A major spirits producer wants to hear from you.
This is a chance to put your ideas in front of industry leaders.
The top 25 submissions chosen will receive cash prizes.
Visit http://www.10eqs.com/creative for more information and to participate.
So what are you waiting for? Show your skills and earn some cash prizes. good luck.

French wine history, like many other regions, began with an influx of trade ships and the migration of wine growers. Records reflect early imports into Gaul (France) by 600 B.C. However, interest was slow to develop, due in part to Italy’s resentment of competition. Monastery-run vineyards persevered and a revival began around 1200 A.D. Interim years experienced development of many familiar areas, including the Rhone Valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy. The first sparkling beverage also found its place here in Champagne.

Early attempts to establish European grape varieties in America met with no success. No one knew why areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts were so inhospitable. On the other hand, Pacific regions appeared to be more habitable. Under Church auspices, monks provided their expertise in wine growing. California’s Mission San Diego became the first established U.S. vineyard in 1769. Led by Father Junipero Serra, this was the starting point for a rise in wine’s popularity.

As others sought to expand their own vineyards, new European varieties continued to arrive. The wine market was small, however, as the popular masses had other taste preferences, particularly beer and whiskey. Advancement continued with ups and downs, including devastation from black rot and other disease. A century later, while Europe was losing its crops to the American-introduced louse, Phylloxera, another type of destruction was looming locally.

Prohibition began its rise in the early part of the Nineteenth century. early laws prohibited sales of alcohol on Sunday in Indiana. Over the next few decades, a frenzy to go “dry” escalated, culminating with a full-scale ban in 1917 on production and sales.

Hobbyists and bootleggers found ways around Prohibition, while some vineyards carried on with production for sacramental purposes. The majority of production, however, died. By the 1933 National Repeal, the blooming wine industry was almost nonexistent.

A revival in table wines returned in the 1960s. Over the next two decades, a fondness for so-called “jug” wines declined in favor of tastes considered more pleasing to the palate. Today, Americans are still searching for “healthful” benefits as well as a perfect match for their meals.

California continues to reign as king of wine production, but every state can now boast of at least one vineyard.

Source: www.tasting-wine.com

There are several things to look for when buying whisky. The amount of aging time, the ingredients in a blended whisky, and whether you prefer single malt whisky are things to be considered. Blended whisky comes in a wide range of flavours and just because you like one type of blended whisky does not mean that you will necessarily like others.

The longer a whisky is aged, the smoother it gets as a general rule, and if it is a blended whisky, it can also determine the flavour by whether the blending or vatting is done prior to aging or prior to bottling. Some whisky drinkers that are connoisseurs consider single malt whisky the purist whisky, while others prefer blended whisky for the enhanced flavouring which can include smoky, honey, fruity and spicy tastes, depending on the malted grains that are used.

The type of wood that is used in the aging cask can also determine flavour, especially for whiskies that have been aged longer. In Scotland, it is not considered whisky until it is aged three years, and some whisky may be aged for over 20 years. Oak barrels or applewood barrels lend a unique flavour to the whisky that is aged in them, for example.

The distilling process is only the beginning of the process in making a fine whisky. Some of the blended whiskies have taken years to achieve the flavouring they desire and once discovered, consistency in the recipe is key to making a good blended whisky. Some flavours of malt whisky and grain whisky go together better than others, and most blending involves the use of caramel for colouring consistency.

To know what to look for when buying whisky, you need to first determine whether you prefer single malt or a blended whisky. Most people have a preference for one or the other. Blended whisky can be a blend of several different types of malt whisky, or can be a blend of malt and other grain whisky. It is not unusual for some blends to have 40 or more different individual types of whisky.

Another thing to consider if you like blended whisky, is the type of flavouring you prefer. If you prefer a fruity flavouring, then you may not like a spicy whisky blend, for example. Also, there are varying degrees of flavours, therefore if you don’t like a smoky taste, then you certainly will not enjoy a blended whisky that has it.

