It is a raisinated wine from the Montepulciano grape, famous for the light, bright, fruity wines of Abruzzo. Most Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines are meant for drinking casually, a cheerful blend of plums and cherries, with high acidity and low tannins that also “cleanse” the palate when you have it with pasta in a rich sauce. But when you dry the grapes and then press that precious, concentrated liquid into juice that ferments slowly and carefully, you get a deeply colored, deeply flavored wine that will stand up to heavy sauces and red meats and spice! This is a wine that has the intensity of a California Cabernet with all the mouth-filling aromas of fruit and some herbs, but has the acid brightness of wild cherries and summer plum, like a much lighter wine. It is a wonderful, unusual combination that will have you taking just one more sip, just to see if it really does have all that complexity. And the texture will have keep you sipping once you are used to the unusual mix of flavors, it is smooth and viscous. At $14.99, it will give that Amarone you’ve been saving for a special occasion a definite run for its money.

We had it last night with roasted leg of lamb and a wonderful mint sauce – definitely a regular from now on!

October 10, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Weekly Wine Pick, Wine

A to Z Oregon Riesling

There are some wines that everyone loves. And there are wines that cater to the few. There are wines that grow on you and there are wines that just stand up and smack you in the face. So, which one is this?

The A to Z Oregon Riesling is a puzzle. I will come out and say it – I love it! It is lush and fragrant on the nose with a silky soft and smooth mouthfeel. It is full bodied and fruity, delicate and floral and mouthwatering with a hint of sweetness all at the same time. As a wine writer, I have been told over and over that when I am tasting a wine, it is not about whether I like it or not. It is about describing the attributes of that wine and making clear notes that so that customer can evaluate it on their own and so that I will be able to remember this particular wine – grape, soil / climate and year – when I retaste it. But sometimes, you just love a wine.

So why am I questioning whether others will love this wine as much as I do? To be honest, I am not sure why anyone would not like a riesling. It is called a “noble grape” in Alsace for a reason. It is one of the few white grapes that has a very distinct character and is age worthy regardless of where it might be grown. Chardonnay is the truly the wonder grape, yes. It grows almost anywhere, it takes on the characteristics of the climate and of wood aging very well. It is versatile and pairs with a wide range of foods. It is fairly neutral, so there is rarely a lingering aftertaste – you get the fruity or flinty character and if it is cleanly made, it tastes clean and crisp. And it blends with a variety of other grapes.

Riesling, by contrast, is not Chardonnay. It stands in bold contrast to the other white grapes. It is finicky about where it will grow. It does best in a cool climate with rocky, slate rich soils that absorb the sun’s rays and drain away the rain. It does well when it has long, molasses days that last until a 10pm sunset and cool nights that allows it’s rich acids to develop. It loves growing on steep slopes that require hand picking and careful selection and it is very susceptible to Botrytis. Botrytis, under favorable conditions, is called “nobel rot,” and is a gentle affliction that punctures the skin of the grape, allowing the water to evaporate from the grapes on the vine. This concentrates the flavors and leads to the “trockenbeerenauslese” (dry berry harvest) that is so prized in German Riesling.

Rieslings come in a variety of quality levels and sweetness levels. While I love the German language, having lived there for well over 2 years, I won’t go into the details. That is one of the nice things about buying Riesling from the Pacific Northwest. It is labeled simply and can be appreciated without any angst. This wine, I would call ‘soft’ because it has an wonderful balance of sour and sweet that is perfect if you are having scallops or lobster. It has enough body to stand up to spicy foods – think Indian or Thai. And it is complex and quite simply tasty enough to just drink on its own. I would recommend serving it very chilled with the bottle on ice. The tart, tangy richness will be enhanced by the cold temperature.

Cheers, Seema

September 28, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Beer, Monthly Brewery

Brewery of the Month: Lamplighter Brewing Co.

