My Sherry &more, Inc. Westchester's premiere destination for fine wines, spirits and unique artisanal brands + BAR CATERING!

This is how we say “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day”!

It’s great to have an uncle in the business…

And if the business is gin, then Uncle Val is the best uncle anyone could ever ask for.  We were recently introduced to Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin, from a small California distillery called 35 Maple Street and, WOW!  http://www.35maplestreet.com/spirits

Having, as I do, a strong preference for traditional London dry gins, I was skeptical about a gin bearing a label that promised, in big, fancy letters, a healthy dose of botanicals.  But from the moment I uncorked the bottle, I found Uncle Val’s to be unlike any gin I’ve ever had. 

Lovely botanical/floral notes leap from bottle to nose immediately.  And to tell you the truth, at first, that only upped my level of skepticism.  I usually find that when a gin has a powerful botanical presence on the nose, those botanicals are too much on the palate.  The gin seems to lose its fundamental “ginness”.  Such is not the case with Uncle Val’s.

The secondary botanicals of lemon, cucumber, sage and lavender all seem to understand that they’re there to support the primary juniper element of the spirit (keeping its ginness intact).  None of the botanicals behind the juniper compete with one another for your attention; instead, they complement each other perfectly, each seeming to know the exact moment for it to make its presence known, and when to make way for one of its partners.   Nothing warms the heart quite like seeing that kind of teamwork among plant extracts – just beautiful!

And equally beautiful is the gin that’s the end result.  Uncle Val’s is a richly aromatic, delicately balanced spirit that’s absolutely delightful no matter how you drink gin, whether as the G in a plain old G&T, as part of another mixed drink (think a negroni, perhaps), in a classic martini or out-of-the-bottle-into-the-glass, you’ll love it.  To me, it’s one of the finest, if not the finest example of what the American craft distilling industry is capable of producing (albeit with a nod to a recipe rooted in the old world).

Guess what?  We’ve got plenty of it right here at My Sherry &more!

The Super Bowl of Single Malts!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/dining/american-malted-whiskeys-win-acclaim.html?pagewanted=1

We have the largest selection of American Whiskeys in Westchester.

Come in and taste what’s new!

NEW, The Hole in One Vodka for your favorite golfer!  Fuzzy Zoeller, 10 time winner on the PGA Tour, has created his own ultra premium vodka.  It’s handcrafted and batch distilled from grain and Cascade mountain spring water, then charcoal filtered 10 times; 100% American-Made brand.   Enjoy after the 18^th Hole!   Another, we had it first at My Sherry &more, Inc.
www.fuzzyvodka.com

The 2012 Beaujolais arrived last Thursday and although this harvest of Gamay grapes from Burgundy was not large in quantity, it was high in quality as the berries were small and concentrated, making it much more interesting vintage.

Most people when they think of Beaujolais Nouveau, they think George Duboeuf.  Duboeuf is only one label that that this very young wine is bottled under.  However, they are the largest producer of it, and other inexpensive French wines.  This year they have bottled a surprisingly flavorful rendition, but as in years past, Joseph Drouhin’s bottling blows it away.

Maison Joseph Drouhin has been owned by the Drouhin family for 130 years, and have dedicated themselves to what they feel is, “the diversity of Burgundy”.  http://www.drouhin.com   Their 2012 Nouveau has a pretty garnet color, the nose of ripe, black cherries with a touch of marshmallow and full bodied for a very light wine.  At a price point of $12.00, it makes me very happy!

Thanksgiving is Beaujolais Nouveau time.  Bon appetit!!

Just in this week:

Dolin -  Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry is made of fine wines and botanicals found in the Alpine meadows above Chambéry. Together they impart a fresh and elegant nose, with a subtle and complex palate. Ideal as an aperitif or in cocktails. Made to the same base of recipes since 1821.    http://www.alpenz.com/images/poftfolio/dolinvermouthfacts.htm

Kronan - Swedish punsch disappeared in the US after Prohibition.  A grog, as it contains rum, sugar and spices, which was used to mollify the sailors on board the Swedish ships during Sweden’s exploring days of the East Indies.   http://kronanpunsch.com

Palmina Santa Barbara County Pinot Grigio - The NY Times calls this one of the real Bargains from American Vines.  A pinot grigio with fuller body than what may come from the North of Italy, but lively, vivacious, balance and properly refreshing.   http://www.palminawines.com

As the Presidential election nears, a New Yorker can’t help but wonder how other states might react to the issues.

