Eve's Wine 101

Ten cocktail and wine trends in the US unveiled by Southern Glazer’s

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MIAMI and DALLAS —Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (Southern Glazer’s) — the world’s preeminent distributor of beverage alcohol — has unveiled the results of its 2022 Liquid Insights Tour, a coast-to-coast educational initiative designed to explore and identify the latest trends in cocktails and wine. The Liquid Insights Tour kicked off in Houston in February, and included stops in Kansas City, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago and Los Angeles. Over the course of 111 days, Brian Masilionis, Director, On-Premise Commercial Strategy & National Accounts for Southern Glazer’s, led a team of its industry-leading mixologists to sample more than 400 drinks in 83 of the hottest restaurants, bars and hotels, compiling their insights to discover emerging cocktail and wine trends across the U.S.

Analyzing industry data and gathering insights within the beverage industry has long been a practice of Southern Glazer’s, where it is used for internal education and training of the company’s sales force and its accounts. Now, through the Liquid Insights Tour, Southern Glazer’s is sharing its findings more broadly to help a hospitality industry still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, and to excite consumers about wine and cocktail innovation being driven by a new generation of diverse bartenders, sommeliers and beverage professionals. 

“Our driving purpose for conducting the Liquid Insights Tour was to uncover innovative beverage trends and experiences across the country to ensure Southern Glazer’s continues to have the most knowledgeable sales consultants in the industry,” said Masilionis. “Throughout the tour, we evaluated the complete on-premise experience by examining product offerings, pricing, promotional approach, people, service and process.” 

The conclusions from this tour, coupled with Southern Glazer’s world-class wine and spirits portfolio, creates a leading wine and cocktail experience, with best-in-class customer service from coast to coast, for restaurants, bars, hotels and other on-premise venues. 

Top 10 Trends Revealed

Analysis of the findings of the Liquid Insights Tour revealed that top trends fell into three distinct categories: cocktail trends, wine trends, and presentation/execution trends.

Top cocktail insights:

  1. Uncommon Combinations: Bartenders were mixing spirits not commonly used together to create new and interesting cocktail flavor profiles such as Scotch and corn liqueur, rum and cognac, and gin and mezcal.
  2. Beyond Basic Balancers: The team found many cocktails that were made using an innovative variety of methods or modifiers to balance the drink or add layers of flavor. These included the use of acids; sugars and syrups; salt; herbs and spices; coffee and tea; and the use of fats beyond animal fats. Adding ice or heat, like with stamped ice or smoked ice, was also common.
  3. Caffeinated Comeback: Once the darling of the 90s bar scene, the Espresso Martini took center stage as the standout cocktail of the tour. Around the country, mixologists are giving new life into this classic, incorporating a variety of creative ingredients such as amaro and coffee liqueurs or brandy with espresso or cold brew.
  4. Sophisticated and Spirit-Free: Non-alcoholic offerings at the country’s top bars, restaurants and hotels are now just as elevated, delicious, and pricey as their alcoholic counterparts, featuring similar ingredients, flavors and presentations just without alcohol.

Top wine insights:

  1. Bubbly Is Popping: Champagne and sparkling wines continue to climb in popularity on drink menus. Throughout the tour, more sparkling options were available by-the-glass and had a more prominent presence on top wine lists. In addition, bartenders are mixing sparkling wine of all styles and prices into their cocktails to add effervescence, crispness or sweetness to the experience.
  2. Wines Chill Out: Chilled selections of red and sweet wines appeared on menus across the U.S. Orange wines also appeared more frequently than ever before, often presented on menus in a combined rosé and orange section. 
  3. Tempting Trial With By-The-Glass & Premium Half-Bottles: Curated by-the-glass (BTG) options are becoming more diverse and more balanced between domestic and international offerings than in the past. There is also a growing trend in wines priced to sell with good value in either BTG or by-the-bottle formats to drive more orders and not just high margins.

