WHISKY MAGAZINE Numero 48

WHISKY MAGAZINE & FINE SPIRITS - N°48 - Autumn 2012
Over the last few months, a new wind has been blowing through the small world of spirits. The cocktail revival, the boom in micro-distillation in the USA and the worldwide craze for 'authentic' eaux-de-vie and liqueurs have created the conditions for a strong return to a certain vintage spirit. And that's just as well, because there are many spirits and brands that can lay claim to two centuries or more of existence. Chartreuse, Scottish distilleries, American ryes, French or Italian vermouths and punch are all examples of success through the ages. So was it better before? It's hard to say, and that's not the aim of brands whose core business is not nostalgia. No, the aim is to offer a different experience, to provide a new emotion, and that's why it works. In these uncertain times, the past also has that reassuring effect that allows atypical brands or forgotten flavours to assert their difference, or even to be reborn. Vintage spirit, are you here? Yes, definitely yes, and there's no need to turn the tables to summon it. It's already everywhere. Happy back-to-school, everyone!