Thursday, February 23, 2012

Gold Miner Spirits featured at Biscayne Restaurant


An Arizona product is featured in Nevada: All four of our Spirits, our Rum, Dark Rum, Agave Rum & Vodka are being featured at the Biscayne Restaurant all of February, with a cocktail hour and dinner scheduled Feb 28th. So if you or someone you know will be in Las Vegas, NV, let them know to stop by and try our Spirits! The Biscayne Restaurant is located in the Tropicana Hotel. Two of the cocktails will be chosen to go on the "specialty cocktail" list for the property!

Deborah Patt
www.desertdiamonddistillery.com
702-335-7448 cell
928-757-7611 d3
Visit us on Facebook
Twitter: @D3Spirits

Monday, February 13, 2012

Texas Retailer Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits Planning To Close Several Store Locations


(by Shanken News daily) Texas retailer Centennial Fine Wine and Spirits is reportedly planning to close several store locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area. A total of seven stores across the company’s Centennial, Majestic, Apple Jacks and Big Daddy’s brands are said to be affected, including four in Fort Worth, two in Dallas and one near Dallas in Hebron, Texas. The closings follow the retailer’s April 2011 acquisition of the Majestic Liquor Store chain, which added 32 units to Centennial’s 35, bringing the group’s count up to 67 stores and five warehouses.

Louisiana Spirits Receives DSP Permit from TTB


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information contact:
Trey Litel, 832-766-0476
trey@laspirits.net

LACASSINE, La., February 13, 2012— Louisiana Spirits LLC was approved for operation on Wednesday,February 8, 2012 by the United States Department of the Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau(TTB). Louisiana Spirits’ new registry number is DSP – LA – 20001 which signifies the first distillery in Louisiana under the current TTB numbering system. Louisiana Spirits is now fully bonded and has a Basic Permit and Operation Permit from the US Government to manufacture distilled spirits.

“Our vision for a world class rum distillery in Louisiana is coming to life. The DSP Permit represents a major milestone in our overall project to bring a distillery to Louisiana. We are energized by this approval and we look forward to working with the Louisiana ATC and Department of Revenue to complete our operating license requirements.” said Trey Litel, President of Louisiana Spirits LLC.

This important approval comes ahead of schedule as the building is still under construction. The recent rainy weather has caused some delays in the construction schedule for the new state of the art distillery in Lacassine,La, along the South Frontage Road of Interstate 10. However, the roof and warehouse structure are complete which will house the distillery equipment, beverage tanks, barrel storage, bottling line, and raw materials. The
next phase includes the dirt work for the ponds, entrance road, and the foundation for the Louisiana Spirits offices and visitor center. Visitors will be treated to a gift shop, tasting room, and viewing gallery that explores the state’s historic role as a sugar cane producer and rum distiller with memorabilia and curated exhibits. The historic 1903farmhouse will be relocated to the site soon after the office phase is complete.

Louisiana Spirits is positioned to add value to the harvest from the second largest producer of sugar cane in the United States. By utilizing Louisiana sugar cane as its primary ingredient, and investing in an appealing cultural visitor destination, the company is creating 17 to 20 direct full-time jobs and additional economic opportunities for Louisiana contractors, partners, and suppliers.

About Louisiana Spirits LLC:
Louisiana Spirits is currently in the process of building a new state-of-the-art distillery in Lacassine, Louisiana to produce world class rum from local Louisiana sugar cane products. Members Tim Litel and Skip Cortese have worked together over the past 12 years to build and sell environmental service companies. Tim brings his environmental expertise with specialties in operations, compliance and general management. Skip is a successful
entrepreneur with an environmental engineering background and specializes in construction and startup management. Trey Litel brings over 25 years of sales and marketing expertise, with over 10 years in the distilled spirits and beverages industries. For construction photos and more information, visit www.laspirits.net.

For more information contact: Trey Litel, 832-766-0476, or trey@laspirits.net

Friday, February 10, 2012

Tiki Bowl- A Cocktail Built for Two for Valentine's Day


Tiki Bowl
(contributed by Trader Vic)

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz Orange juice
1.5 oz Lemon juice
.5 oz Almond orgeat
1 oz Puerto Rican light rum
1 oz Jamaican dark rum
1 oz Brandy
Garnish: Gardenia
Glass: Tiki bowl or hurricane

PREPARATION:

Add all the ingredients to a blender with 1 scoop of shaved ice. Blend, and pour into a tiki bowl or hurricane glass. Add ice cubes and decorate with a gardenia.

