Drink what the Pilgrims Drank

We’ve already waxed poetic about beer, wine, and spirits choices for Thanksgiving, but what if you want to go Pilgrim-style with your beverage choices? Cider is a traditional (read: the actual first) Thanksgiving beverage and we have many to offer. Here are some suggestions to get you through your festivities.

 

For pre-dinner drinks, we suggest our Velo44 by Sociable Cider Werks ($9.99/4pk). This deliciously dry cider was created specifically for France 44’s 60th Anniversary and can only be purchased here. You can treat your guests to a bright, refreshing cider that has passion fruit and guava that they will only be able to have this season.

Image result for keepsake wild cider

During dinner, we suggest Keepsake Wild Dry Cider ($12.99/750ml bottle) to pair with everything you might put on your table. It’s a dry, full-bodied cider made with wild yeast, giving it a uniquely “Minnesota” twist. It’s far too easy to drink and comes in a lower ABV than wine.

After dinner, we suggest you consider Ice Cider. Ice cider is a sweet cider made through cold fermentation and has a much higher ABV than other cider. It is served as you would serve a cordial – small glasses or over ice cream. We have six varieties of ice cider to choose from–stop by the beer cooler and ask a beer guy/gal to show you what we’ve got!

The France-4-4 on Thanksgiving, Drink Choices, and the In-Laws

by Chaz Fenske

As the end of November comes, people begin reflecting on their New Year’s Resolutions, how sweet and fulfilling the year has been, the growth, the joys…

Just kidding. The end of the year is filled with holiday shopping, party planning, school schedules, conferences, decorating for Halloween, (and Thanksgiving) and of course Christmas. Thanksgiving should be a nice break to take a breath, but of course… the in-laws are coming over this year.

Now, this may be your first Thanksgiving with the in-laws, and you’re excited! Or after 10 years of marriage, you’re convinced Robert de Niro in Meet the Parents studied his role under your own father-in-law, not Robert de Niro. While we can’t help with this, we can help prepare the perfect pairing for each part of Turkey Day, and each family member you will encounter.

Wednesday Night Arrival: A few beers with the brother and sister

Mom, dad, your partner’s 2 siblings, and Uncle Rico have arrived. After a quick hello and hug goodnight, the parents are in bed (Uncle Rico is watching sports recap). This is a great time to bring out the beers to celebrate Thanksgiving Eve at home and catch up with some more unfiltered conversation. (Note: all these beers can and should be consumed throughout the day and pair well with the big meal).

Fair State Pils | $9.49/4pk | An award winning Pilsner from Minneapolis, this is a perfect start to the weekend, and something you can drink all weekend throughout the meal and into football. Hoppy, grassy, and crispy, this will rival the other craft beers put out for the weekend while being just as refreshing as a domestic light beer.

Bad Weather Ominous Double Brown Ale | $9.99/6pk | A fun dark beer for the colder weather that will be great for Uncle Rico who doesn’t know the difference between a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Sauvignon Blanc. Malty and dark with some nutty flavors and a slight tinge of roasty flavor, this thick and full beer is incredibly drinkable at 7.5% ABV.

Saison Dupont | $14.99/4pk or $11.99/750ml | Maybe save this one to go with the wine coming out during the meal. This is the Saison to end all Saison. Dry, minerally, and spicy, the clove and banana esters will pair swimmingly while trying to figure out which boy is the new boyfriend for your partner’s sister, as well as the “When we won state” stories from 10 years ago.

 

Thanksgiving Morning Cocktails for Grandma and Grandpa

It’s a holiday, which means cracking a cold one at 9 AM is socially acceptable. But we have some fun spirit suggestions for you to fancy up the holiday. You can only be thankful once a year!

 

Pancake Old Fashioned | A nice twist on the Old Fashioned. Take 3 oz 1792 Bottled in Bond Bourbon ($44.99), ⅓ oz maple syrup, and 3 dashes of Bittercube Trinity Bitters ($19.99), and you will have the perfect mixed drink to sub in for breakfast as you prepare for the big feast. Maybe Grandpa will even mention his Papi Van Winkle he’ll break out “from one bourbon fan to another” for Christmas this year.

Raspberry Royale |  Start in a flute glass with ⅓ oz St. George Raspberry Liqueur (200ml, $16.99), and then top the drink with 5 oz of Dibon Cava ($9.99). A fun twist on the overdone mimosas, the Raspberry Royale is fruity, flirty, and fun. Even Grandma will want 2.

The Main Feast with your partner’s mother and father

This is the true test, especially because your partner’s parents did a week vacation in Napa Valley this past summer. If nothing else works out this weekend, bringing these three wines will win you favor and fortune all the way until Christmas in less than 30 days. We have a red, white, and bubbles so everybody has something for the meal.

 

White: 2018 Kaapzicht Kliprug Chenin Blanc | $19.99 | A two-layered white from South Africa, Kaapzicht Chenin Blanc brings out crunchy apples, pineapple, and stone fruit. An oaky finish follows the fruit cornucopia from a little time in oak barrels. This dual threat will be favorable and approachable for everyone.

 

Red: 2017 North Valley Pinot Noir by Soter Vineyards | $34.99 | A light red berry fruit starts this wine, with gentle undertones of forest floor and green earth, and a pinch of smoky breakfast tea. Silky tannins adds depth, but it stays agile enough that even Uncle Rico will put down his Budweiser to try a glass.

