Spirits

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  Art of Drink

• Lubricant

  Darcy O'Neil

  21 Jan 2010 | 7:41 pm

  Convincing people to buy a book can be a challenging proposition, so I've decided to sweeten the deal. Anyone who purchases a copy of Fix the Pumps by February 28, 2010 will be entered into a draw for a bag of loot. "What kind of loot?" you say. Well, a lot of cool and interesting stuff that I've written about on Art of Drink and some new stuff from my soda fountain research. So here's the deal: buy the ebook version of Fix the Pumps and you'll be entered into a draw, it's that simple. If you have already purchased a copy, then you are already entered. Now, I'm obviously bias when it comes to…

• Ice Culture

  Darcy O'Neil

  11 Jan 2010 | 7:47 pm

  For Part III of my look into crystal clear ice, I ventured to a company less than an hour from where I live that specializes in making clear ice. It should be no surprise that a company located in Canada is doing amazing things with ice, but the fact that they ship the ice to the four corners of the globe is impressive. Their key to success is the sheer quantity of crystal clear ice they produce on any given day and their ability to sculpt it into fascinating structures.

• Making Clear Ice – Part 2 of 3

  Darcy O'Neil

  6 Jan 2010 | 7:29 pm

  Like diamonds, the attraction of clear ice isn’t fully understood, but it does look good in a drink. As we discussed in the previous post, the problem with making clear ice is that water doesn’t willingly transform into flawless crystals cubes, it chooses instead to go mirror cracking ugly when frozen because of its non-conformist behaviour of expanding when it forms a solid. Since we’ve learned how water behaves when it turns to ice, we can adjust the physical environment to accommodate these variables, which should lead to crystal clear ice.

• Does Caffeine Cause Dehydration? No!

  Darcy O'Neil

  31 Dec 2009 | 12:17 pm

  No! No! No! In normal amounts (up to 5 cups of coffee) the caffeine content does not cause dehydration and there is a lot of scientific research to back that claim up. However, if you perform an Internet search for the terms “caffeine dehydrate hangover” the top results come back saying that it does. Now I will say again “No it doesn’t!”. This is a major flaw in search engines algorithms because the older the page and the more people that link to it, the more authority it has, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. These search results only help to propagate out dated research and…

• Slow Cocktails

  Darcy O'Neil

  29 Dec 2009 | 11:05 am

  It has come to my attention that Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails has taken up new blog diggs at Slow Cocktails. It seems Wayne has been quietly building up some posts, 25 so far, including the relatable “The Press Release I Didn’t Finish Reading…” posts. If you like well written articles and are looking for some interesting reading, go check it out. At the very least plug it into your RSS reader.

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  Blogging Tales of the Cocktail: 2009

• 2010 Cocktail Apprentice Program

  dietsch

  6 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm

  Details are available now on the main Tales site about this year’s apprentice program, including all the requirements to participate and the procedures for applying. Be sure to check it out.

• Getting punchy: Cocktail competition 2010

  dietsch

  26 Jan 2010 | 7:26 am

  Tales of the Cocktail in partnership with Culinary Concierge Magazine, Tasting Panel Magazine and CocktailTimes.com invite you to submit a winning recipe for the Official Cocktail Competition of the 8th Annual Tales of the Cocktail. For our eighth anniversary, we are punching things up with our annual cocktail competition. If you think your skills are up to the challenge, we would like you to create a Planter’s Punch that we can use as our official cocktail at this year’s event. Almost every famous Tiki drink is based on the Planter’s Punch. The Zombie is a turbo- charged Planter’s,…

• Kick off Tales of the Cocktail 2010

  dietsch

  5 Jan 2010 | 11:57 am

  With only six months to go before Tales of the Cocktail 2010, we’re going to wake up the spirits a little early for a celebration of what’s to come. Join us as we share an Herbsaint Original Frappé on the steps of the Hotel Monteleone to kick off the countdown to the most spirited event of the summer. We will unveil this year’s theme and artwork created by Derek Yaniger and preview some of the events that will bring the spirits to life. January 21, 2009 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm Hotel Monteleone Front Steps

• Talesblog 2010

  dietsch

  5 Jan 2010 | 11:57 am

  Tap, tap… Is this thing on? It’s about time to get this moving again. We’ll be making some announcements soon about changes to the editorship and format of this blog. Some things didn’t run as smoothly as we’d have liked in the fast, fast pace of last year’s Tales, and we have some plans in place to address some of the problems. So stay tuned, please. Meanwhile, the main Tales 2010 site is slowly starting to go live. If you check over there now, you’ll see links to room specials at the partner hotels and, honestly, it’s not too early to book…

• Additional Reading

  camper

  2 Sep 2009 | 11:20 am

  Camper English is a freelance spirits and cocktails writer in San Francisco. He chronicles his explorations of fine drinking at Alcademics. If you missed one of Philip Duff’s talks at Tales of the Cocktail or want a reminder of what you heard at one, note that he’s put his slides up online at: http://www.slideshare.net/philipduff His talks were: Take a right at Albuquerque Liquid Nudging Low Country Libations The Fine Art of Banging Out Drinks

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  Liquor Snob

• 360 Vodka Releases Cola and Chocolate Flavors

  Liquor Snob

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:38 pm

  We have to admit, we haven't exactly been pining for two more flavored vodkas, but we are interested in these two. 360 Vodka, which we were familiar with as an eco-friendly spirit, has just released two new varieties - 360 Cola and 360 Double Chocolate. According to the 360 Website: The 360 Flavors are sure to take your taste buds on a wild ride. Relive the first time you ever experienced the spicy zip of cola. Enjoy the smooth, sweet taste of premium chocolate in your new favorite mixed cocktail. One thing's for sure, you've never tasted a vodka like this before.We're fans of vodka and Coke…

• Seagram's 7 Dark Honey Arrives for Review

  Liquor Snob

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:47 am

  Last week, we posted about Seagram's 7 Dark Honey, positing it was Seagram's' attempt to hit the same "I don't like whiskey" market that Beam seems to be targeting with Red Stag.The folks at Seagram's were kind enough to send us a bottle of the stuff for us to try it out ourselves, and based on our initial tasting, we have to say we weren't too far off the mark. We're trying to get better about turnaround time on reviewing the products we receive, so we'll post our initial thoughts here and hopefully be able to come back with some thoughts on how to mix it. The bottle itself is interesting, a…

• Bacardi True Originals: The Hummingbird

  Liquor Snob

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:30 am

  There's a new series of videos made by Bacardi, where a man is on a hunt for the greatest bartender on the planet. This particular bartender (side note: never call female bartenders "bartendress" - we have a friend who learned that the hard way after being ejected from a Boston bar) is called "The Hummingbird" because of her speed and grace while she attends to her nectar. We have to admit, we wish we could watch her flitting around outside our window while we drink our coffee. If you like this vid, which we got from Mixology.eu, check out the other one, called The Samurai.

• Get Your Joan Jett on With Blackheart Rum

  Liquor Snob

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:30 am

  Are we dating ourselves with a Joan Jett & the Blackhearts reference? Maybe. But we couldn't avoid it, because it was the first thing that popped into our heads when we read the press release from Heaven Hill announcing the launch of Blackheart Premium Spiced Rum. Here's what they have to say about it: Blackheart Rum is named for the sultry seductress of the high seas. Blackheart is bold and bawdy, cunning and cutthroat, sexy and seductive and left a trail of broken hearts wherever she traveled - that is how she came to be known as Blackheart. This is her rum. Blackheart Rum weighs in at a…

• Liquor Snob Monthly Roundup: January 2010

  Liquor Snob

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:49 pm

  Welcome to 2010, dear readers, and we have to say - we started this year like we've started many others. Souls crushed and barely able to get out of bed, bleary-eyed and headachey, we limped into 2010 like we did pretty much other year in this decade. The only difference was we were feeling the effects of an evil monster cold that tore its way through the Liquor Snob offices. It was like we had hangovers without the benefit of getting drunk first...not recommended. We hope you didn't have such an unauspicious start to the year, but whether you did or didn't, check out the stories we covered…

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  Drinks After Dark

• In Toronto? Whisky for Haiti

  Colleen

  21 Jan 2010 | 3:09 pm

• Limited Edition, Kahlua Coffee Cream

  Colleen

  9 Dec 2009 | 8:47 am

  Oh my. This is definitely not the Kahlúa you might be used to. This is delightful, eye-rollingly yummy and goes down so very very smoothly. I love my coffee, and will drink it at almost any time during the day. Nothing suits aromatic, freshly brewed coffee like fresh cream. As a nod to the art of java and to whet the appetites of coffee connoisseurs, comes Kahlúa Coffee Cream.  This limited-edition premium coffee liqueur combines Kahlúa, which is made from handpicked Arabica coffee beans, along with fresh, natural cream; a simple yet bold way to add a little indulgence to the…

• Nat Decants: Food & Wine Matcher

  Colleen

  8 Dec 2009 | 2:38 pm

  Natalie MacLean is one of Canada’s most respected wine writers. Her columns are insightful and interesting and she doesn’t get into the kinda of snobby wine critiques that some writers have been known for. Natalie has created a widget for wine aficionados, writers and foodies to include on their website, or carry around on their iPhone or Blackberry. (Drinks after Dark has installed the widget here.) You can use the matcher by choosing your favourite food or your wine of choice, and see what will pop up for either. You’ll also find dishes to go with wine, cocktails,…

• Vinturi White Wine Aerator

  Colleen

  24 Nov 2009 | 9:36 am

  Wine needs to breathe, it just opens up and tastes better, but if you’re anything like me, I wither don’t think far enough ahead to decant, or I just want wine when I open it. Thankfully, the Vinturi is my new best friend. I’ve got a Vinturi red wine aerator, and when the opportunity came to try out the white wine aerator, I was, yet again, skeptical but interested. ‘Surely white wine doesn’t change dramatically enough to need to be aerated!?’. I should really just stop being so skeptical and listen when I’m told something. It’s a longstanding…

• Show off your spirit of choice!

  Colleen

  23 Nov 2009 | 9:05 am

  “What’ll it be?” - the question every bartender the world over asks when patrons saunter up to their bar.  Show your drink preference with one of Buji Bijoux’s Gatsby Tag necklaces and never end up with the wrong drink again. “Gatsby Tags,” Buji Bijoux designer May Chen took a quick turn to retool early 1900s liquor tags into brassy necklace charms.  Retail prices run from $206 to $313 and are available in some of the trendiest shops, stops, and boutiques around North America. A resident of New York by way of New England, the Midwest, and the Far East,…

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  Girly Drinks

• I’m Chuck Bass: Gossip Girl Cocktails from The Empire Hotel

  Rachel

  25 Jan 2010 | 1:48 am

  I’m Chuck Bass: Gossip Girl Cocktails from The Empire Hotel is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. I’m Chuck Bass: Gossip Girl Cocktails from The Empire Hotel is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. I jumped on the Gossip Girl bandwagon late, but I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a fan. Luckily, I’m not alone in my fascination with the GC characters - grown women [...]

