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This year Cinco de Mayo (one of our favorite holidays) happens to fall on our favorite day of the week — Taco Tuesday. It’s like the planets are all aligned for some sort of epic Cinco de Mayo Stay-at-Home Quarantine Party! And we’re ready, with an assortment of tequila recommendations and some can’t miss food pairings that will make your social distancing party one that you will remember for a long, long time!Tequila — nectar of the Gods!Skip those awful worm-in-bottom-of-the-bottle stories (that’s actually mezcal, not tequila). Real tequila is distilled from blue Weber agave and is exclusive to the Jalisco region of Mexico. The agava plant takes years to reach maturity—about a dozen to be exact—and is protected by thick leaves and razor-like thorns. To make tequila, the enormous heart of the agave plant is peeled, roasted and crushed to make a sweet juice that is fermented, distilled (often twice) and aged in bourbon casks.There are actually three major categories of tequila: Blanco, Resposado and Añejo, with each having distinct differences in their production and flavor profiles.Blanco - The purest flavor of tequila, this white tequila has been aged less than three months.Reposado - Meaning “restful”, this type of tequila is aged or “rested” in white oak casks from 2 months to a year, giving it a mellow oak flavor combined with the flavor of the blue agave.Añejo - A sipping tequila, Añejo is aged, in smaller batches, in white oak casks for over a year taking on the flavors of the wood, while mellowing the harshness of the alcohol.How to drink your favorite tequila:Blanco tequila is perfect for shots and is our recommendation for making the classic Margarita. Reposado and Añejo tequilas can be sipped like whiskies, enjoyed as shots, or used to create a truly decadent cocktail. Cinco de Mayo Food and Drink Essentials!With your new-found tequila expertise it’s time to select the perfect tequila-pairing foods to really put your celebration into high gear. Obviously a Mexican spirit works best with Mexican foods and flavors, and there are so many options to choose from other than your basic taco. A few of our favorites:Tacos - Blanco tequila works with fish tacos, Reposado for meatier tacos with beef or pork. Ceviche - perfect with Blanco tequila (which also happens to work with sushi if Mexican food is not your thing).Grilled seafood - another great food partner with Blanco tequila.Avocado - wonderful with Reposado tequila.Grille Pork or Pork-filled Empanadas - serve with Reposado tequila.Steak and Burgers - you can choose either Reposado or Añejo. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Chocolate - Añejo tequila, like other aged spirits, was practically made to pair with chocolate, both dark and milk varieties.No Cinco de Mayo Party celebration is complete without Margaritas. Our recipe is wonderfully fresh, simply classic, and so refreshing. Choose the best quality Blanco Tequila you can afford to buy. A few of our favorites are:1800 Tequila Silver • Avion Silver Premium Tequila • El Jimador Tequila Blanco
Classic Margarita (serves 2)Ingredients• Lime wedge, plus extra lime wedges for garnish• 1 tablespoon coarse salt, for glass rims• 4 ounces Blanco Tequila• 2 ounces Cointreau• 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice• Salt for rimming the glassDirections 1. Run lime wedge around the outer rims of glasses and dip rims in salt. Set aside. 2. Combine combine tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, about 15 seconds. 3. Fill glasses with fresh ice and strain margarita into glasses. Garnish with lime, serve and enjoy!Happy Cinco de Mayo — Cheers!
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Looking for some colorful drinks to celebrate 4th of July in Style? Here are our top picks to give your holiday celebration some patriotic flair! Dozen Roses Rosé Sparkler• 5 ounces Dozen Roses Rosé• Sliced Fresh Strawberries• Fresh mint leaves• San Pelligrino Sparkling Water or club sodaPlace 2 tablespoons of fresh strawberries into bottom of wine glass and muddle into juicy pulp.Fill glass with ice.Add Dozen Roses Rosé until glass is 3/4 full. Top with sparkling water or club soda and add fresh mint leaves for garnish.White Lady• 2 oz. Dry Gin• 1/2 oz. Cointreau• 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon JuiceFill cocktail shaker with ice. Add the gin, Cointreau and lemon juice.Shake well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.Rockin' Royal Blue• 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail• 1 oz. Citron Vodka• 1 oz. Blue Curaco• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice• Granulated sugar & lime wedgeSprinkle sugar onto plate. Moisten rim of chilled martini glass with lime wedge and dip moistened rim into the sugar to coat lightly.Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add cranberry juice, vodka, curacao and lime juice; cover and shake. Strain into martini glass.Whether you’re celebrating at the pool, beach, lake or right in the comfort of your air-conditioned home, they cocktails are easy to make — and easier to drink — so you’ll definitely want to try them all!Cheers!
