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Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Spiked Hot Chocolate with Equiano Rum
After the holiday excitement, we all seek something to brighten those dreary, cold winter days. Equiano Rum offers a 100 percent natural rum with no added sugars or colorants, and void of spices. It also holds the unique distinction as the very first African and Caribbean rum. A hot chocolate spiked with this authentic rum seems just fitting to warm one on a cold evening.
The Equiano Holiday Gift Box is the perfect antidote to a freezing winter.
Founders Aaisha Dadra and Amanda Kakembo explain, “Being dubbed the world’s premier African & Caribbean rum, the unique liquors from each location play a significant function in our mixture. In Equiano Original, the African element from Mauritius, tropically aged in former Cognac barrels, gives a naturally sweet flavor to the blend. Equiano Light introduces a freshness with sugar cane juice rum from Africa, adding a grassy touch to the mixture. And considering Barbados is a producer of some of the world’s best rums, we feel privileged that it’s a vital component in both Equiano Original and Equiano Light.”
Are you prepared to concoct Equiano Spiked Chocolate? Here’s what you require:
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons soft muscovado sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• ¼ cup (1 ½ ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) Equiano Original Rum
• Whipped Cream (Optional)
Method:
The Equiano holiday gift box is available for purchase online – for both the Equiano Original and the Equiano Light. Looking into 2024, Equiano is looking forward to more exceptional rum being enjoyed around the world, more unique blends from Africa and the Caribbean, more limited-edition blends and more support of emerging African distilleries as they venture beyond the 30 countries they are in today.
An Unfavorable Update for Beer Enthusiasts
It’s already been obvious for some time now that Gen Z’s drinking habits don’t match those of the generations before them. A 2023 Gallup poll found that fewer Americans aged 18-34 now drink alcohol than at any point in the past 22 years, and Billboard reported last year that music venues are suffering due to low alcohol sales. But beer sales in particular are a slightly different story, and the generation gap can only go so far in explaining them. NBC reports that the beer industry is seeing its lowest sales in a generation, and a number of factors are contributing to the struggle.
Industry group Beer Marketer’s Insights (BMI) told NBC that beer shipments have fallen to levels not seen since 1999—a timeframe that aligns rather tidily with the lifecycle of the craft beer boom. Indeed, the 2023 closure of Anchor Brewing seemed to signal the start of a newly rocky path for America’s craft beer scene, with craft sales shrinking faster than their mass-market counterparts. But the biggest players are feeling it too: “It was a tough year for beer,” BMI vice president David Steinman said.
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Ten years ago, grocery and liquor store shelves looked comparatively one-note; now there are so many more options that it’s not about choosing which beer to drink, but rather choosing which broad category of beverage to start with. Do you want to drink beer? Wine? Liquor? A canned tequila cocktail? A hard seltzer that tastes like an orange cream popsicle? Hard soda? Hard lemonade? Hard tea? Hard iced coffee? The mere existence of all these products means that each one must work harder to elbow its way into consumers’ carts.
“Some of the world’s largest soft drink and energy companies introduced sugar-forward alcohol beverages to the market, all of which are vying for the same consumer occasions as traditional malt- and hop-forward products,” Lester Jones of the National Beer Wholesalers Association told NBC via email.
However, it’s not all doom and gloom for the beer industry. The level of beer consumption in the U.S. doesn’t actually translate directly to the industry’s earnings, nor does it reflect global trends. The price of beer, NBC notes, has risen at a rate that both matches and sometimes exceeds the rate of overall inflation. On top of that, as consumers ditch the mass-market brands like Bud Light they often embrace more expensive brands—a phenomenon that led to the ascendance of Modelo Especial in 2023. These factors, coupled with strong international sales, mean that profits remain high within the beer category.
We will likely continue to see this sort of dualism play out within the beer industry throughout 2024 and beyond: Fewer drinkers and a onetime glut of microbreweries paring down to levels that better match demand, but maybe also higher profits overall as the palates of existing drinkers become more particular. Recent beverage trends like seltzer and RTD cocktails haven’t been enough to topple this dominant category, they’ve made it a lot harder for beer to stand out from the pack.
