20111031

New Glenmorangie 15 goes to market

The new expression.
Glenmorangie named "Distiller of the Year." Story here.

Glenmorangie today announced the release of its Nectar D'Òr 15 yr old whisky, the expansion of its Extra Matured Range, which includes Quinta Ruban.

Nectar D'Òr 15 initially is matured for at least a decade in ex-bourbon American white oak casks, then extra matured in ex-sauternes casks for five years, according to Dr. Bill Lumsden, head of whisky creation for the Scottish distiller.

The whiskey is stored in hand-selected wine barriques (59 gallon capacity barrels) to develop its flavors, and is non-chill-filtered for additional aroma.

The new product, bottled at 46% abv (92 proof) will sell for a suggested retail price of $70.

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Lasers shed light on counterfeit whisky

From BBC.com

A new method to tackle the counterfeiting of Scotch whisky using laser technology has been developed.

St. Andrews University researchers have claimed they can work out a whisky's brand, age and cask by using a ray of light the size of a human hair. They said the test could prove if a whisky is genuine or not using a sample no bigger than a teardrop.

Counterfeiting is understood to be a major problem for the drinks industry which seeks new methods of detection.

The technique involves researchers placing a tiny amount of whisky on a transparent plastic chip no bigger than a credit card. Using optical fibers the width of a hair, the whisky sample is illuminated by light using one fibee, and collected by another.
By analysing the collection of light scattered from the whisky, the researchers say they are able to diagnose the sample.

The key lies in the ability of the laser to detect the amount of alcohol contained in the sample, genuine whisky must contain at least 40%.

The method exploits both the fluorescence of whisky and the scattering of light and shift in energy when it interacts with molecules, known as its Raman signature.

[Go here for the complete story.]

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20111028

Glenmorangie named 'Distiller of the Year'

The Glenmorangie portfolio.
Glenmorangie today was announced as "Distiller of the Year" winner in the annual Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards.

According to Wine Enthusiast magazine, Glenmorangie's nomination resulted from its innovation "ranging from polished classics and elegant cask-finished whiskies to its 2011 release of the luxurious Glenmorangie Pride 1981 bottling."

Glenmorangie pioneered the now widely-used techniques of extra maturation, best illustrated in its 12 years old Extra Matured Range: Lasanta (Sherry Finish), Quinta Ruban (Port Finish) and Nectar d'Or (Sauternes Finish). After spending 10 years in American white oak bourbon casks, each expression is extra-matured in wine casks for two more years.

Glenmorangie Pride 1981 is the longest extra maturation Glenmorangie has ever offered. It is matured in oak for 18 years before being aged in Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes casks for another 10 years. Presented in a Baccarat crystal decanter, it is an extremely rare, limited edition of only 1,000 bottles worldwide.

The Glenmorangie distillery was founded in 1843 in the Highlands of Scotland and has a reputation as a pioneer in whisky creation, now overseen by Dr. Bill Lumsden.

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20111027

Van Winkle supplies being refreshed

If your local spirits merchant is a bit low on Van Winkle whiskies, take heart. The Frankfort, KY, distiller promises more will be on the way to "select stores" by late November.

The portfolio, made in limited batches, consists of Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon aged 10 years, available in 90 proof and 107 proof; Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon, aged 12 years; Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbons, aged 15 years, 20 years and 23 years; and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey, aged 13 years.

The 23 Year Old was named "Whiskey of the Year" in 2010 by Wine and Spirits magazine.

The Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery has an interesting history that spans four generations. It began in the late 1800s when Julian P. "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr. and a partner purchased the W.L. Weller & Sons liquor wholesale house in Louisville then merged with A.P. Stitzel’s distillery to become the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. In May 1935, Van Winkle opened a new Stitzel-Weller Distillery in South Louisville, making such brands as W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell and Cabin Still.

Julian Van Winkle Jr. took over operations when his father died at 91, but sold the distillery in 1972. The rights to all of their brands were sold to Norton Simon Inc. United Distillers, which eventually ended up with the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, sold off all of the original labels around 1999.