Take Utah, the home of High West Distillery, which in 2008 won Double Gold in the World Spirits Competition for their Rendezvous Rye (a marriage of a straight 6 year old containing 95% rye and 5% barley malt, and a straight 16 year old containing 80% rye, 10% corn and 10% barley malt.  Utah is also the state that cast the deciding vote to repeal Prohibition.  The 36th Vote is now a barreled Manhattan made from 2 parts High West’s Double Rye, 1 part sweet vermouth and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.  It is then aged in a 2 year old rye whiskey barrel for 120 days.  http://www.highwest.com

Colorado likes their whiskey straight from the Rocky Mountains.  Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is aged for a minimum of 2 years in new charred-oak barrels.  It is non-chill filtered and hand-made in small batches.  It is also 94 Proof.  http://www.stranahans.com

In Oregon Ransom Wine & Spirits appeals to both the old and the young.  Their Old Tom Gin is a historically accurate revival of the predominant Gin in fashion during the mid 1800’s, the golden age of American cocktails, and then there is Whippersnapper Oregon Whiskey.  Although young, it is obsessively pot distilled and re-distilled and is quite heavy on malted barley, and aromatically is more similar to a non-peated scotch or Irish whiskey.  http://www.ransomspirits.com

So no matter if the state is red or blue, you know that you can count on some mighty fine brown spirits to help to raise yours.  They are all winners!

Old Potrero 18th Century Style Whiskey.  Traditional pot distilled Single Malt.

It’s officially Summertime and everyone wants to look good in as little as possible to beat the heat.  To help aid in this effort, the beverage industry has come out with entire lines of Lo-Cal alcoholic drinks this season.

Last year Bethenny brought us “Skinny Girl Margarita” while Jose Cuervo, knowing quite a bit about tequila, challenged it with their 100 calorie “Light Margarita” at a lower price point.  Needless to say, Skinny Girl won out and added a Cosmopolitan to their brand for the calorie-conscious.  This year vodkas have joined the list of diet drinks, and there are several major competitors.  We feel that Voli is the Winner.

Voli is a premium brand of French vodka which has been around for a few years.  However, its original distributor did little to promote this unknown but high quality vodka, so Voli, not only changed distributors, it took on new owners who would sing its praises; Pitbull and Fergie.

Voli is hand crafted by master distillers in Cognac France of fine, multi-distilled  wheat and pure spring water.  Their flavored vodkas are made with all natural flavors, and all contain electrolytes.  Guess that means that you can work-out, sip a cocktail and lose weight all at the same time.

Voli comes in original “Lyte”, “Lemon”, “Orange Vanilla Fusion”, “Espresso Vanilla Fusion” and “Raspberry Cocoa Fusion” and retails for about $27 a liter.  Our favorite is the Espresso.  Voli; lighten your spirits - at about 60 calories per ounce!   www/volispirits.com

Come to think of it, it probably is your daddy’s bourbon.  But thanks to the vagaries of marketing, it almost certainly isn’t your bourbon.  It’s Old Grand Dad.  For decades, Old Grand Dad was a nearly iconic presence on the American spirit industry landscape.  Throughout most of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, it was almost impossible to read a magazine without coming across an Old Grand Dad ad (one of which, from around 1980, is above).  But it’s popularity wasn’t just the result of a clever advertising campaign.  The fact is, Old Grand Dad has always been a consistently smooth, rich sipping whiskey.

And then, all of a sudden, gone!

Well, as it turns out, forgotten but not gone.  Old Grand Dad is still very much with us.  It’s made by Jim Beam Global Spirits, but unless you do some digging on Beam’s website, you won’t find it.  For some reason, Beam seems to have decided not to market the brand aggressively at this time.  The link to the brand page is  www.beamglobal.com/brands/bourbons/old-grand-dad.  If you check it out, you’ll find an interesting connection to a brand that’s become very hot in the past couple of years.

One theory out there (and one that we here at My Sherry &more happen to agree with) is that as terms like artisanal and craft and small-batch and single barrel have crept more and more into the forefront of our spirit-buying consciousness, brands that don’t easily carry such labels have been pushed to the back burner.

But that doesn’t mean those brands aren’t every bit as good as they’ve always been.  Our suggestion:  pick up a bottle for dad (and maybe one for grand-dad as well) for father’s day and see if you can tell what they enjoy more, the bourbon or the nostalgia.  And who knows, if you can talk dad into letting you have a little taste, Old Grand Dad might just become your bourbon.

Did you know that you can pretty much make vodka out of any grain, fruit or honey?  Yeah, and I don’t mean infused with these flavors.  We’re talking distilled from wheat, corn, potato, grapes, oranges, apples and honey.  Pretty ingenious!

