Gustav changes Minneapolis spirits focus

• This note was sent via e-mail this weekend to a variety of media and beverage industry people by Frank Coleman, senior vice president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.

"Due to the growing threat to our nation from Hurricane Gustav, the sponsors of the 'Spirits of Minneapolis' event (scheduled for) Monday night have made a collective decision to change the event into the 'Spirits of the Gulf Coast,' shifting the focus to a fundraiser for for the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.

"To that end, we will have a senior Red Cross representative in attendance and we will encourage everyone to make a donation to the Fund at the door. In addition, the event sponsors will make a large matching contribution and present a check at 10:30 p.m.

" ... We want to let you know that the show will go on on Monday night at Solera, 900 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. We all pray together for the safety of our fellow citizens in the affected region."

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Oldies can still be goodies

Photo by Bill Dowd

Breaking up a house full of stuff can uncover a cache of treasures or a pile of junk. Of course, defining the terms "treasures" and "junk" is a very personal thing.

I recently extricated a few items that belonged to my parents, useful items back in the '50s and '60s but eventually tucked away with their memories and other items from their younger days.

One was a yellowing, hardcover copy of "The Official Mixer's Manual," the 1949 edition of a book originally published in 1934. The other was a cocktail shaker of about the same vintage. Each item brought back a flood of memories.

When I was a kid of pre-legal drinking age, I used to whip up cocktails and hors d'oeuvres for my parents and their friends, a group that enjoyed partying in the days when the men wore suits and ties, the women wore dresses and pearls, and no one could afford hired help. Luckily for all concerned, I enjoyed the work and had a knack for it.

I learned how to make quite a few cocktails from that book, and the recipes printed on the frosted glass of the cocktail shaker were a handy cheat sheet when memory failed me under pressure.

The pertinence of these items today is simply that, in an era in which there is an increasing interest in classic cocktails, they show what was popular back then: The whiskey sour, the Manhattan, the Bacardi, the Daiquiri, the Tom Collins, the martini and the Alexander.

And it was an era before those who made a living mixing drinks decided to give themselves fancy titles and seek out media stardom. And, it was an era before spiky hair-do's, casual-sloppy clothes and a general disregard for the niceties of society became the norm.

Patrick Gavin Duffy was for generations the acknowledged master of the cocktail in much of the world. You still can find copies of his books ("The Bartender's Guide," "The Standard Bartender's Guide," "The Official Mixer's Guide," "The Official Mixer's Manual for Home and Professional Use") through eBay, Amazon, and other online sites.

Duffy said in his foreward to "The Official Mixer's Manual" -- "Bartending is an old and honorable trade. It is not a profession and I have no sympathy with those who try to make it anything but what it was. The idea of calling a bartender a professor or a mixologist is nonsense. ... A good bartender wears a fresh white linen coat, and I personally fancy a carnation."

About his own drink preferences, he noted: "With very few exceptions, cocktails should be stirred and not shaken. A stirred cocktail is clear and fresh and retains its vitality. A shaken cocktail is muddy in appearance and has so much ice diluted into it that it is a very insipid affair."

That tidbit of wisdom is something I've carried with me through the years. That's one reason I was happy with the ground rules of a little impromptu contest with Tony Abou-Ganim, the celebrity mixologist who helped the cocktail culture return nationwide with a rush over the past decade or so.

It was at the T-Bar in Charlie's restaurant in Lake Placid, NY. Abou-Ganim was presiding at a cocktail seminar and invited me behind the bar to compete with him in making a Manhattan.

He laid down the ground rules: The same recipe had to be followed — bourbon (we both liked the sweetness of Maker’s Mark), Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth, Angostura Bitters and a maraschino cherry. The catch was that Abou-Ganim preferred to shake his concoction over fresh ice — which I normally do for a straight-up cocktail — while insisting I stir mine with ice to properly chill each drink.

He shook.

I stirred.

We poured.

The audience voted on the cocktail with the most alluring appearance.

Modesty prohibits revealing the voters results. Let's just say I won't ask for a recount.

Another comment from Duffy:

"It is one of my fondest hopes that the highball will again take its place as the leading American drink. I admit to being prejudiced about this -- it was I who first brought the highball to America, in 1895. Although the distinction is claimed by the Parker House in Boston, I was finally given due credit for this innovation in The New York Times of not many years ago."

That was in 1934, and Duffy's wish came true 25 or so years later. However, he could not have foreseen the boom in vodka consumption that most influences today's cocktail menus. So, in honor of Duffy's memory and fine works, here are recipes for several classic drinks from his book.

• IMPERIAL HOTEL FIZZ

One part St. Croix rum
Two parts whiskey
4 dashes lemon juice

Shake well with cracked ice, strain into a tumbler and fill with club soda or any sparkling water.

• WHISKEY SOUR

4 ounces rye whiskey or bourbon
1 teapon powdered sugar
Juice of ½ lime
Juice of ½ lemon

Place all ingredients in a shaker with cracked ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail tumbler. Garnish with an orange slice and a maraschino cherry.