Julian Jr. then resurrected a pre-Prohibition label, Old Rip Van Winkle, the only one to which the Van Winkles kept the rights. He used whiskey stocks from the old distillery to supply his brand. His son, Julian III, took over in 1981 when Julian Jr. died, and his son, Preston, works with him.

In 2002, the Van Winkles began a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery. All of the Van Winkles' whiskey production now takes place at Buffalo Trace Distillery under the same family guidelines.

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Trace's Single Oak Project nears third release

Whiskies usually are the product of tasting by a very small inner circle. In the case of Buffalo Trace Distillery's Single Oak Project Bourbon, that circle is huge.

The favorite wheat recipe bourbons that are part of the project are aged in barrels made from wood harvested from the top half of oak trees, with barrel #61 and barrel #127 leading the way.

Nearly 1,000 whiskey fans have participated by tasting and rating online their Single Oak Project Bourbon. Drinkers in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco have submitted the most feedback, but the company says it has received reviews from people in 31 countries.

The third release in the series will go public in Niovember. Participants will be asked to explore three important variables that affect the bourbon taste: recipe, grain size, and entry proof.

Some of the bottles contain bourbon made with rye and others with wheat. The barrels themselves were made from different trees, each with varying degrees of thickness to their wood grain, from fine to average to very coarse.

"We can now finally taste the difference in whiskies at two separate entry proofs," said Harlen Wheatley, master distiller. "There has been much debate about entry proof, so we’re very curious to see the results."

As with the other two releases, Buffalo Trace hopes consumers can continue to rate each whiskey they taste online. After reviewing a bottle online, consumers will be given the aging details and provenance of the barrel. They can interact with others who also reviewed the barrel and compare their reviews.

The Single Oak Project is part of research Buffalo Trace Distillery started in 1999 by selecting 96 trees with different wood grains, then dividing them into a top and bottom piece, yielding 192 unique sections. From there, staves were created from each section and were air dried for either 6 months or 12 months. After all the staves were air dried, a single barrel was created from each tree section, resulting in 192 total barrels. These barrels were given either a number three or a number four char and then filled with either wheat or rye recipe bourbon. The barrels were filled at two different proofs, 105 and 125 proof. In addition, two different warehouses were used, one with wooden ricks and one with concrete floors.

In this process, Buffalo Trace came up with a potential of 1,396 tasting combinations from these 192 barrels.

The Single Oak Project Bourbon is being released in a series every three months over the next four years until all 192 barrels have been released.

All releases will be packaged in a 375ml bottle. Suggested retail pricing per bottle is $46.35.

At the conclusion of the Single Oak Project, the Distillery plans to take the top rated barrel based on online consumer feedback, make more of that product and launch it under the Single Oak Project nameplate.

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20111024

Beam sale to Pernod-Ricard speculated

From Bloomberg News Service

Jim Beam bourbon and Skinnygirl cocktails may be enough to convince Pernod-Ricard SA and Diageo Plc to attempt the biggest spirits acquisition in six years.

Beam Inc., the liquor company formed in the breakup of Fortune Brands Inc. this year, would be worth about $59 a share in a takeover, said Goldman Sachs Group Inc. That would value the Deerfield, Illinois-based owner of Courvoisier cognac and Cruzan rum at $10.8 billion including net debt, making it the largest deal in the liquor industry since 2005, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

With bourbon sales outpacing vodka in the U.S. as drinking at home increases, Beam’s command of a third of the domestic market with Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark may lure Pernod, Europe’s second-biggest distiller, or Diageo, the world’s largest spirits company, said Davenport & Co. and Goldman Sachs. While Pernod’s $14.2 billion in debt and Diageo’s distribution of tequila and cognac brands may be hurdles to a takeover, according to GFI Group Inc., Beam is an appealing entry into the bourbon market because it isn’t family controlled like Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman Corp., said Liberum Capital Ltd.

