I like this idea. It's a disposable flask that holds 7.5 ounces of whatever you want to put in it. The bonus is that it is actually reusable too, so you don't have to just chuck it in the trash when your done. Finally, it's freezable, and has a plastic twist off cap.
Each flask costs $5.50 (not including shipping) so if you do chuck it, it's not too bad.
You can grab one at the Urban Outfitters site HERE.
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This is a small batch bourbon, so it's a little on the pricey side at $40 a bottle. I might have to grab one soon though, just to give it a shot. Here's some details:
Rowan’s Creek is stored in charred oak barrels. It is hand bottled at 50.05% alc./vol. (100.1 proof). Rowan’s Creek is made and bottled by hand, in small lots, one batch at a time. This Bourbon takes its namesake from the creek that still runs through our distillery. Back in the late 1700’s when John Rowan first settled around Bardstown , whiskey makin’ was the order of the day. John went on and made a name for himself as a well respected judge and statesmen. The judge is long since gone, but the creek that still bears his name is still carrying the best limestone spring water there ever was for making good Bourbon, so you know the whiskey makin’ is still going on. Try a sip of it, straight up in a snifter, or add a dab of branch water if you like. Either way, it’s the very best there is.
You can grab a bottle HERE.
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This really seemed like more of a mild publicity stunt than anything else, but I thought it was a good enough one though to go ahead and post the article:
TORONTO, ONT… (August 10, 2010) – The scarcity of icebergs off the north east coast of Newfoundland this year is causing trouble for not just the tourism industry but it is also creating a challenge for the island’s premium vodka business.
Iceberg Vodka, based out of St. John’s, is made from the pure water only found in icebergs. It is then blended and bottled by the Newfoundland Liquor Corporation and distributed across Canada. The incredibly pure water used in the vodka has typically been harvested by fisherman from icebergs found off of the coast but changing weather patterns have made it difficult this season.
“This has been a lean year for icebergs,” said Frank Heaps, CEO of Iceberg Vodka. “Our product's exceptional smoothness and taste is very much a result of the iceberg water, which comes from icebergs formed 12,000 years ago, when mother nature was still a virgin. If they cannot be found near St. John's where the product is made we are forced to go further afield to find them.”
Currently, Iceberg Vodka is harvesting the icebergs found offshore of Labrador, however in the past when icebergs have been harder to find, water had to be sourced from icebergs as far away as Greenland. "It varies from year to year depending on weather, wind and sea conditions", says Heaps.
"The reason that icebergs are so important for Iceberg Vodka is more than just the name. Technically speaking, tap water, which many spirits are made with, typically contains 200-300 of impurities while water from icebergs contains just .04 ppm," Heaps went on to say.
While these icebergs are typically harvested off of the northeast shore of Newfoundland, weather conditions farther up north have caused icebergs to mostly abandon their southerly journey past Newfoundland through “Iceberg Alley”, on their way to extinction in warmer climes to the south.
You can check out the vodka at their site HERE.
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I'm really not sure how this would taste. They mention though, that it's good with bourbon, which might be pretty interesting. It's only available in PA, so you'll need to live there, or know someone who does, to get any.
Here's the details:
What would happen, we asked, if we took a traditional German “Lebkuchen” and distilled the ingredients into an organic spirit? What is a lebkuchen, you ask? A ginger snap!
But not the mass-market, high-fructose junk at the supermarket. We’re talking a real Pennsylvania Dutch (which actually means Pennsylvania German, not Dutch. Many years ago, someone apparently misheard “deutsch” for “dutch”) ginger snap made with hearty blackstrap molasses and fresh ginger. The kind our mothers, grandmothers, and great-great-great-grandmothers used to make.
“Lebkuchen” was invented by German monks in the 12th century and first appeared in America in the late 1600s when German Anabaptists looking for religious freedom came to Pennsylvania to be part of William Penn’s “Holy Experiment.” Although most people don’t know it, the Pennsyslvania Dutch are a diverse and tolerant bunch, encompassing a mix of religions and the non-religious. What they all had in common was a strenuous work ethic and a robust culinary tradition. Because these early Germans were rustic farmers, they baked with hearty blackstrap molasses rather than refined sugar. Back then, this was considered backward and unsophisticated by the “English,” but today we know otherwise.
Blackstrap molasses retains the natural goodness that gets stripped away by the refining process. It also provides a very distinct and earthy flavor. Of course, the Pennsylvania Dutch didn’t distill a Lebkuchen spirit. That was our idea. But we think it is a delicious one. There are other alcoholic ginger products on the market, but they are either sickly sweet liqueuers or artificially flavored vodkas. This is a sophisticated organic spirit based on authentic folk history designed for people who know how to drink. It’s the kind of genuine xperience we wish there was more of in the world. Try it and you will say “nix besser,” which is Pennsylvania Dutch for “none better."