• PROHIBITION COCKTAIL

One part Plymouth gin
One part lillet
2 dashes orange juice
1 dash apricot brandy

Shake well and strain into a glass. Squeeze a lemon peel over the top and garnish the glass with it.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Huge distillery nears start in Turkey

In the gastronomic universe, Turkey is known for its excellent cuisine, but not so much for its adult beverages. A group of investors hopes to change that with a new distillery aimed at producing spirits for international consumption.

Antalya Alcoholic Drinks Inc., located in Antalya on the "Turkish Riviera," is the result of an investment of $73.56 million. It has established an annual production level of 5 million liters of ethyl alcohol, Turkish raki and vodka, with products being turned out as of October.

(Go here for an explanation of raki, Turkey's unofficial national drink.)

The company, an affiliate of Antalya Cooperation Co., was founded, say its officers, "to boost the cooperation among the business community while raising the bar of Antalya as an industrial city operating in a wide variety of fields other than just tourism.

Ahmet Acar, company president, said an emphasis on the production of the alcoholic beverages and fruit juices has a global view, but Russia is the target of Antalya's first vodka.

"“We initially would like to appeal to the cutting edge of the Russian people, prove our quality next, and sway the world markets with our different range of products eventually," he told the Turkish Daily News.

"“We are ambitious, especially in vodka production. Upon seeing that the Russian tourists, mostly unwilling to drink Turkish vodka, bring their own vodka in their suitcases, we decided to change the common repute that the Turkish vodka lags behind its Russian counterpart in the preferences of the consumers, with our production plant designed with the latest Italian technology."

Brand names consumers eventually will be seeing include Topkapi and 7 for the rakis, and Natt and Gorzalka for the vodkas.

"As opposed to the widespread usage of barley and sugar beet, we use wheat and corn as raw material in our products," Acar told the Turkish Daily News.

This pushes prices up, but "we expect not to face any complaints from our customers, who will enjoy the taste of our pure and high quality raki, vodka and gin to the end. We are especially trying to form this segment by thinking of the appreciations and expectations of our female customers, who constitute a completely different customer portfolio. We are planning to appeal to their tastes in our soft drinks segment by fruited alcoholic drinks."

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Ohio's first bourbon going to market

Cincinnati isn't far from Kentucky. Only the Ohio River separates them. It's close enough, in fact, that the Blue Grass State's bourbon influence is very strong, and that connection will get even stronger with the introduction of new Ohio bourbon.

Woodstone Creek Bourbon comes from a facility that began in 1999 as a family-owned microdistillery, Ohio's first. Husband and wife Don and Linda Outterson built it up since then and produce a line of wines and spirits. Their first spirit to hit the market was Cincinnati Vodka.

Woodstone also produces a five-grain bourbon and a single malt whisky that are in the aging stages now.

The Outtersons are facing the usual bureaucratic nightmares when creating a spirits business, including much of the arbitrariness others have encountered around the country. Being unable to offer tastings of your own products on-premises and not being able to sell them there, either.

Says Don Outterson:

"Woodstone has begun it's quest to change Ohio law to allow us to sell our spirits in our own gift shop and offer tastings. The surrounding states of Kentucky, West Virginia and Indiana currently have this ability. We have started a petition to send to our legislators. If you can't come to the winery to sign, send us an email at woodstonecreek@yahoo.com. It should say something like:

" 'I believe Ohio distilleries should have the ability to sell their own manufactured, legal spirit from on-site gift shops and offer specified, taxable, servings of spirit samples without event permits. My name: –––––––––––, Date: –––––––––––, City of residence: ___________. I am over the age of 21'.

"You don't have to be a resident of Ohio. You do have to be over 21. In fact, we'd like to show Oho our average consumer is likely to be an alco-tourist who isn't going to make an additional trip to a liquor store to buy our vodka. We want them to see how much tax money they didn't get."

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

KY Bourbon Trail adds another stop

The Tom Moore Distillery in Bardstown, KY, has been added to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The facility makes such brands as 1792 Ridgemont Reserve and Kentucky Tavern. It is a Constellation Spirits property.

This is the first addition to the tourist trail since it was created in 1999 with seven founding members.

"We've always been proud of our location and connection to the real heart and soul of bourbon," said Chris Gretchko, brand director for whiskeys at Constellation Spirits. "This is for people who really want to touch it, feel it, smell it, see it."

Free tours will begin October 1, although there is no visitors center at the plant. One is tentatively targeted for 2010.

Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association, said in a statement issued Thursday that he was happy Constellation Spirits had joined the trail. The company is the third-largest holder of distilled spirits in Kentucky out of nine members in the trade group, he said, with 11% of the state's nearly 5 million aging barrels.

The Tom Moore Distillery was founded in 1879 and encompasses 229 acres. It once was known for the Barton brand name but that has been done away with as of this month and the Bardstown is being called Constellation Spirits as a closer identifier with its parent company, Constellation Brands of Fairport, NY.

