Inventory for August 6th, 2017

Welcome friends! This week, we’ve got scientists who tell us it’s okay to drink beer and wine in moderation (in fact, it might just prevent diabetes) but spirits are the devil’s drink, apparently. Then there’s Israel’s first single malt whisky, which will be up for auction soon, Beam Suntory launching its first Japanese gin globally, and Hollis Bulleit is in an ugly legal fight with her one-time employer (Bulleit) and family (also Bulleit). Cheers!

Just how much gin does the Queen drink? We’re about to find out. According to Indy100, Queen Elizabeth II drinks four cocktails a day, “which would make Her Majesty a binge drinker by government standards.” The piece quotes the Queen’s cousin, Margaret Rhodes, who alleges that HM’s alcohol intake does not vary: a gin and a Dubonnet before lunch with a slice of lemon and a lot of ice. Then a wine with lunch and a dry Martini and a glass of champagne in the evening. Sounds like it’s good to be the Queen.

Drinking (a certain type of) Alcohol might Regulate Diabetes Disk

But we’ve got bad news for you spirit lovers out there: “scientists say men and women who drink alcohol three to four times a week are less likely to develop diabetes compared to those who never drink – but not when it comes to spirits.” Danish scientists recently completed a survey that included 76,484 people in which they collected data on consumer’s alcohol intake, their findings were published in Diabetologia last week. The Spirits Business reports that “during the follow up, 859 men and 887 were found to have developed diabetes. The lowest risk of diabetes was found to be at 14 drinks per week for men, and nine drinks a week for women, compared to no alcohol intake.” Particularly a modest consumption of wine proved beneficial in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The bad news though, especially for women, is this cracker of a line: “but when it comes to spirits, the study showed women who drank seven or more drinks of spirits per week increased their risk of diabetes by 83%, compared to women who consumed less than one spirits-based drink each week. The results showed spirits had no effect on men.” Take all this information with a grain of salt though – Rosanna O’Connor, the director of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco at Public Health England said, “it is not helpful to talk about the effect of alcohol consumption on diabetes alone. Consuming alcohol contributes to a vast number of other serious diseases, including some cancers, heart disease and liver disease, so people should keep this in mind when thinking about how much they drink.” Fair enough.

Israel’s First Single Malt Whisky

“Israel’s Milk & Honey Distillery, which worked with late industry veteran Dr Jim Swan, will auction the first 100 bottles of its single malt whisky online next month.” The first 100 bottles of what is said to be Israel’s first single malt whisky will go on sale via the Whisky Auctioneer from August 11th to 21st. “The three-year-old single malt was matured in new 225-litre American oak casks for two-and-a-half years, before being finished for seven months in ex-Bourbon barrels.” The whisky is kosher and is said to have hints of malted barley, cinnamon, lemon, and marzipan, with lemon and orange zest, followed by a little bit of spice in the form of black pepper. Sounds complex. Each hand-numbered bottle comes in at 46% ABV. The remaining bottles will be available for purchase at select stores across Israel.

Beam Suntory Launching its Japanese Gin Worldwide

“Beam Suntory will roll out its first Japanese gin brand, Roku, across international markets from September 2017, when a limited edition bottling of the brand will also launch in global travel retail.” Initially only available in Japan, the Roku gin launch has been confirmed in Germany, Taiwan, and Southeast Asian markets. At 43% ABV, the bottles will be available for €25. The gin contains six Japanese botanicals, including the sakura flower of course, as well as sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea, and sansho pepper. These are blended with eight more traditional gin botanicals. Beam Suntory’s international brand director Jeanette Edwards told The Spirits Business “We are confident that Roku will become the definitive Japanese craft gin in the global premium gin category, which has enjoyed significant growth in recent years.” We shall see.

Daughter of Bulleit Bourbon’s Founder Alleges She Was Fired for Being a Lesbian

“Hollis Bulleit has worked as a brand ambassador for her family’s namesake company, Bulleit Bourbon, for the last 25 years, but in December she was abruptly fired.” Hollis Bulleit posted a long statement on her Facebook page at the end of last week, describing how she feels like the company was never comfortable with her partner Cher, and how her father alleged Hollis’s work was made up of “sending faxes,” though she claims she’s been integral to growing the company. After asking for help (in getting her partner into pictures/being accepted) she said she was abruptly fired. This comes as a surprise, seeing as Diageo has long been recognized has a outstanding place to work in terms of LGBT equality.

Forbes reports that Bulleit’s accusations are in dispute, as she has been openly out as a lesbian for a number of years. Diageo claims that her employment with the company came to an end because they were unable to agree to terms in her contract; the company contests that her sexual orientation was a factor. This sounds like a she said/he said situation in which nobody stands to benefit. With her last name, Hollis will definitely have a hard time working for a different spirits company and Diageo will have a hard time shaking this and once again emerging as an LGBT friendly workspace.