The price of nightclub 'star' gazing

Portfolio magazine interviewed Noah Tepperberg, owner of the swank Manhattan nightclub Marquee (currently grossing $13 million), and asked this question about high-priced drinks that come with special seating:

Portfolio: "Why would any person who's not deranged want to pay $400 for a $30 bottle of vodka?"

Tepperberg: "I'll turn that around on you. Why do people pay $2,000 for front-row seats at great concert? In other words, inside nightclubs, there's a show that goes on. There's a voyeuristic aspect. It’s this social show. People want, you know, to have a good seat in the middle of that. And they pay a premium for the liquor, which is really just another way of charging for the real estate."

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Through the kaleidoscope

William M. Dowd photos

Sometimes a swirl/sip/spit tasting doesn't do the spirit or wine justice. That's when it's time to whip out the kaleidoscope.

Not the iconic toy used to dazzle youngsters with color displays. In this case, it's something Dr. Bill Lumsden (right) came up with to help samplers of his whiskies from The Glenmorangie distillery broaden their experience.

Lumsden, Glenmorangie's head of distilling and whisky creation, and his associates went beyond the usual palate expressions for their tasting to bring the whole sense experience into play. The categories of the "kaleidoscopic tasting" process are:

• Refreshing and cooling
• Luscious and tropical
• Stimulating and zesty
• Mellow and mature
• Warming and vibrant
• Velvety and sumptuous
• Comforting and silky
• Mellow and mature

The tasting is accompanied by a slide-show that adds a visual aspect to the event along with strong suggestions for the palate.

Here's how it works, using "refreshing and cooling" as an example.

Look for the cooling notes, a touch of mint, a touch of cool green in the color, a hint of pear in the top notes. The slide-show accompanying the tasting provides complementary images such as a woman with cool water running over her hair, and a fresh sprig of mint.

Or, looking for the "luscious and tropical" aspects of the whisky, the on-screen images show a heavily-lipsticked set of pouty lips, a ripe peach, the silhouette of a palm tree against a sunset.

I participated in such a tasting last week in Louisville, KY. The four-whisky sampling set included the original Glenmorangie, the 18 Years Old expression, The LaSanta and Astar, the newest whisky in the portfolio.

Bearing Lumsden's guidance in mind, here's what I experienced:

• Original Glenmorangie: This expression is light both in color and on the palate, with ethereal floral notes that open more when a few drops of water are added. Bold vanilla mixed with herbals of mint, fennel and thyme, as well as a bit of mild orange and a comforting warmth.

• 18 Years old: This is the "big brother" of the original, 100% of it aged in ex-bourbon casks for 15 years, then 30% of it re-racked in ex-olorosso sherry casks, then blended. It has very pungent floral notes, topped by jasmine along with honey and lemon. With water the oiliness is released along with lots of leather, honey and nuttiness. Long aftertaste and clingy mouthfeel.

• The LaSanta:The name is Gaelic for warmth or passion, and the taste reflects it. After at least 10 years' aging in bourbon wood, this single malt gets extra time in ex-sherry casks, usually two years. Its gorgeous amber color set up the palate for a quick burst of toffee, cocoa and caramel, along with the tang of allspice and cinnamon. Water releases an acidic balsamic note, followed by those of walnuts and hazelnuts. The finish is slightly oily with a peppery edge and lingering touches of mace, vanilla and guava.

• Astar:The name is Gaelic for journey. There is a surprising burst of white chocolate in the nose, along with some pineapple and menthol. With water, more spices plus hints of balsamic and coconut flavors play around the edges. Although this whisky is very spicy, there is no unpleasant bite. Nuttiness, vanilla, creme brulee all come to mind. I find this the closest thing to bourbon in the Glenmorangie portfolio.

Last fall, I had the opportunity to sample a somewhat different lineup of Glenmorangie whiskies at a private tasting session in Manhattan. Two in particular stood out:

• Quinta Ruban: This whisky has been aged in used bourbon barrels, then transferred for extra aging in port barrels. The result is a lovely combination of the essences that make bourbon so unique as well as the additional smoothing from the port-soaked wood.It envelops the tongue in a warm, smooth coating then moves on to release notes of chocolate, caramel and even a touch of mint. The complexity of flavors and aromas make this a whisky worth lingering over.

• Nectar D'Or: From aging in ex-bourbon barrels to finishing in used sauternes casks makes for an unusual result. Sauternes is a sweet, delicate French wine, usually served as a dessert wine, made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, the "noble rot.'' Thus, the characteristics it imparts to the 10-year-old Scotch during the two-year extra aging process are truly unique. The Nectar D'Or contains some of the distinct flavor notes of the partially raisined Sauternes wine, with a pleasing golden color. Fruit, honey, a touch of spice and a long, lingering finish make this a desireable whisky.

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Men, do not read this item

Rain Vodka has decided to play up the fact it is "organic" by adding the word to its name and debuting it at the “All Things Organic” conference and trade show in Chicago April 27–29.

Elizabeth Cawood, vodka brand manager of the Sazerac Co. which makes Rain at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, explains (bold-face type emphasis is mine):

“While Rain has been organic from the beginning, we feel it’s important to let our female consumers know we are certified by the USDA and we go the extra mile to make the finest vodka possible. If you are interested in serving or drinking an organic martini, Rain is the obvious choice.”

