Category Archives: News

Last year Jefferson’s Bourbon conducted a wacky experiment involving aging barrels of bourbon at sea to see if the air and water quality had an effect on the final product. As the resulting product was so limited in quantity, few people got to taste the results and final verdict of this project. Along these lines, Mira Winery is about to retrieve four cases of its 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from a three-month stay in the Charleston Harbor. Their mission? To determine whether or not light, tides, waves and temperature have an effect on the chemical breakdown of wine. They are slated to raise the wine on May 21, wherein they’ll announce the second phase of this experiment. We’ll bring you the latest as soon as news is delivered to us. Stay tuned. [PR Newswire]

The Bourbon backlash has begun! Charleston City Paper makes a case for switching from bourbon to rum when getting your next summer cocktail. Columnist Robert Moss dissects the current bourbon trend, reviews some new rums and samples some new cocktails. From our perspective, there should never be a superior spirit over another. Love all equally.

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 05.15.2013 – Drinking Wine from the Ocean Floor” »

The blogs were buzzing these past few days as Robert Parker has made the shift from wine critic to taking a stab at reviewing whiskies. Naturally, opinions on the results have varied; from the measured “wait and see”, to the frustrated and confused all the way down to the flat out irate. Although time will tell on just how much of an impact Parker will have on the whiskey world, reviewing something called “Rollins Creek” (pretty sure he means Rowan’s Creek) and comparing Hudson to Pappy suggest poor form at the start. Stay tuned.

CELEBRITY PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Renee Zellweger’s ex-husband and country star Kenny Chesney is tossing his cowboy hat and horseshoes into the spirits world. Later this month he’ll launch his own line of rum, Blue Chair Bay. The line will come in white, Coconut, Coconut Spiced, and Chewing Tobacco flavors (just kidding about the last one), and will be promoted via an 18 city tour and numerous tasting events nationwide. It’s five o clock somewhere, y’all… [Blue Chair]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 05.13.2013 – Robert Parker Does Bourbon, Kenny Chesney Does Rum” »

In bourbon news, MSN Money reports that Beam saw a hefty spike in sales during the first quarter of 2013, much of that attributed to the drama surrounding Maker’s Mark and the reduction of its alcohol content. Many theories abound if this was all just a business ploy, or a bad marketing decision, or a really good marketing decision made to look like a bad one. Whatever the case, Beam (which owns Maker’s) brought in the dough to the tune of a 44% sales increase. Not too shabby for something that sort of did but didn’t happen. [MSN]

Everyone coming off a cinco-hangover take note: Tequila is actually good for you. Or so says Forbes, who attempts to make folks feel better by delivering five different reasons tequila can be beneficial to a person’s constitution. [Forbes]

And if tequila or bourbon isn’t your thing, CNN rattles off its list of the best beer towns in America. Is CNN keeping with its recent track record of getting things way wrong (Asheville over Kalamazoo? Really?), or is this list spot on? They report (sort of), you decide. [CNN]

Finally today, some crafty folks have developed a contraption which (in theory) allows a thirsty individual to open an entire case of beer at once. While the accuracy rate isn’t exactly stellar, the enterprising ambition most certainly is present and so is the potential to make a nice sum of money off this thing. We’ll drink to that. [Huffington Post]

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” »

Leading off this week’s editions of reads is a doozy of a story. This past friday morning, a story was filed over at Trib Live regarding a mansion caretaker accused of drinking $102,000 worth of rare, historic whiskey. What follows next could be taken from the pages of a prime-time criminal drama. Needless to say, it’s one of the worst nightmares a whiskey fan could encounter. Here’s hoping proper justice is served. [Trib Live]

Whisky Mag’s Whisky Live will be making its way to New York’s Chelsea Piers on Wednesday, April 3rd. Attendees will be treated to the opportunity to meet Master Distillers, brand ambassadors, and industry experts while sampling a wide variety of single malts, bourbons, ryes and other surprises. You can register via the website, but when you do, enter the code “wlmedia” for 15% discount off the price of your admission. [Whisky Live NY]

With the majority of people freaking out over their decimated NCAA basketball brackets this weekend, Newcastle Ale couldn’t have timed the release of this video any better: an overview of college hoops’ greatest moments through the eyes of snide British people (who, by the way, are totally awesome at basketball) using Legos for reenactments.

