Warning: Attempt to read property "taxonomy" on bool in /home/icoholco/public_html/wp-content/themes/Grimag/archive.php on line 187
The Rolling Stones’ Crossfire Hurricane Rum: A Classic Rock-Inspired Spirit Shakes Up the Market
Crossfire Hurricane Rum is a bold, premium blend of exceptional Caribbean rums from Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic – fusing three distinct rum-making traditions into one potent spirit. The name is inspired by the opening lyric “I was born in a crossfire hurricane” from the Stones’ 1968 hit single “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
For six decades, The Rolling Stones have epitomized rock and roll, enchanting audiences worldwide with their timeless music and electrifying performances. Now, they’re extending their legendary influence into the spirits industry. In collaboration with Crossfire Hurricane Rum, the iconic band is launching a limited-edition gift set. This exclusive collection not only showcases their signature style but also celebrates their highly anticipated Hackney Diamonds 2024 Tour, offering fans a unique fusion of music and premium rum.
Crossfire Hurricane Rum is not just any rum; it’s a harmonious blend of flavors from Jamaica, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic. This fusion of three distinct rum-making traditions creates a spirit as intricate and captivating as the Rolling Stones’ music. Each region contributes its unique qualities: Jamaica offers robustness and depth, Barbados provides smoothness and balance, while the Dominican Republic adds a vibrant aroma and sweetness. Aged up to 5 years in charred oak barrels, this 40% ABV rum reveals flavors of caramelized bananas complemented by a gentle hint of tropical fruit. The premium barrels enrich the complexity, fostering the development of subtle spice notes and a velvety texture. On the nose are baking spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, oak, and toasty tobacco.
The partnership with the Rolling Stones and Crossfire has deeper roots than you may think. The Stones’ affinity for rum traces back to the 1970s, when they recorded their album “Goats Head Soup” in Kingston, Jamaica. Immersed in the island’s vibrant culture, they were enchanted by the Caribbean’s tropical rhythms and the rich flavor of Jamaican rum. This local spirit became a studio session staple and infused their music with an unmistakable island vibe. The name Crossfire Hurricane pays tribute to the Stones as it appears in the opening lyrics to the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Now, in 2024, the timeless allure of the Rolling Stones is celebrated with the release of the Limited Edition Hackney Diamonds Gift Set (starting at $125). Available at concert venues and online at Reserve Bar, this exclusive set is purposefully designed for the Hackney Diamonds Tour, making it a must-have for ardent fans. Enclosed within a deluxe box, you’ll discover the exquisite Hackney Diamonds bottle—crafted from sophisticated black gloss glass, adorned with a striking gold cap, and emblazoned with the iconic Rolling Stones tongue logo, encapsulating rock ‘n’ roll rebellion and style. Additionally, the set features a flagship bottle of Crossfire Hurricane Rum, an homage to the band’s fiery spirit and enduring legacy.
“The Stones’ love affair with rum began in the ’70s while we were recording our album Goats Head Soup in Kingston, Jamaica,” said Mick Jagger. “With Crossfire Hurricane Rum, we’ve crafted a complex yet smooth spirit that captures the essence of laid-back Caribbean nights spent with mates, music, and mischief.”
If you can’t make it to the Hackney Diamonds Tour there’s still a way to “Drink Like a Rockstar” this summer. Take a look at this cocktail recipe:
Crossfire Hurricane Rum represents a groundbreaking first for The Rolling Stones – their very first product ownership venture. Launched in November 2023, it is the culmination of a pioneering partnership between the iconic rock band, Universal Music Group, and Socio Ventures. This spirit marks a bold new frontier for the legendary Stones.
2 ounces The Rolling Stones’ Crossfire Hurricane Rum
1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
Ginger beer, to top (about 5 ounces)
Garnish: lime wheel
Add rum and lime juice to a tall glass filled with ice.
Top with ginger beer.
Garnish with lime wheel.
Crossfire Hurricane Rum represents a groundbreaking first for The Rolling Stones – their very first product ownership venture. Launched in November 2023, it is the culmination of a pioneering partnership between the iconic rock band, Universal Music Group, and Socio Ventures. This spirit marks a bold new frontier for the legendary Stones.
One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a power user?
