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...

July 15, 2024 – The Mediterranean Diet has been popular for several decades but the good news is that moderate wine consumption as a part of the diet, is critical to benefiting fully from its healthy effects. The diet is based on the foods consumed by the inhabitants of Southern...

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....

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...

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...

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...

May 22, 2023 -- May is Military Appreciation Month, and to continue the month-long observance, Crown Royal Whisky, country music star Mitchell Tenpenny and charity partner CreatiVets teamed up to make May the most generous month yet. While filming for a Chefs & Vets segment, linked HERE, Mitchell presented a...

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...

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...

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. ...

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...

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...

December 29, 2021 – Kahlúa, the famous coffee liqueur, wants to get couples to switch off their devices and put some fun and playfulness back in their lives.  All they have to do is go 30-nights without the internet.  Easy, huh?  But for the effort, they’ll get $25,000.  Hey, I’ll...

December 8, 2021 – Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has completed Year One of its Five Year Plan to plant one million trees over five years in partnership with American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the United States. Since the partnership's inception in 2020, 427,825 seedlings have been planted,...

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...

November 12, 2021 --- Starward Australian Whisky is now the Official Whisky Partner of the globally renowned Michelin Guide.  Starward will work with the leading authority in the culinary arts to roll out a 12-month U.S. partnership that complements Starward’s simple brand ethos of being a delicious and versatile whisky,...

October 27, 2021 – What happens when the Jacques Pépin Foundation, Jacques Torres Chocolate and Woodford Reserve come together?  You get a box of a dozen yummy chocolates just in time for the Holiday Season. Chef Jacques Torres created a deliciously smooth and silky ganache using the flavorful pairing of...

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...

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...

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...

May 3, 2021 – Still pondering what to give Mom next Sunday?  Need a hostess gift in a hurry for that fabulous weekend at the cottage on the shore?  Forgot a bestie’s birthday?  No worries.  Nickel Dime Cocktail Syrups of Oakland, California has just launched a line of cocktail syrups...

April 30, 2021 --- What could be a more amazing and memorable gift than a scenic tour of the Napa Valley in a vintage aircraft followed by a relaxing private wine tasting featuring Aileron Estates Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aileron Estates is a new luxury Napa winery headed by...

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...

March 11, 2021 -- Observing traditions keeps us grounded and St. Patrick’s Day is steeped in traditions we love such as wearing green, parades, corned beef and cabbage, green beer (or not) and Irish coffee.  And you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy it all.  Parades are on the...

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...

January 29, 2021 – Getting away from it all has a new urgency after months of lockdowns and isolation.  A ski trip to Park City Utah sounds enticing especially with the added bonus of après skiing at High West Distillery’s charming Nelson Cottage. Here guests can enjoy the unique experience...

December 20, 2020 – Imagine being one of just five lucky people to own a Kona Beer hot tub.  This exclusive creation brings gorgeous Hawaii to your patio, yard or even the man cave in the garage, and is a must-have for the ultimate staycation. Check it out here and...

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...

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...

September 23, 2020 – Sourced Craft Cocktails Is not only a service whose time has come but it is also helping unemployed bartenders and we applaud them for it.  Partnering with Balcones Distilling of Waco, TX, Sourced Craft Cocktails has created a special kit in honor of National Bourbon Heritage...

September 18, 2020 – Five straight bourbons, spaghetti westerns and silk pajamas. Yup, sounds kind of crazy but that’s the story of Fistful of Bourbon, a brand new all-American whiskey launched this month by the Scottish family William Grant & Sons. A blend of five straight bourbons – literally a...

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”...

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)...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

January 30, 2020 -  A study recently released by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health outlines five healthy habits that at middle age may increase years lived free of chronic diseases.  Interestingly, one of the habits is to maintain moderate consumption of alcohol, as opposed to no alcohol.  Four...

August 22, 2019 -- Drinking pink comes to summer reading with the publication of Hip, Hip Rosé,  a delightfully illustrated parody of a well-known children's story portraying Alice, passionate patron of the pink drink who, after a particularly happy, happy hour, finds herself in for a rouge awakening: The next...

August 12, 2019 – Good news on two fronts: Crown Royal Peach Flavored Whisky Crown Royal Peach Flavored Whisky is back by popular demand at least for the month of August which, it turns out, is National Peach Month.  This super delicious offering from Crown Royal was a limited release...