4 Orange is a brand of premium vodka made from four distinct varieties of Florida oranges; Parson Brown, Valencia, Temple and Hamlin make it a true citrus treat.  www.4orangevodka.com

Our friends at Finger Lakes Distilling create their vodka by distilling local grapes.  Their brand is known as The Vintner’s Vodka, fruity and floral.  www.fingerlakesdistilling.com

The Cupcake brand of vodka uses grapes as well, but marries theirs with grain and then distills it 6 times. It’s one of my favorites, especially at the price point.  www.cupcakevodka.com

But Comb vodka is “still the one” who really stands out with their unique method of distilling spirits from honey.  Located right here in Westchester County, they are the bee’s knees!   www.combvodka.com

These are but a taste of what nature has to offer through master distillers all over the US.  Until recently I would never have believed that alcohol could be so healthy!  :))

Just in!  Low calorie vodka from France compliments of Pitbull & Fergie!

This lovely note, along with an autographed bottle of Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum and book, “The Story of Island Records” was delivered to us 2 weeks ago by Phyllis Kurfirst, a fellow resident of Briarcliff Manor and new friend of My Sherry &more, Inc.

Whenever we start talking about single malt whiskies, it feels as though there’s a built in assumption that we’re talking about Scotch.  Well, what better time to break out of that silly little rut (granted, if one has to be stuck in a rut, then a single malt Scotch rut is a pretty good choice) than now, when we should all be Irish for a day.  And what better way to celebrate than with a delicious Irish single malt.

Two in particular come to mind immediately.   The first is Knappogue Castle 12 year, a crisp, unpeated, slightly citrusy, refreshing whiskey (if it’s okay to call a whiskey refreshing) with an interesting backstory and an American connection.  For more go to www.knappoguewhiskey.com.

The second is Connemara Peated Single Malt.  From the Cooley Distillery, it’s one of the only peated Irish singles.  Though not as over-the-top smoky as Laphroaig or Lagavulin, the smoke is definitely front and center.  Interestingly enough, as one of only a handful of operating distilleries in Ireland, Cooley has supplied whiskey for some of Kanppogue Castle’s recent bottlings.  For more about Connemara, visit www.connemarawhiskey.com and to learn about Cooley go to www.cooleywhiskey.com.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Last week began Spring Training for baseball down in Florida.  The first positions that are called to report are Pitchers and Catchers.  This year for the first time in 18 years, Jorge Posada did not show, as Jorge retired from the Yankee organization on January 24, 2012 after 17 years on the Yankee roster.

All of this may not come as news, but what you may not know is that aside from having been an All Star Catcher, Posada is also the founder of the Jorge Posada Foundation, which is involved with research for craniosynostosis, a disease which impacts his son. Last year The Jorge Posada Foundation launched a new brand of sangria called, “Cinco Anillos” (translated “5 Rings” to commemorate Jorge’s 5 World Series rings).  A portion of all proceeds from sales of this wine go directly to the organization to provide families affected by this disease with emotional and financial support.  http://www.jorgeposadafoundation.org/foundation-store/cinco-anillos

The recipe for the sangria is a secret kept by the family of Laura Posada, wife of the former Yankee catcher, which was passed down from her grandfather.  It is a blend of red wine, spices and citrus fruit, 100% all natural.  Laura describes it as “a wine bursting with the sun-drenched flavors of a hot Spanish summer”, and boasts that at dinners with friends or at family gatherings, everyone always asks for it.

We here at My Sherry &more, Inc. have found Laura’s claim to be accurate.  Everyone who purchased a bottle last summer, has returned more than once, and with rave reviews.  The demand has been such that we now carry both the 750 and magnum sizes year round.  The 750 size retails for $8, while the mag for $15 to enjoy now or for your Spring training!  ;D

When I was a kid, the legal drinking age was 18.  Our first introduction to alcohol were drinks like Rum and Coke, Sloe Gin Fizz, 7 & 7, and Boons Farm Apple wine; anything sweet that didn’t taste of alcohol.

Now the legal age is 21 and the twenty-somethings have a  much more varied selection of confections to choose from.  First is the myriad of flavored vodkas:  Sweet Tea, Grape, Cherry, Vanilla, etc.  Your average brand of vodka is 100 calories per 1 ounce.  These flavored ones can be as much as 300 calories per ounce, but are from 10 to 20 percent lower in proof.  Pinnacle brand has raised the bar on fun flavors with their Chocolate Whipped, which tastes like a Hershey Kiss, or their Cotton Candy (no need for description there), and now the Orange Whipped, which is exactly like having a Creamsicle.  The UV brand came up with a “cake” flavored one, but Pinnacle outdid that with Gummy Bear and Cookie Dough.

For the more adventurous, there are flavored liqueurs.  I must admit that I would even go for some of these:  Southern Comfort Firey Pepper and Fireball taste exactly like, you guessed it, the Red Hots and Fireballs we cinnamon lovers sucked on as kids.  The yummiest of all is Nuvo, the Lemon Sorbet liqueur endorsed by Rappers!

Interestingly enough, I find that more thirty to forty-somethings go for the Bacardi flavored rums, like Arctic Grape or Ciroc’s flavors, like Ciroc Coconut.  As for the fifty-somethings….. it’s hands down, the Van Gogh Double Espresso Coffee flavored vodka wins every time! 

