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Suntory Whisky Marks 90th Anniversary
On the road to its centennial, the House of Suntory Whisky marks its 90th anniversary of whisky making. Inspired by heritage and innovation, this richly experienced House dared to make Japanese Whisky a reality by tirelessly reinventing whisky to create a true form of art.
It has been 90 years since founding father, Shinjiro Torii, built the first whisky distillery in Yamazaki, Japan in 1923, where this new “art of whisky making” was born. In 2012, Japanese whisky made another global breakthrough with Suntory being named Distiller of the Year for the third time in three years.
For the past year, the global progress of Suntory Whisky has been nothing less than outstanding. To highlight, global shipments of The Yamazaki increased by 24% while The Hakushu increased by a remarkable 187%.
None of this success has happened by chance. The same meticulous effort will be present throughout all of the ambitious projects to come in 2013.
Below are just a few of our favorite highlights from our first 90 years:- 1923 – Shinjiro Torii, established Japan’s first distillery in Yamazaki on the periphery of Kyoto
- 1973 – Torii’s son, Keizo Saji, completes Suntory’s second distillery, Hakushu
- 2002 - Shingo Torii, grandson of Shinjiro Torii is named the current Master Blender of the House, and continues to perfect the quality of Suntory’s Japanese Whisky
- 2012 – Suntory achieves global accomplishment, when named Distiller of the Year for the third time in three years
- 2012 – Suntory’s marks impressive global growth of shipments: The Yamazaki increased by 24% and The Hakushu increased by a remarkable 187%
- 2013 and on – Looking to the future, Suntory plans to strengthen their global presence by expanding to new markets, talking to new customers, and proposing new ways of enjoying their whisky.
- In 2013 and 2014 – Suntory will be investing approximately 5 Billion Yen (US$50 Million) to increase productivity at the Yamazaki Distillery and the Ohmi Aging Cellars. This expansion and investment is to meet the increasing demand globally for Suntory whisky, specifically, in the US and UK
For more information about the Suntory Distillery, like them on Facebook, or feel free to download Suntory’s 90th Anniversary Book by clicking the following link:
90th_Anniversary_PR_US_Final_BD_coupe
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Brewery Ommegang To Host 2nd Annual Philly Hop Chef Beer And Food Competition
COOPERSTOWN, NY – On Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m., some of Philadelphia’s most talented young chefs will compete in Brewery Ommegang’s second-annual Philly Hop Chef (click for tickets) for a chance to represent the city in a cook-off at the brewery’s annual Belgium Comes to Cooperstown event. Six chefs will each create one dish showcasing their imaginative beer and food pairing skills, based on five principles of pairing. The dishes, all paired with Ommegang beers, will be served to a panel of judges and to all attendees; each chef will be given 15 minutes to describe and defend his dish to the judges. Co-sponsored by the prestigious food magazine Saveur, Philly Hop Chef will be held at Union Transfer (1026 Spring Garden Street, 215-232-2100) and tickets are $53.50 per person, with a portion of proceeds going to support the Mural Arts Program and Groundswell.
“Beer and food belong together – whether as a thoughtful beverage pairing or as an ingredient – and this competition brings some of Philly’s best and brightest young chefs into the kitchen with our beers,” says Megan Maguire, Ommegang Market Manager. “Last year’s dishes were inspired, and the playful rivalries that developed between the chefs drove each of them to work harder and to create even more exciting and interesting dishes and pairings.”
The outstanding line-up of competing chefs includes: Yun Fuentes of JG Domestic; Lucio Palazzo of La Calaca Feliz; Nick Macri of Southwark; Pat Szoke of The Industry; Eli Kulp of Fork; and Mike Deganis of Alla Spina. The chefs will be judged based on five pairing principles: Simple Pairing, a direct interaction between food and beer; Incorporation, utilizing beer in the cooking process; Mimicking, matching the flavor profile of a dish with the flavor profile of a beer; Story Telling, tracing the history of the dish and the beer; and Experimental, making beer the star of the dish.
“Our Great Beer Deserves Great Food and Hop Chef programs further the very Belgian idea of food and beer pairing – that there is a beer for every dish. Starting this year’s competition off in Philadelphia is fitting as Philly is one of the centers of beer culture in the U.S. and it also has a booming restaurant scene with high quality food, both local and ethnic” said Phil Leinhart, Ommegang’s brewmaster.
The Hop Chef Competition is part of the Ommegang program known as Great Beer Deserves Great Food®, a national initiative dedicated to the idea that fine beer deserves its rightful place at the table with fine foods. The Philadelphia event is the first in a series of chef’s cook-offs across the U.S., including other semi-final competitions in Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; and Albany, NY, culminating in a Grand Hop Chef cook-off at Ommegang’s Belgium Comes to Cooperstown festival August 2 to 4 at the brewery. In 2012, Philadelphia’s own George Sabatino won the national Hop Chef title in Cooperstown. He serves as the local Hop Chef Culinary Ambassador for this year’s competition.