The aging process in number of years and type of vatting can also determine the smoothness of whisky, and some people prefer a longer aged whisky if they are drinking it alone or on the rocks. Blended whisky is typically used when making cocktails, since it is less expensive than a single malt whisky and other flavours in the cocktail would mask the malt flavour anyway.

What to look for when buying whisky is determined by personal taste. Being knowledgeable in the types of whisky there are to choose from can also make it easier to pick the one with the flavouring that you are most likely to prefer.

1.SKYY Vodka – USA No carbohydrates, said to contain the fewest impurities of the leading brands, distilled from American Midwest grain with cocoa. Considered a light vodka.
2.Smirnoff – Russia, now USA Distilled from grain with hint of mint, wet stone and charcoal
3.Blavod Black Vodka – London Distilled from grain – color and smoothness attributed to the Black Catechu, a tannin resin of the Acacia catechu heartwood, a tree indigenous to India and Burma
4.Gilbeys Vodka – USA Distilled from grain
5.Gordons Vodka – USA Distilled from grain
6.Mor Vodka – Poland Distilled from potatoes
7.Wodka Wyborowa – Poland Distilled from rye
8.Three Olives Vodka – England Distilled from English wheat
9.Oliphant Vodka – Holland Distilled from
10.3 Vodka – USA 1st and only vodka distilled from soy and contains no carbohydrates

Source: www.martinimuse.com

Makers Mark
The Samuels, like the Beams, are part and parcel of Kentucky’s history. The family has been a distillers since 1780, and their TW Samuels brand was an early classic. One of their ancestors, Rueben Samuels, married Zerelda James, whose sons became better known for a less peaceful way of life. Bill Samuels, current boss of Maker’s Mark, still has Jesse’s and Frank’s pistols hanging on the wall of his office.

A discussion of the human influence on whiskey leads Bill to muse on his father, Bill Samuels Sr, who was something of a visionary in these parts. He bought the run-down Happy Hollow distillery in 1953 and started making a new kind of bourbon his way, in a different, softer style. After consulting another legend of the industry, Pappy Van Winkle, he created a new mashbill using winter wheat instead of rye, aged the whiskey for longer and sold it at a higher price. Not the standard approach in post-war Kentucky.

‘In 1953, Dad was talking of how people were looking for a more refined version of bourbon,’ recalls Bill. ‘He knew the things that he wanted to preserve, the ones he wanted to throw out. He was going to create a bourbon to suit his taste: it had damn-all to do with the market! He just thought bourbon should taste better’.

The industry is full of such purely personal likes and dislikes dictating the taste of a brand. Bill Sr simply didn’t like aggressive whiskey, so he changed everything. His was a gentle crusade. The family may be related to the James gang, but coming out guns blazing just ain’t their style. Bill Sr may have had the vision, but it was his son who took Maker’s Mark across the world, talking up high-quality, premium-priced liquor at the time the industry was at its nadir. Still, the Maker’s Mark crusade must have seemed doomed. Tn the 1960s there wasn’t a nickel’s-worth of difference between bourbon and bourbon-flavoured vodka’, says Bill.

‘The industry was at the end of the road because no-one could afford the $100 barrel. Bourbon can never be a mass-market commodity, because we have that high cost legally built in’. Having to buy new barrels is less problematic when the product is selling for a higher price.

You can list the differences in production that set Maker’s Mark apart: the mashbill; the yeast strain created by Bill’s great-great­grandfather; the double distillation; the charcoal added to the white dog as a filtering agent; the air-dried wood; the way the barrels are rotated in the high-rack warehouses. All these give the product its character, but ultimately Maker’s Mark is about the stubborn Samuels family and the people who work in the distillery.

