World-renowned chef, bestselling author and Emmy winning television host Anthony Bourdain will host a new show next year on CNN.

Launching in early 2013, the show will be shot on location and examine cultures from around the world through their food and dining and travel rituals.

Slated to air domestically on Sundays in prime time with repeat airings on Saturday nights, it will mark a further step in broadening and distinguishing CNN’s weekend programming from its traditional weekday news coverage.

The weekend show will be a departure for CNN in both content and procedure from CNN’s normal offerings. CNN usually does its programming in-house. However, Zero Point Zero Productions, an outside production company tied to Bourdain, will make the series.

“I’m really looking forward to coming over to CNN. I think the world is going to get a whole lot bigger for me. I hope that old fans and new ones will be excited about what’s coming down the road,” says Bourdain.

On Anthony Bourdain’s Twitter feed @NORESERVATIONS, Bourbdain tweeted , “Congo? Libya? Finally?” seeming to indicate new

One Tweeter tweeteded @CNN saying “CNN: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET @NORESERVATIONS DO POLITICAL COMMENTARY. Please. Thank you.”

Bourdain tweeted directly back staying, ” I won’t. Promise!

However, Bourdain has shared politican views in the past on Anderson Cooper 360 as a guest on a panel in the video below. And opinions mixed with travel and Bourdain’s raw, authentic and opinionated style may be one some viewers and Bourdain fans hope to see in a new show.

What do YOU hope to see on Bourdain’s new show? Tell us under comments below.

Anthony Bourdain has done programs on both the Travel Channel and Food Network, and also appeared in the Bravo competition Top Chef. His CNN show we’re told at BourbonBlog.com will feature cultures around the world through the prism of dining traditions.

“We have license to love a wide variety of news, not just war and politics, but other things that reflect all aspects of our lives,” said Mark Whitaker, CNN executive vice president and managing editor.

BourbonBlog.com's Tom Fischer interviews Anthony Bourdain. In the interview, Bourdain affirms to Tom that he is indeed a fan of Bourbon whiskey.

CNN says they also want to do more to distinguish its weekend programming from its weekday offerings, Whitaker said. The network is looking at other things, he said, but he would not yet discuss them.

The food and travel  show should not be considered a model for CNN programming during the week, he said. The domestic news network has suffered two of its worst ratings weeks over the past 20 years during the past month.

We’ll keep you updated on BourbonBlog.com

We're toasting to you Anthony Bourdain, congratulations on your new CNN Show!

Beam Inc. tells BourbonBlog.com, in collaboration with Maxxium Travel Retail, is to launch the ultra-premium Jim Beam 1795 at Frankfurt Airport in June. The product will initially be available exclusively at the Heinemann Duty Free store in Frankfurt’s T1B Schengen lounge.

Jim Beam 1795 celebrates the origins of the Jim Beam distillery, linking it with its present day contemporary image. It is a limited edition of only 200 70cl bottles and carries a recommended retail price of €139 (around $175 USD).

The hand-crafted spirit is made from 8 year old bourbon sourced from the top floor of a selected five-floor rack house. The liquid is 95 proof (47.5% abv) and is presented in a flask made of high-clarity flint glass with a heavy set base. The bottle is housed in a black box with 1795 and the signature of the founder, James B. Beam, prominent.

Gebr Heinemann Head of Purchasing Liquor, Tobacco and Confectionery Rüdiger Stelkens commented: “We aim to provide our customers with the best range of spirits and most exclusive premium editions. We are delighted to distribute Jim Beam 1795 exclusively and expect this limited edition to be very well received by our customers.”

The introduction of this new collector’s item from Jim Beam follows the launch in European travel retail of Red Stag in April 2011 and Devil’s Cut earlier this year. The company said the launch further demonstrates Beam’s commitment to growing the bourbon category through innovation and reinforces Jim Beam’s position as the world’s number-one bourbon.

Beam EMEA Travel Retail Business Manager Antony Kime said: “European travel retail is an important showcase for Jim Beam and Germany is our most important market. We are committed to leading the bourbon category and through our continuing innovation programme and outstanding activation in the market we will drive the brand’s strong growth still further.”

Maxxium Travel Retail Managing Director Glen Williams commented: “We have enjoyed a strong working relationship with Heinemann for many years and so are delighted to offer them this truly collectable ultra-premium edition. Jim Beam 1795 will reinforce customer loyalty and strengthen our position in the premium bourbon market.”

At BourbonBlog.com, we want to know what YOU think of James Bond reportedly forgoing his vodka martini for Heineken beer in the new film “Skyfall?” Tell us by responding here !

Should it be a Heineken or would you have picked another beer for Bond? We wamt to know.

According to TMZ, Daniel Craig appearing as James Bond will drink Heineken instead of his trademark vodka-martini. This decision for production placement netted the film for a reported $45 million.

As James Bond films have always been a friend to product placement, Absolut, Stolichnaya and Finlandia have been seen as featured vodkas in the past.  Bond has occasionally drank bourbon as well.

In “Goldfinger,” Bond drinks a mint julep at Auric Goldfinger’s Kentucky stud farm. In the film “GoldenEye,” Bond suggests cognac when offered a drink by M, who gives him bourbon instead.

