News you can talk about & Trends you can watch

In the News

In the NewsWine

Champagne in the News

August 1, 2024 -- Champagne is in the news with falling sales, a ship wreck discovery, and a new bottle that reduces carbon footprint coming on the market soon: Falling Sales According to the business networks, Champagne sales are down 15.2% over this time last year and the slump is...
Red Wine Toast
In the NewsWine

Neo-Prohibitionists Gather Strength

April 17, 2024  -- You’d think Prohibitionists might have learned their lesson with the “Noble  Experiment” of the 18th Amendment also known as the Volstead Act in 1919, but no, they haven’t and they are now harnessing the World Health Organization (WHO) to restrict production and consumption of alcohol globally....
Party-Scene-2-S
In the News

Who Are the Biggest Binge Drinkers in the World?

November 15, 2023 – Here’s a good guessing game next time you’re downing a few:  Which country can boast being the biggest guzzlers of alcoholic drinks? Apparently those fun fellows at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) thought so too.   They conducted a study of binging habits in...
Bartender with drinks
In the News

Drinking Habits Hardly Change in Eight Decades

August 28, 2023 – Bob Dylan’s classic protest song, “The Times They Are a-Changin” seems as apt today as it did in 1964, but one thing that has stayed constant is the percentage of people in this country who drink alcohol and the number who don’t.  It’s been pretty much...
Older group drinking
In the News

Is a Glass of Wine Beneficial as we Age?

July 28, 2023 – There seem to be a lot of articles lately warning that any kind of alcohol is bad, causing quite a list of unpleasant health issues like cancer.  So it was a relief to read that researchers, from Harvard Medical School no less, have found that a...
wine bottling line
In the NewsWine

The Bottle is the Culprit

November 18, 2022 --  A popular topic of discussion these days is about reducing our impact on the environment in every conceivable area, including the wine industry.  Does it start in the vineyard?  Happily, in most wine-growing regions of the world, wine growers big and small, are very conscious of...
drinking_feature
In the News

Alcohol and Aging: Good News & Bad News

August 3, 2022 – First the bad news.  A headline in the New York Post on July 26 read “Just five alcoholic drinks a week will age you – and mess up your DNA”.  Great.  Yet there are a whole lot of studies showing that people who drink moderately live...
In the NewsSpirits

World Aperitivo Day Debuts May 26

May 20, 2022 -- Italians know how to relax as the sun goes down and we get ready for dinner with friends or family.  They sip an aperitivo which comes from the Latin word aperire “to open” meaning, in this case, to open the appetite for the meal to come. ...
XDar Vodka 750 bottle _Feature
In the NewsSpirits

Ukrainian Vodka Plant Reopens

May 04, 2022 --- As we watch the systematic destruction of Ukraine by the Russian dictator, it is hard to imagine businesses reopening but this is what is happening in parts of Ukraine where the Russian army is still at bay, and President Zelenskyy is encouraging reopening where safe. One...
BACARDI Rum Toddy_F
In the News

Thaw Out With Hot Rum

January 9, 2022 --  Let’s face it, it’s cold, gray and gloomy but rum producers know how to get us cheered and warmed up deliciously.  January is the month for hot rum with Hot Toddy Day on January 11th and Hot Buttered Rum Day on January 17.  But you don’t...
In the NewsSpirits

Gift Guide 2021

November 22, 2021 – It’s time to make the gift list again so here are a few ideas to help in the process.  The world of wine and spirits is a great place to shop as there are options at all price points and a huge variety of choices.  There...
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In the NewsSpirits

Whiskey + Doughnuts = Doing Good

October 20, 2021 -- National First Responders Day is October 28.  To celebrate our first responders, Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey has released two limited-run, whiskey-infused doughnuts in collaboration with Dough Doughnuts - The Proper Irish Coffee Cream-Filled and The Proper Irish Coffee Glazed.  A portion of the proceeds of...
Woodford Reserve_Wm. Sonoma Mixers Feature
In the News

New Cocktail Mixers From Woodford Reserve & Williams Sonoma

September 17, 2021 -- Two American companies loved and respected for quality and innovation – Woodford Reserve and Williams Sonoma --have partnered to bring unique cocktail experiences to homes across America.  The partnership kicks off with a line of co-branded cocktail mixers, which are now available for the Fall entertaining...
Beach Side Chiller Feature
EntertainingIn the NewsSpirits

Memorial Day Cocktails

May 27, 2021 – The Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of the summer season so a new cocktail recipe is a good way to celebrate.  We’ve selected four that are “doable” – they taste good, look good, but are not too complicated.  You almost certainly have one or...
Truly Wild Berry water
In the News

Canned Cocktails Change the Market

April 19, 2021 --- Canned cocktails are the hottest item in the adult beverage business.  They have exploded in popularity.   Referred to in the trade as ready-to-drink or RTD, the pre-mixed canned or bottled single serve category increased 90% year-over-year in 2020.  There are predictions it will reach $1.63 billion...
wine retail shelves
In the NewsWine

Wine & Spirits Heist in Manhattan

February 27, 2021 – Thieves cleaned out the entire inventory of a Manhattan wine and spirits store and it seems nobody knows exactly when.  The store has been closed for several months, according to the owner, but when he was last there on January 8, so was the inventory. According...
ulleit Frontier Whiskey Forest View
In the NewsSpirits

Bulleit Whiskey’s One Million Tree Goal

October 21, 2020 – Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is teaming up with American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization, founded in 1875, to plant one million trees over the next five years.  The partnership will reforest eastern landscapes dominated by white oaks, a key species for wildlife, water conservation and...
Red Wine Being Poured feature
In the NewsWine

Trade Kerfuffle Creates A Very International Wine

October 6, 2020 --  It’s like a little United Nations.  Australian wine company, Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) owns the historic and highly respected Beaulieu Vineyard (BV) in California’s Napa Valley.  The BV label will soon appear on a wine made in Bordeaux, France for the Chinese market.  OK, we’re clear...
Aino Maaranta Viinilinna
In the News

Flat Wine Bottles Are in Your Future

July 17, 2020 -- Wine has graced glass bottles, plastic bottles, boxes, cans, and Tetra Pak but a significant advancement is on the horizon with the introduction of the Flat Wine Bottle brought to you by Garçon Wines of the U.K. The saying that “necessity is the mother of invention”...
In the News

Bacardi Debuts Real Rum Cocktails in a Can

June 26, 2020 – Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here and so are Bacardi’s ready-to-drink rum cocktails in tall, slim cans.  No mixing needed.  Just crack the can and enjoy.  Made with Bacardi Superior Rum, cane sugar and natural flavors, Bacardi delivers a low alcohol  (5.9% ABV)...
In the News

Celebrate Summer Solstice Two Ways

June 18, 2020  --  Summer 2020 officially starts on Saturday, June 20 which is the longest day of the year, officially known as the summer solstice.  Let summer celebrations begin!  Our official solstice celebrants are Hendrick’s Gin where Master Distiller Lesley Gracie takes the start of the summer season so...
BeerIn the News

Stale Beer Problem Coming to a Head

May 8, 2020 – Remember that blast you had on St. Patrick’s Day on March 17?  Not in 2020.  The day before, state Governors started locking down their states closing bars and restaurants, sports events, concerts and travel, all places and events where people congregate and drink.  I remember thinking...
In the News

Read This Book First

February 12, 2020 – So your dream is to start your own craft brewery.  Can’t be that hard.  There are thousands of them now – over 7,000 in 2019 – and they’re all making money and having fun.  Or so it seems and besides, everyone loves your homebrewed beer and...
In the NewsSpirits

Reyka Vodka Launches #ReykaBeard

April 27, 2020 – Have you noticed more hirsute males in the last month or so?  Undoubtedly the lockdown is to blame.  That’s a lame excuse but we have a really great one for you from Reyka Vodka.  The Icelandic vodka maker has just launched a campaign that’s good fun...
In the News

Martha Stewart’s Mighty Martini

April 22, 2020 – As social distancing continues, we were delighted to come across the favorite martini recipe of the lifestyle maven herself, the Martha Martini.  If we’re forced to drink alone, then it may as well be special. Martha’s recipe uses Belvedere Vodka, no doubt in a nod to...
In the News

Sales of Alcohol Skyrocket; Not So Much in PA

April 11, 2020 --- Toilet paper isn’t the only thing being hoarded.  People are stocking up on adult beverages too.  When the farsighted folks who run the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announced on March 16 that the state-run stores would be closed effective March 17, they thought it would keep...
In the News

Spirits Industry Steps Up to Fight COVID-19

April 5, 2020 – A couple of nights ago, a TV commentator scolded the liquor industry for not stepping up to help ameliorate the hand sanitizer shortage.  Truth is, spirits, beer and wine companies are rushing to retool their plants to produce required 60 to 80 percent alcohol, and working...
In the News

Bacardi Cocktail Competition Winners & Their Recipes

March 8, 2020 – We’re always thrilled to hear about the latest winners of the Annual Tales of the Cocktail Foundation LEGACY Cocktail Competition that Bacardi has been sponsoring for 10 years.  Having watched competitors create and present amazing cocktails under really stressful conditions, we’re huge fans of all who...
Bacardi
In the NewsSpirits

It’s National Daiquiri Day!

Note: Last Friday was National Diquiri day and we apologize we missed the post date due to a minor technical issue. July 19, 2019 – It’s hot, you’re tired, but TGI Friday.  Not only that, it’s National Daiquiri Day.  Here’s a recipe (below) from Bacardi that’s so simple you don’t...
Wine & Spirits Laws Change
In the News

June 27, 2019 – The past week has been a very interesting and lively one for changes to long-standing laws concerning the sale and distribution of alcohol both in the U.S.A. and Canada.   Wisconsin   June 26, 2019 -- Did you know that in Wisconsin certain retailers were not...
Craft beer S
BeerIn the NewsWine

Things That Happen

May 23, 2019 – Things that happen It was a jolly good wine, old chap Hawksmoor, a steakhouse in Manchester, England is in the news for a very costly mistake. Seems a diner ordered a bottle of 2001 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, which the wine menu lists at ...
Georgian Flag and Wine
In the NewsWine

Happy Hour on Mars Written in the Stars

January 17, 2019 – The small country of Georgia, bounded on the north by Russia, on the south by Turkey and on the west by the Black Sea, is the cradle of wine.  Justifiably proud of their 8,000-year wine history, the country is now embarking on research to find a...
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BeerIn the News

Guinness Brewery Opens in Maryland

July 30, 2018 – Guinness, the iconic Irish brewer, will open a new brewery in Relay, Maryland this Friday, August 3.  It’s 64 years ago that Guinness closed its brewery in New York. The new facility known as the Guinness Open Gate Brewery and Barrel House is located in a...
Yellow Tail feature pic
In the NewsWine

Yellow Tail Owner Facing Jail Time

July 27, 2018 – A member of the family that owns the famous Australian wine brand, Yellow Tail, will be spending a couple of years in the Big House, according to the Brisbane Times.   Marcello Casella, described as a winemaker and businessman, changed his not guilty plea to guilty...
Mini Meisters in Ice
In the NewsSpirits

Jägermeister Releases Mini Meisters

July 10, 2018 – Jägermeister has just released Mini Meisters nationwide.  The 20 ml minis chill quickly and are perfect single shot serves that can be taken anywhere.  The 10-pack fits in the fridge and the serving size works well for cocktails or alongside a beer. Jägermeister Price: Jägermeister Mini...
Glass of Beer Gold background
BeerIn the News

U.K. Running out of Beer

July 6, 2018  - U.K. Running out of Beer There’s a heatwave, it’s the World Cup soccer quarter finals starting today, and the U.K. is running out of beer.  It’s unthinkable but true. The reason sounds even more preposterous:  There’s a shortage of carbon dioxide, you know the stuff that...
19 crimes
In the NewsWine

Augmented Reality Sells Wine

June 6, 2018 – Augmented Reality Sells Wine Are you one of the 1.3 million wine lovers who have downloaded the Living Wine Labels app from Treasury Wine Estates on your smartphone? If so, we can guess that you enjoy a glass of 19 Crimes Australian wine from time to...
CocktailsIn the News

Mezcal Cocktail Honors the Mexican Gray Wolf

April 1, 2018 – Montelobos Mezcal Cocktail celebrates the Mexican gray wolf.  The Mexican gray wolf needs friends as there aren’t many of them roaming around the Southwest of the U.S. and Mexico these days.  So it is appropriate that Montelobos Mezcal has partnered with the @WolfConservationCenter to bring awareness...
BeerIn the News

Kona Beer Has Good News

March 21, 2018 – Kona Brewing fans, and there are plenty of you, will be delighted to hear that Kanaha Blonde Ale is being distributed nationally.  Previously, if you didn’t live or travel in California and Hawaii, you were out of luck and that’s a real shame as it is...
In the NewsWine

Wine Wars in Two Hemispheres

February 21, 2018 – There’s quite a brawl going on between two western Canadian provinces involving wine.  Down in New Zealand, consumers are up in arms over Australian Sauvignon Blanc. Wine and Oil Don’t Mix The province of Alberta has banned the sale of wine from British Columbia.  The ban...
In the NewsSpirits

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum & Harley-Davidson Art Contest

January 18, 2018 – Call it Hog Heaven.  Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum and Harley-Davidson are teaming up again, this time with a first-of-its-kind design competition open to the public.  Dubbed the “My Works Speaks for Itself” contest, details on how to enter can be found at www.SailorJerry.com/MyWorkSpeaksForItself. The model selected...
In the NewsSpirits

The Macallan and Chinese New Year

January 14, 2018 – Paying homage to Chinese New Year which starts February 16, The Macallan is issuing a limited edition gift box featuring the Year of the Dog. The handsome box contains two bottles of The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.  For collectors,...
In the NewsWine

Winery Gives $1000 Bonus to Employees

January 8, 2018 – Joining the Fortune 500 companies that have announced $1,000 bonuses, Jordan Winery in Sonoma County is sharing the bounty of the new tax cut bill with its 85 eligible employees.  And its owner, John Jordan is challenging fellow business owners to do the same.  Bravo! Created...
EntertainingIn the NewsSpirits

Drink Your Dessert!

December 18, 2017 – We can’t guarantee it, but this just might be the way to save on calories!  Skip the pies and indulge yourself with a delicious cocktail. The following recipes are easy to make and any one of them will be a perfect alternative to offer guests at...
In the NewsWine

Wine Squirrel Now Available on Amazon

December 18, 2017 – Gift Alert!  Wine Squirrel, the wine preserver that really works is now available on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XB9YVFL   Check out our review http://www.wineandspirits.com/2017/11/23/wine-squirrel-perfect-wine-preserver-perfect-gift/...
EntertainingIn the NewsSpirits

Nothing Says Christmas Like Candy Canes

December 3, 2017 -- Peppermint flavored candy canes are an indispensable   Smirnoff Peppermint Twist Fact Sheet   part of Holiday Season trimmings and our friends at Smirnoff Vodka have done a wonderful job wrapping their Peppermint Twist – peppermint flavored vodka – in scratch and sniff candy cane stripes.  It looks like fun...
In the NewsSpirits

Absinthe – Gifting the Green Fairy

November 28, 2017 – In the summer of 1905, Jean Lanfray, a farm worker in the French-speaking Swiss canton of Vaud, started the day with “copious amounts of wine and brandy”. Later he had more wine and brandy for lunch rounding off with a couple of crème de menthes and...
BeerIn the News

New Seasonal Beer Releases

November 20, 2017 – America’s craft brewers just never take a break, or so it seems with their seasonal releases that keep on coming.  The winter months get their own special brews and below is a list of recent releases.         Stone Brewing of Escondido, CA: is...
In the NewsWine

Wine Was Trending 8,000 Years Ago

November 17, 2017 – Thoroughly modern man has something in common with Neolithic man who lived in the Near East around 6,000 B.C.  Pottery shards found in Georgia bear the residue of Eurasian grapes, the grapes that we use today to make our favorite wines.  Known as vitis vinifera, there...
BeerIn the News

Beer – Seeking Elusive Frothy Sales

October 16, 2017 – Major breweries, think Budweiser, Coors et al, have been bedeviled by sluggish sales for a while but now, even craft beer is slowing down. Craft beer sales are actually up but the accelerated growth the category was enjoying is definitely declining.  The numbers prove it.  In...
In the NewsWine

October is Dedicated to Merlot Celebrations

October 9, 2017 - October 2017 marks the fifth year of international celebration of the noble grape, merlot.  Why?  What does “noble” mean?  Lots of questions. Merlot is one of the five “noble” grapes of Bordeaux, its royal cousins being Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.  The “noble”...
In the NewsSpirits

Vodka Drinkers Celebrate October 4

October 3, 2017 – It’s vodka’s turn to have its day, Wednesday, October 4 to be precise.  Vodka is one third of all spirits volume amounting to $6 billion – that’s billion with a B – in sales and just shy of 70 million cases in 2016.  Someone out there...
In the NewsSpirits

A Bourbon Lover’s Bourbon

September 19, 2017 – September is Bourbon Heritage month so we looked around for something special and we found Trail’s End.  It was like finding the prize in a treasure hunt. This bourbon pays homage to the heritage of the Old West and the end of the trail for the...
In the NewsWine

Wine Flour Cleverly Recycles Wine Pomace

September 19, 2017 – Let’s applaud the lonely entrepreneur taking recycling to the extreme.  Making flour out of wine pomace surely qualifies and that’s the mission of Finger Lakes Wine Flour of Hector, N.Y. Armed with an environmental science degree from SUNY ESF, Hilary Niver-Johnson founded Sustainable Viticulture Systems in...
In the NewsWine

Is Drinking Rosé After Labor Day Okay?

September 9, 2017 – If not wearing white after Labor Day is lore (and semi-law) where you live, where does that leave drinking rosé?  After all rosé is summer’s sip and never more so than for the summer of 2017. According to Wine Market Council, Nielsen data show that sales...
In the NewsWine

Put a Cork in it, but Don’t Sniff it

July 20, 2017 – Wine drinkers in the U.S. like their wine bottle to sport a cork according to a recent poll of 1,549 wine consumers by the Portuguese Cork Association and the California-based Cork Quality Council. Unsurprisingly, nearly all respondents viewed cork as an indicator of wine quality and...
BeerIn the News

Time to Stop and Smell the Hops

June 23, 2017 – There’s a crisis in America!  No, not that crisis de jour.  We’re talking about a real crisis of people not using all their vacation time.  Last year more than half of workers surveyed by Samuel Adams and Project:  Time Off admitted to leaving vacation time on...
In the News

Is Marijuana a Threat to Alcohol Sales?

April 24, 2017 – According to recently released research in California, when it comes to recreational drugs, marijuana is quite popular as a substitute for alcohol among millennials.  Last November, California voted to legalize marijuana meaning that adults over the age of 21 can now use, possess and share cannabis,...
In the News

Order the Cheapest Wine – Expert Advice

April 13, 2017 -- In a new book, “How to Drink Like a Billionaire”, author and wine expert Mark Oldman divulges a secret of sommeliers and explains why the cheapest wine on the list is the best. The sommelier or the restaurant’s wine buyer knows that most people feel embarrassed...
In the News

Red Wine Compound May Slow Aging

April 6, 2017 -- The health benefits of red wine continue to make news.  The latest finding suggests that resveratrol, the antioxidant found in grape skins, may slow the ageing process. The study conducted at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, shows resveratrol preserves muscle fibers...
In the News

Utah Says It’s Ok to Mix Drinks in Public

March 27, 2017 – It’s known as the Zion Curtain by the citizens of Utah who drink in public places like bars and restaurants.  A rule dating back to 2009 prohibiting bars and restaurants from mixing or pouring drinks in view of their patrons has been rescinded.  It has been...
In the News

Wine Handbags Are All The Rage

February 27, 2017 – Anyone who is slightly serious about wine is sure to have all kinds of totes and bags for getting the essential bottle or wine gift to its final destination – Enjoyment!  But we’ve moved well beyond schlepping a bottle that is really hard to disguise if...
In the News

Guinness Maryland Brewery Issues Coming to a Head

February 27, 2017 – It’s never simple when it comes to alcoholic beverages. As we reported on February 17, Diageo, which owns Guinness, plans to convert the old Calvert distillery in Relay, (Baltimore County) Maryland, into a bre wery with a U.S. version of its famous Open Gate visitor center...
In the News

UC Davis Will No Longer Pour Wine Down the Drain

February 17, 2017 – The University of California Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology is one of the most highly regarded institutions in its field in the world.  As a part of the winemaking curriculum, the students make wine but until recently, the wine, some made from grapes grown in...
In the News

Guinness to Build New Brewery in Maryland

February 17, 2017 – Autumn this year will mark the 200th anniversary of Guinness first being imported in the United States and to celebrate the occasion, Diageo, owners of Guinness, have announced they will be building a new micro-brewery and visitor center at the existing plant in Relay, Maryland.  ...
In the News

Trump Wine Selling Out

February 17, 2017 – Wine shops in the Washington area are selling out of Trump wine reports Judy Kurtz writing in The Hill.  The winery, located in Charlottesville, Va., is owned by Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC.  The Trump name is featured prominently on the label. Ms Kurtz interviewed several...
In the News

Valentine’s Day: Real Men Drink Pink

February 9, 2017 – There’s nothing sissy about toasting the love of your life with pink bubbles.  One could even say it is the smart thing to do, if you know what I mean. We’ve color coordinated seven different recipes so whichever one you choose, you’ll be on message.  And...
In the News

Super Bowl 51 Drink Recipes

February 1, 2017 – You’ve been to Costco and loaded up on all the great stuff that is your tradition for Super Bowl Sunday and now you’re thinking about what to serve to friends who prefer something besides beer. Just about anything poured over rocks will get you by and,...
In the News

Aussie Wine Ad Will Charm Super Bowl Viewers

January 27, 2017 – Wondering why wineries never advertise during the Super Bowl?  It’s because Anheuser-Busch has tied up exclusive rights excluding participation by any other alcohol brand since 1989.  It’s also darned expensive.  But where there’s a will there’s a way. Yellow Tail, Australia’s number one selling wine in...
In the News

Wine Sales Increased in 2016

January 27, 2017 – Sacramento, CA is hosting the USA’s biggest wine industry trade show and conference for about 1,000 attendees.  The good news for everyone is that the wine sales continue to grow.  In 2016, wine shipments increased by 2.8 percent while revenue from domestic wine sales jumped 4...
In the News

When Life Hands You Lemons, Make……Soap?

