Spotlight Brand

Every so often, I highlight a "brand." Choose a miner to help you find the gold

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I think it is neat when you shake up a bottle of Goldschlager and see all the gold flakes floating around. Here is a brief history:

Goldschläger is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (43.5% alcohol by volume or 87 proof; originally it was 53.5% alcohol or 107 proof), a liqueur with very thin, yet visible flakes of 24-karat gold floating in it. The actual amount of gold has been measured at approximately 13 milligrams (0.20 grains) in a one-litre bottle. As of July 2025, this amounts to €1.20/US$1.40 on the international gold market.

Goldschläger has its origins in goldwasser, a gold-infused liqueur first created in Poland in 1606. The German word Goldschläger ("gold beater") refers to the profession of gold leaf makers who beat bars of gold into extremely thin sheets. The Goldschläger brand was introduced in Switzerland in the 1990s and quickly peaked in popularity as a shots drink throughout the '90s, before being overtaken in popularity by Jägermeister and eventually cocktails. In the 1990s, the brand was acquired by British company Diageo, which moved production to Italy, but eventually returned to Switzerland. In November 2018, Diageo sold Goldschläger as part of a 19-brand portfolio of spirits brands to the New Orleans–based U.S. distiller Sazerac Company in a $550 million deal. Production was moved to Montreal. In 2023, Sazerac re-released the original high proof version, named Goldschläger 107.

While the Sazerac Company does not publish an ingredients list, elsewhere it is reported to be made of a neutral grain spirit, cinnamon, herbs, and spices. It is recommended to be served neat, chilled, over ice (chilling may reduce the burning quality and enhance its refreshing nature), or in cocktails.

Are you ready for the second highlighted brand? Choose the correct bird for an Easter egg.

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Teacher's (86% Proof) 2_edited_edited.png

My wife and I started teaching in 1971 and retired in 2004. We both enjoyed working with the students we taught so it should be of no surprise that I chose Teachers Scotch as a brand to highlight. A brief history follows:

In 1830, William Teacher took advantage of the new "Excise Act" and began selling whisky. From 1832 he was selling it from his wife's grocery shop in Glasgow. By 1856, with help from his sons, he was granted a license for consumption and opened his own dram shop. He died in 1876, leaving his two sons William Jr and Adam in charge of the company, known as William Teacher & Sons Ltd. They moved the business to St. Enoch Square, where it remained until 1991. The company opened its Ardmore distillery in 1898, ensuring a guaranteed supply of Scotch for its Teacher's Highland Cream blend. The brand entered the US market after the end of Prohibition in the United States; the first shipment of Teacher's was sent on the Cunard steamer Scythia. Teacher & Sons acquired the Glendronach distillery in 1960 and built a modern blending and bottling plant in Glasgow in 1962.

In 1976, Teacher & Sons was bought by Allied Breweries, which became part of Allied Lyons in 1978 and then Allied Domecq in 1994. The Glendronach distillery was shut down in 1996 and was later sold off to Chivas Brothers after being reopened in 2002. In 2005, Allied Domecq was taken over by Pernod Ricard. Beam Inc. acquired Ardmore and the Teacher's brand, along with Laphroaig distillery on Islay. In 2014, Beam was purchased by Suntory to form Beam Suntory.

My idea of "Working from Home."

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