Here's a list of tourist trails in whiskey country:

• American Whiskey Trail
• Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• Urban Bourbon Trail

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

The Fortune(s) of brand deals

Fortune Brands will stop distributing Absolut vodka in the U.S. on October 1, more than three years earlier than planned. It will receive $230 million from Pernod Ricard for its decision.

Fortune also will purchase the Cruzan rum brand from Pernod Ricard SA for $100 million. Both deals follow Pernod's $8.3 billion deal announced in April to buy Sweden's Vin & Sprit AB, maker of Absolut. Fortune had submitted what turned out to be a losing bid for Vin & Sprit, which also owned the Cruzan brand.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Gibson's switches facilities

You may never know the difference, but if you drink Gibson's Canadian whiskey you soon will be getting the product made in a different facility.

The 350,000-case annual production will be turned out at the Hiram Walker & Sons distillery in Windsor, Ontario. It has been produced at a Schenley facility in Valleyfield, Quebec, but that plant was sold to Diageo PLC which needs all the plant capability.

Gibson's products include 12-year-old and 18-year-old Finest Rare, as well as Finest Sterling, a six-year-old whisky. Full production in Windsor is expected to begin in January, with the whiskey then matured and stored at the Walker's Lakeshore warehouses.

Other products produced at Walker's include Canadian Club, Malibu rum, Wiser's whisky, Polar Ice vodka, Lamb's rum, McGuiness white rum, Red Tassel vodka, Deaubonne brandy, Meagher's 1878, Silk Tassel, Royal Reserve, Black Diamond rum, Grand Duke vodka and Barclay brandy.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

You say tequila, I say tortilla

My friend Richard Lovrich, the art director for the Proctors Theatre complex in Schenectady, NY, and a major appreciator of tequila and other things Mexican, called my attention to this article from USA Today:

ZAPOTLANEJO, Mexico — Here in the heart of Mexico's tequila country, where every town has a distillery and the air smells like sweet fermenting molasses, a sign proudly marks the entrance to Miguel Ramírez's farm: "Rancho Ramírez: Producer of Agaves."
But behind the fence, the blue agave plants, the raw ingredient of Mexico's famous tequila, are getting harder to spot. They are being replaced by row after row of leafy cornstalks.

That switch to abandon slow-growing agave plants to cash in on corn, beans and other food crops selling for record prices worldwide could limit the supply of tequila and drive up the cost of a shot or a margarita.

(Go here for the full story.)

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Potato farmer goes from chips to vodka

In the United Kingdom, the name Tyrells usually refers to high-end gourmet potato chips. Now, add vodka to the list.

The Hereford manufacturer was looking for a new use for potatoes too big or too little to turn into chips, or crisps as they call them in the UK.

Will Chase, the potato grower who founded Tyrrells, was faced with a problem -- what to do with all his potatoes that are too small or too large to turn into crisps.

“I came up with the (vodka) idea two years ago,” company founder Will Chase told Real Business. ”I’d been in the U.S. and found out about a guy that that was making vodka out of potatoes, just on a small scale. I thought, ‘I could do that’.”

It took a year to build the distillery and learn the process of vodka making. The first product will make its debut at the Herefordshire Food Festival scheduled for the weekend of October 25-26 at Hereford Racecourse. The first bottle will go on sale in March at a suggested hefty retail price of £40 a bottle, which translates to $73 US.

If you're looking to be the first in your group to sample this new product, you can get contact information here.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Addling your senses the fun way

Forget all that silliness about romantic low lighting with your cocktails. Just slap on a blindfold and some headphones for sensory deprivation and misdirection and live!

That's what is going on at the Zeta Bar in the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, Australia, where they do that to you as well as squirt scented mist in your face. And, you get to pay for the experience.

Music, special sensory gimmicks such as a heat lamp, a 35-cocktail menu and the thrill of it all are going for about $30US a pop.

Get the lowdown here.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

What I'm tasting

• Matusalem Gran Reserva Rum

• Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila

• LiV Vodka

• 10 Cane Rum

• ZYR Vodka

• Prairie Organic Vodka

• G'Vine Gin de France

• Depaz Blue Cane Rhum Agricole

Go to Dowd's Tasting Notes for my views on these and many other adult beverages.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

iPhone app showdown: Beer vs. Wine vs. Cocktails

Camper English, a San Francisco drinks writer, often lets his curiosity lead him in interesting directions. The latest started out, he explains, when "I wanted to see what booze applications were available for the iPhone, so I searched for beer, wine, and cocktails."

What did he find? Visit his Alcademics blog and enjoy.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

PA vodka on the shelves

I reported back in July that after three years of planning and work, Prentiss Orr and Barry Young were ready to unveil their Boyd & Blair potato vodka to the world.

The owners of Pennsylvania Pure Distilleries in Glenshaw, PA, this week saw their product stocked on shelves at Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board stores.

