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Fortified wine, it's not just for grandma's post-dinner drink. Binny's Wine Educator Alicia Barrett joins the Barrel to Bottle to Crew this week to share her passion for fortified wines, particularly Madeira. Roger loves Madeira too and he is very eager to discuss it. So what is it? Why should you drink it? Where does it come from? All your questions will be answered on this week's Barrel to Bottle.

CH Distillery has arguably the widest ranging portfolio in the Midwest. At CH, they can only serve what they make, which has presented unique challenges but also allowed them to offer an incredible breadth of spirits. Owner and distiller Tremaine Atkinson was good enough to bring some spirits for the Barrel to Bottle crew to sample. Most importantly, CH is now the shepherd of Malört, favorite child of the Barrel to Bottle podcast. They're trying all sorts of new things with Malört, including barrel-aging. But can it live up (down?) to the Malört legacy? 

If you’ve never had a Noon Whistle Gummy, where have you been? Thankfully, many of you have, and a bunch of you helped us design this brand-new brew. From a list of 14 different hop varieties, you picked your three favorites. Citra, Mosaic and Lemondrop came out on top - a trio of citrusy strains that you can learn more about on Barrel to Bottle, the Binny’s Podcast. Noon Whistle makes some of the best NEIPAs on the shelf, but when they first opened their doors, there wasn’t one on the menu.

Your Gummy, our exciting new collaboration with Noon Whistle Brewing Company is finally here! Earlier this fall, we asked our customers to select three hops to use in this New England-style IPA. The people spoke and selected Citra, Mosaic and Lemondrop. Roger selected a few beers that highlight the individual hops and brought in hop samples for us to waft and quaff. Plus, stick around for a very relevant customer question about fresh hops vs. wet hops.

Cellared beer everywhere but too afraid to drink it. What are we waiting for exactly? The Barrel to Bottle crew has cleaned out our basement fridges and cellars. Some of these beers are among the rarest of the rare and some of them can still be found on Binny's shelves. Did we wait too long to drink them, or is it just the right time? Should you even bother aging beer at all? Join us as we try to answer these questions.  

The turkey may take center stage on the Thanksgiving table, but we all know that people always ask for a second serving of the sides! Below are a number of classics that will thrill any guest - and we KNOW that the Waffle stuffing will steal the spotlight. Enjoy the sides with a smooth, fruit driven wine like the Nuban Garnacha, the Clean Slate Riesling, the Cuvee Tradition Blanc de Blancs Brut or the Clark & Sheffield Zinfandel.

What can you get for around ten dollars? You can get a lot of quality wines for (around) a Hamilton. Barb and Alicia, Binny's Wine Educator, have selected ten wines that you can get for around $10.  They'll also help you identify grape varietes and winegrowing regions that offer quality wines at great prices. Don't throw away your shot at these quality wines for such a great price. 

It's that time again, time to get ready for our Black Friday Bourbon County Brand Stout release. Be sure to check out Roger's tasting notes from this year's remarkable lineup. On Black Friday (that’s November 29), all Binny’s locations will have an allocation of this limited annual release, but as always, the main event is at Binny’s Lincoln Park. Check it out.

Jay Erisman loves Cincinnati Chili, but don't hold that against him. As co-founder of New Riff Distilling, Jay has helped turn this young distillery into one of the most exciting brands we carry. It's not common for a new distillery to make Bottled in Bond bourbon, but they wouldn't do it any other way at New Riff. Join the Barrel to Bottle Crew as we sample through our three Binny's Handpicks, as well as the new barrel proof rye and a Kentucky Terroir-driven gin. 

In 2017 Odd Side Ales took home Gold in the Specialty Ale category at GABF for their Sweet Potato Soufflé Rye Ale. In 2019 they did it again, this time for Rye Hipster Brunch Stout, a treasured release that took Silver in 2017. When Odd Side invited us up to Grand Haven to taste through this year’s barrels, we jumped at the chance. Odd Side Ales’ barrel aging room is quite a sight to see. In this massive, climate-controlled space, a variety of barrels lay resting peacefully - bourbon, rye, tequila, rum, wine… but on this particular visit we had our eyes on the rye.