For more cocktail ideas click HERE.

Wednesday, February 08, 2012

New York Craft Distiller Dutch’s Will Launch New Moonshine


(by Shanken News Daily) New York state craft distiller Dutch’s Spirits is set to introduce a new label, Dutch’s Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine ($23 a 750ml), crafted as a tribute to the company’s namesake—Prohibition-era gangster Dutch Schultz. Sugar Wash Moonshine joins Dutch’s Spirits Peach Brandy ($50 a 750ml) and its Colonial Cocktail Bitters ($18 per 4-oz. bottle) in the portfolio, which is currently available both on- and off-premise in the New York metro market.

Dutch’s, led by co-founder and president Ariel Schlein, is employing upstate contract distillers until its own Pine Plains, New York distillery—to be housed on a historic 400-acre estate that harbored a clandestine bootlegging operation bankrolled by Schultz—is constructed. About 1,000 bottles each of the Peach Brandy and Sugar Wash Moonshine were made for the first batch, by contract producers Still The One and Mazza Winery respectively. A Dutch’s spokesperson told Shanken News Daily today, “Dutch’s is currently building a temporary distillery on their site to pick up production while they build the main distillery, whose completion is targeted for the fall. They anticipate this temporary distillery will be complete around June.”

Sunday Sales Debate Set To Kick Off In Connecticut


(by Shanken News Daily) As Connecticut’s General Assembly begins its 2012 regular session today, lawmakers once again will reconsider the state’s law against Sunday sales of alcohol, following last month’s proposal by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy to lift the ban.

Malloy’s plan would allow retailers to remain open until 10 p.m. (compared to the current 9 p.m.) seven days a week and would permit bars and restaurants to sell alcohol until 2 a.m. (Bars and restaurants now can serve alcohol until 1 a.m. Monday-Thursday and Sunday, and until 2 a.m. Friday-Saturday.) Other proposed licensing changes by Malloy include the elimination of minimum pricing.

In the past, Connecticut’s liquor retailers have successfully battled attempts to repeal the Sunday sales ban, with their efforts led by the 1,100-member Connecticut Package Stores Association (CPSA). In a January 2011 legislative debate on the issue, the CPSA estimated that Sunday sales would bring in just $140,000 in new tax revenue—a number that differs sharply from the Distilled Spirits Council (DISCUS) analysis, which said Connecticut Sunday sales would reap $8 million in incremental annual tax revenue. The CPSA has also claimed that lifting the Sunday sales ban would shift 20% of the state’s beer sales from independent retailers to supermarkets. (The state’s supermarket operators favor lifting the Sunday sales ban, hoping to increase their beer sales on one of the week’s busiest supermarket shopping days.)

Mike Cimini is president, CEO and owner of Great Spirits, which operates two Connecticut stores: Save-Rite Liquors in North Haven and Great Spirits in Southington. His company also has two stores in Massachusetts: Austin Liquors in Worcester, and another Austin Liquors in Shrewsbury. Cimini, who is a CPSA member, is strongly against lifting Connecticut’s Sunday sales ban.

“I think this proposal has a chance because Governor Malloy is such a strong proponent, but I hope the legislature will consider the impact on an industry filled with some of the last small businesses left in Connecticut,” says Cimini. In Massachusetts, Cimini saw no major change in his business after the Sunday sales ban was lifted in 2004. “All it did was divide six days’ worth of sales into seven,” he adds.

But some retailers favor Sunday sales. Michael Berkoff, president and CEO of BevMax, which has five Connecticut locations (in Stamford, Norwalk, Hamden, Bridgeport and West Haven) as well as a store in Port Chester, New York (on the New York-Connecticut border), believes it’s time for a change. “We are for Sunday retail sales,” he says. “If you can go to a bar or restaurant and get served on a Sunday, why shouldn’t the consumer be able to purchase product in a closed container and consume it at home?”

Other support for the plan also tends to come from retailers who operate near Connecticut’s borders with Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, states where Sunday sales are allowed. These retailers generally favor the change because they’re losing Sunday shoppers to out-of state rivals.