The background on the state's first vodka distillery can be found here.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

A presidential PR gimmick that works

I usually try to find some redeeming value in press releases that push one particular product or another. Not that there's always something inherently wrong with such PR moves, but you have to have some standards or you'll be publishing every self-serving angle that comes your way.

That said, here's a self-serving PR ploy from the Phillips Distilling Co. and its UV Vodka that really does work for me on its own: Cocktails tailored to one's political choices.

With the Democratic (August 25-28 in Denver) and Republican (September 1-4 in Minneapolis) national presidential conventions fast approaching, and no real suspense or drama expected, Phillips is pushing the idea of creating your own excitement by whipping up politically (correct) color-coded drinks using the company's UV Cherry, UV Blue and UV basic vodka.

Here are the recipes, simple and straightforward:

• THE RED ELEPHANT

1 part UV Cherry
2 parts lemon-lime soda

Shake and serve over fresh ice in a highball glass.

• THE BLUE DONKEY

1 part UV Blue
2 parts lemonade

Shake and serve over fresh ice in a lowball glass.

• THE INDEPENDENT

1 part UV Vodka
2 parts tonic water

Shake and serve over fresh ice in a lowball glass.

Of course, the color-coding idea works with lots of other drinks as well: A Cosmopolitan, strawberry-infused Xuxu as a cocktail base, red wine sangria and so on for the red drinks, while you can always use blueberry-infused vodkas, blue curacao, Alize or Hypnotiq to start off your blue drinks.

Unlike in what is just one more disappointing year of presidential candidates, with color-coded cocktails your choices are limited only by your imagination.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

New potato vodka goes LiV

William Dowd photo

When I moved as a kid to New York's fabled 118-mile Long Island, I felt a little bit guilty.

The housing development into which we moved was part of the post-World War II housing boom that sent streams of people east from New York City and in from other states as well as from war-ravaged European countries in search of affordable housing from the late 1940s well into the early '60s.

The fresh start for us and so many other people was wonderful. The touch of guilt came from a kid from a small Pennsylvania farm-country town who quickly realized we were gobbling up fertile farm land as our parents planted lawns and rose gardens in the hope of personalizing their own little cookie-cutter plot of land.

Our particular development wiped out a bloc of farms that specialized in potatoes. Those famous Long Island potatoes. Luckily, the spuds survived the boom and now prosper mostly on the North Fork and South Fork, the still-agricultural far eastern points of the fish-shaped island now known mostly for its wine regions as well as its moneyed Hamptons.

While the wineries and the celebrities get most of the fast-crowd press, a startup company called Long Island Spirits is clamoring for notice with a truly homegrown product.

LiV -- rhymes with "5" -- is a super-premium vodka ($38) made from Long Island potatoes, distilled and bottled at Long Island Spirits' facility, a retrofitted barn set on an 80-acre potato farm in Baiting Hollow in the North Fork wine country.

Not that LiV doesn't have plenty of influences from beyond its home territory. While the vodka itself is 100% local potatoes -- which immediately puts it into the super-premium category, as well as the gluten-free category an increasing number of consumers look for -- it also is impacted by (1.) German stills, (2.) tamper-proof tin wrapping caps from Portugal, (3.) a brushed aluminum-topped Italian cork, (4.) a bottle made of French glass with painted labels, and (5.) branded, custom wooden shipping cases made of Western pine.

Co-founders Richard Stabile and Dan Pollicino have said they crushed more than 150,000 pounds of potatoes for the initial release crafted in custom-made, twin 650-liter copper stills. The first year's production will be limited to 5,000 to 8,000 bottles.

Since the much-lamented (at least by me) Peconika company that used Long Island potatoes but was distilled in New Jersey shut down its short-lived operation in 2005, only Hamptons brand vodka has been made with local materials. It uses 20% local potatoes, but is distilled in the Midwest. That leaves LiV as the only truly Long Island spirit.

(Go here and here for earlier stories. Go here for my tasting notes on LiV.)

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Letters: Cutting Scotch's alcohol content

Dear Bill:

Is there a non-alcohol Scotch or a low-alcohol Scotch?

Can the alcohol be reduced by heating and will it lose its favor? If so how long would you heat it?

Thanks, Gene

Dear Gene:

Quick answer to the first part of your question: No.

By law, Scotch whisky must be at least 40% alcohol by volume (abv), or 80 proof. And, heating it wouldn't do much for the drinkability of the whisky.

You could, of course, simply add water to the point at which it doesn't offend your palate (a little bit of water or ice always helps whiskies of any sort open up). That's how "light" or "lite" beers and even some wines lower their alcohol levels. And, you can always reduce the amount of Scotch in whatever cocktail recipe you like and increase the other non-alcoholic ingredients to taste.

