It is pronounced AH-sigh-EE, according to Zola. And it’s probably at a bar near you. It is a small, black-purple berry common to Brazil. Distilled Resources was first off the mark, with VeeV acai­ spirit, in 2006. The back label says “The acai­ berry is thought to be the world’s preeminent superfruit … blended with … prickly pear and the acerola cherry.” The idea was good enough that Anheuser-Busch followed in 2007, with PomaAcai. It is a pomegranate and acai­­ berry flavored vodka, made in collaboration with USDP of Minnesota. Not to be outdone, Absolut came along in 2008 with Absolut Los Angeles. It is acai­­, acerola, pomegranate & blueberry flavored vodka. It is of course made in Sweden, though another place is featured much more prominently on this label. It can be difficult to predict when this will and will not be allowed. We doubt TTB would allow Absolut Napa.

It is no surprise that the anti-alcohol forces of yore regarded alcohol beverages as a poison. Professor Hanson confirms that the Prohibitionists “taught that alcohol was a poison.” More recently, this 2008 lawsuit is replete with allegations that MillerCoors is selling poison. But it’s quite another thing when the purveyors themselves brand their products as Poizin. The above is a Sonoma County Zinfandel from Armida Winery. A second example is Poison Wild Berry Schnapps Liqueur, approved in 2002. These are not to be confused with Christian Dior Poison Eau de Toilette, or this. Contributor Lance M. weighed in as follows:

This Poizin, thankfully, will not kill you (well unless you are irresponsible and consume more than your fair share). Armida’s packaging of their Poizin is designed to draw your eye. The bottle is black with a red skull and crossbones prominently portrayed on the front of the label. The wine contained is a 2004 Zinfandel, though they continue to produce it on a regular basis, and other years are available. The thoughtful play on the words poison and zinfandel instantly draws your attention to it. There is some well written dark imagery of a supernatural winemaking process on the back label, that concludes with “Poizin,...

To round out a week of flowers, here we have an ale made with hibiscus flowers, a wine made with lilac flowers, and an ale made with jasmine flowers. Rosee d’Hibiscus, above, is made in a Montreal, Canada brewpub. It is a wheat beer and its “rose colour comes from the hibiscus flowers added during the brewing process. The aromas and flavour of this tropical flower are very prominent …” The lilac flower wine is made by Maple River Winery in Casselton, ND. The ale brewed with jasmine flowers is made by New Belgium Brewing Company of Fort Collins, CO. It goes by the name Avatar Jasmine IPA.