In case any men have read this far despite the warning headline, they may want to share the knowledge the women have, that "Rain is hand-made in small batches using white organic corn and is distilled seven times for exceptional taste and smoothness. ... A 750ml bottle of Rain retails between $18 and $22."

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Another master distiller stepping down

William M. Dowd photo

Maker’s Mark master distiller David Pickerell has left the bourbon maker after 14 years, according to a company announcement.

No reason was given except that euphemistic catch-all phrase "to pursue other interests."

Pickerell is being replaced by Kevin Smith (above, conducting a distillery tour), who joined the company in 1998 as a master distiller in training.

“We are grateful for Dave’s many contributions to Maker’s Mark and wish him all the best,” Bill Samuels Jr., president of the Loretto, KY, distillery, said in a statement.

He is the second master distiller to step down in recent weeks. In February, Jimmy Bedford, 68, announced he was retiring on March 31 as master distiller for Jack Daniel's, where he had held the post for the last 20 of his 40 years with the Lynchburg, TN, company. No successor has yet been named there.

You can take a brief your of the Maker's Mark facility via video, hosted by a familiar actor who has had plenty of experience playing a drinking man. Cheers!



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Great Moments In Politics

Eddie Nahlawi plans to open the Grand Station Restaurant in Arlington Heights, IL, in June. Luckily for him, the rest of the village board isn't as loony as Village President (Mayor) Arlene Mulder (right) when it comes to the sign he's planning for the exterior.

The word "cocktails" was supposed to take up 20 inches of the 12-foot high sign and be the smallest word on the sign. However, Mulder objected to the use of the word "cocktail" instead of "lounge" or "pub." Her so-called logic:

"Pub and lounge are more about the atmosphere. Cocktails sounds like it's about drinking."

The board voted 8-1 to approve the sign. Mulder, who at least had voted earlier to approve the business, was the lone dissenter.

Said Nahlawi, "To me, cocktails is an old-fashioned word for alcoholic beverages. There's an Irish pub across the street, and Fuego is also a margarita bar. People come to downtown Arlington Heights for drinks. It's a word that fits the visual atmosphere in downtown Arlington Heights."

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Sazerac flops in Louisiana Senate

The Sazerac may have the reputation of being the quintessential New Orleans cocktail, but the Louisiana Senate isn't having any of it. At least on paper.

A proposal to make The Sazerac the official state cocktail has been rejected by the legislative body.

State Sen. Ed Murray introduced the bill because he said it was created in his hometown and has become world famous. However, others called it inappropriate to honor an alcoholic beverage.

"Is there a possibility that we could be encouraging folks, who were not intending to drink, that it would be acceptable and they could become an alcoholic?" asked Sen. Buddy Shaw.

"No," Murray responded, short and to the point.

However, the proposal fell to a 27-8 vote.

According to GumboPages.com, "This is the quintessential New Orleans cocktail. There are those who say this is the first cocktail, period. There's a lot of dispute over this, but it's certainly the first to appear in New Orleans, which has been acknowledged by many as the home of the cocktail.

" It is said that this drink was invented by Antoine Amadie Peychaud, a Creole apothecary who moved to New Orleans from the West Indies and set up shop in the French Quarter in the early 1800s. He dispensed a proprietary mix of aromatic bitters from an old family recipe, to relieve the ails of his clients ... and around the 1830s he became famous for a toddy he made for his friends. It consisted of French brandy mixed with his secret blend of bitters, a splash of water and a bit of sugar.

" ... Before long, the demand for this drink led to its being served in bars throughout the city ... . One of these ... was named the Sazerac Coffeehouse."

Here's a recipe for a basic Sazerac. Although some establishments make it with bourbon, using rye whiskey is more authentic:

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THE SAZERAC COCKTAIL

1 tsp. simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 tsp. granulated sugar)
3 to 4 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 ounces rye whiskey (most New Orleans bars use Old Overholt)
¼ tsp. Herbsaint, a New Orleans anise liqueur (may substitute Pernod)
Strip of lemon peel

The traditional method:

Pack a 3½-ounce Old Fashioned glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, moisten the sugar cube with just enough water to saturate it, then crush. Blend with the whiskey and bitters. Add a few cubes of ice and stir to chill. Discard the ice from the first glass and pour in the Herbsaint. Coat the inside of the entire glass, pouring out the excess. Strain the whiskey into the Herbsaint coated glass.

Twist the lemon peel over the glass so that the lemon oil cascades into the drink, then rub the peel over the rim of the glass; do not put the twist in the drink.

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SC vodka unveils sweet tea infusion

As Southern beverages go, a lot more people extol the virtues of sweet tea than they do vodka. Now, we're about to find out what happens when you combine the two.

Two years ago, as I reported at the time, Firefly Vodka made its debut in South Carolina with a muscadine grape-based distillation. The grapes were grown on Wadmalaw Island, SC, then distilled at a Florida facility. It received an 89 rating ("highly recommended") from the Beverage Testing Institute in May 2006.

