deVine Thoughts

Author: Dirk Chan

The well-documented “Cocktail Renaissance” is in full swing in Edmonton these days, with newer and cooler cocktail bars opening every other week. It can be an intimidating proposition for those uninitiated in the cult of cocktail to confidently order from the bearded and bespectacled bartender behind the counter. A little bit of education can go a long way in building confidence and discovering ones own taste.

Join us on Saturday, November 19 – $50 for an evening of enlightenment, as Manuel Barreira, a local cocktail expert who brings in a lot of our spirits, leads us through the history and contemporary usage of those essential cocktail cornerstones, Vermouth and Amaro.

While these Vermouths and Amaro’s are perfect to drink cold as an aperitif or after a meal as a digestif, they are more and more being used as an ingredient in refined cocktails, adding a special touch in new versions of great classics such as the renowned Negroni or the Americano.

Come taste these benchmark spirits, learn how they are used to enhance and build the most classic cocktails, and expand your knowledge of these special, bitter spirits. Only 30 spots available for this sit-down event.

More information and to register for the tasting, click here… (***NOTE – Event postponed to a future date).

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Author: Dirk Chan

deVine welcomes Lee Hanson of Barrel Hunter Import & Brokerage Ltd for our annual Top Drops Scotch Tasting on Saturday, November 3rd at 7pm – $55. Lee will have with him a very special guest – Andrew Laing, Export Director of Hunter Lang & Co, the unrivalled blenders and bottlers of the special First Editions scotches that we will be tasting.

Founded in 2010, the origins of First Editions are rooted in the decades spent growing up in and around the scotch whisky industry, and with the respect and passion for the spirit this history has instilled. With a label inspired by the classic elegance of an antique manuscript, the First Editions brand is the mark of quality which appears across the core range of single-cask bottlings of malt whisky.

They review their maturing stocks on a monthly basis, drawing samples from casks that may be ready for bottling. Always mindful of the benefits of a whisky being from just a single cask, they will bottle it when it is at its best for drinking rather than being influenced by “round” ages such as 18, or 25 years old. The First Editions bottlings are always at cask-strength and, naturally, without artificial colouring or chill-filtration.

We strongly encourage you to attend (and bring a friend), this is a giveaway tasting given the quality of the drams presented. A not-to-be-missed event even if you’re remotely interested in discovery about rare and expensive Single Malts.

More information and to register for the tasting, click here….

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Author: Dirk Chan

Cocktail culture is seeing a major revival these days, with some of the most enjoyable things involved in sipping spritzes – the Italian wine-based cocktail commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. The drink is prepared with prosecco wine, a dash of some bitter liqueur such as Aperol, Campari or Cynar and then topped off with sparkling mineral water. It is usually served over ice in a lowball glass (or sometimes a martini glass or wine glass) and garnished a slice of orange, or sometimes an olive, depending on the liqueur. Some have even started substituting real Champagne in place of Prosecco.

Whether its nibbling from little bowls of stuffed olives, pesto or potato chips etc, and watching time pass by, spritz is the way to go.“Spritz”, the book is the perfect introduction to this kind of culture – the book is compact, nicely illustrated, and filled with anecdotes and recipes for classic fizzes as well as more modern iterations from top bartenders. It even has food recipes for pairing.

With Christmas not so far away, this would be a wonderful gift idea and its already flying off the shelves.

Random House “Spritz” – $24.99

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Author: Chad Gascho

Once again, we’ve approached that time of year when everything goes pumpkin! Pumpkin glazed doughnuts, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, our favorite here at deVine…pumpkin beer.

Documented use of pumpkin in brewing beer has been occuring for roughly 400 years, predominantly in the U.S. and Canada due to the pumpkin being a plant native to North America. In earlier centuries, pumpkin was more easily acquirable than the other grains typically used for malt, and many a brew was concocted using 100% pumpkin flesh as the fermentable sugar.

The 18th century was the most popular time for pumpkin beer, but as decades passed, it’s prevalence waned as pumpkins became perceived as old fashioned and unsophisticated. Further, it became more ‘run of the mill’ to have access to quality malts in the 19th century. Since then, the use of actual pumpkin in brewing has lessened, and generally given way to the use of the spices that are used in making pumpkin pie (i.e. nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, ginger) that reminds us of Fall and the familiar flavours of Thanksgiving desserts. Although the pumpkin pie style of brewing pumpkin beer is usually more popular, there are still breweries that use the flesh and meat of the pumpkin itself to make more of a ‘true’ pumpkin ale.

Here’s a few we think you’ll enjoy:

1) St. Ambroise Pumpkin Ale (Quebec, Canada) – $11.99

A well-crafted blend of blond and caramelized malts, gentle hops, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin. It’s delicate malty character and hint of sweetness will quench the thirst of any creature looking for easy-drinking refreshment.

2) Rogue Pumpkin Patch Ale (Oregon, United States) – $15.49

Rogue picks their pumpkins fresh from the patch, loads them on a truck, and drives them 77 miles to the Newport, Oregon brewery, where they are roasted and then pitched into the brew kettle. Delicious notes of orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, vanilla, ginger & nutmeg compliment the malty pumpkin backbone.

3) Yukon ‘The Angry Hessian’ Pumpkin Spice Ale (Yukon, Canada) – $8.49

Yukon brews this ale with 60 kg of pumpkin, as well as molasses, demerara sugar, crushed cinnamon sticks, pureed ginger, crushed whole cloves, and whole nutmeg – and oats for body. The result is pretty much pumpkin coloured, and very smooth and creamy. Close your eyes at the nose and you’ll think there is a slice of pie on a plate in front of you, but when you fill your mouth, the perception is more like pumpkin cheesecake, full of delicious flavour and mouthfeel.

There are many more pumpkin offerings already in the store such as

Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale (New Hampshire, United States) – $25.99

Howe Sound Brewing Pumpkineater Imperial Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $11.49

Alley Kat Pumpkin Pie Spiced Ale (Alberta, Canada) – $12.99

Fernie Brewing Pumpkin Head Brown Ale (BC, Canada) – $7.99

Canuck Empire Pumpkin Patch Ale (BC, Canada) – $6.99

Epic Brewing Imperial Pumpkin Porter (Utah, United States) – $10.99

Phillips Toothless Pumpkin Sour Ale (BC, Canada) – $8.99

Shipyard Signature Series Smashed Pumpkin Ale (Oregon, United States) – $10.49

Olds College Jack Olds Lantern Barrel-Aged Pumpkin Ale (Alberta, Canada) – $9.99

Phillips Crooked-er Tooth Imperial Pumpkin Ale (BC, Canada) – $8.99

Salute!

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Author: Dirk Chan