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Saturday, March 10, 2018

Cheddar Cheese Gougeres with Bacon



Cheddar Cheese Gougeres with Bacon

(recipe from the Food Network)
Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter  ***
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup grated S.D. Strong 4 Year Old Cave Aged Cheddar  ***
1/2 cup cooked and finely chopped William Bros. Smoked Bacon   ***
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or rosemary)
Freshly ground black pepper


*** In stock at The Wine and Cheese Place

Directions


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup water, the butter and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon; the mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for a couple minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly; you want the dough to be warm, but not so hot that when you start adding the eggs they cook as they hit the dough. In a mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated. The dough should become rather creamy. Stir in the grated cheese, bacon, thyme and a few grinds of pepper.

Spoon out small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto the baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls. Cook for 10 minutes; lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook until puffed up and lightly golden, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Alfredo Roca from Mendoza Argentina

Alfredo Roca from Mendoza Argentina
The Roca family has been producing wine in Mendoza for 4 generations, and currently farms 280+ acres in San Rafael, the southernmost province of Mendoza. At altitudes of 2,600 feet above sea level, Roca’s vineyards produce distinct, cool-climate wines of singular quality.


2015 Alfredo Roca Chardonnay....$12.99
Tasting Notes:  Offers vibrant pear and apple aromas. Has a touch of richness, but thankfully lacks fat, buttery flavors.
Serve With: Excellent on its own, but can stand up to richly sauced poultry, seafood, or creamy pasta dishes.


2016 Alfredo Roca Malbec Mendoza...$13.99
100% Malbec
Tasting Notes: Concentrated, complex dark fruit aromas of cassis and plums on the nose. Well balanced, with soft tannins and a lingering finish.
Serve With: Excellent with flavorful grilled meats including marinated skirt steak, kabobs and more.


2016 Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir...$13.99
100% Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes: Deep crimson color, with black cherry fruit aromas, and light floral, vanilla notes. Ripe and full-bodied on the palate, with delicate plum character and a long, lingering finish.
Serve With: Excellent with pizza and hearty pasta dishes, it will also stand up to red meats, grilled or stewed.

A Pair of Outsanding 2015 Vosne-Romanee



2015 Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee...$71.99
Earthy, feral aromas give way to ripe dark berry elements, with flavors of black cherry, black currant and violet. Supple and harmonious, this remains fresh and long on the detailed aftertaste.
Rated 93/100 The Wine Spectator



2015 Joseph Drouhin Vosne-Romanee...$89.99
A core of cherry, currant and blueberry fruit is shaded by earth, mineral and spice notes in this vibrant red. Balanced, with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Rated 93/100 The Wine Spectator

Friday, March 9, 2018

Ballwin Location Whiskey Bar






Updated list --
We have been very happy with the turn out each week at the Whiskey bar

Make sure you check out the Whiskey Flight of the Week

Dillon chooses 3 whiskeys each week for a new flight.  
Watch our twitter account each week or just stop on by Ballwin and find out!


Yes - Rip Van Winkle 10 Year was added and
Four Roses 2017 Small Batch Limited Edition







Rihaku Nigori Sake Dreamy Clouds


Rihaku Nigori Sake Dreamy Clouds....$13.99 / 300ml
Dreamy Clouds is quite special because its milling rate of 41% technically qualifies it as Junmai Ginjo grade - a rare quality level for a nigori (cloudy) sake. It presents an opportunity to move Nigori drinkers forward to new styles of sake.
GRADE: Tokubetsu Junmai Nigori ***

TASTING NOTES: Bright and lean in the mouth, unlike many Nigori, and the impact is chewy with sweet rice flavors intermingling with the nutty and slightly fruity characteristics of the sake.
FOOD PAIRING: Pair with spicy noodle dishes, risotto, or white fish.

