Artisan Wine Shop - Beacon, New York

Welcome to Artisan Wine Shop. Serving the wine & spirits needs of the Hudson Valley and beyond, we are located on Main Street in Beacon, New York in Dutchess County, just 60 miles north of New York City.

Friendly, expert service. Free wine & food tastings. Natural, biodynamic, organic, local wines. CIA grad-proprietors. In-shop gourmet kitchen. Food pairing consulting. Hand-selected wines. Focus on small producers. Well-priced wines. Curated spirits selection.

WINE OF THE WEEK
YOUR NEW STANDBY RED

Every week we feature a different wine, giving you an opportunity to try something new, at a 10% discount that week. This wine is discounted through Sunday, February 5, 2012:

Château St. Martin de la Garrigue “Tradition” Coteaux du Languedoc AOC 2009 - SUSTAINABLY GROWN
Regularly: $12.99
This week only: $11.69 per bottle - 10% off save $1.30
Limited quantities available; discount not combined with other offers

We all crave the familiar at times. When it comes to wine, we often want that "old standby", a wine that we know and enjoy. Hopefully this wine will have the ability to work with a variety of foods you like to eat. This tasty choice from France may be the perfect seasonal "standby". It's from the Languedoc, but it's more comparable to a good bottle of Rhône wine. Another great value from importer Kermit Lynch, this is a blend of carignan, syrah and grenache. Winemaker Jean-Claude Zabalia has been working these vines for more than a few years and has steadily been increasing the quality. The wine is nicely balanced and ideal any time of the year, but now in particular. It is fruitful and easy drinking but dry and a bit stony. The fruit is blackberry and currant and doesn't have harsh tannins on the finish.This is a great bottle for everyday drinking, with burgers, pizza or even roast lamb and the like, so consider this for your new "standby".

COCKTAIL CORNER January Cocktail: MARTINEZ
In this section we feature a well-tested, fool-proof cocktail recipe each month alongside Featured Spirits that make the drink worth stirring or shaking. This is your opportunity to learn about new cocktails or to revisit old favorites and to experience some of the best spirits available.
FIRST SUNDAY MIXERS We’ll be mixing our monthly cocktail on the first Sunday of each month from 3-5pm. This Fall, Jim Meehan, the founder of PDT, a tiny cocktail lounge in the Village, introduced The PDT Cocktail Book. We immediately picked up a copy and could not help but have our imaginations stirred by this comprehensive bartending tome. One cocktail that immediately piqued our interest was the Martinez (the precursor to the Martini). It turns out this is a popular cocktail among the new wave of mixologists, as it is a classic cocktail that has only again become possible with the recent return to the production of Old Tom Gin.

Ransom Old Tom Gin This gin has little in common with the London Dry style gins you may have sipped this past summer. Old Tom Gin is a bolder, slightly sweeter version. It is a classic style that prevailed in the late 1800's, pre-Prohibition era. Some classic cocktails such as the Tom Collins and the Martinez were created using this style of gin. Cocktail historian David Wondrich consulted on the production of this gin, which was alambic pot stilled and aged in barrels for 3 to 6 months. This gin has a malty essence from the high proportion of barley used, but also offers vibrant aromatics from orange and lemon peel, as well as coriander and cardamon. This is a tour de force gin and truly makes this cocktail sing.		Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur This is the choice among mixologists for cherry liqueur and there is a reason. There are so few ingredients in most cocktails, it’s important to use good quality products and Luxardo is the best. The liqueur is distilled from marasca sour cherries and aged in Finnish ash casks for two years, allowing the spirit to mature without imparting color or woody notes. Try this liqueur and you’ll quickly find ways to incorporate this into your favorite cocktails and recipes.

Boker's Bitters An essential ingredient in this drink, as The PDT Cocktail Book states, "Thanks to the efforts of bartenders such as Scotland's Adam Elmegirab, who reproduced Boker's Bitters commercially, drinks such as the Martinez have returned to the limelight."		Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth We introduced this vermouth in November for our Perfect Manhattan. We've been using it in everything, but we can't stop sipping this by itself either, the aromatics hold us spellbound. It is rare to enjoy sweet vermouth on its own, so imagine what this will do for your favorite cocktail - a must-try!
COCKTAIL RECIPE: MARTINEZ With winter in full swing, it's time for a classic, flavorful cocktail. It may be surprising to use a Gin, but as discussed above, this is no ordinary Gin. This is the perfect cocktail to build an evening around: invite friends, mix a few rounds of the Martinez and trust us, the evening will be memorable. You'll not only be introducing your friends to one of the hippest drinks around, but one of the most delicious. We've adapted Jim Meehan's version from The PDT Cocktail Book. 1½ oz Ransom Old Tom Gin 1½ oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth ¾ oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur 2 dashes Boker's Bitters Orange twist Fill a glass with ice and add all the liquids. Stir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the orange twist.