Top execution and presentation insights:

  1. Batching for Speed and Service: Top bartenders continue to innovate around batching their cocktails, including both partial (batching only non-perishable items) and full batching, driven by the need for speed and to improve quality and consistency in cocktail preparation, which allows for more time to connect with guests.
  2. Entertaining Experience Enhancements: Adding “flair” to the cocktail experience with the use of vapors, “air,” smoke or torch; the use of unique glassware; or the return of communal drinks to be shared; all are creating memorable moments for consumers.
  3. Meaningful Menu Innovations: Restaurants and bars are evolving their menus beyond being a functional tool to improve the consumer experience. The team saw great storytelling, unique categorizations and humorous names paired with detailed drink descriptions. QR codes, which rose in popularity due to COVID-19, are now being used to deliver broader offerings and information – from curated, account-specific Spotify playlists to ever-changing allocated spirit offerings, all of which can be updated easily without needing to reprint menus.

Factors Influencing Trends

Backed by industry data and Southern Glazer’s internal insights, Masilionis and his team identified several key factors that are influencing these trends. These include an aging population, demographic and ethnic diversification of the U.S., a preference for health and wellness among consumers, and ongoing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting the hospitality industry.

“These unique insights can be incorporated into any on-premise business to build greater success through strategic and innovative beverage programs,” said Masilionis. “Identifying which insights are relevant to your business and how to incorporate them using creative themes, highlighting seasonal ingredients, and tailoring cocktail and wine offerings to the demographics of your guests are all strong strategies. We continue to see the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout this industry segment, in terms of effects on the work force and on the consumers returning for the on-premise experience. We’re excited to offer these insights to help speed the recovery from the pandemic and make this segment stronger and more consumer-focused than ever.”

For more information, visit the Liquid Insights Tour resource page at  www.southernglazers.com/Liquid-Insights.

Roundup: Your Favorite Cocktail Recipe to Make At Home

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Haven’t done a “round-up” article in a long time. That’s where I ask pals on social media to answer a question for me, and that I’ll be sharing the results in a blog post. I had this idea, about what cocktails we like to make at home,  when my sister-in-law made me one with a lovely rose-shaped ice sphere from Four Roses bourbon. So this is what I got when I asked others:

Janet B, “Ice, vodka, strawberry lemonade crystal light and diet ginger ale. Mimi’s Happy Juice.”

Marla L, “I love special ice and Four Roses is my favorite. And I’m with you – one large cube, one good bourbon and maybe an orange rind. Simple and clean and spirit forward, that’s my go to.”

Laura G, “I call this a Sunflower – recipe is from the bartender from Matteo’s restaurant in the Venetian. Equal parts: 1 ounce each of elderflower liquor – St. Germain, lemon juice, gin, Pierre Ferrand orange Curacao. Rinse the martini or coupe glass in absinthe (this is key). Shake the ingredients above in a cocktail shaker and serve with a lemon twist. It’s phenomenal.”

dtlaweekly, “Shot in a Styrofoam cup.”

Michelle T, “We enjoy a Penicillin, especially in the Spring/Summer months…2 ounces blended Scotch, 3/4 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice, 3/4 ounce honey-ginger syrup, 1/4 ounce Islay Scotch and a lemon peel for garnish. We are loving our pellet ice maker in certain cocktails.”

Jeannie L, “This week, I’m doing 2 shots of my Bombay gin, about 2 fingers of cranberry juice, 2 fingers of tonic water, and 3 ice cubes. I stir that up and put it in the freezer for a slushy feel to it.”

Donald H, “Headed to Venice this summer so I’ve been on a Aperol Spritz exploration: 3 oz. Aperol, 3 oz. Prosecco, 1 oz. club soda, orange wedge and ice.”

Tony H, “A quarter ounce cognac, ¾ ounce ginger ale, Angostura bitters and ice. Was shown to me by the person at Remy Martin and it’s lovely.”

