Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i Market Watch

As we were preparing to ship this issue, the major spirits companies—Diageo and Pernod Ricard in particular, as well as Rémy Cointreau and some others—were announcing their fiscal first half results. In all of those cases the numbers were stellar, and most noteworthy was that the companies all cited a strong on-premise recovery among the key positive trends. Bear in mind that those are global financial results, but a U.S. on-trade recovery was mentioned as part of the mix in all of those cases. We won’t say too much more, but those results were certainly heartening. What should be said, however, is that the recent struggles of the on-premise during Covid-19 have not been forgotten. Also not forgotten is how many great brands got their start in bars and restaurants…

Old Parr Aged 18 Years Diageo has announced the release of Old Parr Aged 18 Years, the latest permanent addition to the blended Scotch brand. The whisky ($70 a 750-ml.), making its first appearance in the U.S., is bottled at 40% abv and made using malts from Cragganmore, among other Islay and Speyside whiskies. The 18-year-old Scotch is now available in Florida, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Delaware. For more information, visit Oldparrscotch.com. The GlenDronach 50-year-old The GlenDronach has released a 50-year-old single malt, the oldest whisky ever released from the Highlands distillery, which is part of the Brown-Forman portfolio. The GlenDronach 50-year-old ($25,000 a 750-ml.) is first matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks before blending and finishing in a single Pedro Ximénez cask. The whiskies were…

The vodka category continues to grow, with consumers tending to stick to brands they know over experimenting with new labels. Vodka remains the U.S. market’s No.-1 spirits category by volume at nearly 80 million case depletions, though it has slipped a few percentage points from its 2016 level of a 34.2% share. The premium-priced segment ($10-$25 a 750-ml.) had been showing the best growth, up 6.8% in 2020, while the sub-premium and super-premium tiers fell 2.4% and 4.7%, respectively. For the past two decades, premium vodkas have steadily gained share of the category, making up 62.4% of total vodka case depletions in 2020. Retail Shake-Up In the off-premise, vodka sales have been a mixed bag. At the nine-unit retailer Kappy’s Fine Wine & Spirits in Massachusetts, the category decreased 15.2%…

In 2015, Adriana Ramos was working in foodservice while attending community college in Long Beach, California when she decided to take mixology classes. “I entered the world of bartending on a whim,” she says. “I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, especially when I realized how much creativity is involved.” From there she took her first bartending gig at an English pub in Los Angeles, where she worked while bartending part-time at other cocktail bars throughout the city. “In late 2019, the bar manager at Employees Only in West Hollywood came into the cocktail bar where I was working,” Ramos says. “He mentioned that he was hiring and that he would love to have me in to check it out. Little did I know, he had already decided…

Off-Premise News: Spritz Society Moves Into Retail New York-based Spritz Society’s line of wine-based sparkling cocktails is now available at retail, with the brand partnering with chains like Total Wine and BevMo. The move will immediately bring the cocktails to Florida and California ahead of a wider expansion plan for the rest of 2022. The brand, which launched last August through a direct-to-consumer program, is projecting 2022 volume of 100,000 cases in the U.S. Spritz Society’s drinks are available in four flavors—grapefruit, blood orange, pineapple, and lemon—with each coming in at 6% abv and 120 calories per 8.4-ounce can. On-Premise News: Cooper’s Hawk Readies Public Offering Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, the suburban Chicago-based casual-dining chain with 49 venues, is laying plans for an initial public offering that will value…

Campari Renews National Partnership With Southern Glazer’s…. Campari America has renewed its national alignment with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, under which the country’s largest wine and spirits distributor handles the Campari portfolio in more than 40 states. The two companies said the renewal—which continues a 30-year partnership—represents “a long-term commitment to continue what has been a proven and mutually beneficial relationship.” “Following our expanded relationship announced in 2017, we’ve seen measurable growth across all channels, particularly national accounts and the on-premise,” says Ugo Fiorenzo, managing director of Campari America. “We are confident that Southern Glazer’s is the right partner to help us continue on that trajectory.” Campari America had U.S. volume of 6.2 million cases in 2021, up 4%, according to Impact Databank, with growth recently boosted by brands…

