Author Archives: Rob Theakston

The Kentucky Distiller’s Association has announced that bourbon production topped over 1 million barrels in 2012. The 1,007,703 barrels filled tops the previously recorded record of 1,004,877 barrels filled in 1973, according to the article published in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Bourbon production is up 120% since 1999, with absolutely no signs of slowing down. This comes on the wings of an announcement earlier this week that the Kentucky legislature is attempting to find new ways to generate tax incentives for bourbon distillers. [Herald-Leader]

With the trend of bourbon barreled beer showing no signs of slowing down, Anderson Valley Brewing Company and Wild Turkey Bourbon announced yesterday that its has begun bottle production of Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout. This once draft-only product was released in the fall 2012 as part of an exclusive partnership between the two companies. [PR Newswire]

Elsewhere in the trend file the Washington Post files a report that while Germans are drinking less beer, the beer they are consuming is coming from elsewhere. Craft brewers in the United States are getting a bigger reach into the German home market due in large part to their non-traditional and unfamiliar flavors, with more German microbrewers attempting to emulate them as a result. [Washington Post]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 05.02.2013 – 2012 Is Record Year for Kentucky” »

One of the most intimidating hitters in major league baseball is trading bats for hops, as retired Chicago White Sox great Frank Thomas is getting poised to move his Big Hurt Beer into the big time. Crain’s Chicago catches up with five-time all star, two-time MVP to talk about his adventures in the craft beer world. [Crain’s Chicago]

This week features two of our favorite holidays literally back to back this week: the running for the roses in the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, and Cinco De Mayo on Sunday. Of course we’ll be giving recipe suggestions later this week for all of the fantastic parties you’ll be throwing. But just a heads up for those collectors looking for the Four Roses limited edition Secretariat decanter: it’s just not happening. Four Roses has cancelled this year’s decanter because the quality wasn’t up to standards. Folks who have already paid for one will be entitled to a full refund. [WHAS]

Two bottles of rare whisky salvaged from the shipwreck of the SS Politician in 1987 were put on the auction block last week. The shipwreck inspired a book and comedy by the name of Whisky Galore, according to the BBC. If interested, you may place your bid over at Scotch Whisky Auctions but a bit of caution: the whisky is not thought to be safe to drink. It’s more of a novelty piece. [BBC]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.29.2013 – Frank Thomas Replaces Home Runs With Beer” »

The world’s oldest and rarest Japanese whisky is now available to the general public for a cool $19,000. Bottled in 1960, this 52-year-old Karuizawa was aged in sherry oak and comes in a case fashioned with pieces from the original cask’s head. It’s available in an extremely rare edition of 41 and only at four locations around the world. Time to get that second paper route. [via press release]

ABC News runs an interview with Crystal Head Vodka CEO/Conehead/conspiracy expert Dan Aykroyd, in which he discusses mass quantities of topics such as Saturday Night Live, Crystal Head Vodka, UFOs, Ghostbusters 3, and the possibility of Crystal Conehead Vodka. [ABC News]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.26.2013 – World’s Oldest Japanese Whisky Available For $19,000” »

The British Gin renaissance continues to be in full swing, with sales reported to be up 12% in the UK last year and no slowing down in sight. The Telegraph takes a closer look at the boom, takes a look at gin’s place in popular culture, and offers up some cocktail recipes along the way. [The Telegraph]

With Cinco De Mayo looming on the horizon the day after the Kentucky Derby, things are looking up for drinking next weekend (look for recipe suggestions to celebrate both shortly). The Daily Meal takes a closer look at the recent surge of tequila consumption in the U.S., and offers up its list of the best tequila bars in the nation. [The Daily Meal]

Normally we don’t like to point out mistakes and typos [That's my job. -Ed.], but this one takes the cake. Fox News apparently has discovered a new product called Pappy Von Winkle in an article discussing the 5 most expensive bourbons. We hear it’s good, but Poopy Van Shtickle is better. [Fax News]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.24.2013 – All Hail Pappy Von Winkle!” »