• 12 Astrology Cocktails

  Rachel

  24 Jan 2010 | 8:51 pm

  12 Astrology Cocktails is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. 12 Astrology Cocktails is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. What’s your drink sign? Mixologist Claire Smith shares fun, festive recipes for your zodiac sign: Taurus: Black Raspberry Milkshake Gemini: Orange Blossom Negroni Cancer: Polish Mule Leo: Veuve Cliquot Clemintini Virgo: Citrus Cider Mojito Pisces: Deconstructed Mojito Aries: 10 Cane Light and Stormy Libra: Grand Margarita Scorpio: Belvedere [...]

• Drink Video of the Day 1/23: Patron Spiced Chocolate Drinks

  Rachel

  23 Jan 2010 | 2:55 pm

  Drink Video of the Day 1/23: Patron Spiced Chocolate Drinks is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. Drink Video of the Day 1/23: Patron Spiced Chocolate Drinks is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. Today’s Drink Video of the Day comes from Playboy Playmate of the Year 2009, Ida Ljungqvist. Ida mixes up a Patron Spiced Chocolate: 1 1/2 oz Patron Reposado 1 oz Patro XO Cafe 3/4 oz [...]

• Low Calorie Cocktails: Skinny Cocktails To Keep Your Diet On Track

  Rachel

  13 Jan 2010 | 2:21 pm

  Low Calorie Cocktails: Skinny Cocktails To Keep Your Diet On Track is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. Low Calorie Cocktails: Skinny Cocktails To Keep Your Diet On Track is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. Girly drinks often taste amazing, but cocktails like the Pina Colada can mean ingesting thousands of calories with just one drink! With the New Year kicking off and resolutions still [...]

• XRated Fusion

  Rachel

  13 Jan 2010 | 8:54 am

  XRated Fusion is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. XRated Fusion is a post from: Girly Drinks. Check out more ice wine and martini recipes. Last month, I had the opportunity to try out X Rated Fusion, a blend of ultra premium French vodka and blood oranges, mangoes and passion fruit. X Rated Fusion happens to be the counterpart to one of my favorite go-to vodkas, [...]

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  SpiritsAndCocktails.com

• Combier, Haiti and the Blood and Sand

  Jamie Boudreau

  22 Jan 2010 | 9:38 pm

  I have had in my possession for some time a bottling of Royal Combier Grande Liqueur, and while I had wanted to mention it, I wasn’t sure how to present it, as I’ve already discussed Combier’s other bottling and had compared it favorably to Cointreau in its use in cocktails. My first thought was to [...]

• Bitter Truth to hit U.S. shores

  Jamie Boudreau

  30 Dec 2009 | 12:30 pm

  Big news for all you cocktail nuts out there: Bitter Truth bitters will become more readily available in the U.S. While one can always order them online from Cocktail Kingdom, it appears that one will soon be able to walk into their nearest speciality store and get Bitter Truth bitters at a reasonable price (as [...]

• Public Service Announcement

  Jamie Boudreau

  16 Dec 2009 | 3:46 pm

  The folks at magnificentbastard.com have embarked on a quest to invent a new cocktail called the Magnificent Bastard and are asking mixologists and drink enthusiasts for worthy recipes. In exchange, the winning entrant will receive all the glory for inventing a new cocktail plus a $500 shopping spree at kegworks.com. All the info and entry form is here: http://www.magnificentbastard.com/features/magnificent-bastard-cocktail [...]

• Xmas Shopping Continued…

  Jamie Boudreau

  9 Dec 2009 | 1:40 pm

  To continue with the holiday shopping theme of late, here are a couple of suggestions for the cocktailian in your life that has everything. First off, why not get them a bottle of tequila that they’re sure not to open: one of 1800’s beautiful artist designed bottles? I wrote about this last year, and it remains [...]

• Le Carre and Xante

  Jamie Boudreau

  3 Dec 2009 | 1:50 pm

  Recently I’d received a bottle of Xanté from a PR firm, and while it wasn’t in quite the seductive packaging that my fellow writer Jeffrey received his in, I found it worthy of mentioning, which brings me to the keyboard this evening. A luscious copper hue, I opened the bottle expecting to find a sample of [...]

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  The Cocktail Chronicles

• Boukman Daiquiri

  Paul

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:52 pm

  On my list of things I ignored blogging about in 2009 was this: Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. That’s too bad; this is a great series of events for Seattle-area cocktail people, and the session I attended in November – with Alex Day and Toby Cecchini – was not only wonderfully done, but resulted in me [...]

• MxMo XLVI and beyond

  Paul

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

  After a rousing start to 2010 with the January Mixology Monday, we’re ready to plunge onward with events for February and March. * MxMo XLVI takes place Monday, February 22. Hosting this round is Sonja at Thinking of Drinking, and Sonja has chosen Absinthe as the theme. Here’s her announcement post, and to recap the details: The [...]

• Things I didn’t blog about in 2009

  Paul

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:27 pm

  You know, ignoring a blog is a lot of work, especially if it’s a blog you’ve been running for almost five years. First there are the regular posting habits to break, then the Google Analytics reports to not look at, then the comments to ignore. Comments, such as this one left just this past weekend [...]

• MxMo XLV: There should be a scone in here somewhere…

  Paul

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:50 pm

  I’m on pretty good terms with most drinks in the canon of classical mixology. Things that used to freak me out, like the in-your-face herbaceousness of Chartreuse or the sharp bitter bite of Campari, have long since become things I crave, and even weird and funky stuff like Batavia arrack or a skunky rum are [...]

• MxMo XLV: Tea is January 25

  Paul

  14 Jan 2010 | 11:43 pm

  Some of us — myself included — are still observing Detoxuary, the annual period following the holidays during which you abstain from booze & rich food , but those of you not spending the whole month of January on the wagon — myself included again here — should mark your calendars for the first Mixology [...]

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  Cocktails News

• Top 5 Sexiest Cocktails

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:52 am

  Second, the ingredients must invoke some visceral sense-either with palate-tickling fruit or earthy accents from herbaceous spirits.

• A party that's love at first sight

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:50 pm

  For a truly glamorous Valentine's Day event, bring on the red roses and use plenty of silver and crystal serving pieces.

• Science of Cocktails

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm

  San Francisco's famed science museum, The Exploratorium, recently transformed into a giant cocktail lab for an evening fundraiser.

• The Calorie Counter's Guide to Cocktails

  7 Feb 2010 | 10:49 pm

  Revelers beware: alcoholic beverages can seriously spoil your New Year's resolution to lose a few pounds.

• Happy Hour Super Bowl edition: New Orleans versus Indianapolis in cocktails

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:35 am

  With Super Bowl XLIV upon us, I thought it would be good citizenship on my part to offer a couple of cocktail recipes with which to root on the Saints or the Colts.

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  About.com Cocktails

• Timeless Tipple of the Week: The Honeymoon Cocktail

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:42 am

  Straight out of the 1930's, the Honeymoon Cocktail continues to make me think of an old black and white film where a beauty like Bette Davis or Myrna Loy is swept away by some leading man to her dream honeymoon. It's also quite a fitting cocktail to kick off Valentine's Day week. Given the name, one may think that the Honeymoon is going to be a tropical drink, but that is not the case. Instead, it is essentially an apple brandy martini, with Benedictine and curacao as a modifier, and lemon for a touch of sour. Close to tropical, yes, there are elements of warm days there and they play nicely…

• Poll: Would you like to see bars offer more specialty non-alcoholic drinks?

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:08 pm

  I have been taking the roll of designated driver a lot lately and that experience, along with a recent article on The American Mixologist (Tapping into the Alcohol-Free Crowd), has made me realize the limited options available to the non-drinker in many bars. Sure, you can have soda, coffee, water, or your choice of juice, but what else is there in the way of non-alcoholic drinks? To find anything mixed with the creativity that alcohol drinks are and that is not a Shirley Temple or a Lime and Tonic is very difficult, though more bars are starting to take notice. This seems to be one of the…

• Sipper of the Week: Pernod Absinthe and the Mystic Chocolate

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:54 am

  It is not uncommon when you first introduce someone to absinthe for them to ask, "Well, what can you mix with it?" That's a viable question because the anise is so powerful and it often clouds the newcomer's judgment as to what cocktail flavors are possible using it. I'm sure that one many people would not think about is chocolate, but we're not just talking chocolate, let's add a little cream and butterscotch to the mix. And so you have a Mystic Chocolate. Mystic ChocolatePhoto Courtesy: © Pernod Absinthe This is a tempting cocktail. There is the novelty of the flavor combination, which…

• Submit Your Cocktail Events, Classes and More

  5 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  I am in the process of updating the 2010 calendar of bartending and cocktail events. The first quarter is filling up nicely but I know there are more out there for the entire year. I invite you to tell me about any events you know of by either emailing me at cocktails.guide@about.com or leaving a comment. Events that will be considered are... Bartending classes/courses/training Spirit related conferences and conventions Bartending and cocktail competitions Other cocktail related events with a broad appeal (no local bar promotions please) Thanks in advance. Cocktail and Bartending Event…

• Super Bowl Party Primer

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:38 pm

  Are you expecting a load of guests this Sunday to watch the Super Bowl on your big screen TV? It just so happens that I have some help for this weekend's big party including some of the most recent cocktails added to my game day collection. Maxim Blitz Photo Courtesy: © Patron Tequila Throw a Super Bowl Party - Here you will find some basic tips for planning your Super Bowl Party (or any game day shindig for that matter). Super Bowl XLIV Cocktail Menus - If you are a die hard fan of either team or want to have an impartial party, check out these drink recommendations that cater to this…

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  Liqurious

• #3913 - A spicy spirit from Boliva by way of Amsterdam.

  alcademics

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:46 am

  A spicy spirit from Boliva by way of Amsterdam. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

• #3912 - Your Tiki Month Technique today from the Pegu...

  Pegudoug

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:41 am

  Your Tiki Month Technique today from the Pegu Blog is the upside-down pineapple goblet. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

• #3911 - Boing! The Pogo Stick is a Tiki drink with an...

