If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): liquor launch

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J&B Commissioned A Tattoo Artist To Ink 25 Limited Edition Bottles of Scotch.

The idea to tattoo the bottles was devised by French design studio Button Button as an unusual way to commemorate J&B's heritage.

I really wanted to title this post "Wine That Comes With Cheese," but the truth is (regardless of my personal opinion) people love this trilogy of books by E. L. James and the powers of character Christian Grey continue to seduce the public. The popular paperbacks have now inspired a collection of wines - a savvy marketing move by Random House.

For the second time in a series of designer collaborations (the first was this 2012 Guitar Stopper by John Varvatos), Patron Spirits introduces a limited edition bottle stopper for this holiday season. The new collectible bottle accessory is crafted exclusively for Patron Anejo by Evan Yurman, Chief Design Director for David Yurman men's and timepiece collections. Patron's relationship with Yurman emerged from a shared commitment to understated luxury, meticulous craftsmanship and masculine elegance.

Die-cast in solid metal and electroplated in gun metal and 24K gold, the bottle stopper is an exceptional two-toned sword featuring elaborate metal carvings inspired by those depicted on the hand guards of 18th century Japanese Samurai swords; a reflection of Yurman's love for unique and rare objects, artwork and artifacts. Like Patron Anejo, Yurman's bottle stopper is bold, intricate and truly distinct.

"It was a thrill to work with Patron on this unique project," said Yurman. "Throughout time, armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical ability of the artisans who craft them. For me, there is an inseparable parallel between a finely honed weapon and a beautifully crafted piece of jewelry – they are truly one in the same and a natural extension of the work that inspires me." This inspiration is unmistakable in the one-of-a-kind, sophisticated design Yurman created to adorn the iconic bottle of Patron Anejo.

Each bottle of Patron Anejo is handcrafted with recycled glass and produced with unparalleled attention to detail. Patron Anejo is a delicate blend of uniquely aged tequilas, all aged in small white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months. Similar to winemaking, each vintage of Patron Anejo is carefully blended to produce a smooth and distinctive-tasting tequila.

The bottle stopper, which comes in a special limited edition gift box, will be available at select retailers across the U.S. in November 2013 for a suggested retail price of $59.99.

Patron Spirits

Architect Zaha Hadid Designs Unique Bottle & Box For Leo Hillinger's Icon Hill Wine.

Leo Hillinger presents an iconic wine with packaging created by an icon herself. On October 4th of this year, at the Albertina in Vienna, Austrian winemaker Leo Hillinger unveiled his exceptional red wine blend, the 2009 Icon Hill in a precious bottle and box created by Pritzker-winning architect Zaha Hadid.

"With the unique design and the ICON HILL is optimally presented. Powerful and intense it is drawn from the creation in its spell. Zaha has perfectly embodied in the wine bottle shape."-- Leo Hillinger

Zaha Hadid, above, says of the design:
"The elongated volume of the bottle has been derived from the profile of liquid droplets. A continuous spatial curve was then projected onto the bottle’s surface, defining areas for the concave indentation and suggesting the waves created when droplets break a liquid’s surface.

The concave indentation and the bottle’s surface have the same curvature, enabling a set of bottles to interlock and be perceived as singular whole. A smaller indent and volume has been created at the base of the bottle for correct handling and to accommodate any tartrates.

To achieve the precision and accuracy required for production, the shape of the bottle was created using NURB-based CAD software. The bottle manufacturer directly implemented this 3D master geometry to produce the cast iron moulds for the glass forming process."

The Reviews
If you are wondering whether or not the wine is as good as the bottle, it has received a rating of 95/100 from Falstaff, the ultimate Austrian wine guide.

Falstaff chief Peter Moser who tasted the wine in advance and gave the following critique:
"Deep ruby garnet with purple hues, subtle edge whitening. In the nose with fine Kräuterwürze backed mature heart cherry fruit, a hint of dark berries, spices in the background and nuances of fine wood, a delicate hint of nougat, multifaceted bouquet that develops well with air. On the palate, complex, extraktsüße dark fruit, prominent and well-integrated tannins that give the wine length, hints of blackberries and ripe plums, pleasant acidity that for vitality provides, salty minerality on the finish holds good, disposes of secure aging potential, fine cherry fruit in Rückgeschmack. If one were to fully enjoy this wine at this youthful stage, it is advisable to decant the bottle for a good two hours." (optimum eating ripeness 2016 - 2030)

and from René Gabriel:
"The color is a deep dark red with black core. On the nose the wine is fresh, cool and seems so very precise, fruit and seasoning are very harmonious with black berry fruit, smoky Brazil tobacco, licorice and black pepper. ICON HILL displays a beautiful concentration. On the palate it is creamy, with dark caramel, prunes and ripe, balanced tannins stützende. This is not a wine that comes as a new multi-bomb wine, but considered his future and first in terms of class and harmony. Its beautiful balance we must here assume a potential that is loose and overheating of the first 10 years. His most beautiful ripe to eat I expect in about three to four years."

