BROWN-FORMAN UNVEILS “TRIPLE CROWN OF COCKTAILS”

Woodford Reserve® and Early Times featured in signature drinks of Kentucky Derby®, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes

Louisville, KY – Brown-Forman Corporation has unveiled the Triple Crown of cocktails for the 2011 racing season. Woodford Reserve® bourbon and Early Times Kentucky Whisky are both featured as main ingredients of the signature cocktails of all three Triple Crown races.

The Early Times Mint Julep

Official Cocktail of the Kentucky Derby

The mint julep is the Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby and the Early Times Mint Julep has been the Official Drink of the Kentucky Derby for the past 24 years. Over 120,000 Early Times Mint Juleps are served at Churchill Downs® during Derby week.

 2 ounces Early Times Kentucky Whisky

1 Tablespoon Simple Syrup

Mint Sprigs

Crushed Ice

Muddle a few mint leaves in the bottom of your mint julep cup, then fill with crushed ice.  Add one tablespoon of simple syrup and two ounces Early Times Kentucky Whisky.  Stir gently until glass frosts.  Garnish with a fresh mint sprig, sip and enjoy.

The Black-Eyed Susan

Official Cocktail of the Preakness

The Preakness Stakes is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland and marks the second leg of the Triple Crown. The Black-Eyed Susan serves as the Official Drink of the Preakness and Early Times Kentucky Whisky is a key ingredient to this signature cocktail.

1 ¼ ounces Early Times Kentucky Whisky

¾ ounces vodka

3 ounces sweet and sour mix

2 ounces orange juice

Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Woodford Reserve Belmont Jewel

Official Cocktail of the Belmont Stakes

The third and final leg of the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes, held every June at Belmont Park® in Elmont, NY. Woodford Reserve is the Official Bourbon of the Belmont Stakes and is the main ingredient for the Official Cocktail, the Belmont Jewel.

1 ½ oz. Woodford Reserve

2 oz.  Lemonade

1 oz.  Pomegranate juice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge or cherry.

About Brown-Forman

For over 140 years, Brown-Forman Corporation has enriched the experience of life by responsibly building fine quality beverage alcohol brands, including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, Southern Comfort, Finlandia, Canadian Mist, Early Times Kentucky Whisky, Fetzer, Korbel, Gentleman Jack, el Jimador, Tequila Herradura, Sonoma-Cutrer, Chambord and Woodford Reserve. Brown-Forman’s brands are supported by nearly 4,000 employees and sold in approximately 135 countries worldwide. For more information about the company, please visit http://www.brown-forman.com/.

Owensboro Distilling Fixture Re-Named The Glenmore Distillery

OWENSBORO, kENTUCKY (May 20, 2011) – The former Barton Brands Ltd. is now officially The Glenmore Distillery again. Known by locals for years as “Glenmore,” the iconic distillery on East Fourth Street is going back to its roots by reclaiming the Glenmore name.

Purchased by The Sazerac Company in 2009, The Glenmore Distillery employs 173 people working two shifts a day bottling such iconic distilled spirits brands as Mr. Boston, Fleischmann, Firefly Ready-To-Drink Cocktails, 99 Brand, Chi-Chi’s and many more. 

Since the Sazerac purchase two years ago, the company has spent $2 million dollars in capital investments for the facility, including new machinery and storage tanks. In addition, the company has moved over the bottling of several brands from other facilities to take advantage of Glenmore’s modern bottling facility, resulting in the addition of a second shift. The Distillery is responsible for an economic impact of $17.8 million to the Owensboro area.

“We are committed to staying in the city of Owensboro, as evidenced by our investment of additional monies to add new jobs and bring more business to the community,” said Mark Brown, president and CEO of Sazerac Company.  “In fact, we are even discussing a long term plan to add tours of The Glenmore Distillery in the future, which will bring in even more revenue in the community through tourism dollars.  This site, linked with our tour operations at our distilleries in Bardstown (Barton 1792 Distillery) and Frankfort, Ky. (Buffalo Trace Distillery) will make quite an interesting bourbon trek for bourbon fans and historians.”