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.24.2013 – Grand Theft Whiskey and March Madness” »

Hey you! Do you want your own bar? Do you like free stuff? Are you smart? OF COURSE you are! So enter our contest from earlier this week for a chance to score an incredible, jaw-dropping prize.

Speaking of incredible contests, we were hipped by Patron tequila to this one where folks can win $10,000 for coming up with the best idea and recycling their Patron bottles into functional works of art, lamps, clocks and any other ideas your mad, bad, creative self can think of. Simply do your thing, submit it to the Art of Patron website and wait for the money to roll in. As we know Drinkhacker readers are some of the most creative, intelligent, innovative people on the planet (we have the demographics and research to back this up), we fully expect one of you to win the bar goodies from Dickel and another to win the $10K from the good folks over at Patron. So get to your workbenches and start prototyping! [Patron]

The winners for this year’s Ultimate Spirits Challenge were announced via press release today, the result of a week-long tasting competition which started March 11th. Among the champs were Tahoe Blue for best vodka; Hop Head Pot Stilled Hop in the flavored vodka category; Ford’s took home honors for best gin; and Blanton’s for best bourbon. A full 100 points was given to Highland Park for its 25 Years Old single malt expression in the best Scotch category, the highest score of any spirit in the competition. A complete list of winners can be found on the USC website. [Ultimate Spirits Challenge]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.21.13 – Mega Contests And Competition Edition” »

In a move that virtually no one saw coming, Hood River Distillery has acquired one of the world’s leading brands of absinthe for an undisclosed sum. Lucid Absinthe now joins such spirits as Pendleton, Monarch, Yazi, and Broker’s in the Hood River family of brands. A bold move, and one that signals Hood River has no intention of being acquired any time soon, but rather to continue acquiring and building to compete on the global stage. [Press release]

Carl’s Jr., the fast food establishment with a long and storied history of television advertisements made in excellent taste, is partnering with Jim Beam to bring a bourbon flavored burger to market. The ad kicking things off features supermodel Heidi Klum reprising the time-honored role of The Graduate‘s Mrs. Robinson. In direct response, Kentucky Gentleman has approached Wendy’s to develop its own bourbon burger, with commercials rumored to star a shirtless John Goodman reprising his role as Walter Sobchak. [Mediapost] Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.20.2013 – Hood River Acquires Lucid Absinthe” »

As everyone who was Irish for the day is recovering from what was no doubt a magically delicious 24 hours of revelry, might we suggest trying out the Irish Kentucky Java from the cocktails we posted last week?

If Irish coffee isn’t your thing for recovering, real estate blog Movoto has designed a catchy infographic based around five cocktail recipes inspired by cities (other than Manhattan) that they love. We tried the Boston Minute Man yesterday (minus the coffee pecan bitters, because they were simply not to be found at our local Liquor Barn) and it was fantastic. Worth the click-through to get some great cocktail ideas! [Movoto]

Rap mogul Cee-Lo recently wrapped up a television ad for TY KU sake. The campaign, which revolves around the notion of “sharing” beyond the world of social media, features the Gnarls Barkley co-founder in various states sharing sake with lots of ladies and himself. Even though it’s only Monday, this no doubt makes Cee-Lo the proud recipient of our Celebrity Product Endorsement of the Week, and we’ve got footage from behind the scenes of the commercial shoot. [TY KU]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.18.2013 – Cee-Lo Shares Sake By The Seashore” »

As we reported back in December, the HBO hit series Game of Thrones is launching its own line of beers in collaboration with New York based brewery Ommegang. Bloomberg Business Daily reminds us that the beer is on its way to shelves right now just in time for the third season premiere of Game of Thrones on March 31st. [Business Week]

The Wynkoop Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, flavored with real bull testicles, is now available for purchase online. Two 12 oz. cans will set you back $10.50, but that’s small change compared to the value of bragging to friends that you once drank a can of some bull business. The ball’s in your court. [Let’s Pour]

While the thrill of drinking pureed bull genitals may not sound appealing to all people, others may want to get their double buzz on elsewhere. Tequila Avion might just have what you’re looking for: an espresso flavored liqueur blended with Avion Silver Tequila. A bottle will set you back roughly 2 1/3 cans of Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout, or $25. [PR Newswire]

Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 03.13.2013 – Where Beer Nuts and Bull Nuts Collide” »