A bottle of Macallan 1962 bearing the signatures of actors Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Berenice Marlohe recently fetched $14,692 in an auction at Sotheby’s. The bottle played a small but important role in last year’s Bond blockbuster, Skyfall. The single malt, distilled the same year Bond made his debut in Dr. No, was donated by Macallan. Proceeds from the sale will go to charities supporting British security and intelligence services. [PR Newswire]

Good news for Johnnie Walker fans: Diageo has announced plans to make the Johnnie Walker Double Black edition a permanent fixture in their U.S. line. Originally launched as an exclusive to duty free shops, the demand and response for Double Black has been positive enough to make it a full-fledged member of an already stacked team. [PR Newswire]

This item’s for fans of Michigan beer: Beerpulse is reporting that beer baron Larry Bell has purchased a sizeable chunk of land in the upper peninsula of Michigan, specifically the Escanaba region near the Michigan-Wisconsin border. According to sources, he’s planning on developing a new brewery for the long-fabled Upper Hand label he’s been rumored of starting for some time. Spokespeople for Bell’s have declined to comment for BeerPulse, and we’ve asked for a comment as well. We’ll report back if we receive any word other than a continuing silence. [Beerpulse]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.22.2013 – Bond Macallan Fetches $14,692 At Auction” »

Becoming a tradition itself alongside the Kentucky Derby, Woodford Reserve is once again issuing its $1,000 limited edition mint julep cup set, with this year’s theme being “gold.” What does $1,000 get you? Ice made of gold-filtered mineral water sourced from the easternmost coast of Nova Scotia, mint leaves dusted with gold, Woodford Gold sorghum, and a hand-engraved cup featuring a thoroughbred. 79 cups will be available for auction starting at $1,000 each, 9 cups will start bidding at $2,000 and feature a cup cut with diamonds, and one special package will start at $5,000. The lucky winner of that auction will present the trophy at the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day, enjoy a private tour and dinner of Woodford Reserve, and get a private tour of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center with a Hall of Fame jockey as your host. You can place your bids at Woodford Reserve’s Mint Julep website. [Woodford Reserve]

Chivas and Italian design firm Pininfarina have teamed up together to present “The Drop,” a series of conceptual cases inspired by air and liquid. The Drop will be available in three editions, each of which will feature Chivas 18 inside. The first edition will feature a streamlined case, limited to 1,500 units at a price of $140. The second edition will be a more upscale rendition: 120 editions at $495 each. And for the drinker who truly has everything, a limited edition hand made 7-foot-4-inch sculpture will be commissioned in an edition of five, each at a cost of $100,000. [Chivas]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.17.2013 – Woodford Reserve’s $1,000 Mint Julep” »

In a soft-hitting expose, NPR reports on findings from researchers in Germany that most beer contains scant traces of arsenic with some brews containing twice the amount allowed in drinking water. This is largely attributed to the traditional and time-tested filtering processes involved in making beer. While the findings offer an opportunity to investigate the filtering process anew, there’s really no major cause for alarm. [NPR]

Huffington Post food writer Carey Polis crafts an elegant anti-love letter to the spirits industry, begging them to reconsider its merciless onslaught of flavored vodkas being rushed to market over the past several years. She makes some excellent points, and we couldn’t agree more. It’s time for the brakes to be put on this trend. No one wins with Peanut Butter and Jelly vodka. [Huffington Post]

Elsewhere in vodka news, Absolut has teamed up with legendary Mexican visual artists and tattoo icon Dr. Lakra to design a limited edition Absolut Mexico bottle, celebrating the rich visual history of Mexican and Mayan cultures. The bottle, which has been available in Mexico for some time, will be ready to ship stateside shortly, and will retail for $19.99 for a 750ml bottle. [PR Newswire]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.15.2013 – Arsenic in Beer, You’re in the Clear!” »

