Booze News: February 29, 2012

First off, a warning: there are many interesting bits of news this week so this may get lengthy, but it is worth it. Let's get to it.

Cocktail Competition at San Antonio Cocktail Conference
Photo Courtesy: c Shannon Graham

Recap of the 2012 San Antonio Cocktail Conference - A month out and the highlights of the week in San Antonio linger with me and this is a full accounting of what happened at this year's event and I'm sure we can look forward to much of this next January.

Whiskies of the World Expo - Mark the date to be in San Francisco on March 31 for this annual event. If the next event is any indication, you may want to get tickets soon.

WhiskyFest Chicago Sold Out - If you were hoping to hit the Midwest edition of WhiskyFest this year, you are sadly out of luck. However, tickets are available for the New York and San Francisco events, both of which are in October. For more events, keep up to date with the Cocktail Calendar (I attempt to include most everything, though there are no guarantees).

New Spirits:

• Ballantine's Glenburgie Editions - Four new expressions of this great blended Scotch are set to release soon. The first is a 17YO Signature Distillery. Once again, it looks as if these will only be available in global travel markets.
• Glenmorangie Artein - Another anticipated Scotch release, the third in the brand's Private Edition series, is out.? This 15YO expression is 'extra matured in 'Super Tuscan' wine cask.' Availability is the U.S. though supplies are limited.
• Barenjager & Bourbon - This will not be released until April, but it is exciting news for fans of the honey liqueur because this newbie is a blend of Barenjager with Kentucky bourbon.
• Hemp Seed Vodka - It seems that those folks at the Alaska Distillery who brought us salmon-flavored vodka have beat Flavor Flav to the hemp vodka market. They have to have the most interesting R&D meetings in the industry.
• Monkey Shoulder Whisky - This manually mixed Scotch sounds amazing and though it is not new to the U.K., it was recently launched in the U.S. It also happens to come in one of the sweetest bottles I've seen in some time.
• Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream - Since the Tennessee law changed in 2009 the state's liquor industry is seeing a new crop of distillers and SPEAKeasy Spirits LLC is one of the latest with plans to release this liqueur shortly after starting production.

World's Oldest Liquor Collection Now Worth Millions of Euros - Bay van der Bunt of the Netherlands has a liquor collection most of us could only dream of and he's in the market to sell.

Why Vodkatinis are Actually a Good Thing - Sometimes my searches take me to the most unlikely of places and this week it took me to - of all places - Man Cave Daily for one of the more entertaining anti-sugartini articles I've read in awhile.

Oskar Blues to Can Whiskey - Another whiskey in a can is hoping to hit the market. In this case Colorado brewer Oskar Blues is branching out, hoping to form Lyons Soul Distilling LLC and produce an agave spirit and whiskey blend, then can it. The good news out of this is the can development already includes a resealable option.

Kentucky Precinct Decides Alcohol Sales with Coin Flip - After the Graham Precinct of Davies County the vote that would determine if alcohol sales would be allowed came up as a tie they decided the next best thing would be to flip a coin. The tail-sided result was a no vote so Graham will remain dry.

Negronis Exult in the Beauty of the Bitter - It is true that American tastes are not developed for the bitter and it's often a challenge to get drinkers to accept the flavor. It can be done, however, and this story does an excellent job of showing how mixers like Campari are being showcased by bartenders fighting the great bitter battle. If for nothing else, read the article for the Mezcal Amores recipe: mezcal, infused Campari, Punt e Mes vermouth, and orange bitters.

Home-smoked Vodka: An Experiment - Over at Word of Mouth on the Guardian, John Wright tackles an experiment in DIY smoky vodka.

Whisky Age Statements a Fallacy: Distiller - I do agree with Anthony Wills of the Kilchoman Distillery in the thought that there are some very fine 'young' whiskies and some rather poor 'old' whiskies. The important part of enjoying whiskey is that you enjoy the taste despite what the label may say.

