Thanks to Springhill’s website reader Jim for reminding me to get on the ball and update our site more often.

Here is a list of some of our current seasonal beers
1. Sierra Nevada Summer $8.69/6pk

2. Sierra Nevada Harvest which comes out only 3 times a year. This one is called the Southern Hemispere Fresh Hop Ale $3.99/24 oz

3. Sierra Nevada ESB which is an Early Spring Beer, but we still have a few cases left. $8.49/6pk

4. Leinenkugles Summer Shady $7.69/6pk

5. Blue Moon Honey Moon $7.99/6pk

6. Sam Adams Summer Ale $14.99/12pk

7. Sam Adams “Summer Styles” 12 pk variety $14.99/12pk

8. New Belgium Skinny Dip $14.99/12pk

9. Pyramid Curve Ball $9.49/6pk

Anchor Brewing Company Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Beer

This beer is excellent for aging. When kept properly, it will only get better! Only 3 left, so get yours today!

$13.99/ 1.5L Magnum

Last week, Nancy from Lombardi was at Springhill last week tasting the delicious Cream of Lemoncello. For those of you who don’t know, this liqueur is made right here in Arkansas by “The Italian Couple”. Check out their website for more info and great recipe ideas.

The latest craze in the cocktail industry is called “infusion”. Simply speaking, infusion is imparting different flavors and colors into a base liquor by steeping items (like herbs, spices, or citrus) right in the bottle. It allows you to create your own custom spirits and really personalize your home bar. You can infuse just about anything. How about trying Skittle flavored Vodka? If that’s not your style, how about habenero infused vodka for the perfect Bloody Mary base? The best part about this is the experimentation trying new things. Think of it as arts and crafts for grown-ups. Here are some general steps and rules to following when infusing at home.

1. Choose your base liquor. You can technically use anything, but vodka is the most common. Light rums and gins are not out of the question, you just want to be sure that the flavors you choose compliment the natural flavors of the liquor. Also, don’t grab the cheapest bottle you can find. You’ll want something smooth and clean so the finished product will be drinkable.

2. Choose your flavors. Again, you can choose almost anything. Let your imagination and your palate be your guide. Herbs, spices and fruits are the most common but you can choose just about anything. Do be sure to use fresh ingredients for the best outcome.

3. Let the infusion begin! If the items you are using to infuse the liquor are small enough, you can sometimes just use the bottle the alcohol originally comes in. If not, a mason jar works perfectly. Experimenting with smaller amounts at first might be better until you get the proportions just right.

4. Infusion Time. This should take anywhere from 3 days to a full week to extract maximum flavor and color. Gently shaking the jar a few times a day may help in this process.

5. When it’s done. The last and very important step is straining the infused items out of the liquor. This can be done using a fine mesh strainer lines with a coffee filter. You can pour the liquor back into its original bottle or a new bottle for a custom look.

6. Enjoy your very own creations!

The traditional beer of spring is a bock, a lager that has been around for nearly seven hundred years.
The Americans have decided ales were a better way to go, I suppose,  so most spring seasonals from the New World are American style ales with traditional twists from the old world.

Sierra Nevada ESB: Our ESB combines the best of English tradition with West Coast style. A blend of malts featuring British-grown Maris Otter is balanced with the earthy spiciness of hand-selected English and US hops. The ale is left unfiltered, which enhances mouthfeel and hop aroma creating a slightly reddish-copper hue. It pours with an earthy orange color, crystal clear, with a good inch of almost-white head. The lace is pretty good, and the head reduces to a nice, thick blanket of froth. It smells primarily of slightly roasted malts, with a nice touch of citrusy hops thrown in as well. It has great maltiness with some toasted and sugary grainy notes and everything ends on a dry and bitter aftertaste.

