Light vs. Lite

(This blog post refers only to "light" and "lite" when it comes to food and drinks. Obviously there are other definitions for both. The Online Etymology Dictionary helped me out with the specifics.)

Our new, awesome Mount Royal Light t-shirts sparked a question…

Q: Why are some foods and alcohols named “light” and others are “lite”?

The Online Etymology Dictionary listed light and lite as the following:

Light: not heavy; light in weight.

Lite: alternative spelling of light by 1962. Used from at least 1917 in product names, often as a variation of light.

I found several comments listing the meanings that the words light or lite on a package or in a brand name could mean from various websites.

• A third fewer calories, or no more than half the fat, of the original version of the product.
• No more than half the sodium compared to the original version of the product.
• A lighter color or texture — this does not affect the nutrition of the product.

In Mount Royal Light’s case, it’s a third fewer calories and a third less alcohol. My point is, there is not really a big difference between the two words when it comes to describing a brand. It has to do more with what the company prefers to call their product. Light has several other definitions and uses and in those cases, lite would not make sense to use.

The Grammarist blog says, “If you want to be safe, use it only in reference to low-calorie or low-fat versions of things.”

Take me out to the ball game!

In honor of Milwaukee’s favorite baseball team’s Opening Day 2012, we have a baseball themed blog post! As I stated way back when, I’m still learning about whisky and all its glory. I stumbled upon an interesting bit of Mount Royal Light history.

Let me take you back to the year 1989. Mount Royal Light was a brand new product being distilled by Seagram. It was introduced to test markets in Wisconsin, New York, Colorado, Tennessee and Massachusetts in the fall of 1989 and summer of 1990.

On January 9th, 1989, Carl Yastrzemski and Johnny Bench were “elected into the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in their first year of eligibility.* Yastrzemski, affectionately known as “Yaz” was a left fielder and first baseman for the Boston Red Sox for his entire 22 years in the major league (1961-1983). 

Carl Yastrzemski throwing the first pitch before game one of the World Series: Cardinals v Red Sox on October 23, 2004

Yaz struck up a deal with the Seagram Company and began endorsing Mount Royal Light. Press releases were sent out to publications around the States:

You’ve heard of Michael Jackson’s Victory Tour, The Police Synchronicity Tour and Madonna’s Material Girl Tour … Now baseball great Carl Yastrzemski is set to embark on a tour of his own: ‘The 1989 Seagram’s Mount Royal Light ‘Yaz’ Hall of Fame Tour…’

The famed ‘Yaz’ will be ‘grandstanding’ in Boston to introduce Seagram’s Mount Royal Light — the first distilled spirit with less calories and less alcohol AND authentic whiskey taste. Although on an extremely tight schedule we’d like to arrange a time for you to meet with Carl and get his thoughts on his coming Hall of Fame induction and why he believes Seagram’s Mount Royal Light is a good product for today’s active lifestyles.

Reactions from critics as far as Yaz endorsing the alcohol were a little indecisive. But according to a Seagram representative, Mount Royal Light was “done fabulously well so far.”

How great would it be if one of Milwaukee’s finest baseball players endorsed Mount Royal Light? I would Photoshop an image of one or a few of them with some MRL and post it… but I’d rather not get sued! Just sayin’…wouldn’t it be nice?!

For more reading on the team with the running sausages and baseball in general, check out this blog.

HAPPY TAILGATING BASEBALL FANS!!

Is Mount Royal Light Gluten-free?

There have been no reports of allergic reactions to Mount Royal Light but we cannot claim that it is gluten-free due to TTB regulations.

We’ve been asked a few times if Mount Royal Light is gluten-free. After a bit of exploring and asking the Sazerac reps here’s your answer:

Gluten is the protein-containing part of grain. Wheat gluten is what people are most concerned about, especially those with Celiac disease. All of our domestic vodkas are produced from corn. Weller and Van Winkle products do have wheat in the recipe; however our other Bourbons only use corn, barley and rye.

Other countries have determined that distilled products with no additives (vodka, bourbon, tequila) can be considered gluten-free as they are pure distilled products. United States has not made such a ruling, yet. To the best of our knowledge, the distillation removes or denatures the proteins and gluten associated with the starting grains.

Until very recently it was against regulations for any alcohol beverage to advertise as “Gluten-free.” The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury has just come out with a ruling for producers to start voluntarily labeling products that contain one of the eight major allergens: wheat, milk, eggs, soybeans, peanuts, treenuts, fish, and shellfish. We expect that this regulation will soon become mandatory.

We have not heard of any adverse allergic reactions nor had any complaints from celiac patients to our products. However, as always, please consult your physician before consuming any alcoholic beverages.

Basically, we cannot claim that Mount Royal Light is gluten-free because of TTB regulations, but “we have not heard of any adverse allergic reactions nor had any complaints from Celiac patients” to it. Drink on MRL lovers!