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Tag: Liquor

  • Powdered Alcohol Approved, Will Hit Stores Later This Year

    It won’t be long before your next trip to the liquor store involves deciding whether to buy liquid or powdered alcohol. Yes, powdered alcohol. There is such a thing.

    The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved several flavors of Palcohol this week, which is a powdered version of alcohol that you can add to a mixer or water to start working on that much-needed buzz. Palcohol is expected to be available to purchase sometime in the fall.

    Palcohol was created by Mark Phillips. According to the Palcohol website, it took Phillips years of working with scientists to create his powdered alcohol. There will be vodka and rum Palcohol that you can add to a mixer, plus four flavors that only require water to get the party started: Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita (margarita), and Lemon Drop.

    Post by Palcohol.

    Palcohol will come in small packets that are equivalent to one shot of alcohol each. If you’re wondering why, exactly, there is a need for powdered alcohol, the answer is simple: convenience. From the website:

    Why? Sometimes liquid isn’t convenient. Because Palcohol is powder and very light, you can take it just about anywhere to enjoy a cocktail! That’s why we say: “Take your Pal wherever you go.”

    According to Telegraph, the Palcohol website also promoted using the powder when going out to avoid paying for expensive cocktails (this information was removed after news of Palcohol being approved made headlines):

    What’s worse than going to a concert, sporting event, etc. and having to pay $10, $15, $20 for a mixed drink with tax and tip. Are you kidding me?! Take Palcohol into the venue and enjoy a mixed drink for a fraction of the cost.

    While the Palcohol website suggests mixing the substance with water and mixers and says that it is okay to mix it with food, it does advise against snorting the substance. “Don’t do it!” the website warns. “It is not a responsible or smart way to use the product.” Despite the convenience of Palcohol, it’s easy to see why there is cause for concern regarding the potential dangers of the product. If young people will use alcohol tampons to get drunk faster, there’s no doubt that Palcohol will be used in the wrong way.

    The news that there is such a thing as powdered alcohol and that it will be available in the United States soon was met with skepticism, horror, and sheer delight:

    Take a look at a powdered vodka created in Russia below to get an idea of what to expect when Palcohol is released:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Utah Liquor Rules: Conservative Laws May Be Scaled Back

    Utah is considering a major change in its liquor laws. Under the current liquor rules, restaurants are required to have what are referred to as “Zion curtains,” which are barriers that keep patrons from seeing drinks made. Restaurants are also required to only serve alcoholic drinks to patrons that are ordering food. Utah residents could see these conservative laws go away if certain lawmakers get their way.

    This isn’t the first time lawmakers have worked to change Utah liquor rules. Zion curtains, which are 7-foot-2-inch barriers that keep children and other patrons from seeing alcoholic drinks being prepared, were done away with by the Utah governor in 2009. Legislators brought them back in 2010. Four years later, lawmakers are considering not only doing away with Zion curtains, but changing another conservative law as well.

    State representative Kraig Powell says that the current Utah liquor rules, particularly the rule where patrons are required to purchase food to order an alcoholic drink, are confusing for patrons and wait staff. “The servers don’t know how really to ask that properly sometimes without offending people,” said Powell. “It’s something they’re not used to in other places.”

    Utah House speaker Becky Lockhart says that there is no data to support that the Zion Curtain law is worthwhile. “Then let’s do those things that get us toward those goals, and let’s let go of those things that don’t, and that we don’t have any data to support. I believe that the Zion Curtain is one of those,” she said. “All I really want to talk about and learn about and come to terms with is this weird thing that we have that somewhere off in the distance in a restaurant there might be someone who is mixing a drink for a customer.”

    As strict as the rules seem, opponents of scaling back the Utah liquor rules have a good reason for wanting to keep things the same. They say that the current rules contribute to Utah having the lowest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities in the country and don’t understand why people want to change a good thing. “My attitude about alcohol in Utah is, I wouldn’t mess with success,” said David Jernigan, director of the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth. As far as public health is concerned, Jernigan says that Utah is the “envy of the nation.”