“We’re excited to be called ‘The Glenmore Distillery’ again, since in our hearts that’s what we always thought of ourselves as,” said Don Kelley, vice president, plant manager for The Glenmore Distillery.  “But we’re even more excited by the investments already made and the future plans for our plant. We plan to remain a vital part of the Owensboro community for many years to come.”
 
About The Glenmore Distillery

The Glenmore Distillery has been a fixture in the Owensboro Community since the late 1800s. Originally called the Monarch Distillery, James Thompson re-named it The Glenmore Distillery after the Glenmore Castle near his birthplace in County Derry, Northern Ireland. During Prohibition, The Glenmore Distillery was fortunate enough to be one of four distilleries in the country allowed to operate on a limited scale for medicinal necessity.

Surviving tragedies such as flood and fire, the distillery went on to fill its two millionth barrel of whiskey in 1946. In 1973 it was producing 540 barrels a day.  Although distilling operations ceased in 1973, bottling and warehousing continued at The Glenmore Distillery.

In March of 2009 the Sazerac Company purchased the distillery and reprised the name The Glenmore Distillery. The Distillery boasts one of the largest and most modern bottling facilities in the country and continues to be a sizable employer in the city of Owensboro, Ky. For more information visit www.sazerac.com.

CHIVAS REGAL AND FILMAID INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH GLOBAL BRAND PARTNERSHIP IN CANNES

FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron, FilmAid President Iliane Ogilvie Thompson, long-time FilmAid supporter Robert De Niro celebrate launch

Chivas Regal, the world’s original luxury Scotch whisky and Official Partner of the Festival de Cannes, today announced a new global brand partnership with the charity FilmAid International.

The official launch celebration of the partnership took place in Chivas House on the Croisette in Cannes and was attended by FilmAid Founder Caroline Baron, FilmAid President Iliane Ogilvie Thompson and long-time supporter of FilmAid and President of the Jury of this year’s Festival de Cannes, Robert De Niro.

The partnership will see Chivas Regal and FilmAid working together to help, educate and inspire communities in need through the power of film. An initial donation of $100,000 (US) was made by Chivas Regal to support FilmAid projects across the world.

FilmAid International is a humanitarian organisation that harnesses the power of film to educate and bring hope to refugees and other communities in need around the globe.  Founded in 1999 during the Balkan crisis, FilmAid works in partnership with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and other global aid organisations to bring film and video programs that inform, inspire and empower to more than 1 million people. 

Chivas Regal has a history of supporting cinema having played a starring role at many of the world’s most celebrated events. Now in its third year as Official Supplier of the Festival de Cannes, Chivas Regal continues to strengthen its position in, and commitment to cinema.

To mark the launch, Chivas Regal commissioned Magnum Photos to create an exhibition of the work of FilmAid, a selection of which is on display in Chivas House.

James Slack, Brand Director, Chivas Regal says, “The work of FilmAid is truly inspirational and we are delighted to support the amazing work they do around the world.

“The partnership aligns well with values that Chivas Regal is passionate about: brotherhood, generosity, integrity and a social awareness for the world in which we live. The partnership with FilmAid provides our customers with a tangible proof-point of these values while reinforcing our commitment to film and cinema whether it be here in Cannes or among some of the most needy communities in the world.”

Liz Manne, Executive Director of FilmAid, says, “We at FilmAid International are delighted by our new partnership with Chivas Regal.  Their dedication to cinema makes them the perfect partner for FilmAid, which brings cinema to those most in need of the inspiration and education that film can provide.  We look forward to developing this partnership with Chivas in the future.”