January 27, 2017 – A New Zealand vodka, 42BELOW, is saving the planet one cocktail garnish at a time.  Rather than chucking the uneaten fruit garnishes adorning a glorious  cocktail into the garbage, they collect them from bars in New Zealand and Australia and turn them into soap. 42BELOW, claiming...
In the News

California Wines Served at Inaugural Luncheon

January 20, 2017 – When 200 guests join the newly inaugurated President Trump and Vice President Pence for lunch after the swearing-in ceremony, they will enjoy three California wines paired with each course. The first course of Maine lobster and Gulf shrimp with saffron sauce and a peanut crumble will...
In the News

Robin Williams Wine Name Honored by French Buyer

January 13, 2017 – The Tesseron family, owners of Château Pontet-Canet in Bordeaux, purchased Robert Williams vineyard estate on Mount Veeder in the Napa Valley.  A particular vineyard on the estate was called Pym-Rae, a combination of the middle names of his first two children. The Tesserons announced they will...
In the News

Starbucks Discontinues Wine & Beer Sales

January 13, 2017 – The sun has set on Starbucks “Evenings” concept.  Introduced in 2014 in Seattle, Starbucks sought to increase evening business by offering wine and beer along with small plates of comfort foods like flatbread pizza and truffle mac and cheese. Since 70 percent of Starbucks customers drink...
In the News

Red Wine Repelling Shirt Coming Soon

January 6, 2017 – A company in the Netherlands claims their technology can produce a shirt that is stain resistant, including red wine.  It is also odor free, 2-way stretch, eco-friendly, machine washable, wrinkle resistant, fast-drying and breathable.  And you can be an investor via Kickstarter. The creators say the...
In the News

The Big Trend for 2017: Black Cocktails!

January 6, 2017 – If Santa left coal in your stocking, don’t worry.  As the saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”.  In the case of coal in your stocking, you can be totally fashion forward and make black cocktails. Way back in 2015, black cocktails were trending...
In the News

A Great Year for Ice Wine

December 30, 2016 – Thank the polar vortex and generally miserable conditions for an excellent ice wine harvest.  Wines & Vines, an industry publication, reports that growers in British Columbia, Michigan and Ontario reported excellent conditions for an early 2016 ice wine harvest.  The season kicked off on December 6...
In the News

The Old Fashioned is Still Fashionable

December 22, 2016 – According to Google, The Old Fashioned is still one of America’s most popular cocktails so being always ready to oblige, we found six recipes to get you through the Holidays.  There’s a certain nostalgia to sipping on an Old Fashioned before Christmas dinner and it is...
In the News

New Year’s Eve Cocktails

December 16, 2016 – The bubbles will be flowing but we’ve got a few suggestions for the witching hour as the ball descends in Time Square.  It’s a tough choice.  We might settle on our favorite cocktail Bacardi Old Cuban but Golden Hour, a cocktail garnished with edible gold leaf,...
In the News

Patrón Tequila Announces Winner of Art Contest

December 9, 2016 – Patrón’s third annual “Art of Patrón” Bottle Art Contest was won by Scott Innes of Philadelphia, PA. He was one of 10 finalists chosen from hundreds of entries, which the public was invited to vote on. “Art of Patrón” Bottle Art Contest, is an initiative encouraging...
In the News

The Perfect Gift for the Sweet Wine Lover

December 9, 2016 – Anyone who prefers sweet wine knows what it feels like to hear “Oh?” with a raised eyebrow when confronted by a serious oenophile.  As a wine connoisseur, said oenophile almost certainly has contempt and pity for the poor person who dares to voice a preference for...
In the News

An $845 Wine Book That’s Sold Out!

December 2, 2016 – If Assouline’s Impossible Collection of Wine is on your shopping list for your favorite wino, you’re outta luck. The magnificent book that weighs 10.5 lbs or 15 lbs in its wooden box, chronicles in great detail, accompanied by gorgeous photography, the outstanding vintages of the 20th...
In the News

Join Crown Royal in Supporting the Troops

December 2, 2016 – This has got to be the easiest way to support our troops and it doesn’t cost a dime. All you have to do is register with GoodWorld.me and Crown Royal will donate $1 to their longstanding partners at Packages From Home. Between now and the end...
In the News

Thanksgiving Cocktails

November 18, 2016 – Inviting friends to share Thanksgiving or volunteering to be the bartender at an ever expanding family get-together seemed like a good idea at the time, but now reality is just days away.  Panic sets in. We’ve got you covered with a selection of 24 cocktails that...
In the News

Free Label App for Home Brewers & Winemakers

November 18, 2016 – We’ve just come across a great tool for home brewers and winemakers who would like to make their products look more professional.  It’s a free app called Labeley and it allows users to design unique, professionally looking beer, wine, holiday and other labels without any design...
In the News

Bourbon’s Bad Girl Has a New Book

November 18, 2016 – If you live in Bourbon country, you know the name Joy Perrine.  She’s so respected in Blue Grass country that this year she was inducted into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Joy Perrine comes from a colorful background.  Her parents and grandmother were rum runners...
In the News

Patrón Tequila Invites You to Vote One More Time

November 8, 2016 — The Patrón Spirits Companywants you to vote one more time!  But this time it will fun.  The company has just announced the top 10 finalists in the third “Art of Patrón” Bottle Art Contest.  The iconic Patrón bottle screams “save me” and we’re betting a whole...
In the News

Jordan Winery Celebrates Chardonnay Harvest With a Fun Video

November 4, 2016 – The talented employees at Jordan Vineyard & Winery in California’s  beautiful Alexander Valley have done it again.  Drawing on talent from cellar workers to winemakers they have put together an entertaining video based on Sia’s “Cheap Thrills” and dubbed it “Grape Thrills” celebrating the 2016 chardonnay...
In the News

Bacardi Goes to Bat for Bats

  October 28, 2016 —  If you’ve ever looked closely at a Bacardi label you’ll notice it incorporates a bat.  The company’s association with bats dates back to its founding in 1862 when Doña Amalia Bacardí, the founder’s wife, spotted a colony of fruit bats in the rafters of the...
In the News

Beer is Better for Bones According to PETA

October 20, 2016 – Those rabble-rousers, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) are running billboards near the University of Wisconsin—Madison, with the message that beer is better for bone and heart health than milk. We’re all for treating animals with respect and kindness but frequently, animals are better...
In the News

Starbucks’ New Cocktail – Beer and Espresso

October 14, 2016 – Can’t quite imagine how it tastes, but Starbucks’ Espresso Cloud IPA looks like something anyone with an ounce of sophistication ought to be drinking. If there’s a Starbucks Evening store near you, you can try it and tell your friends. And tell us too! According to...
In the News

Old Victorian Pub Found Under Street in Manchester, U.K.

September 29, 2016 – A 200-year-old Victorian pub, complete with bottles of brandy, was found buried under a busy street in Manchester, England as excavators cleared the way for a 13-story apartment building.  Archaeologists were summoned and they discovered the pub belonged to Thomas Evans, who was the landlord of...
In the News

Drinking Game Proving Popular

September 22, 2016 – When a Kickstarter project gets funded in 14 days, you know you are on to something.  That’s the good news Screech Dragon Studios shared about their Loaded Dice game. Loaded Dice reinvents the concept of a drinking game with its specialty tabletop game drinkware, from a...
In the News

Coffee Cocktails for National Coffee Day

September 22, 2016 – There’s a day for everything or so it seems, and coffee gets to bask in the national glow of importance next Thursday, September 29.  If the rest of the country is unaware of National Coffee Day, you will be ahead of the pack, armed with five...
In the News

Sniffing Wine May Save Your Brain

September 16, 2016 – It turns out that all that sniffing and swirling that wine geeks love to indulge in is not just an affectation after all.  New research published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience shows it might just be a very healthy habit. People with acute or heightened olfactory...
In the News

Wine in a Box. A New Wedding Ritual.

September 16, 2016 – We’re not talking about three liter boxes with plastic taps.  It’s a trendy idea in the wedding industry that involves ceremoniously placing a bottle of wine in a special box, with or without love letters to each other, sealed and enjoyed at some future date while...
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Jim Beam’s Apple Watch A Genius Joke

September 16, 2016 – While geeks camped out in front of Apple stores awaiting the release of the Apple iPhone 7, we have to think the creative marketing geniuses at Jim Beam were laughing their heads off with the coinciding release of Jim Beam’s Apple watch. It doesn’t tell the...
In the News

PETA Says Beer is Healthier Than Milk

September 9, 2016 – There’s good news for beer drinkers or for anyone with aspirations of building strong bones.  PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) released a report claiming that beer is healthier for our bodies than milk. The PETA report was based on a study from Harvard’s...
In the News

How to Spot a Psychopath by Their Drinks

September 9, 2016 – If you prefer black coffee or gin, you’re a psychopath according to a study at Innsbruck University in Austria psychology researchers. Preference for bitter tasting food apparently breeds folks with Machiavellian, narcissistic and sadistic traits.  So let’s see:  Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother died in 2002...
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Recipes to Celebrate Labor Day

August 24, 2016 – It’s Labor Day in less than two weeks and it always seems like the last gasp for a cookout.  It isn’t, of course, but for those of us who feel compelled to make the most of the last long weekend of summer, we wanted to share...
In the News

Boxed Wine Finally Getting Some Respect

August 19, 2016 – Boxed wine has been the stepchild of the U.S. wine industry for decades.  The system for putting wine in an airtight bladder with a spigot for pouring, and stashing it all in a box, originated in Australia.  Australian winemakers used very respectable wines and it was...
In the News

Happy Birthday Champagne!

August 4, 2016 – On this day in 1693 it is reputed that Dom Perignon, a Benedictine monk, discovered Champagne, a sparkling wine, and cried, “Come quickly!  I am tasting the stars!”.  It almost certainly didn’t happen like that and the “tasting the stars bit” more than likely was used...
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Compound in Red Wine Effective Against Alzheimer’s

July 29, 2016  –  A daily dose of resveratrol, a substance that occurs naturally in red wine, dark chocolate, blueberries and raspberries, has been found to decrease swelling that results from inflammation in the Alzheimer’s brain.  According to Medical News Today, resveratrol was given to patients in a trial and...
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Tattoo Monitors Alcohol Intake

July 29, 2016 – Tattoos and technology have come together to rat you out via your sweaty arm and send results to your Smartphone. An electronic board, which clings to the skin, can measure the amount of alcohol imbibed by measuring sweat. A “temporary tattoo” is applied to the skin...
In the News

The Couple That Drinks Together Stays Together

July 22, 2016 — The University of Michigan interviewed 2,767 couples between 2006 and 2016 as part of a study of drinking habits and marital quality.  They found that couples that have similar drinking habits have more harmonious relationships “Similar drinking habits” also applies to neither partner drinking. Couples in the study...
In the News

Rosé Gummy Bears Sell Out in Two Hours

July 15, 2016 – We knew rosé was incredibly popular but we were slightly awed to read in Decanter, a British wine publication, that gummy bears infused with Whispering Angel rosé wine sold out within two hours of going on sale and there is now a waiting list of more...
In the News

A Bunch of Grapes Sells for $11,000 in Japan

July 8, 2016 – A single bunch of a prized variety of grape brought 1.1 million yen, or just shy of $11,000, at an auction in Japan.  Ah, wine lovers, imagine the wine such grapes could produce!  Not happening.  These grapes called Ruby Roman are sold as fresh fruit. Fresh...
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Wine Slushies Get Vogue’s Blessing

July 8, 2016 — Whew!  We were worried that our friends would think we were déclassé but lowbrow has been blessed by Vogue in a recent article titled “The Summer of F’rosé? Why It’s All About the Wine Slushie”.  Their recipe included prickly-pear juice and darn, wouldn’t you know it,...
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Is Synthetic Wine the Future?

July 8, 2016 – Nothing is sacred it seems.  A San Francisco company, cheekily called Ava Winery, is busy replicating wine with nary a grape in sight. According to “New Scientist”, Mardonn Chua and Alec Lee, the founders of Ava Winery, came up with the idea of a hack after...
In the News

USA Top Market for Champagne

July 1, 2016 – We’ve done our bit and now the numbers are in:  the U.S.A. overtook the U.K. as the number one market for Champagne by value in 2015. According to Shanken News Daily, shipments of lovely French bubbles increased 28 per cent in 2015 representing shipments valued at...
In the News

Flying With Wine and Spirits

July 1, 2016 – Recent visitors from overseas who wanted to take some California wines home with them, prompted the search for rules and regulations for flying with alcohol.  We found a very informative and helpful site from Europe that covers 12 countries, including the United States, and the EU....
In the News

Axes and Alcohol Offer an Interesting Prospect

June 24, 2016 – The Backyard Axe-Throwing League in Toronto, Canada appears to be a sober but fun group.  They’ve been in business since 2006, have six locations in the Province of Ontario and one in Calgary, Alberta. Devotees, which can number from 10 to 15 thousand a month at...
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Native American Tribe Sues Anheuser-Busch Over Logo

June 24, 2016 – The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit over unauthorized use of its trademarked logo and slogan in several convenience stores promoting Bud Light. The Tribe’s slogan “Heritage, Pride & Strength” was plastered strategically under the Bud Light logo as a part of a...
In the News

Pop Champagne Cork With a Golf Shot

June 10, 2016 – Here’s another way to get that bottle of bubbly open when you don’t have a corkscrew handy:  Hit it with a tricky golf shot.  Pretty impressive.  And we certainly admire the sangfroid of the woman holding the bottle.    ...
In the News

A Personalized Father’s Day Gift Idea

May 27, 2016 – Father’s Day is Sunday, June 19.  You’ve have three weeks but they’ll go fast.  We’ve got a couple of suggestions that are a bit more imaginative than a new tie. We found a service called ReserveBar www.reservebar.com that ships wine and spirits to various parts of...
In the News

What Would John Wayne Drink on his Birthday?

May 27, 2016 – Yesterday was John Wayne’s birthday.  He would have been 109.  We know he loved Wild Turkey Bourbon but it was revealed in an interview with his son, Ethan by Noah Rothbaum of The Daily Beast, that he also enjoyed tequila and cases of tequila as well...
In the News

Millennials Love Wine

May 20, 2016 – The Wine Market Council’s recent report continues to fascinate anyone involved in wine production and marketing.  As they drill down, what comes to light should gladden their hearts about the future. The Millennial demographic starts with anyone born in 1980 so we’re looking at 20 to...
In the News

Americans Spend More and Drink Better

May 15, 2015 – We’re not drinking more, just better and spending more money to do so.  According to Bloomberg News, Americans go out less frequently, order fewer drinks when they do, but the bar tab is getting bigger.  That’s because consumers have turned to craft beers, exotic cocktails and...
In the News

Study Says Alcoholics Have a Prayer

May 13, 2016 – Research by a team at New York University has found that prayer does help alcoholics minimize the effect of alcohol triggers.  The subjects of the study were a group of long-term members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Study leader Marc Galanter, Director of the Division of Alcoholism and Drug...
In the News

Dogs Become Bartenders for a Day

May 13, 2016 — PR stunts are going to the dogs, literally.  In London recently, Kronenbourg 1664 beer created a pop up bar tended by a team of two trained Alsatian dogs, or “bark-tenders”.  The bar was dubbed Bar d’Alsace-tian. The dogs delivered chilled beer via a custom dog harness...
In the News

Major Lazer Stars Talk to Renowned New York Bartenders

May 13, 2016 – After the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition featuring 36 bartenders from around the world was over, Bacardi hosted their third “Fuel the Hustle” roundtable discussion, which brings together movers and shakers in music and art to discuss what fuels their hustle in their respective industries and...
In the News

Intoxicating Insights

May 6, 2016 – Field Agent, a research company that marshals an army of 700,000 “agents” armed with smart phones, decided to look into America’s drinking habits.  They zeroed in on just 500 agents who self-identified as qualified drinkers and posed 10 questions.  The 500 were evenly divided between men...
In the News

Napa Wine Auction Raises $14.3 Million for Charities

April 16, 2016 –Once again, Napa Valley wineries came through to produce Auction Napa Valley, an event that realized $14.3 million that will be donated to non-profits serving children’s education and community health services.  The event was held June 2-5. The wineries donated thousands of bottles of expensive wine, elegant...
In the News

Anheuser-Busch InBev Sued Again Over Beer Label

April 12, 2016 – Yet another claim against misleading labeling has been filed in Florida, this time citing Leffe beer, owned by Anheuser-Busch.  Henry Vazquez, an optometrist filed the class action lawsuit. He claimed the deceptive packaging had caused him to overpay for Leffe beer. The plaintiff is looking for compensatory and...
In the News

New Cold-Hardy Wine Grape Developed

April 6, 2016 – Wine grape development isn’t what springs to mind when you think about the University of Minnesota, but their horticultural science department has just released the fifth in series of grapes designed to withstand Zone 4 sub zero temperatures, diseases prevalent in grape vines, and short seasons...
In the News

Arsenic in Wine Lawsuit Dismissed

March 25, 2016 – A California judge dismissed the lawsuit filed one year ago claiming 83 California wines contained arsenic at levels higher than approved for state water.  Judge John Shepard Wiley noted that the wine producers correctly argued that they were in compliance with the Prop. 65 regulatory program....
In the News

Tweeting While Inebriated is Hazardous to Your Privacy

March 18, 2016 — The game’s up, friends.  An uber-smart group at the University of Rochester, led by Nabil Hossain, has developed a machine to spot alcohol-related tweets.  They claim it could have a significant impact on responding and understanding alcohol’s role in public health issues. The algorithm will spot...
In the News

Survey Finds Beer and Winemaking Are Dream Jobs

March 18, 2016 – A survey conducted by The Balvenie Scotch Whisky brand found that nearly 10 percent of 2,000 people surveyed in the U.K. think brewing or winemaking would be their ideal job.  Surprisingly, these weren’t the most popular choice of dream job being beaten out by illustrator/artist, landscaper,...
In the News

Dos Equis Man Sent to Mars

March 11, 2016 – The Dos Equis man is no longer “The Most Interesting Man in the World”.  He is being dispatched to Mars on a one-way trip where presumably he will stay very thirsty. Heineken, owners of Dos Equis, have decided to use a new persona as the campaign...
In the News

A Day (and a Reason) to Celebrate Absinthe

March 4, 2016 – Did you know that March 5 is National Absinthe Day?  We didn’t either but it is, so obviously one is obliged to drink some absinthe.  And no, it won’t make you go crazy.  The story that absinthe drives drinkers mad was a rumor started by the...
In the News

Beer Losing Out to Cocktails

February 19, 2016 – Beer, America’s favorite gulp since Prohibition ended, is losing its dominance to the upstart cocktail culture.  The Wall Street Journal reports that for the sixth consecutive year, in 2015 beer lost a portion of its share of alcohol revenue in the U.S.  While beer has fallen...
In the News

Rare 1947 Gin World’s Most Expensive

February 17, 2016 – Only one bottle ever existed of Gilbey’s 1947 Orange Gin and for £1,000 you can taste it.  That equates to approximately $1,430, plus airfare unless you are already in the UK, and for that you get 25 ml or less than one ounce. The gin belongs...
In the News

Wine-by-the-Glass Club Starts Shipping

February 17, 2016 —  Vinebox, a wine-by-the-glass club that was launched last fall is now they are starting to ship.  It’s an interesting idea albeit an expensive one. Each month their “curators” who are sommeliers select three wines from premium vineyards in Europe, currently from France.  Three 10cl glass vials...
In the News

Wild Turkey Gets a Facelift

February 5, 2016 – It’s time to restock the bar after the Holiday debauchery and if you and your friends gobbled up all the Old Turkey bourbon and rye, you’ll appreciate the new look now becoming available across the country. Gruppo Campari acquired the brand in 2009 and after spending...
In the News

Valentine’s Day Cocktails are Coming up Rosy Red

January 29, 2016 – For Valentine’s Day, traditionally everything comes up roses, or chocolate, but we have cocktails that are both. On our Entertaining page, we have selected nine cocktails to impress the love of your life.  They are easy to make and don’t require a second mortgage to buy...
In the News

Diageo’s DRINKIQ Offers Useful Information

January 22, 2016 – Diageo, which is the biggest alcohol beverage company in the world, has a web site that is really useful if you want to compare the alcohol levels in different drinks, say beer vs. spirits, nutritional content, the number of calories, and find out just how long...
In the News

Is Going “Dry” Beneficial to Health?