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
Bangalore’s Amrut Distilleries Clinches “World’s Best Whiskey” at International Spirits Challenge
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a vital tool for businesses looking to save costs and increase efficiency in a quickly changing technology world. According to a recent survey, …
There is a noticeable increase in the number of executives at ITC, a well-known Indian conglomerate with a broad variety of commercial activities, who earn more than Rs…
Matrix Partners, a renowned US-based investment firm, is rebranding its Indian arm to Z47 starting July 1, 2024. This move is part of a larger organizational restructuring aimed…
Cheers to Flavors of Florida: Exclusive Disney Springs Beer Marks Its Return
As a local, Jim Greene is very excited about Disney Springs’ newest sip, SunShine Stroll Orange Pilsner — because it’s local, too. The beer’s July 1 release pairs neatly with the return of Flavors of Florida, which offers visitors to the Springs a taste of the Sunshine State.
Greene, general manager operations for Disney Springs, hails from Satellite Beach. SunShine Stroll Orange Pilsner, a light and citrusy offering, is custom crafted by Playalinda Brewing Co. from Titusville, an old rival city of Greene’s.
“We used to play them in football!” he notes with enthusiasm, but he reserves the bulk of his excitement for the beer itself — the refreshing result of years’ worth of visitor queries.
“Both domestic and international travelers ask about local beer all the time and ask, ‘What do you have that I can’t get anywhere else?’ We never had an answer.”
Now, they do — the Pilsner is a Disney Springs exclusive — and it joins the fourth annual Flavors of Florida lineup of more than 80 items, found at more than 40 locations from kiosks and fast-casual offerings, to storefront stop-ins, to fast-casual and full-service restaurants.
This hazy 4.5% ABV offering, with its touch of Florida orange, fits right in.
“It’s what you call a walking beer,” Greene says, and beginning July 1, visitors can grab a 16 oz. can or a draught at any number of outposts on property and walk it end to end. It will be sticking around after the summery event ends on Aug. 11.
In fact, the beer has even been incorporated into some of the festival’s offerings, such as the orange pilsner goat cheese dip (available at Jock Lindsay’s Hangar Bar) and crispy pork-topped St. Augustine datil pepper frites (at The Daily Poutine).
Over at Morimoto Asia, where past Flavors of Florida events have seen proteins like gator and frog legs giving folks a taste of former Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga’s penchant for thinking outside the box, this year’s take by Executive Chef Takeshi Ikeuchi speaks to something more familiar to most: Key West shrimp.
“He enjoys using this in his Cantonese-style cuisine,” says Fujinaga, now director of culinary for Patina Restaurant Group, “but also wanted to bring in his Japanese heritage by bringing in chilled soba noodles. They are infused with green tea, too, which is very unique.”
The dish also employs vegetables from local growers, such as carrots, cucumbers and purple daikon from small-scale, organic Sugar Top Farms in Clermont. This is an element the festival has been tapping into, Springs-wide, as the event has grown, says Disney Springs Vice President Matt Simon.
“It’s no longer just ingredients that are Florida-familiar,” he says. “We’re bringing in the farmers of our community and showing our guests, in a very special way, how to enjoy these flavors in a truly authentic way.”
Part of this is encapsulated in an all-new pairing series that will connect guests with their food and drink, says Michael Reiss, general manager of Disney Springs business relations and food and beverage.
The series will be hosted at The Edison, Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, Paddlefish, Wine Bar George, City Works Eatery & Pour House and Jaleo.
“It’s one of those things we’ve layered in to give more options and value to the guests,” Reiss explains. “These will have a limited number of seats, with two events per location.” Tickets for these events, which span multiple courses and run from 1.5 to 3 hours, drop July 1 at disneysprings.com/pairingevents.
“It’s exciting for guests to be able to have this personal connection with the chefs in Disney Springs,” says Simon. “They’re such an important part of our story and what we do. And for them to be able to get together and have an amazing food experience that nobody else in the world can have.”
History, too, plays a role. As Florida is the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich, several venues will be doing takes, from the Tampa-style Cuban at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ to an Ybor City-style dog at B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.
The beverage teams have been getting in on the fun, too. At Morimoto Asia, the orange shiso mocktail allows guests of all ages to get in on Florida flavors with a house-made orange shrub. Frontera Cocina has a Sunshine State margarita. Gideon’s Bakehouse‘s orange mocha nitro cold brew will be jet fuel to its queued-up fans while eet by Maneet Chauhan’s Sunny Days brings them back down, its ice pop-laden, whipped vodka delight is a cocktail in dessert disguise.
And of course, there’s that beer, the one Flavor of Florida that’s sticking around past Aug. 11.
“It’s here for good,” says Greene.
Want to reach out? Find me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.