Boulevard Brewery Irish Ale: This spring seasonal beer is our midwestern tribute to the legendary red ales of old Ireland. Our recipe combines six kinds of pale and roasted barley malts to provide a rich, toasty flavor and tawny reddish hue. The aroma is not extremely strong. It’s slightly sweet, with a candy or caramel smell. There is just a hint of a buttery aroma, but not very strong. The malt was noticeable but not overpowering, and there is just a suggestion of a piney hop. Typical of Irish red ales, the flavor of Boulevard’s Irish Ale is slightly sweet, but is well-balanced by the hops

New Belgium Mighty Arrow Pale Ale: Until now, Mighty Arrow has only been available in mixed 12-packs called Folly Packs. This beer, which is now sold in six packs, provides lots of pleasurable sniffs from Amarillo and Cascade hops with a fetching honey malt base. Sweet balanced malts, with familiar, but not overpowering cascade hops. It was sweet but its maltiness on the nose balanced with floral hops on the palate.

Blue Moon Rising Moon Spring Ale: This is a wheat ale with a very nice amber color. It is brewed with Kieffer leaves which gives this beer a crisp citrus taste that is well balanced with sweet malts.  It is a great beer to celebrate the end of winter and welcome the warm weather ahead!

One of the newest additions to Springhill’s wine list is also one of our customer’s new favorites. Here’s what the winery boasts:

Cupcake Vineyards crafts decadent wines classic in their presentation but rich enough to create a moment of luxury and pure pleasure—like when your Mom let you have a cupcake! Cupcake Vineyards gets their grapes from California’s desirable Central Coast, where the sun drenched vines create full and elegantly-textured wines.

At $9.99 per bottle, we can all afford to do what Cupcake Vineyards asks us to do:  “Live Deliciously”.

Cupcake Vineyards Chardonnay 2007
Decadent layers of butter cream, bright citrus, and vanilla melt into a balance of oak and spice.

Cupcake Vineyards Merlot 2006
Decadent layers of black cherry, supple mocha, and wonderfully sweet oak mingles into a plush full finish.

Cupcake Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2008
From the cool Marlborough Valley, the grapes mature slowly giving them layers of complexity and vibrate zing reminiscent of your grandma’s lemon chiffon cake. The flavors are integrated, delighting the senses with layer upon layer of Meyer lemons, key limes, and a finish that awakens the appetite.

Cupcake Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Scrumptious layers of decadent dark fruits, molten mocha and toasty oak, melt into along silky finish.

If you are anything like me, you have a long shopping list this season. It’s not always easy figuring out what to get everyone. Here is a simple list, broken down by price to help you decide who gets what.
And don’t forget, if you are really stuck, you can always give a Springhill gift card in any amount.

Gifts over $200
Joseph Phelps Insignia Red Wine 2005: This is one of the highest rated wines to come out of California. It is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. This wine is rich and dense, with chocolaty cassis notes intermixed with hints of subtle wood, roasted herbs, and spice. It is ripe, rich, and full-bodied. This wine is made for collectors. It should last for 25-30 years. $229.09

Penfolds Grange South Austrailian Shiraz 2001: This is arguably one of Australia’s most famous wines and it is officially listed as a Heritage Icon of South Australia. It is deep red in color with notes of blue fruit, sweet soy, cola, and quince paste on the nose. Dark and liqueur chocolate, laced with Moroccan spices complement the pronounced tannins that sweep across the palate. Although they are certainly part of the wine, they are never obtrusive. Long, layered and compelling, this wine is at the spicier end of the Grange spectrum. $224.99

Opus One 2005: This wine is a bright ruby red with rather wild, claret-like aromas of currant, black raspberry, leather, dark chocolate, spices and tobacco. Its velvety texture is juicy and firmly structured, with mouth-coating flavors of dark berries, bitter cherry, minerals, cola, and bitter chocolate. This elegantly styled wine really coats the mouth without coming off as overly sweet. Finishes with a noteworthy spine and length. $205.39

