Spanish Wines Vinolution: More than La Rioja

Spanish wines have been on the forefront of the wine industry for the last two decades.
However, it wasn"t until the last 5 years that Spanish wines have truly flourished. Once only known for Rioja or Tempranillo, Spain has become so much more than that. With regions like Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and Rias Baixas and grape varieties like Albariño, Garnacha, and Mencia seen splattered on wine lists across the nation, Spanish wines are making a comeback in a big way.

Most wine enthusiasts know and recognize Rioja and its wines. They also know that Tempranillo is the preferred varietal in the region. But did you know that Tempranillo"s reach extends outside of Rioja and into regions like Ribera del Duero and Toro? More importantly, did you know these other regions existed? With around 79 D.O.s (Denominacion de Origen) and 2 D.O.C.s (Denominacion de Origen Controlada), Spain is almost in a category all to its own.

Due to Spain"s numerous of wine producing regions we will focus on a few select regions to expand our knowledge of one of the leading wine countries in the world.

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Our very first single malt private barrel selection...

Colonial Spirits proudly announces our very first  single malt private barrel selection...
Introducing Colonial Spirits’ first Single Malt Whisky private barrel… The independent barrel for independent retailers is a unique collaboration between like-minded retailers, who also happen to be Scotch enthusiasts.

Choosing special barrels to be bottled for Colonial Spirits is a privilege we’ve had before with several Bourbon distillers.  Selecting a Scotch whisky cask is a little more involved however.  By working with Scotland’s smallest independent distillery (also one of the best) as well as a few qualified independent retailers, we had the opportunity to purchase an extremely valuable sherry cask – to be bottled for our stores.

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Georges Dubeouf Beaujolais Nouveau Tasting

One of the few yearly wine events that people look forward to is the Beaujolais Nouveau wine release. This takes place the third Thursday of November as a way of commemorating the new vintage. This light, easy-drinking, and lively wine is everything one wants a celebratory red to be. So, to celebrate this year"s release we will be hosting a tasting and be having ourselves a good ol" time.

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Colonial Spirits" Hand-Picked Single Barrel Bourbon(s)

Bourbons are all the rage these days, especially Single Barrel Bourbon. These unique offerings are hyper-focused on nuances that barrels impart. Each barrel has its own unique characteristic that is conveyed in the Bourbon which is why most bottles have batch and barrel numbers printed on them. Barrels are a great tool as they can mask flaws, soften "hot" mashes, and sweeten when necessary. That is why in the right hands, Single Barrel Bourbon can be unforgettable.
We take joy and pride in picking out Single Barrel Bourbon because it gives us an opportunity to showcase our palate. Picking a single barrel allows us to develop a house style. What is our house style? Balance. Looking to strike a balance between flavor, body, and ABV all of

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Annual Grand Tasting for Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Beer

This tasting will be HUGE. Every year we gather up all the Pumpkin and Oktoberfest beers we can get our hands on and have a grand tasting showcasing the whole lot.  We are opening over 50 kinds of beer from brewers near and far.  We have many Oktoberfest beers from Germany as well as from all around the US.  We have Pumpkin porters, pumpkin ales, and pumpkin ciders that will satisfy any lover of all things pumpkin.  We will be grilling up bratwurst as well and all of this is completely FREE!  This is our biggest tasting of the year and an event that will be both informative and fun.    This will be an all-hands-on-deck tasting.  Everyone here will be helping with the tasting, so it is a nice time to come out and interact with our staff.  R

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Goose Island Bourbon County Vintage Tasting

With all the Goose Island fever going around here at Colonial, what better way to end it all that with our biggest tasting of them all.  On December 7th, starting at 6pm, we will be opening bottles of Bourbon County Brand Stout, Coffee, and Barleywine going back to at least 2013.  While we are keeping the line up close to the chest for a while, I will divulge that we will be opening some special bottles from previous years.  Which ones?  How old?  There is only one way of finding out.  This was a very popular event last year, so make sure to keep an eye out for that special Hop on the Bus email.  Like last year, you will have to RSVP and pay for your ticket.  Space was very limited last year with only 20 spots and it is looking like that w

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Goose Island Wild Ale #2

We did this back in October and it was a lot of fun.  So much fun that we decided to do it all over again.  December 2nd, starting at 6pm, we will be opening bottles of Sofie and Matilda from this year as well as bottles of Lolita, Juliet, Halia, Madame Rose, and Gillian all from 2015. With wild ales like these, we found that giving them a year to sit and mellow out was the right call, so we"re doing it again.  Keep an eye out for an email in which you can RSVP to.  This was a fun, relaxed tasting in which we had some fun with some very nice, rather expensive beers.  It is a great opportunity to try a $30 bottle of fruit added sour ale without paying the $30 price tag.  It does hurt that instead of one, we will be tasting five.

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