Drunk Monkeys - I have to leave you with a video that went viral this week for no other reason than because it is fun. The BBC's? Weird Nature program documented monkeys on St. Kitts in the Caribbean stealing beach-goer drinks and becoming as inebriated as the college kid down the street. Also, there are a surprising number of teetotaling monkeys. Here's the clip on YouTube. It's fascinating and though a study of monkey drinking habits, I also caught the amazing number of humans who seem oblivious to the thievery.

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Booze News: February 22, 2012

Interesting stuff in the news this week. One of the hottest tips I can give out is this first headline. There are only 25 seats available and it is ideal for anyone who wants instruction on tackling the Blue Blazer or those who want to geek out on cocktail history for the night.

The Blue Blazer: A Night of History, Tasting, and Instruction - Cocktail Kingdom and David Wondrich are hosting an intriguing event on Tuesday, February 28th in New York City. That evening Wondrich will be giving tips and tastings of the Blue Blazer (recipe here) and history including, get this, "recently uncovered information about the true originator of this renowned and sometimes feared libation." So Jerry Thomas did not create the iconic flaming drink? I guess we have to wait until next week to find out.

Spirits of Note:

• Perique Tobacco Liqueur - Daniel Topper reports on The Guardian about a tobacco-flavored spirit that seems to be gaining notoriety in London. Interesting, though it would have to be in the right cocktail for me.
• 666 Pure Tasmanian Vodka - Just in case you have run out of vodkas from 'exotic' locations to try, here is another one for you. This one comes from Tasmania and the 666 refers to the Tasmanian devil, of course. Apparently the vodka is pretty good as it received a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards in 2010, though I don't always rely on those accolades.? I will warn you that the link goes to a press release, so you must read between the marketing lines...
• Sammy's Beach Bar Rum - He sold the Cabo Wabo Tequila and now Sammy Hagar has ventured into the realm of rum. Distilled in Hawaii and launched just this week to the 'mainland,' time will tell if this new Hagar venture will take off as well as the last.
• Pucker Premiers - Two new flavors have been added to Pucker's line of vodkas. Now Pucker Vodka can be found in Lemonade Lust and Raspberry Rave.

The 'Big Ginger' Dispute Ends - Here's the story in brief: When Minneapolis restauranteur Kieran Folliard began selling the Big Ginger drink at his four bars - one of which was the top seller in the world for Jameson Irish Whiskey - he trademarked the drink name. Recently, Jameson started marketing The Big Jameson Ginger in the metro area and at some point Folliard switched out Jameson in his cocktails for his own Irish whiskey, 3 Gingers. This all ended up in a short lawsuit that ended this week with an undisclosed settlement over Jameson's alleged trademark infringement.

The drink that all of the fight was over? Irish whiskey and ginger ale served with both lemon and lime wedges. Admittedly, it is a fantastic drink that has been around for years, just not under that particular name. If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying the Irish whiskey-ginger ale combination, check out these variations: Jameson and Ginger and Irish Buck.

Gin Ahoy! A Navy-Strength Fleet Arrives - This entry on The New York Times' Diner's Journal blog is interesting and brings up the blooming fascination with higher-proof gins, or navy-strength. The average for this style of gin is 57% alc/volume and they tend to make a great base for mixed drinks, especially for those who enjoy a gin-forward drink.

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Booze News: February 15, 2012

Arizona Cocktail Week - Another exciting week of fine drinks is coming up. This one is centered in Scottsdale and starts this coming Sunday (17th), running through Saturday the 25th. Check out their website for all of the details.

New Spirits:

• Gin Trifecta - St. George Spirits is in the process of releasing three gins. I had the pleasure of checking these out while at the San Antonio Cocktail Conference and highly recommend them to all gin lovers. Each has its own character and all are impressive.
• Kremlin Creates Own Vodka - I would have thought the Russian government would have already had an official vodka.
• Mastermind Vodka - Produced in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, this is another small-batch vodka that is said to be quite a gem.
• Dirty Harry Gin - The West Winds Gin is experimenting with 99 bottles of a new gin. It is similar to The Sabre, only 44% alc/volume to match the .44 Magnum of, you guessed it, Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry character.

