THE POUR

If you are looking for low-calorie, low-alcohol and low-carb beverages to enjoy with your friends and family, you are in luck. The beverage industry has responded to demand for options beyond “a glass of wine a day” to stay active and healthy. In fact, hard seltzers alone grew from around $50 million in 2016 to a projected $2.5 billion by the end of 2021.

Food, beverages, games, rides, people watching -- a sense of normalcy is back for late August in Minnesota. The Minnesota State Fair is a tradition for many Minnesotans and out-of-state visitors. If you’re walking around this year’s fair Aug. 26 to Sept. 6, looking to take in some of this year’s best new food options, we have some food and drink pairing ideas for you. And, if you prefer to stay at home but don’t want to miss out -- or if you want to relive the experience after the fair -- we have the food breakdown for some at-home cooking, along with some beer and wine pairing options.

It’s the time of year when love is in the air and wedding bells are ringing. When planning your special day, there are many checklists to compile and one area we can certainly help with is ensuring you have the perfect wine and beverages to toast the newlyweds. So, here are our time-honored tips on how to choose wine for a wedding and estimate liquor and open bar costs.

Before you pick the wine, here are a few things to consider:

What better way to kick off summer than a barbecue, holding a napkin-wrapped glass of cold bubbly or an ice-crackling cocktail? To make your BBQ beverages standout from the usual suspects, a little planning will go a long way. Haskell’s Jack Farrell has shared some unique wine concoctions that will have your friends and family scheduling your next get together ASAP.

When you look at the calendar and see Cinco de Mayo fast approaching, you may find your liquor shelf lacking some festivity. Perhaps you’ve heard about mezcal or you have had tequila but are looking to branch out. And, what exactly is mezcal, the cousin -- or is it sibling -- of tequila? What is the difference between mezcal and tequila, anyway?

We're known as the Twin Cities premier beverage retailer for everything from casual parties and special occasions to high-end highballs – and our March charity auction let us bring it all together in a whiskey win-win to support Twin Cities food shelves.

You don’t have to drink green beer to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (if you do, we’ll try not to judge you too much), but March 17th still offers a yearly opportunity to treat yourself to a tasty delicious Irish meal coupled with tasty spirits to warm your spirit! From traditional pairings to the new kids on the block, we’ve got you covered with the best Irish meal and drink combinations to serve up this St. Patrick’s Day. 

Women have been at the center of the world of spirits for as long as humans have been there has been fermenting and brewing their drinks. Like hops in your beer? Thank Saint Hildegard of Bingen, the German nun and scientist credited with adding the grain in the 12th century. Champagne wouldn’t be the same without Madame Clicquot of Veuve Clicquot, who in the 1800s developed a technique to remove sediment from champagne that's still used today.

We’re not sure who decided to put National Margarita Day (February 22nd) in the coldest month of the year, but with these frigid temperatures and the pandemic keeping us from our winter retreats south of the border, it’s the perfect season to tip back a cool drink and dream of warmer times.

Game Day might look a bit different this year than most, but you can still kick back and watch the big game with your favorite game day foods! Which leads to the next big question: what will you use to toast your team’s good fortune? 

Choosing the right beverage always starts with what you intend to serve on the plate, so we’ve put together a list matching the classic game day dishes with the best wine pairings available. Whether it’s hot and spicy, creamy, or hearty, following these simple tips will ensure that no matter which team you’re cheering for, you’re sure to score very, very big on Sunday. Let’s kick off!