Gnarly Vines

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBBIE LEE

OPENING RECEPTION THURSDAY DEC 8TH, 6-9PM

Join us this Thursday to welcome back one of our favorite artists. We’re thrilled to have his photographs in the shop over the holidays! To celebrate we’re featuring another artistic spirit – Death’s Door Gin. Distilled in Madison, Wisconsin and named after the harrowing passageway that connects Green Bay with Lake Michigan, Death’s Door’s menacing title belies its elegant aromatics and finely delineated flavors.

10% off Death’s Door during the tasting

Death’s Door Distilled Gin – $36 (750ml) Door County, WI
Death’s Door Distilled Gin is produced by a small group of farmers and restaurateurs dedicated to celebrating the food and flavors of the Great Lakes region. It’s infused with wild juniper berries that are hand harvested from the fields and forests of Washington Island, plus coriander, fennel, and other native Wisconsin botanicals.

Looking for a good gift for a whiskey-lover?

Buy a bottle of the official Kentucky Derby Bourbon and have it engraved on the spot for free!

MISSED THURSDAY’s ENGRAVING? WE’RE DOING IT AGAIN ON SUN DEC 18TH

Feel Free to place your order ahead of time – we’ll deliver or have it ready for pick-up. If you can’t think of a clever engraving, we’ll use our considerable powers to pen one for you…satisfaction not guaranteed! We have 3 sizes of Woodford, from 750ml bottles to 200ml flasks that make great stocking stuffers for adults, or tuck one away for yourself. (Only 750ml and 375ml can be engraved)

Brooklyn Republic Vodka Tasting

Friday, Dec 2, 6-9pm

Brooklyn Spirits was founded by a family of Eastern European immigrants who have lived in the borough for over thirty years. Their vodka is polished and smooth. We like it for martinis and in a gamut of vodka cocktails. Friday night we’ll serve it up straight or in a Brooklyn Fizz, made with soda water and black currant syrup.

Armagnac Tasting

Saturday, Dec 3, 5-8pm

Like Cognac, Armagnac is brandy from a specific place in southwestern France, i.e. Cognac comes from Cognac, Armagnac comes from Armagnac (see map below). Though they share many similarities, France’s two most well-known spirits (sorry, Calvados) differ in more than just geographic origin. In the end of the day, the primary difference is personality. To use an analogy from the wine-world, Armagnac is to Cognac what Burgundy is to Bordeaux. Cognac, like its posh neighbor to the south, is a land of famous labels and high-priced bottles. Armagnac seems more at home on the arm of a well-worn leather chair. It prides itself on being a rustic but soulful spirit, steeped in history and closely tied to the land.

First distilled in the 15th century, Armagnac is France’s oldest spirit, but, somewhat surprisingly, it’s not rigidly set in its ways. As opposed to Cognac and Bordeaux, which border the Gironde river and the Atlantic, Armagnac was for centuries hidden away in the southern provence of Gascogny, cut off from navigable rivers and the market pressures of trade. Home to Dumas’ D’Artagnan and his three muskateers, Gascony is a region of stubborn individualists who are still arguing about the best way to make their Armagnac, hence its reputation for varying widely in personality. But over the years, having a pot still in every farmhouse also degraded Armagnac’s repution. Oftentimes it was sold too young. Armagnac takes more time to mature than Cognac, and smallish producers often couldn’t afford to hold it long enough. At its best, however, Armagnac offers a depth and fullness that outdoes even the finest of Cognacs.

Bulldog Gin Tasting

Sunday, Dec 4, 5-8pm

Despite it’s name, this is a kindler, gentler gin infused with a unique bouquet of juniper, dragon eye, poppy, lavender, and ten other botanicals. Floral and citrusy, complex and dark, the cocktail possibilities are endless.

Sunday night, Rosie from Bulldog will mix up a batch of London Clove Cider: Bulldog Gin mixed with apple cider and clove essence, topped with a cinnamon stick. Bring your dogs if you’d like. As always, we have treats for them.