#b nektar

[orangealien]

Local meadery B Nektar apparently did some sort of collaboration mead with American Gods and I’m keeping this bottle forever

[ghoulieghostie]

Stupid Man Suit cider by B Nektar

[thestorytippler]

Soooo tonight @americangodsstz finally premieres, based on the amazing novel by @neilhimself, and I am. So. Excited. In honor of Wednesday, Shadow and Mad Sweeney's meeting at Jack's Crocodile Bar, I made this concoction I'm calling the Miser's Dream, after the coin trick. It has mead, of course, the pact-sealing drink of the gods, along with rye whiskey, lime, and thyme-infused agave syrup. I even scratched Odin's rune Ansuz into the lime garnish. I like to think Mr. Wednesday would approve.

Miser's Dream

 2 oz Rittenhouse rye whiskey

1/2 oz thyme-infused agave syrup

1/3 oz lime juice

@bnektar's Tuco Style Freakout mead

 Peychaud's bitters

Shake rye, syrup, lime and bitters, then strain into lowball over a large rock. Top with mead, garnish with lime, and wait out the coming storm.

[thestorytippler]

"Say your right words,” the goblins said.

Everyone’s got that one VHS tape they wore out as a kid; a movie that feels comforting, even sacred, because of its significance to baby-you. Maybe because it’s a concentrated shot of audio-visual nostalgia that takes you back in time, or because you saw the movie at such an impressionable age that it shaped your current tastes, or even your worldview. For me, that movie was Jim Henson’s Labyrinth.

I don’t know how old I was when I first saw it on the Disney channel, but I must’ve been little, because it wasn’t until the ripe old age of twelve that I ‘rediscovered’ it in a Blockbuster video after rapturously describing my vague, dream-like memories of it to a friend (this was before Googling anything was something that would even occur to me, nevermind the Pavlovian response it is now).

I want to extoll Labyrinth’s many virtues— Muppets! All the synthesizers! David Bowie hamming it up in riding breeches!— but even now as I list off points, I can’t manage to talk about it to other people without adjusting my enthusiasm to ensure they know I know it’s ridiculous. I remember showing it to a close friend in high school, without fully understanding how weird and babyish it might come off to someone who hadn’t seen it at a formative age, and taking it in through new eyes beside her on the couch with a perma-cringe (ahh, adolescence).

So my analytical, adult brain knows it’s goofy, and loves Labyrinth all the more for it. But there’s another part of me, deep down, that can’t unsee the way I saw it when I was a kid; a part of me that utterly, unreservedly believes that the right combination of words, spoken in the right moment, with real intent, will summon a goblin king. A part which believes that synthesizers quite naturally accompany a magical quest (and that no other instrument could properly convey the mystery and thrill of another world), and a part which continues to find sincere spiritual comfort in the moment Sir Didymus, Ludo and Hoggle assure Sarah that although she’s returning to her real, grown-up life, they’ll always be there, “should you need us.”

So this is my first crack at a Labyrinth cocktail, and who else could be the inspiration but the Goblin King himself? The story straddles two worlds— the mundane ‘verse Sarah comes from, and the ‘Underground’, home of the eponymous labyrinth winding around the goblin city. Real-world Bowie’s preferred spirit was Bombay Sapphire, while I think the rusticity of hard cider is just right for Jareth’s kingdom (though of course the wicked Goblin King has something tasting of blackcurrants and unicorns sloshing around in that royal goblet of his).

Jareth spends most of the story trying (in tricksy, underhanded fae fashion) to woo Sarah; botanists believe the sour, intractable quince to be the true fruit that tempted Eve, and violet, a sister to pansy that bears secret, secondary underground blossoms, is used by meddling fairy king Oberon in the love potion from Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The acidity and bitterness of the grapefruit balance the floral sweetness of the quince and violet, and, well, @thehudsonstandard Lovestruck bitters are self-explanatory, right? And no tribute to Jareth would be complete without a generous pinch of lustre dust.

The Nothingnothingtra-la-la

3 oz B. Nektar Death Unicorn blackcurrant cider

1 oz Bombay Sapphire gin

½ oz homemade quince syrup (made with fresh quince & membranillo)

1/3 oz grapefruit juice

¼ oz @thebittertruth Violet Liqueur

2 dashes @thehudsonstandard Lovestruck bitters

one pinch silver lustre dust

Shake all ingredients except the cider on ice, strain into a coupe, top with cider & garnish.

Sip while gazing longingly— and imperiously– out of a window, or while draped across a throne, surrounded by your charming, if dimwitted, minions.

It’s a cocktail, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it will show you your dreams.

[starlightvwanderer]

New post!

[shadowmancr]

ohhotgraham replied to your post: Beer Nights with Thomas

mEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD.

Ha. It was.... B Nektar Necromangocon Mead. It looked like white wine and tasted of mango and pepper. I didn't get it though because 1) it was one of the more pricey beers and 2) I was hoping for something with more heft. It was interesting though. I've never had mead before.

[nebrew]

Zombie Killer - B. Nektar, Michigan

Ok, so Michigan isn't exactly in the North East United States. 

But B. Nektar makes excellent meads and this cherry cyser, Zombie Killer, is no exception.

This is a sparkling cyser with friendly flavors of apple cider and cherries.

The aroma is of cherry blossoms and apple, with notes of pear. The flavor has a bit of sour green apple to it which pairs well with the round tart cherry. The light carbonation adds a particularly novel and pleasant mouth feel, and this is certainly a refreshing fall drink. 

According to the label it contains honey, cherries and apple cider sourced from Michigan. So their local spirit is appreciable. 

The cyser clocks in at 6 % ABV. Labelled - contains sulfites. Also labelled 'Naturally gluten free.' The label lists five ingredients: Honey, Apple Juice, Cherry Juice, Potassium Metabisulphite, and Potassium Sorbate.

I'm sure they also used yeast..

I enjoy this beverage and it is a great drink to enjoy with football or at a fall fire, and could be at home at dinner with roasts and chicken and turkey and stuffings.

I would say that this is a great drink that whoops wine coolers all over on flavor, and weighs in with beer on the ABV, making it more drinkable than heavier meads.

Definitely try it if you can find it.