Woebegone Wednesday Entry level whiskey? Remember when whiskey made news with the release of single barrel Bourbons, deluxe decanters or Elvis bottles? Those days are gone. Now whiskey news is about new flavors. "Flavored whiskey has gone from niche to mainstream in less than a decade," declares "The Whiskey Wash" editor Beth Squires. Crown Royal leads that growth with a lineup that includes Apple, Peach, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, and now Chocolate, its big release for the holiday season this year. Jack Daniels started this trend in 2011 with Tennessee Honey aimed at new and female drinkers. Since then they added Tennessee Fire, Tennessee Apple and now, for Christmas 2025, Tennessee Blackberry. My Irish grandmother rolls in her grave. Scotch does not allow flavored whisky. In fact, it is forbidden by law. American whiskey exports to Canada are down 85% from this time last year... India, a great whiskey drinking nation, charges 150% tariffs on U.S. whiskeys... The U.S. market for whiskey drinking hit an all-time low last year of just 54% of adults.
Deals today • Waterfront stores' Wednesday special this week is John Dory, a wildly weird looking fish with buttery texture.
• Fareway is offering $5 rotisserie chicken on Wednesdays. Other days they cost about $9.
• Whatcha Smokin? (Highway 17, Luther) has a brisket burnt ends special on Wednesdays.
• The Bistro at Iowa Culinary Institute is open for its fall season in Building 7 of Des Moines Area Community College in Ankeny. Lunch will be served Wednesdays through Fridays till Dec. 5. $17 for a buffet or three course a la carte with a drink, 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
• Kelly's Little Nipper (1701 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines) offers any burger with a side for $10 on Wednesdays.
• Exile (1514 Walnut St., Des Moines) offers a $12 burger basket with fries and a beer on Wednesdays.
• Beaver Tap (4050 Urbandale Ave., Des Moines) offers $8 French toast or pancake breakfasts and $2 tacos, $9 wraps and $10 half pounds of wings on Wednesdays.
• Johnny's Italian Steakhouses have a chicken Madeira special on Wednesdays before 4 p.m., $15 including beverage.
• Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road) offers 10 wings for $10 on Wednesdays.
• Smoking Goat Pub (3015 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines) has a $10 classic burger and beer all day.
• Wednesdays bring steak night to Club 2000 (422 Indianola Road, Des Moines). Steaks are cooked to order with salad, potato and bread, $14.99.
• G Mig's (128 Fifth St., Valley Junction) offers a special five cheese tortellini dinner with chicken in a garlic Alfredo sauce plus salad and garlic bread for $19.25.
• Barntown's (9500 S.E. University Ave., West Des Moines) Wednesday specials are a pound of chicken tenders with fries and two sauces for $11.99, plus $13 core pitchers of beer.
• Wednesday is Biryani Festival at Chowrastha (5910 Ashworth Road, West Des Moines). Buy two, and a third is free.
• Tacos Mariana's (1305 University Ave., Des Moines) and The Station (3124 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) have specials on tacos today.
• Panka Peruvian (2708 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines) has live jazz Wednesday.
• Chuck's (3610 Sixth Ave., Des Moines) offers $5 off pizza on Wednesdays.
• On Wednesdays, you can get any burger with fries for $10.99 at Tito's Lounge (3916 N.W. Urbandale Drive, Urbandale).
• Jethro's have $9.95 BPT sandwiches, including a side of choice, on Wednesdays. • Hy-Vee Market Grilles are offering a cheeseburger and fries Wednesday special for $8.
• Fresh Thyme (2900 University Ave., West Des Moines) begins a week-long sale on King salmon filets at $21.99/pound and Atlantic salmon filets at $6.99/pound, plus BOGOs on over 200 items.
• Price Choppers are running sales on russet potatoes at $2.99/10-pound bag, swai or pollock frozen fillets at $3.49/pound, red grapes at $1.49/pound and winter squash at 88 cents/pound.
— Jim Duncan, jd91446@aol.com |