*** Nigori is “cloudy” or “milky” sake. It is a brew that has some of the original rice solids from fermentation incorporated into the liquid. Cloudy sake that generally has a more full body and pairs well with strong flavors of spice and sweetness. There are varying levels of cloudiness and body, but generally nigori pairs well with spicy food and strong flavors as well as desserts.

Tentaka Tokubetsu Junmai Hawk in Heavens Sake





Tentaka Tokubetsu Junmai Hawk in Heavens Sake...$13.99 / 300ml
Tentaka Tokubetsu Junmai Hawk in Heavens Sake...$27.99 / 720ml
A go-to sake for barbeque, this rustic, high acid sake is a great representation of traditional Junmai style that you would find in Izakayas throughout Japan. The brewery name, Tentaka, translates to “hawk in the heavens,” a prosperous Japanese symbol that is thought to bring good fortune to the brewery.
GRADE:  Junmai

TASTING NOTES:  Dry and crisp, the flavors are dominated by mixed nuts, fresh cut green grass and other earthier flavors. Medium-bodied with a rich mouthfeel, followed by a lengthy and dry finish.

Amanoto Heaven's Door Junmai Sake





Amanoto Heaven's Door Junmai Sake...$14.99 / 300ml
Amanoto Heaven's Door Junmai Sake...$32.99 / 720ml
The epitome of the “local” farm-to-table movement, this sake is made only with rice, water, and labor from its own prefecture. Ama No To translates to “Heaven’s Door,” referring to the prefecture which is at the northernmost tip of Japan. The label image is an icon of good fortune from Amaterasu, the Shinto Sun Goddess who is believed to have brought light to the world and cultivated Japan’s first rice fields.
GRADE:  Junmai ***

TASTING NOTES:  Layers of dried flowers and baking spice give way to savory salinity. Slightly dry and medium-bodied. Clean and focused on the finish to accentuate its rice-like qualities.
FOOD PAIRING:  Try it with game birds, pork ribs, or wild mushrooms. It is also the perfect pairing for pickled and fermented foods.


***JUNMAI / HONJOZO

Sake classification levels are determined by the percentage the rice is milled before the brewing process. In general, the more you polish (or mill) the rice, the more aromatically expressive the sake becomes (the rice polishing rate expresses the amount remaining, so lower numbers translate to higher polishing).

Junmai is premium sake that is made only from rice, water, and koji enzymes. Although most junmai sake meet a polishing minimum of at least 70%, there is technically no minimum polishing rate designated to this category. Junmai sakes are often rustic and full bodied, with pronounced umami.
Honjozo has a small amount of distilled alcohol added to help extract flavor and aroma. It is characteristically light, mildly fragrant, and easy to drink.

Tozai Blossom of Peace Plum Sake





Tozai Blossom of Peace Plum Sake...$15.99 / 720ml
Local, all-natural aodani plums are soaked in Tozai sake for over three months resulting in an incredibly balanced sake with tart, juicy acidity on the finish. Plum blossoms are known as "The Flowers of Peace" in Japan and symbolize growth, renewal, and awakening.
GRADE:  Plum Sake

TASTING NOTES:  Aromas of almond and marzipan followed by plum, apricot, and cherry on the palate. The soft tartness and acidity balance the finish with a slightly sweet smoothness.
FOOD PAIRING:  Pair with pulled pork, glazed salmon, or desserts like peach cobbler.

Fukucho Junmai Ginjo Moon on the Water




Fukucho Junmai Ginjo Moon on the Water...$17.99 / 300ml
Fukucho Junmai Ginjo Moon on the Water...$36.99 / 720ml
This vibrant showstopper is beautifully soft and feminine, brewed by one of Japan's only female brewery owners and tojis. Brewed in Hiroshima, the birthplace of Ginjo sake, which is known for remarkably soft water that requires expert skill to use in sake production. Once mastered, it enables a highly controlled, precise fermentation, resulting in vibrant fruit aromas. This Junmai Ginjo is bottled immediately without charcoal filtering.
GRADE:  Junmai Ginjo

TASTING NOTES:    fruity nose of lime and melon with bold hints of fennel, white pepper and allspice. The flavors gravitate to ripe cantaloupe and anise while the minerality from the soft water is evident in the finish.

