Drinks & Taxes 2008 v9: Wisconsin Legislator Proposes Hike in Beer Tax

Rep. Terese Berceau is being urged to reintroduce a bill to increase the tax on a barrel of beer in Wisconsin from $2 to $10.

The Marathon County Board of Health approved a draft resolution supporting the tax hike approved a draft of the resolution Tuesday that would call for an increase to pay for alcohol treatment, prevention and enforcement.

Wisconsin has one of the lowest taxes on beer in the country. During the last session, legislators decided not to act on Rep. Berceau's bill and it died when the session ended.

North Carolina Votes: One Wet, One Dry, One Thinking

The voting Tuesday in North Carolina got plenty of attention around the country, but two important votes on ending Prohibition received just minor coverage.

In Indian Trail voters approved the sale of beer and wine at restaurants, hotels and motels. It was a landslide, with 66.3 percent of voters approving of beer sales and 64.1 percent pulling the yes lever for wine.

Indian Trail Citizens for Progress supported the measure saying it would bring business to the town and cut down on the need for people to drive outside of Union County to have a drink with dinner.

In Denton, nine questions concerning the sale of alcohol in the community were voted down. The proposals ranged from allowing beer or wine sales on-premise to bringing an ABC store to the community. A little more than 500 people voted, with about 60 percent voting against each option. Members of the Bethel Baptist Church and a group called Citizens for a Drug and Alcohol Free Denton worked to defeat the proposals.

It was the fifth time in 18 years that proposals to end Prohibition in Denton have been defeated.

Meanwhile, a third North Carolina community, Taylorsville, may soon get the chance to vote in a referendum to allow on-premise mixed drink and beer sales. Taylorsville already allows off-premise beer and wine sales at grocery stores. The community has an ABC store.

Taylorsville is located in Alexander County, which is dry. There is a movement picking up steam in the county to have a vote to allow off-premise beer and wine sales.

Illinois Man's Last Request: PBR Me, ASAP

Some of us hope friends will lift a beer in our honor when we pass from this world. Others are making sure that they will.

Bill Bramanti's fits into that second category.

Bramanti, 67, of South Chicago Heights, Ill., showed friends and family just how much he loves Pabst Blue Ribbon last Saturday. The Glenwood village administrator held a party. The cooler was a little large and a bit odd, but it made the point.

It was the coffin he had designed to look like a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. You can check out the Southtown Star newspaper story if you need photographic evidence.

Bramanti is not ill and hopes to use the casket as a cooler during future events. He says it can hold 15 cases of beer and around 150 pounds of ice. When his time comes, the Pabst Blue Ribbon coffin will be ready and waiting.

Tuesday Tasting: More Finger Lakes Rieslings

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we sample six more rieslings from the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York.

Those of you who know me or who are regular readers of Lyke2Drink know that I work for Eric Mower and Associates, a marketing communications agency (www.mower.com). You may also recall that we have done some work with the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance, a voluntary association made up of about 100 wineries in the region and grape growers. I play host for the FLWA Vintners' Roundtable, a virtual tasting conducted via conference call that links winemakers and food and beverage journalists. A recent session that included writers from Gourmet and Restaurant Business focused on Finger Lakes Rieslings. My notes for this Tuesday tasting come from that session.

Ravines 2006 Dry Riesling ($17): Anyone who says that Finger Lakes rieslings are all sweet has never tried this creation by winemaker Morten Hallgran. At just 0.3 percent residual sugar this wine has a nice floral nose and a lime and mineral flavor bed.

Prejean 2006 Dry Riesling ($12): Floral nose, honeysuckle with melon flavor notes. Jim Zimar has built a well balanced wine with 0.9 percent residual sugar.

Swedish Hill 2006 Dry Riesling ($15): After 20 years of growing grapes for others, the Peterson family launched Swedish Hill and had its first crush in 1985. This wine has firm citrus and pear notes with a pleasant floral nose. This dry riesling has 0.5 percent residual sugar.

Heron Hill 2005 Ingle Vineyard Riesling ($25): Winemaker Thomas Laszlo has created a nice balanced riesling with a slate mineral nose, and pear and citrus flavor profile.

Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards 2006 Homestead Reserve Riesling ($18): This wine has 1.1 percent residual sugar. Six generations of the Hazlitt family have been growing grapes on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. This riesling has pineapple and tropical notes in a semi-dry format.

Wagner 2006 Semi Dry Riesling ($13): This wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and has 2 percent residual sugar. It has a crisp peach and apricot aroma, with plenty of citrus and dried apricots in a long flavor profile.

Drinks & Taxes 2008 v8: California Assemblyman Wants to Boost Beer Tax by 1,400 Percent

California Assemblyman Jim Beall, wants to raise the tax on beer. That's nothing new given the recent movement by a number of states to balance budgets one drink at a time. What is new is that Rep. Beall's tax takes a pretty big bite, going from 2-cents a can to 30-cents a beer.

The 1,400 percent increase would mean the new tax on a six pack would be $1.80. It could raise $2 billion for the state's treasury.

Rep. Beall says that the tax hike would go to cover the costs that beer has on society. In order for the bill to become law, it would require a two-thirds super majority vote of the California legislature and it would face a public referendum.

The anti-alcohol Marin Institute has praised the proposal, while the College Republicans at San Francisco State University launched a protest against the measure.

UC-Davis Study: A Beer a Day Cuts Heart Attack and Stroke Rate by 40 Percent

A study by scientists at the University of California-Davis indicates that men or women who have a glass of beer a day can cut their risk of heart attack and stroke by up to 40 percent.

The researchers say a glass of beer raises HDL, which is the good type of cholesterol, while reducing the risk of blood clots forming in a heart artery.

The study points out that moderate consumption is the key to enjoying the healthful benefits of beer and other forms of alcohol.

Martha's Vineyard Town Stays Dry By Two Votes

If you travel to Martha's Vineyard this summer and develop a thirst, don't stop in Tisbury.

Residents of the Massachusetts town voted to remain dry by a count of 692 to 690. The April 15 ballot had carried a proposal to allow restaurants to sell beer and wine.

On election night, it appeared the vote had been a tie based on an automated counting of ballots. After a hand count of all of the ballots it was discovered that two which were previously believed to be blank were actually votes against lifting Prohibition in the community on the island off Cape Cod.

The vote was authorized after the issue had bubbled for more than three years.

Vermont Could Get Higher Octane Beer if Gov. Douglas Signs Bill

The Vermont House and Senate have approved a bill that will allow specialty beers with an alcohol by volume above 8 percent to be sold in grocery and convenience stores.

Rep. John Rodgers sponsored the bill which would improve the distribution of the beers in Vermont. Currently, only the 75 liquor stores in the state can sell beer above 8 percent alcohol by volume. This has cut sales of the beers.

To become law, Gov. James Douglas must sign the bill. Otter Creek Brewing has indicated it plans to launch a new beer if the law in Vermont changes. Another brewer, Shaun Hill, says he plans to launch Hill Farmstead Brewery and focus on classic high gravity brewing styles.

Euro Beer Time

SABMiller has contributed to our knowledge of the habits of European beer drinkers. In a report issued this week titled "Time For a Beer?," the company looks at the habits of drinkers in various European countries.

The survey of 7,500 beer drinkers in fifteen countries found that:

-- Most Europeans have a beer two or three days out of the week. In Spain, 31 percent of consumers said they drink beer most days of the week.

-- In Denmark locals arrive at the bar at 4:41 p.m., while in the United Kingdom the average time for the first beer of the night is 6:14 p.m.

-- In France the last beer of the night slides down at 8:33 p.m., while Germans stay out to 10:59 p.m. for that final brew.

-- Saturday is the most popular night for a beer (59 percent), followed by Friday (48 percent)

-- Not surprisingly, the Czechs are Europe’s biggest beer fans. Of the alcohol Czechs consume, 63.4 percent is beer. In France, beer is just 14.5 percent of the total.