  Pegudoug

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:08 am

  Boing! The Pogo Stick is a Tiki drink with an innovatively functional garnish. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

• #3910 - Love Potion # 9 - A yummy cocktail or dessert...

  sunny401

  8 Feb 2010 | 4:01 am

  Love Potion # 9 - A yummy cocktail or dessert for your Valentine's Day celebration. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

• #3909 - NOLA.com shares Sazerac #9 ~ winner of the...

  smartkitty

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:02 am

  NOLA.com shares Sazerac #9 ~ winner of the "Drink Like a Saint" contest. (Still thirsty? See Liqurious)

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  Drink of the Week

• Green Tea and Ginger Cocktail

  marcia

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:32 pm

  Green tea balances well in a cocktail. It’s a nice soothing counterpoint to gin and goes well with the spiciness of ginger. Hence this delightful cocktail we created in collaboration with our friend Savvy Housekeeping! The result has the satisfying kick of a gin martini with some added layers of flavor. Green Tea and Ginger Cocktail 1 1/2 oz gin (we used Tru Gin) 1 oz Ginger Liqueur 3/4 oz green tea, brewed Lots of ice Lemon for garnish Brew 1 tea bag in 1 cup of water. Combine 3/4 ounce of tea with gin, ginger liqueur, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Swirl the cocktail in the shaker…

• Super Bowl XLIV Drinking Game

  the Barkeep

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:07 pm

  Today the New Orleans Saints meet the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV. Many will root for their team with food and drink, so why not play a game. A drinking game. As always; drink responsibly, don’t over do it and never drink and drive. We like to keep it simple here at Drink of the Week, so each take one shot (beer, booze, soda, water your choice!) at each of the following: The camera finds it’s way to the Manning Family Peyton’s tie to New Orleans is mentioned The camera finds it’s way to Kim Kardashian Hurricane Katrina in mentioned Talk of how the Colts are…

• Super Bowl XLIV Cocktail: The Blue Stampede

  marcia

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:57 pm

  If you’re rooting for the Colts this Super Bowl Sunday, mix up some blue cocktails to show your love. This cocktail is perfect for making in a big batch and serving out of a punch bowl or pitcher. Easy Super Bowl entertaining! This recipe is from Herradura, which is appropriate since it means “horseshoe” in Spanish. Blue Stampede 1 1/2 ounces Herradura Blanco 2 ounces fresh lime juice 1 ounce agave nectar 1/2 ounce Blue Curacao Pour into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into rocks glass. You can make a bigger batch by multiplying all ingredients by 8 and combining in…

• Super Bowl XLIV Cocktail: Who Dat Highball

  marcia

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:44 pm

  Every Super Bowl party needs a signature cocktail! Here’s one for the Who Dat Nation. This gold highball is a twist on a classic New Orleans cocktail, The Roffignac. Go Saints! Unlike many New Orleans cocktails, it’s easy to make in batches for a crowd. Just keep a mix of the cognac and syrup base in the fridge, and guests can pour themselves a drink and just top off with club soda. Who Dat Highball 2 oz. cognac 1 oz. apple-lemon syrup club soda Fill highball glass with ice. Pour in cognac and syrup. Top off with club soda and garnish with a lemon wheel. *Apple-Lemon Syrup (enough…

• Super Bowl Recipes

  marcia

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:29 pm

  Super Bowl party food is the best! Game time is the perfect time for those snacks you’ve been craving for months. No matter who you’re rooting for, here are a few of our favorite Super Bowl food recipes: Buffalo Wings Creamy Artichoke Dip Slow Cooker Super Bowl Chili Sliders with Chipotle Mayo Mexican Layered Dip Deviled Eggs Bacon Cheddar Popcorn Whiskey Brownies Football-Themed Cocktails Photo credit Ron Almog

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  Dr.Whisky

• Malt Mission 2010 #380

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:03 am

  Penderyn Aur CymruMadeira FinishSingle Malt Welsh Whisky46% abv£35$70 USDWriting very quickly as I am off to New Orleans in an hour. Congratulations, Saints!This bit of Welsh gold was first released in 2004 and comes from Wales' only single malt distillery. Founded in 1998, Penderyn began distilling in 2000 and was recently visited by our friends at Whisky for Everyone. Follow that link for some great distillery facts and insight that will not be repeated here.Instead, let's quickly look at the packaging. Somewhere between a bottle of Glenrothes and a bottle of Drakkar Noir, Penderyn comes…

• Malt Mission 2010 #379

  1 Feb 2010 | 12:03 am

  Hudson Single Malt WhiskeyTuthilltown Distillery46% abv$40 (USD)There is some real, old-fashioned, hand-crafted, family-run whiskey-making going on in the Hudson Valley. If it has taken you until now to realise it then, brother, there is no time to waste. While other American distilleries are working hard to replicate the hand-crafted, small operation aesthetic, these guys are the real thing.Tuthilltown distillery is the first New York distillery since prohibition. They make spirit from several different mash bills, use serveral differently sized barrels for maturation, use heat from…

• Malt Mission 2010 #378

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:12 am

  Connemara 12yoIrish Single Malt Whiskey 40% abv£55$95 (USD)Another Irish drop, and an unusual one at that as it's only distilled twice (most Irish is triple-distilled). And in pot stills, no less, the way God intended..."The saviour of Irish whisky", the artist formerly known as John Teeling, purchased this County Louth-based distillery and Christened it Cooley, the artist formerly known as Ceimici Teo. Launched in 1996, Connemara was the name they gave the pot-still produced spirit and in 2003 this limited-availability 12 year old was launched.While many spirits producers saw tough times in…

• Malt Mission 2010 #377

  20 Jan 2010 | 2:31 am

  Connemara Cask Strength Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey 57.9% abv £44 $65 (USD)$95 (CAD)Don't yet know if this will be a string of all Irish whiskies (couldn't have waited til mid-March, Doc?), but we will just take it one dram at a time.We tasted the 40% abv version of the peated Connemara back at Malt Mission #102 (feels like forever ago). This version comes in at 57.9% abv and has nothing added, nothing taken away (ie no water to reduce strength and it is not chill-filtered). Although such practices seem to be criticised today by malt enthusiasts who spend time in online fora and…

• Malt Mission 2010 #376

  18 Jan 2010 | 12:55 am

  Jameson Irish Whiskey 40% abv£17 $25 (USD) $30 (CAD)Married to a member of the Haig Scotch whisky dynasty, founder John Jameson moved from Scotland to Ireland and began making the water of life in 1780. Originally produced at one of the six Dublin distilleries, Jameson is now distilled way south at the Midleton distillery in Cork, an impressively large complex built adjacent to the old Midleton distillery. The "new" Midleton distillery makes Jameson (a mixture of pot still and grain-distilled spirit of malted barley, green barley, and other grains), along with RedBreast (100% pot still, but…

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  WhiskyCast

• WhiskyCast Episode 238: February 7, 2010

  Mark Gillespie

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:20 pm

  Call it beginner's luck if you want, but Peter Hart's first batch of single malt spirit received rave reviews at the recent Victoria Whisky Festival...even though it was only two months old. Peter's the distiller at Victoria Spirits, a converted British Columbia winery now producing highly-regarded gin and as we'll learn in this episode, plans to produce a 100% British Columbia single malt whisky. In the news, the first interview with Al Fastier of the Antarctic Heritage Trust on the successful recovery of not just two cases of Sir Ernest Shackleton's 100-year-old whisky, but a third case of…

• WhiskyCast Episode 237: January 30, 2010

  Mark Gillespie

  30 Jan 2010 | 7:13 pm

  As I reported in the last episode, Maker's Mark is working on a new bourbon. This time around, Master Distiller Kevin Smith sits down with me to taste "Profile 51", which will be released this summer. That's the unofficial name for the new whiskey, which will be bottled at a higher proof than Maker's Mark and will have a completely different taste. In the news, new whiskies from Glenfiddich, Tullibardine, and The Glenrothes, support for Haitian earthquake relief, and Chivas may need years to recover from the damage caused by this winter's storms. Finally, there's a new contest for WhiskyCast…

• WhiskyCast Episode 236: January 23, 2010

  Mark Gillespie

  23 Jan 2010 | 5:22 pm

  This time around, I'm on location at the Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia, and I'm joined by a panel of whisky experts to discuss some of the issues facing whisky producers and drinkers alike. Jim Murray, Malt Maniac Davin De Kergommeaux, Ed Patrick of Canada's Companions of the Quaich, Stuart Nickerson of Glenglassaugh, Andrew Gray of Bruichladdich, and Dan Tullio of Canadian Club discuss the state of Canadian whisky, government regulation and taxes, premiumization, and their dream drams. In the news, Maker's Mark is experimenting with a new formula that may or may not make it to…

• WhiskyCast Episode 235: January 16, 2010

  Mark Gillespie

  16 Jan 2010 | 8:50 pm

  Dewar's is one of Scotland's iconic whiskies, thanks to the efforts of generations of the Dewar family. Ian Buxton has just released a new book, "The Enduring Legacy of Dewar's", in cooperation with Dewar's owner Bacardi, and he joins us via Skype from Edinburgh to share some of Dewar's history. In the news, whisky and politics, whisky and sports, and whisky with a smoky kick!  

• WhiskyCast Episode 234: January 10, 2010

  Mark Gillespie

  9 Jan 2010 | 9:14 pm

  China may well become the world's largest whisky market over the next decade, and Ian Chang is hoping his Kavalan single malt becomes the choice of Chinese whisky lovers. Kavalan is the first single malt whisky distilled in Taiwan, and even though its first releases are only three years old, Kavalan has already won several medals in international whisky competitions. In the news, heavy snow damages 21 Chivas Brothers warehouses holding 100 million gallons of whisky, Diageo prepares for the second release in the Manager's Choice Series, and we'll hear from the editor of Australia's first…

• 
  Nonjatta

• Kirin and Suntory will not merge

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:56 pm

  Suntory and Kirin have called off their merger talks.The sticking point appears to have been the controlling stake that the family that owns Suntory would have had in the new structure. The merger was attempting to bring together a publicly listed company (Kirin) and a relatively small but almost completely family-owned private company (Suntory). The Suntory family would have ended up with a controlling holding of about a third of shares in the new entity. This was evidently too much for Kirin's existing management and owners. (Update: Wall Street Journal has a quote from a Kirin…

• Ichiro Akuto and Marcin Miller in Paris

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:46 pm

  Akuto-san speaking in Tokyo last yearUpdate: For latest details on Marcin and Akuto's European appearances, see Marcin's Twitter feed. Ichiro Akuto, Japan's leading independent whisky distiller, and his European distributor Marcin Miller will be sharing their drinks and their thoughts in Paris next week.Akuto, the man behind the respected "Ichiro's Malt" single malts and the new Chichibu distillery in Saitama, and Miller, of the Number One Drinks Company, will talk at a sell-out dinner at Hanawa, a top Japanese restaurant just off the Champs Elysee, on Wednesday, February 9.The event is being…

• Paris scene is buzzing

  29 Jan 2010 | 3:22 am

  Bar Curio, first specialist Japanese whisky bar outside of JapanIt has slowly dawned on me in recent weeks that Paris is, without doubt, become the most exciting city for Japanese whisky outside of Japan itself.Last month, Nonjatta carried an item about a temporary store devoted entirely to the Japanese good stuff opened by La Maison du Whisky at 6 Carrefour de L' Odéon in the French capital.The response was so enthusiastic that the store stayed open until January 23, a week later than originally planned (update: according to Kenneth Maxwell, author of the excellent WSJ article last week,…

• Interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on Japanese whisky

  21 Jan 2010 | 2:12 am

  An excellent article about Japanese whisky has just popped up on the Wall Street Journal website. Kenneth Maxwell, deputy Tokyo bureau chief for Dow Jones newswires, interviewed myself and others about the prospect of Japanese whisky becoming a serious export commodity. Until now, the industry has basically been all about the domestic Japanese market.

