Liquor-articles 1588

BRYDENS Guyana recently held a press conference to introduce “Str8 Vybz Rum,” a new brand that is both inspired and endorsed by the renowned Jamaican Dancehall artist Vybz Kartel. The rum is produced by Angostura Limited and has been developed under Kartel’s supervision, reflecting his unique style.

During the launch, Natasha Das, CEO of Brydens Guyana, shared that the initial stock sold out within just two days, prompting plans for a second shipment. The company aims to make this rum a significant part of Guyana’s rum culture, ensuring its presence in bars, restaurants, supermarkets, and local shops. Brydens also plans to host events featuring local DJs and Dancehall artists to promote the brand.

Das emphasized that the launch was more than just about a new beverage; it was a tribute to Vybz Kartel’s incredible influence on the music genre and culture in Guyana. She noted that Kartel’s music has been a strong part of cultural celebrations and gatherings.

Angostura’s Executive Director Rahim Mohammed highlighted the transcendent impact of Kartel’s music and creativity, indicating that it is reflected in every bottle of Str8 Vybz Rum. The new rum line includes four varieties: Ramping Shop, an enhanced rum; Electric, a white rum; and Fever and Unstoppable, both dark rums.

The collaboration with Brydens was applauded for bringing this vision to life. Vybz Kartel, who joined the press conference, mentioned the employment opportunities created by this venture and noted that the rums are named after some of his popular songs.

Additionally, during the event, it was announced that Vybz Kartel would be performing at the upcoming Genesis weekend organized by Hits and Jams Entertainment, set to take place on May 24, 2025. This concert is anticipated to be a significant event in Guyana, with expectations of a record number of attendees. The excitement building up to the event is palpable across various media platforms.

For more information on the rum and upcoming events, visit Brydens Guyana or Hits and Jams Entertainment.

The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation is hosting its annual 5K Shamrock Beer Run/Walk on March 15, 2025. This year’s event will feature five participating breweries along with 30 bars. An auction will take place, offering exciting items including a trip to Ireland, a trip to Florida, various collectibles, beer, and a rare Irish Whiskey that is exclusive to Ireland. The auction will be open from March 5 to March 15. Interested participants can secure their spot for the Shamrock Beer Run/Walk by visiting here.

The 2025 World Whiskies Awards highlighted a diverse selection of Irish whiskeys, showcasing both renowned and lesser-known brands. Here’s a summary of the standout whiskeys along with their tasting notes.

Fercullen Falls Blended Whiskey, 40% ABV

Produced by the Powerscourt Distillery, Fercullen Falls earned accolades as the top Irish blended whiskey. This expression features a unique blend that includes a high proportion of malt whiskey, setting it apart from typical Irish blends.

Tasting Notes: Light and fruity with flavors of honey, vanilla, and malt. There’s a subtle oakiness and floral notes on the nose. On the palate, it offers malted barley, apple, and spices, finishing sweet with lingering fruity and oak notes.

Powers Irish Rye, 46% ABV

The Best Irish Rye Whiskey award went to Powers Irish Rye from Midleton Distillery. This whiskey embodies a revival of rye in Irish whiskey, characterized by a full-bodied style.

Tasting Notes: Spicy aromas of black pepper and cinnamon lead the nose, balanced with honey and caramel. The palate showcases toasted nuts, vanilla, and maltiness, with a long, sweet finish marked by spice and oak.

Redbreast 27 YO, Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 46% ABV

A top-rated Irish Pot Still Whiskey, Redbreast 27 YO is known for its luxurious flavor profile, enriched by aging in Ruby Port casks.

Tasting Notes: Aromas of dried fruits, deep honey, and vanilla greet the nose, while flavors of stewed fruits, toffee, and nuts are prominent on the palate. It finishes long, sweet, and fruity with dark chocolate notes.

Dunville’s, Cigar Malt 13 YO, Irish Single Malt, 46.1% ABV

Dunville’s Cigar Malt, produced at Echlinville Distillery, was honored as the top Small Batch Single Malt, recognized for its complex and smoky character.

Tasting Notes: The nose features tobacco and dark fruits, while the palate is rich with a blend of smoke, tobacco, and oak. The finish is warm with lingering notes of dried fruit and leather.

Teeling Whiskey, Notre Dame Edition, Riversaltes 24 YO, 46% ABV

Celebrating a historical milestone for Notre Dame University, the Teeling Notre Dame Edition was selected as the top Irish Single Malt Whiskey.