Glann ar Mor distillery releases “Sant Ivy 2011” cask strength KORNOG

The family run artisan distillery situated on the Northern coast of Brittany announces a new cask strength/single cask bottling of its peated KORNOG Single Malt, “Sant Ivy 2011”, named after the emblematic saint of Brittany. Saint Yves or Sant Ivy represents to Brittany what Saint Patrick represents to Ireland, and is honored every year on May the 19Th since his canonization in 1347.

The first fill Bourbon barrel delivered 249 bottles at the natural strength of 57,8%, being available at the distillery’s Visitor Center (http://bit.ly/dIl4bZ) and online shop (www.tregorwhisky.com), and at a few selected retailers in Brittany.

The first bottling of KORNOG, “Taouarc’h Kentan” also at cask strength, was granted with a Silver Medal at the Malt Maniac Awards 2009, and a Liquid Gold Award with a score of 94.5 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011.

Beside KORNOG, the peated expression of the distillery made from 35 PPM malt, Glann ar Mor also offers a non peated expression bearing the name of the distillery itself.

Contact details
Celtic Whisky Compagnie
2, allee des Embruns
22610 Larmor-Pleubian
France

info@celtic-whisky.com
www.glannarmor.com

Find, Compare, and Decide on The Best Whiskey for You- FindTheBest.com

With hundreds of distilleries across the world making a wide range of whiskies how do you go about finding the best whisky for you? Do you associate price with quality or is age your measure for greatness? No need to worry my fellow whisky enthusiasts FindTheBest.com aims to alleviate your plight with their Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon App. The application allows you to view, compare, and decide on a whiskey that’s best for you based on price, age, region, distiller, Expert Rating, and more. The Expert Rating is a weighted average of the top whiskey testers. Some of our sources include The Beverage Testing Institute, The International Wine and Spirit Competition, and The LA Whisk(e)y Society. FindTheBest eliminates the hassle of finding and cross referencing sources; you’re welcome!

In addition to gathering the relevant data FindTheBest also provide a guide for selection. At the bottom of the Whiskey, Scotch, and Bourbon App is a break down of how age and price relate to excellence. FindTheBest also reveals how their expert rating is formed; complete transparency. FindTheBest.com sole purpose is provide objective data and guidance so you can find your whiskey!

So you’ve found your top five whiskies for under $200 now what? You share with your friends of course! FindTheBest.com allows you to take your comparisons and create a sharable slideshow. Take a look at my “Top Five for Under Two Hundred.”

FindTheBest is an objective, socially curated comparison engine that allows you to find a topic, compare your options and decide what’s the best for you. FindTheBest is your one stop best-finder!

The site was first published back in 2010 but unfortunately, it is no longer a working website. A recently published an article explains what happened to FindTheBest.  It’s n interesting story, here’s the article if you want to take a look: https://www.bestspy.co.uk/what-happened-to-findthebest/

Glen Breton Wins Prestigious Awards
 
Lauchie MacLean, President of Glenora Distillers, producer of Canada’s Most Famous Single Malt Whisky, is pleased to announce that the whiskies of Glenora have been accorded highest awards in a series of recent international competitions:

Glen Breton Rare Aged 10 years won Gold Medal, 95 points, “Exceptional” at The 2011 International Review of Spirits, held in Chicago.

Battle of the Glen, our Special Edition Glen Breton 15-Year Old, commemorating the final victory of Glenora in a nine-year contest to register Glen Breton as our flagship trade mark, won Gold Medal, 93 Points, “Exceptional” at the competition.

In 2011 “World Whiskies Awards” competition, sponsored by the authoritative spirit journal, Whisky Magazine, awarded Battle of the Glen, “Best Rest of the World Single Malt 13 years and Over.”

In 2006, Glen Breton Rare was rated as one of the world’s “Top 50 Spirits” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Glen Breton Ice, the world’s first Single Malt Whisky aged in Ice Wine Barrels” won Silver Medal at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

 “This is a proud day for all of us at Glenora Distillers. We are truly delighted that the unique character of the single malts from our beloved Highlands in Cape Breton have been so honoured in the world’s most prestigious competitive whisky evaluations. The recognition and following we have gained with whisky lovers globally has been hard won, and we believe, justly earned.”  – Bob Scott, Executive Vice President.