So the next time you visit us, rest assured that you will find something that will appeal to the kid in you too.  :)))

We have just had the pleasure of being introduced to some real treasures of the Finger Lakes.  A Vodka, made from NY grapes (gluten free), Maplejack Liqueur made from NY apples and maple syrup, Rye made from NY rye grain, and Bourbon made from a local variety of corn, are some of the many delights that are now available here in Westchester.

Finger Lakes Distilling is a farm distillery, which manufactures and distributes a line of spirits created from anything that is grown in NY State.  Situated upstate in Schuyler County, the distillery is surrounded by wineries and farms, and actually overlooks some of the fields where the rye for it’s rye whisky is grown.

And speaking of the rye, it happens to be our particular favorite.  McKenzie rye has the unmistakably spicy zing of a classic North American rye, but it also has an unexpected, though by no means overpowering sweetness, that the master distiller attributes to the sherry casks from local wineries in which the whisky is finished.  It’s a whisky that manages to be both traditional and surprising at the same time.  We’re not sure how many points other reviewers have given it, but we’re calling it about a 140!

For more about Finger Lakes Distilling, visit their website www.fingerlakesdistilling.com. And while you’re on the site, be sure to click on the link to previous issues of their newsletter for recipes for some terrific cocktails.

I love Pinot Noir.  In fact, I love it So much that I drink it every day.

The varieties from Oregon always receive the most acclaim and certainly have the highest price tags. For instance, Beaux Freres 2008 retails somewhere in the neighborhood of $90; that is if you can find it.  In January of this year, The NY Times raved about Oregon’s 2008 vintage, which is drinkable now or in 10 years from now.  They cited the Belle Pente Pinot Noir number 1 with balance and good value (around $23).  However, before this article ever made it to print, Belle Pente 2008 had already sold out.

I prefer what California has to offer.  There is much more fruit throughout that State with Napa having the more buttery flavor.  The Sonoma Coast is my favorite!  This year I found Toasted Head Barrel Reserve.  It is delightful, about $17 and the closest to drinking Flowers Pinot Noir, which retails at $50.  However, Toasted Head discontinued all of their Barrel Reserve brands this Fall, so it’s back to Flowers Vineyards, the high gated estate right on the Pacific, which year after year continues to deliver quality wines.  The gates are there to protect the workers, who hand pick the grapes, from neighboring mountain lions, as lions fancy meat over fruit.  I was first introduced to Flowers while enjoying the tasting menu at Le Bernardin.  It is one of the most inexpensive but impressive wines on their list.  I would pair it with just about every dish as it can only add to your enjoyment with its well-balanced sugar and acidity, and would never detract from your food.           http://flowerswinery.com

Riedel glassware just came in!!!!  Not only did it just come in but it also has the lowest price tag in Westchester.

Riedel Vinum Extreme Cabernet/Merlot (set of 2)  $59.95

Riedel Vinum Extreme Champagne (set of 2)  $59.95

Riedel Vinum Chardonnay/Viognier (set of 4) $72.95

COMING SOON! Check out the video of our in-store tasting!

BLACKWELL Fine Jamaican Rum is made from time-honored and secret family recipes.

BLACKWELL’s deep, rich, fragrant, black gold liquid is aged and infused with tropical flavors, making it one of the finest gifts Jamaica has to offer.

Visit the Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum Website

Lucid Absinthe

Lucid is the first genuine absinthe made with real Grande Wormwood to be legally available in the United States in over 95 years. Lucid is made with a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) as well as other fine European herbs.

Bottles of Lucid Absinthe at My Sherry &more include an absinthe spoon for dissolving suger cubes.

Check out the Lucid Absinthe site

Cupcake Vodka

Cupcake has produced a vodka that is as rewarding and delicious as the wines that came before it. Handcrafted with the belief that good vodka comes from good ingredients, we used quality American grain, a touch of grape and natural flavors. 

Available in Original, Frosting, Chiffon, and Devil’s Food flavors.

Check out the Cupcake Vodka site

Brooklyn Republic Vodka

Brooklyn Republic Vodka is handcrafted in small batches from the finest American grains. We are Brooklyn’s only locally made vodka, original like the place itself.

Brooklyn is more than a place we live, it’s who we are. We fuse classic inspiration with modern innovation to celebrate the place we call home.

Check out their site

Mezcal Reposado from Ilegal Mezcal

Ilegal Mezcal is a beautifully balanced vintage mezcal that is exceptionally smooth and subtle. It is among the finest artisanal mezcals and won both Gold and Bronze Medals in 2010.

Ilegal Mezcal is made in Tlacolula, Oaxaca by a 4th generation mezcalero and his family. Using 500 year old methods they craft mezcal rich in agave flavor and lightly accented with smoke.