Bill Sr has been proved right. These days premium bourbon is one of the most exciting areas in world whisky, but Bill refuses to take the credit for this turnaround. Like all great whisky men he realizes he’s part of a team. ‘If I could do one little thing, I’d bring out my ancestors to see that bourbon is finally no longer a wilderness product. The six generations before me did the heavy lifting,’ he says. ‘Dad said he’d change the face of bourbon. When he started no-one gave him a chance, but by the time I retire bourbon will be the talk of the town’.

He believes the new premium sector will be a major factor in restoring pride to the industry. ‘Higher margins fire up the creative juices,’ he says. ‘The industry is improving and the products are infinitely better, because they are high price. Now there’s an opportunity for the talented people in the industry to practise their art and not just produce a low-cost product. The question is whether we have sufficient discipline not to disappoint people’s high expectations … that’s what Dad would have said.’

TASTING NOTES

Maker’s Mark 90°proof Lovely, complex mix of flowers, cumin, cinnamon, marzipan/anise, vanilla and light honey. A soft start, then great interplay between silky-soft honeyed fruit, vanilla-toffee and balanced oak flavours. Some chocolate on the finish. Gentle, easy and complex. *****

Like everything else in life, we want to know which is the ‘best’ vodka. Which vodka is most superior to others. And like everything else in life, we realize that there is no one single answer. For example, I use the latest Intel Pentium Core Duo Processor, as I require it to power my media center, on the other hand, my Grandfather still uses a 11 year old IBM Thinkpad with 4 MB RAM running Windows 3.11 with Wordpad!

Anyway, back to Vodka. Vodka is defined as a neutral spirit devoid of any distinct characteristics such as odour, taste or colour. Considering the above definition all vodkas should be the same and the brand shouldn’t matter. This is true to some extent, in the sense, that the final product of all the brands are more or less similar to each other and while mixed in a blood mary, there is little or no discernable distinction between them. However, if you plan to have them as shots, on the rocks or in a martini, then you are well advised to consume a premium brand.

There are a lot of vodkas out there. And each one is trying to catch your eye, with refreshing marketing, stylish bottles and happening events. This is because of the above noted fact, that the product is more or less same, and hence, marketing plays a big role.

Okay. Now since we are clear about what vodka actually is, lets look at some of the brands. (If you are interested more about the history and other nuances of Vodka, read my article ‘All About Vodka’) I am not affiliated with any of them and I have no particular favourite among them either. So be assured that whatever is said herein is completely unbiased and in the best interest of vodka.

Lets start with the world best selling vodka. Remember, the phrase is ‘best selling’, it doesn’t make the best vodka on the planet. I guess every vodka drinker knows it. Smirnoff. Smirnoff was the first American brand of Vodka, which was bought over from Vladimir Smirnov of Russia. The Smirnoff No. 21 is the most widely sold vodka in the world and is an extremely good example of classical vodka. It has little discerning character, and does not pamper you with slight flavours or a mellow follow through. If you don’t like to think too much and are on a budget, this is the vodka to go for. Have it chilled and experience the Russian in you. Smirnoff also comes in blue and black labels which are of increasing strength. It has also launched numerous flavoured vodkas such as Green Apple Twist, Citrus Twist, Lemon Twist and many more. They are great to have in martinis and light cocktails.

Next up, Grey Groose. Now this is on that has had its fair share of Hollywood exposure. You can hear almost every celebrity asking for a Grey Goose Martini. This vodka brand is truly a marketing brilliance. Winter wheat being distilled with natural spring waters in a French Distillery is surely going to make some heads turn. It is this approach to vodka, that has made Grey Goose a brand to reckon with. But, nothing to be taken away, this is really great vodka to have in your martini. It comes in three flavours: L’Orange, Le Citron and La Vanille. The Citron is great to have in a Lemon Drop Martini.

The third among the most marketed brands is Absolut. This Swedish vodka has the one of the largest number of flavoured vodkas in the market. Its global marketing strategy seems to have paid off in recent times and is considered to be a truly superior vodka in many places in the world. Its neutral variety comes in blue and red labels with increasing strengths. The red bottle (50 % vol) is a really smooth spirit with almost no discernarable taste of its own. The blue bottle mixes extremely well with almost all mixers and makes it great in most cocktails. The flavoured varieties too are very good and for the adventurous there are no dearth of varieties to try from.