Now, the company is introducing Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. Again, the flavoring ingredient comes from Wadmalaw Island where owners Scott Newitt and Jim Irvin live and now have their own distillery. Their new 70-proof vodka is sweetened with Louisiana sugar cane, and should play well in South Carolina where sweet tea is the official state drink.

“We’re the first distillery in the state and the only distillery in the world that distills muscadine wine into vodka,” Newitt said in an interview with The State newspaper of Columbia. Next up, he added, will be vodkas infused with locally-grown peaches and watermelons. All Firefly products will have “Certified South Carolina Grown” labels.

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Ministry of Sound pushing new vodka

The Ministry of Sound, the South London nightclub that since its 1991 inception, has branched out into TV, radio and club franchises, is climbing aboard the vodka bandwagon.

A new marketing campaign is being launched to create a buzz for the product, particularly among the Ministry of Sound’s clubbing fraternity plus the broader 18-30-year-old consumer niche.

For those not embedded in the club scene, here's a sample of what it looks like and how they are pushing the vodka brand:

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

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New vodka venture is small potatoes

When one calls a vodka "crisp," it usually refers to its character.

But, say "crisp" around Will Chase (right) and he'll think opportunity.

Chase, an entrepreneurial farmer and food product maker in Herefordshire, England, recently sold his majority stake in the popular Tyrells crisps (potato chips, for those of the American persuasion) company for about $60 million. Using some of that money, he hopes to parlay it into another success, this time in the vodka business.

Chase has overseen the growth of his premium-end snacks, made using home-grown potatoes, since their 2002 launch. His new venture will use potatoes to small to made made into crisps/chips to produce up to 3,500 bottles of vodka a week.

Tyrrells Potato Vodka will immediately check into the ultra-premium niche, retailing at about $65 per 750ml bottle. It will be distilled in traditional style, using copper batch pots to boost the quality of the alcohol.

Distiller Jamie Baxter told The Press Association, "There is a chemical reaction between the alcohol and the copper which improves the vodka. Most vodka is distilled using stainless steel then finished off in copper. ... We've got to make the product and get it out in front of people, but I think they are going to like it. It's an interesting story which I think people are going to buy into."

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Canada's Glen Breton loses labeling battle

A Canadian federal court has refused to register the "Glen Breton" trademark for a single malt whiskey produced in Nova Scotia.

The decision is a victory for the Scotch Whisky Association which has vigorously objected to the proposed trademark, saying the use of the word "glen," widely used on Scotches made in Scotland, would confuse and mislead consumers.

Evidence filed by the SWA included more than 30 instances of "Glen Breton" being described in Canada as "Scotch whisky" in retail stores, newspaper and magazine articles, price lists, menus and Web sites.

As I reported earlier, the SWA didn't get anywhere with Canada's Trade-Marks Opposition Board, which agreed with Glenora Distillers International Ltd. of Cape Breton when it said there would be no confusion.

The distillers claimed the use of the word "glen" is legitimate because the company is named Glenora, the community is named Glenora, it is 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 appealed the decision, claiming Glenora is "unfairly trading on Scotch whisky's international reputation."

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Should medal floods be slowed to a trickle?

Over the years I've been involved in a variety of spirits and wine judgings that use sharply different methods for awarding medals.

Some are known for being stringent with the honors. Others are known as treasure troves of medals for winemakers and distillers panting after gold, silver or even, heaven help us, bronze trinkets to feature in their advertising.

The most recent major event where this cropped up was the San Francisco World Spirits Competition where 88.5% of the entrants got a medal of some sort (749 of 847) after the competition was split, then split again and again, into 439 categories.

As one reader e-mailed me, "Don’t you think it odd that out of 847 entries 88.5% win an award?"

Odd, no. Untoward, yes. And it's not the only such example. A few others from this year:

• In the Florida State Fair International Wine and Grape Juice Competition, held in Tampa, entries were judged by individual state and one group of "foreign" entries, resulting in the awarding of a whopping 155 gold medals.

• In the Newport (OR) Seafood & Wine Festival's Commercial Wine Competition, a mere 156 entries won 99 gold medals.

One of the original judges in the San Francisco competition, who I ran into on a recent business trip to Kentucky, said there is anything but unanimity among the judges about the number of medals handed out.

He confirms that event founder Anthony Dias Blue pushes them hard every year to hand out a large number of medals. He also confirms that, although he'd prefer not to be publicly identified because he likes the gig, he and others will continue to be somewhat resistant to being responsible for a medal flood.

There are two schools of thought on that topic. One is that lots of medals guarantee lots of entries for the following year, and thus a better income stream for such events. The other is that too many medal awards ends up cheapening the value of the honors.

I'm a proponent of the latter school. I understand it is more difficult to get a new event ratcheted up if you don't give out a decent batch of medals right from the start to attract even more competitors. However, if you're too generous right away, you're stuck being just as generous as the field grows, which proportionally gets rather sticky and the event reputation comes under suspicion of being nothing more than a medal factory.

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SF World Spirits a heavy medal event

The publicity departments of gazillions of spirits makers have been in high gear in recent weeks, cranking out press releases touting the medals their companies' products picked up at the recent San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

True, the event is regarded by many in the industry as, if not the Super Bowl, at least the divisional championships of distilled products. Not bad for an event that began just eight years ago when Antony Dias Blue put it together. He and competition director F. Paul Pacault have brought it to great international attention, so much so that this year 847 entries -- 132 more than last year's record number -- were submitted from around the globe.