    While some people think Utah’s liquor rules make the state look backwards, Latter Day Saints church member D. Todd Christofferson doesn’t care. “People look at Utah and say, ‘That’s weird, that’s a crazy system they have there.’ They’re really not recognizing that it’s different everywhere,” said Christofferson. “So what if we’re fodder for a few jokes and ridicule on late-night TV? For me that’s a very small price to pay for one less family that lost their wife and mother in a drunk driving accident or one less teenager who has become addicted to alcohol and all the poor decisions and problems that come from that.”

    Check out Chrstofferson’s statement on the liquor laws in Utah below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Madonna Posts Picture Of Son Holding Liquor Bottle

    Madonna is no stranger to controversy, so when she received a ton of backlash for posting a photo of her 13-year-old son Rocco Ritchie holding a liquor bottle on Instagram, she was prepared to defend herself.

    The photo shows Rocco with two of his friends, both underage, on New Years Eve holding liquor bottles with a caption that reads: “The party has just begun! Bring it! 2014.” When fans saw the picture, they were outraged and Madonna immediately began receiving criticism for allegedly letting her underage son drink.

    “Booze is not something to make jokes about. Period!” one user wrote. “You gotta know what kind of signals it sends not only to her son, but also to kids around the world,” another fan warned.

    When Madonna read the comments that were made on her photo she decided to post another picture of the boys and captioned it by saying: “No one was drinking we were just having fun! Calm down and get a sense of humor! Don’t start the year off with judgement!”

    Rocco didn’t help matters any. He posted another controversial photo, on his personal Instagram account, of him holding a glass of, what appears to be, champagne.

    What do you think about the photo? Leave your comments below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Bethenny Frankel Talks About Expanding Skinnygirl

    Bethenny Frankel, the Housewife turned talk show host turned Halloween candy creation (see bottom of article), has been busy lately. Embroiled in a catfight and whatnot, Frankel has also been involved in expanding her business empire, and recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly about her ventures that include creating her own brand of liquor.

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    “I went to all the big companies and none of them wanted to do it. They didn’t think it was a good idea; they didn’t think it would work. I found a partner to do it and we made it happen ourselves. It’s not an easy task, launching a liquor brand,” Frankel told EW.

    Though some skeptics (such as Omarosa Manigault) think Frankel coaxes through life, the talk show host spoke about the hardships she experienced in seeing the creation of her new product from the initial phase to completion.

    “It is a very hard thing to do. I worked very hard, and I’m passionate about it. I think it was a great idea. It was the first low-calorie ready-to-drink cocktail ever and it changed the liquor industry. There’s no one in the liquor business who doesn’t know that story, and so it’s great, it’s inspirational to other people, women who have business ideas. So I’m very proud,” Frankel said.

    Frankel does not want to stop at just Skinnygirl Sparklers, but aims to continue expanding her business market. She spoke about the direction that she wants her business to take.

    “So Sparklers will come and then it will be my nutritional bars, which are out nationwide, but there’s going to be a big launch for Skinnygirl Daily, the on-the-go nutrition bars, and salty snacks and dips and hummus and then soups,” Frankel said.

    [Images Via Facebook]

  • NJ Restaurants Fined $500,000 For Liquor Violation

    As reported here on WPN, a sting called “Operation Swill” recently raided 29 bars and restaurants, 13 of which were T.G.I. Fridays, on accusations that they were selling customers cut-rate alcohol and claiming it was top-shelf product. Today massive fines came down from state authorities to the operators of those restaurants.

    The Briad Group, who owns the restaurants, has been fined $500,000 for violating the right of the consumer to receive what they pay for. The fine consists of $400,000 for the violations that were found and an additional $100,000 for investigative costs.