You can go HERE to check out some links for Snap.
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This sounds like some good stuff. Though I will admit, the more I drink it, the more I think Devotion is my favorite at the moment. Though a new vodka is always worth trying out. The bad news here is that it's only available in New York at the moment, but hopefully it catches on and gets into more places.
Here's the press release:
KANON ORGANIC VODKA, A SWEDISH SPIRIT, LAUNCHES IN NYC CELEBRATING THEIR EGALATARIAN LIFESTYLE
June 26th, 2010 (New York, NY) – With a strong history dating back to 1580, Kanon Organic
Vodka, an eco-friendly Swedish spirit, launches in NYC. The Gripsholm Distillery, has been
producing organic vodka for over 400 years and instills old world value and tradition for the brand, while staying true to their roots, Kanon Organic Vodka prides themselves on taste, sophistication and social awareness.
Gripsholm Distillery is the only EU and US certified organic distillery in Sweden. Kanon Organic
Vodka is a clean and balanced spirit backed by a royal history; previously a cannon manufacturing
company in the late 16th century, Gripsholm started supplying vodka to the foundry workers and
people in the surrounding area. With its 29 pot-still pans, 280 workers and a production of over a million liters of vodka annually, Gripsholm was the largest distillery in Sweden.
Kanon Organic Vodka is distilled from locally grown organic wheat in a continuous process without
the use of environmentally harmful or genetically modified additives. While many brands believe that redistilling creates better vodka, Kanon’s unique organic process enables such purity that multiple distilling or charcoal filtering is not needed. The mix with fresh spring water delivers unique and distinctive finesse with natural flavor without the typical vodka burn; a trait found in no other vodka today. With an updated and modern packaging design, Kanon’s exterior aesthetic will match the organic spirit’s sleek and understated flavors. Likewise, Kanon is in keeping with an eco-friendly theme inside and out, as the glass bottle is made out of more than 60% recycled glass and the entire package is recyclable. Even the distillery is run on wind and waterpower and all by-products are renewed.
“The US vodka industry has failed to address that within the next five years, Gen Y will account
for a quarter of the population,” says Stefanie Marco, US Director of Marketing and Mixology for
Gripsholm Distillery. “They are the Internet Generation, whose ideals and expectations are more
honest and refined than their Gen X predecessors. Kanon is a super-premium-quality vodka by virtue of the product itself, rather than of driven-up price-points and false promises of access to a “models-and-bottles’ lifestyle.”
Kanon Organic Vodka is currently available in New York at Morgan’s Hotel Group and will be expanding distribution and launching in Los Angeles in January 2011.
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I'll have to track some of this down. I'm a big Marker's Mark fan, so this is a must. Here's the press release:
Loretto, KY (June 30, 2010) – Maker’s Mark is once again bringing innovation to the Bourbon industry with today’s release of the company’s first ever new Bourbon, Maker’s 46. In celebration, Maker’s Mark President Bill Samuels, Jr., continuing in the tradition his father began, hand-dipped and sealed ceremonial bottles of Maker’s 46™ Bourbon in the brand’s iconic red wax with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear at the historic Maker’s Mark Distillery.
Maker’s 46 is a handcrafted, full-bodied Bourbon whisky that starts off as original Maker’s Mark. The transformation into Maker’s 46 begins when fully matured Maker’s Mark is emptied from the barrel so that 10 seared French oak staves can be affixed to the sides. Then, Maker’s Mark, which is made with red winter wheat for a smooth taste, is put back in the barrel and aged for several more months, allowing the natural caramel, vanilla and spice flavors released by the staves to enhance the end product.
“This new expression is a breakthrough in the contemporary craft of bourbon,” stated Mr. Samuels. “We have used innovative techniques never before employed by the Bourbon industry to create a full-bodied bourbon without any bitterness.”
The creation of Maker’s 46 was a collaborative effort between Bill Samuels, Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Kevin Smith, and Barrel Maker and “Wood Chef” Brad Boswell of Independent Stave Company. Samuels and Smith started with a clear idea of how they wanted the new bourbon to taste – full-bodied without any bitterness – and turned to Boswell to help develop the recipe. They knew this would be no easy task, if it could be done at all.
