Market Watch October 2015

Something’s wrong with this picture. Amid a generational boom in whiskies, how can it be that so much of the Scotch category, with all its storied traditions and iconic brands, is in the doldrums? Scotch volume was down 1.4 percent in the United States last year, with some of its biggest names showing declines. Single malts continue to do fabulously, of course, rising by 8.2 percent in 2014. But in the much larger blended Scotch segment, volumes have fallen by around a million and a half cases since 2000. While Scotch should be in a better place right now, at least things are heading in the right direction. Confident pricing is now much more the order of the day, accompanied by a torrid pace of innovation. That combination will likely…

Total Wine Names Kevin Peters CEO.... Potomac, Maryland–based retail chain Total Wine & More has appointed Kevin Peters as the company’s first-ever CEO, effective January 1st, 2016. Peters joined the Total Wine board in 2011 and was most recently CEO of Fleet Pride, the largest independent distributor of heavyduty truck and retailer parts in the United States. Prior to that position, he served as president of North America for Office Depot. He will report directly to the board and remain a board member while serving as CEO. David Trone, who co-owns Total Wine with his brother Robert, projects that the retail chain will have 130 stores across 18 states and sales over $2 billion by year-end. Starbucks Plans Evening Program Expansion.... Starbucks has announced plans to aggressively expand its “Evenings”…

American Wine Boston-based author Tom Acitelli has written a new book tracing the history and evolution of wine in the United States. Published in September, “American Wine: A Coming-of-Age Story” chronicles the industry’s rise, from the 1960s when just 400 U.S. wineries existed to the current era with over 8,000 wineries in operation. The 352-page hardcover ($29.95) provides an in-depth look at the U.S. wine business, with chapters titled “Pink Chablis Vs. Premier Cru,” “The Birth of the Wine Bar,” and “Garage Revolutionaries and Virtual Giants.” For more information, visit Chicagoreviewpress.com. Drinking The Devil’s Acre Renowned bartender and cocktail educator Duggan McDonnell has penned a book that pays homage to San Francisco’s beverage culture. Referencing a block of saloons in the city’s famed 19th century–era Barbary Coast, “Drinking the Devil’s…

Tiki Culture Comes Alive In Las Vegas Sin City nightlife veteran and entrepreneur Branden Powers opened an ode to island culture in July with the debut of The Golden Tiki, an imaginative 4,000-square-foot space located just off the Strip in Las Vegas’ Chinatown. The bar features an indoor waterfall, a trading post for souvenirs, a performance and DJ stage, and a pirate’s lair. True to form, The Golden Tiki has an island-inspired drinks menu with roughly 15 specialties and a few large-format punches, including re-creations of popular concoctions like the Mai Tai, Zombie, Painkiller, and Three Dots and a Dash. These mainstays join newer offerings, such as the venue’s namesake signature—a blend of Coruba Original rum, Templeton rye, Giffard Apricot liqueur, Angostura Orange bitters, mango juice, lime, ginger syrup and…

• Pegu Club alumnus Kenta Goto unveiled the Japanese-inspired Bar Goto in late July on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The intimate space serves updated takes on classic cocktails that feature Japanese ingredients like yuzu, shiso and miso. These drinks are joined by sake, wine and beer, as well as Japanese small plates. • Modeled after a recording studio, Soundcheck opened in August in Washington, D.C., and features a roster of live artists and DJs playing electronic dance music, Latin dance and hip-hop. The space was designed to evoke popular clubs in Athens, Greece, during the 1980s and ’90s, highlighting bottle service and a full bar. • Chicago’s cultural and dining destination Thalia Hall debuted Tack Room in July. Located in the former carriage house portion of the space, the cocktail…

Besh Restaurant Group Adds Bakery-Inspired Café New Orleans’ Besh Restaurant Group opened Willa Jean restaurant and bakery in August in The Paramount at South Market building. Helmed by two pastry chefs, the eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu lists eggs and biscuits in the morning and snacks, tartines, sandwiches and larger plates for lunch and dinner. The venue offers upscale versions of Southern classics like pigs in a blanket with apricot mustard, fried chicken with jalapeno slaw on a Hawaiian roll, and a hanger steak topped with a fried egg (food ranges from $4 to $26). Willa Jean also has an inventive drinks program inspired by the Southern bakery theme. The restaurant serves several coffee- and tea-enhanced cocktails, such as The Roux, mixing Rougaroux Full Moon Dark rum,…