Kings County Chocolate Whiskey

It seems like chocolate vodka is not enough…

Kings County Distillery, the small Williamsburg, Brooklyn operation that boasts the distinction of being the first legal liquor distillery to open in New York City since Prohibition, has come up with something exceptional: chocolate whiskey.

The chocolate whiskey is murky brown in color. It smells like dark cocoa powder with a slight alcoholic twinge and it tastes like thick, slightly bitter raw chocolate. What makes this so good is that it isn’t a liqueur; it’s 40% alcohol, unsweetened. You’ve got to shake the bottle before you pour; there’s a lot of cacao sediment in there.

The story is that we were in Mast Brothers Chocolate Factory, looking at their operation just to get ideas for how to plan for when we get a little bigger, and noticed that they give away the husks of the chocolate that are leftover after the chocolate-making process.  They said that most people use it for garden mulch.  I wondered it we could distill it, somehow, although there is no natural starch or sugars that would be convertible to alcohol, so that wouldn’t make that much sense.   But we did try infusing it in the moonshine, and it was delicious: bitter and rich like a dark chocolate, but not sweet like the chocolate liqueurs that are on the market.  I’d never quite tasted anything like it.  So we just gradually scaled up the recipe, still using Mast Brother’s husks (recycling what they can’t use), and our own corn whiskey.  Those are the only ingredients.

Like Kings County’s other products (moonshine and bourbon), the chocolate whiskey comes in a small, 200ml flask. Like the moonshine, it’s usually sold for $19.99 a bottle. Now, 200ml is just shy of seven ounces. That’s about four glasses to sip. This is very expensive stuff.

That being said…I have to say, not being a whiskey lover, and certainly not a purist, I applaud the new crop of spirits coming out these days. I’m sure many will bemoan the loss of tradition, etc., but isn’t food and drink most importantly about pleasure and enjoyment? That should be above all else. That’s one of the reasons why America still excels in so many things…because we are not afraid of change and do not have many of the same restrictions as other nations do. Bring it on! If you don’t like it, don’t drink it!

Kings County Chocolate Whiskey is available in some New York City liquor stores and online through retailers like Astor Wines & Spirits and Park Avenue Liquor Shop.

Source: cocktails & cologne and The Greene Grape Blog

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U.S. Keeps On Drinking…Jameson, Malibu, The Glenlivet, Champagnes All Up

While Pernod Ricard’s 8% net sales growth to €4.61 billion ($6b) in the six months through December was driven largely by an 18% surge in its emerging market business (identical to rival Diageo’s), Pernod’s U.S. net sales also enjoyed a healthy uptick, rising 5% over the period. An exclusive analysis from Impact Databank reveals that Pernod’s high-flying Jameson Irish whiskey brand, along with a revitalized Malibu rum, offset U.S. volume declines for Absolut vodka, Seagram’s gin and Chivas Regal Scotch in calendar 2011.

Jameson’s spectacular rise in the U.S. market continues to be one of the drinks industry’s top stories. The fact that the super-premium ($25) Irish whiskey actually picked up speed during the recession—more than tripling in volume since 2006 and prospering in the on-premise all through the downturn—testifies to its brand cachet among trend-setting spirits consumers.

Malibu’s renewed strength in the U.S. market is a more recent trend. Not long ago, both Malibu and Kahlúa were seen as turnaround projects for Pernod Ricard USA. Kahlúa continues to struggle, slipping below 1 million cases in 2011 for the first time in decades. But Malibu, boosted by playful new ad positioning, returned to volume growth in 2010 and then advanced by nearly 7% last year, breaking the 1.7-million-case threshold for the first time.

Pernod aims to keep Jameson and Malibu consumers engaged by innovating on each with new extensions. Jameson’s Black Barrel ($35) was introduced last fall, while Malibu Red, a rum-Tequila hybrid selling at a premium to the core brand’s $14 a bottle, is slated for an upcoming release. (Malibu Red follows two other variants including higher-alcohol Malibu Black, and a seasonal Malibu Winter offering accented by coconut flakes swirling in the liquid).