Richard H, “Bloody Mary: 1½ oz. of Vodka, 4 oz. Tomato juice or V8 juice, 1/2 tsp. of Horseradish, 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 1 dash of hot sauce, black pepper, stick of celery and a lemon wedge.”

Lisa B, “One of my summer favorites is the Siesta Cocktail: 2 oz. silver tequila, 1/2 oz. Campari, 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice, 3/4 oz. fresh grapefruit juice, 1/2 oz. simple syrup. Garnish: slice of grapefruit peel.”

And the cocktail with the most unique ingredient list goes to Derek A, with “This has become the favorite in my home bar it’s very nice! The Obsidian: 1½ oz. Casa Dragones Blanco tequila, ¾ oz. cinnamon bark and star anise syrup, ½ oz. lime juice, a pinch of edible charcoal, Prosecco. Dry shake all ingredients, then shake with ice. Double strain into a rocks glass with one large ice cube. Top with Prosecco… I make my own syrup it’s really easy and it has an amazing flavor. The charcoal is from activated charcoal supplements from Amazon that I just open up and pour in to the mix it’s very easy.”

Mark H, “My dating life in college wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun if it weren’t for my Singapore Sling recipe! I rarely make much other than margaritas or whiskey (bourbon or rye) on the rock(s) at home nowadays. I also made a great Pina Colada but stopped when calories became an issue! Then there was the Mai Tai laundry sink recipe for big college parties. From memory the Singapore Sling: 2 oz. gin, 4 oz. sweet and sour, 4 oz. Club soda, 1/2 shot Grenadine syrup, cherry brandy floater and stir. After two of those, dates found me irresistible! P.S. A bartender at Sebastian’s in San Luis Obispo circa 1975 gave the recipe to me. I’m indebted to him!”

And one more from Mark H, “Another favorite version of ‘Walk The Plank’ is 1 shot each of dark rum, spiced rum, Kahlua and Frangelico. Serve in a 4 oz. plus shot glass.”

Deb N, “Since I am Canadian I will give you a Canadian drink, a Bloody Caesar: vodka, Clamato juice, lime juice, celery salt, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and a green bean for garnish.”

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Holland America Line Wins ‘Best Beverage Menu’ for New Concept Half Moon Bar at the 2022 VIBE Vista Awards

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SEATTLE /PRNewswire/ — Holland America Line took home a win for “Best Beverage Menu’ for its newest onboard bar —  Half Moon Bar —  at the 2022 VIBE Vista Awards that were presented during the VIBE (Very Important Beverage Executives) conference this week in Carlsbad, California. The award spans the entire beverage industry and competition included a collection of restaurant groups, hotel chains, casinos and more.

Half Moon Bar is an immersive experience looking at the history of cruising through the lens of a cocktail. 

Holland America Line’s Half Moon Bar is a new concept for the brand that was exclusively introduced aboard its most recent ship, Rotterdam, which launched in November 2021. The venue is an immersive experience looking at the history of Holland America Line and cruising through the lens of a cocktail. Each drink comes with a fascinating tale of its inspiration that is vividly described in the bar menu for guests to peruse.

“Holland America Line has a rich history of nearly 150 years, and with Half Moon Bar on Rotterdam we wanted to create a bar concept that celebrates our story with an immersive menu, and it’s quickly become the most popular bar on board,” said Michael Smith, senior vice president, guest experience and product development for the cruise line. “We are honored to be named best beverage menu for Half Moon Bar, selected from across the beverage industry, and we thank the panel from Johnson & Wales University for recognizing our commitment to giving our guests an exceptional experience.”

