Picture this: You open your presents and here’s a coffee table book from the House of Cremsiffino. Except when you open it, it isn’t a normal book but rather a place to hide a bottle of Smirnoff Ice. It will be available tomorrow, Dec. 15.
It’s the second time Smirnoff has pulled this stunt. The last time was in 2019 when Cremsiffino was luxury home appliances that concealed a bottle of Smirnoff Ice.
In Lansing, Mich., between 59% and 60% of bars and restaurants are operating at a lesser capacity because they don’t have enough servers, according to the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association.
MLBA’s solution: Allow 17 year olds to sell alcohol. Those who are 18 can already do so. It’s currently legal in Maine.
A bill allowing that has passed the Michigan House, 64-39, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Regulatory Reform. You can expect an all-out push in the Senate to block the bill, with the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and anti-alcohol advocates both opposing it. Some cite research that says younger sellers are more likely to sell alcohol to underage and intoxicated patrons.
The move comes in the aftermath of the deadly stampede at the Astroworld concert. “After careful evaluation, we have decided to stop all production and brand development of CACTI Agave Spiked Seltzer. We believe brand fans will understand and respect this decision,” TMZ quoted the Anheuser-Busch brand as saying.
Miller Lite will offer free rides in Chicago on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) on New Year’s Eve, from at 10 p.m. until 4 a.m.
In partnership with local mass transit, the Free Rides program has provided free access to the bus, rail or train systems in key markets across the country for more than three decades to encourage celebrating responsibly. Since the beginning of the program, over eight million people have gotten home safely because of Free Rides. This year, the program will serve six different metro areas across the country, including Denver, Milwaukee, Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Phoenix.
Janne Kouri is bringing Loncaro to market in a partnership with his cousin, Samuli Huuhtaen of Rock Paper Scissors, a Finnish brewery. Initally the product will launch in Los Angeles, followed by the rest of California and then the rest of the U.S.
“Samuli and I have been dreaming of bringing the national drink of Finland to the US for over 20 years but this dream was put on hold when I was injured in a diving accident” says Kouri. “Known to all Finns as Lonkero, the citrusy gin-based beverage is light, crisp and easy to drink so we thought it would be ideal to launch in Southern California. We’re starting our roll-out launch in California, which is one of the clever reasons for naming the brand Loncaro (with a CA) instead of its original Finnish name, Lonkero.”
After the tragic diving accident left Kouri paralized, he started the non-profit NextStep to make life-changing rehab and fitness accessible and affordable to individuals living with paralysis. With eight locations in the US and abroad, a percentage of profits from Loncaro sales will be used to build more NextStep locations. Kouri lives by the Finnish saying SISU which means courage in the face of adversity, and uses the saying as a motto for Loncaro, the brands design partner Matterfulbrands, included it on both the can and the website design.
Holiday Cheer is a annual seasonal ale brewed with pecans and peaches. Thus far this year, it has sold 305,188 cases 47% more than the 207,418 cases it sold in 2017. To further boost sales, >Shiner has released brand new 5-liter mini-kegs of Holiday Cheer ($19.99) throughout Texas this year to keep up with increasing demand.