Visit Glen Breton and Glenora Distillery at www.glenoradistillery.com

Win the Consumer’s Beverage of Choice

The Spirits International Prestige (SIP) Awards takes a fresh approach to beverage competitions by linking producers to the people who matter the most – the consumers.  The contest organizers invite all producers of alcoholic spirit beverages to submit entries for the annual consumer-judged awards competition.  The SIP Awards were instituted in 2009 to celebrate the diversity and high quality of spirits and to recognize the best of the best in an effort to generate unbiased and impartial acknowledgment. 

The SIP Awards are different from similar competitions because they use consumer judges instead of industry professional judges. “We wanted to find out which spirit brands would come out on top if all of the hype and marketing were taken out of the equation,” says Paul Hashemi, executive producer of the SIP Awards. They remain steadfast in their goal of providing one of the most reliable measures of beverage quality in the world. By working directly with educated and impartial consumers, The SIP Awards has established a completely merit-based awards system that effectively levels the playing field for beverage producers, both seasoned and new.

Spirits entered in the competition will be judged in a blind tasting that is strictly based on the characteristics of aroma, taste, and finish. By winning a bronze, silver, gold, or platinum SIP Award, a brand is empowered and transformed into the consumers’ choice for its spirit category.  In 2010, 162 brands entered in the global competition, with 29 receiving platinum medals. The consumer judging panel stripped away the layers of elaborate marketing, brand recognition, price point disparity, and most importantly, the bias of established judges, to reward the brands that are truly the best in class.

Winners of the SIP Awards will also receive exclusive exposure through internet media, social networking sites, television, and print publicity campaigns.  Brands that win SIP Awards are distinguished as a preferred brand by consumers, which strengthens the brand to rise to new heights in marketing and sales.  Beverage industry media partners offer special promotions extended only to SIP Award medal winners, which further contributes to their public relations activities. 

The SIP Awards is sponsored by the most well-known industry publications, such as:  Bar Business Magazine, Nightclub & Bar Magazine, Chilled Magazine, Food & Beverage Magazine, Modern Distillery Age, Proof66, DrinkedIn, Mutineer Magazine, and DrinkMe Magazine.  As an international competition, the SIP Awards’ reach is far and wide and, as such, a portion of all proceeds are annually donated to the American Red Cross, an organization whose long history of good will is felt worldwide.

The deadline for entering the SIP Awards competition is June 3, 2011. For entry forms and information on the upcoming competition, please visit http://www.sipawards.com or
call 1-888-254-1764

ISLAY FESTIVAL 2011 – DIAGEO ANNOUNCES SPECIAL BOTTLINGS

Two limited edition single-cask bottlings of Lagavulin™ and Caol Ila™ Single Malt Scotch Whiskies will be released for the 2011 Islay Festival, Diageo has announced.

Like previous Festival bottlings, it’s anticipated that they will be much in demand from enthusiasts.  Often selling out within hours of going on sale, they will be available to personal shoppers at the distilleries only.

13-Year Old Lagavulin™

The Lagavulin Festival bottling comes from a Refill Butt filled in February 1998, selected from Warehouse Number 1 by Iain McArthur, long-time warehouseman at the distillery. It has been bottled in an edition of 588 bottles at its natural cask strength of 51% ABV.

Lagavulin Feis Bottling 2011

One of Diageo’s tasters commented on its “approachable fruit tones and late, cleansing anise-like notes, against a backdrop of appetising smoke”.

Bodega-cask Caol Ila™

The Caol Ila single cask bottling – hand selected by Billy Stitchell, long-standing distillery manager, whose family connections with Caol Ila distillery go back many generations – has been drawn from a bodega cask filled in February 2000. It enjoys a high natural cask strength of 64.3% ABV, in an edition of 600 bottles.

