Blake’s Hard Cider and Petoskey-based Gypsy Spirits are teaming up once again for a new vodka: Triple Jam Vodka.

It comes after the much-anticipated and successful release of the Apple Pie Vodka that was released last summer.

Triple Jam Vodka brings together vodka with flavors of fresh strawberry, blackberry and raspberry, with a touch of apples.

It’s inspired by Blake’s cider, Triple Jam, a 6.5% semi-sweet cider made with real berries.

“We’re excited to partner with our friends at Gypsy Spirits, to bring the flavors of Triple Jam to Michigan’s cocktail and spirits lovers,” said Andrew Blake, the founder of Blake’s Hard Cider. “This vodka combines our delicious real fruit flavors with their expert distilling for a uniquely Michigan experience. Gypsy Spirits’ philosophy is one of embracing life to its fullest, and that’s always something we fully support at Blake’s.”

“The chance to work with a group of people who excel at what they do and are passionate about their craft and supporting Michigan makes the beverage industry worthwhile. Collaborating with Andrew and the Blake’s team is thrilling as they contributed significantly to putting Michigan craft beverages on the map,” attested Michael Kazanowski, founder of Gypsy Spirits in a press statement. “Following the success of our initial product with Blake’s, the Apple Pie Vodka, we are eager to collaborate once more, this time with their renowned Triple Jam.”

The spirit is now available at Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill and retailers throughout the state.

Blake’s is also celebrating the fifth anniversary of Triple Jam at the Berry Bash House Party, which is held at Blake’s Event Tent and Tasting Room in Armada on Saturday, April 13. Tickets can be purchased at blakeshardcider.com.

It might have taken a while for the party to hit its peak, but once the ‘big, bad soca’ picked up, Rum For Breakfast dominated the Hope Gardens area on Saturday morning.

Rum For Breakfast, one of the most significant pre-road march events of Bacchanal Jamaica, attracted a large audience.

The event was scheduled to start at 7:00 am, but by midday, the venue was almost full with visitors still pouring in.

Back to its roots, located within the rich garden area, the beloved breakfast party provided soca enthusiasts precisely what they craved.

People were clearly enjoying themselves as they danced with abandon, the perspiration on their bodies attesting to the intensity of their movements as they surrendered to the captivating rhythms of the music.

The responsibility of establishing the ambiance early on fell to disc jockeys such as Matthew Camps, Kyle Nocturnal, and Tyler Fyah, who aptly carried out their duty of getting the attendees in the mood for revelry as the day wore on. Tunes like Machel Mantano’s Happiest Man Alive, Kerwin Du Bois’ Too Real, Destra Garcia’s Just a Little Bit, and Patrice Roberts’ Anxiety held the crowd mesmerized as they flexed their hips in preparation for the main event.

The exhilaration within the confines of Hope Gardens merely intensified as the patrons lost themselves in the selections of the disc jockeys.

The celebration escalated to new levels of enjoyment after DJs Franco and Brush1, collectively known as the Road Marshall, delivered on their promise. The duo kept the crowd entertained with a succession of popular anthems, bringing the party to a culmination.

However, as the energy within Rum For Breakfast intensified, the breakfast buffet consistently performed at its peak. It offered delightful breakfast delights, including traditional Jamaican breakfast dishes like rundown mackerel, ackee and saltfish, callaloo, and others. The organisers ensured the attendees were fully satisfied as they revelled. As noon approached, the menu swiftly transitioned to include lunch specials such as mutton curry and a creamy pasta with jerk chicken.

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A man on Reddit who uninvited a friend from an annual Academy Awards party after the friend broke an expensive bottle of whiskey and refused to pay for a replacement was not wrong to do so — though he may want to adjust his priorities, other Reddit users decided.

An individual with the user name “InternationalList333” asked others about the situation in a March 8 post on the subreddit AITA (“Am I the A–hole”) — drawing some 4,500 reactions with approximately 2,000 comments in a short time.

In the post, the writer asked if he was wrong “for uninviting my friend from my Oscar party over a bottle of [whiskey].” The man, 29, said that every year, he and his wife, “Kate,” age 27, host a party to watch the Academy Awards, something they’ve done for five years.

“We dress up well, place bets on the winners and eat popcorn,” he said. “It’s a fun tradition that many of our friends look forward to every year. One of those people is ‘Rick’ (28M), a friend of mine from college.”