Tasting Notes: Offers rich aromas of dark chocolate and dried fruits, while the palate presents toffee, figs, and a touch of smokiness. The finish is long and sweet, with spices and oak notes lingering.

Each of these award-winning whiskeys highlights the artistry and tradition of Irish whiskey-making, showcasing a variety of flavors influenced by different ingredients and aging processes.

The Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery has announced a new addition to its whiskey lineup: the Rye Single Barrel Series. Since its establishment in 2015, the distillery has developed a reputation for innovative and creative whiskey expressions.

The Rye Single Barrel Series aims to highlight the unique qualities of Tennessee Rye Malt through various barrel types. Its creation is inspired by earlier experimental batches featuring a malt-forward, uncut, and unfiltered whiskey. The mash bill includes a special blend of pale, caramel, and chocolate malted rye, making up over 60% of the content.

Grant McCracken, Chief Product Officer, explained that each whiskey in the series is crafted to explore different facets of craftsmanship. While their classic 99 Rye uses a blend of two barrel types, this new series seeks to separate those elements and showcase the distinct flavor profiles that emerge from different cask treatments, such as toasted and charred barrels.

This sought-after Rye Single Barrel Series will be available at select retailers across multiple states including Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and more for a suggested retail price of $64.99 per 750ml bottle. Limited quantities can also be bought online at Seelbachs.com.

For more information, visit the Chattanooga Whiskey website.

A distillery from the Pacific Northwest, Heritage Distilling, has gained acclaim with its Cocoa Bomb chocolate whiskey, which was awarded the title of best flavored whiskey in the U.S. during the 2025 regional World Whiskies Awards held in Louisville, Kentucky, on February 14.

Cocoa Bomb, boasting a 75-proof chocolate flavor, is crafted at Heritage Distilling’s facilities located in Tumwater, Washington, and Eugene, Oregon. Following this victory, the whiskey will advance to compete on a global level later this winter. Justin Stiefel, CEO and co-founder of Heritage Distilling, expressed excitement over the achievement, noting that this is the third time the company has won in this category— a unique feat among brands.

Heritage Distilling has previously captured the title of “Best Flavored Whiskey in the World” twice with its Brown Sugar Bourbon, which has since been acquired by actor Jamie Foxx and rebranded as Brown Sugar Blend.

Stiefel highlighted that flavored whiskey is rapidly growing in popularity, especially among younger consumers, with women representing one of the fastest expanding demographics in the whiskey market. He noted that flavored options often serve as a gateway for newcomers to the whiskey world.

Cocoa Bomb’s recipe features a high corn-based bourbon enriched with dark and semi-sweet chocolate and cane sugar, offering a taste reminiscent of rich cocoa and dark chocolate with marshmallow undertones. Stiefel remarked that sipping Cocoa Bomb could make one forget they were drinking whiskey, as it tastes more like delectable dark chocolate.

Founded in 2012, Heritage Distilling opened its Eugene distillery in 2016, with production evenly split between the two locations. Visitors can enjoy tastings at two sites in Eugene, while the distillery is also collaborating with the Coquille Indian Tribe to build Oregon’s first tribally-owned distillery next to The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park in North Bend. This future establishment will feature both Heritage products and a new line called Ko-Kwel Spirits, named after a traditional version of the tribe’s name. In addition, Heritage recently acquired Thinking Tree Distillery in Eugene and plans to open a new tasting room there in April.

For more details on Heritage Distilling and their products, visit Heritage Distilling.

For many who came of age in the late 90s to the early 2010s, vodka symbolizes a significant moment in drinking culture. The spirit lacked the complex flavor profiles of gin or whisky, often being the straightforward choice for cocktails or quick shots among younger drinkers. Regrettably, this reputation turned vodka into the quintessential party drink, leading many to associate it with cheap options available at grocery stores instead of savoring its taste.

In recent years, however, this narrative has shifted, exemplified by the approach of Alex Christou, founder of Eight Lands at Glenrinnes Distillery in Speyside. By focusing on crafting quality vodka, he aims to redefine consumers’ expectations, especially in an era where cocktail culture increasingly mirrors fine dining. Christou emphasizes that today’s drinkers are more interested in understanding their beverages, and characterful vodkas – such as Eight Lands’ cask-aged variety – are designed to engage their palates with flavors reminiscent of dark fruits and caramel.

