The Southern Comfort Beach Guy Has A New Job…Weatherman

Southern Comfort and Wieden+Kennedy New York are pleased to introduce a new way to get your weather  – www.comfortableweatherguy.com.

The site, the latest in the “Whatever’s Comfortable” campaign, which launched with this spot in August of 2012, features our speedo wearing, Southern Comfort drinking man, doing his thing in the rain, the snow, the wind and of course, the sun. The site is accessible via mobile and tablet, and is a unified experience across all platforms.  The site will pick up your location, so if it is snowing in your city, it is snowing on our guy. He’s comfortable in any environment. There are over 80 different scenarios in all. Here are some examples of the various settings you’ll find him in:

http://youtu.be/cEe9B8M4d3M – Hail

http://youtu.be/BZvBU3xJNYo – Hot temperatures

http://youtu.be/MWZEXNOAXR8 – Windy

http://youtu.be/U57B2V2WiHo  – Lightning

The “Whatever’s Comfortable” campaign, much like the Southern Comfort brand, was created to celebrate and inspire the awesome attitude of people who are completely comfortable with themselves. www.comfortableweatherguy.com is another way to celebrate this attitude.

Announcing the
2013 Drammie Awards
Call for Nominations

It’s with great excitement that ForWhiskeyLovers announces the Call For Nominations for the 2013 Drammie Awards.

The mission of the Drammie Awards is to put the power of “recognition” in the hands of the whiskey consumer.

The 2013 competition commences with a nominating process where WhiskeyLovers can submit their own nomination(s) for any number of 15 total award categories.

The fifteen nominating categories are:

1. Best Whisk(e)y Marketing Campaign of 2012
2. Worst Whisk(e)y Marketing Campaign of 2012
3. Best Whisk(e)y Packaging of a whisky released, or packaging redesigned, in 2012
4. Best New Whisk(e)y Related Product
5. Best Whisk(e)y Information Source
6. Best Whisk(e)y Bar
7. Best Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour
8. Best Whisk(e)y Distillery
9. Most Exciting \ Innovative Whisk(e)y Producer \ Bottler
10. Most Innovative New Whisk(e)y” released in 2012
11. Best Whisk(e)y Value \ Bang for the Buck
12. Most Underrated Whisk(e)y
13. Best Blended Whisk(e)y of 2012
14. Best New Whisk(e)y of 2012
15. Best Whisk(e)y of 2012

Nominations will be accepted for three weeks, or until midnight on Friday, February 15th 2013.

Enter your nominations for the 2013 Drammies here.

After nominations are closed, ForWhiskeyLovers will post the top five (5) nominations (those receiving the most nominating votes) for each category on ForWhiskeyLovers.com, and voting will commence to select the category winners. Voting on finalists will be conducted for another four weeks, from Monday February 17th until midnight on Friday March 15th 2013.
The 2013 Drammie Award Winners will be announced on Monday April 1st 2013

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

Greetings!

I have some very exciting news to share with you this week.

First, it’s with great excitement that ForWhiskeyLovers announces the Call For Nominations for the 2013 Drammie Awards.

The mission of the Drammie Awards is to put the power of “recognition” in the hands of the whiskey consumer.

Nominations are being accepted for the next four weeks, until midnight on Friday, February 15th 2013. This is your opportunity to tell the Whisk(e)y industry what you think….I encourage you to enter your nominations for the 2013 Drammies here.

Next, with the resurgence of Scotch Whisky over the last few years, there has been a lot of building of new whisky distilleries in Scotland. To keep up with the activity, have a read of New Scotch Distilleries,the new article by FWL Contributing Editor Gavin Smith. It will bring you up to date on new distilleries in Scotland, and what new whiskies to look for in the months and years to come.

And speaking of new…this week’s featured whiskey is a relaunch of an old expression, from the folks at Michter’s.

The rich history surrounding Michter’s harkens back to America’s first distilling company established in the 1700’s by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer. With his farm producing an abundance of rye, in 1753 Shenk decided to build a small distillery to convert his excess rye to whiskey. In time, this little distillery would come to produce what would someday be known as the famous Michter’s whiskey.

You can read the entire fascinating Michter’s history here.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s, whiskey lovers made Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey the distillery’s most popular type. In 1989 Michter’s Original Sour Mash disappeared from the marketplace – until now.

December 2012 marked the first release of Michter’s Original Sour Mash Whiskey in 23 years. It is made according to the traditional sour mash whiskey-making process whereby some previously fermented mash is used as the starter for the new mash to be fermented.

