Market Watch December 2022

Our annual Blue Chip Brands list is out once again, and as usual it contains some remarkable growth stories. One qualification for a brand making the list is to have ten consecutive years of volume growth, and what I love to do is look at the volume for each brand from a decade ago. Those numbers are on the charts for the story, and this year’s benchmark is 2011. Some of these brands were relatively small back then, and have since grown up to become multi-million case players in the space of a decade. Small brand owners, take note: you too can see your dreams of glory come true with a patient, slow, and steady build. Some Blue Chips are not even Hot Brands. Instead, they’re all about long term…

Deutsch Family Enters Tequila….Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits is taking aim at the fast-growing upscale Tequila category with a new deal to handle the Cantera Negra brand. Deutsch Family is acquiring a partial ownership stake in Cantera Negra from owner Two Sons Imports LLC, and will become the exclusive global sales and marketing partner to the brand. Financials were not disclosed. Cantera Negra, which is Spanish for “Black Quarry,” has distribution in 28 states and is growing quickly, having shipped 20,000 cases in the 12 months through September, Deutsch says. The business was founded more than four decades ago by Don Alberto Becherano, who continues to produce the range with his son, Dan. Cantera Negra takes its name from the black volcanic rock found in the soil of the agave…

NYC: Bar Operators Add Upscale, Underground Cocktail Haven The team behind New York City cocktail destination Valerie opened a new space in October underneath their popular Manhattan drinks den, unveiling Madame George in a subterranean space in the city’s Midtown neighborhood. Madame George offers a chic cocktail experience that highlights service and specialty drinks, with a themed menu crafted by beverage director Marshall Minaya. The inaugural menu takes inspiration from New York City through the ages, with sections like Classic New York, which lists such drinks as the Rittenhouse Bonded rye-based Algonquin and Monkey Shoulder Scotch-based Penicillin, and Subways, which includes signatures like the Iron Maidens, blending Old Duff 100% Malt Wine genever, Kopke Fine White Port, Dubonnet Rouge vermouth, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur, and Fernet Branca (cocktails are $18-$20). Madame…

Fuji Whisky 30-Year-Old Single Grain Japan’s Fuji Whisky has launched its 30-year-old single grain whisky in the U.S. The 46% abv whisky ($3,000 a 700-ml.) is distilled from grain in a style similar to Canadian whiskies before maturing in used American oak for between 30 and 40 years before bottling. Fuji’s 30-year-old single grain whisky carries a suggested price of $3,000 a 700-ml. and only 100 bottles will come to the U.S. this year. The rare whisky joins Fuji’s flagship single grain whisky, which launched in the U.S. last year for around $95 a bottle. For more information, visit Fujiwhisky.com. Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks Brown-Forman’s Jack Daniel Distillery is introducing a 100% malted barley grain bill for the first time…

The bar well of today is absolutely nothing like its predecessors. Once relegated to low-cost, low-quality spirits, the well has moved firmly upscale. This premium push is coinciding with the demand for higher-quality spirits in cocktails overall, and it’s supported by bartenders across the industry who delight in serving top-notch drinks even when their guests don’t call for specific brands. “The bar well has changed dramatically over the years,” says Milos Zica, partner and beverage director at the restaurant and bar Fandi Mata in Brooklyn, New York. “Back in the day, bars had fake lime juice, gun soda with corn syrup, and juices filled with artificial flavor and sugar. But these days, we use fresh ingredients—fresh-squeezed lime and lemon juice, agave syrup or stevia, freshly squeezed grapefruit, orange, and pineapple.…

Even as premiumization and experimentation with new brands have driven the Cognac category forward in recent years, some worrisome signs have appeared for Cognac this year. That said, volume in 2021 more than doubled what it was a decade earlier, and new brands and expressions are still generating enthusiasm for the luxury French spirit. Susan Gibbons, senior marketing director for Courvoisier, points out the category’s 10%-plus growth rate just in the last three years, which is “largely due the rise of at home consumption, increased media spends, and consumer premiumization trends increasing demand across the category.” Hine Cognac, a VSOP-only brand, has also seen significant growth in recent years. “Over the past three years, we’ve doubled our business, but it’s a small business,” says Brian Radics, CMO for Hotaling &…