The reason most writers don't do anything with each and every medal announcement is that the competition is split, then split again and again, into 439 categories. Counting double gold (unanimous gold votes from the judges), gold, silver and bronze medals, 749 trinkets were handed out.

Among the major awards:

• Distiller of the Year: Buffalo Trace Distillery USA.
• Importer of the Year: Moët Hennessy USA.

Other major awards:

• Best in Show / White: Weber Haus, Silver Cachaça, Brazil.
• Best in Show / Whisk(e)y: Highland Park, 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch, Orkney Islands, Scotland.
• Best in Show / Brandy: Loujan, 1979 Armagnac, Bas Armagnac, France.
• Best in Show / Liqueur: Domaine de Canton, Ginger Liqueur, France.

Category "top" awards:

• Top Absinthe: Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe (new category this year).
• Top Vodka: Snow Queen Vodka.
• Top Gin: Plymouth Gin.
• Top Rum: Matusalem Rum.
•  Top Tequila: AsomBroso Silver.
• Top Reposado Tequila: El Tesoro.
• Top Añejo Tequila:Siete Leguas.
• Top Extra-Aged Añejo Tequila: Don Julio.
• Top Irish Whiskey: Jameson, Rare Vintage Irish Whiskey.
• Top Rye Whisk(e)y: Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey.
• Top Blended Scotch: Chivas Regal, 25 Year Old Scotch.
• Top Bourbon: Pappy Van Winkle, Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
• Top Cognac: Hennessy Cognac Paradis Extra.
• Top Fruit Liqueur: Cointreau Orange Liqueur.

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You can access the full medal list for each category here.

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Whisky Live(ly) drinks extravaganza

April Dowd photos

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Go here to see more scenes from the Whisky Fest.

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They're taking off the gloves in the whiskey wars, if what I saw at the annual Whisky Live event in New York Tuesday night was any indicator.

The event, one of a dozen or so held around the globe each year under sponsorship of the influential U.K. magazine Whisky, brings together acolytes of various whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Japan and the United States.

Rather than simply pushing their familiar lineup of brands, each year we're seeing more and more limited-edition distillations and new sub-genre niche products.

And, the long-reigning big boys are becoming targets as well. Just ask Brian Dvoret.

He's the national sales executive and self-proclaimed "company Scotch geek" for The Speyside, maker of an excellent 12-year-old single highland malt he challenges all to compare directly to the competition's Johnnie Walker Blue Label, one of the superstars of blended Scotches retailing in the $180 range for the 750-milliliter bottle.

"Go ahead, just try Speyside then go try the Blue and come back and tell me what you think," Dvoret boomed to all comers at Whisky Live.

Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Gold Label and even Green Label are more accessible pricewise than Blue Label. It is, in the words of its makers, "our rarest blend ... created from the rarest and most expensive whiskies in the world."

In fact, the company's explains its process this way: "(It) recreates the flavors of the Walkers' early whiskies (of the 1820s) ... . Every single component ... has been handpicked from exclusive distilleries, some of which are no longer in existence. As soon as they're discovered, they're set aside for Blue Label and matured until their absolute peak -- no matter how long that may take."

Blue Label truly has an old style set of characteristics, and since it is a blend of 16 or so whiskies it is difficult to pinpoint the heart of it even though it is widely known to be Royal Lochnagar, a rare malt. It is at once nutty, pungent and peppery, with floral notes in the nose and initial hit on the palate as well. The traditional smokiness, accompanied by clear notes of caramel and vanilla, help make it a complex offering that is obviously superior in overall character to most others in its price range.

Taking Dvoret's challenge, I also tried The Speyside's King's Crest 25 Year Old Blended Scotch, priced like Blue Label upwards of $200 a bottle. I found it a worthy competitor, perhaps even superior in the peaty, hazlenut flavors that removed all traces of any unpleasant heat.

But one couldn't spend too much time on any one or two styles. There were American bourbons, Japanese Scotches, Irish whiskies and other temptations to sample.

A few highlights and news notes gleaned from wandering the aisles in between trips to a lavish buffet and a break to listen to a Scottish folk/pop/fusion/rock band:

• A representative for The Famous Grouse, asked if best-selling author W.E.B. Griffin (40 million copies of 35 novels in print worldwide) is on the distiller's payroll since he frequently makes mention of the Scotch in his novels, replied: "You can't imagine how many times we're asked that. As best I have been able to find out, he's just a fan of the brand and has no other connection to it."

• Michter's, the adventuresome American distiller, not only had its entire line of bourbons and whiskies out for sampling, its representatives also shared word that the company is planning to release an extremely limited collection -- 300 bottles of each -- of 25-year-old bourbon and 25-year-old rye in time for Father's Day in June.