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Top 7 Promising Wine Regions to Explore in 2024: A Sommelier’s Guide
Searching for your next great bottle? Sicily, Greece, South Africa, and Lodi may have the answers. … [+] (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
Have you ever had a sommelier pour you an unexpectedly excellent wine? A white or red from an unknown region, something sparkling from outside of Champagne, or a weird but wonderful bottle from the far reaches of Eastern Europe?
In 2024, sommeliers are predicting a number of unexpected wine regions will step into the spotlight.
“We are starting to see wines come out of less traditional regions, whether newer to grape growing or places that haven’t shared their production worldwide in the past,” says Danielle Miller of
167 Raw Oyster Barin Charleston points out that. “For example, a favorite on our current list is a Cypriot wine with incredible complexity, and it’s a grape we had never heard of.”
Bertil Jean-Chronberg, an award-winning sommelier and owner of Bonde Fine Wine Shop, believes that in 2024, consumers will find themselves surprised by the wine regions coming to the forefront. He predicts, “They’ll unearth regions or states that have previously been snubbed or overlooked.” He goes on to say, “In the coming year, anticipate wines from Finger Lakes, Long Island, Vermont, Michigan, Canada, Armenia, Hungary, Japan, or Patagonia.”
If you’re ready to embark on a wine exploration journey, here are seven regions you should pay special attention to.
Nicholas Schulman, RPM Italian’s Director of Wine in Washington DC, makes a comparison between the effect White Lotus had on Sicily with Sideways’ influence on California Merlot. “For better or worse, the Hollywood effect on wine is irrefutable! HBO’s White Lotus Season 2 was a huge hit, resulting in a surge in Sicilian wine requests.” Schulman praises the attention being given to Sicilian wines, “Sicily’s active Volcano, Etna, is known to produce unique, exciting, terroir-driven, high energy wines that can compete with the best Burgundys and Barolos.”
“Etna has gradually been gaining world prestige, and now we’re seeing big players, like Gallo, entering the market,” says Daniel Beedle, assistant food, and beverage director at Kimpton The Forum Hotel. “I’ve noticed increased popularity in Sicilian reds and whites with some cellar age, showing that consumers view these wines as good investments.”
Sam Bogue, Flour + Water Hospitality Group’s beverage director, highlights how Sicilian reds have become a favourite among diners at the group’s California restaurants. He appreciates how Sicilian wines resonate with the Californian palate, evident in the popularity of variants from Mount Etna to Vittoria. He further encourages embracing Zibibbo and other Sicilian delights as a part of the country’s viticultural scene.
The general manager and wine director of Meli in Washington, DC, Danya Degen, notes the growing popularity of Greek wines. She recalls how customer tastes have evolved from asking for Santorini Assyrtiko to exploring the wines of Naoussa, Drama, and Crete. In the future, she anticipates a growing demand for a Kotsfali and Mandilari red blend from Crete, citing it as a potential successor to Côtes du Rhône.
Schulman links the rise in popularity of Greek wines to the increase in Greek and Mediterranean restaurants opening in the United States. He predicts a boom in Mediterranean wines driven by greater accessibility and the rising trend of Hellenic cuisine. This trend is particularly evident in the increased consumption of flavorful white Assyrtiko wines from Santorini and delectable savoury reds from Naoussa PDO, made from Xinomavro grapes.
Stephen Sherry, the wine director at Melanie Wine Bar, anticipates an increase in the popularity of quality wines from Washington State. He issues a reminder that Washington’s wines weren’t limited to just the big labels of Charles Smith and Chateau St Michelle seen on grocery store aisles. Small-scale producers such as Grammercy, Hedges, and Pursued by Bear were also making extraordinary wines comparable to the best from California.
Armenia is the oldest winemaking region in the world, but its industry suffered heavily under Soviet rule when Georgia was designated the winemaking center and Armenia was given brandy. However, in the past two decades, a dedicated group of producers has begun to rekindle the winemaking culture of the region. Expect to see excellent bottles starting to appear on wine lists, showcasing indigenous grape varieties such as Voskehat, Areni Noir, Tozot (which, if made correctly, drinks like Cru Beaujolais), and Kangun.
“Think about your top five regions,” recommends Ray Shoals, Sommelier at La Fête Wine Co. and founder of The Black Owned Wine Review. “You probably think of places like Champagne, Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa. But I believe there are some amazing producers in South Africa that can rival many of these at a fraction of the cost!”
