The new Diamond Standard vodka takes a concept I first saw with Diva vodka, a step further, using just diamonds rather than all precious stones to filter their vodka. Their process uses over 600 cut diamonds of up to one carat in size. The grain used is from Poland. The bottle is produced by Saver Glass and is made of perfume bottle grade glass with a 25mm Swarovski Xillion Chaton crystal as its centerpiece embedded within its neckline. The vodka is now being test marketed and sold in Massachusetts with plans to expand into New York and New Jersey and has a retail price of $100.Posts with tag alcohol
Diamond Standard Vodka
The new Diamond Standard vodka takes a concept I first saw with Diva vodka, a step further, using just diamonds rather than all precious stones to filter their vodka. Their process uses over 600 cut diamonds of up to one carat in size. The grain used is from Poland. The bottle is produced by Saver Glass and is made of perfume bottle grade glass with a 25mm Swarovski Xillion Chaton crystal as its centerpiece embedded within its neckline. The vodka is now being test marketed and sold in Massachusetts with plans to expand into New York and New Jersey and has a retail price of $100.Q Tonic
There has been a surge of new gins on the market but what about the other half of the summer essential G&T? Now there is a new premium tonic water, Q Tonic. Q Tonic has no high fructose corn syrup and has 60% fewer calories than regular tonic water. The brand uses hand-picked quinine from the Peruvian Andes and is sweetened with organic agave. The tonic water has been launched in selected restaurants and retail outlets around the country and online. It generally costs around $10 for a pack of four bottles.[via Notes on a Party]
No. 209 Gin
With the passing of Memorial Day, gin and tonic season officially begins, a different option from the usual suspects is No. 209 gin which is made by Distillery 209 in San Francisco. Instead of relying on juniper, this gin has notes of citrus and cardamom. No. 209 also includes bergamot, using the whole peel for a fresh citrusy taste. Quoted in the Globe and Mail, Arne Hillesland, technical director and master distiller at Distillery 209 says: "It's not a big, giant Christmas tree of a gin." This begs the question, when does gin stop being gin and start being just another flavored spirit? The word gin is a derivation of a word referring to juniper. N0. 209 does contain juniper, it just brings up the levels of the other flavors traditionally used in gin. It can be found for around $30. The No. 209 website includes a variety of cocktails that are not traditional options for gin including a basil gimlet, several mojitos and a recipe for making a huge batch (30 cocktails) of the 209 Sno Kone which includes the gin, frozen orange juice concentrate, frozen lemonade concentrate and sugar frozen into a slushy concoction.LOFT Organic Liqueurs
Liqueurs from LOFT Liqueurs appear to have it going on from all angles: they come in decadent and unique flavors (i.e. Lavender, Lemongrass, and Spicy Ginger), they're handcrafted in small batches, and they're the first liqueurs in the country to be 100% certified organic.Just two years ago LOFT Liqueurs was started by two women, Lisa Averbuch and Sabrina Moreno-Dolan, and was originally born through Lisa's experimentation with a random limoncello recipe. Besides the 3 standard flavors LOFT is looking to expand, starting with seasonal flavors like Tangerine and Blueberry. Look for LOFT Liqueurs in restaurants in California and you can buy them online here for $29.99/bottle.
Via Mighty Foods
Camitz Sparkling Vodka
I've tried the O2 sparkling vodka but I'm intrigued by the new Camitz vodka because it's topped with a champagne stopper (the O2 has a screwcap and was only mildy fizzy). The Camitz Vodka comes from Sweden and is made from water from the underground springs of Töllsjo and grains from the fields of Västergötland near the distillery. The vodka is distilled five times before carbonation.I haven't tried it yet but The Strong Buzz reports that it delivers a satisfying pop when opened and has a nice fizz with a bit of acidity and needs to be chilled before serving. It sells for $45 and will soon be appearing in key markets in New York, Florida, Nevada and California.
