We covered several sparkling spirits products about three years ago, here, and so it may be about time for a redux. There is quite a bit of action on this front, in recent months, perhaps due to the high profile of Nuvo Sparkling Liqueur.

Here is a Sparkling Vodka under the brand name Le Grand Saint. Technically, it is a distilled spirits specialty more than a “vodka” or a specific class/type. The statement of composition (“vodka infused with carbonation”) appears in gold letters near the top of the front label.

Another good example is Prévu. It is unique in the sense that it is sparkling, and liqueur, and organic. It is made with vodka and Cognac, and imported by Simont Enterprises of Los Angeles, California. Prévu also happens to have a great looking website and bottle. If the product is even half as good as what is shown there, I should step away from the computer and go get several bottles.

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Margie made pancakes this morning, with real maple syrup. All of which puts me in a frame of mind to ponder the delights of maple syrup.

Oh Canada Maple Liqueur is made with maple syrup and undoubtedly tastes good (because it’s made by John Hall). But if you want to go even further, toward something made entirely or almost entirely from maple syrup, Knotted Maple may fill the bill. It is Maple Spirits with Maple Syrup, and is “distilled from Maine maple syrup.” It is produced and bottled by Tree Spirits, LLC of Oakland, Maine.

For a bit more maple satisfaction, don’t forget Vermont Gold (Vodka Distilled from Maple Syrup).

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Here is Adult Chocolate Milk. It is liqueur, made by Temperance Distilling Company in Temperance, Michigan.

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As to risqué alcohol beverage labels, there is no end in sight.

On the left is Rumpmeister Liqueur, made by Colorado Pure Distilling, in Lakewood, Colorado.

On the right is Snowbunny Ale, made by Hub City Brewing Company, in Stanley, Iowa.

If TTB will approve a shorter dress, we’ll . . . be surprised.

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Just as the name suggests, lemongrass is a grass with a citrus flavor. It would appear to be well suited for flavoring beverages, and not just shrimp and scallops.

Loft makes an organic lemongrass liqueur, in Portland, Oregon. Magic Hat makes Circus Boy beer brewed with lemongrass, in South Burlington, Vermont. SakeOne makes Moonstone Coconut-Lemongrass Saké, in Forest Grove, Oregon.

FoodPair explains that:

lemongrass is an aromatic herb used in Southeast Asian cuisines. Because of its pungent flavor, it is used in small amounts. Common uses include soups and curries. The ingredient is most often used fresh, but can also be dried and used in powder form. Another popular popular use of lemongrass is in teas.

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Although most people associate fruits and grains with alcohol beverage production — well before vegetables — the use of vegetables is extremely common. Potatoes and beets are widely used to make spirits. I don’t see a lot of artichoke wines, or those made from potatoes or beets, but here is at least one vegetable wine.

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Fernet-Branca has been well known around the world as a “digestiv” since about 1845. The above poster shows Fernet-Branca described as a “digestivo.” By contrast, the US label, on the right, bears no reference to this key term.

TTB does not allow any reference to digestif, digestiv or similar. Here is an example of a recent rejection, wherein TTB explains that the term is not allowed, and why. TTB regards it as a therapeutic claim.

Eric Asimov explains:

Digestives were historically intended as palliatives, meant to counter all sorts of ailments and physical imbalances. They may no longer be assigned quite the same medicinal value today as they were a few hundred years ago, but count me among the many who believe they can help to settle that queasy feeling.

Fernet-Branca is one of the more famous examples of a digestif, but there are others, such as Fernet Stock, Escorial, Becherovka, Averna, bitters, amaro, etc. In general, digestifs are intended to be consumed after a meal, with dessert of coffee. By contrast, aperitifs, such as Aperol and Campari, are most often served before meals.

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L’Chaim Vodka is distilled no less than 18 times. In an excellent website (www.theendofvodka.com), VeeV Acai Liqueur pokes fun at the vodkas distilled 3, 5, 23, 570 times. The site is funny, pretty, and makes a good point. It tends to suggest that after the first couple of distillations, and after pushing the spirit past 190 proof, it’s a fairly pointless exercise to distill it more.

Virtuoso Distillers, of Mishawaka, Indiana, is undaunted. In box 19 of the L’Chaim approval, Steven Ross patiently explains that the vodka is distilled 18 times. TTB frequently asks for such a confirmation, when the label sets forth the number of distillations or filtrations. This is odd because the label already claims it under penalty of perjury, the certification doesn’t seem to make it any more likely to be true, and it would seem to be a minor point in any event (for the reasons suggested by VeeV).

Mr. Ross has a lot more going on, on this label. He further explains that L’Chaim (or, “To Life”) is similar to “cheers,” carefully avoiding any suggestion that it’s about health. This is not a small matter because, prior to this approval, the term was rarely used in a prominent way on US alcohol beverage labels. Mr. Ross explains that the letters that spell L’Chaim also “add up to the number 18.”

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It’s pretty tough to get a patent on a beverage or a beverage package. But here DeKuyper claims a patent on the package. The back label says:  “DeKuyper Fruit Twisters Tangerine brings you a fun and flavorful drink experience with a unique patented twist cap technology that keeps its delicious fruit flavors and vibrant color separate until you twist the cap to release them.” This patent application was published two months prior to the label approval and looks related.

This seems like a great, great idea. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have gone anywhere. I can’t find a trace of it, two years after its 2007 approval. In addition to Tangerine, Jim Beam Brands Co. also has approval for Twisters Pear Liqueur and Pink Lemonade Liqueur.

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Slowly but surely, more “functional packages” are coming to town. I don’t mean packages that serve the function of storing booze, or acting as a paperweight or a vase. I mean packages that do something beyond that; beyond what is traditional; beyond moving the beverage from producer to consumer and making it look good.

Ty-Ku is a simple example. It’s a pretty bottle, and it lights up when lifted. This video shows the bottle in action. In the days to come, we should be able to come up with a few other examples, including some that go a bit further down this road. If you know of others, please let us know.

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