“So you’re out for a night on the town enjoying a few cocktails with friends and it’s time to go home. You do the responsible thing in deciding not to drive, hopping into the first cab you find. Imagine your surprise when you find NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray behind the wheel, eager to get you home in one piece. It will happen Thursday night in Fort Worth, Texas, when McMurray plays designated driver in a promotion for sponsor Crown Royal. Sponsors often come up with catchy promotions that market their driver and whatever message they are trying to get out, and this one will likely be a winner.”

– The Associated Press, April 4, 2006

The quote says it all and I can�?Tt help, but to feel proud when I reflect upon what the Crown Royal �??Safe Rides�?T home program has come to represent for NASCAR fans and Diageo alike. To be able to deliver such an important message promoting responsible drinking while simultaneously giving fans an experience of a lifetime is truly remarkable. Created in 2003, first with Smirnoff ICE and now with Crown Royal, the �??Safe Rides�?T home initiative has become one of the cornerstones of our NASCAR sponsorship, as we seek to reach millions of race fans with our “Be a Champion. Drink Responsibly.” campaign.

What makes this initiative so special is how it enables us to use our sponsorship and driver Jamie McMurray to engage fans in a meaningful way. In other words, for the NASCAR fan this program is really cool�?�

How it works is that throughout the NASCAR season Crown Royal will descend to a select downtown area ahead of the weekends race and wrap a fleet of Ford Fusions with a paint scheme to replicate the #26 Crown Royal car that runs in the race. Jamie McMurray then comes down and actually steps in as an honorary cab driver to get people �?’ who may have had too much to drink �?’ a safe ride home. Ok, even if you�?Tre not a fan, you have to admit that it�?Ts a pretty cool program and one that definitely would catch a few eyes and make people take notice.

To witness the shock and sheer exhilaration on a fans face when they realize they are going to actually get a ride home from Jamie is a sight to be seen. Most might say “big deal,” but to a NASCAR fan this is a moment to be cherished and savored, as they are in the midst of someone they respect and admire. For Crown Royal and Diageo, we feel exuberant because it�?Ts the moment when we have had a real impact and reached yet another fan with our message of responsible drinking�?� And most importantly, got them home safe in the process. One thing is for certain, with 75 million fans - more than 80% of which are above 21 �?’ NASCAR is an amazing platform for us to touch millions and promote responsible drinking.

So with the 2006 season behind us, we look forward to 2007 when the #26 Crown Royal Ford Fusion will once again hit the track at the Daytona 500. And if you�?Tre ever in town for a race, pay attention the next time you hop in a cab because it just might be Jamie McMurray steering the ship.

I watch them on TV and see the headlines in the newspaper.eight more soldiers killed in Iraq, 20 more soldiers injured in Afghanistan.and feel somewhat numb.  Sure, I feel angry.  And of course I feel terrible for their families - but it is just another day of news, and after awhile, the headlines sort of blur together.  What I didn’t expect was their humor. They told stories about the war, their wives, their injuries, their kids..and through it all - they found humor in everything.

I have become a food label-reading fanatic.  Its true.  I can tell you the calories, fat, sugar and fiber in almost any food.

I don’t just do this because I have too much time on my hands (I wish!). I am really trying to live a healthier lifestyle – exercise, vitamins, drink minimum 8 glasses of water and watch what I eat.  I want to look good, but equally important, I want to feel good – why else would anyone do hot yoga?

So why is it that I can look at any food product in the grocery and read the serving facts, but I cannot do that for my alcohol of choice?  I want to know how many grams of fat are in Bailey’s.  I want to know how many carbs are in Guinness.  I want to know how many calories are in my cabernet.

The fact is that Diageo supports VOLUNTARY serving facts labeling and has requested that the TTB (the government agency that regulates the alcohol industry) allow it to print on its labels serving facts. To date, its requests have been denied.
Why?  Why would a governmental agency not want consumers to know what they are consuming?  Wouldn’t that only lead to making better decisions about what to drink or what not to drink?

Darryl Worley’s words, music and convictions personify what Diageo’s Spirit of the Americas program is all about. From the men and women in uniform, to the disenfranchised; in the confusing times that politics or acts of God may transform lives forevermore, we humbly aim to let people know we have their backs during periods where and when they need it most.

I also attended the event at Walter Reed Hospital. And, yes, the star attraction was country singer Darryl Worley, however the real stars were the troops themselves. Many of them were young and even though injured, in some cases quite badly, I was struck by the optimism that they had for their future and the sense of belonging to their units. Although I think that we did the right thing by bringing them some entertainment while they are going through recovery I could not help feeling concerned that once they leave the security of their ‘unit’ and return home they will be away from their support mechanism and that this is when they will be vulnerable. Let’s hope that the same mistakes of 30 years ago are not repeated.

My entry today is one of a more personal nature and has less to do with industry practices and more to do with the importance of remembering, honoring, and taking time to thank our servicemen and women fighting overseas.

On December 9th, our company sponsored what I think was one of the most meaningful venues as any I’ve ever been a part of.  There are many worthwhile charities spanning throughout our great country, particularly during the holiday season when we are by and large feeling more charitable, but as an  incredibly passionate supporter of our nation’s servicemen and women, when our company proposed exchanging our traditional holiday party in favor of hosting a concert and luncheon for injured U.S. soldiers currently residing and rehabilitating at Walter Reed Memorial Hospital outside the nation’s capitol, there simply was no indecision on my or our team’s part to do so.