After much experimenting, Boswell decided to try a searing technique on French oak staves that had never been used before to make bourbon. He delicately seared the staves just enough so that the caramel and vanilla flavors from it were released and only a small amount of tannin, which adds bitterness, came out of the wood. The name Maker’s 46 comes from the profile number Boswell assigned to this winning “wood recipe.”
Samuels notes, “Over the years whisky consumers’ palates have moved toward bigger and bolder flavors. So, I wanted to craft a contemporary interpretation of Maker’s Mark that matched with current tastes, but didn’t want to mess up what my father had created or disenfranchise any of our loyal fans.”
Kevin Smith adds, “Maker’s 46 is spicier and has a more intense aroma than Maker’s Mark. It has rich caramel and vanilla flavors, and even at 94 proof it’s soft enough to hold on the tongue. You can drink it on its own or mix it into a cocktail.”
Initial reactions from Bourbon experts to Maker’s 46 have been positive. Malt Advocate Publisher and Editor, John Hansell has noted in his review, “The French Oak staves in ‘46’ add firm, complex, dry spices (lead by warming cinnamon, followed by nutmeg and clove)…which dovetails well with Maker’s trademark layered sweetness.”
Additionally, Charles K. Cowdery, Editor-in-Chief of The Bourbon Country Reader – a publication dedicated exclusively to American whiskey – says, “Compared to standard Maker’s, there is less citrus and more fudge. It is very, very good.” Jose Garces, Owner of Garces Restaurant Group and Food Network Iron Chef, has also reviewed the Bourbon and states, “… I really enjoy its fruit-forward notes with flavors of vanilla and caramel lingering from the aging process. The finish is extraordinarily smooth and the flavor pleasantly stayed on my palate.”
Only 25,000 cases of Maker’s 46 will be shipped by the distillery this year, making bottles of this first batch a rare commodity. The new Kentucky straight bourbon whisky will be sold in 750ml bottles and retail for approximately $10 more than Maker’s Mark (prices vary state to state).
For more information about Maker’s 46 and Maker’s Mark, go to www.makersmark.com (must be 21 years of age or older), or visit Maker’s Mark on Twitter and Facebook.
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Anything that comes from Hawaii has to be pretty good. There's a lot of information in the press release, so here it is:
Kalaheo, Kaua`i, Hawaii, July 8, 2010–A scant ten months after becoming the first-ever distillery on the island of Kaua`i, The Koloa Rum Company has both captured several prestigious awards as well as begun expanding its distribution eastward, first, across the State of Hawaii and to the mainland, making landfall first in California.
Back in March, Koloa Premium Hawaiian Rum—available in white, gold and dark varieties– won two silvers and a bronze award at the Fifth Annual Polished Palate Rum Festival held in Ybor City near Tampa, Florida. In its first-ever festival and competition outing, Koloa Rum won a bronze medal for their Kaua`i White Rum; a silver medal for their Kaua`i Gold Rum; and a silver medal for their Kaua`i Dark Rum. Festival organizer Dori Bryant, whose judges evaluated 42 rums on the basis of appearance, aroma, taste, “mouth feel” and finish, said, “It is obvious that rum’s star has already risen. The quality of new products entering the market—including those from Panama, Venezuela, Florida and Hawaii—bodes well for the industry.” The Polished Palate founded the first cane-based spirits competition in the US: www.polishedpalate.com/events/irf/2010.
Then, in May, Koloa Rum Company captured a Gold Medal for its Kaua`i Dark Rum at the Rum Renaissance Festival in Miami. This festival (www.rumrenaissance.com), the Western Hemisphere’s largest cane spirits event, featured more than a hundred rums in a variety of categories. A panel of international rum experts including authors, mixologists, collectors, journalists and others blind-tasted the rums in eight major categories. According to event officials, more than 1,900 people attended, with all having the opportunity to experience Rums from around the globe and enjoy public and VIP tastings. According to Paul Artrip, “The Rum Daddy” (www.therumdaddy.com), and host of the American Artisan Rums booth, “America’s entrepreneurial spirit is ‘alive and kicking’ in artisan and micro distilleries across the country, and rum is leading the way. Rum was America’s first widely-produced spirit, and American ingenuity is fighting a slow economy to showcase U.S. know-how and creativity. Having Koloa Rum Company win a Gold Medal in their first year of participation at the Festival is a tremendous recognition of their efforts and their people.”
Bob Gunter, President of Koloa Rum Company, stated, “Receiving multiple awards in two consecutive competitions is a tremendous honor and reflects our employees’ expertise, dedication, hard work and relentless efforts to produce premium products that consistently exceed our customers’ high expectations.
