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Liquor and Spirits

Thanks to tours offered by distilleries around the globe, travelers can get a glimpse behind the scenes of some of their favorite whiskies, Scotches, rums and gins.

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Chris Brown-Drake fight club loses liquor licenseupdated: Wed Jun 27 2012 12:48:00

The Manhattan nightclub where singer Chris Brown and rapper Drake allegedly clashed has lost its liquor license because of violations cited by the New York State Liquor Authority.

A very indulgent guide to Louisvilleupdated: Thu May 03 2012 11:03:00

For about two minutes on Saturday, millions of eyes will focus on Louisville, home of Kentucky's most feted affair, that blissfully short sporting event that comes with its own cocktail.

Authorities: 17 people die from toxic moonshine in southern Indiaupdated: Mon Jan 02 2012 07:39:00

Seventeen people died after drinking a toxic, illegal home-brewed liquor over the New Years weekend in southern India, authorities said Monday.

Bootleg liquor kills 100+ in Indiaupdated: Mon Jan 02 2012 07:39:00

Contaminated bootleg liquor kills more than 100 people in India and sends dozens to the hospital. Ram Ramgopal reports.

168 dead after drinking toxic moonshine in eastern Indiaupdated: Fri Dec 16 2011 09:05:00

Police have arrested 10 suspects in the sale of toxic, illegally brewed liquor that has left at least 168 people dead in the Indian state of West Bengal, an official said Friday.

Moonshine kills at least 133 in Indiaupdated: Thu Dec 15 2011 21:58:00

Authorities raided liquor vendors in the Indian state of West Bengal Thursday, after at least 133 people died and hundreds of others were sickened from drinking moonshine, according a health official.

People.com: Emmy Party Drinks: Try These Mad Men-Inspired Cocktailsupdated: Fri Sep 16 2011 16:14:00

A cocktail historian matches killer drinks suited to the dapper characters of the hit AMC show

People.com: Blake Shelton: 'Yeah, I Drink A Lot' - So What?updated: Mon Aug 08 2011 07:29:00

"I'm not drunk every night," the Bacardi and Crystal Light-swilling country star says

Fortune: Old Rip Van Winkle bourbon: Creating the ultimate cult brandupdated: Fri Feb 25 2011 05:21:00

Bourbon runs deep in American lore. David Crockett swigged it. Harry Truman liked a glass when playing poker. Screen star Tallulah Bankhead was famed for being able to polish off a bottle of the stuff in under 30 minutes.

CNNMoney: Great bourbons at a bargainupdated: Mon Feb 07 2011 05:42:00

Call it the Mad Men effect: retro fashions, debonair dinner parties and especially classic drinks -- like bourbon -- are back with a vengeance.

Eggnog: Everything you need to knowupdated: Wed Dec 08 2010 09:55:00

There's a good chance you'll either drink too much eggnog this holiday season or spend time around someone who has. Here's a look at the background of this December staple.

Will China say 'salud' to tequila?updated: Sat Sep 11 2010 01:44:00

CNN's Andrew Stevens and Diego Laje talks about Mexico's push to turn the Chinese on to tequila.

People.com: What Is Jessica Simpson Drinking on July 4?updated: Sun Jul 04 2010 11:48:00

As your patriotic festivities heat up, try these cocktails the stars love to swill

People.com: Celebs Drink Their Desserts - Why Can't You?updated: Thu Jun 24 2010 16:49:00

Find out how to make the favorites of Chace Crawford, Nicole Richie and more!

Scotch distillery turns whisky into wattsupdated: Tue Jun 01 2010 12:32:00

Creating renewable energy from whisky might sound like a harebrained scheme conceived at the end of a long evening drinking the amber nectar.

Kentucky Derby chef bets on fresh fareupdated: Fri Apr 30 2010 16:31:00

Here's a solid bet: At a few minutes after 6 p.m. on Saturday, Chef Jo-Jo Doyle will have goosebumps on his arms, and he'll be in dire need of a nap.

Castle and kegs embody Edinburghupdated: Wed Apr 07 2010 10:03:00

Edinburgh is the cultural heart of Scotland. Once a medieval powerhouse stretching below its mighty castle, today it's one of Europe's most lively and festive cities.

