Monthly Archives: December 2011

Announcing Binny’s Gordito

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We’re excited to introduce another great cigar exclusive to Binny’s Beverage Depot. We’re proud of our signature line, Marca Binny’s 1949, but this time we went looking for the absolute best cigar we could for a couple bucks less. That’s exactly what we found in the new Binny’s Gordito line.

The new Binny’s Gordito line offers the best value you’ll find on the shelf at the price range between $3.50 and $3.95 per stick. All are handmade in the Dominican Republic, and come in a range of strengths: mild, medium and full-bodied. All have a ring gauge of 60, with a range of lengths: four, five and six inches each, for a total of nine different cigars. They were hand selected by the same cigar specialists who brought you the Marca Binny’s 1949.

Here’s the breakdown on the Binny’s Gordito blends:

 

Binny’s Gordito Lightweight

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Mexico
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Mexico
   Strength: Mild to Medium

 

Binny’s Gordito Middleweight

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium

 

Binny’s Gordito Heavyweight

Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium to Full

 

You’ll find these exciting new smokes prominently displayed in all Binny’s walk-in humidors.

Brophy’s Barrel 12/16/11

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   Good news! Brophy’s barrel is back in business. After considering all of your suggestions for spirits to put into the barrel, we decided to go in a completely different direction. On Tuesday we filled the barrel with none other than Lemon Hart 151 proof Demerara Rum.

   This is hands down the best smelling overproof rum we’ve ever had. The combination of the amazing aromatic profile and the high alcohol content makes Lemon Hart the absolute best rum for making perfect tiki drinks – think the classic hurricaine and mai tai – as well as the best dark & stormy you’ve ever tasted.

   We tasted some before putting in into the barrel, and it’s all about the nose. Delicious molasses and brown sugar completely dominate with a thickness that almost pushes into the raisiny fruit category. You would never know this is an overproof rum – there’s no alcohol to be found on the nose. Nothing subtle about it. Heavy duty on the palate too, with an overwhelming taste of molasses just starting to burn in a pan on a stove. It’s going to be really cool to see how the Lemon Hart is effected by time in the barrel. Remember that the last two things we had in there were a Scotch and then a tequila. We’ll taste it in a week, see where it’s at, and decide where to go from there.

   By the way, we have more exciting Brophy’s Barrel news coming soon. Keep an eye on the Binny’s Blog for more.

Quick Flight, Small Pours

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The Trib’s 12 Drinks of Christmas – one for each day.
Adorable, and some look easy enough to actually make at home.

 

Australia okays laxative agent for use in wine.
Ever notice how headlines sensationalize?

 

Will Ferrel films Old Milwaukee commercials for free.
Watch them. They are hilarious.

 

Now there’s a Vinturi spirits aerator, Wired likes it.
Um, yes. You can get it at Binny’s.

 

The Pour Fool on Jay Miller’s departure from TWA.
A level-headed and thoughtful point of view.

 

Thoughts?

Stocking Stuffers: Beer

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Are you looking for a last minute stocking stuffer for the beer connoisseur in your life?  If so, the beers from England’s Ridgeway Brewing Company are perfect candidates.  People are sure to get a kick out of their holiday themed names, such as Reindeer Droppings and Lump of Coal.  Plus, the beers are pretty tasty, and come in bottles that will fit perfectly into most stockings.

 

We also have a slew of Belgian beer gift sets available at most of our locations albeit they will probably only fit into extra-large size stockings.  All of these Belgian beer gift sets come with a brewery branded glass, and of course beer. Some of our most popular ones include Duvel, St. Bernardus, Triple Karmeliet, and Pauwel Kwak.

 

Binny’s now carries a wide variety of brewery branded glassware, which are great ideas for stocking stuffers. So far our most popular seller has been the Delirium Tremens chalice, which features the Belgian brewery’s iconic pink elephants.

 

The best part about all of the above mentioned beers is that they are all included in our Holiday Beer Sale, which features over 130 seasonal beers from around the world.  What are you getting for the beer lover in your family this holiday season?

Shots in the Dark, Answered

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Tasting blind is one of the most intimidating challenges a beverage industry professional can face. Not knowing forces us to abandon preconceptions and focus on what’s actually in the glass. Shots in the Dark, the new feature on The Whiskey Hotline, is our  chance to taste spirits as though it were our first time. No marketing. No expectations. Just our honest opinions.