The creative cocktails at Half Moon Bar aim to take guests back in time, on a journey though Holland America Line’s history. Drinks on the menu include:

  • “The Original” celebrates the line’s first ship, Rotterdam I, made with a Dutch gin and a hint of single malt Scotch, ingredients inspired by the building of the ship and Holland America Line’s Dutch beginnings.
  • “De Halve Moon” is an ode to the Dutch sense of exploration and the botanical wonderland Henry Hudson found in present-day New York, made with Old Duff genever, lemon rosewater shrub and DDG Bitters.
  • “Three Mile Run” is a prohibition cocktail that tells the story of Holland America Line Prohibition-era cruises to nowhere for New Yorkers, where cocktail bars on the ship could be legally open. It is made from a combination of lemon, honey and gin for a Bee’s Knees, whiskey for a Gold Rush or rum for a Honey Bee.
  • “May She Be Blessed” is an ode to the godmothers who bless the Holland America Line ships, made with champagne and a choice of essence.
  • “Rotterdam VII” is dedicated to its namesake ship and the ship’s unique blend of tradition and innovation, made with smoked gin and maraschino cocktail.

The VIBE Vista Awards recognize the top performers in the beverage industry through the creation, training, execution, management and on-going positive results of beverage programs. Entries were reviewed by a panel of Johnson & Wales University beverage faculty, staff and alumni and were judged on positive beverage sales initiatives, efficient operational innovations and training and service programs producing high quality standards. VIBE Conference is the premier annual event for chain and hotel adult beverage executives and suppliers.

For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.

Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook and the Holland America Blog.  Access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com.

About Holland America Line [a division of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE:  CCL and CUK)] 
Holland America Line has been exploring the world since 1873 and was the first cruise line to offer adventures to Alaska and the Yukon nearly 75 years ago. Its fleet of premium ships visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world, offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience. A third Pinnacle-class ship, Rotterdam, joined the fleet in July 2021.

The leader in premium cruising, Holland America Line’s ships feature innovative initiatives and a diverse range of enriching experiences focused on destination exploration and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from Holland America Line’s esteemed Culinary Council of world-famous chefs.

Caroline Martin Named Master Blender of The Busker Irish Whiskey

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Award-winning The Busker Irish Whiskey is proud to announce the appointment of Caroline Martin as its new Master Blender at Royal Oak Distillery. Caroline Martin joins the team following a successful launch campaign which saw the brand take home multiple top accolades and scores. Proof of this is the highest rating (94 points) and “Best Buy” among all Irish whiskey blends from Wine Enthusiast and the medal collections achieved at World Whiskies Awards and at San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Furthermore, The Busker Pot Still won a Gold Medal at the Irish Whiskey Awards last month; our pot still is the most typical expression of Irish Whiskey and we’re honored to be recognized as one of the best in this category.

Photo: Indulge Press.

Caroline Martin, taking over for John Ramsay, will be responsible for the ongoing quality of The Busker Irish Whiskey as well as delivering an exciting innovation program for the brand and category as a whole.

Caroline’s 35-year-long career showcases her incredible leadership and expertise having worked as a Master Blender and whisky specialist on various staple Scotch and Irish Whiskey brands such as J&B, Bell’s, Johnnie Walker and Old Parr, as well as Roe & Co. and Indian Signature blends. Her wealth of whisk(e)y knowledge, experience, and dedication to the craft has brought her wide recognition across the industry, earning her the prestigious titles of Keeper of the Quaich and Blender of the Year by The Spirits Business in 2019 for her role with Roe & Co. Caroline Martin also proudly carries her reputation as a mentor and pioneer for women in whisk(e)y, pushing the boundaries of this industry.

“I am honored to take on the title of Master Blender of such a contemporary, adventurous and bold range of whiskies. It’s an exciting time not only for The Busker as a brand, but for the Irish Whiskey sector as a whole, which remains the fastest growing spirits category,” says Caroline. “The Busker is currently the only brand offering the full Irish whiskey experience of single pot, malt and grain whiskeys as well as a blended whiskey, all of which are produced at Royal Oak Distillery. As such, we have full visibility and control of how our products are distilled, matured and blended,” says Caroline. “I’m looking forward to working alongside the team, harnessing my passion for whiskey flavors, crafting new whiskeys, and ensuring the ongoing quality of The Busker range which is already winning many whiskey awards.”