Intriguing people for February 16, 2010updated: Tue Feb 16 2010 09:00:00

Neda Agha-Soltan: The night before she was killed on the streets of Tehran, the woman the world would come to know simply as Neda had a dream. "There was a war going on," she told her mother, Hajar Rostami, the next morning, "and I was in the front."

Being choosy about booze helps avoid hangover -- to a pointupdated: Fri Dec 18 2009 10:13:00

As holiday revelers lift their glasses at office parties and New Year's bashes, they may want to keep one rule of thumb in mind: the darker the liquor, the bigger the hangover.

Take your taste buds on a European tourupdated: Wed Jun 03 2009 11:48:00

Eating and drinking in Europe is sightseeing for your taste buds. Every country has local specialties that are good, memorable, or both. Here are many of the fun experiences that stick in my mind after 30 years of travel. Seek out any of these on your next trip.

People.com: Couples Watch: Jessica & Tony, Ashlee & Pete …updated: Mon May 18 2009 06:41:00

• Jessica Simpson and boyfriend Tony Romo, leaving Al Biernat's steakhouse in Dallas carrying a bottle of Macallan 21-year-old single-malt Scotch whiskey. Clearly, there was plenty of football talk over their meal: The pair dined with new Dallas Cowboys backup quarterback Jon Kitna and his wife Jennifer, as well as quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

PR battle for Beijingupdated: Tue Feb 10 2009 23:52:00

As the Olympics draw near, Beijing might face a perfect storm of bad public relations. CNN's John Vause reports.

Amazing stories of liquor legendsupdated: Thu Nov 20 2008 09:12:00

It's hard to walk down the aisle of a liquor store without running across a bottle bearing someone's name.

People.com: Bill Pullman's Son Busted with Moonshine updated: Wed Oct 29 2008 19:24:00

Jack Pullman, 19, was charged with underage drinking and resisting arrest, among other counts

Time.com: Recession? Eat, Drink, Smoke and Be Merry updated: Tue Aug 12 2008 11:00:00

Sin stocks, ranging from gambling to liquor, are usually a safe bet in hard times

5 cults we're OK withupdated: Wed Jun 18 2008 13:12:00

Maybe it's all the news of "Anonymous" protests against Scientology that have been dominating the blogs lately, but it seems the word "cult" is on a lot of people's minds. Which makes me think about just how many cults there are out there -- and not just the religious kind, either.

Fortune: Stay liquid: Put your money in whiskeyupdated: Fri May 09 2008 10:19:00

Last year at the venerable McTear's auction house in Scotland, an anonymous Russian paid a record $58,000 for a Bowmore malt whisky reckoned to have been bottled around the time his ancestors were facing the 1854 charge of the British Light and Heavy Brigades during the Crimean War.

Whiskey business: Myths of Jack Danielupdated: Wed May 07 2008 19:03:00

The legend of Jack Daniel reaches all the way back to the moment he was born. Unfortunately, nobody knows exactly when that was.

LA's leading edgeupdated: Mon Mar 10 2008 10:34:00

LA may be a great place to live, but uncovering its highlights as a vistor can be a struggle. For an insider's guide, Sunrise to Sunset follows award-winning documentary maker Morgan Neville as he tours his favorite LA haunts.

Sunrise to sunset in Los Angelesupdated: Mon Mar 10 2008 10:34:00

Documentary Film Maker, Morgan Nevile takes Business Traveller on a tour of his LA hangout spots.

Interview with Vijay Mallyaupdated: Wed Feb 20 2008 00:35:00

Anjali Rao: He's dubbed the "King of Good Times." The billionaire tycoon casts a long shadow in India with high-profile launches and lavish parties. Vijay Mallya inherited an empire of different businesses at the tender age of 27, streamlining the operation and founding the Kingfisher brand. Today, his holding company United Breweries is worth $5 billion.

Vijay Mallyaupdated: Wed Feb 20 2008 00:35:00

CNN's Anjali Rao meets Indian business tycoon Vijay Mallya about new investment, Kingfisher Airlines.

