NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Turning out distinctive bottles of spirits is nothing new for Spencer Wolf and his team at The Point Distillery in New Port Richey. But, there’s some special rum waiting in the warehouse – 28,000 gallons for The Rolling Stones.

Within days, they’ll start bottling the new signature rum from the Stones called “Crossfire Hurricane.” The term refers to the lyrical place where Mick Jagger was born in the iconic song Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

This distillery was selected among many competitors anxious to bottle the rum. It became the drink of choice for the band when they spent time in the Caribbean, honing their music in their early days together.

STUDY: Drunkest city in each US state revealed

Wolf pointed out that, unlike certain other stars who merely license their names, the Stones possess the rum brand and have been deeply invested in the design of both the rum and the unique bottle.

Wolf stated, “Mick Jagger has been immersed in every tiny detail.” “They sought a product that embodied them.”

It’s clearly visible.

Wolf pointed out, “If you examine the back label, you’ll notice they’ve actually autographed them. And here, the tongue is arguably one of the most recognizable logos worldwide.”

READ: World’s most sought-after scotch whisky sets auction record at $2.7M

To coin some titles from the Stones, Wild Horses couldn’t drag Wolf away from the satisfaction he and his team feel.

“Oh, we were beyond ecstatic. This is the most famous iconic rock band in the world,” he said.

Wolf said making the intricate bottle for a local brand of bourbon, Von Payne, helped convince the Stones to bring it to Pasco County.

“And I think it was said ‘if you can do that bottle you can do ours,’” Wolf said.

Wolf, who is originally from Great Britain, said his accent may have played a small part in it.

MORE: General Mills will release 6 new cereals in 2024: ‘Fan-favorite flavors with a twist’

The Rolling Stones are scheduled to perform in Orlando on June 3. What are the chances they might come to New Port Richey to see their rum being bottled?

“Discretion prevents me from responding to that query, but would it shock me if they appear to see their rum getting produced? No,” he expressed joyfully.

Wolf mentioned that he hopes to commence the bottling of the rum in the starting days of December, and that it should be available in stores around the start of the upcoming year. He estimated that it will carry a price tag of roughly $37 per bottle.

“I believe the Stones desired it to be priced in a way that it would be within reach to a vast portion of their numerous fans,” he added.

Smirnoff is one of the most prominent vodka producers in the world. The brand is consistently ranked number one as the best-selling vodka in the world, according to The Spirits Business. The publication reports that Smirnoff’s sales grew by 6% in 2022, selling 28.1 million cases, up from 26.5 million in 2021.

One reason for the consistently high ranking could be due to the extensive vodka offerings Smirnoff provides. In addition to the classic No. 21 vodka, the company makes 26 different flavors and zero-sugar infusions. The company’s desire to deliver products that excite their customers has also led to offering seasonal, limited-release flavors. Smirnoff Peppermint Twist was initially a limited-release product in 2015. Red, White & Berry was also initially a limited-release product in the summer of 2016. Both are now a part of the company’s vibrant flavors product line. One year, Smirnoff even made vodka-filled Christmas ornaments.

For the 2023 holiday season, the company is offering a limited-release Red, White & Merry vodka. We had a chance to try the festive liquor to see if it would get us into the holiday spirit. As a Sommelier and wine and spirits writer, I have taste-tested and reviewed dozens of vodka brands and products over the past 20 years. We drew upon this knowledge for this review. Here are our thoughts.

Read more: 13 Liquors Your Home Bar Should Have

Smirnoff Red, White & Merry vodka is a gluten-free alcoholic beverage that blends natural tastes and certified hues to form a drink that highlights the flavors of the festive season, such as orange, cranberry, and ginger. The flavor inspiration is derived from the unique taste of the 2022 limited-time product of Smirnoff’s Smirnoff Ice seasonal release, Red, White & Merry Ice Holiday Punch. The malt beverage’s flavors incorporate cranberry, black cherry, blood orange, and ginger.

