Distillers object to bourbon bill

• From the Louisville, KY, Courier-Journal:

Kentucky's bourbon-makers are opposing a U.S. House bill they say would effectively gut federal regulations that govern what can be called bourbon by giving states the upper hand in regulating alcoholic beverages.

If the bill became law, the Kentucky bourbon distillers and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) argue that states could set their own bourbon formulas and requirements for labeling and bottling, overriding the requirements set by U.S. Treasury Department.

"The resulting chaos would undermine" an economic and tourism engine for the state, Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association, said Monday.

Kentucky produces 95% of the world's bourbon, with 10,000 jobs, $125 million in tax revenue and more than $750 million in exports, he said.

The change would bring "significant damage to our legendary distillers," he said.

The House bill, filed by Massachusetts Democrat Bill Delahunt, is supported by national beer wholesalers. It would amend two federal laws by declaring that states have the primary authority to regulate alcoholic beverages. States also couldn't discriminate against out-of-state producers to the benefit of in-state producers without justification.

[Go here for the full story.]

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

Old Johnnie Walker site being revived

• From the Carlisle, Scotland, News & Star

ANNAN, DUMFRIES-SHORE, SCOTLAND -- A former distillery that last produced Johnnie Walker whisky more than 90 years ago is set to go back into production.

Under a £6 million project, the dilapidated 180-year-old building will be restored and equipped to distill a distinctive single malt. It also will become a visitor center and whisky academy providing courses on all aspects of the creation of the perfect dram.

Behind the scheme is Dumfries-born businessman and whisky enthusiast David Thomson, an honorary professor of food and nutrition sciences at Reading University, and his wife Teresa Church, an animal nutritionist.

Professor Thomson, 55, said: “We bought the old distillery three years ago and the project is now set to go. We have been given a £350,000 grant from Historic Scotland who are keen to see the buildings restored. Unfortunately, a £150,000 grant awarded by the Scottish government has been withdrawn although I hope it may be reinstated."

[Go here for the full story.]

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

Diageo creates distillery-only single malts

Diageo has announced four additions to its line of single malt whiskies. The catch is that you'll only be able to purchase them at their respective distilleries in Scotland.

Lagavulin, Oban, Glenkinchie and Blair Athol soon will be selling a single malt Scotch whisky bottling not available anywhere else in the world. Like other Diageo distillery-only bottlings sold at Talisker, Caol Ila, and Clynelish, these new expressions are bottled at natural cask strength and without an age statement.

"When visitors take the trouble to visit our distilleries, it's nice to be able to give them the option of buying something that they couldn't get anywhere else," said Nick Morgan, spokesman for Diageo's Classic Malts Selection.

"In fact, with three of these new ones -- Lagavulin, Glenkinchie and Oban -- we have been able to take advantage of a number of special casks that had been intended for bottling as Distiller’s Editions over the past few years but were found to be surplus to requirements, and have been sitting in our warehouse ever since.

"These have undergone a second maturation in American oak cask wood that has previously held a fortified wine; in this case, sherry-treated American oak casks."

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

Bill's eMailbox: In search of non-alcoholic Scotch

Q: Is there such a thing as non-alcoholic Scotch? I saw a web page for Scottish Spirits Ltd.; they make a non-alcoholic whisky they say tastes and looks exactly like traditional Scotch whisky, but they had no contact information.

My friend’s father is in a assisted living facility and misses his Scotch, but cannot have the alcohol. I’m sure there would be a huge market for this type of product.

Thank you for your time,

Kathleen Owens
Whistleville Farms
Decatur, IL


A: First things first. If it is non-alcoholic it is neither Scotch whisky nor whisky of any kind. However, that doesn't mean it can't resemble them in taste. That's in the eye -- or palate -- of the beholder.

Scottish Spirits Ltd., the Glasgow, Scotland, distiller you mentioned, spent a decade developing the alcohol-free ArKay brand "whisky" specifically targeted for Muslim consumers worldwide.

The company says it is "made from natural identical ingredients in accordance with European Economic Community (EEC) regulations and from artificial flavors and natural malt extract in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

The suggested retail price is $20 per bottle. The problem for individual consumers is that Scottish Spirits Ltd. sells the product by the case, with a minimum order of one container of 1,200 cases.

It also will provide custom labels with text printed according to the health and import regulations of the distributor’s home country.

Scottish Spirits Ltd. has been an international whisky exporter since 1896.

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

DISCUS weighs in on alcohol legislation

The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) won't be toasting the health of a piece of legislation recently introduced in the House of Representatives.

Says DISCUS in a letter to members of Congress about its stance on H.R. 5034, the trade organization says, "For over 75 years, the beverage alcohol industry has been effectively regulated at the federal, state and local level. We are, therefore, deeply concerned that legislation introduced with support from the beer wholesalers would destroy this careful balance.

"For good reason, the beverage alcohol industry is sharply divided over the merits of this controversial and ill-conceived proposal. Distilled spirits, wine and beer companies are strongly opposed to the legislation and we urge you not to co-sponsor the bill."

H.R. 5034 could create major barriers in front of lawsuits by consumers and wineries trying to reduce restrictions on direct shipping, and could end direct shipping of wines, spirits and other forms of alcohol.

The bill was crafted by the National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA).

"If enacted, H.R. 5034 would strip away the protections of the Commerce Clause requiring even-handed, non-discriminatory treatment of business practices," DISCUS contends. "The bill also would effectively exempt state laws relating to alcohol from all federal laws, such as the federal antitrust statutes, the Federal Alcohol Administration Act, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and other important laws. These laws provide critical consumer protections and prohibit price-fixing and other anti-competitive behavior."

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.