The price of vice increases in Venezuelaupdated: Tue Oct 16 2007 07:20:00

The price of sin rose Monday in Venezuela where President Hugo Chavez is on a campaign to make Venezuelans cut back on drinking and smoking.

FSB: Sammy Hagar's tequila gets a big shotupdated: Tue Aug 14 2007 00:11:00

Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar knows how to party profitably. In May he inked a deal to sell 80 percent of his Cabo Wabo tequila business to Gruppo Campari for $80 million.

Money Magazine: Get Your Irish Upupdated: Thu Mar 01 2007 00:01:00

Ireland is famous for many things—James Joyce, the Blarney Stone and Bono among them. Not that long ago, the country was also famous for its whiskey. For decades, American bars and liquor stores we...

Money Magazine: Taste Test: Irish whiskeyupdated: Fri Feb 23 2007 11:11:00

Money Magazine bought five blended Irish whiskeys and then rounded up a tasting panel of drinkers - including a couple of recent imports - from County Donegal.

An interview with Lemony Snicketupdated: Thu Oct 05 2006 10:37:00

During a recent interview with CNN.com, Daniel Handler was gracious enough to give up some of his time to Lemony Snicket, the shadowy author of the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books. Here is an edited transcript of that conversation:

Fortune: Take another look at ginupdated: Fri May 26 2006 10:07:00

Vodka martinis. Vodka and tonic. Vodka gimlets. These days it's vodka vodka vodka. It's hip. It's clear. It mixes with everything - and it's fashionably expensive. But what happened to gin - one of the alcohols that cocktails were originally created to dilute?

A taste of Utopia: The ultimate beerupdated: Fri Feb 10 2006 13:42:00

"Probably the most intense and serious beer I have ever tried," enthuses one blogger. "Unique in every possible way," raves another. "You can smell it a mile away! This stuff is psycho!" trumpets a third.

Fortune: A Thirst to Be Firstupdated: Mon Feb 06 2006 00:01:00

IN HIS OFFICE OVERLOOKING THE LEAFY Place des États-Unis in Paris, Patrick Ricard has hung landscapes of the Mediterranean region where he spent much of his boyhood and where his father founded the eponymous family pastis business in 1932. "They are," he says, "my little bit of Provence here in the city."

Edinburgh Insider Tipsupdated: Fri Feb 03 2006 05:36:00

Check out The Scene's recommendations for the Scottish capital and send us your ideas and suggestions below.

CNNMoney: What, no keg? Beer gets a makeoverupdated: Thu Jan 19 2006 12:04:00

As wine, vodka and whiskey grab market share from beer, leading brewers have crafted a new industrywide campaign that's aimed at "fighting back the enemy" by touting -- get this -- the finer aspects of beer.

CNNMoney: A fine glass of hooeyupdated: Fri Dec 16 2005 12:23:00

NEW YORK (MONEY Magazine) - Red or white? It's the first question you ask when choosing a wine, right? Silly you. What you should be looking at, see, is whether it's a grand cru or a reserve. And do you adhere to the Parker scale? (You really should, you know.) And last, you philistine, do you want something lithe and supple, or firm-structured with good harmony?

Fortune: Pass the Courvoisierupdated: Mon Nov 28 2005 00:01:00

COGNAC AND JARNAC, TWIN PRODUCTION CENTERS FOR THE world's most famous eau de vie, are linked by road and river. Despite a summer that saw the region's worst drought in 30 years, the Charente has c...

Dalmore -- the ultimate whiskyupdated: Fri Nov 18 2005 07:45:00

Delving into a well-stocked drinks cabinet can unearth all kinds of treasures, from the kind of exquisite French brandies favored by doomed aristocrats, to vodkas strong enough to fuel industrial lawnmowers.

CNNMoney: $14B liquor deal reportedupdated: Wed Apr 20 2005 12:24:00

Two large liquor companies, including the bottler of Jim Beam bourbon, are buying a major British spirits firm in a $14 billion deal that will shake up the industry, according to a published reports.

