The Wine Thief & Ale Jail

Wine Happy Hour

katrina — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 07:03:24 +0000

Some of Trina’s favorite happy hour spots in the Twin Cities … what are some of yours?

Tasting Tuesday: Zuccardi Serie A Malbec 2010

katrina — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:07:57 +0000

Familia Zuccardi Serie A Malbec is an intense wine of color, aromas, and flavors. 80mph intense. Two-minute-warning-have-the-ball-down-by-three-points intense. Double rainbow intense. You’ll be overcome with red ripe fruits like plums, blackberries, and raspberries, but somehow it will balance with hints of soft vanilla oak. Complex with a long (what else?) intense finish, it’s a great partner to big meats, especially if they’ve been on the grill.

Tastes like:

plums, blackberries, raspberries, vanilla, oak

Drink with:

grilled steak

Smelling the Cork

katrina — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:42:50 +0000

The act of smelling a cork at a restaurant brings about images of men in suits—perhaps with ascots—full of themselves, showing off their knowledge of some old vintage bottle from France. Maybe it’s a 1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape or a ’64 Bordeaux; whatever it is, they can tell so much from that single sniff that your immediate thought is they should replace bloodhounds.

Yes, somehow the idea of smelling a cork can bring about these connotations, and instead of sweet scents of strawberries and plums the thought reeks of pretentiousness and snobbery. So when presented with a cork when you’re ordering, say, a $30 bottle that would have cost you half as much in the store, it seems, well … odd. You fumble about, smile at your friends, shrug, then give a nod to your server after putting the plug by your nose in a good gesture effort. Not to mention the uncomfortableness when you realize you ordered a screw top.

But here’s the thing … smell the cork. Because the reason for doing so? It’s not to help you identify a particular grape, vintage, or region. It’s not so you can expound upon your knowledge of the nuances of berry scents in your odoriferous findings. The reason to smell that cork is to make sure you’re not about to imbibe something that’s off, spoiled, or ruined.

Warning Signs
Take a whiff. Does it smell like wet cardboard? Your mother’s mildewy basement? Dare I say it … dirty socks? Because if it does, you might have a corked bottle on your hands. There’s a lack of agreement from the industry, but there’s likely a corked bottle—a bottle that is tainted by TCA (2,4,6-trichloroanisole, a compound found in natural cork that can blemish a wine)—in every case of wine sealed with natural cork. It’s why so many wineries are moving to synthetic corks and screw tops; less spoilage and more consistency for the buyers. A lot of the time the average consumer might not realize he’s drinking a corked bottle; instead, he finds that the wine just doesn’t do it for him, it’s not his style, it’s “eh.” And that bottle—which he may have loved if he had it in its true form—is never purchased again.

Smelling the cork is the beginning of seeking out knowledge about a bad bottle. There are other clues as well: the smell of the wine in the glass, coloring, and taste. But smelling that cork? It’s your first line of defense. And if you smell those distinct musty, wet basement odors, you likely have a culprit on your hand.

So do it. At the restaurant. In your home. Don’t feel sheepish if you need to tell your server, after you’ve sniffed something dank, that you think the bottle might be corked. Don’t think twice about bringing a bottle back to a store if you got a bad one—they should replace it. And if it makes you feel better, buy an ascot.

Tuesday Tasting: Villa Wolf Pinot Gris 2009

katrina — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:51:13 +0000

Villa Wolf Pinot Gris

You know you want a t-shirt with howling wolves on it. But you also know you’ll be teased mercilessly, and rightfully so. You can channel that inner howl, however, by turning to Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, a full-bodied, dry white with fresh, unoaked fruit and a crisp texture. But be careful: those pheromones are dangerous and with this bottle in tow, you’re sure to be Alpha.

Tastes like:

peach, pear, apple, nectarine, lemon twist

Drink with:

quiche

New Beer At The Ale Jail: June 10th, 2011

katrina — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 19:43:29 +0000

FINALLY, some new beers arrived yesterday! If you were here for the Epic tasting about a month ago you are surely anticipating the arrival of those yummy beers. Well, they are here and ready for sale. We have 15 different varieties to choose from and we’ll continue to get more as they become available. If you haven’t tried these beers yet you really should! They are very tasty and there are a few different price points to choose from. Here is a little more info on the different “tiers” you can choose from. The beers come only in 22 oz bombers which we think sets them apart from most brands, but you be the judge!

