INEBRIATEDINC.COM

Raspberry Vodka

Austin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:57:00 +0000

Makes: about 2 quarts

4 cups fresh raspberries

4 cups vodka

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 cups simple syrup (recipe below)

Gently wash the raspberries and dry on towels. Once dry, put them in a 64-ounce or larger glass container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the vodka and lemon juice and seal.

Place in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight. Let sit for one week. Swirl for about two seconds. Let sit for another week. Add the simple syrup, stir with a wooden spoon and reseal. Let sit for one more week.

Strain the liqueur through a double layer of cheesecloth into a pitcher or other easy-pouring vessel. Strain again through two new layers of cheesecloth into one large bottle or a number of small bottles or jars. Serve by itself or with Champagne.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Makes: about 5 cups

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups water

Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and keep a low boil for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool completely. Store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Absolut Los Angeles is Green

Austin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:52:45 +0000

Melrose Ave Is Infused with Green Thanks to the World’s Most Iconic Vodka

Green Way LA(TM) and ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, along with city partners, unveiled an innovative “Green Street” project that starts at the famed Melrose Avenue and will transform the 600 block of Vista Street into a model of urban sustainability. Green Way LA accepted a $250,000 catalyst donation from ABSOLUT, making this forward-thinking, city-wide initiative possible.

The partnership between Green Way LA and ABSOLUT was established this summer when ABSOLUT launched its newest, limited-edition, city-inspired flavor ABSOLUT(R) LOS ANGELES and pledged to donate a portion of the profits to a local Los Angeles charity. Celebrating the city’s trend-forward ideals, the bold, new flavor is made with an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity notes of pomegranate. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES is still available at bars, restaurants, nightclubs and retailers nationwide, but only while supplies last.

“Through our ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD’ campaign, we challenge consumers to imagine their own ideal, and Los Angeles is one of the most idealistic places on earth,” said Ian Crystal, ABSOLUT Brand Director. “We are proud of ABSOLUT(R) LOS ANGELES - a symbol of opportunity that extends far beyond the Hollywood glamour - and as part of our commitment to Los Angeles, we decided to donate a portion of the profits to a charity that benefits this vibrant and illustrious American city.”

The Vista Green Street project highlights include significant physical modifications to the street, parkways and driveways so that rainwater and other polluted water is naturally cleaned before flowing into the Ocean and bringing back beneficial nature to urban dwellers through tree and landscape improvements.

“Melrose has long been equated with leading trends and being the engine for Los Angeles’ creative energy,” said Larry Smith, Executive Director of Green Way LA. “Green Way LA, through launching this project here at the corner of Melrose and Vista, believes this is the perfect place to kick off and spotlight the innovation we’re showing today. Green Way LA envisions building new, green infrastructure throughout the City of Los Angeles and this project marks the beginning of that movement. Always on the cutting edge, ABSOLUT VODKA stepped out first with a generous gift of $250,000 to make this possible.”

The Vista Green Street project exemplifies this commitment to innovate all over the city by transforming the urban infrastructure from “gray” to “green” and completing the cycle of restoring nature’s services in the urban environment. The project will re-design a residential street to manage storm and dry weather run off captured in an environmentally sustainable way, rather than allowing the water to just run off untreated to the ocean causing harm to humans and marine life. Instead, the water is cleaned naturally through gravel, soil and vegetative filters; it nurtures habitat instead of harming it. The city street will become a part of a much-needed environmental solution that treats water as a valuable resource that can contribute to life rather than take away from life.

“This project would also not be possible without the partnership of the City of Los Angeles, especially Councilmember Jack Weiss and the Public Works Department. In addition, Green Way LA collaborates with every community in which we work, and we’d like to thank Melrose Action Neighborhood Watch for agreeing to maintain the project. We thank all the project supporters starting with the neighbors on Vista Street, the businesses on Melrose, and the Mid City WEST Neighborhood Council,” concluded Smith.

About Green Way(TM)

Green Way(TM) is an L.A. based non-profit organization dedicated to improving our urban way of life by restoring nature’s services in Los Angeles and other cities. Through the transformation of city neighborhoods, Green Way restores the natural cycle of water as the catalyst for community-based environmental stewardship. It is as an outgrowth of the long standing L.A. based environmental non-profit, North East Trees. More information is available at www.greenway.net.

About Pernod Ricard USA

Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA. In July, 2008, Pernod Ricard completed the acquisition of the iconic ABSOLUT(R) Vodka brand from the V&S Group, and Pernod Ricard USA is now the second-leading company in the U.S. by sales value.