Sweet Grass Vodka Owner’s Profits Seized in $1.7M Mount Pleasant Home Sale
Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us – it’s free.
Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger toasts with actor Jeremy Renner, then his celebrity brand rep, in September 2023.
The owner of a rapidly unraveling Charleston vodka company sold his million-dollar house and lost a large chunk of the profits in a court order.
Jarrod Swanger bought a 2,300-square-foot house in Mount Pleasant in 2020 months after launching Sweet Grass Vodka, a business investors now say was built on a series of falsehoods. Swanger convinced those investors to give him millions of dollars and lured actor Jeremy Renner to be the face of his brand, even calling him a co-owner.
Renner cut ties with Swanger earlier this year, while people who sunk money into Sweet Grass are suing Swanger for failing to pay back nearly $750,000 in loans. He also stands accused of owing Renner nearly half a million dollars and employees as much as five weeks in back pay.
Swanger officially sold his Snee Farm home for $1.7 million on June 21, when the deal closed. A sales contract was signed in late April, court records show.
More than a quarter million dollars — the bulk of Swanger’s share of the profit from the sale — was handed over to the court as part of an agreement in a lawsuit brought by investor Stephen McCord.
Alicia and Jarrod Swanger pose for a portrait in the future location of Sweet Grass Vodka inside of The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.
The agreement allowed Swanger’s wife, Alicia, to keep half of the $680,000 in net proceeds after a previous order by Judge Jennifer McCoy had called for all proceeds from the sale to be seized. An exemption in South Carolina law also allows Jarrod Swanger to keep $73,700 from the sale.
The caveat protecting Swanger’s wife was the main reason he agreed to the June 12 order, said Swanger’s lawyer, Ronald Jones Jr. He said Swanger’s wife has nothing to do with the business or debts of her husband and noted the judge has yet to make an order on who is to receive Swanger’s cut of the profits.
McCord and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Far from the jet-setting lifestyle brushing shoulders with celebrities he enjoyed in recent years, Swanger’s story has devolved into a tale of professional failure mixed with personal tragedy.
With his business shuttered and debts mounting, Swanger’s 16-month-old son fell into the family’s backyard swimming pool on June 11 and nearly drowned.
Swanger and his wife were both at home when the child was found unresponsive in the water, a police incident report states.
The Mount Pleasant house sold this month by Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger. A judge ordered his share of the profits held by the court until a final decision is made on one of the lawsuits against him.
Story continues below
Police are still investigating and have kept further details under wraps, while refusing to release records related to the incident. A spokeswoman for Mount Pleasant police could not be reached for comment.
The infant was taken to East Cooper Medical Center and then to the pediatric critical care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Hospital. The child was still there as of midweek. No update was available June 28.
Swanger has been selling off his furniture on the Snee Farm Villa HOA Facebook page, posting this month: “Anyone need an office set up for cheap? Or just the table or just the bookshelves?”
Nearly 20 people, among them investors and former employees, told The Post and Courier that Swanger took millions from investors while operating a business built on deception. The craft vodka, billed as made from locally sourced potatoes in a Charleston distillery from his wife’s family’s old Polish recipe, is a watered-down version of alcohol made elsewhere. The farm where Swanger claimed he bought the potatoes confirmed it never sold to him—and it hasn’t had a potato crop in two years.
Investors say they never got their money back, and Swanger never provided them annual tax forms the IRS requires for business partnerships.
On June 14, a judge ruled in favor of South Carolina Federal Credit Union in one of four outstanding lawsuits against Swanger that stated he owed $26,154.30 on a defaulted loan. Swanger also was ordered to pay the credit union’s legal fees. Court records show that loan was repaid as of June 25.
Other lawsuits claim he still owes $37,000 on his bottling equipment and $113,466 as part of an unpaid loan.
Alicia Swanger holds one of the company’s bottles inside the future location at The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.
Sweet Grass Vodka and its Sweetgrass Lounge has been closed since April, when Swanger was booted out of the company’s space, located inside The Refinery at 1640 Meeting Street Road on Charleston’s upper peninsula, for failure to pay rent. Swanger still went on to host parties at the lounge until his mid-April eviction, even though his liquor license was revoked in March.
He also failed to pay state income taxes in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Sweet Grass Vodka hit shelves in 2020 and quickly landed in Total Wine locations, restaurants and six states across the Southeast, including South Carolina. Two years later, Swanger was telling people his company was worth $26 million and would reach $40 million in annual sales by 2023.
