Are you looking for a simple recipe that is incredibly delicious!? This salmon dip will elevate your entertaining game, and have your friends wanting to come over to your house! It’s the perfect balance between creamy, acidic, and smoky!
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1 container of Fishwife Smoked Atlantic Salmon
1/2 container of Kalona Organic French Onion Dip
1/2 Lemon
Jacobsen Black Pepper
1 bag of Torres Olive Oil chips, or any chip you fancy!
In a bowl mix all ingredients, squeeze in lemon, and add a healthy sprinkle of fresh black pepper. Additionally, you can pair this appetizer with a light-medium white wine that’s crisp, mineral, and has a hint of brininess!
đž Who doesnât love having a cocktail ready to pour at any given moment?
The Freezer Door Recipe is a simple recipe that can be tweaked to how ever you see fit:
Pour out 6oz from a bottle of Vodka or Gin (750ml)
(You don’t have to throw away the booze, silly! Save it for another drink.)
Next! grab a funnel and a measuring cup
Add 4 oz of Dry Vermouth
Add 2 oz of Olive đ« Brine
Add 2 oz of Water
After all ingredients are added into the bottle, give it a good shake. Put the bottle in your freezer and let that baby chill. Enjoy this silky martiniđž perfect for a party, or just after a long day! ***disclaimer*** all ingredients can be adjusted to your liking! Do you!
Snowy mountains on the horizon, waves rumbling and tumbling on a sunny beach, fire pits in the backyard, warm days and cool nights. Weâve got what you need to enjoy this perfect California winter!
We welcomed Everywhere Beer into Hi-Lo this week and we are ecstatic to start offering their highly-approachable beers. Beautiful Something pours brilliantly clear with a nice dense cap of foam with perfect carbonation. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, as it pertains to this brew – simplicity is beautiful. No frills, nothing extravagant or flashy, just clean drinkability with a simple bill of weyermann pilsner malt and hallertau mittelfruh hops. Â
This pungent Hazy Double IPA featuring Citra, Citra Incognito, and experimental hop HBC 586 and 586 cryo hops is an outstanding brew. Aromas of orange peel and tangerine, with a delightful flavor of juice, striking a balance of the hops and fruit flavors that abound in this smooth, silky, and quite easy-drinking double IPA.Â
The first time I tasted this wine, I bought a case. Â For myself! (True story.) Thereâs really nothing like it. Light and velvety on the palate with lots of dark berries and currants, cleverly tannic and soft but not sweet! Flavorful rich finish.
I mean, itâs flask weather, right? And thereâs no better pocket companion than this gem from Kingâs County. Humongous flavor upfront and throughout, this whiskey is steeped in notes of cherry, caramel, and winter spice. It warms the heart!
Shelley, founder of For Bitter For Worse wanted to create non-alcoholic beverages that actually taste good! Although she broke up with booze, she used her years of experience as a cocktail connoisseur to workshop nuanced non-alc recipes featuring flowers, plants, and roots for bitter and floral spritzes.
The Eva Spritz is a sparkling aperitif perfect for a date night or sunny picnic. It has notes of rhubarb, dandelion, and hibiscus. Shelley suggests pairing the Eva Spritz with fruit, cheese, charcuterie, potato chips, caviar.
The Rose City Fizz gets its name from their home base, Portland! This Fizz has notes of gentian root, rose, strawberry, and orange peel with a hint of ginger. Use as a mixer in mocktails or pair with roast beef or a cheese plate!
Welcome to 2023! Pretty wet for a Dry January, eh? But whoâs complaining? (Hint: not us!) Check out some of our staff’s weekly picks to help keep you warm!
This robust oatmeal stout is indeed heavy but these are the kinds of beers to keep us warm in the thick of winter. Pouring jet black with a head that quickly turns into a thin layer of mahogany, this brew intrigues with aromas of Quaker oats, soft coconut, and mocha coffee with a nice woodiness to round it out. Anchorage’s ‘Heavy’ was fermented and aged in Missouri oak barrels then racked to be finished on toasted coconut, which all leads into flavors of smooth dark chocolate, faint vanilla, and a tad bit of tropical coconut.
This GABF medal-winning brew in perhaps one of the most competitive categories, Pale Ale, is a well-rounded and flavor-forward beer. While achieving great simplistic drinkability, with a sturdy malt backbone, this West Coast pale ale sings with Mosaic and Simcoe hops, providing notes of citrus, pine, and a nice dank note.
World-famous chef and wine purveyor Joachim Splichal has cobbled together a wine perfect for these (thankfully!) rainy days. A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Carignan, this wine is dynamic, rich, and remarkably focused. Each sip is rife with flavor, blurring the lines of red and black fruit and backed by sturdy tannins. Pairs well with wistfully watching the rain fall and comfort food!
Vermouth is the the unsung hero in so many great cocktails – Martinis, Manhattans, and Negronis to name but a few. But it is absolutely delightful over a little ice! Dolin is a lighter style vermouth made from fine wines and botanicals found in the Alpine region above Chambery and this new stylistic innovation, Blanc, is sweetened to the same level as the Rouge, but without caramelizing the sugars first allowing the fresh, crisp features to shine through.
Chinese Laundry Kitchen is a local, family-owned company, and small business bringing tasty pantry items to the greater LA area. Dan Dan sauce is an authentic Sichuanese sauce traditionally used for noodles. It’s spicy, nutty, and umami, with a touch of sweetness. Although traditionally used for noodles, it’s great with rice, buns, dumplings, steamed veggies, stir fry, and more! Not only is this sauce delicious, it’s also made with whole ingredients. Chinese Laundry uses, organic soybean oil, with no preservatives, emulsifiers, or binders. Once you try this sauce, it’ll be a staple in your fridge!Â
It seems we say âWhat a year!â every year lately.  And yetâŠWhat a year!Â
A fond farewell to the rollercoaster of â22 and a fond wish for a canoe ride on a placid lake in â23.
Happy New Year!
This helles lager is brewed with barley grown in the Champagne region of France and hopped with Alsatian Strisselspalt hops. Pouring a beautiful golden color with a dense cap of foam on top, the aroma is floral, with some underlying spice and earthy notes. The malt profile is lean but substantial attributing to a beautiful body with a great crisp, clean, and slightly sweet flavor in the finish. Don’t expect the effervescence of sparkling wine with the carbonation on this brew but for the beer or wine nerds looking for the closest terroir experience of Champagne akin to beer – this is for you!
This sour blonde ale from Ambitious is delightfully tart. Conditioned on raspberry puree and Madagascar vanilla beans, you get the full, lush berry aroma on the nose. Upon sipping, the sweet/tart raspberry flavor melds with the body of the beer, and vanilla peeps through in the aroma while providing a mellow sweetness in the flavor. Overall this beer is very drinkable and more fruit-tart than sour making it appeal to true sour drinkers as opposed to sweet smoothie sours.Â
Well, folks…itâs been a hell of a year wouldnât you say? And we think itâs only appropriate to bid 2022 adieu with some truly top-tier bubbles! Conceived as an exchange and shaped by friendship, these wines are first and foremost a result of the free-thinking that came out of a meeting between Louis Roedererâs CEO FrĂ©dĂ©ric Rouzaud, his cellar master Jean-Baptiste LĂ©caillon and the designer Philippe Starck. Wines that capture the freshness of the clay soils in a sunny year perfectly encapsulate this new exploration of a Louis Roederer terroir. The Brut Nature is a fresh, mineral-driven Champagne, that swathes a firm frame of acidity in a raw silk-like texture and finely meshed flavors of crunchy pear, mandarin orange peel, salted almond, dried raspberry, and pickled ginger. While the rosĂ© is vivacious with a minerally overtone and a well-meshed range of crunchy pear, peach skin, pickled ginger, and blood orange zest flavors set on a refined, lacy mousse that ends with a long, creamy finish.
With their thinking set firmly outside the box, the craft-tions (a word we just made up!) at AMASS have whipped up what we believe to be the ultimate winter spirit. A limited edition of their perpetual fan-fav flagship gin, this Mushroom Reserve 030 bolsters the fruits of their continued exploration into the use of adaptogenic mushrooms such as Lionâs Mane and Reishi. Rested in charred, new American Oak barrels for 90 days, the gin is then enhanced with a botanical infusion of Shiitake mushroom, cacao, and bergamot. Top notes of umami mushroom and bitter cacao that blooms into charred oak with subtle vanilla and finishes with fragrant grapefruit, bergamot, and coniferous juniper. And with New Year’s Eve upon us, weâd recommend using this in lieu of standard gin for a French 75 or as weâve renamed it âFrench Terroir 75â.Â
As the winter weather continues and the new year approaches, what better time to make a warming pot of beautifully cooked beans? Llano Seco in Chino, California specializes in responsible farming and growing heirloom bean varietals. They regularly test their soil, utilize organic-approved methods of cover cropping, and proactively rotate crops to maintain optimal soil health. Just like wine, the terroir in which a crop is grown is just as important as the final product. They also make use of sustainable farming practices such as beneficial insect habitats and natural biodiversity to protect their farmland and surrounding habitats. Canario or Yellow Canary beans are a small oval bean with a thin skin. They’re creamy and rich with a buttery texture. Traditional in Latin American cooking, these beans are amazing in soups, stews, or with protein and rice.
In need of a last minute gift? Check out our weekly picks for this week or stop by one of our locations and our staff can help you build the perfect gift box.
Happy Holidays & Happy Shopping!
As advertised, I get fruity and citrusy aromas along with gummy bears! Hopped with a trio of Strata, Citra and Galaxy hops, this brew has a sweet aroma and semi-sweet flavor but is balanced by a clean body and snappy bitterness. I’ve been thoroughly impressed with the beers head brewer, Kane, has been putting out of Trademark and this hits a sweet home spot as Kate cut his brewing chops at Pizza Port San Clemente.
 Altbier is the Kölsch neighbor to the north, along the Rhine River in Germany. Generally lesser known than Kölsch because is has a more complex, rich malt nature.. This brew was definitely taken up a notch with the addition of foudre lagering. Taking on notes of delightful dark fruit, rich toasty malts and a sweet but dry finish, make this a delectable beer. Let this warm in the glass to open up and fully develop to enjoy those rich textures. Â
As we come to the end of 2022 and seeing as how weâre smack-dab in the middle of the holiday season, we can think of no better wines to showcase than these two from our good pals up at Stolpman Vineyards. The Angeli Syrah has booming red fruit intensity that sounds the alarm for a rogue wave of coating, decadent, luxurious texture overwhelming the brainâs pleasure center. Even in its youth, the wine has no rough edge to soften although there is still an energetic tangerine zip on the finish in its youth. And the Pliocene Mourvedre offers sophisticated refinement on the nose with intriguing red fruit and spice. That Spice carries the torch for the âothernessâ of this wine. Anything but âsimple, fruit forwardâ the cuvee is a tightly wound cocoon urging one on to swirl the glass and take another unraveling sip.
For the unfamiliar, Kings County Distillery is New York Cityâs premier craft distillery and among the most acclaimed small distilleries in the United States. One of the many facets that makes Kings County so interesting is theyâre blending of distilling practices from a variety of cultures into creative whiskeys that remain traditional while defying convention, using Scottish copper pot stills, open fermentation, and local grains to make American whiskeys that expand the category. Need proof? Try a bottle of their straight bourbon, made from 80% New York organic corn and 20% English Golden Promise barley for a high-malt recipe that forgoes the wheat or rye typical of Kentucky bourbons. After aging in a variety of new charred oak barrels for anywhere between 3 and 6 years, the bourbon is carefully blended and produces prominent notes of caramel and vanilla, as well as undertones of dark berries. Or, for the VERY curious, Kings County offers a handmade wooden gift set with flasks of some of their best offerings.
Fishwifeâs newest tinned fish is the Rainbow Trout Jerky Gems! Theyâre considered gems, because theyâre the teeny, tiny tenderloin of the Trout, which is considered to be the prime cut. However, because of their size, theyâre not suitable for restaurants or fish markets. Fishwife had the brilliant idea to upcycle this cut into their tins. The trout is seasoned to perfection with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, pepper, garlic, and marjoram (think oregano). Their tinned fish is not only ethically sourced, it’s super versatile! Serve over rice, veggies, on a cheese board with crackers, mixed into pasta sauce, and more.
If you donât have enough sweaters for this little cold snap – not to worry! Weâve got plenty to keep you warm. Come see us!
A friendly collab that’s so nice, they did it twice! (Pun intended!) Mashing Civil Society’s flagship FRESH and Casa Agria’s JETS OVERHEAD makes for a wonderful hazy IPA. Hopped with Columbus, El Dorado, and Citra before being double dry hopped with Mosaic. You’ll find tropical fruity aromas of pineapple and oranges with a nice pine in there, as well. The flavor is extremely smooth and while it’s not a juice bomb, it has a delightful zip of bitterness that makes it incredibly easy to drink.
This rotating fruit and grape saison is a smash! This iteration uses Grenache grape juice from Central California, as well as farm-fresh strawberries that pop off the saison base of this brew. It has a light pink color with a lively carbonation that is both inviting and tantalizing, a nose of earthy strawberry and delicate funk, and a light splash of tartness and minerality that washes over the fruity strawberry. This is a fun rotational that really allows Homage to experiment with different grapes and fruits. A great beer to get wine-minded folk into the complex side of beer.
While big reds such as Cabernet and Syrah understandably tend to be the wines of choice for cooler months, we ardently believe that there is a place for rosĂ© even when the nights get their coldest and itâs with that in mind we offer our two favorite wines for the holidays from Pursued By Bear. As both an allusion to Shakespeareâs âThe Winterâs Taleâ and a physical manifestation of love for the Pacific Northwest, acclaimed actor Kyle MacLachlan has gifted the world an incredible lineup of wines. The Cab mauls the drinker with robust notes of blackberry, chocolate, and coffee, encapsulating all that is great in domestic winemaking. The rosĂ© bolsters notes of wild strawberries and succulent juicy guava while nectarine and pink grapefruit shine across a beam of bright, crisp acidity creating a mouthwatering impression and a long, textured finish. Â
 âThe Beauty of the Seasonsâ or Ki No Bi. The poetry in the name of this gin from Kyoto so aptly and elegantly describes the taste experience one embarks on upon first sip. In that moment, the essence and sensations of winter, spring, summer, and autumn harmoniously unify in a bracing gale of citrus, sansho pepper, ginger, and bamboo that tests not only the drinker’s palate but also their perception of the spirit itself. Equal parts warming and refreshing, this gin has achieved an impeccable balance that is sure to be regarded as a leader at the forefront of the âNew Waveâ style of gin. This is that spirit youâll want to keep on your shelf and share with guests this holiday season.
Not only does Fishwife make amazing tinned fish, they do it right! Fishwife is a female-founded company striving to produce ethically-sourced, premium quality fish. They source from environmentally conscious fisheries and aquaculture farms. The Smoky Trio features their classic smoked Albacore Tuna from the Pacific Coast, Rainbow Trout from Idaho, and their Atlantic Salmon from Norway. If youâre looking to build a gift box for your favorite foodie, or want to have a decent spread at your next holiday party, come pick up the Smoky Trio!Â
We have gifts, we send gifts, we make gifts. If you’re looking for some unique wines, sought-after beers, or great cocktails – we have a gift box for you!
In this can lies the finest Citra, Galaxy and Nelson hops, RIP. But these hops couldn’t be contained in a can coffin though, as they rise out of the glass and contribute lovely aromas of juicy pineapple, peach ring gummies and ripe canteloupe. The flavor is soft but dank with more tropical notes coming in throughout in the form of cannabis and passion fruit. Another delicious Moonraker offering and we have it on draft in Culver City if you would like to enjoy a fresh glass and escape the holiday madness.
