Market Watch November 2018

Bourbon cocktails arguably lit the fire for the mixology renaissance—and simultaneously provided the spark that ignited the Bourbon boom itself. In the blink of an eye, the typical Bourbon drinker evolved from an older gentleman buying Bourbon in the liquor store to young millennial men and women sipping Bourbon cocktails and starting their exploration of the category. Today, the pace of the Bourbon cocktail boom has only accelerated, as mixologists find new, creative ways to present America’s premier whiskey. Our cover story on Bourbon cocktails takes a look at the latest developments. Spanish wine, meanwhile, has taken a more gradual upward turn, but the country has now unquestionably emerged as a new generation of producers takes the category to new heights. But there are even greater peaks to climb: While…

Pernod Ricard Invests In Irish Whiskey Operations…. Pernod Ricard’s Irish Distillers unit has unveiled a €150 million ($174 million) push to upgrade and expand its production facilities, including €130 million ($151 million) for Irish Distillers’ distillery in Midleton and its maturation site in Dungourney, County Cork. The latter will be expanded with eight new maturation warehouses holding 16,800 casks each, while Midleton will gain a third mash filter, new fermenters, and a new office building expected to be completed next July. Another €20 million ($23 million) will go toward extensions to the main bottling hall and storage warehouses at Irish Distillers’ Fox and Geese bottling site in Dublin. Since 2012, Irish Distillers has invested a total of €400 million ($464 million) to double its production and bottling capacity. The expansion…

Seattle: Fog Room Sits Atop The City Perched atop the new Charter Hotel Seattle, which debuted in late August, Fog Room offers a refined cocktail experience and sweeping views of Puget Sound. The indoor-outdoor venue overlooks both the water and mountains, providing glimpses of the Seattle Great Wheel and downtown area. Fog Room’s cocktail menu ($12-16) includes a section inspired by influential hotel bars, from The Savoy Hotel in London to the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Famous hotel drinks include the Algonquin, named for the New York City hotel and made with Jim Beam rye, Dolin Blanc vermouth, and pineapple juice. The Fog Room also offers specialty drinks like the Kingslayer, mixing Eagle Rare 10-year-old Bourbon, Dolin Blanc vermouth, Prado Pastis liqueur, CioCiario amaro, and Peychaud’s bitters; the…

1. Queer Eye cast member Jonathan Van Ness celebrated the rollout of Smirnoff No. 21 vodka’s new non-GMO formula during an interactive launch party at The Bordone LIC in New York City on October 8. 2. During the Safeway Open at Napa, California’s Silverado Resort on October 3, golfer Phil Mickelson won Korbel California Champagne’s annual Spray-Off Challenge as Korbel president and owner Gary Heck (right) watched on. 3. Singer Teyana Taylor received an engraved Avión Reserva 44 Tequila bottle at the Nylon Fashion Rebel party, held at the Gramercy Park Hotel’s Rose Bar on September 12. 4. Actor Dan Aykroyd (right) and artist John Alexander celebrated the launch of Crystal Head vodka’s limited-edition Artist Series bottle on September 25 at Alexander’s studio in New York City. 5. Olympic skiier…

Jim Beam Repeal Batch Beam Suntory has unveiled a limited-edition Bourbon to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the end of Prohibition. Jim Beam Repeal Batch Bourbon ($18 a 750-ml.) is aged four years and is nonchill filtered, with a label design inspired by Jim Beam bottles from the 1930s. The 43% abv whiskey is available nationwide. For more information, visit Jimbeam.com. Little Book Noe Simple Task Beam Suntory also launched Noe Simple Task, the second edition of its Little Book whiskey series. The 59.4% abv whiskey is a blend of 9-year-old Kentucky straight rye, 13-year-old Canadian rye, and 40-year-old Canadian corn whisky. Little Book Noe Simple Task ($100 a 750-ml.) is available in limited quantities. For more information, visit Littlebookwhiskey.com. Hennessy Master Blender’s Selection No. 3 Moët Hennessy USA has…

La Crema After a bull run from 2010-2016 in which it expanded by nearly 70%, Jackson Family Wines’ La Crema posted a slight volume dip last year, declining 0.8% to 1.2 million cases, according to Impact Databank. Recently, the brand has been targeting the on-premise and direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels with its upscale Wines of Distinction Collection, a range of single-vineyard and small-parcel Pinot Noir and Chardonnay expressions. “We wanted to give restaurants the chance to serve exclusive wines that consumers can’t buy at retail,” says La Crema winemaker Craig McAllister. Retailing from $45-$65 a 750-ml., the Wines of Distinction Collection includes Kelli Ann Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley), Saralee’s Vineyard Chardonnay (Russian River Valley), Shell Ridge Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast), and Fog Veil Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley). La Crema’s…