"Beam’s bourbon play is attractive for the potential buyers," Alfredo Scialabba, a special situations analyst at GFI Group in New York, said in a telephone interview. "They have a very strong position in the U.S., which is the most profitable market, so it would be a very nice addition to one of the other global players."

Stephanie Schroeder, a spokeswoman for Paris-based Pernod, declined to comment on whether the company is interested in acquiring Beam. [Go here for the full story.]

Meanwhile, in less speculative news concerning Pernod-Ricard, Bloomberg reports that the company's "ascent to investment grade is paying off in the credit markets, where the cost of insuring the bonds of the maker of Chivas Regal whisky and Absolut vodka has fallen while that of its peers climbed amid the euro-region debt crisis." [Go here for that story.]

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Push on to hike taxes on Jack Daniel's

Jack Daniel's visitors center.
LYNCHBURG, TN -- The Jack Daniel's company pays nearly 60% of the price of a bottle of its whiskey in some form of tax. It also pays for about a third of Moore County's tax base.

Not enough, says one local resident who is spearheading a campaign to get the whiskey giant to pay for a few more things in the county -- such as schools, roads, brides and a water treatment plant.

Charlie Rogers says the county is "entitled" to more of the company's money.

"They created the image of this little old hamlet down here being the place where this fantastic whiskey is being made ... and the people didn't realize what was going on. They were being marketed all over the world as 'the place'."

Rogers began his push back in 2007 when he asked the town council to approve such additional taxes. The idea was dismissed then, but this year the council approved a resolution asking the state's General Assembly delegation to introduce a private act that would enable Moore County residents to at least vote on such a tax. If that is successful, the locality would have to get signatures from registered voters equal to 10% of the vote in the last presidential election tyo get a barrel tax on the ballot.

Responds Tommy  Beam, general manager of the Brown-Forman-owned distiller, sees the push as a potential job killer.

"We're paying our part, our fair share," Beam said, noting that the distillery has already helped the area in several ways, including assisting with renovations at the courthouse,  a swimming pool and donated land for a public park, in addition to all its taxes. "We operate as a partner with the county."

Jack Daniel's is the county's largest employer, with a work force of about 450, and also brings more than 200,000 visitors a year into the area.

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Murray guide names Old Pulteney No. 1

Malcom Waring
Old Pulteney, a single malt distilled in the remote town of Wick, Scotland, has been named "World Whisky of the Year" in Jim Murray's influential 2012 Whisky Bible.

The 21-year-old single malt scored a record-equalling 97.5 points out of 100 on Murray's scale. Murray tastes more than 1,200 whiskies before deciding the winner.

Master Distiller Malcom Waring told me the 21 year old is aged 66% in used bourbon casks and 33% in used sherry casks, then blended and bottled at 92 proof.

Two American bourbons were ranked 2-3 by Murray: George T. Stagg and 10-year-old Parker's Heritage Collection Wheated Mash Bill, respectively.

Old Pulteney 21 was introduced to the U.S. market in 2007. You can read my report at that time, which contains tasting notes on all the Old Pulteney whiskies, by clicking here.

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20111022

Latin flavors gaining in cocktails

'Tavern keeper' Jeret Peña
From Nation's Restaurant News

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- Latin flavors are pouring into beverages, according to experts at the "Latin Flavors, American Kitchens" conference at the Culinary Institute of America here.

Jeret Peña, the "tavern keeper" at The Esquire Tavern here, said he considers mezcal, tequila, peppers, chiles and Latin American herbs the top five Latin flavors popular in contemporary cocktails.

Rick Bayless, chef and owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo and XOCO in Chicago, said, "We are living in a great era of emphasis and enthusiasm about the cocktail culture. It has gotten an amazing rebirth. Where I used to ask for the wine list, I now ask for the cocktail list, because it’s exciting."

Bayless said Latin American alcoholic beverages, liqueurs and mixers also are delicious. For instance, in Mexico, many cities and regions have their own flavor traditions, such as adding ground peanuts, fruits and herbs to drinks.

"It’s all of our duties to shake the bushes and find out what’s out there," Bayless said.

