Beer and Wine Weekly Update, January 5, 2015
Hello and greetings to all City Market shoppers and beer, wine, and cider lovers! My name is Joey Bowling. I have been tasked with filling Josh Downs’ very large shoes here in the Beer and Wine Department, and I couldn’t be more excited! I am anxious to get to know all of you regulars (and the not so regulars as well) so please stop by and introduce yourself.
First, maybe a little about myself: I am a transplanted Californian, raised in the birthplace of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, good ol’ Chico. I first moved to Vermont in 1997, stayed for 2 winters, then moved to Hawaii for a few years (until island fever set in), and have been back in Vermont since 2002. I’ve travelled to Greece, Egypt, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and have driven across the good old U.S. of A., and of all those locations, nothing ever topped the Queen City or the Green Mountains. Vermont is simply one of the most beautiful places on the planet!
One thing that is very important to me is hearing feedback and ideas from you. What kinds of wine do you like? Heavy or light? Dry or sweet? Is there anything you’d like to see us carry? Any old favorites? What about beer? We have an enormous and ever shifting selection of suds, with a focus on Vermont craft brewers. Is there something obscure you’d like to try? Any seasonal or specialty brews you’d like to make sure that we stock? Just let me know! Remember, we’re only here because of you, so no request is too zany. We love getting special order requests, and in partnership with our fine vendors, we have access to many delicious beverages, from Allagash to Zatec.
Looking forward, are you getting excited for the Super Bowl? Sitting on the couch with good friends and cheering or booing whoever makes it? I am - it’s an American tradition after all. Chips and dip, hotdogs, pretzels, guacamole, peanuts, cheese, and……..a case of session IPA! Must haves for early February, so I’ll be sure to keep y’all (I recently spent a little time in the south, and it seems to have rubbed off on me) posted as to what beers we’ll be featuring just for the big game. Valentine’s Day is another occasion that we in the Beer and Wine Department take special note of, and we’ll be sure to stock up on some sparkling wines that will woo hearts and make that significant other swoon.
I will now mercilessly beat that dead horse; come on in and tell us what you’d like to drink this winter, we want to know!
Cheers until next week! –jb.