Beer & Wine Weekly Update: September 29, 2014

By Josh Downs, Beer and Wine Manager

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Josh Downs, City Market Beer and Wine Manager
I’d like to start by briefly introducing myself, so here we go: 

Hi, my name is Josh, and I recently began my journey trying to fill the large shoes left by Alison Miner as the Beer & Wine Manager at City Market.  My passion for the beer and wine world started nine years ago when I got my first bartending gig.  Over the course of the nine years that followed, I have managed bars in Alaska, New York, and Vermont; developed beverage programs for multiple restaurants; dabbled in home brewing and wine making; and made it my mission to expand my knowledge about beer and wine at every given opportunity. After a few trips back and forth across the country, the draw of my beautiful home state brought me back to Vermont.  I’m extremely excited to be on the City Market team, and plan to keep the Beer & Wine Department the most bountiful offering it can possibly be.  It is to that end that I’m starting this weekly web update.  Each week, right here, you can find information concerning changes in the department, local beer and wine reviews, details on the Weekly Winner sales products in the department, limited release beer and wine drop dates, and any late breaking news or events in the beer and wine world.  For any questions or concerns, feel free to email me at jdowns@citymarket.coop, or give me a call at 802-861-9730.

Changes in the Department

As a lot of you may have noticed, the department has changed a little bit over the past couple weeks.  The biggest change currently is taking place in the Sake set.  We’ve decided to drastically cut the amount of Sake’s we offer in order to make space for boxed wines and tetra packs (small form boxed wine).  I know boxed wine has a bit of a stigma around it, but don’t worry, this isn’t going to be loaded up with Franzia.  There are plenty of really awesome wines offered in this format, and they are incredibly convenient.  If a sake you enjoy has been cut from the set, have no fear!  We can still get the sakes we stopped carrying.  All you need to do is place a special order with Customer Service, or just shoot me an email and we can order it.

Another big change is the location of 90+ Cellars wine, as well as wines like Tisdale and Pepperwood.  We have two large displays of wine in the store besides what’s on the shelf.  There is the group of stacks right in the Wine Department, and another group of stacks in Aisle 6.  Until last week, 90+ Cellars had been living in Aisle 6, but it has now moved back to the Wine Department. The stacks that had been in the department before, namely Tisdale and Pepperwood, are now located in Aisle 6.  If you have trouble finding anything in the department as we shift things around, please don’t hesitate to ask our Beer & Wine staff.  They are very knowledgeable and always willing to help.

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Simple Roots American Dream
Local Beer of the Week

From here on out, I plan on highlighting a local beer or wine each week.  This is not going to be a Beer Advocate-style points system, but more of a “sit down and have a drink with a friend” type of review.  I’ll plan to review the product’s flavor, its strong points, and what I think it would pair well with.  With that being said, this week we are drinking Simple Roots Brewing: American Dream Cream Ale.  Simple Roots, located in the New North End in Burlington, has proven over and over to be a small brewery that packs a punch.  Each beer I’ve tried from this brewery has been fantastic, and this cream ale is no exception.  Like all of their beers, it comes in a very eye grabbing 22 ounce bottle.  It pours hazy goldenrod in color with a frothy white head.  Subtle hints of caramel and fresh cut grass make up its pleasant aroma.   The beer itself is very well balanced.  A slightly sweet malt character on the front leads to a light hop note and a very smooth finish.  For me, this is a great beer to enjoy outdoors on a sunny day, or alongside pizza and wings while I watch football on Sunday.

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Spaten and Ruta 22
Weekly Winners

Each week at City Market we highlight items on sale throughout the store.  In the Beer and Wine department, we pick one beer and one wine each week that fit the season or are on an exceptionally good deal.  This week for beer, we are getting in the spirit of Oktoberfest and highlighting Spaten Oktoberfest 12 packs.  If you were looking for a great example of what an Oktoberfest beer should taste like, look no further.  Straight forward and true to style, this easy drinking beer will be welcome at any gathering.  In the wine world, we are featuring a great Malbec at an incredible value.  Ruta 22, out of Mendoza, Argentina makes a great bottle of wine.  Aromas of vanilla and spice invite you to this rich, full-body Malbec.  Notes of rich blackberry follow, which are then complimented by a long, smooth finish.  If you are a fan of the varietal, be sure to give this one a try.  You can find it both on the shelf, and in Aisle 6.

Beer and Wine News

Normally I would also include a section on beer and wine news (new releases, events, general news), both local and worldwide, but this being the first entry, I’ve already covered quite a bit.  I’ll save that section of the update for upcoming posts.  If you have any questions, concerns, or topics you’d like me to address please feel free to contact me.  Until next week, Prost!