The Boys from Wick take on the Big Apple

Malcolm Waring (left) and Bill Dowd chat. (Photos by April Dowd)

NEW YORK -- With the United Nations building looming in the background and busy ships plying the East River, the whisky maker from Wick, Scotland, was soaking in his first visit to the United States.

"It's a bit overwhelming," Malcolm Waring, master distiller at Old Pulteney on Scotland's east coast, told me while we chatted before he unveiled his 17- and 21-year-old whiskies to an invited media preview crowd at The Water Club.

"I expected everything to be big, but it's so much bigger than I imagined. I'd like to visit a lot of places next time around, and I think there will be some 'next times.' "

The 12-year-old version of Old Pulteney, made in a small distillery that is mainland Scotland's northernmost such facility, has been selling in the U.S. for a decade, but the 17- and 21-year-old versions that employ both bourbon and sherry casks to impart different flavors have been available only in Europe. Ware's visit as part of a phalanx of brand managers, PR people and company representatives was timed to coincide with the annual Whiskey Live festivities in New York when more media attention was possible.

The hook is that media attention can be either positive or negative. Thus, distillers take quite a chance when many competitors are in town pushing their products as well. It's a long way from Wick, which is so far north it is on roughly the same latitude as Moscow, to the palates of America.

Waring

Waring, jacketless and wearing a short-sleeved white shirt, was in sharp contrast to the New Yorkie media crowd at the event, most clad in black or earth tones that are the informal uniform of such activities. But when he talks about his whisky he's as smooth as anyone in the room.

"We like to refer to it as a maritime whisky," he said. "It's part of the history of Wick as home port to a huge herring fishing industry in what otherwise was a very remote, windswept place. We even have one of the fishing boats on our labels."

Old Pulteney is one of the lesser known Scotch whiskies among aficionadoes in the U.S., but it has always been known as a quality distillation. It's made in closed pot stills, utilizing 100-meter long copper tubes. It begins with water that comes from the local source, the River Wick, then is filtered and used to begin the whiskey making process.

The Old Pulteney 12-year-old is a warm, smooth, very balanced single malt. Sampling it sets up the palate very nicely for its older siblings, both of which are markedly different and not just because of aging.

I noted the 21-year-old was drier and a touch spicier than the 17, and suspected there was a difference between the types of sherry casks used for each in addition to the ratio of whisky-to-wine barrels. Waring confirmed my suspicions, noting that olorosso casks are used for the 17 and fino for the 21. The 17 year old is aged 90% in bourbon barrels and 10% in sherry. The 21 year old is aged in 66% bourbon and 33% sherry. Both are bottled at 92 proof.

The 17 has pronounced notes of caramel and vanilla, as one would expect, but overtones of honey, citrus and apple come through as well. Once cut with a few drops of water, the nose opened quite a lot, releasing floral esters.

The 21 provides what I refer to as "full tongue," a complete experience of all the elements the tongue can detect -- sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Caramel, chocolate, honey and a touch of smoke are evident, as are lower tannins than in the 17. The complexity of the flavor range makes it a perfect after-dinner drink.

All in all, both the 17 and 21 should be well received by Scotch aficionadoes in the U.S. even at its price point: $79.99 for the 17-year-old, $99.99 for the 21-year-old. The 12-year-old has been selling here at a suggested retail price of $39.99.

The Old Pulteney lineup.

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Plenty of gold among these San Francisco treats

Vodka may have ousted gin from the top rung of the white spirits category worldwide, and tequila is making a strong move upward, but gin keeps coming up big in top-echelon competitive judging.

Plymouth Gin, the iconic English distilllation imported to the U.S. by Absolut Spirits, came out as "best of show - whites" for the second consecutive year at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. (Click here for my column on Plymouth master distiller Sean Harrison, and here for my recent report on a possible gin comeback.)

More than 700 spirits from 51 countries were entered in the recent competition. Among major awards were distiller of the year to Highland Park of Orkney, Scotland, and importer of the year to multinational giant Diageo.

Here are all the gold medalists in all categories. Go here for a complete look at all medal winners in all categories.

WHITE SPIRITS

• Top Vodka, Double Gold Medal: Tanqueray Sterling, United Kingdom, $20.
• Double Gold Medal: Diamond, Oregon, $60.
• Gold Medals: Belvedere, Poland, $32; Boru, Ireland, $32; Chopin, Poland, $34; CÎROC, France, $30; Idôl, France, $28; Khortytsa Classic, Ukraine, $18; Kirkland Signature Ultra Premium, France, $30; Lithuanian Gold, Lithuania, $15; Marani, Armenia, $30; Matrioshka Lux, Russia, $25; Stockholm Krystal, Sweden, $18; T&W V6, Florida, 40%; U'Luvka, Poland, $50; V-One, Poland, $26; Zyr, Russia, $32.

• Top Flavored Vodka, Double Gold Medal: Finlandia Grapefruit, Finland, $19.
• Gold Medals: Belvedere Pomarancza, Poland, $32; Herb's Aromatic Dill Leaf Infused, Idaho, $29; Kröl Lemon-Raspberry, Poland, $30.

• Tequila Best in Show, White, Double Gold Medal: Milagro Reposado Select Barrel Reserve, Central, Mexico, $75.
• Double Gold Medals: AsomBroso Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $210; AsomBroso Silver Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, $40; Casa Noble Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $80; Corralejo Reposado, Guanajuato, Mexico, $35; Don Eduardo Silver, Jalisco, Mexico, $40; El Tesoro Paradiso, Jalisco, Mexico, $121; Fina Estampa Silver, Jalisco, Mexico, $30; Herradura Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $55; Loma Azul Blanco, Jalisco, Mexico, $17; Olmeca Extra-Aged, Jalisco, Mexico, $35; El Agave Blanco, Jalisco, Mexico, $25; Trago Silver, Jalisco, Mexico, $40.
• Gold Medals: 1800 Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $40; AsomBroso Reposado Bordeaux Barrel Rested, Jalisco, Mexico, $44; Cabo Wabo Uno Añejo Reserva, Jalisco, Mexico, $249; Don Eduardo Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $45; Don Julio Real, Jalisco, Mexico, $350; El Jimador Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico; El Tesoro Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $46; El Tesoro Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $40; Gran Centenario Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $50; Herradura Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $50; Jose Cuervo Black Medallion Añejo, Jalisco, Mexico, $20; Mascarillo Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $45; Partida Blanco, Jalisco, Mexico, $50; Penca Azul Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $80; El Agave Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $30; Tevado Reposado, Jalisco, Mexico, $20.

• Aquavit Gold Medal: North Shore Private Reserve, Illinois, $27.

• Top Gin, Double Gold Medal: Tanqueray London Dry, United Kingdom.
• Double Gold Medal: Martin Miller's, England, $30; Stretton's London Dry, South Africa, $13; Tanqueray Rangpur, United Kingdom, $22; Whitley Neill, England, $25.
• Gold Medals: New Amsterdam, USA, $20; Plymouth, England, $23; Whitley Neill 96 Proof, England, $30.

• Soju/Sochu Gold Medal: Suntory Kuromaru Sweet Potato Shochu, Japan, $24.

