PRODUCTS & PACKAGING.

Remy Amerique has relaunched its Mount Gay "Extra Old" Rum. Packaged in a new embossed bottle with a cork finish and a foil capsule, it is a blend of single- and double-distilled spirits selected from Mount Gay's aged rum reserves in Barbados. The rum is aged in charred-oak barrels, giving it a lightly smoked and rich oak character. Extra Old will retail for about $35.

The latest entry into the vodka marketplace comes from Sweden. Svedka Vodka, imported by Spirits Marque One, is being kicked off with a provocative "Try Something Swedish Tonight" promotional campaign. The company says the vodka is made from wheat harvested in Sweden, distilled with a process that removes all but a trace of impurities and then blended with pure Swedish polar spring water. The premium vodka is available in 750 ml bottles ($11.99 suggested retail), 1 liter ($13.99) and 1.75 liter ($20.99).

A new ultra-premium tequila has crossed the border. Don Alejo Premium Reserve Tequila, imported by Agave Imports based in Tucson, AZ, uses 100% blue agave and traditional artisan distilling methods. The crystal-clear Tequila Blanco is bottled straight from the copper pot still while the Tequila Reposado gets its golden hue from spending up to six months in white oak barrels.

Remy Amerique has introduced a new fruit-flavored liqueur, Remy Red. A combination of Remy Martin Fine Champagne Cognac, red currant, peach and apricot juices with a touch of guarana and ginseng, the company says Remy Red is refreshing over ice or complementing any mixer. The liqueur has a suggested retail of about $17.

1800 Tequila has introduced the 1800 Millennium Single Barrel Tequila, from UDV North America. The tequila will only be available for purchase by the barrel with a suggested retail price of $18,000. Each barrel yields 288 750 ml bottles. Each bottle will be marked in raised lettering "1800 Single Barrel -- The Millennium Tequila." Original barrels will be shipped to purchasers along with the bottled tequila and a replica 5-liter barrel for display.

The Lungarotti Winery of Umbria has announced the December release of its millennium collection wines, including the Rubesco Riserva Monticchio DOCG and San Giorgio IGT from the 1990 vintage. Available exclusively through Paterno Imports, the single-vineyard Rubesco Riserva Monticchio is a blend of canaiolo and sangiovese with a suggested retail price of $35 per bottle, while the San Giorgio is a blend of canaiolo, sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon, $49 per bottle.

Georges Duboeuf 1997 Moulin a Vent commemorates historic windmill which gave the appellation its name with a special label. To mark the 75th anniversary of the appellation, a necker card on every bottle of the wine, suggested retail of $15, will tell the story of the windmill and its restoration.

The House of Angostura has introduced its new superpremium 12-year-old rum, Angostura 1824. The reserve Trinidad rum is aged in heavy charred oak casks, then hand-blended and hand-filled in small batches. Each bottle is individually numbered, finished in cork and sealed in wax.

Corus Brands has released the 1995 Millennium, an ultra-premium Bordeaux-style red wine created by three top Washington winemakers. The limited production for 1995 Millennium includes 460 cases. Each bottle is hand-labeled with a copper emblem. Suggested retail price is $75 per bottle.