Holiday Hours: Christmas Eve from 11am-2pm & closed Christmas Day
New Year's Eve & New Year's Day from 11am-9pm
December 9, 2013
I love gin. Giny, gin, gin.
So a few weeks ago my inner hippie came out to play. I was wandering around my neighborhood and started to notice that juniper berries were out in full force ... three ziplock bags later I arrived back home. Outside of both the general herbal and medicinal uses my mind wandered to gin. Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavor from juniper berries, Juniperus Communis in Latin if you want to get fancy. These days one can find gin with a variety of distinct flavor notes outside of the traditional juniper berry. Here's a brief focus of some of my personal favorites...
To start with this holiday season we are offering a three pack of one of our favorite Gin producers – St. George. At $29.99 a trio this is a killer gift for a friend or a special treat for yourself.
TERROIR GIN
Smells like citrus & pine and tastes like roasted coriander, sage, and lemon.
This Gin is the fellas at St. George’s ode to their home state of California. These guys took this one seriously, they did their research in their own backyard and landed on a profoundly aromatic gin with Douglas fir, California bay laurel, and sage. Enjoy this bad boy on the rocks or in a killer martini.
BOTANAVOIRE GIN
Smells like herbs and flowers and tastes like bright citrus, more flowers, earth, and spice.
Alright this gin is my favorite just take a look at the ingredient list - Angelica root, bay laurel, bergamot peel, black peppercorn, caraway, cardamom, cilantro, cinnamon, citra hops, coriander, dill seed, fennel seed, ginger, juniper berries, lemon peel, lime peel, orris root, Seville orange peel, star anise!
Best. Gin. And. Tonic. EVER.
DRY RYE GIN
Smells like woodsy spice and tastes like bitter ginger & stone fruits.
This is a 100% pot-distilled Rye. With 50% juniper (more than our other friends). Or as I like to call it the gin for whiskey lovers. This gin has a distinct malty spicy mouth feel that even whiskey drinkers who don’t fancy gin can find something to appreciate. I have a sneaking suspicion that this one would make a killer negroni.
OLD RAJ GIN, BLUE LABEL
Smells like nut skins, dried herbs, and spices and tastes like saffron, coriander, bitter lemon.
This heavy hitter is distilled in Campbeltown by Springbank Distillery. As the name hints, navy strength gin is an impressively alcoholic expression of the junipery spirit, typically navy strength gins arrive at 57 percent alcohol by volume. (Regular London dry style gin typically ranges between 40 percent and 45 percent.) What makes Old Raj special is the sparing use of saffron.
UNCLE VAL’S BOTANICAL GIN
Smells like lavender, cucumber, and lemon thyme and tastes like cucumber, fresh melon, and sweet lime.
Uncle Val’s is a small-batch botanical gin with an immensely bright nose of lemon with odes to lemon, lavender, cucumber, and sage. Try this one in crisp and refreshing cocktail.
December 5, 2013
Beer, scotch, cigars
BRRRRR!!! Since we were blessed with the most perfect Autumn I can remember experiencing I guess I can't complain to much, but dang it's cold! Thankfully for us, this is the month to gather indoors around warm drinks and warmer people and toast the end of a spectacular year.
For our part we've got some very exciting holiday events coming your way, beginning with one hell of a second week of December. Wednesday, December 11th from 7-9pm we'll be joining Hub Coffee Roasters, Old Granite Street Eatery, and SUP to raise some money for Awaken INC and have a good time to boot. For the price of a $15 ticket you will receive samples of wine and beer from us, food from SUP and Granite Street, and coffee from the Hub. Tickets are available at either Hub. The event will be at the Riverside location. More details here.
If you're a beer lover you'll want to block out the following day as well as we welcome Ballast Point brewer Jack Northam and this year's release of Victory at Sea Imperial Porter! Come on down from 5p-7p on Thursday the 12th and grab yourself a pint of this special beer as well as a bottle for the homestead. We'll also be offering Ballast's Schooner Wet Hop Pale Ale and Abandoned Ship Smoked Lager on draft for the evening.
It will also be our honor to be hosted by Fumare Fine Cigar Boutique this month for a holiday pop-up shop. We'll be taking over a portion of their shop from 3p-7p on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th to offer the beers, wines, and spirits we think best accompany their finest cigars. Fumare is home to Illusione cigars, an incredible line of complex, world-renowned cigars created by Reno's own Dion Giolito. We're pretty excited to be housed (even for a few short days) inside Nevada's premiere cigar store and we hope you stop by for a flight of whisky or wine! Directions here.
