Viewing by month: September 2009

New and Notable

I'm always searching for great values in the world of wine to share with anyone who will listen. Here are a few new wines and notable values that I've been able to taste recently and thought you might like. Come on in, check them out, and be sure to ask the folks in the stores if...

Read more...

0 comments - Posted by Greg Versch at 1:12 PM - Categories: Wine

Whisky Hotline Hits the Road

The Whisky Hotline is hitting the road on the continued search for the best bottlings for our customers.  I flew into Louisville last night with Binny's Spirits consultants Joe Maloney, Doug Fornek, and Ross Macfarquhar and we're going to be spending the day on the eastern edge of the Bourbon trail, with visits today at Four Roses, Wild Turkey and Buffalo Trace.  We have recently taken in a number of new hand picked bottlings (most notably the 10 barrel vatting of Buffalo Trace, IMHO the best we've done to date,) and are prowling for more opporunities.  Only the best and most interesting will make it back to Chicago.  I will be periodically updating the trip and passing along information and new discoveries as they arise.  Please feel free to submit questions, I just might be able to get answers directly from the source!

4 comments - Posted by Brett Pontoni at 7:15 AM - Categories: Spirits

The Tribune's Beer of the Month

The Chicago Tribune’s beer of the month, while not really a beer at all but a cider, is Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider from England.  While we do agree that this is a top notch cider, we think there are a few other noteworthy organic ciders that push the envelope for best cider...

Read more...

0 comments - Posted by Kyle Fornek at 12:16 PM - Categories: Beer

Focus on Vibrant Rioja

Yesterday Binny's held an internal training seminar about Rioja for wine consultants. We discussed the region, watched a video from Rioja's recent marketing blitz, and tasted a few wines....

Read more...

3 comments - Posted by Greg Versch at 3:30 PM - Categories: Wine

Hoppin' Frog Releases a Duo of Brews

Hoppin’ Frog Brewery has been up to big things as they unleashed a duo of new beers onto the market last week.  This comes shortly after releasing a limited edition whisky barrel aged version of their B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Imperial Stout. ..

Read more...

0 comments - Posted by Kyle Fornek at 12:25 PM - Categories: Beer

A Little Sumpin' Extra

Lagunitas’s new summer seasonal, A Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, was so mouth-watering that it left all of us wanting more when the supplies ran out last month.  Well that is exactly what Lagunitas gave us when they released A Little Sumpin’ Extra earlier this week...

Read more...

0 comments - Posted by Kyle Fornek at 11:19 AM - Categories: Beer

Trends in Shoes and also in Australian Wines

I need to start jogging again. I could use the exercise. And by “again,” I mean that the last time I put serious effort into jogging, I was in high school. So I went to buy some running shoes. Apparently, all modern running shoes are designed by comic book artists with attention deficit disorder and people who have stock in  foam rubber companies....

Read more...

1 comments - Posted by Greg Versch at 3:57 PM - Categories: Wine