“These rigorous competitions and awards serve to validate these efforts and the quality of our products. One of the goals in creating our company was to bring favorable recognition to Kaua`i and Hawaii, and these medals bring positive attention and credibility to Hawaii as a premium rum-producing region and give all of us on Kaua`i something we can be proud of and share.”
Rum’s ingredients—sugar, water and history—have a rich and storied tradition in both U.S. and Hawaiian culture, and all are a part of Koloa Rum’s DNA. Called “America’s First Spirit,” rum came to U.S. shores with pirates, traders and explorers. It was believed that Captain Cook first brought rum to the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1700’s after it had become part of the daily ration for British sailors. Meanwhile, for 150 years, sugar was one of Hawaii’s principal cash crops, and its first plantation was established near Koloa Town in 1835.
To make Koloa Rum, the Company uses pure Kaua`i-grown raw crystal sugar from Gay and Robinson, the last plantation to operate on the island. Their raw crystal sugar contains naturally high concentrations of sucrose and molasses and provides for efficient fermentation. Pure mountain rainwater from Mt. Wai'ale'ale and the nearby peaks and rainforests filters slowly through layers of volcanic strata before reaching vast underground aquifers the Company taps for Koloa. Finally, Koloa Rum Company’s 1210-gallon, hand-hammered vintage copper pot still made a journey of more than five thousand miles to Koloa’s primary distillery within the Hawaiian Fruit Specialties complex in Kalaheo. Manufactured in New England shortly after World War II, the still was last used to make bourbon and other distilled spirits in Kentucky. Koloa brought the still to the West Coast by train and by ship for the final journey to Kalaheo.
The still incorporates a copper column with seven individual plates. These plates cause the rising alcohol vapor to concentrate as it rises through the column. After passing through the seventh plate, the alcohol vapor enters the condensation chamber (condenser) where it cools and condenses into liquid. This column distillation process, combined with Kaua`i sugar and water, come-together to yield a rum of uncommon smoothness, purity and unique “mouth feel.” True artisanal rum, Koloa Rum is handcrafted and carefully distilled in small batches.
With all elements in place, Koloa Rum Corporation received Kaua`i’s first and only license to distill alcohol on the island in April 2009; they obtained a second license for a emonstration still at the Koloa Rum Tasting Room at the historic Kilohana Plantation in September and began selling rum there after a ceremonial blessing in September 2009. The Tasting Room is projected to attract upwards of 165,000 of visitors during 2010.
The ever-competitive arena of distilled spirits brings increased recognition and a national audience to Koloa Rum Company. As a result, the Company recently announced the selection of Johnson Brothers Liquor Company as its exclusive distributor in Hawaii. Bob Gunter explains, “Johnson Brothers is truly a world-class organization and our new partnership ensures that our expanding portfolio of spirits and other products have maximum visibility and availability across Hawaii and, potentially, beyond.” Meanwhile, the Company has reached agreements to establish selective distribution of Koloa Rum in California utilizing warehouses and fulfillment centers as the means to deliver Koloa Rum to the Company’s new and existing customers.
Johnson Brothers, which operates in twelve states from its base in St. Paul. MN, is one of Hawaii’s best known and most comprehensive beverage distributors, and distributes everything from Constellation’s family of brands to fellow Hawaiian brand Waialua Soda Works.
Gunter concludes, “These are the first steps in our planned expansion, first across and then beyond Hawaii. We don’t intend to rest on our laurels and in addition to wider distribution of our rums, we are looking to introduce new products, including Kaua`i Spiced Rum and ready-to-drink cocktails.”
ABOUT KOLOA RUM COMPANY
Koloa Rum Company is a multi-faceted, Kaua`i-based manufacturer that is focused on the development and sale of superior value-added beverage and food products from a wide variety of locally-sourced agricultural ingredients. Koloa Rum Company fully promotes sound and sustainable agricultural practices and believes that the eventual success of its products will provide meaningful support and diversity to the local agricultural industry and serve to stimulate employment, increase cultivated acreage and preserve open space. For additional information, please visit: www.koloarum.com.
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It's all natural tequila, which sounds interesting. Here's the press release:
Xamay Importers Inc. will introduce All-Natural Alma De Agave Tequila into the US Marketplace. For the first time, Alma, whose slogan is “We Didn't Create Tequila, We Perfected It,” will bring ultra-premium tequila to consumers at a low, reasonable price point without sacrificing quality.