-- The top beer drinking country based on percentage of the respondents in the survey who say they drink beer on a particular day varies across the week. Spain is tops on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Belgium and Sweden tie. Romania is tops on Friday and Sunday, while Belgium holds down Saturday.

-- Beer drinkers in Poland are least likely to drink alone (96 percent), while the Dutch (21 percent) are most likely to drink solo.

Clos du Bois Raising Funds to Fight Heart Disease in Women With ToastToMom.com

May 11th is Mother's Day and while a e-card might feel a little cold and distant as a way to say thanks to that special woman in your life, winemaker Erik Olsen at Clos du Bois in California has come up with a way to make it socially acceptable.

Clos du Bois has pledged to donate up to $25,000 to help the 8 million women living with heart disease. For every e-card sent from www.ToastToMom.com, Clos du Bois will donate $1 to WomenHeart.

National Women’s Health Week is May 11th - 17th. At the site you can download heart healthy Mother’s Day recipes and wine pairing ideas, and each e-card enters you for a getaway for two to Sonoma wine country.

The Session #15: Can You See the Light?

The beer blogging world is holding another edition of The Session today. This time around Boak and Bailey, a London-based beer blog, is the host. The topic for the 15th edition of Beer Blogging Friday concerns "the moment when you saw the light. At what point did you realize you were a beer lover / geek / enthusiast? What beer(s) triggered the conversion? Did someone help you along your way, or did you come to it yourself? In short; how did you get into good beer?"

For me there is an obvious "first time," but there is also the more accurate answer, which is constantly. I'll cover both because they are equally important in the formation of my geekdom.

My initial realization that good beer was great came when I was 16 or 17 years old. Mind you, the drinking age back then was 18 years old, so while I was breaking the law, I was almost legal. Fridays or Saturdays back in 1977 often meant finding a place that would sell you a six pack to take to a friend's house where the parents were away for the weekend. There were ample domestic six packs available at $1.09 or $1.19 -- you could even find some on sale for just 99-cents. I remember thinking even back then that the bottles, labels, caps and six pack holder had to almost cost that much (not to mention shipping, slotting allowances and taxes). But what high school student was going to argue with low priced beer?

The result was a steady stream of Gibbon's, Genesee Cream Ale, Stegmeier, Narragansett, Hamm's, Schaefer, Pabst, Blatz, MeisterBrau, Schmidt's, Old Milwaukee, Piel's, Carling Black Label and Red White & Blue ending up jammed into coolers and refrigerators for the evening's festivities. Some of it tasted OK, but by today's standards I'd bet it was pretty bad. There were a few good domestic beers around, such as Matt's Premium and Koch's Black Horse Ale, but they were usually selling for $1.39. The light for me got turned on one weekend when I must have been flush with cash. I decided to spend $3.79 for a six pack of St. Pauli Girl from Germany. My friends thought I was nuts, but once I tasted what was inside I never looked at beer the same again.

I know what you're thinking. St. Pauli Girl changed everything? Yup, remember this was the late 1970s and in Upstate New York -- and the rest of America for that matter -- there were no beers like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale or Bell's Kalamazoo Stout. In fact, at the time American brewers appeared to be in a race to see who could use the least amount of barley and the fewest hops. Thankfully, we've come a long way.

Fast forward 30+ years and I still experience beer epiphanies. They are not as surprising as that first taste of St. Pauli Girl, but they are no less exciting. I'm talking about getting a taste of Samuel Adams Utopius, Duck Rabbit Baltic Porter, Westmalle Tripel, Great Divide Yeti, Foothills Sexual Chocolate, Avery Hog Heaven, New Holland Mad Hatter, Cottonwood Endo IPA, Rogue Hop Heaven, Deschutes Cinder Cone Red or Orval.

These are beers that grab my taste buds and remind me that beer can still be a new experience. Thanks to my writing, I get exposed to more of these beers than most people. It would be easy to become jaded, but the sense of discovery that these beers bring keeps that from happening.

I can still see the light, only now it is often amber colored and has a hoppy aroma.

Tuesday Tasting: Heaven Hill Export Bourbons

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we try some Kentucky whiskies that you cannot find on the domestic market.

At WhiskeyFest in Chicago one of the highlights was the chance to sit in on a presentation by Craig Beam, seventh generation Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distilleries, and Larry Kass, Heaven Hill Director of Communications. The title of the presentation, "A Taste of Heaven: The Rare Export Bourbons of Heaven Hill Distilleries," was right on target.

Beam and Kass walked a room full of whiskey lovers through a set of four small batch Bourbons only available -- except in rare cases -- on the export market. If you travel internationally, you will want to check out the duty free shop on your trip back to the U.S.

Virgin Bourbon 7-Year-Old: You can find this whiskey in Australia and Japan, plus on a limited basis in Alabama, North Carolina and Kansas. Amber red color with a well developed oak base. This 101-proof Bourbon has nice smoky notes throughout. This drinks more like a 10-12 year old spirit.

Virgin Bourbon 10-Year-Old: Available in Australia and Japan, this is a very smooth Bourbon. The flavor profile is slightly on the calm side, but it does have some nice vanilla notes and good sweetness.

Evan Williams 12 Year Old: This 101-proof whiskey is available in Japan. Deep amber color with tons of appealing rye character. Nice caramel flavor note at the finish. A great whiskey for sipping.

Evan Williams 23 Year Old: Available in Japan, France and the United Kingdom -- and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center in Kentucky at $350 a bottle -- this 107 proof spirit is a bright copper color with a firm flavor. Plenty of oak, sweet toffee and spice.

To Your Health: Women Wine Drinkers Cut Dementia Risk

A Swedish study has concluded that women who drink wine on a regular basis cut their risk of dementia. Dementia results in the loss of memory and reasoning ability.

The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University study tracked 1,458 women in Sweden, between ages 38 and 60, starting in 1968. The researchers found female wine drinkers had lower rates of dementia compared to nondrinkers.

During the 34-year study, 162 women developed dementia. Women who reported drinking wine every week were 70 percent less likely to develop dementia. Women in the study who drank wine also lived longer.

All About Beer's Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die

Journalists write about news, it's seldom that what we write turns out to make news. But an article that I wrote for the new edition of All About Beer magazine is getting some buzz.

The Growler List: 125 Places to Have a Beer Before You Die is the cover story in the current issue. All About Beer has been covering the beer scene for nearly three decades and has reported about literally thousands of great places to enjoy a pint.

The Growler List has sparked a number of newspaper and television stories, including coverage by the Associated Press. That's great because it causes people to think about beer and where they drink it. It also helps promote a great magazine.

The Growler List is more art than science, but having a beer at one of the spots on this list is a special experience. It is already causing some debate on blogs and message boards, especially among people who think their favorite spot was snubbed. I can tell you that no insult was intended to the hundreds of other watering holes around the world that treat beer and those who enjoy beer with respect.

You can check out the list on the All About Beer website. I hope you get to enjoy as many of them as possible and let me know the places that I've missed along the way.

Weekend Watering Hole: Quartino Ristorante, Pizzeria & Wine Bar, Chicago, Ill.

As a regular weekend feature, Lyke2Drink will visit some of the world's great watering holes. This week we find ourselves in Chicago enjoying some great Italian food and specialty drinks.

Quartino Ristorante, Pizzeria & Wine Bar
626 N. State Street
Chicago, Ill.
312-698-5000
http://www.quartinochicago.com/

During my recent visit to Chicago I decided to make a visit to Quartino on the recommendation of our daughter, Brhea, who attends Loyola University. The place was firing on all cylinders, with great food, superb service and delectable drinks.