July 31, 2019 – Guinness, the storied Irish brewer is marking the first anniversary of the opening of its Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore this weekend and a super celebration is planned. Among the celebratory activities is daily live music at the brewery all week leading up to the anniversary,...

July 25. 2019 --- Well, Comic-Con is over and apparently so is The Walking Dead.  But fans can drown their sorrows in The Walking Dead Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey coming soon. The announcement was made at a sneak preview event at Comic-Con in San Diego last weekend.   For those...

July 17, 2019 -- The limited edition fourth iteration of Crown Royal’s Noble Collection is now available nationwide.   Crown Royal Noble Collection French Oak Cask Finished used new oak casks sourced from the Voges region in France.  The tight grain of this oak helps to impart subtle flavors and...

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...

July 15, 2019 --- An unparalleled collection of wines and spirits that date as far back as 1796 are now on permanent display at The Liberty Hall Museum at Kean University in Union, N.J. Livingston and Kean Families The wines and spirits in this exhibition were collected by the Livingston...

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...

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 ...

April 26, 2019 – For luxury brands, placement in a James Bond movie is worth buckets of money – Champagne buckets when the brand is Bollinger.  The UK Daily Mail reports that Bollinger Champagne is thought to have paid £10 million to be in the 25th Bond movie.  That’s $13,548,000...

March 22, 2019 –The hazy, lazy days of summer will happen, we promise, so be ready for some sweet sipping with Crown Royal Peach limited edition offering that’s in stores now. The addition of sweet, juicy Georgia peaches to Crown Royal’s signature smoothness and the result is delightful enjoyed on...

March 20, 2019 – Soon making a Margarita will be as easy as dropping a Keurig pod in a machine and pressing a button.  The two companies in the joint venture, Keurig Dr. Pepper and Anheuser-Busch InBev, tested the Drinkworks machine in the St. Louis market for four months and...

March 11, 2019 -- If beer is your go to beverage for celebrating, then make it a Guinness on March 17.  Black, creamy Guinness has been helping the Irish toast their patron saint since 1759 when Arthur Guinness founded the brewery.  According to the London Telegraph, as many as 13...

March 3, 2019 ---  It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, on March 17 everyone is Irish.  And to help you celebrate in style, Tullamore D.E.W.  Irish Whiskey has teamed up with IrishCentral to give you the name change you need to qualify as truly Irish for...

February 22, 2019 -- Imagine owning an entire AVA (American Viticultural Area) in one of the most scenic parts of California.  For $3.3 million, it can happen. Viticultural Area Located in Mendocino County, the 150-acre Cole Ranch has just come on the market.  It isn’t just a vineyard.  It has...

February 1, 2019 -- To celebrate Chinese New Year, The Macallan has unveiled the Lunar New Year Limited Edition Gift Box. The box includes two bottles of The Macallan Double Cask 12 Years Old in beautiful packaging featuring a specially designed label for the Year of the Pig. Somewhere in...

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...

January 10 – Heineken’s new alcohol-free beer is shipping to stores across the country this week just as Dry January is getting a bit tedious.  With Heineken 0-0 you can satisfy that craving for a nice cold one and at the same time, keep your resolution.  Fantastic!  And if you...

January 7, 2019 --- A Danish man was trying to open a bottle of Champagne on New Year’s Eve by holding the bottle between his legs when it exploded.  A shard of glass cut an artery causing serious blood loss.  He was rushed to a hospital in Copenhagen where doctors...

January 4, 2019 --- The annual Zinfandel celebration is scheduled January 17 through 19 in San Francisco.  If you are a Zinophile then join a couple of thousand like-minded tasters and indulge your passion at ZinEX in the beautiful setting of San Francisco Bay where the temperature is probably warmer...

December 20, 2018 – We want to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.  We hope you’ll watch this touching video “My Christmas Eve” and please share it with family and friends.  Have the tissues nearby!   Have a wonderful holiday season and please don’t drive...

December 6, 2018 – We’ve rounded up ideas from stocking stuffers to the expensively elegant and plenty in between.  These gift suggestions cover the gamut of relatives, friends, co-workers and the client you really need to thank for making another year a big success. Let’s start with the Stocking Stuffers...

