holiday drinks – Page 2 – Mystic Wine Shoppe

Sparkling Cranberry Cider Cocktail

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we thought this warming cranberry cocktail was appropriate. With just a few tasty ingredients (you know we like a nice and easy cocktail) this one is simple to make while also packing in some serious flavor. So, what’s our secret? Champlain Orchards Cranberry Hard Cider adds flavor, bubbles, and pairs perfectly with Doc Brown’s Really Bad Dark Rum. Check it out –

Ingredients:

3 oz of Champlain Orchards Cranberry Hard Cider
1 oz of Doc Brown’s Really Bad Dark Rum
2 oz of cranberry juice, apple cider, or another mixer of your choice (we used cranberry juice for a tart cocktail)
1 apple (for garnish)

Make This Cocktail:

Mix the cider, rum, and mixer together over ice
Garnish with an apple slice (or cranberries would be fancy too)

What do you think? A new seasonal favorite? We think so!

Head over to Mystic for all your Thanksgiving Day needs. Along with having high-end wines we also have fantastic boxed wines and 3 for $20 wines!

Thanks for reading, Taylor

November 11, 2019/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Cocktail

Our Fall Dark & Stormy

It’s official, fall is in the air! We’re celebrating the arrival of a new season with this delicious Fall Dark & Stormy cocktail. As always, this is easy to whip up and every ingredient (except the apple) can be found at Mystic Wine Shoppe.

Enjoy by a toasty fire, watching the Patriots game or perhaps at your Halloween party! Enjoy and please share your Dark & Stormy recipes with us.

Cocktail Ingredients:

2 ounces of Doc Brown’s Really Bad Rum. Co, Dark (purchase this at Mystic Wine Shoppe)
2 TBSP Angostura Aromatic Bitters (purchase this at Mystic Wine Shoppe)
1 bottle of Fever-Tree Ginger Beer (purchase this at Mystic Wine Shoppe)
1 Apple (cut up into small pieces)

Make it:

Cut up 2-3 slices of apples into small pieces
Add in rum, bitters and ginger beer
Add ice
Optional – squeeze a slice of lime into cocktail

ENJOY!

Please let us know what you think about this tasty fall cocktail! Thanks for reading and mixing with us!

September 10, 2019/by Eric Faiola

Monthly Cocktail, Spirits

Summer Moscow Mule

This summer we’re excited to sip these tasty Summer Moscow Mules by the pool! Raise your hand if agree! Now, don’t get us wrong, we love ourselves a classic Moscow Mule but wanted to put a fresh summer twist on it. Our recipe includes fresh oranges and soda water… give it a try!

Ingredients:

Ketel One Citroen
Fresh Limes and Oranges
Ginger Beer (we used the Trader Joes brand)
Orange Flavored Soda Water (we used Trader Joes Seltzers With A Splash)

Instructions:

Pour 3 ounces of Ketel One Vodka in a glass with ice
Add ginger beer and soda water (use as much or as little as you would like)
Squeeze oranges and limes into the drink
Enjoy! Cheers!

We hope you love it as much as our Mystic Wine Shoppe team does. Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe and grab your vodka for this cocktail.

Thanks!

May 16, 2019/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Images, Monthly Cocktail, Uncategorized

St. Patty’s Day Cocktail

Of course, brews and whiskey are bound to be on your menu for St. Patrick’s Day this Sunday. We wanted to shake it up a bit. We held a poll on Instagram, and you voted we listened! We created a yummy, festive Irish Whiskey beverage! Behold our O’Cream cocktail! We can’t wait for you to try it.

The ingredients and creation is simple!

on ice
3 ounces of The Irishman Irish Cream
2 ounces Prizefight Irish Whiskey

This delicious cocktail will impress your guests and honor your Irish heritage (I mean… everyone’s Irish on St. Patty’s day, right?). Stop into Mystic Wine Shoppe to pick up the ingredients and other Irish choices!

March 13, 2019/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Images, Pairings, Weekly Wine Pick, Wine

The Holiday Spirit is a Phantom: BOGLE PHANTOM 2015

I’m not Jewish, but my husband is and, as is the case with holidays both secular and religious, it often falls upon the woman to create the traditions…which in my house means food.

So it has come to pass that I, the non-Jew, have become an expert at making latkes. I think that the crisp potato pancakes are the one thing that Hanukkah has over Christmas.

At our annual latke fry on Sunday, I grated both sweet and Yukon gold potatoes and served them with applesauce and sour cream, of course, but also with a hearty bowl of Portuguese kale soup and a romaine-free salad.

The soup is robust and smoky with chorizo and kielbasa, kidney beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, carrots and kale. But it cries out for a substantial red wine to elevate it from peasant food to festive holiday fare.

Bogle Phantom 2015 is just that wine.

Don’t be intimidated by the label that proclaims “mysterious and hauntingly seductive.” This is a very approachable blend (44% Petite Sirah, 44% Zinfandel, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon) that pairs well with comforting winter dishes like beef stew, pork loin and…my kale soup.

