Market Watch October 2016

For years, single malt Scotch was a minnow in a sea of whisky, dwarfed by a formidable array of international Scotch blends. Back in 1990, the single malt segment accounted for 2.6 percent of the Scotch category in the U.S. market. After a long, slow climb, its share reached 10 percent in 2005. Even then, single malt was considered little more than a niche. Last year, single malt volumes reached nearly a 20 percent share of the category—critical mass, as the marketers call it. And to say the future looks bright is an understate-ment. Single malt Scotch has all the traits—quality, craftsmanship and story—needed to attract millennial drinkers. But still, it’s a competitive world, and single malt still has work to do in order to continue claiming the mantle of…

A-B InBev, SABMiller Close Merger....Anheuser- Busch InBev has completed its blockbuster acquisition of SABMiller in a move that reshapes the beer market both globally and in the United States. The new entity, created with A-B InBev’s $100 billion-plus purchase of its archrival, will be known as Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV. Its global market share exceeds 30 percent, according to Impact Databank. In the U.S. market, the deal paves the way for Molson Coors to acquire SABMiller’s 58-percent stake in MillerCoors for $12 billion. MillerCoors will remain based in Chicago, where it’s headed by CEO Gavin Hattersley. While their grip on the U.S. beer market has loosened thanks to craft and import growth, A-B InBev and MillerCoors still have a combined market share of more than 70 percent. Both players have ramped…

Plum A new countertop wine appliance that enables consumers to enjoy premium wine by the glass is launching this month. Priced at $1,499, Plum is a needle-based wine preservation system that holds multiple bottles with integrated refrigeration, which can be set at varietal-specific serving temperatures. The device has a touchscreen that provides information about each wine and features a refillable argon canister for preserving more than 200 bottles of wine. Visit the company’s website at Plum.wine for more information. Bourbon: The Rise, Fall And Rebirth Of An American Whiskey Fred Minnick, author of “Whiskey Women: The Untold Story of How Women Saved Bourbon, Scotch and Irish Whiskey,” has written a new book. Published this month by Quarto Knows, “Bourbon: The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of an American Whiskey” details the…

NYC Lounge Offers Comfortable Luxury In A Chic Space Manhattan’s Time Warner Center is already home to destination restaurants like Per Se and Masa, and in August, the upscale space added the high-end drinks den Ascent Lounge. Operated by City Nights Hospitality, Ascent Lounge boasts a lengthy cocktail list, myriad Champagnes and sipping spirits in a modern and elegant setting designed to provide approachable luxury. Cocktails ($16 to $19) are grouped into four categories: Seasonal, Signature, Wanderlust and Neoclassic. Wanderlust features tropical-style drinks like The Smoking Gun, blending Montelobos Joven mezcal, pineapple and lime juices, and house-cured bacon bits, while Neoclassic highlights whisk(e)y in such cocktails as the Golden Delicious, comprising The Macallan 10-year-old single malt Scotch, house-made honey syrup, peach tea and apple juice. Ascent Lounge also offers super-premium…

Chicago Restaurateurs Debut Italian Supper Club In Texas A contemporary take on a classic Italian supper club, Sophia’s opened in Austin, Texas, in August with a sophisticated menu and a bustling drinks program. Developed by Chicago-based BDG Hospitality, the Downtown eatery features a large open dining room, as well as a bar and lounge area and a covered outdoor terrace. Chicago chef Mark Sparacino relocated to Austin to helm the kitchen. The menu offers modernized Italian fare, from meatballs, grilled octopus and Wagyu carpaccio to brick chicken, house-made black pepper tagliatelle and orecchiette with black truffle cream (entrées are $19 to $57). The beverage program highlights Italian cocktails, house-made liqueurs and European wines. Along with barrel-aged Negronis and Manhattans, signature drinks include the Tegroni, comprising Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Cocchi…

AS PICTURED: 1. Tennis player Andy Roddick mixed Grey Goose vodka cocktails with brand ambassador Julien Lafond at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during the U.S. Open in Flushing, New York, on September 8th. 2. Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits chairman Bill Deutsch gave the keynote address at the 40th annual Society of Wine Educators conference on August 11th at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C. 3. C. Mondavi & Family vice president Paul Englert (left) and Purple Heart Wines winemaker Ray Coursen (right) presented a check to Purple Heart Foundation vice president William Wroolie (center) at the organization’s gala in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 13th. 4. Actor Bill Murray poured drinks at the opening of 21 Greenpoint on September 16th in Brooklyn, New York. The bar…