November 20, 2018 – Delicato Family Vineyards is a California Winery that was named the USA Wine Producer of the Year at the 2018 International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards Banquet in London on November 14. Now in its 49th year, the prestigious International Wine & Spirit Competition remains more...

September 20, 2018 – If you want to stay somewhere really cool in wine country, get ready for a different experience next summer at the Cass Winery in Paso Robles.  The new guest quarters will be made of shipping containers so it will be the sleek, “un-quaint” bed and breakfast...

August 21, 2018 – About 18 months ago a breathless media opined that blue wine was the next big thing for summer 2018.  It didn’t happen, at least, not in this country, but blue wine is back causing a stir in France. Last Year Last year Gik from Spain and...

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...

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...

July 19, 2018 -- Bulleit Bourbon is teaming up with four trailblazing artists and shaking up tattoo culture with the announcement of Bulleit™ Bourbon Tattoo Edition.  The collaboration marks the first time the frontier-inspired Bulleit bottle will be altered and each design is guaranteed to become highly collectible and a...

July 18, 2018 – A new rose pink gin has just been released nationally.  After much success in France and Spain, Bosford Rose Premium Gin & Strawberry Liqueur is set to capture the market’s desire for all things rosé. Strawberry and raspberry flavors are blended with the original Bosford London...

July 12, 2018 – New Wine Glass Design You Need to Know About - 1 Wine Glass Wine drinkers who fuss about the shape of the glass are not being pretentious.  They know that the shape of the glass affects the taste of the wine.  This is something you can...

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...

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...

June 24, 2018  -- Smirnoff Ice Launches Contest to Win Five-Day July 4 Weekend Has it dawned on you yet that the Fourth of July falls on Wednesday this year?  That means back to work on Thursday and Friday.  That’s a bummer, no two ways about it.  But Smirnoff Ice...

June 12, 2018 – Reyka Vodka Wants U.S. World Cup Fans to Root for Iceland Since Team USA’s face plant in the World Cup playoffs, who are we going to root for?  Reyka Vodka suggests Iceland.  Let’s overlook the embarrassing fact that a tiny nation of 335,000 made the cut...

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...

May 29, 2018 – Campari Italy’s famous red aperitivo, joins forces once again with Imbibe Magazine  for the sixth annual Negroni Week June 4 – 10, 2018.  Bars, restaurants and retailers around the world will come together over the classic Negroni – an iconic mix of equal parts Campari, gin...

May 16, 2018 – Royal Wedding Cocktails Fit for a Marriage. The marriage of Meghan Markle to Prince Harry is a real life fairytale come true and Americans are justifiably very excited to watch one of their own marry her Prince Charming at Windsor Castle on Saturday.  Wall to wall...

May 11, 2018 – Enjoy smooth-as-hell spiced rum cocktails and top tier musical talent at military bases across the country this summer when Sailor Jerry partners with BaseFEST and USAA to raise money to support on-base family programs. The first concert starring Dustin Lynch will be at Fort Bliss (Army),...

May 6, 2018 – Cocktails for Mom!  Let’s wow Mom on her special day with a pretty pink cocktail, or one that is creamy white and delicious, or one that involves coffee in a fashionable espresso shade.  We’ve got choices. The Strawberry Mamie Taylor has a wonderful history.  It dates...

May 2, 2018 – Two bottles of The Macallan 1926 recently sold for $600,000 each which makes Patrón en Lalique: Serie 2 and Old Rip Van Winkle 25 Year Old look like absolute bargains. Peter Blake and Valerio Adami (PRNewsfoto/Le Clos) The Macallan 1926 The two bottles are extremely rare....

April  30, 2018 – Next Saturday May 5 two of the biggest celebrations of the spring will happen on the same day:  Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby -  The stars will not align like this again until 2029. Of course we went in search of a cocktail that...

April 26, 2018 – Spiked flavored water is a great alternative for summer refreshers. Truly Spiked & Sparkling has just released Wild Berry, a delicious new addition to their line up.  Wild Berry’s hint of clean, crisp flavor comes from everybody’s favorite summer fruit -- California strawberries, raspberries and Marion...

April 18, 2018 – Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey are adding a little Texas to a Kentucky icon with the introduction of “Longbranch Bourbon”. A rare small-batch Kentucky bourbon, inspired by McConaughey’s Texas and Kentucky roots, it is refined with Texas mesquite and oak charcoals – a unique method that deepens the...