Sommelier, writer, and author Jim Clarke claims, “There is a lot of activity in South Africa. White wine drinkers are getting into Chenin Blanc. South Africa’s most-grown variety took a bigger portion of the South African pie within the U.S. market last year, proving that the grape’s ability to appeal equals Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc drinkers is being recognized and appreciated.”
Joseph Lapi, Wine Director for RPM Steak, RPM Italian, RPM Seafood in Chicago, notes, “Every dog has its day, and in 2024, the regions that provide outstanding value will excel.” As far as he’s concerned, it’s the Douro valley, a Portuguese region famous for its port. “The region’s steep slopes and hot climate are perfect for growing a variety of indigenous grape varieties, which are used to produce rich, full-bodied wines with strong fruit flavors and a distinct mineral quality. The combination of unique terroir, high-quality wines, reasonable prices, and growing popularity is why I believe Portugal will be the hot ticket in 2024.”
Jason Alexander, overseeing wine guidance for establishments in San Francisco called Che Fico and Che Fico Alimentari, shows interest in Lazio this year. He states, “The territory continues to progress with the emergence of a new set of winemakers who appreciate native grapes and exploit the distinct terrain of the region.” He elaborates, “Winemakers such as Andrea Occhipinti completely transform perceptions by using skin contact to add richness and texture to white grapes like Procanico while investigating the potential of dry red wines from Aleatico, which were previously recognized for their sweet red wines.”
Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Announce Collaboration on a New Blended Whiskey
Buffalo Trace is recognized for being the origin of high-end unicorn bottles from brands like Pappy Van Winkle and the Antique Collection, in addition to creating its cost-effective and reliable namesake bourbon. Presently, the Kentucky distillery is debuting a new blend, Traveller Whiskey, backed up by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton.
It’s not the first time Buffalo Trace has collaborated with Stapleton. He chose a few single barrels of E.H. Taylor Jr. in the previous years for the benefit of his charity, Outlaw State of Kind. The real architect behind this whiskey is Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley. Traveller is a blended whiskey, meaning it’s combined from spirits from a variety of “award-winning distilleries” owned by Sazerac, according to the brand. Possible sources include Buffalo Trace itself, A. Smith Bowman, Barton 1792, and maybe some overseas sites. More than 50 blends were trialed before Wheatley decided on the 40th, which is what you will find in this bottle. Unlike Pappy, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, or W.L. Weller, this whiskey will be easily available and unallocated.
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“In creating Traveller, we tried over 50 different recipes, experimenting, testing, and adjusting until we found a complex and approachable flavor profile worthy of the whiskey drinker who will enjoy it,” Wheatley said in a statement. “In the end, there was one clear winner—Blend No. 40—that everyone agreed was worthy to be Traveller Whiskey.” In other words, this is meant to be an accessible, everyday drinker that is more along the lines of Buffalo Trace Bourbon than a limited special release like E.H. Taylor or something from the Experimental Collection.
We got an early taste of Traveller Whiskey, and it’s an appealing sipper that should please both novice and expert whiskey drinkers, with notes of brown sugar, caramel, maple, vanilla, oak, and baked apple on the palate. Thankfully, it’s bottled at 90 instead of 80 proof, and that higher ABV goes a long way in helping to elevate the flavor. You can find Traveller Whiskey starting this month (SRP $40), although it’s not readily available online at the moment. Will Traveller go the way of Weller or Pappy and balloon in price on the secondary market? It seems like that might not be the case, but only time will tell.
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Creating a Spiked Hot Chocolate with Equiano Rum: A Step-by-Step Guide
Now that the excitement of the holidays is over, we’re all in need of something to make those cold, dark days of winter a little more fun. Equiano Rum is 100 percent natural rum with no added sugars, colourants or spices. It’s also the world’s first African and Caribbean rum. A spiked hot chocolate made with this true rum is just the thing to warm you up on a cold night.
The Equiano Holiday Gift Box will brighten up a cold winter.