Also, a new truck just arrived from Weyerbacher! We’ve been waiting for sometime now. It’s here and it’s fresh. We have Blasphemy, Tiny (Back in stock), Slam Dunkel, Blanche, Sixteen and fresh Double Simcoe just today!

Here is a full list of the beers that have arrived in the past 3-4 weeks. Cheers!

Adam the Beer Warden

Epic Cross Fever Amber Ale/4.80%

Epic Capt’n Cromptons Pale/5.80%

Epic Galloway Porter/5.40%

Epic Pfeifferhorn Lager/5.30%

Epic Spiral Jetty IPA/6.60%

Epic 825 State Stout/6.00%

Epic Copper Cone Pale Ale/6.40%

Epic Brainless Belgian Golden Ale/10.00%

Epic Hopulent IPA/8.50%

Epic Brown Rice Ale/5.80%

Epic Sour Apple Saison/7.80%

Epic Smoked Porter/6.10%

Epic Brainless on Peaches/10.00%

Epic Brainless on Cherries/10.50%

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA/5.30%

Founders Cerise/6.50%

Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelle Witbier/4.50%

New Holland Imperial Hatter/9.40%

New Holland Rye Hatter/6.50%

New Holland Farmhouse Hatter/6.50%

New Holland Full Circle Kolsch/5.25%

New Holland Black Hatter/5.50%

New Holland Oak Aged Hatter/5.10%

Southern Tier Mokah Coffee Stout/11.00%

Weyerbacher Blanche/5.00%

Weyerbacher Blasphemy/11.80%

Weyerbacher Sixteen/10.50%

Weyerbacher Slam Dunkel/7.00%

Weyerbacher Tiny/11.80%

“Gods of Quads” Event

katrina — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:04:32 +0000

Ale Jail releases details on “Gods of Quads” event:

Quad lovers, Quadraphiles, Quadrapheliacs, do you wanna see me pour one of these bad boys? Do you wanna drink Quad like you just survived rapture?

The Ale Jail is in-your-face bringing you the “Gods of Quads”!! This class will cost you $15 bucks and we have space for 20 people. What do you get? You get to drink this 6000 ML bottle of Abt 12 dry and learn about big quads from Brad the Quadguy himself. You get to drink massive quads and talk beer with other quad swilling warrior monks. Wait, that’s not it, Brad will also be bringing a very special aged 6 liter Jeroboam of Val-Dieu quad from his own cellar!! You not only get to drink the Abt 12 but we’ll need you to finish the other bottle too. Don’t miss out on Brad and I swinging our Double Magnums like we just don’t give a &@$”! Oh yeah, you get to drink out of and then take home a sweet Abt 12 chalice as well. 20 people, $15 bucks, Thursday, June 16th at 7:45 at Ale Jail. You must stop in the shop and buy tickets to this class beforehand (cash only) so don’t wait, spaces will fill up fast! Cheese and bread will be provided.

GODS OF QUADS!

New Beer Here! May 6th, 2011

katrina — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:47:23 +0000

Wow what a week it has been for beer. Not only did Alaskan release their line of beers to the state on Monday, Epic Brewing Co out of Salt Lake City, UT decided to show up with massive amounts of delicious beers for an impromptu tasting at Ale Jail. They will have beer in the market in 4 weeks! Also, Beer School started Wednesday night at the Happy Gnome and we had a great turnout, 72 people showed up to learn about, and drink good beer.

During all of this craziness, here are the beers that have shown up in the store over the last 2 weeks. You can always find out what’s in stock via our online stock list! Hope you enjoy!

Cheers,

Adam The Beer Warden

Alaskan Amber/Alaskan Brewing Co/Altbier/5.30%

Alaskan Summer/Alaskan Brewing Co/Kölsch/5.30%

Alaskan IPA/Alaskan Brewing Co/IPA/6.20%

Alaskan White/Alaskan Brewing Co/Witbier/5.30%

Anchor Summer/Anchor Brewing Co/American Wheat Ale/4.60%

Avery Maharaja/Avery Brewing Co/Imperial IPA/10.30%

Breckenridge Agave Wheat/Breckenridge Brewery/American Wheat Ale/4.20%

Coniston Old Man Ale/Coniston Brewing Co/Brown Ale/5.00%

De Molen Storm & Averij/Brouwerij De Molen/Imperial IPA/9.20%

Grand Teton Persephone/Grand Teton Brewing Co/Imperial Pilsener/8.76%

Great Divide Denver Pale Ale/Great Divide Brewing Co/Pale Ale/5.40%

Great Divide Hades/Great Divide Brewing Co/Belgian Strong Golden Ale/7.80%

Great Divide Samurai/Great Divide Brewing Co/American Blond Ale/5.10%

Great Divide Wild Raspberry Ale/Great Divide Brewing Co/Pale Ale/5.60%

Jenlain Amber/Brasserie Duyck/Bière de Garde/7.50%

Jopen Koyt Gruit Ale/Jopen Bier BV Haarlem/Herbed-Spiced Ale/8.50%

Lakefront Organic ESB/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Extra Special Bitter/5.42%

