Wine & Spirits

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Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine, Gatlinburg, Tenn., is throwing its hat into the premium spirits market with the debut of its first barrel-aged premium product: Ole Smoky Charred Moonshine.  The initial batch will be available in a limited release nationwide this spring, with only 3,500 cases spread out across 49 states and the rest available exclusively at the Ole Smoky distillery, known as “The Holler.”

E. & J. Gallo Winery (Gallo), Modesto, Calif., announced that it has purchased Ledgewood Creek Winery and Vineyard in Solano County.

Luxco Inc. relaunched its Purple Passion ready-to-drink cocktails with a new formula and retro-inspired packaging.

Island Club Brands added a cherry cola flavor to its Chicken Cock whiskey brand.

Hard ciders were popular in the United Kingdom for years before reaching the mainstream U.S. market. Likewise, stevia was used as a sweetener in Japan for decades before getting approval as a safe food additive in the United States in the form of Rebaudioside A, according to Cargill. Many trends are born overseas and eventually make their way to the U.S. market. But that doesn’t mean Americans can’t be trendsetters too.

In our increasingly digital world, it makes sense that people have developed digital forms of currency to coincide with Internet and mobile shopping. Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to arrive on the financial scene in 2009 and has since increased in popularity.

Bacardi U.S.A. Inc., Coral Gables, Fla., released nationwide the newest addition to its flavored rum family: Bacardi Mango Fusion. The new flavored rum fuses mango and orange flavors and can be consumed as a shot or mixed with fruit juices, lemon-lime soda, or sweet-and-sour mix as a cocktail, the company says.

Beam Inc. launched Hornitos Black Barrel, which is 100 percent blue agave tequila that is triple-aged using an innovative process that conveys the tasting notes of whiskey, the company says.

The romanticism of history is what keeps books like “The Great Gatsby” popular with today’s youth, but that same glamorization also is taking shape in the spirits category within the latest emerging segment: moonshine.

In a hypothetical “Star Wars” scenario, Darth Vader could use the dark side of the Force to telekinetically shatter a glass bottle of vodka from across the room, for instance.