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New Product Extravaganza!

It’s spring, which means it’s time for new life. Flowers are shooting up, greens are growing leafier by the day, and the season’s special visitors are starting to make themselves known (ramps, anyone?). We’ve caught the springtime bug and brought in hundreds of new products to welcome the sun and say “sayonara!” to the cobwebs of winter. Join us on a journey through the aisles and we’ll show you  a small slice of the wondrous world of new goodies we have in store!

 

First up, our grocery department is adopting a new principle- the Peanut Principle, that is! Fresh from our neighbors in New York are four creamy nut butters that promise to please. If you’re a traditional nut butterer, then Honey I Roasted the Peanuts is for you. It features organic peanuts and local honey so it’s a treat you can feel good about spreading, slathering, or spooning. Chocolate lovers will delight in Almond the Mood for Coconut, a coco + cocoa butter that delivers on all fronts. It’s super creamy, deeply chocolaty, and chock full of protein, fiber, and healthy coconut fat. The coconut connoisseurs among us will also rejoice in Going Coco-Nuts, which is simply raw unsweetened coconut meat ground into a paste. Does your curry need a jolt of flavor and body? Go Coco-Nuts! It can even be spread on bread (just warm it up a bit first). Last but certainly not least is the Tahini Wonder. If you make homemade hummus, look no further; sauces and soups also benefit from the creamy, toasty tang of tahini. To make it, the Peanut Principle dry-roasts sesame seeds, grinds them…and that’s it! A truer, tastier tahini is hard to find.

 

The journey continues in bulk teas. We have four new selections from Mountain Rose Herbs, a trusted supplier with a passion for quality control, responsible and organic sourcing, stewardship of the Earth, and supporting its staff. Simply put, we buy from Mountain Rose because their values mirror ours. The new teas are as beautiful as they are delicious; take a look at the Orange Spice and you’ll see zesty chunks of peel and whole spices. This Ceylon blend balances the brightness of citrus with the earthy floral nature of the tea to give you an extremely well-balanced cup. The second new Ceylon veers a little more tropical and adds some mango to the mix; you’re in for an extremely flavorful cup with a distinctly tropical nose. Rounding out the caffeinated options is Vanilla Black tea. Chrysanthemum and vanilla work with the Assam tea to create a warm, invigorating flavor that delicately dances on the tongue. Great served with dessert; the vanilla complements chocolate and fruit dishes perfectly. Finally, in the world of herbal teas, is the stunningly beautiful Hibiscus High tea. A touch of mint, rose, lemongrass, and orange give this tea a well-rounded flavor, full mouthfeel, and intoxicating aroma. Plus, it’s pink- from the color of the leaves to the color in the cup; what could be a better way to welcome spring? And it makes a refreshing iced tea that’s prefect for lazy summer days.

 

Speaking of refreshing beverages that are perfect for summertime lounging…we have new beer! Among a myriad of new brews we’ve picked out three unique IPAs that can’t wait to be cracked open. First is a Belgian-style Double IPA, the Audacity of Hops. It comes from Cambridge Brewing Company and does a marvelous job of balancing the citrusy, piney burst of hoppy flavor typical of a DIPA with the malty, yeasty undertones of a classic Belgian ale. Drinking one of these is like smelling a grapefruit while eating banana bread and sitting on a bed of pine needles. Sprightly carbonation carries the flavors across your tongue; while the hops don’t let up their barrage of citrusy bitterness, the malty Belgian character is there on the sidelines, rounding the beer out and making it super drinkable. 8.0 ABV.  New from San Diego we have the Ballast Point Double Dorado, a big DIPA  that screams “citrus!” while preserving some caramel undertones.  It’s a classic DIPA- citrus up front, a little warm malt midpalate, and a bitter, resiny finish. And it’s 9.6 ABV, so it’s beautifully boozy and the slippery hop mouthfeel gets some soft balance. Rounding out the new crew is the oddest IPA we’ve ever had…but fear not, it’s epically delicious. West Coast crafters Stone teamed up with Alesmith and Two Brothers to create an extraordinarily unique IPA made with coffee. Yep, coffee- and it works a whole lot better than you’d think. You can smell the coffee, and it’s what you’ll taste first; there’s a prominent fresh-roasted taste that begins the experience. Soon, though, the hops take over…and you’re transported from a roastery to a citrus grove. As the beer disappears, a delicately balanced bitterness remains on the tongue; it fuses the hop and coffee flavors into something that’s beautiful to behold. Trying it is the ONLY way to get the full experience…trust us, it’s a winner. All three of these beers are 91+ on BeerAdvocate so you can feel confident that you’re choosing choice brews.

Join us and see what’s new in store; our friendly and helpful staff are always around to point you in the direction of exciting new products. And we’re always sampling and demoing, so if you’re lucky you may even get to try some of the new deliciousness that waits behind our doors. Let us share spring with you!