Alan Dempsey, General Manager of Royal Oak Distillery states “We are delighted to have Caroline as part of the team at Royal Oak Distillery, working alongside our lead whiskey blender, Niall Bolger. Caroline’s experience, skillful blending techniques and positive attitude will play a key role in continuing to deliver the high quality of whiskey that Royal Oak Distillery is recognized for, while also driving innovation and flavour development of our whiskey portfolio. We wish Caroline all the best in her new role.”

About The Busker:
The Busker Irish Whiskey is born out of a modern Ireland, where the contemporary and bold meet at the crossroads of tradition. The Busker is produced at Royal Oak Distillery in County Carlow, Ireland, which is located on an 18th century estate in Ireland’s Ancient East region. It is the only distillery in Ireland which offers all three classic Irish styles of whiskey – Single Grain, Single Malt, & Single Pot Still, which make The Busker Single Collection. The Busker portfolio also includes The Busker Blend which is a beautiful blend of The Single Collection. The Busker uses different casks during the maturation process of their whiskeys including Bourbon casks, Sherry casks and Marsala casks. Most recently, The Busker took home multiple top accolades at the 2020 LA Spirits Awards: The Busker Single Malt was awarded the 2020 Platinum Medal and Best Irish Whiskey, while the Single Pot Still and Blend were awarded the Gold Medal.

For more information, visit http://www.thebusker.com and join the conversation at @thebusker_official

Where We Started: Drinking Wine and Spirits

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I recently wrote about how I got started with writing about and studying wine. Made me think about how I got started with drinking both wine and spirits. Had a chat with my husband Eddie, and a boozy trip down memory lane, and this is where it started and led me:

Spirits And Wine

Eve at Del Dotto, into caves with winemaker Gerard Zanzonico, circa March 2012.

When I was in high school and underage drinking was at every party, I have seriously no recollection of imbibing but I’m sure I did – and God knows what. My earliest memories of booze include Bartles and Jaymes Wine Coolers, wine spritzers, as well as Mateus and Blue Nun wines. Not a fan of beer but I did enjoy Mickey’s Big Mouth malt liquor at least once.

Fast forward to my early 20s and I enjoyed Myer’s Dark rum with orange juice, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitans, Tequila Sunrise and Kahlua with milk, cream and/or vodka. So yea, I wanted sweet cocktails, preferably ones that hid the flavor of the base spirit.

When I met Eddie his mother introduced me to Vodka Tonics. Later came single spirits, for Eddie it was Chivas Regal blended Scotch whisky, for me my tastes evolved much later, into single malt, as there’s what Eddie became more interested in. I was covering cocktail events, which we both loved, and then whisky events. In both I was learning more and more about the spirits, and how to make cocktails with them. While I prefer gin cocktails like a Negroni or a Martini, Eddie prefers whisky. So added to my home-bartending recipes are the Sazerac, Old Fashioned and Manhattan.

Only Wine

I never drank White Zinfandel. When that was introduced I was enjoying red Zinfandel. I can remember being at Sutter Home in Napa and everyone ordering White Zinfandel, it was the moment I had to start saying “red” before the word Zinfandel to get what I wanted. Thank God that craze is over.

After we got married my sister-in-law and her husband invited us to a vertical wine tasting at Concannon. I didn’t know what that was at the time but quickly learned that we were to taste the same wine from the same winery over several years. It was U.S. my a ha moment as we carefully studied the difference in each vintage. A few years later, during our first trip to France, I wanted to visit Willi’s Wine Bar that I had read about in Wine Spectator. I’ve written about Willi’s several times over the years, suffice it to say that being introduced to the perfect Chateau Lynch Bages Bordeaux with owner Mark Williamson was a turning point for me.