[via Wine & Spirits Daily]
Haus Alpenz, When You Really Want to Drink Different
When you are young, extreme drinking often consists of testing just how much you consume. When you get a little older, there is a shift from quantity to quality and for the daring, esotericism. An article by Jason Wilson in the Washington Post led me an amazing source for the truly unusual potent potables. Eric Seed runs the Minnesota-based Haus Alpenz, a distributor that specializes in the kinds of liquors that seem like they went out of production years ago. Seed's selections are deliciously eclectic. Some seem fairly tame such as the Purkhart Pear Williams Brandy and the Blume Marillen Apricot Eau-de-Vie while other such as the Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur and the red Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur of the Alps are strangers to the most people in the States. The Haus Alpenz website also includes recipes on how to use things such as the Batavia Arrack which was used in punches in pre-prohibition America. And liqueurs such as the Rothman & Winter Crème de Violette are like drinking the past. Their websites lists the places to go to discover these unique tastes.
Gallery: The Obscure Taste of Haus Alpenz
Absinthe Fever, How Long Will It Last?
The news that absinthe would finally be available in the U.S. was greeted with great enthusiasm by those who had been denied the experience but after the hype dies down will the "green fairy" have legs? The San Francisco Chronicle covers the rise of the spirit and of Lance Winters, the distiller behind St. George Spirits, the first American distillery to legally sell a bottle of absinthe in the United States, after the 1912 ban was lifted. Winters s a hot property right now with everyone wanting him and his pale green liqueur. He sold out of 3,600 bottles in the first six hours the spirit was available at $75 a pop.
The drink, which has a licorice-heavy taste that is similar to ouzo is popular now due to the novelty and the high alcohol content (and the cute little absinthe glasses make it pretty fun too). But after everyone tries it once will there be a large continuing market for the drink? The distilled wisdom from the article seems to be that it is a hot trend now bu one that will fade. Even Winters believes that the interest in absinthe will wane although he believes that his St. George Absinthe Verte will have a niche fan base. Its association with Victorian writers and artists continues to lend it romantic infamy.
There is some danger of the absinthe market getting flooded. There are a couple of brands currently being sold in the U.S. now and many more in the pipeline including Marilyn Manson's Mansinthe. As with any hot trend everyone wants in and then once the market fades in a year or two some of the new labels will disappear too but absinthe will always have its fans and a place on the bar shelf.
Gallo Takes a Spin at Gin
Gallo is a name that typically resonates with the wine industry but they are branching out to embrace a new alcoholic beverage -- gin. Their new venture, New Amsterdam Straight Gin, is said to be smooth enough to sip on its own but certainly perfect for a martini or G&T. Its manufacturing facility is in Modesto where the rest of E. & J. Gallo's complex is located. Aiming for the 25-49 year old market with a premium brand that will cost between $13-$14 per bottle, Gallo's gin isn't the first time a wine company has tackled the liquor market. All gins are flavored with juniper berries but I think the twist of citrus flavor added to New Amsterdam Straight Gin sounds delicious!
How Will The Economy Change the Liquor Market?
Our faltering economy is starting to hit the cocktail culture. MarketWatch reports that while alcohol manufacturers usually do just fine in a tough economy, bars and nightclubs may find themselves in trouble. As the purse strings tighten people tend to opt for drinking at home versus spending their cash on pricey bar cocktails. Currently liquor is still seen as an affordable luxury, it is far easier to buy top shelf booze than a top-of-the-line car, but that may change over time. As we've mentioned before on this website, the current economic climate is having more of an effect on the middle of the wealth spectrum rather than the upper end. Therefore casual dining restaurants are feeling more of the pain thus far and the bar tab makes up a significant portion of each sale. Brand loyalty will protect many labels especially in the cases of people who have ordered the same drink for years.Wine Spirits Daily has also been on the case trying to predict what will happen to the various liquor ranges. Most of the people in the industry that they surveyed believe that the $20 to $30 "premium" spirits are probably safe but the "ultra premium" bottles that are in the $50+ range might not be so appealing as the aspirational consumer starts to pare down. Most feel certain that the middle range of the market will remain safe. One of their respondents echoed the concerns expressed in the MarketWatch article that where people drink may change more than what people drink. Most people, regardless of the economy, won't be willing to give up their cocktails but if they can get them for cheaper they will.