January 22, 2016 – Every January web sites that cover anything related to alcohol or food or health or none of the above feature stories and recommendations about cutting back on alcohol.  Did everyone get drunk over the holidays?  Gee, what did we miss out on! Recommendations for a “dry”...
In the News

High End Wine Thief Wanted in Several States Arrested

January 15, 2016 – Scott Deluca, dubbed the “Bordeaux Bandit” was arrested last week in Smithfield, R.I. He is wanted in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut for stealing very expensive bottles of wine. According to Lettie Teague’s report in The Wall Street Journal, his loot included a 1990 Château...
In the News

Southern Comfort Sold in $543 Million Deal

January 15, 2016 – The headline on Yahoo! was somewhat misleading and we bet we’re not the only people to gasp. It said, “The Owner’s of Jack Daniels Selling Off This Iconic Brand”. Frank Sinatra must be spinning in his grave. Jack Daniel’s remains safely at Brown-Forman but Southern Comfort...
In the News

Shipping Wine Gets Slightly Easier

January 15, 2016 – For decades wineries have been battling State laws that make it difficult, even impossible, to ship wine direct to consumers. Some good things happened in 2015. Forty-three states now allow some kind of direct shipping to their citizens. Massachusetts opened up in January of 2015 and...
In the News

Wine in the Sky. Emirates Boasts the Best.

January 6, 2016 – There’s been a plethora of articles alerting travelers what to expect when flying in the New Year, much of it not very encouraging.  So it was a pleasant change of pace to read about Emirates, the Dubai-based airline’s commitment to offer the best wine possible on...
In the News

Champagne Cocktails to Ring in the New Year

December 30, 2015 – We think any day and every day is a good time for Champagne or sparkling wine.  But it is especially appropriate for New Year’s Eve so we’ve found four recipes which simple folks like us can actually make with a good chance of success!  We’ve noticed...
In the News

How Many Glasses in a Champagne Bottle?

December 30, 2015 — A 750 ml bottle of anything, including Bubbly, is roughly 25 ounces.  Depending on the size of a Champagne flute, a bottle serves five glasses quite generously.  There are some rare souls that will have just one glass but usually one glass leads to another, and...
In the News

Red Wine and Headaches

December 4, 2015 – It’s the most frequently voiced complaint – “Red wine gives me a headache.”  Some ask why.  Others declare it is the tannins or the sulfites.  Either way, it is a shame not to enjoy a glass of red, especially during the Holiday season when so much...
In the News

Diet Soda and Alcohol a Potentially Dangerous Mix

December 4, 2015 – Using diet soda instead of regular soda as the mixer in an alcoholic drink may get you drunker and affect breathalyzer test readings. A study was conducted of 16 casual drinkers who were given three different drinks:  vodka mixed with regular soda, vodka mixed with diet...
In the News

Red Wine Grape Turns 21 in Chile

November 27, 2015 — It is rare when a wine grape actually has a birthday!  The ancient grape from Bordeaux known as Carmenère (car-men-yair) turned 21 on November 24.  For 150 years it flourished in the Colchagua Valley of Chile, and was confused with Merlot. Thought to be extinct, the...
In the News

Thanksgiving Cocktails and Other Drink Recipes

November 18, 2015 – Cider is truly the traditional drink for Thanksgiving.  We can’t say with any certainty that it was served at the first Thanksgiving feast but it is highly probable since it was the drink of choice in England and the Pilgrims certainly brought the practice with them....
In the News

Champagne is Good for the Brain!

November 11, 2015 – A study at Reading University in the U.K. has found that Champagne can help with dementia and Alzheimer’s.  The research suggests three glasses a week can improve spatial memory.  Spatial memory refers to recognizing your surroundings, which will help you find your way home, for example....
In the News

Captain Morgan Challenged by Bacardi

November 10, 2015 – Captain Morgan dominates the spiced rum category, Cannon Blast being a huge seller for them but Bacardi is on the attack with Oakheart.  Their new campaign, targeting millennial males urges “bench the captain” and join the “Brotherhood of Oakheart”.  The catch phrase is “All In, All...
In the News

Cocktail Recipes for Holiday Entertaining

November 10, 2015 – Entertaining can be pretty stressful any time of the year but Thanksgiving and Christmas just seem to take it to a whole new level for some reason. Fixing cocktails for a crowd can be overwhelming but not if you check out the recipes we’re featuring on...
In the News

Does Dark Liquor Cause Worse Hangovers?

November 6, 2015 – With the party season about to get into full swing, this question falls into the Useful Information department.  Depending on how much you drink, the answer is “yes”.  Dark liquor can result in a bad hangover.  One cocktail made with a brown spirit such as rum...
In the News

Guinness Gets Rid of Fish Bladders

November 6, 2015 – A lot of strange things go into our food and drink behind the scenes.  Who knew that the venerable Guinness has been using fish bladders for over 250 years to settle the yeast in its famous porters and stouts.  This puts the lovely beverage out of...
In the News

Beck’s Beer $20 Million Settlement

October 23, 2015 – A judge in Miami agreed with plaintiffs that the labeling of Beck’s Beer made it appear the beer was made in Germany when it is actually made in St. Louis, Missouri. Beck’s has been made in Bremen, Germany for more than 100 years.  In 2002 it...
In the News

#ChampagneDay Tomorrow Calls for Celebration!

October 22, 2015 – Tomorrow, Friday October 23, is #ChampagneDay and the Champagne Bureau would like you to celebrate by opening a bottle of the real stuff – from France.  This is the sixth annual call to celebration and as Champagne-o-philes, we’re wondering what happened to the previous five since...
In the News

Luxury Liquor Returns Slowly to China

October 20, 2015 – In 2012 China’s President Xi Jinping made it clear that the good life was over. No more lavish expense account entertaining and no more bottles of Cognac at $150 a pop. Gloom set in, not only for the deprived Chinese executives and bureaucrats, but also for...
In the News

Hangovers Cost US $249 Billion a Year. Why?

October 20, 2015 – The Centers for Disease Control claims that excessive drinking costs the U.S. economy $249 billion in lost productivity, health care costs, absenteeism, car crashes and so on per year up from $224 billion in 2006. How do they come up with these figures? Does CDC employ...
In the News

Craft Brewers Fear Merger of Beer Giants

October 16, 2015 – Big Beer’s sales have been slipping, in no small part as a result of the American beer consumer discovering and preferring craft beers. With 3,464 craft breweries now operating in the United States, how does the merger of Anheuser-Busch InBev with SABMiller affect the thriving craft...
In the News

Red Wine May Benefit Type 2 Diabetes

October 15, 2015 – The latest research released by Ben-Gurion University in Israel shows that cardiac health and cholesterol improve when people with Type 2 diabetes consumed five ounces (150 ml) of red wine with dinner every evening. The study of 224 people was conducted over two years. Divided into...
In the News

Rare Whiskey Being Auctioned in New York

October 15, 2015 – Whiskey lovers and collectors, listen up. On October 24 rare Pre-Prohibition whiskey will go under the hammer at Christie’s at Rockefeller Plaza, New York. The Old Overholt rye collection is from 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909, 1910, and 1912 in their original wooden cases, estimated to be...
In the News

A Bong for Champagne

October 13, 2015 – If at first you don’t succeed  . .  . turn your marijuana bong into the newest way to drink Champagne and sell it for $25. The creators got their idea for a super sized bong around Super Bowl.  Get the connection?  But the super sized bong...
In the News

Wine Caves Being Developed Under Rock of Gibraltar

October 13, 2015 – The famous Rock of Gibraltar will soon become an international site for wine storage according to The Guardian, a British newspaper.  The Royal Engineers prior to the Second World War carved miles and miles of tunnels out of the limestone.  The developer, Tracy Lee, heard about...
In the News

Light Beer Going Flat

October 13, 2015 – Light beer sales have cratered 12% since their high point in 2007.  The Wall Street Journal reports that the market loss is so serious that it is a factor in the merger mania going on in the beer industry, including the potential merger of the world’s...
In the News

Silly Liquor Laws Are Still on the Books

October 8, 2015 – Prohibition ended 82 years ago but sometimes it feels like a time warp when it comes to buying a drink.  Take Happy Hour.  Massachusetts is an unhappy place being the first state to enact a law in 1984 banning Happy Hour.  Others followed including Vermont, Maine,...
In the News

Coravin Wine Opener Launches Model Two

October 8, 2015 – The clever wine opener that allows wine to be extracted from a bottle without pulling the cork, has launched a new sleek model with some improvements gleaned from home users, as well as professionals, around the world. We first wrote about Coravin when it was introduced...
In the News

Hummus Craft Beer. Seriously.

October 8, 2015 – Srigim Brewery in Israel is brewing beer using chickpeas, dates and buckwheat, reports The Daily Meal.  The unfiltered, unpasteurized, gluten-free beer was very popular at the recent Jerusalem Beer Fest. The local craft beer movement is new to Israel, getting its start less than 20 years...
In the News

Major Winery Moves from Glass to Plastic

October 2, 2015 – The fourth largest winery in the U.S., Bronco Wine Co., Ceres, CA, is testing two leading brands, Green Fin and Hacienda, in 750 ml PET bottles.  PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, but we all knew that.  It is lightweight, and shatter resistant and recyclable.   Plastic bottles...
In the News

Number of Breweries Reaches New Record

October 2, 2015 – The Brewers Association reports that the number of breweries in the United States is now 4,000.  That’s just shy of 4,131 recorded in 1873 but way better than the less than 100 in 1970. The majority of these new breweries are small, local businesses brewing beer...
In the News

Pope Francis Made Honorary Sommelier

September 30, 2015 — When the most famous man in the world says he enjoys wine, it is something to celebrate.  That’s how Franco Maria Ricci, the president of the Italian Sommelier Association felt when Pope Francis hosted a group of 180 wine producers, vintners, sommeliers and wine writers at...
In the News

Whopper Wine from Burger King

September 30, 2015 – Burger King has created Whopper Wine to celebrate its 40th anniversary of operations in Spain.  They advertise that the barrels used in winemaking have been “flame grilled” to complement their flame grilled burger.  Most wine barrels are “charred” to specifications of the winemaker. Burger King has...
In the News

Wines for Pope Francis’ Visit

September 25, 2015 – The wines that will be used during Pope Francis’ two-day visit to New York City will be supplied by O-Neh-Da Vineyard from the Finger Lakes region of New York state. The winery was founded in 1872 by the Bishop of Rochester, NY, Bernard J. McQuaid.  Seneca...
In the News

Master of Wine Degree Something to Consider

September 22, 2015 – Earlier this month, the Institute of Masters of Wine graduated 19 new Masters, a record for this organization whose first examination was held in 1953.  It doesn’t sound like many but only 391 have qualified for the title over the past 62 years. It’s a course...
In the News

Most Lake County Grapes Survive Fire

September 22, 2015 – Winegrape growers in Lake County are testing their grapes for smoke taint from the Valley Fire and so far the results indicate that about 85 percent of the county’s grapes have not been affected.  There are no elevated levels of 4-methylguaiacol and guaiacol, which relate to...
In the News

Size Matters When it Comes to Tasting Wine

September 22, 2015 – When tasting wine, the size of the sip matters according to new research from the University of Naples.  Just another esotericism to confound the novice who is gamely trying to learn about wine.  But it is interesting, so stay with me. We all know that smell...
In the News

Wine in a Can Catching On

September 18, 2015 – Juice, beer, soda.  They all come in cans and nobody thinks twice.  So why not wine? It’s happening, albeit slowly.  Francis Ford Coppola pioneered wine-in-a-can with his single serve Sofia Blanc de Blancs in the pretty pink can with a straw.  It’s been around since at...
In the News

Japanese Whisky Brings Record Price at Auction

September 18, 2015 – Move over Scotland.  A whiskey made in 1960 by Japanese distiller Karuizawa just set a new record as the most expensive 700 ml bottle ever auctioned. The Bonhams auction in Hong Kong fetched $96,774 (HK$750,000) for a single bottle.  Only 41 bottles were released when the...
In the News

Whiskey-Scented After-Shave Makes a Splash

September 10, 2015 – Maine’s Portland General Store knows how to cash in on a craze.  Not to be left out of the surging popularity of whiskey, this manufacturer of grooming products for men has introduced a line of after-shave and shaving soaps that combine strange things from the sea...
In the News

Wine on Tap – A Sensible Solution

September 3, 2015 – Wine by the glass can be a risky business both for the restaurant/bar offering the wine and the consumer purchasing it.  Once opened, wine begins to oxidize and the longer it is open, the more oxidation occurs and the worse it tastes.   Because of spoilage costs,...
In the News

Cocktails at Target?

September 3, 2015 – Imagine calling your girlfriends to meet you at Target for a cocktail.  It might happen in Chicago because the word is that a new Target store in Chicago, scheduled to open this fall, has applied for two liquor licenses.  One is to sell beer, wine and...
In the News

Thieves Steal Beer Caps, Leave Beer

August 27, 2015 – Busy thieves broke into a store in Muelheim an der Ruhr in the west of Germany and stole the caps off 1,200 bottles of Koenig Pilsner.  They didn’t drink or take any beer and they were selective about which caps they took.  Only ones with points...
In the News

The King of Beers Does Not Want a Queen

August 24, 2015 – The Associated Press reports that Budweiser, “The King of Beers” is not amused by She Beverage Co. of Lancaster, California attempting to trademark “The Queen of Beer”.  She Beverage uses the phrase “Queen of Beer” in marketing on social media and its web site. She Beverage...
In the News

Hard Root Beer Market Exploding

August 24, 2015 – You know a trend is serious when The Wall Street Journal has a big article on the front page of its Business & Finance section.  The most amazing bit of news is that Small Town Brewery, maker of Not Your Father’s Root Beer has catapulted to...
In the News

Beer Jelly for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

August 21, 2015 – The independent, creative entrepreneur is as American as apple pie and we love to celebrate their success.  We saw a review of beer jelly on Bloomberg and decided to investigate.  We were especially interested because last October we found Birra Spalmabile, an Italian spread combining chocolate...
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New World Record for “Beer Mile”

August 21, 2015 – The “Beer Mile” competition has a new world champion, Lewis Kent of Canada. Don’t know what the “Beer Mile” is?  Don’t feel bad.  Neither did we.  In as few words as possible it is a race in which the participants have to drink a beer then...
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Grape Waste Potential as Biofuel

August 21, 2015 – The leftovers from winemaking could make competitive biofuel according to researchers at the University of Adelaide. Global wine production results in an estimated (and astounding) 13 million tons of grape pomace or marc per annum.  Pomace or marc is the leftover skins, stalks and seeds of...
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Bootleggers’ Island For Sale

August 19, 2015 – A piece of Prohibition history can be yours for $3 million.  Whiskey Island, a part of Thousand Islands located in the St. Lawrence River, was a drop off point for alcohol being smuggled into the States from Canada during Prohibition.  The 18th Amendment went into effect...
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Grapes Safe From Raging California Fires

August 19, 2015 – So far so good.  The fires raging in Lake County and on the northern border of Napa County are not threatening the grape crop.  As you can see from the nearby map, the inferno known as the Jerusalem fire is quite north of the grape growing...
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Starbucks Adding Beer & Wine at 24 Locations

August 19, 2015  — Since 2010 Starbucks has been cautiously testing offering wine and beer at various stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Florida, Oregon and Washington.  The program known as “Evenings” is designed to attract customers after 4:00 p.m. when most people avoid a caffeine jolt. The new locations...
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Captain Morgan Goes After Captain Amsterdam

August 14, 2015 – Diageo North America, owner of the Captain Morgan brand, has filed a lawsuit against Prep Enterprises LLC, in New York, for infringement of their trademark by use of Captain Amsterdam on their products. Captain Amsterdam sports a large red hat, long black hair, mustache and a...
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Western Michigan University Offers Craft Brewing Degree

August 14, 2015 – Located in Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University (WMU) prides itself on offering its students education and degrees that are relevant to the current and predicted employment market.  The fantastic growth of craft beer caught their attention, especially since “south west Michigan is a craft brewing Mecca” in...
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Brewery Worker’s Tom Brady Prank Revealed

August 14, 2015 – Someone called Biscuit vented his frustration with Tom Brady and DeflateGate by stamping the bottom of 20,000 cans of beer with “Tom Brady Sux”. At Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis, which sells its beer at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts, there’s a practice of...
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World’s Most Expensive Wine a Non-Story?

August 12, 2015 – Over the last week, a story has gone around the globe about the world’s most expensive wine documented by UK web site Wine-Searcher.com. We first spotted it in Time but decided we’d do a little research of our own. The story of Burgundy’s 1985 Richebourg Grand...
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Roll Out the Rye Whiskey

August 7, 2015 – Rye has had a bad rap for the longest time but its fortunes are rising. It was the quintessential American drink prior to Prohibibition but like so many cultural icons, 13 long, dry years saw tastes change and the market moved on to something else. Rye’s...
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Drinking Beer is Patriotic Part II

August 7, 2015 – A year ago, September 1 to be precise, we declared that drinking beer is patriotic because of the industry’s contribution to the U.S. economy. It is still a patriotic pastime when the numbers are analyzed. Fortune magazine offered a great perspective showing that this $252.6 billion...
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Search for Hangover Cure No Longer Fruitless

August 7, 2015 – Pre-pear yourself, literally. Researchers at the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization) in Australia have discovered that the Asian pear, also known as the Korean or Japanese or Chinese pear has benefits beyond lowering cholesterol, relieving constipation and having anti-inflammatory effects. Drinking Asian pear juice...
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The Saga of American Whiskey in Label Art

August 5, 2015 — Long before art directors and focus groups, packaging has always been a science, an endeavor to attract buyers and tell a story, even if it was nothing more than a pretty label. In his latest book “The Art of American Whiskey”, spirits and wine writer Noah...
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Red Stripe Gets Sued

August 5, 2015 – What took them so long? Red Stripe was on our list of beers from elsewhere brewed in the good old U.S. of A. But not to worry, the fearless legal profession in San Diego, home of lawsuits against the alcohol industry, has now filed a suit...
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Update on Liquor Lawsuits – Winners and Losers

July 31, 2015 – You may recall that Maker’s Mark was sued in California for using the term “handmade” on its label. We reported on it last January. The class action suit was dismissed by Federal Court Judge John Houston. He said that no reasonable consumer could have been misled...
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Craft Beer Has Plenty to Celebrate

July 31, 2015 – The craft beer craze shows no sign of slowing down. The Brewers Association, a craft beer trade organization, reports that volume rose a healthy 16% in the first half of 2015. That’s about 12.2 million barrels of beer. The number of breweries is not diminishing either....
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More News About Bronze Age Wine

July 31, 2015 – The palace of Tel Kabri in northwestern Israel is an amazing find and a window into life in the Bronze Age. In November 2013 we reported on an announcement by archaeologists that they had found 40 jars that appeared to hold red wine in the ruins...
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Aging Beer is a Serious Hobby

July 24, 2015 – Everyone knows most wine improves with age. But so does beer. We first heard about it via NPR and more recently saw more about it in the Denver Post. It’s not a new thing. Back in 1970, beer enthusiast Bill Sysak was stashing beer in his...
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Sulfite Filter Will Help Sufferers Enjoy Wine

July 24, 2015 – It is estimated that three million Americans are sensitive to sulfites, a necessary additive to wine. For most people, sulfites are undetectable but for some they are blamed for headaches, itching and difficulty breathing. All wine has some naturally occurring sulfites. However, adding sulfites is a...
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Will Congress Vote for Booze-by-Mail?

