PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur`s

FEBRUARY 13, 2015 | MODERN DISTILLERY AGE
PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur’s
“Are You Indispensable?” Competition
PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur has announced the six finalists of the
second annual “Are You Indispensable?” Cocktail Competition. The
competition received 126 cocktail recipes from professional bartenders
and mixologists from more than 37 cities across the U.S. with base spirits
including whiskey, pisco, tequila, cognac wine and beer. The recipes were
compiled by competition partner ShakeStir.com, an online community
for bartenders.
The six finalists, in first-name alphabetical order, are Aaron Butler (The
JakeWalk, Brooklyn, N.Y.), Brett Esler (Whisler’s, Austin, Texas), Davey Jones
(Burger Republic, Nashville, Tenn.), David Bonatesta (Ward III, New York City),
Lacy Hawkins (Clover Club, Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Sam Treadway (Backbar,
Somerville, Mass.).
The final competition will be held on March 30, 2015 at Seamstress in New
York City. A grand prize of $5,000, a second place prize of $2,000 and a third
place prize of $1,000 will be awarded.
The judges will include Julie Reiner (“Doyenne of Cocktails” and owner
of Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club in New York City), Kate Shapira Latts
(Vice President of Marketing and a member of the third generation of
the family at Heaven Hill Brands, parent company of PAMA Pomegranate
Liqueur), Paul Pacult (spirits critic and publisher/editor of The Spirit
Journal) and Steve Olson (founder of “aka wine geek” and spirits, wine and
cocktail expert
VOLUME 6 | NUMBER 6
AccelPath Acquires STI
Signature Spirits Group
Special to Modern Distillery Age – by Gregg Glaser
AccelPath has agreed to acquire a 52% interest in STI
Signature Spirits Group in what it stated is AccelPath’s
“new direction.” STI is a New York-based full service
brand development, management and marketing
company with a primary focus on spirits and wine.
Over the past three years, STI has been conducting
market research, product/brand development
and business planning in spirits and wine and
currently owns two brands: Tiny’s Tequila and Copa
Imperial Tequila.
Tiny’s Tequila is an infused tequila and is a joint
venture with Local Choice and singer/songwriter/
reality TV star Tameka “Tiny” Harris, wife of rapper/
actor, TI. There are two flavors: Orange Blossom
(Honey-Orange) and Limelight (Lime) — both 40%
ABV. The tequilas are Kosher certified, made from
100% Weber Blue Agave and infused with natural
flavors using a patented purification and refinement
process that the company states: “Increases the
quality of raw distillates by way of ultrasonic energy,
oxidation and filtration.” Both products were released
in the U.S. in late 2014 as the Official Tequilas of Ladies
Night Out. They are currently available in several
markets including Georgia, Maryland, Washington,
continued on page 8
New York Tax Breaks for
Craft Distillers
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has outlined new
tax exemptions proposed for spirits, beer, wine and
cider that are similar to those already offered to the
wine industry.
The tax exemptions apply to spirits, beer, wine
and cider made for sale but are instead used for
promotional and marketing purposes. The use tax
exemption may extend to all craft beverage producers
by including an exemption for off-premises tastings. “New York spirits producers rely on tastings to
introduce their products to consumers and build
awareness of the high quality and diversity of our
craft spirits,” said Nicole Austin, President of the New
York State Distillers Guild, adding that the proposal
would reduce the cost and paperwork associated with
tastings and “allow distillers to focus on championing
their product and growing their business.”
To read the entire issue and subscribe to Modern Distillery Age, click here: Subscribe