“As the world’s first African & Caribbean rum, the uniqueness in liquids from each location plays an important role in our blend,” say founders Aaisha Dadra and Amanda Kakembo. “In Equiano Original the African component, from Mauritius, is tropically aged in ex-Cognac barrels which offers a natural sweetness to the blend. In Equiano Light, we’ve introduced fresh sugar cane juice rum from Africa which adds a grassiness to the blend. And Barbados produces some of the best rums in the world, so we feel honoured that it’s a key component in both Equiano Original and Equiano Light.”
Ready to make Equiano Spiked Chocolate? Here’s what you need:
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons soft muscovado sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch cinnamon
¼ cup (1 ½ ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
2 ounces (¼ cup) Equiano Original Rum
Whipped Cream (Optional)
Method:
The Equiano holiday gift box is available for purchase online – for both the Equiano Original and the Equiano Light. Looking into 2024, Equiano is looking forward to more exceptional rum being enjoyed around the world, more unique blends from Africa and the Caribbean, more limited-edition blends, and more support of emerging African distilleries as they venture beyond the 30 countries they are in today.
Reasons To Resist Spending On Premium Vodka For Your Bloody Mary
The Bloody Mary ranks alongside margaritas and martinis as one of the most recognized cocktails. Noted for its distinctive bold, spicy flavors and a stunning red color, the making of this renowned cocktail begins with a vodka and tomato juice base, with the flavor intrigue brought in by a selection of spices and condiments. Ingredients can vary from common items like hot sauce and lemon juice to more daring choices such as Worcestershire sauce and horseradish.
While the complex and spicy flavor of Bloody Mary garners much attention, vodka plays a pivotal part. Vodka’s clean, neutral taste creates a backdrop for the cocktail’s spices and seasonings to come to the forefront. Precisely because the vodka is not intended to steal the show, there’s no need to opt for high-end brands when making a Bloody Mary. With so many flavors and spices at play, the nuances offered by top-shelf vodkas are likely to get washed out and wasted.
It would be more judicious to go for a more budget-friendly vodka and invest the savings into superior mix ingredients. Consider top-quality tomato juice, fresh lemon or lime juice, gourmet hot sauces, and fresh spices. These are more likely to boost the quality of your Bloody Mary than even the finest vodkas!
Read more: 23 Cocktails To Try If You Like Drinking Gin
The best vodka for your Bloody Mary is one that complements the spices and flavors without stealing the show. Look for mid-range vodkas like Smirnoff, Absolut, or Stolichnaya; they’re well-distilled, providing the needed smoothness and neutrality without breaking the bank.
It’s worth noting that when we say “bottom-shelf vodka,” we don’t mean you should scrape the shelves’ bottoms and buy the absolute cheapest bottles available. Ultra-cheap vodkas often undergo minimal distillation and prioritize cost savings over flavor in their production, resulting in a sharper, more “ethanol-like” taste due to higher levels of fermentation byproducts called congeners. That’s not what you want in your Bloody Mary! A handy rule of thumb is to choose a vodka that you’d enjoy sipping on its own. If it’s smooth when sipped neat, it’s likely to work well in your Bloody Mary.
In case you want to get creative, some bartenders suggest trying flavored vodkas like pepper or citrus-infused types to add an extra flavor kick. But remember, this is entirely up to your taste. Plus, adding flavored vodka to a Bloody Mary can be a bit tricky, as it will affect the balance of flavors. So, it’s a good idea to have a recipe on hand (like this Kimchi Bloody Mary recipe!) to make sure everything tastes just right when you give it a go!
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Exploring the Finest Luxe and Limited-Edition Whiskeys of 2023
2023 was year of eye-popping luxury whisky releases.
This year has been one of crazy whiskey releases as distilleries released rare, old and incredibly special liquid as demand for these luxury bottles rose. These are some of the most impressive whiskeys I’ve seen this year above the $500 mark, while most of them cost much, much more.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, during the five years between 2017 and 2022, all spirits categories included in the luxury index (bottles priced at more than $50) increased at an average rate of 21 percent. But anecdotally, it appears that high-end whiskey collection is hotter than ever, with companies like Diageo and Edrington offering bespoke client experiences and American bottles going for prices that were once thought only possible for Scotch [note: prices in this article are release prices, not what they are going for on the secondary market].
