With warm weather creeping into the days and weeks ahead, our own Dr. Joel Armato hits us up with some of his favorite music and drink pairings that are sure to shake off the cobwebs of a long winter.

Hymn to Mother Earth by Demon Fuzz

This song kind of has it all for me. It gives a perfect feeling of reawakening. A thank you to the Earth for bringing us yet another season of rejuvenation, budding & blossoming, and renewed spirit.

With that, we sit now ready to enjoy the sun, food springing from the ground, and long warm nights that are just ahead of us. These brief first days of spring offer moments to reflect on a cold, solitary season that’s just ended. This song does the same for me, its slow sections are a stop from the new found excitement, a chance to revel in the in-between. I can think of no better pairing for a song that makes me feel renewed and ready for what’s to come than a Bloody Mary. While it’s not a weekly thing, I very regularly enjoy a Bloody on Sundays. 

Our Pub is a haven for this. While our Bloody Mary bar allows me to choose from a ton of fixin’s and get very carried away with myself, I do really enjoy the work of one of our ace bartenders, Katie Jo Clark. I prefer our house-infused Jalapeno Vodka, dill sauce, Worcestershire, some heat, and salt & pepper.  And who am I kidding, I always have two. Mad Hatter or Sundog as a sidecar.

Take a listen HERE.

Pass It On by Half Pint

Every spring I rush to my reggae. Each year it seems to take a bit of a different turn. Sometimes its Roots, sometimes its Rocksteady, sometimes I jump forward on the timeline. This tune features reggae great Half Pint and was on the first album by the Long Beach Dub Allstars.

This was a huge album for me in college and it would see heavy rotation each year when it came time to usher in the last semester. This is the exact sound I want to hear driving around Lake Macatawa each morning on my way to work. It’s got vibe, it’s got a great message and it just makes me feel good. This song is a cocktail song and when I think of Jamaica, I think of rum. Without making it too difficult I offer up what in my mind would be the perfect Dark ‘n Stormy. Substitute as you please:
The Rose Lane Dark ‘n Stormy
(build over ice in a jam jar or big round glass)
1 squeeze of a healthy lime wedge
2oz Michigan Amber Rum
4oz Ginger Beer from the Jamaican Jerk Hut (http://jajerkhut.com/)
1/2oz floater of Superior Rum
Float a chunk of sugar cane in the drink

Take a listen HERE.

Mama Shelter by DJ Day

We’ve got to keep the vibe going. Beats, breaks, samples, and loops, the rootstock of Hip-Hop taught me so very much about music that I still uncover things in songs that trace back to the Golden Era and the producers who’s beats I grew up on. Knowing that sample-based music is alive and well in the 1-3 really makes me happy and artists like Day who are able to reference the classic form and at the same time move it forward are an inspiration.

Day’s album Land of 1000 Chances could not come highly recommended enough from me (samesies for this video). 1000 Chances is a perfect spring record, full of life and head nodding rhythms. He creates a true sense of his space (Palm Springs) throughout the record, that’s certainly adaptable to where you are and where you want to be…Leo Sayer is beastmode moves for days. Truly the raer.

For this one I need the perfect compliment and I need it in cocktail form. I’ve tapped our Beer & Spirits Ambassador for the state of Georgia for this one, as his prowess with cocktails is untouchable, dangerous, and inspiring. Our man Tyler Nelson tells it like this…

“There is a beautiful duality to this song and, while considering cocktails, it made me think of a drink that has a similar duality. In the seminal and prolific Savoy Cocktail Book, the Clover Club cocktail is changed to the Clover Leaf cocktail only with the simple addition of a mint leaf garnish.

When listening to this song, I went through several emotions. The Brubeck-like piano beginning made me think hearty stirred gin cocktail, a martini styled drink. The rest of the song however, encourages some trance-esque emotions with makes me want not only a hearty, classic-styled drink, but one that has bubbles and encourages a spirit to go straight to the head. In this way, here are two drinks that are differentiated only by the addition of bubbles in the latter”

The Mercury Cocktail
2oz Knickerbocker Gine
1/2oz Cocchi Americano (or Lillet Blanc)
1/4oz Purkheart Pear Eau De Vie
barspoon Green Chartreuse

Stirred over ice and strained into a cocktail glass (coup) and garnished with a lemon peel or twist

The Mercury Imperial
2oz Knickerbocker Gin
1/2oz Cocchi Americano (or Lillet Blanc)
1/4oz Purkheart Pear Eau De Vie
barspoon Green Chartreuse

Stirred over ice and strained into a cocktail glass (coup). Then topped with about 1oz of dry sparkling wine and garnished with a lemon peel or twist.

