The annual Ultimate Spirits Challenge (USC) was held at Astor Center in New York City on March 5-9, 2012. Ultimate Beverage Challenge LLC, the sponsoring company, has now announces the top spirits in more than 30 categories. USC began with a record number of contestants as more than 650 spirits were entered (up 15% from 2011) from more than 70 companies and 30 countries around the world.

Led by Ultimate Beverage Challenge (UBC) Founder and Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult and Judging Co-Chairman Sean Ludford, fourteen of the world’s foremost distilled spirits authorities, including award-winning authors, spirits buyers, journalists, educators, bar owners and consultants rated the world’s finest distillates on USC’s innovative multilevel system, rendering the most unassailable results in the industry. This remarkable super-group of experts named 31 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman’s Trophy winners and more than 80 Finalists.

Judges for USC 2012 were: Chairman F. Paul Pacult , Co-Chairman Sean Ludford , Jacques Bezuidenhout , Tad Carducci , James Conley , Dale DeGroff , Doug Frost, MS, MW, Jim Meehan , Steve Olson , Julie Reiner , Jack Robertiello , Andy Seymour , Marcos Tello and David Wondrich .

Said UBC Founder F. Paul Pacult, “Since we started Ultimate Spirits Challenge we have seen double digit growth in number of entries each year. Whether a product receives a Chairman’s Trophy Winner, a Finalist or a regular score, USC entrants are able to use their credible scores and insightful tasting notes to market and sell their products to bars, retailers and ultimately the consumer. USC is in the business of helping spirits companies achieve their sales goals, not by pandering to false aspirations but by telling the truth. With USC, you know the score.”

For a complete list of results, scores and downloadable images, go to www.ultimate-beverage.com/usc2012results/

2012 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE CHAIRMAN’S TROPHY WINNERS

VODKA – UNFLAVORED: Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium

VODKA – FLAVORED: BAK’s Bison Grass Zubrowka

GIN: Plymouth

GENEVER: Bols Barrel Aged

TEQUILA – 100% AGAVE
BLANCO: Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Silver
REPOSADO: Ambhar
ANEJO: Siete Laguas
EXTRA ANEJO: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia

MEZCAL: Del Maguey Vida Single Village

RUM: Appleton Estate Reserve

RHUM AGRICOLE: Rhum J.M. White

CACHACA: INOX Original

WHISK(E)Y – NORTH AMERICA
AMERICAN WHISKEY: Balcones “1″ Texas Single Malt
BOURBON: Blanton’s Single Barrel
RYE: Masterson’s
TENNESSEE WHISKEY: George Dickel Barrel Select

WHISKEY - IRELAND
BLENDED: Midleton Barry Crockett
IRISH POT STILL WHISKEY: Redbreast Cask Strength 12 Years Old
SINGLE MALT: Bushmills 16 Years Old

WHISKY - SCOTLAND
BLENDED MALT: Johnnie Walker Green Label
BLENDED: Buchanan’s Special Reserve 18 Years Old
SINGLE MALT: Caol Ila 12 Years Old

WHISKY - CANADA: Caribou Crossing Single Barrel

WHISKY – WORLD: Japan, Yamazaki Single Malt 18 Years Old

BRANDY
ARMAGNAC: Delord 1978
CALVADOS: Calvados Drouin 25 Years Old
COGNAC: Frapin Chateau Fontpinot XO
GRAPPA: Jacopo Poli Sarpa Barrique
PISCO: Pisco Porton

LIQUEUR: Green Chartreuse

APERITIF: Lise Baccara Troussepinete Red

UBC’s next 2012 Challenges:

• Ultimate Wine Challenge, April 23-27, 2012. Click here for more information.
• Ultimate Cocktail Challenge, consisting of Classic Cocktail Challenge and Signature Cocktail Challenge, June 4-8, 2012. Click here for more information.

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As Academy Award voters mark their ballots, researchers at the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center released a study measuring a movie’s power to change the behavior of people who see it. Using an innovative instrument developed by the Lear Center, the study of more than 20,000 people found that those who saw the 2010 Oscar nominee Food had significantly changed their eating and food shopping habits.

Food viewers were significantly more likely to:

• encourage their friends, family & colleagues to learn more about food safety
• shop at their local farmers market
• eat healthy food
• consistently buy organic or sustainable food

This was compared to non-viewers who were virtually identical in 17 traits, including their degree of interest in sustainable agriculture and their past efforts to improve food safety.

The Lear Center’s new survey methodology adapts propensity score matching techniques used in clinical research as well as communication studies. It specifically addresses the key problem of “selection bias” among movie viewers: only certain people choose to see certain films, making it very difficult for researchers to expose people randomly to a movie and to determine the actual impact of the film.