Around the same time my first wine classes were via The Wine House in West Los Angeles: starting with sparkling wine and junk food, Chardonnay Fests, Cab Fests, and a few weeks worth of classes just on France. It would be decades later, after already obtaining my WSET Level Two that I would return there for classes held there by the North American Sommelier Association and my Level One Sake Certification.

Now, how did you get started?

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

SIP Awards’ Annual Spirit Competition Shatters Through the 1,000 Entry Submission Milestone

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IRVINE, Calif., /PRNewswire/ — The SIP Awards to be honored for another record setting year as the authority review leader in innovative tasting competitions, representing the one and only organization focused on the feedback of real consumers, not professional tasters or industry insiders. The 2021 SIP Awards surged with more than 1,000 competing brands from 49 countries — the highest since its inception in 2009.

The SIP Awards International Spirits Competition is committed to its core mission of bringing together informed, passionate consumers to experience rare and unique spirits and mixers from around the world. This year, cognizant of the ongoing global pandemic, SIP Awards reimagined spirits judging with their innovative at-home evaluation kits. With a record breaking 1,183 submissions, the 2021 evaluation was by far the most competitive for brands vying to secure coveted SIP Awards recognition and exposure.

Participants registered online and selected a sampler kit in one of 108 spirits categories and subcategories (bourbon, vodka, tequila, mezcal, whiskey, scotch, liqueurs, infused spirits, and more) to be delivered to their home. Each kit included 6 to 12 unbranded samples, a link to submit the results and one exclusive Neat Glass scientifically designed to maximize the aroma, flavor and finish of each spirit. After the submission, the judges were able to see which spirits they actually liked and disliked in their blind tasting evaluation, which could help them in their buying decisions.

Winning a SIP Award is a critical milestone for brands that speak directly to their target audience, consumers. Awards include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Double Gold, Platinum, and Best of Class.

In addition, the most sought after, Consumers’ Choice Award, honors a brand’s unwavering commitment to their legacy, craft, and to the ever-important consumer palate, by placing in the SIP Awards two or more consecutive years. This year, 344 Consumer Choice Awards were distributed, underscoring the growing popularity of the event and the value it provides to brands.

There’s also an Innovation Award for spirits that bring an interesting and unique taste profile, as well as Package Design Awards for creative bottles and aesthetics. No brand receives participation awards, as the competition focuses solely on tangible differentiation in the winner’s circle.

“The fact that the SIP Awards sets new records each year for consumer and brand participation highlights what we’ve believed all along — that consumer opinion carries a lot of weight for brands to create, improve on, and market their products,” says Cher Holmes, Director of Operations. “We look forward to continuing this tradition of bringing spirits brands and their ideal customers together and improving the industry as a whole, one sip at a time.”

For a complete list of 2021 SIP Awards winner, visit: http://sipawards.com/

About the SIP Awards
Founded in 2008, the SIP Awards is the world’s only spirits tasting competition that uses real consumers as its judging panel. Brands can enter one or multiple spirits and review the raw feedback they receive from the judges and use it to improve their product. For brands that win a SIP Award, they can leverage their award in their branding and marketing. To learn more about the SIP Awards beverage competition, venue partnerships, or for a complete list of this year’s winners, visit https://sipawards.com.

Pandemic Trends Promote Small Producers of Premium Spirits

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MIAMI/PRNewswire/ — Small spirits producers, such as independent bottler The Perfect Fifth, are set to benefit by taking their produce to the key Californian cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, as pandemic-driven trends indicate consumers are reaching for the top shelf when selecting lockdown indulgences.

With the pandemic forcing the closure of bars and restaurants across the globe, consumer behaviour has adjusted accordingly in the last year, and this trend looks set to continue. According to research group IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, “premium-and-above spirits are forecasted to increase their global volume market share to 13% by 2024 as consumers continue to favor quality over quantity.” As locked-down consumers seek out more premium products, this may have an unexpected positive impact on smaller producers, who had previously competed with major brands for space on the bar.