July 23, 2015 – Almost two years ago to the day, we wrote about the Postmaster General’s high hopes that the struggling US Postal Service would be allowed to deliver beer, wine and spirits. The Senate had passed a postal reform bill in 2012 but it died on the vine...
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Arsenic in Wine Lawsuit Disappoints Lawyers

July 22, 2015 — Back in March we reported on a lawsuit filed against 28 California wineries for the levels of arsenic in their wines.  The class action suit was brought by Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh & Jardine, P.C. in Los Angeles.   None of the wines named in the suit...
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Root Beer Beer: Summer’s Latest Craze

July 22, 2015 – Root beer is the flavor of the month this summer and aptly named “Not Your Father’s Root Beer” is flying off the shelves according to retailers.  Created by specialty brewer, Small Town Brewery of Wauconda, Illinois, it has been around for a couple of years but...
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Wine Ice Cream Really Does Exist

July 22, 2015 – Saw a rave review for wine ice cream on Spoon University, which appears to be a site for recipes and tips for college students.  It’s actually pretty good and interesting. Further research about wine ice cream unearthed a good review from Food & Wine magazine.  Now...
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Hacker Gets Customer Data From 70 Wineries

July 18, 2015 — No business is safe.  A hacker who understands that people of substance buy expensive wine and join wine clubs, has stolen names, addresses, birth dates, debit and credit card numbers of about 250,000 customers of wineries in Napa, plus two in Sonoma and one in Santa...
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Smoking Weed Contributes to California’s Drought

July 18, 2015 – It’s true.  If you’re using marijuana from California, you are contributing to the water shortage.  John Kelvey writing on the web site Nautilus, compares water use by California’s three intoxicants – wine, beer and pot. I’m offended that wine is lumped in with pot, but we’ll...
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Bud Makes Fun of Craft Beer – Again

July 18, 2015 – Remember the furor among craft beer fanciers over A-B’s shot at Pumpkin Peach ale in their Super Bowl ad?  Maybe the marketing team at Budweiser thinks any publicity is good publicity so they’re at it again this time taking a shot at 21st Amendment Brewery and...
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Johnnie Walker’s Latest Wacky Invention: Mustache Wax

July 10, 2015 – We’ve told you about the shoes with hidden miniatures in the heels http://www.wineandspirits.com/these-shoes-are-made-for-boozing/and the glass that produces music when it touches your teeth http://www.wineandspirits.com/johnnie-walkers-revolutionary-glass/, now the creative team at Johnnie Walker has come up with yet another gimmick — a mustache wax flavored specifically to enhance...
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Chivas Takes the Clink Outta Your Drink

July 10, 2015 – What sound is sweeter than the clink of ice cubes in your drink after a hard day?  Or any day. We like Chivas but no clink in your drink is like banning bubbles in Champagne. We are impressed, however, that Chivas Regal 18 teamed up with...
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Champagne and Burgundy Celebrate World Heritage Status

July 8, 2015 —  The Champagne flowed as more than a thousand people gathered in the streets of Hautvillers, the birthplace of Dom Perignon, on Sunday to celebrate the announcement by UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, that Champagne and Burgundy had been selected for “world heritage status”. ...
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Root Beer Whiskey is Perfect for Fourth of July

June 22, 2015 – Looking for something different and special for your Fourth of July cookout?  How about serving Uncle Bob’s Root Beer Flavored Whiskey.  What could be more American than Root Beer and American whiskey? Uncle Bob’s was launched earlier this year and is taking the college crowd by...
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Pub Owner Kills Customer With Ironing Board

July 3, 2015 – It could only happen in the U.K.  Rostam Notarki, owner of the Cardinal Wolsey pub close to Hampton Court palace, followed his customer, Charles Hickox, an American, down the street and hit him with an ironing board knocking him into the path of an oncoming van. ...
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How Trader Joe’s Sells Cheap Wine

July 3, 2015 – Some time ago, when Trader Joe’s Two  Buck Chuck was a $1.99, I used to run into a gentleman at a group I belonged to who would buttonhole me every time with the same question:  “How can Trader Joe’s make and sell wine for $1.99 a...
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Court Rules for Beck’s Beer Drinkers

June 29, 2015 – A settlement has been reached between Anheuser-Busch and three plaintiffs concerning Beck’s German beer being brewed in St. Louis, Missouri, not Bremen, Germany.   Since it was a class action suit, anyone who has purchased Beck’s since May 2011 is entitled to a refund.  If you have...
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Bourbon Heist Finally Solved. Nine Indicted.

June 29, 2015 – The on-going investigation into missing cases of Pappy Van Winkle and other high-end bourbon has come to an end with the indictment of nine people, two of whom were employees of the distilleries involved in the theft – Buffalo Trace and Wild Turkey.  The Franklin County...
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Hitler’s Stash of Cognac and Champagne Found

June 10, 2015 — The U.K. Telegraph is reporting that a stash of Cognac and Champagne has been found hidden in cellars under a part of the Moritzburg Water Palace near Dresden. Along with the good stuff, Hitler’s staff also hid cheese, salami, chocolate, coffee and cigarettes to protect them...
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Auction Napa Valley Rakes in $15.8 Million

June 10, 2015 – Once again, wealthy wine lovers – very wealthy wine lovers – came through last weekend raising $15.8 million at the gala wine auction held every June since 1981. Amazing wines flowed accompanied by amazing food for 850 guests who were amazingly generous. It didn’t set a...
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Take me out to the Ballpark for a Glass of Wine

June 10, 2015 – Major League Baseball isn’t about beer and peanuts anymore. Craft beers, maybe, but wine is the hot new trend. We happened to see something about the Washington Nationals new Cabernet Sauvignon. Clicking on the where-to-buy information, we were surprised to find ourselves on The Bounty Hunter...
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World’s Oldest Barmaid Dies at 100

March 6, 2015 – As far as anyone knows, Dolly Saville was the oldest working barmaid in the world.  She died February 26 less than a year after she celebrated her centenary. Dolly started at the Red Lion Hotel in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, U.K. in 1940 and held the job for...
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The Lawsuits Keep Coming

June 5, 2015 – Another lawsuit filed in San Diego this time against Diageo, owners of Bulleit Bourbon.  The lawsuit claims false advertising over the phrase  “Distilled, Aged & Bottled by the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky,” which implies it was distilled in Lawrenceburg, KY but Diageo does not...
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Fishing While Drunk Leads to Arrest

May 29, 2015 – It’s a little unusual to go fishing after a night on the town but a Massachusetts man did just that and landed in a world of trouble because he caught 122 fish.  And he did it while drunk. Fish tales are often exaggerated but in this...
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Research Confirms Millennials Abandoning Beer

May 29, 2015 – Craft beers are on fire so it was somewhat surprising that research by MorganStanley revealed that 24 percent of consumers across all age groups say they will decrease their beer consumption next year.  Only eight percent thought they would drink more.  Millennials in particular said they...
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Technology Ages Bourbon in Eight Hours

May 21, 2015 – We all know that the age of a whiskey denotes quality and price.  It means the whiskey has matured in a barrel and the longer it is left there, the smoother and mellower it becomes and the flavor is more nuanced.  Aging in barrels is expensive,...
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Hip Flasks for Hip Women

May 21, 2015 – We saw an article in The Wall Street Journal recently about the growing popularity of hip flasks used by women.   So we decided to do a bit of research of our own. We have one in a drawer somewhere that was handed down by a male...
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Big Wine Event Cancelled by California’s ABC

May 19, 2015 – For the past 14 years, Sacramento has hosted “Grape Escape”, a very popular event held outdoors in downtown Sacramento, organized by the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Last year more than 4,000 attendees enjoyed samples from 40 plus wineries and a dozen breweries.  This year’s event...
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Is There a Bourbon Shortage or Not?

May 15, 2015 – There’s been quite a flurry of reports recently regarding a looming shortage of bourbon, or maybe not.  In a long article on May 12, the Wall Street Journal looked behind the production of bourbon to its maturation and storage  — in white oak barrels. Yes, there...
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Vodka as a Bug Repellent and Other Uses

May 15, 2015 – Vodka has other uses besides as a cocktail concoction.  We’ve covered this before http://wineandspirits.com/more-crazy-uses-for-vodka/ but Yahoo has come up with a list of 13 different ways to use vodka, several of which are new to us. If making flaky pastry has you flummoxed, substitute a tablespoon...
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Maker’s Mark Wins Florida Lawsuit

May 8, 2015 – A Florida Judge ruled in favor of Beam Suntory, owners of Maker’s Mark bourbon, in a lawsuit brought by two consumers over Maker’s Mark being labeled “handmade”.  The Florida lawsuit followed a suit filed in San Diego by two consumers who filed class action suits over...
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New Gadget Guarantees Better Beer Pour

May 8, 2015 – Would you spend $199 to enhance your glass of beer?  As of writing 339 people would, and between them they have pledged $45,590 of the $50,000 goal to fund the manufacture of Fizzics on crowdfunding site Indiegogo.  This is a neat, countertop machine that will make...
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Justin Timberlake’s Sauza Tequila Ad

May 5, 2015 – Happy Cinco de Mayo from Justin Timberlake dressed as a lime. If you like tequila or Justin Timberlake or enjoy the absurd, check the commercial for Sauza tequila on YouTube Timberlake dressed up as a giant lime, Rick “Sour” Vane, mourns the end of lime’s popularity...
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Free Drinks Offered by Cruise Line

April 28, 2015 – Miami-based Norwegian Cruise Line will be offering passengers beer, wine and spirits for free as a part of cruise packages from Miami to the Bahamas.  The all-inclusive offer starts January 2016 on the Norwegian Sky. The cruise line is testing the concept on three- and four-day...
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Johnnie Walker’s Revolutionary Glass

April 28, 2015 – Imagine sipping Johnnie Walker Red Label mixed with ginger in a glass that produces music when it touches your teeth!  Johnnie Walker, the brand that brought you ugly brogues with concealed mini bottles in the heels http://wineandspirits.com/these-shoes-are-made-for-boozing/ is testing the concept in the U.K. The glass has an...
In the News

Pour Your Own Beer in a Bar

April 24, 2015 – Next time you are waiting in line and feeling frustrated, don’t get mad.  Get creative like Josh Goodman did. Josh and his friends were at a Baltimore sports bar in 2008 waiting to get a beer before an Orioles game.  It occurred to Josh there had...
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Booze and Blubber. Guides to Staying Trim.

April 24, 2015 – Sometimes it is just plain exhausting. With few exceptions, we’re all obsessed with weight, calories, carbs, blah, blah, blah. How much can we drink and still fit into our clothes?  How many push ups to repair damage from one beer?  You know the drill. So we see...
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Beer Made With Sewer Water or Bread.

April 21, 2015 – Two developments in the brewing industry involve treated sewage in one case and leftover bread in another.  The second sounds more palatable, for sure. Oregon, home to a vibrant craft beer industry, has given the green light to beer brewed using recycled wastewater, also called sewage....
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Shedding Light on Black Cocktails

April 21, 2015 – Creating black cocktails by adding charcoal is the latest trend at some of London’s famous bars. It doesn’t seem to have caught on in the U.S. as yet although there are a few bars in Washington, D.C. and New York that have developed creations beyond Halloween...
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Minnesota Bar Owner Busted Over Wisconsin Beer

April 21, 2015 — Wisconsin is home to New Glarus Brewing, which produces “Spotted Cow” beer much coveted in neighboring states like Minnesota and Illinois.  But it’s only available in Wisconsin. The manager at the Maple Tavern in Maple Grove, MN drove over the state line to a liquor store...
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Nine Arrests in Huge Bourbon Theft

 April 21, 2015 – Franklin County, KY Sheriff Pat Melton announced the indictment of nine suspects in the theft of Kentucky bourbon.  Among the nine were two employees of Buffalo Trace Distillery and one from Wild Turkey. The investigation has been going on since 2008 and included the headline grabbing...
In the News

Ben & Jerry’s and New Belgium Brewery Team Up

April 17, 2015 – Collaboration between these two well-known companies has the beer world agog with excitement.  Will it be an ice cream flavored beer or a beer flavored ice cream?  Judging from the press release, this is a marriage based on their common B Corporation status, the “B” standing...
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Bottle Boys, Sushi and Kirin Beer. Enjoy!

April 17, 2015 – It’s the weekend and what’s not to like about watching the Bottle Boys, the group from Copenhagen, play the toe tapping Radetzky March using Kirin beer bottles while chefs make sushi.  Kirin beer flew the fivesome to Tokyo to make this commercial.  The Japanese sure make...
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Mezcal: Is it Really a Worm in the Bottle?

April 16, 2015 – Cinco de Mayo is around the corner and tequila will be flowing.  But what about mezcal and that pesky worm?  What’s the difference in the two? The term “mezcal”, an Aztec word, refers to any alcohol made from agave.  So all tequila is mezcal but not...
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Wine Reality Show Invites You to Join In

April 15, 2015 – Reality shows are hot stuff!  Everything from renovating the bathroom to saving failing bars has a TV show.  One very popular pastime that doesn’t have a show is wine, but that is about to change. Our good buddy in the Napa Valley, Jason Elkin is ready...
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Wine Judge for a Day: Fun and Interesting

April 14, 2015 – Five hundred wines, 160 “evaluators”, over 4,000 glasses, an entertaining seminar and 75 helpful volunteers added up to a great day at the Ninth Annual Consumer Wine Awards held on Saturday, April 11 in Sacramento. The emphasis is on the consumer.  The program’s founder, Tim Hanni,...
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Jack Daniel’s Scores Again

April 14, 2015 – There’s been “a storm in a still” going on for a couple of years now and it’s all about who can use the term “Tennessee whiskey”.  Jack Daniel’s has been using it for a long time and they want to keep the term exclusively theirs. It...
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House Built with 12,000 Champagne Bottles

April 10, 2015 – This story gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Champagne House”.  It really is a house, not an estate producing Champagne. Located in Chelyabinsk, Russia, the house is 99 square meters, about 1,000 sq. ft., and has been dubbed by locals, rather appropriately, as “Palace...
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Kumquat Beer. Why Not?

April 10, 2015 – There are plenty of weirdly flavored beers out there.  Pizza.  Key Lime Pie.  Coconut Curry.  Maple Bacon Coffee.  Coffee turns up more than a few times.  We just read about Kentucky Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing Company in Boston.  If you like bitter, burnt coffee flavors...
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Suntory Whisky’s Amazing Ice Cubes

April 10, 2015 – Kudos to Japanese whisky maker Suntory and their ad agency TBWAHakuhodo for creating an award-winning ad featuring amazingly carved ice cubes.  Forget the current fascination with spherical ice cubes.  These are teeny tiny sculptures of famous landmarks, characters or just interesting items such as the Statue...
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Bourbon Causing a Headache for Scotch

April 6, 2015 — The Wall Street Journal reports that Scotch whisky sales to the U.S. fell nine percent last year due to a shift to bourbon and other American whiskeys. Scotch whisky exports have dropped worldwide, not just to the USA.  China, once a promising market, has declined since...
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WINE APPS FOR YOUR SMARTPHONE

They are legion and they keep getting better. Here are three that we like: Wine Dictionary This is really useful, especially if you are beginning to explore wine but are still overwhelmed. It is available for both iPhone and Android, and it’s free. With this app you can learn the...
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Bacardi Rum’s New Look

April 1, 2015 – When you are 153 years old, it’s time for a facelift!  Returning to its youth, Bacardi has revamped the packaging for its world-famous rum borrowing details from El Edificio Bacardi, the brand’s former sales office and iconic bar in Havana, Cuba. Heavily influenced by Art Deco...
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Fakes, Fraud & Foolishness

April 1, 2015 – Reading about alcohol is never dull!  Take the following news stories, which we found all in one day: A company in Australia was flogging beer in a package that included a map of Australia, and the wording “100% owned” and “made from Australia’s finest malt” on...
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Top Craft Breweries for 2014

April 1, 2015 – The Brewers Association, a trade group for the craft beer industry, has just published its list of the top 50 breweries for 2014 based on sales volume.  They also published a list of the top 50 overall brewing companies of which 42 are craft brewers. In...
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WINEGROWING IS MORE WORK THAN GLAMOR

It happens all the time, perhaps while enjoying a lovely glass of wine, or especially when visiting wine country, wherever it may be.  The romance of the wine industry inspires heady visions of owning a vineyard.  When you come right down to it, winegrowing is farming and it is fraught...
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Craft Brewing Trendy in the South

March 30, 2015 – Craft beer stories emanate from both coasts, the mid-west and Texas.  Now the southern states are catching up.  Fifteen years ago Diamond Bear brewery opened in Arkansas and it was a struggle.  It won awards but failed to break even most of those years.  After all,...
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Cleveland Cavaliers and Brewery Collaborate

March 30, 2015 – In a professional sports team first, The Brew Kettle brewery of Strongsville, Ohio and the Cleveland Cavaliers have come together with a special beer named for the team’s tagline “All For One”.  The beer is a session IPA or India Pale Ale.  “Sessionable” beer typically refers...
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Drinking and Liver Cancer: Good News and Bad News

March 30, 2015 –The bad news first:  Three or more alcoholic drinks a day significantly increase the risk of liver cancer according to research published by the London-based World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).  The good news:  Drinking coffee daily helps to reduce the incidence of liver cancer for daily drinkers...
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No-Hangover Wine Made Possible by Exciting Development in Yeast

March 27, 2015 — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists have engineered a yeast that could greatly increase the health benefits of wine while reducing the toxic byproducts that cause your morning-after headache.  They dubbed it “Jailbreaking” yeast. “Fermented foods–such as beer, wine, and bread–are made with polyploid strains of yeast,...
In the News

Craft Beer News And A Crazy Video

March 27, 2015 – It isn’t just the domestic market that is seeing soaring sales for craft beer. Browsing around the Internet we came across a report on CNBC about the growth of craft beer exports. According to the Brewers Association, craft beer export volume rose 35.7 percent in 2014,...
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Winery Web Site Hacked by ISIS

March 25, 2015 — Latah Creek Winery near Spokane, WA seems an unlikely target for terrorists but the bizarre and unthinkable happened last Friday afternoon when their Home page was taken over by a hacker proclaiming “I am Muslin & I love jihad”. Written in poor English, the hacker(s) “Team...
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Ingenious Way to Store Beer

March 23, 2015 – This idea for storing beer in the fridge is so clever you have to wonder why someone didn’t think of it before!   Fortunately, someone did and you can buy it. BottleLoft – even the name is clever – is a system for hanging beer bottles above...
In the News

Lawsuit Filed Over Arsenic in California Wines

March 23, 2015 – A number of popular inexpensive wines were found to contain quite high levels of arsenic when tested recently.  The news has lead to hyperbole by some news organizations. Suggesting something like “a glass of wine may not be healthy; it may kill you” grabs attention but...
In the News

Craft Beer Sales Soar

March 20, 2015 — The week of St. Patrick’s Day seems like an appropriate time to report that craft beer in 2014 rose a whopping 42 percent and for the first time, reached double digits as a percentage of beer sales.  Eleven percent, to be exact.  In 2013, craft’s share...
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Ocean-Aged Wine Torpedoed by Feds

March 20, 2015 — Remember we told you about Mira Winery of Napa aging its wines in Charleston Harbor last year? You can read all about the experiment and the subsequent tasting here. The wine named “Aquaoir” turned out well, as we reported, and the 12 bottles that were released...
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A Beer Worth Fighting For

March 16, 2015 – Budweiser should hire this guy if he’s not in jail. It all went down in New Orleans.  Clarence Sturdivant, 64 and his neighbor Walter Merrick, 66 were hanging out in the parking lot of their apartment building, reportedly discussing which beer was the better.  Studivant asked...
In the News

Feds Approve Powdered Alcohol

March 16, 2015 — The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has approved the production and sale of powdered alcohol.  The approval was actually given last April but withdrawn because of issues with the labeling.  It caused a lot of angst then and even more now.  We wrote about...
In the News

St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails

March 16, 2015 – St. Patrick’s Day calls for something special so we turned to our friend mixologist Robert Newhouse at Fat’s Asia Bistro in Folsom.  His customers will be drinking some very creative and delicious concoctions that look so good you might want to repeat them at your summer...
In the News

How to Open a Beer Bottle with a Sheet of Paper

March 16, 2015 – Imagine having a nice cold one but no opener.  It seems there is no end to creative solutions.  Some improvised openers we’ve seen include keys, a spoon, knife, bullet, gun (preferably unloaded!), table edge, another bottle of beer, a lighter, teeth, even a cell phone.  We’re...
In the News

Another Huge Bourbon Heist

March 13, 2015 – It would have been a hell of a party, but unfortunately for Gilbert Curtsinger, someone tipped off the Franklin County Sheriff in Frankfort, Kentucky and he was arrested Wednesday evening. When Deputies searched Curtsinger’s home they found five barrels of stolen Wild Turkey bourbon stashed behind...
In the News

These Shoes are Made for.…..Boozing

March 13. 2015 –Johnnie Walker and a London shoemaker have collaborated to make a pair of shoes, Oxford brogues to be exact, that conceal a bottle of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky in each heel.  (We couldn’t resist borrowing from Nancy Sinatra’s hit song “These Shoes are Made for Walkin’”) They’re...
In the News

Beer Guts Have Gotta Go!

March 12, 2015 – Spring starts in just one week – March 20 – which means summer and swimsuits are not far behind.  So, if your goal – you know, the one you set every year – is to look trim, taut, terrific, you’d better get started. We found a...
In the News

Civil War Era Wine Voted a Loser

March 9, 2015 – An intact bottle of wine that was found on a shipwreck off Bermuda dating back to 1864 was opened and tasted recently as a part of the Charleston, S.C. Wine and Food Festival.  But sadly, unlike the Champagne from1839 found on a wreck in the Baltic...
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One Drink = Looking Good. Two? Not so Much

March 9, 2015 – Message to party animals:  One drink and you look good.  Make it two and you are an unattractive mess.  That’s according to experiments conducted by the University of Bristol in the U.K. and reported in the Alcohol and Alcoholism journal. Forty noble students volunteered to get...
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National Archives Opens “Spirited Republic” Exhibit

March 9, 2015 – America’s turbulent relationship with alcoholic beverages is now on view at the National Archives Museum’s “Spirited Republic” exhibit, which opened March 6, 2015. The exhibit tracks the history of alcohol from the early settlers to the present day.  Beer, hard cider, spirits and wine were consumed...
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A Wine That Helps Dogs Find A Home

March 6, 2015 – Chateau La Paws is a brand dedicated to helping shelter dogs find their forever homes.  No bow wow, the wines are made by Rosenblum Cellars of Sonoma.  The labels of the three wines that have just been introduced to the marketplace feature the faces of a...
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Wine Academy Offers Valuable Certification

March 6, 2015 – Are you in the wine business and would like to be more knowledgeable?  Are you a wine enthusiast who would like to improve your knowledge?  If the answer is “yes” to either question, you might want to consider a course at the Napa Valley Wine Academy....
In the News

Will Craft Beer’s Bubble Burst?

March 2, 2015 – The growth of the craft beer industry is one of those stories that fuel our proclivity to root for the little guy.  We enjoy the idea of David taking on a Goliath like Anheuser-Busch and even better, winning.  In 2013, the latest year for data, craft...
In the News

Amazing Madeira

March 2, 2015 – We’re familiar with Madeira and even visited the Portuguese island many moons ago but Lettie Teague’s article in The Wall Street Journal this past weekend taught us a thing or two. Madeira never deteriorates.  Even a bottle that has been opened will last for years, even...
In the News

Whisky Could Replace Petroleum

March 2, 2015 – The Highway Patrol pulls you over and the officer asks if you’ve been drinking.  “No sir.  My car has.” That’s not quite as ridiculous as it sounds.  A company in Scotland, Celtic Renewables, has found a way to convert waste from whisky distilleries into fuel for...
In the News

Is This Scotch Bottle Tracking You?

