Booze News: April 25, 2012

Another Alcoholic Drink Served to a Child - I'm putting this front and center because I want to remind all servers how very important it is that you know what is in a drink and who you are serving it to. Last week's headlines were littered with the story about an Indianapolis Olive Garden waitress who accidentally served a frozen daiquiri to a 10-year-old. Mistakes happen, true, but mistakes like this can be fatal. Please remain mindful of this issue, especially if you work in a family restaurant.

A Troubling Trend in Teens Drinking Hand Sanitizer - Hopefully these first two stories do not stop you from reading further, but this one disturbs me more than the first and I want it on all of the parental radars out there. It seems that the latest trend in teens' innovative ways to get high involves drinking hand sanitizer after distilling it down to a whopping 120 proof. So many things are wrong here, least of which is that this, unlike cough syrup or mouth wash, is not intended to be ingested. A number of California teenagers have been hospitalized already.

Mezcal Battle - There is a growing interest in mezcal and everyone's favorite cocktail genius David Wondrich has an excellent article on Esquire about it.

A Great Time to Visit Great Britain - The Olympics are headed to London this summer and millions of people will be traveling to the UK. If you're one of them you may want to check out this post with great ideas for playing tourist including highlights of the distilleries and the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival coming up next week.

Capone Rum-Smuggling Ship Offers Panama Canal Tours - While we're on the topic of summer travels, check out this journey... You can take a tour of the Panama Canal on theA? Islamorada, a ship once used by Al Capone to run liquor into the U.S during Prohibition.

The London Distillery to Debut Soon - Breaking a century-long drought, whiskey will soon be distilled in London again. The plans for The London Distillery include a single malt and gin, both organic.

Craft Beer Cocktails are a Hot Trend in Baltimore Bars - The Sea Shandy in this article sounds amazing with its pomegranate lemonade and Heavy Seas Classic Lager. I say Cheers! to the bartenders who are not afraid to mix beer, not to mention craft beer, creatively. Love it!

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Booze News: April 4, 2012

New Sips:

• Van Gogh PB&J - Yes, peanut butter and jelly flavored vodka. It may be surprising to some, but I had a feeling that this was coming around at sometime and here it is. The "J" is raspberry flavored. Also, if you missed it, Van Gogh has a new Cool Peach bottling as well. Personally, that sounds a bit better than PB&J, though given that this comes from Van Gogh, it is likely pretty good.
• Old English Gin - The news of this release is exciting. According to its maker, Henrik Hammer, this is a gin that taps into the traditional English gin of the 18th and 19th centuries. Hammer's research into this old gin is extensive and he has taken great care in recreating a lost taste. Of course, none of us will ever know exactly what those original English gins tasted like, but this will be a worthy travel through time nonetheless.
• Karlsson's Vodka - What is unique about this vodka is that it is an experiment in vintage. Just as wines change from year to year, Karlsson's hopes to prove that potato vodka changes and it seems the theory is viable and the vodka quite tasty.
• Woodinville Rye Whiskey - Next Saturday the first bottles of rye whiskey produced in Washington state since Prohibition will be released. Woodinville Whiskey Co. has been an impressive in all of their endeavors? so far and this is a much anticipated release.
• Rhuby Liqueur - This is slated to be released in the UK this spring and sounds like a fascinating, absolutely delicious rhubarb liqueur.

James Bond to Ditch Iconic Vodka Martini in Skyfall for a Beer - The latest Bond film is due for release this fall and it should go without surprise that people are already talking about what the spy will be drinking. This time around it is an ice-cold Heineken. How's that for product placement? It certainly is a change of pace from the drinks Bond is known for.

What's in Your Well? - This is a great write up that examines which brands may work well in a 'well' stock for bars. For the budget-conscious bartender, it's a pretty good list.

Passover Cocktails and Spirits - This is an invaluable guide to choosing Passover friendly spirits and cocktails for observant Jews this coming week.

Natalie MacLean's New Wine App - Natalie is one of the people you want to listen to when it comes to wine and she just released a new mobile app, Wine Picks and Pairings. Imagine this: You're at the liquor store searching for something different for dinner tonight. Do you trust the labels? Go with a long shot that may be either nasty or spectacular? Why not just take a picture of the bar code, and get a review right there on your phone. No waiting, no guessing, now that is a useful app.