And while you should try a dram of one of these if you can get your hands on it, it portends very well for what we’ll be seeing in 2024.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series The Sherry Collection
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series, The Sherry Edition, $37,000
The Dalmore launched the first set in a four-year program of rare whisky collections this year with The Sherry Edition. Each of the 150 sets come in a leather travel case holding the three expressions: A 26 Year Old finished in a rare Gonzalez Byass 2002 vintage, a 28 Year Old finished in a Gonzalez Byass 30 Year Old Matusalem Sherry Cask and a 43 Year Old, finished in very rare Gonzalez 30 year old Apostoles Sherry Cask. The collection highlights The Dalmore’s century-old exclusive partnership with Gonalez Byass, sherry winemakers in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
The Dalmore is known for being a pioneer in multi-cask maturation since 1868. These three expressions highlight that practice — they were primarily aged in ex-bourbon casks, and finished in each of the rare, old casks. The set gives a window not only into how the malt itself ages, but the impact finishing barrels can have. The 26 Year Old is a bright whisky, with berry, orange and honey notes. The 28 Year Old is a darker whisky with more tannins, dried fruit and baking spices. The 43 Year Old has almond and molasses notes, along with tropical fruit.
Next year the series will feature Port finishes.
Dewar’s Double Double 37
Dewars Double Double 37, $1,800
While single malts are often in the spotlight, luxe blended whiskies have made a lot of noise this year. This one is a blended malt (malted barley) and no grain whiskies (usually corn) in this blend. Master Blender Stephanie Macleod oversaw the four-stage aging process. Malt whiskies are aged in casks for 37 years and then blended in casks to marry for a month. That malt is then blended with Double Double 36 which was finished in madeira barrels for a year. That blend is combined for a month in Oloroso sherry casks which previously held Aultmore single malt whisky. The madeira and sherry aging impart chocolate and spices to the whisky, but there are still delicate honey, floral and citrus notes that are typical to the Speyside region. Honoring the region is what this new series is about — it’s the first of four in a Collector’s Series highlighting what makes the Scottish region so special. The set comes with two Baccarat Massena crystal tumblers.
Aberfeldy 25 Year Old
Aberfeldy 25 Year Old, $550
To celebrate the distillery’s 125th anniversary, Aberfeldy, considered the heart malt of Dewar’s, released this 25-year-old limited edition in a gilded commemorative pack. It was aged in a combination of refill hogsheads and butts, and then finished for more than a year in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks. Aberfeldy is known for its floral, honey, citrus and vanilla notes because it has a long fermentation, before going through long, slender stills which create a more delicate single malt.
Teeling 33 Year Old
Teeling 33 Year Old, $3,700
Teeling, the first distillery to open back up in Dublin in 125 years, is known for innovation, and its older special releases are prized. The latest in a range of single cask bottlings, this one uses Pineau des Charentes, a fortified wine made with unfermented grape juice and Cognac eau-de-vie. It’s usually drunk as an aperitif and is only produced in a small region in western France, and is mostly consumed locally. Despite Pineau being a dessert wine, the resulting dram is a bit savory and dry, with tropical and stone fruit notes and a long finish with some ginger spice and cherry.
Talisker Glacial Edge
Talisker Glacial Edge 45-Year-Old, $5,000
This is the third and final release in the Xpedition Series, a line of experimental whiskies from Talisker. The release is both a nod to the whisky’s adventurous past: The founders were the MacAskill brothers who sailed from the Isle of Eigg to found the distillery on the Isle of Skye, as well as the brand’s current conservation efforts, especially regarding oceans, marine life, and oysters.
The latest release was aged for more than 40 years before being finished in ice-fractured oak casks. Twelve casks were taken to Canada’s ice fields, where a specialized cooper removed the ends of the casks, exposing them to sub-zero temperatures and arctic winds for 96 hours. The cold fractured the wood, which allowed for more surface area in the casks for the liquid to interact with during the final finishing period back in Scotland. It’s still got a lot of smoke and chili for a whisky this old, and evokes a salty, smoky toffee. If you add water, it gets even brinier, and mellows out the pepper.
Talisker made the journey with partner Parley For the Oceans and glacier scientist Dr. Alison Criscitiello. A portion of proceeds will go towards Parley’s conservation efforts.