Take a listen HERE.

Battle of the Species by Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra

Time to turn it up! When the season gets all of your senses going, you’ve got to match it with music that gets your whole body moving too. I’ve loved this album, and this song particularly, for quite a long time. It’s tribal, it’s great modern Afrobeat, and it’s all played with a ton of heart and soul.

The music of Antibalas has come out on some of the great independent record labels of the day (Ninja Tune, Ropeadope, and Daptone) and is fiercely independent in its own right. Way back in 2001 or 2002 my friends and I, all completely worn out from the long trip back from Bonnaroo, made ourselves suck it up for a night at Penn’s Landing. We went to see Antibalas play on an old naval ship that was docked there. An amazing place to see an amazing band.

An unreal experience that was accompanied by a beer that’s become an American Craft Beer staple: Allagash White. For the spring and summer, New Holland fused the idea of a witbier with the storied tradition of our flagship IPA, Mad Hatter. The result is a great spring beer, a great falling in to the groove and dancing along beer, a great sitting on the deck or the porch or the grass beer, a great evening in the kitchen beer, a great turning up the tunes or reading a book beer, a great being out on the water beer and above all else a very refreshing beer: White Hatter.

Take a listen HERE.

Joel Armato is the Brewery & Distillery Sales Manager for New Holland Brewing Co. He’s devoted to amazing beer and spirits, food made with passion and music that punches you in the gut – but in that really good way. He’s also an underground soul-funk DJ and the self-proclaimed Scarf King.

JUNE 7 – Golf Outing

Reserve your space now, spots are filling up quickly!
Please join us for what is sure to be a memorable outing. Teams of four are encouraged. Create your own team, think of an uber-clever team name and fill out a registration form. It’s that easy! Click HERE to print a copy of the registration form.

JUNE 8 – Hatter Day Street Party

It’s that time of year again! Hatter Day is upon us and that means:

- Street Party
- Live Music
- Food Specials
- Beer & Spirits demos
- Daredevil Circus
- Highjinx and Hilarity

Street party takes place on College (between 8th and 9th streets)

Plus, our new Beer Garden will be open and ready for you to enjoy!

So, join us in a celebration of the entire Hatter Family and remember…We’re All a Little Mad Here.

PAIRING SMACKDOWN and COCKTAIL EXPO TICKETS AVAILABLE!

JUNE 8 – BEER/SPIRITS & CHEESE SMACKDOWN
Our reining champ, Dr. Joel, will be taking on our feisty Beer Captain, Clay in a head-to-head Beer/Spirits & Cheese pairing smackdown. A $10 ticket gets you rounds of pairings, secrets of the trade and lots and lots of trash talking.

3:30-4:45pm
8th Street Pub
$10/ticket – available only for sale at the Pub.

JUNE 8 – COCKTAIL DEMO
Join our cocktail experts as they show you the versatility of our artisan spirits line and send you off with some great cocktail ideas to keep you and your friends very satisfied for the rest of the summer.

5:00-6:00pm
8th Street Pub
$5/ticket – available only for sale at the Pub

A must-attend for craft beer aficionados and foodies alike, SAVOR offers a memorable craft beer and food experience to a limited number of attendees in New York City in 2013. Event tickets have consistently sold out in a matter of days, so don’t wait to purchase yours! Purchase HERE!

Guests enjoy a reception-style sampling of sweet and savory appetizers and craft beers from over 70 small and independent craft breweries. They will also have the unique opportunity to converse with the luminaries of the craft beer industry—brewery owners, brewers and representatives will be on hand personally serving their beer.

*****
New Holland is participating as a participating brewery and is also hosting two Salons. SAVOR also offers the opportunity to participate in directed tasting salons featuring stars from the craft beer and food scene. Seating is limited and requires purchase of a separate ticket for admittance.

Two Salons:

Vintage Roadshow
7:00 pm Fred Bueltmann & David Walker, New Holland Brewing & Firestone Walker Brewing Company
5th Floor, Metropolitan Pavilion
Join New Holland Brewing Company’s Fred Bueltmann, aka The Beervangelist, and Firestone Walker’s David Walker for a tasting of cellar aged beauty, including barrel aged beers, charcuterie and aged cheese. You’ll taste two beers from each brewery, alongside expertly chosen pairings. Explore how the unique, subtle flavors developed from wood and time produce rustic culinary treats.

