I got nothing

OK, not much today yet.
Here's an interesting article Madam Nonesuch sent me on our friend JD.
Sorry no link.

Drinkers magazine berates Jack Daniel for diluting whiskey
By JIM MYERS
Staff Writer

The proof is in the bottle ‹ or is it? What started as a brief mention one morning on CNN may be the drop that ripples through tipplers around the world. On Tuesday morning, CNN's Jack Cafferty brought the world's attention to a small publication with a pretty big mouth. Modern Drunkard Magazine's editor Frank Rich published a scathing editorial after it was brought to his attention that between 20 months and a year ago the Jack Daniel Distillery had quietly dropped the strength of its signature black label Tennessee whiskey from 86 to 80 proof. Rich's Web site links to an online petition started by his Web boardcoordinator, Chris Sharp. They have more than 700 signatures of drinkers joining a boycott of Jack Daniel's ‹ double the number since the brief mention on CNN.''They're messing with 138 years of history,'' said Rich, who admits tha this publication, geared to heavy drinkers, is not quite for wine connoisseurs. ''They thought no one would be upset, but with their commercials, they ride so much on the history,'' he continued from his Denver office. The folks at the Lynchburg distillery, and at their parent company,Brown-Forman, don't see it that way, despite their whiskey Web site that touts: ''Time changes everything. Except the way we make our smooth-sipping Tennessee Whiskey, of course.'' The company says the recipe and the way the whiskey is made really haven't changed in all those years; just the way the whiskey is finished and cut to the desired proof has changed. Until 1987, Jack Daniel's used to be sold at 90 proof (45% alcohol), whenthe owners lowered it to 86. As the company grew and sales expanded overseas, an 80-proof version was introduced.Over time, the ''80 proof outperformed the 86,'' said Mike Keyes, global brand manager of the distillery. When asked about the flap, he points out that the distillery, by law and for taxes, has to publish the strength of its products. ''We've never hidden the change,'' said Keyes, who says the primary motivator was performance and the desire to consolidate the brand worldwide.''The 80 proof has an identical taste and color. It has a greater maturity in the barrels to compensate for the difference. Our tasting panel cannot tell the difference.''Another reason he points to is a change in drinking habits. Fewer people sip the whiskey as they did 20 years ago, the majority mixing it with colas and lemonades. However, the distillery does maintain a single barrel version of Jack Daniel's at 94 proof for the purists who savor every sip. It shouldn't hurt the company's bottom line, either, as the drop in alcohol yields between one and two extra cases of product, according to Keyes. And what about the petition? Will the people be able to persuade the distillery to revive the 90 proof, or at least the 86?''I'm not sure Modern Drunkard should be telling people what proof it should be,'' Keyes said. What's 'proof?'The word proof is said to come from having to prove to a buyer that the whiskey was good, that is, that it had a high alcohol content and hadn't been watered down. To be whiskey, it must be at least 80 proof by law but not more than 125 proof at barrel entry. To calculate the percentage of alcohol, divide the proof number by two.
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Kinda funny. I actually prefer the 80 proof and manage to get plenty drunk on it.
Although I love the idea of a magazine called "Modern Drunkard". Here's the link.

Well I am going to someone's retirement party (actually severance party - but whatever) and then I have to go buy a bunch of tequila and Corona for the party tomorrow.