The Lear Center’s methodology enables researchers with a large number of survey respondents to create a detailed profile of likely viewers of a film, and to compare very similar viewers who saw the film with those who did not. Unlike typical survey research, this method allows researchers to construct something similar to a classic study design where individuals are randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group.

“Filmmakers who want their movies to impact people’s opinions or behavior now have a way to find that out,” said Johanna Blakley, managing director and director of research at the Norman Lear Center, and the principal investigator for this study. “Over half of Food viewers said, ‘This film changed my life.’ Our research tells us exactly how those lives were changed.”

“Entertainment affects audiences,” said USC Annenberg Professor and Lear Center Director Martin Kaplan. “The challenge for scholars has been measuring that impact, especially for mass media, without requiring a fortune to spend on valid datasets. With this new Lear Center approach, we’re now able to move ahead with studies of the effects of more movies, both documentaries and scripted features.”

Food, director Robert Kenner said, “As a filmmaker, it’s both encouraging and gratifying to see quantitative results that these films have a profound impact. I am thankful to Blakley and USC for their thoughtful research and analysis.”

Additional findings about Food, viewers included a significantly higher likelihood to contribute time or money to support organized efforts around:

• improving the treatment of animals in the food industry
• improving food and drinks served in schools
• passing legislation that improves food safety
• passing legislation that offers fair wages and job protection to farm workers and food processors

Funding for the study, which was independently designed, conducted and released by the Norman Lear Center, was provided by Participant Media, the company that co-financed Food, as well as the current Best Picture nominee The Help.

The research team included principal investigator Johanna Blakley, PhD, and a team of research analysts: chief research consultant Sheena Nahm, PhD, MPH and USC doctoral students Grace Huang, MPH;Heesung Shin, MPH, and LeeAnn Sangalang.

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USC quarterback, Matt Barkley, has decided to don the Trojan red and yellow for one last season. On Thursday afternoon, the 21-year-old declared that he will not enroll in the 2012 NFL Draft, opting instead to return for his senior year in Los Angeles. Barkley broke the news in a nationally televised event held in the campus’ Heritage Hall with his family, girlfriend, head coach, the USC marching band, and many others in attendance.

When discussing the two options before him, he began by speaking optimistically of his future at the next level. “I am prepared to play quarterback in the NFL,” said Barkley. “It is my dream to play quarterback in the NFL – and I intend to make that dream a reality.” While this initially sounded like a young man that had decided to move on, Barkley would take everyone by surprise and suddenly go in the exact opposite direction.

“But, I know in my heart, that I have not yet finished my journey as a Trojan football player,” said Barkley. “Our USC football team has been through some tough times, and we have persevered. This 2012 team has some serious unfinished business to attend to, and I plan to play a part in it. I have firmly decided to forgo the 2012 NFL draft and finish that.”

The conclusion of that statement quickly brought about wild cheers along with a celebratory tune played by the band. For the first time in two years, the USC football program had good news for their loyal family. Sanctions handed down by the NCAA in 2010 banned the school’s bowl eligibility for the past two years. Barkley’s return will now give him the opportunity to lead the school to its first bowl since defeating Boston College in the 2009 Emerald Bowl.  With USC retaining most of its starters for next season, a national title run after this year’s 10-2 finish could be an inspiration as well.

Head coach, Lane Kiffin, was not shocked at all by Barkley’s announcement. Kiffin had paid Barkley a visit at his home the previous night, and his quarterback gave him a gold Christmas ornament. Displayed on the front of the ornament was a picture of the two embracing after this year’s victory over Colorado. After being told to turn it around, Kiffin found the words, “One More Year”, written on the back and immediately rejoiced.

Kiffin has tremendous respect for Barkley, knowing that most star athletes would not pass up the opportunity to begin making millions of guaranteed dollars and play professionally. “This is a special, special college student-athlete story,” said Kiffin. “To be a part of this story is unbelievable for all of us involved.”

Barkley had an outstanding junior year and was projected to be an early first round pick in the upcoming draft. In 2011, he threw for 3,528 yards along with 39 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III were regarded as the only two quarterbacks that could have possibly been selected before him.

However, Barkley is not expected to hurt his draft stock at all by remaining in school. In fact, experts believe that he will be even more prepared for the 2013 NFL Draft and will actually be selected with the number one overall pick. Being a potential frontrunner for next year’s Heisman Trophy does not sound too bad either.

Barkley did not listen to those who believed that this was the wrong route to take. His ultimate goal is to help contribute to the winning tradition established by the historic USC program. All eyes will now effectively be on him in 2012 to see if he is successful in doing so, like those who occupied this prestigious position before him – current NFL quarterbacks, Mark Sanchez, Matt Leinart, and Carson Palmer.

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