• Whiskycast on Japan and the King Car distillery, Taiwan

  20 Jan 2010 | 7:29 pm

  King Car distillery, TaiwanI forgot to mention that Mark Gillespie of the Whiskycast podcast (itunes), which is essential listening for anyone interested in whisky, interviewed me in the middle of the New Year festivities over here. I am not sure how much light I shone on Japanese whisky but Mark was his usual professional self while I stumbled over my sentences (link to interview on Mark's website).Perhaps of more interest was an interview in the very next episode of whiskycast (episode 234, January 10; interview link) with Ian Chang from the King Car distillery in Taiwan. I try to interpret…

• 
  caskstrength.net - whisky blog

• Content On The Continent - Part 2

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:18 am

  'Ross Beef' pulls into town.... So, if you've been following my previous exploits, you'll find me in fine fettle, full of roast Cuckoo (well, what I thought to be Cuckoo, turned out to be a Belgian chicken... boo) having just sampled one of Belgians first whiskies. My story shifts now to an unfeasibly early start to catch the train from Brussels Midi into Gare Du Nord, the gateway of Paris. I had been rather caught up by relaxed lifestyle Brussels has to offer and found several superb pubs you must visit on your travels... Firstly, A La Mort Subite has some superb ales on tap, followed by the…

• Content on the Continent - Part One

  23 Jan 2010 | 6:02 am

  Having a 'hoot' in Belgium....Apologies for our slight delay in posting new reports on whisky-flavoured goodies - January has proved to be a very busy month for both myself and Joel, but things are starting to resume their normal course now. Anyway, one of the reasons for the delay was that I recently embarked on a malt mission to the continent, in search of Europe's finest.It's amazing to think that in the past decade, we've seen new whiskies emerge from all over the globe, with notable successes from Sweden in the shape of Mackmyra, Penderyn from Wales and now of course, the rollercoaster…

• It's The Final Countdown...

  16 Jan 2010 | 1:55 am

  There is very little more exiting things in life than seeing your best friends getting married. Today is the wedding of a life-long friend and many-time whisky partner, Rich. It was Rich who bravely offered to accompany me on my first ever trip to Islay, where he insisted we should be sans-motorcar and use good old fashioned push-bikes instead. Anyone who has ever been to Islay in their "rainy season" (which runs Jan - Dec most years!) will know that, despite the drams on offer, it is preferable to use a motorcar as transport...But what better way to spend the evening before the big day,…

• More Managers Choices to make....

  8 Jan 2010 | 2:20 pm

  A new year begins and with it, the next batch Managers' Choice whiskies are released. Monday 11th will see another flight of this vast collection of exclusive bottlings hit the shelves and no doubt, a few piggy banks will be smashed open in readiness. We got the opportunity in December to try a few of them, including a sublime Talisker (which you can read notes of here, as well as the Glen Spey and Inchgower ) and a highly commendable Dalwhinnie (below).Here's the skinny on the next releases - no prices, but expect them to be around the similar mark to the last flight: Blair Athol: 54.7% -…

• The Only Dram in The Village....

  6 Jan 2010 | 7:45 am

  Joel, after a little too much Christmas pudding,poses in his new catsuit.Snow has descended on London and of course, everything stops working. So rather than head into town for the sales like every other crazy person, I've decided to stay by the fire with my faithful companion Bobby and watch a particularly festive scene unfold in Penge, where Caskstrength towers are located. Some of the neighbours have forgotten to take down their Christmas lights and i'm presented with a winter scene best served up a few weeks ago, with mulled wine and a few mince pies.I have just finished the remainder of…

• 
  The Chuck Cowdery Blog

• Yum!

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:09 pm

  Last night I was in Austin, Texas, and looking for something to eat. During the day, I had heard how Austin has seen a boom recently in food wagons, including some operated by legit chefs. It is a lot cheaper than starting a new restaurant and in a city that holds its weirdness as a point of pride, why not?Typically, it's a trailer in a parking lot. The trailer is both kitchen and sales counter. It's strictly carry-out unless you want to sit on the curb.The one I happened upon last night was about where Fifth Street meets I-35. I had been promenading east along Sixth Street, naturally, where…

• New. Reader. Mailed.

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:53 am

  I just now walked across the street and dropped the latest issue of The Bourbon Country Reader (Volume 12, Number 5) into the mailbox. This time we remember the proud whiskey-making history of Peoria, Illinois. Don't laugh. In 1880, Peoria led the nation in distilled spirits production (most of it whiskey). Peoria distilleries made more than 18 million gallons, compared to just 15 million for all of Kentucky.Speaking of Kentucky, the Kentucky Distillers' Association has just released a report about bourbon's economic impact on Kentucky. We share some highlights.And we review the Woodford…

• Sazerac Explains, Sort Of.

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:44 am

  When I heard that Sazerac had withdrawn from the KDA, I sent a note to Sazerac spokesperson Angela Traver asking why. Here is her reply:"After being a member of the KDA for a long period of time, we elected to evaluate that membership and decided that it is in the best interests of all our distilleries to chart a course independently of the KDA. Tours at Buffalo Trace and Tom Moore will continue. We have even added some new and fun stuff to our Trace Tour—a Cooperage Display provided by Independent Stave and a trip into Warehouse D, which has a few surprises. We also will be opening some…

• Sazerac Quits KDA, Bourbon Trail.

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:41 pm

  On New Year's Eve, the Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) received a letter from Sazerac, Inc., notifying it that Sazerac was withdrawing from the KDA effective immediately. No reason was given. Since it is no longer a member of KDA, Sazerac's two Kentucky distilleries--Buffalo Trace and Tom Moore--are no longer part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.The people at KDA have not subsequently received an explanation, and have not announced the resignation as such, but today they put out a routine press release about the election of officers and directors (Chris Morris is the new Chairman),…

• George T. Stagg, the Candy Bar.

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:08 pm

  BonBonBar is a very small candy maker in Northern California. As they put it, "BonBonBar combines the fun of candy bars with the quality of artisan confections."Some time ago they did a Scotch Candy Bar using Talisker Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch.Their new creation, the Bourbon Candy Bar, combines George T. Stagg bourbon (the 2008, 141.8° proof expression) with caramel, dark chocolate, Maldon salt, and black pepper. There is a corn wafer embedded in the top surface. They're $5 each in boxes of three or six. Bourbon candies are pretty common in Kentucky. Bourbon balls are…

• 
  Irish Whiskey Notes

• Islands of Scotland

  David

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:17 am

  The new year didn't properly kick off until last week, with the first Irish Whiskey Society tasting of 2010. Scottish native (and founder of the society) Michael Foggarty brought us on a tour around the coast of Scotland, stopping at each island distillery along the way. The whiskies had nothing particular in common but they were individually interesting and the clockwise progression helped to

• Budget 2010

  David

  15 Dec 2009 | 4:22 pm

  Something unusual happened last week in Ireland: our Minister for Finance reduced the price of alcohol. The price difference between here and Northern Ireland was enticing hordes of southerners across the border to load up on wine and spirits. While there, they were picking up the rest of their weekly shop. The government estimated the loss in VAT and excise for 2009 at between €72m and €112m.

• John Hansell knows Irish whiskey

  David

  2 Dec 2009 | 9:12 am

  I refer you to a post on John Hansell's blog for a slew of Irish whiskey updates. There is solid info on the changing composition of Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve from year-to-year, and news on the availability of Powers, Redbreast and Paddy in the US (I know that's going to make a certain person happy!). Note also the implication behind the arrival of Redbreast 15yo in the US. Even in Ireland

• The President's Selection

  David

  27 Nov 2009 | 5:19 am

  We had the last Irish Whiskey Society meeting of 2009 on Wednesday. Before scoffing a few top-notch whiskeys we rattled through the formality of our first AGM. The President, Gary Mongey, recapped the year and it really was amazing to see everything that had been achieved in such a short time. The society is now a well-oiled machine with varied, monthly tastings and money in the bank for future

• Grand Crew Irish Whiskey

  David

  11 Oct 2009 | 1:43 pm

  This is probably the Irish whiskey story of 2009, at least as far as I'm concerned. The tale goes back to 1959, when the Grand Canal that crosses this country was closed to commercial traffic. That broke a longstanding link between the canal and various distilleries that received water-borne raw materials and fuel, and sent out whiskey by the same route. One such distillery was Locke's in

• 
  American Hooch

• Old Forester

  Nathan

  23 Jan 2010 | 1:42 pm

  I’m a loyal fan to the Old Forester Birthday Bourbon series – every year I look forward to its release and each year it is surprising and interesting in a different way.  However, I’ve somehow never managed to try their main release.  Old Forester claims to be America’s first bottled bourbon, and if I remember my Cowdery correctly, this is a result of George Brown desiring to guarantee the quality of the ‘medicinal’ bourbon he sold.  By bottling only the spirit from barrels that met his standards, his customers/patients could be assured that they were…

• Cornelius Applejack

  Nathan

  13 Jan 2010 | 6:13 pm

  It’s been too long since my last post, but I’ve got something I’m excited about to kick off the new year: Cornelius Applejack.  Anyone who has read a few entries on this blog has no doubt encountered the fact that I am a big fan of American apple brandies and take every opportunity to try one.  So, seeing this new entry at Astor Wines a couple weeks ago made my day. Cornelius is made by Harvest Spirits – whose Pear Brandy I’ve written about before – located in upstate New York, which also happens to produce an incredible volume of apples every year making…

• Four Roses Yellow

  Nathan

  9 Dec 2009 | 7:23 pm

  Four Roses Small Batch was one of the earliest bourbons I tasted for American Hooch and now I’ve come back to try their entry-level offering here in the US, the so-called ‘Yellow’.  The Four Roses series is often described as a less aggressive, rounder bourbon in contrast to the the many big, oaky, charred offerings on the shelf.  The Small Batch definitely lived up to that, here’s hoping that the lower-priced Yellow doesn’t mean significantly reduced quality. Stats: - $20ish - 80 proof - Made by Four Roses Distillery (acquired a few years ago by Kirin)…

• Old Rip Van Winkle

  Nathan

  2 Dec 2009 | 8:07 pm

  The second of the Van Winkle line I’ve tried for this blog, Old Rip Van Winkle (107 proof variety) is one of the entry-level tiers of the esteemed line of bourbons that includes the famed Pappy Van Winkles.  All the Van Winkles are wheated bourbons, so I’m expecting that softer edge to come through, but the extra aging (ten years total) might complicate that a bit. Apologies for not providing my own photo here, the camera is having some battery trouble tonight. Stats: - $30ish - Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery - 107 proof Presentation: This is definitely a package that pushes its…

• Eagle Rare Single Barrel

  Nathan

  16 Nov 2009 | 7:12 pm

  Eagle Rare seems to have changed hands a few times in its history.  Starting off in the ’70s as a Seagram brand, the bourbon is now in the hands of Buffalo Trace Distillery – and that’s a good thing considering they produce some of my favorites like W.L. Weller and Buffalo Trace.  By all accounts this seems to be a classic bourbon aiming for a classy slot on the shelf yet comes in cheaper than I’d expected. Stats: - $25ish - Buffalo Trace Distillery - 90 proof Presentation: The first descriptor that comes to mind for the Eagle Rare line’s packaging is…

• 
  Dowd on Drinks

• ‘Saratoga Sip’ to aid cystic fibrosis group

  William Dowd

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:33 pm

  “Saratoga Sip,” a wine tasting fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Northeastern New York Chapter, has been set for Saturday, March, 20 in the Vapor nightclub at Saratoga Gaming & Raceway. The 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. event of wine plus food from a variety of local restaurants will include live entertainment by the New York [...]