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...

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...

March 12, 2018 – The collaboration between the famous Camus Cognac family and the 7th Baron of Revelstoke has resulted in a new Irish whiskey.  It’s a story filled with history, fascinating anecdotes and decades of expertise as these families come together. Lambay Irish Whiskey debuts in the U.S. market...

Captain Morgan Recipes March 9, 2018  -- The creative crew at Captain Morgan has come up with another doozy of a bottle and flavor to join the Canon Blast released in 2015, the Pumpkin Jack O’Lantern in the Fall of 2016 and last summer’s LocoNut coconut flavored spiced rum in...

March 6, 2018 – Twisted Tea, the top selling hard iced tea in the U.S., has added Blackberry and Huckleberry to its delicious line-up of flavored teas. We’ve sampled both and while we liked the Huckleberry a lot, it was edged out by Blackberry, but just by a tea leaf....

February 28, 2018 – Glitz and glamour reign supreme at the Academy Awards and so should your Oscar party.  From the spicy “Ancho in the Limelight” to the simple but sophisticated “Black Tie Martini”, cocktails have a way of adding a red carpet touch to any celebration.  Remember, great cocktails...

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...

February 16, 2018 – Sounds like a contradiction but it all starts this weekend in Arizona.  The Blended Scotch Whisky with the amusing name of Monkey Shoulder and its cement-truck-sized cocktail shaker will cruise into Phoenix for Arizona’s Cocktail Week on February 18.  The Monkey Mixer is a 2,400-gallon mobile...

February 14, 2018 – National Margarita Day is February 22, which falls on a Thursday this year.  Bummer!  Having to get up Friday morning puts a damper on things but you can still relax with a delicious, organic, hassle-free Margarita at home in a matter of minutes.  The secret is...

February 15, 2018 – In an effort to staunch the defection of young drinkers from beer to wine and spirits, Miller-Coors is introducing Two Hats, a light fruity beer costing just $5 for a six-pack.  The launch flavors are lime and pineapple with an ABV of 4.2 percent. Beer has...

February 9, 2018 – Rock star Jon Bon Jovi wants to be a part of your summer sipping.  His new rosé from France will be rolling out across the country this month.  Called “Diving Into Hampton Water”, a mouthful of a name, the label features a woman in a gold...

February 1, 2018 – Super Bowl 2018 is nearly here and you’re probably planning your run to the box store or supermarket to load up on all the traditional edibles so treasured by game watchers.  But if you’re still wondering about libations, we have some great suggestions below including a...

January 30, 2018 – Whether your team wins or loses, you can still feel good at the end of the game by serving a punch from Trail’s End Straight Bourbon Whiskey because you will be helping the reforestation program of the nearly 48,000 acres that were destroyed in Oregon’s Eagle...

January 26, 2018 – Budweiser has suffered a lot of indignities in the last few years.  First it was cannibalized by its offspring Bud Light, which took the top spot as America’s favorite beer.  In 2011, it lost its second place status to Coors Light. The latest put down comes...

January  19, 2018 – Drinks International, an influential British publication, surveys the best bars in the world every year to find out who is drinking what.  Some trends are surprising. The Number One spirit favored by patrons of these elite establishments is Gin.  While the Gin is definitely growing in...

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...

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,...

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...

January 5, 2018 – It’s always a celebratory moment when we hear a Champagne cork pop but exactly why it happens is probably something most of us have not spent a lot of time thinking about.  Leave it to physicist Helen Czerski, a specialist in the physics of bubbles, to...

December 22, 2017 – When that ball drops at midnight you and your guests will want something special to raise a toast to 2018.  But before that happens, there’s still Christmas to celebrate, followed by days filled with holiday spirit as we wrap up the final week of the year. ...

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...

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/...

December 13, 2017 – Calling Zinfandel lovers across America!  Once again, January is Zinfandel celebration time in San Francisco.  Imagine finding tickets to this extravaganza under the tree!  Anything is possible so start planning.  January 18-20, 2018 are the dates to circle on the calendar. Zinfandel is very familiar now,...