• Top Rum, Double Gold Medal: Pampero Aniversario, Venezuela, $30.
• Double Gold Medals: Clément XO Extra-Aged, Martinique, French West Indies, $135; Diplomatico Añejo Dark, Venezuela; Rogue Dark, Oregon, $36; Savanna Intense 55, Reunion Island, Indian Ocean, $11; Zaya Gran Reserva, Guatemala, $40.
• Gold Medals: 10 Cane, Trinidad, $35; Bounty Over-Proof, Fiji, $20; Clarke's Court Spicy, Grenada; Clément Cuvée Homière Extra-Aged, Martinique, French West Indies, $85; Gosling's Black Seal, Bermuda, $18; Gosling's Family Reserve Old, Bermuda, $70; Kweyol Spiced, St. Lucia, $17; Matusalem Platino, Santiago, D.R., $17; Matusalem Clásico, Santiago, D.R., $20; Matusalem Gran Reserva, Santiago, D.R., $30; Montecristo Spiced, Guatemala, $20; Pampero Especial, Venezuela, $20.

• Top Cachaça, Double Gold Medal: Leblon, Brazil, $30.
• Double Gold Medal: Pirassununga P51, Brazil, $19.
• Gold Medals (all Brazil, most prices unavailable): Agua Luca, $30; Cuca Fresca Premium, $20; Fulô Ruby Wood-Aged 1827 Range; Fulô Gold 1827 Range, Ypê Wood Rested; Fulô Nêga; Moleca Gold, $40; Sagatiba Pura.

WHISKIES

• Top North American Whiskey, Double Gold Medal: Sazerac Straight Rye, Kentucky, $25.
• Double Gold Medals: Booker's Small Batch Bourbon, Kentucky, $47; Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon, Kentucky, $30; George Dickel No. 12 Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee, $20; George T. Stagg Kentucky Single Barrel Bourbon, Kentucky, ] $55; Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Kentucky, $100; appy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23 Year Old Straight Bourbon, Kentucky, $200; Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, $55; Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Whiskey, Kentucky, $50; Wild Turkey Master Selection Straight Bourbon, Kentucky; Baker's Small Batch Bourbon, Kentucky, $37; Blanton's Kentucky Straight Single Barrel Bourbon, 7 Years, Kentucky, $50; Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky, $23; Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Kentucky, $25; Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon, Kentucky, $18; George Dickel Barrel Selected Tennessee Whiskey, Tennessee, $35; Jefferson's Sam Houston Bourbon, $34; Jim Beam Black Bourbon, Kentucky, $21; Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, Kentucky, $35; Rittenhouse 21 Year Old Single Barrel Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, $150; Rittenhouse 100 Proof Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey, Kentucky, $13; Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, Kentucky, $25; Wild Turkey Russell's Reserve, Kentucky, $30; Woodford Reserve Small Batch Bourbon, Kentucky, $30.

CANADIAN WHISKIES

• Gold Medals: Canadian Club Classic 12, $20; Canadian Club Reserve Classic 12, $17; Canadian Club Sherry Cask Classic 12, $24; Crown Royal, $25; Forty Creek Barrel Select, $22.

IRISH WHISKIES

• Top Irish Whiskey, Double Gold Medal: Redbreast 12 Year Old Pure Pot Still, $65.
• Double Gold Medals: Bushmills Black Bush, $30; Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt, $65; Jameson 18 Year Old, $75; Midleton Very Rare Blended, $125; Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old, $34; Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt, $45; Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt, $115.
• Gold Medals: Connemara 12 Year Old Peated Single Malt, $100; Jameson 12 Year Old, $30; The Tyrconnell Single Malt, $30.

SCOTCH WHISKY

•  Best in Show - Whisky, Double Gold Medal: Bowmore 18 Year Old Single Malt, $85.
• Top Blended Scotch, Double Gold Medal: Johnnie Walker Anniversary Pack, $2,600.
• Top Blended Malt Scotch, Double Gold Medal: Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old, $50.
• Distiller of the Year, Double Gold Medal: Highland Park 12 Year Old Single Malt, $40.
• Double Gold Medals: Aberlour 16 Year Old Single Malt Double Cask Matured, $50; Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt , $65; Bowmore 25 Year Old Single Malt, $250; Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt, $45; Dewar's Signature Blended, $225; Dewar's 12 Year Old Special Reserve, $33; Glen Ord 30 Year Old Single Malt, $300; Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt, $50; Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt, $70; Glenkinchie 10 Year Old Single Malt, $44; Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Single Malt Port Wood Finish, $65; Glenmorangie 15 Year Old Single Malt, $80; Highland Park 18 Year Old Single Malt, $86; Highland Park 25 Year Old Single Malt, $230; Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt, $70; Talisker 30 Year Old Single Malt. $300; Talisker 175 Anniversary Single Malt, $100; The Dalmore 21 Year Old Single Malt, $100; The Dalmore 28 Year Single Malt, $150; The Glenlivet 21 Year Old Single Malt, $150; The Glenrothes Select Reserve Single Malt, $45; The Macallan Sherry Oak 30 Year Old Single Malt, $650; The Macallan Fine Oak 15 Year Old Single Malt, $80; Aberfeldy 21 Year Old Single Malt, $179.
• Gold Medals: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Malt, $45; Aberlour 12 Year Old Single Malt Double Cask Matured, $35; Ballantine's 12 Year Old, $14; .Caol Ila 18 Year Old Single Malt, $60; Compass Box, $75; Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old Single Malt, $65; Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt, $35; Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Single Malt, $120; Glengoyne 10 Year Old Single Malt, $35; Glengoyne 17 Year Old Single Malt, $65; Glenmorangie 10 Year Old Single Malt, $44; Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Single Malt, Sherry Wood Finish, $65; Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Single Malt Madeira Wood Finish; Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Single Malt, $120; Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt, $60; Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt, $360; Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old, $25; Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 Year Old, $80; Johnnie Walker Blue Label, $200; Johnnie Walker Swing, $50; Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt, $50; Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Cask Strength, $60; Laphroaig 30 Year Old Single Malt, $240; McIvor, $12; Pebble Beach 12 Year Old Single Malt, $70; Talisker 18 Year Old Single Malt, $60; Talisker Distiller's Edition Single Malt 1992, $65; Talisker 25 Year Old Single Malt, $200; The Dalmore 12 Year Old Single Malt , $30; The Macallan Fine Oak 17 Year Old Single Malt, $125; The Macallan Fine Oak 30 Year Old Single Malt, $650.

BRANDIES

• Top Cognac, Double Gold Medal: Hennessy Paradis Extra, France, $300.
• Double Gold Medals (all France): Courvoisier Initiale Extra, $291; Courvoisier Napoleon, $81; Hennessy Richard Hennessy, $1,800; Louis Royer XO, $160.
• Gold Medals (all France): Chateau Paulet Cognac Lalique Decanter, Grande Champagne, $1,400; Delamain Vesper, $170; Hennessy XO, $150; Louis Royer Grande Champagne Aged 32 Years, $500; Rémy Martin XO Excellence, $120.

• Best in Show - Brandies/Armagnacs, Double Gold Medal: Chateau de Laubade Intemporel, France, $150.
• Double Gold Medals (all France): Chateau de Laubade 1974 Vintage, $170; Chateau du Busca, $100; Marquis de Montesquiou 1981 Vintage, $45.
• Gold Medals (all France): Chateau du Busca 1976, $170; Chateau du Busca 1985, $130; Larresingle XO, $90; Tariquet 15 Year Old Color Collection AOC, $66; Tariquet 12 Year Old Color Collection AOC, $82.

