JOIN US - Get Ready For Tomorrow's Snow-Rain-Ice Storm! Be sure and be stocked up!

Cleveland Park Beer, Liquor & Wine Featuring a wide, international selection of fine wines, micro-brews and spirits

Congratulations on everything! Take a moment to pat yourselves on the back and not beat yourselves up. Stay focused and positive and make continued steps constantly to move forward, even if they are small steps you take, they advance you and your agenda, and you all deserve to pat yourselves on the back for that. Cheers!         Today is the 19th of February, 2019 and you should also think about coming by here on this glorious day to shop and get what you need to get through tomorrow as with snow, rain and ice it promises to be challenging if nothing else. I am not thrilled with the prospect of driving home in the rain tomorrow night.         It is glorious outside, and I walked our dog this morning, Kolbie, with my brother Larry, and that was a thrill indeed as I have not seen him in many moons.   Just spoke to Danielle of Dionysos Imports and owner-winemaker George Gavalas of Gavalas Winery in Santorini, Greece is in town tomorrow and  he may come by the store! It will be great to see him if he does as he makes brilliant expressions of the indigenous grapes in Santorini! WE are out and need to order more, the last blue bottles went out the store last week as both Danielle and I spoke to our customer shopping here and between the two of us sold him several bottles from Greece! Thanks Danielle.     The store is stocked now with so many spirits and libations to delight you all, a number of them I have gathered here to write about in today's store email.   Jagir just placed four for me on the table, and this is always exciting indeed.   Last week's wine-tasting for Valentine's Day : " LOve Potion #19 " went really well on the 14th of February. A great crowd, the wines were FABulous, the enthusiasm and smiles, mirth, happiness and all were at an all-time high, and sales were modest as we were still not certain that our government would stay open.         The effects of the original 35-day government shutdown was a disaster with many if not all businesses, retail, restaurants, all enterprises taking a big hit. It was a disaster and unneccassary  - a ridiculous squandering and selfishness and loss of 3 billion dollars. WE are all still recovering from that.   SO : here on the 19th I will quote again Rosie O'Donnell that said to Meg Ryan in the movie : " Sleepless in Seattle " - ' it's a sign '!   By this I mean we had 19 wines to pour, the year is 2019, I have worked here almost 19 years now, today is the 19th - - what a coincidence all this is! Or is it?   It sure all has spelt fun and intrigue, magic, wonder, the desire and willingness to wander through all the wines and spirits we pick for you to choose between when you shop here. All good things as far as I can see.   SO : Here are some great suggestions for you all to consider today, to come by today, to get what you need before our trying weather tomorrow.   Beer & Cider from Santos -   1) Bruery " Terreux  Gypsy Tart ", a Flemish-style brown ale, - malty, balanced and tart - perfect for this cold weather coming now. A 750ml bottle for $19.99, from Orange County, California. Made in 2016, - what a great way to survive tomorrow!   2) Bruery " Terreux Rueuze " , a sour blnde ale that is aged in oak barrels, $21.99, made in 2015, again from Orange county, California.   3) Bourbon Barrel Porter from Innis & Gunn Brewing Co., a deep, rich and complex porter that is crafted in Scotland, with 7.4% alcohol by volume, this is something I would like a lot and that would be nice to sip gradually and enjoy, on special for $10,99 a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles.   4) " Blood Red Sky " . a rum barrel red beer from Innis & Gunn Brewing Co., barrel-aged, crafted in Scotland, On Special for $10.99 for a 4-pack of  12-ounce  bottles. 5) Barrel-aged Scotch Silly, a limited edition Scotch ale aged in Chardonnay barrels, from Silly, Belgium, $14.99 a 750ml bottle, with 10% alcohol by volume, The Chardonnay barrels give a really lovely mellowness and silk and smoothness. A real treat!    6) Black Joe coffee liqueur , made in collaboration with Mayorga Organic coffee co., with Twin Valley Distilling in Rockville, Md : $25.99 - a perfect spirit to enjoy tomorrow as we are swept with snow then rain and ice and are best staying inside and away from these elements that can be treacherous to us.   7) Pineapple Chicha , a rum with natural flavors added, distilled in Rockville, Md., Port Antonio, made by Twin Valley Distillers, $26.99 ( we have a sample bottle ), : I found it intriguing and really a pleasure to sip and to try and decipher all the components, as it is mystifying as well! I love the challenge here, try some and see what you think?   