Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2015 i Market Watch

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…

The upscale, contemporary steak house Hunt & Fish Club debuted in January in Midtown Manhattan with a menu of fresh steaks, wild game and seafood and an extensive wine list. The 9,000-square-foot, bi-level eatery boasts a black and white interior and a 1960s feel, complete with classic cock-tails served at two different bars. Chef Mourad Lahlou unveiled an eponymous restaurant in San Francisco in January. A sister venue to his popular Aziza, Mourad offers modern Moroccan food with traditional ingredi-ents and flavors, either à la carte or as a 10-course tasting option. The restaurant also has diverse wine, beer and cocktail lists. An upscale tavern with Southern influences, American Food and Beverage opened in Atlanta in January. Joining a location in Fort Worth, Texas, the venue features a wood-fired grill…

Deep Eddy Cranberry Vodka Austin, Texas–based Deep Eddy Spirits released Deep Eddy Cranberry vodka in February 2014, and the offering has become the No.-1 cranberry-flavored vodka in IRI channels as of January 2015. “It beat our expectations for sales performance and took off rapidly within a crowded competitive landscape,” says Deep Eddy CEO Eric Dopkins. “We recognized an opportunity for everyday consumers to simplify mixology with a product that looks and tastes closer to cranberry juice.” Made with New England cranberries, Deep Eddy Cranberry vodka (around $19.99 a 750-ml. bottle) targets cocktail drinkers who are interested in high-quality, natural flavors. The 35-percent alcohol-by-volume (abv) vodka does well in the off-premise and has also found success in neigh-borhood bars, casual dining venues and cocktail dens. “Since cranberry is such a classic…

Walk into Pai Men Miyake, a noodle bar in Portland, Maine’s Longfellow Square, and one of the first things you see is the craft beer list. On a prominently displayed chalkboard adjacent to the front door, guests can scan the list of 12 draft beers when they walk in. Half of the venue’s taps and six of its 12 bottles are reserved for regional craft beers, which are regularly rotated, offering patrons an opportunity to try the latest local expressions. Steaming bowls of ramen, such as the Kimchee Beef with braised short rib ($13), are commonly ordered with a Maine-brewed draft like Bissell Brothers’ The Substance ale ($7 a 16-ounce pour) or Oxbow Farmhouse pale ale ($6 a 12-ounce pour), says bar manager Jack Van Paepeghem. The menu also includes…

Among spirits categories, liqueurs and cordials have long boasted a high concentration of female consumers, who have simultaneously shied away from whiskies. However, those patterns are changing, with new offerings breaking down old barriers. Often sweetened with honey or spiced with cinnamon, successful whisk(e)y-based liqueurs are reaching a diverse consumer mix and spear-heading growth trends. Fireball cinnamon whisky ($18 a 750-ml. bottle), which became the top-selling liqueur brand in the United States in 2013, has driven category growth and triggered a slew of flavored competitors in the brown spirits segment. The whiskey-based liqueurs Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey ($24), Wild Turkey American Honey ($24.95) and Evan Williams Flavored Reserve ($14.99) are among the fastest-growing spirits labels nationwide, along with the rum-based cream liqueur RumChata ($18.99). “Specialty whiskies like Jack Daniel’s Tennessee…

Company culture plays heavily in the operations of Charleston, South Carolina–based hospitality group The Indigo Road. From the kitchen dynamics on any given night to broad-based plans for expansion, the business aims to connect people to one another. “I really believe that my job every day is making sure our culture is right,” says managing partner Steve Palmer. “From there, the food tastes good, the service is great and the profits flow.” That focus has allowed The Indigo Road to expand from a single location, Oak Steakhouse—which Palmer purchased in 2009—to eight individual restaurants in Charleston and the Atlanta area today. “There has been a lot of growth, but it’s all been internal,” Palmer says. “Every single general manager was an assistant or a waiter in one of our other…

Syrah is a chameleon grape. In cool climates, it makes meaty, earthy wines, while in warm conditions, it results in jammy, fruit-forward offerings. Bob Bertheau, head wine-maker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Washington, says terroir, weather and the winemaker’s style affect Syrah wines more than those made from other varietals. The grape’s paradox is that its advantageous ability to thrive in diverse climates and produce myriad styles of wine is also the reason many say it’s hard to sell: Syrah has a variable flavor profile. “At a supermarket or large retail outlet, customers aren’t sure what they’re going to get with Syrah,” says Jonathan Newman, CEO and chairman of Newman Wines & Spirits, a brokerage and importer based in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. Newman markets six Syrah varietal wines, including…

On-Premise News Ignite Restaurant GroupSells Romano’s Macaroni Grill Ignite Restaurant Group sold its Romano’s Macaroni Grill concept to Redrock Partners for around $8 million in March. The Italian casual dining brand operates 146 units in 33 states, in addition to 25 franchised locations worldwide. Romano’s, which Ignite acquired for around $55 million in 2013, recently rolled out the fast casual program Romano’s Kitchen Counter at 136 units. Ignite also owns the Joe’s Crab Shack and Brick House Tavern + Tap concepts. World Of Beer Enters Chicago World of Beer, a chain of craft beer bars with nearly 70 locations in 20 states, is expanding to Chicago for the first time. Five locations in the area are planned, according to Illinois franchise rights–owner Ted Mavrakis. His first site will be in…