• Calvados Gold Medal: Père Magloire XO, France.

OTHER BRANDIES

• Top Pisco, Double Gold Medal: Barsol Quebranta, Peru, $20.
•  Top Grappa, Double Gold Medal: Bocchino 16 Year Old, Italy, $250.
•  Double Gold Medals: Bocchino Gemme-Muscato D'Asti Grappa, Italy, $55; Paul Masson Grande Amber Brandy VSOP, Kentucky, $13.
• Gold Medals: Barsol Pisco Acholado, Peru, $20; Bocchino 10 Year Old Grappa Cantina Privata, Italy, $115; Bocchino 30 Year Old Grappa Cantina Privata, Italy, $370; Conqueror Pisco Quebranta, Peru, $26; E. & J. Brandy XO, USA, $20; KWV 10 Year Old Brandy, South Africa, $25.

LIQUEURS & OTHER SPIRITS

• Best in Show - Liqueur, Double Gold Medal: St. Germain Elderflower Blossoms Liqueur, France, $33.
• Top Fruit Liqueur, Double Gold Medal: Cointreau Orange Liqueur, France, $39.
• Top Cream Liqueur, Double Gold Medal: Dooley's Original Toffee Cream Liqueur, Germany, $19.
• Double Gold Medals: Chartreuse Yellow Liqueur VEP, France, $123; E.&J. Cask & Cream Liqueur, USA, $13; Feeney's Irish Cream Liqueur, Ireland, $10; Grand Marnier Cuvée Speciale du Cent Cinquantenaire, France, $215; The Macallan Amber Liqueur, Scotland, $35; Verveine du Velay Liqueur Extra, France, $45.
• Gold Medals: Baileys Original Cream Liqueur, Ireland, $19; .Chartreuse Green Liqueur VEP, France, $123; Dr. McGillicuddy's Cherry Schnapps, Canada, $15; Dr. McGillicuddy's Fireball Cinnamon Flavored Whisky, Canada, $15; Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur, Belgium, $25; Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire, France, $125; Navan Liqueur, France $35; Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli Amaretto Liqueur, Italy, $17; Runners/Clear Light Sorghum Molasses Spirit, California, $50; The Knot Liqueur, Ireland, $24; Ullr Peppermint Cinnamon Schnapps, USA, $25.

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Run Four (the) Roses in New York City

Long, long ago, in a market not so far away from where I now live, Four Roses was a commonplace whiskey brand. I can still recall seeing it on the bar shelves at the homes of family friends, and pictures of it in magazines and on bulletin boards.

Even today, Four Roses ads, such as the 1954 version shown here, are popular with ephemera collectors and auction house regulars.

This particular Kentucky bourbon wasn't of interest in my household, where Dad was a strict Jim Beam and I.W. Harper man, but it was available in enough places for me to sample a sip or two in my maturing years.

But Four Roses, although made in Lawrenceburg, KY, had not been sold domestically in decades and wasn't re-introduced to Kentucky's limited retail market until five years ago. Its primary market was Japan -- fittingly enough since it is owned by Japan's Kirin Brewery Co., which bought it in October 2001-- and Europe.

This week, Four Roses came back in New York City, where I first encountered it lo those many years ago.

It will be available in small-batch and single-barrel versions at a limited number of restaurants, bars and liquor stores as part of an expansion campaign.

Jim Rutledge, master distiller, said today in a statement, "The relevance of New York is important as we re-establish Four Roses in the U.S. Our barrel inventories have increased to the level that can now support the introduction of Four Roses bourbon into other select markets.”

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UK whiskies hit record sales

Whisky consumption is down in the United Kingdom, but that's not of much concern for UK distillers.

The reason: Demand is on the rise worldwide, so export volume is at a record high, according to figures released this week by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA).

Exports rose by 4% in value, reaching a high of nearly $4.9 billion, topping the previous high of $4.7 billion set in 1997. Scotch whisky now makes up a quarter of UK food and drinks exports, says the SWA.

Blended whisky accounted for the bulk of global exports at $3.7 billion, while malt exports grew 7% to $803 million.

"I'm greatly encouraged that distillers, large and small, are investing in facilities in Scotland and taking advantage of opportunities worldwide, with markets in Asia, North and South America offering strong potential for growth," said SWA Chairman Richard Burrows, adding:

"To support the industry's international competitiveness, the SWA is continuing to press the case for new legislation that will improve both the legal protection of Scotch whisky from unfair competition and help promote the positive reputation of Scotch to consumers around the world."

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New Mount Vernon whiskey off to a fast start

William M. Dowd photo

MOUNT VERNON, VA -- As the white-gloved volunteers carefully doled out tiny pours of the surprisingly golden liquid into tiny plastic cups, the tall, white-haired man regally strolled the ground accepting congratulations and handing out compliments to his staff.

Not just another spring afternoon at Mount Vernon, especially not with the presence of the Father of Our Country, in the costumed person of William Sommerfield, and his distiller James Anderson, played by a very convincing Terry Burgler who had the surreal experience of chatting with "his" own great-great-great-great-great nephew who was paying a visit.

"I can't believe how tall the family has become over the generations," Burgler remarked to me with a grin. "It must be something in the water -- or in what we do with the water."

This particular day was the one on which George Washington's rebuilt whiskey distillery was to be opened, receive its special sales license from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and receive visitors of all sorts, from media to politicians to volunteers and neighbors.

Perhaps most important were the costumed master distillers from whiskeymaking operations throughout Kentucky and Tennessee who have been working together for several years to get the historic operation up and running after an absence of 193 years following a fire that burned it to the ground.

Washington is commonly known as "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen." Most people don't know he also was among the first successful commercial distillers in the colonies and then the new nation.

Washington's 22,250-square-foot facility located next to his four-story stone gristmill, which itself opened to the public in 2002, three miles from the main mansion house was huge by the standards of his day. He and Anderson, a Scottish immigrant, oversaw a distilling operation that turned out nearly 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey a year compared to the average output of 650 gallons from other Virginia distilleries.

The distillery, which housed five copper pot stills that were used year-round, began operation in February 1797 and Anderson and his son, aided by six slaves, continued its work after Washington's death in December 1799 and Martha Washington's death in 1802. Washington's nephew, Lawrence Lewis, inherited the distillery and the Andersons moved away. The last recorded distillations were in 1808.

The project was largely underwritten by the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. (DISCUS) and its member companies, with the support of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America, to the tune of $2.1 million.

Some whiskey had been produced before the distillery reconstruction was completed, and that was what was being doled out that day. My tasting notes on the small samples showed some pleasant surprises.

"Remarkable color for something only in the wood for a year. ... Obviously, the maturation process had been sped up by using small, 10-gallon casks which surround the raw whiskey with very accessible oak. ... Fine nose, promising spiciness and herbal nuances. ... Much of the expected initial heat usually present in young whiskey was missing, leaving a warm yet palatable initial taste, along with the expected spice from the rye grain, and a satisfactory finish. ... All in all, a definitely promising young whiskey that I'd love to re-taste a year or two from now."