A third option is to try a Scotch-based liqueur that has some of the same taste properties as its parent whisky but a lower alcohol level and often other flavors mixed in. A few examples:

• Stag's Breath, 19.8 abv%, 39.6 proof
• Bruadar, 22% abv, 44 proof
• Old Pulteney Liqueur, 30% abv, 60 proof
• Cock of the North, 35% abv, 70 proof
• Wallace Liqueur, 35% abv, 70 proof

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Rap star gets the spirit

Dr. Dre (the one in the middle over there), who is neither a doctor nor actually named Dre, is joining the ranks of celebrity adult beverage entrepreneurs.

The rapper's cognac and vodka brands will hit liquor stores in the next 60 days, according to celebrity liquor marketer Drinks America Holdings Ltd. The products are a joint venture between Drinks America of Wilton, CT, and Dre's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label.

The marketing for the beverages will be tied in with the release of Dre's next album, ironically titled "Detox." Aftermath Congac will come out first, followed by a flavored and and an unflavored sparkling vodka.

The rapper, real name André Romelle Young, is founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment, thus the name for his liquors.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Vodka-infused Indian street food a hit

Usually it's called "panipuri," but with the global fad of fusion food and drink spreading everywhere, don't be surprised if it begins being called "vodkapuri" in India.

The popular street food, also known in some regions as "gol gappa" or "gup chup," is a crisp-fried rounded piece of dough, hollowed out in the center and filled with various mixtures, usually a thin one of potato, chili and tamarind.

"Pani" is the Hindi word for water and "puri" is the word for the fried dough itself. While there are dessert versions as well, vodka panipuri is the hot item. The Indian newspaper Economic Times reports on the fad this way:

MUMBAI, India -- He leans forward and sticks his neck far out so that the panipuri doesn’t drip on to his crisp pinstriped shirt. A crunch and a gulp and it is downed in seconds. His face scrunches up, his eyes twitch and he begins to nod feverishly. No, it’s not just the spices. It’s the vodka that he’s swallowed neat. And all this at a friendly neighbourhood dhaba in Oshiwara that pulses to the beat of Punjabi remixes.

Vodka panipuri is attracting Mumbaikars in droves as are fancy concoction like chocolate paan, paan ice-cream , cheese-mango juice and Mexican bhel. This fusion food happily marries the culinary delights of two cultures, so what if the two items don’t traditionally gel?

The vodka puri in particular has a long queue of fans.

“Even though it is such an unlikely combination, it works well. The spices of the panipuri doubled with the rush of vodka makes for a great treat when you are fed up of eating the same food," says 22-year-old Breach Candy resident Varun Jhangiani, who popped his first fusion concoction at a Sindhi wedding. “We simply love alcohol and food, and this is a combination of both," he smiles.

Pratap Da Dhaba, earlier known as Chawala’s, has been around for over 40 years and now serves the vodka panipuri.

“We tried out different things to hold the interest of our consumers. This has worked very well for us," says owner Sanjay Pratap. “The vodka is poured in front of the customer. He can choose how much to add in each puri."

A plate of vodka panipuri at weddings is normally served with the chaat paani spiked. However at Pratap’s ... the potato, purses and chutneys are served separately, so that a customer can mix and match according to his or her taste."

(Go here for the rest of the story.)

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Molecular mixology on the move

SpiritWorld.net photo

A pinch of bicarbonate of soda gently sprinkled on a small slab of jelly on a ceramic spoon.

Jelly cocktail flavors such as Strawberry Martini, Snowball, Lychee Martini, Frangelico, Bailey's Irish Cream and Mango Daiquiri -- all made from liqueur-infused jelly strips and fruit puree.

Welcome to the cutting edge of the Singapore cocktail circuit where the latest innovations of something started several years ago in Paris and dubbed "molecular mixology" are being tried out.

This story from the Electric New Paper, the online version of the Singapore publication, provides a look at the latest tricks.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Sobieski vodka rescue possible

• Last month, I reported on the financial problems of Belvedere, makers of the bargain-priced, high-quality Sobieski vodka. Here's the latest update, from Bloomberg News:

Belvedere, the French maker of Sobieski vodka, is in advanced talks with private equity funds about a stake sale as it seeks to emerge from creditor protection, its chief executive, Jacques Rouvroy, said.

Potential buyers of 400,000 Belvedere shares, or a 15% stake, include a foreign company in the beverage industry, Mr. Rouvroy, said in an interview. He would not elaborate.

Go here for my tasting notes on Sobieski vodka.

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Maine vodka links potatoes, blueberries

Maine Distilleries, which just pulled in a double gold medal for its Cold River potato vodka at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, is partnering with Maine blueberry grower Wyman's for a new flavored vodka product.

According to the company, Cold River Blueberry Flavored Vodka has been produced in limited quantities and is being offered for sale at retailers and in restaurants this month to celebrate the annual wild blueberry harvest.

The company claims its new product is "the world's only gluten-free flavored vodka."

Bob Harkins, partner at Maine Distilleries, said in an announcement:

"Wild blueberries are so closely linked with the identity of Maine that it made our first flavored product not only an obvious choice, but a perfect one. The delicately balanced flavor of this fruit is the ultimate complement to our award-winning potato vodka."

