CELEBRITY BRAND PRODUCT LAUNCH OF THE WEEK: The latest celebrity-turned-aspiring spirits expert to jump into the arena is retired NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal. Sports Illustrated reports that his gluten-free vodka, Luv Shaq, is slated for release in early 2013.  It is slated to compete with Diddy’s Ciroc brand, and it will be produced by Devotion Vodka, which previously counted reality show personality The Situation (pre-rehab) as its spokesman. [Sports Illustrated]

Drinks Business runs a feature on its most-read stories from 2012, and while there are a few that are quite amusing, the top selection still remains a heartbreaker even after reading it months ago. [Drinks Business]

Forbes magazine has a profile on bourbon being the new “it” cooking ingredient in the culinary world and the many ways chefs are employing it in their newest dishes. The writers also took the time to speculate the next several product tie-ins for Game of Thrones, post-beer launch. Go marketing! [Forbes]

Yonhap has a quick glimpse into the increased demand of single malts in South Korea, especially amongst young people, and what it will mean for global supply and demand. [Yonhap]

And finally today, in the spirit of what really probably won’t happen on the 21^st, Stevens Point Brewery has unveiled an amusing new advertisement for its 2012 Black Ale.

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