Aside from promoting Vodka, I’ve started writing occasional columns at the Washington Free Beacon. These include reviews of John Jobling’s U2: The Definitive Biography, Frances Larson’s Severed: A History of Heads Lost and Heads Found, Russell James’s “gripping” Angels, and essays celebrating the return of foie gras to California and National Meat Month. Do check them out as well as the rest of the Beacon—frequently provocative, never boring.
Over at vanityfair.com, Alex Beggs reports on the latest commercial tie-in to the James Bond series: In the upcoming Spectre, Bond will be drinking specifically Belvedere vodka in his shaken—not stirred—martinis. I spoke with Ms. Beggs last week and was thrilled to see my quotations throughout her column as well as a generous hyperlink to my book, Vodka: How a Colorless, Odorless, Flavorless Spirit Conquered America.
You would think it an unlikely pairing, but on December 4 at 7 p.m., I will be discussing Vodka: How a Colorless, Odorless, Flavorless Spirit Conquered America (Lyons Press) at the Phillips Collection. Thanks to the kindness of Phillips director Dorothy Kosinski, I will be discussing “Vodka and the Dreams of Reality” as part of the museum’s Phillips After 5 program. Yes, that is how versatile vodka can be! If you’re in the area, please come on by, but be sure to register.
In the op-ed section of the October 20 Wall Street Journal, I’ve provided my brief take on the class action lawsuits alleging Tito’s Handmade Vodka is not handmade. On the one hand, during my reporting for the book, I ran across more than a few distillers who rolled their eyes at Tito’s use of the term “handmade” on the more than 1.2 million cases of vodka Tito’s sells each year. On the other hand, how would the plaintiffs define a handmade vodka? What aspects do they imagine involve hands—distillation takes place inside a still. In the current litigious environment, Tito’s may be better off reaching a settlement—two class action suits are the last thing Tito Beveridge needs. (Then again, Tito is a fighter. He’s gone round for round against the government—and survived.)
The next stop for Vodka: How a Colorless, Odorless, Flavorless Spirit Conquered America is Chicago on September 30 for the Independent Spirits Expo. Tickets are on sale, and the event will be held at the Hilton Chicago on Michigan Avenue. Thanks to a local bookseller fittingly known as the Book Cellar (a bar and a bookstore in one—what more could you ask?), I will be signing books and talking about all things vodka from 5-9 p.m. Hope to see you there!
And stay tuned to the Geoff Pinkus Show on WCGO 1590 AM on Monday, September 29, at 6:25 EST, where I will be once again touting the book as well as the expo. Cheers!