In addition to ABSOLUT(R), Pernod Ricard USA’s leading brands include such prestigious spirits as The Glenlivet(R) Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Chivas Regal(R) Scotch Whisky, Jameson(R) Irish Whiskey, Wild Turkey(R) Bourbon, Seagram’s Extra Dry Gin(R), Beefeater(R) Gin, Plymouth(TM) Gin, Martell(R) Cognac, Malibu(R) flavored Rum, Kahlua(R) Liqueur, Hiram Walker(R) Liqueurs, Pernod(R) and Ricard(R); such superior wines as Jacob’s Creek(R) and Brancott Estate(R); and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier Jouet(R) Champagne, G.H. Mumm(TM) Champagne and Mumm Napa(R) sparkling wines.

The company is based in Purchase, New York, and has roughly 1,000 employees across the country.

Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.acceptresponsibility.org.

SOURCE ABSOLUT VODKA

A funny Joke

Austin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:49:02 +0000

A string walks into a bar.

He asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Sorry we don’t serve strings”. So the string leaves.

The next day, the same string walks back into the bar. He asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Sorry we do not serve strings, please go away.”

The following day the string stands outside the bar debating about whether to go in or not. He ties himself in a knot and frays the bottom of the string.

He goes in and asks for a shot of tequila. The bartender reply’s “Hey aren’t you that string that’s been coming in here all the time.”

They string replys “No I’m a frayed knot”.

Nickas wins title of Iron Chef

Austin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:17:09 +0000

The Civic Center of Anderson was the site recently of Iron Chef Anderson — Absolut competition. The gastronomical battle of three of Anderson’s leading chefs, Bill Nickas of Sullivan’s Metropolitan Grill, Jason Parrish of Jax New Orleans’ Bistro and Matt Campbell of Matty’s Downtown, competed for the title of Iron Chef.

Each chef prepared a unique and delectable dish using the secret ingredient, Absolut Vodka in various flavors.

More than 100 guests tasted, critiqued and scored each chef in the areas of taste, originality, and presentation. Bill Nickas of Sullivan’s won the title of Iron Chef Anderson 2008, with his gustatory creation, seared Lamb Chops marinated in “Absolut Citron,” olive oil, garlic and fresh rosemary, served on a bed of parsnip mashed potatoes and topped with an “Absolut Peppar” proscuitto cream sauce. Jason Parrish of Jax scored high marks in the area of originality and presentation.

Additionally, bartenders from each of the downtown restaurants competed for the “Silver Shaker Award.” Ben Moran of Jax was this year’s winner using Absolut’s New Orleans vodka. Aaron Anandani with Matty’s Downtown scored top marks in the category of taste with the use of Absolut’s Vanilla flavored vodka.

Proceeds from the night’s event benefit the Montessori School of Anderson Expansion Project completing the curriculum through the 12th grade.

Judy Booker was the master of ceremonies. Chris Cole, event coordinator, said the event was a success with everyone having a great time and looking forward to Iron Chef Anderson 2009 Challenge.

NY to CO

Austin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:15:55 +0000

Friday, December 5th in Denver Colorado there will be a charity event raising funds for the Colorado Make-A-Wish Foundation. The foundation provides “wishes” for children with life threatening diseases and this is their 25 year anniversary.

Working with companies like Macy’s, the foundation is working hard to make sure children with severe illnesses are getting a chance to have a wish come true, which can include anything from a puppy to a trip to Disneyland.

The Winter Wonderland event, the ‘Winter White Party’ will also be raising funds for this wonderful cause by way of a club night and fashion show. Hosts of this event include Royal House Entertainment and Hot Snowflake of Denver and nightlife entrepreneur and club owner JE Englebert of New York City.

The celebrity guest dj will be Dj Sky Nellor who hails from Australia by way of New York. Her resume includes dj’ing for the likes of hip hop notables P Diddy, Jay-Z and at soirees for Calvin Klein and Giorgio Armani.

The party is going to be filled with a plethora of things to do and see, such as painted beauties by Certified Customs, Santa Clause and his elves and the fashion show which will be amazing. The generous sponsors are listed on their website, which includes Sky Vodka, who will be sending their Sky Vodka Girls to help pass out free shots and free swag all night long.