• Florida medal avalanche for NY contingent

  William Dowd

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:53 am

  New York State wines and grape juice products usually fare well in major competitions, so it probably shouldn’t have come as a big surprise how well they did in the Florida State Fair International Wine and Grape Juice Competition that concluded Saturday in Tampa. Swedish Hill Blanc de Blanc won “Best Sparkling Wine” and Arbor [...]

• State gets its first Hops Institute

  William Dowd

  6 Feb 2010 | 3:58 pm

  The bulk of news about locally-made alcoholic beverages in New York usually deals with wine. Now, the sudsy side of the equation has something to talk about. A coalition of forces has created the state’s first Hops Institute which will hold an ongoing series of courses aimed at educating anyone involved in the brewing industry. The Institute’s [...]

• Schumer push gets feds to back down on wine

  William Dowd

  6 Feb 2010 | 1:48 pm

  The New York State wine industry no doubt will be sending a collective thank-you note to U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, and a few other members of the state’s congressional delegation that backed him. The Obama administration will be withdrawing a proposal that would have increased costs for New York and other U.S. firms that export [...]

• Latham wine event to aid seniors’ home heating

  William Dowd

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:24 pm

  The Century House restaurant and conference center will be the site of the 5th annual Warmth of Wine on Thursday, February 25. The event is a fundraiser for Colonie Senior Service Centers Inc. to help older persons with their home heating bills. Wine tastings, hors de’oeuvres and other cuisine plus silent and live auctions are included in [...]

• 
  Olly Wehring's beverage industry blog - from just-drinks.com

• Wine writers - criticising the critics

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am

  It's open season for critics of wine critics here in the UK this month. Last week, US wine personality (I struggle still to find out what it is he actually does) Tim Hanni attacked wine critics en masse, claiming that the breed are of little use to the wine consumer in the street. "We've created the false idea that to be a wine expert you have to have an almost supernatural palate," he told the Guardian. "But, ironically, if anyone really did have such a palate, it would disqualify them from being an oracle to those who didn't. "Received wisdom holds that certain wines are simply the best,…

• Survey time - We ask the questions

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:34 am

  At the beginning of last year, the performance of the drinks sector in 2009 was pretty easy to forecast. After all, as 2008 came to a close, it was clear that the prognosis for the following 12 months was not good. One year on, however, and the future is a little tougher to forecast. So, just-drinks is asking its readers what they think 2010 has in store for our industry.   We've put together a short questionnaire, which will only take a few minutes of your time. Once the responses have been compiled, I will send you the results. The survey is live now, so please dive in and have your…

• Everything you always wanted to know about Champagne...

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:09 am

  If, like us, you're based in the UK and, like us, you prefer your peers to believe that you know more than you actually do, then this little black book might come in handy. Champagne Lanson is celebrating its 250th anniversary in the UK this year by offering a pocket guide to all things champenoise, ‘The Little Black Book of Champagne’. The 52-page book offers a guide to the different taste profiles of malolactic and non-malolactic styles of Champagne and helps to put into context the role that taste should play when choosing Champagne. Retailing at GBP5.99, the guide will be…

• Vodkat - Is this problem really an opportunity?

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:10 am

  Diageo's legal victory against 22% abv 'vodka look-a-like' Vodkat last week has been hailed as "a major step in the legal protection of the vodka category" by the Gin & Vodka Association (GVA). Vodkat brand owner Intercontinental Brands (ICB) is still mulling over a possible appeal against the High Court ruling that it was passing Vodkat off as a full-strength vodka, but what will the longer-term knock-on effects be of the Vodkat saga? The brand sold nearly 9m litres, netting revenues of over GBP50m, in the period from its launch in May 2005 to late 2009 - making it the fastest growing…

• Whisky and haggis

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:18 am

  Diageo is pushing its Talisker Scotch whisky as an accompaniment to food and haggis is top of the menu. Whether you pour your Talisker onto your haggis, or merely sip it alongside, Diageo is keen to make more of the combination. Haggis sales in the UK rose by 19% to GBP8.8m (US$14.2m) in 2009, said the Scottish Government on Monday (25 January), the date when Scots celebrate the life of national poet Robert Burns. As two icons of Scottish culture, whisky and haggis could not be more different. One induces romantic images of glens, lochs and moors, while the other tends to conjure…

• 
  Bevlog

• Bacardi with Aloe

  admin

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am

  Here is Bacardi Torched Cherry Rum with Natural Flavors. It is apparently made with “torched plant aloe.” The use of aloe as a flavor is curious because it’s not clear how aloe tastes, and various sources say aloe does not taste especially good. This product is one of very few TTB products that seem to contain aloe. Even these find no room for aloe. As of this writing, the other flavors in the line are: Dragon Berry Limon Peach Raspberry Orange Coconut Apple Melon Apart from aloe, this label suggests TTB will allow the term “Rum” to appear larger than “with…

• Beer made with Vodka

  admin

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am

  This approval shows a tremendous amount of change in eight short years. First of all, it is hard to imagine that the Bureau would ever allow the term “vodka” on a beer label. Somehow I don’t think that would fly in this day and age. Further, the qualification seems to mandate the use of this term, in a particular way. The qualification suggests that the arrangement of the words may lead to controversy, rather than the reference to vodka and a famous vodka brand on a beer label. Pages 12-22 of this document show the controversy. Second, the product is gone. So is the named…

• Keg Wine

  admin

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:55 am

  It’s a good thing TTB never got far with the proposal to ban non-traditional containers. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have beer in boxes, spirits in a skull, nor the wine in steel kegs above. From the looks of this approval, Jordan Kivelstadt plans to pack high-end wines in 20 liter refillable kegs. His website says: Free Flow Wines is the first wine company dedicated to producing draught wines. We produce premium wines and “bottle” them in sustainable, stainless steel kegs, for restaurants, bars, and catering companies. Apart from Free Flow and JK Cellars, Jordan is the…

• Gin & Juice & Music

  admin

  28 Jan 2010 | 5:55 am

  Calvin knows a thing or two about the booze business. Not to mention all manner of other intoxicants. (I need to warm up to calling him by his assumed name.) Sixteen years ago Cordazar Calvin Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) released a little song called “Gin & Juice.” It set off a big chain of events. It helped to launch his career, garnering a 1995 Grammy nomination. It also unleashed a slew of covers, such as this country version by The Gourds (it is slightly less obscene than the original, if only because it’s a little harder to make out the words). And most to the point, it…

• Adult Beverages

  admin

  26 Jan 2010 | 5:55 am

  Here it is, in all its glory, at long last. TTB’s “areola” policy. From time to time, depending on the circumstances, TTB will say these particular body parts are “obscene” or “indecent” and must be covered. Here is a recent example of such a rejection. It says “Please cover the areolas on the woman.” And these, by way of another example, are certainly well covered. The label above is Amethystos dry white wine, from the Drama region of Greece. Related Posts: Nude Beer (0) F-Words, F-Bombs and Booze, Part 3 (3) F-Words, F-Bombs and Booze,…

• 
  Standards & Pours

• Punches, acai and absinthe: Rare triple-header evening

  29 Jan 2010 | 12:49 pm

  I remember how I used to get so excited when I could go to two different events back to back. I felt like such a big kid back when I broke that personal record. Well, those days are gone, now that I've tackled the threefer. Especially more daring-do considering you've actually had event nights back to back.So after whiskey night on the 24, on Monday I left work early to visit the Pegu Club. Dave Wondrich was giving his seminar on punches for Bols Genever. Some of you might remember the bitters presentation I went to a while back, which is also part of this educational series that Bols has…

• Whiskey night Sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY!!!

  24 Jan 2010 | 11:48 pm

  I got an invite from Skyy Spirits to come on down to The Back Room and meet some distillers for whiskey brands in their portfolio. I wasn't sure if I wanted to be going to an event on a Sunday when I knew I had to be in work early the next morning, however I reasoned, "Well, it's only a two-hour event. Even though it's starting at nine, it's supposed to end by 11. If I just go for a bit I can be home by midnight."So I ask you, dear, reader, why was I at Nurse Bettie with Carmen Carroll, Jason Codd, Jonathan Forester, Abigail Gullo shooting pickle backs served to us by Moses Laboy? I mean, we…

• Angostura bitters rationing, scary headlines, cocktail trends and you

  6 Jan 2010 | 3:56 pm

  I almost wrote on Facebook "Oh nos!!!!!1 They're takin' our Angostura bitters away, hide the women and children!!!1" in response to a friend linking me to a Gothamist post basically similar to an earlier Eater post on the Angostura bitters shortage that was posted the day before. However, I've realized over the years that sarcasm doesn't really carry all that well on the internet sometimes. At the end of a long work day the headlines were alarming since this is something threatening the supply a good cocktail. However, I still chuckled at William Tigertt's funny tweet: "Panic! Angostura…

• Manhattan Cocktail Classic Preview is looming on the horizon

  25 Sep 2009 | 11:05 am

  As most of you probably know by now, New York finally has its own cocktail extravaganza.Tickets for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic preview (Oct. 3-4) went on sale on Labor Day. According to Manhattan Cocktail Classic founder and director Lesley Townsend, tickets for Sasha Petraske's seminar on the home bar sold out in a blazing three seconds. However, I've been hearing it through the grapevine that there are still some tickets available, especially with certain details got hammered out a little later than others. For example, tickets are still up for grabs for the late add-on barware seminar…

• Gin and musing about cocktails and drinks in general

  25 Sep 2009 | 8:05 am

  After Tales, I needed a break from the blog. A month-long one sounded about right. I guess most people announce they're going away for a sabbatical or some such, but that's if they decided ahead of time to take such a break. For me, it was more like I was simply elbow-deep in NRN.com as we continue to make things better and shinier for folks. Yes, some of you might forget I have a day job. Well, I guess this too is part of my day job, but I mean day job as in duties I handle proper when I'm not out there breaking it down on this blog with what's popping with cocktails.It's events season. Is…

• 
  Beachbum Berry

• NOT NECESSARILY THE NEWS

  Beachbum Berry

  25 Jan 2010 | 4:56 pm

  The Beachbum has been getting some publicity of late.  This is not necessarily a good thing.  As a lifelong deadbeat, the Bum owes a lot of people money.  And if he doesn’t owe them money, he owes them drinks.  The higher his profile, the likelier all these people will be reminded to collect. So please do [...]

• POP CULTURE

  Beachbum Berry

  14 Jan 2010 | 9:11 am

  In the 19th and early 20th centuries, soda fountains were not only as ubiquitous as saloons, they were as dangerous.  Soda jerks served sweet treats variously containing cocaine, lithium, morphine, opium, chloroform, and ether; no wonder bars found themselves competing with soda fountains for customers, who became even more powerfully addicted to soft drinks than [...]

• THINGS GO BETTER WITH OKE

  Beachbum Berry

  13 Jan 2010 | 10:02 am

  Okolehao fans have been waiting for the return of Hawaii’s native whiskey, distilled from the root of the ti plant, for decades now.  The Bum counts himself high among their number, along with his pal Sven Kirsten, author of Tiki Modern and fellow collector of vintage oke decanters (that’s Sven’s shelf pictured above).   We started [...]