In reality, according to a former business partner with copies of the brand’s distribution figures, Sweet Grass in 2023 sold roughly 2,000 cases. Even at retail prices on the company website, that comes to well below $1 million.
John Ramsey is a reporter on The Post and Courier’s Watchdog and Public Service team.
He has worked as an editor and reporter in Richmond, Va., Fayetteville, N.C. and Rocky Mount, N.C.
The International African American Museum ends its first year on a high note, with more than 187,600 recorded visitors since its launch last year on June 27. Read moreInternational African American Museum ‘exceeds expectations’ in its first year
No ships had been scheduled to call on the terminal as of June 28, but SPA President and CEO Barbara Melvin has vowed to get Leatherman back in business as quickly as possible. Read moreSC Ports, dockworkers’ union contemplate Leatherman Terminal re-opening as soon as July
The offer is very generous, but the money won’t last long. Read moreAct fast: South Carolina home buyers can get $15,000 toward purchase with just $1,000 down
After 6 months of operating in the parking lot, Rogue Motion is vacating the former Food Lion shopping center in West Ashley to make way for Trident’s new medical center. Read moreLast tenant vacates Ryan’s lot in West Ashley as redevelopment looms
Discover the Unique Flavors: Winery of the Month
I’m breaking from tradition for this column to feature a winery, not a single wine, of the month. And for good reason: Masciarelli Tenute Agricole itself breaks tradition with a female leadership consisting of the Belgrade-born Marina Cvetić and her daughter, Miriam Lee Masciarelli. The mother-daughter team took over operations after founder Gianni Masciarelli’s death in 2008.
Founded on less than 2.5 acres in 1981 in Abruzzo, the winery has risen through the ranks and gained respect, putting on the map a region better known for its rusticity than its fine wines. Though, that is sure to change, with more consumers embarking on a road of exploration of lesser-known regions and native grapes—a journey for which Italy, with its 400+ grapes, is a solid tour guide, and Abruzzo a most promising emerging star.
From the start, Gianni Masciarelli focused on quality and particular parcels, taking his cue from quality regions such as Burgundy and convinced that the same rigor would pay off in Abruzzo.
And it did. Gambero Rosso, the Italian magazine of gastronomy, awarded Masciarelli’s Villa Gemma Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 1995 “Best Wine in Italy”—the first Montepulciano to be so recognized.
In the United States, look for the winery’s widely available “Linea Classica” line. And for your upcoming July 4 barbecue (or, in my house, my Sunday evening salmon dinner), look for these two reds that straddle seasons and climates.
Two reds from Abruzzo
Masciarelli “Villa Gemma” Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Superiore DOC. Very light garnet in color, this is a lithe and light-bodied red, even for the 14% alcohol. Cerasuolo means “cherry red” and that informs this wine, which is cherry-fruit forward. There’s a bit of earthy spice on the finish. This is a good swap out for Pinot Noir—a lighter interpretation that goes well with red-sauce pasta dishes, charcuterie, pizza and roasted salmon.
Keeping it in the family, this Marina Cvetić Montepulciano Riserva San Martino Rosso DOC (2019) shows tart red fruit, fresh raspberry and strawberry. Like its sister wine, there’s a little earthy afternote and spice, but it’s a well-made wine that delivers a direct line of fruit. If the winemaker had a hand in this, I can’t taste it: it’s unadulterated by heavy oak or wood spice, though it spent 13 months in barrique. Not a heavy wine, this is a red to accompany the grill.
One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.
In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site’s Terms of Service. We’ve summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.
Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:
User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:
So, how can you be a power user?
Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site’s Terms of Service.
Discover the Highest-Rated Beer in Tennessee: A Must-Try Brew!
“`html
If you drink beer—any beer—you’re probably familiar with the craft beer explosion that began in the late 2010s, and you likely fall into one of two camps: IPA warrior or lager loyalist. The great thing about a beer-related revolution is that there is no wrong side. Whatever your preference, cheers to you.
The brewery business is indeed a revolution by many counts. According to the Brewers Association, the number of breweries in the United States grew by 567% from 2003 to 2023—all while beer consumption, on average, was declining. For the first time since 1999, beer shipments fell below 200 million barrels in 2023, making it the lowest amount of beer consumed in the U.S. in a generation.
Like all revolutions, this began as a desire for change—as an overthrow of the old and the monopolistic. When combined, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors (formerly MillerCoors), two of the largest beer companies in the world, comprised roughly 72% of total beer sales in the U.S. around 2013. A decade later, that share dropped to 65.7% in 2023, with smaller brewers claiming a larger share.
