With the 20th anniversary of his death coming up in December, Dimebag Darrell is being honoured with a range of whiskey in his name.
The late guitar legend’s partner Rita Haney has set up a new brand called Blacktooth Beverages, which will feature a mixture of aged whiskey blends and pre-made alcoholic drinks that speak to “the rebellion, creativity and unifying nature” of the Pantera man. It’s being launched in a few weeks, on August 20 - what would have been Dimebag’s 58th birthday.
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It’s fair to say Dimebag liked his whiskey – back in the '90s he invented his own Black Tooth Grin cocktail, which contains a double shot of Seagrams 7, a double shot of Crown Royal and a splash of coke on ice.
“Darrell always wanted his own whiskey, we talked about it a lot together,” Haney said in a statement. “I have handwritten notes and lists, with his ideas and drawings, Blacktooth was always part of those goals he wanted to reach.
"Dime was always about unity, whether it be brought around through music or good cocktails. He loved to pour ‘em up and Watch It Go! He was always about a damn good time! I think this whiskey represents his essence very well.”
"Rita is truly honouring Dimebag's legacy in every sense with Blacktooth Beverages,” Blacktooth Director of Operations Brent Hamilton said. “I feel that fans will appreciate the time and effort she has spent developing an authentic ‘Blacktooth’ taste profile. The initial response has been beyond exciting. I’m honoured to be a part of Blacktooth and to be able to finally share it with the fans."
It’s nearly two decades when the metal musician’s life was brought to a premature end when a crazed fan shot him on stage in Columbus, Ohio. But he hasn’t been forgotten. Since 2010 there has been an annual Dimebash concert in honour of his memory which has seen musicians as varied as Dave Grohl, Tom Morello and Serj Tankian pay tribute to the man and he has been a consistent presence whenever there have been lists of All Time Great Guitarists or All Time Metal Guitarists. His signature Warhead amp is set to be reissued soon, although no release date has been confirmed yet.
In the meantime, his memory can be toasted the way he would have appreciated. For more details on the Blacktooth range go over to their website here.
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