Virginia usually allows only stores operated by its Alcohol Beverage Control to sell distilled spirits. State Sen. Linda T. "Toddy" Puller, original sponsor of the bill that had to be passed to license Mount Vernon to sell its whiskey, was among the guests at the grand opening.

"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," she said.

Washington's neighbors in nearby Alexandria, now a suburb of Washington, DC, were interested in his spirit and spirits as well. Much of what he and Anderson distilled was sold in Alexandria stores, particularly George Gilpin's general store. What was peddled in those days wasn't moonshine because it was a decent quality spirit -- 60% rye, 35% corn, 5% malted barley, but it was generally unaged and, therefore, colorless.

The Mount Vernon operation also turned out apple, peach and persimmon brandies, vinegar and some specialty whiskies such as a "rectified" style that was filtered to remove impurities, and a cinnamon-flavored style. The common whiskey cost 50 cents a gallon, the rectified and extra-distilled about $1 a gallon, and brandy $1 and up.

Whether the rebuilt distillery will turn out more than the basic rye whiskey will be known as the project matures. It is a completely functioning distillery, probably the only one in the world using an authentic 18th-century process, housed in a three-story brick, stone and wood structure with one floor devoted to an embryonic whiskey museum.

Everything has gotten off to a flying start on the manufacturing end, thanks to the efforts of master distillers and blenders Jerry Dalton (Jim Beam), Jimmy Russell (Wild Turkey), Chris Morris (Woodford Reserve), John Lunn (George Dickel), Gerald Webb (Diageo North America), David Pickerell (Maker's Mark), Ken Pierce (Barton Brands) and Joe Dangler (Virginia Gentleman).

While they've gone back to their real-life jobs, costumed distillers will be working at Mount Vernon each day April through October. Small bottles of Washington's whiskey will go on sale on premises, probably in mid-summer.

(ABOVE: Clear whiskey distillate runs from a collector barrel to a wooden chute leading to storage casks in the basement of the distillery.)

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The Singleton brings a new whisky to U.S.

Can't get enough imported Scotch whisky? If so, you'll be happy to know that Diageo has imported a 12-year-old single malt for tryouts in Chicago and selected sites in New Jersey before going nationwide.

Selling under the brand name The Singleton of Glendullan, the whisky is part of beverage giant Diageo's Classic Malts Selection line which already included The Singleton brand. The whisky is a 100% single malt, matured in both American bourbon and European sherry oak casks.

Glendullan Distillery was founded at the town of Dufftown in Speyside, Scotland's most famous whisky region, in 1897 and started production in 1898. The River Dullan is a tributary of the Spey.

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Tanqueray goes orange, but with limes

Tanqueray may be the top selling imported gin in the U.S., but it's not standing still. The Diageo-owned company has unveiled a new product, Tanqueray Rangpur.

It is distilled with Rangpur limes, a fruit that looks more like a tangerine in color and size.

Why the new product effort?

"The gin category is experiencing a resurgence as consumers seek more complex and interesting spirits," said Jennifer Van Ness, vice president of marketing for gins with Diageo NA, echoing an observation I made in a recent column on new gin products.

"We undertook an extensive amount of research and testing to find the ideal new entry ... .We're confident that Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, which is quadruple distilled, succeeds ... ."

Rangpur limes, native to India but now cultivated in Southern California, have a deep orange, heavily-seeded pulp. They produce blossoms and fruit year-round. One medium lime contains about 20 calories. They often are used to make marmalades or punches.

Tanqueray Rangpur is being made available in 50ml, 750ml 1L, 1.75L, 200ml and 375ml sizes. The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $21.99.

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Alcoholic drinks sales keep on climbing

"The minute you walked in the joint, I could tell you were a real big spender ... " (*)

In an age in which stronger DWI/DUI laws threatened to put a damper on alcoholic beverage sales, all three segments -- spirits, beer and wine -- posted domestic gains in case volume and retail sales, according to the just-released 2007 edition of the Adams Handbook Advance published by Adams Beverage Group.

"The industry is continuing to create and market products that are finding great resonance with American consumers today, and their willingness to pay more in every category proves it," Charles Forman, vice president and group publisher of Adams, said in a statement.

As I've noted over the past several years, while consumers may be purchasing less in volume in some categories, overall they're spending more money for premium labels. At cocktail lounges, patrons tend to order one or two drinks but ignore the less expensive well drinks in favor of the premium brands.

According to Adams, a leading industry analyst, the U.S. distilled spirits industry was up for the ninth consecutive year in 2006.

Total spirits consumption climbed 3.7% to 176.6 million 9-liter cases. Wine sales continued to rise for the 13th year in a row, increasing 3.4% and reaching 283.1 million 9-liter cases. And beer, the largest beverage alcohol segment, rebounded from last year's slight decline, increasing 1.3% to 2.86 billion 2.25-gallon cases.

Says the Adams report:

"High-end products, and imports in particular, across all categories continued to outperform the business as a whole. For example, in 2005 imported spirits accounted for 38.9% of consumption. By 2006, that figure reached 39.7%.

"Flavored spirits also continued to grow, reaching beyond vodka and rum and emerging in tequila, whiskey and even the cognac segments. Of the 12 segments of distilled spirits, only blended whiskies, Canadian whiskies and prepared cocktails lost volume in 2006.

"Meanwhile, vodka continued to boom, fueled by the cocktail craze, up 6.7%, with imports leading the way (up 13.9% versus 3.6% for domestics). Vodka now accounts for a stunning 27.9% of the spirits business. Rum, the second largest category, grew for the 12th straight year, up 3.5%.

"Among table wines, which account for more than 91% of U.S. wine consumption, imports and "critter" wines, those wines with fanciful packages and named for penguins, kangaroos and other animals, were the leading gainers. Imported table wines grew at a considerably faster rate last year (+5.6%) versus domestics (+3.7%). Overall imported wine -- including champagne, sparkling, dessert, fortified, vermouth and aperitif -- grew 5.6% among imports and 2.7% among domestic wines.

"On the beer front, crafts, lights and imports advanced, while premium, popular, malt liquor, ice and flavored malt beverages sagged. Total beer consumption rose 1.3% or 31.4 million cases to 2.86 billion 2.25 gallon cases. Light beers grew 2.4% and now represent 51.1% of the whole beer market.

"Retail dollar sales for the beverage alcohol market climbed last year as well, with on-premise sales up 9.2%, or $8 billion, to $93.9 billion. Off-premise sales were up 5.6% or $4.3 billion to $82.3 billion. Total sales for 2006 reached $176.2 billion in 2006."

(* - from the 1966 Broadway musical production of "Sweet Charity.")

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Another rare, expensive whisky up for sale

This news item is interesting, but it seems that the gist of it -- a rare, expensive whiskey is expected to go at auction for a staggering price -- is becoming rather commonplace.

The current such item is a bottle of Johnnie Walker 1805, one of just 200 in existence, is expected to bring between $20,000 and $30,000 at auction at Bonhams in London.

The special edition 1805 blend was produced in 2005 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johnnie Walker. It is a blend of nine whiskies that are at least 45 years old and from distilleries that no longer exist. The 200 bottles were poresented to various individuals judged to have made "a significant contribution to modern life." This is the first time one will be put on the market.