    While the group has been apologetic and even instituted new training policies, they are still under investigation for the incidents. The most damning pieces of evidence against them are claims by two women that it was company policy to replace top-shelf liquor with cheaper alternatives. If that was the case, then the company would have been in violation of New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act. If found guilty Briad would face more huge fines and would be ordered to reimburse customers.

    It is not reassuring that the group’s settlement with the state including a clause that they are not allowed to contest the charges that they sold customers sub-par product. They also agreed to have state monitors present in those restaurants to ensure they were selling the proper liquor.

    If they avoid further violations they will not suffer any suspensions of their liquor licenses, but if the violations are found to have been part of company policy then bigger problems will be on the horizon.

  • TGI Friday’s Busted for Selling Fraudulent Cocktails

    A string of New Jersey TGI Friday’s restaurants have been busted for selling cheap liquor in place of premium brands. The Briad Group, which owns dozens of TGI Friday’s locations nationwide, has agreed not to contest the allegations and to pay a $500,000 fine after eight of its branches were found to have filled empty bottles of top shelf booze with bottom shelf adjuncts.

    Briad says it is “pleased” that a deal with New Jersey state authorities has been reached and claims to have taken measures to prevent the practice from happening again.

    After numerous customer complaints, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control studied samples of drinks ordered in the restaurants and found that the casual dining chain was casually misrepresenting the contents of its premium cocktails. Authorities also relied on the testimony of confidential informants—presumably bartenders and servers tired of losing tips from disgruntled patrons.

    The crackdown, dubbed “Operation Swill,” saw raids in 13 Briad Group franchises and the seizure of 250 bottles of booze. “Briad’s restaurants were scamming customers by serving them a cheap substitute for what they ordered,” New Jersey’s Acting Attorney General John Hoffman said in a statement.

    “This unlawful practice took advantage of consumers who were cheated out of what they thought they were purchasing.

    “This fine should send a clear message to every bar and restaurant throughout New Jersey that customers should get what they pay for every time without exception.”

    Let’s all raise a glass of Kentucky Gentleman to the crack team at the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (and pretend it’s a glass of Woodford Reserve Double Oaked).

  • Moonshine In Stores: Liquor Makers Cashing In On Notoriety

    Moonshining is very much a part of the local culture in Southern and Appalachian communities. If you spend any time down in those areas, you’re likely to run into one or two people who will sell you some of the local specialty. Now stores are starting to sell the stuff, but it’s not exactly the real deal.

    The AP reports that the popularity of Discovery’s “Moonshiners” have pushed small and large liquor makers alike into producing legal “moonshine” for stores. The newest brand is Climax Moonshine – made by Moonshiners’ star Tim Smith. His moonshine is distilled from corn, rye and barley malt, and comes in natural, grape and peach flavors.

    Smith isn’t the only one making legal moonshine though. Over the last few years, local and big name distillers alike have started to bring moonshine-like liquor to stores across the country. The explosion in popularity can be somewhat tied to the TV series, but others simply just like the idea of buying liquor that was illegal for so many years.

    Interestingly enough, Smith says that the illegal trade of Moonshine is still booming even after the introduction of legal variants. He even claims that it’s hard to keep up with demand. He might even have more trouble meeting demand now that he’s producing both legal and illegal moonshine.

    Still, Smith says that there’s something special about his moonshine that nobody can replicate. He says that big distilleries jumping on the moonshine wagon understand how to make the chemical composition that makes up moonshine, but they don’t really understand how to make it.

    It could simply be marketing talk as Smith readies to launch his own brand, but he may have a point. There’s a reason why you don’t buy non-Kentucky made bourbons. Distilleries outside of the state always miss that little extra something that makes Kentucky made bourbon so special. The same could go for moonshine – only those who have actually made a living off of illegal moonshine can really understand what goes into making it.