The Glenlivet—the leading single malt Scotch brand in the U.S.—continued its steady upward progress last year, rising 6.5%, but work remains to be done in the rest of Pernod’s Scotch stable. Chivas Regal had halted its long-term U.S. slide in 2010 with a modest increase, but last year it slowed again, declining by 1.3%. Chivas has lost nearly 20% of its U.S. volume since 2005. During that time period, archrival Johnnie Walker has grown by around 10% in the U.S. market.

More troubling for Pernod USA may be the halt in progress for its largest brand, Absolut. After a buoyant 2010 in which it added about 150,000 cases in U.S. sales, Absolut, under pressure from proliferating “cheap-chic” vodkas like Svedka, Pinnacle and Sobieski, surrendered 60,000 cases in 2011, with trends deteriorating over the second half of the year. Pernod Ricard CEO Pierre Pringuet said today that the group intends to turn up Absolut’s volume with a new U.S. campaign in March, as well as new extensions Absolut Grapevine and Absolut Miami. But even as the economy suggests it may begin to put some wind behind brands like Absolut, competition in the vodka category appears only to be getting stiffer.

U.S. wine exports hit a record $1.39 billion in 2011 on an increase of 21.7%, according to the Wine Institute. Volume shipments rose 5.8% to 455.7 million liters, or 50.6 million nine-liter cases. Some 34% of U.S. wine exports by value were shipped to the 27 member countries of the European Union, accounting for $478 million in revenue, up 10% from 2010. Volume shipments to the E.U. reached 28 million cases in 2011, edging up 1.4% from the previous year. Other top markets included Canada (up 23% to $379 million), Hong Kong (up 39% to $163 million), Japan (up 39% to $105 million) and China (up 42% to $62 million).

Champagne shipments to the U.S. enjoyed double-digit growth in 2011, according to the French Federation of Wine and Spirits Exporters (FEVS). The FEVS said Champagne exports to the U.S. market rose 12.2% by volume and 18.6% by value last year. In 2010, Champagne shipments jumped 35% by volume to 1.41 million cases, according to France’s Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC) and Impact Databank.

Source: Shanken News Daily

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Get Your Groove On Quicker With Chocolate and Smoothie Wines!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  How about cutting to the chase and instead of the box of chocolates and then the romantic, wine-soaked dinner, you just give your significant other chocolate wine.  Yes, that’s correct. Why not be efficient and effective with your afrodisiac/inebriation attempts!

First wild, candy-like vodka flavors…and now the same for wines. I guess wine coolers are all growz up. Chocolate and red wine does go pretty well, though, I must say.

People want the buzz and the sweet childhood memories, too. Unless, of course, you were a wayward youth, boozing it up at 7 years old. Then, I’m sure you have very special memories all your own.

Clever Imports, the Florida-based creator of the ChocoVine chocolate wine brand, is launching a new brand called VineSmoothie—a French Chardonnay-based fruit-cream wine. VineSmoothie will hit the shelves in April and retail at around $10, the same price as ChocoVine. The 14%-abv brand will start with four flavors: Peach, Berry, Pineapple Coconut and Strawberry.

ChocoVine grew by 22% to 550,000 cases last year, building on its strong growth from 2010. After successfully focusing on the grocery trade, Katz now aims to expand ChocoVine on-premise in 2012.

“We market ChocoVine to the on-premise as a cocktail that stands on its own—especially the Espresso flavor,” says Katz. ChocoVine’s other flavors include Original, Raspberry and Whipped Cream. “We’re suggesting restaurants and bars add vodka to make their Espresso Martinis. And for restaurants with only wine and beer licenses, ChocoVine can offer a spirits-style experience, on the rocks.”

As ChocoVine looks to raise its on-premise profile, competition is starting to intensify in the chocolate-cream wine segment. White Rock Distilleries has its new Chocolate Valley Vines label, and E&J Gallo is test-marketing a brand called ChocolatRouge. Both are priced roughly in line with ChocoVine. Katz distinguishes between cream-driven and wine-driven versions of chocolate wine, and doesn’t consider wine-driven brands like Precept Wines’ Chocolate Shop to be direct competition for ChocoVine.