In the weeks leading up to Hop Chef, fans and food and beer lovers can follow the chefs on twitter (hashtag #HopChef) as they taste Ommegang beers and create their competition dishes. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/eventV2/241755. You can also follow Ommegang on Twitter@BreweryOmmegang and @OmmegangPhilly.
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March Goes Out Like A Lion At City Tap House
PHILADELPHIA, PA – From Friday, March 29 until Sunday, March 31, City Tap House (The Radian Balcony, 3925 Walnut Street, 215-662-0105) will bid a fond farewell to March with a full weekend of beer-centric events. First, on Friday at 5 p.m., the restaurant will host Dogfish Head Good Fish Friday, featuring a vast array of the brewery’s coveted and hard-to-find beers. Then, on Saturday at 6 p.m., guests will enjoy great beer and great music as they host the Third-Annual East Coast vs. West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour. Finally, on Sunday at 11 a.m., it’s Easter Sunday Brunch, featuring a special menu and of course, beer cocktails.
“At City Tap House, we really believe that beer is always the right beverage – and our end-of-March events are proof positive that no matter the time of day or the occasion, beer should be a part of the fun!” says beer steward Andy Farrell, who heads the ambitious 60-tap beer program at City Tap House, the city’s largest.
Dogfish Head Good Fish Friday
Beginning at 5 p.m., the bar will pour nine different Dogfish Head beers, all on a pay-as-you-go basis: Palo Santo Marron, an unfiltered brown ale aged in handmade wooden brewing vessels for caramel and vanilla complexity; Robert Johnson Hellhound on My Ale, a super hoppy ale that is dry-hopped with Centennial hops and accented with dried lemon peel and flesh; Miles Davis Bitches Brew, a bold, dark beer that’s a fusion of three threads of imperial stout and one thread of honey beer with gesho root; Burton Baton, an oak-aged English-style old ale / imperial IPA hybrid; Birra Etrusca, developed by Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione in Italy from ancient Etruscan recipes, brewed with hazelnut flour, pomegranates, Italian chestnut honey, local Delaware wildflower honey and clover honey and whole-flower hops; Immort Ale, brewed with maple syrup, peat-smoked barley, juniper berries and vanilla; Aprihop, a massively hopped American IPA with apricot; 60-Minute IPA, one of their standard-bearing beers that is continuously hopped for 60 minutes; and 75-Minute IPA, dry-hopped with whole-leaf hops, brewed with maple syrup and naturally carbonated. A menu of fish-focused small bites will complement the Dogfish Head beers.
East Coast vs. West Coast Punk Rock Brew Tour
Not a competition, but rather, a celebration of beer and music, this event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature five draught lines for each coastal brewery, includingSmuttynose, Lagunitas, Ballast Point, Oskar Blues, Sixpoint, Sierra Nevada and Victory, as well as a soundtrack of punk and hardcore rock. The “tour” is also making stops in Brooklyn, NY; Buffalo, NY; Rochester, NY; Syracuse, NY; Boston, MA; Providence, RI; and Washington, DC.
Easter Sunday Brunch
A full brunch menu is available for preview online at www.citytaphouse.com, including: Biscuits and Gravy, Bilbao chorizo gravy with fried egg and Southern-style biscuits; Tap House Omelet with grape tomatoes, asparagus tips and Italian brie cheese; Brioche French Toast with spiced apple compote, candied pecans and mascarpone; and Avenue Hoagie with pickled vegetables, avocado, tofu mayo, lettuces and crispy wontons. Beer cocktails include: Quaker Shandy, Hendrick’s gin with local lager, pear cider, fresh lemon juice and candied lemon; Beermosa, champagne with St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, Allagash White and fresh orange juice; and Early Riser, house Bloody Mary mix with local lager, Frank’s Red Hot sauce and a sweet-and-savory rim. Reservations are recommended; contact Melody ([email protected]) to book.
End-of-March Madness is the latest in City Tap House’s extraordinary line-up of beer tasting events, following their recent Bell’s Tap Takeover, winter’s exclusive Stone Vertical Epic Tasting and last fall’s wildly popular Into the Black and Pumpkin Smash. With extensive open-air seating on two terraces and a row of five stone fire pits overlooking Walnut Street combined with the rich, rustic feel of a mountain lodge, City Tap House is one of the city’s most popular food-and-beer destinations. It is located on the second level of The Radian, a pristine landmark building just steps from the campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University. Owners Gary Cardi, Chris Coco, Brian Harrington and Frank Falesto are also the operators of several other restaurant concepts including Chestnut 7, Mission Grill, Field House and Public House, with 11 locations nationwide, including four in the region in Philadelphia, PA; New York City, NY; and Oxon Hill, MD. This spring, they will open Pennsylvania 6, an American brasserie.