CNNMoney: Socially conscious fund dumps Starbucksupdated: Wed Mar 23 2005 14:10:00

Pax World Funds said Wednesday it sold 375,000 shares of Starbucks worth about $23.5 million because it disapproves of the gourmet coffee chain developing an alcoholic beverage.

CNNMoney: Starbucks debuts coffee flavored liqueurupdated: Thu Feb 17 2005 11:25:00

Just in case you needed a little more pick-me-up in that caffeinated beverage, Starbucks Corp. announced Thursday that it is partnering with whisky maker Jim Beam to produce a coffee flavored liqueur.

CNNMoney: Single malts rebornupdated: Thu Jan 20 2005 10:28:00

As underappreciated holidays go, Burns Night (Jan. 25) is one of the best.

The great whiskey gap and other voter mysteriesupdated: Mon Dec 13 2004 11:57:00

Some stereotypes are true. Republicans drive Jaguars; Democrats drive Subarus. But why stop there?

Fortune: WHISKY 'NOSE'updated: Mon Dec 13 2004 00:01:00

MY FATHER USED TO WORK AT ANOTHER DISTILLERY. He did not have the nose--he worked in production. I've been at Macallan 20 years now. I started as a warehouse worker, but every now and again the Sco...

CNNMoney: Nascar spins the bottleupdated: Fri Nov 12 2004 09:57:00

Tougher times for auto racing teams chasing sponsorship dollars are driving Nascar to hard liquor.

CNNMoney: Last call for Jack Daniel's?updated: Wed Aug 25 2004 09:06:00

How's this for a great recipe for the end of summer?

Money Magazine: Bourbon's Birthplace Forget Napa winery tours. "America's native spirit" is made in Kentuckyupdated: Mon Mar 01 2004 00:01:00

Years ago, you'd see lots of bourbon drinkers showing up in the obituaries, but not many in the wedding announcements." That's Bill Samuels talking. He's the CEO of Maker's Mark, the brand that's h...

Fortune: Have Yourself A Sloppy Li'l Xmasupdated: Mon Dec 22 2003 00:01:00

People are so damn sober these days that you don't know what to do with them. They stumble into the office grim-faced, high on nothing but anxiety and coffee. They go to their stoic lunches, munchi...

Fortune: Lowe's Hits The Nail On The Head The home-improvement retailer's stock is soaring as it closes in on indupdated: Mon Jun 24 2002 00:01:00

For years, people considered Lowe's a poor man's Home Depot. It's true that when you think home improvement, you usually think big orange. (For the record, Lowe's color is blue.) Indeed, Home Depot...

FSB: Bourbon And Bluegrass A connoisseur's tour of Kentucky distilleries.updated: Fri Feb 01 2002 00:01:00

It's easy to take bourbon for granted. You hear a lot about Scotch--in fact, at most cocktail parties you'll find someone who will bore you to tears (or at least to drink) with endless single-malt ...

Fortune: Is the Grass Really Greener? With the Gentleman's Pursuits package at Scotland's Gleneagles resort, David Rynecki gets to try a updated: Mon Nov 13 2000 00:01:00

It's late afternoon on a blustery, rainy day in the foothills of the Scottish Highlands. My hands, slippery and numb from two hours in a downpour, grip a nine-iron as I take a stance in the foot-de...

Fortune: A Field Guide To Fine Tequila The bad news: There's a tequila shortage. The good news: It affects the cheap stuff.updated: Mon Oct 30 2000 00:01:00

A $1,000 bottle of tequila? That'll be the day.

Fortune: Cocktails for the New Economyupdated: Mon Jul 24 2000 00:01:00

In this market, you need a drink. Master mixologist Dale DeGroff--former head bartender of the Rainbow Room, current emperor of kingcocktail.com--devised three guaranteed to spice up your portfolio...

Fortune: They Know Jack Eryn Brown goes south to sample the down-home hospitality of the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Society... and livesupdated: Mon Jun 26 2000 00:01:00

A riverboat chugs down the Cumberland River, past downtown Nashville, on a breezy Monday night. Men in tuxedos and women in evening dresses gather on deck, clinking glasses, waiting for the five-co...

