spirits

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China's Next Big Thing: Whiskey
China's Next
Big Thing: Whiskey

China's Next Big Thing: Whiskey

The liquor is wooing young Chinese away from 'baijiu' as top distillers target a growing market

(Newser) - A distillery in southwestern China is aiming to tap a growing taste among young Chinese for whiskey in place of the traditional "baijiu" liquor used to toast festive occasions. The $100 million-plus distillery owned by Pernod Ricard at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Mount Emei launched a pure-malt whiskey,...

Americans Are Drinking Less Cognac
Cognac Boom
Is Having a
Hangover

Cognac Boom Is Having a Hangover

Experts cite economic anxiety and a thirst for cheaper tequila for cognac's downturn

(Newser) - After a pandemic boom in the luxury cognac market, Americans aren't toasting with it as much these days. Bloomberg reports that brands are seeing sharp declines, with one of the top makers, Remy Cointreau, down 43% in profits this year. Rather than raise prices on their already pricey bottles,...

Fireball Cinnamon Maker Sued Over 'Misleading' Bottles

Lawsuit says it's too easy to mistake mini-bottles for Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, another product

(Newser) - The maker of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky and Fireball Cinnamon is being sued over what an Illinois woman alleges is deliberately misleading packaging on the mini-bottles often seen near store checkouts. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is 33% alcohol by volume and contains actual whiskey, while Fireball Cinnamon is a whiskey-flavored malt beverage...

Whiskey Makers Try to Hack Tradition

New processes might eliminate the need for the usual aging process

(Newser) - Most people want to turn back time. Among whiskey makers, a quest has evolved to speed it up. Last fall, Silicon Valley startup Bespoken Spirits made headlines by raising $2.6 million in seed funding to introduce a rapid-aging process that would nix having to mature whiskey in barrels, which...

Different Alcohols Really Are Tied to Different Emotions
How to Set the Right
Mood With Alcohol
NEW STUDY

How to Set the Right Mood With Alcohol

Red wine for relaxation, spirits for confidence: survey

(Newser) - The desired mood of your Thanksgiving meal should determine what type of alcohol you serve: red wine for a sleepy, relaxed atmosphere or spirits for a sexy, confident air. That's the conclusion of a new survey analyzing how different types of alcohol make people feel. The reasons behind the...

Southern Comfort Is About to Add a Surprising Ingredient
Southern Comfort Is About to
Add a Surprising Ingredient
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Southern Comfort Is About to Add a Surprising Ingredient

If you thought it already contained whiskey, it doesn't—but it once did, and it will again

(Newser) - Southern Comfort bills itself as "the spirit of New Orleans," but the generic grain-neutral spirit base it contains (an ingredient not far removed from vodka) doesn't exactly scream "Deep South character." The Sazerac Company, owner of the college-staple brand, wants to change that perception—and...

One of Rome's Busiest Exorcists Tells of Woman Vomiting Pins

Fr. Vincenzo Taraborelli performs as many as 30 exorcisms on a given day

(Newser) - Italy is no stranger to exorcisms, with half a million Italians reportedly requesting them each year. The Independent in 2015 reported on an exorcism of an entire town, performed via helicopter. Three years prior, the Catholic diocese of Milan instituted an exorcism hotline, reported the BBC . But in the wake...

Miller Wants You to Drink Beer in a Rocks Glass

'Miller Fortune' designed to compete with spirits for young drinkers

(Newser) - The big beer brands have been bleeding market share to spirits and craft beers lately, but MillerCoors thinks its latest offering can staunch that wound. It's called Miller Fortune, and it'll debut over the next two months with the quickest and broadest distribution plan of any beer since...

Pelosi: Spirits of Women Suffragists Visited Me

'At last we have a seat at the table,' they told her at the White House

(Newser) - Nancy Pelosi has a story she likes to tell, and it's a strange one. She swears the ghosts of American suffragists visited her in the White House, reports CNSNews . Pelosi seems sincere in the telling, and she's spoken of the experience a number of times in speeches. (CNS...

A Rival Tool for Ghost Hunters: iPhone Apps

'Ghost Hunter' and 'Ghost Seance' rival traditional methods

(Newser) - Ghost hunting this weekend? Well, you can lay down your trusty electromagnetic meter and open an iPhone app to detect spirits—or so say some ghost hunters. A spirited debate is emerging between old-school hunters, who rely on the K-II EMF electromagnetic reader, and those who prefer apps like Ghost...

Vodka Wins Protected Status
Vodka Wins Protected Status

Vodka Wins Protected Status

Meaning the watered-down spirit 'Vodkat' is out of luck, needs new name

(Newser) - Watered-down vodka-like spirits can't use vodka-like names, a British judge ruled yesterday. He ruled in favor of Smirnoff maker Diageo and ordered the producers of "Vodkat"—a 22% strength spirit made from a mix of vodka and neutral fermented alcohol—to find a new name for their drink....

Quietly, Moonshine Makes a Comeback

Homemade spirits find a loyal following; pity about the jail sentences

(Newser) - Whether it's a result of the recession or an outgrowth of the local food movement, more and more Americans are getting in on the craze for do-it-yourself food and drink. But there's a small problem with homemade spirits—unlike smoking salmon or pickling cukes, distilling your own whiskey or grappa...

Saudi Family Charges Genie With Harassment

(Newser) - A Saudi Arabian family has taken a genie to court and charged it with harassment and theft, the BBC reports. Family members say they were forced to abandon their home near Medina after the spirit made strange noises, threatened them, and stole their cell phones. A local court is looking...

In Poor Economic Climate, Whiskey Sells
 In Poor Economic 
 Climate, Whiskey Sells 
EARNINGS REPORT

In Poor Economic Climate, Whiskey Sells

(Newser) - Amid dire economic projections, the maker of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey is having a banner year, the LA Times reports. “We had a nice quarter,” Brown-Forman’s CEO said of sales and income that bested Wall Street estimates. Even a bad employment report today couldn’t sink...

World's Best Whiskey Comes From... Japan?

Yoichi is first non-Scottish brand to win top award

(Newser) - For years, Japanese whiskey has struggled for respect and praise; now, it’s on top of the world. A brand called "Yoichi 20 years old" has been voted the best whiskey in the world by Whiskey Magazine, the industry’s main publication. No non-Scottish spirit has ever won before,...

1926 Whiskey Fetches $54K
1926 Whiskey Fetches $54K

1926 Whiskey Fetches $54K

1926 whiskey goes for $54K

(Newser) - The crown jewel of New York's first liquor auction since Prohibition brought in $54,000 at Christie's yesterday. The 1926 bottle of whiskey went to an anonymous bidder, the New York Daily News reports, but was "worth the price," said a contender for the bottle. But it wasn't...

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