Bubbles: Tissot Bugey Blanc | $24.99 | These bubbles will be perfect throughout the day. Dry, savory, toasty flavors are well-rounded by the sweet floral aromas. The perfect choice for cooking up stuffing in the crockpot or skirting out of the “Why didn’t you go back for your Master’s yet like you said last year?” conversation.

The After Dinner Digestive: St. Agrestis Amaro

 

After the feast, everyone will feel sluggish, bloated, and nap happy, but you are definitely going to need to clean all the dishes by yourself. St. Agrestis Amaro ($39.99), an Italian liqueur, is the perfect weapon to combat the tempting post-meal nap. Sassafras, clove, and mint are the main flavors from this digestif to help settle the stomach and enjoy a good 45 minutes of alone-time while everyone else falls asleep watching the football game.

We can’t help you get out of those awkward conversations, passive Minnesotan remarks about your new cardigan, or talking about who did what that one time 20 years ago with someone you never met. But family is family, we love them all, and these liquors will be the perfect drinks to spend (survive) the holiday weekend.

Spotlight: Far North Spirits Seed Vault Series Aroostook Rye Single Barrel

Our friends at Far North Spirits way up in Hallock, Minnesota have been up to some pretty interesting projects during the last few years. They are in the midst of a three year study with the University of Minnesota where they are growing different one-acre-plot heritage strains on rye grain. Far North Spirits harvests, mills, ferments, distills, and ages them all in the exact same way. Their process is the ‘control,’ and the experiment is on the actual rye strains themselves. This is a project unlike anything done before on a teeny tiny scale. France 44 only saw a few bottles of a couple of the strains in the past, so when the chance to purchase an entire barrel arose, we had to pounce on the opportunity. Meet our rye strain, Aroostook!

Each rye strain was aged for 18 months in small 15 gallon barrels. The yield for our Aroostook was only 48 bottles! (Talk about taking small production to a new level.) Aroostook is a seed variety released in 1981 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services. The whiskey itself is intensely rye forward, accented by notes of toffee, pecan, Fig Newton, prune, and chocolate. This whiskey is literally one acre of one rye, in one barrel. With only 48 bottles produced, it goes without saying that once it’s gone… it’s gone. Get it while you can!

Pints of Pies and Pancakes: A Sweet Take On Pastry Beers

As we set reminders to move our clocks back an hour, a heavy precipitation of new, adjunct-laden, dessert-style beers is blanketing our beer world. The mercurial evolution of craft beer has pushed brewing creativity to new heights, stretching the definition of beer along the way. This new family of futuristic, food-inspired brews colloquially referred to as “pastry beers” has become one of the latest hits in the craft community.

Pastry beers aren’t recognized as an official BJCP beer style, and thus are guided solely by a brewer’s unshackled imagination. They can showcase a broad spectrum of flavors and don’t necessarily have to mimic a pastry or even contain traditional pastry ingredients. Principally, they are beers that let adjuncts (added ingredients) be the star of the show—not the malt, hops or yeast. With a near innumerable list of adjuncts available, the aim is to achieve a combination that suggests flavors and aromas of certain foods, usually baked goods. Popular ingredients include milk sugar, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, cinnamon, coffee, coconut, maple syrup, graham crackers, citrus zests, fruit purées, nuts, spices and more.

Brewing a high quality pastry beer is much tougher than one might think. Choice ingredients such as vanilla beans and coconut are both expensive and temperamental. The natural oils in the latter can emit sunscreen aromas and even kill the head retention of a beer. Finding the right balance of flavors requires the brewer to see through the eyes of a baker. Flavors should be suggestive and not blunt, and the final product must still resemble a beer. When made properly they can be a delight to enjoy, with layers of flavor and just enough sweetness. Luckily for us, we have some local breweries making top-notch pastry beers that are worthy of your palate. So come on by and get your hands on some of our current favorites!

Fair State FSB 2019 Imperial Pastry Stout Part 1 (Forager Collab.) — $6.99/Can

A massive s’mores-inspired pastry stout brewed in collaboration with Forager from Rochester, MN. Featuring marshmallows, graham crackers, cacao nibs, vanilla, and honey.

Modist Bite Size Chocolate & Vanilla Pastry Stout — $11.99/4pk

A 6.7% pastry stout brewed with pale, wheat, crystal, roasted chocolate malts, Ghana cacao nibs and Madagascar vanilla beans.

Drekker Slang du Jour Blueberry Pancakes Sour à la Mode — $18.99/4pk

This breakfast sour features blueberry, maple syrup, cinnamon, lactose, brown sugar and vanilla beans to create a flavor and aroma like the real thing!

The Brewing Projekt Cherry Shove-It Sour Ale — $15.99/4pk

An imperial kettle sour with cherry, honey, molasses, cinnamon and brown sugar. Grab a slice!

Oliphant Blizzard of ’91 Pecan Pumpkin Pie Ale — $9.99/Crowler

A pastry ale brewed with pecans, lactose and pumpkin pie spices.

Others of Note: Boulevard Hold the Pancakes Barrel-Aged Imperial Pastry Stout, The Bruery Bakery Banana Bread Imperial Stout, Disgruntled Berry the Hatchet Pastry Sour Ale, Oddside Ales Hipster Brunch Stout