Possessing a rosy berry shade, each 1.5-ounce serving of Red, White & Merry’s 60-proof vodka contains 89 calories. The calorie amount is marginally less than a regular shot and a half of unflavored vodka with 96 calories, as reported by Medical News Today. The reduction in calories is probably a result of the alcohol by volume (ABV) being somewhat lower in flavored vodkas than in traditional unflavored varieties that only include water and ethanol. The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stipulates a minimum of 40% ABV in standard, unflavored vodka, while flavored varieties can have a lower ABV owing to the liquor’s dilution upon adding sugars and other flavorings. Smirnoff’s festive product contains 30% ABV.

Smirnoff provides a solution for all cranberry vodka enthusiasts who manually make DIY cranberry-infused vodka each year to savor during the holidays. There will no longer be a necessity to crush, strain, or or most notably, wait, while the vodka steeps for weeks with fresh berries to savor the flavor of an infused drink. Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry holiday bottle offers cranberry taste in a no-mess, simple-to-open 750ml bottle.

Just like all of Smirnoff’s vodka sold in the US, the base ingredient of the gluten-free vodka is corn. Most vodkas are gluten-free since the distillation process removes the gluten, whether derived from wheat, barley, other grains, potatoes, grapes, or corn. Nonetheless, utilizing corn guarantees that the base ingredients of the product are suitable for those with celiac disease. Smirnoff does not include any hidden components that could contain gluten in its flavoring products.

The spirit is triple-distilled to create a balanced taste. The triple distillation process helps purify the vodka, ensuring a smooth palate free of impurities, with lighter natural flavors and a well-rounded character.

Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry promises citrus and berry fruit flavors, complemented by the warming, spicy characteristics of ginger. The combination reminds us of the flavors we enjoy during the holiday season, like warm spiced mulled wine, cranberry sauce, and gingerbread. We tried the vodka neat in a tulip-shaped wine glass without ice and poured over ice in a rocks glass for our tasting. The tulip glass will help maximize the aromatics of the vodka, as the shape of the glass is so important as it helps concentrate the aromas, leading them toward the nose.

We found that the vodka has a fresh, fruity aroma, delivering on the ripe red berry and juicy citrus expectations from the product description. The texture of the vodka is thick, with a dense consistency that coats the mouth in a honeyed, sugary syrup when tasting the product. The taste is sweet and fruity, with a prevailing cranberry flavor on the front palate and a heavy, sugary, somewhat artificial sweetness on the finish. We found berry and cherry flavors rather than citrus. This left us wanting more of a prominent orange citrus taste and searching for the zesty, warming, spicy characteristics that ginger flavoring should provide. Trying the product with ice helps dilute the overall sweetness. However, the vodka’s dominant flavor is cranberry.

Though Smirnoff is one of the world’s most popular and best-selling vodkas, the company does not inflate its price. Smirnoff No. 21 vodka is one of the more affordable vodkas available on the market. The company’s flavored vodka options follow similar pricing guidelines, with the average cost for a 750ml bottle of Smirnoff Red, White & Merry being around $14, similar to the brand’s Peppermint Twist and Pink Lemonade vodkas.

Fitting with the season, the bottle is wrapped like a Christmas present in a red casing, with gold accents and red glitter to bring a little glitz and glamour to the holidays. Following the initial release of the seasonal product on November 1, 2023, Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry vodka will be on sale through the end of the year to compliment any holiday occasion. The vodka is available at alcohol retailers nationwide.

Like any vodka, Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry makes the perfect base for an array of martinis, mixed drinks, and holiday cocktails. Though the vodka’s sweet, fruity flavors are prominent enough to mix the liquor with club soda or seltzer simply, we found it best mixed into cocktails with additional flavored mixers. Beverages like ginger beer, pure cranberry juice, and lemon-lime soda, with garnishes like fresh herbs and citrus wheels, help balance the overall sweetness while enhancing the overall flavor of the vodka.

