A good twitter friend asked me if I had any sangria recipes that would be great for the super bowl. Of course I do!! This got me to thinking that others may be interested in the recipes so I’m sharing a couple of them here. Enjoy!

Sangria

• 2  bottles fruit-forward red wine (such as Pinot Noir or Beaujolais)
• 1  liter Cherry Coke
• 1  cup  pomegranate juice
• 3/4  cup  brandy
• 1/4  cup  Triple Sec
• 4  pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 2  oranges, thinly sliced

There are plenty of reasons to drink, and plenty of things to drink, but it’s the Super Bowl!! With the greasy, fatty foods that you will consume on Sunday…just make it easy on yourself, drink beer!

Anchor Steam Beer

Made in San Francisco so a perfect choice for the 49ers fans

Deep amber color, thick, creamy head, and rich, distinctive flavor. I’m just telling you what the website said. I can’t articulate beer flavors like I can with wine and liquor. Bear with me though, I’m working on it.

Resurrection

Brewed by The Brewer’s Art in Baltimore, MD

During the fermentation of the first batch of this Abbey-style dubbel, the yeast «died» and was «resurrected» by brewer Chris Cashell. Made with five types of barley malt and lots of sugar, this beer is quite strong and flavorful, without being too sweet.

I’ve been trying to get friends together to do a pumpkin beer tasting for a couple of years now. I have the beer, they could just bring some snacks…why is it so difficult?? Who knows! But what I do know is I’ve been looking at these beers for quite some time now and I am not waiting any longer to drink them! Besides, the winter/Christmas beers are out now. And that’s a whole ‘nother post

Now, I will say this about my tasting. I cannot describe beers with the malty, hoppy, yeasty, ‘beer terms’ same as I do with wine, liquor, and cocktails. With beer, I like it…I don’t like it. Makes perfect sense to me! These will just be my notes for next year so I’ll remember what I liked and what not to waste my money (and time chasing it down) on again.

The lineup:

• Saranac Pumpkin Ale
• Southern Tier Pumking
• Heavy Seas Great Pumpkin
• Heavy Seas Great’er Pumpkin
• Dogfish Head Punkin Ale
• Uinta Brewing Oak Jacked Imperial Pumpkin
• RJ Rockers Gruntled Pumpkin Ale
• Flying Dog The Fear
• Shocktop Pumpkin Wheat

Now I like my wine aged in oak, so I get a few beers that were aged or fermented in oak barrels. The Great’er Pumpkin, Oak Jacked and The Fear were just that. Great’er Pumpkin used old bourbon barrels which added a nice caramel-y molasses kind of feel to it. Great Pumpkin, Pumking and Punkin Ale tasted like pumpkin pie, I really got the flavors of the nutmeg, cinnamon, and other baking spices. Gruntled Pumkin tasted like beer, but spices were added at the end. I won’t need to get that one again. Saranac, I could taste the pumpkin flavor and the beer flavor. This was better when I drank it with something. And I didn’t even match it up…figured it’s beer and beer goes with everything. I would try it again though.

My two faves, Pumking and Great’er Pumpkin held up and I tasted why I enjoyed them in the first place. New beers (to me that is) that I’ll pick up next year are The Fear, Punkin Ale and Oak Jacked Pumpkin Ale. This is a good thing though, because there is no way I’m hunting down and buying that whole list again next year!

So many things to drink…cocktails, pumpkin/winter beers, wine, bourbon, scotch…it’s hard to keep up with it all! Here are just a few things I’ve enjoyed lately.

How appropriate considering what’s supposedly coming our way this evening. If you haven’t gotten your supplies yet, there might be a few things left…if stores are even open. If you do decide to head out, go early and be safe!

There are tons of liquor stores, wine shops, corner stores around DC. Some have really amazing wine selections, while others are known for their beer, and some are just in a really convenient location and have late hours. And while we may not necessarily have thought we were inthe market for a new liquor shop, we got one. But here’s the thing…it’s good!!!

Welcome to 1724 14th St NW, Logan Circle, Batch 13. I had the pleasure of checking out this shop for a wine tasting of Summerland Winery wines in their upstairs space. Still super-new and unfurnished but had a really feel and is spacious. There is even a patio off of the upstairs that they  plan to use next spring/summer for outdoor tasting parties and classes. Cool!

What I like about this shop

1. Great selection of wines. All the major regions were represented well, and with great producers/importers

2. Pumpkin beers…in stock!! Now I know this part isn’t timely as these are only available for a short period of time, and that time may have past by the time you finish this post. But hey, I like what I like and I likes pumpkin beer :-)

3. Liquor!! Not the major brands like Absolut, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, but small craft spirits from Deaths Door, Corsair, Whistle Pig, etc. They’re all from the US as well and sit on shelves in front of a wall with the American flag painted on it. How’s that for country pride!!

4. The owner. George (Yep, we’re tight like that, I can call him by his first name) has such a great plan for his space. What he wants to sell, how he wants it to look. Gotta love that for a business.

So if you’re out on 14th St and in need of something a little different as far as liquor or beer, do yourself a favor and stop by Batch 13. Say ‘HI’ to me while you’re there too, I’m probably looking in there.