📧 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
“`
With a taste of the innovations and variety coming out of craft breweries, consumers are demanding a higher-quality product—and are willing to pay more for it. Over the last decade, between May 2014 and May 2024, beer prices have risen 21% overall.
But how can you determine the best craft beers in an increasingly crowded market? If you’re curious about the most popular beers in the Volunteer State, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated beers in Tennessee using ratings from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of five beers per brewery were included.
Read on to plan your next local beer tour!
– Rating: 4.15 (40 ratings)
– Type: Brett Beer
– ABV: 6.20%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.33 (10 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Xül Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.12 (902 ratings)
– Type: Smoked Porter
– ABV: 9.00%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.2 (30 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 6.50%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.17 (50 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 7.90%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.17 (52 ratings)
– Type: American IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.3 (15 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.20%
– Brewery: Blackstone Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.27 (22 ratings)
– Type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 5.90%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.4 (12 ratings)
– Type: Wild Ale
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Yazoo Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.31 (20 ratings)
– Type: Quadrupel (Quad)
– ABV: 10.00%
– Brewery: Tennessee Brew Works
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
| Check out more lists and rankings from across Tennessee →
– Rating: 4.2 (114 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.20%
– Brewery: Blackstone Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.22 (69 ratings)
– Type: Saison
– ABV: 6.30%
– Brewery: Blackberry Farm Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.24 (50 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.27 (45 ratings)
– Type: Imperial IPA
– ABV: 8.30%
– Brewery: Southern Grist Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.21 (530 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.00%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.24 (213 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.20%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.27 (75 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 6.80%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.28 (149 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 7.50%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.33 (252 ratings)
– Type: New England IPA
– ABV: 8.20%
– Brewery: Bearded Iris Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
– Rating: 4.36 (218 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 12.20%
– Brewery: Wiseacre Brewing – Broad Ave OG
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states and Washington D.C.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
New Crop Insurance to be Tested in California: Wine Grape ‘Smoke Taint’ Coverage
In a major development for the wine industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency this summer plans to try out new crop insurance coverage in California to protect growers against losses from wildfire smoke exposure.
The “fire insurance protection smoke index” will be available as an optional add-on to individual grape crop insurance policies starting in the 2025 crop year, an agency official said at the West Coast Smoke Damage Task Force summit earlier this month.
The pilot program will launch initially in 32 counties where crop insurance is available in the Golden State, with plans to potentially expand to other smoke-prone regions in the future.
“We want to develop something really simple, something that can quickly respond to smoke events or smoke damage at the end of the insurance period, and provide indemnities quickly without minimal interaction,” said Jeff Yasui, agency regional director.
Wildfire smoke compounds can be absorbed into wine grapes and be released during the winemaking process, leaving smoky, ashen or muted flavors that result in wines that can be unfit for sale. In 2020 alone, an estimated 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California winegrapes were lost due to actual or perceived smoke damage, with financial losses of over $600 million.
The smoke-taint add-on or endorsement is designed as an area-based plan, meaning payouts will be triggered if the required number of “eligible smoke days” are recorded in the insured county during the coverage period, rather than requiring individual growers to document losses, Yasui explained during the task force online summit.
The extra insurance is meant to cover the liability for smoke damage between the grape policy’s coverage level and 95% of the crop price. Most of the premium costs will be subsidized by the government.
“The nice thing about it, too, growers don’t have to do lab tests. They don’t have to prove they had losses. It’s just whether or not the area had a loss,” Yasui said. “Indemnities can be issued under either or both policies.”
This new insurance option aims to provide a straightforward way for growers to be compensated for smoke-related damage without extensive documentation requirements. It comes after years of advocacy by the wine industry and research efforts to better understand and mitigate the impacts of wildfire smoke on winegrapes.
“We’re hoping the program is popular and resolve some issues,” Yasui said. “It was a big group collaborative effort, it was a big success.”
The smoke taint coverage rollout, announced amid other coverage changes for other crops from the USDA agency Thursday comes just over a year after the introduction of a House bill (H.R. 4801) that seeks to study and develop such coverage for California, Oregon and Washington.
“Winegrapes are essential to California’s economy,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, one of the bill sponsors, said in a statement Thursday. “Yet growers in our state have been struggling to recover after smoke exposure damages their winegrapes. I’ve long advocated for strengthening crop insurance for winegrowers to better capture the risks associated with growing in smoke- and wildfire-prone regions. RMA’s announcement is an essential step toward that goal.”