The vibe that Lamplighter Brewing Co. embraces is a modern, funky environment that allows visitors to experience a unique twist on their basic brewery trip. This eclectic brewery, located in in downtown Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses in quality, community, and craft. With a saying such as “I Love Lamp,” a reference from the comedy hit, Anchorman, it comes as no surprise that this location meets its goal by being a fun, hip place to be.

The team at Lamplighter is an energetic mix of different backgrounds in education and expertise who all share a strong passion for producing delicious beer. This team makes for a very fun, welcoming environment from the minute you enter the brewery. The space has a very modern, industrial look to it. From the exposed pipes to the classic Boston brick work, this brewery is a neighborhood favorite.

Now for the most important part, the beer. All together, Lamplighter creates 44 different types of brews. Impressive, right? Within these 44 unique choices, they focus on aroma-packed and flavor-driven ales, with an emphasis on New England IPAs, barrel-aged sours, and unique seasonals.

To help narrow down your possible selection, we’re going to provide you the info on the 13 brews that happen to be on tap today!

“Alyosha” Abbey Ale: low ABV, and light body allow hints of fruit and spice to shine, while the addition of wheat and pilsner malts leave each sip soft and approachable.
“Brothers Antitoi” Brettanomyces Fermented Wild Beer: smooth and bright acidity is complemented by subtle underlying funk, layered atop flavors of fresh strawberries, ripe pineapple, and candied peach rings.
“Cuppa” Brittish Ale with Cold Brew: light and fruity hot bloom roast is added at the end of the brewing process to preserve as much coffee flavor as possible. The finished beer is made up of about 10% coffee.
“Ele” Saison: citrus forward flavors, hints of clove and spice, and a dry and peppery finish. Inspired by the character Eleven from “Stranger Things.”
“Finnegan’s Wake” Irish Dry Stout: akin to a smooth and creamy Guinness, with each sip bringing forth waves of bitter chocolate and freshly roasted coffee.
“Gestalt” Altbier: bright copper in color and exceptionally smooth, balancing assertive hop bitterness with warm malt character.
“Group Theory” Wheat Ale with Chamomile and Honey: despite the addition of syrupy raw honey to the brew, Group Theory has a lovely, dry finish as a result of the fermentation of its simple sugars. It takes its name from a central concept of abstract algebra, which pays homage to both the math background of one of their co-founders, and to their brewery name (a small math reference itself).
“Looking Glass” Extra Special Bitter: balanced notes of dark bread, toasted hazelnut, and a robust earthiness. The beer is then lightly hopped with Target and Challenger to accentuate those flavors.
“Luminati” India Pale Ale: each batch of this hoppy beer highlights a different hop addition, presenting ever-changing flavors atop the same bold, brash base beer. (citra, mosaic, bru-1)
“Metric Systems” Gose: this tart German wheat ale is refreshing and light, with notes of orange peel and lemon.
“Rabbit Rabbit” Double India Pale Ale: veritable juice bomb, boasting huge hop flavors of mango, melon, and ripe fruit.
“Space Monster” West Coast Style IPA: fresh departure from smooth and juicy New England-style IPAs, instead boasting a prominent bitterness and slight sweetness. From that base emerges omnipotent and monstrous flavors of sweet cedar, prickly pine, and ripe pineapple.
“Speedwagon” Kolsch: fermented with ale yeast, but then finished in cold temperatures like a lager. The resulting beer exhibits some of the best characteristics of both categories – light and quaffable, with a touch of muted fruitiness and a crisp, clean finish.

Find something you’d like to try? No surprise there! Lamplighter Brewing Co. has something for everyone! Make sure to stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe to pick up one of their brews on the go. If you need another excuse to try them, they hold trivia nights every Tuesday from 8pm – 10pm. Check their website for more upcoming events! With all the options they have to offer, the fun, funky environment, and the amazing location, make Lamplighter your next brewery must-see and the next pack you pick up from us!

September 6, 2018/by Eric Faiola

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