Laphroaig Ian Hunter Book 5: Enduring Spirit $1,400
Book 5 commemorates the last of a series of annual Laphroaig editions that pay tribute to Ian Hunter, the past proprietor known for his pivotal role at the distillery from 1908 to 1944. Each book sheds light on different aspects of Hunter’s influential contributions. For instance, Book 3 celebrated his water conservation initiatives. This particular release underlines the lasting impact of Hunter’s decisions at Laphroaig in defining its fundamental character. He pioneered the use of American oak ex-bourbon barrels for maturation, a practice as alive and prevalent today as the malting floors at the distillery. Laphroaig’s signature peat quality matures distinctively with age, hitting a stride in its third decade, unfolding exotic tropical fruit undertones like mango and pineapple, reminiscent of dipping into the world’s most opulent barbecue spread. The whisky undergoes a final phase of maturation in European oak ex-Pedro Ximenez barrels, imparting a hint of red berry and dried fruit nuances that culminate in a lingering sweet aftertaste.
Barry MacAllfer, the Distillery Manager, commented, “It’s more than just a beverage, it’s a portal to a yesteryear.” Buying a bottle serves as a ticket to a competition where the lucky winner gets a chance to partake in a tasting session with him.
Below is a selection of the 100th Anniversary releases from Suntory.
Suntory 100th Anniversary Releases, multiple
Suntory celebrated their 100th anniversary with a video campaign featuring Keanu Reeves and directed by Sophia Coppola. They also marked the occasion with several limited release whiskies. Among these were three premium options: the Mizunara matured Yamazaki 18 Year Old ($1,500), the gently peated Hakushu 18 Year Old Malt ($1,200), and the Mizunara influenced 21 Year Old Hibiki 21 ($5,000) re-blended limited edition whisky.
Fuji Single Grain Japanese Whisky
FUJI 30-Year-Old Single Grain Whiskey, $3,000
In celebration of Mt. Fuji Distillery’s 50th anniversary, FUJI introduced a 30-year-old single grain whiskey to the U.S. market. It’s a blend of several Canadian-style grain whiskies, aged 30 to 40 years. The product was made on a mix of kettle and column stills, and aged in first and second fill white oak American barrels. Its tasting notes are of honey and dark chocolate. The Mt. Fuji Distillery is distinct for creating whiskies in four international styles: Japanese, American, Canadian, and Scotch. A 50th Anniversary Edition Single Malt Japanese Whisky is slated for release in spring 2024.
Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years
Dickel 18 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey, $510
This year, Dickel released its oldest whiskey to date, and it’s a stunner. Master Distiller Nicole Austin has done several things to innovate at the Tennessee-based brand, and one was to add some whiskeys categorized as bourbon in addition to the Tennessee whiskey, which tends to be a bit mellower in style. Austin felt these barrels, which were aged in single-story rick houses, had stone fruit and vanilla crème brûlée notes that kept it more in line with a bourbon.
“I’m excited for people to try Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years because it’s a rare and beautifully aged whisky, but still exhibits a surprising brightness and wide range of complexity that is not often found in American Whiskies of this age,” Austin said in a press release.
Eagle Rare 25
Eagle Rare 25, $10,000
Another record breaker, this bourbon is the oldest Eagle Rare ever released. This release was the result of an innovation program and the first release from Warehouse P, which was specifically built to extend the aging and maturation process for American whiskey and bourbon, which, due to the hot aging climate and use of virgin barrels traditionally take on too much oak flavor and become too bitter and tannic. This was avoided by moving barrels in 2018 to Warehouse P, which was temperature and humidity controlled.
“We closely monitored Eagle Rare 25 throughout the aging process and discovered that the impact over time due to controlled, extended aging was optimally mature whiskey – by that, I mean whiskey that is uniquely smooth and complex with deep, mature flavors around every corner,” said Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley in a statement. “Eagle Rare 25 is unlike any other extra-aged bourbon on the market today. We are quite proud of this bourbon.”
The dram still will appeal to ultra-aged bourbon fans, and is somewhat tannic with notes of leather and oak, but there’s also traditional bourbon notes of vanilla and caramel with cherry overtones.
How San Diego’s Brewery-Free Craft Beer Brands Thrive with the Aid of Contractors
Big beer giants like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Molson Coors Beverage are known for brewing beers from diverse brands in their huge production plants. What might surprise many is the fact that various craft-beer brands operate without their own breweries, instead choosing to sign contract-brewing agreements with other brewing firms.
