Kermode's fabulous fruit wines!

They've won medals at the All-Canadian Wine Championships, but their website has about as much information on it as a tombstone. Somebody has to start promoting Dewdney, BC's Kermode Fruit Wines---so it might as well be me!

Kermode's Fritz and Bob Spreiszl are either content to let their wines speak for themselves, or are so busy expanding their portfolio and collecting their prizes they haven't time to let the world know how fabulous their product is.

All-Canadian Wine Championship winners:

• Glacier Bear Apple Dry
• Himilalayan Blackberry Port
• Alpine Blueberry

Spiritmerchants carries a respectable whack of Kermode's ever-expanding line of products (Fritz and Bob have said in the past that they have ambitions to try and make wine from all 40 or so of BC's native wild berries, so we may have to buy some more shelving) and our patrons pay them the kind of compliment we take to heart: When they try them, they come back for more!

New from Driftwood Brewery!

Two new beers from Victoria's Driftwood Brewery turned up on our doorstep this week!

Brewmeisters Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum have this to say about their new Blackstone Porter:
"With just enough dark malt to be black this Porter leans toward the dry side in its malt profile. The addition of a partial sour mash (not uncommon in pre-Industrial Revolution Porters) lends a subtle tartness to the bittersweet chocolate flavour that dominates."

Jason and Kevin recommend pairing it with oysters, smoked foods, cheese and chocolate; we'd suggest pairing it with a couch and a TV set playing either NFL playoffs or a good movie.

Old Cellar Dweller is made of even sterner stuff: At 12% alcohol, it's more of a barley wine than a mere Ale:

"Three times the malt bill and five times the hops of a normal strength beer, this Barleywine tests the limits of our brewhouse and our backs! But the real struggle is in getting this massive brew to completely ferment, a true test of our skill and the vigor of our yeast. Consisting of 98% Pale Malt (with a bag CaraMunch thrown in for color) and just one hop variety, Columbus, this beer showcases these two basic ingredients in their most concentrated state."

Jason and Kevin recommend pairing it with blue cheeses and nuts.

We say, treat it reverently!

Back from Phillips Brewery!

Spring? Who needs it?

Rated an 'A' by The Beer Advocate, Phillips Hammer Imperial Stout is back at Spiritmerchants again for another limited run! Here's what one of the BA critics had to say about the last batch:

This is a world class RIS that ages gracefully. Dark and thick, this is pure sexy chocolate and roasted coffee malts. I have had bigger and even better impys but this has to be one of the best BC beers ever. The case for Matt Philips as one of the best BC brewers can be made from this beer alone.

Who cares if it's raining outside, when you've got something like this in the fridge?

News Flash---Bundy is Back!

Demand has been huge; the phone has been ringing off the hook; but finally we got another ten cases of the Bundaberg back in the store---we're down to 99 bottles of Bundy in the wall as I write this. If one of the bottles should happen to fall, let it fall under your Christmas tree!

Finally---New Amsterdam is here!

Remember How I rhapsodized in this space a while ago about a Gin interesting enough that you could make martinis without the vermouth? Well, here's another one! Fabulous flavour and a modest price make New Amsterdam unbeatable---pass the olives!

"The Sortilege is back" is back!

That didn't take long---we ran through the last of our ten cases of Sortilege this last weekend! But fear not, maple fanciers: 20 more cases will arrive this week, just in time for your Grey Cup party, your Hockey Night in Canada party, or your It's-Friday-Night-and-We're-Gonna-Eat- Pancakes party!

For those of you who blinked and missed the Phillips Crooked Tooth....

It's coming back! In fack, it's here!! For a limited time only! Phillips Dirty Squirrel Hazelnut Brown is worth all the exclamation points we can throw at it!!

Renowned on Vancouver Island from coast to coast---and even farther afield---for its sweet hazelnut-and-chocolate flavor, Dirty Squirrel returns to Spiritmerchants for what may turn out to be the mere blink of an eye---last year we had trouble keeping our patrons from unloading the truck themselves!