December 8, 2017 – Flavored vodkas often sound like we’re crashing a kid’s birthday party.  We’re grown ups, right, and bubblegum and lollypop flavors just don’t fit the image of an urban sophisticate.  Well, we’d like to think we’re sophisticated.  But there is a vodka that anyone with taste buds...

December 5, 2017 – The guy with a man cave has plenty of socks and he doesn’t want a tie.  What he does want is Sailor Jerry’s Spiced Rum with two collectible oil can mugs featuring Sailor Jerry’s pin up girl.  The gift pack, which is a reasonable $14.99 MSRP,...

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...

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...

November 24, 2017 – At last we’ve found the solution to saving leftover wine perfectly.  Over the years we’ve tried various gizmos, some that sort of worked, others that didn’t.  Then we saw Wine Squirrel on Kickstarter and chipped in a few bucks because it sounded really interesting and made...

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...

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...

November 14, 2017 – Hosting Thanksgiving is an enormous amount of effort and it seems to create more stress around what liquid to serve than any other holiday.  So why not embrace the challenge by serving drinks that offer a new twist on popular brands such as Smirnoff and Cinzano...

November 9, 2017 – In a clever, sassy move the Brewers Association, a trade group for small and independent brewers, has set a goal to raise $213 billion, repeat Billion with a B, to buy AB-InBev, the Belgian parent of Anheuser-Busch and the biggest beer company in the world.  You...

  November 2, 2017 – The Macallan has just released a unique single malt called Classic Cut.  Limited to just 90,000 bottles globally, this is a one time, never to be repeated, collectible expression of The Macallan. Matured exclusively in hand-picked oak casks seasoned with Oloroso sherry from Jerez, Spain,...

November 1, 2017 – Wine in a can has finally caught on and it is a trend that has gone mainstream. Backpack Wines hit the market a year ago with Snappy White and Cheeky Rosé.  Rowdy Red is the newest addition just in time for fall and winter tailgate parties...

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...

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”...

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...

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...

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...

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...

September 1, 2017 – Saying adios to summer calls for a cocktail.  The kids are back in school – whoo hoo!  Moms can celebrate.   Or maybe the thought of Old Man Winter around the corner demands something special as summer slips away.  We searched for fun ways to make Labor...

August 17, 2017 – A recent report published in JAMA Psychiatry claimed a huge increase in alcohol consumption to the point where more than one out of every eight Americans are considered alcoholics.  They say alcoholism has risen 49 percent in just 11 years.  JAMA stands for Journal of the...

August 4, 2017 – Shipping your favorite wine to friends, family or business associates in another country is now a possibility thanks to the guys in the big brown trucks.  United Parcel Service (UPS) has just announced that wineries can now ship to consumers living in 24 of the top...

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...

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...

May 26, 2017 – As if Jillionaire doesn’t have enough fun already, the internationally acclaimed DJ and music producer is now Bacardi’s ‘Minister of Rum’. And it gets better. He and his Major Lazer colleagues took a trip to the Bacardi distillery in Puerto Rico, where they worked alongside Maestro...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

    March 2, 2017 – Banned for 100 years, March 5 marks the 10th Anniversary of the repeal of the Absinthe ban in the US.  Chemist and Master Distiller Ted Breaux was a leading force in disproving the myths which had plagued the storied spirit and helped convince the...

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...

February 27, 2017 – The word is out that Amazon has applied for a liquor license for the super secret grocery store being built in the Ballard area of Seattle.  The drive through 9,700 square-foot grocery store lets customers place orders online for pick up in a 15 minute to...

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...

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...

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.  ...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

January 20, 2017 – We discovered the coolest idea for dressing up cocktails – or any beverage – for Valentine’s Day.  It’s called the ChocolateSideCar.  It’s a disk of Belgian chocolate, either milk or dark, with a little notch that makes it possible to hang on the rim of a...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

December 30, 2016 – Readers of a certain age will recall Don Ho’s famous song “Tiny Bubbles” – Tiny bubbles in the wine/ Make me feel happy/ Make me feel fine.  Turns out bigger bubbles would have made him feel even better. The U.K. Guardian reports that researchers in France’s...

December 30, 2016 – Hopefully any deleterious effects of New Year’s Eve partying will have dissipated by Sunday evening in time to watch “60 Minutes” take on the complicated question of who owns the rights to Havana Club Rum. It is an intriguing story that started in 1959 when the...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

December 2, 2016 – Nine-time Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt of Jamaica, has been named CEO at the famed house of Mumm. CEO in this case is Chief Entertainment Officer, a fitting title for a man with a contagious smile, a drive to win and a propensity for antics in...

