VIRGINIA (WAVY) — The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority already has more than 3,000 beverages on its shelves, but it’s adding 47 more in 2020.
“Industry trends indicate consumers are choosing ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages more than in previous years,” said Virginia ABC chief executive officer Travis Hill. “In the New Year, we’re providing our customers with a wide selection of these popular products by stocking our shelves with 21 varieties of canned, ready-to-drink cocktails that are pre-mixed with vodka, bourbon, whiskey or tequila, including High Noon Sun Sips, Jim Beam bourbon and Cola, Joia Spirit and Sauza Agua Fuerte.”
Some other new items are related to particular events, people and places.
Those include:
- Cruzan, which honors the resilient spirit of the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Maria with their Hurricane Proof Rum.
- Old Forester Craft Whiskey 1910, which is a tribute to the aftermath of a distillery fire in 1910.
- The Real McCoy 12 Year Rum, which is named after a pioneer rumrunner of the Prohibition era.
- Tin Cup American Rye Whiskey’s bold spice taste, a tribute to American miners who drank rye whiskey out of tin cups after a hard day’s work.
- The Dead Rabbit Irish Whiskey, named after a bar in New York City’s lower Manhattan.
Five products are made in Virginia, including:
- Laird’s 10th Generation Apple Brandy Bottled-in-Bond 5 Year (Albemarle County)
- Virago 151 Rum (Richmond)
- Trump Sauvignon Blanc (Charlottesville)
- Freeze-dried lemon and lime cocktail garnishes from Buoys (Richmond).
A full listing of the new products and their descriptions can be found in Virginia ABC’s online product catalog at www.abc.virginia.gov.