The bottle comes in a handmade Victorian-style writing case together with an antique nib pen reminiscent of the ere in which Walker blended the whiskies himself. The bottle features a gold bust of Walker and the handwritten' words "The inventory of the stocks and effects of John Walker, November 1819." It is the oldest surviving handwritten document held in the Johnnie Walker archives.

The winning bidder will get a copy of an original recipe book handwritten by Alexander Walker, John's grandson. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the National Trusts for England, Wales and Scotland.

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Chavez vs. the spirits

If you're visiting Venezuela between now and Monday, April 9, don't expect to find it easy to get a cooling gin and tonic or cachaça in the afternoon.

President Hugo Chavez has banned the public sale of such beverages before 5 p.m. until after Easter Sunday, supposedly to reduce road deaths caused by drinking and operating vehicles in the traditionally heavy Easter week traffic.

There may be something to the safety idea. Venezuelans are known as two-fisted spirits drinkers, and in 2006 ranked seventh in the world in the importation of Scotch whisky, according to the Scotch Whisky Association.

Not that imbibing has halted in the capital city of Caracas. The Reuters news service notes "It is almost as easy as ever to get a drink in Caracas, although bartenders have to be careful. In restaurants, beer or whiskey bottles are removed from tables, and some even serve wine in coffee cups."

Chavez, whose "reform" moves usually have an anti-United States angle, says whiskey drinking is an affectation of the U.S. He already had cracked down on the illegal but popular practice of selling beer and rum from trucks in public and drinking on the streets.

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Letters: WTH is sorghum?

Dear Mr. Dowd

WTH is the sorghum mentioned in the 3rd place-winning Gingerbread Hailstorm Julep? (See UK bartenders get playful with US icon.) I'm not sure I have ever seen sorghum bottled.

-- Puzzled

Dear Puzzled:

Sorghum, also known as milo and a dozen other names, is a type of grass grown virtually worldwide as a domesticated grain crop important as a food source and for beermaking.

In the U.S., most sorghum is used for animal feed although a little bit of it is made into a molasses product to be used as a sweetener.

Although over the years other products squeezed out sorghum as a mass-market swetener, it remains popular in the South and is used in baking, drinks, candies, etc.

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Cane Spirits spreads the gold

Ten different distillers' products took best-in-category gold medals at the 2nd Annual International Cane Spirits competition held in Tampa's historic Ybor City area.

The event was run by Dori Bryant of The Polished Palate.

The full list of medal winners:

CACHACA, UNAGED
Best of category gold: Agua Luca
Gold: Leblon
Silver: Beleza Pura, Fazenda Mae De Ouro
Bronze: Cabana, Cuca Fresca

CACHACA, AGED
Best of category gold: Ypioca 160
Gold: Fazenda Mae De Ouro Single Barrel 5 Year Old, GRM Small Batch 2 Year Old
Silver: Cuca Fresca Gold, Rochinha Single Barrel 12 Year Old, Ypioca Ouro
Bronze: Armazem Vieira Onix Solera 16 Year Old, Ypioca Prata

RHUM AGRICOLE, UNAGED
Best of category gold: Clement Premier Canne
Silver: J.M. Rhum White

RHUM AGRICOLE, AGED
Best of category gold (tie): J.M. VSOP, J.M. 1997
Gold: J.M. Rhum Vieux X.O., J.M. Gold
Silver: Clement Cuvee Homere, Clement V.S.O.P., Depaz Blue Amber Rhum

WHITE RUM
Best of category gold: Prichard's Crystal
Gold: Mount Gay Special Reserve
Silver: Bacardi Ruby Rey Reserve, Ron Botran White, Santa Teresa Blanco

BRONZE
Havana Club, New Grove Oak Plantation, Mainstay Cane

DARK RUM
Best of category gold: One Barrel Rum
Gold: Khukri XXX, Vizcaya VXOP Cask 21
Silver: Pirate’s Choice Molasses Reef
Bronze: Jack Tar Superior Dark Rum, Rogue Dark

RUM, AGED UP TO & INCLUDING 8 YEARS
Best of category gold: Tortuga 5 Year Old
Gold: Goslings Black Seal, Mount Gay Sugar Cane, Prichard’s Fine Rum, Ron Barcelo Imperial
Silver: Bacardi 8, Cockspur Fine Rum, Diplomatico Reserva, Goslings Gold, New Grove Oak, Santa Teresa Gran Reserva
Bronze: Appleton Estate Reserve, Appleton Estate V/X, Bacardi Select, Centenario Anejo Reserva Especial, Mount Gay Eclipse, Ron Botran Anejo 8 Year Old Ron Botran Oro)

RUM, AGED 9-15 YEARS
Best of category gold (tie): Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva, Tortuga 12 Year Old
Silver: Mount Gay Extra Old, Ron Botran 12 Year Old, Ron Zacapa 15 Centenario Year Old, Santa Teresa Selecto

RUM, AGED +15 YEARS
Best of category gold (tie): Ron Zacapa Centenario 23 Year Old, Santa Teresa 1796
Gold: Pyrat XO Reserve, Pyrat Cask 1623, Ron Macuro Anejo Ultra Premium
Silver: Centenario Fundacion, Goslings Old, Ron Botran Solera

LIQUEURS / FLAVORS / CORDIALS
Best of category gold: Santa Teresa Araku Ron Y Coffee Liqueur
Gold: Clement Creole Shrubb, Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur
Silver: Castries Peanut Rum Crème, Prichard’s Sweet Georgia Belle Peach Mango Liqueur
Bronze: Beleza Pura Caipirinha, Pirate’s Choice Lime Rum, Prichard’s Cranberry Rum, Rogue Hazelnut Spiced

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Letters: Can I make my own Beefeater?

Dear Mr. Dowd:

Years ago I heard that if you mix together the cheapest bottle of vodka you can find and the cheapest bottle of gin you can find, you will have the equivalent of Beefeater Gin. Can this possibly be true? Or, possibly I heard this from someone too cheap to buy a good bottle of booze.

-- Jeanie in Virginia

Dear Jeanie:

That's kind of a stretch. While gin and vodka both begin as neutral grain spirits, they diverge markedly in the process of creating the final products.

Also, if you mix two cheap ingredients you get one cheap result. Beefeater's quality level and taste are anything but cheap.

Gins have a usually complex set of botanicals infused into them, with each distiller having its own secret recipe. They may let you know which botanicals are used, and often display that information on their labels, but they won't divulge the proportions, the geographic origins of the items, and so on. Also, the type of local water used in the distillation process makes a huge difference from place to place.

Vodka must, by law, be odorless, tasteless and colorless. However, a decent palate can easily detect taste variances, particularly among vodkas made from potatoes and those made from grains and those made with a mix of the two. Also, many vodka distillers also offer lines of products with various flavor infusions.

I hope that answers your question. Thanks for writing.

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Icons of Whisky named

"There are only really three things that are important in the whisky business -- people, product and place. When you blend these things together you get the passion, craft and history behind every drop of the good stuff."

So say the editors at Whisky, the UK magazine that for six years has sponsored the "Icons of Whisky" awards, an international judging in various categories. This year, the judging process was changed to encompass regional heats in the United States, Japan, Ireland and Scotland, with only industry members of the respective countries voting in their heats. Regional winners then went into the field against the rest of the world.

