It’s no secret that today’s consumers are fickle, changing from one spirit to the next with regularity. Today, Bourbon and other American whiskies are soaring, but tomorrow it might be brandy, gin, mezcal or something else. Amidst all that flux, vodka has risen above the fray. While individual brand performances have varied, the underlying trend remains positive. In fact, vodka hasn’t had a down year since 1996, and volume is now approaching nearly 75 million cases annually, according to Impact Databank. “Consumers are still drinking vodka, and they’re drinking it regularly,” says Reid Hafer, senior brand manager for Burnett’s vodka at Heaven Hill Brands. “They just have other things going into their basket as well.”
Hugh Preece, operating partner of the five-unit Salt Creek Grille in California and New Jersey,…