Feb. 27, 2015 –Smart phones, smart houses, smart just about everything. How much more “smart” do we need?  Apparently we need a smart Scotch bottle. Diageo, the biggest beverage alcohol company in the world has teamed up with Norway-based Thin Film Electronics to create a bottle label that communicates with...
In the News

Brandy & Cognac See A Resurgence

Feb. 27, 2015 – For many of us, the image conjured up by the mention of Cognac is a brandy snifter, cigar, a fireplace, or at least candles, and possibly a handsome dude in a silk smoking jacket.  It’s not a bad image but it’s about to change big time....
In the News

Glassware Can Enhance Your Wine

Feb. 27, 2015 — Here’s a fun test for yourself and/or your friends.  No one has to be a knowledgeable wine lover, or even drink wine for that matter.  It’s all about how glassware changes the taste of the wine.  It works with just two different glasses but can also...
In the News

IPA — The Fastest Growing Beer Style

Feb. 23, 2015 – The craft beer segment grew about 18 percent last year but IPA style beer grew an amazing 50 percent making up about a quarter of all craft beer sales.  The information comes from IRI, a respected market research firm. Lovers of hoppy suds will be pleased...
In the News

Smuggling Beer Requires Better Planning

Feb. 20, 2015 – Here’s a good laugh.  In case you missed it, The Huffington Post has a video of a man trying to sneak beer into a stadium in Turkey.  What gave him away?  Could it be his big coat and scarf when everyone else was dressed in T-shirts? ...
In the News

Be a Wine Judge For a Day

Feb. 20, 2015 — Judging at the Consumer Wine Awards is a unique opportunity for average wine consumers to have their say, and in the words of Tim Hanni, co-founder of CWA “to break the tyranny of wine critics”. Becoming an Evaluator at the next Consumer Wine Awards scheduled for...
In the News

Who Drinks What

Feb. 16, 2015 – The Wine Market Council, a non-profit trade group for growers, winemakers, wholesalers – anyone seriously involved in the wine industry – recently held a seminar in Napa, CA.  The market research was intense and unless you like to read and digest statistics for fun, we’ll spare...
In the News

California Craft Beer Summit Schedule for September

Feb. 16, 2015 – The California Craft Brewers Association has announced an exciting event for craft beer brewers and enthusiasts to rub shoulders with the beer brotherhood September 11-12, 2015 in Sacramento at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Craft Beer Summit will be a part of the third annual Farm-to-Fork...
In the News

Original Apple for Original Sin Cider

Feb. 13, 2015 – Listen up, cider fans, Original Sin Hard Cider has just shipped a limited release of their latest hard cider made with Northern Spy apples.  The cider will be available in selected markets in kegs.  Northern Spy Dry Cider is the latest addition to their line of...
In the News

Anheuser-Busch Continues Craft Brewery Quest

Feb. 12, 2015 – Despite their Super Bowl ad putdown of craft beer, which caused a huge brouhaha, there are reports that Anheuser-Busch InBev is still sniffing around the industry looking for breweries to acquire.  The latest report comes from Florida where Cigar City Brewing of Tampa confirmed A-B InBev...
In the News

Could Beer be Good for Alzheimer’s?

Feb. 9, 2015 – It’s too early to say whether beer offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s but research at Lanzhou University in China found that xanthohumol (Xn), a compound found in hops, protected brain cells in rats from oxidative stress.  Rats.  It’s a long way...
In the News

More Good News for Drinkers

Feb. 9, 2015 – The good news just keeps coming for beer and other types of alcohol.  We’ve covered the possible positive effects of xanthohumol, a compound found in hops, on the brain http://www.wineandspirits.com/could-beer-be-good-for-alzheimers/ but there’s the heart, diabetes, bones and more. An Italian study showed that moderate beer drinkers had 42...
In the News

That Bud Ad Still Getting Attention

Feb. 6, 2015 – We’re not talking about the lost-puppy-rescued-by-Clydesdales ad but the one that was sort of anti craft brewed beers.  We thought it was just us, but it turns out a lot of other people found it curious, too. The ad talks about Budweiser as “not brewed to...
In the News

Vines Being Replaced as Wine Market Changes

Feb. 6, 2015 – About 22,000 acres of vines have been bulldozed in California’s Central Valley.  Also known as the San Joaquin Valley, the area produces two thirds of the State’s wine production.  Nut trees, primarily almonds, walnuts and pistachios, which yield higher returns to the farmers, are replacing them....
In the News

Valentine’s Day Martini

Jan. 30, 2015 – Valentine’s Day is just two weeks away so it’s time to shop for the fixings for a special martini to surprise your loved one.  We spoke to mixologist Michael Skinkle-Hill of Charlie’s Café in Elmira, N.Y.  He’s been creating a special drink for Valentine’s Day for...
In the News

Beers Gone Wild

Jan. 30, 2015 – Unless you’ve been living in Siberia, everyone knows the craft brewing industry is exploding in this country.  We reported just a few days ago there’s an average of 1.5 new breweries opening every day.  There’s lots of competition and more to come. In order to keep...
In the News

New Specialized Bars Coming Soon

Jan. 30, 2015 – We came across an interesting post on Yahoo that we want to share.  Bars are going niche and there’s an exciting trend across the country you need to know about.  You never know when you’ll be overcome with a desire to explore a huge gin selection...
In the News

Craft Brewing Phenomenon

Jan 26, 2015 — The stats tell the story.  According to the Brewers Association, a trade group for the craft brewing industry, overall beer sales are down 1.9% but craft brewing is up 17.2%.  Imports lost a bit at -0.6% but U.S. craft beer exports rose a healthy 49%.  These...
In the News

Puppy and Clydesdales Return for Super Bowl

Jan. 26, 2015 – If you’ve had more than your share of “Deflate-gate” there’s something a whole lot cuter coming up on Super Bowl Sunday and it’s Budweiser’s commercial starring the puppy and the Clydesdales. It’s a year later and the puppy is still a puppy, but we’ll overlook that. ...
In the News

This Really is Whiskey on the Rocks

Jan. 23, 2015 —  Gotta love this story!  Those two fantastic, intrepid climbers who climbed the sheer granite Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite, using just their hands and feet and ropes, enjoyed an occasional nip of their favorite Kentucky Straight Bourbon on their way up. The climb took...
In the News

Retail Experts’ Choice of 2014 Great Wines

Jan. 22, 2015 – We are very pleased to bring you the top wine picks of top wine retailers compiled by Beverage Dynamics, the leading publication of the wine and spirits retail industry since 1935.  The list, along with tasting notes and prices appeared in the November/December issue.  The complete...
In the News

Buy A Chalice and Help Water.org

Jan. 22, 2015 — When a giant brewery, a dedicated entrepreneur and a high profile Hollywood star come together to help bring clean water to millions in the third world, it is worth writing about, especially when it takes so little to make one life better and happier. Stella Artois,...
In the News

Lagunitas Calls A Truce

Jan. 19, 2015 – Never underestimate the power of Twitter!  Lagunitas Brewing Co. has dropped its suit against Sierra Nevada Brewing Company for trademark infringement.  Lagunitas founder Tony Magee withdrew the suit after some of his fans hit the …t on Twitter. The suit was over the typeface used for...
In the News

Craft Breweries in Florida Under Attack

Jan. 19, 2015 – Shanken News reports that a whole lot of big guns are going after the craft brewers with a lawsuit challenging tasting room sales. Retailers and distributor groups, including associations representing Anheuser-Busch and Miller Coors distributors, have filed a suit against Florida’s Department of Business and Professional...
In the News

Wineries Wary of Calorie Count Costs

Jan. 19, 2015 – At the end of last year, the Food and Drug Administration’s new rule requires chain restaurants to list the calories of alcoholic drinks on their menus http://wineandspirits.com/fda-requiring-calorie-count-in-alcoholic-drinks/.  In an effort to get ahead of the issue, WineAmerica, a trade organization with 600 members nationally, has hired...
In the News

Charlie Hebdo Cartoonists’ Wine Labels

Jan. 16, 2015 – Bordeaux producer Gérard Descrambe commissioned three of the murdered Charlie Hebdo cartoonists to create labels for his estate Château Barrail des Graves starting in the early 1970s.  The cartoonists whose work mocked everything from drunkenness to sex were editor-in-chief Stéphane Charbonnier  (Charb), Georges Wolinski and Bernard...
In the News

Coors Launching Gluten Free Beer

Jan. 16, 2015 – MillerCoors announced this week that a gluten free beer called “Coors Peak Copper Lager” will launch next month in Portland and Seattle.  Production limitations preclude a broader roll out for now. To make the beer gluten-free, Coors will replace barley with brown rice, malted brown rice...
In the News

Drinking Sayings Have Long History

Jan. 16, 2015 – “Here’s mud in your eye.”  How did this saying come to be a drinking toast?  It’s not clear but we’ve heard three explanations.  One we’ve never heard before suggests it originated at the track where every horse and jockey behind the winner ends up with mud...
In the News

Moonshine University. Let’s Enroll!

Jan. 13, 2015 — Hardly a week goes by that we don’t hear of a new distillery breaking ground or having a grand opening.  We’re all for entrepreneurship and very interested to see that another entrepreneur has figured out that aspiring distillers need help. Moonshine University located at the Distilled...
In the News

A Pill to Help Alcoholics is Being Tested

Jan. 13, 2015 – Drug company Pfizer thinks it is on to something with a pill to help alcoholics beat their addiction.  Working with the National Institutes of Health they are setting up tests in the form of fake bars that replicate a real bar environment but serve colored water. ...
In the News

It’s National Hot Toddy Day!

Jan. 9, 2015 – Sunday, January 11 is National Hot Toddy Day so it is absolutely obligatory that we all support the movement or whatever it is.  It’s also Milk Day and all of January is National Oatmeal Month.  We’ll take the toddy. The origin of the toddy isn’t clear. ...
In the News

Wine’s Growing Popularity in Japan

Jan. 5, 2015 – As wine sales slip in China as a result of the Government’s crackdown on high priced entertainment and gifts, another Asian market looks promising.  Wine is making inroads in Japan as the younger generation rejects the traditional drink of sake.  The 4,000 or so breweries producing...
In the News

One New Law to Celebrate

Jan. 5, 2015 – Thousands of new laws went into effect January 1, California topping the list with a total of 930 (how have we managed to have an orderly society in all the years prior to 2015 one wonders!)  The new law that’s had the most media coverage wasn’t...
In the News

Maker’s Mark Makes News

Jan. 5, 2015 – Maker’s Mark is being sued and in a separate story, Maker’s Mark has historic links to the James gang.  Let’s start with the lawsuit. The plaintiffs are from San Diego and say they were ripped off (defrauded in legalese) by the claim of “handmade” on the...
In the News

Kirin Beer Lawsuit Settlement

Jan. 13, 2015  —   If you bought Kirin beer between October 25, 2009 and December 17, 2014 and still have the receipt, you may be entitled to $50 from Anheuser-Busch. A lawsuit by two Miami residents alleged the packaging was deceptive implying the beer was made in Japan when in...
In the News

What to Drink on New Year’s Eve

Dec. 30, 2014 — No need to think about this one.  The drink of choice is bubbly.  What you do have to think about is your wallet. The big trend that’s getting lots of media attention, and we’re as guilty as anyone as we wrote about it ages ago, is...
In the News

Happy Safe New Year!

Dec. 29, 2014 – We love wine, spirits and beer and we have a good time tasting them and writing about them. But we also respect them. Sometimes wisdom really does come with age! We want our readers to have a great New Year so here are a few tips...
In the News

Which Country Drinks the Most?

Dec. 24, 2014 – The latest statistics we have seen put the citizens of Belarus at the top of the list for the highest per capita consumption of alcohol in the world.  Hard liquor is the drink of choice and they down 17.5 liters per person. Hard on their heels...
In the News

The Place to be in Tahoe City

Dec. 18, 2014 – Lake Tahoe is a year-round tourist destination. Right now ski season is in full swing and after years of drought, Californians are grateful to welcome the snow and rain. There’s nothing like a roaring fire and a convivial bar scene to make a relaxing evening after...
In the News

Good News on Youth Drinking

Dec. 18, 2014 – A recently released federal study on underage drinking and binge drinking showed that both are at their lowest levels since 1975. The survey of more than 41,000 students was conducted in 377 public and private schools throughout the United States. The Monitoring the Future Survey for...
In the News

Uproar Over Brewery Sale

Dec. 11, 2014 – If you want to make your fans really mad, really, really mad, sell your craft brewery to Anheuser-Busch InBev. That’s what the owners of 10 Barrel Brewing in Bend, Oregon, did last month and the fans are reacting on Facebook describing the owners as greedy and...
In the News

Melissa Etheridge’s Cannabis-Infused Wines

Dec. 11, 2014 – Rock star Melissa Etheridge has a line of marijuana-infused wines in partnership with Greenway Compassionate Relief, a Santa Cruz, California dispensary for medical marijuana. The singer used medical marijuana after undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer in 2004. The wine can only be sold as a “wine...
In the News

Holiday Dessert That’s Fabulous and Fun

Dec. 11, 2014 — Looking for something different, easy and do-ahead? Look no further. Raging Grasshopper is pretty, delicious and sure to impress your guests. The recipe is courtesy of mixologist, party planner and consultant Rob Newhouse of Fat’s Asia Bistro in Folsom, California. We can guarantee its deliciousness. The...
In the News

Red Wine and the Cancer Connection

Dec. 8, 2014 – The news is good but as always, there are caveats. A team at the University of Colorado Cancer Center led by Robert Sclafani, PhD, has determined the how and why a compound in red wine has a favorable effect on head and neck cancers. The compound...
In the News

What Were They Drinking 300 Years Ago?

Dec. 8, 2014 – Virginia is a wonderful state for anyone with a taste for history and now, a taste for beer made from 300-year-old recipes. The Virginia Historical Society, a privately funded non-profit, has collected and saved recipes for beer, food and medicinal remedies that otherwise might have been...
In the News

Books to Treasure or to Give

Dec. 8, 2014 — Wine and Spirits educator, Harriet Lembeck has reviewed four new wine books plus a book about whiskey that will increase your knowledge and add to the enjoyment of wines from both hemispheres. With whiskey’s popularity soaring, Tasting Whiskey is an affordable guide for those just starting...
In the News

Pecan Bourbon Update

Dec. 5, 2014 — We receive many inquiries about William Wolf Pecan Bourbon http://wineandspirits.com/whats-better-than-pecan-pie-pecan-bourbon/ asking where to buy it.  We checked the current status of distribution and these lucky states currently have distribution:  NY, FL, TX, SC, IL, MN, WI, NE, MD, DE, DC, LA  Ten more states will open...
In the News

Mike’s Hard Lemonade’s Fun Social Media Game

Dec. 5, 2014 — It’s described as the first-of-its-kind social media-based White Elephant party called “Tw’elf Re-Gift-O-Rama” in which everyone is a winner. Embracing the popularity of selfies, the re-gift-o-rama encourages you to capture and share your Mike’s Hard Lemonade holiday moments with a #Twelfie (a selfie taken with any...
In the News

Alcohol’s Ten Million Year History

Dec. 5, 2014 – Our ancestors, the ones that were still living in trees, almost certainly evolved the ability to break down alcohol by snacking on fermenting rotten fruit on the ground. Eventually, they moved out of the trees permanently so were they the first, genuine party animals? That’s not...
In the News

Two New TV Shows For Drinkers

Nov. 30, 2014 – Two new shows dedicated to bar crawling around the world are competing in the 10:00 p.m. slot on Monday nights. “Booze Traveler” hosted by Jack Maxwell debuted on the Travel Channel on November 24. The same night at 10:30 p.m. National Geographic rolled out “Chug” hosted...
In the News

Heavy Drinkers Not Always Alcoholics

Nov. 30, 2014 – A recent study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contradicts the widely held belief that heavy drinkers are alcoholics. Only 10 percent of adults met the criteria defining alcoholism. The study analyzed self-reported data from 138,100 adults. The standard measure identifying heavy drinkers...
In the News

Black Friday Beer

Nov. 30, 2014 – Forget the mammoth TVs and other whizz bang electronics. If you live in Wisconsin and have your priorities right, you stood in line for beer. For the past four years the Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee has produced a limited edition Black Friday beer that diehards line...
In the News

Hangover Remedies

Nov. 27, 2014 – We saw a headline on Yahoo! touting natural hangover remedies so of course we were interested, not that we ever over-indulge you understand. Reading through it made us practically bilious. First off, before heading to the party you should take a couple of Prickly Pear pills,...
In the News

Wines for Thanksgiving

Nov. 24, 2014 – Every year it’s the same old conundrum: what wine to serve with the Thanksgiving meal. We have a couple of our own preferences but we decided to see what the “experts” were recommending. Turns out there is absolutely no consensus. After finding 18 different recommendations for...
In the News

Mixologists – The New Celebrities

Nov. 21, 2014 – We’ve admired and followed celebrity chefs for several decades. Now there’s a new star with increasing celebrity status and that’s the mixologist. This is someone with the creativity and talent to take bartending to new heights. How many of us can take three or four really...
In the News

Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur

Nov. 17, 2014 – Every now and again you taste something that puts a big smile on your face. This was our reaction to Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, a smooth, luscious new liqueur blended from rich Irish cream, aged Irish whiskey and the finest quality chocolate. Mixologist will go nuts...
In the News

Texas Distillery Goes Big and Bold

Nov. 14, 2014 – As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas and the brand new Ironroot Republic Distillery in Denison is no exception. The Distillery officially opens it doors in its new location, in a former boat dealership, on November 15 with a big party and Texas barbecue....
In the News

George Washington’s Peach Brandy Recreated

Nov. 14, 2014 — Eight hundred bottles of Peach Brandy Eau de Vie made at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Distillery go on sale today.  If you want a bottle, you’d better hurry up.  The first rye whiskey made at the distillery sold out in two hours.  Be ready to pony...
In the News

Drew Barrymore’s Pinot Grigio

Nov. 14, 2014 – The many fans of Drew Barrymore will be delighted by her new wine launched in time for the holiday season. The “bright and crisp” Barrymore Carmel Road Pinot Grigio 2013 is sourced from Monterey vineyards owned by Jackson Family Wines and will retail for around $14.99....
In the News

Happy 100th Birthday to Peter Mondavi

Nov. 6, 2014 – Peter Mondavi, the patriarch of the Charles Krug Winery in the Napa Valley, will celebrate his 100th birthday on November 8. Always courteous and gentlemanly, Peter Mondavi headed up winemaking at the Charles Krug winery purchased by the family in 1943.  His effervescent brother, Robert Mondavi,...
In the News

World’s Best Whisky Isn’t Scottish

Nov. 6, 2014 – In what must be a huge blow to the national psyche, the Scots not only lost the title of best whisky in the world, they didn’t even make it into the top five. The winner was Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013 from Suntory, Japan’s oldest...
In the News

A Whisky From Outer Space

Nov. 6, 2014 – Ardbeg Distillery in Scotland may have been founded the same year as the Battle of Waterloo, but they are certainly not resting on their laurels.  They are so forward thinking that some of their whisky has spent three years in space. A number of earthling whisky...
In the News

Rihanna Knows Her Wine

Nov. 1 — We love it when the gossip is about important things like wine.  According to celeb watchers who never miss a thing, Rihanna was spotted leaving classy Italian restaurant Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, California recently, a half-drunk bottle of Sassicaia in hand.  A popular Super Tuscan, the...
In the News

Heart Health and Drinking

Nov. 1 —  The American College of Cardiology recently published results of a new study showing how a healthy lifestyle, including moderate alcohol consumption, reduces heart attack risk. The study involved more than 20,000 Swedish men and the five key lifestyle behaviors for low risk were a healthy diet; no...
In the News

Whiskey Becoming #1 Spirit

Nov. 1 – Vodka, long the best-selling spirit, is about to be replaced by whiskey, possibly by the end of this year, as the biggest selling spirit in the U.S.  The increase in sales of whiskey, especially the made-in-America variety, has been confirmed by the industry trade group DISCUS (Distilled...
In the News

Daily Tipple May Save the Memory

Good news for the over-65 population.  The American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias reports that moderate imbibing later in life improves the ability to remember specific things compared to abstaining. The research, conducted over decades, followed 664 people who were 42 when it started and 75 when it...
In the News

New Course in Beer and Food

If you love beer and want to know more, a new course about beer and food might be fun to explore.  The Brewers Association, a trade association dedicated to small and independent brewers, has created the new course to educate culinary institutions, restaurants, beverage students and beer educators.  While it...
In the News

Wine Pairings for Halloween Candy

No reason why the kids should have all the fun.  Besides, too much candy is bad for them and it is your responsibility to eat some of it.  And after dealing with ever changing costume choices, traipsing the cold streets and pretending to enjoy every minute, you deserve a reward....
In the News

A Wooden Stick to Age Your Whiskey

Creators of the Whiskey Element claim their wooden stick will “age” your-run-of-the-mill whiskey purchase and make it top shelf in a matter of hours.  So far, 3,808 people agree and have contributed $141,588 (as of writing) to their Kickstarter fund.  Their goal was $18,000. Whiskey ages in barrels and picks...
In the News

American Craft Brewing Leads the World

The international beer world no longer snickers and rolls their eyes at the mention of American beer.  As we wrote recently, American craft breweries are invading the bastions of brewing in Europe http://wineandspirits.com/craft-beers-find-a-new-market/. Now it is the Scots turn to visit America and learn from the expertise of craft brewers...
In the News

California Grape Harvest Projected Lower for 2014

After two consecutive years of 4 million ton harvests, this year’s harvest is predicted to be nearer 3.7 or 3.8 million tons, according to industry publication Wines & Vines.  There are numerous reasons for the decline. The drought in California has affected the size of the harvest but the quality...
In the News

Girlie Drinks and a Trip to the Dumpster

The point of a recent long article about why men admire women who order whiskey rather than a pretty cocktail got us thinking about tastes and trends in alcohol in the U.S. since the end of Prohibition in 1933. What did the wives and girlfriends of the “Greatest Generation” drink?...
In the News

Toast and Beer Spread for Breakfast? Hide the Kids!

