September 30, 2008
Smirnoff Vodka has announced a partnership with the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, which is set to open in November. Starting in October a Smirnoff Black limited-edition stainless steel cocktail shaker will begin being sold in duty-free shops at airports worldwide.
“Almost half a century since the debut of the ‘shaken not stirred’ vodka martini, Smirnoff and James Bond are still the perfect match: two bold, iconic brands that epitomize originality and authenticity,” said Diageo Global Senior Vice-President Philip Gladman. “This renewed partnership gives vodka drinkers around the world a taste of the Bond lifestyle, from cocktails to prestigious VIP premieres.”
Smirnoff made it's original appearance alongside Bond in Dr No, the first James Bond movie, which premiered in 1962. Sean Connery’s request for a “martini, shaken not stirred” was made with Smirnoff vodka, and helped change how people made 007’s favorite cocktail.
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September 26, 2008
You can help choose which lovely lady will be the next St.Paulie girl. The voting is down to four finalist; Brooke Long, Jessica Hall, Katarina Van Derham and Tara Rice.
Over at the voting site, there's an introductory video and then a video for each girl that you can watch to help you with your choice. The lucky girl will of course adorn posters, commercials and cardboard stands as the 2009 St.Paulie Girl. The voting ends on November 10, 2008. You can hit the site HERE to see the videos and cast your vote.
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September 22, 2008
Belvedere has launched a new vodka named Intense, which is a 100-proof "luxury" vodka. The vodka is double filtered through charcoal, which give it it's 100-proof rating, and is supposed to add to the the notes and texture of the vodka. Overall, it doesn't sound like there's anything all that new or innovative about it, other than a high alcohol content.
Maybe you'll be impressed by the notes and textures when you taste it, but only if you happen to be hitting a major airport anytime soon. The vodka will only be sold at international airports including London Heathrow Terminal 5, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Warsaw Frederic Chopin, Hong Kong International, Singapore Changi, Sydney, New York JFK and Buenos Aires Ezeiza for the next month or so.
Hopefully after that, if you're interested, it will start hitting the normal retailers.
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September 17, 2008
The Balvenie Distillery has released 151 bottles from a single cask from 1964 of The Balvenie, which will be sold only in duty free retailer Sky Connection in the Hong Kong International Airport.
The cask was number 10378, and is extremely rare. An expert in whisky maturation, The Balvenie Malt Master David Stewart said: "It is only a few special casks of The Balvenie single malt that continue to improve beyond 40 years. Each cask has a unique influence on the spirit it holds and the fine balance of flavours in The Balvenie 1964 can never be repeated."
The company said the long period of maturation has infused The Balvenie 1964 with “an amazing depth of flavor, characterized by sweet infusions of dried tobacco leaf and rich fruit cake, complex layers of dried fruits, ground coffee, walnut, and elegant oakiness”. Bottled at cask strength and presented in a specially crafted cherry wood box, each bottle is individually hand numbered and costs approximately $13,889 by the current exchange rate.
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September 8, 2008
Mutineer Magazine is a new mag all about alcohol of all types, and they also have a blog up and running. Here's a little bit about it from the site:
Mutineer Magazine is a magazine and website devoted to beverage writing and ideas. Rather than have our content pass through the pen of a traditional beverage journalist, our content comes straight from the hearts and minds of industry professionals whose years of experience and passion give them a unique and compelling vantage point over any third party observer. By taking our content and putting in into the context of a relatable ideas, Mutineer Magazine will revolutionize the way wine and other libations are presented to young adults and readers in general. The beverage content is presented within the context of other subjects more familiar to the mainstream including music, film, fashion, and modern popular culture.
You can read the blog HERE.
You can also read the entire first issue of the magazine HERE.
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September 4, 2008
Absinthe was banned in the U.S. way back in 1912 because of it's famed hallucinatory effects. Well, makers of absinthe managed to find a loophole in the law. It seems that absinthe itself wasn't banned, but an ingredient called thujone, which what was thought to cause the effects. Turns out that even the old school brands of absinthe really didn't have that much thujone in them at all.
Through chemical analysis, makers found that the original brands of absinthe that caused it to become illegal had so little thujone in it that they would be considered legal by the letter of the law. After this fact was learned, all those modern bottles of honest to god absinthe (not some watered down or counterfeit version) that were illegal, turn out to be perfectly legal.
Since you can now buy absinthe anywhere that actually sells it, Esquire magazine has come up with the five best bottles you should go out and buy. You can view that list HERE.
There's a trick to drinking absinthe though, because the good stuff is usually 120 and 140 proof. The trick is to mix it with a little bit a sugar and some cold water. If you're not sure the best way to mix the drink, Esquire also has a how-to guide HERE.
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September 2, 2008
New York City's Rose Club at the Plaza hotel in the only place in the state that you can get a shot of Louis XIII Black Pearl Magnum cognac. A single shot, however, will cost you $2,500.
The cognac is produced by Remy Martin, and comes in hand-blown black crystal bottle designed by Baccarat. It's also very exclusive, in that it's one of only 358 of the bottles in the world.
"It's Remy Martin, known for making the best cognac in the world," said Rose Club manager Anthony Evangelista. "There's a certain prestige factor. … The Plaza Hotel and the Remy Martin Louis XIII go hand in hand."
No one, so far, has actually had a shot from the bottle, and it's remained corked since the hotel started offering it in June. There are approximately 32 shots in the 1.75 liter bottle, making the single bottle worth $80,000.
For the first person that does order a shot, the drink will be poured by a white gloved-manager and they'll also receive an assortment of dried fruits and nuts.
(via Luxist, and New York Daily News)
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August 11, 2008
Glenlivet has released The Glenlivet XXV, a new premium 25-year-old whiskey. The Glenlivet is currently the number two premium single malt in the world, and the XXV has become the oldest permanent release in that age range. Distilled in 1980, and finished in Sherry casks for at least two years before bottling, the whiskey has notes of honey and malt with a fruity palate. The Glenlivet XXV is presented in an impressive wooden gift box, with a slab of limestone with the name inscribed on it. Inside you'll find a booklet discribing the roles of the people responsible for creation of XXV, along with a ‘certificate of quality’ signed by three members of the team.
Each box will retail for around $350 and will be available this fall.
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August 6, 2008
Snow Queen, an organic vodka from Kazakhstan, is expanding its U.S. distribution after it's two recent wins at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Snow Queen was awarded as the top vodka, as well as a Double Gold Medal at the San Fran show. It's been available in only a few states since it's debut in 2006, but plans to go nationwide by the end of the year.
The vodka is made from organic wheat and pure spring water taken from the foothills of the Himalayas. Kazakh birch charcoal is used during the five time distillation process, which makes it one of the highest distilled vodkas on the market, and gives it a high purity and smoothness.
You can go to the main Snow Queen site HERE to learn more.
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August 5, 2008
Before it closed in 1988, Michter's in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania, was the oldest licensed distillery in America. When the distillery closed, Adolph Hirsch bought up Michter's' cask aged reserves of its 16-year-old pot-stilled sour mash bourbon and stored them in steel vats for preservation. Distilled in 1974 and labeled as A.H. Hirsch Reserve, what's left of the stock is now owned by importer Henry Preiss, who plans to sell it off in a final edition of 1,000 bottles.
Each one will come numbered in a special mahogany humidor with a booklet on Michter's' history, two hand-blown glasses and a custom heavy metal tasting cork from France, and is expected to sell for $1,000 - $1,500 when it becomes available sometime this fall.
You can read more about the history and bourbon at the AH Hirsch site HERE.
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