Rihaku Wandering Poet Sake




Rihaku Wandering Poet Sake...$14.99 / 300ml
With broad appeal and a memorable, sturdy flavor, this sake has the ability to complement even the most wine-unfriendly vegetables. This Junmai Ginjo is made with Yamada Nishiki rice, known as the pinnacle of quality for sake rice. It is named after the famous Chinese poet, Li Po, who was said to drink a bottle of sake and write one hundred poems.
GRADE:  Junmai Ginjo ***
TASTING NOTES: Notes of banana and ripe honeydew with a clean, crisp acidity that highlights its light-to-medium body. The lingering finish moves from juicy fruitiness to green, herbal notes making it a great food companion.

*** JUNMAI GINJO / GINJO
Sake classification levels are determined by the percentage the rice is milled before the brewing process. In general, the more you polish (or mill) the rice, the more aromatically expressive the sake becomes (the rice polishing rate expresses the amount remaining, so lower numbers translate to higher polishing).

Ginjo and Junmai Ginjo class sakes must meet a rice polishing minimum of 60% (although many producers polish much further). This style is generally a great balance of vibrant fruit and floral aromas with acidity and umami.

Few Bourbon Whiskey




Few Bourbon Whiskey...$44.99
46.5% ABV
This spirit, distilled through timeless liquor-making techniques, utilizes a three-grain recipe that infuses generations of Southern tradition with the spiciness of northern rye and a touch of malt for smoothness. FEW is hand-crafted through a small-batch process in charred oak barrels to age its bourbon whiskey.

Tropical IPA from 4 Hands


Back for the season


4 Hands Dakine Tropical IPA...$9.99 / 6pk
Tropical IPA with Honey, pineapple and citrus zest
6% ABV

Bluepoint Honey Robber



Cream Ale with Honey
Bluepoint Honey Robber...$8.49 / 6pk 
(also sold as singles)
Blooming with a clean malt flavor and just a sting of honey, Honey Robber is a medium-bodied Cream Ale with a uniquely warm, golden color. This crisp, refreshing brew features slight citrus floral notes from the addition of honey and a blend of 3 hops. Brewed with 6 different cereal grains, this take on the classic American style features honey “robbed” from mid-west beekeepers for our Long Island recipe.

Bluepoint Prop Stopper Seaweed IPA



Bluepoint Prop Stopper Seaweed IPA...$9.49 / 4pk cans
(also sold as single cans at Forsyth)
That’s right, we brewed a seaweed beer. But don’t jump ship just yet — this is a big, American IPA. The seaweed adds a slightly salty finish to cut through the hops’ bitterness and cleanse your palate after each sip so you can continue to enjoy this 7.7% dry-hopped IPA.
ABV: 7.7 IBU: 60

Goose Island Brasserie Noir BA Imperial Stout


More in stock - We keep going back to the well and getting more!



Goose Island Brasserie Noir BA Imperial Stout...$17.99 / 765ml
aged in cabernet barrels for up to 12 months

Imperial Stout Aged in Wine Casks

Dried fruit aromas and vanilla and currant tones frame the flavors of Brasserie Noir. This Imperial Stout balances malty sweetness with sharp acidity imparted by a twelve month aging process in Cabernet barrels.

