by stambrose | May 3, 2017 | Tasting Room
News
It’s the first week of May, and the busy spring/summer season is just getting rolling here at St. Ambrose. The bees at Sleeping Bear Farms next door have been returning for the past few weeks, and there’s a buzz in the air as the weather (kinda) starts to warm up and we get to see the sun again.
We’ve got a lot going on this weekend, and here’s the rundown:
Odyssey of the Mind Fundraiser
On Saturday, we’re hosting a Silent Auction/Pop-Can Drive/Fundraiser for the Crystal Lake Elementary Odyssey of the Mind team. These talented kids are headed to the world finals for Odyssey of the Mind, and this is a great opportunity to enjoy a Saturday at the Cellars while supporting their hard work.
This event is going to feature two musical performances – Cheryl Wolfram in the early afternoon, and the supremely talented Brett Mitchell in the early evening. Both those performances are free for anyone here.
In addition, there will be a silent auction. Local music sensations The Accidentals have generously provided some items for auction, like a signed ukulele!
Along with that, community sponsors and businesses will be providing other items up for auction, with all proceeds going to the Odyssey of the Mind team.
You’ll also have the opportunity to see two super performances from the OM team during the event.
The fun starts at 2PM and runs til 6PM. Suggested donation is $5, and we’ll also be accepting pop cans for the fundraising drive.
Weekend Music Acts
Along with the two musical performances during the fundraiser, we’ll have our usual Friday and Saturday night music in the tasting room.
Friday, May 5th – Alex Mendenall
Alex Mendenall is a nationally touring songwriter based in Lansing, MI. Drawing from soul, folk, funk, and jazz, Alex’s music features carefully crafted wordplay, rich chord progressions, and dynamic arrangements of foot percussion. His expressive melodies and heartfelt storytelling focus on universal ideas of life, death, love, and what it means to be human.
Performing in venues and festivals across the Midwestern and Eastern United States, Mendenall has worked with acts like Tyler Hilton, Ryan Cabrera, Hayley Kiyoko, Royal Teeth, and Young Rising Sons. He has toured extensively across the the U.S. in addition to dates in Canada.
In his home state, Mendenall has had the opportunity to take his music to events like the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Beaver Island Music Festival, Traverse City Film Festival, Dunesville Music Festival, the East Lansing Summer Concert Series, Roots on the River Concert Series, and many others. He has worked with talented local groups like The Ragbirds, The Accidentals, and The Appleseed Collective along the way.
You can listen to his music here.
Saturday, May 6th – Barefoot
Barefoot returns to the tasting room on Saturday night. Barefoot, features Jenni Rae, Bee Jay Reffitt, Phil Coryell and Nathon Lane. Playing rich, soulful tones and acoustic vibes, raised on Michigan’s shores, this is always a fun night at St. Ambrose.
You can listen to a bit of their music on their Facebook page.
Thirsty Thursday
We hope for a full day of roaring electrical power this week, after last week’s abbreviated Thursday due to the whims of nature. Assuming the lights stay on – and the forecast says that shouldn’t be an issue – we’re back to our normal Thirsty Thursday schedule with 35% off your growler and howler needs.
Might I suggest that you dedicate one of those delicious fills to the new member of our lineup, Cool Breeze? This lavender mint seasonal mead has that light, crisp, and refreshing taste that you crave. Did I mention this was a gold medal winner at the 2017 Mazer Cup? Because I should have mentioned that. Try out Cool Breeze and all your other favorites on Thirsty Thursday.
New Wines
You may have heard, but in case you didn’t, we’ve got three new wines bottled and for sale in the tasting room right now.
Secret Beach
You know Secret Beach. You love Secret Beach. And it’s back!
2016 Pinot Grigio
The sequel to our last run of Pinot Grigio, this wine features a cool new foil label with a green tint, and the great taste you expect from our white wine lineup. This is a light, citrus-y, food-friendly wine with a subtle flavor that fits right in on the dinner table.
2016 Pinot Noir Riesling
A new variety for us, this Pinot Noir ( (66%) and Riesling (34%) blend has a seductive blush color and a bouquet of flavors including watermelon, strawberry, and cherry. This unique wine just might end up on your list of favorites!
St. Ambrose Cellars Near You
Can’t make it to the tasting room? Our store locator helps you find our meads and wines in a place near you. No store near you? Tell your favorite shop to give Imperial Beverage a call and stock up!
One of our newest additions to the list this week is the hottest spot in Grayling – Paddle Hard Brewing. Featuring several of our meads and wines – along with an awesome lineup of Sleeping Bear Farms honey products – Paddle Hard is the place to be if you’re looking for St. Ambrose mead and wine in Grayling or the surrounding area. They’ve got a great setup and have truly set a new standard for craft beverages in their neck of the woods. We can’t recommend them enough!