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Some Jim Beam ads creep out Aussies

Jim Beam may be the image of perfect respectability in the U.S., but its Australian ads are downright creepy.

The latest set of TV and Internet ads to cause an uproar shows topless Swedish sunbathers being stalked by peeping toms.

According to The Age, the Melbourne newspaper, "The Australian Drug Foundation and VicHealth will make complaints against the ad, claiming it trivialises the criminal act of stalking, objectifies women and links sex to alcohol -- a breach of the industry's own self-regulated advertising code."

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Senator Jan McLucas told The Age the ad was unacceptable. She hinted at regulatory change.

"Generating cheap controversy with this type of ad is the kind of tactic some companies resort to in an attempt to get more for their advertising spend," she said.

Here's another example of a Beam ad, perhaps a bit less offensive since there is no salacious nudity, but it certainly is creepy:



But, to be balanced about it, Jim Beam does offer some commercials that are tongue-in-cheek funny and not the least bit creepy. This one, for example:



To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Mount Vernon whiskey finally on sale

William M. Dowd photo

When I reported last year that the rebuilt distillery at Mount Vernon, V A, had been officially opened, I received numerous inquiries about buying whiskey made in the George Washington tradition.

The answer then was that they had to be patient. The answer today is that Mount Vernon now is being permitted by the Commonwealth of Virginia to sell its product.

Under special legislation supported by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) and signed by Gov. Tim Kaine this year, Mount Vernon now is now permitted to sell spirits products in the gift shops at the distillery and the nearby mansion visitors' center as a special Virginia State ABC store.

Special $25 George Washington Distillery commemmorative gift sets went on sale Monday.

The whiskey is a unique "vatted" product made by marrying and re-aging at Mount Vernon portions of 11 American brands: Jack Daniel's, Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark, George Dickel, Virginia Gentleman, Very Old Barton, I.W.Harper, Woodford Reserve, Rebel Yell and Platte Valley.

The product was created under the auspices of DISCUS by master distillers at Mount Vernon on Aug., 17, 2005, utilizing the contents of special barrels that had been aging on the mansion grounds since 2001.

" ... After 200 years, the public will again be able to buy whiskey at George Washington's Distillery," said Council Senior Vice President Frank Coleman. "These commemorative vatted American whiskey sets are a totally unique product, available only at Mount Vernon. It represents a union of the great American whiskeys, united in the Ssirit of George Washington, and I think he would have approved."

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Record field for SF spirits competition

The results of the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition are in.

This year, 25 judges -- headed by competition director Anthony Dias Blue of Patterson’s the Tasting Panel Magazine and judging director F. Paul Pacult of The Spirit Journal -- evaluated 847 spirit, 132 more than last year,

Submissions were divided into s were submitted and evaluated, up from 715 in 2007, and six out of the seven continents 439 different brand classifications. In addition to medals for individual entries, “Distiller of the Year” honors went to Buffalo Trace
Distillery USA and “Importer of the Year” to Moët Hennessy USA.

Here are the double-gold medalists, by class. If a classification is not mentioned, it means there were no double-gold awards.

You can get all the results inn every medal grouping by going here.

VODKA

• (Top vodka) Snow Queen, Kazakhstan, $29
• Cold River Vodka, Maine, $33
• Puriste Premium Vodka, Austria, $40
• Primo Vodka, Argentina, $26
• Rain Vodka, Kentucky, $20

AQUAVIT

• Linie Aquavit, Norway, $25

GIN

• (Top gin) Plymouth Gin, England, $30
• Beefeater Gin, England, $24
• Rehorst Premium Gin, Wisconsin, $30
• Martin Miller's London Dry Gin, England, $30
• Rogue Spruce Gin, Oregon, $32

EXTRA-AGED RUM

• (Top rum) Matusalem Gran Reserve Rum, Dominican Republic, $32
• Don Q Gran Añejo Rum, Puerto Rico, $45

RHUM AGRICOLE

• Rhum J.M. Rhum Agricole 1997, Martinique, $96
• Rhum J.M. Rhum Agricole, Martinique, $37

DARK/GOLD RUM

• Chairman's Reserve Rum, St. Lucia, $15
• Sergeant Classick Gold Hawaiian Rum, Hawaii, $20

OVERPROOF RUM

• Bounty OP, Fiji, $20

CACHACA

• (Best of Show - White) Weber Haus Silver Cachaça, Brazil, $30
• Cuca Fresca Cachaça, Brazil, $20
• Bossa Cachaça, Brazil, $28

SILVER/GOLD UNAGED TEQUILA

• (Top tequila) AsomBroso Silver Tequila, Mexico, $45
• Blue Head Blanco Tequila, Mexico, $45
• Gran Centenario Plata Tequila, Mexico, $50
• El Tesoro Platinum Tequila, Mexico, $38
• Milagro Premium Silver Tequila, Mexico, $30