• THE COCKTAIL ACHIEVERS

  Beachbum Berry

  25 Dec 2009 | 10:16 am

  The Bum has one thing in common with the U.S. Congress:  neither of us can get anything done.  But the denizens of the Washington, D.C., cocktail circuit appear to have the opposite problem.  They’re addicted not to alcohol, but to accomplishment. Exhibit A:  Eric Felten, author of the book How’s Your Drink?  Cocktails, Culture, and the [...]

• PAINTING THE TOWN

  Beachbum Berry

  21 Dec 2009 | 2:06 pm

  In her new book, Lush Life:  Portraits From The Bar, self-described “saloon artist” Jill DeGroff has captured the personalities of the cocktail world — bartenders and barflies alike — in living watercolor. But she doesn’t stop there.  As you would with a well-mixed drink, Ms. DeGroff balances sweet and bitter by pairing her subjects with anecdotes [...]

• 
  Oh Gosh!

• Win an ice-ball maker!

  Jay

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:43 am

  How would you like to be the envy of all your cocktailian friends with your very own ice-ball maker? Oh Gosh!, in association with Drinksology, are giving you the chance to win an ice-ball maker worth £395, plus a The Bitter Truth cocktail bitters travel kit, a bottle of TBT Elixier, a bottle of Martin Miller's 10th anniversary Gin, a bottle of the rare Martini Bitter, and a Mozart Dry bartender's set. Read on to find out how to win!Continue reading “Win an ice-ball maker!”...

• Great balls of ice

  Jay

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:52 am

  Spend any time with a craft bartender or cocktailian and before long the subject of ice will come up. One of the holy grails in ice is the ice-ball, traditionally prepared in Japan by hand. An ice-ball machine is a great alternative for those who value having ten fingers.Continue reading “Great balls of ice”...

• Funkin’ For Jamaica

  Jay

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:12 pm

  One of the best products I sampled at Tales of the Cocktail last year was a new rum from Haus Alpenz. A traditional Jamaican rum with a flavour profile similar to that which was prevalent in the early 20th century, Smith & Cross isn't exactly a sipper but does work wonderfully in drinks like the Montego Bay.Continue reading “Funkin’ For Jamaica”...

• A dash of Oh Gosh!

  Jay

  1 Feb 2010 | 4:43 pm

  Announcing A dash of Oh Gosh!, a new weekly(ish) email newsletter that will keep you updated about the site, provide the latest news from the cocktail world and links to the best newspaper articles and blog posts I've come across. Continue reading “A dash of Oh Gosh!”...

• Bourbon – Part III

  Jay

  28 Jan 2010 | 1:41 pm

  In our final visit to Bourbon in Washington D.C. Owen Thompson makes his own twist on the Pimm's Cup, made using his own homemade fresh ginger beer and a giant cucumber and salt garnish. Click here to watch “Bourbon – Part III”...

• 
  drinkboston.com

• Maybe 2010’s our year

  ljclark

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:50 pm

  It’s campaign season for drinkboston again. For the second year in a row, this site is up for Best Blog in the Boston Phoenix’s “Best of Boston” readers’ poll. Last year, drinkbostonians conceded the race to the band-interviewing puppet podcaster Silly Gillman. This year, we’re up against the political commentators Blue Mass Group, the music-savvy Bradley’s Almanac, the local fashion photo album ClickClash, the college radio scenesters On A Friday, and the “all Boston, all the time” Universal Hub. All worthy contenders. But as worthy as a…

• Locke-Ober - Best Boston bars

  ljclark

  31 Jan 2010 | 8:56 pm

  Established: 1875 Specialty: Wine, Martinis, Manhattans Prices: High Atmosphere: “Locke’s has no peer and few rivals. And the top-hatted ghosts at its bar are those great of the legendary past: Eben Jordan and Theodore Roosevelt, John Drew and Dr. Lowell. They are all drinking Ward Eights with Nick (Stuhl) and Mr. Camus and the founding fathers, Locke and Ober.” — Lucius Beebe. See Best Boston bars for address and contact info. Oh, Locke-Ober. You’re like a politician who has been in office forever. Your stunning longevity, and all the historic moments in which…

• Nips - 1/25/10

  ljclark

  25 Jan 2010 | 3:34 pm

  » HAITI. Like a lot of people responding to the needs of disaster-striken Haiti, I’ve been texting donations to the Red Cross, over-tipping Creole-speaking cab drivers, and ordering Haitian rum (or rhum) at bars. Recently, Drink joined several bars across the country in fundraising for Haiti by creating a menu of drinks using quality rhums agricoles and donating some of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders. If you’re near Fort Point this week, pop by and raise a glass to an urgent cause. » BENEDICTINE. Congrats to Jackson Cannon of Eastern Standard for being one of five…

• We’ve seen this before

  ljclark

  18 Jan 2010 | 10:54 pm

  West Coast cocktail writers Camper English and Paul Clarke have sparked a debate that I can’t resist joining, because it’s oh so familiar. A trio of recent articles by these gentlemen, and especially the comments those articles have generated, show that there is some, ah, disagreement over bartenders’ approach to customers in the world of craft cocktails. English got things started with a piece in the San Francisco Chronicle called “Bartenders shift from lecture to nurture.” He observes that bartenders at many successful craft cocktail bars (including…

• Spirits in the night

  ljclark

  11 Jan 2010 | 8:59 pm

  It’s 2:00 a.m. The bars have closed. The party has ended. But you’re not ready to call it a night. You want to commune with the pre-dawn hours and exercise the remains of your higher brain function while watching army ants devour a scorpion on Animal Planet. The question is, what are you drinking? I’m talking nightcaps. And I’m not talking the civilized kind you mix before curling up in bed with a book before midnight. These usually involve brandy, eggs or hot liquid, and are as innocent as a lullaby. No, I’m talking a down-and-dirty, half-in-the-bag nightcap…

• 
  The Cocktail Chronicles

• Boukman Daiquiri

  Paul

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:52 pm

  On my list of things I ignored blogging about in 2009 was this: Drinking Lessons at the Sorrento. That’s too bad; this is a great series of events for Seattle-area cocktail people, and the session I attended in November – with Alex Day and Toby Cecchini – was not only wonderfully done, but resulted in me [...]

• MxMo XLVI and beyond

  Paul

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:38 pm

  After a rousing start to 2010 with the January Mixology Monday, we’re ready to plunge onward with events for February and March. * MxMo XLVI takes place Monday, February 22. Hosting this round is Sonja at Thinking of Drinking, and Sonja has chosen Absinthe as the theme. Here’s her announcement post, and to recap the details: The [...]

• Things I didn’t blog about in 2009

  Paul

  28 Jan 2010 | 10:27 pm

  You know, ignoring a blog is a lot of work, especially if it’s a blog you’ve been running for almost five years. First there are the regular posting habits to break, then the Google Analytics reports to not look at, then the comments to ignore. Comments, such as this one left just this past weekend [...]

• MxMo XLV: There should be a scone in here somewhere…

  Paul

  25 Jan 2010 | 11:50 pm

  I’m on pretty good terms with most drinks in the canon of classical mixology. Things that used to freak me out, like the in-your-face herbaceousness of Chartreuse or the sharp bitter bite of Campari, have long since become things I crave, and even weird and funky stuff like Batavia arrack or a skunky rum are [...]

• MxMo XLV: Tea is January 25

  Paul

  14 Jan 2010 | 11:43 pm

  Some of us — myself included — are still observing Detoxuary, the annual period following the holidays during which you abstain from booze & rich food , but those of you not spending the whole month of January on the wagon — myself included again here — should mark your calendars for the first Mixology [...]

• 
  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

• Cognac

  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

  To get to the town of Cognac, France, you have to fly into the airport at Bordeaux, nearly two hours south. You spend a good hour on the freeway, which looks pretty much like any freeway in the world, until eventually you see an exit marked “Cognac”. You then make your way from the main artery, away from the large billboards, away from the big trucks, and slowly the usual trappings of a big, busy road are replaced with things like vineyards and the small houses that dot hills that were previously unnoticeable. The road winds through little collections of buildings almost too small…

• Dry Vermouth Sangaree

  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

  14 Jan 2010 | 7:12 am

  If there’s one thing I hate about living in the Pacific Northwest, it’s the stretch of time from late October until late June, when the sun makes only the most occasional of appearances. I typically pack on an extra 10-15 pounds during those rainy months, party due to over-consumption of wintertime drinks like dark beer, egg nog, hot-buttered-anything and wassail. I wanted a drink for the winter that I could add to my cocktail menu that was more like the light, café-style cocktails I typically gravitate to during the summer. Jerry Thomas prescribed a drink called…

• How to Make Your Own Grenadine

  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

  10 Dec 2009 | 7:15 am

  While this is a topic that has been covered by pretty much every cocktail blog under the sun, I haven’t yet written about it. Why? Well, for one, I’m lazy and never got around to it. But after having made various versions of grenadine for years at my bars and after doing a little research on the web recently, I’ve wondered if the topic of homemade grenadine couldn’t use a little revisit. There are a few key problems with a lot of the house-made grenadines out there. The first issue you can see immediately: the color is all wrong. Grenadine isn’t brown, and the…

• How to Cut Someone Off

  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

  2 Dec 2009 | 7:40 am

  For many years before this whole cocktail thing really took off, I worked in dive bars. Really crappy dive bars where people would visit – often nightly – for what appeared to be the sole purpose of getting very, very drunk. These bars were loud, they were obnoxious, and at times they could be very dangerous. We could cut people off as an act of self-preservation. Sometimes it was because we didn’t want to fined by the state liquor control board. Sometimes it was because we didn’t want a particularly drunk patron scaring away other, big-spending customers. And…

• Repeal Day is December Fifth

  Jeffrey Morgenthaler

  24 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm

  Wow, I apparently thought it was still late-October or something, because it came as a complete surprise to me today that my favorite drinking holiday in the whole world is next weekend. I guess that between keeping my nose to the grindstone at work and traveling extensively lately, it was bound to happen. Then I found this email in my inbox: Jeff, What do you have in store for Repeal Day? It’s only 2 weeks away and you’ve been as quiet as a church mouse! All the Best, Kris Gulp. Well, Kris, I’ll tell you. But first, a short primer for those who might not know what Repeal…

• 
  Alcademics.com

• Not New Booze: R. Jelinek Fernet

  Camper English

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:54 am

  Fernet-Branca is not the only fernet in the world. I hadn't tried any others but recently I received a bottle of R. Jelinek Fernet. The bottle says, "Product of the Czech Republic. This digestive beverage was created during the period... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

• Good Booze, Bad Booze: Beer for your Bones

  Camper English

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:45 pm

  One day science says drinking will make you live forever. The next day science says it will kill you tomorrow. Good Booze, Bad Booze is an Alcademics category where I put all these stories together. 2/08/10: Beer May Be Good... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

• New Booze: Ilegal Mezcal

  Camper English

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:20 am

  This is a review of Ilegal Mezcal. The product is 100% agave, made in Oaxaca at Destileria Tlacolula. The drink is more widely distributed in New York but should be coming to California this spring. They make a joven/blanco, a... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

• New Booze: Seagram's 7 Dark Honey

  Camper English

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:11 am

  I received a bottle of Seagram's 7 Dark Honey for review, so here goes. The product is described not as a liqueur but as "blended whiskey with real honey and natural flavors." On the nose it's dark honey. On the... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

• New Booze: Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur

  Camper English

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am

  Here's a review of Agwa De Bolivia Liqueur. The product has coca leaves from Bolivia, along with guarana and ginseng. From the press website: AGWA DE Bolivia is a 30% ABV 60 proof Herbal liqueur made with Coca Leaf and... [Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

• 
  Chowhound's Latest » Spirits

• Absinthe / Herbsainte component of a Sazerac

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:31 am

  Yes, it's quite good. More herbal notes than most absinthes. Far superior to the previously available Herbsaint, which used extracts.