The girls and I opened it before dinner, let it breathe a bit and sampled it while pondering the New York Times crossword puzzle. Then we set the kitchen table and poured some for everyone.

It’s smooth but bodacious, yet it doesn’t overwhelm the tongue with tannins. This will become the winter house wine here on Bartlett Avenue. Even my daughter (a millennial!) who tends to gravitate toward pinot noirs gave this wine high marks. It’s loaded with subtle flavors and it drinks like a high priced bottle. Good thing we had two.

P.S. I made “Craft Beer Menorahs” for the “kids” and picked up some really interesting local brews to wish them all “Hoppy Holidays!”

December 5, 2018/by Eric Faiola

Holidays, Spirits, Wine

10 Holiday Gifts You’ll Love

The holiday season is officially here!! Are you in search of a great gift this holiday season?! We’re guessing you’re saying “um, yes of course… please help.” Don’t worry, we’re here to help with these 10 great gift ideas. Not seeing a gift idea you love? Head into Mystic Wine Shoppe and let our team of experts help you pick out the right gift.

10 Holiday Gifts You’ll Love

1.Jim Beam Red Sox limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon Gift Basket: This is the perfect gift basket for the Red Sox fan in your life! Not a Jim Beam fan, come and create your own custom gift basket!

2. Ken Forester Wines: Two great wines out of South Africa –

The Gypsy: The character is somewhat ‘wild’ a little brambly with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, dark spices, with vanilla scents and a distinct, concentrated red-fruit focus. Great for laying down and keeping for at least ten years but already rewarding if allowed to breathe in a decanter.
The FMC: The pinnacle of what we consider to be the finest expression of the grapes of this varietal – an icon chenin, a challenge to the world! Rich, layered with dried apricot, vanilla and honey.

3. A Midwinter Nights Dram: A limited engagement with only 4 left!! This is a delicious blend of straight rye whiskeys.

4. Patron Tequila Mini Gift Pack: The perfect stocking stuffer!

5. Caymus Vineyards Wines: Calling all cab lovers!!!

Cabernet Sauvignon: This wine serves up a bevy of berry aromas and flavors. Its layered and rounded palate make it a delectable choice with a thick and mouthwatering grilled ribeye.
Caymus Special Edition: A truly legendary wine, Caymus Special Selection is a wine that Cab lovers simply can’t get enough of. Introduced more than 30 years ago, Special Selection is a vivid expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley. Starting with the foundation of their Rutherford estate vineyard and then securing contracts for long-term farming control of vineyards across the valley, Caymus has been able to solidify the extraordinary character and over-the-top quality of this very special wine vintage after vintage.

6. Willett Rye Whiskey: A special release!!! Even a quick nosing reveals that Rye nose of grassy, herbal goodness with a sweetness that follows it. The palate is well balanced with a herbal mintiness, intertwined with a sweetness that dances on your tongue until it exits with a spiciness. This is a great utility whiskey to drink neat, make an Old Fashioned, or hold up to a rock.

7. The Dalmore 18: Dalmore’s trademark style is luscious notes of orange, chocolate and spices, and the 18-Year-Old bottling is a terrific example. Aged in both bourbon and sherry casks, it has seductive notes of vanilla, dark chocolate and candied orange on the nose, followed by a full-bodied, spicy palate of cinnamon and stewed fruit. Recently reduced to just $174

8. Opus One Wine: The essence of time is expressed in Opus One by the character of each vintage. Place, often defined as terroir, represents the geography, the climate and the essential human element which is captured in the wine’s balance between power and finesse, structure and texture.

9. French Wines: Not sure which wine to choose, how about three delicious French wines… you can’t go wrong with any of these wines.

Terres Brulées Cornas Syrah: A deep ruby-black with purple hints. Blackcurrant, dark cherries and blackberries, with spices, licorice and cocoa on the nose. A very rich mouth-feel with flavors of black fruit, jam, vanilla, spice and mineral notes. This wine has firm tannins and a long lasting finish.
Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem: he Occultum Lapidem displays great dark garnet-red color in the glass. The nose is laden with aromas of black fruits, pepper, leather and graphite with hints of shrubs. On the palate, the fleshy quality of the wine is apparent straightaway from the attack. Rich and dense, the wine finishes with a balance of fruit and delicate tannins.
Prémices: A pure, elegant style, with an alluring raspberry puree note leading the way, while light blood orange, red currant and plum fruit flavors follow close behind. Nuances of incense, mulling spices and rooibos tea flitter throughout. The finish is silky and persistent.

10. Santa Rita Casa Real Cabernet Sauvignon: This full-bodied wine has beautiful complexity, with flowers, sandalwood and subtle currants, a dense centre palate and a long finish. Purity in cabernet sauvignon. Drinks great now or you can cellar it
for 10 years.

We hope to see you soon at Mystic Wine Shoppe! Let us know what you think about this years gift guide!

December 3, 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

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: