Cherry Republic

6026 Lake Street, Glen Arbor MI
Open Sunday through Thursday 9am until 5pm; Friday and Saturday until 7pm

It's a rainy and gloomy and, believe it or not, a chilly Saturday here in Southeast Florida, so I'm staying inside for the most part this afternoon.  For some reason I can't stop reminiscing of the trip Brian and I took back in June of last year to the upper Northwest portion of Michigan, or what I referred to it as the pinky of the state (Ha! Get it?! Oh boy I'm an odd duck...)

I don't think this trip could have been any more relaxing, wonderful, and perfect.  From the friendly people everywhere we went, to the absolutely stunning blue-green waters, to the calming and peaceful lake house we were staying at-- I am officially in love with this state.  It's just gorgeous.

While we were there, Brian's friend's mom suggested we stop at Cherry Republic if we get a chance to sample their cherry wine (tastings are complimentary!) We actually visited two of their locations while we were in Michigan--one in Glen Arbor, and the other in Traverse City--I recommend checking out both if you can.

My absolute favorite of the wines were the Balaton and their Cherry Hard Cider.  The Balaton--a red cherry wine that has that mulled wine flavor to it, giving you that warm fuzzy sensation with each sip, perfect for holidays or on a chilly day.  The hard cider was very similar in flavor, just with that hard cider twist to it.  We loaded up on bottles from here and a few other wineries as well, actually just finishing our last bottle very recently (pout pout sniffle sniffle).  

So on a chilly rainy lazy weekend, I find myself craving this wine, equally for the mulled spiced taste and for its ability to make you feel nice and cozy and relaxed...

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I almost forgot to mention their AMAZING line of sodas too, "Boom Chugga Lugga!," infusing the Michigan Cherry theme into the flavors.  I'm in love love LOVE with their Cherry Ginger Ale, slightly sweeter than regular ginger ale, and in a light pink hue.

P.S...I've just requested a catalog from these folks, so I think I'll be ordering some select beverages sooner rather than later...