Bartenders Give Classic Cocktails New Twists - The Boston Globe published a story this week about some of the great cocktail lounges in Boston.

Vodka Delivers Shot of Creativity - Of all the crazy studies in the world,this one takes the cake. "Sault's team has also reported that intoxicated individuals become less afraid to make mistakes, another possible creativity booster." It's called liquid courage, which I'm sure many of us have experienced.

Hood Rivers Sued Over Whiskey Label - Oh, how fast trouble brews and how blurry the trademark and patent lines are. Here is the story of another court battle over the marketing of whiskey. In this case it is Sazerac vs. Hood Rivers and it centers around the latter's new cinnamon whiskey.

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Booze News: February 1, 2012

Wow, it's February already! Where has the month gone? This last week I have been enjoying the sun and fun during the San Antonio Cocktail Conference and we are all planning our Super Bowl parties, but there is more going on in the cocktail world and here are a few of the headlines and notables of the week.

New Sips:

• C by Courvoisier - If you enjoy the smooth sipping of Courvoisier, you'll want to check out this new rendition which is launching today and priced at around $35. Having yet to taste it, here is an excerpt from the press release: "An intense blend of small-batch-produced cognac specially selected from 50 winegrowers in the Fin Bois Cru, C by Courvoisier is carefully crafted by the house's master blender and goes through a double-barrel aging process to produce a smooth, full-bodied taste experience."
• Hood River SinFire - The flavors of cinnamon and whiskey are natural compliments and Hood River Distillers is hoping that this will be a hit as it is released to the market sometime this month. Hopefully the 'natural cinnamon flavors' are true to form because this could be a useful mixer at just $17 a bottle.
• King Cake Vodka - With Mardi Gras approaching very fast, some in New Orleans have been anxiously awaiting this new flavored vodka. It seems that the wait will be over this week.

The Only Chart You Need to Mix a Proper Cocktail - If you have not seen this infographic yet, be sure to check it out. It breaks down 68 classic cocktails into families, guiding the viewer to all of the mixers, glasses, and garnishes needed to make each. Sure, it looks a little overwhelming on the computer, but the creators say its far easier to read in the 27"x39" poster format. If it's still too much, check out my classic cocktail list which includes almost all of those recipes and more.

Iowa Restaurants, Bars Look to Change Prohibition-era Liquor Laws - Following in the footsteps of other states like California, Iowa bartenders are hoping that this will be the year that they can begin making their own infusions, bitters, and barrel-aged cocktails. With luck (and a lot of lobbying) another set of these antiquated liquor laws will be abolished and housemade products will continue to emerge.

Salud! The Old Fashioned, Wisconsin's cocktail - If you have ever been to Wisconsin you will recognize the phenomenon of the Old-fashioned. I would venture to say that there are just as many of these cocktails served in Wisconsin as there are in the bourbon country of Kentucky. However, the twist is that Wisconsinites tend to prefer brandy in their Old-fashioned and, almost always, a splash of lemon-lime soda. It's a variation that I've never been able to get into but considered yourself warned that an Old-fashioned in Wisconsin may not be what you're used to.

How Cocktails Happen - I really enjoyed this article in The Washington Post because Jason Wilson does an excellent job of explaining how cocktails correlate to food in the sense of recipe and taste development. If you know someone who doesn't "get" cocktails, have them read this.

Tequila 'Weapons' Cross Rio Grande for Sales - Novelty bottles are fun and I am one who is guilty of collecting the really unique bottles regardless of the amount of storage space needed to house them. My collection also includes a gun-shaped bottle from Tommy Guns Vodka, despite my personal aversion to firearms, remains a favorite so I completely understand the appeal of these tequila bottles.

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