Lakefront Cream City Pale Ale/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Pale Ale/5.68%

Lakefront Riverwest Stein Beer/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Amber Lager/5.68%

Lakefront Eastside Dark/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Dunkel/5.52%

Lakefront IPA/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/IPA/6.90%

Lakefront Fuel Cafe Coffee Stout/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Stout/5.93%

Lakefront Klisch/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/German Pilsener/5.42%

Lake Front IBA/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Cascadian Dark Ale/6.50%

Lake Front Bridge Burner/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/American Strong Ale/8.00%

Lake Front Fixed Gear/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Amber Ale/6.50%

Lake Front Rendevous/Lakefront Brewing, Inc/Bière de Garde/7.20%

Les Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier/Les Trois Mousquetaires/Kellerbier/5.50%

Mikkeller Czech Style Pilsner/Mikkeller/Czech Pilsener/4.80%

Mikkeller Monk’s Brew/Mikkeller/Quadrupal/10.00%

Mikkeller Rauch Geek Breakfast/Mikkeller/Stout/7.50%

Mikkeller Simcoe/Mikkeller/IPA/6.90%

New Belgium Somersault/New Belgium Brewing Co/American Blond Ale/5.20%

New Belgium Sunshine Wheat/New Belgium Brewing Co/American Wheat Ale/4.80%

Odell Myrcenary/Odell Brewing Co/Imperial IPA/9.30%

Rogue John John Dead Guy/Rogue Brewery/Maibock-Helles Bock/6.40%

Summit Hefeweizen/Summit Brewing Co/Hefeweizen/4.90%

New Releases From The Dept. Of Fermentations: April 15th, 2011

katrina — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 17:26:18 +0000

A massive delivery of beer arrived this week! My favorite thing about many of these Belgian ales is their extensive history. Take some time and click the links below to learn more about these delicious beverages. I hope you enjoy learning about them (and drinking them) as much as I do!

Cheers,

Adam The Beer Warden

Bieken Honey Ale/Huisbrouwerij Boelens/Belgian Strong Golden Ale/8.50%

Boulder Sweaty Betty/Boulder Beer/American Wheat Ale/5.90%

De Glazen Toren Cuvee Angelique/KleinBrouwerij De Glazen Toren/Dubbel/8.30%

De Proef ZoetZuur/De Proefbrouwerij/Flanders Red Ale/7.00%

De Silly Scotch Silly/Brasserie de Silly S.A./Scotch Ale/8.00%

De Silly Silly Saison/Brasserie de Silly S.A./Saison/5.30%

Fritz Briem Grut Bier/Professor Fritz Briem/Herbed-Spiced Ale/4.60%

Liefmans Cuvee Brut/Brouwerij Liefmans/Flanders Oud Bruin/8.00%

Liefmans Goudenband/Brouwerij Liefmans/Flanders Oud Bruin/8.00%

Melchior Reserve “The Oak”/Picobrouwerij Alvinne/Belgian Strong Golden Ale/11.00%

Roman Adriaen Brouwer/Brouwerij Roman N.V./Belgian Strong Dark Ale/8.50%

Roman Ename/Brouwerij Roman N.V./Tripel/8.50%

Rush River Uber Alt/Rush River Brewing Co/Altbier/8.50%

Schmaltz Hebrew Lennys RIPA/Schmaltz Brewing Co/Imperial IPA/10.00%

Southern Tier Hop Sun/Southern Tier Brewing Co/American Wheat Ale/4.90%

Southern Tier Jah-va/Southern Tier Brewing Co/Stout/10.40%

St. Feuillien Biere De L’amitie/Brasserie de St. Feuillien/Belgian Strong Golden Ale/9.50%

Troubadour Magma/Brouwerij De Musketiers/Belgian IPA/9.00%

Troubadour Obscura/Brouwerij De Musketiers/Belgian Strong Dark Ale/8.20%

Troubadour Blond/Brouwerij De Musketiers/Belgian Pale Ale/6.50%

New Beer From The Dept. Of Fermentations: April 1st, 2011

katrina — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 19:49:37 +0000

A great beer week for sure here in Minnesota. On top of all the Stone beers, which if you have not tried them-they are fantastic, so many other great beers are making the scene as well.

