Pass the #*!!%^! bottle

Right up front I must confess. I have never sampled The Knot.

What I have sampled is the Web site showing the ad campaign for the Irish whiskey, and it's an absolute hoot. Also available on YouTube in case that ad site shuts down.

It's a series of barroom scenes starring a coarse-tongued (and barely bleeped) fellow with a weatherbeaten face and an in-your-face attitude. He's played by an ex-boxer.

I must confess the ads work for me. I'm curious about tasting The Knot, which is good timing since it's just now being introduced in limited East Coast taverns by its maker, William Grant & Sons, which includes among its other brands Frangelico, Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Hendrick's, Reyka, Sailor Jerry, Grant's, Milagro, Bennett Family, Bols, Damrack and on and on.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

A new liqueur from an elderflower

A fleet of bicycles and bunches of sambucas nigra, a dainty white flower that blossoms for only a few days in early spring, seem an unlikely combination to bring something truly new to the adult beverage universe.

The blossom, more commonly known as the elderflower, has long been a European staple of herbal remedies as well as a component of a non-alcoholic syrup that in recent years has become a hip ingredient in creating cocktails at trendy bars.

The difference with the new product from Maison St. Germain of France is that its Delice de Sureau (sureau is French for elderflower, delice for delight) is a 40-proof artisanal liqueur, the first such use of elderflowers that anyone is aware of.

St. Germain, the shorthand market name for the liqueur, is produced from elderflowers harvested from the foothills of the French Alps by pickers known as bohemiens who then trundle them by bicycle down to local depots from where they are quickly shipped to the distillery. There, the flowers are put through a maceration process then married with grape spirits, known as eau de vie, plus a bit of citrus and cane sugar to create the pale golden finished product.

As the St. Germain copywriters say, "To put this in context, we can safely say that no men, bohemien or otherwise, will be wandering the hillsides of Poland this spring gathering wild potatoes for your vodka."

The major difference between the non-alcoholic elderflower syrup and the alcoholic elderflower liqueur -- other than the obvious of alcohol -- is in the level of sweetness. The former, usually made with frozen or freeze-dried blossoms, is quite sweet because it usually is one of a number of ingredients in a concoction. The latter is toned down in sweetness to allow it to be enjoyed straight without any cloying properties. In addition, its creators say the liqueur has a shelf life of one to two years compared to the stability of the syrups which runs more like a week or two.

In a sampling of St. Germain we were struck by the comparatively full-bodied flavor despite the very gentle nose. The notes of citrus and stone fruit, mostly peach, were apparent but we also caught a teasing flavor that took a moment to identify.

Aha, lilac.

I might have been unable to put my finger on it had I not experienced the same persistent, pleasant nuance in a Martell Cordon Bleu sampled at a recent cognac tasting dinner in Las Vegas.

Since, like part of the St. Germain recipe, cognac is a French eau de vie, that may account for the lilac presence that one can coax out along with the gentle elderflower.

Photo by William M. Dowd

As with so many new products, design is important. St. Germain certainly will attract attention on store shelves with its elegant octagonal bottle, each side gently indented and narrowing toward the bottom, the bottle topped with an antiqued brass-effect cap.

The liqueur's creators suggest, in addition to drinking it straight or over ice, coupling the new liqueur with the likes of champagne or a sauvignon blanc or even a green apple vodka in cocktails.

St. Germain, which initially has been made in a limited volume, will go on sale nationally March 1 in 50, 375 and 750ml sized bottles, with a suggested retail price of $32.99 for the largest bottle.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Heaven Hill latest bourbon expansion

Jim Beam and Maker's Mark aren't the only bourbons experiencing such an increase in consumer demand that they have to expand their facilities as I reported recently.

Now, Heaven Hill Distilleries says it plans to expand its Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, KY, to enable an increase in production of its Evan Williams, Old Fitzgerald and Elijah Craig brands.

Pending all the regulatory approvals, the nearly $4 million project would be completed by the end of the year. While hardly in a league with the combined $120 million Fortune Brands is spending on its Beam and Maker's expansion it is important as one more indicator of the global bourbon boom.

A new mill will be dedicated to corn, and two existing mills will handle malt, wheat and rye. Company spokesman Larry Kass told local reporters that reflects the growing popularity of corn-based bourbon and other products, such as Rittenhouse Rye and Bernheim Wheat.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has approved $272,000 in state incentives and $25,500 in credits to help offset the expansion cost.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Drinks and a movie

As the 79th annual Academy Awards presentations close in on us this weekend, one spirits company after another has been sending out suggestions for cocktails tied to (a) a movie theme, and (b) increasing their profits.