Move over marmalade.  Bye bye peanut butter.  There’s a new spread from Italy called Birra Spalmabile – that’s Italian for “spreadable beer” – and we’re assured it tastes delicious on toast and just about everything else, including ice cream.  A chocolate maker and brewer got together and concocted a sticky-but-smooth...
In the News

A Trip to Georgia’s Historic Wine Country

Georgia can be described as the cradle of winemaking with 8,000 vintages under its belt. They also had 525 grape varieties, including clones, of which 440 are still in use! This is a country that has been serious about wine since 6,000 B.C and some of their wines are available...
In the News

“Drinking Vinegar” Back in Vogue

“Will Drinking Vinegar Actually Boost Your Health?” was the headline of a story someone sent us, and it went on to enumerate all the good things that might happen if you do.  It wasn’t exactly what we had in mind when we decided to explore Drinking Vinegar also called a...
In the News

Unique Flavors in Southern Beer

Is there such a thing as “southern” beer and if so, what makes it special?  Local ingredients, that’s what. This is the season for pumpkin flavored beer but head to North Carolina, or Mississippi and you’ll find some truly unique flavors. At Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, N.C you’ll find native...
In the News

“No” Vote Means Our Scotch Whisky is Safe!

As we write, Sky News in the U.K. is calling the Scottish election in favor of Scotland staying in the United Kingdom.  Whew!  We’re definitely not getting into a debate about the merits or not of separation.  We’re focused on what’s really important and that’s an uninterrupted supply of Scotch...
In the News

Rhode Island Distillery Wins International Award

The Sons of Liberty, a distillery located in South Kingstown, RI, has won a coveted award from Whisky Magazine in the U.K. for the “World’s Best Flavored Whiskey”.  This is the first time a U.S. craft distillery has won a “World’s Best”.  Whisky Magazine started the awards in 2007.  The...
In the News

The (Russian) Empire Strikes Back

Comrade Putin has sicced his food police on Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey Liqueur.  The consumer watchdog apparatus Rospotrebnadzor claimed it had found potentially hazardous chemical substances and the product did not conform to Russian labeling regulations. Brown-Forman, owner of Jack Daniel’s, has been selling spirits in Russia for 15 years...
In the News

Beer Caves Then and Now

A sinkhole discovered near an I-380 access ramp in Cedar Rapids, IA may turn out to be an old beer cave used by the Magnus Brewery built in 1859.  Subterranean caverns were used as cool storage spaces for beer and some were large enough for a truck to enter.  The...
In the News

Everything’s Better With Bourbon

The “everything” in this case is dessert.  “Bourbon Desserts” (University Press of Kentucky, $19.95) by Lynn Marie Hulsman has more than 100 American recipes for cakes, cookies, ice cream, custards, eggnog and so on, all enhanced by bourbon.  She includes a short background about each dish and the instructions are...
In the News

Six-Packs Are So Yesterday

Everything’s bigger in Texas. Texas-based brewery Austin Beerworks has released a special 99-pack of its Peacemaker Anytime Ale, packaged in a 7-foot-long cardboard box. That’s just over half-a-keg’s worth of beer. If you are thinking of a quick trip to the local market, it takes at least two people to...
In the News

Beer Convention Set for 2015 in San Diego

Home brewers start packing!  San Diego is in your future in June 2015.  But it nearly didn’t happen. The California Assembly and the Governor came together to pass Assembly Bill 2609 amending an earlier bill that caused the cancellation of the Southern California Homebrewers Festival and the AHA National Homebrewers...
In the News

Napa Valley Open for Tourism

Do not put plans on hold for visiting the Valley’s many attractions over Labor Day and the following weeks of crush.  Napa Valley is open for business. Tasting rooms are open, restaurants are serving their splendid food, and hotels are geared up to welcome you.  Parts of downtown Napa were...
In the News

Napa Valley Vintners Donates $10 Million to Disaster Fund

In the spirit of neighbor helping neighbor, the Napa Valley Vintners, a nonprofit trade association with 500 members, has pledged $10 million to create a Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund to help the hundreds of local residents and businesses impacted by the August 24 earthquake.  Individuals and businesses from...
In the News

Wine Industry Coming Together in Napa Valley

Winemakers are always ready to help fellow winemakers in times of crisis and the “Wine Country Earthquake” as it has been dubbed, is no exception.  The well-organized and efficient staff of the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) is gathering information and coordinating assistance for its 500 members.  Information is still coming...
In the News

Unintended Consequences

Government is good at creating unintended consequences. Recently the state of Maryland made it illegal to sell grain alcohol that is 190 proof or more (95% abv).  University presidents felt is led to sexual assaults and binge drinking, bad things that they wanted to reduce.  That’s reasonable. However, now life...
In the News

Learn Winemaking Secrets and Techniques

Columbia Crest Winery, set high above the Columbia River in Paterson, Washington, has a very clever program for its Cabernet Sauvignon.  The 2014 vintage will be Crowdsourced Cabernet.  What a great opportunity for neophytes and nerds alike!  Here’s your chance to be a part of the whole production from harvesting,...
In the News

Napa Quake Damage Still Being Assessed

Total damage from the 6.0 earthquake that struck Napa at 3:20 a.m. Sunday morning will take a few days to assess.  Early reports indicate limited damage to tanks and crush equipment, a good thing with the 2014 harvest about to begin.  However, it might be a different story if barrels...
In the News

2014 Harvest Starts in California

It’s only mid-August but the 2014 harvest has started in various parts of the State, especially for whites that will go into bubbly.  We just wrote about the new Malibu Coast AVA and already Casa Dumetz is picking grapes for their sparkling wine.  A bit further north in the Santa...
In the News

Champagne for Breakfast

A bottle of ’92 Dom Perignon was causing our friend anxiety.  It had been dragged around California during multiple moves – always in an ice chest, he assured us – but he couldn’t decide which occasion was special enough to drink it.  How about just to celebrate being alive, happy...
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Crime Doesn’t Pay

Rudy Kurniawan, the wine counterfeiter, was recently sentenced to 10 years behind bars and ordered to pay restitution of $28.4 million, and forfeit an additional $20 million as punishment.  Who gets the $20 million?  We don’t know.  Probably the government. Over an eight-year period, Kurniawan sold about $50 million worth...
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Johnnie Walker Gets “Clubbed” by Explorers

Even when you are the biggest drinks company in the world, you can still lose in a battle with a small but iconic Club based in New York. The prestigious Explorers Club sued Diageo, makers of Johnnie Walker Whisky for using the term “Johnnie Walker Explorers’ Club” for a line...
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Argentine Wine Category Slumping

If you can’t find that delicious under-$10 Malbec from Argentina that you’ve grown to love, don’t blame the retailer, or the importer, or the winery.  Blame Argentina’s economy.  Rampant inflation has sent labor costs soaring making it unprofitable to produce less expensive wines. According to The Wall Street Journal, wine...
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Wine in America

It all started in November 1991 when 60 Minutes aired The French Paradox questioning how the French with their diet of rich food and smoking suffered fewer heart attacks, had less obesity and lived 2.5 years longer than Americans.  The answer posited was their consumption of red wine. After being...
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Fish Friendly Wine

The Napa Valley is not a very big place being just 30 miles long and only five miles across at its widest point.  The Napa River bisects the Valley from north to south, flowing through the world-famous vineyards.  Every inch is valuable to vineyard owners so it is truly commendable...
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More Crazy Uses for Vodka

We found seven uses for vodka on Buzzfeed and since the video opened with a nice shot of a Smirnoff bottle, we’re just a tad suspicious. In no particular order, here are the seven recommendations: Rinse your razor in a beaker of vodka to prevent rust and clean the blade. ...
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Lindsey Lohan’s London Link

The “link” is literal.  It’s the alcohol-monitoring tag dubbed “the booze bracelet” that she was ordered to wear in 2007 and again in 2010.  The London newspapers are all a-twit about the introduction of the U.S. made device to drunken thugs in the U.K., starting in four London boroughs.  Alcohol...
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Wine is Malibu’s Latest Star

Malibu isn’t just for sun, fun and movie stars anymore.  “Malibu Coast” is now the latest American Viticultural Area, or AVA.  Hidden away in the hills and canyons of the Santa Monica Mountains that rise over 3,000 feet above sea level, are the vineyards of Malibu, some as small as...
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Drought Affects California Craft Breweries

California’s crippling drought, now in it third year, is a serious issue for the State’s 400 craft brewers. It takes four to seven gallons of water to make a gallon of craft-made beer.  Some of this is the result of inefficient production techniques but the smaller the brewer, the fewer...
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Alcohol Can Improve Sense of Smell

An Israeli study has found that a small amount of alcohol can improve the sense of smell. Twenty volunteers were asked to smell three different liquids.  Two were a mixture of the same six odors while the third had one of the odors replaced.  The volunteers had two seconds to...
In the News

Defining Craft Breweries

Craft Brewery seems to be a catchall term for breweries that aren’t one of the major players such as Anheuser-Busch InBev or MillerCoors.  But what exactly do other descriptors mean?  We’re thinking Micro and Nano. We found a convenient table in The Wall Street Journal. Large is as above –...
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Housework or Happy Hour?

The newest fragrance trend for household cleaners is to make them smell like cocktails.  A dish liquid that smells like a daiquiri or a piña colada will help you mellow out in a tropical paradise while slaving over a hot sink.  Thus dishwashing and other monotonous household chores are suddenly...
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Beer Remains Top Drop

A Gallup survey of Americans who drink alcohol published July 23 confirms that beer remains the most popular choice among those who imbibe.  For 41 percent it is first choice followed by wine at 31 percent and spirits in third place at 23 percent.  That adds up to 95 percent...
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Craft Beers Find a New Market

In a recent article about the shortage of hops, we quoted beer expert and author, Tom Acitelli who wrote in The Wall Street Journal “American beer stylistically is now the envy of the drinking world.”  Proving his point, there’s news about American craft breweries opening up in Europe.  This is...
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Coolest – A Cooler on Steroids

Kickstarter is a great place to browse for creativity and “why didn’t I think of that” awesomeness. Take a look at Coolest, a multi-functioning cooler that has already surpassed its $50,000 goal with 37,076 backers pledging $7,266,997.  By the time you read this, the totals will be way beyond that...
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Which Category Describes You?

Constellation Brands, one of the biggest wine companies in the U.S., conducted a survey of approximately 7,000 wine consumers, which they called “Project Genome, The Evolution of the Wine Consumer”.  This is the second time in 10 years that they have done such a survey. Based on the results, Constellation...
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What’s New In Wine and Spirits?

Check out our New Hot Products section.  There’s a wonderful new premium Gin from Canada that looks and tastes amazing.  Ungava is the product of the tundra’s fragile eco system, hand picked by the ancient Inuits who have inhabited this land for thousands of years.  Close your eyes and picture...
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A Cocktail With 71 Ingredients. Really.

This is crazy but it’s true. A Glasgow-based mixologist, Mal Spence, created this drink to celebrate the British Commonwealth Games starting in Glasgow July 23. The Scotch whisky-based cocktail was stirred in partnership by Spence and the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau to commemorate the Commonwealth Games, which will see 4,500 of...
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Beer, Beer Everywhere Nor Any Drop To Drink

With apologies to “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.  Here’s what just happened – in Germany.  A truck carrying Bitburger, a popular German beer, overturned and flooded the autobahn causing it to close down.  If you have ever driven on an autobahn, you can imagine the...
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Will There Be A Whiskey Shortage?

It must be serious when Smithson writes about it.  How did this happen and why? A couple or three decades ago, the spirits people were really glum.  Spirits sales were flat because the drink of the moment was wine and wine consumption soared.  The wine drinkers had kids who, naturally,...
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Wine Spectator Endows Sonoma State University

The Wine Spectator Scholarship Fund has pledged $3 million to Sonoma State University at Rohnert Park for a new home for the Wine Business Institute.  It will be known as Wine Spectator Learning Center. SSU’s Wine Business Institute was founded in 1996 and was the first program to focus exclusively...
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MLB Tests Automated Beer Vending Machines

Automation is invading the sacred turf of beer at the ballgame.  Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, recently debuted two self-serve machines behind first and third bases this past week.  The technology has been available in hotels, casinos and restaurants but this is the first time it has made...
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John Wayne DUKE Bourbon Update

There’s no question that John Wayne remains an American hero.  The outpouring of response to our story back in mid-April about the release of DUKE Kentucky Straight Bourbon attests to his iconic stature, not just in this country but also in many places around the world.  The founders of Duke...
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Newly Released New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Reviewed

When it comes to white wines, Sauvignon Blanc is our favorite hands down, although we’ve been known to rave about Semillon, Viognier, dry Rieslings and other lovely varietals, including un-oaked Chardonnay. But back to Sauvignon Blanc.  We found a lovely Reserve, just released on the U.S. market from the famed...
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Who Are The Booze Billionaires?

Forbes Magazine, which compiles important lists such as who are the richest people in the world, has just published a Top 100 list that includes the most successful traders in alcoholic beverages in the U.S.  The list also shows where they rate in the Top 100 Richest People in the...
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Our Founding Fathers Loved to Tipple

It is hard to believe just how much alcohol was consumed daily by our forefathers back in the late 18th Century.  Perhaps it made them cranky and argumentative, especially with the British government.  Water was not on the menu.  OJ was not the juice for breakfast.  It was hard cider. ...
In the News

Summer is Make or Break for Major Breweries

Beer seems to be on the mind of the editors of The Wall Street Journal.  Another story tells the tale of Big Beer’s hopes for summer 2014.  Roughly a third of beer sales take place between Memorial Day and Labor Day with the week of July Fourth as the big one. ...
In the News

Could Craft Brewers Run Out of Hops?

An article about a coming hops shortage by Tom Acitelli, the author of “The Audacity of Hops:  The History of America’s Craft Beer Revolution” actually appeared on the Op Ed page of The Wall Street Journal.  So listen up pilgrims.  This is serious stuff. Mr. Acitelli dates the rise of...
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Big Brother Will Monitor Your Booze Buying

This is scary.  Apparently hospitals can track your buying habits and will know if you are loading up on candy and calories that can affect your health.  Why would they do that and how do they get the information?  Under Obamacare, hospitals are rewarded for good outcomes.  Your pigging out...
In the News

New Web Suffixes Worry Winemakers

Winemakers in Europe, California and Australia are concerned about new domain addresses such as .wine and .vin proposed by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).  Vintners believe that .wine and .vin will confuse consumers.  The Wall Street Journal reported that Linda Reiff, president of the Napa Valley Vintners,...
In the News

Prosecco Sparks Sparkling Wines Sales

We love sparkling wine, as we’ve mentioned more than once, and the category is doing very well thanks to Italian Prosecco   It’s quite fascinating that less than 20 years ago, Prosecco sales in the whole of the U.S. were about 500 cases.  Last year they came in at 2.3 million...
In the News

Two Big Breweries Reveal Ingredients

In response to a blogger, Anheuser-Busch and Miller Lite have listed the ingredients in their beers online. For Bud and Bud Light the ingredients are about the same – water, barley malt, rice, yeast, hops.  To see for yourself, go to www.tapintoyourbeer.com.  You can also find nutritional information there. Bud,...
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Auction Napa Valley Reaches New Heights

Every June for the past 34 years, well-heeled wine lovers descend on Napa Valley for the annual wine auction.  This year a new record was set with $18.7 million raised for non-profits in healthcare and children’s education. Over its more than three decades, Auction Napa Valley has raise  $120 million...
In the News

Red Wine And Health — Protects Against Gum Disease

Never thought we’d see this:  Red wine could be good for your teeth.  Halleluiah! Mostly we hear complaints that red wine stains the teeth, but research published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry says that red wine contains antimicrobial elements found to kill bacteria in lab tests.  Grape...
In the News

Your Signature Scotch — All It Takes Is Money

The Wall Street Journal reports that Johnnie Walker’s master blender, Jim Beveridge, will create a bespoke blend of Scotch Whisky just for you.  A case will set you back a mere $130,000 or thereabouts.  If its rarity you’re after, you could save a bundle by joining The Scotch Malt Whisky...
In the News

Recycle Your Wine Container

We enjoyed a red blend from Stack Wines – the folks who package a bottle of pretty decent wine in four individual plastic serving cups for wine-on-the-go – and pondered what to do with the empty cups.  They were too cute to throw in recycle right away and sure, we...
In the News

Coravin Safety Alert to Consumers

We told you about the Coravin Wine Access System, a clever device that allows you to pour wine without removing the cork.  Unfortunately, there are some safety issues and the manufacturer has voluntarily withdrawn the device from sale and is urging people not to use it until further notice. The...
In the News

Best White Whiskey Ever Will Soon Go National

Ever wished you could, just once in your life, taste some Moonshine?  Well you can except now it is legal so it ain’t Moonshine.  Too bad, but it is still an experience not to be missed by anyone curious about Tennessee White Whiskey.  We just sampled Popcorn Sutton’s Tennessee White...
In the News

The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift

Does Dad enjoy a good Scotch Whisky?  Really, really good Scotch Whisky?  Well, we have just the gift for him.  It is so darned good it might even earn you a special mention in his will. We’re talking about a membership in The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America.  Never...
In the News

Congratulations Gordon Biersch!

We can’t believe 25 years have gone by since Gordon Biersch revolutionized the brewpub industry with its first location in Palo Alto, California in 1988.  It was the first German style brewery serving only authentic German beer. Co-founder Dan Gordon studied at the Technical University of Munich where he got...
In the News

Saké : Is It A Wine Or A Beer?

The famous Japanese beverage is often referred to as rice wine.  But as educator Harriet Lembeck points out, it is fermented grain and therefore more akin to beer.  It is growing in popularity in this country, possibly because it is being served cold instead of hot in those tiny carafes...
In the News

High Alcohol Beers A Crafty Trend

What’s the next trend for craft beer brewers and their loyal fans? It’s high alcohol beers that compete with spirits for alcohol content. High alcohol beers got their start in Belgium about four years ago at the De Struise brewery.  Their Black Damnation can be as high as 26% abv...
In the News

Single Serves Offer a Solution

Toting wine to picnics and places where glass is banned can be a real pain. Even if you use bag-in-the-box (which can be heavy) or Tetra-Paks, you have to remember to pack plastic glasses. The latest in single serve wines is the solution and there’s plenty of choice at reasonable...
In the News

Sangria Sales Soar

Premixed Sangria is the latest hot trend according to Shanken News Daily.  The 21 to 35 age group “are buying it by the boatload.”  Older drinkers see it as a way to have some wine but not get drunk.  Costco says it does well for them. Not so fast, says...
In the News

Welcome to Harriet Lembeck

We’re delighted to welcome Harriet Lembeck as a contributor to this web site.  Harriet’s long career as a respected wine educator and author has earned her accolades such as “one of the deans of wine education in America” from The Wall Street Journal.  She is a founding member of the...
In the News

Law Will Help Booze Students in California

The no-drinking-before-21 law has been in effect in California for students studying winemaking and brewing.  That makes it very difficult to understand and appreciate how many techniques change taste, quality, etc.  For some students, it has meant delaying graduating as they have to wait to turn 21 to take specific...
In the News

Become a Wine Educator

The Society of Wine Educators is a highly respected organization that has been around since the mid-70s.  It offers training courses and certificates of competence primarily for people in the wine trade but not necessarily.  An individual wishing to improve his or her wine knowledge can also take the tests. ...
In the News

Crime Napa Style

Usually a crime report of breaking and entering involves stolen money, jewelry, electronics, etc.  Not in the Napa Valley. Ryan Michael Patterson, a 31-year-old transient, was arrested for breaking into a house on Dunaweal Lane in Calistoga.  He was seen running away from the house with several bottles of wine. ...
In the News

Brewery Founded in 1860 a Major Success in Pakistan

The Murree Brewery, originally started to provide British forces in India with good beer, continues to succeed and profit despite it now being in Pakistan, a Muslim country where alcohol is forbidden.  (India was partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan in 1947.) Located in Rawalpindi, the heart of Pakistan’s...
In the News

China Now #1 Consumer of Red Wine

The Wall Street Journal reports that last year China became the world’s top consumer of red wine, according to International Wine & Spirit Research in London. China has become a very important market for wine exporters everywhere, including South Africa.  The story covered a winery called L’Huguenot that had given...
In the News

Cider Makers Seek Sour Apples

As we’ve reported, Cider’s popularity just keeps growing.  But there’s a sour apple shortage.  To make the type of hard cider desired by restaurants and retailers, the shortage of sour or bittersweet apples, suitable only for cider, is especially problematic for small producers.  The big guys can afford to import...
In the News

Powdered Alcohol Creating a Buzz

Lawmakers are clamoring to put the kibosh on Palcohol, a powdered alcohol product.  Invented in Japan in the 1970s, powdered alcohol was originally meant as an additive in food manufacturing.   Today’s product from Lipsmark comes in six flavors producing cocktails when mixed with water.  The big danger is that a...
In the News

Whiskey Made From Beer? It’s True.