Use it in cocktails to add fruit-forward flavors to a festive Christmas punch, enhance cranberry orange crush cocktails, or make Ina Garten’s big batch Cosmopolitans, perfect for entertaining a group of friends this holiday season. For those feeling adventurous, we suggest adding it as a cranberry twist on a Moscow mule, intensifying the cranberry flavor in a classic Madras cocktail, or using it in a frozen Cosmo. The icy cocktail is the best use of leftover cranberry sauce we have tasted.

Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry includes such a unique combination of ingredients that no other flavored vodka on the market is exactly like it. Of course, other citrus, ginger, and cranberry vodkas are available. However, Smirnoff is the only one to put the three flavors together.

Smirnoff’s vodka, with its cranberry flavor, was our major taste comparison as we compared it to Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka. Both the brands manufacture their products based on a corn foundation and hence, are considered as naturally gluten-free vodkas. The Texas-made product, similar to Smirnoff’s, has extensive distribution all over the country and is sold for around the same price.

In terms of alcohol content, Deep Eddy Cranberry vodka has a bit more bite than Smirnoff’s with its 35% ABV. Their product goes through the process of distillation notably ten times as compared to Smirnoff’s three times distillation. This additional refinement enables a creation of super smooth vodka. This vodka is characterized by its clean, comprehensive palate and smooth texture. Its authenticity lies in the fact that it’s created with genuine cranberry juice compared to natural flavorings, facilitating a more genuine, sharper cranberry flavor compared to Smirnoff’s. Deep Eddy’s also amalgamates pure cane sugar, ensuring a perfectly balanced taste of sweetness combined with tart fruity notes.

With holiday season around the corner, if you’re considering to buy a bottle of Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry, our opinion is that, we genuinely appreciate a product that tends to help us get into that vivacious, holiday spirit. Although we expected a lot from Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry vodka, we liked how the vodka is gluten-free and comparatively has lower alcohol content than other vodka products. We appreciated that the product is pocket-friendly and is widely available all over the country throughout the year.

However, to our surprise, the optimal use of Smirnoff’s vodka was observed as a base alcohol for cocktails, involving other strong-flavored mixers. This notion raised a question in our minds – If we need to add additional fruit juices and hard mixers to get that fruity, spicy taste, why not use a standard unflavored vodka. However, we found the bright red packaging of the bottle to be very fun and joyful. This is definitely a showpiece vodka that brings a festive appeal to your bar cart or could serve as a sophisticated gift for any vodka enthusiast.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

Tennessee whiskey brand George Dickel just released its oldest expression to date, an expensive 18-year-old bourbon that is complex, balanced, and not overly oaky despite spending nearly two decades maturing in barrels.

George Dickel is the second best known Tennessee whiskey brand after Jack Daniel’s, the behemoth that dominates all whiskey categories. This Diageo-owned brand is produced at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in the small town of Tullahoma, and the operation has been overseen by general manager and distiller Nicole Austin since 2018. That’s a very good thing—Austin has revitalized the brand with releases like the Bottled-in-Bond series, the experimental Cascade Moon lineup, and the introduction of a bourbon into the portfolio. That last one might seem a bit subjective, because technically most Tennessee whiskey is bourbon that has undergone the extra step of charcoal filtration before going into barrels (something some whiskey fans will debate all day). In a recent interview with Robb Report, Austin admitted that calling some of the whiskey bourbon and some Tennessee whiskey can be hard to explain. “The category gets more and more varied, so this is my perspective of what I think of as a classic American whiskey flavor profile,” she said. “Someone could argue with me that I’m doing it wrong, but they’re not in charge, so by all means!”