Gifts between $100 and $199
Caymus Vineyards Special Section Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: According to the Wine Advocate: A barrel sample of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection offers terrific fruit intensity and purity, a more laid-back style, a meaty, chewy texture, and impressive opulence as well as length. It should evolve for 10-15 years. $169.59

Beaulieu Vineyard Georges de Latour Private Reserve cabernet Sauvignon 2005: Classic structured, firm, and soft at the same time with a creamy mouthfeel. The depth of blackberries, cherries and currants is unreal and persistent. This is one for the cellar and will age for at least a decade and probably far longer. Try to keep your hands off it until after 2011. $102.69

Perrier Jouet Fleur De Champagne 1996 Hand-painted Gift Set: This is a great gift for that special person in your life. A blend of approximately half Chardonnay and half Pinot Noir this crystal bright, light-bodied Champagne is elegant and distinctive. Opening with aromas of fresh pineapple, lemon and white florals, warming into complex scents of pear. A rich bouquet of white fruits end in subtle notes of honey and vanilla. The bead is intense with brisk effervescence, swirling up into a generous and persistent mousse. It comes in a hand painted bottle and with two hand painted glasses. $145.29

Macallan 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch: This scotch is rich and complex with a smoky flavor and a mellow and smooth texture. Give this gift to the most refined scotch drinkers; they’ll appreciate the subtleties and complexities of this extraordinary single malt. $152.99

Gifts between $99 and $50
Duckhorn Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot 2005: This wine is a medium-bodied and balanced with a smooth entry, integrated soft tannins, and a long finish. The aroma is lifted with raspberry, red currant, blueberry, cherry cola, and delicate spice. The flavors are polished with blackberry, plum, black cherry, toast, and a hint of herb.  $57.59

Plumpjack Cabernet Sauvignon 2005: This is a full-bodied, chewy wine displaying copious aromas of lead pencil shavings, black currants, blueberries, licorice, charcoal, and spice box along with a hint of new oak. This beauty should unfold gracefully over the next 5-7 years, and last for two decades or more. $81.49

Ambullneo Big Paw Chardonnay: Nicely packaged in an oversized, heavy bottle, the ‘05 Ambullneo Big Paw is simply a beautiful wine, rated 91 points by Robert Parker. A rare example of all aspects of a Chardonnay at full throttle while in total balance and harmony, you can enjoy this now or over the next 5-10 years. It has everything in spades – bright fruit and nice minerality, dancing on a bed of acidity. Hands down, this can be mistaken for a top flight Burgundy – it’s that good! Many California producers should stop and take a sip of this to see just how tasty this noble varietal can be. $63.49

Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Islay Malt Whiskey: Massive, peat-smoke typical of southern Islay, yet with a dry finesse that makes up a classy package. Rumor has it the teetotaler Johnny Depp sometimes orders a dram of this and just sniffs it! (It’s that good!) The taste is a combination of sweetness and smoke that is very rugged and sticks around for a long time after it is swallowed. $89.99

Gifts $49 and under
Crown Royal Gift Set:Just about everyone you know wouldn’t mind finding one of these under the tree. The set includes a 750 mL bottle of Crown Royal and two beautiful glasses.  $23.49

Grey Goose Gift Set: This set includes a 750 mL bottle of Grey Goose and a martini shaker. Both are displayed in a beautiful blue box.  $31.49

Budweiser Vintage Crate 24 pack: This one is for the true collector. Two 12-packs are packaged inside this vintage-recreation wooden crate. $42.99

Ferrari Carano Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: A powerful wine with great finesse, this wine boasts aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate and black tea complemented by elements of earth and licorice. Ripe black fruit, currants, toffee and caramel flavors give this wine a sweet mid-palate, excellent depth, showy tannins, and a pure, classic Cabernet finish. $39.79

Here is a delicious recipe for holiday sangria!

Ingredients
1 - ½ pint of Brandy or Cognac
1 – ½ pint of Orange Liqueur
2 - 750ml bottles of dry red wine
4 - cups of orange juice
2 - fresh oranges (sliced)
2 - fresh limes (sliced)
2 - fresh lemons (sliced)
½ - cup of sugar  (to taste)
1 - 750ml bottle of Brut Champagne

Directions
Soak fruit slices in Brandy/Cognac and Orange Liqueur for 2 hours.
Combine all ingredients into a 4 quart pitcher except for the Champagne.
Fill each glass with 2 oz of Champagne and crushed ice.
Top with Springhill Sangria Mix.
Add a few slices of fruit to Garnish and serve!

The holidays are officially here. (Notice that I didn’t put an explanation point after that sentence.) Holidays are stressful—especially if you are the one expected to cook for everyone you know. The planning, the preparing, and the purchasing are all daunting tasks, but Springhill hopes to make the ordeal a little easier. Here is some helpful info designed to take some of the guesswork out of pairing wine with your Thanksgiving feast.

Pairing food and wine is a lot easier than it seems. The process is simple and as long as you follow these rules, you really can’t go wrong:
1. The wine should never overpower the food and the food should never overpower the wine. Because Thanksgiving plates are usually loaded with many different kinds of food at once, your best bet is to chose wines that go with everything. Lighter-bodied, low-acidity wines with soft balanced tannins are sure to work with just about anything on the menu.
2.  Keep it versatile and everyone at the table will be happy. People are different. Just because you love a particular kind of wine doesn’t mean that everyone else will too. Serving several choices will make everyone feel like you’ve catered to them personally.
Armed with that information, lets get started! Here some of our favorites, but we have literally thousands more to chose from. Come on in and we will be more than happy to help you find something you and your entire family will love.

Turkey Flat Rose 2007
I know. The name seems rather obvious, but a wine like this is a great choice. This wine is a well-balanced blend of Grenache, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It is rose petal pink in color with flavors of red fruit like strawberries and cherries. It’s fresh and vibrant with a crisp finish that tapers out with subtle tannins giving the wine enough body to complete this serious rose. $18.69

Chateau Ste. Michelle Riesling 2007
This wine has great aromas of fresh, sweet fruit, like apricot and peach. This Riesling has flavors of delicious, sweet fruit like candied peach and pear, overripe apple, white cherry. It’s all held together by a good balance of medium acidity, and despite its sweet smell and taste, it finishes completely dry. It’s a really fun, bright almost-sweet wine with ample structure and a surprisingly long and balanced finish. $11.99

Fetzer Gewurztraminer 2007
It’s pronounced “gah-vertz-trah-me-nur”, but you can just ask for the “turkey wine”. Gewurztraminer has long been the most popular wine at Thanksgiving tables thanks to its sweet flavors of dried fruit, honey, and apples. It is has a great balance of sweetness and acidity that goes perfect with all of those holiday spices.  $10.99

Montinore Estate Pinot Noir 2007
Aromas of raspberry, cranberry and baking spices abound in this pinot noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Hints of rhubarb and mocha on the palate keeps things interesting but the fresh flavors strawberry, red berries, and honey make sure that it doesn’t overpower anything on your plate. $16.79

Rutherford Hill Chardonnay 
You can expect this wine to deliver everything you expect from a good chardonnay. Full-bodied with refined aromas of citrus and nutmeg lifted by pretty floral tones. The weight is just right; round and soft with a welcome beam of bright acidity binding the wine together. $22.09

Fonseca Bin 27 Port
You can’t forget one of the most important aspects of a big Thanksgiving meal: The Dessert! Port can be served with just about anything sweet, from chocolate confections to sweet fruit pies and ice cream.  It can even be served before the meal as an aperitif. Fonseca Bin 27 has a well-knit structure with a rich, velvety, full body. Flavors of luscious blackcurrant and cherry are evident in the nose. There is an intense, lingering finish. Bin No. 27 should be served at room temperature. $21.09