Natalie Collins, president of California Association of Winegrape Growers, called smoke-damage coverage a “critical need” to the “significant threat” of wildfires.
“This new policy is a significant step forward in protecting the livelihoods of growers and the industry as a whole,” Collins said in a statement Thursday.
Policy coverage for smoke “became a top federal priority” in public policy advocacy for trade group Napa Valley Vintners.
“Today’s announcement that the Department of Agriculture will begin offering smoke insurance policies is a huge win for the Napa Valley wine Industry,” said Rex Stults, vice president of industry relations for the Napa Valley Vintners on Thursday.
Additional details on the pilot program will be released later this summer, according to the Department of Agriculture.
Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction, and real estate. Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256.
Sweet Grass Vodka Owner’s Profits Seized Following $1.7M Sale of Mount Pleasant Home
Our newsletter catches you up with all the business stories that are shaping Charleston and South Carolina every Monday and Thursday at noon. Get ahead with us – it’s free.
Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger toasts with actor Jeremy Renner, then his celebrity brand rep, in September 2023.
The owner of a rapidly unraveling Charleston vodka company sold his million-dollar house and lost a large chunk of the profits in a court order.
Jarrod Swanger bought a 2,300-square-foot house in Mount Pleasant in 2020 months after launching Sweet Grass Vodka, a business investors now say was built on a series of falsehoods. Swanger convinced those investors to give him millions of dollars and lured actor Jeremy Renner to be the face of his brand, even calling him a co-owner.
Renner cut ties with Swanger earlier this year, while people who sunk money into Sweet Grass are suing Swanger for failing to pay back nearly $750,000 in loans. He also stands accused of owing Renner nearly half a million dollars and employees as much as five weeks in back pay.
Swanger officially sold his Snee Farm home for $1.7 million on June 21, when the deal closed. A sales contract was signed in late April, court records show.
More than a quarter million dollars—the bulk of Swanger’s share of the profit from the sale—was handed over to the court as part of an agreement in a lawsuit brought by investor Stephen McCord.
Alicia and Jarrod Swanger pose for a portrait in the future location of Sweet Grass Vodka inside of The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.
The agreement allowed Swanger’s wife, Alicia, to keep half of the $680,000 in net proceeds after a previous order by Judge Jennifer McCoy had called for all proceeds from the sale to be seized. An exemption in South Carolina law also allows Jarrod Swanger to keep $73,700 from the sale.
The caveat protecting Swanger’s wife was the main reason he agreed to the June 12 order, said Swanger’s lawyer, Ronald Jones Jr. He said Swanger’s wife has nothing to do with the business or debts of her husband and noted the judge has yet to make an order on who is to receive Swanger’s cut of the profits.
McCord and his lawyer could not be reached for comment.
Far from the jet-setting lifestyle brushing shoulders with celebrities he enjoyed in recent years, Swanger’s story has devolved into a tale of professional failure mixed with personal tragedy.
With his business shuttered and debts mounting, Swanger’s 16-month-old son fell into the family’s backyard swimming pool on June 11 and nearly drowned.
Swanger and his wife were both at home when the child was found unresponsive in the water, a police incident report states.
The Mount Pleasant house sold this month by Sweet Grass Vodka owner Jarrod Swanger. A judge ordered his share of the profits held by the court until a final decision is made on one of the lawsuits against him.
Story continues below
Police are still investigating and have been tight-lipped with any further details while refusing to release records related to the incident. A spokeswoman for Mount Pleasant police could not be reached for comment.
The infant was taken to East Cooper Medical Center and then the pediatric critical care unit at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Shawn Jenkins Hospital. The child was still there as of midweek. No update was available June 28.
Swanger has been selling off his furniture on the Snee Farm Villa HOA Facebook page, posting this month: “Anyone need an office set up for cheap? Or just the table or just the book shelves?”
Nearly 20 people, among them investors and former employees, told The Post and Courier that Swanger took millions from investors while operating a business built on deception. The craft vodka, billed as made from locally sourced potatoes in a Charleston distillery from his wife’s family old Polish recipe, is a watered-down version of alcohol made elsewhere. The farm where Swanger claimed he bought the potatoes confirmed it never sold to him — and it hasn’t had a potato crop in two years.
Investors say they never got their money back, and Swanger never provided them annual tax forms the IRS requires for business partnerships.