Nothing wrong with that, of course, but I'm an old-fashioned guy who would rather pay attention to cocktail classics as presented in the films themselves. It seems to go over rather well with the opposite sex, especially for those of us normally bereft of romantic imagination -- the sort of men who break out in a cold sweat lest our ideas be compared to those of other men and found wanting.

Relax, and visit your favorite public library or video store for inspiration. Avoid such bar-centric flicks as 1988's "Cocktail" and 2000's "Coyote Ugly." They're all flash and no soul. And, even if they're funny drinkers like Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughan in 2005's "Wedding Crashers" or vaguely instructive like Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church in 2004's wine country epic "Sideways," all you learn there is that overindulgence makes asses of people you might otherwise like.

Likewise, avoid such cinematic drunks as those portrayed in classics from Ray Milland in 1945's "The Lost Weekend" to Jack Lemmon in 1962's "Days of Wine and Roses" to Nicholas Cage in 1995's "Leaving Las Vegas." Lots of soul, zero romance.

Rather, I'm suggesting a cozy, dimly lit setting at home, with a few light hors d'oeuvres, a tape or disc of a classic romantic movie with a definite cocktail component, and drinks appropriate to the film. After all, cocktails and movies have long had a companionable relationship. Even 1977's "Star Wars" had a great bar scene.

At one time, classy bars and cocktail parties were used as part of the courtship ritual, both on-screen and off.

When asked for a drink to accompany a romantic film, most people I surveyed immediately said, "Champagne, of course." Given the popularity of the bubbly, whether in the hand of a suave Robert Redford in 1974's "The Great Gatsby" or of a tipsy Katharine Hepburn in 1940's "The Philadelphia Story," such a mind-set is understandable.

However, nothing on film rivals the martini for romance, elegance and mystery. It was the favorite drink of sophisticated 1930s productions in which everyone was immaculately groomed and impeccably dressed even if they were of meager financial means.

William Powell (seen above) and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" classic 1930s-'40s film series helped make the cocktail a religion of sorts, often having as much fun creating as consuming drinks.

"The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking," private eye Nick Charles (Powell, seen here) instructed wealthy wife Nora (Loy). "Now, a Manhattan you shake to fox trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time."

Of course, this was long before Powell helped the aforementioned Jack Lemmon mix up an atrocious fake Scotch potion in the immortal 1955 Navy film "Mr. Roberts."

That reluctant romantic Humphrey Bogart not only gazed soulfully at his lady love over the rim of a cocktail glass in 1942's immortal "Casablanca," he even owned the place that dispensed adult beverages to Ingrid Bergman and other glamour pusses. It was a place where champagne cocktails abounded along with bourbon, brandy and "a fine French wine." Star-crossed and sad, but romantic nonetheless.

If one is into romance of the guns-gadgets-tuxes genre, there is always that old reliable, James Bond. Finding the proper drink to go with a 007 flick isn't that difficult. Bond was just as specific about his beverages as he was about the caliber of his guns and his girls.

Most of us remember his signature vodka martini in "Dr. No" - and the instruction that it was to be "shaken, not stirred." In the same 1962 film, he turns up his nose at a 1955 Dom Perignon champagne, snootily telling his villainous host, "I prefer the '53 myself."

In 1964's "Goldfinger," Bond says of a brandy he is served, "I'd say it was a 30 year old Fine indifferently blended, with an overdose of Bon Bois."

You may get extra points from your companion of the evening by casually letting it drop that because brandies sometimes are concocted from grapes from different areas of France's Cognac region, those from less well-regarded areas as Fine (or Fins) Bois and Bon Bois are inferior. Of course, you run the risk of being called a pretentious jerk. Your choice.

As the old saying goes, love is where you find it.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Canadians backing Glen Breton with dollars

Canadian scotch whisky drinkers are rallying to support their own.

Glenora Distillery, the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, manufacturer of Canada's only native single malt whisky, is the target of the Scotch Whisky Association. As I reported recently, the Scotland-based SWA is trying all sorts of legal maneuvers to get the distiller to stop using the word "Glen" in its various Glen Breton whiskies.

When the Canadian Trademark Commission ruled recently that Glenora could retain the name, consumers flocked to the stores to buy Glen Breton Ice, which gets some of its special flavors from being aged in used ice wine barrels. (The company also makes another type of scotch called Glen Breton Rare.)

The first Glen Breton Ice release sold out in two weeks, so the Glenora Distillery is releasing a second limited bottling.

"It’s been phenomenal. We haven’t been able to keep up to it," Glenora president Lauchie MacLean told The Canadian Press. "Jost Wineries, who we’re dealing with, is trying to age more product so we can have access to more casks."