The Reddit poster said his wife “loves” whiskey — and ahead of last year’s party, she received a gift of an expensive bottle from her father. The bottle cost $175, the Redditor said.

However, as “Kate” had recently given birth and was still breastfeeding, she did not yet open the bottle. 

“During last year’s watch party, [the friend] Rick got wasted,” wrote the man in his post. 

“While searching for a different item in our alcoholic storage, he unintentionally shattered the bottle. He extended numerous apologies once his intoxication subsided. I was ticked off, nonetheless, the liquor belonged to Kate, she pardoned him, so I chose to disregard the incident.” 

According to InternationalList333, at that gathering, only his friend Rick was inebriated. 

“To add, we chose the beverages and placed them on the kitchen slab. Rick invaded the cabinet hunting for a bottle of alcohol (without prior permission from me), and was the standalone individual who performed this act,” the gentleman claimed. 

Post a few weeks of the event, InternationalList333 along with his spouse questioned Rick about his plans to compensate for the shattered whiskey bottle.

“He was shocked at our question, and told us he didn’t intend to. Rick’s been having problems with finances for quite some time and often struggles with his rent,” the man shared on Reddit.

“He made a point that since we were aware about his situation, we should not expect him to pay for a bottle of whiskey that cost $175.”

Rick was provided an ultimatum by InternationalList333: He would have to replace the whiskey by the time the next year’s party rolled around, or else he wouldn’t be invited anymore.

“He agreed at that time,” he noted. “Randomly throughout the year, I would ask him about the progress, he always reassured me saying that he was nearing his target.”

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This turned out to be untrue, apparently. 

Last week, I asked Rick about it again. He confessed he hadn’t actually saved any money for the bottle, wrote the Reddit poster. So I kept my promise and uninvited him from the party.

This apparently made Rick and his girlfriend very upset — who said

breaking the bottle was a “drunken mistake.”

They also insist that I’m being unsympathetic and entitled by expecting Rick to pay for a new bottle, he said. 

Kate’s on my side, but is worried we’re being too harsh. I really don’t think we are, but as Sunday approaches, I’m starting to feel guilty,” wrote InternationalList333.

Fox News Digital reached out to InternationalList333 for additional comments or updates.

On the AITA subreddit, people can respond to posts and indicate the poster is “NTA” (“Not the A-hole”), “YTA” (“You’re the A-hole”), “NAH” (“No A-holes Here”) or “ESH” (“Everyone Sucks Here”).

Users can “upvote” responses they think are helpful and “downvote” ones that are not.

Despite the vigorous debate in the approximately 2,000 responses to the post, the consensus was that InternationalList333 wasn’t in the wrong for expecting his friend to purchase a replacement bottle for the one he’d broken. However, many felt that it might not be worth jeopardizing the friendship over this matter.

“NTA. Regardless of whether he was drunk or not, he destroyed a

gift from a father to his daughter and then lied about it. That being said, if you’ve known him for a long time, and he’s always been a good friend, I would overlook it,” commented Reddit user “rafaelvandercan”, which was the most upvoted comment.

“The value of friendship exceeds the unintentional loss of a few hundred dollars,” added the same user.

Another highly-rated commentator agreed, stating that since Rick already had a history of breaking things, he “shouldn’t be allowed back in your house until he rights his wrong, either by replacing the broken item or compensating you for its value,” said a user named “7hr0wn.”

“It doesn’t matter that the item was a bottle of liquor. It doesn’t matter that Rick was drunk when he broke it. This is very basic guest etiquette,” said the user.

The same commenter added, “If you break something in someone’s house — accidentally, on purpose, or drunkenly — you make it right.”

Another user had a different take on the situation.

“Obviously unpopular opinion, but ESH [everyone sucks here]. Seems like Rick did a really poor job apologizing and shows little remorse,” said user “here4judgment.”

Hosting a party, said this same user, comes with the risk that something could be broken, especially if alcohol is being served.

“As I understand you, it was an honest drunken mistake, not the result of completely reckless behavior,” said here4judgment.

“Rick is struggling financially and It’s just a bottle of booze, man,” he added.

The friend should “apologize for not apologizing properly in the first place and for promising to replace the bottle when he didn’t intend to, and you should apologize for hounding him over a bottle of booze when you knew he was having a hard time making ends meet,” the commenter concluded.

