Market Watch May 2022

Amid soaring margins in the spirits world for Tequila and whisk(e)y, the equally venerable rum category has remained among the last spirits categories to truly premiumize. But we’re finally seeing some movement. The top players, for the most part, have made new commitments to upscaling in recent years, and many smaller rum brands are making dynamic moves as well. Overall, super-premium-and-above rums are showing reasonably healthy volume growth, and also making real efforts to edge into the high-end cocktail space that’s usually reserved for whisk(e)y. But rum also will never lose—and never should lose—its status as a playful, fun, and irresistible drink. The rum-based RTD space is another avenue of opportunity, just as it has been for vodka and Tequila. Read all about it in our rum feature, which starts…

Breakthru Acquires Major Brands….Breakthru Beverage Group has completed its previously announced acquisition of Missouri’s Major Brands, which is now operating as Breakthru Beverage Missouri. Scott Johnson, who previously served as president of sales and operations for Major Brands, will assume the position of executive vice president, Missouri, overseeing the business, which delivers to more than 9,000 customers statewide. The addition of Missouri marks 15 markets for Breakthru, which is projected to reach $6.6 billion in revenue this year. Deutsch Enters Champagne….Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is expanding its imported wine portfolio at the high end with a new agreement to take a minority stake in the Beau Joie Champagne brand for an undisclosed sum. Under the terms, Deutsch will handle sales and marketing for Beau Joie on an exclusive basis…

San Francisco: Futures Bar Group Adds Whiskey-Focused Throwback Concept Channeling the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s with a menu that’s focused on American whiskies, Bottle Club Pub opened in March in San Francisco’s Union Square Theater District. The bar from Future Bars Group is a haven for spirits and cocktail aficionados, aiming to showcase the history of American whiskey with a variety of labels and spirits paraphernalia. The menu includes specialty drinks like the Good Luck Charm, made with Jim Beam Black label Bourbon, hibiscus-infused Peychaud’s bitters, Luxardo Apricot liqueur, lemon juice, pineapple gomme syrup, and mint, and the Mr. Sandman, mixing Jim Beam rye, Cocchi di Torino sweet vermouth, Kalani Coconut liqueur, Mr. Black Coffee liqueur, and Angostura bitters (specialty drinks are $12-$16). Cocktails are joined by more than 300…

The GlenDronach Cask Bottling Batch 19 Brown-Forman’s The GlenDronach has announced three new single-barrel releases for the U.S. market, all pulled from casks filled between 1992 and 1994. The whiskies, collected as the GlenDronach Cask Bottling Batch 19, are all at barrel strength and there are 12 casks in the batch. The first U.S. release is 1992 Cask 217 ($820 a 750-ml.), a 55.4% whisky matured in an Oloroso Sherry cask. Only 383 bottles are available across Georgia, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. The second bottling—1992 Cask 6052 ($720)—is at 50.8% abv and aged in a PX Sherry cask; some 658 bottles are available in 17 states. Finally, 1994 Cask 5080 ($600) is a 54.3% abv whisky aged in an Oloroso cask. There are 667 bottles are available in…

Paige McGroarty has been part of Boston’s thriving cocktail scene since 2014. She served as lead bartender at the modern supper club Yvonne’s in the city’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood after bartending at Pearl & Lime in Quincy, Massachusetts and Alchemy Bistro & Bar in Edgar-town on Martha’s Vineyard. Last April, McGroarty joined the team at The Langham Boston hotel as assistant food and beverage manager, and she also serves as head bartender of the hotel’s luxe cocktail pub The Fed, which debuted last July. She got the job thanks to her connections within the local industry. “Someone in my circle who knows The Langham’s food and beverage director, Kyung Lee, recommended my name,” she says. “After interviewing and learning about the projected concept, I couldn’t say no to the offer.”…

The rum category remains a tale of two cities. On one hand, premium aged products continue to shine and, although relatively small in volume, these sipping rums have gained a robust following of tasters who enjoy exploring the nuances of different brands. On the other hand, there are the high-volume white, spiced, or flavored rums. Though most of the biggest brands struggled to maintain or grow volume last year, according to Impact Databank, the good news for rum marketers is that rum overall appears to be rebounding. While depletions were consistently below 23 million cases in the latter half of the 2010s, following a 2011 peak, rum volume once again crested that number, hitting 23.04 million cases last year. While volume technically declined in 2021, marketers consider the category’s 23.4…