Visit their website here.
Buy Online
And if you can’t find it near you – or just want the convenience of St. Ambrose beverages coming direct to your door – remember that we ship to 37 states through our partnership with VinoShipper. You can view all of our products available for purchase in our store here or in one big list at VinoShipper.
by stambrose | Jan 9, 2017 | News, Tasting Room
A note from our tasting room manager, Cindy …
The secret of St Ambrose Cellars is starting to spread! I had never heard of this Winery/Meadery and I pride myself on knowing and going to as many of the Tasting Rooms in the region as I can get to. The charm and yet the, I’ll call it … “Kirky-ness” of this place won me over nearly instantly.
I will admit, I did undercover work before I became the Tasting Room Manager. I pulled in the parking lot not sure what to expect and ended up with a great tasting experience, glasses of wine and mead, and a cheese and meat platter. There was a band playing in the barn and even a bake sale!
The entire drive back to Traverse my mom, good friend Becky, and I just could not stop talking about that bake sale, we still talk about it! We had such a wonderful time and even now when I hear Becky talk about where I work she gets this twinkle in her eye, after working here for a few months I see it in nearly every customer when they leave.
The welcoming feeling and just love that everyone has for St Ambrose Cellars is infectious. St Ambrose truly is as sweet as tupelo honey, and I look forward to getting to know the loyal customers and introducing more people to this amazing spot that has been a secret to me until now.
This Month at St. Ambrose
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by stambrose | Dec 12, 2016 | Mead, Tasting Room
New Meads
December has been a month of experimentation here at St. Ambrose. Our guys in the meadery have been working hard on coming up with some new beverages for you to enjoy this frosty month – and we’ve got the scoop on all three right here. These are limited edition drafts, available only in the tasting room for now. But who knows what the future holds …
Santa’s Helper
Our first new mead of the season is quite appropriate for this time of year. Our Christmas-themed mead is called “Santa’s Helper”. Mulled wine has been a hot drink lately, and this is our take on a mulled mead.
Featuring black currant, cherry, strawberry, orange peel, and a bouquet of spices – allspice, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. On top of all that, this mead has been steeped in cabernet franc and merlot grape skins to give it another boost of flavor.
You can drink it chilled, or you can take it home and heat it up for another take. It’s been a big seller since we went on tap a few weeks ago so make sure to stop by and grab some before it’s gone!
Rhythm and Blues
This new draft mead is a bit simpler than Santa’s Helper. This rock and roller is a mix of black currant and grains of paradise. The warm flavor of the grains of paradise blends with the fresh and floral taste of black currant and our honey base to make a simple, refreshing mead that you can drink all night.
Sgt. Pepper’s Chipotle Cyser
This mead is definitely hot. And it’s been a hot seller thus far. For this, we took one of our most popular drinks – X.R. Cyser – and gave it a spicy taste. We added chipotle pepper to it and now it’s an apple pie with a definite kick. There’s no better way to warm up on a cold winter’s eve than with this blast of flavor. We have a very limited run available – so you’ll need to get down to the tasting room quickly to try this one out.
by stambrose | Dec 5, 2016 | Tasting Room
This Month at St. Ambrose
It’s December! With the snow slowly coming around and the holidays fast approaching, we know that you’re in need of some fun, some relaxation, and some warmth. This month at St. Ambrose Cellars, we’ve got a jam packed schedule of events in the tasting room. Here’s your handy one-stop look at everything that we’ve got coming up in the next few weeks. Stop out after your shopping, or spend a snowy evening with some wine and mead, and come say hi!
Women’s Wellness
Our popular women’s wellness events continue this month, with two special Wednesday night events.
Crafts/Show – Dec. 7th
The Queen Bee herself Sharon Jones brings her beeswax candle-making supplies to the tasting room on Wednesday for a workshop. Reserve your spot before Wednesday! It’s just $25 and all you need to bring is your good attitude and good spirits.
That same night, for free, we’ll be holding an artisan trunk show and LuLa Roe clothing popup shop. The trunk show features three of our very favorite people – the Soul Sisters Intuitive HeART collective of Jenn Ryan, Randi Stoltz, and Christina Ryan-Stoltz. It’s going to be a great time!
Wine Cork Crafts – Dec. 14th
Crystal hosts a workshop where you’ll learn how to make some awesome wine cork crafts. You can see more in the link. For $25, you’ll get materials, instruction, and take home your crafts. Make some ornaments or stocking stuffers for the big day!
Music
We have another awesome lineup of bands this month. Barefoot, featuring some of our Sleeping Bear Farms friends, will rock the house on December 9th. The Feral Cats bring their foot stomping tunes in on Saturday, December 10th. Alfredo – always a great time – returns for Friday the 16th.