Glen Breton is available only at selected Nova Scotia Liquor Commission retail outlets — 60 cases have been set aside for sale in the province — but the company said some will be shipped to Poland and Belgium, with orders pending for the United States and Sweden and it expects to be shipping to Asia by April.

The consumer support is particularly intefresting, given the high price of $49.95 for a 250-millilitre bottle.

"The price point is not for the faint of heart," MacLean told the CP. "It’s expensive, but it’s extremely rare. ... The proof will be in the pudding if the buyers who bought it once will buy it a second or third time. Then we’ll really know if we have a winning product."

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

G. Washington's whiskey now legal

Elected officials don't often have their act together in time to do as much good as they can. But, when it comes to something connected to our first president, they did OK.

The Virginia House of Delegates today passed a bill approved earlier in the state senate to allow Historic Mount Vernon to sell small amounts of commemorative spirits as part of the reconstructed George Washington's Distillery.

The action means the whiskey, made at the rebuilt still on the grounds of Washington's home in Virginia, will be legally available in time for his birthday, Feb. 22, if signed into law by Gov. Tim Kaine who already has said he will do so.

State Senator Linda T. "Toddy" Puller, the bill's original sponsor, said, "I'm pleased to play a role in revitalizing a piece of Washington's legacy. We recognize the importance of keeping Washington's spirit alive -- in all respects."

In Virginia, only stores operated by Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control (VABC) may sell distilled spirits. Senate Bill 807 enables Mount Vernon to receive a special VABC store designation allowing visitors to purchase samples of George Washington's Straight Rye Whiskey and other special historic products when the distillery opens to the public on Saturday, March 31.

"By allowing us to sell George Washington's rye whiskey, our visitors will be able to taste an authentic flavor of the 18th Century, while learning more about Washington's entrepreneurial spirit," said Dennis Pogue, chief historian at Historic Mount Vernon.

According to Mount Vernon historic records, Washington had the 2,250 square foot distillery built in 1797. In 1799, it produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey. In 2003, Washington's own whiskey recipe was distilled by a team of master distillers, representing America's most celebrated spirits brands, in collaboration with Mount Vernon's historian, under special license from the federal government and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and its member companies, with the support of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, have been the major donors to Mount Vernon for the $2.1 million project to excavate and reconstruct the historic distillery.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

A voice in your head

We've all heard a little voice telling us to be careful not to drink too much. Most of the time we didn't know where it was coming from. If you're a guy and find it happening in New Mexico, there's a simple explanation.

The state has shelled out $10,500 for 500 talking deodorizer cakes to be used in men's room urinals in bars and restaurants.

Recorded messages embedded in the sanitary supply tell the patron, in a woman's voice, "Hey, big guy. Having a few drinks? Think you had one too many? Then it's time to call a cab or call a sober friend for a ride home. Remember, your future is in your hand."

The program is an offshoot of the sort of thing used in anti-drug capaigns in various parts of New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania and in Australia.

New Mexico had 143 alcohol-related deaths in 2005, the country's eighth-highest rate, and men have 78% of all drunk-driving related convictions in the state.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

A medal made of glass

Sometimes it's about the bottle, sometimes it's about the glass.

Smokehead, the new Islay single malt scotch whisky from Ian Macleod Distillers, has been awarded the "Design of the Year" trophy in the Wine & Spirit Design Awards 2007 (W&SDA). Last month, Smokehead was a gold medal winner in the Spirit category of the W&SDA.

The design was created by the Navyblue design group of London.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's No-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

$120 million bourbon bump truly a Fortune

It's common knowledge that the spirits sector of the adult beverage industry is on a continual rise in sales. What isn't widely known is that an industry leader has been straining its capacity to keep up with market demand.

Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc. is spending $70 million to expand and update its capacity to produce Jim Beam, the world's top-selling bourbon.

But that's not the only expansion. Fortune Brands, which owns Beam, also is finding demand for its Maker's Mark bourbon so strong it is ponying up close to $50 million to increase capacity of its distillery in Loretto, KY, and production plant in Frankfort, the state capital, meaning a total investment of $120 million.

Jim Beam bourbons are distilled and aged at the Booker Noe distillery in rural Boston, KY, where 61 employees keep production going 'round the clock six days a week to produce 10 millions gallons a year. What is on record as the largest increase in demand since the late 1940s is making that too little.

The expansion program that will raise production capability 50% will result in new rack houses for aging barrels of bourbon to be completed this spring, and a secon d still is on the drawing boards for completion by year's end.

Other bourbon makers are contemplating additional capacity as well as the demand for bourbon continues to grow everywhere.

“The appeal of bourbon worldwide is on a roll,” Ed O’Daniel, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, told the Louisville Courier-Journal newspaper. “Everybody is gearing up for more production.”

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Shrinking the world via cognac

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM M. DOWD (double-click to expand images)

LAS VEGAS -- As we were assembling for a private dinner over the weekend, I was chatting with Frank Du, a Chinese-American journalist who works for a Chinese-language newspaper in Los Angeles.

Seine Kim, a Korean-American representative of The Thomas Collective, a New York public relations firm, walked into the room. Du smoothly switched to Korean to greet her, explaining to me that although Mandarin is his native tongue, he had lived in Korea and picked up the language there.

The marketing lady -- whose name was taken from the French river her parents had seen before her birth -- exchanged a few pleasantries in Korean with Du, then switched into perfect English with me. Although raised in Seoul, she explained, she had been born in Ithaca, N.Y., and wanted to move back to the U.S., so she studied English. In Beijing, China. Her time as a Manhattan resident has buffed away any residual accent.

The sound of French and French-accented English also wafted through the room as our hosts from the Martell House of Cognac arrived.

The mix emphasized the human interplay in a global economy that is continually erasing borders and making producers think beyond historic boundaries.

Martell is known for a long line of cognacs, but producers cannot rest on their laurels in the highly competitive field. Thus, the company was timing the U.S. debut of its Creation Grand Extra Cognac for the Lunar New Year (the Year of the Pig on the Chinese calendar, although celebrated all across Asia) to try enhancing its already strong image in Asian communities throughout the U.S.

A little background. Cognac is a brandy, a grape-based product -- an "eaux-de-vie'' fermented like wine then twice distilled. By French law, supported by the World Trade Organization, the spirit can originate only in the town of Cognac and six surrounding viticultural areas.

There is more than one kind of cognac due to the variety of soils in the region. The grapes used are from several white wine varieties, principally the Ugni Blanc, known elsewhere as the Trebbiano grape. Cognacs must be aged in wood at least two years. Most producers use Limousin oak; Martell prefers the more aromatic Troncais oak.

Any number of cognac labels may be familiar to Americans, such as Hennessey, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Camus and Delamaine, but Martell is the oldest existing one, founded in 1715 by Jean Martell.


Jacques Menier (seen here), Asia Pacific sales director, was the main presenter of the new Creation Grand Extra, representing cellar master Bruno Lemoine. He guided participants through a special menu prepared at the Wing Lei restaurant in the Wynn Las Vegas hotel to describe how various cognacs can be paired with foods just as is done with wines. Not a bad direction to take since the U.S. is the world's largest consumer of cognac.

For our light starters -- lobster wonton soup, pork pot stickers and spring rolls -- the Martell Noblige worked well, with its light consistency and notes of pear, citrus and definite vanilla from a younger wood. The very popular Cordon Bleu -- perfumey from a flowery soil that speaks of violets and bits of citrus and walnut -- worked nicely with a wider variety, a diver scallop with jalapeno, cilantro and ponzu vinaigrette, Pacific cod with a fricassee of mussels, clams and Chinese sausage, and even a Sichuan beef filet with corn, bell pepper, water chestnut and rice noodle. X-O worked well with a dessert sampler tray ranging from light fruit sorbets to ganache-stuffed chocolate cake, once I was able to coax out its reluctant dried-fruit hints of apricot and plum.

The finale was the Creation Grand Extra. It's a soft, almost buttery, open distillation with an instant "montant,'' the first fragrance released from cognac. Definite notes of cedar and spice make this an immediately pleasing product.

However, my preference in the Martel line remains the Cordon Bleu, a "gouleyant'' cognac, meaning its body is fresh and light despite aging and, thus, easily enjoyed.

For what it's worth, cellar master Lemoine says his favorite drink is Cordon Bleu on the rocks.

Creation Grand Extra, with a suggested retail price of $299 for a 750-milliliter bottle, will be on the American market in May.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Sales sweepstakes point upward

Fast Track Brands, Established Growth Brands, Rising Stars and Comeback Brands.

Not exactly cocktail party topics, unless you're in the hospitality business. Then, they're a big deal.

Each year the Adams Beverage Group, the Connecticut company that tracks the beverage alcohol industry and publishes Cheers, Beverage Dynamics and StateWays magazines, analyzes domestic sales in those categories. Here's how Adams breaks them down:

• Fast Track Brands: Those with sales exceeding 100,000 9-liter cases in 2006 and double-digit growth over the past four years.

• Established Growth Brands: Those operating from huge sales bases, with more modest percentage gains, although total volume can be very high.

