The indispensable tool for the Massachusetts adult beverage trade.
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July 30, 2013

PAMA POMEGRANATE LIQUEUR

PAMA POMEGRANATE LIQUEUR LYNN HOUSE has been named National Brand Ambassador.In this position, she will be responsible for leading the on-premise bartender education program for the pomegranate liqueur brand.  A longtime mixologist, she was named one of the Top 2O Most Fabulous Bartenders in the World by Gary Regan.

WINE INSTITUTE

WINE INSTITUTECHRIS FEHRNSTROM, Chief Marketing Officer for Constellation Brands, has been elected the 2O13-2O14 Board Chairman at the Wine Institute’s 79th Annual Meeting of Members.  Other board officers elected included CAROLYN WENTE of Wente Family Estates in Livermore as First Vice Chairman; GREG COLEMAN of E&J Gallo Winery in Modesto...
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REVEL CHOCOLATES SERIOUSLY SINFUL, DELICIOUSLY DECADENT

LET’S FACE IT: a box of chocolates is a beautiful thing. But when they’re handmade, creamy ganache delights from Lake Champlain Chocolates in Vermont, they’re absolutely irresistible. And when they’re infused with WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, well, they’re simply sublime.  LCC pairs a dark chocolate ganache with the acclaimed 1O-year-old,...
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THE BRITISH GIN & TONIC FACES EXTINCTION

COULD THE CLASSIC G&T become a thing of the past? It’s entirely possible. Juniper berries, the crucial ingredient in British gin, are under attack by a virulent fungus strain: Phytophthora austrocedrae. “Juniper is in serious trouble,” a spokeswoman for conservation group Plantlife Scotland commented. “One of only three native conifers...
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DRINK YOUR WAY ACROSS THE USA

A new edition of MICRO-DISTILLERIES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA, has been released.  Written by David J. Reimer, Sr., it is the only guide dedicated to North American micro-distilleries. The newly released third edition includes information on more than 45O micro-distilleries from all 5O states and across Canada plus hundreds...
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IS WINE POPCORN THE NEXT BIG THING?

POPCORN HAS COME A LONG WAY INDEED. From cheap movie snack to gourmet treat, the evolution has been an interesting one. Now, there’s a new concept on the market: wine-infused popcorn. Populence, a gourmet popcorn bar located in New York City, teamed up with New Zealand winery Kim Crawford to...
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FRAUD FIGHTERS GO HIGH TECH

WINE FRAUD is a rampant and growing problem in the industry. In an effort to fight fakes, winemakers are turning to technology in the form of smartphones. A quick scan can give the consumer a direct link to the supplier’s website to verify the label, trace the wine’s journey from...
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COLA-FLAVORED FRENCH WINE . . .

SACRE BLEU!  CAN IT BE POSSIBLE?  The French are making a wine blended with . . . cola?  Sad but true.  In a major break with tradition, Rouge Sucette (French for red lollipop), is made from 75 percent grapes with water, sugar and cola flavoring making up the remainder.  Sure...
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FRENCH HARVEST SET FOR INCREASE

FROM FLOODING to freezing temps, Mother Nature has not been kind to France’s wine industry for the last few years. But the country is currently on course for a normal-sized grape harvest, although continued poor weather could yet jeopardize this year’s crop, according to the country’s agriculture ministry. In its...
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REVIEW of CURRENT ARGENTINAIN MALBEC

ARGENTINE MALBEC CONTINUES TO SOAR on the American market.  What’s surprising to me is that after what appeared to be a slight quality slump a few years ago, there is a renewed energy in the category and an apparent commitment to making more interesting and complex terroir-driven wines – albeit...
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