REPOSADO TEQUILA

• (Top reposado) El Tesoro Reposado Tequila, Mexico, $40
• Amanecer Ranchero Reposado Tequila, Mexico, $35
• Semental Reposado Tequila, Mexico, $50
• Herencia De Plata Reposado Tequila, Mexico, $44
• Tequila 5150 Reposado, Mexico, $42

ANEJO TEQUILA

• (Top añejo) Siete Leguas Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $50
• Don Tepo Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $55
• Blue Head Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $55
• La Certeza Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $60

EXTRA-AGED TEQUILA

• (Top extra-aged) Don Julio Extra-Aged Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $350
• El Capo Extra-Aged Añejo Tequila, Mexico, $73

SMALL BATCH BOURBON 10 YEARS OR OLDER

• (Top bourbon) Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Reserve 20 Year Old, Kentucky, $100
• George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Kentucky, $55

SMALL BATCH BOURBON UNDER 11 YEARS

• Baker's Small Batch, Kentycky, $37
• Virginia Gentleman Small Batch, Virginia, $21

STRAIGHT BOURBON

• Wild Turkey 101, Kentucky, $20

SINGLE BARREL AMERICAN WHISKEY UNDER 11 YEARS

• Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon, Kentucky, $30

SINGLE BARREL AMERICAN WHISKEY 10 YEARS OR OLDER

• Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Kentucky, $40

AMERICAN STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY

• (Top rye) Rittenhouse Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey, Very Rare 23 Year Old, Kentucky, $170
• High West Whiskey, Rendezvous Blend, Utah, $45
• Thomas H. Handy American Straight Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, $55

PURE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY

• (Top Irish whiskey) Jameson Rare Vintage Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $250

BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY

• Jameson Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $21
• Tullamore Dew Original Blend Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $22
• Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $38

SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY

• Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 12 Year Old, Ireland, $100
• Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $40
• Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Cask Strength, Ireland, $60
• Greenore Irish Whiskey, Single Grain, Ireland, $50
• The Irishman Single Malt Irish Whiskey, Ireland, $50
• The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 10 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish, Ireland, $72
• The Tyrconnell Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 10 Year Old Sherry Cask Finish, Ireland, $72

BLENDED SCOTCH

• Chivas Regal 25 Year Old, Scotland, $299
• Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, Scotland, $69
• Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Scotland, $80
• The Antiquary 21 Year Old Deluxe Blended The Antiquary Superior, Scotland, $100

DISTILLERS' SINGLE MALT SCOTCH

• (Best of Show - Whisky) Highland Park Single Malt Scotch, 12 Year Old, Orkney Islands, Scotland, $40
• Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch, Airigh Nam Beist, Islay, Scotland, $120
• Ardbeg Single Malt Scotch, Uigeadail, Islay, Scotland, $95
• Auchentoshan 16 Year Old Bourbon Matured Single Malt Scotch, Limited Edition, Lowland, Scotland, $120
• Auchentoshan 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Lowland, Scotland, $95
• Bowmore 1991, 16 Year Old Port Matured Single Malt Scotch, Limited Edition, Islay, Scotland, $100
• Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Highlands, Scotland, $50
• Cragganmore Single Malt Scotch 1992, Distiller's Edition, Speyside, Scotland, $65
• Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Speyside, Scotland, $120
• Glengoyne Single Malt Scotch, Smokehead, Islay, Scotland, $50
• Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch , Islay, Scotland, $80
• Lagavulin Single Malt Scotch 1991, Distiller's Edition, Islay, Scotland, $100
• Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Original Cask Strength, Islay, Scotland, $54
• Scapa 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Independent Merchant, Orkney Isles, Scotland, $45
• The Glenlivet 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Speyside, Scotland, $89
• The Glenrothes 33 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, 1975, Speyside, Scotland, $450
• The Macallan 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Fine Oak, Speyside, Scotland, $78
• The Macallan 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Fine Oak, Speyside, Scotland, $220
• The Macallan 30 Year Old Single Malt Scotch, Fine Oak, Speyside, Scotland, $700

OTHER WHISKEY

• Suntory Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt, Japan, $100

COGNAC EXTRA-AGED/VINTAGE

• (Top cognac) Hennessy Cognac Paradis Extra, Cognac, France, $320
• Martell Vintage Cognac, France, $299

COGNAC XO OR EQUIVALENT

• Courvoisier Cognac XO, Jarnac, France, $107
• Hennessy Cognac XO, Cognac, France, $150
• Louis Royer Cognac XO, France, $110

ARMAGNAC - VINTAGE PRE-1985

• (Best of Show - Brandy) Loujan 1979 Armagnac , Bas Armagnac, France, $105
• Chateau de Laubade Vintage 1978 Armagnac, France, $180

