News aggregator

It’s great to see the whiskey industry growing worldwide–including Ireland! This press release just came in earlier today.

The World’s Oldest Distillery Launches a New Whiskey

Kilbeggan Distillery releases first new whiskey in over 53 Years

For over 200 years, the Kilbeggan Distillery produced some of the finest whiskey in the world.  In 1957 the stills ran dry but 50 years later Cooley Distillery, the multi-award winning independent whiskey distiller, breathed new life into the world’s oldest distillery and today, the first new whiskey to be distilled at Kilbeggan in over 53 years was officially unveiled at an intimate gathering at the Kilbeggan Distillery in Co. Westmeath.

The Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve Malt, the latest addition to the Kilbeggan family of fine whiskeys, is produced from the oldest pot still in the world which dates back to 1830. The Kilbeggan Distillery itself was established in 1757 and is the oldest distillery in the world.

Fittingly the local heritage group was in attendance to witness the launch of the new whiskey as they played a key role in ensuring the survival of the distillery during the years it lay dormant.  Also in attendance were distillery employees, without whom the world’s oldest still could not have been brought back to life.  All gathered at this momentous event received a signed bottle of the first batch.

The whiskey world has waited in anticipation for half a century for the first new bottling from the historic Kilbeggan distillery.  Distilled from 100% malted barley, the Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve, due to the distinctive narrow necks of the ancient pot still design, is an exceptionally smooth and flavoursome Irish Malt whiskey of distinctive character.

John Teeling, Chairman of Cooley Distillery commented at the launch, “This is another significant landmark in the rejuvenation of the great Kilbeggan distilling tradition.  A huge amount of hard work by Cooley employees and the local heritage committee has gone into getting us to this day.  It is a labour of love to re-establish the Kilbeggan Distillery as a centre of distilling excellence.  Heritage and tradition are vital elements in whiskey.  Great whiskeys come from great distilleries.  Today’s whiskey, though young, has a distinct character both smooth and flavoursome; a character that will only improve with age.  And why wouldn’t it, being distilled by the world’s best distillers, in the oldest working pot still in the world and matured in 200 year old granite warehouses.”

Today’s launch also marked the unveiling of the recently rebranded Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey.  Currently sold in over 35 international markets, the Kilbeggan brand is Cooley Distillery’s flagship Blended whiskey.  The rebrand project involved creating an over-arching identity for the Kilbeggan Irish whiskey brand and the Kilbeggan Distillery.  This highlights both the unique provenance as the oldest distillery in the world and the high quality of the whiskey. The Kilbeggan 15 Year Old Irish whiskey was honoured recently as the Best Whiskey in the World at the 2009 International Wine & Spirits Competition in London.

Jack Teeling, Managing Director of Cooley Distillery said, “We are delighted to be able to accompany the release of the first new whiskey from the Kilbeggan Distillery with the unveiling of the rebranded Kilbeggan Irish whiskey range.  The new packaging pays homage to the rich heritage and quality of the Kilbeggan brand while also maintaining a contemporary look and feel.  We look forward to seeing the trade’s and consumer’s reaction to the new look Kilbeggan Irish whiskey.”

The rebranded Kilbeggan is being rolled out in Germany and the US with all other markets following suit over the next few months.  This will be followed by the release of a range of brand extensions including a Super Premium Kilbeggan 18 Year Old.

A bi-product of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, the Periodista is the "seductive cousin of the Daiquiri"!

Pimm's No. 1 cup. Fun and refreshing summer cocktail.

Chow shows us how to make Aquavit ~ the well-known, well-loved infused spirit from Scandinavia

What a colorful round of delights we’ve seen recently here at Liqurious. There are plenty of drinks to tantalize your tastebuds from fruity cocktails to timeless classics.

Okay. Where were we before the “big announcement?” Let’s get the ball rolling again.

I received this email a few days ago from a WDJK reader and thought I would throw it out to all of you to comment on:

Dear John,

I was wondering if you or others in your community of drink pros or blog & magazine readers might be able to help me with something. There are lots of excellent software programs for managing wine collections, but I haven’t been able to find anything comparable for whisky or other distillates. There seem to be a few basic, homemade programs out there but nothing approaching the sophistication of commercial wine-cellar software. Are you aware of any programs that you’d be willing to recommend, or would you be willing to ask your friends or What Does John Know readers.