• Even though purists might insist Scotch whisky can be made only in Scotland, the huge Japanese distiller Suntory was pushing its Yamazaki and winning over visitors to its pouring table with excellent 12- and 18-year-old single malts. They are produced using copper pot stills and a process the company calls "mostly peat free." Both expressions are full bodied, coppery gold liquids. The 12 is replete with wood, malt, honey and fruit notes; the 18 sweeter, with elements of strawberry, honey and toffee.

• Jameson's newest irish whiskey expressions, released in the past few weeks, do the brand proud. The Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, which I sampled some time ago for my "Tasting Notes" site, goes for a hefty $250, with only 1,000 bottles available in the limited-edition U.S. release. The Jameson Gold, at a more approachable $60, is a blend of cask-matured old Jameson whiskies.

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The resurrection of Canadian Club

From Advertising Age:

Alcohol marketers generally regard being labeled a brand your father would drink as a death knell, but Canadian Club's embrace of that distinction seems to be reversing one of the industry's longest-running sales declines.

Canadian Club received $3.5 million on measured media last year, 91% of which came in magazine advertising in November and December, after the "Damn Right" campaign launched.

The Canadian whiskey brand in November introduced a new campaign declaring, "Damn right your dad drank it." The mostly print effort attempted to redefine dad as less Ward Cleaver and more "Mad Men" through provocative statements like "Your mom wasn't your dad's first."

The early returns suggest it may be working. Case volume of Canadian Club in food, drug and liquor stores rose 4.4% in the 13 weeks ending March 8, outpacing the category and its dominant brand, Diageo's Crown Royal, during the same stretch, according to AC Nielsen data.

Those gains may sound modest, but in the context of Canadian Club's performance over the past two decades, they border on a revelation. Case shipments fell from 3.9 million in 1980 to 1.5 million in 1995, trickling down to 1.3 million last year, according to Impact's Annual Spirits Study.

(Read the rest of the story here.)

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Scenes from a Whisky Fest

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The time: April 2, 2008
The place: The Puck Building, Manhattan.
The occasion: Whisky Fest

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The usual solid turnout for the sold-out event, sponsored by Whisky Magazine, drew patrons from several generations and all walks of life to what some refer to as "the Will & Grace building" to sample whiskies from the U.S., Ireland, Scotland and Japan.

The golden statue of the impish creature known as Puck adorns the exterior of the sprawling brick building at the southeast corner of Lafayette and Houston streets, an icon used in many scenes of the "Will & Grace" sit-com to make it appear as if the show's stars lived there.

Inside, rather than a series of apartments, you'll find a series of loft-like exhibition rooms. In this instance, Whisky Fest took up several of them to accommodate pouring tables, buffet stations, and a band stage, among other things.

Here are a few more shots by photographer April L. Dowd that caught the spirit of the evening.

















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What will they think of next? (April edition)

The never-ending search for new, new, new cocktails goes on wherever there is curiosity, inherent mixology talent and an appreciative crowd. This month, in honor of the mixed weather that marks a typical spring, I've collected a trio of disparate cocktail recipes to add to your collection.

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• Old Blue Eyes

This simple concoction is the most expensive cocktail offered at NeoMeze, a Mediterranean restaurant/lounge in Pasadena, CA -- a $21 selection in a sea of $12 drinks.

2 parts Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 part Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch

Combine liquors in a shaker filled with fresh ice. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a couple of olives.

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• Koi Cocktail

You may have seen my recent post about TY KU, the sake liqueur. Here's a recipe utilizing the neon green liquid, from About.com: Cocktails.

1 ounce TY KU liqueur
2 ounces Irish whiskey
2 drops peach bitters
lemon twist

Place the lemon twist and peach bitters in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass. Muddle well to release and mix the lemon essence and bitters. Add ice, Irish whiskey and TY KU. Shake well. Strain into a champagne flute.

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• Mary Sue's Pimm's Cup

This drink was created, and copyrighted, back in '97 by the Food Network duo of Mary Sue Milliken and Sue Feniger.

Ice cubes
1 measure of Pimm's
2 measures of ginger ale
Lemon slices
Long cucumber spears
1/2 measure dry gin
Sprig of mint, for garnish

Almost fill a tall glass with ice cubes and pour Pimm's over the ice. Add the ginger ale and lemon slices, and stir briskly with the cucumber spears. Float dry gin on top and add mint sprig.

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Rum competition wrapped in gold

More than 150 brands competed for recognition in the 3rd annual Polished Palate International Rum Festival in Tampa.

The entries, judged by a 10-judge panel over a 3-day period, covered rum, rhum and cachasça products.

This year’s event featured 15 cane-spirits categories. New to the competition were the grape-based spirits grappa and pisco, which were rated separately. All spirits were tasted in Riedel Rum Stemware and judged on appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel and finish.

Jack Robertiello, co-host with event founder Dori Bryant, president of the Polished Palate, said, "Consumers are thirsting for more knowledge about rums and so events like the Polished Palate Rum Competition -- where writers, journalists, consultants, retailers and restaurateurs experienced in sampling the world’s best rums get a chance to rate them all together — is a giant step toward making the world of rum lovers better informed.”