Caol Ila Feis Bottling 2011

“A lean and precise whisky at cask strength … altogether longer and more structured with water. Complex and provocative throughout …” were some of our taster’s comments.

Sale conditions

The Lagavulin single-cask bottling will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis at the distillery, starting on the distillery’s open day, Saturday 21 May. The Caol Ila bottling will be sold with effect from Monday 23 May which is the Caol Ila open day.

Both bottlings are priced at £79.95 UK RRP per bottle.

Nick Morgan, Diageo’s Scotch Knowledge and Heritage Director, said: “Whisky lovers travel from all over the world to visit the Islay Festival.

“These two carefully chosen single cask bottlings are both outstanding examples of Islay whiskies, conveying something of the island’s magic for those lucky enough enjoy them on their return home.”

During the Festival, a series of special events (now all fully booked) will be held at both Lagavulin and Caol Ila distilleries, including tastings with the distillery manager and warehouse demonstrations. There will be also be tours of the Port Ellen Maltings.

Access to Caol Ila Distillery

Diageo has announced that, as in previous years, due to limited space there is no parking at Caol Ila distillery, except for cars with a registered disabled badge. A regular complimentary shuttle bus service will operate from Ballygrant Hall at Keills.

Notes

Festival website: http://www.theislayfestival.co.uk/ . See also www.malts.com and www.discovering-distilleries.com .

The Organic Wins Superior Taste Award

The Organic from Bruichladdich Distillery, has been awarded “exceptional” status by Michelin and Gault Millau rated tasters.

The Organic was the only spirit in the Superior Taste Awards 2011 to be given the maximum 3 star Exceptional rating.

The Superior Taste Awards is judged by a panel of 120 professionals from the European food and drink industry.

Organised by the International Taste and Quality Institute, judges are chosen for their tasting talents as chefs and sommeliers recognised by Michelin and Gault Millau.

No other spirit has been rated as high over the last four years.

Exceptional products with 90% and more of total marks
 
Remarkable products with marks between 80% and 90%
 
Notable tasting products with marks between 70% and 80%

iTQi is the organisation that gathers the largest number of international professional tasters.

iTQi holds physical-chemical tests with accredited laboratories in order to check that the products are technically sound and will be of the same high quality when they reach the consumer.

Heart of Kentucky Bourbon & BBQ Musicfest delivers the sights, sounds and flavors of central Kentucky

LEBANON, Ky. The Heart of Kentucky Bourbon & BBQ Musicfest celebrates the great entertainment heritage of Lebanon, Ky., its unique bourbon and cooperage industries and great food and culinary skills.

It all begins with a concert blowout Fri., May 20, featuring the Jimmy Church Band and bourbon tastings (must be 21) followed by a day of sights, sounds and savory barbecue.

There are arts and crafts booths, live entertainment, cars, trucks and motorcycles and a barbecue competition with a People’s Choice Award and numerous prizes.

Sample Lebanon’s very own Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46 along with nearby Jim Beam products. Come in early Friday and tour Kentucky Cooperage, a bourbon barrel-making factory right on Main Street, and enjoy Lebanon’s eclectic dining choices.

This is a celebration of food, fun and America’s Native Spirit. The Heart of Kentucky Bourbon & BBQ Musicfest is a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event.

Fans can make it an extra special weekend with a Heart of Kentucky Bourbon & Barrels Getaway. Book online or register free to win a Getaway at VisitLebanonKy.com.

For more information, go to VisitLebanonKy.com, call 270.692.0021 or e-mail VisitLebanonKy@windstream.net.

The mission of the Lebanon Tourist & Convention Commission is to develop, increase and promote tourism in Lebanon and surrounding areas by featuring its history, culture, products and recreation/convention facilities.  Our goal is to become a choice destination for group travel, conventions and individual leisure/recreation travel. Through these efforts, the commission seeks to increase visitor spending, local revenue and job development, thereby enhancing the area’s quality of life.