Here are a few more chocolate wines.

Source: Shanken News Daily

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Today’s Drinking Game: Banished Letters

The aim of the game is to answer questions without using a specified letter of the alphabet.  You first select a letter to be forbidden/banned, then you select a question to apply that to. The players must answer without using the letter anywhere in the word. A previous answer, of course, may not be used either. The first player to fail takes a drink and is the person to pick the next letter and question.

This would be a lot of fun…early. I mean, this may be a challenge for people when they are sobe, to be perfectly honest. I do think it’s worth a shot. It has to equal laughs. Even if they are mean spirited, mocking laughs that rip at the heart of a dear friend. It’s good for the soul.

For example: “The forbidden letter is R. Name a US state.”

Source: Drinking Games by Terry Burrows

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Glenfiddich Cask Of Dreams, SinFire Cinnamon Whisky, Stetson Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Whisky Booze News:

William Grant & Sons USA has unveiled a new limited-edition Glenfiddich bottling, Cask of Dreams. The new offering is a marriage of Glenfiddich whiskies taken from a hand-picked selection of American oak casks holding matured whiskies of a variety of ages, with the youngest being 14 years old. The blend was then finished in 11 virgin American oak casks, which had previously been inscribed by thousands of Americans with their own personal dreams and aspirations. Selling for $99 a 750-ml., only 3,500 bottles of Cask of Dreams (48.8%-ABV) are available in the U.S.

Oregon’s Hood River Distillers, known for its Pendleton Canadian whisky, is joining the fast-rising flavored whisky category with the launch of SinFire Cinnamon Whisky. Targeting men and women 21-40, the new brand will be in national distribution next month at around $17 a bottle. That puts it roughly in line with Sazerac’s Fireball, also a cinnamon-flavored whisky, which has garnered a strong following as a shot option among the younger LDA crowd over the past year.

New Jersey-based importer and marketer Vision Wine & Spirits has added the newly launched John B. Stetson Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey brand to its U.S. portfolio. Best known for its long legacy of hat manufacturing, the John B. Stetson company crafts its Bourbon with Native American corn, barley, rye and wheat, distills it twice in a copper pot still and ages the liquid in new American white oak barrels for four years. Priced at $26.99 a 750-ml., John B. Stetson Kentucky Straight Bourbon is available nationally.

Source: Shanken News Daily

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Beermakers May Not Be Shopping After Major Buying Spree

Global brewers, after spending $195 billion on acquisitions in the last decade, may slow the pace of deals in 2012 as beermakers struggle to maintain profit growth amid rising costs and weaker demand in the U.S. and Europe.

The two biggest companies to emerge from the spree, Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and SABMiller Plc, are best positioned to profit with a presence spread over Africa, Asia and Latin America, while smaller rivals Carlsberg A/S and Heineken NV may suffer from their higher exposure to Europe.

More than $21 billion changed hands for beer assets in 2011, topped by SABMiller’s A$10.5 billion ($11 billion) takeover of Foster’s Group Ltd. That made it the busiest year since 2008, when InBev NV paid $52 billion for Anheuser-Busch Cos. As sales volume growth decelerates and the cost of making beer rises, companies including the integrated AB InBev, Heineken and Carlsberg may focus more on running their own businesses this year than buying others.

Beer volume and revenue growth may be particularly limited in Europe and the U.S. as brewers compete for sales amid economic turmoil and high unemployment. SABMiller, the first brewer to post results for the three months through December, reported declining volumes in both regions, as every other unit grew. Carl Short, an analyst at S&P Capital IQ in London, said “recessionary conditions” may return to Europe this year.

Beermakers may have to rely on internal cost cutting as price increases may be limited. Carlsberg and Heineken may have a “really tough time managing the pricing mechanism,” said Anthony Bucalo, an analyst at Banco Santander.

Good!  I’m happy about this. Too big, too many brands under a few roofs. You know, the largest American brewery right now is Boston Beer (Sam Adams) with a mere 20% of the US market? Miller, Bud, Coors…all owned by non-US conglomerates. I guess that’s the way it goes.

Source: Bloomberg News

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