The "best of category" winners:

• White Rum: Mount Gay Eclipse Silver.
• Dark Rum: Temptryst Reserve.
• Rum Aged Up to 8 Years: Ron Barcelo Imperial.
• Rum Aged 9-15 Years: Tie between Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva and Pyrat XO Reserve.
• Rum Aged +15 Years: Tie between Ron Millionario Solera Reserva Especial and Ron Zacapa 23.
• Rum Liqueurs & Creams: Tie between Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur and Santa Teresa Araku.
• Overproof Rum: Pusser’s Standard.
• Spiced Rum: Montecristo Spiced.
• Aged Rhum: Tie between J.M. V.S.O.P. and Madras Deboussier Hors d’Age.
• Flavored Rhum: Madras Orange Shrubb.
• Rhum Liqueur: Madras Prune Liqueur.
• Flavored Cachaça: Ypioca Red Fruit.

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NY liquor board under fire

New York has a State Liquor Authority that many detractors call dysfunctional.

Steve Barnes of the Albany Times Union, the top newspaper in New York's Capital Region, has a thorough look at the SLA's problems and what is or isn't being done to correct them.. Read it online here.

Absolut to be toasting a new owner

Pernod Ricard is the apparent winner in the battle to buy Absolut.

The New York Times, citing information from "people involved in the deal," reports that the French company agreed on Sunday night to acquire the parent of Absolut vodka in a monumental deal which the sources said "may be worth more than $7 billion."

The deal for Vin & Sprit, which was put up for sale by the Swedish government, had drawn bids from such companies as Diageo, Bacardi and Fortune Brands.

Absolut, which debuted in 1979, is the third-largest spirit brand in the world, behind Smirnoff vodka and Bacardi rum.

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The ultimate 'carding'

From the Canadian Press:

EDINBURGH, Scotland — An Internet campaign to ban Britain's treasury chief from the country's pubs seems to be striking a chord.

Earlier this month, treasury chief Alistair Darling (seen at right) raised taxes on cars and cigarettes. But it is his new alcohol duties -- which raised the price of a pint of beer -- that have Britons' backs up.

So, when a pub landlord here in Darling's hometown barred the chancellor from his establishment, drinking holes across the country followed suit. Many are posting pictures of the white-haired, bespectacled treasurer above the big red word "barred."

Bar manger Andrew Little at the Utopia pub, which kicked off the campaign, says the poster is "tongue in cheek." But, he says, it seems to have "touched a nerve."

Hundreds have joined Internet groups devoted to running Darling out of every pub in the country, and establishments from the Tap & Spile in the north England town of Lincoln to the Plough Inn in Finstock, near Oxford, said Darling would not allowed to partake of their booze.

The government has raised taxes on alcohol by 6% above the rate of inflation, which translates to an extra four pence (about eight cents Canadian) for a pint of beer, 13 pence (around 26 cents) for a bottle of wine and 55 pence (around $1.12) a bottle for spirits such as whisky.

The duties are scheduled to rise by another 2% above inflation in each of the next four years.

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Colorado repeals Sunday sales ban

Colorado has become the 35th state to repeal its ban on Sunday spirits sale. Thirteen states, counting the imminent Colorado change, have passed Sunday sales laws since 2002.

A bill co-authored by Sen. Jennifer Veiga and Rep. Cheri Jahn passed the Senate Thursday by a 24-9 vote. It now moves to the desk of Gov. Bill Ritter for final signature. If he approves it, the bill becomes law on July 1.

"This is a terrific victory for the benefit of consumer convenience, market modernization and free enterprise," said Peter Cressy, president of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS).

He noted that this year marks the 75th anniversary of national Prohibition repeal that left behind it a ban on Sunday sales under so-called "Blue Laws" based on religious preferences for banning sales on the traditional day of worship.

A recent economic analysis shows that year-round Sunday sales of distilled spirits in Colorado alone would lead to an estimated retailer revenue impact range of $23 to $32 million and between $1.8 and $2.6 million for the state in additional sales tax revenue.

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An infused vodka with bite

This tale is a combination of Snakes On a Plane and Worm In a Tequila Bottle.

Agents for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have seized 411 bottles of vodka at Bayou Bob's Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch. In addition to unlicensed vodka, each bottle also contained a 10-inch rattlesnake, also presumably unlicensed.

Authorities received a tip several weeks ago, according to a story in the Fort Worth-Star Telegram, and sent an agent to buy the vodka, which some people believe takes on aphrodisiac properties with the addition of the snake.

Bob Popplewell, who owns the enterprise, has been in the news before for selling 42,000 turtles overseas as a food delicacy, mostly in Asia.

Whether he has sold any rattlesnake vodka is not known since he wasn't available for an interview this time around, but officials say he can be expected to be charged with the sale of alcohol without a permit and possession of alcohol with the intent to sell.

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Idaho-sourced vodka now for sale in ... Idaho

The early 1960s were the runup to the "space race" between the U.S. and USSR. When the Godless Commies launched the first manmade satellite, Sputnik, lots of things changed in America.

President John F. Kennedy demanded we get our space program in gear. Science studies changed in schools and colleges. Sci-fi books, movies and TV shows on space themes popped up. And, an Oregon distillery began making Spudnik vodka out of potatoes, the first American distiller to follow the Russians' lead in that field.