The main award winners:

• Distiller of the Year: Buffalo Trace, a family owned company in Franklin County, KY.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Jimmy Bedford, master distiller, Jack Daniel's, Lynchburg, TN.

The full list of winners in every category, with explanations, is available on the Whisky magazine Web site.

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World's oldest distillery re-started

A piece of Irish history returned to the public eye this week when the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world was re-started.

A new operation opened in the 250-year-old Kilbeggan Distillery, with a refurbished old pot still fired up 53 years to the day distilling stopped in 1954. The pot still is the oldest still working in the country. The re-firing of it was witnessed by direct descendants of three families –- the McManuses, the Codds and the Lockes, who among them operated the distillery for more than 200 years. A new 15-Year-Old Super Premium Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey was launched in honor of the event. It is expected to be exported to the U.S. and other markets in the coming months.

The Old Kilbeggan Distillery, located about 60 miles west of Dublin, will initially produce up to 250,000 bottles of whiskey a year which then will be allowed to mature in adjacent stone warehouses.

Kilbeggan Irish whiskey, named after the old distillery, is the top selling product of the Cooley Distillery, an independent company. Its other labels include Connemara, Lockes, Millars, The Tyrconnell and Sainsbury's.

Cooley Distillery won three major awards last week at the Icons of Whisky 2007 ceremony in London: Irish Distiller of the Year, Irish Whiskey Innovator of the Year and Ambassador of the Year for Cooley chairman John Teeling.

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New brandy is one in a million

When I reported last week on what is purported to be the world's first coconut brandy, it was because of its unique recipe. Now, there's another unique aspect worth mentioning.

Mendis International Inc. today announced the first bottle of Mendis premium coconut brandy ever produced will be offered for sale for a cool million dollars.

“Mendis is about sharing our heritage and story with our customers,” says Chris Richardson, President and CEO of Mendis International. “Customers will always be our focus and that is why we are thrilled about this opportunity to have them be a part of this significant event. We are very proud to be able to offer this exclusive collector’s bottle as a prestigious marker in our history.”

For the purchaser of the bottle, Mendis says it will provide a first class airfare to the Indian Ocean island nation of Maldives and a stay in a five-star resort there. An excursion to Sri Lanka is included, as is a personal tour of the distillery by W.M. Mendis, founder of The House of Mendis. At the tour’s conclusion the $1,000,000 bottle, signed and numbered by W.M. Mendis, will be presented.

What about the second bottle?

Mendis is giving it away in an online draw, part of the product launch publicity campaign.

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The gin comeback is under way

PHOTOS BY WILLIAM M. DOWD (double-click to expand images)
At one time, gin was such a ubiquitous liquor it would have been unthinkable to talk about a comeback for the white spirit. What did the drink of both society sophsticates and college sophomores have to come back from?

Then came the Vodka Age.

The virtually global acceptance of vodka as a one-for-one substitute for gin in mixed drinks and as a standalone drink in flavor-infused styles has in the past two decades sent gin reeling. Last year, Americans drank about four times as much vodka as gin.

Ian Fleming's superspy James Bond helped fuel the change, and the comeback of the "cocktail culture," when his vodka martinis caught the imaginations of would-be adventurers and changed what had been a gin-based drink since its inception.

Gin was one of the earliest spirits many of us tried, usually as a gin-and-juice drink that made some of the less palatable but affordable brands more drinkable. I recall it being the leisure libation of choice in the sports car racing circuit I frequented in the late 1960s, as well as a common ingredient in sweet cocktails made for summer barbecues.

The popular gins then were Gordon's, Gilbey's, Beefeater, Plymouth, Bombay, Boodles, Fleischmann's, Seagram's. Some still are hanging in there, particularly Bombay, the English distiller whose Sapphire is the top-selling gin in this country. But, like vodkas, there seems to be a new brand each week vying for the now-limited shelf space the standard gin labels had been clinging to, and they all are trying to differentiate themselves from the pack while tamping down the traditional juniper berry flavor of gin.

Aviation, for example, is a lavender-touched brand cooked up in the Pacific Northwest. Old Raj, from Scotland, has more of the traditional juniper notes but there also is a detectable saffron element. Hendrick's, another Scottish gin, makes quite a point of its distinct cucumber notes.

Incrementally, gin is coming back through better marketing and less reliance on generations-old traditions.

Gins are, essentially, vodka in that each is at the start a neutral grain spirit. Under U.S. law, gin "shall derive its main characteristic flavor from juniper berries,'' so it needs the addition of botanicals to be complete. Conversely, basic vodka must be colorless, odorless and tasteless -- which makes one wonder why lawmakers think anyone would adhere to the letter of that law.

While vodka distillers tend to use only a few extra flavors in lengthening their product line, gin distillers tend toward using a global shopping list to fill their complicated recipes. In addition to the necessary juniper, it is not unusual to find citrus, almond, licorice, orris root, coriander, angelica, cassia bark and cardamom in various combinations.

I recently spent time with Sean Harrison (right) of Plymouth Gin, made in the English port city of that name. He’s the keeper of a coveted two-century-old gin recipe and the master distiller for Plymouth, the English favorite that not only won “best gin” but “best of show/white spirit” awards at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition last summer, which means it also topped all vodkas.

Harrison is a gin man through and through, but he admits there are some very good vodkas on the market that are huge hurdles for gin to clear in its attempt at a comeback. However, he notes of the continual tinkering with vodka recipes, "If they keep on going, pretty soon they'll invent gin."

Not only is recipe tinkering going on, but packaging has become more important than ever in the battle for consumer attention.

Martin Miller's, for example, and Plymouth each have sleek, sharp-angled clear glass bottles contrasting with traditional royal blue labels.

Plymouth, which has a clear, light juniper nose, medium body, and plenty of up-front juniper with a spicy finish, retained the ubiquitous sailing ship logo in its new design.

Miller's, which carries the name of the British designer, has a wonderful combination of citrus and juniper that reminded me of a stroll in the forest. The bottle traces the manufacturing of the gin, from the small-batch distillation in England to shipping the distillate to Iceland to be blended with spring water there.

But not all packaging is restrained and clean. Citadelle, a French entry, has a busily decorated bottle that supports its botanical barrage recipe, trumpeting its 19 flavoring ingredients that include such things as Chinese licorice, French savory and star anise, and Indian nutmeg.

In purchasing gin, avoid the cheaper priced offerings. Good botanicals cost good money, and the retail prices should reflect that. Cheaper gins tend to be flavored with oils and essences. Better gins use fresh botanicals. A good tipoff is the use of the terms "distilled gin," "London dry gin" and "dry gin" and "London dry gin," all of which can be used only if the gin has been flavored through redistillation rather than simply dumping in flavorings and mixing them up. The best distillers are the pickiest shoppers.

As Plymouth's Harrison told me during our private tasting session, “We don’t buy any botanical from just one supplier because you never know the quality from year to year, or how a change in the crop of one botanical can interact with another botanical that also might be slightly different from year to year. We get several samples of each and distill sample batches to see what comes closest to our standard for consistent taste.”

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Soju so far for Anheuser-Busch

You can't accuse Anheuser-Busch of rushing into the spirits field.