Daniel Craig, recently told MovieFone that product placement is part of the Hollywood process stating, “We have relationships with a number of companies. The simple fact is that, without them, we couldn’t do it.”

George Lazenby, who starred as 007 in the 1969 “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” isn’t happy with this news. Lazenby told TMZ that cutting the martini in favor of a Heineken breaks a sacred tradition — and to add insult to injury, “It’s not the best beer out there, either.” He says, “it’s sad filmmakers will always “go where the money is.”

No matter what side you’re on, the good news for us is that Bond has always enjoyed drinking.  The famous Vesper cocktail was invented in Casino Royale, which you can learn to make here in both the original and revised expressions.  

Watch the trailer for “Skyfall” below, which will hit theaters in the U.S.A. on Nov. 9, 2012 and in the UK on October 26, 2012.

Photos courtesy United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures

Maker’s Mark Bourbon tells BourbonBlog.com that they have just released the new Maker’s 46 Blue and White bottle. This limited edition bottling of only around 9,000 can be found in Kentucky and surrounding states for now.  While Maker’s calls it the “Maker’s 46 Blue and White bottle,” University of Kentucky Wildcast fans have embraced this bottle and are calling it the “UK National Championship Bottle.”

We’ve already seen a few being sold on eBay under names which make reference to the U.K NCAA 2012 Championship title.

It is a fact that Maker’s Mark has worked closely with University of Kentucky in the past for themed bottles to help raise thousands of dollars for causes like Calipari Family Foundation for Children (CFFC) and also the UK Symphony Orchestra. This is the first limited edition bottling of Maker’s 46 with a unique color wax.

BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer interviewed UK Coach John Calipari two years ago about the John Calipari Maker’s Mark Limited Edition Blue Bottle, we’re including it below for you to watch.

More details to come, as we continue to learn more about the bottling we’ll bring it to you.

Special thanks Duke Brubaker

Click Below to Stream Interview with Tim Smith

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Moonshiner Tim Smith interviewed by BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer who takes us behind the scenes of the Discovery Channel show Moonshiners, listen this a podcast radio interview above.

For the latest on Moonshiners Season 2 and news on Tim Smith, subscribe to our mailing list here and we will send you the news first as the new season moves along.

We bring you this first interview of it’s kind with Tim Smith the week of the premiere of Moonshiners, which had 1.73 million viewers for the first episode, 3.2 million viewers for the 2nd episode. Additionally, the 2nd run of the first episode this past week drew another 2.2 million viewers!

For those of you who have been asking, “Is this show real? Are they really moonshining on Moonshiners and why aren’t they getting arrested?” we have a bit more insight for you from this interview.

In this interview, Tim also discusses the history of moonshine, why it is becoming a lost art, and shares his wisdom and stories.

Other real life characters in this reality type show include ABC law enforcement agent Jesse Tate and Tim’s team of “Tickle” and his son J.T.

At BourbonBlog.com, we are curious who YOU are rooting for and what do you think of the show? Post your reply in comments below.

Tim tells us he was working on the idea for this show for a long time. He also credits the birth of the show from others he met “at the right place at the right time.”

The last part of the inspiration for making this a show came when his father passed away. And around the same time moonshiners Barney Barnwell and Popcorn Sutton passed away.

Tim then believed this was his time to transition from being a moonshiner to legal moonshiners and distiller.

With this the new spotlight, and the goal of owning his own legal distillery and/or his own brand of moonshine, Tim invites you to visit his website TimSmithMoonshine.com .

We congratulate Tim, the complete cast, creators and producers on the success this new show. And Tim, we’ll look forward to tasting your moonshine!

In this interview, Tim Smith talks about his son J.T. and Tickle who also star on the show Moonshiners, Discovery Channel

Good guy or bad guy? You tell us. ABC Agent Jesse Tate is hunting the Moonshiners on the Discovery reality show Moonshiners

Barnstable Brown Gala 2010 Red Carpet interviews in the video below with Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn, super model Marisa Miller, Salt-N-Pepa and more! The Barnstable Brown Gala benefits the Barnstable Brown Kentucky Diabetes and Obesity Center at the University of Kentucky.

Featured in this video: Jerry O’Connell, Rebecca Romijn, super model Marisa Miller, Ashley Simpson, Pete Wentz, Tito, Marlon and Jackie Jackson, Salt-N-Pepa, Terry O’Quinn, University of Kentucky Basketball Coach John Calipari, Patrick Patterson, John Michael Montgomery, Taylor Dayne, Bode Miller, Maria Menounos, Allison Baver, and Diane Lane.

Special thanks to Cinephreak Pictures and Corky Coryell.

BourbonBlog.com joins Dennis Rodman as he DJs a live set along with Vic Latino at the Frazier International History Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. This was one of the hottest Derby-Eve parties we have ever attended. We also partied with professional poker players Phil Hellmuth and Robert Williamson III here.

Special thanks to Cinephreak Pictures, Kristy Buhr, GA Agency and Mike Willett. All photos by Jake Bilinski.