Top 5 alcohol inspired April Fools

April Fools’ Day didn’t escape the notice of the alcohol industry, with some particularly foolish stories doing the rounds this year.

At the drinks business we always like to keep an eye on what pranks are taking place in the drinks world and we are not adverse ourselves to writing a few April Fool jokes ourselves.

The 2010 offering was a story on British reality TV personality Katie Price entering the wine industry with the launch of a pink Cava.

Then, last year, Bordeaux property Le Pin got some attention when we reported that it was courting the Chinese market with the launch of a special label featuring a rabbit design to celebrate 2010 as the year of the rabbit.

Here is a round-up of this years April Fools jokes that tickled a rib in the drinks business HQ.

The Mail on Sunday reported how the government planned to mitigate the damage caused by adding VAT to pasties by introducing a new “green” tax on chilled Champagne.

Written by reporter Pru Cremier, it explained how the average price of a bottle sold in a restaurant would rise from £37.50 to £40.86 if introduced. “A Green Paper leaked today proposes a ‘Thermal Reduction Initiative (Champagne)’ that would add a 9% duty to all chilled champagne sold in public places,’ said the paper.

But fear not bubbly lovers, it was all an elaborate joke and you will not have to resort to any Champagne panic buying.

The Whisky Israel ran a story that two Israeli scientists found a bacteria that will change the whisky industry. While researching Aerobic bacteria, they came across a whole new species which was unknown to science.

This bacteria called Bd-vxd-he109 (a temporary name), and nicknamed “the whisky bacteria” works its magic by releasing some unusual enzymes into their surrounding, which scientists think are meant to break down alcohol molecules and change them into a substance the bacteria can feed on, aside effect of which, is rapid maturation of whisky and spirits in the cask.

The article continued by proclaiming that adding bacteria of this kind to a cask containing whisky, Cognac or the like, maturation speeds up tenfold, so after only one month in the cask, the spirit has picked up colour taste and aromas from the equivalent of one year in cask.

If it were true, it would increase output of whisky rapidly and could lead to more record breaking exports.

An elaborate April Fools joke surrounded the first vodka infused with rum that was to be launched on 31 March in the UK.

Brought to the market by Gannibal, the new product has been created by rum ambassador Ian Burrell using “ultra premium” vodka and concentrated rum flavour.

The spirit was tagged as being made from “the world’s most expensive wheat” from Kazakhstan combined with Dankowski Diamond Rye – a sought-after Polish grain.

An extensive website was set-up to give the hoax creditability, as the makers claimed the product would go on sale through the Gannibal website on 1 April, following a launch at a “secret location”.

The Savvy Cellar Wine Bar & Wine Shop pulled a nice trick on its customers in the US.

The shop, a fixture on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula for the past six and a half years, said it was shutting its doors. Savvy Cellar was to be converted to an animal centre over the next month.

On its blog the cellar reported that, owner, Jennifer Ayre, had said: “Llaunching and building this wine bar and wine shop was a childhood dream and became a lifelong passion of mine. Deciding to cease operations was not an easy decision. We hope all of our countless loyal customers will understand.”

As a final note the blog reported that no jobs would be lost as Savvy Cellar management has met with current employees and assured all of them that they will be retained as employees of the new Animal Centre.

Of course animals and wine do go together quite well, as the drinks business found it when it appointed its chief wine taster last week.

A new vodka brand used April fools day to launch in the US.

Double Cross vodka is seven-times distilled and seven-times filtered, resulting in an “award-winning vodka of unrivaled purity and character”.

The campaign is dramatising the vodka’s name with a new campaign about how to “double cross” the mundane and frustrating moments of life.

The campaign, which kicked off on April Fool’s Day, gives step-by-step, tongue-in-cheek instructions about how to turn the tables on everything from “table texters to subway pole huggers to armrest hogs”.

The ads will run as wild postings and point-of-sale pieces such as posters, napkins and coasters in bars and package stores throughout New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

How to “Double Cross” a loud mobile phone user:

1. Stand directly in front of the person who is on the phone

2. Lift your Double Cross martini to the side of your head as if it were a phone.

3. Adapt the same tone as the loud cell phone talker as you actually respond to what he’s saying.