Other sponsors include Good Bizness Entertainment and John DiTirro Photography. Doors open at Wish Nightclub (corner of Glenarm and Colfax in Denver, Co) at 9:30pm and the fashion show will start promptly at 10:30 with designs from Incroyables by Melissa May, Trendy Trash LA, Hot Snowflake, Rated Fresh, Denco Customs, 44 Wear, and lments.com For more details you can visit the event website at www.ArriveDenver.com

All door proceeds will go to the foundation. “It is my pleasure to help such a great cause. The whole team has been great. I am looking forward to another unbelievable event this time in Denver” says Englebert

The animated Eflyer can we seen at: http://jenyc.com/denverwinterwhite

Pinky Vodka

Austin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:12:42 +0000

UK. In the year of its launch, Pinky vodka became the second best-selling super premium vodka in World Duty Free stores, with 12% of category share.

Introduced to the travel retail channel in November 2007, Pinky is described as ‘the world’s most beautiful vodka’ and features a striking, fragrances-inspired bottle design.

World Duty Free Head of Category for Liquor Fraser Dunlop said: “With its distinctive packaging, Pinky vodka has become a huge hit with World Duty Free customers since its launch in November 2007. Sales of this unique liquor have increased as it has become a popular choice due to its unusual colour and flavour.”

Pinky President James Roberton commented: “Getting the number two spot in World Duty Free in our launch year is a tremendous achievement and testimony to Pinky’s unique ability to make drinks better. It’s also a great demonstration to our retail partners around the world of the wonderful ability of Pinky’s packaging and design to stand out and jump off the shelf.”

Pinky Vodka is owned by Los Angeles-based Liquidity Inc, part of VJ Mallya’s UB Group. Duty free sales are handled by sister company Whyte & Mackay.

Get the Truth About the 21 Law

Austin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:17:32 +0000

As the nation’s current debate on the 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) continues, it can be easy to mistake opinions for facts. Why21.org offers the straight truth on why the MLDA law is important to you regardless of your age and describes how it saves lives.

You will also find information on how alcohol affects the teen brain, the realities of underage drinking, facts to common myths and a history of the drinking age law. There is also a wealth of information, resources and tips for parents, educators and communities on preventing underage drinking.

Arm yourself with the truth and then decide.

Check out the site!

Opening a Debate Over a Lower Drinking Age

Austin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 01:07:14 +0000

It has only been a few days since they announced their initiative, but already a group of college and university presidents is creating quite a stir over drinking ages — and whether they should be lowered.

The group, which named itself the Amethyst Initiative, released a statement this week calling for a “re-examination” of the current national standard, 21 years. Lest you think this mysterious group with an even more mysterious name — taken from Greek roots meaning “not” (a-) and “intoxicated” (methustos) — was a front organization for some bibulous college fraternity, or perhaps a shell group set up by the Beer Institute, the list of signatories on its Web site indicates that the group is very real.

In an unusual step for an advocacy organization, the group, numbering about 100 strong, says it is not calling for immediate action to lower the drinking age. Rather, the Amethyst people say they simply want to start a debate about the pros and cons of changing the age.

Of course, their statement tips off their leanings on the subject, by listing only what they see as the drawbacks to keeping the drinking age at 21, not any advantages.

Chief among those drawbacks, in the college officials’ eyes, is that the rule has created a “dangerous, clandestine” culture of binge-drinking among students, often taking place off campus. Even if they drink only moderately, the group said, students resort to using fake ID’s to buy alcohol or get into bars, and end up making “ethical compromises that erode respect for the law.” And it makes little sense, they say, that adults under 21 “are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.”

As one might imagine, the initiative quickly attracted the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, various highway safety officials and organizations, and even a lecturer at the Harvard School of Public Health, who said the aim of the proposal was similar to “pouring gasoline to put the fire out.”

A number of college and university presidents who declined to sign up for the initiative have now come out publicly against it, but others have been more receptive.

If the Amethyst group plans to move from spurring debate to spurring action for a lowered drinking age, it may face some hurdles. For one thing, a Gallup Poll last year found that 77 percent of Americans opposed lowering the drinking age to 18. For another, though the drinking age is set independently by each state, a federal law enacted in 1984 effectively forces them to choose 21, by requiring any state with a lower age to forfeit 10 percent of its federal highway funds.

Whether you agree or disagree that the drinking age is the reason, there is ample evidence that binge drinking among college-age adults is a major problem:

— The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 90 percent of all alcohol consumed by people younger than 21 is in the form of binge drinking.

— The number of college students who were killed in alcohol-related accidents rose to more than 1,700 in 2001 from about 1,500 in 1998, and during the same time period, the number of students who engaged in drinking and driving climbed by 500,000, to 2.8 million.