If you like Italian food with a homemade touch, the menu will be a favorite. We focused on several hot small plates that allowed us to sample the broccoli rabe, veal meatballs Napoli and eggplant parmigiana. We also had pasta with bolognese meat sauce. Each dish was excellent.

The wine list at Quartino is fairly priced and offers good variety. The bar area is a good place for a drink and a snack if you are not hungry enough for a full meal.

Massimo Serradimigni was overseeing the operations the day we came in and he treated us to one of the best Bellini cocktails we've ever had. Made using the original recipe from Harry's American Bar in Venice, the drink was a perfect combination of prosecco with fresh white peach puree. This was an extremely refreshing drink and clearly handcrafted.

Quartino also makes its own Limoncello and Orangecello. More restaurants should take the time to make signature drinks like these. A crisp and refreshing way to end a meal, this is the type of unique drink experience that will keep customers coming back.

Long Trail to Power Brewery Using Cow Manure

Fact #1: Vermont has plenty of cows.

Fact #2: It takes plenty of energy to make beer.

Long Trail Brewing Co. in Bridgewater, Vt., has decided to combine these two facts. The brewery announced plans to buy 25 percent of its electricity from Central Vermont Public Service Corp.'s Cow Power program, which uses methane from manure from dairy farms to make electricity.

With the move Long Trail becomes the largest commercial Cow Power customer. Only Green Mountain College buys more energy generated by collecting and burning the methane from cow manure.

Long Trail uses 70,000 kilowatt/hours of electricity each month. The switch to Cow Power is the equivalent of taking 106 cars off the roads. The switch will cost Long Trail about $10,000 a year in additional energy costs.

Tuesday Tasting: Fenny, or is it Feni?

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we try some fenny from a friend.

When you write about drinks for a living, your friends and business associates constantly ask the question, “Hey, have you ever tried…?” More often than not, after 25 years of chasing down new drinks, the answer is yes. Occasionally, someone stumps me. On a recent visit to my home, a close friend who now lives in India, Kiran Shah, hit the jackpot with a drink called fenny.

Fenny (also called “feni”) is an Indian specialty made from coconut or cashew apples. The raw ingredients are crushed using a giant stone grinder, and the juice is distilled in a pot called a “bhann” using a wood fire. Traditionally, the best fenny comes from Goa.

Big Boss Coconut Fenny is clear with an alcohol aroma. It has a mellow flavor with a slight hint of burnt sugar around the edge. There was a fleeting spice note, perhaps nutmeg.

Maravilha de Goa Caju Feni is made from the cashew apple. It is a pale, off-yellow hue with a slight hint of alcohol at first sniff. It is rougher around the edges, with a bitter nut and pear skin flavor profile.

Beer Events in North Carolina

North Carolina's beer culture is quite active this month. Here are three things to check out:

Creative Loafing's 2nd annual Charlotte Beer Week

April 17th - April 25th

This celebration includes 20 events across 8 days. Events include the chance to taste new beers, sample different styles, visit breweries, a how-to demonstration on building a kegerator, beer and food matching and a brew cruise on Lake Norman.

Visit http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/beerweek/.

The Charlotte Beer Club

April 22 for a tasting event at Total Wine in Matthews and followed by a beer and gourmet meal pairing at the nearby Bonefish Grill.

May 13 for a tasting event at Flying Saucer in the University area.

A relatively new creation from founder Darrin Pikarsky, the Charlotte Beer Club has already had several events and is closing in on 100 members.

Find out more about the group at http://beer.meetup.com/196/. Membership is free.

World Beer Festival -- Raleigh

April 26 in Moore Square in downtown Raleigh.
1st Session: Noon to 4 p.m.
2nd Session: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

All About Beer magazine brings together 150 breweries from around the globe, along with great music, local food and educational tastings.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.

Check out http://www.allaboutbeer.com/wbfraleigh/

The Angel's Share?: 186 Bottles of Rare Scotch Go Missing on Flight to U.S.

Somewhere between Glasgow and Los Angeles a shipment of rare whisky valued at $240,000 has gone missing. Saybrex International, the Beverly Hills-based importer, says Delta Airlines and government agencies handling the shipment have been unable to explain the case of the missing liquid cargo.

Saybrex says 186 bottles of 32-year-old Highland Park that came from a single cask cleared customs in Glasgow and was delivered to Delta Airlines for shipment to the U.S. The problem is that the 31 cartons containing the whisky, each bottle carrying with it a hefty $1,290 price tag, never arrived. U.K. Revenue and Customs believes the shipment left the country.

The investigation into the missing rare Scotch is continuing.

World Beer Cup Results Announced

The results of the 2008 World Beer Cup were announced in San Diego last night. Brewers from five continents earned awards in the Brewers Association bi-annual competition. You can click here for complete list of winners from the seventh edition of the event.

A total of 644 breweries from 58 countries and 45 U.S. states entered 2,864 beers in 91 beer style categories.

World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster Awards were handed out in the following categories:

Large Brewing Company
Blue Moon Brewing Company
Warren Quilliam

Mid-Size Brewing Company
Privatbrauerei Hoepfner GmbH
Peter Bucher

Small Brewing Company
Port Brewing Company and The Lost Abbey
Tomme Arthur

Large Brewpub
Pelican Pub & Brewery
Darren R. S. Welch

Small Brewpub
Bend Brewing Company
Tonya Cornett

Back From Where I've Been

It has been nearly two weeks since my last blog post. I want to explain my absence.

Late last year during a routine physical I discovered that I had a higher than normal PSA. That caused me to seek additional medical counsel and testing. In mid-February, I had a biopsy that confirmed I had prostate cancer.

That was the bad news. The good news is that the physicians treating me believe the disease was caught at a fairly early stage. I have quickly become aware that with prostate cancer there are more numbers thrown at patients than a baseball official scorer has to deal with during a doubleheader. There is the PSA, mine ran in the 10-11 range depending on the test. Not great, but still in a range that indicates a disease that is treatable. There is the Gleason score, mine is a 6. They tell me that is fairly good news. Out of 12 samples taken during a biopsy, just one showed cancer and another had a pre-cancerous lesion. Again, this was encouraging to my doctors. I had a bunch of other tests, including a bone scan, scan of my pelvic region and organs, and a lung x-ray. All came back clean.

I decided to have surgery as soon as possible. I wanted to be aggressive to make use of the fact the disease had been caught early. This was no time to be a piker. On April 7th, while the rest of the drinks world was celebrating the 75th anniversary of the return of beer after Prohibition, I was in Chicago having prostate surgery at Northwestern Memorial by Dr. William Catalona, one of the top prostate surgeons in the world.

This was the first time I experienced major surgery, but Dr. Catalona and his team, along with the nurses and staff at Northwestern, did a great job. Tests done during the operation found no spread of the cancer to my lymph nodes, blood vessels or seminal vesicle. The tumor, which was just 5 percent of the gland, was at the edge of the prostate and did puncture the capsule. That means some cancer cells would have been able to escape. Sometimes the cells die on their own or my antibodies might have attacked and killed them. They could also just be hanging out. I'll have follow up PSA tests to determine what is happening and have favorable treatment options available, if necessary.

Why am I being so open and honest about my health situation? Well, I'm 47 years old. Originally, I was told that PSA tests are only given to men when they reach 50 years old. I have a close friend who has prostate cancer. His willingness to be open and honest about his situation caused me to request a PSA test during my physical. I had no symptoms and might not have known about the disease for another three years. Time is precious when you are fighting prostate cancer.

I want to pass along the advantage I was given by urging all of the men reading this over the age of 40 to get an annual physical and request a PSA blood test from their doctor. Be proactive and don’t assume that your doctor is running the PSA test unless you ask for it. There are more than 180,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year, about the same number as new breast cancer cases. The more awareness men have of the disease, the better chance they have to successfully fight prostate cancer.