On June 14, a judge ruled in favor of South Carolina Federal Credit Union in one of four outstanding lawsuits against Swanger that stated he owed $26,154.30 on a defaulted loan. Swanger also was ordered to pay the credit union’s legal fees. Court records show that loan was repaid as of June 25.
Other lawsuits claim he still owes $37,000 on his bottling equipment and $113,466 as part of an unpaid loan.
Alicia Swanger holds one of the company’s bottles inside the future location at The Refinery on Meeting Street Road on Dec. 9, 2021, in Charleston.
Sweet Grass Vodka and its Sweetgrass Lounge has been closed since April, when Swanger was booted out of the company’s space, located inside The Refinery at 1640 Meeting Street Road on Charleston’s upper peninsula, for failure to pay rent. Swanger still went on to host parties at the lounge until his mid-April eviction, even though his liquor license was revoked in March.
He also failed to pay state income taxes in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Sweet Grass Vodka hit shelves in 2020 and quickly landed in Total Wine locations, restaurants and six states across the Southeast, including South Carolina. Two years later, Swanger was telling people his company was worth $26 million and would reach $40 million in annual sales by 2023.
In reality, according to a former business partner with copies of the brand’s distribution figures, Sweet Grass in 2023 sold roughly 2,000 cases. Even at retail prices on the company website, that comes to well below $1 million.
John Ramsey is a reporter on The Post and Courier’s Watchdog and Public Service team.
He has worked as an editor and reporter in Richmond, Va., Fayetteville, N.C. and Rocky Mount, N.C.
Sewing Down South, co-owned by Southern Charm star Craig Conover, has collaborated with Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James brand for a three-day event in Charleston. Read moreStore co-owned by Southern Charm star brings Reese Witherspoon’s apparel line to Charleston
Profits from the house may end up paying off some of Jarrod Swanger’s mounting debts Read moreSweet Grass Vodka owner’s profits seized from the $1.7M sale of his Mount Pleasant home
Inflation ga… Read moreInflation report shows price increases eased in May; Tractor Supply ends DEI amid backlash
WASHINGTON —… Read moreSupreme Court weakens federal regulators, overturning decades-old Chevron decision
California to Pilot Crop Insurance with ‘Smoke Taint’ Coverage for Wine Grapes
In a major development for the wine industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency this summer plans to try out new crop insurance coverage in California to protect growers against losses from wildfire smoke exposure.
The “fire insurance protection smoke index“ will be available as an optional add-on to individual grape crop insurance policies starting in the 2025 crop year, an agency official said at the West Coast Smoke Damage Task Force summit earlier this month.
The pilot program will launch initially in 32 counties where crop insurance is available in the Golden State, with plans to potentially expand to other smoke-prone regions in the future.
“We want to develop something really simple, something that can quickly respond to smoke events or smoke damage at the end of the insurance period, and provide indemnities quickly without minimal interaction,” said Jeff Yasui, agency regional director.
Wildfire smoke compounds can be absorbed into wine grapes and be released during the winemaking process, leaving smoky, ashen or muted flavors that result in wines that can be unfit for sale. In 2020 alone, an estimated 165,000 to 325,000 tons of California winegrapes were lost due to actual or perceived smoke damage, with financial losses of over $600 million.
The smoke-taint add-on or endorsement is designed as an area-based plan, meaning payouts will be triggered if the required number of “eligible smoke days” are recorded in the insured county during the coverage period, rather than requiring individual growers to document losses, Yasui explained during the task force online summit.
The extra insurance is meant to cover the liability for smoke damage between the grape policy’s coverage level and 95% of the crop price. Most of the premium costs will be subsidized by the government.
“The nice thing about it, too, growers don’t have to do lab tests. They don’t have to prove they had losses. It’s just whether or not the area had a loss,” Yasui said. “Indemnities can be issued under either or both policies.”
This new insurance option aims to provide a straightforward way for growers to be compensated for smoke-related damage without extensive documentation requirements. It comes after years of advocacy by the wine industry and research efforts to better understand and mitigate the impacts of wildfire smoke on winegrapes.
“We’re hoping the program is popular and resolve some issues,” Yasui said. “It was a big group collaborative effort, it was a big success.”
The smoke taint coverage rollout, announced amid other coverage changes for other crops from the USDA agency Thursday comes just over a year after the introduction of a House bill (H.R. 4801) that seeks to study and develop such coverage for California, Oregon, and Washington.
