OUR NY PICKS TO CHEER ON THE KNICKS!
New York is also a major player in wine, cider and spirits. What better to pair with your playoff viewing party than some winning local faves?
Check out some of our game night picks below - it appears we've even got the Knickerbockers #1 Super Fan hyped on these, too.
Hermann J. Wiemer, Dry Riesling (2022)
Hermann J. Wiemer, Cabernet Franc Seneca Lake (2021)
Hermann Wiemer has been a viticulture and winemaking pioneer in New York since he emigrated from Bernkastel, Germany in the 1960s, and the winery today remains a leader in the Finger Lakes for both wine production and vine propagation. When Hermann moved to New York he discovered that the western shore of Seneca Lake was quite similar to the cool climate and gravelly soils of the Mosel. Using his grafting skills, Wiemer planted one of the first successful vinifera vineyards on Seneca Lake in 1976. His dedication and attention to detail allowed the project to thrive, and Hermann J. Wiemer has become known as a premier domestic Riesling producer.
Wiemer's Dry Riesling is their signature wine, epitomizing Riesling's dynamic range with layers of citrus, stone, and tropical fruit, underpinned by taut acidities and a clean mineral finish. A red counterpart to Riesling, Cabernet Franc is ideally suited to the long falls of the Finger Lakes. Extended hang time in the vineyard's riper sites builds structure and flavor complexity, evidenced in the generous raspberry and plum aroma on this medium-bodied Cabernet Franc, chock full of brambly fruit, soft tannins, and a black pepper finish that's as long as the final seconds of the fourth quarter in a close game.
Sundstrom Cider, "Spy" Cider/Cider (2021)
Leif Sundström lives and works in New York’s Hudson Valley, helping to revive the region’s centuries-old tradition of preserving orchard fruit as cider, a drink that evokes early America’s agrarian past and, he believes, points the way to the region’s farming future. Sundström Cider is animated by the search for “the impacts of terroir and agriculture on cider’s ultimate potential” — and the conviction that cider from the northeastern U.S. is “poised to be among the best in the world.” Sundstrom's Cider/Cider "Spy" is a dry, mineral, sparkling cider made from Northern Spy apples - super sessionable, and perfect for late tip-offs and going into OT.
New York's First Amaro! Brooklyn's own St. Agrestis Amaro was created in 2014 and has evolved into one of the leading American-produced amari.
Made differently than most, St. Agrestis Amaro contains twenty herbs, spices, flowers, roots, seeds and citrus that are individually macerated in cane distillate. Once all twenty tinctures are ready, they are blended together and aged in ex-bourbon barrels for sixteen weeks as a method to allow the flavors to integrate with each other while picking up hints of toasted vanilla from the oak.
St. Agrestis Amaro is intended to be spice driven, perfectly balanced amaro on its own, but has quite a bit of versatility in cocktails. Driven by cinnamon, clove and allspice at the forefront, St. Agrestis Amaro is marked by unparalleled freshness and intensity. Amaro's a lot like a great squad on the court: an assemblage of different components with complementary traits, coming together with balance and harmony.
Breuckelen Distilling, 77 Whiskey: Local Rye & Corn
Since 2010, Brad Estabrooke and the Breuckelen Distilling team have been milling grain, distilling, aging, and bottling their spirits right here in Brooklyn. Local Rye & Corn is distilled on a Coffey style pot still which produces a cleaner, softer spirit in a single pass. Distilled from local NY grains - 90% rye and 10% corn - this stunner is full of brown sugar, cinnamon, tropical fruit, sweet baked goods, and a hint of baking chocolate. A smooth sipper with a long game.
Hamlet Hound, NY Bourbon & Cola, 200mL can
Created by friend of Dandy Christy Frank, Hamlet Hound canned cocktails feature small batch NY whiskies, custom mixers, and a kick of carbonation. No artificial flavors or colors – and not a whiff of corn syrup. At 15% abv, they’re serious drinks for when you crave something with a little more bite. And they come in cute little pocket-sized 200ml cans – grab a few for the big game, and you won't have to even break to mix up a drink!
Greenhook Ginsmiths, Gin & Tonic, 200mL
Another pocket-sized cocktail, made right here in North Brooklyn!
When Brooklyn native Steven DeAngelo began distilling in 2012—opening only the second new distillery in New York City since Prohibition— his focus wasn't whiskey-based, like most other startup micro-distillers. Instead, he was all in on gin - and today, Greenhook Ginsmiths is one of the most well-regarded small distillers in the country.
Using a custom-made vacuum still, Steven can distill at a lower atmospheric pressure, capturing subtle aromas from delicate botanicals without damaging their nuance. Made with Grenhook's American Dry Gin and own proprietary tonic water, their canned Gin and Tonic is a celebration of all of the glories of the G&T that make it the world’s most refreshing drink, and presented to you at the optimal gin-to-tonic ratio and the perfect level of carbonation.