More than just a sour mash process whiskey, Michter’s Original Sour Mash is made from a special selection of grains, charred-barrel aged and, later on filtered according to the exacting Michter’s standards.

If you’re a Michter’s fan, then you know how tasty their whiskeys are, and how incredibly difficult they are to find. But thanks to our man Nicky The Neck, who knows a thing about all things “mashed”, we’re able to offer you the opportunity to acquire a bottle of Michter’s Sour Mash Whiskey for $44.95/ bottle.

But if you want some, act fast. While we have more than our fair share, once it’s gone…

Until next week…I wish you high spirits!

Doug Stone
Founder
ForWhiskeyLovers.com

MICHTER’S SOUR MASH WHISKEY

Glengoyne Auld Enemy Dinner

Glengoyne has joined forces with Help for Heroes for a glittering fundraising dinner at The Dorchester Hotel in London on Friday 1 February 2013, the eve of the Calcutta Cup, the world’s oldest international rugby fixture.

A host of internationalists from the current rugby era and past stars will be in attendance including Gary Armstrong, Matt Dawson and Martin Johnson, as well as Olympian canoeist David Florence and Scottish sports presenter Jill Douglas.

Lt General Gordon Messenger is the Guest of Honour on the night, having served as British Commander in Helmand Province from 2008 to 2009 and as a colonel during the Iraq War. He will be supported by Lt Colonel (Retd) Jason Calder.
The event will raise money through Help for Heroes via a live and silent auction, hosted by the UK’s top auctioneer Jonny Gould. The charities supported on the night are: HQ Hereford Garrison Clocktower Fund, a charity that supports servicemen and servicewoman through the provision of social, sporting and other facilities; and Jumping Jack, a charity set up in an attempt to save the life of a child with the genetic disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Sir Bradley Wiggins is a supporter of Jumping Jack and has donated a yellow Jersey for the auction. Other prizes will include the full range of stunning Glengoyne malts.

Sky TV will also be present on the night, conducting interviews to feature on The Rugby Club show the following week.

Table sales have already been fantastic so there is limited ticket availability left. To attend the black tie, four-course dinner and live auction costs £2500 + Vat for a table of 12. Guests will enjoy Glengoyne at the pre-drinks reception and will also have the opportunity to order Glengoyne directly on the night. Tickets can be secured by contacting Stuart Reid on info1879@btinternet.com or 07710 186563.

Join us in Edmonton on Tuesday, Jan. 22nd at The Bothy Wine & Whisky Bar for a tasting of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s exquisite single cask single malts. Curious about us? Now’s your chance to find out what The Society is all about.  We will be joined by special guest Georgie Bell, Society Ambassador from Scotland. Sign up at www.smws.ca

What’s Hot Snippet: Speciality whisky store launches in Hyde Park

The journey of Marc Pendlebury into the world of whisky has been filled with passion and dedication. Having already established his name within the whisky community through his prominent blog, WhiskyBrother.com, this well respected whisky enthusiast is proud to open the doors to the first speciality whisky store in Johannesburg.

The official WhiskyBrother store opened its doors in mid-December and his located at one of Johannesburg’s premier shopping centres, Hyde Park Corner.

“We have many exciting plans to expand the concept, from exclusive tastings, to whisky clubs. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share my passion and knowledge with everyday people that are eager to learn about whisky as well as fellow whisky enthusiasts all over SA” says owner, manager and storekeeper, Marc Pendlebury.

The store plays host to whisky from around the world, and related paraphernalia such as glassware, books and magazines. Set to hold the largest retail selection of whisky in the country, it is positioned to become a focal point in the South African whisky community; A place to taste and explore all things whisky, no matter the knowledge or experience of the drinker.

Notes:

WhiskyBrother, Hyde Park Corner, Shop number 16 D

Blog http://whiskybrother.com
Twitter @WhiskyBroShop

Top Picks

• 1996 Arran 15 Year Old Single Sherry Cask Single Malt Whisky 750ml ($119.99)
This whisky is outstanding. The sherry flavor is intense, but not in a candied way. It’s earthy, thick with rancio aromas; the cakebread and raisined fruit flavors are supple but dry, and the spice really takes off on the finish. If I were teaching a class about sherry-aged whisky, this would be my prime example of what’s possible. At 51.1 percent, the extra proof really helps drive the flavor through all that wood. Arran is dialed in at the moment. This really makes we want to revisit the Devil’s Punchbowl special edition they released earlier this year. (David Driscoll, K&L Spirits Buyer)

