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 spirits
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.Black Bowmore 42-Year-Old Scotch Whisky
The Black Bowmore is one of the most expensive whiskies around. The scotch comes from Bowmore, one of Scotland's oldest distilleries on the island of Islay. The spirit was poured into oak casks that had been used for aging Oloroso sherry. This dark whisky has scents of cocoa, toffee, sherry and mature oak with a rich flavor with hints of coffee and orange.
Back in February, RIck Lyke who writes the great spirits blog Lyke to Drink tasted the 42-year-old Black Bowmore which was distilled on Nov. 5, 1964, The five casks used in this bottling yielded 827 bottles of which 80 were shipped to the U.S. earlier this year. The bottle comes in a mahogany box inlaid with maple burl and copper and sells for $4500.
Highland Park Launches 40-Year-Old Single Malt
Scotch whisky is getting more and more popular.The Scotch Whisky Association has reported that the value of exports reached a new high of £2.8b billion last year. With the rise in exports comes the demand for more and more premium bottles inspiring whisky distillers to create more and more expensive bottles. Case in point, the latest from Highland Park, a 40-year-old single malt whisky which is the oldest in their portfolio. The whisky is described as a "a balance of toffee, dark chocolate, orange zest and heather peat smokiness" and comes in an oak stained wood box with a leather booklet explaining the history of the brand. The whisky will sell for £899 per bottle. Hopefully this whisky won't get lost in transit like some of their 32-year-old single malt recently did.The Drink Station
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
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
Core, the Apple Based Vodka
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
Gallery: The Making of Core Vodka
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.
Rehorst Vodka and Gin
Just a couple of weeks ago I mentioned a new vodka coming out of Wisconsin. It turns out that Wisconsin is quite the hotbed of distilling lately, forget beer, it's all about the vodka now. The Great Lakes Distillery is a small-batch distillery located in Milwaukee Wisconsin. They hand-craft distilled spirits in limited quantities and currently make Rehorst Premium Milwaukee Vodka and Rehorst Premium Milwaukee Gin. The Rehorst vodka, is made from Wisconsin red wheat, along with a special yeast, and filtered Lake Michigan water. The Rehorst gin is made with traditional gin botanicals plus two never found in gin before, sweet basil and Wisconsin ginseng. Both spirits sell for $30.[via Wine Enthusiast]
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]
Bordeaux Prices So High It's Immoral?
There's been a controversy brewing over the prices of Bordeaux, and it doesn't appear to be settling down anytime soon. Recently in an article in a French magazine the former head of Richemont, Alain-Dominique Perrin, said that prices as high as €500 a bottle ($725) are "immoral."
The argument stems from estimates that production only costs about €12 per bottle (which would make €500 a markup of about 80 times) and that price tags should come down to about €100/$145 to be reasonable. The other sides says that costs aren't that low in many cases, and that most importantly they aren't able to give details and "don't want to get in an argument" over pricing.
Wow, what do you think?
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]
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.
