SAZERAC GOES SHOPPING
IT LOOKS AS IF 2O16’s trend of mergers and acquisitions is continuing into 2O17. Case in point, the Sazerac Company purchased a distillery located in Newport, Tennessee. The deal is for the distillery only, not any brands. All employees will be retained, including Master Distiller John Lunn and Master Blender... Read More
RED WINE MIRACLE ACNE CURE?
THE LIST OF health benefits derived from red wine is indeed a lengthy one. Previous studies have linked it to lowering cancer risks, depression, heart disease and stroke . . . to name just a few. And apparently, it helps fight acne, too. Researchers from University of California, Los Angeles... Read More
AMERICAN BEVERAGE LICENSEES
TITO BEVERIDGE, founder and owner of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, has been named the American Beverage Licensees (ABL) 2O17 Top Shelf Award honoree. He will be recognized at the 15th annual ABL Meeting in March in Las Vegas. The award, the highest honor presented by ABL, recognizes those who have demonstrated... Read More
COMPASS BOX
MARC NICOLET has been appointed to the newly created position of Vice President, National Sales Director. Nicolet began his 18-year career in the spirits industry in distributor sales at Empire Merchants in New York. He then moved to regional sales management positions for Ketel One, Cooper Spirits and Pisco Port’n. ... Read More
THE CLEOPATRA CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
by PINK LADY IT’S EASY TO FEEL the winter doldrums when February rolls around here in New England, so we recommend a little armchair traveling, courtesy of our favorite cocktail books. And we can hardly imagine a better way to lift the spirits than with Champagne, mixed into a classic... Read More
LAPOSTOLLE WINERY SOLD
GRUPPO CAMPARI has sold its Lapostolle wine and Pisco business “ì acquired as part of its takeover of Grand Marnier’s parent company “ì back to the Marnier family for $31 million. In 2O16 Campari took control of the French liqueur brand as part of its friendly takeover of parent company... Read More
WINE & CHEESE SHOTS
WINE IS GOOD and cheese is good but a wine and cheese shooter? Somehow that seems not so good. In late December PopSugar Food created a video showing how to make wine and cheese shots. It’s both fascinating and repellant at the same time. They’re made by melting cheese into... Read More
BANANA WINE, A RWANDAN SUCCESS STORY
BANANA WINE is probably not something you’ve ever considered but it happens to be a best-selling product in Rwanda. And it just may be coming to America. Winemaker Christine Murebwayire has turned her fermented banana juice into a national brand, but she has her sights set on expansion beyond the... Read More
THE MERRY QUEEN’S GLORIOUS OBSESSION
by HARVEY FINKEL FROM THE HIGHLANDS section of her native Newton, Massachusetts, to California’s Russian River Valley, from infant commoner to dubbed reigning Queen of Pinot Noir, much-honored Meredith Edwards, widely called “Merry,”ù evinces growing confidence and competence through her bottled progeny. We can trace the steppingstones: a teenager cooking... Read More
CABERNET FRANC
by SANDY BLOCK, MW THE LEGENDARY 2O12 Joseph Phelps Insignia contains a mere 2% Cabernet Franc. At Far Niente the same vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon is blended with 1% Cabernet Franc. What possible difference can incorporating 1 or 2% of a particular grape variety into a wine make to its... Read More