Typically, oversize brewing firms with free production capacity and brewing schedule space undertake the task of brewing beers for a different business. This encompasses brewing, fermenting, cellaring, and packaging into kegs, cans, and bottles. Generally, it also involves cold storage after packaging, before the client company distributes its beers to vendors.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, contract brewing was viewed negatively. Many within the brewing sector perceived it as a short-cut used by brewers devoid of passion or skill. Fans of craft-beer during that period came to share those views and showed a distrust in a brand’s beers if they were brewed by a different entity. This wasn’t helped by the fact that beers brewed under contract were typically of uninteresting, commonplace styles offered by brands lacking an interesting narrative, point of view, or marketing moxie.
However, contract-brewing has evolved significantly over the past ten years, particularly in San Diego County, where it is increasingly common. It is benefitting both the companies that provide these services and their customers.
It’s not uncommon for business proprietors to choose to have their beers brewed by a different establishment. This choice can stem from various motivators.
A significant portion of these entrepreneurs harbor ambitious business goals and possess the acumen to attain them by establishing a brand and marketing beer. However, they may lack the desire or means to create and oversee a production facility. Constructing such a facility is not only a time-consuming endeavor but also a financially demanding one. Despite the possibility of reducing time expenditure by taking over a pre-existing brewery, the financial outlay is substantial. As a result, newcomers to the industry often find themselves with little capital to start with.
Electing to have one’s beers contract-brewed provides a business owner with the opportunity to concentrate on marketing and selling their product, as well as bringing in revenue. This option eliminates the expenses and liabilities associated with operating a brewery. Added benefits include not having to hire staff for production, cellaring, or packaging purposes. This circumstance allows a business owner to maintain a small, concentrated team primarily dedicated to sales and other revenue-generating sectors of the business. Additionally, clients significantly save on utility bills and other circumvented overhead expenses.
Apart from monetary incentives, hiring a contract brewing company also offers the advantage of professional expertise, particularly important for business owners with limited or no experience in brewing. Most brewing companies that provide contract services expand to a size capable of doing so based on their product’s quality.
A prime example of local contract brewing is AleSmith Brewing. This Miramar-based brewery has been around for 28 years and has been contract brewing for roughly ten. Known globally for their award-winning beers, AleSmith offers a diverse range of services in recipe development and refinement according to their clients’ needs. They are experts in their brewing system, beer styles, and ingredients while their clients appreciate the guidance they receive from the AleSmith brewing team.
Contract brewing is not only for entrepreneurs who do not own breweries. Brewery owners whose production capabilities are at full capacity also enter into contract brewing agreements. In such scenarios, the brewery owner will have their best-selling beers replicated as closely as possible by the contract brewing operation.
Typically, the contract brewery will have a larger setup and be capable of brewing the client’s popular beers in significantly larger batches. This is particularly beneficial for breweries that are expanding their distribution into new regions or states.
So, who contracts brewing and who is under contract?
AleSmith has become a contract-brewing powerhouse, joining Mission Brewery in the East Village, which has been a player in the arena for well over a decade. Miramar-based Ballast Point Brewing and North Park-based Mike Hess Brewing are other large operations that diversify their revenue streams in this manner, but other smaller breweries have dabbled in contract-brewing as well.
Earlier this year, San Marcos-based Creative Creature Brewing began working with Riverside County homebrewer and podcaster Justin Allen to produce the beers of his side hustle, BeerDad’s Brew Works. And over the summer, local chef and cookbook author Lauren Lawless teamed with Vista-based WestBrew to unveil the inaugural blonde ale of her Flawless Beer brand. While Lawless has plenty of experience developing flavors, she had zero experience with brewing or background in how beer is made. Working with experienced brewing professionals has allowed her to pour all of her energy into marketing her beer via television, magazines and news outlets, and getting her beer sold by bars, restaurants and other retail establishments.