I am lucky to have a great support system from my family and friends, which has made my recovery progress fairly quickly. As I feel stronger in the weeks to come, my plan is to work on a project involving members of the drinks industry to try to bring the message of the importance of PSA testing to more men. If you have not had your PSA tested, or if it has been a couple of years since your last test, do yourself a favor and book an appointment to see your doctor. Now is the best time to take control of your health care.

Trust me when I tell you that getting your PSA checked is the best thing you can do for yourself and the people you love.

WhiskeyFest Chicago a Big Success

I have been to my share of drinks festivals. Friday night I experienced the gold standard, the eighth annual WhiskeyFest Chicago.

John Hansell and his team at the Malt Advocate run WhiskeyFest in New York, San Francisco and Chicago. Tickets for the events run $110 or $120 ($150 or $160 for VIP early admission) which might sound steep for an evening, but attendees get their money's worth. Distillers pour 200 quality whiskeys at the event, with more 18, 21, 25 and 30 year old whiskeys than you could hope to consume.

I enjoy festivals because of the opportunity to sample a wide range of products, while talking with people connected with the various brands. WhiskeyFest had all of this, along with educational seminars and gourmet food stations. The Chicago event was sold out, but it was not overly crowded. The venue, the Hyatt Regency along the Chicago River was a first class venue for the event. Pulling an event of this scope off well is no small achievement and the Malt Advocate folks do it right.

But how about the whiskey? Well here are 12 of my favorites from the evening:

Yamazaki 18 Year Old: Suntory has built an impressive single malt that is aged in 80 percent ex-sherry barrels, 10 percent ex-Bourbon and 10 percent new Japanese oak barrels. If you have never had a whisky from Japan, this is the one to try. Dark amber color and rich oak and vanilla notes.

Duncan Taylor Linlithgow 21 Year Old: Light golden color, this cask strength whisky opens to a wonderful lovely sweet and almond base Scotch when cut with a little water.

Isle of Jura 21 Year Old: Lovely copper color. Tons of flavor with nice peat base, touch of the sea and a tinge of fruity liveliness.

The Singleton: Made at the Auchroisk Distillery, this blonde Scotch is very smooth. Nice wood notes, touch of vanilla and a bit of spice.

Willett Bourbon: Rich dark amber color. Long, smooth flavor. Nice oak, vibrant vanilla with hints of earth and spice. Great sipping Bourbon.

Gordon & MacPhail Convalmore 1984: This 114.2 proof cask strength Speyside whisky is full and round. Clear signs of the sherry casks used to finish the drink in both the color and the flavor.

Penderyn Single Malt Welsh Whisky: This whisky spent five to six years in Bourbon barrels and spent 12 months finish on ex-Madiera casks. There are sweet caramel notes and nice cigar notes.

Mackillop's Choice Caol Ila 1979: A fantastic rare glimpse back at an Islay malt. Nice sea salt influnce, faint but firm peat. Round and mature.

The Glen Rothes 1975: This 86 proof whisky is smooth and fruity. A hint of orange peel, almond and vanilla round out the flavor profile.

Balvenie 21 Year Old Sherry Cask: Nice oak and spice base, good level of tobacco and leather flavor.

Highland Park 30 Year Old: From the Orkney Islands, nice copper color and a range of flavors from cocoa to oak to citrus.

Templeton Rye: This new Iowa whiskey has a bootleg heritage that goes back nearly a century, including as a favorite recipe of the Al Capone gang. The four to five year old whiskey has some raw spicy edges and nice grain qualities. It will be interesting to see this one develop along with the other new American whiskeys arriving on the market.

The Session #14: Beer People

This month’s edition of The Session is being hosted by Stonch and is the 14th edition of Beer Blogging Friday. The topic is a good one: Beer People. He's challenged beer bloggers world wide to write about an interesting person they enjoy meeting for pints.

I have a hard time with this question, not because I don't have an answer – I have too many answers. Calling beer a social lubricant is probably an over-used term, but it is accurate none the less. I’ve met some pretty interesting folks in pubs around the world. I’ve had a beer with a governor, an ex-member of the British Parliament and a former German POW, who told me about the humane treatment he received while held captive in Texas during World War II. I’ve downed pints with college professors, mill workers and priests. I’ve brushed elbows with activists, athletes, actors and authors. There’s the guy whose hobby it is to find wild mushrooms and the creative genius who is always coming up with a great new design.

Then there are the “beer elite,” including the late Michael Jackson, Bert Grant and F.X. Matt II to those still among us like Jim Koch, Garrett Oliver and Carol Stoudt. This list of beer writers is a dangerous one. I’m sure I’ll leave someone out, but I realize how little I know on those rare occasions that I have the chance to enjoy a pint with the likes of Lew Bryson, Daniel Bradford, Stephen Beaumont, Stan Hieronymus, Julie Johnson Bradford, Bill Metzger, Gregg Glaser, Tom Dalldorf, Roger Protz, Jay Brooks, Bob Paolino and others that write about beer on a professional basis.

While these folks are great, my list of favorite people to drink with really is a family affair. My two daughters, Brittany and Brhea (and my son-in-law Mike Wirth now that gluten free beers are available) are now “legal” and I’m proud to say that they know more about beer at their young ages than I did back then. It might have something to do with growing up around the contents of my refrigerator, but they know hops from malt. I’ve done my job.

My wife, Sandy, is a great companion for winery tours and for the occasional Belgian specialty ale, but happily most of what I put into my refrigerator is safe around her. My brother-in-law Darrin Pikarsky and cousin through marriage Barron Boyd are perfect drinking partners because they are willing to try just about any crazy beer I recommend and can talk sports, politics and life with a good sense of humor.

But when it comes to having a beer with someone, the guy I wish I could have just one more pint with is my father, Dick Sears. He passed away back in 2001 at 69 years old. Way too young for a guy who made it clear to me early on in life that beer was a reward, something that you earned by working hard.

He also taught me that local beer was to be appreciated. I still have a tool box that he gave me when I was first married. In the top compartment is a cap off a Matt’s Premium split that he popped while we changed the oil on my car. He liked Matt’s partly because of the commercials featuring the “extra fussy” F.X. and the fact bthat the beer was always fresh. He got a kick out of it years later when I was on the team at Eric Mower and Associates that helped name and launch the Saranac brand for the brewery.

He was pretty much a lager guy, but that was times. He did enjoy occasional IPAs and stouts during his later years. He was not a beer expert, but he knew what he liked. I recall when I was fairly young seeing him send back a beer that he did not think tasted right. He asked the bartender “When was the last time you cleaned the lines?”

Finally, I credit him and my father-in-law, Marty Pikarsky, with launching my drinks journalistic endeavors. When I was a junior at Syracuse University in need of a topic for a magazine writing class I happened to be at my father's house when the two of them started to reminisce about long-closed breweries in our hometown. Haberle's Congress, Moore & Quinn, Bartels, Greenway and others were recalled. They argued a bit about which made the best beer and where exactly the old breweries were located. From that conversation I had the working outline of a story that I turned in for the assignment and later sold to the Syracuse New Times for $25.

Thanks Dad.

Tuesday Tasting: Three Cream Liqueurs

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we try three cream liqueurs.

For a feature coming up in the next issue of DRAFT magazine I tasted a variety of "free spirits" -- drinks that might not be on your list of standard day-in-day out beverages. Everything from commercial moonshine to an aperitif made using artichokes as the base ingredient. While some of the spirits sampled can only be described as "strange," there were a number of unique hits. Three cream liqueurs registered especially please notes.

Café Boheme: This 32 proof French liqueur uses a vodka base. It pours a latte color with plenty of dark rich coffee flavor, vanilla cream and hazelnut. Perfect to pass around the table after a special meal.

Castries Peanut Rum Crème: Direct from St. Lucia, this 32 proof liqueur comes in a fun shaped bottle. Peanut nose and an adult Nutty Buddie flavor. Creamy and smooth. A nice drink or perfect for a parfait.