The Wide World of Stouts
9:45 pm Fred Bueltmann & Chris Lennert, New Holland Brewing Company & Left Hand Brewing Company
5th Floor, Metropolitan Pavilion
Join Left Hand Brewing Company’s Chris Lennert and New Holland Brewing Company’s Fred Bueltmann, aka The Beervangelist, as they take you on a tour through the deep and delicious world of stouts. Chris and Fred will showcase the range of flavors round in this dark, roasty style, alongside inspiring food pairings.

You Can’ Finish Unless You Start!

Join us for a series of beer runs leading up to the GR Marathon. A great time of year to get out with fellow runners and beer lovers and to support local businesses! Here are the details…

Meet at the host bar at 6:30pm

$10 Entry Includes:
- Your first New Holland beer
- Runner-friendly snacks
- Entered for door prizes

Portion of the proceeds goes to the host bar’s charity of choice. There are also limited edition 2013 Beer Run tshirts available for purchase!

SCHEDULE:
June 4th
New Holland Brewing Co.
66 East 8th Street
Holland, MI 49423
616-355-6422

June 11th
Dublin Square
327 Abbot Road
East Lansing, MI 48823
517-351-2222

June 18th
Derby Station
2237 Wealthy Street SE
East Grand Rapids, MI 49506
616-301-3236

July 2nd
Buffalo Wild Wings – Downtown
8 Ionia Street
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-454-9464

July 16th
Big E’s
810 Cinema Dr
Midland Township, MI 48642
(989) 794-8585

July 23rd
Kalamazoo Beer Exchange
211 E. Water Street
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
(269)532-1188

August 6th
UcCello’s – Standale
4787 Lake Michigan Drive
Grand Rapids, MI 49534
616-735-5520

August 13th
Shimmers
615 Front Street
Traverse City, MI 49686
231-421-2134

August 20th
Curragh Irish Pub
73 East 8th Street
Holland, MI 49423
616-393-6340

September 3rd
Vitale’s – Comstock Park
3868 West River Drive NE
Comstock Park, MI
616-304-2328

October 1st
Peppino’s – Downtown
130 Ionia Ave. SW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
616-456-8444

October 20th
Grand Rapids Marathon (not a beer run)
YMCA – Downtown
475 Lake Michigan Drive
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
616-855-9622

November 5th
New Holland Brewing Co.
66 East 8th Street
Holland, MI 49423
616-355-6422

“Always carry a flagon of whiskey for snake bites and furthermore, always carry a small snake.” – W. C. Fields

Let’s just put it out there – I don’t know much about spirits. There are several ways you can tell, but probably the most telling is by simply looking at the “liquor cabinet” in my own home. The “liquor cabinet” is actually a shelf in my pantry that shares its limited space with Ziploc bags and vats of raw almonds. The shelf has exactly six bottles on it and they are, in no particular order:

• A bottle of gin with approximately 3oz of liquid in it that I inherited from a party
• A bottle of Kahlua that I use exclusively for making tiramisu
• A bottle of Bailey’s that I use exclusively for making truffles
• TWO bottles of butterscotch schnapps – for reasons beyond understanding
• A bottle of Skinny Girl margarita mix that was given to me as a gift.

Don’t believe me?

Okay, now that I’ve embarrassed myself…

It’s fair to say that I wouldn’t know what to do with a bottle of whiskey if it came up to me on the street and laid a big, fat kiss on me. Although, it would likely be one of the better kisses I’ve encountered in the past six months. Dating life tragedies aside, I knew I’d have to get to the business of whiskey sooner rather than later, so once again, I called on our Spirits Superfreak, Rich Blair to lay down some knowledge.

I invited Rich to talk about whiskey over tattoos. Mostly because whiskey has always struck me as a hardcore, tattoo-getting’ kind of drink. But since drinking whiskey is frowned upon in most tattoo parlors and isn’t frowned upon at all at our place of work – we opted to meet in Rich’s office instead.

We decided to start right at the top shelf with New Holland Artisan Spirits’ straight malt whiskey – Zeppelin Bend.

Rich: So, do you know where the name Zeppelin Bend comes from?

Me: An over-indulgent rock group from the 70s?

Rich: Maybe we should start at the beginning.

Rich explained that a zeppelin bend is actually a knot used on airships (think – Goodyear Blimp). He then made a nice self-deprecating joke that he doesn’t know how to tie the knot and that he’s lucky to tie his own shoes. I’m pretty sure that was meant to make me feel better about being quite the idiot about whiskey. Rich is cool like that.

Much to my relief, Rich didn’t ask me if I knew the difference between whiskey and bourbon – he just launched into the explanation.