Staying Dry in America - Prohibition-era laws continue to play a role in many areas of the country and while some are small regulations on the sale of alcohol such as no Sunday sales, some areas remain as dry as the desert. I found this map on the BBC of wet, dry, and damp areas interesting and insightful, the visual reference to the concept is helpful and the story quite good.

Another Over the Top Vodka Ad - It seems that vodka competition is getting so fierce that some of the big names are going to offensive extremes in their attempts to lure customers. There were the Wodka Vodka billboards - the hooker/escort comparison and the? Christmas-Hanukah reference. Animal rights activists recently took issue with Absolut's greyhound TV spot, and now Belvedere's recent ad is under fire. This last one has the implication of rape with the tagline "Unlike Some People Belvedere Always Goes Down Smoothly" and the actress in the video-captured image is suing Belvedere.

News from Mount Vernon - Since the distilleries fired up again in 2006 at Mount Vernon there have been many collective projects there. Most recently, a team of Scotch distillers created a single malt whiskey which will hang out in barrels for the next three years. Also, on April 14th visitors will get a taste of Washington's rye whiskey.

Want to feel sexy and confident? Hold a glass in your hand -- no alcohol required - A new French study confirms what most of us know from experience... a glass in hand equals confidence.

Whiskey Saves Tulips, Maybe - We have all heard about the amazing, non-imbibing uses for vodka, but what about whiskey? It is the hopes of one Iowa town that whiskey will delay their tulips from blooming before it is convenient for their annual tulip festival.

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Booze News: April 11, 2012

Mark Your Calendars:

• Miami Rum Renaissance Festival - Miami Rum Week runs April 16-22 this year and includes the Grand Rum Tasting Exhibition next Saturday and Sunday. There are many, many other events included in the week-long celebration.
• Boston Cocktail Summit - I received word just this morning that one of my favorite cities is going to host a cocktail conference this October. The Boston Cocktail Summit has everything we expect in one of these events - seminars, tasting rooms, competitions, etc - along with something called The "Speak Easy" Series. Details are yet to be revealed, but I suggest those in New England add this to their calendars now and I'll keep you updated as I learn more.

New Sips:

• The Cambridge Distillery - A British couple has created a bespoke gin distillery which allows customers to develop their personally styled gin. Essentially, you get to devise a gin with the botanicals of your choosing and they'll whip it up. The best part: the minimum order is 700ml.
• Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka - Cherry vodkas have never been a personal favorite as they remind me too much of child hood cough syrups. Who knows, though, maybe Grey Goose can pull it off with this black cherry-flavored vodka.
• Stoli Hot and Sticki Vodkas - News came out this week about the two latest additions to Stolichnaya's line up. Stoli Hot is jalapeno-flavored while Stoli Sticki seems to be flavored with floral notes and honey - a sort of candied vodka.

How Well Does Scotch Age in Zero Gravity? - Who has not asked themselves that question? Admittedly, I have while thinking about the aging effects of different climates here on Earth. The people that make that ultra-peaty Scotch Ardberg are hoping to have the question answered. They sent a sample of unaged whiskey to the International Space Station and in two years we will know how it compares to good old-fashioned Earth-aged Scotch.

U.S. and Brazil Plan to Exchange Toasts - In an effort for mutual respect and recognition of national drinks, the two countries have signed a letter of intent to honor cachaca as distinctly Brazilian and bourbon and Tennessee whiskies as distinctly American.

'Allah' Vodka Stirs Anger in Kazakhstan - There are an endless number of words that can be used when naming a product, yet to get an edge on the competition or as an attempt to stir up controversy some manufacturers continue to cross a line. This is just the latest example of a lack of respect in my opinion.

Titanic Survivors' Family Furious After Book Party About? Tragedy is Sponsored by Iceberg Vodka - In other potentially disrespectful news, we have this story. Given the circumstances, it is a natural fit.

Oldest Woman in Scotland Janet Roberts Dies, aged 110 - Sadly, just months after having another bottling of Scotch named after her, the granddaughter of William Grant passed away last week.

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