[Go here for the complete story.]

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20111020

Celebri-quote: Olivia Munn

In GQ magazine photo.
The actress Olivia Munn, 31, has an unusual beverage that helps her get through physical workouts: tequila. She talked about it with Radar Online.

Q: What helps get you through a physical workout?

A: It seems weird, but I drink. I drink when I work out. I literally hate working out. My friends ask me if I want to go hiking up Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles and I'm like ... 'Why would you want to go outside? Why would you like to climb up a mountain?' I really do drink when I work out. I have to trick myself into thinking I'm doing something fun."

What does she drink most? Tequila.

[Go here for the Celebri-quotes archives.]

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Agreement on new guidelines for spirits advertising

From FoodBev.com

The advertising of spirits drinks through social networking sites, blogs, apps and user-​generated content will be subject to new guidelines agreed by top spirits producers from Europe and the U.S.

The new guidelines will extend the principles of responsible spirits advertising to cover all forms of digital marketing.

In what is a first in the industry, this collaboration by the European Forum for Responsible Drinking (EFRD) and the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) is a joint effort to provide a common and consistent approach to responsible advertising through social media.

In recognition of the fast-​changing nature of digital media, the revised standards now state a clear set of principles that can be applied to current and emerging digital media, future-​proofing guidelines for the marketing of spirit drinks.

[Go here for the full story.]

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20111015

Argentine ice bar a glacial project

A trio of customers heads into the bar.
From Newser.com

Well traveled tipplers should add Patagonia, Argentina, to their itineraries. A bar billed as the only one made (carved?) out of glacial ice opened there last week.

Bellying up to this bar -- whose specialty is Coke served with a bitter spirit called Fernet -- is a little more involved: You'll don a cape, gloves, and boots, explains The New York Times, and your bar-hop will be limited to 20 minutes. Which is probably a good thing, since the temp is kept at 17.6° , reports Tweet Travelers. But plenty awaits once you leave: GlacioBar is a part of the Glaciarium, a science museum that celebrates the area's myriad glaciers.

If you can't get to South America, don't fret: There are other ice bars around the world, though they're made of regular old ice.

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20111014

Recreating the past at Mount Vernon distillery

Master distiller Dave Pickerell checks alcohol level.

PHOTOS BY BILL DOWD

MOUNT VERNON, VA -- The air was a thick stew of humidity, dust motes, cool water, fruit flies and the occasional spark from kindling wood being stoked in the brick ovens below the copper pot stills.

At a makeshift table, master distiller Dave Pickerell was busy checking the alcohol content of a stream of samples of what was cooking that day: apple brandy.

To be totally accurate, apple eau de vie, the new brandy that can't be called by the "B" word until it has aged at least two years in wood.

This was one of the three distilling sessions that are held each year at the re-creation of George Washington's original distillery on the grounds of his Mount Vernon estate. It was rebuilt in 2007, using the outline of the original foundation discovered during an archaeological dig as well as notes from Washington's era, of stone and wood, thus resurrecting a facility that was the nation's leading distillery until it was gutted by fire in 1814, some 15 years after Washington's death.

With Pickerell, the former master distiller for Maker's Mark and now owner of a bustling micro-distillery consulting business, leading all the work sessions since day one, Washington's distilled products have steadily been gaining in collector appeal. From unaged white spirit, such as Washington sold, to peach and now apple eau de vie as made by Washington, and the two-year-old aged rye whiskey that will be released on October 22, sellouts have been the order of the day.


[Go here for my tasting notes on the rye.]


The revival of the historic operation is a success story for the major sponsor, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), for Mount Vernon and for the distilling industry as a whole.

Maryland-grown heirloom apples.
The heirloom apples used in this year's specialty distillation are of the sort known to have been grown at Mount Vernon in Washington's era.

These particular styles -- Roxbury Russet, Hews Crab and Newtown Pippin (also known as Albemarle Pippin) -- were trucked in from a farm in Western Maryland that specializes in heirloom crops. They have similar tastes, something a distilling assistant referred to as "Granny Smith light." I couldn't avoid sampling one -- slightly tart, crisp, nearly overflowing with juice.