Amarula Marula Fruit Cream: From South Africa, this tan cream liqueur is 34 proof. There is a hint of milk chocolate and caramel, with bits of nut and citrus in a rewarding flavor profile. Part of the depth of this drink comes from the fact that the spirit is aged for two years in oak barrels before it is mixed with the cream.

Pernod Ricard Acquires Absolut for $8.3 Billion

One of the most sought after spirits labels to go up for auction in recent years has a new owner. Pernod Ricard is the new owner of Absolut vodka after agreeing to buy Vin & Spirit AB from the government of Sweden for $8.34 billion.

Pernod Ricard's offer was better than Fortune Brands and other bidders. However, in addition to the hefty sale price, the victory comes at another price: the company will no longer handle sales and distribution of the Stolichnaya brand outside Russia.

With the acquisition of Absolut, the French company now has the second leading vodka brand in the U.S., plus other V&S brands, including Plymouth Gin, Cruzan rum, and Level, Fris and Luksusowa vodka.

U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer Might Get a Little Thirsty

Alistair Darling is being banned at pubs across the United Kingdom. What has he done to become a pariah at watering holes?

Darling is the U.K.'s Chancellor of the Exchequer -- the Treasury Secretary. He presides over new taxes that will add 8 cents to the cost of a pint of beer, 26 cents for a bottle of wine and $1.10 for a bottle of spirits. The controversial tax is hated by publicans and patrons alike, especially since it is supposed to go up automatically on an annual basis during the next four years.

Andrew Little, manager of the Utopia pub in Edinburgh, decided as a gag to protest the taxes to post pictures of Chancellor Darling in his pub with the message "Barred." The joke has caught on and now bars across the U.K. are banning Darling.

Opposition Conservative leader David Cameron jumped on the grassroots tax protest during the weekly Prime Minister's questions session in Parliament for political gain noting "every pub in Britain" was moving to ban Darling. The government claims the tax hike is designed to fight binge drinking, but those opposed to the move point out taxes on cigarettes and gasoline have also recently been raised.

Snake Vodka Lands Texas Man on the Wrong Side of the Law

Snake wine is a traditional drink found in China and Southeast Asia that is actually made using snakes – usually venomous varieties – as a main ingredient. The base is an overproof spirit that delivers quite a punch -- it has too, after all, since you are drinking snake. It is illegal to import snake wine to the U.S. because some of the snakes popular in the production are endangered species.

That fact did not derail a Texas rancher who says he decided to make snake vodka for medicinal purposes. Bob Popplewell, has raised rattlesnakes and turtles at his ranch south of Mineral Wells. Agents for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission raided the place recently, charging Popplewell with selling alcohol without a license. The ABC agents confiscated 429 bottles of the snake-infused vodka the agents claim Popplewell was selling at $23 a bottle.

Popplewell spent a short time in jail. He says he is meeting the demand of the Asian community who use the products as wellness remedies. He buys vodka and places 10-inch rattlesnakes in each bottle. He says he does not feel he is violating the law. ABC agents feel otherwise and a conviction could result in a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Baptism by Beer? Not Quite

Salisbury Cathedral is one of Europe's most impressive churches and is celebrating its 750th anniversary this year. I can still remember being double awestruck as a college student in England on the day that I visited both the cathedral and Stonehenge within a couple of hours. I recall being able to locate a traditional pub for a pint of bitter that afternoon to consider the determination and engineerings skills of both the ancient pagans and Christians that erected these amazing monuments just a few miles apart centuries ago.

Now comes word from Salisbury that Wadworth Brewery came to the rescue for Easter Sunday to help the church overcome an issue created by an archaeological dig at the cathedral. The cathedral's font, used for Baptisms could not be used during the work, so the Archdeacon of Wiltshire asked the brewery if it might be able to help.

Wadworth loaned the church a copper vessel that was once used to dissolve sugar during the brewing process as a makeshift font for Baptisms on Easter.

The chancellor of the cathedral, Canon Edward Probert is quoted in media reports as saying: "We are extremely grateful to Wadworth for coming to our rescue and at such short notice. I have to say that this is one of the most unusual vessels the cathedral has used as a font."

As the beer festival t-shirts say: "Beer is proof that God loves us." I guess this was a case of beer loving God back.

Hockey Greats Use Wine to Raise Charity Funds

The N.H.L. Alumni Signature Wine Series has been launched honoring eleven former players and raising money for a host of charities.

The National Hockey League Alumni Association endorsed program includes six chardonnay and six cabernet sauvignon wines made at Ironstone Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills area of California. Players featured include Detroit Red Wings Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay; Chicago Blackhawks Bobby Hull and Tony Esposito; Philadelphia Flyers Bobby Clarke and Dave Schultz; Buffalo Sabres Pat LaFontaine and Rob Ray; New York Islander
Clark Gillies and Pat LaFontaine; and New York Rangers Mike Richter and Rod Gilbert.

Every bottle of wine sold results in a donation to the charity of each player’s choice; a donation to the teams’ Alumni Association; and a donation to benefit the N.H.L. Alumni Association’s "Hockey’s Greatest Family Fund."

Diageo Sees 8 to 9 Percent Increase in Scotch Sales

Diageo PLC,the London-based drinks giant, says demand from developing Scotch markets will boost sales by 8 to 9 percent annually.

The company produced 33 million cases of Scotch last year and now Diageo believes that demand from China, India and South America will fuel further growth. Diageo brands include Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin and Oban.

In 2007 the company said it would invest $200 million to build a new distillery in Roseilse on Speyside, in northern Scotland, and expand its Cameronbridge distillery in Fife.

Maryland Senate Votes to Broaden The Definition of Beer

The Maryland Senate has decided by a vote of 36-10 that in the eyes of the law hard cider and malternatives should be defined as beer.

Cider and drinks like Smirnoff Ice are already taxed at the same rate as beer. The change to the law means that grocery and convenience stores would be allowed to sell the products. Both are in the same range of alcohol content as beer.

Before it becomes law the bill must be passed by the Maryland House and signed by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Some opposed to the bill claim that it will encourage underage drinking.

Tuesday Tasting: Finger Lakes Reds

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we travel to the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York to taste six reds.

From the full disclosure desk: I work for Eric Mower and Associates, a marketing communications agency (www.mower.com). We developed a program for the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance called the FLWA Vintners' Roundtable. This virtual tasting is conducted via conference call, linking winemakers and food and beverage journalists. Earlier this month I played host to a FLWA Vintners' Roundtable attended by several drinks journalists, including Sandra Silfven of the Detroit News, Sean Ludford of Beverage Experts, Christopher Davies of Wine Country International, freelancer Thomas Pellechia, and bloggers Rob Lane of the Finger Lakes Weekend Wino and Carlo DeVito of East Coast Wineries.

When the subject of red wines from the Finger Lakes comes up, most people – vintners included – immediately question whether or not the climate can support the longer growing period required to mature grapes on the vine. Marti Macinski, who runs Standing Stone Vineyards with her husband on Seneca Lake recalls the day that a neighboring grape grower, Jim Hazlitt, showed up with cabernet sauvignon grapes he was trying to sell. She turned him away because she was “convinced you couldn’t grow red wines in the Finger Lakes.” Luckily, Tom Macinski did not get that memo and ended up buying the grapes from Hazlitt. It was the start of Standing Stone’s successful Pinnacle blend.

Wineries in the Finger Lakes are extremely young compared to the classic red wine producing regions in France, Italy, Spain and California. Most of the vines producing vinifera reds are less than a generation old. The Upstate New York winters can be tough on the vineyards and the relatively short growing season means that for the most part the Finger Lakes will never be known for producing big red wines that have built the reputations of Sonoma and Napa vineyards. However, this does not mean that the wineries cannot make some very fine reds with plenty of character. These wines are stylistically on target and compare very well in matching food to wine with some of the top reds from around the world.

