Market Watch April 2015

While some of the market’s biggest brands aren’t moving as rapidly as a few years ago, new players are stepping up, and some of the old-timers have found new life. All is revealed on this year’s “Hot Brands” list, which shows the shifting tides in spirits and wine. On the spirits side, the whisk(e)y movement continues to blossom, with innovations and upscale line extensions all challenging vodka’s supremacy in the value arena. Five vodkas populate this year’s Hot Brands list—a respectable number for sure, but not quite as sizzling as in days gone by, when the roster read like a vodka directory. In 2010, for example, there were 13 vodkas and only two whiskies on the list. This year, nine whiskies or whisk(e)y-based liqueurs are Hot Brands, accounting for nearly…

Diageo Completes Don Julio Acquisition....Diageo has gained full ownership of Don Julio Tequila, following completion of a deal to acquire the 50-percent stake in the brand that it didn’t already own. The transaction gives Diageo complete ownership and distribution rights to the Don Julio and Tres Magueyes Tequila brands, along with the La Primavera distillery, which is located in the Los Altos region of Jalisco, Mexico, as well as the facility’s inventory and agave supply. Don Julio ($48 to $132 a 750-ml. bottle) has been among the 100-percent blue agave category’s star performers, rising by 15 percent to 230,000 cases in 2013 and growing 8.5 percent to 270,000 cases in 2014. Last year, Diageo also bolstered its presence in the Tequila category when the company purchased the Peligroso label ($30…

BrewDog Beer Kit Brooklyn Brew Shop in Brooklyn, New York, debuted a new beer-making kit in partnership with Scottish brewer BrewDog in March. Retailing for $40, the kit includes all the necessary ingredients for brewing 1 gallon of BrewDog’s 5.6-percent alcohol-by-volume Punk IPA. The BrewDog kit is available at major retail outlets nationwide, and the equipment can be reused to make Brooklyn Brew Shop’s other beer mixes ($12 to $15 each), such as Oatmeal Stout or Summer Wheat. For more information, visit Brooklynbrewshop.com. Field Guide To Drinking In America Niki Ganong, a Portland, Oregon–based food and drinks writer, offers a handy rundown of the beverage alcohol laws in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Debuting this month, the 228-page paperback ($19.99) includes what time bars make last call in each…

New York City Learns To Relax At Lazy Point Known for its hustle and bustle, New York City reached a new level of calm in February with the opening of Lazy Point in Lower Manhattan’s Hudson Square neighborhood. The venue boasts an unfussy, relaxed vibe and is designed to evoke an urban beach house, complete with wooden floors, beach chair seating and a planked bar that runs nearly the entire length of the space, ending at a built-in DJ booth. Lazy Point offers a varied cocktail list, with some drinks following the coastal theme. Specialties include the Beaten Gypsy, comprising Fords gin, fresh beet, rosemary and lime; the Mainlining, a blend of Rittenhouse rye, Campari aperitif, grapefruit, ginger and cinnamon; and The Volstead, made with Reyka vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur,…

London nightclub BonBonniere made its U.S. debut in January, opening a location in New York City’s Hotel Chantelle on the Lower East Side. The upscale venue is named after a type of Fabergé egg and features a design to match, complete with an egg-shaped DJ booth, myriad crystals, mirrored tiles and LED lights. The high-energy club emphasizes bottle service. Tiki culture took over Chicago in January with the opening of Lost Lake in the city’s Logan Square neighborhood. Created by Lettuce Entertain You alumnus and bartender Paul McGee, the island-themed bar from hospitality company Land & Sea Dept. features rum-heavy specialty cocktails and punches. The Japanese-inspired karaoke bar The Blind Dragon opened in January along the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California. The bar has a large central area and several…

Miami Restaurateurs Venture West To Las Vegas Miami’s 50 Eggs Inc. unveiled a second unit of its Yardbird Southern Table & Bar concept in January, opening a location in The Venetian Las Vegas resort. The 8,000-square-foot venue features popular entrées from the original Miami location, including Llewellyn’s Fine Fried Chicken and St. Louis–style pork ribs, alongside new dishes like the smoked Niman Ranch Tomahawk pork chop and the Backyard BBQ Chicken (entrées are $14 to $59). These offerings are joined by a variety of small plates, from pork croquettes and terrines to deviled eggs and fried frog legs ($5 to $17). Yardbird’s beverage program also takes a Southern slant, boasting cocktails like the Blackberry Bourbon Lemonade, comprising Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Angostura bitters, blackberry purée, fresh lemon and cardamom, and the…