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Dickel Bourbon was introduced in 2021 as an eight-year-old expression—and one that we really loved. Austin started looking at these older barrels in 2019, and she says that the new 18-year-old is not just an older version of last year’s 17-year-old release. “I knew people were interested in these older expressions from Dickel,” she said. “When I was looking at barrels for the 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey, I found some that had a lot more of that vanilla and fruit character and I set them aside for this… I chose to call them bourbon because it was a continuation of the same reason that Dickel Bourbon exists—this is an older version of that flavor profile.”

Many of the barrels that went into this release were nearly empty, having lost 70 to 80 percent in angel’s share, or evaporation, over nearly 20 years of hot Tennessee summers and cold winters. Surprisingly, that did not result in a dried-out oak bomb of a whiskey. On the contrary, there are delicate fruits on the palate, along with sour apple, cherry-lime soda, chocolate-orange, vanilla pudding, and a burst of citrus. Some mellow smoky oak permeates throughout, culminating in a warm and lengthy finish, thanks to the whiskey being bottled at 90 proof. Still, Austin acknowledges that $510 is a lot to ask someone to pay for a bottle of Dickel, a brand not normally associated with such high prices, but she feels confident about its value. “I want people to trust that this liquid is rooted in something I believe in,” she said. “Finding American whiskey this old is rare, especially with this flavor profile.” Besides, the naysayers don’t really bother her. “No matter what you do, someone is going to be mean to you on the Internet. Once you realize that, it’s freeing, so I might as well make the whiskey I want to make.”

Austin also offered a tease about what we can expect from Dickel over the coming year. Two new bottled-in-bond blends are on the way, and one will be the oldest in the series to date (she tastes them blind, so this was not by design). Also, there will be a new Cascade Moon collaborative release with Todd Leopold of Colorado’s Leopold Bros., and it might incorporate some whiskey aged in refill barrels. In the meantime, you can find Dickel Bourbon Aged 18 Years available to purchase from Total Wine.

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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. – Turning out distinctive bottles of spirits is nothing new for Spencer Wolf and his team at The Point Distillery in New Port Richey. But, there’s some special rum waiting in the warehouse – 28,000 gallons for The Rolling Stones.

Within days, they’ll start bottling the new signature rum from the Stones called “Crossfire Hurricane.” The term refers to the lyrical place where Mick Jagger was born in the iconic song Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

This distillery was selected among many competitors anxious to bottle the rum. It became the drink of choice for the band when they spent time in the Caribbean, honing their music in their early days together.

STUDY: Drunkest city in each US state revealed

Wolf mentioned that, contrasting certain celebrities who merely lend their names, the Stones possess the rum brand and have been thoroughly involved in the design of both the rum and its unique bottle.

“The smallest aspects have not escaped the attention of Mick Jagger,” Wolf stated. “Moreover, they desired a product that was consistent with their image.”

The evidence is easy to spot.

Wolf added, “On inspecting the back label, you will find their signatures. The tongue, a logo probably recognisable by most people globally, is here.”

READ: World’s most sought-after scotch whisky sets auction record at $2.7M

To coin some titles from the Stones, Wild Horses couldn’t drag Wolf away from the satisfaction he and his team feel.

“Oh, we were beyond ecstatic. This is the most famous iconic rock band in the world,” he said.

Wolf said making the intricate bottle for a local brand of bourbon, Von Payne, helped convince the Stones to bring it to Pasco County.

“And I think it was said ‘if you can do that bottle you can do ours,’” Wolf said.

Wolf, who is originally from Great Britain, said his accent may have played a small part in it.

MORE: General Mills will release 6 new cereals in 2024: ‘Fan-favorite flavors with a twist’

The Rolling Stones are scheduled to perform in Orlando on June 3. What are the chances they might come to New Port Richey to see their rum being bottled?

“Discretion prevents me from responding to that inquiry, however, would I be taken aback if they appear to witness their rum being produced? Certainly not,” he articulated with a grin.

Wolf claimed that he is planning to commence the rum bottling process by the start of December, and the product is anticipated to hit the store shelves around the beginning of the upcoming year. He stated that it would potentially retail around $37 per bottle.