The unique process at Eight Lands uses an organic beer wash of malted barley and wheat combined with distilled spirit and spring water sourced from nearby estates. This method results in a notably smooth, biscuity taste that transcends traditional vodka profiles, making it more akin to whisky in complexity.

Intriguingly, Christou describes how creating cask-aged vodkas initially began as an experiment suggested by a colleague, which surprisingly proved successful. This innovation has caught the attention of visitors along the Speyside whisky trail, some of whom have vowed to avoid vodka in the past but found themselves enjoying this aged product.

Other distilleries have also embraced this transformation in vodka production. Steve Dustow from Colwith Farm Distillery in Cornwall has found success with his potato vodka, the first cask-aged vodka to win a platinum medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022. He sees a burgeoning market for craft vodkas with distinct character and authenticity, something that was absent for two decades.

Similarly, The Lakes Distillery, known for its whiskies and gins, applies the same meticulous attention to detail in its vodka production, utilizing high-grade ingredients and allowing ample time during the distillation process to enhance flavor and quality.

Across the industry, there’s a recognized movement toward "less but better," with consumers preferring high-quality spirits over volume, and vodka is finally reclaiming its position in this conversation.

For those looking to explore this new world of vodka, expert recommendations can guide you to some of the best grown-up options available today.

Six of the Best Grown-Up Vodkas to Try:

• Boatyard Vodka
• (Additional recommendations were not provided in the original text.)

This shift marks a renaissance for vodka, as distilleries endeavor to create spirits that reflect craftsmanship and complexity, proving that even this often-maligned drink can evolve into something sophisticated and worth savoring.

In 2019, Legena Henry, SM ’10, and her students at the University of the West Indies in Barbados sought to eliminate fossil fuel usage on their island by 2030. Initially, they looked to Brazil’s model of sugar-based ethanol. However, with local sugarcane production being minimal and distilleries relying on imported molasses, the approach seemed unfeasible.

The breakthrough came unexpectedly when student Brittney McKenzie suggested utilizing invasive sargassum seaweed, which was accumulating on local beaches. Henry decided to explore the idea, mixing wastewater from a rum distillery with the sargassum for lab experiments. The results were promising: the microbes in the mixture effectively digested the seaweed and utilized sugars in the wastewater. What began as a mere academic exercise transformed into a significant innovation, allowing the conversion of sargassum into renewable natural gas for vehicle fuel.

Barbados grapples with significant sargassum waste, sometimes filling over 800 dump trucks during peak times. Instead of discarding this waste, Henry’s findings present a dual solution to the island’s challenges, as both the sargassum and the rum distillery’s wastewater can be used to create sustainable fuel. “All the islands in this region of the Caribbean have a sargassum problem and a rum wastewater problem—and ultimately a climate-change problem,” Henry noted, underscoring the broader applicability of this solution.

Now, as the CEO of Rum & Sargassum, a startup she co-founded in 2021, Henry has been involved in practical demonstrations, showcasing vehicles powered by this biofuel in Barbados and Grenada. The project illustrates the necessity of collaborative efforts across various fields, a principle reinforced by her time at MIT.

Henry remains optimistic about the impact of her work: “Sargassum has now become part of the conversation that will turn the climate crisis around.”

When the chill of winter sets in, savoring a warm drink like rum can be an excellent way to unwind. Beyond simply providing warmth, sipping rum on a frosty day comes with several surprising benefits that might make you reconsider your beverage choices.

Keeps You Warm and Cozy

Rum has a natural warming effect on the body. Consuming alcohol, particularly spirits like rum, causes your blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin’s surface. This results in a comforting, flushed feeling that helps fend off the cold. To enhance this effect, consider mixing rum with hot water or apple cider.

Boosts Mood and Relieves Stress

Cold weather can often lead to feelings of stress or fatigue. A small glass of rum could serve as an effective mood enhancer. Its compounds stimulate the release of endorphins, the brain’s "feel-good" hormones, which can help alleviate stress and elevate your spirits. This makes it an ideal choice for relaxation after a long, chilly day.

Improves Digestion

Following a hearty meal on a cold evening, many enjoy a drink that aids in digestion. Rum, when consumed in moderation, can stimulate digestive enzymes, promoting a smoother digestion process. Cultures across the world serve drinks like "rum punch" or "rum toddy" as digestive aids.