Kennedy is gone, we won the space race, education quality has plummeted, "Star Trek" and its clones have run their course (except maybe for the brilliant "Battlestar Galactica" and the rollicking "Stargate Atlantis"). Ah, but the Hood River Distillery continues making potato vodka.

The new twist, however, is that Spudka finally is available to consumers in Idaho, the source of its potatoes.

"For the first time in over 45 years, Spudka has been listed in Idaho and is now available at many retailers in the state," said Hood River Distillery President Ron Dodge in a statement.

Sales of Spudka vodka grew by 31% from 2006 to 2007, the company said. It has landed numerous awards including a gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

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A very special visitor in time for Tartan Week

PHOTO BY WILLIAM M. DOWD

Ardmore Traditional Cask, a limited quantity Highland malt whisky, has just gone on sale in the U.S., timed very nicely for the annual Tartan Week festivities of Scots-Americans and those who align with them.

It was introduced just last year in the U.K. and some duty free shops. Its U.S. introduction has been limited to 3,000 cases, with 750ml bottles selling for a suggested retail price of $45-$50.

This offering from Beam Global Spirits & Wine is a double-matured single malt. It first is matured in used bourbon barrels of American white oak, and its second maturation in handmade 110-liter quarter casks which harken back to the type used two centuries ago.

Ardmore's distillers, led by master distiller Robert Hicks, say quarter cask maturation "allows much greater contact between the maturing spirit and the oak of the cask.

"When combined with the full, but relatively light peating of Ardmore, this creates an extraordinary malt whisky that has a well-rounded flavor, a unique peat-smoke richness softened by a delicate sweetness."

(See my "Tasting Notes" view on the quality of the offering.)

Traditional Cask is non-chill filtered and bottled at 46% abv (92 proof).

Ardmore is a descendant of the original Teacher's line. It was created in 1898 by Adam Teacher, son of William teacher whose original line now lives on in the blended Teacher's Highland Cream.

Ardmore uses locally grown barley and its characteristic peaty flavor comes from the peating levels used in the malting process. Ardmore typically peats its malts to between 12 to 14 parts per million, which is classified as "light" or "medium" peating.

Hicks, incidentally, was the first recipient of Distiller of the Year honors from the International Spirits Challenge in 1998, won it again in '98 and '03, and in 2006 was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award.

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And Monday will pad the total

Sales of Irish whiskey are growing worldwide, led by U.S. sales that grew 20% last year to 860,000 nine-liter cases. That is according to David Ozgo, chief economist for the Distilled Spirits Council, an Irish industry trade group.

"Though small by bourbon or scotch standards, Irish whiskey has been one of the fastest growing spirits categories for five years," he said.

Ozgo notes that the biggest player by far is Pernod Ricard's Jameson Whiskey, which grew almost 23% in the U.S. to 540,000 cases in 2007, according to Impact, the Canadian trade magazine. No. 2 Bushmills was far behind at 164,000 cases, but up nevertheless up by nearly 9%.

"Irish whiskey is still relatively small, but it's growing rapidly," said David Fleming, editor of Impact. "Jameson has a strong following with younger consumers, which is particularly impressive in light of vodka's continued popularity."

"Irish whiskey is on an incredible trajectory," Wayne Hartunian, brand manager for Jameson, told the Dow Jones Web site Market Watch. "It is the fastest-growing category in the U.S. by far."

The category also is expanding, following the "premiumization" trend, he noted. A typical bottle runs in the mid to high $20 range, but new offerings like its Gold Reserve go for $60 and the top-end Rarest Vintage Reserve at $250 and up.

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Heaven on a stick

You can get them in maple-bacon flavor, too, but since this site is about drinks let's emphasize the absinthe-flavored lollipops from Lollyphile, a San Francisco candy company.

The company, which is barely six months old, began when, as the Web site explains, "We found ourselves with a lot of absinthe and no candy. One thing led to another, and we ended up getting picked up by a few candy boutiques and building a Web site, which got way more business than we'd ever expected it would."

The absinthe lollys are within the latest U.S. government rules for the controversial liqueur, and the maple-bacon flavor contain real maple syrup and real bacon. The company is working on additional flavors to add to the line.

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Gov. Spitzer in Room 871, with the mini-bar

That clever headline on a Village Voice blog page item caught my eye. Here's the posting by Sarah DiGregorio that it introduced:

"According to the federal affidavit, former Governor Spitzer agreed to pay for any mini-bar charges during his tryst with Kristen at the Mayflower Hotel. Very generous of him! You know how outrageous those prices can be!

But what might Kristen have chosen from the Mayflower's mini-bar? Turns out, there was plenty to choose from for a three diamond kind of girl: Gray Goose, Bombay Gin, Absolut Vodka, Chivas Regal, Johnny Walker Black, plus an assortment of soda, candy bars, cookies and peanuts.

How many of those little bottles would it take before Spitzer started looking pretty good? Some questions we just can't answer."

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Proposed tax hikes floor Scotch makers

From Reuters news service:

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- The Scottish whisky industry described the budget tax rise on spirits sold in the UK as "punitive" and told the government it was a blow to international competitiveness at a time of rising exports.

Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), said in a statement following British Finance Minister Alistair Darling's budget speech that Scottish distillers were astonished by the tax announcement.