New Arrivals

United States – Bourbon and Rye

• Four Roses K&L Exclusive OBSF Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml ($59.99)
• Four Roses K&L Exclusive OBSK Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml ($59.99)
• Four Roses K&L Exclusive OESF Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon 750ml ($59.99)

Back in Stock

Ireland – Irish 

• Bushmills 16 Year Irish Whiskey 750ml – 11 available ($64.99)
• Connemara 12 year old Irish Peated Single Malt Whiskey – 6 available ($69.99)
• Redbreast 15 year old Pure Pot Still Irish Whiskey 750ml – 12 available ($64.99)

Japan – Single Malt Scotch

• Suntory Hakushu 12 Year Old Japanese Peated Single Malt Whisky 750ml (Elsewhere $70) – 2 available ($54.99)
• Suntory Yamazaki 12 year old Japanese Single Malt Whiskey 750ml ($36.50)

K&L Wine Merchants
http://www.klwines.com
Phone: 877-KLWines (toll free 877-559-4637)
Email: wine@klwines.com
San Francisco, Redwood City, Hollywood CA

WoW 2013 Expo tickets

If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, we wholeheartedly recommend not waiting any longer! The VIP and Dram Club tickets sold out even earlier this year. We haven’t started our main advertising campaigns, yet we have a constant stream of ticket sales from first time attendees that heard about us from a friend. We expect the General Admission to be gone soon too. To our friends who already bought tickets, we will publish our pour list shortly, a work in progress, so you can start planning your sampling routes and whisky destinations.

Buy tickets

Expo Update Now for an update on some of the amazing spirits and features you will find at the 14th annual WOW Expo in San Francisco, Saturday night April 6, 2012 on board the docked San Francisco Belle. The Expo features three ballroom sized decks full of whiskies, music and food as well as an open air top deck looking over the Bay. And as they say “anticipation makes half the pleasure”, allow your taste buds anticipate hedonistic pleasures as you familiarize yourselves with the brief, yet so tantalizing, sample list.

By unspoken tradition, we always start whisky matters with the proud kingdom of all things whisky, Scotland. But not this time: presenting King Car Kavalan whisky from Taiwan, an island that is about as far from the Scottish Highlands as one can get. The whisky released a few years ago from the only distillery in Taiwan went quite far not only in location but also in recognition:  it received the New World Whisky of the Year from Jim Murray, a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, and a win in an experimental Scotch blind whisky tasting. It will finally make its way to the WoW Expo, and now we’ll have a chance to taste what all the excitement is about. While we’re ready to appreciate the taste and the creativity behind this fine non British-labeled single malt, we’ll mention here its unique characteristic: this three-year old whisky doesn’t feel young at all due to the faster aging process occurring in Taiwan’s warm and humid climate. Very warm and humid compared to Scotland. Sample yourself to see how old the tropical whisky “tastes like” to you, and, as always, cheers to another whisky-achieved locale.

Returning to effluents of the “water of life”: Scotch segment of the Expo will really keep us busy this year, with more unique expressions of highly individualistic single malts bottled by Douglas Laing; Bowmore, Glenrothes and Auchentoshan homestead, specialty releases of Kilchoman and Isle of Arran, exclusives from soul mate Glenlivet and revived and strong Glenglassaugh.

Let’s stop for a moment and talk about evolution. No, not the sociological one, the Glenglassaaugh Evolution, a new release from recently reopened Speyside distillery that turned out amazing and …quite evolutionary. Our sampling of the whisky exceeded all expectations (and we heard aren’t unique in this opinion) as of very defined, refined and other outstandingly characterized whisky in its youthful finesse. The strictly limited bottling has been matured in ex-bourbon casks and has a totally different set of characteristics from Revival- the last new release from this iconic distillery. It makes us feel really special to be able to sample such a bottling at the Expo.

Glengoyne Burns Supper at 21212

For those looking to treat themselves on Burns’ Night rather than make their own, Edinburgh-based, Michelin-starred 21212 is hosting a Glengoyne Burns Supper.

Chef Paul Kitching and his team have devised a special menu for the occasion, which takes place on Thursday 17th January, featuring both the Glengoyne 10yo and 18yo to complement everything from Macsween haggis and chestnut soup to fillet of tender middle cut beef and glazed lemon tart. To celebrate Burns’ Night with Glengoyne and make a reservation, please call the restaurant on 0845 222 1212.