This Imperial Stout with coffee and vanilla is a smooth drinker at 9 percent alcohol. It has a smooth, bitter chocolate aroma with flavor and depth from it’s sturdy malt backbone of Maris Otter, Weyermann Carafoam and roasted barley. Again, depth is a key word with this brew.. providing a good body and flavor, while being inviting without being cloying or coming off as overtly rich. Toasty, dark chocolate, smooth coffee and subtle vanilla all poke through in this brew and end with a slightly sweet finish.
Brand new to the scene, Paso Robles based winemaker Janie Willheim has produced three distinct wines of exceptional quality: a Riesling, a Valdiguie and now finally a Counoise. All three are brilliant expressions of the terroir made all the more impressive considering how difficult these particular varietals can be to work with. The Valdiguie and Riesling are no strangers to the Hi-Lo shelves, and weâre now psyched beyond reason to welcome the newly released Counoise to party and complete the trifecta. Compelling to say the least, this wine is a bounty of ripe fruit, balanced acidity and seductive aromatics. The tannic structure hums like a slow draw on a violin and finishes with delicate spice and cranberry purĂ©e.
More and more weâre being asked what a good alternative is to whiskey for a chilly evening sipper and more and more weâre saying âTequilaâ but not just your standard Blanco, Repo or Anejo, no, we recommend you go a little extra…Extra Anejo, that is! What makes Extra Anejo so extra is the additional years it spends aging in barrel, at least over 3 years. A perfect example is the Don Fulano Imperial, aged a minimum of 5 years, but contains some tequila thatâs been aged for 12! Exceptionally rich and complex with a great combination of elegance and power, this tequila is abundant in fruit notes and spices like clove and cardamom. Velvety, rich and incredibly complex, the Imperial is truly outstanding and is best enjoyed neat and ideally after a hearty dinner.
According to Jeni, her grandfather loved spiking eggnog with whiskey during the holidays, which is the midwestern way! At Hi-Lo, we love Uncle Nearest, so we were super excited to find out thatâs the whiskey they use in their ice cream. Uncle Nearestâs small-batch, Tennessee whiskey is smooth and warming, which compliments the nutmeg and cream custard deliciously. We recommend enjoying a pint near a warm fire surrounded by loved ones!
Gift this beautiful marble cheese board to the hostess with the mostess, or treat yourself! This round marble board will elevate the any cheese and charcuterie presentation this season. It comes with a set of three gold & marble knives as well! Be sure to also peep our market section to build your dream board of goodies.
Holiday shopping has officially begun! Come see us at Midland Market, Smorgasburg LA, or as always in Culver City, Long Beach, and Costa Mesa!
I don’t think anyone thought twice that these two iconic breweries would produce a killer West Coast IPA. They are the top-named breweries that produce this style on a consistent and fervent basis. They not only have the guns but they make the bullets that keep West Coast alive and firing, I mean thriving. Built on a simple base of pilsner malt, this brew is hopped with a melange of hops that give this beer an inviting blueberry-citrus aroma with a soft pine and dank character. It has an incredibly light body with a hearty hop heft to swing big but land like a feather. A tempered bitterness makes this an inviting and easy drinker while pointing you westward to a slightly sweet sunset finish.
This humble tribute to Orval is interesting. Donât get me wrong, if you love Orval as I do, you might only be slightly catfished with this brew. It’s deceptive and hides its almost 7% alcohol very well while being an easy-sipping beer. But there’s an X factor in Orval that keeps you holding on and coming back to it time and time again, maybe it’s a secret among the monks. It’s not every day you get folks interested in abbey ales and Grimm is the kind of brewery that makes you think, “I bet they could pull that off.” Being conditioned with brettanomyces, it can develop over time becoming dryer and maybe become more complex, or more Orval-esque if you will.
For those of you into Napa wines (or wine in general!), weâre sure itâll only take one glance at the art on this label to recognize what winery is home to this beautiful Cab. Thatâs right, fresh from Far Niente Family of Wineries and Vineyards, a name synonymous with excellence, comes their newest member on their inaugural vintage: Post & Beam! A representation of the magnificence of wine when made by the simplest means; no frills, no complications, just glorious wine functionality. Believe it or not, the holiday season is here and the time is nigh for cabernet with elegant layers of fruit, supple tannins, whispers of oak, and a finish that is pure finesse.