In its ongoing quest to find the “holy grail” of bourbon, Buffalo Trace announced on Friday it has broken ground on the enigmatically christened Warehouse X, a comparatively small warehouse only able to hold 150 barrels at capacity. This facility will be able to test for such factors as natural light, temperature, airflow, and humidity and how all of this impacts barrel storage. Slated to be complete by August, fans can watch the progress and see BT’s vision and renderings on Buffalo Trace’s microsite. [Warehouse X]

And in more bourbon news, The Spirits Business sits down with one of the nicest guys in the business, Tom Bulleit, for a quick drink to discuss his company’s rise, his partnership with Diageo, and the future of the company. Nothing too revelatory, but an enjoyable read nevertheless. [Spirits Business]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.08.2013 – Buffalo Trace Builds Warehouse X” »

Spring in Kentucky can mean many a splendored thing: out of control allergies, basketball championships (but not this year), Keeneland and the Kentucky Derby. So what better way to kick off spring than the announcement of yet another high-end Beam product? Using the arrival of horse racing season as the kick-off, the ultra limited edition Jim Beam Distiller’s Masterpiece is extra aged (no age statement is given in the press release), finished in PX Sherry Casks, clocks in at 100 proof, and comes packaged in a high end wooden case. It will retail for $199 and will only be available at the Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont, Kentucky. Hopefully a review will be forthcoming shortly. [I've been told not to hold my breath. -Ed.]

Drink your big black cow, and get out of here: a British dairy farmer has perfected the process of turning cow’s milk into vodka. The process involves turning the milk into curds and whey, separating the two and then distilling the whey, which has been fermented into beer. Black Cow’s already winning over plenty of celebrity endorsements, and while it’s currently unavailable stateside, Vermont Spirits Distilling Company has been making something similar using milk sugars for years. [New York Daily News] Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.03.2013 – Beam Releases Limited Edition Distiller’s Masterpiece” »

Lots of cool stuff today, so let’s hop right in!

A study from the University of Oxford has revealed that the environment in which one drinks whisky can alter taste perceptions by as much as 20%. In the study to be published in September, Professor Charles Spence and his colleagues observed drinkers in the world’s first multi-sensorium tracking bar to discover that one’s environment — namely the colors around you and the ambient sounds — can heighten and enhance the drinking experience. No doubt this research will be ingested by every single beverage company in the world and will potentially have serious ramifications on how environments such as bars and clubs are designed. More on the experiment can be found here. [Singleton Sensorium]

Popular Science asks the question so many beer drinkers have asked throughout the ages: are hops addictive? While the modern day drinker would respond in kind with a dismissive “duh,” researchers searched for hard evidence on the issue. [Popular Science] Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.01.2013 – Environment Changes the Way Whisky Tastes + Other Science Stuff” »

The art of spirits has been around since the before the official founding of our great nation. And like the really bad re-enactments we’re exposed to on the History Channel, we’re now being treated to a recreation from a recipe from our first President. The Mount Vernon estate will be recreating George Washington’s recipe for rye whiskey. The first batch will be available April 4th at a price tag of $95. Bad character actor not included. [Yahoo!]

Simply not content with confusing the hell out of beer drinkers with its Bud Light Lime-A-Rita brand, Budweiser is poised to introduce the Straw-Ber-Rita later this month, mixing the flavor of Lime-A-Rita with Strawberry. Just to clarify for everyone who thought this was a beer mixed with a margarita in a can: there is no beer in here whatsoever. It is a flavored malt beverage. The only thing it shares with Bud Light is the brand name. [Bud Light Lime-A-Rita]

Another day, another festival: this time we have a grand tasting tour of the wines of the Paso Robles region on Thursday, April 11th at the glamorous Bently Reserve in San Francisco. And once again, it pays to be a fan of our site: if you register before April 5th and use the promo code TDH10, you’ll receive $10 off the cost of the $65 ticket. [Paso Wines]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.26.2013 – George Washington’s Rye and Bud Light That Isn’t Bud Light” »