It must be bowling season because these two beers went to TTB one day apart, in January of 2009. We liked the graphics on the the Nefarious Ten Pin Porter. It is made by Ska Brewing Company of Durango, Colorado. Ska has a good looking website but it doesn’t explain the brand name here. The Icehouse Beer is made by MillerCoors at breweries around the US.

Not content with simply adding coffee flavor to vodka, Vincent Van Gogh went further, all the way to “Double Caffeine.” Not so long ago, it was not clear that TTB would allow caffeine to be added to alcohol beverages, let alone to double it up and proclaim it on the label. Van Gogh coffee flavored vodka is one of about 18 flavored vodkas made in Holland and imported by Luctor International of Orlando, Florida. The other caffeinated spirit above is Volta. It is Vodka Infused with Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine & Yerba Mate, made by White Rock Distilleries of Lewiston, Maine. Van Gogh Double Espressso is easy to find at retail, but Volta is less easy to find. All the extra caffeine may have gotten this retailer a bit over-excited; IWS describes it this way:

Double Intensity. Experience the finest tradition of Venice with the high art of great taste. … Delivers a wealth of flavor for those who expect more from their coffee – powerful yet sophisticated, with the stronger and richer character demanded by the espresso lover’s highly developed palate. Here is all the smooth brilliance of great caffé, in the only FDA-approved vodka on the market today with the bold touch of double caffeine.

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.