• Rising Stars: Those showing significant growth but on the market for less than five full years.

• Comeback Brands: Those that saw a sales decline two years ago but rebounded last year.

Adams, which will announce the full awards in the March issues of its magazines, provided this advance look at the awards:

"Among those winning Adams Growth Brand spirits awards, Diageo took top honors with seven (led by Captain Morgan Rum and Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch), Pernod-Ricard USA received four (led by Stolichnaya Vodka), and Bacardi took four (led by Bacardi Rum's dominance and Grey Goose Vodka's continued explosive growth). Six other companies (Barton Brands, Beam Global Wine and Spirits, Brown-Forman Beverages, Heaven Hill Distilleries, Moet Hennessy USA and Sidney Frank Importing) saw their spirit brands take home three honors. Impressive brand performance sent honors to Jagermeister, Skyy Vodka, Patron Tequila, Ketel One Vodka and Svedka Vodka as well.

"In the wine category, the Australian phenomenon Yellow Tail continued its dominance among imported wines, while Beringer was the largest volume award winner. Constellation split 13 awards between its Centerra Wine and Pacific Wine Partners divisions, and Robert Mondavi Private Selection. E&J Gallo picked up eight awards, led by the fast moving Barefoot Cellars. Bronco Wine Co., Brown-Forman Beverages and Foster's Wine Estates Americas picked up five awards each. Other high performance brands include Foxhorn, Cavit, Riunite, Lindemans and Clos du Bois.

"In the Established Growth Brands category, of the 27 brands cited, six were vodkas, four tequilas, and three each rums, American whiskies, Cognac/brandy or cordials."

Overall, according to Adams researchers, spirits were up in 2006 in volume by 3.7 percent, while wine overall grew 3.4 percent, a continuation of a multi-year growth spurt.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Svedka new star of Constellation

Svedka vodka has steadily gained acceptance in the consumer market since its 1998 debut. So much so that Constellation Brands Inc. has agreed to acquire the business for $384 million.

The deal includes the purchase of Spirits Marque One LLC, the Svedka brand owner. Constellation, headquartered in Fairport, NY, near Buffalo, is a leading international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands. It already has one vodka, Effen, in its portfolio.

Svedka officials claim their 80-proof vodka is "the fastest growing major imported premium vodka in the United States. Approximately 1.1 million cases of Svedka were sold during calendar 2006, predominantly in the U.S., a 60 percent increase over 2005 sales volume."

A 70-proof version of Svedka also is available. The vodkas come in regular, citron, raspberry, vanilla and clementine flavors.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Tempest in a glen

Up in the wilds of Cape Breton, Canada, there's a company named the Glenora Distillery. It is located in a glen, its address is Glenville, and it is near Glenora Falls.

However, the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) is trying to force Glenora to stop calling its single malt whisky, Canada's sole such beverage, Glen Breton. This comes on the heels of the Canadian Trade-Marks Opposition Board's ruling that Glenora can continue using the word Glen despite oposition from the Scotland-based SWA.

The SWA plans to appeal the ruling to the federal court in Canada. Its stance is that using the word "glen" makes consumers think the whisky is made in Scotland.

The Trade-Marks Board said, in part, "The essence of the opponent’s argument is that Canadian users and purchasers of whisky have been educated to associate the word Glen solely with scotch whisky."

However, if the association "truly believed that the word Glen merits special protection for producers of scotch whisky, it should have long ago taken steps to protect that word as a geographical indication of Scottish origin, much as it did for the words ‘scotch whisky'."

No word yet on whether the SWA might go after Glen Campbell, Glenn Gordon Caron, Scott Glen, Glen Close, the Glenn Miller Orchestra or the estate of the late actor Glenn Ford.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Appleton unveils 20-blend rum

NEW YORK -- Joy Spence may be the first female master blender in the rum industry, but she's not content with that appelation. She's now unveiled a new product that is expected to make a quick impact on the market.

Her Appleton Estate distillery this week made its U.S. launch of a new blend of 20 marks, called Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum. The new 80-proof product has a suggested retail price of $26.99 for a 750ml bottle.

Appleton already has wide acceptance in the U.S. market. It has received two consecutive "Growth Brand Awards" from the Adams Beverage Group that tracks alcohol sales.

The Appleton line includes Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum, Reserve Jamaica Rum, Extra Jamaica Rum, 21-Year-Old Jamaica Rum, Special Jamaica Rum and White Jamaica Rum. It is marketed by Brown-Forman.

Spence, by the way, began her spirits career at Tia Maria Liqueur. She then joined J. Wray & Nephew, owners of Appleton, and studied under then-master blender Owen Tulloch.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.