Did you know that beer can be distilled into whiskey?  We’ll admit we didn’t until we read about it in The Wall Street Journal.  If you think about it, which most of us haven’t, both are made from grains so why not. The WSJ article referred to Charbay Distillery in...
In the News

START WITH STOLI

Stolichnaya Vodka has a new education program for bartenders but there’s no reason why the rest of us can’t learn a thing or two. Check out Start With Stoli on the web for new cocktail recipes and riffs on old ones from bartenders around the world.  There’s news on cocktail...
In the News

KNOB CREEK ACCEPTS “RETURNS”

Knob Creek Bourbon is launching a new TV campaign featuring brand creator Booker Noe’s “Bookerisms”.  Viewers are told if they are not satisfied “send back the unused portion and we’ll drink it for you.”  Will they pay the postage?...
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SOMETHING NEW ON THE KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL

Wondering where to go this summer for a different kind of getaway?  How about a lazy sojourn along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail? A new attraction is Wild Turkey’s new visitor center.  Cost about $100 million, which is pretty wild.  It’s over 9,000 sq. ft. situated on the Kentucky River and...
In the News

JOHN WAYNE TRIBUTE IN A BOTTLE

John Wayne, one of America’s most loved and admired film stars, graces the soon-to-be-released DUKE Kentucky Straight Bourbon.  Sure to be enjoyed by his many fans it will certainly become a collector’s item, too.  For the full story please check out our Hot New Products....
In the News

CIDER’S POPULARITY CONTINUES TO GROW

Americans seem to be embracing cider as an alternative to beer and wine.  This is especially good news for Boston Beer makers of Angry Orchard Cider.  In just three years since it was launched, Angry Orchard has half the cider market selling eight million cases in 2013.  Cider isn’t just...
In the News

NEW RUM IS A NEW EXPERIENCE

We had the good fortune to discover a rum that has just been introduced to the U.S. market.  South Bay Rum is not just another fun rum, the kind we admit to drinking, but a rich and amazingly smooth rum that can be enjoyed as a sophisticated sipping option.  Read...
In the News

ANOTHER DUSTUP IN TENNESSEE FOR DIAGEO

We told you about the shoot out between Diageo, owner of George Dickel Whiskey and Brown-Forman makers of Jack Daniel’s and specific production methods entitling the use of the term “Tennessee Whiskey”.  The Legislature has taken the summer to think about it. The next legal wrangle is Diageo’s lawsuit against...
In the News

GRIPPING FAILURE OF GLOVE LAW IN CALIFORNIA

Back in January we wrote about the new “glove law” imposed on restaurants and bars in California. We pointed out numerous reasons why the law was costly and unworkable.   http://www.wineandspirits.com/california-bartenders-must-wear-gloves/.  Well, guess what?  The author of the law, Assemblyman Richard Pan, D- Sacramento is proposing an emergency measure to restore...
In the News

DAVID BECKHAM TEAMS UP WITH HAIG SCOTCH WHISKY

London based global drinks giant, Diageo has launched a new whisky, Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky and signed soccer star David Beckham to represent the brand.  Joining him is entrepreneur Simon Fuller whose extensive claim to fame includes managing the Spice Girls and introducing Victoria Beckham, known as Posh...
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SEATTLE DISTILLERY’S PLACE IN THE SUN

Forty years ago, boutique wineries sprang up.  About 20 years ago craft breweries came on the scene.  The latest addition is micro or craft distilleries.  In 1890 there were 5000 distilleries in the U.S.  After Prohibition, just eight (that were legal!)  The first on the scene was St. George Spirits...
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BREWERIES FIGHTING PROPOSED FDA RULING

Brewers steep grains such as barley and wheat in hot water then send the leftovers to farmers to feed their livestock.  Sounds like a plan, doesn’t it?  Now the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed rule change means brewers will have to meet the same standards as livestock and pet-food manufacturers,...
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LIQUOR LEADS ALOFT

Ever wondered what passengers prefer to drink while flying?  According to GuestLogix, a company that processes about 90 percent of credit card transactions on flights, it is spirits.  In a five-month period in 2013, the totals for six North American airlines were liquor with sales of $38 million, wine with...
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WILLIAM WOLF ‘S PECAN BOURBON STANDS OUT FROM THE PACK

For the non-Bourbon drinker, William Wolf’s Pecan Bourbon will be a revelation.  The sassy, banjo-strumming wolf on the label will see to it!  Try it and be prepared to dance with the Wolf.  Check our Spirits page http://www.wineandspirits.com/whats-better-than-pecan-pie-pecan-bourbon/ for more about this delicious new Bourbon and serving suggestions....
In the News

CRAFT BEERS NOW SKY HIGH

Airlines are paying attention to their customers and more and more of them are serving craft beers.  “They want to drink in the air what they’re drinking on the ground,” said Jim Koch, co-founder of Boston Beer Co., maker of Sam Adams. In addition to passenger demands, one of the...
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BATHTUB GIN? NEW USE FOR VODKA

We recently downloaded spring cleaning tips from Yahoo!  We’ll take any shortcut we can but we weren’t ready for the tip about cleaning the shower and bathtub with vodka!  The comments from readers were hilarious.  Who in their right mind is going to spend $25.00+++ on a bottle of vodka...
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TENNESSEE WHISKEY DISPUTE PUT ON ICE

Lawmakers in Tennessee decided to put off a decision on what it takes to call a whiskey “Tennessee Whiskey”.  The dispute is between Brown-Forman Corp. makers of Jack Daniels and Diageo PLC owners of George Dickel. Brown-Forman likes the law the way it is requiring whiskey to be made in...
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DOS EQUIS GOES TO MARGARITAVILLE

The Most Interesting Man in the World wants you to stay thirsty for his new flame – Rita as in Dos-A-Rita.  It’s a combination of an imported blend of Dos Equis Larger and classic Margarita flavors sweetened with 100% agave nectar according to Shanken News Daily.  We wrote recently about...
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A PORTABLE BAR

We saw it on a home improvement show recently.  A man used an airline drink cart as a portable bar in his newly remodeled home.  It was a creative solution and a conversation piece but an airline drink cart is not a thing of beauty, plus they look heavy when...
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Miller64 Will Have Nutritional Labeling

It’s not a requirement (yet) but Miller64 will soon have nutritional labeling according to the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.  You still with me?  Much like familiar food labels, the beer label will cover information about serving size, servings per container...
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California Drought Threatens Wine Industry02

You’ve probably heard the dire predictions of California’s drought on the price of fruit and veggies this summer, but don’t forget the $61 billion wine industry is also threatened.  Vintners are worried.  Bumper crops in 2012 and 2013 means there will be a lot of good, reasonably priced wines available...
In the News

Washington State Winegrape Harvest

California isn’t the only state with growth in the wine industry.  The 2013 harvest increased by 13%.  The number one grape varietal was Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by Chardonnay, Riesling and Merlot.  Lots of lovely wines coming out of Washington....
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California Wine News Briefs

Since the California wine industry is worth about $51.8 billion to the State’s economy, and has $103 billion impact on the entire country’s economy, what happens in California is invariably significant, and at the very least, interesting.   So here’s a round up of a few stories that you may...
In the News

Chinese Distillers Face Gloomy Future

For Chinese distillers, it’s the Year of the Hungry Horse. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in an effort to cut back on the appearance of government and military officials’ high living and corruption, has severely cut back on lavish banquets and heady toasting rounds using the national drink called baijiu.  Baijiu...
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Red Wine and Prostate Cancer

We listed some of the stories we’ve covered regarding alcohol and health, especially the beneficial consumption of red wine, under the heading “More Good News for Red Wine”.  Here’s one we missed, dating all the way back to 2007.   From the June 2007 issue of Harvard Men’s Health Watch,...
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More Good News for Red Wine

Can red wine inhibit growth of lung cancer cells?  Sounds amazing but a study reported in “Cancer Cell International” suggests that it can.  A research team experimented with both red and white wine on six different cultures of human lung cancer cells and found 60% inhibition of cell reproduction.  The...
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New Tool for Taking Tasting Notes

It’s always fun when web surfing leads to something unique and interesting.  We were browsing Kegworks – these people have everything you can think of plus a whole of things you haven’t thought of when it comes to beer and winemaking equipment, barware, entertaining and so on – and we...
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How You Can Be a Wine Judge

We’ve often wondered why the regular wine drinker is ignored when it comes to judging.  After all, they are huge purchasers of wine but how many of us really know what “green gooseberries” and “crushed violets” really taste like?  For many, the pretentiousness, sophistication and mystery surrounding wine tasting are...
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What is a Master of Wine?

What’s a Master of Wine and how does one get the title?   We’ve been asked that question several times so we decided to go to one of the best sources in North America for the answer.   Joel Butler, one of the first Americans to earn this prestigious title is...
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Tawny Port Gaining Popularity

According to Wine Spectator magazine, tawny port is seeing an increase in popularity in the U.S. and the U.K.  Ruby ports, which are darker and sweeter, still lead the category, which deserves more attention from consumers.  The story also mentioned a cache of tawny from 1855 that was found in...
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Red Wine Compound and Aspirin May Halt Cancer

A research team at the Gustave Roussy Institute in Villejuif, France. led by Dr. Guido Koemer, has found that a combination of resveratrol and aspirin may knock out abnormal cells that lead to cancer.  Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes (and red wine) and much has been...
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Angelina and Brad Release Second Vintage

We read it in Decanter, the respected British wine magazine.  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s second vintage of Miraval rosé was released February 7.  The 2012 vintage sold out in five hours.  Like 2012, the 2013 vintage has received high marks from the Decanter reviewer.  This year’s 200,000 cases will...
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Dedicated Cider Bar to Open in Chicago

Cider is a popular drink in Chicago and the owners of two successful bars Fountainhead and The Bar on Buena will open The Northman, Chicago’s first bar dedicated to cider, this Spring.   The Northman will have more than 100 ciders on draft, cask and in bottles.  While the focus...
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China Now Biggest Consumer of Red Wine

Who would have guessed it?  China is now the biggest consumer of red wine surpassing France and Italy.   In 2013 the Chinese market, which includes Hong Kong, consumed 1.865 billion bottles of red wine.  Why red wine?  Possibly because red is a very positive color in the Chinese culture...
In the News

Utah’s Stringent Liquor Laws Being Questioned

Ever heard of the “Zion curtain”?  That’s the cynical name applied to Utah’s law requiring a bartender to disappear into a back room or behind screens to mix a cocktail.  State lawmaker, Kraig Powell (R) wants to ease up on this law as well as allowing restaurant patrons to order...
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Where Did India Pale Ale Get its Name?

A Relic of the British Raj   Craft beer drinkers are very familiar with the term IPA – or India Pale Ale.  But how did the beer get its moniker?   William Bostwick writing in The Wall Street Journal recently explained that in centuries past, beer was brewed with hops...
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Red Wine and Chocolate Protect Against Diabetes

A study from East Anglia University in Norwich, UK, found that adding red wine, dark chocolate and berries to the diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.  The key ingredient in all three is flavinoids and consuming high levels of flavinoids helps the body regulate sugar levels.   The research...
In the News

Fake Scotch Hits the Rocks

The British government is taking steps to protect the $6.6 billion Scotch whisky   industry, the 10th biggest manufactured product in the U.K.  Fake Scotch whisky is costing the industry about $820 million a year, according to The Scotsman newspaper.   The industry is supporting voluntary registration guaranteeing that the whisky...
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Wine Quote of the Week

From Paul Mabray, CEO of winetech company VinTank, “What we’ve found is that it’s one of the most discussed consumable products.  There are 1.5 million to 2 million conversations a day about wine on social media.  No one on social media is saying, ‘I love my Dove soap bar in...
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Banner Year Predicted For California Wine

Silicon Valley Bank, the leading financial institution for the wine industry, forecasts in its annual State of the Wine Industry Annual Report that wine sales will increase six to 10 percent in 2014.  Just last year, Morgan Stanley was predicting a global wine shortage.   The wine industry has bounced...
In the News

California Bartenders Must Wear Gloves

A new state law that went into effect January 1 requires anyone handling raw food that will not be cooked to wear disposable gloves.  Apart from sushi, it includes such tools of the bartending trade as olives, twists, fruit, ice and so on.   Think of a busy bar where...
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Spirits Sales War Moves to Florida

Florida’s spirits retailers are up in arms over Walmart’s push to add spirits to their beverage alcohol line-up.  In Florida, spirits retailers can only sell alcoholic beverages, mixes and tobacco.  They must be separated from stores selling non-alcohol goods and cannot have doors connecting to any such establishment.   If...
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Good News for Single Malt Scotch

We reported that the on-premise or restaurant/bar category was down for wine sales in 2013 but there’s good news on the single malt front.  Restaurant Sciences LLC, a firm that tracks food and beverage sales in the food service industry, says that Single Malt Scotches, the expensive stuff, grew 3.1%...
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Cider a Substitute for White Wine?

We wrote about the introduction of AB In-Bev’s Stella Artois Cidre last May. A crisp, drier cider in the European style, it rolled out in 26 states and is now going nationwide. The cider market is lively, doubling each year.   Seems it appeals to white wine drinkers so the...
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Craft Brewing Classes Coming to CIA

No, not that CIA.  We’re talking about the famed Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Hyde Park, NY.   Brooklyn Brewery is collaborating with CIA to develop a small brewery on the college campus.  Operation of the brewery will be a part of the degree curriculum. Read the full story...
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California Wine Fast Facts

Here are few interesting facts about California wine.  Could be useful icebreakers next time the conversation gets stuck.   California makes 90% of all U.S. wine and is the world’s 4th leading wine producer after France, Italy and Spain. 20.7 million tourists visit California wine regions, about five million more...
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U.S. Wine Market Expands in 2013

Despite the tough economy, the U.S. wine market continued its decade-long growth with 1.5% increase in 2013.  That is slightly lower than 2012, which showed 1.7% growth.   The segment that lagged was on-premise or restaurant sales, which actually declined.  The bar/nightclub sales fared the worst.   Sales at retail (or...
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Kentucky Restricts Wine and Spirits Sales

A decision by the US 6th Circuit Court of Appeals means Kentucky will return to a law written in 1938 prohibiting sale of wine and spirits at grocery stores, gas stations and other retail outlets.   A lawsuit in 2011 overturned the ban allowing grocery stores to sell wine and...
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Spirits Consuption in California

We recently quoted the president of the California Artisanal Distillers Guild saying, “Basically, we drink half the booze in the country.”  We thought that might be a slight exaggeration and decided to check it out.   According to DISCUS (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States) a trade group, for...
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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ New Tequila Deal

World’s Biggest Drinks Company Hip Hopping A Diddy/Diageo combo sounds like a bizarrerie.  Yes, that is a word.  Diddy is a rapper while Diageo is the biggest alcohol drinks company in the world.  They have formed a joint venture to buy DeLeón tequila that, according to the Wall Street Journal,...
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Jim Beam Selling to Suntory

We’ve noted many times that bourbon is in demand.  Here’s $13.6 billion proof.  Suntory Holdings Limited of Osaka, Japan has offered that sum of money to Jim Beam Inc., the maker Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek American whiskeys. The deal includes other major Beam brands such as Courvoisier...
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California Distillers Allowed to Sell Samples

Prohibition ended 80 years ago but it has taken that long for California to change the rules for its boutique distillers.  Effective January 1 this year, distillers may now charge customers for tastes of their products.   Unlike wineries and breweries, which have been allowed to charge customers a fee...
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Duck Dynasty Flap Over Wine

Napa Valley the Center of Newest Quack-up   The Robertson family of Duck Dynasty fame has a deal with Trinchero Family Estates, a large Napa Valley winery that owns Sutter Home, to make and market Duck Commander brand of wines.  This has laid an egg with Duckhorn Wine Company, another...
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David Sues Goliath

Craft Brewery Takes on Anheuser-Busch Big Sky Brewing Co. based in Montana has filed a suit in U.S. District Court in Missoula against Anheuser-Busch over the use of the phrase “Hold my beer and watch this” which they say violates their trademark.   Three videos from Bud Light on YouTube...
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Americans Prefer Bubbles with an Italian Accent

Prosecco Sales Soar When measured in increased sales, the American market for sparkling wine seems to be saying it likes its bubbles with an Italian accent.  From January to December 1, 2013, sales of Prosecco increased by 38%.  In the same period, Champagne increased just .08%.   Prosecco is light...
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Good News for Moderate Drinkers and a Happy New Year!

It is rare to find good news about drinking so let’s end the year with some positive news about moderate alcoholic beverage consumption.  The operative word here is moderate.   Time magazine’s John Cloud reported on an article in the journal Alcoholism:  Clinical and Experimental Research suggesting that – for...
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Trends in Wine and Spirits, Beer and Cider for 2014

Analysts at London-based MarketLine forecast the global alcoholic drinks industry will exceed $1 trillion in 2014.  In terms of volume, the liquid kind, it will amount to about 210 billion liters.   For the US and Canadian markets, a team at Technomic, a research and consulting company in the food...
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It’s Time to Bring on the Bubbly

The traditional drink for New Year’s Eve is something with bubbles, whether it is true champagne, from the Champagne region of France, or sparkling wine from other countries of Europe or the USA.  We refer you to our posting the week of December 8 “Affordable Bubbly”.  Of course, Champagne being...
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Growlers Graduate to Wineries

We reported on growlers in the craft brewing industry back in July 2013 (Growlers Going Gangbusters).  Now a winery in the Napa Valley is offering wine on tap to tasting room visitors.   Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, the southernmost winery in the Napa Valley, has launched an innovative program of using...
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Arsenic in Beer, White Wine and Brussel Sprout

Another screaming headline that is an attention grabber for sure, but not entirely accurate.  The arsenic is in the water!  Well, some of it.   The story came from News.Discovery.com and it quotes a study by researchers in New Hampshire of the toenails of 852 people.  Turns out that those whose...
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Counterfeit Wines on the Rise

A recent headline screamed that 20% of wine was counterfeit.  The question is, 20% of what?   Counterfeit wines are not a problem for mere mortals like most of us.  It is the bane of über wealthy collectors who know their wineries and vintages and are tempted by a prize...
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Moscow Mules and Missing Mugs

Dating back to 1940, the Moscow Mule has made a comeback.  The recipe is basic – vodka, ginger beer (not ale) and a lime wedge.  The secret ingredient is the copper mug it is served in.   The mugs are wildly popular so much so that some bars will only...
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Amazon Adds Ohio and Montana to Wine Shipments

Amazon Wine has added Ohio and Montana to its list of states for wine shipments bringing the total to 22 states and the District of Columbia according to Shanken News Daily.   Check Amazon.com to find wineries participating in the new one cent shipping promotion.  There are some fine wines...
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Beer Blues Continue

As consumers switch to wine and spirits, beer consumption continues to slide, at least as far as the big brands are concerned.  There’s plenty of activity in craft beers but overall, the category slipped 2.3 percent between 2007 and 2013.   Nine beers made the infamy list of lost popularity. ...
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American Vermouth? Yes, Really

When you think of vermouth, the brands that most likely come to mind are Cinzano and Martini & Rossi, both from Italy, or perhaps Noilly Prat and Dubonnet from France.  Of course there are many other well-known imported labels and you’ll find them listed on a web site devoted to...
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The Perfect Last Minute Gift

There’s always the need for a last minute gift.   If the recipient is interested in wine, history, religion or simply someone who enjoys learning something new, then your gift problem is solved with “Divine Vintage” a book written by a Biblical scholar and a Master of Wine.  “Divine Vintage” follows...
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Affordable Bubbly

Mark Twain said, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much champagne is just right.”   In the US, champagne is thought of as a special occasion drink, which is too bad.  Every day is a good day to have champagne.  Both Napoleon and Winston Churchill are quoted as...
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Top Ten Spirits in the World

For the finer things of life, the folk at Gayot have their finger on the pulse.  Just in time for Christmas and New Year they are sharing their list of the top 10 spirits in the world.   For an investment of $8,060 you can find out if you agree.  ...
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New Zealand Takes Aim at Waist Watchers

New Zealand produces some truly delicious wines but now the industry has set its sights on becoming the leading producer in the world of lower alcohol, lower calorie wines.   With help from the government through their Ministry of Primary Industries, the equivalent of USDA in America, the $NZ17 million...
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Gift Giving Takes Talent

According to Brett Arends in The Wall Street Journal, most of us are lousy gift givers. Of course he was quoting research, which just proves our contention that there’s no human activity too small to go unnoticed by researchers.   The premise of the article is that we tend to...
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Best Wines for Holiday Meals

Now that Thanksgiving is over, can we stop worrying about what wine to serve with dinner?  Food and wine pairing can be a challenge but there’s help at hand from Gayot.com.   The editors have compiled “best of” for a dozen different varietals at varying price points.   Wine types covered...
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Ancient Wine Cellar Found in Israel

Samples found in ceramic jars in a 3,700-year-old cellar in the ruins of a Canaanite palace reveal that fine winemaking has been a sophisticated art for millenia. Researchers call the finding significant. The 40 jars, all found in one room, each held about 13 gallons.  The quantity suggests it was...
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Diet-Smart Drinking

It is certainly the season for tips on drinking!  For those on a diet or simply calorie conscious, NYC dietician and best-selling author, Tanya Zuckerbrot, offers five common sense suggestions:   Lighten your usual drink – use club soda as a mixer with spirits. Wine diluted with club soda, called...
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Aging and Alcohol

There’s a long list of gripes about aging but one that is often overlooked is the declining efficiency of an aging liver, which is pretty important when it comes to metabolizing alcohol.   Recently The Wall Street Journal’s Andrea Peterson took a sober look at how after 40, men and...
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Wine for Cats?