So working for a global company has its perks.  One of those is the relationships we forge through our brands with celebrities. Darryl Worley, a chart topping country musician who is revered in the US Armed Forces realm as a true activist for our troops, and whose lyrics literally speak to and for so many servicemen and women, agreed to hold a private concert hosted by DIAGEO and the USO. 

Last Sunday, an audience of largely war torn, physically struggling but ever so honorable young men and women intently sat, listened, and sang along as Darryl so willingly gave his time to entertain these heroes for the afternoon. Tears and gratitude for this day of enjoyment were spoken over and over again, but I can’t  help but wonder, do they have any idea that the sincere appreciation came from our ability to do it? The joy and gratitude we felt to have this honor and ability to express our thanks for their service is beyond description. Their lives are indeed forever changed by their service and sacrifices, and after spending time with them this brief afternoon, mine is too.

If you think your income taxes or your property are too high consider for a moment the tax burden on the average American when he or she purchases a bottle of spirits.  On average combined federal and state excise taxes alone (not counting sales and other taxes that apply) account for 26 percent of the price of a bottle of spirits.  For a bottle of wine that number is 8 percent and for a six pack of beer it’s 9 percent.

While lawmakers are generally hesitant to raise income, property or sales taxes they are less so when it comes to spirits.  In any given year excise tax increases are introduced in two to three dozen states.  And they are introduced in states that are running budget surpluses, in other words, states that don’t need the money.  In fact, since 1980 excise taxes at the state level have been raised a whopping 99 times.

Many states’ legislatures will be reconvening next month and lawmakers will begin grappling with state budget issues.  If the past is any blueprint for the future we can expect dozens of proposals that will increase taxes on beer, wine and spirits.  We will continue to fight these proposals and hold the line on what already amounts to excessive taxation on the distilled spirits industry and our consumers.

With the holiday season in full swing I’m sure that if you’re like me, your schedule is already booked with numerous invitations to holiday parties given by your company, business associates, friends and family. Dust off that TiVo receiver because the days of wiling away an evening in front of the TV set with a bowl of popcorn are over! Who has the time to be a couch potato when there’s shopping to be done (for those of us who don’t get it done months in advance), schedules to juggle and parties, parties, parties!

With all the festivities comes tons of food, tons of carbs and tons of calories. If you don’t want to forgo your Aunt Mabel’s famous fruitcake,  try this – Zero Carb cocktails!

Just pair Crown Royal® Whiskey, Johnnie Walker® Scotch Whiskey, Jose Cuervo® Tequila, Smirnoff® Vodka or Tanqueray® Gin with your favorite diet soda or a splash of water or tonic and you’ll have a beverage that tastes great with zero carbs per serving.

So when you’re watching what you eat at one of this season’s holiday parties, watch what you drink too. Here are a few suggestions for low carb cocktails made with 1½  ounces of premium spirits… 

Smirnoff Martini

Tanqueray and diet tonic

Crown Royal and soda

Johnny Walker and diet ginger ale

Cuervo and diet coke or diet ginger ale

Food, nonalcoholic beverages, drugs, and even dietary supplements all provide basic consumer facts about the product on the label. Alcohol beverages are the only major category of consumable product that is forbidden by the government from disclosing this kind of helpful information. I believe it is time for the government to allow those beverage alcohol companies that want to modernize their product labels to do so without any more hesitation. Public interests are served when consumers get more information of this nature:

Recent studies show consumers are in favor of more information on beverage alcohol labels:

74% of drinkers read nutritional information on packaged food at least some of the time.

66% claim nutritional information has at least some impact on what they decide to purchase.

A significant 67.5% majority believe that nutritional information should be provided on alcohol beverage packages

There is nothing misleading or deceptive about disclosing the amount of alcohol a serving of beverage alcohol contains. In fact, nothing can be more important than placing the amount of alcohol per serving on the very product containers that the consumer will hold and examine, purchase and consume. That is why two former Secretaries of Health and Human Services (Joseph Califano and Luis Sullivan) and two former Surgeons General (Julius Richmond and David Satcher) have called for voluntary industry labeling.

Label modernization has been under review by the Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau at the U.S. Department of Treasury for nearly three years. Over one hundred health, consumer, law enforcement, education and governmental entities support providing this type of information on alcohol labels. These include the American Dietetic Association, Shape Up America, the National Consumers League, the American Medical Association, the National Taxpayers Union and the Federal Trade Commission.

The time for action is long overdue.

According to thebar.com’s “Toasts and Tastes” survey that came out on December 6, a lot of people - 60 percent of respondents  — would be happy to receive wine, spirits or beer as a corporate gift this holiday season. Add me to the list.

Like many people who participate in the gift-giving tradition in December, I’m not done with my gift shopping.  I don’t have a lot of anxiety about gifts for the adults on my list, though, since I am purchasing a wine or spirits for many of them.

The recipients of my gifts of wine or spirits always seem appreciative.  And if you think it’s repetitive to give the same type of gift every year, I would say that I think it is better than the vast multitude of decorative scented gift candles that are “on deck” in my basement waiting to be called into use.  (It’s safe to bet I’m not the only one out their with an extensive candle collection.)

And, as a host, I do like to see a bottle of wine coming in the door as a gift.  If I don’t particularly like the selection, I can always cook with it and use the cork for the bulletin board I’m making.  I’m don’t usually re-gift, buy you can do that easily with wine and spirits.  A new gift bag, and presto

So, there is still time to get that bottle.  I recommend Bailey’s — always a perfect gift, and now there are new flavors - mint chocolate and caramel - to make your gift even more interesting.

Happy holidays.