One such example is family-run bottler of premium single malt and single grain Scotch whisky The Perfect Fifth, who are taking advantage of the trend to target discerning drinkers in key international markets, including select US cities. In contrast with the larger producers who dominated liquor sales pre-pandemic, releasing their spirits in batches of thousands of bottles, The Perfect Fifth is an independent bottler of single casks of well-matured Scotch whisky. A single cask of whisky typically holds no more than a few hundred bottles, depending on the size of the cask, making every release from this new company an extremely small batch. The company has so far released four limited edition, single cask expressions of premium whisky (price range $850 – $3,000) from top distilleries across Scotland.

“Given the limited nature of our releases, we are releasing our next batch of spirits to select markets, to ensure we can meet anticipated demand,” said COO and Founder Karl Schoen. “San Francisco is widely regarded as a real paradise for lovers of good food and wine, with a plethora of diverse, Michelin-starred restaurants, and Napa Valley and Sonoma County on the doorstep. San Diego is a little-known secret among those who know where to look, as the city harbours some hidden gems of bars and retailers, and we’re thrilled to have our Scotches sitting on their shelves.”

The bottles from The Perfect Fifth’s first release of premium Scotch whiskies are currently stocked in retailers across California: In Los Angeles, stocks include Wally’s, K&L Wines, Cypress Craft Beer & Liquor, Wine Expo Santa Monica, Old Oaks Thousand Oaks, BL#2 Palmdale, Remedy Glendale, Hawaii Supermarket San Gabriel, Wing Hop Phung Arcadia/Monterey Park; stocks in San Francisco include Cask on 3rd, Ledgers Liquors, The SF Wine Co, The Whisky Shop; stock lists in San Diego include The Bottle House, Keg N Bottle, Sin Lee Food Whole Sale.

theperfectfifth.com
@perfectfifthspirits

American Airlines Chooses Six New Wines To Serve on New Flights from NY, Miami & Dallas to Tel Aviv, Israel – and Two are Kosher

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(Bayonne, NJ) – For those heading to and from Israel, it’s the best news since the kosher meal option: American Airlines is now serving fine kosher wines in all cabins on all of its new flights between New York’s JFK International Airport and Tel Aviv.

Photo: MamaLikesToCook.com

And starting on June 4, All Miami and Dallas passengers will be able to order from American’s kosher wine list as well.

The panel tasted many different wines (hey, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!) and narrowed the new selections down to six wines – only two of which are kosher certified – and both kosher varieties come from the esteemed House of Herzog.

Nathan Herzog, President of Royal Wine Corp. – which is owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family – was not surprised to see the prestigious Herzog name on American’s kosher wine list. “After all, the Herzog family’s winemaking roots go back nine generations. They produce world-class wines that just happen to be kosher.”

Herzog said, “Royal and Herzog Wine Cellars are excited to partner with American Airlines. Their decision to offer high-end kosher wines shows how committed they are to this new route.”

Travelers on American can order the Baron Herzog Chardonnay, a full-bodied white featuring fragrant notes of apple blossom and honeysuckle and flavors of ripe peach, tangerine, and a hint of caramel.

Those who prefer red wine will savor the soft, rich Herzog Lineage Cabernet Sauvignon with its aroma of black cherry, boysenberry, and tobacco. Both wines are perfect companions to foods of all kinds and will definitely set the mood for an Israeli sojourn.

 About Royal Wine/Kedem

Founded in 1848, Royal Wine Corp. has been owned and operated in the United States by the Herzog family, whose winemaking origins go back more than 200 years in Czechoslovakia.

Today, Royal Wine’s portfolio of domestic and international wines range from traditional wine producing regions of France, Italy, and Spain, as well as Israel, New Zealand, and Argentina.

Additionally, Royal Wine Corp.’s spirit and liqueur portfolio offer some of the most sought-after scotches, bourbons, tequilas and vodkas as well as hard to find specialty items such as flavored brandies and liqueurs.

