NOVEMBER 21, 2014 | MODERN DISTILLERY AGE Louis Royer Cognac’s “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition Louis Royer Cognac has named the seven finalists of the third annual “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition. The competition features Louis Royer “Force 53” VSOP Cognac, and 109 recipes were submitted by craft bartenders across the country in this year’s competition. The finalists will compete in New York City at Bacchanal restaurant on December 1 for a grand prize of an all-expense-paid trip to Jarnac and Paris in France as well as $1,000 in cash prizes for both second and third places. The seven finalists are Brett Esler, Whisler’s (Austin, Texas), Gregory Buda; The Dead Rabbit (New York City); Jason Cousins, Da Claudio (New York City); Justin Noel, Sweetwater Social (New York City); Luis Hernandez, Bacchanal (New York City); Shae Minnillo, Maison Premiere (Brooklyn, N.Y.); and Timothy Miner, The Long Island Bar (Brooklyn, N.Y.). Judges will be Dale DeGroff, mixologist and founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail; Paul Pacult, spirits critic and publisher/editor of The Spirit Journal; Steve Olson, founder of aka wine geek and a spirits, wine and cocktail expert; Jack Robertiello, spirits and cocktail writer; Jerome Royer, Louis Royer Cognac’s Master Selector and a fifth-generation family member; Sother Teague, bartender at Amor y Amargo and co-winner of the grand prize of the second annual “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition; and Pamela Wiznitzer, bartender at The Dead Rabbit and co-winner of the grand prize of the second annual “Show Me the Proof!” High Proof Cognac Cocktail Competition. The cocktail recipe compilation was executed by the competition’s partner, ShakeStir.com, an online community of bartenders and mixologists, which promoted the competition to its members. VOLUME 5 | NUMBER 39 Virginia ABC Won’t Raise Spirits Prices Across the Board The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Board has decided in a special meeting to forgo an across-the-board markup on distilled spirits, and instead approved several revenue-enhancing initiatives that will ultimately result in a shelf-price increase of less than two percent. The changes will become effective December 8. “The revenue generated from these initiatives will do ABC’s part to help close the state’s budget deficit, but just as importantly, these funds will be used to modernize ABC’s aging infrastructure,” said ABC Chairman Jeffrey Painter. Painter along with commissioners Judy Napier and Henry Marsh voted to increase the case handling fee from $1 to $2, a process that has not seen a fee increase since 1988 and comes closer to recovering the agency’s actual costs; raise the markup on miniature (50-ml) bottles from 49% to 69% to bring it in line with all other distilled spirits markups; and alter the current roundup from five cents to nine cents, an initiative called “rounding to the nines.” This measure will raise the price of a bottle of spirits that currently sells for $19.90 or $19.95 to $19.99. The case handling fee and “rounding to the nines” initiative will raise the price of an average $15 bottle by approximately 24 to 29 cents. The markup increase on “minis” is expected to add approximately 15 cents to the top-selling miniature currently priced at $1.30. continued on page 5 ABL Economic Study American Beverage Licensees (ABL) has released an updated economic impact study detailing the positive effect that America’s beer, wine and spirits retailers have on their local, state and national economies through job creation, good wages and direct economic contribution. The 2014 Economic Impact Study of America’s Beer, Wine and Spirits Retailers provides an in-depth look at the positive role that beverage licensees are playing by generating more than 1.77 million jobs from direct retail alcohol sales. The total economic impact of America’s beer, wine and spirits retail industry is more than $245 billion. continued on page 5 To read the entire issue and subscribe to Modern Distillery Age, click here: Subscribe