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Triple Jam Vodka (Photo: Blake’s)

(FOX 2) – Enjoy a new twist on Blake’s popular Triple Jam hard cider.

The Macomb County-based cider maker has teamed up with the up north distillery Gypsy Spirits for a Triple Jam Vodka, a berry vodka described as having flavors of strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and a touch of apple – just like the cider.

“It was crucial that the berry aroma and color remained the same, those elements are such a big part of the brand, and the three-berry blend needed to be captured in the vodka too,” Blake’s founder Andrew Blake said. “Triple Jam has been such a smashing success because of its real fruit profile — you don’t get this off-flavor of cough syrup or candy like with many fruited hard beverages.”

Triple Jam Vodka (Photo: Blake’s)

He said the biggest difference between the beloved cider and vodka is the lack of carbonation and a higher alcohol content; the cider is around 6% ABV, while the vodka is 30% ABV.

“It’s all about us staying true to our roots, while offering a more diverse line of beverages, a little something for everyone. We listen, our customers tell us what they want and what we are missing, and then we roll up our sleeves and get to work,” Blake said.

Triple Jam Vodka retails for $24.95 a bottle, and is available at the Blake’s Tasting Room, as well as stores in its distribution area all year long.

Blake’s previously collaborated with Gypsy for a cider-vodka collaboration. Apple Pie Vodka was widely released last year. That vodka sold out in days, something Blake said he didn’t anticipate.

After that success, Blake’s and Gypsy decided Triple Jam would be the next release.

“Blake’s is known for its beverage innovation, and with the massive success of Triple Jam nationally, we knew it had the runway to be the next craft spirit release,” Blake said. “The blend of berries and Gypsy’s Vodka create something so pleasant, that we believe this product will become a staple offering.”

And you can expect more of that beverage innovation later this year, Blake said.

“We want to explore styles outside of vodka, like whiskey and gin,” he said. “We have plans to craft a third collaboration this fall, but you’ll have to stay tuned!”

On April 13, check out the Berry Bash House Party, for a commemorative glass, tunes from a live DJ, house party games and retro video games beginning at 6:30 pm at Blake’s Event Tent and Tasting Room in Armada. Tickets are available now for $10 at blakeshardcider.com.

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A whiskey decanter is a great way to bring class to your home bar or bourbon collection. Rather than simply grabbing bottles straight from the liquor store, a decanter allows you to house your whiskey in a quality crystal vessel designed to highlight the deep amber and golden hues of your preferred drink. However, there are a few additional storage considerations that come with owning a decanter – chiefly maintaining an awareness of how long your whiskey has been stored.

Fortunately, storing whiskey in a decanter isn’t drastically different from storing it in a bottle. It’s important in either situation to consider how much the liquid is exposed to the air. The quantity of whiskey remaining in the bottle is crucial as the less whiskey you have, the more air infiltrates the bottle. Excess air accelerates the rate of oxidation, which is why your whiskey may spoil.

However, there is a significant distinction between a bottle and a decanter, specifically regarding the initial filling process. As you transfer whiskey from the bottle into an empty decanter, it swirls around, increasing the interaction between the whiskey and the air and thus kickstarting the oxidation process. Consequently, whiskey only lasts for approximately three months in a decanter.

To learn more, check out: The 27 Best Bourbon Brands, Ranked

If you’re mindful of filling your decanter, seldom open it, and leave it nearly full, the typical usage duration of three months can extend up to three years. However, do not count on it lasting for an exact three years. If your whiskey is to be stored for an extended period, it would be best to leave it in its original bottle. Decanters are generally more appropriate for a whiskey you drink regularly and are certain to finish within three months. After three months, understand that its flavor will begin to decline, but there’s no necessity to dispose of the whiskey.

An important point to remember is that whiskey decanters are distinct from wine decanters. Though named the same, their similarities end there. Wine decanters are created to aerate the wine swiftly, accelerating the oxidation process to allow the wine to breathe before you drink it. The way we consume whiskey is different from how we drink wine. A wine decanter can conveniently contain about five glasses of wine, which can easily be consumed in one sitting with a group. In contrast, a whiskey decanter accommodates approximately 25 fluid ounces, yielding around 16 servings, considering a traditional serving size of 1.5 ounces. You’ll need to choose the whiskey you want to store in your decanter accordingly.

Take a look at the original article on Tasting Table.