Our beloved barrel selection from Off-Hours is on the home stretch! If youâve yet to pick up a bottle, the time is now. Selected for its exceptional quality and taste by Master Blender Ashley Barns, this whiskey joined the exclusive Off Hours Single Barrel Reserve club while it continued aging in its American white oak barrel for almost half a dozen years. Its DNA is comprised of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley and it should be said that the rye and barley are not at all background characters, their voices are clear and true.
Camp started their company to make adulting easy by hiding organic veggies in their tasty mac and cheeze! Not only is the vegan mac dairy free, itâs also gluten-free! They use 100% organic brown rice, zucchini, carrots, and peas to create their delicious pasta. But they donât stop there, their vegan cheeze mix is made up of organic pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, and maitake mushrooms for a surprisingly cheesy flavor! Clocking in at 9 grams of protein, thereâs also tons of nutrients from the veggies. If youâre coming into Hi-Lo for a weeknight bottle of wine or 6 pack of beer, be sure to check out all the easy dinner options we have as well!
We wouldnât be here without you. We love seeing your faces every week and your appreciation for the products on our shelves and the community you have built in your local store.
So THANK YOU.
This table cider is meant to be shared with friends and loved ones, making it an apt addition to your holiday gathering. Sharing is Caring is a blend of American, French and UK grown apple varietals producing a full, crisp, apple flavor while leaning towards dry with some esters from the yeast bubbling up some tannic character and light carbonation. The mĂ©lange of apples whip this cider to 8.1% alcohol and is again, best shared.. but we won’t tell anyone if you decide to keep this delicious cider for yourself. Â
Located 50 km east from Saint-Ămilion, the Barouillet family has been growing grapes for at least 8 generations in PĂ©charment, Monbazillac and Bergerac. Having just obtained biodynamic certification, this winery is consistently pushing the biological approach by working in accordance with the lunar calendar and cultivating vintage after vintage of some of the finest wine to come from the region. Bergecrac Blanc, a blend of 30% Sauvignon blanc, 30% Sauvignon gris and 20% SĂ©millon, 20% Chenin has refreshing vivacity and is reminiscent of grapefruit and highlights floral aromas such as honeysuckle or wisteria. The Bergecrac Rouge, a 25% Malbec, 25% Cabernet sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 25% cabernet franc blend is liquorice and light red fruits such as blackcurrant, suggest a round and fruity mouth supported by a beautiful freshness. And the Splash Pet-Nat, 100% Semillon, is fragrant, lively and richly textured on the palate bubbly with notes of lemon and lime, fresh apple and a touch of cut grass.
Have you ever had a whiskey so good that you wish you could drink it straight from the barrel? Well, good news; drinking something labeled âCask Strengthâ is as close as one can get to literally busting a hole in the side of a cask and drinking the deliciousness within. With that in mind and in an effort to save their casks from the ravaging hordes of barrel-busting whiskey enthusiasts, Redwood Empire has released their Cask Strength selections of Pipe Dream Bourbon, Emerald Giant Rye and Lost Monarch American Blend. The Pipe Dream, with its deep golden hue, offers a nose of toffee, cherry, soft leather with a palate of cherry cola, honey, butterscotch and pecans. The Emerald Giant, gleaming with burnt orange color, is delicate herbal tea, soft cinnamon and dried orange peel with dark chocolate coffee beans, warm spice finish. And the Lost Monarch is vibrant with earthy, mint chocolate ice cream, warm spices, dried apricot and a white pepper finish.
We all look forward to Jeniâs limited edition Holiday flavors, but cranberry pie in ice cream form?! Cranberries are a winter delicacy that are often forgotten about, yet they deserve a place in your desserts. Jeniâs uses the tartness of cranberry sauce and combines it magnificently with cream, cinnamon-brown sugar streusel, and walnut crunch. Sweet, tart, and nutty! Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of amaro after a delicious holiday meal.