Of course, we do like getting together at our own shop so come on down on Thursday, December 19th for a round-robin style Scotch Whisky tasting. You'll move between stations tasting some of our favorite whiskies and we'll be offering a 10% discount on every bottle of Scotch in the shop to help you cover your holiday needs. Tasting begins at 6pm and your $25 entry includes samples of five whiskies and appropriate snacks.
In between all this excitement we are stocked up on our wallet-sized rechargeable gift cards. If your special someone enjoys good wine or a nice beer it's an easy option that can be had in any denomination.
We've also changed our policy on wine discounts – from now on you will get a 10% discount on any wine purchases six bottles and over.
Our Holiday Hours: Christmas Eve from 11am-2pm & Closed Christmas. New Year's Eve from 11am-9pm & New Year's Day from 11am-9pm
Thanks for a great year so far!
-Ty
December 3, 2013
For Movember
It’s officially December and the holidays are in full swing! With the end of November we would like to send out a special thanks to all of those who came down and enjoyed a tasty Papa Sib’s Vanilla Bean Porter. Tidepool Brewing Co. brewed this beer just for November or as the boys call it – Movember. As some of you may know Justin Sibley (aka Papa Sibs) sports his ridiculously awesome mustache day to day but every year for Movember it vanishes while the rest of the good ole’ boys of Reno are growing their stache.
If you don’t know Movember is a campaign to help raise awareness for Men’s Health. 100% of the proceeds go directly to the Movember campaign. This year was the biggest year to date! Here at Craft we were happy to show our support by raising awareness one pint at a time. All in all we raised $626.40! Thank you to all that showed their support, we look forward to next year.
Cheers,
Brooke
November 26, 2013
Thanksgiving Wine Pairings
Thanksgiving… It’s a new season, a light dusting of snow has sprinkled upon the mountains, it’s a time for cozier sweaters, our food and wine choices get a little richer, family and friends are coming in and out of town, that bigger pair of jeans comes out from the back of the closet, and it is also a time to give thanks for all the many things you are grateful for. One of the many things I am grateful for, and to stay on subject is Wine! What wine are you going to pair and plan for your Thanksgiving dinner?
Let’s start with the guest’s arrival. I like to start the evening with a little bubbly. My choice this year is Cava. Cava is Spanish sparkling wine and can be red or white. Two great choices that we carry at Craft are “Avinyo” and “ Naveran”. Avinyo Brut Reserva, is light to medium bodied, with notes of bread dough, grapefruit, and other citrus, as well as tiny-refreshing –pinpoint-bubbles. Bodegas Naveran Brut Cava, is light yet expressive, and has tangy-clean citrusy and stone fruit flavors on the palate with a fresh and crisp finish.
The first rule of pairing wines with food is drink what you like; however some safe bets for Thanksgivings wine choices are Pinot Noir, and Syrah for Reds and Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, Viognier, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer for whites. Your priority in selecting your white wine will be to find a wine with balanced acidity and with your red, a wine with fairly tame tannins so it doesn’t overpower the flavors of the food.
My choice for white wine is Columna Albarino. Albarino is the primary white grape grown in Spain’s coastal Rias Baixes wine region. Columna Albarino exhibits notes of pineapples, white peaches and honeysuckle, fresh acidity, and is medium-bodied. My choice for Red wine is Saint Cosme Cotes-Du-Rhone, this Syrah from the southern Rhone is full bodied, with notes of blackcurrant, plum, spices, and anise on the finish… This bottle retails for only $15 here at Craft.
We have many excellent choices to help you pair with your Thanksgiving dinner. Happy Holidays and Cheers!
-Juda
November 20, 2013
Sacré Beauj!
Est arrive'! Beaujolais Nouveau has once again made the perilous journey from some of our favorite cellars in France to our little old shop in Reno, Nevada just in the nick of time. Join us tomorrow as we crack the perfect bottles to grace your holiday table. We'll be offering some complimentary appetizers, glasses of Nouveau for $5, and serious discounts (10% off bottles and 20% off cases). Of course, we have already sampled one to ensure quality.
