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12 / the tasting panel / august 2009 Industry Spotlight SWS of America Appoints Tim Condron VP Sales and Marketing B eam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. and Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. jointly announced the appointment of Tim Condron to Southern as VP Sales & Market- ing for the Beam Global portfolio. Condron joins Southern from Beam Global, where he most recently served as Group VP of Nation- al Accounts and Sales Strategy. In his new role at Southern, Condron will be responsible for accelerating the growth of Beam Global's brands, focus- ing on national accounts. Southern distributes Beam Global's portfolio of brands in 21 states. "Tim has been, and will con- tinue to be, a critical member of our Beam Global family," states Bill Newlands, President of Beam Global's U.S. busi- ness. Ultimately, this appoint- ment further strengthens our relationship with Southern and our 'BeAmerica' strat- egy of doing business—to be 'Smarter. Faster. Better' for our customers." "With Southern represent- ing more than 50 percent of Beam's U.S. business, we want- ed to ensure we were focusing our top resources on Beam Global's leading brands such as Jim Beam, Hornitos, Maker's Mark and Cruzan, among the many other brands," says Brad Vassar, Executive Vice President/General Manager of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. Condron will report directly to Kevin Fen- nessey, Senior VP, Marketing of SWS of America, Inc. Casa Noble Tequila Sponsors L.A. Film Festival I n mid- June, the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) had its kick-off party at the new 13,000-square- foot BOA Steakhouse at Luckman Plaza on Sunset Boulevard. Close to 300 guests were in attendance at the Casa Noble tequila–sponsored event. Two signature Casa Noble cocktails were served throughout the evening at the main bar: The Nobelita (Casa Noble Crystal tequila, fresh pome- granate juice and organic orange Juice) and the Teqtonic (Casa Noble Crystal tequila and a splash of tonic). Recipes and more are available at www. casanoble.com. Introducing . . . Elyssia Casa Noble co-owner/ President David Ravandi with Scarlett Johansson. CREDIT: PHOTO: JOHN SHEARER Absolut & The Silver Screen A bsolut vodka partnered with Fox Search- light to co-host the world premiere of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival sensation, (500) Days of Summer. The star-studded invite-only screening and party for 650 guests was held under the stars at the classic Egyptian Theatre in Hol- lywood on June 25. As guests arrived, they were treated to a refreshing glass of the Absolut (500) Days of Summer cocktail. Following the screen- ing, guests were escorted to a courtyard convert- ed to look like a downtown rooftop, where they enjoyed a range of Absolut specialty cocktails. Zooey Deschanel on the Absolut carpet at the premiere of (500) Days of Summer. PHOTO: ALEX WYMAN, WIREIMAGE FOR PRUSA screen gems E lyssia by Freixenet is a new ultra-premium line of cavas that represents Spain's increasing openness to international varietals. In a remark- able departure for the century-old winemaking company, Elyssia by Freixenet blends classic varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay with traditional cava grapes. Currently available at U.S. distributors and the fi rst cuvée to be released, Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut ($17, 750 ml.), is a non-vintage sparkling rosado comprised of estate-grown Pinot Noir (85%) with a touch of Trepat (15%). A second cava, Elyssia Gran Cuvée Brut NV, is slated for release in September. Line-priced with the Pinot Noir Brut, Elyssia Gran Cuvée Brut is a blend of Chardonnay, Macabeo, Parellada and Pinot Noir.