Winesday Wednesday 6/24/15

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

YES. My favorite day of the week because I get to chat about drinking. Only thing better would be actually drinking. Maybe later.

I enjoyed a glass of red wine on Friday- it was the 2013 limited edition cabernet shiraz Tyler made last year. Honest to God, if I didn’t tell you Tyler made it, you’d think it was at *least* a $25 bottle of store-bought wine. I’m glad there are still about 24 bottles of it left.

..because I never get out of my pj’s..

Oh, and then this happened:

I know. What the heck, right? I think it’s Bud’s way of getting in on the cider craze because that’s exactly what it tasted like. Personally, I’d prefer an actual cider over this, but it was neat to at least try it! Same goes with an actual margarita over those margarita flavored buds. Does anyone even like those?

Tyler finally bottled our pinot grigio last night. I was able to taste a sip and it’s SO good. MOM: get ready for your visit in August- there are 30 bottles of Pinot Grigio waiting for you! DAD: Don’t worry, we won’t let mom drink all 30.

And by the end of the week, we should have the cabernet sauvignon bottled as well! I might just hog that all to myself.

Speaking of homemade wine, check out Keith’s post here to see what he’s recently bottled! <—YUM

Michael sent me another beer pic (he’s an IPA guy and I am NOT but his descriptions always make me crave whatever he’s writing about!)

He wrote: The beer on the left is On The Wings of Armageddon on nitro tap. It’s their double IPA that I guess came about during that whole crazy period of the predicted end of the world a few years back (Way to go Mayans! We’re still here!) It has the texture of Guinness but the delicious flavor of a hoppy west coast IPA. The sample draft on the right is the maple bourbon barrel aged version of the SAME beer and it. was. INCREDIBLE.

See what I mean? Don’t you want one now? I’d love to try the one on the right FOR SURE.

Our local liquor store hosts various events and I just noticed that on June 26th they’re having a Fruitbier event! The description: An evening devoted to the fermented fruits! We will explore Radlers, Lambics & Fruitbiers and what makes each style a distinct class. You will have the opportunity to team up with friends to create a one of a kind custom made fruit beer to top it off as well! I’d KILL to go, but 1) don’t want to go alone, and 2) we don’t have a babysitter if Tyler and I both go. Because I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t be cool to bring a baby.

But…he would fit right in, right?

Winesday Wednesday 6/17/15

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

We’ve approached the hump, my friends. Which means it’s time to share this week’s wine! Usually this time of year I’m into beers, but for some reason red wine has been the ticket! Might be because it’s the easiest for me to slowly sip in between feeding for the little guy. (WAIT. I promised no baby talk today!)

After my hair appointment on Saturday, I swung by the liquor store to pick up a couple of bottles. I knew I had to be quick because I needed to get home (again, for he who will not be discussed today!) and it was hailing/raining like crazy. And I think I had to pee. I think. I wound up selecting an old favorite and a new blend from an existing favorite!

First, I picked up Wayne Gretzky Okanagan The Great Red

(source)

I couldn’t find this particular wine on their website (weird), but the bottle reads: The Great Red showcases the best of British Colombia by blending Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Mouvedre, and Gamay Noir. The grapes underwent traditional red wine making techniques and were partially aged for 10 months in American and French oak. The result is a smooth blend with flavors of jammy fruit, vanilla and cedar with a hint of floral and a nice even texture.

I usually don’t buy blends like this because it feels to me more like a table wine and I don’t want to pay $$ for something that could be so generic. BUT- this one was good! It tasted both complex and smooth and was nice to enjoy with a snack plate…and on its own about 5 hours later when I finally got around to it. I recommend!

The second wine I purchased was Sterling Vintner’s Collection Pinot Noir

(source)

This one is an oldie but a goodie. I love that this wine has somewhat of a sweet finish without being overly sweet. I prefer to drink this wine alone (but let’s be honest, I’m always eating, so it’s inevitably paired with something). I definitely recommend this wine- especially if you want to bring a bottle to a gathering. It’s a people pleaser!

Hope you all have a fantastic Winesday Wednesday and don’t forget to tag me in social media so I can see what you’re drinking!!

Winesday Wednesday 6/10/15

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

Happy Winesday (and beersday and even cocktailsday) Wednesday! Holy cannoli do I need a drink or what. As I type this (Tuesday night) I can’t figure out what I might want to indulge in for the day, but I’m sure I’ll swing by the liquor store while I’m out..even if it’s just to browse!!

This week, I have a pretty neat beer(s) to share with you! They come from Maui Brewing Co. Tyler picked up a 6 pack of the Mana Wheat for us to try a few weeks ago, and it was delicious! Best part- it was made with pineapple juice! Such a nice, light flavor and excellent to drink in the warm weather.

From their website: An unfiltered, freshly handcrafted American-style Wheat infused with Maui Gold Pineapple. Our crisp and refreshing wheat ale is lightly hopped to allow the fruity sweetness of the pineapple to shine. The yeast stays in suspension making the ale traditionally cloudy.

