Booze News: January 11, 2012

First off, it is Hot Toddy Day. If nothing else, this gives you a great excuse to mix up a nice Hot Toddy of any variety.

In other cocktail news this week...

Bols Bartending Academy - For those who are interested in learning and expanding their skills behind the bar, a trip to Amsterdam may be in order. There are a variety of intense bartending courses available via the House of Bols throughout the year.

Distillery Worker Commits Suicide by Leaping into Vat of Whisky - Tragedy struck the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Banffshire, Scotland this week.

Rum Company Offering Free Tattoos in Chicago - 101 people in Chicago will receive a free tattoo in honor of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins' would-be 101st birthday. The free ink will be from one of the tattoo icons' most popular design and is brought to us by the spiced rum that bears his name. If you're looking for a classic sailor tat, this is your chance for a freebie.

What's in a Brand? - We all have our favorite brands of everything, especially when it comes to our liquor. Why is that? The majority of the time it is based on the theory that when you find something great, there's no need to switch it out. It's interesting to read some of the marketing stories in business journals and this week Business Insider took a look at how Jack Daniel's became so popular - selling on allocation while creating a higher and higher demand. Also, in one of the related articles there, it's fascinating to note that 3 of the top 20 Brands With The Most Loyal Customers come from the liquor industry (no beer is mentioned... hmm). Those brands? Ketel One and Grey Goose vodkas and Patron Tequila.

New Spirits:

• New Columbia Distillers - Washington D.C. will soon have a hometown gin for those wonderful Gin Rickeys.
• Camitz Sparkling Vodka - Forget all the Champanska and Flirtini (or not), Australians will soon be able to enjoy a sparkling vodka. I don't know how long this will last or if it will catch on as previous attempts to add bubbles to spirits and beer were not very successful, but I guess it's worth a shot.

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Booze News: January 4, 2012

Happy 2012! Here is this weeks boozin' news to kick off the new year...

Scotch in a Can - This is a story that will leave many whisky connoisseurs cringing - it did that for me.? Scottish Spirits Imports Inc. plans to release a 'single grain' Scotch in 12-ounce aluminum cans to the U.S. market in February. That's right... 8 shots of 3YO Scotch in an non-resealable can and it will be selling for $5 each. So many aspects of this seem wrong, the most glaring issues are: 1)It's Scotch in A CAN! 2)That is far too much straight liquor for a single person to drink who wishes to retain some sanity and the can just encourages overindulging. The biggest question, and I admit to being a skeptic on this one: How does it taste?

2012 Trends?:

Every new year brings a slurry of predictions about trends and foregoing that story myself this year, here are a few thoughts about what we will see...

• Is 2012 going to be a good year for spirits? - Jason Wilson ponders this question on The Washington Post this week. Dessert-flavored vodkas, infused whiskies, and educated consumers make his list.
• Carbonated Cocktails - We're not just talking about simply adding sodas to drinks here. No, this is about carbonating the cocktail itself. This is made easy with a kit, one of interest that is on my wishlist is the Perlini Carbonated Cocktail System, which Camper English unwrapped on Alcademics this week. This system also makes an appearance in a Wired Tech Bubble article about this very subject: Exploring the Carbonated Cocktail.

New Micro-distilleries:

Small distilleries have been popping up almost everywhere in the last few years. Here are two of the newest prospects...

• First whiskey distillery since Prohibition to open in January - This is the first in the Capitol Region of New York and here you will find Old Glowegee Whiskey being made.
• LA Spirits to open distillery - Going off a history of sugar cane and rum making, Louisiana Spirits brings rum back to Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana.

Whisky Flavour Map - I have a map similar to this handy and they are a great resource for finding the Scotch that fits your taste. I wonder where that canned whisky fits in?

Top 10 Martinis in the Twin Cities - Minneapolis/St. Paul does not get as much credit for cocktails as other cities in the U.S., but there are some fine drinks to be found there and this list is a good place to begin.

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