City Tap House serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, and brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. For more information, please call (215) 662-0105, visit www.citytaphouse.com, follow them on Twitter (@TapHousePhilly) and like them on Facebook.
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He’s Back! NEW Captain Morgan Ad, Tattooed Treasure Map
NORWALK, Conn., March 15, 2013 – Few dare to look uncertainty straight in the eyes without blinking, or set sail for a destination that’s open-ended; however, one need only look to the famed 17th century privateer, Captain Henry Morgan, for inspiration to live adventurously. This inspiration comes to life today as the CAPTAIN MORGAN ® brand announced the world premiere of “Perfect Getaway” – the first episode of the spiced rum brand’s new ad Trilogy that introduces viewers to the depths of Morgan’s world and his adventures aboard his flagship, The Satisfaction.
Set in 1668 Port Royal, Jamaica, “Perfect Getaway” opens with Captain Henry Morgan atop a ladder set against a battery wall. With paintbrush in hand, Morgan implements his strategy to rescue one of his crew members held captive by his nemesis, Don Alonzo. Little do viewers know that this prisoner is worth more than meets the eye.
Creating a world based on the historical accounts of the real-life Captain Henry Morgan is no small task, which is why the CAPTAIN MORGAN® brand worked with Academy Award-nominated director Todd Field to produce the three-part commercial series.
“It’s kind of amazing how many people are unaware that Morgan’s legacy existed long before he appeared on the label of a bottle,” said three-time Academy Award-nominated writer/director Todd Field. “The job of everyone on our team was to bring Morgan’s adventurous spirit to life through this Trilogy – to try and paint as compelling a picture as possible of his world, and the people who might have really populated it at that time.”
Shot in an undisclosed exotic location, the magnitude of the project rivaled the work of many motion picture productions, from explosive special effects to constructing a replica of The Satisfaction to utilizing over 450 extras throughout the shoot. Nathan Crowley, Academy Award-nominated production designer for blockbusters including Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises and John Carter, also joined the team to visually bring the world of Henry Morgan to life.
“Successfully capturing the look and feel of a 17th century Port Royal, Jamaica was integral to making this project visually impactful,” said Crowley. “Our team created a world that viewers can believe in and one that further characterizes Captain Henry Morgan himself.”
The next installment of its “To Life, Love and Loot” ad campaign, the CAPTAIN MORGAN® brand continues to explore the depths and complexities of the man who has become synonymous with spiced rum, and emphasizes Captain Henry Morgan’s historic legacy through the new Trilogy episodes – each building on the one which precedes it.
“We continue to take great pride in the fact that the legacy of our brand is built on real-life adventurer Captain Henry Morgan, and embrace his character as the source of our inspiration for developing innovative marketing campaigns” said Tom Herbst, Vice President, CAPTAIN MORGAN®, Brand Director in the United States. “Through the Trilogy series we hope to show that every adventure is one worth celebrating responsibly, and we hope that adult consumers everywhere will aspire to do the same.”
Created by Anomaly Advertising, “Perfect Getaway” of the new Captain Morgan Trilogy series will debut this Sunday, March 17th during the new episode of AMC’s Walking Dead. The :30 and :60 second spots will continue to air in general rotation across sports and entertainment television broadcast affiliates, including ESPN, ESPN DEPORTES and TBS, with the remaining two episodes, “Cave” and “Fire Ship,” premiering later in 2013. In addition, each episode will be viewable on the brand’s YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/captainmorgan) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CaptainMorganUSA).
Whether tuning in to join Captain Henry Morgan in his episodic Trilogy or embarking on your own adventure with your crew, the CAPTAIN MORGAN® brand reminds adult consumers everywhere to raise your glass – always in moderation!
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Send A Drink App Launching In Two Weeks
Last week, I received an email from Marco Aponte. He is the founder of a new smartphone app called “Have 1 On Me”. Below is the email along with their promotional video for your reading and viewing pleasure. I can’t wait to see if this thing actually works.
Hello,
My name is Marco Aponte and I am one of the founders of a company called Have 1 On Me! We’ve built a social gifting app that allows you to send real drinks to friends anywhere. We have a fun twist on gifting and are confident that our concept will resonate with your audience at Booze Dancing.
With Have 1 On Me! users can send a 6-pack of beer for a friend’s birthday, a bottle of wine to celebrate an anniversary or a cocktail to say congrats all from your mobile phone. Our drinks are redeemable at thousands of and retailers nationwide.
Check out our promo and walk-through video:
We are launching the app in less than 2 weeks and are looking to get some buzz. Would you be interested in covering us on your Booze Dancing Blog or even just giving us a shout out to your Twitter Followers? Thank you for your help and we look forward to hearing from you.
Marco Aponte
Founder
Have 1 On Me, LLC
“Send drinks and be social, Have 1 On Me!”
www.1onMe.com (Coming Soon…)
twitter: @Have_1onMe
facebook.com/Have1onMe