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...

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...

November 25, 2016 – Here’s the solution to the annual dilemma of what to buy Dad/Your Boss/Valued Client/Best Friend – anyone in the “What the heck can I buy them” category. X Flasks of London offers a choice of gold, rose gold and silver flasks that are very compact but...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

  November 2, 2016 – Can’t wait until November 9 and the end of political commercials on TV and mailboxes stuffed with political flyers?  If you’ve been paying attention, whether Republican, Democrat, Independent, Undecided or just plain confused, you deserve a drink to relax you. The Danes have the answer....

  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...

October 21, 2016 — The unlikely cast of characters, Captain Morgan, Marilyn Monroe and Hello Kitty have one thing in common: the launch of a new products bearing their famous likenesses. Like Marilyn Monroe, Captain Morgan was a real person who now lives in a bottle. Hello Kitty is, well,...

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...

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...

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...

September 28, 2016 – Today is National Drink a Beer Day and Thursday, September 29, is National Coffee Day.  We’ve covered coffee cocktails with some great recipes, but here’s a way to kill two birds with one stone courtesy of Sam Adams.  They’ve combined the best of both worlds into...

  September 28, 2016 – Let’s face it, cocktails can be diet busters. Blue Ice Vodka, the #1 American-made potato vodka has 25% fewer calories than most spirits. What a great way to consume potatoes! And since most of the recipes include fruit, you’ll feel positively virtuous sipping one of...

September 23, 2016 – The first thing that came to mind when we heard about the Brangelina breakup was what will happen to Chateau Miraval?  We have our priorities, you know. The couple leased the Chateau in 2008 then purchased it for $60 million in 2012.  According to People Magazine,...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

September 2, 2016 — We wrote about an intriguing device that could remove sulfites from wine back in July 2015.  An estimated three million people are sensitive to sulfites, which occur naturally in wine but are also added for preservation purposes.  Called Üllo, the clever filter not only removes sulfites...

August 26, 2016 – Beer, wine, booze – you’ve got it all on your weekend shopping list in preparation for the last fling of summer.  We decided simple would be best as the point of Labor Day is to not labor.  So we’ve got six delish and super simple recipes...

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...

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...

August 19, 2016 – We’ll admit to being among the seriously challenged when it comes to cocktail creation.  We admire and are fascinated by all the mixologists we’ve met, and vow to do better next time, but… Help is at hand in the digital version of the famous Mr. Boston...

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...

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...

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...

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...

July 22, 2016 – Believe it or not, it’s a grape you have probably never heard of! According to the University of Adelaide’s list of the 10 most widely planted grapes, No. 1 is Cabernet Sauvignon, #2 is Merlot and # 3 is Airén.  Huh?  What on earth is Airén?...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

June 24, 2016 – You’ve got to hand it to a corporation so fixated on sustainability that they turn their old oak rum barrels into sunglasses.  That’s Bacardi and we really should write about all the really important stuff they do but we like fun and their new sunglass line...

June 16, 2016 – Country music legend Merle Haggard held the Guinness World Record for buying the biggest round of drinks since March 21, 1983 when he bought his fans 5,095 one-ounce drinks at a cost of $12,737.50.  This happened at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, which claimed to...

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.    ...

June 10, 2016 – An archaeological dig in southeastern Georgia’s Kevmo Kartli region has revealed grape seeds and dust that date back 8000 years confirming Georgia’s claim to be the cradle of winemaking.  Vine dust found in ancient ceramic vessels confirmed they were used for wine around 6000 B.C.  Grape...

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...

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...

May 27, 2016 – Finding something new, different and affordable can be a challenge but we have the solution for under $20. Martin Cate, owner of Smuggler’s Cove bar in San Francisco, has written an engaging history of rum, rum drinks, the Tiki culture, its revival, and recipes – more...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

April 29, 2016 – Mom deserves some special effort on your part so how about making her everyday coffee the object of your brilliance and creativity.  We’re here to help.  Check out our selection of recipes that will make Mom’s coffee a Mother’s Day to remember.  The best part is...

