WASATCH BEER
WASATCH BEER – This Utah-based craft brewer has four beers in its portfolio: Polygamy Porter, Devastator, Ghostrider and Apricot Hefeweizen. The dark, medium-bodied Porter has chocolate and malt flavors that fade into a slightly dry, smooth finish. Brewed in the double bock style, the Devastator is dark amber lager with... Read More
FRENCH HARVEST SET FOR INCREASE
FROM FLOODING to freezing temps, Mother Nature has not been kind to France’s wine industry for the last few years. But the country is currently on course for a normal-sized grape harvest, although continued poor weather could yet jeopardize this year’s crop, according to the country’s agriculture ministry. In its... Read More
COLA-FLAVORED FRENCH WINE . . .
SACRE BLEU! CAN IT BE POSSIBLE? The French are making a wine blended with . . . cola? Sad but true. In a major break with tradition, Rouge Sucette (French for red lollipop), is made from 75 percent grapes with water, sugar and cola flavoring making up the remainder. Sure... Read More
FRAUD FIGHTERS GO HIGH TECH
WINE FRAUD is a rampant and growing problem in the industry. In an effort to fight fakes, winemakers are turning to technology in the form of smartphones. A quick scan can give the consumer a direct link to the supplier’s website to verify the label, trace the wine’s journey from... Read More
IS WINE POPCORN THE NEXT BIG THING?
POPCORN HAS COME A LONG WAY INDEED. From cheap movie snack to gourmet treat, the evolution has been an interesting one. Now, there’s a new concept on the market: wine-infused popcorn. Populence, a gourmet popcorn bar located in New York City, teamed up with New Zealand winery Kim Crawford to... Read More
DRINK YOUR WAY ACROSS THE USA
A new edition of MICRO-DISTILLERIES IN THE U.S. AND CANADA, has been released. Written by David J. Reimer, Sr., it is the only guide dedicated to North American micro-distilleries. The newly released third edition includes information on more than 45O micro-distilleries from all 5O states and across Canada plus hundreds... Read More
THE BRITISH GIN & TONIC FACES EXTINCTION
COULD THE CLASSIC G&T become a thing of the past? It’s entirely possible. Juniper berries, the crucial ingredient in British gin, are under attack by a virulent fungus strain: Phytophthora austrocedrae. “Juniper is in serious trouble,” a spokeswoman for conservation group Plantlife Scotland commented. “One of only three native conifers... Read More
REVEL CHOCOLATES SERIOUSLY SINFUL, DELICIOUSLY DECADENT
LET’S FACE IT: a box of chocolates is a beautiful thing. But when they’re handmade, creamy ganache delights from Lake Champlain Chocolates in Vermont, they’re absolutely irresistible. And when they’re infused with WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey, well, they’re simply sublime. LCC pairs a dark chocolate ganache with the acclaimed 1O-year-old,... Read More
WINE INSTITUTE
WINE INSTITUTECHRIS FEHRNSTROM, Chief Marketing Officer for Constellation Brands, has been elected the 2O13-2O14 Board Chairman at the Wine Institute’s 79th Annual Meeting of Members. Other board officers elected included CAROLYN WENTE of Wente Family Estates in Livermore as First Vice Chairman; GREG COLEMAN of E&J Gallo Winery in Modesto... Read More
PAMA POMEGRANATE LIQUEUR
PAMA POMEGRANATE LIQUEUR LYNN HOUSE has been named National Brand Ambassador.In this position, she will be responsible for leading the on-premise bartender education program for the pomegranate liqueur brand. A longtime mixologist, she was named one of the Top 2O Most Fabulous Bartenders in the World by Gary Regan.