“I believe the Stones wished for it to be priced in a way it’s affordable for their countless millions of followers,” he expressed.

Smirnoff is one of the most prominent vodka producers globally. Consistently being ranked as the best-selling vodka worldwide as reported by The Spirits Business. The publication shares that Smirnoff’s sales saw a 6% increase in 2022, selling 28.1 million cases, an improvement from 26.5 million in the previous year.

The success of Smirnoff can be attributed not only to the classic No. 21 vodka but also to its extensive range of 26 different flavors and zero-sugar infusions. Striving to continually delight their customers, the company has expanded its product line to include seasonal, limited-release flavors. Initially, Smirnoff Peppermint Twist and Red, White & Berry were introduced as limited-release products, but due to their popularity, they were incorporated into the company’s regular product line. Smirnoff even created vodka-filled Christmas ornaments one year.

For the festive season of 2023, Smirnoff is bringing to the table a limited-release Red, White & Merry vodka. We decided to give this holiday spirit a try. As a seasoned Sommelier and writer specializing in wines and spirits, my two decades of experience tasting and critiquing various vodka brands and products came in handy for this review. Here’s what we thought.

Additionally, you could check out: 13 Liquors Your Home Bar Should Have

Smirnoff Red, White & Merry vodka is a gluten-free liquor that pairs natural flavors with certified colors in order to offer a holiday-inspired spirit. The palate offers notes of orange, cranberry, and ginger. The flavor profile is inspired by the boutique 2022 offering from the company’s Smirnoff Ice seasonal release, Red, White & Merry Ice Holiday Punch, which had hints of cranberry, black cherry, blood orange, and ginger.

Each 1.5-ounce serving of Red, White & Merry’s 60-proof vodka clocks in at 89 calories and presents an attractive pink hue. As reported by Medical News Today, this calorie count is slightly below that of an unadorned ‘shot and a half’ of vodka, which typically has 96 calories. The marginally lower calorie count may be attributed to the slightly reduced alcohol by volume (ABV) in flavored vodkas. This is a consequence of dilution that occurs when sugars and other flavors are added. The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives specifies a minimum ABV of 40% for standard, unflavored vodkas. In contrast, Smirnoff’s holiday offering features an ABV of 30%.

For those with a penchant for handcrafted, cranberry-infused vodka, Smirnoff offers an appealing alternative. With Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry holiday bottle, there’s no need for the laborious crushing, straining and waiting involved in DIY infusions. The flavor of cranberry features prominently in this handy, 750ml bottle.

Like all Smirnoff vodka distributed in the US, this gluten-free variant derives from corn. The distillation process typically renders most vodka gluten-free, regardless of its base being wheat, barley, other grains, potatoes, grapes, or corn. However, using corn as the primary ingredient provides reassurance for those on celiac-friendly diets. Smirnoff ensures that no hidden gluten-containing components are added to its flavorings.

The spirit is triple-distilled to yield a well-balanced taste. This triple distillation process acts as a purification method for the vodka, allowing for a palatable experience free from contaminants with softer natural flavors and a rounded off characteristic.

Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry boasts the taste of citrus and berry fruit, enhanced with the warming, spicy notes of ginger. It echoes familiar sensations we associate with holiday flavors, such as the cozy spiced mulled wine, cranberry sauce, and gingerbread. We put the vodka to the test – both neat in a tulip-shaped wine glass with no ice and over ice in a rocks glass. The tulip glass choice is due to its ability to amplify the vodka’s aromatic profile because the shape of the glass plays a crucial role in intensifying these aromas and directing them toward the nose.