“Winegrapes are essential to California’s economy,” Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, one of the bill sponsors, said in a statement Thursday. “Yet growers in our state have been struggling to recover after smoke exposure damages their winegrapes. I’ve long advocated for strengthening crop insurance for winegrowers to better capture the risks associated with growing in smoke- and wildfire-prone regions. RMA’s announcement is an essential step toward that goal.”
Natalie Collins, president of California Association of Winegrape Growers, called smoke-damage coverage a “critical need” to the “significant threat” of wildfires.
“This new policy is a significant step forward in protecting the livelihoods of growers and the industry as a whole,” Collins said in a statement Thursday.
Policy coverage for smoke “became a top federal priority” in public policy advocacy for trade group Napa Valley Vintners.
“Today’s announcement that the Department of Agriculture will begin offering smoke insurance policies is a huge win for the Napa Valley wine Industry,” said Rex Stults, vice president of industry relations for the Napa Valley Vintners on Thursday.
Jeff Quackenbush covers wine, construction and real estate. Reach him at jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or 707-521-4256.
Exploring XXXX Beer: The Legacy and Popularity of Australia’s Beloved Brew
A number of years ago, Foster’s ran a commercial claiming that its brand name was “Australian for beer” and that, along with the fact that Paul Hogan (aka Crocodile Dundee) once served as a pitchman, helped to cement the idea in American minds that it really was the premier Australian beer. Down Under, however, they’d probably laugh at the notion, since if the island-nation-continent has an unofficial beer, it would be far more likely to be XXXX than Foster’s. Unlike Foster’s, which is produced in such far-flung locations as Manchester, England and Fort Worth, Texas, XXXX is Australian born and brewed in Brisbane since the late 19th century.
Even though the name might sound like an extra-raunchy porn movie — either that, or the Most Interesting Man in the World double-fisting his signature Dos Equis — XXXX’s moniker actually has a more mundane meaning behind it. The letter X was originally meant as a quality rating, somewhat akin to Amazon stars, and the first beers produced by the Castlemaine Brewery managed to garner three of them. In 1893, however, the brew had improved sufficiently to earn a fourth star, so the brewery changed the name to honor the accomplishment (Pabst Blue Ribbon has a similar origin story.)
Read more: Kopi Luwak Is A Very Expensive Cup Of Poop Coffee
The XXXX brand today offers several different lager-style beers, among them XXXX Dry, XXXX Bitter, and XXXX Summer Gold (the last-named also available in lime and mango flavors) as well as the nonalcoholic XXXX Zero. Top of the chain, however, is XXX Gold, a beer that was the number two seller in all of Australia for 2023 — and in a 30-pack, no less. (Guess which beer didn’t even make the top 10? Fosters may actually be Australian for “meh.”)
As to why Australians love XXXX beer, we can’t speak for all of them, since around 27 million people are living there and it’s possible that some prefer to stick with Milo, a Nesquik-like chocolate drink, while other non-beer drinkers would rather Tim Tam Slam a cup of coffee. To be honest, we can’t really speak for any of them since we’re not Australian ourselves, nor can we render an American’s take on the brew since it’s not imported to this country. (Or anywhere else.) From what we do know of it, though, it seems to fall into the category of what you’d call an “easy drinker” — only 3.5% ABV, and with a slightly sweet, not too bitter flavor and a decent amount of fizz. IPA-sipping hipsters are clearly not the intended market for XXXX, but it’s been a best seller since it launched back in the 1990s so it’s doing just fine without the endorsement of craft beer snobs.
One sign that XXXX may be the quintessential Australian beer is the fact that in some quarters it is literally synonymous with the country, or a close facsimile thereof. In Sir Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, which spans 41 books and also spawned a number of movie and video game adaptations, “The Last Continent,” which is clearly based on Australia, goes by the name of Fourecks.
Not only does XXXX have this literary legacy, but it is even more strongly associated with sports since it’s been sponsoring the Queensland Maroons rugby team since 1991. The annual National Rugby League State of Origin series between the Maroons and New South Wales is one of the country’s premier sporting events, kind of like a Super Bowl where the same two teams play every year, only without Taylor Swift dating any of the players (yet). XXXX, of course, is the de rigeur brew for Maroons supporters during the series, and at other times as well, After all, no true fan would be caught drinking a Toohey’s because this rival beer brand sponsors the NSW Blues.
For more food and drink goodness, join The Takeout’s newsletter. Get taste tests, food & drink news, deals from your favorite chains, recipes, cooking tips, and more!
Read the original article on The Takeout.