Malloy will include the new licensing proposals in his agenda that’s being submitted to the state legislature as the general session begins. The licensing plan will be raised by a committee (likely the General Law Committee, in charge of beverage alcohol), and then be given a public hearing and a committee vote. If the vote is favorable, legislation will be sent to the Assembly and Senate floor. It’s not yet clear when a successfully passed law would be implemented, but some proponents envision the Sunday sales ban being lifted as early as this summer.

Connecticut is one of only two states in the country (the other is Indiana) that bans the retail sale of all alcohol on Sundays. The proposals in the past have been blocked by the General Law Committee and have never made it to the floor for a vote.

Gold Miner Spirits has a new member in the family, Barrel Reserve Rum


Press Release from Desert Diamond Distillery in Kingman, Arizona

Gold Miner Spirits has a new member of the family. Our premium Barrel Reserve Rum officially came out of the Barrel Room on January 28th, 2012. Desert Diamond Distillery celebrated with friends and family at our special “Roll Out the Barrel” event Dinner. The first official taste of the new Barrel Reserve Rum was toasted and celebrated after a delicious dessert of tiramisu and rum balls…dinner was chicken with vodka sauce, pork roast with agave glaze, and scalloped potatoes and asparagus served on the side.

With a new bottle and beautifully foiled label, our new Spirit takes center stage with black wax sealing the top and stamped with our family seal. Our gold ribbon finishes it to a finely crafted, one of a kind, old fashioned look. Each label will have room for the barrel and bottle number so you know exactly where your bottle of hand crafted premium barrel reserve rum has come from. We offer our first fifty bottles from our very first barrel at very affordable collecter prices. Bottle #1, $500, Bottle #2, $450, Bottle #3, $400, Bottle #4, $350, and Bottle #5, $300. Bottles #6 through #50 will be $79.99. All bottles numbered #1-#50 will be signed by the owners John and Peter Patt. Bottles #51 and up will be sold at $39.99.

If you haven’t heard of Gold Miner Spirits or Desert Diamond Distillery, please check us out at www.desertdiamonddistillery.com, and look us up on facebook. We have won several awards since our first day of business April 1, 2010. We are open to the public for tours and tastings. Our tours are $5 per person, which is applicable as a credit for any purchase in our show room. The centerpiece of our show room is our iconic bar, rescued from Andre’s now closed restaurant on the old downtown Las Vegas strip. Andre’s bar and restaurant was frequented by Las Vegas celebrities from Frank Sinatra to Danny Gans.

Friday, February 03, 2012

Interview: Binstein Talks Specialty Spirits, Forecasts Revenue Rise Of 10% For 2012


(by Shanken News Daily) Chicago-based retailer Binny’s Beverage Depot posted revenues of $254 million in its fiscal year ending August 31, 2011 and projects a 10% sales increase to $280 million for fiscal 2012. This month, Binny’s will open its first downstate store, in Champaign, Illinois, as reported by Shanken News Daily last fall. That new addition will be the company’s 28th store. Binny’s is also exploring other downstate Illinois venues as well as looking into the Wisconsin markets of Madison and Milwaukee.

In this exclusive interview, Binny’s owner Michael Binstein talks with Shanken News Daily about market trends and his commitment to the specialty spirits market through his Whiskey Hotline, which was launched in 2003.

SND: How were sales at Binny’s during the fourth quarter of calendar 2011—particularly during the holidays?

Binstein: Sales were very robust. All the vital signs were up. Same-store sales during the holiday season rose by more than 5%. On our busiest day of the year, November 23, we had over 4,400 customers an hour and did over $294,000 an hour. That gives you a sense, across our stores, of the ultimate stress test for a retailer.

SND: What were some of your bestsellers during the holidays?

Binstein: All the commodity brands were strong—Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Dewar’s. It was pretty much a sale-fueled holiday season and customers were shopping for value.

Click HERE for the complete story. Please visit us at The Rum Shop for all your rum-related needs, including purchasing rum on-line, rum recipes, rum tasting notes, rum event information and rum consulting services. "Got Rum?" Magazine is back in circulation, get your free copy HERE.

Nightclub & Bar Name Rum Bar “Cocktail Lounge of the Year”


Philadelphia, PA—Rum Bar’s goal for the last five years was to become the best rum-based bar in the world. Nightclub & Bar magazine has recognized owner Adam Kanter’s efforts and successes and has named Rum Bar the nation’s Cocktail Lounge of the Year.

“It’s the biggest honor we’ve ever received,” Kanter says. “It’s a great validation for all the hard work our staff has put in, and it provides some energy going into 2012.”

The judges were critical not only of food and drink quality, but also on the behind the scenes and financial aspects of each bar.

“The finalists and winners highlight exactly the characteristics this competition applauds: quality, creativity, financial success and, of course, patron value,” says Megan Hernandez, Digital Content Director for Nightclub & Bar Media Group.

Since opening Rum Bar in 2007 with 30 rums and a simple Latin menu, Kanter has raised Rum Bar up to a top destination with some 230 rums and one of the most creative and authentic Latin-inspired menus in Philadelphia.

“Authenticity is a big deal to us,” Kanter says. “We spend a lot of time in island distilleries and kitchens. Rum Bar works to be a Caribbean respite in Center City Philadelphia. We do that by replicating cuisine, cocktails, décor, and ambiance.”

Currently, the winter cocktail menu is in full force with the most popular choices being Hot Buttered Rum, Jamaican Hot Chocolate Tea, and Irie Daiquiri.

With more than 230 rums, Rum Bar is Philadelphia’s premier place for sampling this complex and spellbinding spirit. Rum Bar is constantly evolving and works to highlight the finest flavors the Caribbean offers. Big-time congratulations to Kanter for recently making it down to the Top 10 in the national Tommy Bahama Rumologist search — and now for Rum Bar for being named “Cocktail Lounge of the Year” by Nightclub & Bar.

Rum Bar Lounge • Restaurant
2005 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-751-0404 • www.rum-bar.com

Contact:
215-621-6024
Chris@Punchmedia.biz

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Heaven Hill Takes Aim At 1 Million Cases For Admiral Nelson’s Rum


(by Shanken News Daily) Last June, Heaven Hill Distilleries made a major play in the rum category, acquiring the 700,000-case Admiral Nelson’s rum brand from Luxco Inc. The purchase filled a gap in Heaven Hill’s portfolio. The company already had Whaler’s ($12.99 a 750-ml.) and spiced rum Blackheart ($14.99), as well as super-premium cachaça brand Água Luca ($21.99). But Heaven Hill lacked a large-volume, mainstream rum offering like Admiral Nelson’s, a spiced rum retailing at around $10 a bottle.

Under Luxco, Admiral Nelson’s averaged 25% annual growth from 2006 through 2010, earning five consecutive Impact “Hot Brand” awards. The brand’s pace slowed to 7.5% during last year’s transition, reaching 725,000 cases, but Heaven Hill is projecting growth of 15%-20% for 2012 and ultimately aims to propel Admiral Nelson’s past the million-case threshold.

“Our focus is to grow the brand over the next couple of years at a similar rate to that of the past few years,” says Andy Shapira, Heaven Hill’s director of corporate analysis. “Luxco did a great job, but we’re capable of growing brands to well over a million cases—as we’ve done with Burnett’s vodka and Evan Williams Bourbon. We envision that type of growth with Admiral Nelson’s.”

Competition is intensifying in the spiced rum segment, although it’s still dominated by the 6-million-case Captain Morgan. Bacardi, with OakHeart ($12.99 a 750-ml.), and Beam Inc., with Cruzan 9 (around $15) are among the recent entrants into the spiced arena.

In addition to the core Admiral Nelson’s spiced rum brand, the line also includes Admiral Nelson’s 101-proof spiced rum and flavor extensions Coconut, Raspberry, Vanilla and Cherry. “All the excitement in the category has been with flavored and spiced rums,” says Shapira. “Traditional rums have been suffering a bit.”

Heaven Hill plans to continue focusing on Admiral Nelson’s current line before launching new flavors. “Rum isn’t vodka, so you won’t be seeing a new Admiral flavor every six months like you might with Burnett’s,” says Admiral Nelson’s brand manager Brittany Blevins. “But we’ll be looking more at specific consumer interests to expand the franchise.”