“Every bourbon is a whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. To gain the title of bourbon, whiskey must be processed to exacting specifications. Bourbon is an alcoholic spirit that is strictly American. While whiskey can be and is made in other countries, a true bourbon can only be made in the U.S. to carry the name and label. “

I also found this super fun blog that had a chart (I’m not kidding you, a chart) that explains it equally well.

On the heels of that Whiskey 101 question, the follow up was – what makes a straight malt whiskey, like Zeppelin Bend?

“Straight malt whiskey is a whiskey made from 100% malted barley and aged for at least two years. Zeppelin Bend sits in the barrel for at least three years before we start tasting it,” said Rich. “We don’t rush it along. It gets bottled when it’s good and ready.”

To celebrate my new knowledge we busted out the glasses and got to the business of sampling some Zeppelin Bend. I’ll be honest and say I wouldn’t be able to tell you if Zeppelin Bend is made for two-row or six-row barley (it’s made from two) or if it’s aged in spent or new oak barrels (a virgin oak barrel is sacrificed for every batch of Zeppelin Bend) or how long it’s aged (at least 3 years before we start tasting it.)

What I can tell you is – Zeppelin Bend is smoooooth. And coming from me – that’s quite a compliment. I’m used to whiskeys that would be more easily compared to gasoline. But then, most of my whiskey drinking was done in college and generally bought for me by boys named Chad and Biff.

The next thing I noticed were some heavy chocolate notes. This was a very welcome surprise.

“A lot of people get the chocolate note,” says Rich. “I was actually at a whiskey event once and a gentleman who had, perhaps, enjoyed a few too many samples hurried up to me and said ‘Please tell me you have more of that Cocoa Pebbles whiskey.’ Now, I don’t think Zeppelin Bend tastes anything like a sugar-coated breakfast cereal, but it speaks to the heavy chocolate influence.”

I think the Cocoa Pebbles Man may have been coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs, but I appreciate folks who describe things in everyday terms (since, you know, that’s what I do.) I could relate to wanting more and wondered how much we actually make in a year.

“Well, in 2013 we’re bottling 10 barrels,” says Rich. “But soon we’re coming into a large stock that we put up a few years ago and by 2015 we’ll have 100 barrels that will be just about ready.”

100 barrels of Zeppelin Bend. I decided that was as pleasant a memory as any on which to end our interview. Tonight I’d have visions of elegant snifters, smoking jackets and velvet chaise lounges – because now, I’m a whiskey aficionado and that’s how we roll.

THINGS I LEARNED TODAY:

• The plural of whiskey is whiskeys, while the plural of whisky is whiskies
• Zeppelin Bend often gets confused with Zeppelin Blend. It’s not a blend and it’s best if you over-pronunciate or else you sound like an idiot
• I learned less than 1% of all there is to know about whiskey, but I’m still feeling pretty cocky

Join the New Holland Crew for some great events leading up to WhiskyFest!

Wednesday, April 24
New Holland’s Bourbon and Beer at Twisted Spoke
Meet the folks from New Holland Artisan Spirits and enjoy some of their craft Whisky as well as their Bourbon Barrel Stout- Dragon’s Milk. Specialty cocktails are being created for the night.

7 – 10 pm
Free admission
Twisted Spoke
501 N Ogden Ave
Chicago, IL

Thursday, April 25
A Night with New Holland Artisan Spirits
Meet the folks from New Holland Artisan Spirits and sample some craft Whiskey at one of the finest cocktail establishments in Chicago.
10 pm
FREE admission
Weegee’s Lounge
3659 West Armitage
Chicago, IL

Thursday, April 25
Binny’s World of Whiskies
Whiskey tasting at Binny’s Lincoln Park location. RSVP required.
5 – 8 pm
Admission: $60 with Binny’s Card, $75 without
Binny’s Lincoln Park
1720 Marcey St. Chicago, IL
RSVP (312) 664-4394

Friday, April 26
WhiskyFest!!
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Grand Tasting — 6:30 – 9:30 PM, VIP 5:30 PM
Seminars by Master Distillers and Blenders — 7:00 PM, 7:45 PM, 8:30 PM

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WHISKYFEST, VISIT THE EVENT WEBSITE HERE.

White Hatter flavorfully blends the soft malt, fruity esters and delicate spicing of a Belgian White with hoppy citrus notes of an IPA. Pleasant hints of tropical fruit are framed with orange peel, chamomile, coriander and grains of paradise. Feel free to fire up the Hibachi and enjoy with fish or grilled chicken. Also goes great with hard cheeses