The company owns and operates the Kedem Winery in upstate New York, as well as Herzog Wine Cellars in Oxnard, California, a state-of-the-art-facility featuring guided wine tours, a fully staffed modern tasting room, gift shop and catering facilities. Additionally, the winery houses the award-winning restaurant Tierra Sur, serving the finest, Mediterranean-inspired, contemporary Californian Cuisine.

Slàinte Mhath to a Successful In-Person 2021 Universal Whisky and Spirits Event

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Slàinte Mhath, the traditional Scottish Gaelic toast to another fabulous, and yes In-Person, Nth Ultimate Whisky and Spirits Experience which just concluded April 25, 2021 at Wynn Las Vegas, NV.  “It’s a re-start after a tough 2020 without an event, and there will be more Nth experiences to come,” a sentiment from and very much like the tenacious stature of Mahesh Patel the world’s top whisky connoisseur and founder of Universal Whisky Experience.  Mr. Patel has been hosting the main Nth event annually in Las Vegas for over a decade as well as ancillary events around the world.

Similar to the hardy nature of the liquid itself, Universal Whisky Experience showed the hospitality world it is as resilient as the luxury whisky expressions served at the Nth 2021.  Master Blenders and Ambassadors from House of Hardy, Dalmore, House of Dewar’s, Royal Salute, Gordon & MacPhail, Chivas Bros, William Grant & Sons, and Glenturret presented rare whiskies from around the globe.  Representation of these famous brands were both in-person and live-stream.  Although its typical at the Nth for physical appearances from these international brand celebrities, they were there in spirit, no pun intended.  Many shared their passion in the wee hours of the morning from private residences overseas, still in shut down, demonstrating true loyalty to the spirit industry!

It was a different setup this year as State and local government protocols restricted planning the standard full event attendance.  This year celebrated a more intimate luxury Masterclass format educating whisky and spirits enthusiasts on ingredients and crafting of premium rare whiskies, rums, cognac, ports, and the like.  With the help of the world class staff at Wynn Las Vegas, the Nth team designed Masterclasses and luxury dinners with appropriate social distancing to ensure the comfort and safety of attendees and still encouraged meaningful interaction.  Even while social distanced the flow of the conversation and ease of camaraderie were unmistakable.  Due to COVID protocols a room which typically housed exhibit stands with a tasting crowd five times the current attendance, was now set classroom style with one person per 6-foot table.  Nevertheless, the guests had an enjoyable experience in this format discussing their enthusiasm for whisky, sharing tasting thoughts, nosing a glass or two, and asking valuable questions of the whisky experts and representatives of the brands.

Mark Guyton, Starkville, Mississippi commented, “There is simply no comparison to any event I’ve attended around the U.S. or in Scotland. At the Nth, you are interacting with master blenders from the distilleries – these are the very folks who decide which casks of whisky are going to be bottled, and which ones should remain in the warehouses for a few more years.  You get to taste whiskies that you would never be able to taste anywhere else.  Over the decade of attending the Nth I’ve made lasting friendships with other whisky enthusiasts and master distillers from around the world.”

Gavin Linde, San Diego, CA, “The Nth is hands down the best whisky event in the United States, the whisky you get access to and educated on, is nothing but the best. The Master Classes are next level, getting to meet the blenders and talk through each whisky is an experience like no other.”

New attendee Stephen Meyer, “We attended The Nth because it was the only established luxury whisky event being held in the first half of 2021 and were delighted to discover how much participation there was from world renown experts.  The quality of the experience overall was more than worth the time and ticket price.  This event is now a repeat for me every year!”

About Universal Whisky Experience: 

Universal Whisky Experience is a promoter of luxury, super-premium whisky experiences and concierge service to assist in attaining some of the most sought-after whiskies around the globe. For more information please visit:  www.universalwhiskyexperience.com