News Briefs for May 9, 2024
May 9, 2024•Pernod Ricard has released Redbreast Missouri Oak, the latest U.S.-exclusive limited release from the single pot still Irish whiskey brand. The release, bottled at 50.5% abv, is finished for 10 months in new oak barrels made from wood sourced from the Ozark forest. The whiskey carries a suggested price of $199 and is rolling out now across the U.S. To celebrate the release, the brand has sponsored a research study of the Cerulean Warbler, a species that lives in the Ozark forest and is also featured on the new whiskey’s label. Last year, Red Breast was at 56,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.
•Minneapolis-based ready-to-serve cocktail brand Bar Diver has released a new bottled Gold Rush cocktail, made in collaboration with Green River Distilling Co. The 19.5% abv is made using single barrel Bourbon from Green River plus lemon and honey. The cocktail is packaged in a 200-ml. bottle and carries a suggested price of $9. The release is available for a limited time in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Gold Rush joins other cocktails like the Negroni, Paper Plane, and Old Fashioned, among others, in the Bar Diver portfolio. Bar Diver is part of Blue Sky Miners, the latest project from Copper & Kings and Crispin Cider founder Joe Heron.
•Islay whisky maker Ardnahoe sits on a hillside along the northeast shores of this famous whisky island off the west coast of Scotland, its distillery and visitor center offering spectacular views across the Sound of Islay to the isle of Jura. Owned by the Glasgow-based independent bottler Hunter Laing, Ardnahoe filled its first cask in 2018 and officially opened for visitors in 2019. In these ensuing years, those visitors have only been able to enjoy tastings of other whiskies in the Hunter Laing portfolio as Ardnahoe’s whisky matured in the warehouses. Now the wait is over, with this week’s unveiling of Ardnahoe Inaugural Release, a limited 5 year old single malt. Whisky Advocate has more.
•Some of Italy’s most amazing wines flowed freely in Verona on April 13 at the 13th edition of OperaWine. The gala tasting spotlighted 131 of Italy’s top names in wine. Created by Wine Spectator in partnership with Vinitaly and Veronafiere, OperaWine has become the unofficial kickoff to Vinitaly, Italy’s largest wine trade fair. Nearly 1,900 people attended the invite-only tasting, held in the spacious Gallerie Mercatali. The crowd included international journalists, sommeliers, wine experts and educators. Wine Spectator has more on the festivities.
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