That Saturday, the 17th, Jen Sygit will regale you with a magical holiday soiree sure to get you in the holiday spirit. Then, on the 23rd and 24th, DeDe Alder will bring her holiday tunes to the tasting room for some sing-a-longs and general good vibes. Her Friday show will be at the normal 6PM time, but the Christmas Eve show will be a special afternoon start time, with DeDe taking the stage at 2PM.
Barefoot – December 9th
Feral Cats – December 10th
Alfredo – December 16th
Jen Sygit – December 17th
DeDe – December 23 and December 24th
Gaje Turja – December 30th
Thirsty Thursday/Open Mic
Open Mic is back for the winter! Come join us, sing some tunes, and share some laughs on Thursday nights this winter. This month, we’ll have open mic on the 8th, 15th, 22nd, and 29th. The open mic starts around 6PM, but Thirsty Thursday runs all day!
New Tasting Room Discounts
Just in time for the holidays, we’ve got new discounts on your wine purchases in the tasting room. As always, you’ll get 20% off when you purchase a case (12) of our products. But now, you’ll also get 10% off when you purchase a half case (6).
by stambrose | Jun 17, 2016 | Tasting Room
It’s Father’s Day weekend! It’s also a double-shot music packed weekend at the Cellars, and it’s looking to be beautiful in the Northern Michigan area after lots of rain early in the week. Get out, hit the links, fill a growler, catch a show, do some paddling – it’s the reason we live here.
Alfredo Improvisational Quartet
Alfredo takes the stage twice this weekend at St. Ambrose Cellars. On Friday night, they’ll play their traditional 6PM slot here in the tasting room. On Saturday night, again at 6PM, there are rumors of a barn show! Will this come true? There’s only way to find out. Be here – no cover, lots of drinks, and perhaps some of the food special will still be available!
Weekend Food Special
Crystal has once again cooked up something special for the weekend food special. Let’s let her tell us all about it:
We’re keeping it simple for a warm summer weekend – a honey (star thistle from Sleeping Bear Farms), apricot and almond goat cheese spread, served with grilled toast points which will be made on our panini grill.
This will pair well with John Lemon – the citrus will contrast and break up the creaminess of the cheese and the sweetness of the apricot. Also good will be Late Harvest Vignoles…the sweetness of the honey and apricot will blend nicely without being so sweet it overpowers the wine. Star Thistle mead will naturally compliment the honey and also the almonds for a nice highlight of flavors. I also think the Wild Ginger, 14 Riesling Reserve, Vin Gris and Pinot Noir would make interesting pairs.
Father’s Day
On Father’s Day, stop by St. Ambrose and try our new Sangria Sunday. Featuring our delicious Marsanne Viognier, this Sangria is available all day Sunday and you can take the recipe home with you as well! Grab a bottle and make your own additions.
LuLaRoe Returns
The ever-popular LuLaRoe show returns to St. Ambrose on Monday evening – you can find more details at the Facebook event.
by stambrose | Jun 9, 2016 | Tasting Room
It’s time for another beautiful weekend in Northern Michigan as summer really starts to roll! Schools are wrapping up, the temperature is back on the rise after a bit of a dip, and St. Ambrose Cellars has weekend entertainment for the whole family.
Davey O. Friday Night
Davey O. graces the tasting room on Friday night. His Americana stylings are going to bring a new element to the scene here and we are super excited to have him. You can learn a bit more about him and view some of his clips in a post from earlier this week.
Food Specials
Crystal is going to bring the deliciousness to the tasting room on Friday night and Saturday with a panini special! Get all the details here. Stop by for lunch and enjoy a sandwich and mead out on the beautiful patio, where you can play with one of the bag toss games made with boxes from our friends at Grow Benzie and Sleeping Bear Farms. If you really like them, take one home from the tasting room – all the proceeds go to help with the Hivemined program you can learn about here.
Mt. Pleasant Craft Beer Festival
Come out and meet n’ greet some of the St. Ambrose team this weekend in Mt. Pleasant! Smiling faces will be waiting to pour you a draft mead from our new shiny setup at the Mt. Pleasant Craft Beer Festivals. More details on this event are available here and we hope to see you there if you are in the area!
Free Fishing Weekend
Everyone – residents and nonresidents – can fish Michigan waters this weekend without a license, though all other fishing regulations still apply. Michigan has offered the free fishing weekend annually since 1986 as an easy, affordable way to showcase the state’s vast water resources. Stop in before or after you hit the water!
And Have Fun!
Make sure to have a great time, whatever you end up doing! We’ll be here waiting with our family friendly Michigan meadery and winery to entertain you!
