Alcohol Wish List

At the moment I reside in a state that doesn't allow consumers to purchase alcohol online. This makes it more difficult for me to buy different wines/beers/liquors that I can't find locally. In a few cases this isn't a bad thing: Sagatiba Preciosa is a cachaça that would run me nearly $300 if I acted on all my desires. That same company's two year cachaça however, is only around $35 and probably far superior to any similar product I can find in Lexington, KY. So I have two wish lists: one that is ridiculous, and one for which I might need an out-of-state mailing address.

The ridiculous list:

Sagatiba Preciosa

According to alcademics.com, a distiller put 10,000 liters of cachaca into five giant cognac mixing casks (2,500 liters each) in 1980 to see what would happen, but then died in 1982. Over 20 years later in 2006 the Sagatiba folks pulled it out, filtered, and bottled it. There were 3,300 liters remaining out of the original 10,000, hence the steep price tag of $300 if not much higher.

Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 23 Year Bourbon. $300
or
Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 20 Year Bourbon $170

Some of the oldest bourbon on the market, and definitely the oldest wheat bourbon available (when you can find it), Pappy Van Winkle's line is known for being the highest quality bourbon. I'm a big fan of wheat bourbon, of which there are only five lines. My favorite, W.L. Weller 12-year, was recently taken off the market to expand their 7-year sales. Though it probably wouldn't be able to replace the Weller 12-year cost-wise, sipping on Pappy 23 year would be a sweet way to celebrate (eventually) leaving Kentucky.

Regular old list:
W.L. Weller 12 year.

Pitu Cachaça

Santa Barbara Winery Syrah
More to come

Brazil is in Poor Company

What is one of the top ten economies (by GDP) doing at the bottom of a list with the Central African Republic, South Africa and Swaziland? Turns out that Brazil, though considered by many to be an extremely important rising economy has an income distribution similar to countries better known for counting on foreign aid as more than 80% of their government expenditures or or are completely surrounded by another country. The global statistic website Nation Master verbs that the richest 10% of people in Brazil hold 48% of the country's income. For comparison, the global average is 31.4% with Sweden towards the best at 20.1%.

Brazil also struggles with corruption, according to Transparency International they are "roughly comparable to Burkina Faso, Saudi Arabia and Panama." With elections looming in 2010, it's important to consider the potential for change in governance and economic policy. Will global attention during the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic games give Brazil the incentive it needs to promote its tiny middle class or government transparency?

See also: Brazil in 2006

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