November 19, 2013
Warm Hands, Warm Feet, Warm Students
As a local small business located in the Midtown district of Reno we understand the importance of supporting the community and local fundraisers. In conjunction with the Creative Coalition Reno we will be accepting donations of children’s shoes and socks November 18th to December 31st. So next time you’re cruising by to pick up a six pack or a bottle of wine for dinner, please donate a pair of shoes or a pack of socks. All donations will benefit children in our area's Washoe County School district. For more info please contact: community@CreativeCoalitionReno.com
November 15, 2013
Uinta'd Again
Welcome back to Reno, Uinta! After hitting capacity at their brewery in Utah a few years back they had to pull back on distribution in our lovely state. But now they've expanded and the very solid beers from our neighbor-state are available once again. All the beers are solid though my particular favorites are the Wyld (a hoppy-but-mild pale ale), Baba (a fantastically roasty black lager with a clean finish), and the Labyrinth (a bourbon-barrel aged imperial stout that will satisfy your winter appetites). There is also a tasty IPA and the Dubhe (pronounced "doobie") which honors Utah's state star in black IPA format with some hemp seed additions. HA!
November 10, 2013
Bourbons of the Fall
Its that lovely time of year again - when the weather in Reno ping pongs from warm to cold, and the trees change colors and shed their leaves, it’s my favorite time of year, Fall. Come November the sweaters and scarves come out, and for me so does the bourbon! So lets talk bourbon, last week we hosted our annual bourbon and pie tasting, this year our lovely staff baked up some home made delicious pecan and apple pies to match with a few of our favorite bourbons! If you missed the tasting have no fear! Though the pie may be gone bourbon is still here. Here is a brief description and selection of the offering from last Thursday…
Old Forester Signature
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
100 proof - $23.49
Distilled by Brown-Foreman
N: brown sugar, vanilla
T: bracing, slow burn, rich syrup
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
93 proof - $57.99
Distilled by Buffalo Trace (Sazerac)
N: vanilla, pie dough, faint cherry
T: sweet nutmeg, weighty, smooth burn
Russell’s Reserve 10yr
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
90 proof - $36.99
Distilled by Wild Turkey
N: husky grains, maple syrup
T: bright, grassy, spices
Bernheim Original
Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey
90 proof - $45.99
Distilled by Bernheim (Heaven Hill)
N: butter syrup, wood polish
T: rich, oily, savory finish
-Brooke "TCB" W.
November 5, 2013
One Night in November
This may go down as the fastest moving year in history. The pages just seem to be flying off the calendar! Before we miss too much more daylight I wanted to let you know about a few events we have coming up and some exciting new things to drink.
We're continuing a tradition! Last year we were pretty happy when we paired Thanksgiving with Bourbon and apple pie but we wondered how we could up the ante for this year. Pecan pie, that's how. Join us this Thursday, November 7th from 6p-8p for a fun and informative sampling of four of our favorite Bourbon whiskies and some pie to wash it down with. As the saying goes, "Keep your family close and a bottle of Bourbon helps."
Magnums! This is the time to go big. Nothing says "life of the party" like the couple who brings the biggest bottle of wine. So as not to break the bank we've done some work sourcing large format bottles in very affordable price ranges (as low as $29 for Fontsainte's Corbieres Rouge!). It's my feeling that wine (and beer for that matter) drinks just a little bit better as you work your way up the bottle size chart; things just seem a bit fresher and fuller. Don't fret if you want to splurge on something for the cellar however, as we've got you covered with things like Bordeaux from Hautes-Segottes and Meursault from Domaine de Cherisey. Magnums for all!
I also just put ten amazing, hand-made growlers from local potter Joe Winter on the shelf. Of course, he was kind enough to customize them with our logo and a variety of glazes before they spent 72 hours curing in a house-sized kiln. These babies will hold 64 ounces of your favorite brew cold and protected from the sun until your thirst can't wait. They're $99 each and as good as they look in person they're even better in the hand. They're so beautiful you might just want to have one framed and hanging over your mantle.
We just can't hide our love of Beaujolais around here. It's our fall-back for just about every food pairing we can think of. While most of the wine we sell has some place at the table nothing can quite match the versatility of good Beaujolais. Fish? Greens? Squid-ink pasta with Ukrainian cheese and a cantankerous uncle? Beaujolais will not let you down. For a truly magical pairing sit down with a big glass and some roast chicken (ok, turkey). We'll be hoisting many glasses of our beloved Beaujolais at the release of Beaujolais Nouveau on Thursday, November 21st from 5pm. Come celebrate with us!
There seems to be a lot of traditions getting cemented as we close on our third year (THANK YOU!). In keeping with traditions we will be open on Thanksgiving day from 11am-2pm for last minute needs (and you might just want to get out of the house). We will also be open from 11am-2pm on Christmas Eve (join us for potato chips and champagne if you desire) and closed Christmas Day.
-Ty "Magnums for all!" Martin