This month we wanted the buzz to be all about Spring/Patio season getting here. So put on some reggae and flip flops and try one of the below.
WINE
Crossbarn by Paul Hobbs Rose of Pinot Noir. Crossbarn Rose has delicate hue of light pink coral. Due to the pinot noir varietal this wine has alluring aromas of strawberry, watermelon and tangerine oil. Fresh and juicy flavors of nectarine, lychee and honeydew tease the palate; the finish is bone dry, pure and crisp. There are a ton of great rose wines out there and if you normally drink red but want something cold this is the road for you.
BEER
A favorite patio sipper for us is the Fullsteam Cackalacky Ginger Pale Ale. Fullsteam is a plow to pint brewery in Durham making fantastic beer with locally sourced ingredients. The boys recently took a field trip to the Triangle and had the opportunity to taste through the line with Brian at the brewery. The Cackalacky in particular was one of our top picks and is made with fresh NC ginger and a lighter style pale ale as a base. This works great with food or just ice cold in the sun.
SPIRITS
Sunday Brunch on our patio is the perfect way to celebrate a beautiful weekend. Chef Eric and crew have an amazing country inspired brunch menu with an added amount of sophistication. The Dogwood signature brunch cocktails include a Honeysuckle Mimosa. This is a great beginning, middle, and end to any Sunday repast. We use Cathead Honeysuckle vodka from the great state of Mississippi made with real honeysuckle blossoms. A healthy shot of the vodka is poured in the flute with fresh squeezed orange juice and cava sparkling wine. One is never enough with these but they tend to lead to a mid-afternoon nap if you have more than a few.
Dogwood’s number one selling cocktail so far has been Brian’s spin on the classic Salty Dog. A rare glimpse into his creative process would reveal Brian in his natural habitat surrounded by cocktail books, books about bitters, books about mixers, classic tombs of mixology lore, empty bourbon bottles, empty gin bottles, a pair of reading glasses, and single candle burning on the table. With tiny little adorable dog in his lap Brian will take a classic cocktail and blow it apart. He will take each ingredient and put his creative approach on it before allowing it back into the drink. The main difference in the Classic and Brian’s tends to be depth. Brian will layer in sweetness, bitterness, sour, and umami the same way that a chef works with ingredients. This Salty Dog is a perfect example of this technique. Get mixing. Try new things. If you need help or have a question just call The Wood and ask for Brian. Follow Brian on Twitter @BarKeepBrian
Salty Dog-Cocktail Served Over Ice
February is the month of Valentines so we thought we would feature an appropriate wine. @SloDownWine is the brainchild of two wild and crazy guys from California. We are not going to illustrate how crazy these two are but feel free to Google some of their ad campaigns or videos if you have the interest (worth the watch). The wine they are best known for is Sexual Chocolate and we will be featuring it all month long at Dogwood. Sexual Chocolate is a delicious blend of mostly syrah and zinfandel with dark chocolate, blackberry, and dark cherry notes. They round out the blend with petit sirah, petite verdot, and just the right amount of fresh acidity. We are offering the wine either by the glass $12 or bottle $48. Enjoy responsibly, just not conservatively… is their tag line on the website.
Check out the Funniest Advertisement Ever for Wine
Dogwood is happy to have started working with Triple C Brewing from the Queen City this month. One of their signature brews is Baby Maker Double IPA so in sticking with our February / Love Theme we are happily offering in 22oz. bottles. Baby Maker lives up to its name by weighing in with an almost 9% alcohol by volume. The beer is centered around a strong malted core with a large dose of hops. Beers at these levels can tend to be over done. This is not one of those. Well balanced strength and depth of flavor shows through the abundance of alcohol. Since starting to offer Baby Maker it has become one of our best sellers. People know it, love it, and ask for it by name. We also offer Golden Boy Ale from Triple C. Come by and enjoy a pint or go check out the brewery uptown. One of the many fantastic craft brewers here in town.