Over the course of three days, Pickerell and a crew of period-costumed workers would create the mash using the fruit, yeast and hot water, run the mixture through a line of five stills to extract the alcohol from the mix through the use of fire, water and a touch of alchemy.

Here at Mount Vernon, the crew works with equipment that is virtually identical to that used by James Anderson, Washington's master distiller, who toiled from sunup to sundown with an assistant distiller and six slaves, turning out up to 11,000 gallons of spirit in one year.

Part of the five-still lineup.
It is an orderly line of fairly simple copper pot stills set into brick chimneys that have a fire box at the bottom. The distilling process is very straightforward, be it with old-style equipment such as this, or the huge, computer-controlled stills at major distilleries around the globe. It goes like this:

Put the mash into the still. Crank up the heat. Because alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water, the two separate and the alcohol in vapor form goes through a copper tube from the top (the "onion") of the still into a cooling tank that contains a coil of tubes, know as the worm. Here, the tank is a wooden barrel;  the cooling water that keeps the worm covered and thus returns the cooled alcohol to liquid form is pumped in from both hoses and wooden troughs connected to a sluiceway bringing water from the nearby creek.

The new whiskey dribbles from the still.
That cooled alcohol dribbles through the worm and out an opening at the bottom of the barrel. A good stream is about the size of a No. 2 pencil, and passes into a funnel lined with a modern coffee filter. What goes through the funnel and into a catch bucket is whiskey. The initial distillate, known as the head, is tossed back into the still for further distillation to get rid of any unwanted material that made it into the start of the run.

I dipped my fingers into a small stream of distillate and tasted, expecting a lot of heat on the palate because of the 150 proof alcohol level (that's 75% alcohol by volume). I was pleasantly surprised by the richness of taste and absence of excessive alcohol bite in this early run, one that would be distilled several more times until it reached a level of quality Pickerell deemed good enough to be barreled in toasted wood for a two-year nap.

Here are some other images from the distilling session:

The distillery on a misty afternoon. The wood trough is the sluiceway.


Member of Mount Vernon's Historic Trades group split kindling to fire the stills.


A savory rough mix of apple squeezings ready to be distilled.


Dave Pickerell is intent on watching his team carry out their tasks.

Dennis Pogue (left), VP for Preservation, chats with Steve Bashore, manager of Historic Trades, in costume.

A Historic Trades worker takes time out for a bit of New Age yoga.

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20111007

Glenglassaugh's No. 1 barrel due to be poured

Barrel No. 1
PORTSOY, Aberdeenshire, Scotland -- Glenglassaugh Distillery was founded in 1875, sold off in 1892, enlarged in 1960, and mothballed in 1986.

Not an unusual story in a country that is home to a fair number of closed distilleries. However, every now and then one is brought back to life. That's the case of Glenglassaugh.

An independent group of investors took it over in 2008 and, after it was refurbished, went back on line. The first mash took place on the November 28 of that year, and the first spirit distillation on December 4 with the first cask of the new era filled two days later. Those first casks will officially become three years old and officially single malt Scotch whisky on December 16 this year.

Inside the Glenglassaugh Distillery.
The very first cask was emptied and refilled into two smaller casks -- a first fill ex-Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry hogshead and a first-fill ex-Palo Cortado sherry hogshead -- on December 16 last year. In September 16 this year the whiskies were returned to the original butt and are now marrying for a period of three months.

On December 16 that cask will be emptied into approximately 650 bottles at cask strength, natural color and with no chill filtration.

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Famous Grouse loses weight

Mike Rose with new lightweight bottle.
From Edie.net

Famous Grouse scotch whisky is set to be sold in lighter packaging weighing only 340g -- a 14% weight reduction previously not thought possible in the production of premium spirit bottles.

The ground-breaking prototype, develped by Edrington, hails a technical first for the bottling industry and will be tested in a selection of Scottish supermarkets this autumn.