• a classic man's cocktail?

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am

  A "failed experiment"? I suppose all the classic cocktails are "failed experiments" in your book. Anything less than 3:1 is just gin with a hint of Rose's. Nothing wrong with that, but it isn't a gimlet.

• My informal taste test: Makers Mark vs. Old Overholt

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:09 am

  I did a little hunting around and it seems that Bernheim may have only the minimum 51% wheat, with corn being the majority of the rest, with malted barley being in the minority.

• NYC Health department starting a ruckus by questioning raw eggs in cocktails

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:52 am

  Yup, you nailed it Mr. Yarm.

• Digestifs

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:04 am

  I'd have to agree with yarm. The Batali sounds like it would prepare the palate quite nicely for your intense chocolate experience. While I agree Port is an excellent choice, Averna would work well too and is a road less travelled. missclawdy, although called bitter Averna isn't something you'd expect only college kids to chug. It has the typical warm feel both in the mouth and down the throat, but it isn't over-the-top. It also plays well with others. When not slow drinking a shot straight-up, I mix it with other liqueurs.

• 
  Bottoms Up

• Collaboration Beer Dinner Thursday

  jbrookston

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:26 pm

  This Thursday, the Homebrew Chef, Sean Paxton, will host another of his legendary beer dinners at Mercedes in San Francisco. It’s an eight-course dinner. The cost is $98, and that includes all food, beer and gratuity. There’s limited seating, so snap up your tickets now. This should be a good one. It will feature the collaboration beers of Belgium’s De Proef Brouwerij and our own Firestone Walker Brewing. Tickets can be purchased online. See you there. Collaboration: A Beer Dinner Thursday, February 11th, 6:30 pm Aspall Cuvee Chevallier Double Fermented Cyder First Course…

• Bistro Double IPA Winners

  jbrookston

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:21 pm

  Pizza Port’s Welcome Back Wipeout IPA was chosen best in show at the 10th annual Double IPA Festival yesterday at the Bistro in Hayward, California. That’s the second year in a row that a Pizza Port beer has won. The full winner list is below. 1st Place: Welcome Back Wipeout IPA, Pizza Port Brewing 2nd Place: HopSauce, Rubicon Brewing 3rd Place: II Max Imperial IPA, Triple Rock Brewing People’s Choice Award: Russian River Pliny the Younger Below is a video of Vic and Cynthia announcing the winners.

• Beer Revolution Opens In Oakland

  jbrookston

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:40 am

  Oakland’s newest beer store is set to open today. Beer Revolution, located at 464 3rd Street in Oakland, just off Broadway. Co-owners Rebecca and Fraggle plan to open the doors at Noon. Stop by and check it out. Better yet, pick up a few bottles to let them know you support better beer stores.

• SF Beer Week Begins Friday

  jbrookston

  3 Feb 2010 | 8:18 pm

  On Friday, the 2nd annual SF Beer Week will begin, and with two days to go, we’ve just surpassed 200 events, roughly fifty more than we had last year. More importantly, all the events look spectacular and there’s a wide range different types of them taking place throughout the ten days of SF Beer Week. Check out the Schedule to find out what you’ll be doing next week.

• Rioja, Long Island join Wine Place & Origin protection movement

  jyadegaran

  3 Feb 2010 | 4:49 pm

  What does wine and real estate have in common? Location, location, location. The next time you’re at a dinner party and someone serves you Champagne, ask them what part of France it’s from. Nine times out of 1o, they’re pouring you a sparkling wine from California, a Prosecco from Italy, or a cava from Spain. Those are all great sparkling wines, but they’re not from Champagne. Get it? The Office of Champagne was a founding member of the Joint Declaration to Protect Wine Place & Origin. It was signed on July 26, 2005 in Napa Valley and its aim is simple: To educate…

• 
  The Pour

• The Case of the Fake Pinot, or Thousands of Cases of It

  By ERIC ASIMOV

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:41 am

  A French court is hearing the case of 13 people in the French wine trade who have been charged with selling Gallo 3.57 million gallons of wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region that was labeled as pinot noir but was in fact made from cheaper grapes.

• History, Distilled

  By ERIC ASIMOV

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  Century-old Scotch is found in Antarctica.

• A Bargain at Half the Price

  By ERIC ASIMOV

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:16 am

  Who needs $495 bargains?

• What Should $20 Get You?

  By ERIC ASIMOV

  2 Feb 2010 | 9:17 am

  Why are good values in American wines so hard to find?

• Another Push for Wine Sales in Groceries

  By ERIC ASIMOV

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:04 am

  Advocates of the legalization of wine sales in New York groceries try again.

• 
  InTheLandOfCocktails

• Pony Negroni Punch

  Cocktail Chicks

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:35 pm

  15 ounces Campari 10 ounces Flor de Cana 7 Yr Nicaraguan Rum 7.5 ounces Cinzano Rosso 10 ounces Fresh Grapefruit juice 2.5 ounces Honey Fresh lemon juice Whole cloves Combine fresh lemon juice of 10–14 lemons and a tablespoon of cloves into a container and freeze.  Combine ingredients in a large punch bowl and add the large flavored ice block. (Created by mixologist  Jon Gasparini of Rye on the Road)

• Da Super Bowl and Dem Saints!

  Cocktail Chicks

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pm

  Having been a standup comedian for 14 years, I am always entertaining at someone else’s party, never hosting my own and sometimes I just want to do it my way.  But no matter what in this world is happening, I do throw one party a year and it’s a Super Bowl party.   This year I think I am a genius.  Since I couldn’t decide which cocktails to prepare for my very assorted guests, I decided to run with a food and beverage competition theme Colts vs. Saint’s.  Hardly fair you say… Well so be it!  The deck is rigged! I enjoy well-made, balanced cocktails, but am not a mixologist,…

• Black & Gold Rising

  Cocktail Chicks

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:24 pm

  1 ounce Goslings Gold Rum 1 ounce Goslings Black Rum 1/4 ounce simple syrup 3 thin slices cucumber 1 lemon wedge 3 to 4 chives pinch of white pepper 3/4 ounce fresh lime juice 1/2 ounce Warm Ginger Cordial Syrup 24k gold dust Squeeze Lemon wedge into simple syrup and drop in a cocktail shaker, add cucumber, pinch of white pepper.  Cut chives into 1 inch strips and add to shaker.  Muddle all ingredients then add lime juice, cordial syrup and both rums.  Shake over ice and strain through mesh strainer into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with two 4 inch chives and sprinkle 24 karat gold dust…

• The Black & Gold Rising!!

  Ti Adelaide Martin

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:24 pm

  My aunt Adelaide once told me that she read and believed that we each have only 7 minutes (or there abouts) of total joy or bliss in our entire life.  I hate that idea.  But if there is any truth to it I used up a couple of them in the Superdome when a 5’8” shaggy-haired surfer dude looking kicker made a field goal to launch the Saints over the Vikings and into the Super Bowl. Joyous group bedlam!  Jet engine level noise, hugging and high fiving of total strangers.  A shared release, the loudest sigh ever on earth.  The curse was over – the Aint’s no more.  We’re the real…

• Who Dat???

  Cocktail Chicks

  30 Jan 2010 | 10:36 am

  Our Saints are headed to the Superbowl for the first time ever. So we thought we'd repost our Who Dat segment. Crossing fingers and screaming loudly... Oogy Wawa!

• 
  The Intoxicologist Is In

• Fun & Flirty: Cocktails & Shots for Date Night, Girl’s Night Out, Lovers & Beyond

  The Intoxicologist

  6 Feb 2010 | 9:17 am

  Passion – strong emotion, adoration, love, intensely powerful emotion, craving, amorous affection and desire felt by lovers for each other Kiss – buss, osculation, smack, graze, butterfly, French, to touch or caress with the lips, especially as a sign of ardor or affection Midnight – bewitching hour when all enchantment begins, temptation arises, enticement wins out and fascinating tales begin to weave charming stories of excitement and pleasure Heart – essence, character, soul, compassion, tenderness, zest, moxie, spirit Flutter – tremble, oscillate, throb, shiver, flitter, dance,…

• Gin Cocktails, Romancing Valentine’s Day & Liquor News of Note

  The Intoxicologist

  29 Jan 2010 | 1:55 pm

  The world of cocktails reminds us classic remains in style year round and romance is alive and thriving.  The number one spirit on the tip of the tongue (literally) where classic cocktails are concerned is gin, gin, gin – this week anyway.  Bombay Sapphire and Bulldog Gin have been featured in classics and modern mix recipes.  Gin can be found in the listing for date night or Valentine’s Day cocktails with a few bonus links added into a few articles.  Be sure to take a close look.  Catch up on news from around the liquor industry for new releases, competitions and cool events. …

• Fun & Flirty Valentine Cocktail Recipes & a Look at Bacardi & the Cosmo

  The Intoxicologist

  16 Jan 2010 | 9:03 am

  Love & Romance: Cocktails for Valentine’s Day & Beyond – The drink recipe guide for Fun & Flirty Cocktails for Girls Night Out, Bachelorette or Bachelor parties, Couples Night In, celebrating freedom or just feeling the need to let the spirit move you in a fun and flirty direction for a change.  The cocktail guide begins with 175 cocktails which will be updated each week.  Check back often! Sexy Drinks: Cocktail recipes with passionate appeal Sexy Drinks with Passionate Appeal – Slideshow: 20 seductive cocktail recipes for Girls Night Out, bachelorette parties or an…

• Happy New Year! Champagne Cocktails & Non-Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes

  The Intoxicologist

  30 Dec 2009 | 11:09 am

  Champagne cocktails and martini sippers for New Year’s Eve seem to be THE drink of choice for most party goers this season.  Straight pour champagne is perfectly pleasing, but raising a glass in toast that is flavored with delicately flavored liqueurs, spiked with spirited libations and topped off with sparkling gems of champagne, sake or effervescent liqueurs just makes the occasion that much more festive.  Ringing in the New Year: Bit ‘o Bubbly Champagne Cocktail Recipes Guide offers 137 sparkling cocktail & martini choices for your New Year’s Eve celebration.  Many could be…

• Merry Christmas – The Holiday Martinis, Cocktails & Mocktails Drink Recipes

  The Intoxicologist

  24 Dec 2009 | 5:42 am

  It’s been a busy few months for everyone, but especially for those who write cocktails.  From the beginning of Halloween season to New Year’s Eve cocktails begin to flow from the ghoulish to bubbling over with giggly temptation.  To make it completely easy The Intoxicologist began guides with direct links to holiday cocktails for your sipping pleasure.  Let your fingers do the walking through Holiday Cheer, the guide with martinis, cocktails & Mocktails themed for Christmas to New Year’s Eve now contains 240 drink recipes and 17 article links.  Two of those articles center upon…