Cocktail delivery takes on a new meaning in the hotel sector, where some operators are experimenting with room service cocktail offerings for drinkers who wish to stay in but still enjoy upscale mixology. The notion of inroom drinks expanded rapidly during the Covid-19 pandemic, after guests started traveling again but were uncomfortable sitting in a bar or unable to because of mandated on-premise closures. Now, savvy hoteliers report that in-room cocktails remain popular with guests for a variety of reasons, oftentimes replacing the need for an in-room mini bar. “People like having the option to have cocktails delivered to their room to avoid Covid concerns,” says Sarah Mengoni, lead bartender at Kimpton’s La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood, California. “On the other hand, we’ve also seen it ultimately drive guests…

In recent years it’s become more widely accepted that Scotch can be more than a sipping spirit. “Many guests still want to drink their Scotch on its own, but there’s been a shift toward using more Scotch in American cocktails,” says Darron Foy, bar manager of The Flatiron Room in New York City. “I recently made a couple of Rob Roys with peated Sherry-finished single malt Scotch—I could not have imagined making that a few years back.” Single malt Scotch, in particular, has historically been seen as too pricey to mix into cocktails, but bartenders are helping to change that notion. “They’ve become a bit more relaxed about opting for a single malt for their Scotch cocktails,” says Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago. “Also, lots of…

Should the University of Connecticut Huskies advance in the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament, there’s a good chance fans will be toasting with a brew made specially for the team. TwoConn Easy ale is a collaboration between University of Connecticut Athletics and Two Roads Brewing—the largest craft brewer in the Nutmeg State—and according to the brewery and local retailers, it’s been an instant hit since launching in November. “We’re blowing through it,” says Sean Beaulieu, manager and co-owner of Ted’s Restaurant & Bar in Storrs, where UConn is based. “The response has been phenomenal.” Two Roads is one of many craft brewers to partner in some form with a collegiate or professional sports team. Once the bastion of major mainstream beers, team sponsorships, partnerships, and naming rights are increasingly finding a…

Republic National Distributing Co. (RNDC) has appointed Nicholas Mehall as president and CEO. Mehall succeeds Tom Cole, who will serve as a senior advisor to the board of directors moving forward. Mehall served as RNDC’s CFO since 2017 and is credited with successfully strengthening the company’s financial position, improving RNDC’s investment in technology, and leading its recent expansion into new markets. Prior to joining RNDC, Mehall held a number of leadership roles at Diageo, and prior to that, Mehall spent nearly 10 years at audit firm KPMG, LLP in Cleveland, London, and metro New York City. Constellation Brands has appointed industry veteran Jim Sabia as executive vice president and president of the beer division. Previously, Sabia served as Constellation’s executive vice president and managing director for the beer division. The…

Las Vegas: Resorts World Welcomes Drinks-Focused Caviar Bar and Cigar Lounge Recently opened Resorts World Las Vegas unveiled two bar concepts in the last few months: the upscale Caviar Bar by chef Shaun Hergatt and the cigar den Eight Lounge. Caviar Bar opened in December with a menu that spans ultra-premium Martinis like the High Roller, made with Beluga Noble Russian vodka and blue cheese - and prosciutto-stuffed olives, alongside Sin City signatures like the Layover, blending X by Glenmorangie Scotch, unfiltered apple juice, miso-enhanced demerara syrup, and lime juice (cocktails are $18-$25). The Russian-influenced bar serves a variety of its namesake caviar, as well as charcuterie, seafood crudo, and larger dishes like gnocchi, risotto, and Wagyu beef (food ranges from $20-$400). Eight Lounge debuted in January in a 7,000-square-foot…