Rabbit Hole

Campari’s Aperol liqueur has partnered with Cocktail Courier to sell a limited-edition Aperol Spritz kit for consumers to make the drink at home. Cocktail Courier, based in Chicago, sells a variety of brand name cocktail kits for delivery to consumers’ homes. The Aperol Spritz kit includes the liqueur, Cinzano Prosecco, soda water, oranges, and two glasses. It is available for purchase to residents of select cities from Cocktail Courier’s website, where it retails for $60.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Rabbit Hole has launched its single barrel program with ten barrels of Heigold rye sold to accounts in Kentucky. Rabbit Hole’s single barrel releases will be bottled at cask strength and will feature unique artwork. To celebrate the launch of the program, the distillery sold 144 bottles at $106 a 750-ml. with all proceeds going to Covid relief grants to local businesses, administered through local charity Fund for the Arts. The wider release for the single barrel program—including releases of all four of Rabbit Hole’s core whiskies—begins in July.

Gin Lane 1751 has announced Cucumber Watermelon Mint, the newest seasonal expression from the London Dry gin house. The spirit is bottled at 40% abv and made with natural flavor essences and without any added sugar. M.S. Walker, Gin Lane’s distributor, will roll out the new expression across the U.S. in July for a suggested price of $38 a 750-ml. Cucumber Watermelon Mint joins the original London Dry, Victoria Pink Gin, Old Tom Gin, and Royal Strength Gin in Gin Lane’s portfolio.

The House of Rémy Martin is releasing a new limited-edition decanter for Rémy Martin XO. Featuring 18-karat gold leaf on the bottle, it was created in partnership with Parisian gilding studio Atelier Thiery. It is intended to highlight the parallels between Cognac and gold and the expertise that goes into working with both. The limited-edition Rémy Martin XO x Atelier Thiery bottle is available on Reserve Bar for $229.

Louisville, Kentucky-based Michter’s has announced the 2021 iteration of the brand’s 10-year-old single barrel rye whiskey. Due to supply constraints, this will be the only release of Michter’s 10 Year Rye for 2021, according to master of maturation Andrea Wilson. This year’s edition of Michter’s 10 Year Rye is rolling out now in limited quantities for a suggested price of $170 a 750-ml. In addition to releasing the 10-year-old rye, Michter’s has announced that it has expanded its Springfield farm from 145 to 205 acres, allowing the company to grow more grain for its future whiskies.

Sazerac Co. has teamed with Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) to extend two flavored whiskies—Fireball and Southern Comfort—with malt-based variants to propel them into thousands of new retail accounts. The malt-based offerings began appearing this spring in New York beer stores, convenience stores, delis, bodegas, and gas station minimarts, priced at around $1 a 1.7-ounce bottle and $8 a 12-ounce container.

Chopin Vodka has launched Botanika Angelica, a new line of liqueurs made from the company’s namesake vodka, blended with botanicals and fruit. Botanika Angelica makes its debut with five expressions—Amaro (40% abv, $40 a 750-ml.), Bitters (30% abv, $30), Orange (40% abv, $35), Lemon (35% abv, $30), and Elderflower (25% abv, $35). Before blending, the spirit, fruits, herbs, and spices are macerated for two to seven months in clay pots. Additionally, all but the lemon and orange liqueurs are matured in Polish oak before bottling. Botanika Angelic is now available across the U.S.

Information courtesy of Shanken News Daily

Newport, Oregon’s Rogue Ales and Spirits has expanded distribution of its line of canned cocktails, bringing four RTDs to markets across the U.S. In addition to the national push, Rogue has launched a new flavor—Grapefruit Vodka Soda—and added a variety 8-pack featuring two cans of each flavor. Rogue’s full line of canned cocktails, including Ginger Lime Vodka Mule, Cranberry Elderflower Vodka Soda, and Cucumber Lime Gin Fizz are rolling out now nationally in 4-packs of 12-ounce cans plus the variety pack.

Proximo Spirits has announced a new, aged extension to the Jose Cuervo Tradicional family, the 100% blue agave Tequila extension of the U.S. market’s largest Tequila brand. The 40% abv spirit first matured for 12 months in new American oak before finishing for up to four months in barrels used to age Bushmills’ single malt whiskey. Jose Cuervo Tradicional Añejo is now available across the U.S. for around $33 a 750-ml. Last year, Jose Cuervo Tradicional crossed 200,000 cases in the U.S., according to Impact Databank.

Infinium Spirits has taken Los Arango Tequila nationwide, increasing production to meet newfound demand. The brand consists of a blanco, reposado, and añejo—all bottled at 40% abv—and is named for Pancho Villa (whose given name was José Doroteo Arango). The spirits are produced in Guanajuato, Mexico and the brand was revived in 2018.

Appleton Estate, part of the Campari portfolio, is adding an 8-year-old Reserve offering to its range. The newcomer is at 43% abv and is rolling out nationwide this spring, retailing at $29 a 750-ml. The launch of Appleton Estate 8-year-old Reserve coincides with a new look across the Appleton range. The makeover includes a sleeker bottle shape, a new cork closure, and a new label incorporating details on the production process, the Appleton insignia, and master blender Joy Spence’s signature.

Louisville, Kentucky’s Rabbit Hole has extended its lineup with Bespoke gin. The new spirit is a London Dry gin finished for nine to 12 months in Rabbit Hole’s Boxergrail rye whiskey barrels. The gin itself is made with angelica, coriander, juniper, lemon peel, licorice, orange peel and orris root, and bottled at 44.5% abv. Rabbit Hole Bespoke gin is now available for $50 a 750-ml. The company, part of the Pernod Ricard portfolio, is now making a push toward national distribution in the U.S.

While the backbone of the brand is Bourbon, Heaven Hill has recently expanded the family by adding a new rye whiskey. The $30 release initially launched in Oregon, Georgia, and North and South Carolina and is expanding from there. Elijah Craig Rye comes in at 47% abv and joins other Heaven Hill ryes including the high-end Pikesville Rye (55% abv) and the more accessibly priced Rittenhouse Rye (50% abv).