I’ll be honest. I started an Excel spreadsheet many years ago and still use it to this day. It just contains the basic information: name, age, vintage, ABV, quantity, if it is open or not, and a place for general comments.

My wine inventory (also on Excel) is actually more detailed, because it also contains purchase price, ratings (e.g. Wine Spectator), and recommended drinking time-frames.

How about you? Are you using any software to manage your whisky inventory that you really like and want to tell us about?

 

What does your favorite cocktail or spirit look like under the microscope? Telegraph UK shows us the molecules that make up our favorite drinks.

Bike rides, flip-flops, beach trips and berries mean summer is in high gear, and what better way to make the most of the season than by chilling out with a refreshing fruit soda?

Last week I visited the Isle of Jura, The Dalmore, and Fettercairn distilleries in Scotland. These brands are all owned by White & Mackay. This post is about visiting the Fettercairn distillery. (Fettercairn marked with red pin. Map made with Google Maps) From The Dalmore distillery we went on yet another gorgeous drive over two mountain ranges to reach Fettercairn, a distillery named after...

[Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

The exploring of Bloody Mary Cocktail including the Bloody Mary Shooter - maybe best way of drinking vodka.

In the typically obscure way of whiskey enthusiasts we were talking about light whiskey, a bad idea from the late 1960s. Someone produced a bottle of Four Roses labeled "light whiskey-a blend." I off-handedly opined that it probably was light whiskey blended with GNS (vodka).

It was not.

The reg says, "If 'light whisky' is mixed with less than 20 percent of straight whisky on a proof gallon basis, the mixture shall be designated 'blended light whisky' (light whisky—a blend)."

No GNS.

So I stood corrected, but it reminded me of something else that was pointed out to me recently. You can search Canadian liquor store shelves long and hard, and unless it has been imported from an American bottler you will not find a blended Canadian whisky. Up there they simply call it Canadian whisky.

The U.S. reg says "if such product is a mixture of whiskies, such mixture is 'blended Canadian whisky' (Canadian whisky--a blend)."

Canadian whisky is considered a blend even though it contains no GNS because it contains whiskeys of different types; i.e., corn whiskey, wheat whiskey, malt whiskey, rye whiskey, etc. It's all whiskey, by our definition and theirs, but of different types.

Likewise, blended light whiskey is a mixture of whiskeys, straight whiskey and light whiskey, no GNS. The "less that 20%" is because if it were more than 20% it would simply be "blended whiskey." Blended whiskey is straight whiskey (20% or more) mixed with whiskey (any kind) and/or neutral spirits.

Today, virtually all blends contain the minimum amount of straight whiskey and the rest is GNS, which is the cheapest combination possible under the rules.

Arguably, since it can't contain GNS and must contain some straight whiskey, blended light whiskey would be a more desirable product than either light whiskey or blended whiskey, at least on paper, but perhaps the difference wouldn't be great enough to win many converts.

I keep thinking that if sustained strong demand makes cheap straight 4-year-old bourbon a thing of the past, there might be room at that price point for products that bridge the gap. Stretching a little straight whiskey with light whiskey wouldn't be quite as cheap as a little more straight whiskey cut with GNS, but it would be close and a lot better tasting, at least in theory. It's just theory because nobody makes such a product.

And that's what makes this meditation so obscure.

Got too much gin? Do the logical thing - solidify it!

Rhubarb Ginger Syrup! Married With Dinner's how to is beautiful and she even shares how to make use of it in La Paloma Rosada!

Last week I visited the Isle of Jura, The Dalmore, and Fettercairn distilleries in Scotland. These brands are all owned by White & Mackay. This post is about visiting The Dalmore distillery. (The Dalmore distillery indicated by red dot. Map from Google Maps.) From Jura, we took a boat to the mainland and then drove diagonally northeast to reach The Dalmore. It was a long and gorgeous drive...

[Visit Alcademics.com for the full post. On Facebook, click 'View Original Post' below.]

The worlds smallest bottle opener that fits nicely on a key chain.

Case Study predicts the Bramble will be the next big thing

Liqurious now has a Twitter account!!! Come join us for fun drinks, tips, and more to come...

Cocktailiana makes real maraschino cherries ~ no red dye allowed

Totes made from SAKABUKURO cotton are important in the making of Japanese sake. Used to filter sake in the purification process, they have been dyed by persimmon tannin for decades.

Conviviando makes a traditional nocino recipe from the Order of the Nocino of Modena ~ a spicy liquor from unripe walnuts!