ARMAGNAC VINTAGE - POST 1985

• Tariquet Vintage Armagnac , 15 Year Old, AOC, Bas Armagnac, France, $70

BRANDY - PISCO

• Mistral Nobel Pisco, Chile, $16
• Nasca Pisco, Isa, Peru, $29

SPANISH GRAPE BRANDY & BRANDY DE JEREZ

• Cardenal Mendoza Gran Reserva Brandy, 30 Year Old, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, $100

FRUIT LIQUEUR

• (Top fruit liqueur) Cointreau Orange Liqueur, France, $34
• Grand Marnier Liqueur, 150th Anniversary, France, $225

HERBAL/BOTANICAL LIQUEUR

• (Best of Show - Liqueur) Domaine de Canton Ginger Liqueur, France, $30
• Averna Sambuca, Sicily, Italy, $29
• Chartreuse Green VEP, Voiron, France, $140
• St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, France, $33
• Cynar Artichoke Liqueur, Italy, $19

OTHER LIQUEUR

• Irish Mist Liqueur, Ireland, $25

ABSINTHE

• (Top absinthe) Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe, France, $50

To Dowd's Spirits Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Kazakh vodka may be headed for your store

Kazakhstan doesn't offer a lot to the adult beverage market, but the makers of Snow Queen vodka hope to change that a bit.

The vodka, made with organic wheat and spring water from the Himalayan foothills, is distilled five times, employing birch charcoal in the process. The final product was good enough to be named top vodka and pull in a double gold medal at the recent 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and give impetus to expanding distribution in the U.S.

For those not up on their geography, the former Soviet republic is located in Central Asia, between Russian and Afghanistan.

Snow Queen sells for a suggested retail price of $30 for the 750ml bottle.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Bacardi opens first retail store

Getting shelf space is a never-ending task for spirits distributors. Bacardi has found a way around the problem. It just opened its first store anywhere in the world.

The location: Downtown Nassau in the Bahamas.

The special draw: The international launch of Bacardi Reserva Limitada, a rare aged rum never before sold outside of its production site in Puerto Rico.

The 3,300-square-foot, two-story themed retail outlet is the only branded retail outlet in the world designed for the sale of Bacardi products and branded accessories. It features Bacardi portfolio products at duty-free prices as well as hats, shirts, gym bags, umbrellas, towels and other items not available for purchase in any other store anywhere. That portfolio includes Grey Goose vodka, Bombay Sapphire gin, Dewar's Scotch whisky and Cazadores tequila.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

Flavor infusions hit the moonshine niche

"Aged less than 30 days."

Is that something to brag about? Forget the 8- and 12-year-old spirits. The folks at Heaven Hill Distilleries in Bardstown, KY, like the newer stuff. It's on the label of their two newest Georgia Moon clear spirits products.

Peach and lemonade flavors have been infused in the 70-proof corn whiskey and will hit the market in September.

Thus, we're already heavily into flavor infusions in the still-small but growing corn whiskey niche that takes advantage of the generations-old liking in some circles for "white lightning" or "moonshine."

"We felt like the convergence of these trends was natural in Georgia Moon Peach and Lemonade," said Susan Wahl, Heaven Hill brand manager Susan Wahl. "Though the category is small, Georgia Moon is the top sell(er) ... and is growing at a nice clip. This will be a strong seller for us in traditional and in developing markets.”

Heaven Hill is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned marketer and producer of distilled spirits products.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.

What will they think of next? (August edition)

For this month's selection of cocktail recipes, I did a little globetrotting to find offerings off the beaten path. Among the criteria for selection was the insistence that each recipe be simple to follow, considering we're in the lazy part of the year above the equator.

• BLUE HEAVEN

From the cocktail recipes at The Drinks Show, held each summer in Toronto, comes this cooling, colorful offering (shown here) that's summery looking and a snap to put together. Its main ingredient, Alizé Bleu, is a ready-made French drink composed of vodka, cognac, passion fruit, cherry, ginger and other flavors.

1½ ounces Alizé Bleu
Fresh lemonade
Fresh ice
Handful of blueberries

Fill a tall glass with fresh ice, pour in the Alizé, top with lemonade and in sprinkle a few berries that will slowly drift down through the drink as you serve it.

• BANANA BATIDA

Celebrity mixologist Tony Abou-Ganim presented this simple treat at the "Tales of the Cocktail" event in New Orleans recently.

8 ounces cachaça
2 small ripe bananas
4 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Put all the ingredients in a blender with crushed, fresh ice. Blend thoroughly and pour into large wine goblets, Makes two drinks.

• THE BASIL 8

This multi-flavored treat comes from chef Govind Armstrong at Table 8 on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, FL:

4 white grapes
3 basil leaves
2 ounces vodka
2 ounces lime juice
3 olives
1 ounce simple syrup
Ginger ale

Muddle the grapes in the bottom of a cocktail shaker , then add basil leaves. Fill shaker with ice. Add vodka, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with three olives on a pick.

To Dowd's Wine Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Brews Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Non-Alcohol Drinks Notebook latest entry.
To Dowd's Tasting Notes latest entry.
Back to Dowd On Drinks home page.