I reported on its first effort back in November 2005 with Jekyl & Hyde, a dual-drink effort. Now, at last, its second drink effort beyond beer and non-alcoholic drinks is soju, an ancient Korean sweet potato distillation that is loosely classified as a vodka.

A-B is teaming up with Ku Soju Inc. of Laguna Hills, CA, to test market and distribute Ku brand soju, distilled by Doosan of Seoul, South Korea.

Among soju's selling points are that it has about one-third fewer calories than vodka and, at 48 proof, contains less alcohol.

The low alcohol volume will help in marketing the drink because it can be sold by A-B's network of nearly 700 distributors to stores licensed to sell beer, wine and — as is the case in New York and California with licensed on-premise accounts -- beverages with no more than 24% alcohol, which makes it 48 proof.

“There’s huge potential,” Ku Soju President Norman Suh told Brandweek magazine. “This is a mainstream brand for everybody. It’s much smoother, and if you compared Ku against any super premium vodka on the market — Grey Goose, Belvedere, Chopin — we’ll come out on top in any taste comparison.”

Of course, not everyone is interested in a straight drink. Soju mixed with Sprite and various kinds of syrup is popular in Korea, especially among women and young people in general, as is a concoction of one part soju, two parts Sprite plus lemonade powder.

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New products, new flavors

• The Tommy Bahama brand has added a Barbados distilled, blended and bottled rum to its prodict line. It's a joint effort of Foursquare Rum Distillery and the Sidney Frank Importing Co. The rum comes in two aged blends –- Tommy Bahama White Sand, a clear, light-bodied rum, and Tommy Bahama Golden Sun, an amber rum.

• Malibu-Kahlua International has unveiled new flavors for its Malibu Rum and Kahlua Coffee Liqueur lines. A new tropical banana flavored rum has been added to a line that already included coconut, passion fruit, mabgo and pineapple flavors. Kahlua has added French vanilla and hazelnut to its liqueurs.

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That's using your coconut

The old Caribbean party song says you "put the lime in the coconut." But, at distiller W.M. Mendis & Co. Ltd., they're putting coconut in the brandy.

The company, a subsidiary of Mendis International Inc., is poised to launch what it says is the world's first clear ultra-premium coconut brandy. The initial U.S. rollout will concentrate on the New York City area.

"We are very excited about the pre-launch and are thrilled to be able to offer consumers a new appealing alternative to the glut of flavored vodkas and rums out in the market," says Chris Richardson, President and CEO of Mendis International. "Mendis coconut brandy will give consumers exactly what they are looking for -- 100% natural flavor in a clear mixable form.

"Just as Grey Goose shook up the vodka market, so will Mendis for brandy."

Mendis's 80-proof distillation is made from the essence of the coconut flower in French pot stills and matured for a minimum of two years in Hamilla wood casks. It retains a subtle taste of coconut.

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Party time approacheth

Now that the major holiday season is well behind us, we can get away from the traditional drinks that accompany Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's and think ahead to spring and summer entertaining with imagination.

I like to invite a group of interesting people -- preferably not all of whom know each other, put out some great canapes, and post a cocktail menu of a half-dozen or so drinks for the evening rather than have people fall into the same old drinks rut.

Making sure you have the right ingredients to do that takes some thought and a few bucks. But, even if you're on a budget, don't despair. The folks at Tastings, the Web site of the Beverage Testing Institute, have put together an article titled "Building a Best Buy Bar" that looks like a good guide to being a complete beverage host without breaking the bank.

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Irish pride more tainted than tinted

Every few years I get so fed up with the idiocy of St. Patrick's Day that I can't contain myself. It's boiled over again in the face of the annual avalanche of plastic shamrocks, green beer and fools on TV and in print adding an "O" to their names and promising pots of gold to anyone who would listen to their sales pitch.

Just a few days ago I heard a talk-radio caller saying someone was "as drunk as an Irishman." Some cops still called the police van a Paddy wagon. It is difficult not to trip over all the plastic leprechauns and shillelaghs laying around taverns, stores and restaurants. A lot of politicians run around with name tags that stuck an O' in front of their names and make the usual gratuitous remarks about loving the folks from the Auld Sod.

In this ethnically, religiously and racially diverse nation we have been sensitized to the effects of stereotyping people. We understand when African-Americans and Italian-Americans, Polish-Americans and Jewish-Americans, Arab-Americans and Mexican-Americans -- perhaps even Martian-Americans -- become angry at hurtful, demeaning jokes and remarks about their heritage. But we seem, as a society, incapable of understanding why some Irish-Americans "get their Irish up" when they're regarded as fair game for insults.

Even in Ireland itself, what once was a quiet day of religious contemplation has disintegrated into a booze-fueled mess catering to tourists. Irish authorities last year reported more than 700 violence- and alcohol-connected arrests on St. Patrick's Day.

It is baffling enough that it's happening there. Perhaps it is because the Irish also are widely regarded as amiable folks, the kind of people who take little ethnic slurs as good-natured fun. But in the U.S. it seems seldom remembered the slurs are a nasty holdover from a time when they had their turn at the bottom of American society -- being denied education, being relegated to back-breaking jobs like digging the barge canals, driving the railroad spikes, clawing coal from the bowels of the earth miles down where the air was foul and the life expectancy short.

A time when signs saying "No Irish Need Apply" were commonplace on rooming houses, business places and restaurants. A time when the Irish were jammed into ghettoes later occupied by succeeding generations of immigrant groups; when the "Paddy wagon" hauled a lot of them off to jail on the slightest pretext. A time when the likes of immigrant Kate Mullaney had to risk life and limb to get Troy's laundry workers a modicum of respect and pay and, in the process, formed the first female labor union.

Some say the ideal would be for Americans of all backgrounds to forget about roots and become generic, non-hyphenated Americans. That may be desirable in the sense it could foster a togetherness now missing in our national dialogue, but it never will happen.

People do, to some extent, like to be different. Maintaining ties with one's heritage makes them so, and keeps alive the rich inheritance from that culture that adds to the marvelous American stew.

But, isn't there a classy way to do it?

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Scotland vs. Cape Breton, Round 2

They didn't get anywhere with Canada's Trade-Marks Opposition Board, so as expected the Scotch Whisky Association is taking its case against a Nova Scotia distiller to the federal appeal level.

The Scotland-based SWA wants Glenora Distillers International Ltd. of Cape Breton to stop calling its single-malt whisky Glen Breton. Reason? It contends that the use of the word "glen" confuses consumers into thinking it's a whisky from Scotland.

The Glen Breton distillers respond, and the regulatory board agrees, that the use of the word "glen" is legitimate because the company is named Glenora, the community is named Glenora, its next to a community called Glenora Falls, and coupling "glen" with "breton" is merely a legitimate combination of local place names.

In January, the Trade-Marks Opposition Board in Ottawa ruled in favor of Glenora. The SWA is appealing the decision, claiming Glenora is "unfairly trading on Scotch whisky's international reputation."

Meanwhile, Canadian consumers are weighing in with money, grabbing up the Glen Breton Ice version with abandon.

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What will they think of next? (The debut)

From time to time I come across some truly innovative cocktail recipes. Rather than let them go unappreciated by the reading public at large and enjoyed only by the select circle that frequents those cocktail bars, I've decided put together a monthly compilation of such drinks.