For this tasting we sampled six reds, four cabernet francs and two Bordeaux-style blends. Cabernet franc is a slightly lighter style cousin of cabernet sauvignon. The French love this grape for blending, but Finger Lakes wineries are finding that it is one of the red grape varieties that thrives in the region and can make a sophisticated wine.

Billsboro 2006 Cabernet Franc ($18): This wine is 83 percent cabernet franc and 17 percent cabernet sauvignon. This Seneca Lake vineyard came under new ownership in 2007 and this wine is from the first harvest under winemaker Vinny Aliperti. The harvest conditions were wet and the wine spent a short period on French and American oak before being declared ready. There is a solid berry note and dry finish to this red. Perfect to accompany a hunk of Tuscan bread and sharp provolone cheese plate.

Fox Run 2005 Reserve Cabernet Franc ($24): Trisha Renshaw, the assistant winemaker at Fox Run, presented this wine, made using a blend of 77 percent cabernet franc, 15 percent merlot and 8 percent cabernet sauvignon. The winemakers had high hopes for the vintage because of the great 2005 growing season, but when they tasted the cabernet franc in the barrels in the Spring the flavors were not quite right. Renshaw said they considered using the wine for blending, but at a later tasting they discovered it had morphed into a complex and deep cabernet franc. There is an oak and smoke note in the flavor profile that one of the tasting panel of journalists said had a bacon-like quality. There is plenty of ripe raspberry fruit in the base of this wine.

Hunt Country 2005 Cabernet Franc ($22): Winemaker Chris Wirth has been in the Finger Lakes for three years after having spent 15 years in Oregon and three years in California. Made with 100 percent cabernet franc grapes grown along Kueka Lake, this wine spent 12 months in oak barrels. It has a big zinfandel nose and firm tannins. There are appealing leather and java notes in the finish of this wine. A solid choice to go along with a pork roast or venison chop.

Sheldrake Point 2005 Cabernet Franc ($17): Winemaker Dave Breeden says this wine was an experiment because it blends 87 percent cabernet franc and 4.5 percent cabernet sauvignon grapes from the Finger Lakes with 8.5 percent cabernet sauvignon grapes from California’s Grass Valley. Sheldrake does not plan to replicate this use of California grapes in the future at its Cayuga Lake winery. The winery used 65 percent older barrels and 35 percent newer (three vintages or less) to age the wine because Breeden wanted the fruit to come through rather than the wood. The result is a dry, rich red with plenty of dark skin fruit notes.

Ravines 2005 Meritage ($25): Morten Hallgren is a native of Denmark who’s family owns a vineyard in southern France. He has spent time at vineyards in Texas and North Carolina before coming to the Finger Lakes. The 45 percent cabernet franc, 32 percent cabernet sauvignon and 23 percent merlot in this wine was sourced from vineyards across the Finger Lakes and aged in 75 percent French oak and 25 percent Pennsylvania oak. Hallgren achieved solid balance with this red. There is nice ripe fruit, good amounts of tannins and a a nice oak character in the wine. Great wine for a rib eye steak.

Standing Stone 2005 Pinnacle ($21): This blend of 89 percent cabernet sauvignon, 8 percent cabernet franc and 3 percent merlot from estate grown grapes was aged on Missouri oak. Usually, Standing Stone uses less cabernet Sauvignon in this blend, but the grape works very well in this wine. There are supple rich berry flavors to this wine, with firm tannins that make this feel very Old World in its structure.

The winemakers in this tasting noted that Bordeaux used to be the yard stick for red wines, but now California is the standard. This has changed the way many wine drinkers look at red wines, pushing them towards believing that the bigger the better. The reality is that great red wines can come in many styles, all flavorful and offering rewarding characteristics.

Can a Six Foot Tall Pint of Guinness Hide on St. Patrick's Day?

There will be plenty of pints of Guinness consumed today, but police have a special interest in locating one of them.

A six foot tall Guinness pint costume has gone missing in Michigan and the Eastpointe Police Department believes there is a good chance it might show up during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. The $3,000 costume is believed to be one of only two in the United States. A Detroit area beer distributor loaned it out for Halloween and when it asked for it back they learned it had been taken from a suburban garage.

This might be a case of you can run, but you can't hide for the crooks. After all, even on St. Patrick's Day someone is going to notice a six foot tall pint.

Mark Your Calendars for Drinks Events

The popularity of drinks festivals is immense. People pack events like the Great American Beer Festival because they are great places to sample a huge range of new brands and reacquaint one's self with old favorites. There are a number of events coming up that are worth attending. Here are just a few:

Whiskey Fest in Chicago, April 4: The folks at Malt Advocate bring together 200 of the world's finest, rarest, and most expensive, single malt and blended Scotch, Irish, Bourbon, Tennessee, Japanese, Welsh, Canadian and other whiskies from around the world for one night. General admission tickets for the event are $110 and you can get early admission VIP entry for just $150. Besides all of the whiskey, you will also find sipping rums, Tequila and beer. During the evening a number of seminars are held with distillery representatives taking guests through sensory experiences while providing history, humor and hard to find samples of great whiskey.

Craft Distilling Conference in Louisville, Ky., April 6-9: This is not a consumer event, but if you have ever wanted to open a craft distillery, then the American Distilling Institute's fifth annual event focused on whiskey is the place to be. The program includes informative distilling seminars, trips to area distilleries, still makers and cooperage, and the chance to interact with some of the top names in the business, including Chris Morris and Dave Scheurich, Brown-Forman; Jess Graber, Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey; Ralph Erenzo, Tuthilltown Spirits; Rick Wasmund, Copper Fox Distiller; Don Poffenroth, Dry Fly Distilling; and Sonja Kassebaum, North Shore Distillery.

SAVOR in Washington, D.C., May 16-17: A total of three sessions (tickets are $85 for each) will give attendees the chance to taste some of the best American craft beers matched with interesting food combinations. The Brewers Association has hand picked 48 breweries to take part and some of the biggest names in American beer will be on hand to talk with attendees, including: Tomme Arthur, Port Brewing; Adam Avery, Avery Brewing: Peter Bouckaert, New Belgium Brewing; Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery; Vinnie Cilurzo, Russian River Brewing; Greg Koch, Stone Brewing; Jim Koch, Boston Beer Co.; Garrett Oliver, Brooklyn Brewery; Hugh Sisson, Clipper City Brewing; Carol Stoudt, Stoudts Brewing; and Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing.

Golden Nose Award in Corning, N.Y., May 30-31: If you ever wanted to know what it is like to judge wine in a competition, this one is for you. This event features Finger Lakes Wines and starts off with a reception on May 30 at the Rockwell Museum of Art and the judging and tasting the next day at the Corning Museum of Art. Award ceremony tickets are $50, but for $200 you can help pick the winners as an official judge. All amateur judges get a morning training session and then take part in sampling and judging hundreds of Finger Lakes wines.

Tennessee Groceries Want Wine Sales

The Tennessee Grocers and Convenience Store Association is launching a public relations and lobbying effort to try to get the state legislature to approve the sale of wine in grocery stores.

Using the slogan “Red, White and Food,” the group says the measure would benefit consumers and help their businesses. The group points out that 33 states currently allow wine to be sold in food stores.

The move to bring wine to grocery stores would not change the law in dry counties in the state. In the past similar measures have died in committee. Grocers say that lobbyists for liquor store interests have been able to beat back the bills.

Long Island Gets Vodka Distillery

Long Island Spirits Inc. of Baiting Hollow, N.Y., is the first licensed distillery on Long Island since the 1800s after receiving federal and New York state permits to begin production.

The company plans to begin distilling LiV vodka, using 9,000 pounds of Long Island potatoes per batch. The company's still is located in a barn on a potato farm on Long Island's North Fork. which is one of the top wine regions on the east coast.