Only 999 bottles of ICON HILL are available. The ICON HILL is available at 99 euros per bottle in all Leo Hillinger retailers and online www.leo-hillinger.at.

Hannibal Lecter and Princess Bride Wines For The Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas

The Drafthouse Cinemas, a chain of movie theaters that serve food and wine, have occasionally commissioned special movie-related wines which they pair up with the appropriate meals and serve at their unique cinemas. The special movie-themed wines are beautifully designed and packaged with labels and branding by the Austin based creative firm Helms Workshop.

SILENCE OF THE LAMB WINES

Their latest offering is a Chianti and Pinot Grigio inspired by the movie Silence Of The Lambs.

“The Cannibal Chianti” is a DOCG-wine from a vineyard situated between Florence and Sienna. It is a blend of 85% Sangiovese, balanced with smaller contributions of Canaiolo and Malvasia del Chianti. The nose is loaded with dark berry fruit with bass notes of allspice and baked quince. Its mouth feel is medium-bodied and well balanced, with savory plum and tobacco leaf notes leading to a slight sandalwood finish.

“Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio” is a 2012 vintage with a mixture of fruit from California’s Central Coast and inland vineyards. It offers a lush bouquet of tangerine and orange blossom. The palate starts with a crisp entry and a velvety mouth feel that bursts into flavors of tropical peach and Mexican limes with just a hint of honey, leading to a zesty, citrus-laced finish.

A limited number of packaged wine sets will be available for purchase online only. “The Cannibal Chianti” set comes with a leather red dragon bag of fava beans with a recipe for their preparation by Alamo Chef Trish Eichelberger. The “Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio” set features a burlap bag containing a bottle of Buffalo Bill lotion.

above: The four-course menu, created by Alamo Drafthouse Austin Market Chef Trish Eichelberger served at their various locations, along with the wines and movie.

To develop the bottle and package design of these wines, Alamo Drafthouse again turned to local Austin creative firm Helms Workshop. The subtle yet intricate designs unfold like a puzzle for fans of the movie, with tiny details referencing the film and its central characters of Buffalo Bill, Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling.

“Suit Yourself Pinot Grigio” and “The Cannibal Chianti” will only be available for one year. Both of these covetable wines will be available at all Alamo Drafthouse locations for $8 a glass and $32 a bottle (prices may vary).

Retail bottles are available for purchase here and at select Alamo Drafthouse locations where local laws permit.

PRINCESS BRIDE WINES
Hello. My Name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

UPDATE: The Princess Bride Wines ARE still available for purchase, only without the box or extra goodies. You can buy them here.

Their previous offering, launched last year on Valentine's Day, was also beautifully designed by Helms Workshop. The movie-themed wines featured a Cabernet and a White inspired by the cult classic The Princess Bride.

As fans will recognize, “The Bottle Of Wits,” is derived from the iconic “battle of wits” scene when Westley first rescues Princess Buttercup from Vizzini and his henchmen.

The custom wine line includes two varietals: “Inconceivable Cab” and “As You Wish White”.

The As You Wish White:

The Inconceivable Cab:

Wine charms: A six-fingered man. A Sicilian. The Dread Pirate Roberts. Princess Buttercup:

The menu that accompanied the Princess bride Wines and movie showing :

The folks over at Helms Workshop in Austin had this to say about the project:
"When you leave design school and look for work with your portfolio of fictitious student projects, half of your interviewers pause to tell you that, in the “real world,” you’ll never have the opportunity to design wine packaging. Much less, packaging themed after one of your favorite movies. Those folks never had the chance to work with Tim League and the team at Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas.

In looking at developing an identity for Alamo’s in-house branded wines, we quickly decided that it would be impossible to sum up everything that makes the Alamo unique in a single packaging system. Why not redesign the wine each year, based on a film that aligns with the brand? Alamo’s 2012 offering became two wines inspired by The Princess Bride, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the film."

“The “Battle of Wits” sequence between Cary Elwes and Wallace Shawn easily stands toe-to-toe with “the Sideways Spit Bucket” and “The Silence of the Lambs Chianti slurp” as wine’s shining moment in film,” said Alamo CEO and Founder Tim League. Workshop worked to pack the full scope and wonder of the film experience into the packaging.

Buy the Princess Bride wines (bottles only) here.

All photos of Silence of the Lambs Wines courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse
All Princess bride Wine photos with streamer backgrounds by Annie Ray
other photos courtesy of Helms Workshop

One Step Beyond Beer. Gladness Lager-like Ale From Madness.

The beer from bands trend continues with a new brew from the chart-topping Ska band Madness. The beer, described as "A lager that's an ale" was brewed in conjunction with Growler Brewery (formerly Nethergate) in Essex.

Gladness is 4.2% alcohol and a combination between an ale and a lager- or as the band's publicity calls is “A lager that’s an ale – that’s totally mad.” It is brewed using local Maris Otter malt, a traditional ale variety, and Tettnang and Saaz hops, which are usually associated with European-style lagers. The blonde beer is said to be highly refreshing with a lovely subtle hop flavour and aroma, reminiscent of a pilsner.

above: Paul Gower, left, head brewer at Nethergate's Growler Brewery, Madness frontman Suggs, center, and keyboard player Mike 'Monsieur Barso' Barson celebrate the launch of the band's official beer, Gladness

Named after a line in their well-known song "Madness", the beverage will be stocked at 800 venues, owned by Nicholson's Pubs, across the U.K. for the next three months.

Buy Madness Music

Goût de Diamants' One Off Champagne Bottle With 19 Carat Diamond and The Limited Edition Salmanazar Bottle of Bubbly.

Prodiguer Brands enlisted the help of luxury designer Alexander Amosu to help them create the world's most expensive champagne bottle for their luxury bubbly, Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds) which launched in 2006.

Mr Amosu hand crafted the packaging from 18ct solid white gold weighing approximately 48gsm of solid gold centered by a single flawless deep cut white diamond weighing 19cts. The label is also handmade in 18ct solid gold and weighs approximately 36gsm, handcrafted and engraved with the client's name (unknown). The bottle is valued at almost 2 million dollars; $1,867,000.00 USD or £1.2m

above: Alexander Amosu's instagram photo of the empty Goût de Diamants £1.2m bottle

Commenting on the design, Alexander Amosu said: "The bottle already has a distinctive look with its natural design, all I had to do is bring it to the next level of ultimate luxury."

The Goût de Diamants everyday bottles are hand-finished by a single craftsman with over 40 years experience. The Bottles for each of the four vintages come with a hand-applied pure pewter engraved label set with a brilliant cut Swarovski Crystal (The Rosé crystal is appropriately pink and the Brut, blue.).

In house, Shammi Shinh, said: "We wanted to take it one step further and create a one off masterpiece for one of our private wealthy clients and we are very pleased with the results."

The Limited Edition Salamanazar Bottle:

That's not the only special bottle for this bubbly, which is only available to the trade. They have also announced the exclusive release of their limited-edition 9-litre Salamanazar.

A delicious naturally aged Brut cuvée is bottled within. Each stunning bottle takes over 100 man hours and is completely hand finished by our very own master craftsman. An array of beautiful diamond cut Swarovski stones have been used to create this masterpiece.

This is the first limited-edition bottle ever released by Goût de Diamants, making it the ultimate celebration gift. Only 10 bottles exist worldwide.

About The Champagne
Not just a pretty bottle, Goût de Diamants Champagne was awarded the ‘Champagne Best Taste 2012′ by Champagne Business News.

Goût de Diamants is a handmade luxury champagne from the Chapuy family run estate in the beautiful village of Oger, France, made with 100% rated Grand Cru grapes.

The Goût de Diamants Prestige Cuvées
Brut Diamond:

Rosé Exquisite:

Blanc de Blancs Diamond:

Vintage Diamond:

Even their high grade corks that are so sophisticated they have a patented composition:

Goût de Diamants Champagne cannot be purchased in liquor stores, but is now stocked in several high end bars, clubs, hotels and restaurants in over 10 different global locations, from the UK to Africa to Dubai.