• 
  Paradiseontherocks

• Bon Sherry

  paradiseontherocks

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:56 pm

  While in the Northwest, I realized how far Honolulu has to go to catch up to the mainland cities as far as cocktail culture goes.  We’re still muddling fruit and infusing vodka while they are using obscure liquors and modern bartending techniques. It takes a lot more talent to mix multiple, complex liquors and liqueurs than to cover up flavors with overbearing syrups and juices. Not to knock those drinks, but that’s just what they are: drinks. I prefer a cocktail. Aperol for All I came home excited and ready to hit the town with new recipes. The first drink I stirred up was…

• The Tiki Gods Have Spoken

  paradiseontherocks

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:23 pm

  Small competition coming up. Holla  if you’d like in. Only 8 people will be  able to compete. $500  prize Seven_Tiki_Rum_Rules_Card Here’s some info on the rum from some PR folks. From the South Pacific comes SEVEN TIKI(R) Spiced Rum, a Fijian rum with spices and other natural flavors. This premium spiced rum is made from the molasses of choice Polynesian sugar cane, exotic spices and virgin water drawn from deep beneath the Fiji’s volcanic highlands. The result is a 35 percent alcohol by volume (70 proof) rum that is remarkably smooth with the robust flavor of fresh sugar…

• Shake it up

  paradiseontherocks

  28 Jan 2010 | 12:27 pm

  "Shake it, don't fake it" Ah, competition, you are the bane of my existence. Well, not really. I figured I should pass on some info to you bar folks out there. In March, there is a teeny, tiny gathering called the Nightclub & Bar Convention in Las Vegas. At this get together there is a cocktail competition with $7500 going to first place and cash going to the top five as well as the individual with the best garnish. Seems like a good thing to shoot for. This is a very well-run competition so recipes are needed to be submitted and checked in advance. None of this day of the…

• Tight

  paradiseontherocks

  27 Jan 2010 | 1:39 pm

  Here’s a few words in case you had a hard time describing your drunken stupor. Which word describes us? basted bladdered bleary-eyed blind blotto boiled boozed bunned canned cockeyed drunk drunk as a lord drunk as a skunk elevated feeling no pain flooey foxed frazzled fried full geezed ginned gone got a bun on half seas over half shot hammered high idioms illuminated in his cups inebriated intoxicated juiced knocked out laid out likkered up lit lit to the guards loaded lubricated lush mashed mellow mullered oiled on a bender on a jag organized orie-eyed ossified pickeled pie-eyed…

• Sailor Jerry

  paradiseontherocks

  26 Jan 2010 | 11:15 am

  Hey kiddos,  there’s a party tomorrow. Maybe you should check it out. I’m not much for advertising events on here, but I dig Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and CDubbs. Go check it out from 8-10 at Manifest. Don’t go there expecting great cocktails, but a sailor splash coke shouldn’t be too hard for them to make. Cheers.

• 
  Captain McBoozy's

• Planter’s Punch: The Kraken Rum Remix

  CaptainMcBoozy

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:19 pm

  I said I was gonna try it again, didn’t I.  Fuck yes I did.  So I grabbed on some Kraken, which is a pretty dang sweet-assed dark rum, and only about $20 here in MI, and I was like, “jeez, what in the dick should I make?”  And then, I remembered a promise I made to you, loyal reader, and was like, heck yes it’s time!  Sweet bastard.  Sweet f-ing bastard.  Sweet, sweet, fucking sally boy. Planter’s Punch (Trader Vic’s recipe, as published in his 1947 book, The Bartender’s Guide) * 3 ounces dark rum * 1 ounce lime juice * 1/2 ounce lemon juice * 1/2 ounce…

• Campari, Carpano and Bourbon

  CaptainMcBoozy

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:40 am

  What’s that ole saying… “Strange bedfellows make great neighbors?” Well, in this case, it was never more truer… As many of you know, I’ve been smashing the heck out of Negroni’s lately, because I just recently found out I can get Carpano Antica in MI (rejoice). But, I ran out of gin the other morning, and was like, FMA, let’s go for it dude, let’s just P the fucking T. And so I did. And so it went. And jebus said to the angels, “let’s get crunk, my freaks.” And they did.  And it was good.  Friggin’ real good. FMA…

• Southside Cocktail

  CaptainMcBoozy

  24 Jan 2010 | 2:12 pm

  Oh brojangles, you’re gonna like this one. For one, it’s called a Southside, because it originated on the south side of Chicago, so that’s pretty cool. For second, it’s all about the gin. And for three, it’s easy as heck to make. And we all know, 1 + 2 + 3 = FUCK YES! The Southside 3 oz. Gin (Beefeater, Tanqueray, you know, something respectable) 1 oz. Simple Syrup .75 oz. Lime Juice 2 Sprigs mint Okay, throw the mint in the bottom of a shaker, and just give it a light bruising with a muddler. Add the other ingredients, a few large cubes, and shake with the…

• The gift of Gin

  CaptainMcBoozy

  24 Jan 2010 | 1:35 pm

  I’ve got one rule… when in doubt, give Gin. After all, one size fits all, and it’s perfect for both funerals and Bar Mitzvahs. Fortunately, my good buddy Snack Attack lives by the same rule, and gave me a bottle of Cascade Gin, made by the Bendistellery, in Bend, Oregon. If you’ve got the means, I suggest you smash the heck out of a bottle of this… by which I mean drink. It’s a classic gin, no fucking cucumbers or kielbasa flavorings… just “hand picked wild juniper berries,” which means it’s got a strong juniper flavor –…

• The Classics: Brooklyn Cocktail

  CaptainMcBoozy

  24 Jan 2010 | 1:00 pm

  So, you’ll notice that I’ve added a new category, over there, on the right. The one called “The Classics.” I’ll be marking posts with this category when it’s a real-deal, old school recipe. I’ll also go back and tag posts that adhere to this criteria (Daquiri, Margarita, Sidecar, etc.). So, having said that, here’s the recipe for a Brooklyn, my absolute favoritest cocktail ever. The Brooklyn 3 oz. Rye .75 oz. Dry Vermouth .5 oz. Averna Amaro .25 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Ango Bitters Stir over ice, strain, serve down, mist and garnish with orange…

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  Wild Scotsman Whisky

• Wild Scotsman Market Street Grille Tasting Harrison, OHIO

  The Wild Scotsman

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Market Street Grille -Harrison, OH Tasting By Jeffrey Topping Where: The Market Street Grille, Harrison Ohio Date: February 10th 2010 Wednesday- Bring your snow plow! Time: seating 6:00 Dinner 6:30 Guest hosts Jeff Topping of Wild Scotsman Whisky and Jim Clark of Straus Tobacconist Reservations: 513-202-0200 Menu: 1st course: Roasted Vegetable Kabob with red Portuguese tomato sauce and thin crostini *served with 888 Scotch* Blend No. 888 2nd course: Grilled eggplant with sun dried tomatoes, green onion. goat cheese and a spicy tomato sauce *served with Bunnahabhain 12yr* 3rd course: (guest…

• Wild Scotsman on Twitter for 2010-02-09

  The Wild Scotsman

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:21 am

  A crsip winter morning at 17 F. More snow tonight to start off the week! # RT @piperspub: Today for Lunch Turkey Pastrami, Pastrami with Swiss cheese and Kraut Boxty…. The Soup of the (cont) http://tl.gd/7qc42 # Shopping done, chicken almost done in the smoker, and a Belhaven's Best open and ready at my side. Bring on the snow! #

• Wild Scotsman Kettering Rotary Club Speaker

  The Wild Scotsman

  8 Feb 2010 | 12:46 pm

  Wild Scotsman Kettering Rotary Club Speaker by Jeffrey Topping When: February 10, 2010 Where: Kettering Rotary Club Presidential Banquet Ctr. 4548 Presidential Way Kettering, OH 45429 I am pleased to announce that I will be speaking at the Kettering Rotary Club in Kettering, OHIO. Rotary International is the world’s first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote…

• Wild Scotsman on Twitter for 2010-02-03

  The Wild Scotsman

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:21 am

  Enjoying a CAO MX2 Box Cut Cigar on. Brisk Chicago night. Many thanks to all the fans for a good night!!! # Punxsutawney Phil claims 6 more weeks of WINTER! I guess it's time for this ground Hog to get back into bed. # Good-bye Chicago! The sled is loaded and now off to Indianapolis, IN to put some Wild Scotsman on new shelves. # Ahhh…traffic at a stand still on I-65 south. Looks like we are in for a slow go. Top speed at the moment ZERO! # http://twitpic.com/11123u – Getting ready to worship the coffee alter at the Pilot Truck stop. Filler UP! # Enjoy Wild Scotsman 15yr now…

• Wild Scotsman on Twitter for 2010-02-02

  The Wild Scotsman

  2 Feb 2010 | 12:21 am

  Coffee brewing, kilt ironed, and getting ready to start the day off right # Off to make my morning delivery and then off to the Louis Glunz Wines vendor show to pour some new drams of Scotch Whisky! # Made my delivery in Lincolnshire, I'll and now heading to.."My kind of town..Chicago is…" (-frank sinatra tune) # I love my EZ-PASS in my car. I will not be waiting in toll pay lanes today! # http://twitpic.com/10vsm2 – Almost have my pouring station ready to go! # http://twitpic.com/10y8mp – Great show and now enjoying a bit of wine from Oakville Winery #…

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  Thursday Happy Hour

• Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball

  Erin Malone

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:32 am

  Carmel-like, roasty, sweet and boozy, with a smidge of citrus and only the merest hint of hops. This strong ale is a deep, dark, dramatic beer. Yep, a Hairy Eyeball is the perfect accompaniment to a TV series that attempts to address time travel, redemption, and the conflicts between science and faith.

• Better Than Cosmo

  Shelly Bowen

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:38 pm

  We've left the men and children behind for our first winter escape to a desert hot springs spa. Just the four of us. That is, except for the wee one still in the oven. But he didn't stop us from making Better Than Cosmos poolside.

• Mark West Pinot Noir 2007

  Diane Timba

  3 Feb 2010 | 5:32 pm

  I've reinstated Friday fondue nights. After the kids are fast asleep, we light a few candles and cozy up to a savory treat: Cheese fondue with plenty of baguette, cubed salami, and roasted vegetables. And, of course, the perfect bottle of red wine to pair with cheese—a 2007 Mark West Pinot Noir.

• Pizza Port Hop 15

  Erin Malone

  29 Jan 2010 | 11:03 am

  After I’d had my fill of 10-foot surf, I settled into an awesome pizza place with a slice of artichoke pesto and a pint of Hop 15 ale.

• Pear Flower Cocktail

  Shelly Bowen

  28 Jan 2010 | 4:37 pm

  When the huge bay doors of the Midway began to roll up, it just happened to be happy hour. And we just happened to be walking distance to The Fish Market, where the boys drank Ballast Point ales and slurped oysters, and I discovered a luscious Pear Flower martini.