The company hopes to have its first bottles of LiV on store shelves by April. You can get more information at www.lispirits.com.

To Your Health: Non-Drinkers Can Cut Cardiac Disease by Starting to Drink

A study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina has found that non-drinkers who started having one or two drinks a day lowered their risk of cardiac disease.

The research looked at more than 7,600 non-drinkers between 45 and 64 years old over a 10 year period. Those who started enjoying one to two drinks of alcohol daily during the study had a 38 percent lower chance of developing heart problems than those who continued to abstain.

In the study those who drank wine saw the greatest reduction in heart problems.

The Session #13: Wolaver's Brown

Chris O'Brien over at the Beer Activist is the host for this month's Beer Blogging Friday event. His topic for this edition of The Session is Organic Beer.

Prior to moving to North Carolina, I lived in Saratoga County, N.Y., a quick drive from the Vermont border. Vermont is one of those places that just feels a little different than most of the rest of the world. They still value family farms. They hold Town Meeting Day the first Tuesday each March to elect local officials, vote on budgets and generally have their say. In the fall, clubs hold annual Game Dinners, where everything from venison to moose and bear to rabbit is served up to raise money for local charities. Country inns are the place to stay and cheddar cheese is an art form.

I have been a fan of Otter Creek Brewing in the college town of Middlebury, Vt., since it opened in 1991. They have nice line up of brews, including a solid Copper Ale and my favorite, Stovepipe Porter. In the late 1990s they started to brew Wolaver's Certified Organic Ales in partnership with Panorama Brewing Company. In 2002, the Wolaver family purchased Otter Creek Brewing, formally uniting the two brands corporately.

For my beer for The Session #13 I decided on Wolaver's Brown Ale, which I found on tap at The Flying Saucer in Charlotte. The beer was a rich mahogany color and had a very mild, smooth flavor. The malt is firm in this beer, but not too sweet. There is a slight fruit element to the background from the ale yeast. The hops in this brown ale are respectfully mild and true to the style.

Wolaver's Brown is one of those beers you could easily drink over the course of an evening, feeling good about how it makes you feel and how it treats the environment.

Amazon Prepares to Sell Wine in U.S.

Millions have purchased books from Amazon and may soon be getting their vino from the online retailer.

Changes in laws that make it easier to ship wine from one state to another have attracted Amazon's attention. The company is the world's largest online retailer and could have an impact on how consumers shop for wine.

Amazon has been selling non-perishable foods for about two years. In Seattle, the company also operates a service that delivers fresh groceries. Shipping wine is more difficult because of state laws and regulations. The weight of the bottle and liquid also makes it costly to ship. However, Amazon may be able find a niche with consumers trying to buy hard to find labels or regional brands.

Material Girl is Now a Publican

Pop music star Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie have purchased The Punchbowl, a pub in the fashionable Mayfair section of London.

The pair paid $10 million for the 18th Century pub, which is close to where they have a home in the British capital. Media reports say that Madonna likes to hoist pints at the pub and Ritchie regularly meets friends at the location.

It is reasonable to expect the pub will become a tourist favorite as they yearn for celebrity sitings.

Anheuser-Busch Adds Sun Dog Amber Wheat to Brigade of Seasonals

Anheuser-Busch is set to launch Sun Dog Amber Wheat as part of the company's seasonal beer line up.

Sun Dog (5.3 percent alcohol by volume), brewed at the company's Fort Collins, Colo., brewery, is taking the place left vacant by Spring Heat Spiced Wheat, which is now year-round offering known as Shock Top Belgian White.

Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, Winter’s Bourbon Cask Ale and Beach Bum Blonde Ale are the other four A-B seasonals.

Tuesday Tasting: Gosling's Rum

Tuesday Tasting is a regular feature of Lyke2Drink that explores some of the best beers, wines and spirits on the market. This week we head to Bermuda to enjoy some run.

The current issue of DRAFT magazine has just hit the newsstands. The "Leisure Issue" has actor John O'Hurley (Jacopo Peterman for all you Seinfeld fans) on the cover and an article that I wrote about rum on the inside. As part of developing the story I had the chance to speak with Malcolm Gosling, president and chief executive officer of Gosling-Castle Partners, which imports rum from Bermuda.

Gosling says that rum is “enjoyment in a bottle,” noting the versatility of rum, from frozen drinks to aged spirits perfect for nightcap sipping. Rum’s ability to evoke a mood and a place is also a big part of the drink experience. The Dark and Stormy, a mixture of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum and ginger beer, is established as the national drink of Bermuda.

The story of Gosling's rum goes back to 1806, when Englishman James Gosling landed in Bermuda with a boat full of rum instead of the U.S. because his charter expired. He set up a rum shop in St. George’s and today Gosling’s Black Rums are Bermuda number one export. Malcolm Gosling is a seventh generation rum maker.

I had the chance to sample three different varieties of Gosling's:

Gosling’s Black Seal: A rich brown color, this rum has a lingering pleasingly sweet aroma and a smooth flavor with hints of hazelnuts and plenty of wood.

Gosling’s Family Reserve Old Rum: Brown leather color, mellow sweet nose. There is pleasing oak throughout the flavor with a cocoa sweetness around the edges. This blend of rums that are at least 16 years old is a treat for sipping.

Gosling’s Gold: This 80 proof Bermuda rum’s color is true to its name. It has a toffee nose and a slightly earthy and oaky flavor profile behind a vanilla sweetness.

It's Time to Close the Books on the Latest Noble Experiment: Repeal the 21 Year Old Drinking Age

I have three simple questions for the folks at the Marin Institute, Mother's Against Drunk Driving and the other anti-alcohol groups who threaten any politician who dares to question the effectiveness of the 21 year old drinking age:

(1) In the more than two decades since the drinking age switch was forced upon states by the threat of the loss of federal highway matching funds has the new law kept 18-20 year olds from drinking?

(2) Is it a safer environment now that the government has pushed 18-20 year old drinking underground, without controls or supervision, and caused otherwise law abiding young adults to break the law?

(3) Is it fair to say to a small group of adult Americans that there are rights the rest of us can enjoy that they are not entitled to -- at the very same moment that their government sends tens of thousands of 18-20 year olds to Afghanistan and Iraq to fight for their country?

The 21 year old drinking age -- Prohibition for the 18-20 year old crowd -- has been around since 1984. That's 23 years and counting -- 10 more years than the Prohibition the nation had to endure during the 1920s. The results have been much the same. This latest version of the Noble Experiment has failed. It has turned average people into criminals and created an underground society. Then and now, any politician that looks at the facts and decides to speak out faces the wrath of the highly organized drys.

But some elected officials are starting to show they have both the intellectual ability to see the 21 year old drinking age is not working and the guts to stand up to the neo-Prohibitionist lobby.

In Vermont, state Sen. Hinda Miller introduced a bill that would create a task force to look at the implications of lowering the legal drinking age in her state to 21. She is quoted in media reports saying, "Our laws aren't working. They're not preventing underage drinking. What they're doing is putting it outside the public eye. So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can't call because they know it's illegal."

In South Dakota, a bill sits waiting for action that would allow 19-and 20-year-olds to legally buy 3.2 percent beer. Sort of an training wheels approach to the issue.

In Missouri, a grassroots group is using the Internet to gather 100,000 signatures to get a referendum before voters to lower the drinking age to 18.

South Carolina and Wisconsin legislators have made proposals that would permit active duty military personnel younger than 21 to buy alcohol. This falls under the "old enough to die for your country, old enough to have a beer" view of the world. New Hampshire lawmakers voted down a similar bill last year.