April 29, 2016 – Gn Chan, a bartender from New York City took home the trophy as his cocktail “Venceremos” was declared the Bacardi 2016 Legacy cocktail. We joined 150 other invited guests and international press at the elegant Bentley Reserve in San Francisco where the grand finals were held....

April 22, 2016 – A press release from Brussels dated April 20 outlined the alliance between the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine and the Wine in Moderation Program.  Both organizations will focus on social responsibility and moderation in the serving, selling, communication and consumption of wine. “The Institute of...

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...

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...

April 12, 2016 – Beer was invented by the early Egyptians, or so we’ve been told.  Excavations on the banks of the Nile reveal at least 3,400 years ago they were drinking beer and burying jugs of brew in the tombs of the dead to help their journey to the...

April 8, 2016 –Whether you have been in the wine business for years or just now hoping to break in, “Business of Wine”, an interactive online course will sharpen your focus and give you the tools you need to stay competitive in every facet of the industry, from vineyard costs...

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...

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....

March 25, 2016 – In the Dutch city of Breda, housed in a former cowshed, there’s a collection of Cognac and Armagnac of extraordinary historic significance that will be auctioned by Christie’s in New York on April 13. The collection of about 6,000 bottles was amassed by Bay van der...

March 24, 2016 – The sale of the late Robin Williams’s 640-acre Villa Sorriso, purchased recently by Alfred Tesseron, the owner of Château Pontet-Carnet in Bordeaux, was another indication of the interest of vintners from Bordeaux in the Napa Valley.  Originally on the market in 2012 for $35 million, Tesseron...

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...

March 18, 2016 – That little metal cap held down by wire over a Champagne cork could be quite valuable but only if it once graced an upscale and possibly limited release of Champagne. The cap has been in use since its invention in 1844 and over the years it...

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,...

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...

March 11, 2016 – Mon Dieu!  How could it happen that a Chilean wine named Bicicleta was the official wine sponsor of the Tour de France?  The winemakers of the Languedoc-Roussillon area wanted to know too and they were so angry they threatened to block a leg of the race...

March 4, 2016 – Whether your heritage is Irish or not, everyone is Irish on March 17.  We’ve got a terrific list of easy-to-make cocktails and even a suggestion for getting the party going.  You’ve got two weekends to get organized so no excuses and may the luck of the Irish...

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...

February 26, 2016 – Six seasoned bartenders stirred and shook their stuff before an enthusiastic crowd in San Francisco last Monday in the national finals of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Legacy Cocktail Showcase sponsored by Bacardi Rum.  Each contestant featured the recipe that captured the regional crown, chosen...

February 24, 2016 – Peter Mondavi, Sr. of Charles Krug Winery, died at his home in St. Helena on February 20.  He was the last of the Twelve Living Legends of the Napa Valley created by the Napa Valley Vintners Association in 1986. His parents Cesare and Rosa Mondavi, who...

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...

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...

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...

February 12, 2016 – If you shop at Trader Joe’s, you almost certainly know about its exclusive line of Charles Shaw wines.  Introduced in 2002 and priced at $1.99 a bottle, the were wines dubbed “Two Buck Chuck” by some wag and the name has stuck even though they now...

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...

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...

January 29, 2016 – We have to applaud House Beautiful for an excellent article on how to pour Champagne correctly.  The headline says, “We’ve All Been Pouring Champagne Wrong This Whole Time”.  Well, no, not all of us have.  Many of us know to tilt the glass, much as one...

January 22, 2016 – Along with inventing a cure for ebola, Sars, AIDS and cancer, the strange little “Hermit Kingdom” of North Korea is now touting their latest creation of hangover-free alcohol.  That’s almost as newsworthy as their explosion, or not, of a hydrogen bomb on January 6. The BBC...

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...

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”...

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...

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...

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...

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...

July 1, 2016 – The New South Wales Police Force’s Fraud and Cybercrime Squad is appealing to the public as they search for a missing collection of wines worth $5 million.  $5 million Australian is worth US$3,730,000. The missing wines include large quantities of Australia’s most famous wine, Penfolds Grange,...

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...

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...

December 30, 2015 – We wish all our readers a very happy, healthy and safe 2016. Please, please don’t drink and drive....

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...

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...

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...

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....

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....

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...

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...

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...