Fortune: Extreme Shoppingupdated: Mon Jun 12 2000 00:01:00

A sip of Bowmore 1957, a 38-year-old single-malt Scotch, starts in Islay, Scotland, where the whisky began its "big sleep"--breathing in sea mist and peat at the 220-year-old island distillery. As ...

Fortune: Hold The Soda And Iceupdated: Mon Jan 12 1998 00:01:00

Talk about spotting opportunity in the midst of potential disaster: A chance mistake left Scotland's Bowmore distillery with a cask full of Scotch with an unusual pedigree. Normally, most Scotches ...

Fortune: TOP SHELF TALES: TWO FOR THE ROAD HIGH SPIRITS AWAY FROM HOME, FROM FINE SINGLE MALTS IN CLASSY JAPANESE BARS TO THE VERY BEST Tupdated: Mon Oct 13 1997 00:01:00

WHISKEY: HOW IT'S DONE IN TOKYO

Money Magazine: NEW "ULTRA" VODKAS THAT TASTE JUST AS SLEEK AS THEY LOOKupdated: Wed Oct 01 1997 00:01:00

If you've ducked into an upscale bar lately, you might have noticed several new bottles, alluringly carved and frosted, claiming the best space on the shelf. Much as single-malt scotches upstaged e...

Fortune: VODKA GOES BEST WITH POTATOESupdated: Mon Jul 21 1997 00:01:00

The liquor industry has revived a drink that's even more retro than the martini: potato vodka. Lots of vodka used to be made from fermented potatoes, but over time cheaper mixed grains replaced the...

Fortune: A SPIRITED READ BOOK REVIEWupdated: Mon Jun 09 1997 00:01:00

Every fan of booze suffers, now and then, this dilemma: One's favorite spirit grows boring. So off to the liquor store you go, in search of something new. Do you buy another fifth of Old Tedious, o...

Fortune: GARCON! LAGER, S'IL VOUS PLAIT! FORGET WINE--TODAY'S FINE DINING CALLS FOR BEER.updated: Mon Apr 14 1997 00:01:00

Imagine a betoqued, heavily accented chef presenting an haute five-course feast--and eschewing his excellent wine cellar for beer. Try very hard, because it's becoming a common image in serious res...

Fortune: IF BUFFETT WERE A REAL MAN SURE, HE'S DONE WELL, BUT MOSTLY BY OWNING SISSY STOCKS. WHAT HE AND OTHER INVESTORS updated: Mon Oct 14 1996 00:01:00

I had an interesting chat the other day with Robert Hagstrom, who runs a mutual fund that invests "the Warren Buffett way." That's the title of Hagstrom's book on the subject. Lately he's found six...

Fortune: EDGAR IN HOLLYWOOD SEAGRAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE EDGAR BRONFMAN JR. HAS THE DETERMINATION--AND THE BUCKS--TO BE updated: Mon Apr 15 1996 00:01:00

EDGAR BRONFMAN JR. says he doesn't enjoy the gaming tables. But seven months after Seagram Co. acquired an 80% stake in MCA, the scion of the legendary liquor family found himself in Las Vegas anyw...

Money Magazine: STOCK OF THE MONTH SEAGRAM SYMBOL: VO; NYSE, $30.75; 1.9% YIELD THIS MIXED DRINK COMES WITH A COOL CHUNK OF DU PONTupdated: Sat Apr 01 1995 00:01:00

Everyone in the bar knows Seagram. The $5.6 billion Canadian liquor giant sells an array of popular brands, including Chivas Regal Scotch and Mumm champagne--plus the Tropicana orange juice chaser....

Fortune: COMPANIES TO WATCHupdated: Mon Jan 11 1993 00:01:00

TODHUNTER Holiday spirits run strong at Todhunter: 189 proof strong. The company, in West Palm Beach, Florida, makes high-octane ingredients that liquor producers blend with everything from whiskey...

Fortune: PRODUCTS TO WATCHupdated: Mon Oct 19 1992 00:01:00

SUCCESSION COGNAC Great cognac requires the perfect balance of grape, barrel wood, and time -- what residents of France's cognac region call rancio charentais. But perfection comes at a price: $3,7...

