At Press Time

And then there was none. The last remaining stocks of the legendary Black Tot Rum, the original Royal Navy rum, were recently released for sale at HMS Belfast on the River Thames in London. On July 31, 197O, also known as Black Tot Day, the last rations were given out... Read More

Sunday morning brunch just got a whole lot nicer. As part of the $27.6 billion budget that  Massachusetts Governor Patrick recently signed, restaurants are now able to start serving alcohol at 1Oam on Sundays. The new law, which was originally proposed by Dave Andelman, the creator of the Phantom Gourmet,... Read More

This takes the flavored vodka concept to a whole new level! At least two companies have released meat-flavored vodkas in the last year . . . and they’re doing well! The Alaska Distillery in Wasilla recently launched its Smoked Salmon Flavored Vodka, about a year after Seattle-based Black Rock Spirits... Read More

The first annual Ultimate Wine Challenge was recently held at the Astor Center in New York City. The challenge was conducted by Ultimate Beverage Challenge – a New York-based beverage alcohol evaluation and events company created by journalist and author F. Paul Pacult, David Talbot and Sue Woodley. A panel... Read More

Smirnoff has retained its position as the leading global drinks brand, according to an annual industry survey. The Power 1OO report, carried out by strategy consultancy Intangible Business, is once more topped by Smirnoff, described as possessing a “modern, cool image”. Whiskey brand Johnnie Walker occupies second place on the... Read More

In a calorie-conscious world, labels are everything. As a culture we eagerly read package labels telling us how much fat this frozen pizza has or how much sodium those chips have. So it would stand to reason that the drinking masses would embrace knowing how many calories are in their... Read More

Spirits are rising at Campari, literally and figuratively. Distributors restocking and the revival of the spirits market has pushed up sales and profits at Campari, the Italian drinks company. Pre-tax profit rose 12.7 percent to €43.3m (US$54.5m) in the first quarter to March 31. Sales, excluding the acquisition of Wild... Read More

The Patrick-Murray Administration has unveiled a new driver’s license and Massachusetts ID that, for the first time in over a decade, are actually being manufactured in Massachusetts. The cards include new security features that offer residents better protection against fraud and identity theft. “In keeping with Governor Patrick’s commitment to... Read More

Can it be so? Could there really be an actual cure, and a natural one at that, for the dreaded hangover? There just might be and it comes in the form of natural coconut water. There are myriad remedies for hangovers – from fast food to the hair-of-the-dog –  but... Read More

E&J Gallo Winery was recently awarded the Dale Carnegie Training Leadership Award, making it the first organization in its category to receive this honor. The recognition was awarded to Gallo as an industry leader committed to the development of their employees. Accepting the award on behalf of Joseph E. Gallo,... Read More