"The government's own figures show that any duty increase on whisky is likely to reduce revenue at a time when public finances are tight," Hewitt said on Wednesday. "A tax rise is a blow to international competitiveness when the industry has been investing significantly to meet a global demand for scotch whisky. It sets a damaging precedent that export markets may follow."

In his first budget, Darling told Parliament that alcohol duty will rise by 6% above the inflation rate with beer up 4 pence a pint, wine 14p a bottle and spirits 55p a bottle. He added alcohol duties would increase by 2% above the rate of inflation in each of the next four years.

The sale of scotch has soared over the past couple of years on demand from areas such as China, India, Russia and parts of South America, and the industry has reacted with multi-million pound investments in new distilleries. Some 90% of scotch whisky is exported.

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Go here for more on the story.

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The drinks are on the louse

It didn't take long for the well-known humorous spirit of Brooklyn to emerge in the Spitzer scandal.

In anticipation of the resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the midst of a prostitution case, Teddy's, a longtime popular watering hole, began offering Spitzer-related drink specials such as the "Spitzer Spritzer" and the "Hypocrite's Delight."

Now that the governor has announced he'll step down on Monday, the bar is continuing the special offerings. If you're in the city and want to check out Teddy's, it is located at 96 Berry Street, between 8th and 9th streets, in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section.

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Feel free to send along your comments or cocktail suggestions.

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A new definition of 'getting lit'

TY-KU, which its makers call "the world's first sake liqueur," is a multi-purpose drink.

The jade green liqueur, distilled from more than 20 ingredients, also is being marketed as containing "natural aphrodisiacs, health supplements and fruit extracts."

Then we get to the container it's sold in: a Chinese-made, pyramid-shaped bottle that illuminates each time it is picked up, thanks to a battery-powered LED in a hermetically sealed membrane.

The bottom and the top closure are injection molded from a chrome-coated special plastic known as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The way in which the electronic components are housed makes it possible to easily recycle the bottle because the bottom can be removed.

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English pubs on the endangered list

The iconic image of pubs as a part of England that will always endure is in trouble.

The number of pub closings last year hit a rate 14 times higher than the prior year, according to a new report just released by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA).

The BBPA says 1,409 pubs closed in 2007, a rate of 27 per week.

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has published its own survey showing a slightly slower pace -- 57 a month -- but notes that 31% of those closed are being demolished, 36% are converted to shops, cafes and restaurants and 33% are converted to some other use, mostly residential.

It is this changeover that is concerning people who want to preserve the country's pub structure. CAMRA is pushing for changes to planning laws to prevent pub demolitions and change of use without planning permission.

So, what is causing the phenomenon?

BBPA Chief Executive Rob Hayward said he blames rising costs, falling sales and the impact of the smoking ban.

“These figures show the reality of the pub trade today," he said, "in contrast to the hype surrounding the myth of '24 hour drinking'."

BBPA statistics say beer sales in pubs are at their lowest level since the Depression in the 1930s. Today's pubs are selling 14 million fewer pints a day than they did when sales were at their peak in 1979.

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A new definition of 'getting tanked'

As reported by Agence France Presse:

MOSCOW -- An apparently drunk Russian tank driver rammed his 25-ton fighting machine into a remote village cottage while on a vodka run, footage aired on Friday on state television showed.

The soldier was filmed driving the tank, armed with an anti-aircraft gun, through a tiny street in Oktyabrskaya, in the Ural mountains' Sverdlovsk region.

He clambered unsteadily into his vehicle with two freshly purchased bottles, then rammed a fence and a house while attempting to leave.

"He was drunk," a villager said on Channel One television.

An assistant at the local shop said the soldier had purchased two bottles of vodka. Army spokesperson Konstantin Lazutkin promised the military would pay for repairs.

(Here's a video of the event. Unless you understand Russian, the audio won't be helpful, but the images transcend language.)



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The world's best bartender(?)

This 25-year-old bartender from Southport, England, was named the best in the world at his craft after outdoing all comers in the annual TGI Friday's World Bartender Championships held in Las Vegas.

That immediately opens the debate on what constitutes the "world's best," sez who, how dare you and all that comes with such sweeping generalities.

However, take a look at Tony Adams and see what you think.



If you'd like to see more "flair" bartending videos, just click on the start arrows on each image below.







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Ssssh. It's a very special dram

As reported by United Press International:

EDINBURGH, Scotland -- Scottish scientists have discovered that a byproduct of distilling the country's best-known product, Scotch whiskey, can be used for environmental cleanups.

The technology has been given the name "device for the remediation and attenuation of multiple pollutants" or Dram for short, The Scotsman reports. In addition to giving distilleries a way to do well by doing good to the environment the technology could also significantly cut the cost of removing up industrial pollutants from groundwater.

Glenfiddich (above), one of the best-known Scotch manufacturers, has helped the effort with donations of the byproduct, which scientists won't identify because of patent issues.

Graeme Patton, one of the scientists involved, tells The Scotsman newspaper that other byproducts from food and beverage making can perform a similar role. Scientists say that the compound, an organic material, attracts pollutants and breaks them down. While other remediation measures involve pumping groundwater out and removing pollutants, the byproduct can be placed in the ground and left there.

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