— A recent Associated Press analysis of federal records found that between 1999 and 2005, 157 college-ages people, 18 to 23, drank themselves to death.

By Anahad O’Connor

Source: NYT

Brewers spy cartons and taps behind convenience push

Austin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:35:33 +0000

While beer makers’ use of box and draught tap packaging are hardly new innovations, some manufacturers hope new developments in these technologies may help capture consumer interest in the sector.

Both Netherlands-based brewer Grolsch and German manufacturer Ankerbräu say they that recent modifications in the carbonation and storage of their respective Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled and boxed beer are aimed at meeting convenience and quality needs.

Bottle tap

In an attempt to meet these demands, Grolsch, in cooperation with processing group Sidel, has moved to launch a specially designed two litre PET bottle, which it says can be attached to a tap to dispense draught quality beer.

According to the pack’s developers, the Cheersch system, as the product is known, has been launched onto the Dutch market earlier this year, with potential further launches in new markets to follow.

The system is sold as a specially modified bottle with an additional re-usable tap also required to be purchased once by a consumer.

Using carbon dioxide (CO2) cartridges that come with the bottle, the developers claims that the tap can then decant beer through the same amounts of pressure to pumps in a pub or bar.

While similar systems are already used in take-home products like kegs, developers of the bottle, which is designed by Grolsch and manufactured by Sidel, claim that the use of a PET ensures more practical convenience for manufacturers.

As well as ensuring flexibility in terms of lightweight convenience, the developers claims that connecting the valve and tap unit will be much more difficult with a glass bottle due to the design of the bottle mouth and its finish.

Beer-in-box

While Ankerbräu has been selling its beer-in-box and technological know how to consumers and manufacturers for 18 months, the brewer says that ongoing developments in the packaging are helping to drive its product sales.

Sebastian Haag, told BeverageDaily.com, that the group’s latest innovation is a special bag within its boxes that create an oxygen barrier able to store a product for up to eight months without opening.

The package works by adding CO2 back into beer for carbonation through use of a device called an Anker-Carbonator. Ankerbräu claims the device can ensure the box not only is more easily transportable and recyclable, but can also prevent over carbonation, while retaining appearance and taste of keg beer. Upon gassing, the group says the product can then be kept for up to three weeks, albeit in a cooled environment.

Convenience drives

However, Haag says that the company has not stopped yet in its developments, with further possible modifications of the packaging towards convenience expected.

“Right now we offer the carbonator separately to the beer,” he stated. “But the next step will be an all-in-one solution.”

To produce the package, the brewer says it already works with a specific partner who provides the barrier bags and filling machines for the technology and continues to trial the best available solutions in terms of its cartons.

While Ankerbräu itself currently looks to export its own beers in the packages to export markets, the company added that it did work with other brewers and dealers to adopt its technical knowledge to their own operations.

Consumer attitudes

While aiming to provide improved convenience for beer drinkers, Haag suggests that not all consumers may easily adopt new means of enjoying a drink, particularly in Ankerbräu’s domestic markets.

“We think the quality, the taste and the advantages of beer-In-box will satisfy the consumer,” he stated. “But I also think German and Bavarian beer drinkers are very conservative and sceptical about this innovation.”

Original Source: Neil Merrett

Captain Morgan Original Spiced 100 Proof Rum

Austin — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:52:32 +0000

PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo, the world's leading
premium drinks company, today announced the introduction of Captain Morgan 100
Proof Spiced Rum.

While upholding the uncompromised quality that is synonymous with the
Captain Morgan name, the new blend has a pleasant and robust taste balanced
with delicious spices, and is a great alternative for Captain Morgan Original
Spiced Rum drinkers who are looking for a full-flavored taste.

"Captain Morgan 100 Proof Spiced Rum offers a hint of vanilla and dry
fruits, creating an exceptionally different and smooth taste," noted Nagisa
Manabe, Vice President, Captain Morgan.

Captain Morgan 100 Proof Spiced Rum was specially formulated to taste
great with Cola or straight up, giving consumers another great choice for any
occasion. The new spirit is available nationwide in a range of sizes from
50ML to 1.75L.

When enjoying these new products, and all its products, Diageo reminds its
adult consumers to drink responsibly. As the world's largest spirits, wine
and beer company, Diageo is committed to social responsibility and the
responsible marketing of its brands. For more information, please go to
http://www.drinkIQ.com.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with
an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines,
and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff,
J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu
Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the
world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the
London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people,
brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com. Celebrating life,
every day, everywhere, responsibly.