Tired of drinking alone?  A Japanese company, B & H Lifes, has come up with a wine for cats.  Some of the ingredients are fructose glucose liquid sugar, catmint, cabernet grape juice and vitamin C, caramel coloring.  But there is no alcohol so why are they calling it wine?  Its...
In the News

Top 10 States for Wine Production

A report from financial services giant, Morgan Stanley lists the top 10 wine producing states in the US based on 2012 production.  We were surprised by a few and we bet you are too:   Texas  – 1.2 million gallons New Jersey  – 1.6 Florida  – 1.9 Kentucky  – 2.4...
In the News

How Glass Size Affects Wine Consumption

One of our favorite pet peeves is stemware that does not enhance the flavor of the wine.  This is especially egregious in restaurants that use cheap glasses to serve costly wine.  Now there is word that using glassware that matches the wine increases the likelihood of pouring too much wine...
In the News

New Rules Help France in USA

French wines have always had to operate under very strict rules sometimes making it difficult for French winemakers to compete against the New World.  For example, in the US, it is permissible to blend wines from different areas.  Not so in France.   In 2009, the French government relaxed the...
In the News

Wine of the Year Award

Every year, Wine Spectator names a Wine of the Year.  The coveted award for the 2012 went to Shafer Vineyards in the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley.  The winning wine was the 2008 Relentless, which, incidentally is sold out.   The story of Shafer Vineyards is a delightful one. ...
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Winery Women Support Alpacas in Peru

Margrit Mondavi and Sandra Jordan have come together to support the herders of alpacas in the Peruvian Andes.  The luxurious and ancient fabric from alpacas is sometimes called “the gold of the Andes”.  Margrit Mondavi is VP of Cultural Affairs at the Robert Mondavi Winery.  Sandra Jordan, a native of...
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Napa Famous For Grapes And Pumpkins!

Pumpkin Wine Contest Announced   A local Napa gardener has grown the biggest pumpkin in the world weighing in at 2,032 pounds. Tim Mathison and his ton of pumpkin were the toast of New York recently appearing on TV with his wife ,Suzie while the famous pumpkin was the focal...
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Give The Microprocessor Some Wine!

Anyone who cooks likes to joke about “A glass of wine for the stew and a glass for the cook”. How times have changed. Now it’s a glass for you and one for the microprocessor. The inventive folk at Intel demonstrated recently in San Francisco that red wine poured into...
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Wine And Spirits Larceny

First it was the theft of a copper sculpture of an artichoke from the Robert Mondavi Winery in Napa valued at $10,000. Then there’s the still unsolved mystery of the missing bottles of 20-year-old Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon worth about $25,000. We’ve also reported on several schemes to outwit the...
In the News

How To Hold A Bourbon Tasting

We’ve written about organizing wine tastings but for a fun twist why not cash in on bourbon’s increasing popularity and hold a bourbon tasting for your friends?   Janet Patton at the Lexington Herald-Leader called on two experts, Mike Veach and Susan Reigler to give her readers pointers on how...
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Bourbon Is Better Than Vodka

Five Reasons Why   Fred Minnick, who blogs on anything whiskey (or whisky since he covers Scotch), and who recently wrote a must read book, “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch & Irish Whiskey”, dared to opine on Parade.com that Bourbon is better than Vodka....
In the News

Global Wine Shortage Disputed

A widely published report by Morgan Stanley Research concluded that in 2012 global wine production was short about 300 million cases. The reason for the undersupply was diminished vineyard acreage in three major wine producing countries – France, Spain and Italy.   Wine consumption has also fallen in these countries,...
In the News

Amazon Wine Shipping Expanded

Amazon announced the expansion of wine shipments to New York, Michigan, Arizona and Louisiana bringing the total number of states covered to 20 plus the District of Columbia.   This news comes just in time for the busy holiday season. Consumers shopping online have a choice of more than 5,000...
In the News

Historic Sonoma Winery Wins Award

Buena Vista Winery was awarded the 2013 California Preservation Design Award for Craftsmanship/Preservation Technology at the 30th annual California Preservation Awards ceremony in San Francisco recently.   Beuna Vista was founded in 1857 by Count Agoston Haraszthy and is regarded as California’s first premium winery. Over the decades it has...
In the News

Where’s Pappy?

Around two hundred bottles of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon have vanished from a locked area in a locked warehouse in Franklin County, Kentucky according to The Wall Street Journal. The reason this is big news is because only six to seven thousand cases are distributed each year with some retailers...
In the News

Sculpture Stolen At Robert Mondavi Winery

The Napa Register reports that a copper sculpture of an artichoke was stolen from outside the tasting room at the Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakville some time last week. The sculpture disappeared between noon Wednesday and 7:00 a.m. Thursday. Worth about $10,000, the sculpture was two feet tall and weighed...
In the News

Don’t Mess With Champagne!

A bottled water outfit cleverly called Beverly Hills 90H20 has really annoyed the Champagne Bureau USA, located in Washington, DC. The Beverly Hills Drink Co. described 90H20 as the “Champagne of waters” on their web site. Using the word “Champagne” for anything other than the sparkling wine from the Champagne...
In the News

Who Invented Vodka?

The provenance of vodka is debatable with both Russia and Poland laying claim to its creation. We do have proof that it was available in Poland in the eighth century and it is certainly the most widely consumed alcoholic drink in Eastern Europe and Russia where it is usually imbibed...
In the News

Twinkie Cocktails

We saw the headline on FoxNews.com and thought we were reading Twinkle as in twinkle, twinkle little star. No, it really was all about Twinkie inspired cocktails. They look very pretty and surely taste sweet. For the recipes for seven Twinkie cocktails go to http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/10/02/7-twinkie-inspired-cocktails-to-prove-that-twinkies-are-still-awesome/?intcmp=related....
In the News

Bee Inspired!

The search for the perfect wine rack has a new contender. Award winning industrial designer, John Paulick, watched a documentary on bees building their hive and realized that their 120 degree joints could be applied to wine racks. Bees use minimum space and materials yet cleverly retain optimal weight distribution....
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A New Way To Label Wine

Humankind has been making and imbibing wine for thousands of years so it stands to reason that we know all that there is to know. Not quite. A couple of financial whiz kids have come up a new and useful twist on labeling.   Greg Scheinfeld and Jay Levy, partners...
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New Products

A combination of pecans and bourbon sounds like a winner. The folks at Heaven Hill Distilleries are hoping so. William Wolf Pecan Bourbon is rolling out in the New York market. The whiskey is made in America then infused in Holland with a pecan distillate. It is the brainchild of...
In the News

Winery Turns To Brewing

The Ceja family, owners of Ceja Vineyards, has opened a craft brewing facility in Carneros, an area that stretches across the southern part of both Napa and Sonoma Counties. Pablo and Juanita Ceja came to Napa from Mexico in 1967. In the early 1980s, the family bought 15 acres in...
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Shop Costco For A $17,000 Bottle Of Scotch

Costco is famous for saving you money, right? Believe it or not, a bottle of Scotch whisky for $16,999 is a bargain, sort of. A Costco store in Scottsdale, Arizona has one bottle of The Macallan single malt, which has been barrel aged for 60 years. Only 400 bottles of...
In the News

New Products

We love to hear about entrepreneurs in the wine and spirits business. Hats off to a letter carrier in Holstein, Iowa who is distilling rum. Holstein Rum is already in local stores and its creator, Greg Brunelle along with wife, Karen, hopes to have it in 300 stores by the...
In the News

Oktoberfest In Full Swing

The annual beer-a-thon has started in Munich. The city expects to attract about seven million beer drinkers who will down an estimated 15 million glasses of beer. That’s only a reasonable two glasses per person but a glass holds one liter and costs about $14.00. Officials have warned purveyors not...
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What The Thirsty Will Do For Vodka

CREATIVE SMUGGLING Harpers, a wine and spirits magazine in the UK, reports that border agents in Kyrgyzstan recently discovered an eight inch pipeline for smuggling vodka from neighboring Kazakhstan. The pipeline ran for about a third of a mile under the Chu River depositing who knows how many thousands of...
In the News

New Products

Scarcely a week goes by without an announcement of a new product/flavor/package from a major distiller. Three that got our attention:   Wild Turkey’s Spiced bourbon is positioned to take on rum. The flavor profile, slightly sweet and spicy, means it can be mixed with cola or consumed neat. Either...
In the News

The Great Pumpkin Gets Ready

You know it’s fall when brewers are thinking about this year’s pumpkin beer. Do they really put pumpkin in beer? Not necessarily but the spices they all use taste a lot like pumpkin pie.   Fermenting pumpkins dates back to the earliest days of the settlers. Malt was in short...
In the News

95 Points. Awesome!

The point system used in wine reviews is a mixed blessing. Awarded by the wine critic, it can make or break a wine, especially if the reviewer had credibility. But here’s one that’s guaranteed to make the folks at David Fulton Winery & Vineyards blush with pride and joy. Their...
In the News

Beer Quiz

Next time you and your pals are downing a few brewskis, see if they can name which state consumes the most beer per capita per year. You can win this one! Here are the stats from the Beer Institute reported by Fox News:   North Dakota is #1 at 45.8...
In the News

Smokin’ Vodka

The parade of flavored vodkas has been joined by an outlaw – well, not exactly an outlaw but an outcast at least. International Spirits has created the first ever tobacco-flavored vodka, imported from the Netherlands. Being controversial is the cheeky hallmark of their brand Ivanab*tch, which includes other vodkas, gin...
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Top Scotch

For the past 44years, London has been the venue for the annual International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). Producers of wine and spirits all over the world covet recognition by IWSC. The unique combination of detailed technical analysis and specialist judging panels means that gaining an IWSC ‘Competition Award’ is...
In the News

Football Legend Opens Napa Tasting Room

Dick Vermeil who grew up in Calistoga at the very north end of Napa Valley, has always stayed in touch with his roots even as his career as a football coach became the stuff of legends. Since 1999, he has dabbled in wine, producing about 150 cases with winemaker and...
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Become A Wine Ambassador

Charles Boisset, head of the famous French wine family that claims the title of Burgundy’s biggest producer, is heavily invested in wineries around the world, including California. He has created a clever Ambassador program along the lines of Tupperware and Mary Kay cosmetics.   Ambassadors arrange parties or wine tastings...
In the News

Bourbon Goes A-Rye

There were some red faces and sweaty palms at Wild Turkey recently when barrels of rye and bourbon were dumped into one another accidentally. Eddie Russell, Wild Turkey associate master distiller was not amused until he tasted the blend and decided it tasted pretty darned good. He said all was...
In the News

Beer Blues & Other News

United States Beer Consumption Declines While Wine and Spirits Trend Upward.   A recent survey by Gallup confirms what major beer producer know – Americans are drinking less beer every year since 1992. Of drinkers surveyed, beer was still the first choice of an alcoholic beverage (36%) but its lead...
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Pour Wine Without Pulling The Cork!

Exciting New Invention for Accessing a Wine Bottle Without Spoilage   It doesn’t seem possible to pour a glass of wine without first removing the cork, does it? But thanks to Greg Lambrecht, a medical device inventor and executive with a passion for wine, it is now possible.   His...
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Truffle Talk Take Two

Creating magical wine and spirits pairings with truffles is a subject worthy of a book. We recently wrote about the availability of fabulous Périgord truffles from Australia during our summer months and offered comments and recipes from the importer, Frank Brunacci of Chicago. His Dirty Truffletini is a winner and...
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Killer Grill Skills

It’s never too late to bone up on grill skills. Two new tomes are on the market that will take your grilling and entertaining efforts to new heights.   Bon Appétit ‘s editor-in-chief, Adam Rapoport, has collected 350 foolproof recipes for “The Grilling Book” (Andrews McMeel Publishing $45). It comes...
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Ocean Aging: It’s Bourbon’s Turn To Take A Cruise

We recently wrote about Mira Winery in the Napa Valley experimenting with aging four cases of Cabernet Sauvignon in 60 feet of water in Charleston Harbor. Ocean effects have extended to Jefferson’s Bourbon known for their “ridiculously small batch” bourbons named to honor Thomas Jefferson. Aged in barrels that traveled...
In the News

Something’s Brewing

If you are a craft beer fan or know someone who is, “The Audacity of Hops” is a must read. Written by Tom Acitelli and published by Chicago Review Press ($19.95), this book traces the advent of craft beers from Fritz Maytag’s purchase of Anchor Steam in 1965 to the...
In the News

Wine And Spirits….And Ice Cream?

What in the world are we talking about? Truffles, that’s what.   Highly prized and often referred to as “black diamonds”, Black Périgord Truffles from France are not an everyday item in the kitchen unless you are a chef at a higher end restaurant. We were intrigued to read recently...
In the News

Booze Lessons For Babes

The theory is that women are woefully ignorant about spirits and that it’s a man’s world. Here’s a test: What’s the difference between bourbon, rye, and Canadian rye whiskey? We’re betting this isn’t just a girl thing.   Enter professional journalist Kayleigh Kulp and the book she is writing called...
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Proof Of “Proof”

Please sign in to Facebook to watch the video.   Found the following on Alaska Distillery’s Facebook Timeline:   Back in the old days, a trapper would go to a trading post to quench his thirst for booze. However, the savvy woodsman would require “proof” that the booze he was...
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New York Wine Experience

We insist the best way to learn about wine is to taste it, especially in the company of knowledgeable people. The New York Wine Experience is made to order for anyone seriously interested in furthering their knowledge and appreciation of wines from great producers. The Wine Spectator’s three-day event will...
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Mother’s Milk?

How about a vodka made from milk? It’s true. Made by Vermont Spirits of Quechee, VT it really is made from milk, it has a cow on the label, and it is lactose free. Huh?   Inspired by Araka, the traditional Tuvan drink distilled from fermented mare’s milk, Wine Enthusiast...
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Aperitif Adventure

Aperitifs can be complicated. Some are made with wine; some with spirits. All incorporate botanicals such as wormwood, hyssop and gentian for example. Not exactly everyday items in the pantry. Aperitifs – the word means “opener” served prior to a meal – have long been popular in Europe. In Italy,...
In the News

Growlers Going Gangbusters

No, we’re not talking about bad tempered folk. Craft beer fans know all about growlers. They are containers, usually glass, that hold 32 or 64 ounces of beer that can be filled and refilled from a beer tap station and sealed with a screw cap.   As with everything concerning...
In the News

Now That’s The Spirit!

We all heard those words of praise and encouragement growing up but that’s not what we have in mind. We came across some fascinating statistics in The Economist that could be a fun party quiz or at the very least an icebreaker.   So what country drinks the most vodka?...
In the News

A Conundrum For James Bond?

James Bond’s famous “shaken not stirred” martini was introduced in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel, “Casino Royale”. It was three parts Gordon’s gin to one part vodka. Will future Bonds have to switch to straight vodka?   The British magazine The Spirits Business reports that a fungus may destroy the native...
In the News

Whisky Lovers Listen Up

There’s still time to buy tickets to WhiskyFest in either San Francisco September 27 or New York October 11 and 12, 2013. Produced by Shanken Communications, the experts when it comes to wine or whisky tastings, participants will have the opportunity to taste more than 250 whiskies from around the...
In the News

Bourbon’s Fascinating History

There’s an article worth reading on Smithsonian.com about a new book on bourbon. The book’s author, historian and bourbon lover Michael Veach poses a new and plausible theory about how bourbon got its name; you will also learn how Prohibition contributed to the Great Depression; and which American President liked...
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For Wine – Check The Box

Bag in the Box, and it’s younger cousin Tetra Pak, means wine can go anywhere, including where glass is banned. Apart from keeping wines fresher, this type of packaging is environmentally friendly. Some of the advantages are:   You don’t need a corkscrew Easy to reseal so wine stays fresh...
In the News

Do Real Men Drink Pink?

In Europe they sure do and have for generations. In the US, well it is evolving.   Rosé is more than just a pretty face. It is the perfect summer wine. If it is really hot, red wine is problematic but a chilled rosé is the perfect partner for many...
In the News

Cozying Up To Icebergs

Icebergs aren’t the friendliest things so we were curious how they ended up in vodka. Luckily, the Wall Street Journal was curious too running an in-depth story on harvesting wayward icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean off Canada’s Newfoundland coast. Every summer, Ed Kean, an intrepid fifth-generation sea captain, searches the...
In the News

Is It A Wine? Is It A Spirit? Is It Beer?

It’s sake.   One of the delights of dining in a Japanese restaurant is the little, individual flagons of hot sake served with the meal, especially in winter. Sometimes the sake is really pretty awful, even to amateurs like us, but if it’s raining or snowing outside, it tastes pretty...
In the News

Origins Of French Winemaking

Scholars have been almost certain that the Etruscans, a seafaring people from central Italy, brought their winemaking skills to France around the fifth century B.C. Now analysis of scrapings from 2,500-year-old pottery amphorae found near Montpellier in Southern France confirm they held a type of wine flavored with basil, rosemary...
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Build A Better Burger Contest 2013

Since 1990, Sutter Home Family Vineyards in the Napa Valley has held an annual contest to find the best burger recipe. With a generous grand prize of $100,000 for the winner of the best beef burger, it is certainly worth honing your creative cooking skills.   The contest for 2013...
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Buy A Bud And Help Veterans

Since 2010, Budweiser has raised more than $5 million for the Folds of Honor Foundation and provided more than 1,000 educational scholarships to the families of soldiers killed or disabled in service.   For every case of Budweiser sold from now until July 4, a donation will be made to...
In the News

Suddenly It’s Cider

Cider has always been something of a stepchild but suddenly it is growing at the impressive rate of 110 percent in 2012. The major brewers have noticed, too. Boston Beer Co. launched Angry Orchard 2011 and is already at a whopping two million plus cases.   Miller Coors purchased Crispin...
In the News

Sobering News For Budweiser And Coors

Sales of beer slowed in the U.S. for the four weeks up to mid-April over the same period last year according to Forbes. The losers were Budweiser and Coors while imports Heineken and Corona as well as craft beer Sam Adams, gained.   Over the past 12 months Budweiser and...
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The Napa Valley Rocks!

The idea of a Woodstock-like event happening in the Napa Valley made a lot of locals nervous. Bottlerock, the four-day rock concert at the Napa Fairgrounds turned out to be not so bad after all, unless your house was in the immediate vicinity. The deafening decibels definitely caused some headaches....
In the News

Artwalk In Healdsburg

If you haven’t visited Healdsburg at the north end of Sonoma County, California, you should add it to your bucket list. The charming town is centered on a 19th century plaza beckoning the visitor to enjoy galleries, fine dining and wine tasting. If you are fortunate to be there on...
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Attention Beer Drinkers: It’s All About The Glass

Wine nerds have known it for years. Finally, beer drinkers can enjoy it too. We’re talking about glassware designed to enhance the flavor of the brew. Spiegelau, a German glassware manufacturer, teamed up with Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada breweries for a taste test of their India Pale Ale glass,...
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Instant Carribbean

Chill and serve! That’s all that’s to it for a perfect Malibu rum and cola, rum and pineapple or rum and cranberry cocktail. The newly introduced Malibu Cans come in 200 ml single cans or four packs. Malibu has also expanded its pre-mixed cocktail pouch line. Check it out at...
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A Glass Of Bubbly With A New Twist

Vodka makers aren’t the only ones intent on reaching the female drinker. So are tequila marketers. Sauza Tequila has added bubbles and a Champagne style bottle for a new range of premixed Margaritas in three flavors: Original Lime, Wild Berry and Mango Peach. Invite your BFFs over and effervesce together!...
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Weed Cocktail Anyone?

Green extreme might be the name for a trend in the UK where a vodka maker has a series of cocktail recipes using foraged ingredients. For those with time on their hands, wash and chop fresh nettles and borage leaves then stew with vodka for five days in a covered...
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What Legends Are Made Of

Quick! What does a vineyard, a beer, a washing machine and a cheese have in common? You guessed it: the name Maytag. The patriarch of the family behind the wondrous washer that changed they way Americans did laundry was Frederick L. Maytag. In the 1940s, Frederick L. Maytag II began...
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Old Ways With A New Beer

Planning a trip to Finland? Wait until June 2014 and you might be able to have a beer based on a brew from 170 years ago. Five bottles were salvaged from a Baltic Sea shipwreck from around 1840. The Finnish brewery Stallhagen will try to replicate the recipe based on...
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A Vodka Fashionista?

Now your vodka bottle comes with clothes? Pernod Ricard, owner of Absolut Vodka has a limited edition bottle dressed in denim. The tight fitting denim skin is lined with a special high tech fabric that keeps the contents cold for up to two hours. Absolut Denim is available only at...
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A Chip Off The Old Iceberg

There are more than 140 vodka brands available worldwide and dozens of sub categories within the brands. So how does a vodka product stand out in this crowded field? Bob Probert writing at www.northjersey.com has some interesting thoughts on this....