8) 100% de Agave Tres Agaves tequila, $41.99 a bottle, Puro de Agave, made in Mexico, we have had a sample bottle to share and have tasted it , and it has been well-received and sold well. An anejo, a treat, I like how silky and fine, polished, too that it is!   9) The Japanese Craft vodka HAKU Vodka, distilled from 100% Japanese rice, and with a bamboo Charcoal filtration, $33.99 a 750ml bottle, with 40% alcohol by volume, this is really ' new and exciting'.   10) Nikka Coffey vodka, produced by the Nikka Winery distilling Co., $40.99 a bottle, with 40% alcohol by volume - how exciting! Come check this coffey vodka out asap!   11) The Japanese craft gin, from ROKU Gin, distilled in Japan, with 6 unique Japanese botanicals, $35.99 a 750ml bottle, this we have already re-ordered two or three times I believe, as it has already captivated and caught the attention of many of our gin-loving customers! Cheers.   12) NIKKA COFFEY Gin, produced by the Nikka Whisky distilling Co., $48.99 a 750ml bottle with 47% alcohol by volume! What a unique treat once again, spinning the yarn, the blarney once again in a unique and captivating, fun, quirky way - giving all you mixologists yet another great way to adapt it to your own tastes!     WINES by Tony - Nine wines and counting -   1) 2018 La Vieille Ferme , $8.49, a lighter, brighter, more pleasing dry rose, a fine value , a delight to sip at a very fair price. Mark Congdon asked if we would sell the red, white and I said fine, and added the rose so that we would have all three. Cheers, always glad to work in our wine community and to help people when they need a favor as sooner or later we will need one, too.   2) Marcel Malbec from the Lot region in France, where Cahors is, where Malbec is still the inspiration and end for many palates, tastes and tongues. A treat with a meal, $9.99 a bottle. Serve the food with it and have both the food and the wine flesh the other out. Cheers.   3) Rkatsiteli 2017 dry Macedonian white wine from STOBI, $11.99 - what a fun wine to sip and to let roll over all the surfaces of your tongue. It is delightful, a treat with or without food, but do have some food waiting in reserve!   4) Querciolo Reggiano Lambrusco D.O.C. from MEDICI ERMETE, secco = dry, $13.49, what a delight to sip, really very pleasing dry red with a splash of sparkle, and a delightful bottle-shape and label, too!   5) Tannat 2015 Vinho Fino tinto seco from MIOLO, $17.99 a bottle, from Serra Gaucho, Brazil, and the healthiest grape variety you can drink, and also a really bright, balanced, flavorful, inviting taste, too that will make you smile and start to relax as well, and spread out and even perhaps purr a bit.   6) Gagliopo, the indigenous grape variety, from Calabria, Italy, this STATTI Winery dry red, $19.99, is absolutely delicious, a delight, so rounded and bright and pleasing, so satisfying you really hardly need anything else if that is possible?!?   7) Riesling " Margus Margi " from VINO BUDIMIR, a 2011, $21.99 - softer, fuller, more meaty and fleshy and firm, less tart and tang and no petrol - still quite the delight! Dry, cheers!   8) Wiener Gemischter Salt 2017 Wiener wein - a German wine that is a blend of eleven different grapes I believe?!? A true field blend of exceptional quality! the new release, the new vintage, what depths and highs will it reveal?!? From Weingut Wieinger!   9) Quinta do Seival , Safra 2013, from Campanha, Brasil, from MIOLO winery, , with 13.5% alcohol by volume, Castas Portuguesas, $25.49, a real treat of more rustic, earthy, old-world tastes and sensations that have not been tummy-tucked, scripted, edited, phot-shopped - just the ' real pure flavors and tastes '! Love it, especially with a meal.   WEEK'S TASTINGS -   Friday, February 22nd, 2019 : We have Jaren from Lanterna Imports coming to do a tasting of French wines here from 5-8pm! ALSO : we have Dave of the Twin Valley Distillers here, too from Rockville, Maryland. JOIN US for both, never any charge, #everyonealwayswelcome!   Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 ( 2-6pm ) : We have Amy from the Republic Restoratives here to taste an assortment of her fine local DC women-owned,women-made-delightful-bright-engaging spirits! ALSO :   We have Mickey Downey here to taste some of his fine wines with us this Saturday : diLenardo, Friuli, Degani, Veneto, Italy and Savignola Paolina, Tuscany, too!   What fun, join us!   THANKS for everything, thanks for almost 19 great years! What an honor and a privilege, what a great trip it has been serving you all! Cheers, TONY