This past weekend, I swung by the liquor store and found another brew from them: the Bikini Blonde Lager. It was pretty light and basic, similar to many other lagers I’ve tried. The cool factor is that it was from Hawaii!

From the website: Our filtered Munich Helles Lager brewed with floral hops and Pilsner and Munich malts. This is the closest thing to an American Lager from Maui Brewing Co., but not skimpy of flavor. Bold, smooth and refreshing!

Want to share what you’re drinking?! Make sure to tag me on social media so I can see!

PS: This is how I am at home when I drink beer (minus the random dudes). What are real clothes when you can lounge around in your pj’s?!!

Winesday Wednesday 6/3/15

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

YASSSS WINE. And all the alcohols.

Seriously, if I wasn’t breastfeeding, I would be doing some serious indulging. You know, to make up for lost time.

But turns out, I love my baby WAY MORE than I love my wine. So that’s good.

Just wanted to check in real quick to A) Let you know that Winesday Wednesday is back, so puh-leeeease send me all your boozy photos. Or tag me in them on social media so I can see them and drool over them (while a baby drools all over me. for different reasons) and B) to share with you my latest fave.

Spirit Hills Honey Winery YeeHaa! Sangria. So basically, it’s sangria made with mead. And it’s SOOOO good. Sweet like sangria, with a smooth honey finish. Mmmm, I could sip on this all day errr-day. I actually bought a bottle of their dandelion wine in August before I found out I was pregnant. Which reminds me, I think it’s still on the wine rack. Must go downstairs and check. Then promptly consume. I will let you know how that goes.

Anyways, so yeah this sangria is thebomb.com and what’s even better is that it’s local to Alberta! I love supporting local and I love supporting local alcohol producers even more. I’m hoping Tyler and I can make it down to their winery sometime soon to check everything out since it’s about an hour south of Calgary.

Speaking of summer drinking (were we speaking of summer drinking? I dunno, but that’s how I’m going to segway into my next drink): Stanley Park Sunsetter Peach Summer Ale.

To my Canadian friends- go buy it. It’s delicious. Even for those of you who aren’t beer people. It’s sweet enough that it’s not beer-y, but not too sweet to detract from the beer. You follow me? Good. Let me know what you think.

K yeah, I need the rain to stop now so that I can go sit on the patio and drink both of these.

To round out this week’s comeback post, I got the following from Michael via instagram:

He said: It’s a chocolate and coffee stout from Michigan aged in oak bourbon barrels for over a year. VERY RARE and VERY GOOD. Chocolate-y and vanilla-y and bourbon-y- just incredible.

Michael, first of all- you had me at chocolate and coffee. Second of all, now that I am also a parent, I can appreciate the toys in the background. 😉

So that’s it for this week! Please tag me in your beer/wine/cocktail photos so that I can share next week!

Winesday Wednesday

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Jen @nutcaseinpoint

First, I’d like to just do some quick housekeeping:

What the heck are {} used for? I really don’t get it.
I haven’t been to Subway in ages, but with ZERO kitchen and our propane running out yesterday, I was forced to pick up some sandwiches there tonight. And again, it was a chore to get the order correct. Snap.
I am SO OVER this reno. I go to bed every night screaming in my head because I am so frustrated with the lack of kitchen and disorderliness everywhere. PS: totally grateful for Tyler doing so much about it himself though!
Work has been really crazy lately. Like INSANE crazy. I actually called a broker annoying today. Good thing he thought I was kidding and sent me an email after our phone conversation saying I made him laugh. Ha!
I am patiently waiting the day I don’t have to wear a jacket to work.
I have been playing my iPod on shuffle lately, and during today’s workout Wanted by Jessie James played. I normally skip over that song but felt obligated to listen since I had a pretty dreamy dream about her hubby last night. (insert goggly eyes here)

Now where were we?

Nothing new on this end. Except that I found the Shock Top Summer pack at our local liquor store. It was nice to have a taste of home while we were pulling wire for the kitchen. Totally not dangerous, by the way.

I fully anticipate lots of fun stuff to share next week after I spend YET ANOTHER weekend in Chicago!

Things of interest:

Science Proves the Beer Goggles are Real. Haha DUH. Case in point: my college career.
US is now world’s biggest wine market. My mom is a large contributing factor.
Classic fail, right here. Lady gives her booze receipt to the cop that pulled her over. Instead of her license. Same thing, right.
Pink Glasses wine. Yes, I need this now. Except I don’t really care for pink wine. It’s like the sugary juice box of drinks.
Ouch, moving to Canada hurts. When compared to several other countries, Canada is paying a LOT for beer.
In preparation for this weekend, I just downloaded the Chicago Craft Beer Week App. No shame.

I need this shirt:

Holy shit, I NEED this in my life: Stack Wine. What a genius idea. It would totally prompt me to go on more picnics. Except they don’t sell in Canada. Guess I’ll just have to fashion my own stackable wine.