People who are aerobically fit and work out a lot tend to imbibe more than their less fit peers. (New York Times)
Thirty-four percent of Bumble users say that they’re more likely to go on a dry date now than before COVID-19. (Toronto Star)
The new facility will cost more than $400 million and create more than 360 jobs over the next six years.
The news of Sazerac’s growth in Clark County comes several months after the company announced the expansion of its New Albany distilling and bottling operations.
The Indiana Economic Development Council plans to invest up to $3.5 million in tax credits over a decade based on Sazerac’s job creation plans and up to another $3 million in tax credits based on its investment plans. The money would only be available once people are hired and investments are made. The IEDC board must vote to approve the incentives.
Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau said it was withdrawing temporary guidance allowing distilled spirits permittees to produce tax-free alcohol for use in hand sanitizer. The guidance was originally issued on March 18, 2020, was amended several times, and was intended to alleviate a shortage of hand santizer in the wake of the eruption of the Covid vaccine.
Now, in the wake of Food & Drug Administration’s decision to withdraw guidance that was the basis for TTB’s action. TTB said that effective Dec. 31, bev/al industry members must stop making hand sanitizer under temporary guidance issued in March 2020 (TTB G 2020-1D) and distilled spirits plants must remove from their bonded premises any alcohol intended for industrial use. In addition alcohol fuel plants must remove from their bonded premises any alcohol intended for non-fuel use, TTB said.
TTB said industry members can continue to distribute hand sanitizer produced under the earlier guidance through March 31.
Eight years ago, Vintage Wine Estates created a campaign, called Angels Share, to support neighbors in need with holiday boxes of healthy food. Ever since, in partnership with the Redwood Empire Food Bank, employees have gathered in lieu of a holiday party to pack food—using the production line and boxes typically used for wine. Since inception, Angels Share has donated more than 1 million meals to people in need.
“With a virtual event last year, we regrouped in 2021 under Covid-safe protocols to once again have an in-person packing event at our Santa Rosa warehouse,” explained Katy Long, VWE Director of Angels Share. “With a smaller crew we still managed to pack 3,000 boxes in well under three hours and sent them off in our trucks to our neighbor, Redwood Empire Food Bank (REFB), for distribution this holiday season.”
Since its inception, Angels Share has provided over one million meals—not only to REFB, which serves California communities from the Oregon border to the North Bay, but to nine other food banks in Colorado, Maryland, Alabama, South Carolina, Vermont, and Massachusetts. Food insecurity is a national challenge and with the support of Angels Share and VWE’s nationwide network of distributors, retailers and restaurants, the food needs of seniors, families and those in need, especially in these challenging pandemic times, will be met.
The Kentucky Bourbon Benefit auction of rare bottles, private barrel selections and more raised over $3 million to help ease suffering and restore hope for residents of Western Kentucky whose communities were ravaged by a tornado outbreak earlier this month.
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association partnered with the Bourbon Crusaders charitable organization and Bourbon curator Fred Minnick on the six-day auction. The fundraiser culminated with a live-streamed finale Tuesday night which alone raised $1.77 million.
The total – which is expected to climb – was $3,429,203 as of mid-day Wednesday.
The www.kybourbonbenefit.com auction site is still accepting donations and businesses continue to match funds. Proceeds from the benefit are going to the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund. The state-operated fund assesses no fees on donations.
Angel’s Envy, Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Diageo, Four Roses, Heaven Hill, Michter’s, Rabbit Hole and Wild Turkey also donated in excess of $1 million directly to the state’s fund, and Beam Suntory gave an additional $500,000 to the American Red Cross.
Those donations bring the distilling industry’s total impact to nearly $5 million.
“The outpouring of support, care and love for Western Kentuckians is truly unparalleled in the history of Bourbon. We are forever grateful for the generosity of distillers, donors and bidders,” KDA President Eric Gregory said.
“Through this event, thousands of participants are helping lift spirits across Western Kentucky, provide new hope and create momentum for the years of rebuilding and healing ahead,” Gregory said. “This is the spirit of Kentucky shining through.”
A total of 5,158 bidders vied for the benefit auction’s 429 lots. Bidders came from all 50 states, Washington D.C. and as far away as Puerto Rico and Guam. Kentucky, by far, led the way with nearly 1,000 registered bidders, followed by Ohio (400), Florida (250) and Texas (240).
Highlights included:
A 19-year-old barrel of Willett sold for $401,001 – which Minnick said was the highest ever paid for a full barrel of Bourbon. The Bardstown distillery then donated another barrel which was matched by the second-place bidder for a total of $802,002 raised.
A private barrel selection at Four Roses Distillery, aged 17 to 24 years, sold for $278,000. The Lawrenceburg distillery also matched the barrel to its second-place bidder, totaling $556,000. With other rare donated bottles, Four Roses’ final tally was $569,920.
Willett also had the third best-selling item: an 8-year-old barrel that sold for $143,000. Again, the distillery donated a matching barrel to the losing bidder, raising a total of $286,000 for that lot – and nearly $1.1 total from Willett’s donations alone.
A barrel experience of cask-strength Angel’s Envy went for $130,000. An Elijah Craig barrel-strength barrel sold for $77,000. Wild Turkey and New Riff private barrels sold for $45,000 and $43,000 respectively.
Nevada-based Distillery Smoke Wagon’s lot of 60 bottles of Rare and Limited Special Batch Small Batch Bourbon sold for $45,000. Smoke Wagon donated another set of 60 bottles and the runner-up matched at $45,000. Smoke Wagon also had two separate donations that went for $26,000 and $6,650, bringing the company’s tally to $122,650.
An exclusive tour and tasting experience at Castle & Key in Woodford County – combined with a private suite at Keeneland for the distillery’s annual Bourbon Stakes in 2022 – sold for $44,000.
A hand-engraved decanter of 23-year Old Rip Van Winkle, one of only 1,200 released in 2009 and donated by Preston Van Winkle, went for $44,000.
Private barrel experiences at Maker’s Mark, Old Forester, Boone County, Woodford Reserve and Jefferson’s Ocean, which donated a 300-bottle lot, all sold between $30,000 and $35,000 each.
The “Mayfield Collection” of 14 bottles recovered intact from Carr’s Steakhouse in downtown Mayfield, Ky., which was destroyed in the EF 4 tornado, sold for $69,475. Nearly all of the bottle’s brands are matching the sales prices with half of the money going to Carr’s for its 29 employees – with a combined 22 children – many of whom are now homeless.
That’s a 2.8% increase from November 2020, when removals totalled 12,640,o00, and brings the year-to-date total to 155,475,000 barrels, up 0.4%, the Beer Institute estimated.
