THE POUR

Ring the bells! Play the music! We’ve finally made it all the way to Christmas! And of course, that means it’s almost time for your favorite Christmas morning drinks.

Your anticipation builds as the day of holiday festivities approaches. Everyone’s making their travel arrangements and planning the food. Your parents are handling the main courses, Uncle Darryl is grilling his infamous Christmas hot wings, and Grandma Mary baked her Christmas pies...but who’s handling the Christmas drinks?

Turns out it’s you — but this is no problem whatsoever. Thanks to the handy articles we share here and the excellent selection of wine, beer, and spirits around the Twin Cities, you’ve become the one your family and friends rely on for the right drinks for the perfect occasion. And now, it’s your time to shine with your new favorite Christmas morning drinks.

Nothing makes Christmas merrier than a delicious drink to accompany your carols (or Charlie Brown Christmas playlist) and gift exchange. Here are some recipes — alcoholic and non-alcoholic — to enjoy with family and friends. You’ll find classic recipes as well as new twists on favorites like Bloody Marys and mimosas. Let’s dive in with some of your new favorite Christmas morning drinks (or maybe they’re already your old classics).

Cocktails aren’t just about the spirits and liqueurs. Especially in the colder months when a little boost of richness or sweetness can help you slide through the less than ideal days, maple syrup cocktails and other mix-ins might be just the kind of treat to satisfy your desire for a drink with something different.

What’s even better than using an array of many options from cocktail mix-ins highly regarded around the world? How about local Minnesota-made ingredients that elevate a drink to just the right degree?

Check out these cocktail recipes with local Minnesota syrup and jams. Plan to pick up some fine honey, preserves, syrups, and other products from our fine state to add an extra burst of flavor to these cocktails.

It’s hard to believe we’re in the throes of winter, isn’t it? Well, since we’re here and all trying to survive the cold together, it might help to cozy up with something tasty in your cup. Classic winter cocktails for snow days provide the warming feelings and flavors that turn the bitterness of winter into a special time with friends or family — or sometimes just enjoying some time by yourself to slow down.

The key to classic winter cocktails are knowing a few quintessential ingredients. Let’s dig into a few recipes for these cold-weather drinks.

Every once in a long while, things line up perfectly and you get an opportunity you couldn’t have planned. That’s what happened, in a nutshell, in the story behind Haskell’s #1 wine — and we’re so excited to share it with you now!

Our #1 wine this year is a 2009 Nicolas Rolin Hospice de Beaune, an incredible wine from the world-renowned Burgundy region of France.

How did this wine become Haskell’s #1 this year? Jump back in time with us to the beginning of this saga...

With the ebb and flow of the seasons, you might be feeling like it’s time to put away any road trip lists until the warmer weather returns. But you’d be missing out on a great opportunity that the great state of Minnesota offers like few others: wineries in the winter.

Many Minnesota wineries are open and ready to welcome you this winter. You may even discover that wintertime visits to wineries offer a change of pace and a change of place you’ll enjoy as a new yearly tradition. Even better? Many of the wineries on our list feature wine along with cider, beer, and some even have their own distillery!

Cure your cabin fever and come along on your very own winter winery itinerary.

After a busy summer of bright cocktails, crisp beers, and refreshing wines, it’s time to turn our attention to the fall.

Have you heard what's happening at Haskell's? We have three months of exciting events coming up and want to see you there. Here's the 411 on our upcoming events.

Weekly Free Tastings

Don’t sleep on our regular, week after week free tasting events in a few of our stores. That’s right — free is a price we know you love! Some tastings will be specific wines, organized by region, or you might even get to sample some beers or spirits. Check the events page regularly and find a tasting at the Haskell’s location closest to you. (My favorite tastings are Friday afternoons, the perfect way to kick off the weekend.)

You know it’s almost autumn in Minnesota – not by the changing colors of leaves or kids returning to school – but by the Minnesota State Fair excitement building all over. There are animals, the rides, the games, and don't forget the people-watching. There really is something for everybody, especially when it comes to food.

The Great Minnesota Get-Together runs from August 22-September 2, and let's face it: for many of us, it's just a ten-day window to eat and drink fun stuff that wouldn’t feel quite right any other time of year. So, to get your juices flowing, we'll give you five fun food and wine (or beer) pairings that are uniquely Minnesota at our great State Fair.

Pro Tip: Take your foodie adventure to the next level by using the State Fair Food Finder, where you can filter by category and keywords to craft your own personalized menu for the Fair.

Summer in Minnesota is pure magic. If you haven’t already been hanging at the lake, taking weekend trips up to the cabin, or throwing grill-out parties in the backyard, you will be for Independence Day – and so much more.

Whether your 4th of July plans involve a summer barbecue, lazy pool lounging, yard games or just simply hanging out with family and friends, these 4th of July cocktails are sure to spark your perfect blend of American pride and joy.

Patriotic Mojito Cocktail

You’ve celebrated Independence Day many times, but you’ve never enjoyed it with this kind of 4th of July cocktail. Give the Patriotic Mojito a spin and you might have found yourself a new annual tradition that combines the sweet joy of summer and the tasty excitement of the holiday.

Wine is made from grapes, right? So, it makes sense that wine works with other fruit as well.  Add fruit and wine and you have summer in a glass – or pitcher – and we have one word for it: refreshing. We’ve found five refreshing wine recipes with fruit that take advantage of inexpensive wine, or perhaps wine that you’re not necessarily fond of but seem to have extra bottles of on hand – perhaps thanks to recent guests who brought their favorite “cheap wine find.” We say every wine has a purpose, so why not use that wine to make a killer wine cocktail?

Let’s start with a few sangria recipes.

Sangria is a popular Spanish drink, typically made with red wine, fruit juice, and fresh fruit – and spiked with brandy – though there are recipes for both red and/or white wine. While Spaniards enjoyed this fruit-infused concoction for centuries, it was formally introduced to America at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City.

The time we all dream of is here: summertime “up at the cabin.”

That’s right – the upper Midwestern exodus to lakeside weekends, family reunions, and fun in the sun has finally arrived. That means you need to get your plan down, not just for who’s grilling burgers or competing in this year’s volleyball tournament, but what you’ll drink for cabin happy hour.

Pack your swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a sunny disposition, because that’s just about all you’ll need in addition to a tasty cabin happy hour full of crisp wines, refreshing beers, and cocktail recipes for just the right summer getaway feeling.