Now, lets move onto the lesser marketed, premium brands. I’ll start with what most vodka drinkers and experts consider a truly great and ‘almost perfect’ vodka. Stolichnaya is what it claims to be “a true Russian vodka”. It was founded at the Cristill Distillery in Moscow and is now manufactured in ex-Soviet republics (Kazakhstan and Ukraine). It is quadruple distilled though quartz sand and finally passed through a woven cloth, to give you a vodka free from any flavours or odours. This one is great to have on the rocks.

Next on the list is Belvedere. This is a Polish vodka. However, unlike other Polish vodka this one is made from rye rather than potatoes. The experts are always confused about this one. Many hold it in high regard, while others suggest that the other brands mentioned here, are far superior. For the record, I like it. Still one could argue that with so many different brands with better marketing and “brand appeal”, this vodka still leaves you with something to desire more from.

Our last entry on this discussion would be Belvedere’s sibling: Chopin. However, unlike its sibling, Chopin is made from potatoes; the way authentic polish vodka should. Even though for many years, potato based vodkas have been frowned upon by Russians as inferior, the truth lies in the fact, that with the right distillery, whatever be the ingredient, you can produce superior vodka. And Chopin is a great example of the same. This vodka is crisp and has a sweet and sour green apple tinge to it. It’s the only potato based vodka that is held with such high regard and just for this sake, I urge you to try it at least once. Your Polish experience will definitely be worth it.

There are some other lovely vodka brands as well. Vox, Ketel One, Three Olives and Jewel Of Russia are just a few to name. Vodka, like other spirits, is full of tradition and variety. And to cover all would be an arduous if not impossible task. I hope not to offend anybody with my views. They are mine and others may not agree. As I always maintain wines and spirits are very personal in nature. The best wine or spirit is always the one you enjoy most! With that I humbly conclude this article. Hope you enjoyed it, as much as I need writing it.

The best known of hundreds of Gin-based mixed drinks is the Gin and white vermouth combination called the Martini. As is usually the case with most popular mixed drinks, the origins of the martini are disputed. One school of thought holds that it evolved from the late-19th-century Martinez cocktail, a rather cloying mixture of Old Tom-style Gin and sweet vermouth.

A dissenting sect holds that it was created in the bar of the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York City in the early 20th century. The ratio of Gin to vermouth started out at about 2 to 1, and it has been getting drier ever since. The great British statesman Winston Churchill, who devoted a great deal of thought and time to drinking, was of the opinion that passing the cork from the vermouth bottle over the glass of Gin was sufficient.

The martini has frequently served as a metaphor for some of the great social and political issues of our times. President Jimmy Carter denounced the “three martini lunch” in a thinly-veiled attempt at class warfare during his election campaign. He was not reelected.

Source: Tastings.com

Rum is distilled in the manner described in the introductory chapter of this book. The choice of stills does, however, have a profound effect on the final character of Rum. All Rums come out of the still as clear, colorless spirits. Barrel aging and the use of added caramel determine their final color. Since caramel is burnt sugar, it can be truthfully said that only natural coloring agents are used.

Lighter Rums are highly rectified (purified and blended) and are produced in column or continuous stills, after which they are usually charcoal-filtered and sometimes aged in old oak casks for a few months to add a degree of smoothness. Most light Rums have minimal flavors and aroma, and are very similar to Vodka, particularly those brands that have been charcoal-filtered. Heavier Rums are usually distilled in pot stills; similar to those used to produce Cognacs and Scotch whiskies. Pot stills are less “efficient” than column stills and some congeners (fusel oils and other flavor elements) are carried over with the alcohol. Some brands of Rum are made by blending pot and column distilled Rums in a manner similar to Armagnac production.

source: tastings.com