I hope it won’t be necessary to explain the above, to any substantial extent. If we are doing this right, the above should largely speak for itself. Both of the above are wines, but they have entirely different outlooks. The Ménage à Trois wine, on the left, seems to approve situations involving more than four feet in the same bed. Eight thousand miles away, Three’s A Crowd seems to disapprove of any such situations. It is beyond the scope of this blog to arbitrate this heated issue.
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We’ve come a long way, from clay pots to glass bottles to steel cans to . . . the bag-in-box. The bag-in-box came to wine about 10 years ago and Franzia took it and ran with it (Franzia’s website and labels say it’s “The World’s Most Popular Wine.”). But much more recently, the box has come around to package beer and spirits. Sam Adams Twisted Tea is packed in a 1.3 gallon Cardboard Keg. The box says the beverage will stay fresh for up to 30 days after opening, and that’s pretty good for a beer product. The product is classified as a malt beverage with natural flavors. Turning to spirits, the Sauza Margarita is packed in a 1.75 liter bag-in-box. It is classified as a spirits cocktail, made with tequila and triple sec.
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Brand Extensions; 'Salada Tea
Tea with a bit of ethyl kick seems to be one of the most popular trends of the past year. TTB has approved many brands, and these are two of the biggest. Southern Comfort Sweet Tea Cocktail is classified as a liqueur, at 15% alc./vol. The back label proclaims it — “exciting.” Jack Daniel’s Sweet Tea is classified as a malt beverage with natural flavors. It has 2/3 less alcohol. Google Maps says the products are made 5 miles apart, in Louisville, Kentucky.
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F-Words, F-Bombs and Booze, Part 3
Way back in December of 2008 we ran Part 1 and Part 2. We didn’t really expect to see too many more variations on this theme, or that it could go a whole lot further. But alas we may have underestimated the frat-boy contingent of the alcohol beverage industry. Not that we think it does or should offend any “adult beverage” consumer. Perhaps the liqueur is Chinese and pronounced Fu-Chen. Perhaps the ale is German. It’s quite possible that our mind is in the gutter, and these labels have nothing whatever to do with sex, but we wouldn’t put any money on it. Lest anyone be unduly offended, I have two kids and I am pretty sure it would take something more than this to set them off kilter. The Fokker Ale is made by Azalea Coast Brewing, in Wilmington, North Carolina. The Fuchen Liqueur is herbal liqueur, imported by BPNC of Temperance, Michigan. We appreciate the irony that this liquor company is situated in Temperance of all places, and a lot of other people apparently felt the same way, as the company has recently changed its name to The Temperance Distilling Company.
Continue Reading Leave a CommentYerba Mate
Here is one of only a few TTB-approved beverages made with yerba mate. The wiseGeek says:
Yerba mate is one of the most popular natural sources of caffeine in subtropical South America, especially Argentina and Paraguay. Yerba mate leaves can be used to make an infusion that resembles green tea, although much stronger. Yerba mate has about 50 mg of caffeine per six-ounce cup.
By contrast, a cup of brewed coffee has about 2-3 times more caffeine. MateVeza is an “Organic India Pale Ale Brewed with Yerba Mate.” The label says it is “naturally caffeinated.” It is made by Mendocino Brewing in Ukiah, California.
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