Fortune: WHAT'S HOT WHAT'S NOT updated: Mon Dec 30 1991 00:01:00

WHAT'S HOT Bond mutual funds Domestic issues Learning Spanish Ford Explorer Jagermeister herbal liquor Chemical skin peels Harassment prevention Macaulay Culkin Denim jeans CBS's Northern Exposure

Fortune: LIQUOR PROFITS RUNNETH OVER We're drinking less, but the big liquor sellers are earning more. They understand global brand managupdated: Mon Nov 04 1991 00:01:00

IN ALL THE GIN JOINTS in all the towns in all the world, a guy looking for a drink doesn't have as much company as he used to. The thirst for liquor is ebbing in the United States, where the volume...

Fortune: ASIA'S NEW YUPPIES In Taiwan, South Korea, and other fast-growing countries, young professionals have up to 20 times the spendinupdated: Mon Jun 04 1990 00:01:00

YOU'RE THE TOP, you're a lazy Sunday . . . you're a lunch on Monday, you're a blue-chip stock . . .'' Listen to the beguiling female voice croon a television commercial pitching Chivas Regal whisky...

Fortune: JAPAN'S NEW IMPORTSupdated: Mon Nov 06 1989 00:01:00

Imports of premium Scotch whisky and bourbon are booming in Japan now that taxes have been cut. The liquor tax system, which in some cases once added as much as 220% to liquor prices, has been reva...

Fortune: FORTRESS STOCKS WHOSE PRICES WON'T DRIVE YOU UP THE WALLupdated: Mon Oct 23 1989 00:01:00

Rattled by reports of companies tottering under a load of junk-bond debt? Worried about a slowdown in corporate earnings that could send the stock market tumbling? If caution is your buy word, you'...

Fortune: KEEPING IT ALL IN THE FAMILY For 119 years, Browns have run distiller Brown-Forman. Their secret? Meritocratic nepotism, dogged updated: Mon Sep 25 1989 00:01:00

SOMEWHAT improbably for the headquarters of a company that sells whiskey, the Louisville, Kentucky, home office of Brown-Forman resembles nothing so much as the main hall of a proper boarding schoo...

Fortune: SOARING SALES AT DUTY-FREE SHOPS In a tough period for retailers, these merchants are thriving. Their customers have time on theupdated: Mon Apr 24 1989 00:01:00

, THE TOUR GUIDE holds a small flag over his head, and his gaggle of newly arrived Japanese tourists trails closely behind him. He leads them swiftly through the San Francisco airport to buses that...

Fortune: Make mine Macallanupdated: Mon Jun 22 1987 00:01:00

The stuporous brown-liquor market, pushed off its bar stool by consumers who have switched to white beverages like vodka, wine, and club soda, may have found its tonic in single-malt whiskies. Whil...

Fortune: Epicure's agonyupdated: Mon Feb 02 1987 00:01:00

The U.S. trade dispute with Western Europe could bring bellyaches to lovers of imported foods and spirits. In the event that President Reagan makes good on his threat to slap a 200% tariff on more ...

Fortune: Our Unbiased Markets, The Antler Lobby Strikes Again, Virtue at Chrysler, and Other Matters. Only in America (cont'd)updated: Mon Oct 13 1986 00:01:00

Alcohol nearly wrecked Wayne Hoover's life. At 24, drinking problems have cost him three jobs, and booze-related mood swings abruptly ended his engagement . . . But Hoover is fighting back in an un...

Fortune: Signalsupdated: Mon Feb 17 1986 00:01:00

Northwest Airlines announced plans to buy Republic Airlines for $884 million. The acquisition would be the biggest since deregulation of the industry began in 1979 and would create the third-larges...

Fortune: HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN MATURE MARKETS Avoid battles for market share, work hard to control costs, treat employees like family. Andupdated: Mon Nov 25 1985 00:01:00

FORGET restructuring, making acquisitions, and avoiding takeover -- the biggest challenge for executives at most U.S. companies in the next few years will be managing businesses that compete in mar...

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