Market Watch June 1, 2016

Somewhere along the line, amid soaring prices, a recession and a whiskey boom that no one anticipated, Bordeaux lost its way in the U.S. market. Retailers became turned off by nosebleed pricing for classified growths, and a new generation began gravitating toward rival wines, as well as spirits and even craft beers. How could such a magical, iconic category as Bordeaux fall from grace? The answer, I suppose, is that it can always happen. But I’ve closely followed the market for many decades, and I can tell you one thing for certain: Bordeaux always comes back. In fact, it’s in recovery mode right now. The classified growths still need time to rebound from the price spikes of recent years, but gains for the rest of Borde aux are strong. Although…

Bacardi Ups Ante In Havana Club Battle.... Bacardi has unveiled plans to back its Puerto Rico–produced Havana Club brand with a new Añejo Clasico dark rum, a national distribution footprint, revamped packaging and a fresh advertising campaign. According to the Miami Herald, Bacardi will first roll out its refreshed Havana Club offerings in Florida and then extend distribution to eight more states in July and August ahead of a national launch in September. Añejo Clasico will retail at around $22 a 750-ml. bottle, while Añejo Blanco will sit at about $20. The new campaign, titled “The Golden Age, Aged Well,” is aimed at millennials and seeks to evoke Havana’s “golden age” in the 1920s to 1950s. Bacardi may also get a boost from Congress in its fight with Pernod Ricard…

Champagne, Uncorked Wine and food writer Alan Tardi, who penned the 2006 James Beard Award–winning “Romancing the Vine,” has unveiled a new book that delves behind the scenes of Champagne, from its early days and into the modern era. Published by Perseus Books Group’s PublicAffairs imprint, the 296-page hardcover ($26.99) recounts the creation of the prestigious Champagne house Krug and explores the production, history and cultural significance of “the world’s most celebrated drink.” For more information, visit Publicaffairsbooks.com. Quench Your Own Thirst Jim Koch, founder of The Boston Beer Co. and brewer of Samuel Adams, has written a memoir and how-to guide that details his company’s journey from scrappy start-up to leading craft brewery over the last three decades. Subtitled “Business Lessons Learned Over a Beer or Two,” the 272-page…

Industry Veterans Debut Upscale Drinks Den In San Francisco A year after opening the bar Forgery in San Francisco, longtime collaborators Ken Luciano and Jacques Bezuidenhout partnered again with PlumpJack Group to debut the cocktail lounge Wildhawk in the city’s Mission District in April. The inviting 1,000-square-foot space puts a European flair on the American tavern, boasting antique-style cocktail tables, contemporary seating, pewter ceiling tiles and bold wallpaper in a dimly lit setting. Its menu emphasizes vermouth-based cocktails, offering an array of classics prepared with modern techniques (specialty drinks are $8 to $13). Standouts include the Hip Hops, mixing Martini Riserva Speciale Ambrato vermouth, grapefruit juice, pineapple gum syrup and a house-made hops tincture, and the Kind of Fancy, a blend of Hine Cognac, Wild Turkey 101 rye whiskey, Fonseca…

Managed by 8 Hospitality, Joy District opened in April in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. The mammoth, multilevel venue features an upscale restaurant and cocktail bar on the main floor, as well as an upstairs nightclub and a rooftop lounge. Logan Circle Hotel opened this spring in Philadelphia and features Assembly Rooftop Lounge, an open-air space nine stories above the Parkway. The lounge boasts city views and specializes in Champagnes by the glass. The bar also offers Champagne cocktails on draft and upscale snacks, from oysters and baked brie to tuna tartare. In April, the team behind the popular bar Dutch Kills in New York City’s Queens borough unveiled their latest project, Fresh Kills, in Brooklyn. Like its sister venue, Fresh Kills features a lengthy craft cocktail list, spanning both classics…

Japanese Culture Collides With Vegas Opulence At Sake Rok Designed to transport guests to the streets of Tokyo, Sake Rok is an industrial oasis along the west side of The Strip in Las Vegas. The venue—part restaurant and part performance space—opened in April at The Park, Sin City’s new restaurant, bar and entertainment destination located between the New York–New York Hotel & Casino and the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. Sake Rok is modeled after a Japanese warehouse and includes elements that reflect Japan’s vibrant pop culture and fashion scenes. Chef Bobby Silva manages the menu, which includes small plates like tuna tataki and yellowtail sashimi tacos alongside such larger entrées as pan-seared scallops and a 42-ounce Wagyu tomahawk steak topped with foie gras butter (small plates are $12 to…