Qino One Vodka, Vodka From Quinoa
One of my favorite grains is the South American grain quinoa, it's got a distinctive nutty flavor. I wonder how that flavor will translate into vodka. Qino One is the first super-premium vodka made from quinoa. Qino One was created by French restauranteur Jean Denis Courtin and CC Spirits which was founded by Massachusetts couple Dan and Christine Cooney. The vodka is produced in france and made from fair trade organic Bolivian quinoa and Northern European rye. Distribution has just begun in the US. and it is already available in Massachusetts, California and several other states. It sells for around $27.[via South Coast Today]
Castries Peanut Cream
This is one I'll have to rely on the reviews for since I'm allergic but if you love the taste of peanuts then Castries Cream might be your new favorite. it is a peanut-flavored cream spirit that is made on St. Lucia with aged St Lucian rum The spirit also uses peanuts which are grown in the volcanic soil of the St Lucian villages of Laborie and Choiseul, and are roasted on site. Scott Steeves of Scottes' Rum Pages gives it high marks for peanut flavor as does Wayne Curtis of Republic of Rum. The Polished Palate also has a few recipes to inspire you including cocktail versions of a peanut butter cup and peanut butter and jelly. It can be found in the $25 to $30 range.45th Parallel Vodka
Another small distillery has sprouted up in the heartland. 45th Parallel Spirits, in New Richmond, Wisconsin takes its name from the 45th parallel which slices through Wisconsin and happens to fall on the farm where distiller Paul Werni buys the grain for his new vodka. Werni, who was previously had a landscape construction business in Minneapolis, distills his vodka from scratch. Their website has a page that breaks down the production process which includes three slow distillations. Werni, his father Paul Sr. and his college roommate Scott Davis are partners in this boutique project. So far the new vodka is only available in Wisconsin, debuting in the Madison and Milwaukee markets in March.[via Wausau Daily Herald]
Jack Daniels Collector Finds Himself In Hot Water
Collection or illicit liquor store? A Tennessee man has been indicted on charges of illegally possessing up to $1 million worth of Jack Daniel's whiskey but says he's not selling the alcohol, just the vintage bottles they came in. The AP reports that Randy Piper of Goodlettsville was indicted on four counts regarding the possession, sale, transportation and storage of the liquor. After receiving a tip that someone was selling liquor without a license, officials seized 2,400 bottles from two warehouses Piper owns as well as a home in Lynchburg, the home of Jack Daniels. Piper says he has been collecting bottles for around six years.A New World's Most Expensive Beer
We've seen some pretty expensive beers before (the sippable Sam Adams Utopia springs immediately to mind) but the new brew from Carlsberg is now the proud owner of the title of world's most expensive beer. The Carlsberg Vintage No.1 costs close to $400 a bottle (2,008 Danish kroner or $396.47 to be exact). The beer will be sold in just three Copenhagen restaurants. Why so expensive? The 10.5 percent proof beer is a very limited edition of just 600 bottles. It has been stored in French and Swedish wooden casks and has a deep brown color. The tasting notes reveal prune, caramel and vanilla flavors making it a natural pairing for cheeses and desserts. So far there are no plans to export Vintage No. 1.Karlsson's Gold Vodka
Some vodkas try to impress you with the fancy bottle. That definitely isn't the case with Karlsson's Gold. The bottle is so simple you'd think the vodka was bottled up from the still out back (the design inspiration is old laboratory bottles). It's actually from Sweden from master blender Börje Karlsson, who created the spirit by distilling the finest grade of virgin new potatoes grown in Sweden's Cape Bjäre. Karlsson is known as "the Father of Absolut" for his hand in creating the ubiquitous brand. While many brands boast how many times the spirit is distilled, Karlsson's Gold is distilled just once. It sells for $39.99 and is currently available in New York.
