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]

If you thought chemistry was limited to just science class, think again. Bartenders are becoming masters of molecular mixology as new ways to transcend liquid beverages through texture, density and viscosity become all the rage. Whether liquors are frothed, foamed, gelled or frozen they add something unique and special to the typical cocktail. Edible pearls made from vodka and cranberry juice make the Caviar Eben Freeman's Cape Codder created for New York's wd-50 just one of the many exciting concoctions. Delish!

These mobile bar systems are always interesting to me because everything is so condensed and cute, and I think if I had one I'd be having outdoor parties every weekend just so I'd have an excuse to wheel it out. This Drink Station by Opulent Items is imported from Germany and has features including a refrigerator, ice machine, flute holders, bottle bins, and wooden serving shelf. It comes pre-assembled (except for some of the minor side attachments) but heads up, the ice machine reservoir doesn't fill itself (you can't hook it up to a water source to fill automatically) and although you can wheel it around wherever you want, you'll have to stay close to a power outlet if you want the fridge to stay cold. It sells for $10,000.


Via Martini Groove

A Canadian whisky has to surrender its name as part of the ongoing battle to protect the name of Scotch whisky. A court has decided that Glen Breton, the only single malt whisky produced in Canada, has to drop the "glen" part of the name because it might fool people into thinking the brand is Scotch whisky. Scottish brands often have names such as with a "glen" in the title such as Glenfiddich, Glenlivet or Glenmorangie.

As you might imagine, the Scotch Whisky Association is thrilled with the ruling of the Canadian Federal Court which refused to register the "Glen Breton" trademark. They produced evidence in the form of instances of Glen Breton being described as Scotch whisky in retail outlets, menus, newspaper articles and websites. The distillers on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia will be appealing the decision. You can't really accuse the company of being deceptive, it's says Canadian right on the bottle and the large maple leaf on the label should be a clue as to origin.

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.

According to Harvest Spirits a premium vodka doesn't have to start with grain or potatoes, and they're proving it by making a fine vodka out of something completely different: apples. Core vodka hails from New York and although it starts out as a simple apple cider it ends up as anything but -- try a triple-distilled 80 proof vodka with a complex and unique flavor profile. The farmers that started Harvest Spirits first had the idea to make a vodka out of apples for several reasons (they're one of the most noble of fruits, they're sometimes called 'the fruit of knowledge,' apple cider used to be the most popular American beverage) but mostly just because they grow so many of them. When life hands you apples, make apple-based premium vodka.

Look for Core vodka for sale in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores in the New York area for around $35/bottle. Also keep your eyes peeled for more goodies from Harvest Spirits in the future, they have their eyes set on a signature gin, brandy, and schnapps.

Via Martini Groove

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.

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.

There are as many different kinds of Valentines as there are ways to celebrate. While candy is dandy, we all know that liquor is quicker, and if you are creative, it can be pretty romantic. The act of mixing a cocktail, the measuring and shaking and combining,pouring it into the perfect glass and garnishing with just the right touch can show more care than just picking up a bouquet or a box of candy.

Everyone has their favorite tastes and so knowing what your Valentine, even if it's just a friend you are celebrating with, enjoys is key. Just as red roses are not everyone's favorite flower, not everyone swoons for a chocolate martini. And yet showing up with the same old bottle is no fun either. Showing up with something new gives you a chance to play and experiment. And it's easier than trying to bake something. It can even be lower calorie. For example, one ounce of the tempting new Cafe Boheme, a creme liqueur made with coffee French vodka with creme and vanilla has 75 calories. The liqueur, which is sweet without being cloying and doesn't have that oddly chalky taste I've noticed in some other creme liqueurs, can be used to make an espresso martini with vodka, a dollop of whipped cream and a garnish of chocolate covered coffee beans.

For wine pairing ideas for Valentine's Day check out the picks from Natalie MacLean here.

The gallery below includes ideas of liquors to choose for all kinds of evenings for the sweet and romantic, to the girls night in to the hot and spicy and even the right drink to bring your Gothic valentine.

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.

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]

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.

Another new liquor launch and it's finally not a vodka! Right Gin is a new gin that first launched for 100 days in las Vegas. The gin is made from ingredients sourced around the world: water from Lake Bolmen in Sweden, juniper from Austria, coriander leaf from India, cardamom from Russia, lemon and vergamont from Sicily, lime and bitter orange from the West Indies and black pepper from Borneo all in a spirit distilled five times from corn. It is designed to appeal to those who have previously wrinkled their nose up at the thought of gin as a rather astringent potable best left to English gentlemen or to be doused in tonic water and served at Memorial Day cookouts. The gin is now available in New York, Boston and Chicago and sells for $35.

[via Martini Groove]

The George Dickel Whisky company seems to be interested in testing the laws of supply and demand. While most whisky makers are figuring out ways to make more whisky in order to satiate the growing Chinese and Indian markets, George Dickel actually shut down production of its George Dickel Whisky No. 8 from 1999 to 2003, trying to reduce inventory of the whisky. Now there is a shortage of the Tennessee tipple. Dickel has now turned the decision into a marketing campaign placing ads apologizing for the shortage and blaming it on the the popularity of the brand. Dickel hasn't released their production figures. The No. 8 must be aged for five years. The company faced a glut of Dickel during the 1990s. The company would like consumers to know that there are many other varieties of Dickel available.

U'Luvka vodka has one thing over some of the other new vodkas on the market, it has a very recognizable bottle. U'Luvka is inspired by a 16th century royal Polish vodka enjoyed by monarchs. The vodka is Imported from Poland and made with rye, barley and wheat. It is distilled three times.

The vodka was launched in England in 2005. The accessories that go with U'Luvka are equally intriguing. It is meant to be served with legless glasses which allegedly stems from the tradition that during the 1500s at the royal court the fashion was to drink vodka from glasses without bases. That way once the glass is filled you can't stop drinking until it is empty. The companion ice bucket is designed to cradle the glasses which feature the same design that is on the U'Luvka vodka box (and gives you an out in case you can't finish the whole glass at once). The signature bottle of U'luvka retails for approximately $59.95 and the Friendship, Love and Pleasure presentation with two glasses is priced at $84.95.