Here goes with installment No. 1 of "What will they think of next?"

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• Gold Bar, 389 Broome St. near Mulberry, New York, NY (212) 274-1568.

Honey is for more than hot tea or flapjacks. A daiquiri here is a Bees Kiss when the usual sugar component is replaced with honey and mixed with rum and lime juice. For a Margaritas Begone use honey, tequila and lime juice. And, for a Gold Rush whiskey sour, mix honey with bourbon and lemon juice and serve it very well chilled.

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• Bison Witches Bar & Deli, 326 North 4th Avenue, Tucson, AZ (520) 740-1541

The BLTini, made by bartender Gary Crystal, turns the classic BLT sandwich turned into a drink. It begins with a generous pour of potato vodka, an inch or so of Bloody Mary mix, and a garnish of freshly-cooked bacon hanging off the side and a bit of leafy lettuce. He sometimes rubs the rim of the glass with the bacon.

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• Taste.com.au

This Australian Web site invites readers to contribute their own cocktail recipes. Valli Little came up with this strawberry cocktail recipe to serve eight:

1 pound strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon fine sugar
Crushed ice (optional)
2/3 cup vodka, chilled
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled

Place the strawberries and sugar in a blender or food processor and blend or process until mixture forms smooth puree. Pass the puree through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard the seeds in the sieve. Cover the puree with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator. Half-fill 8 champagne flutes with the crushed ice, if using. Divide the chilled strawberry puree among the flutes, then top each with 1 tablespoon vodka. Top up with the sparkling wine. You can make the strawberry puree up to two days ahead.

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Inner Circle Rum gets new owner

Inner Circle, the maker of a particularly good Australian rum, has been purchased by brewer Lion Nathan.

The purchase, which includes Inner Circle's Beenleigh distillery, is part of Lion Nathan's expansion into the spirits and ready-to-drink beverage niches. Lion Nathan itself is 46% owned by Kirin, the Japanese brewer.

I was fortunate to sample the full range of Inner Circle rums last year as a judge in the first Cane Spirits Festival Tasting Competition, held in Tampa's historic Ybor City area. This year's competition, incidentally, is schededuled for later this month in the same city.

There, Inner Circle -- once made only for employees of the CSR sugar refinery, thus the name -- won gold medals for its Red Dot, Blue Dot and Green Dot rums, silver for its Black Dot and bronze for its Traditional Pot Still rums.

Inner Circle remains a relatively small manufacturer since being revived in 2000 after a 14-year closure, but industry observers see the Lion Nathan resources as something that will improve sales and distribution.

Lion Nathan already sells clear spirits such as vodka and white rum through a joint venture with the world's biggest rum maker, Bacardi, and has purchased McKenna Kentucky Straight Bourbon as well.

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100 Años broadens U.S. product line

Since it hit American stores in 2005, 100 Años Tequila Reposado has been selling well. Well enough, in fact, for 100 Años Tequila Blanco to join it in the U.S. market as of this month.

The brand, popular in Mexico, is a product of Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc., a unit of Fortune Brands Inc., and Sauza Tequila, one of the world’s largest tequila brands. The suggested retail price for the blanco is $19.99 for a standard 750ml bottle.

The 100 Años portfolio is the No. 1 seller by volume in the Mexican tequila wholesale market and No. 2 in the Mexican retail market, according to ISCAM figures from last October. Its reposado showed 129.5% percent growth in the past 52-week period, according to A.C. Nielsen research figures released in January.

The drink specialists at 100 Años call the blanco "a mixable tequila that can be served on the rocks, sipped, or combined with a number of mixers."

I haven't yet sampled the blanco, so I may think differently after doing so, but my experience with the reposado tells me to refrain from mixing it too much. The 100 Años line tends to have a crisp, slightly fruity flavor I find best sampled over ice without diluting it with other ingredients.

Sauza, on the other hand, produces a Hornitos reposado that I use as my "house brand" for mixed drinks. It maintains its own flavor in mixtures and imparts a citrus-floral nuance.

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Drive responsibly, and luxuriously

Drinking responsibly just might be a little easier to do if you get behind the wheel of this Rolls Royce Phantom.

It's done up in Grey Goose's signature shade of blue as part of a joint campaign bewteen the automaker and the vodkamaker.

Two customized versions of the extended-wheelbase Phantom are being used to promote a "sip responsibly" message. Grey Goose said the vehicles will be used at high-profile events. Specially trained and assigned "chauffeurs" will educate passengers on the merits of the drink, the car and being socially responsible.

The autos, powered by a 6.75-liter 453-horsepower V12 engine, have the GG logo embroidered on headrests and integrated into the trim of the car. It was handcrafted in-house, designed, engineered and hand-built by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood, England.

Only 100 of the extended wheelbase Phantom have been produced.

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A very old tale of whisky and ice

Whisky over ice is nice. Whisky preserved in ice? That's another story.

And this story, told by the Evening Standard's online entertainment guide This Is London, involves an Antarctic explorer and two cases of MacKinlay's Rare Old Whisky.

It seems Shackleton (seen here) left the drink behind when he and his crew threw in the towel 98 miles short of their goal in a 1908 expedition to reach the South Pole and abandoned their icy hut.

The cases were discovered by a conservation team excavating ice from beneath the hut.

"It was a magic moment. It's a very exciting find," This Is London quoted Al Fastier, the New Zealander managing the conservation program at Cape Royds on Antarctica's Ross Island.

Shackleton and a crew of 14 built the hut as their base, then spent nine months in it when temperatures dropped as low as 58 below zero. According to their records, the subsisted on 1,600 pounds of Yorkshire ham, 100 pounds of Colman's Mustard, hundreds of packs of biscuits and tins of syrup.

MacKinlay's, a family distilling company in Leith, Edinburgh, was the expedition's official whisky supplier. It now is part of Whyte and Mackay. The explorers apparently finished off 10 of the 12 donated cases.

The bottles of whisky have been left in the cases where they were found. If removed, Fastier explained, they could be damaged. Although he agreed it is tempting to find out how the whisky fared, "It's better to imagine it than to taste it. That way it keeps its mystery."

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The race to excess

In our never-ending crusade to keep you up to date on all things financially excessive, we bring news of a gold-dusted cocktail priced at £800, the equivalent of US$1,556.

The concoction, called "When Louis Meets Louise," was unveiled at the Gilt Champagne Lounge at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in London's tony Belgravia section.

The formula: A blend of Louis XIII cognac with 1998 Cuvée Louise Blanc gets the addition of a cube of sugar cube, a dash of Angostura bitters and a sprinkling of real gold dust.

Head barman Vaibhav Rustagi told This Is London, "This is the mother of all champagne cocktails. Its key is the contrast between the bubbles and the aftertaste of the bitters and the sugar. We only use 15 milliliters of cognac in the cocktail, which is 10 less than a normal shot, because it is so strong. It would otherwise kill the taste of the champagne. The sugar keeps the champagne bubbly so you can see the gold dust swirling around for ages."

Why so pricey? The cognac costs US$1,943 a bottle, the champagne US$485. And then, there is the gold dust. Plus, you get to keep the Prima Donna Moser flutes, priced at US$485 a pair.

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