Other local brands getting along with some help from their contracting friends include Cerveza Xteca, Hillcrest Brewing, Latitude 33 Brewing, Mason Ale Works, Paradise Hills Brewing, Shoots Beer and SouthNorte Beer. The lattermost of those concerns has won multiple gold medals for its beers at the most prestigious professional brewing competition in the world — Denver’s Great American Beer Festival — proving the quality that can be achieved in the modern era of contract-brewing, another key reason it’s now seen as a viable and intelligent option for certain individuals looking to make a splash in the beer industry.
Brandon Hernández is founder of San Diego Beer News (www.sandiegobeer.news), a site providing daily coverage of the county’s brewing industry, a beat he’s covered for 17 years. Follow him @sdbeernews or contact him at: brandon@sandiegobeer.news
Dry January Spotlight: Exploring the Best Non-Alcoholic Wine Alternatives with Veuve du Vernay
Let’s usher in 2024 with the hangover from your New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations hopefully a thing of the past. It’s officially time to welcome Dry January! This campaign, aimed at reducing alcohol consumption, is poised to saturate your social media feeds and echo in your preferred restaurants and bars. If drinking less is among your New Year’s Resolutions, Dry January is likely right up your alley. Not everyone can go an entire month without indulging in a little alcohol, and that’s not for me to judge. Reduce your consumption as best you can, find substitutes that you enjoy, and if alternative wines serve you well and keep you smiling, then it’s a win-win! Bear in mind, Dry January is a suggestion, not an order. Do what benefits you 🙂 And now, allow me to kick off our Dry January Spotlight with a French sparkling wine brand that recently launched their first alcohol-free offering: Veuve Du Vernay.
Image courtesy of Veuve du Vernay
Veuve Du Vernay, considered one of the leading sparkling wine brands in France, has debuted a wonderfully lively alcohol-free sparkling wine for your Dry January evaluation.
Produced following the traditional winemaking process, the VdV team selects the finest Muscat grapes from the Mediterranean coast for harvest once they reach the necessary maturity to provide the best sparkling wine possible. After crushing the grapes they move to a cold-soak process before fermentation. This is done to extract the maximum flavors and aromas from the skins to the juice. When the maceration has finished, a low-temperature fermentation takes place to preserve the aromas.
Once the wine is produced, VdV dealcoholizes using the Reverse Osmosis process: This nanofiltration method remains the most efficient alcohol removing technique, retaining the flavors, aromas, and other elements (nutrients, minerals, vitamins…) present in the wine.
Through this process, the aroma compounds are filtered out and preserved before the alcohol is removed by evaporation. Water and ethanol being the smallest molecules in wine, they pass through the filter more easily than the other elements. Since all the aromatic and nutritive components are not exposed to the heat and turbulence caused by the evaporation, this method allows them to keep the highest integrity of the wines intact, maintaining the original bouquet, character, color, and flavors.
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Step-By-Step Guide to Create Spiked Hot Chocolate with Equiano Rum
Now that the excitement of the holidays is over, we’re all in need of something to make those cold, dark days of winter a little more enjoyable. Equiano Rum is a 100 percent natural rum with no added sugars, colorants, or spices. It’s also the world’s first African and Caribbean rum. A spiked hot chocolate made with this true rum is just the thing to brighten up a cold night.
The Equiano Holiday Gift Box will surely make a cold winter day warmer.
“As the world’s first African & Caribbean rum, the uniqueness in liquids from each location plays an important role in our blend,” say founders Aaisha Dadra and Amanda Kakembo. “In Equiano Original, the African component, from Mauritius, is tropically aged in ex-Cognac barrels which offers a natural sweetness to the blend. In Equiano Light, we’ve introduced fresh sugar cane juice rum from Africa which adds a grassiness to the blend. And Barbados produces some of the best rums in the world, so we feel honored that it’s a key component in both Equiano Original and Equiano Light.”
Ready to make Equiano Spiked Chocolate? Here’s what you need:
Ingredients:
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 3 tablespoons soft muscovado sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• ¼ cup (1 ½ ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 2 ounces (¼ cup) Equiano Original Rum
• Whipped Cream (Optional)
Method:
The Equiano holiday gift box is available for purchase online for both the
and the
Looking into 2024, Equiano is looking forward to more exceptional rum being enjoyed around the world, more unique blends from Africa and the Caribbean, more limited-edition blends and more support of emerging African distilleries as they venture beyond the 30 countries they are in today.