Our sampling revealed that the vodka gives off a fresh, fruity scent, fulfilling the ripe red berry and zesty citrus descriptions of the product. The vodka offers a dense, syrupy consistency, akin to a honeyed, sweet syrup during the tasting. The flavor is saccharine and fruity, with cranberry being the predominant taste on the front palate while a somewhat artificial, heavily sweet flavor marks the finish. The tasting notes include more of berry and cherry instead of citrus. We found ourselves desiring a more pronounced citrusy flavor and a stronger presence of the zesty, warming, and spicy ginger. Ice does help temper the sweetness, yet the strongest flavor remains to be cranberry.

In spite of Smirnoff being a globally renowned and top-selling vodka brand, it does not inflate its prices. Smirnoff No. 21 vodka is one of the more economical vodka choices available in the market. The brand’s flavored vodka varieties adhere to similar pricing structures, averaging around $14 for a 750ml bottle of Smirnoff Red, White & Merry, similar in price to the brand’s Peppermint Twist and Pink Lemonade vodka variants.

Fitting with the season, the bottle is wrapped like a Christmas present in a red casing, with gold accents and red glitter to bring a little glitz and glamour to the holidays. Following the initial release of the seasonal product on November 1, 2023, Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry vodka will be on sale through the end of the year to compliment any holiday occasion. The vodka is available at alcohol retailers nationwide.

Like any vodka, Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry makes the perfect base for an array of martinis, mixed drinks, and holiday cocktails. Though the vodka’s sweet, fruity flavors are prominent enough to mix the liquor with club soda or seltzer simply, we found it best mixed into cocktails with additional flavored mixers. Beverages like ginger beer, pure cranberry juice, and lemon-lime soda, with garnishes like fresh herbs and citrus wheels, help balance the overall sweetness while enhancing the overall flavor of the vodka.

Use it in cocktails to add fruit-forward flavors to a festive Christmas punch, enhance cranberry orange crush cocktails, or make Ina Garten’s big batch Cosmopolitans, perfect for entertaining a group of friends this holiday season. For those feeling adventurous, we suggest adding it as a cranberry twist on a Moscow mule, intensifying the cranberry flavor in a classic Madras cocktail, or using it in a frozen Cosmo. The icy cocktail is the best use of leftover cranberry sauce we have tasted.

Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry includes such a unique combination of ingredients that no other flavored vodka on the market is exactly like it. Of course, other citrus, ginger, and cranberry vodkas are available. However, Smirnoff is the only one to put the three flavors together.

Nevertheless, Smirnoff’s vodka primarily exhibited a cranberry flavor and so we set it up against Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka for comparison. This is also made from a corn base, similarly to Smirnoff, and consequently is naturally gluten-free. Availability and pricing of the Texas-produced vodka are nearly identical to Smirnoff’s.

The alcohol content in Deep Eddy Cranberry vodka is a little more than Smirnoff’s, at 35% ABV, and it undergoes distillation ten times as opposed to Smirnoff’s three times. The added distillation processes result in ultra-smooth vodka with a neat, balanced flavor profile and smooth texture. The vodka involves actual cranberry juice rather than natural flavorings, which gives it a more genuine and tart cranberry flavor compared to what Smirnoff provides. Pure cane sugar is also incorporated into Deep Eddy’s, crafting a perfect balance of sweetness and tart fruitiness.

In terms of purchasing a bottle of Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry this holiday season, we appreciate any product that can immerse us into the festive mood. Our hopes were high for Smirnoff’s Red, White & Merry vodka. We like its gluten-free nature and its alcohol content, which is lower than what other vodka products offer. The alcohol being affordable and widely available across the country till the end of the year is also worth noting.

However, Smirnoff’s vodka was found to be best used as a fundamental ingredient in cocktails that include other powerfully flavored mixers. This makes us question if it wouldn’t have been better to use a regular, unflavored vodka since anyway we need additional juices and mixers to realize the fruity, spicy taste that the flavored vodka claims to offer. On the positive side, we did find that the bright red packaging it comes in is quite attractive. It would certainly liven up a bar cart and would make an attractive gift for any vodka connoisseur.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.