Indholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2022 i Market Watch

At three growing restaurants within the Lettuce Entertain You portfolio around Chicago, the top-selling specialty cocktails have Tequila or mezcal as a base. None of these three venues has a Mexican focus or inspiration, but Tequila nevertheless is a huge part of the bar portfolio. “Premium Tequila has been exploding—it’s hard to get product in,” says Thomas Mizuno-Moore, senior beverage manager for six of the company’s venues. “So many people are asking for it that some brands we were able to get three or four years ago are now allocated.” Both the super-premium and luxury Tequila segments turned in double-digit growth in 2021, and both have seen their volume double since 2015, according to Impact Databank. Luxury Tequila—those priced at $40 a 750-ml. and above—grew 19% to just over 6…

Top players in Australian wine have embraced challenging times for the category as a moment for reinvention, introducing innovations like low-alcohol and low-calorie selections to tap into the health-focused market, as well as spirits-barrel-aged wines. Meanwhile, upscale Australian labels have been outpacing the market, as premiumization continues to dictate consumption trends stateside, with premium producers also dedicated to remaking the image of Australian wine. As Australian bottlings fell to an 11% share of total imported wine last year, there is clearly still work to do. By volume, total Australian wine exports decreased 8% to 13.6 million 9-liter cases in 2021, with only the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc varietals charting growth, at 9.5% and 7.3%, respectively. Top Brands Shift Gears Yellowtail remains the largest Australian label by volume with 6.2…

Bursting with your Favorite Flavors In the last decade or so, enthusiasts have discovered the beauty of barrel-proof whisky. Sometimes known as "cask-strength," it’s exactly what it claims to be: whisky bottled straight from the barrel with no water added. Barrel-proof whisky is packed with aroma, flavor, and especially texture, with a chewy, almost oily mouthfeel. If you typically enjoy lower-proof whisky, these might sound too hot to handle, but you always have the ability to add water to cool it down a bit. To shop these whiskies & download tasting tools visit whiskyadvocate.com/tools.…

Several months ago, California winemaker Joe Wagner started going a bit out of his comfort zone. The fifth-generation winemaker, who currently owns Copper Cane Wine & Provisions, has embraced social media in a big way, becoming a content creator on TikTok and posting to Instagram. “If you had asked me a year ago if I’d be on TikTok, I would have said absolutely not,” Wagner says. “I didn’t see much benefit there. But we tried it a few months ago and have ended up having great success—not selling wines directly, but educating people on them. The younger generation is showing a lot of curiosity. On TikTok, our content is a balance, [ranging from] very basic ideas about wine and how it’s made to [targeting] a community that’s very well versed.”…

Spirits in Oregon flexed their muscles last year, with dollar sales growing another 6.5% on the heels of the historic 11.4% gain in 2020. “After a significant increase in sales during 2020, sales returned to growth rates more in-line with recent history,” says Paul Rosenbaum, chairman of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). He adds that a growth rate over 6% was a surprise following such high gains the year prior. Dollar sales gains easily outpaced volume growth, which inched forward 0.6% to 3.83 million cases, according to the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association (NABCA) and Impact Databank. Sales gains in Oregon have now been 6% or higher for four consecutive years, having grown 6% in 2018 and 6.3% in 2019. If the Beaver State maintains this brisk growth…

The upbeat energy of 84 Hospitality Group is changing the face of the on-premise scene in Oklahoma City. A creative company with a unique portfolio and a dedication to its local market, 84 Hospitality brings style and dynamism to Oklahoma’s capital city, offering cool and edgy restaurant spaces staffed by talented people who share a goal for excellence in both drinks and food, as well as design and ambiance. Innovation abounds at 84 Hospitality Group thanks to a leadership team who embraces originality and works hard to stay current on trends happening in bigger markets, while adapting those trends to the local Oklahoma City clientele. “Our concepts are easy to sell because we believe in them,” says 84 Hospitality Group CEO Rachel Cope, who oversees the company’s five concepts, spanning…

Miami: Lebanese Culture And Wine Shine In South Florida Canadian lifestyle firm Ink Entertainment Group added to its Florida portfolio in late May with the opening of the Lebanese concept Amal in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. A nod to Ink Entertainment’s CEO and founder, Charles Khabouth, who has Lebanese roots, Amal serves upscale fare designed for sharing and boasts an extensive wine and cocktail list. The venue offers a lengthy list of Lebanese wines, including myriad labels from the Bekaa Valley, Batroun, and Bhamdoun from such producers as Château Musar, Massaya, and Domaine des Tourelles. Beyond its roughly 30 Lebanese wines—some of which are available in flights—Amal also has a full selection of labels from France, Spain, Italy, Argentina, and the United States (wines are $13-$40 a glass; $30-$1,300 a…

For four years, hard seltzer has reigned supreme. Although the category’s history stretches back to 2013 with the release of Bon Viv seltzers—then marketed as Spiked-Seltzer—it wasn’t until the summer of 2019 that the world took notice. Brands like White Claw and Truly saw major growth as consumers, especially younger legal-drinking-age ones, flocked to stores around the country to get their hands on these low-calorie, low-abv beverages. In a craze that seemed to happen overnight, suddenly everyone had a hard seltzer in hand, and brands everywhere were releasing their own versions of the drink to capitalize on the momentum. Originally, portability was what brought consumers to the segment; it was an easy and refreshing option to pack up and bring along to the beach or the pool. But when 2020…

A fledgling beer segment is significantly outperforming the overall category at Superior Liquor store in Superior, Colorado. And according to beer manager Shawn Tripp it’s not cannibalizing sales of other beers, but serving as an add-on purchase, leading to higher basket rings. “Our sales of non-alcoholic brews increased about 25% last year,” Tripp says, noting the trend is largely driven by enhanced focus on health and wellness. “Many consumers today don’t want to overindulge, but they still want to feel included at social gatherings. I’ve noticed that when stocking up for parties, people are buying a mix of regular beers and non-alcoholics.” Indeed, according to Impact Databank, off-premise dollar sales of de-alcoholized beer jumped 24% last year to $237 million, easily outpacing other beer categories. Low-and no-alcohol spirits and wine…

When Shawn Jones, the beer buyer at Boone’s Wine & Spirits in Eagle, Colorado, noticed that his customers were quick to take a chance on beer variety packs (12-packs, priced between $19-$23), he moved them from warm displays to three or four doors in the store’s beer coolers. “They’re really selling well now,” he says. “Variety packs can be pain-free shopping if you’re buying for a group and don’t know the local brands. People are more willing to try a new beer when it’s presented as part of a variety pack.” Variety packs, which first emerged as popular options during the early days of the craft beer boom, appear to be experiencing a resurgence. According to Nielsen IQ, variety packs outperformed off-premise sales of beer in both 2020 and 2021.…