Bell’s Oberon is always a good sign that Spring is here and the snow will soon be gone. It has such a nice citric, cracker bread flavor, perfect for the warming days ahead. Lagunitas Imperial Stout has made it’s way to the shop as well, it’s a big, well-balanced blend of chocolate, booze, hops and roast. It seems to have killed all of my taste buds, but in a good way!

Left Hand Stranger is a new addition to the Lefthand lineup, it’s a dry and refreshing, lemongrass forward Pale Ale. I was impressed with this beer. We are also gifted with an 80 Schilling Scottish Ale from William’s of Scotland. 4.2% ABV, malty, flavorful and easy to drink. The Gold Session Ale from Williams is in stock as well and it is a very tasty English-style Pale Ale, it is also bottle conditioned. If you are a fan of Bluebird Bitter, you will love Session Gold. William’s Fraoch Heather Ale is back in stock as 500ML bottles. The Fraoch Ale moves fast so get some while the gettin’ is good.

Sierra Nevada has released it’s highly anticipated Ovila Series and the first of the three is a Belgian-style Dubbel. You can read more about it here. Rounding out the bunch is Hambelton Nightmare Porter, an homage to the old school porters of London. 1825 Flag Porter and Sierra Nevada Summerfest are both back in stock and we now have the Trois Mousquetaires Imperial Weizen on the shelf. It’s basically a hefeweizen on steroids, 10% ABV.

LOOK FORWARD TO BROOKLYN THIS MONDAY!

Cheers,

Adam The Beer Warden

Bell’s Oberon/Bell’s Brewery, Inc/American Wheat Ale/5.80%

Flag Porter 1825/Darwin Brewery/Porter/5.00%

Hambelton Nightmare Porter/Hambelton Ales/Porter/5.00%

Lagunitas Imperial Stout/Lagunitas Brewing Co/Russian Imperial Stout/8.20%

Left Hand Stranger/Left Hand Brewing Co/Pale Ale/5.00%

Les Trois Mousquetaires Imperial Weizen/Les Trois Mousquetaires/Hefeweizen/10.00%

Sierra Nevada Ovila Dubbel/Sierra Nevada Brewing Co/Dubbel/7.50%

Sierra Nevada Summerfest/Sierra Nevada Brewing Co/Czech Pilsener/5.00%

Williams Scottish Heavy/Williams Brothers Brewing Co/Scottish Ale/4.20%

Williams Scottish Session Ale/Williams Brothers Brewing Co/Pale Ale/3.90%

Williams Fraoch Heather Ale/Williams Brothers Brewing Co/Herbed-Spiced Ale/5.00%

New Beer! March 18th, 2011

katrina — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:30:54 +0000

Hello beer lovers and happy weekend. What a great week for beer! Recently in stock are some really great brews. Victory released their V-12 Belgian style Quad, which I tasted yesterday and wow, what a beer! Two Brothers has released two of their lighter seasonals including one of my favorite American brewed German style Hefes, Ebel’s Weisse. Brewery Ommegang released their collaboration brew Gnomegang, a Strong Golden Ale brewed with yeast from both Ommegang and Chouffe. Big Sky Heavy Horse Scotch ale is back in stock, as well as Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot. Also, new and very tasty dark bock beers form Left Hand and Great Lakes are in. Left Hand’s TNT Weizenbock is a very complex bowl of aromatic goodness, I love Weizenbocks! Take note, Duvel Tripel hop and Founders Double Trouble are back in stock for a short time. We also received a very limited collaboration brew from De Proef and Allagash call Les Deux Brasseurs. This beer is deceptive at 8.5% ABV, very drinkable and is fermented with a few different strains of Brettanomyces. Napa Smith Bonfire Imperial Porter rounds out the bunch. This is a really nice effort from Napa Smith. The beer is rich, roasty and warming. Solid! Remember you can view our entire inventory here at anytime.

Cheers,

Adam The Beer Warden

Victory V-12

Two Brothers Monarch White

Two Brothers Ebels Weisse

Ommegang Gnomegang

Napa Smith Bonfire Imperial Porter

Left Hand TNT

Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Great Lakes Doppelrock

Founders Double Trouble

Duvel Triple Hop

Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueuze

De Proef/Allagash Les Deux Brasseurs

Big Sky Heavy Horse Scotch Ale