Rich in Antioxidants

Produced from sugarcane, rum contains antioxidants that help combat harmful free radicals in the body. Dark rum, in particular, boasts higher antioxidant levels due to its aging process in wooden barrels, making it not only warming but also potentially beneficial for your health.

Promotes Better Sleep

On cold nights when you’re ready to sleep, a warm glass of rum may help you relax and fall asleep more easily. By calming the nervous system and relaxing muscles, it can offer a restful end to your day. However, moderation is crucial, as excessive consumption can disrupt sleep.

While enjoying alcohol always requires responsibility, sipping rum on a frigid evening provides more than just flavor; it offers warmth, aids digestion, boosts mood, and may even promote better sleep. So, the next time the weather turns cold, consider reaching for a glass of rum and enjoy its delightful benefits.

Spring is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to transition from winter’s heavy beverages to lighter, fresher cocktails. This seasonal shift allows us to incorporate sparkling elements like champagne and ginger beer alongside the vibrant flavors of fresh fruits and herbs. Here are three delightful cocktail recipes to celebrate the arrival of spring:

Ginger Mint Lemonade

Ingredients:

• 2 parts Reyka Vodka
• 1 part Fresh Lemon Juice (¾ of a lemon muddled with fresh mint)
• ¾ part Ginger Syrup
• Top up with Ginger Beer

Method:

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, lemon juice, and ginger syrup.
2. Shake well and double strain into a glass.
3. Top with ginger beer and garnish with mint.

Ginger Syrup:

Combine equal amounts of fresh ginger juice and sugar, adding heat to dissolve the sugar (1:1 ratio), example: 32 oz ginger juice to 32 oz sugar.

Icelandic Lady

Ingredients:

• 1 part Reyka Vodka
• ½ part Aperol
• ½ part Honey Syrup (1:1)
• ¼ part Fresh Lemon Juice
• Top with Champagne or Prosecco

Method:

1. Mix the vodka, Aperol, honey syrup, and lemon juice into a shaker.
2. Serve in a flute glass, topped with your choice of champagne or prosecco, and garnish with a lemon peel.

Rites of Spring

Ingredients:

• 1½ parts Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights Big Bourbon
• ½ part Crème de Mûre (Blackberry Liqueur)
• ¼ part Fruits of the Forest Syrup (a mix of strawberry, blackberry, and blueberry syrup)
• 2 dashes Angostura Bitters
• Citrus Aromatic Spray

Method:

1. Start by adding the syrup and bitters to a mixing glass, then pour in the whiskey.
2. Add a small amount of ice and stir briefly to chill.
3. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice, then spray citrus aromatics over the drink before serving.

These cocktails not only capture the essence of spring but also make for refreshing toasts to the new season. Enjoy and raise a glass to the warmer days ahead!

Norway-based Island Rum Company has successfully secured undisclosed funding from private investors to enhance its global market reach and upgrade its production facility in Cuba. The funding round, which was completed in November 2024, involved five private investors who acquired minority shares in the company.

The investment aims to strengthen distribution channels and brand marketing efforts, focusing particularly on strategic markets such as the UK, France, and Italy. Additionally, the funds will be allocated to modernizing and expanding the rum production facility in Cuba, which is vital for the company’s growth trajectory.

Henrik Björck, Chairman of the Island Rum Company Board, emphasized that this investment aligns with their global growth ambitions. He stated, "Both our international and Cuban teams have developed commercial and marketing plans for 2025 and beyond, supported by this new financial backing."

The Island Rum Company, established in 2012, produces about 100,000 nine-litre cases of rum annually. It operates in Cuba through a joint venture with Grupo Azucarero, known as Ron Vigia. The company is also gearing up for its next investment round, planned to close in April.

To facilitate the expansion and modernization at the Cuba production facility, Ron Vigia will oversee the project, which includes enhancing the bottling line and acquiring new mixing equipment. Plans also involve the installation of solar panels to ensure a reliable electricity supply. The company anticipates completing this work within the year, depending on results from the forthcoming investment round.

Island Rum’s flagship brands, Black Tears and La Progresiva, are distributed in 45 markets globally. Recently, the company announced its entry into the German market through a partnership with local importer and distributor Kammer-Kirsch, set to bring Black Tears and La Progresiva to German consumers this month.

For more information, visit Just Drinks.