This was a single-blind tasting, and all we could wrestle from the guy who was pouring was that all four brown spirits were from the same category. Vague. Try follow our aggregate notes, and see if you can guess what these are. And now … the absolute knuckle clenching excitement of blind tasting:

Four Samples

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Binny’s Commercial: Mike Ditka, Wine Snob

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As a Chicago staple, we’re proud to feature Chicago greats such as Tony O and Mike Ditka in our commercials. Maybe you’ve seen them airing during hockey games? Check out this great one that proves that even the most macho among us can appreciate a thing of beauty.

 

 

 

To catch the latest, and to see more videos, check out the official Binny’s Beverage Depot YouTube channel: YouTube.com/BinnysBev

Binny’s Mailbag: Top Ten “Smooth Sweet” Scotches

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We’ve been opening up the Binny’s Mailbag for a while now – giving you the chance to see the kinds of mail that we get all the time. Its surprising how often these questions are super topical, or how they give us the opportunity to rant. This is one of those questions:

 

What are the best sweet, smooth single malt scotches that you recommend (top 10)?   Thanks!

- B.B.

 

Hi B.B.

   What a loaded question! Tops 10′s are hard because inevitably some great whiskies get left out. That said, here is our current top 10, in no particular order and in no particular price range. 

 

Glenmorangie 18 Year Old - Very light, lots of honey and ripe fruits. VERY smooth.

Dalmore 18 Year Old - Full bodied and incredibly heavily sherry aged. Sweet dark fruits abound with a long, clinging finish. 

Balvenie 21 Year Old Portwood - This one is port cask finished, and very sweet, and very smooth. 

Samaroli Glenburgie 21 Year Old - Fairly sweet, but has a slight, coastal-salt balance. Samaroli is an amazing independent bottler.

Signatory Glenlossie 18 Year Old - A hand-picked Binny’s cask. Gently sweet and very light. Smooth even at cask strength. 

Glenrothes 1985 Vintage - Glenrothes is medium bodied and particularly creamy. A sweet butter cream is the leading flavor. 

BenRiach 20 Year Old - Creamy and honey with a balance of citrus fruits. Very gentle and clean. 

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or - This is the light, sweet and smooth 10 year Glenmorangie that sees an additional 2 years in Sauternes casks. ‘Nuff said. 

Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition - Cragganmore is one of the real sleepers in the crowded Speyside category. Fuller bodied than most, and sweeter with less spice. This Cragganmore is finished in port casks, and is incredibly smooth with a rich, raisin-y depth in flavor. 

Blackadder Lochranza 11 Year Old – Don’t be fooled by the island origin of this scotch (distilled at Arran). This is very sweet stuff. Light on the palate and dangerously smooth even at cask strength.  

 

Hope this gives some guidance. Plenty to choose from! Thanks for thinking Binny’s!

Cheers,

- Binny’s Mailbag

Holiday Beer Sale

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   Today marks the start of our big Holiday Beer Sale. 

   As you might expect, you’ll find sweet prices on great winter brews. We’re doing something a little different this time: we’ve selected over 130 holiday beers from all over the globe, stuff that you might have passed over otherwise. We’re highlighting more eclectic seasonal brews like Lump of Coal Holiday Stout from England’s Ridgeway brewing, and Scaldis Noel from Belgium. We have a special price on this year’s St. Bernardus Gift Set, and even stuff closer to home like Point’s St. Benedict’s Christmas Ale 12 packs and Sprecher’s Winter Brew 4 packs. Click the image below to see the full list. 

   A lot of this stuff is limited, and will sell out. Availability varies by location, and offers are good while quantities last. 

Holiday Wine Sale

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   Today also marks the start of our big Holiday Wine Sale.

   This time we’re offering great prices on well over six hundred wines from all over the world. Be sure to check out our printable .pdf of the list that includes review exerpts for select wines, along with a “Featured Deals” section right there at the top. Castano Monastrell at $5.99? Ridiculous. Orin Swift’s 2010 The Prisoner for $32.99? Get it while it lasts. Click the santa glass below to see the full list.

   Prices are valid with your free Binny’s Card, so get one. Quantities are limited to stock on hand, and not all stores have everything, though we do try. Prices are good through December 24th, 2011 or while quantities last.