Edrington's director of technical services, Mike Rose, said, "We set out to prove that it was possible to produce a glass bottle under 400g which still supports premium features like engraving and embossing and can cope with the speed of our production line, which runs at up to 600 bottles per minute.

"It was a stern test for the new bottle, but it ran successfully through all of the processes without any hitches or breakages. Now that we have a prototype, tests are underway to see whether it is feasible to roll the new bottle out across our products."

He added that if the innovation was adopted by Famous Grouse, the product group would save over 2,160 tons of glass every year. And if this was rolled out across the whisky industry, it could save over 58,000 tons of glass annually.

[Go here for the full story.]


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Hangar One debuts Maine blueberry vodka

ALAMEDA, CA -- Hangar One today announced the release of its seventh flavored vodka, Maine Wild Blueberry.

The vodka is distilled in small batches using fresh wild blueberries from small farms of eastern Maine, and blended with the fresh juices. Maine berries were chosen for their sweeter, stronger taste than most other blueberries.

Previous flavored vodkas from Hangar One are Mandarin Blossom, Kaffir Lime and Buddha’s Hand Citron, plus the seasonal offerings Fraser River Raspberry, Spiced Pear and Chipotle vodkas, as well as straight vodka.

Hangar One Distillers is a small independent company spirits housed in a decommissioned World War II Naval Air Station hangar on San Francisco Bay.

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20111006

Washington rye whiskey ready for market

Draining cooling water from a still at Mt. Vernon (Dowd photo)
MT. VERNON, VA -- Whiskey fans and collectors may want to circle October 22 on their calendars. That's the first day for sales of the first batch of aged rye from George Washington’s reconstructed distillery.

Three hundred limited-edition bottles will be sold for $185 each beginning at 10 a.m. that Saturday. Proceeds will go toward upkeep and operation of the Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens

Washington was the largest whiskey distiller in the U.S. at the time of his death in 1799. His distillery was reconstructed from original notes and plans and opened in 2007. This whiskey was aged on-site in charred oak barrels, unlike in Washington's day when freshly-made whiskey went straight to market.


Go here for my story on opening day at the distillery.


The aged George Washington Rye Whiskey will be available at The Shops at Mount Vernon and the Distillery & Gristmill site, located three miles from the estate.

The whiskey was made from an original recipe. A group of master distillers will be making a batch of original-recipe apple brandy next week.

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20111005

DISCUS seeks fast action on trade pacts

WASHINGTON, DC –- The Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) has urged quick congressional passage of pending free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia.

Such a move would particularly have a favorable impact on bourbon and Tennessee whiskey distillers.

"The Distilled Spirits Council long has supported prompt approval of these agreements because they will bring about significant new export opportunities for U.S. spirits producers,” said Christine LoCascio, DISCUS senior vice president for international trade. "We applaud the President’s commitment to move forward with these free trade agreements."

Under the agreement with Korea, tariffs on imports of bourbon and Tennessee whiskey -- two categories that account for 68% of global U.S. spirits exports -- will be lifted on the first day the agreement enters into force. Korea’s tariffs on all other U.S. spirits will be removed over five years.

Tariffs also will be eliminated immediately on all U.S spirits exports to Panama and on U.S brandies, gins and liqueurs exports to Colombia upon entry into force of those agreements. Colombia will eliminate tariffs on all other U.S. spirits over 10 years.

LoCascio noted that since July 2011, competitors in Europe have benefitted from tariff reductions on their spirits exports to South Korea, which has placed U.S. spirits at a competitive disadvantage in that market.

“In order to begin to reverse this trend, Congress must act quickly to pass these agreements,” she said.

Global U.S. spirits exports have more than doubled over the past decade. In 2010, the value of total U.S. spirits exports exceeded $1 billion for the fourth consecutive year.

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20111004

'Diddy' goes on foul-mouthed rant

Diddy in rant mode.
If, at a given point in time, you were in an Atlanta nightclub and order Grey Goose vodka instead of Ciroc, puffed up mogul Diddy, or whatever the hell he calls himself this week, thinks you're a "nigga" and a "faggot."