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…

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…

FINGER LAKES The Finger Lakes region in upstate New York is among the nation’s busiest appellations, with more than 90 wineries around the city of Ithaca alone. Visiting all of them would take weeks—or you could just stop by Northside Wine & Spirits.It’s not often you’ll find a couch out on the sales floor of a beverage alcohol store, but Northside Wine & Spirits isn’t your typical liquor outlet. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes, the store carries an inventory of more than 600 wines from New York state. And in a place like Ithaca, creating a destination wine store is no small feat, but owner Tonia Borow has done just that, thanks in part to loyal staff members who are more like family than employees. Though she…

With a widespread ban on smoking in bars, inventive cocktail makers are looking for alternative ways to keep tobacco in the mix, and they’ve found it by adding the ingredient to their drinks. The practice isn’t common, but a handful of savvy mixologists have incorporated smoke and tobacco flavors into their repertoire. From tobacco bitters and infused spirits to smoked glasses, drinks-makers have found ways to bring tobacco back inside the bar. Stephanie Teslar, the head bartender at Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails in Phoenix, came up with a drink called the Lawless ($12), which uses tobacco-enhanced bitters and pipe tobacco smoke. The cocktail has garnered national attention and become a top-seller despite being one of the highest-priced and most labor-intensive options on the menu. The Lawless mixes St. George…

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…

Patrón Extra Añejo 7 Años Tequila The Patrón Spirits Co. launched the oldest Tequila in the company’s history in March. The limited-edition Patrón Extra Añejo 7 Años ($299 a 750-ml. bottle) has been aged for seven years and has flavors of oak, vanilla, citrus and agave, with a long finish. The 40-percent alcohol-by-volume (abv) spirit is now available nationwide. For more information, visit Patrontequila.com or call 702-262-9446. Captain Morgan Pineapple, Coconut and Grapefruit Rums Diageo North America extended its Captain Morgan brand with three new white rum variants this spring. Captain Morgan Pineapple, Coconut and Grapefruit rums (all $15.99 a 750-ml. bottle) are targeted primarily toward the summer cocktail occasion. The 35-percent abv spirits are available nationwide. For more information, visit Captainmorgan.com or call Diageo at 203-229-2100. Kahlúa Salted Caramel…

Last year was a tough one for many drinks players. Spirits growth has been slowing for some time, and a number of big-volume brands lost ground last year. The wine market’s progress has also softened, barely advancing in 2014. Despite the negatives, there were some standout performers last year, as evidenced by the impressive breadth of the latest list of Impact “Hot Brands.” Among the repeat winners, a few have been receiving the award for more than a decade, including Bogle, Jameson and Barefoot. Others are first-time honorees, while a handful are back on the list after a long absence. All share a common trait: significant growth. Though vodka has long dominated the Hot Brands spirits roster, whisk(e)y emerged as the most prolific category on this year’s list, affirming the…

MARKETERS EXPLORE Beverage alcohol stores aren’t the only businesses partnering with on-demand delivery providers. Several major suppliers have teamed up with the technology firms in recent months. Marketers say that the partnerships—all three-tier compliant—aid them in reaching targeted consumers. Over the winter, MillerCoors tested an on-demand program with Drizly via Twitter in Boston, New York City, Seattle and Washington, D.C., that resulted in at least 65,000 visits to the Miller Lite e-commerce destination, according to digital marketing manager Dilini Fernando. Anheuser-Busch, mean-while, is teaming up with Klink on the “Bud Light Button” app in a Washington, D.C., test. “We’re giving partner retailers a completely new channel through which to sell beer and making it easier for them to get the product to consumers,” says A-B vice president of consumer connections…

As the craft beer industry has mushroomed over the past decade, brewers raced to produce the maltiest, hoppiest, most alcohol-fueled extreme beers—with intimidating names to match. For example, Indiana’s 3 Floyds Brewing Co. has its Dreadnaught IPA, Zombie Dust pale ale and Tiberian Inquisitor Belgian-style ale. But the American consumer may now be lurching in the opposite direction. Brewers who once were preoccu-pied with boosting the strength of increasingly exotic brews are now reducing alcohol content in their IPAs and Pilsners, without losing too much flavor or mouth feel. Session beers are coming into prominence, as both a relief valve for consumers tired of big beers and as a gateway to craft beer for mainstream consumers. With most national-brand lagers topping out around 4.2-percent alcohol-by-volume (abv), craft offerings with 7-percent…

Pernod Ricard has made several global executive changes. In March, Conor McQuaid shifted from group marketing and commercial development director to global business development director. This month, former industrial director of Irish Distillers Peter Morehead assumed the role of group operations director. In July, current chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard Asia Pierre Coppéré will become executive senior vice president in charge of growth initiatives. Meanwhile, Philippe Guettat, currently chairman and CEO of Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët, will replace Coppéré as Pernod’s Asia chief, while current chairman and CEO of the Pernod brand César Giron will replace Guettat. In turn, Philippe Savinel, now chairman and CEO of the Ricard brand, will retain his current responsibili-ties and also add those of Giron. Danny Wirtz has been named president of Wirtz Beverage Group…