Whiskey in a Grande Latté

While whiskey and coffee don't really have anything to do with San Francisco per se, it could be said that they are two of our favorite things. Among other things, they involve two of our favorite pastimes- drinking and hating on Starbucks. Which is why we feel compelled to give you the latest news involving both whiskey and coffee.

Buried on page A2 of yesterday's Chronicle was a story that immediately caught our attention- Jack Daniels has redone their formula for their famous brand of whiskey, one that decreases the alcohol content. From now on, Jack Daniels will only be 80 proof, instead of it's previous 86. The company is claiming that the new, watered-down version whiskey tested more positively with drinkers. Now first of all, who are these "drinkers" and how do we get into the control group? And second of all, do people really drink Jack for the taste? Would Jack Daniels still be Jack Daniels if it tasted more sweet? We don't think so. Can anyone say "New Coke?" Anyways, according to Frank Kelly Rich, editor of Modern Drunkard Magazine (our subscription form is on the way), the makers of Jack Daniels is making the change, a change the distillery sneaked past it's die-hard fans without as much as an announcement, because the distillery is merely just trying to cut costs. It is only now that whiskey drinkers are catching on to its sweeter and smoother taste. He has, in fact, started an online petition as a way of fighting the Whiskey Powers that Be. Phil Lynch, a spokesman for Jack Daniels, however, makes the equally valid point that "we don't think it's appropriate for a magazine called Modern Drunkard dictate how we make our whiskey." Tou and ché.