Down the Shore

Greetings after a slushy, snowy weekend! We didn’t get up to much with the weather, but we did have our first visit to the cozy Victory Park Tavern in Rumson on Friday (French Onion burger, yes please) and got some shopping in at The Grove in Shrewsbury on Saturday amid the snowflakes. Because it’s an outdoor mall, it’s a nice touch that they lend you umbrellas. 

Now on to your weekly content:

Local Business Spotlight: Unleaded Beverage Company

If you’ve been trying Dry January, or maybe you’ve always been living that NA lifestyle, we’ve got some exciting news for you. Our friends Lucille, Chris, and Louis at Unleaded Beverage Company put together this mocktail recipe for our Down the Shore readers.

If you don’t know about Unleaded Beverage Co., they are a family-run business with a simple belief: everyone deserves great drinks, no matter their relationship with alcohol. We’ll absolutely toast to that! 

Recipe Name: Blackberry Basil Smash

Ingredients: 

• 6-8 limes, juiced (should yield 1/2 cup fresh lime juice)

• 6 oz fresh or frozen blackberries

• 1 tablespoon honey

• Fresh basil: medium-sized bunch, reserving some leaves for garnish

• Your alcohol-free bubbly of choice - the team recommends 3 Bottles of Unleaded’s Grüvi Dry Secco or Bubbly Rosé 

• Ice

Directions:

1. Make the blackberry basil syrup. In a glass measuring cup, muddle together the fresh lime juice, blackberries, basil, and honey. Press and blend the ingredients together with a cocktail muddler, or the handle of a wooden spoon until they form a jam-like consistency.

2. Strain the berry mixture through a fine mesh sieve so you are left with just the lime berry syrup. Discard the solids.

3. Pour the lime berry syrup into a glass pitcher and add the Dry Secco or Bubbly Rosé.

4. Add 3-4 cups of ice and stir.

5. Divide the mocktail among glasses, and garnish with a lime slice, some fresh blackberries, and basil leaf.

You can follow them @unleadedbevs on Instagram and find them at local pop-ups around the Shore - we first discovered them at the Fair Haven Farmers Market!

Other Dry January favorites in our area: 

• Spring Lake Seafood - this BYOB favorite has an entire bar and menu of alcohol-free delights like the SLS John Daly, the Ruby Rush, and Hot Girl Sangria

• Drink Spot - NJ’s first Dirty Soda Shop in the Belford section of Middletown (so you don’t have to head all the way to Utah for Swig)

• Bar Bella - Bellworks’ happy hour spot has $5 mocktails Thursday and Saturday all day

• Asbury Hotel - Their lobby bar Soundbooth is hosting a mocktail making class on 1/24 from 5-7 pm

Field Trip: France (in Monmouth County)

This time of year, we’re getting a bit of a Euro trip itch - we binged Emily in Paris before New Years, and watched The People You Meet on Vacation the day it came out. But did you know there is a place in our own backyard that feels like you actually flew to France, sans the hefty plane ticket?

Meet the French Market! This adorable spot on Rumson’s East River Road is the perfect way to spend a Sunday morning. The little store is filled with mouth-watering pastries, omelettes, crepes, French candies and treats, an impressive cheese selection, and stylish home goods in the back room. So grab yourself a French Cream pastry or Cookie croissant and a latte, and settle in while Edith Piaf plays. 

And if you haven’t had enough buttery, warm, sweet, and perfect croissants - Nick + Sons in Spring Lake (get the Za’atar Cheddar early) and Antoinette Boulangerie in Red Bank (don’t leave without the chocolate mice and yes, it is mice not mousse!) are other local favorites. Now all you need is a beret. 

Weekly Forecast

It looks like it’s going to be another cold week with temperatures going below freezing for the upcoming weekend:

Thursday 1/22 - 44°/27° Partly Sunny

Friday 1/23 - 36°/21° Cloudy

Saturday 1/24 - 20°/12° Sunny

Sunday 1/25 - 25°/13° Mostly Cloudy

We’re excited to launching a new DTS segment for readers who want to stay current on local surf conditions!

To do this, we’ll be partnering with Surf Captain to offer a weekly surf forecast for conditions in Belmar:

Farmer’s Market Roundup

Even though it’s the dead of winter, there are still some farmer’s markets that are going strong. Here are our weekly roundup of farmers markets to check out:

• Holmdel: Wednesday 1/21 Bell Works Fresh Market

• Ocean Grove: Sunday 1/25 Asbury Fresh Winter Farmers Market

• Red Bank: Sunday 1/25 Red Bank Farmers Market

And if we are missing any other markets, let us know!

Happenings Down the Shore

Here's our curated list of recommendations this week including lots of live music, trivia, a floral arranging workshop, and even a self publishing 101 workshop for the aspiring authors out there!

As always, let us know if there’s an event you want the DTS community to know about (just reply to this email).

Monday 1/19

Oceanport - Trivia Night at Skinny Flowers Brewing (6:30 pm)

Wednesday 1/21

Holmdel - Floral Arranging Workshop with Enchanted Blossoms at Bar Bella in Bell Works (6 pm)

Thursday 1/22

Long Branch - Trivia Night at Beach Bee Meadery (6:30 pm)

Spring Lake - Self Publishing 101: Workshop with Author MB Paradise at Thunder Road Books (6 pm) (tickets required)

Friday 1/23

Asbury Park - International Superstar Robin, Klaura Rose & Jamie Coppa Band at Low Dive (9 pm)

Belmar - Stampede at Marina Grill (8 pm)

Holmdel - I am Curbie at Fox Hollow Vineyard (6 pm)

Manasquan - From the Ground at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Red Bank - Dead Bank at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Cranston Dean at Triumph Brewery (9 pm)

Saturday 1/24

Asbury Park - Evan Gene, The Brothers Union at Low Dive (9 pm)

Belmar - Garden State Grooves at Marina Grill (8 pm)

Holmdel - Ronnie Brandt at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Manasquan - Aloha Monkey at Harpoon Willy’s (8:30 pm)

Ocean Grove - ComedySportz Improv at The Jersey Shore Arts Center (7 pm)(tickets required)

Red Bank - Pasta 101 Workshop at the Anderson Market (6 pm ) (tickets required)

Red Bank - The Moroccan Sheepherders at Jamian’s (9 pm)

Red Bank - Junco Partners at Triumph Brewery (9 pm)

Sunday 1/25

Asbury Park - Swinging Sundays Jazz Night at The Asbury Hotel (7 pm)

Holmdel - Valerie Rose at Fox Hollow Vineyard (2 pm)

Did we miss a an event? Let us know.

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