There is a group working to try to get Congress and state legislatures to look at the situation and repeal the 18-20 year old Prohibition. Choose Responsibility is a Vermont-based group, headed by John M. McCardell Jr., the former president of Middlebury College. The organization's primary goal is to encourage "dispassionate public discussion about the presence of alcohol in American culture and to consider policies that will effectively empower young adults age 18 to 20 to make mature decisions about the place of alcohol in their own lives."

Choose Responsibility points out the U.S. is among a select group of countries that has a 21 year old drinking age. The others? Mongolia, Indonesia and Palau. It points out that according to the World Health Organization in many European countries where the drinking age is 18 or younger, 15 and 16 year-old teens have more drinking occasions per month, but fewer occasions of dangerous intoxication than their American counterparts. The group notes that one of the strongest arguments for the 21 year old drinking age -- drinking and driving deaths -- have declined since 1984. It also notes that the trend of fewer highway deaths relating to alcohol was already started before 21 became the law. Also during the last two decades other factors such as such as designated driver programs, alcohol awareness education, bar staff service training, greatly increased seatbelt usage, cars equipped with airbags, safer vehicles and highways, and lower permitted blood alcohol content levels have all contributed to cutting down on highway deaths.

A statement on its website says, "Choose Responsibility does not, has not, and will not receive funding from the alcohol beverage industry or organizations affiliated with it." This has to anger the neo-Prohibitionists because they would love to find "dirty money" from drinks companies backing the group so they could attack the effort.

It's time we end Prohibition for 18, 19 and 20 year olds.

Cayuga Wine Trail Marks 25th Anniversary

The Cayuga Wine Trail marked its 25 anniversary this week. Located on the eastern end of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, its the home of the first vineyards that I ever visited and still is one of the most picturesque places in the world to taste wine.

Owners of four Cayuga Lakes vineyards conceived the started the wine trail 1983. It was the first organized wine trail in the United States. There are now 16 wineries on the Cayuga Wine Trail and they average 50,000 visitors each on an annual basis. For most, the sales to wine tourists and the word of mouth marketing created by the trail is their life's blood.

To mark the anniversary wineries on the trail plan a number of events. You can check them out at http://www.cayugawinetrail.com.

Fire Hits Distillery Where Plymouth Gin is Made

The BBC is reporting that a restaurant fire at the historic 15th Century Black Friars Distillery in Plymouth, England, has been contained and did not damage the distillery section of the complex where Plymouth Gin is made.

The Barbican Kitchen Brasserie, owned by U.K. celebrity chefs James and Chris Tanner, was severely damaged, but quick work by fire crews and the heavy construction of the centuries old building halted the spread of the blaze.

Residents living close to the distillery were evacuated when the fire was discovered in the restaurant kitchen as a precaution because of the proximity of the distillery to the flames.

Formerly a monastery for Black Friars, the distillery has been the home of Plymouth Gin since 1793.

Keep Drinking Craft Beer, They'll Make More

The Brewers Association and the beer blogosphere is making a pretty big deal about the 2007 sales results for the craft beer segment. Craft beer sales are up 12 percent, a pretty big jump considering imports and non-craft domestics each reported a sales increase of 1.4 percent.

A few things to keep in mind when you look at these numbers:

-- Most people still prefer to pound back non-craft beers. The total U.S. beer market in 2007 was 211,489,982 barrels. The total domestic craft segment accounted for just 8,011,141 million barrels of that total -- about 3.8 percent of the total volume.

-- Contract brewing barrels were up 27 percent to 1,290,204. Depending on how you look at this number it is either good or bad. In some cases this is driven by small brewers who have out stripped the capacity of their facilities and need the contract space to keep up with demand. In other cases it might be some players either unable to raise the capital for their own brewery or who see a profit opportunity, but do not want to risk heavy investment.

-- The overall number of breweries in the U.S. was up by 12 last year to 1,449. Still 23 brewpubs and 17 microbreweries closed. For the most part these represent failed dreams, some poor management, tough marketing times and the challenges of making great beer. Still 44 brewpubs, 38 microbreweries, one regional brewery and one large brewery opened. More than a few of these are making some pretty darn good beer and will help fuel future growth.

-- Brewpub capacity growth lagged the overall craft category, up just 3 percent to 719,874 barrels. Brewpubs have always been the smallest part of the craft niche, but they are also often the closest to the consumer and the place where most Americans get the chance to see, smell and taste where beer is born. They should be serving the freshest beer in America. Slow growth in this part of the segment might signal a trend to watch.

-- The U.S. beer market is a $97 billion industry. Craft beer contributes $5.7 billion to that total. There is plenty of room for continued growth for the better players. The key will be consumer reaction to rising beer prices and whether shortages of key raw ingredients cause a shift in beer styles that has an impact on the craft segment's growth.

Charity Wines Rolling Out Wines Honoring Baseball Hall of Famers

Charity Wines is rolling out four new labels that recognize baseball heroes and help raise funds for charities.

Ernie Banks 512 Chardonnay, a 2006 California chardonnay, benefits the Ernie Banks Live Above & Beyond Foundation, which works to eliminate prejudice, support programs that enhance neighborhoods and relieve discrimination among various age groups and races.

Eddie Murray 504 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2006 California cabernet sauvignon, raises funds to support the Baltimore Community Foundation, which makes grants to a number of charitable organizations including schools for at risk children.

Mike Schmidt 548 Zinfandel, a California zinfandel, benefits The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which is working to find a cure for cystic fibrosis and to improve the quality of life for those with the disease.

Brooks Robinson Chardonnay, a 2006 California chardonnay, supports the Baltimore Community Foundation, which makes grants to a number of charitable organizations.

You can get more information on these wines and other sports personality labels at http://www.charitywines.com.

Anthony Alba Wins Stella Artois Draught Master Competition

Anthony Alba, who has been tending bar since 1999, has won the Stella Artois U.S. Draught Master Competition held this week at PURE Nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Alba will go to Leuven, Belgium, in October to represent the United States at the Stella Artois World Draught Master Competition.

Alba had to show judges he had mastered the "Belgian Pouring Ritual," a nine-step process that includes “purifying” the glassware; “sacrificing” the first beer poured and “beheading” the beer for the perfect head of foam. The timed competition took place in front of a panel of six judges. The competitors had to pour Stella Artois and Hoegaarden from draught and bottles of Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Leffe Blonde.

Alba beat out Darlene Perales, who finished second, and Genie Gene, who finished third.

Indian Trail, N.C., Voters to Decide on Beer and Wine Sales

People in Indian Trail, N.C., will go to the polls in May with the chance to end Prohibition in the community.

The Indian Trail Town Council voted 4-1 to allow a referendum on whether restaurants and hotels in town will be allowed to sell beer and wine. The proposal was a compromise that stripped away chances for a North Carolina ABC store to be located in the town. That part of the proposed referendum was eliminated, keep spirits from being sold.

Restaurants in the community support the measure. The Town Council has been under pressure from anti-alcohol forces who have been trying to keep voter from having a say on the issue.

Virginia Man Crowned 2008 Beer Drinker of the Year

If you run across Matt Venzke of Yorktown, Va., at some point during the next 12 months you may want to bow, you will certainly wish to shake his hand and I'd suggest you buy him a beer. Venzke is the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, having won Wynkoop Brewing Company’s 12th annual contest.

Venzke earned the honor on Saturday at Wynkoop in Denver. As proof that persistence pays off, this was his fourth time at entering the contest. He was a semifinalist last year. Venzke finished ahead of J. Mark Angelus of Oregon and Richard Pedretti-Allen of Texas.

Venzke is well qualified to carry the title during the next year. He has visited 454 breweries in 16 countries and 39 states. Over the past five years, he has recorded tasting notes on over 3,200 different beers in 69 different styles.

As the 2008 Beerdrinker of the Year, Venzke wins free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing and a $250 beer tab at the Taphouse on Queensway, his home bar in Virginia. It is the second year in a row that the Beer Drinker of the Year has come from Virginia.