That's what happened when Ciroc's official celebrity spokesman went on a rant, threw ice at the customer and challenged him to a fight.  He was caught on video yelling, among other choice phrases, "Bitch ass niggas! Put that shit down before I come smack that purple shirt off your ass!”

Of course, he showed his softer side a moment earlier when he wished a friend "Happy birthday to my nigga."

After reading the transcript and watching the video, I was puzzled. What is a "bitch ass"? And, how does one slap a shirt of somone else's ass? Ah, the mysteries of the universe.

The rapper/entrepreneur, who variously has called himself Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy, and god knows what else, now has issued an apology, riddled with misspellings (shown in dark type). It reads: 

"I'm sorry for the ignorant way I repesented myself ... I have backslid and regressed. Forgive me for my ignorance. Pray for me pls."

"I know better and I am better. I have a responibility that I promise I will live up to. And I'm more dissapointed in myself than you know."

"I will humble myself and learn."

As for the target of his tirade,  Ricky Parker, says he feels "humiliated and disrespected."

Last year, Diddy released a video on You Tube with a mock apology to other vodka makers made while he was lolling in a bathtub full of soap bubbles. So, we probably can take this latest "apology" for what it is. BS.

P.S. If you really feel the need to, you can view the video here.

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Top Russian premium vodka U.S.-bound

NEW YORK -- Russian Standard Vodka, the top premium seller in its homeland, today anounced the U.S. launch of Russian Standard Gold Vodka.

The vodka, made from Russian winter wheat, will be available in selected markets at a suggested retail price of $45 for the 750 ml bottle.

Russian Standard Gold debuted in Russia in 2008 and is currently launching in multiple international markets.

The Russian Standard Vodka portfolio dominates the premium segment in Russia with a 50% market share and sales of more than 2.5 million cases worldwide last year. Drinks International ranks it the fourth-fastest-growing vodka brand in the world.

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Burnett's flavored vodkas hit 25

BARDSTOWN, KY -- Burnett’s flavored vodka portfolio has been bumped up to 25 varieties with the release this week of Hot Cinnamon.

The other flavors are blueberry, cherry, citrus, coconut, cranberry, espresso, fruit punch, grape, lime, limeade, mango, orange, orange cream, peach, pineapple, pink lemonade, pomegranate, raspberry, sour apple, strawberry, sweet tea, vanilla, watermelon and whipped cream.

The newcomer is being sold at a suggested retail price of $9.99 for a 750ml bottle. It also is available in 1.75 liter, 1 liter and 50 ml sizes. All are bottled at 35% alcohol by volume (70 proof).

Burnett’s is one of the brands owned by Heaven Hill Distilleries Inc. Among others are Evan Williams Bourbon, HPNOTIQ and HPNOTIQ Harmonie liqueurs, Admiral Nelson’s and Blackheart rums, Christian Brothers brandies and Rittenhouse Rye Whisky.

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A. Smith Bowman names master distiller

Cox working in costume.
FREDERICKSBURG, VA -- The A. Smith Bowman company today officially named a successor to master distiller Joe Dangler, who retired on October 1.

Truman Cox, who has been training under Dangler since July 1, is the new master distiller. He had been lead chemist at Buffalo Trace Distillery since 2004, but when Dangler's imminent retirement was made known early this year, he moved to Bowman.

Cox is a native of northern Indiana, grandson of a Prohibition era "gin truck" driver. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Central Florida. He started in the alcohol  industry as the quality chemist for the beverage alcohol division at Grain Processing Company in Muscatine, IA. He left GPC to work at Buffalo Trace.

"I make no secret that we purchase designate from Buffalo Trace distillery and have purchased designate since fermentation was ceased in 1984," Cox said. "We distill the designate, barrel and age the distillate at our own facility. I plan on expanding our designate purchases to include some other distilleries to marry the distillates before going through my own still to come up with some unique whiskey."

[Go here for Dangler's retirement story.]

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