    If you want to see what goes behind making Moonshine, check out this video from the Discovery:

  • Bar Served Rubbing Alcohol In Place Of Scotch

    Times are tough, and when the economy slumps, everyone feels it. Unfortunately, some bar owners in New Jersey tried to crawl out of their slump by mixing food coloring with rubbing alcohol to pass it off as scotch.

    In a sting called “Operation Swill”, state police say they have raided 29 bars and restaurants and are accusing them of serving cheap alcohol from expensive bottles. Fortunately, only one used rubbing alcohol, though officials aren’t saying which one. They have released information concerning 13 of the accused restaurants, which are all T.G.I. Fridays. An internal investigation is underway, according to a statement released by the company.

    “This alleged scheme is a dishonest ruse to increase profits, and it is a slap in the face to the consumer,” said state Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa in a statement. “Consumers should have the peace of mind of knowing that they will get what they spent their hard-earned money on every single time – no exceptions.”

    Over 1,000 bottles of liquor have been seized and are undergoing tests. Officials say no health complaints have been registered.

  • Hummingbird Feeders You Can Make If You’re A Drinker

    Hummingbird Feeders You Can Make If You’re A Drinker

    Word is that a lot of people are currently looking for Hummingbird feeders. ‘Tis the season.

    According to Yahoo search data, queries for “hummingbird feeders” have spiked over 400% on Yahoo this week. Searches for bird feeders in general have spiked 35%, and searches for “what to feed hummingbirds” are up as well.

    If you like to throw back a bottle or two of beer or liquor from time to time, you might be happy to know that you’re sitting on some potentially wonderful bases for hummingbird feeders as well. Pinterest and Etsy, not to mention other craft-oriented sites have all kinds of ideas for hummingbird feeder designs, and many of them start with bottles.

    A quick search on Pinterest for “hummingbird feeders” will unearth a lot of interesting ideas, including some of the designs below.

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    DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

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    DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

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    Ground Beef Budget

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    Pinterest

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    Pinterest

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    DeeLuxDesigns (Etsy)

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    MadInCrafts

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    SimplyGlass (Etsy)

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    SimplyGlass (Etsy)

    Just remember, you’re not feeding the birds the booze.

    [via Pinterest]

  • Finally, The Maker’s Mark Debacle Gets A Taiwanese Animation Video

    Next Media Animation (NMA) has put out a new video chronicling the big Maker’s Mark “dilution disaster” (which has now been resolved, as the distiller backtracked on its original plans following customer outrage).

    NMA, which has taken on the John McAfee story, Star Wars Episode VII, Steve Jobs, and recently, Beyonce’s Super Bowl have time show, tells the story as only NMA could:

  • 167 Liquor Stores Up For Auction Online

    It won’t be on eBay, but this online auction is getting much attention in the Pacific Northwest. An online auction was launched yesterday for 167 state-run liquor stores in Washington State. Thanks to voters who passed the initiative last November, the auction will be the first by the Washington State Liquor Control Board. The state is also the first to privatize its state-run liquor business since the 1930s and Prohibition. In 2011, gross liquor sales for the state was over $888 million.

    Speaking for the Washington State Liquor Control Board, Brian Smith said, “What’s being auctioned today will allow interested parties rights to apply for a liquor license at current location. You’re buying the right to apply for a liquor license and then purchase the right to sell at that location.”

    An interesting part of the initiative explains that If you’re a grocery store or big box store with over 10,000 square feet of space you do not have to bid. Not surprising to many residents since Washington-based warehouse chain Costco was a large financial supporter of the initiative donating the majority of $23 million spent (Washington’s single donor contribution record for a state initiative) to capture 59% of the approval votes needed for the measure to pass.

    @steph_jane2
    Stephanie Jane 2    I want one!!! “@kxly920: Washington to Auction Off State-Run Liquor Stores– http://t.co/ZDfDEr8v”

    @SpokesmanReview
    SpokesmanReview    Washington is going to auction off its state-run liquor stores. Minimum bid: $1000: http://t.co/T4Gt2siy 1 day ago via TweetDeck ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto