The Private Investigator set himself down at the bar with a sigh. It was a wet night, but the bar was dry. So was his tongue. He was looking to fix that, right away.
“What can I do ya for, chief?”
“Something sweet.”
“Right-on. What’s your name, fella? For the tab?”
“John.”
“Need a little more … that’s not uncommon, buddy.”
“Lemon. John Lemon.”
“… don’t joke with me, boss.”
“I’m not. I promise you that.”
John Lemon had heard it all before. People always wanted to hold his hand, let him be, get together … he was done with it. Let them joke. His dad liked the music. That was John’s burden to bear for the rest of his life. At least he wasn’t “Sue”.
John sipped his Tupelo. Mead. Interesting. Made from honey. That’s a new one. Maybe the buzz would help him relax and find this “Ginger” he was looking for.
That’s when he saw her – red hair ablaze, shooting a glare at him from the end of the bar. John cocked an eyebrow. She motioned him to come down. He shook his head. Never move if you don’t have to. Have to conserve the energy where you can.
She was exasperated, but collected her purse and made the journey.
“Ginger, I presume?”
“Oh honey, I get that a lot.”
“So … yes?”
“We’ll go with that.”
John raised his brows. This was going to be a challenge.
“You called my office. You’re looking for a Secret Beach?”
“You might say that. Or you might say, I need something from the Secret Beach.”
“Listen lady, I don’t have all night.”
This was a level ten lie – he had all night, and all the nights after this. Business hadn’t been too strong lately.
“I left something … important … down there …” she trailed off.
“Money? Jewels? What are we talkin’ here?”
“You’ll know it when you see it.”
John knew his Supreme Court cases, and that phrase carries a certain connotation in that curriculum. He assumed she wasn’t talking about her dirty magazines.
“How about we table the object, and we talk place. Where’s the Secret Beach?”
“You know Star Thistle Ave?”
“I do. Been down that way many times.”
“Go down there tomorrow night. 9 PM. You’ll get the info you need.”
And with that, she was gone. John was glad to have another billable hour tomorrow night. Probably two by the time he found the “info” she was talking about. If he took the scenic route, maybe three. That’ll almost pay for a week of rent at the motel.
For now, he enjoyed his mead.
And that’s when she walked back in, strode across the bar floor, and sat back down next to him.
“Ginger, you’re back?”
“Back, honey? I just got here … wait … you didn’t meet my … twin?”
First, a big thanks to everyone who came out for Memorial Day weekend! We know it was busy here, and we appreciate your business. It was great to see so many happy faces trying out the meads, wines, and new beers.
There’s no three-day weekend this week, but we’ve still got plenty going on out here at the Cellars for the start of June.
Open Mic Thursday
Starting off with tonight – we’ve got Jim and Wanda Curtis in the house for open mic! We’ve recently installed a whole host of new sound equipment to make this event even more lively, and you definitely need to come down and check out the new speakers, soundboard, and more. We’ve loved having Jim and Wanda host our Open Mics, and look forward to a summer full of sound from our favorite friends. Get in on the fun – and get 35% off your howlers and growlers because it is Thirsty Thursday! Music starts around 6PM and goes until we close!
DeDe Alder
DeDe and her magic drums are one of our favorite acts in the tasting room, and she’ll be back on Friday night to delight you. The music will start around 6PM. From humble beginnings, Dede has paved her way on her own experimental, alternative, off the grid musical journey. Dede has picked up her gypsy skills over the years including soulfull singing, raw song-writing, playing percussion of all kinds, dancing, community organizing, and being able to sleep in any location at anytime. Skilled in the art of the Vibraphone, Tambourine, Drumkit, Frame Drum, Snare Drum, Vocals, Word Smithery and much more, she is a versatile performer that can wear many hats, and does.
Her vocal style mixes sweet Irish influence with growling soulfelt jazz sensibilities, a unique combo you can only experience for yourself.
Blake Elliott
Blake Elliott hasn’t been in the tasting room in a while, but she’s back on Saturday night!
Blake Elliott’s signature style is as universal as the types of music she creates. Her writing spans a wide range of genres, covering the scope from jazz to folk to soul and ensuring that even the most discriminating of listeners will enjoy watching her perform. With a vibrant personality that matches those bright red lips, Blake has made her mark on the Michigan music scene with a fervor that’s unceasing.
The fun starts at 6PM on Saturday night – as always, there is no cover for our Friday and Saturday shows.
St. Ambrose in the Wild
Our store locator has over 400 places where you can pick up our wine, still, and draft mead. Check it out! And if you want to see it in your area, let your favorite bar, restaurant, or store know that they should stock up – we’re distributed by Imperial Beverage and available across the great state of Michigan! If you aren’t in Michigan, you can always find our products at VinoShipper.
In Traverse City, we’re available at Taproot Ciderhouse – one of the coolest spots in downtown! Here’s the owner, Jenn, with some St. Ambrose goodies:
Taproot has awesome ciders, and in addition, they have a truly awesome food menu. You won’t be disappointed. One of my top spots to eat in TC, easily.
Hagerty Small Business of the Year
Congratulations to Image360, who won the Hagerty Small Business of the Year award! We were a Top 10 finalist, but alas, didn’t take home the gold. Kirk and Doug still had a good time at the award ceremony:
Thanks for reading, and can’t wait to see you all soon!
It’s Thursday, and that means one … ok, two … ok, ok, it means THREE things this week! We’ve got LuLaRoe coming in for a pop-up boutique in the tasting room and the lawn, with all their leggings and assorted goodies. This is always a hit!
It’s also Thirsty Thursday – which means we’re giving you 35% off your growlers and howlers. Fill up on our new beer, No Frills IPA, or a classic like John Lemon. The choice is yours! May I recommend Violet Femmes, our lavender mint mead that’s only going to be around for a limited time?
And finally, we’ve got Open Mic with Ma and Pa Curtis. They installed some fancy new speakers in the tasting room yesterday that will make you sound awesome! Join the hottest Open Mic in all the land starting at 6PM.
Chloe & Olivia Kimes
The sister duo Chloe and Olivia Kimes will be joining us on Friday night, starting at 6PM. The duo plays a lot of folk, Americana, country and bluegrass on a mix of guitar, mandolin, washboard and harmonica. These talented women look forward to seeing you!
Here’s a little preview:
Alfredo Improv
Alfredo – always a hit – is back to jam with us on Saturday night. The guys will be firing up at 6PM for a night of white hot jams. You’ve seen them before, and you’ll see them again this weekend.
New Summer Hours
It’s time for summer hours! That means we’ll be open to 6PM on Sundays, and we’ll be open to 9PM Monday thru Wednesday, and until 10PM on our three music nights (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday).
And also – exciting times – we’ll be open at 11AM every single day! For you folks getting started on a wine tour or a trip to the Traverse City area from the dunes, we’ll be open before you even stop out for lunch.
These hours take effect starting after Memorial Day!!! (May 30th)
End of Michigan Wine Month
Finally, it’s last call for you to get 30% four awesome wines and meads from the tasting room. When May is over, so is this great deal!
It’s May 17th, and we’re really getting into the swing of summer here at St. Ambrose Cellars. You may have heard some of the big news – we’ve got beer! – and I’m sure you’re excited to come try No Frills IPA, if you haven’t already. This is a limited edition first run – so you’ll want to get out here and grab a glass before it is gone! The men in the back are working hard on adding more delicious beers to our taps, and we’ll have more info on those once they are ready to go.
But there’s other stuff happening too!
Festival Season Has Returned
The return of the sun means the return of the busy festival calendar here in Northern Michigan. As usual, St. Ambrose Cellars will be out and about pouring our favorite beverages at your favorite festivals. We’ve got a couple events lined up in the next two weeks:
Empire Asparagus Festival
One of our favorite events, the Empire Asparagus Festival is this weekend and we’ll be there with XR Cyser and a rotating selection of other meads filling the other three taps. Don’t miss the world famous parade at the Asparagus Festival, it’s a delight. There will also be a pig roast on Friday night, and music from outstanding artists like K. Jones & The Benzie Playboyz throughout the weekend.
Next weekend – Memorial Day Weekend – we’ll be pouring out at Crystal Mountain for their Beer n’ Brat Festival. Roll your self away to Crystal Mountain, turn the page on spring, and work on your night moves with Lookin’ Back, a Detroit-based Bob Seger Tribute Band and some sweet St. Ambrose mead!
As we announced last week, it’s Michigan Wine Month and in honor of this grand occasion we’re offering four of wines and meads at a special 30% discount. These Michigan grown, Michigan made wine and meads will make a great addition to your cellar. Grab our Marsanne Viognier, Dancing Bare, Rose Ambrosia, and 2011 Riesling Reserve at this special discounted price now through the end of the month!
Music This Weekend
Benzie’s home for the best jams is going to host three musical blockbusters again this weekend.
The action kicks off on Thursday with the Famous Curtis band and our Open Mic night. It’s also Thirsty Thursday, so you can take home a growler of your favorite mead or our new No Frills IPA beer for 35% off! It’s a great way to try something new, and stick around to watch the show starting at 6PM with Jim & Wanda Curtis.
On Friday, we’ve got hometown favorites The Feral Cats returning to the tasting room stage. The fur will be flying when these cats get scratching. As always, no cover for our musical performances. Enjoy a glass of wine, mead, or beer and a build your own charcuterie board while they slay you with some tunes.
On Saturday, “Michigan’s darkest ukulele band” – SALDAJE – is back in action. These St. Ambrose favorites are sure to pack the house for another night of mystical music and storytelling. We love when Saldaje makes time for the tasting room, and you won’t want to miss this performance.
$7.77 Draft Meads
If you can’t make it to the tasting room, and you can’t find your favorite drafts on store shelves near you with our store locator, don’t forget that we ship to 37 states through our online store. All draft meads are now just $7.77 (plus shipping) through the web! Our line of wines and meads are also available through the store. Check out the full list here.
We’ve filled out the forms, crossed the T’s, dotted the I’s, got the licenses, went through the rigamarole, and finally, yes finally, there’s a beer on tap here at the St. Ambrose Cellars tasting room.
The first beer? No Frills IPA. We went with a classic IPA to debut. Featuring Galaxy and Simcoe hops for a citrusy, tropical, and slightly piney flavor/aroma, this IPA is an easy drinking beer that will appeal to the hop heads and casual beer drinkers alike.
No Frills IPA is brewed to feature a more malty, some would say sweeter, taste than many of the more dry IPAs on the market. At 7% alcohol by volume, it packs enough of a punch to satisfy but doesn’t overwhelm the drinker like a higher ABV IPA.
The Hops
This beer features Galaxy and Simcoe hops.
Galaxy is often described as having a passion fruity character along with aromas and flavors of clean citrus and peach. It may also carry threads of pineapple and tropical fruit. In short, its characteristics are all fruit with no floral, pine, or spice.
Simcoe is described as being both fruity and earthy. It can carry notes of berry, apricot, passion fruit, and citrus, but also has pronounced aromas of pine and woodsy earth. Flavor and aroma is quite complex and unique.
Beer Stats
Style: India Pale Ale IBU: 70 ABV: 7% Hops: Galaxy, Simcoe