Who doesn’t LOVE a Mimosa? One part champagne, one part citrus juice, all parts FABULOUS! So fabulous, in fact, that there’s even a day set aside for celebrating this fabled cocktail: National Mimosa Day, celebrated each year on May 16th.With roots that can be traced back to the Hotel Ritz Paris in the mid 1920s, Mimosa are a staple at brunches, weddings, and with the “ladies who lunch” crowd. While we adore the classic Mimosa - a 50/50 mix of sparkling wine and orange juice, served chilled in a tall champagne flute, there are some creative — and delicious — variations that are definitely worth a taste, including a few of our favorites:Vodka Mimosa (a.k.a. the Champagne Screw)1/3 Vodka1/3 Orange Juice1/3 Chilled ChampagnePour in glass and garnish with fresh fruit.Strawberry Mimosa1 Bottle of Brut Champagne1/2 Cup Fresh Strawberries2 Teaspoons Strawberry Juice/SmoothieStrawberries for GarnishIn a separate container, crush and muddle the strawberries until pureed and then add to a champagne glass. Add strawberry juice/smoothie for added sweetness. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne and use the strawberries for garnish.Cherry Kiss Mimosa1 Cup Pineapple Juice1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice1 Bottle ChampagneOrange slices, for garnishCombine pineapple juice and maraschino cherry juice in champagne flutes. Top with champagne and garnish with orange slice.Pomegranate Mimosa1 Cup Sweetened Pomegranate Juice1 Bottle ChampagnePomegranate Seeds, for garnishPour pomegranate juice into a champagne flute, top with champagne and garnish with pomegranate seeds.Whether you like your Mimosas straight up classic, or with a fresh new twist, they’re easy to make — and easier to drink — so you’ll definitely want to try them all!Cheers!
According to the official NASA website: On August 21, 2017, the Earth will cross the shadow of the moon, creating a total solar eclipse. Eclipses happen about every six months, but this one is special. For the first time in almost 40 years, the path of the moon's shadow passes through the continental United States. It seems that everyone’s getting Eclipse Fever! Getting their official eclipse-viewing glasses ready, choosing the perfect spot to watch the big event and, of course, planning to host or attend an awesome Eclipse-viewing party!Whether you’re hosting or you’re just a guest, we’ve got awesome cocktail recipes that help celebrate this once-in-a-generation event and will help shoot your party into orbit!Blue Moon
Ingredients (makes 4 cocktails)1 cup crushed ice1/4 cup vodka1/4 cup blue curaçao1/4 cup whipping cream2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored syrup (such as Torani)2 tablespoons fresh orange juice1 tablespoon Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur Combine ingredients in blender and whip until smooth. Pour into martini glasses and garnish rim with orange slice.Patrón XO Cafe Solar Eclipse
Ingredients (makes 1 cocktail)1 1/2 oz Patrón XO Cafe3/4 oz Fresh lemon juice1/2 oz Simple syrup4 oz Aranciata (Italian orange) sodaHalf slice Valencia orange for garnish Fill a highball glass with ice and add all liquid ingredients. Garnish with half a slice of blood orange or Valencia orange. Sundowner Spritzer
Ingredients (makes 1 cocktail)4 oz white wine2 1/2 oz cold seltzerFresh mint sprig for garnish Pour the ingredients into a stemmed white wine glass with ice. Stir. Garnish with mint sprigs.
There you have it, a trio of cocktails that will put a solar spin on your eclipse-watching party! Get all the ingredients at your local Wine Country Store or Wine & Whiskey Country Store!
Years spent diluting vodka with juice or soda to try to lessen the “burn” left us a bit gun shy when it came to sipping vodka "au natural." That all changed at Wine Country’s recent “Evening of Wine & Whiskey” tasting, sponsored by The Ahavath Torah Sisterhood of Englewood, NJ. That’s where we met Brian Facquet, the founder and Master Distiller at Prohibition Distillery. Brian took the time to explain why his vodka was different from the rest, how it tasted better, even felt smoother to the touch. So when he suggested we sample it —WITHOUT A MIXER — we weren’t all that thrilled, but we tried it. We liked it. We really liked it. Bootlegger Vodka was different from what we’ve had before, it actually was so good it didn’t need to be diluted. Really! So, what makes it so different? Here’s why, directly from the Prohibition Distillery website: Our Vodka is not your ordinary Vodka. We created Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka to be soft on your pallet yet with character not seen in the vodka category. When you bring Bootlegger Vodka to your nose, you’ll sense no smell, and when you take a sip it has flavor yet lacks the usual burn. Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka is made from 100% Corn, which is slowly filtered through a proprietary filtration process using charcoal for over 24 hours to give our silky smooth mouth feel. What most people don’t know is the best way to “taste” a vodka is by touching it. Most vodkas feel oily, but as they dry become sticky due to additives like glycerol and sugar. We’ve taken a higher road with Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka where strict adherence to a proprietary filtration process delivers unparalleled smoothness. It’s not what we do that’s different, but what others don’t do that sets us apart. We’ve taken the time to do it right, and now vodka aficionados are taking notice. We work tirelessly at the distillery to ensure every drop makes it through our unique process resulting in a remarkably smooth, sipping vodka. And the critics agree, Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka has won Double Gold at The Fifty Best Domestic Vodka Competition and the only gold medal at the NY International Spirits Competition. But we'd rather let your own discerning taste be the judge. Of course, our Bootlegger 21 New York Vodka is Gluten Free, and Certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union. So go ahead and give this classically clear spirit a try next time your in the mood for a smooth vodka. We bet you’re just dying to try some now, aren’t you? But it isn’t so easy to find this Micro Distillery’s vodka… but WE HAVE IT. That’s right, WE HAVE IT. At every Wine Country Store and Wine & Whiskey Country store and online, too! Come in and pick up a bottle today and for once you don’t have to pick up any mixers! Enjoy!