Forsyth Friday Night Beer Tasting

Forsyth Friday Night Beer Tasting

Tonight
The Wine and Cheese Place - Forsyth

4pm - 6pm

  • Grimm Apricot Pop!
  • Grimm Rainbow Dome
  • Evil Twin No Hero Stout
  • 4 Hands Ripple

2015 Emerson Brown Napa Cabernet Sauvignon





94 Point Heavy Weight Cab!!


2015 Emerson Brown Napa Cabernet Sauvignon......$49.99
A partnership between 2 fantastic Cabernet producers:
Keith Emerson(Vineyard 29,Robert Craig,Gun Bun) & Brian Brown (Vineyard 29, Round Pond)

"The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon comes from multiple sites in the Valley and was brought up in 40% new French oak. It offers a seriously ripe, hedonistic style to go with classic currant, licorice, toasty oak and chocolate aromas and flavors. This beauty fills the mouth with fruit, has no hard edges, sweet tannin and carries its fruit and richness with class. It should keep for 10-15 years, and
at 50 bucks, is smokin' good."
Rated 94/100 Jeb Dunnuck 
(He also rated the 13 & 14 vintages 94pts while at the Wine Advocate) 

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Bells Consecrator



Bells Consecrator Doppelbock....$14.99 / 6pk
A traditional dopplebock fermented with a Bohemian lager yeast. Reddish brown in color, with a mild hop profile, Consecrator is a well balanced, full bodied beer with hints of caramel and molasses in its smooth, malty finish. 










Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay


2015 Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay....$5.99
We are the lowest price on Wine-Searcher in the Country
Compare to $7.57 at Total Wine and More in Missouri
The warmth of the vintage shows through on the fruit of this wine, which is chock-full of pineapple and other tropical aromas and flavors, sweetened by light barrel accents. It's a guaranteed crowd pleaser and a spot-on example of the variety.
Rated 88/100 The Wine Enthusiast
Supple and succulent, with easygoing pear, nectarine and spicy toast flavors. Drink now.
Rated 87/100 Wine Spectator

Peche Mortel





Back in stock!
Dieu du Ciel Peche Mortel...$3.99 / 11.2oz
Rated 100/100 RateBeer
"If you love really good coffee and really good beer equally, you will be thrilled with Péché Mortel. If coffee isn’t your cup of tea, and caffeine makes you bounce off the ceiling, then just put the bottle down and find something else to drink. This beer is all about coffee. Indeed, you may have seen ‘coffee stouts’ before, but no brewer has ever married coffee and beer so naturally and seamlessly.
And this isn’t just any stout, but an imperial stout, which means that it is modeled on the strong, rich, and very complex stouts that were made in England in the 19th and early 20th centuries exclusively for shipment to Russia, where they were a special favorite at the court of the Czars.
A warning: Between the caffeine buzz, and the 9% alcohol by volume of this singular brew, you may find yourself a little disoriented. What is this, a morning pick-me-up and a drowsy night-cap, all in the same bottle? It’s just too much pleasure all at once, and that’s why the brewers named it Péché Mortel, which is French for 'Mortal Sin.' Unfortunately, we can’t say that it’s good for you. In fact, it’s a sure thing you’re going to Hell for this . . ." -- brewery

Mark Twain Passport to Russia

First come at Forsyth only - very limited - no reservations
Ask at the register

We received just a little more of this one...
Mark Twain Passport to Russia....$17.99
Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels




First time for this one, very little available -
Mark Twain A Wee Bit Foggy Barrel Aged....$17.99
Scotch Ale aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels

Evil Twin Even More Pecan Pie Jesus




Evil Twin Even More Pecan Pie Jesus...$14.99 / 4pk 16oz can
A few times in the history of craft beer a highly praised beer rises beyond mortal stardom into a higher godly league.  Usually the recipe to make such heavenly drops is thick fudge-like body, pitch black color, amazingly overwhelming aromas of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits, molasses, pecan extract and obviously only made in limited amounts.  People - this is the taste of rare!
12% ABV

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Chili Hazelnut Break



Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Chili Hazelnut Break...$14.99 / 4pk 16oz cans
Italy has a certain 'je ne sais quoi' - fab food culture, highly decadent history of art and cool countryside.  Some might argue the people are load and flamboyant, they steal our women, the soccer players melodramatically flop on the pitch.  Listen - that's all part of the secret Italian ingredient - keep it cool, confident, arrogant and extravagant.  Forza Italia.