Born in Xamay, Jalisco, one of the best regions in Mexico to grow the agave plant used to produce tequila, Alma De Agave Tequila comes from a 120-year legacy and is among the finest in the world. In the 1920s, Entrepreneur Pio Godinez began producing a limited quantity of “family reserve” tequila, using a homemade recipe handed down for three generations made with all natural ingredients and authentic agave from the family’s farmland. The family has continued to produce great tasting and extra smooth tequila that, up until now, has not been available commercially. For the first time, the family’s private reserve tequila will be shared and the public will be able to “Taste the Soul of Mexico.”
Presenting a Blanco aged 50 days, Reposado aged 9 months, and Añejo aged 18 months, the Alma De Agave portfolio of tequila will introduce aficionados to the world’s finest as a result of aging the spirit twice as long as is standard. Alma’s Reposado and Añejos were both the Gold Medal Winners at the 2010 San Francisco Spirit Competition. The brand is 100% agave, 100% natural, and 100% hand-crafted. Cooking piñas as a whole, not split, provides for a fuller flavor of the aquamiel (honey water). The tequilas are carefully and slowly pot-distilled in small quantities of 1,000 liters at a time, providing a cleaner and finer juice than that of industrialized tequila brands. Alma is wood-aged, organically and naturally, so that all of the chemicals are removed from the tequilas, and there are no added ingredients. Pre-chilled and pumped with oxygen before bottling, Alma Tequila boasts the cleanest, smoothest, and crispest taste, as the harsh aromas, taste, and tints that other tequila brands retain have been removed. The eye-catching presentation of the distinctive design and hand-crafted bottle make the new brand stand out in an oversaturated market. The modern rectangular bottle is topped off with natural wood caps giving it a very rustic feel, for elements of new and old that fit the brand’s image.
“Consumers will find that currently in the tequila US marketplace there are premium tequilas and commercial tequilas. The price point differential is significant and sometimes consumers are settling for less quality in order to afford tequila,” states Jose “Nene” Gonzalez, President and CEO of Alma De Agave Tequila. “Alma Tequila changes the equation. We fill the gap, providing ultra-premium tequila at a lower, reasonable price, without sacrificing quality and taste.”
“We’ve taken the old traditional method of creating tequila, and we’ve modernized and perfected it using natural methods,” adds Carlos Flores, Master Distiller of Alma De Agave Tequila. “Simply put, we didn't create tequila, we perfected it.”
Alma is distributed in New York, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, New Jersey and distributed by Young’s Market in California but will ultimately be nationwide.
Please visit www.almadeagave.com.
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I was very impressed with Devotion vodka. If you remember from my previous post about it (that you can read HERE), it's infused with Casein, which is protein. I really can't tell you much of anything about Casein, or if it changes the taste at all. I really didn't think it does, but there does seem to be a little hint of flavor to the vodka.
Taste wise, it's very smooth, and I really like the taste. For me, it almost had just a little hint of sweetness to it. Where shots of most vodkas can be a little rough, a shot of Devotion is actually pretty good. With its overall smoothness, it goes down easy. In a martini, it was really good.
Again, I don't really know what you get out of the Casein, but it either helps to make it a good vodka, or it's good for marketing.
Devotion is only available in the limited areas of San Francisco, New Jersey, Las Vegas, Southern California, New York and Arizona at the moment. If you're in any of those areas, I'd really recommend giving it a try.
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If this works as advertised, I'm going to try to buy stock in the company as soon as possible. Regardless though, it's at least worth a shot (pun intended).
The idea is that Drinkwel gives you a bunch of stuff that is supposed to help counter the negative affects of alcohol. Everything from supporting good liver health, to hangover relief. Here's some of the details from the site:
drinkwel is a specially formulated Alcohol Nutrition supplement that provides short-term relief and long-term support against the negative effects of alcohol.
Our 30-ingredient, doctor-approved formula contains a mix of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and our proprietary Superfruits & Botanicals Blend that help replenish nutrients and support the body's ability to process alcohol.
Each bottle of drinkwel includes 90 vegetarian capsules (a month's supply).
Support mechanisms include:
1. Milk Thistle, Bupleurum & other botanicals to support liver health.
2. Amino Acids to help process alcohol induced toxins.
3. Superfruits rich in antioxidants to neutralize free radicals.
4. Vitamin B-Complex to aid metabolism and maintain energy.
5. Vitamin C from multiple sources to support immune system function.
6. Essential vitamins & minerals to provide hangover relief.
I love how they call them "vegetarian capsules". Anyway, a 30-day supply of 90 pills will cost you $40. They do have a money back guarantee though, so it sounds like giving it a try would be worth it. Even if it just helps a hangover a little bit.
You can hit the site HERE to read more about it.
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